As the pair continued down toward the halls where Lores’ workshop resided, Chrys noticed the looks given by the changelings they passed. Without Bulwark, she felt more glances being cast her way, and she didn't like it. She briefly considered changing her colors to avoid their curious looks, but thought better of it; she didn't want to deal with the fuss Darrin would make of it. Unfortunately, her silence didn't stop him from making one anyway.
“So, why'd we ditch the others so early?” he asked, “Is there something you wanted to check out?” He then adopted a sour look as he glanced to her on his back, “This isn't about what happened to your breakfast, is it?” he added, getting a cross look from Chrysalis.
“My business with Lores doesn't concern you.”
“Fine, leave me in the dark, see if I care,” he replied dismissively, “So why'd Momo seem chummy concerning Lores? Can I get an answer for that one?”
“Hmph. You ask a lot of questions for a carriage,” Chrys replied with a sigh, “She wants to be a caretaker next year,” she said simply, making Darrin's eye’s widen in realization.
“So, she is going through with that,” he replied with a smile, “No wonder she's familiar with the lorekeeper,” he added, getting a small nod from Chrys.
“She wanted to be a caretaker for this year’s clutch, but now there isn't going to be one,” Chrys said, sounding disappointed as Darrin looked to her.
“You're still on about that? Her Highness will need her strength in the spring,” he pointed out, prompting her to glance to the side.
“I know. It's just, there'd still be a clutch this year if Mantis had kept his dirty mouth shut...” she said in an off-put tone, making Darrin consider her for a moment before adopting a small smile.
“So, Momo talks to Lores so she can learn how to look after hatchlings, while our Princess wants to ask about food,” he guessed, his smile widening as he felt Chrys' glare trying to bore its way through the back of his head. “Feels like I guessed right.”
“He thanked me, okay?” Chrys replied in annoyance.
“Huh?” Darrin asked, caught off guard by her somber tone.
“The pony this morning. He thanked me. He knew I wasn't a pony, and he thanked me,” she explained, making Darrin pause as he looked to her, an unreadable expression on his face. “I want to know why,” she firmly added, knowing it was strange to care about such a thing, seeing Darrin think just that by the slight shift in his eyes. They stared at each other for a moment longer, before he continued down the hall.
“We skipped out on sunbathing for a pony,” he said, letting out an annoyed sigh. “Still, if it'll help you feel better, then it is what it is,” he added in a slightly detached tone.
“You won't tell anyone, right—”
“Like I would do something so stupid,” He cut off, giving Chrys an insulted look. “Mantis would stir up trouble if he knew you cried for a pony.”
“I didn't cry!”
“If you say so, Your Highness,” he sarcastically replied, making Chrysalis frown at him. She considered berating him for it, even biting his ear in protest. However, her confusion born of the emotions tied to what happened to the pony kept her still, making her wish she had kept the whole thing to herself.
Before either of them could strike up a new topic to dispel the silence, they reached Lores' workshop. Having one entrance, Darrin stopped at the opening, looking inside to see that Lores was the only changeling in the chamber. “I'll keep an eye out for you. Make sure you find all the answers you're looking for,” he said, his oddly soft tone making Chrys pause as she entered, giving him a curious glance. "You skipped out on our the last chance to sunbathe this year for this. It's clearly important to you, though I don't get why," he said, letting out a small sigh. "Chrys, you're going to be a queen one day,” he stated firmly, getting a hesitant look from her, “A queen must be determined, and focused, just like you are right now about this whole … pony business. So, make sure you see it all the way through.”
“All the way through?” she asked, making Darrin glance to the side, before adopting a fiery look.
“That's right. You're determined to get your answers, and that gives you direction. Chrys, a queen leads, and a drone follows. A queen can't lead without direction,” he affirmed, making Chrys frown.
“That sounds like something Mantis would say.”
“They are his words,” Darrin admitted bitterly, making Chrys' adopt a slightly bothered look, “Just because he said it, doesn't make it any less true.” He then nodded into Lores' cavern, “I'll be here, so have at it,” He finished, giving her a small smile, which made her sigh as she looked away.
“You spout good advice when I'm down, and tease me when I'm up. Can't you be Nice-Darrin all the time?” she asked as she raised an eyebrow to him.
“What, I can't treat you like a pampered princess all the time,” he replied confidently as he pointed past Chrys, towards the female drone who seemed to be patiently waiting for them to finish. “For instance, it's rude to keep a valued member of the hive waiting,” he quipped, making Chrys blush slightly.
“I see how it is,” she said as she gave him a twisted smile. “I'll be sure to let Momo and Bulwark know how you treated me,” she added, getting an almost alarmed look from Darrin, before he decided to be completely focused on watching the hall, turning his back to her.
Putting away her smile, Chrys turned to Lores. As she did, she noticed a pegasus stallion behind a caged part of the cavern. As the princess approached, Lores noticed Chrys' growing curiosity, and addressed the princess after a polite bow.
“Don't mind the pony, Your Highness, he's just a dud that knows a lot, for a pony,” she added with a small smile, making said pony roll his eyes, wearing a small smile as he gave the princess a curious look.
“Dud?” Chrys asked.
“A loveless pony. They're rare, but they do happen,” Lores explained, her expression implying that she found the notion to be strangely tragic. “That aside, what brings you to my workshop?” she asked with a smile, making Chrys pry her eyes from the yellow pegasus to the oddly matching changeling.
“A pony thanked me. Why'd he do that?”
“What?” Lores asked flatly, completely caught off guard. She then shook her head, “Could you give me some more context, Your Highness?” she asked, prompting Chrys to eye the ground for a moment before looking Lores in the eyes.
“An old pony I fed on this morning thanked me for feeding from him. He knew I wasn't the pony I was pretending to be, but thanked me for pretending to be that pony anyway. I want to know why.”
“And I'm guessing there's a reason you can't ask this pony why?” Lores asked as she adopted a contemplative look.
“R-Right,” Chrys replied as she glanced to the side, giving Lores nothing more. Chrys could feel Darrin looking her way, and though she was curious about the expression he was giving, she chose to ignore him.
“Did his love taste ... sweet?” Lores asked as she raised an eyebrow, getting a nod from Chrys as her eyes widened.
“Is that why he thanked me?”
“Uh, sort of,” Lores replied as she started pacing, “The flavor of love varies on how you take it. Present yourself as a pony sibling and you can either get a sour or salty flavor, while you can get a tangy flavor if you're the pony's lover,” she divvied out, years of enjoying what she did showing, a glow in her eyes as she continued on. “Love only tastes sweet when the pony's affection is towards you, instead of the pony you're pretending to be,” she added as she turned to the princess, “This old stallion you speak of, his gratitude was genuine. It has to be, if the love you tasted was sweet.”
“Yeah, okay.” Chrys said as she nodded, before her brow furrowed, “But, why? I was pretending to be his grandfilly. It was all a lie. Shouldn't he have been mad?” she asked, and Lores gave her an apologetic shrug.
“Ponies are nice at times when it just doesn't make any sense. It's probably one of their strangest traits,” she explained, just at a loss as Chrys. “Maybe it would be better to ask a pony. I know a lot of things about them, but there's also a great deal I don't,” she admitted, prompting Chrys to eye the yellow pegasus, getting a small laugh from Lores. “Not that one. He knows a lot of things, but ponies he knows not,” she finished, noticing the disappointed look on Chrys' face. “Sorry I didn't have the answer you were looking for, Your Highness. Is there anything else you wanted to know about ponies?” Chrys shook her head, her dissatisfaction prompting her to go back to bathing in the sun. As she was about to turn around, a small curiosity did come to mind.
“...Actually, yes,” Chrys began, her horn flaring as her body shifted to the form she was most familiar with, the blue filly Star Shell, “Why do I always feel hungry after being like this? Mom- Queen Amber told me it’s because pony bodies work differently, but she didn't have the details.”
“Ah, you came to the right drone,” Lores replied, beginning her pacing anew, “Ponies have warm blood. It lets them stay awake in cold weather, but because of this, they need to eat more. Taking their form naturally makes us hungry faster.”
“How much do ponies eat?”
“Typically they eat four times as often as we do,” Lores quickly replied.
“T-They eat eight times a day!?” Chrys replied in amazement, “No wonder being like this makes me hungry,” she added as she returned to her natural form.
“Uh, actually, they only eat three times a day.” Lores replied, making Chrys look to her in a moment of confusion. Her ears then perked when she heard Darrin start to laugh.
“Our little princess eats twice a day!” he let out as his laughter escalated, earning him a glare from Chrys as she started to blush. “She almost eats as much as a pony, and yet she's still-”
“Darrin, don't,” Chrys said, her eyes glowing fiercely for a moment, her small stature failing to sell her threatening pose, prompting Darrin to lose his ability to speak, as his laughter carried down the halls. Luckily for Chrys, she had a trick she gained from her mother for such an occasion. Darrin's laughter was cut short as Chrys grabbed him by the ear with her magic, a small sneer on her face as she gave his ear a twist.
“Ow! Cheater!” he said, making her sneer turn into a smile, before letting go and turning back to Lores.
“About that,” Lores began, “from what the queen told me, having such an appetite is natural for a growing queen,” she explained. She then looked like she was about to get really technical, but thought better of it.
“Hear that Darrin? It's. Natural,” Chrys said proudly, only getting a small chuckle in turn from her clutchling. “Tch,” she let out, before giving her attention back to Lores, “So ponies eat more to keep their bodies warm. Can't we use that to stay up during the monsoon?” she asked, getting a nod from Lores.
“We could, but it would mean needing a lot more nectar.”
“Can't we eat pony foods?”
“Well, yes. However, there's little such food in our lands, and we still need nectar to feed our hatchlings. That, and our bodies can only manage foreign food other races eat while we're shaped as them. If we have any food besides nectar in us when we return to normal, there's a high chance of getting terribly ill.”
“O-Oh,” Chrys replied, wide-eyed. “That's good to know,” she added, hearing Darrin clear his throat.
“Soldiers such as myself are taught that before heading into the field.”
“Didn't ask you, Darrin,” Chrys said dismissively.
“And yet you were told all the same,” he said with a grin, “While it's not a big deal for workers like Momo-” He then paused as something down the tunnel caught his eye. His entire posture then shifted, becoming harder as his brow furrowed. “Mantis,” he hissed, making Chrys blink, ears dropping as she quickly took in her surroundings, briefly considering hiding, before looking back to her clutchling.
He was looking to her, waiting to see what she'd do. She hesitated for a moment, before looking to the ground, kicking it as if were at fault, before she stepped forward. Lores looked on curiously as Chrys reached Darrin's side. Glancing down the hall, the princess saw Mantis heading towards them, with his personal royal guard, Sledge, towering a pace behind him.
Mantis's eyes met hers, and she held his gaze for a second, before glancing away. Before Mantis could reach them, Darrin moved to place himself between Mantis and Chrys, to the princess' chagrin.
“General, you're back early,” Darrin said, making Mantis raise an eyebrow.
“Step aside Darrin, I have words with her,” Mantis said coolly.
“Then give them, she can hear you just fine like this,” Darrin replied as he frowned, “I am her guard right now, so you're going to talk over me,” he added, getting a small smile from Mantis.
“Go help bring in our haul. That's an order,” he stated, and Chrys could see Darrin start to shake in anger. There was a brief pause between the two of them, a pause that went on far longer than Chrysalis liked; a soldier that disobeyed suffered exile, at best.
“You heard him,” Chrys said as she pushed Darrin aside with her magic, “He gave you an order, so take care of it,” she added, getting a look from him, a mixture of hesitation and disappointment, before he turned back to Mantis. He gave the general of the hive a forced salute, before passing Mantis to carry out his orders.
“Darrin,” Mantis said, making Chrys' clutchling pause, “You shouldn't waste your time with this one, she'll only drag down your ambitions.”
“Is that an order too?” Darrin asked, a dangerous rasp in his voice.
“Merely a suggestion,” Mantis said as he waved dismissively towards him. As Darrin started to depart, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes catching Chrys'. She gave him a subtle nod, which he returned as he left. “My little changeling,” Mantis began as he turned to her, “what foolishness led you to put away your shield?” he asked as he took a slow step towards her.
“What I do with Bulwark isn't your concern,” she said, a little surprised as she realized she'd just taken a step back from him. Without Bulwark or mother, this was her first time being alone with Mantis, and she was taking it about as well as she feared. Her heart was already pounding, and her head was starting to ache as he took another step forward.
“I'm gone for a month and you go and let your guard down. You should know that your life is important to the queen, so what you do with your shield is my concern,” he replied in a hollow tone, making Chrys resist the urge to scoff at his 'concern', “You need to be kept safe, after all,” he added as he took another step forward, bringing him into the room.
“I was safe, until you showed up,” Chrys replied as she again found herself backing away from his advance. She glanced to the side, seeing Sledge put himself in a position to intercept Lores if she chose to involve herself. To Chrys' annoyance, and slight relief, Lores didn't seem interested in such a notion, looking on with a contemplative expression. Mantis then stomped his hoof, making Chrys flinch, drawing her eyes back to him.
“Keep your eyes on the obstacle in front of you,” he said with a sneer as he lowered his head towards her, taking another step forward. She looked to him, wide-eyed as she felt her back hooves seem to move of their own will, taking another step back. Mantis was in control of this exchange, whether she liked it or not, a realization that brought Darrin's words to mind.
A queen leads, a drone follows. She wasn't born to be a drone. At the very least, she wasn't born to follow Mantis. He took another step forward. Imagines of what he might do to her flashed in her mind's eye as she resisted her body's desire to take another step back, which brought Mantis closer to her. His sneer seemed to weaken a moment, before it became a vicious scowl, his fangs exposed as his eyes seemed to radiate a promise worthy of her terror.
Mantis took another step forward.
Chrysalis stood her ground. Despite her body's wish to flee, she didn't falter under his suffocating aura. She wouldn't allow herself to back away any more; a resolution that empowered her, making the fear in her eyes trade out for determination she didn't know she had. Her head still throbbed, and she could hear her own heartbeat; despite that, she didn't give ground. Mantis blinked in surprise, raising his head as the scowl and glare gave away to an appraising look.
A queen leads, a drone follows. Chrys took a step forward, daring to take back the ground she lost. Before her hoof could land, she felt the air shift by her mane, causing her to step back. It took her a moment to realize that Mantis' hoof was right next to her head; he had lashed out at her, purposely missing, a cold look in his eyes as she met his gaze, her mouth falling open. She had taken pride in her speed, believing it would help her against him; a belief he had quickly shattered.
“Don't press your luck, princess.” He then moved his hoof under her chin, her bravado gone as he brought his head closer to her, “You're still too weak to challenge me; you'll always be too weak, it's in your color,” he declared, his gaze drilling into her eyes for a moment before he took his hoof away, stepping around her as a strange smile appeared on his face, one Chrys didn't recognize. “Still, holding your ground, I think you've managed to impress me-” He paused, his ears shifting as his eyes went to the opening to the chamber, his diverted attention making the world outside of their exchange return to Chrys in a rush of fresh air.
She resisted the temptation to collapse as she looked to whatever distraction had freed her from him. Her heart then skipped a beat when she saw Momo standing there in the opening, surprise evident on her face as she looked between Mantis and Chrys.
“You have no business here,” Mantis said to Momo, making her ears fall as he turned to her, “Leave,” he ordered, and Momo hesitated for a moment, before adopting a forced smile as she entered the room.
“Bulwark sent me to look after Her Highness,” Momo began cheerfully, a crack in her voice being the only evidence to her fear, “So here I am,” she added, but before she got too close to Chrys, Sledge got between them, his massive frame making Momo flinch as Mantis started to approach her.
“M-Mantis, shouldn't you be overlooking the troops?” Chrys said in an attempt to keep his focus on her, getting a side-glance from the changeling as he raised an eyebrow.
“Something wrong princess? Worried of something happening to your clutchling?” he asked in a cold tone.
“She'd make for a poor queen if she didn't care,” Lores interjected, getting a surprised look from the others, “Mantis, you're done here,” she added in a composed tone, getting a hostile glare from him. “Don't give me that look, you're well aware I'm not one of your soldiers, and neither is Momo,” she said as she pointed to the door. Mantis seemed to consider something for a moment, before he continued walking, passing Momo as she stood rigid. Sledge followed after him as he left the room, before glancing back.
“Princess, without your guard, you're a liability. A hive has no need for a queen that puts herself in danger's way,” he said coldly, before leaving, making Momo stick her tongue out at him, before coming to Chrys' side. Chrys, for her part, sat down, her legs feeling oddly weak as she looked to Momo, trying to settle her emotions. Over the fear, pride, relief, and frustration, one emotion won out over the others, as her brow furrowed.
“Momo, why'd you stand up to him!?” she asked, making Momo pause, before she rolled her eyes.
“Because the Big-Bad-Mantis was picking on my clutchling, that's why.”
“Momo, I'm protected by Bulwark and mother. I'm pretty sure Mantis likes Darrin, but what do you have?” Chrys asked, getting a sheepish smile from Momo.
“My go-get-'em attitude?” she replied, leaving Chrys speechless as she sat there, looking at Momo in astonishment.
“Seriously Momo, you shouldn't have done that,” Chrys said as she adopted a somber look, “And I shouldn't have left Bulwark behind.”
“Hey now, Mantis is gone again, and we all still have our heads, so no pouty face.”
“I'm not pouting.”
“Right... Do you want to get a snack to cheer you up?” Momo asked, and Chrys couldn't deny that the idea sounded appealing. She then pictured a cocoon, its light having faded away. She suddenly felt a little sick, and she wasn't sure if it was because of that image, or from the way Mantis cornered her, as she shook her head.
“There's nectar back home, I could go for that,” she said, getting a concerned look from Momo.
“Chrys?”
“I'm... not in the mood for anything else,” she said weakly as Momo came to her side, kneeling so Chrys could jump on her back. “I think I'll walk,” she added, forcing herself to her hooves as she looked to Lores, noticing the caged pegasus in the corner giving her an appraising look. “Lores, why'd you step in?” she asked, a little confused that the lorekeeper had been silent through the whole thing till the end.
“I wanted to see if our princess could stand by herself,” Lores said with a small nod, as if that was all the answer she needed to give, “Don't be too shy to come back later if you have any questions, Your Highness,” she finished with a smile, getting a small nod from Chrys as she turned to leave.
“...Did you find what you were looking for?” Momo asked as they left, staying close to Chrys.
“What? Oh, no,” Chrys admitted, before looking at her hooves, “But, I did learn something big, so it wasn't a waste,” she said as her eyes adopted a determined look, getting a curious glance from Momo as they went deeper into the hive.