//------------------------------// // 11. Monsters // Story: The Teal Changeling // by MrAlterad //------------------------------// Lores let out a tired sigh. It had been a busy week for her. Far busier than expected, thanks to Chrysalis. Because of her, Lores had to remake a whole barrel of treated nectar. Had to oversee her chamber being repaired. Instruct the princess on the common dangers of The Badlands, and she had to part with a pleasant social partner, even if he was a pony. Oh, and let's not forget about having to prepare a batch of extra potent nectar, which Lores secretly switched out with what Chrys was supposed to leave with. Yet, despite all that, she had a smile on her face. She may hold hidden disgruntlement towards the queen, but the princess was well worth her consideration. As she reached her private chamber, separate from the one she worked in, she found her smile fading away. It was the only chamber in the hive that had books in it, resting on stone shelves crafted into the wall. A pony creation, Lores still saw value in them, and had quite a collection. However, the reason her smile was gone, was because standing next to her old stone desk, was Mantis; his decorated helm rested on it, which she couldn't help but notice had a large dent in it. “Well, I'm guessing she escaped?” she asked as she approached him, trying to hide her satisfaction when he gave her a small nod. “An entire squad loyal to my cause. Two royal guards. The perfect ambush. And she still. Got. Away,” he said as he started to pace around her, making her raise an eyebrow at him. “Why do I get the feeling the barrel of poisoned nectar I had prepared for her isn't the barrel she left with?” he asked as he gave Lores a neutral, yet appraising look, getting a coy grin from her. “What are you implying?” she asked innocently. “Teyra, I saw your pet pony helping her,” he replied, unamused. “Tell me, why'd you side with the princess?” “Because, she's not her mother,” she replied stalwartly, her smile gone. “You saw the look in her eyes, when she held her ground against you. There was a spark in there. She stood up to you- She stood up to something standing in her way that she had little chance of surpassing. As far as I'm concerned, that makes her a far better queen than Amber. I'm not going to let her potential be snuffed out because of your petty hatred.” “Petty?” he said dismissively, “She was 'grounded' from the feeding chamber because she's shown attachment to ponies.” He then shook his head in exasperation, “And now you've gone and sent her off to Equestria with the help of one!” he added, getting an annoyed look from his old clutchling. “Well, you weren't giving us many options to work with. I mean, you even poisoned her food on the off chance that she got away.” She then shook her head before letting out a sigh, “Honestly Mantis, there is such a thing as trying too hard.” “Hmph. It would have worked had you stayed out of it,” Mantis mumbled in annoyance, getting an odd look from her. “What's with you? You seem more, composed, than I expected you'd be.” “The cold air gave me plenty of time to think over it,” he said as he fiddled with his helm, “Aegis and Sledge are following her. The Princess and her company have limited food. They need to cross through the mountains, which are snowlocked by Thundercloud. There's nothing more I can do on this end, besides sully her name. And Darrin is intent to keep that from happening.” He then let out a small laugh, “You know, he was waiting for me, when I returned. He threatened me; said if I harmed you, everything was off.” “That was awfully sweet of him,” Lores said with a smile, before she gave Mantis a cold look. “You returned Momo, right?” “There was no Momo to return, she made her escape with the princess,” he said dismissively as he looked to her. “You're not lying to me, are you?” she asked skeptically. “There are no secrets between us,” he stated confidently, “It is as I said. I didn’t know where she was when you originally asked.” She raised an eyebrow at that, “Momo helped the princess escape, and that's that. Now, as I said, I had some time to think about it. Chrysalis won't make it to Equestria. And if she does, it'll be after she's lost her clutchling, and your pet pony,” he said, his certainty making Lores falter for a moment. “What makes you say that?” “'There is a reason for everything'. That pony is a dud. He can't connect, at least not completely, to those around him. Whatever the reason, he won't be staying with the princess for very long. As for Momo, she won't survive the trek through the mountains, it'll be too cold for her, even as a pony. You think the princess will be in any state to finish after losing her clutchling?” he said with a small smile, making Lores frown. “I wouldn't be so sure it'll happen like that, Mantis,” she replied sternly, getting a disinterested shrug from him, prompting her to sigh. “You don't see any value in her journey, do you?” “Value? You mean assessing the Moon Princess' magic?” he asked, getting no reply from Lores, “That never mattered in the first place.” “What?” she asked with an odd look. “Don't sound so surprised. I've always had a solution for dealing with her. After all, drones, royal guards, ponies, princesses, and even a queen. All are the same, when you add a drop of poison...” ~~~~~~~~~~ The three of them eyed the clouds beneath for a moment. Chrys and Momo shared a determined look, while Dud carried a haphazard smile, as they dived back into the storm. At his suggestion, Momo tailed right behind him as he weaved through the cloud, turning often, as if he was guided by an unseen hoof that helped him avoid the lightning within. Breaking through, the world of white skies was traded in for one of dark and torrential rain. Already they were completely drenched, and in the fading light of day, it was hard to make out the terrain. Chrys' changeling vision could pierce the darkness, but not the rain, while Dud's could do the reverse. From what they could see, The Badlands were flooded beyond recognition. The gorges were gone, completely submerged, and the flat land had been traded out for bumpy, hilly terrain. Lightning gave them brief images of the drowned landscape, the arcs of light being mirrored in the growing lakes. In almost a day's time, half of valley was submerged, or, at least this part of it was, leaving pockets of raised land exposed, like islands. From what Chrys had been told, over the next few days the rain would drown the valley, till only the highest outcroppings of land and rock were left. Then, the rain would begin to dwindle down, becoming nothing more than a constant drizzle that kept the water from receding. Before the monsoon's end, The Badlands would become the largest lake on the continent. Most of the hive's entrances would be submerged, the one on the cliff being one of the few that remained above water. “We need to find high ground!” Chrys shouted out, getting a nod from the others as Dud led them closer to the surface. They passed a low hill. Then a flat hill... A hilly hill.... Hill with an odd shaped rock on it... Oh! A large pillar of stone with a flat top. Promising, but lacking shelter... Another hill... A small field of tall jagged rocks... Oh great, another hill... After ten minutes of flying, something unique caught Dud's eye, making him circle around a large, dome-like island with a large number of tall jagged rocks surrounding it. Almost a minute passed as he made the full circle, before he pointed to a cave higher on the hill; its entrance looking almost like the mouth of a beast. “Well, that'll probably do,” Chrys said warily, getting a nod from Dud as he approached it, slowly. He then paused, his eyes looking elsewhere. Following his gaze, she noticed movement around the large rocks near the hill's base, at the waterline. He glanced to Chrys, giving her a curious look. She blinked as she realized he was waiting for her permission, getting a nod from her. He nodded in turn, and flew closer for a better look. He then frowned as they took in what the commotion was about. It was a fight between two monsters. One was a large insect-like creature twice the size of a royal guard. It had a flat body, its carapace covered by small spines that helped it dig through earth, and swim through water. On its sides were three flat legs, six total. It had a thin and long winding tail that cut through the water with ease, and from its six-eyed head were two large pincers, each easily as long as a drone. An antlion. In the dry months, it stayed in one spot, a constructed funnel of sand and gravel dug in the ground that it would rest in, waiting for a passing meal to wander by. It would then cause the funnel to grow, making the broken dirt and sand composing it draw towards the center, dragging its meal closer. Now, with its trap flooded out, it took to the water as it did to the dry earth, becoming an aquatic hunter that made The Badlands no less dangerous to any thirsty denizen. In this case, that being a snake. This one was different from the other, a fact immediately apparent to Chrys. It's scales didn't shift and change, and there wasn't any enticing smell on the breeze. By looking at its pony half, Chrys assumed it was a ... mare? She wasn't as long as the snake from before, being about half as long, which made her the same length of the antlion she faced down, minus its tail. In the flashes of light littering the scene, Chrys could make out red and tan scales, with a darker diamond pattern following her spine. Her coat matched her tan scales, and she seemed to be putting a lot of effort in keeping herself between the antlion, and the cave far behind her. “What's up?” Momo asked as she came to their side, her eyes widening as Dud pointed out the two below. “O-Oh! Guess this rock's taken,” she added, turning towards the next hill in their path. Dud however didn't follow, making Chrys appraise him. “Dud?” “...I don't like this,” he said, eyeing the two monsters as they kept moving in a cautious manner. The antlion wanted to pass the snake, and she wasn't letting it. It'd shift to the left, she'd whip her tail towards it, cracking the ground in front of it. It would try to bite at her tail in turn, and she'd pull back in time to avoid those pincers. “I don't care,” Chrys replied with a frown, “Let them fight, we need to find shelter!” she demanded, making Dud eye her for a moment. “Momo, take Chrys,” he said, making Chrys blink in surprise as he moved to Momo's side. “I'm gonna help.” “What? The snake!? Why!?” Chrys asked. “There's something about this I don't like, so I'm going to help.” “No, you're not!” “Chrys, let him go,” Momo began, “We don't really need him with us, do we?” she pointed out, making Chrys look at her in surprise. “I'm not leaving, I'm just helping her,” he said in an assured tone. “If you leave me, that's your choice,” he added as he glanced over his shoulder, giving her a small smile, “Though, I'd like if it you didn't.” He then frowned, as he shrugged slightly, making Chrys bounce on his back, “You should be with Momo, what I'm going to do isn't safe.” Chrys consider him for a moment, the thought of leaving him here playing through her mind. She then shook her head, before hopping over to Momo. Before he flew off, Chrys got his attention. “Dud, why do you want to help her? She's a monster!” she stated, getting a surprised look from him. “A monster? Just like a pony, or a changeling?” he asked, making her adopt a confused look, “I'm helping because she's protecting something important, just like you were,” he explained, confusing her all the more. With that said, he didn't waste another moment as he flew down, circling closely to the antlion and snake, both beasts eyeing the intruder as he did. Chrys watched him for a moment, his words playing through her head as Momo considered her. “Chrys, are we staying?” she asked, getting silence in return as Chrys' eyes went from the fight, towards the strange cave higher up. Indecision plagued her as she glanced between them. Her eyes widened as the antlion charged forward, pincers spreading wide to bite the snake. Dud dived as it did, ramming his shoulder into the side of its head, letting out a pained grunt as the antlion missed its mark. The snake blinked in surprise, quickly glancing to the yellow pony, before she acted. She spun her tail around, lashing out at the antlion. A solid crack, like a whip, rang out as she hit the snake in the side. The sound made Chrys wince, her mouth falling open as the large creature was sent rolling back into the water. A terrified wail pierced through the rain and thunder, making all eyes look towards the cave. An antlion, half as big as the other, had come up from the other side of the island, and was making its way towards the entrance. The snake didn't even hesitate, she abandoned the 'shore', leaving the antlion and Dud behind as she slinked up the wet ground as fast as she could. Chrys tapped Momo's back, ushering her to fly in for a better look. As she did, the larger bug sprung out from the water in pursuit. Dud took notice, frowning as he proceeded to hamper it in the process, constantly getting in its face, blocking its vision. Momo watched him for a moment, before nodding to Chrys. With her aerial advantage, as speed that caught the princess off guard, the two of them reached the cave's entrance before either monster. Being this close, Chrys immediately found her first impression of the cave warranted. The mouth of the cave was exactly that, an open jaw of stone with crafted, jagged teeth lining its top and bottom. Several of the 'teeth' on the jaw were missing, letting entrance into what Chrys could only assume was the snake's den. Along the roof were a number of different colored rocks, strung together by string, hanging down in decoration, a notion she found strange. Momo paused as they reached the mouth, her eyes widening as she did. Chrys shared in her surprise, heart skipping a beat as they saw something neither ever expected to see. The snake's hatchlings. There were two of them, both the same size as Chrys, being only a little bit longer. And, likely because of the pony resemblance, she found herself thinking of them more as a filly and a colt than lizards. The filly's scales were shifting in color, the tones changing vibrantly in an expression of panic, instead of trying to blend in. The colt, his scales greatly resembling the snake rushing up the hill, stood between the filly and the approaching antlion, in her defense. He was telling her to run. “Chrys!” Momo let out desperately, her tone asking that they help. Chrys looked back to the snake climbing up, realizing it was their mother. This played through her head, as if that detail was the most important factor of what was transpiring. She frowned as she eyed the cavern, the roof protruding from the surrounding rock offering a safe vantage for her to stand on. “Up top!” Chrys ordered, pointing to the roof, getting a determined nod from Momo. As she flew by it, Chrys jumped off, placing the barrel down as she looked to the second antlion, just in time to see it reach the rocky teeth that separated it from the hatchlings. Her horn began to glow. Mama snake let out a desperate cry as the antlion got its pincers around one of those teeth, making the rock crack from its strength. With a loud pop, the tooth started to tilt inwards, towards the hatchlings. As it leaned, it was wrapped in a teal glow, making Chrys frown in effort as she tried to make it fall the other way. Her horn flared as the long rock petered, leaning in neither direction as she tried her best to knock it on the antlion. It was heavy. Far heavier than the barrel, bringing to mind Sledge's hoof as she felt her magic start to waver. Momo then rammed into the broken rock, popping it out of Chrys's grasp, making it fall towards the antlion. It let out an alien cry as the rock crashed on top of it, making Chrys let out a relieved sigh. Then, mama snake arrived. She slid to a halt, bringing her tail around, swinging high in the air before slamming it down on the antlion. Chrys felt the earth shake as the snake’s tail smashed through the rock, breaking it in many segments as she crushed the monster into the ground. She then planted her hooves into the mud, swinging her lower torso around, pulling her tail back, before whipping it into the antlion's side, sending it sprawling down the hill. Seeing the antlion roll down the hill filled Chrys with a sense of accomplishment, making her adopt a fiery grin. The sound of several rocks being cracked like eggs killed that grin, drawing her attention back to the cave's opening. The larger antlion had arrived, despite Dud standing on its head. Its pincers took down the entire front row of teeth in a single bite, making the rocks tumble to the side. “Lin, Ren, get insside!!” the snake shouted, her voice snapping the hatchlings from their shock, making the colt pull his sister deeper into the cave as their mother placed herself between them and the antlion. Seeing her stand between the monster and those she loved reminded Chrys of when she stood between Bulwark and Sledge. Even though she was a snake, the reason she fought drove Chrys, making her understand why Dud wanted to help. Her horn glowed as she picked up a rock as big as her head. The antlion lunged forward, making the snake coil up, preparing to take a hit as its pincers opened. As they closed, Momo came slamming down from a brief dive, bringing all four hooves to bear on its head, smashing it into the ground. The antlion let out a cry of annoyance as it scuttled back, whipping its head to the side, making the snake duck under the swing as the monster tried to attack the interloper. “Momo, aim for the center of its back!” Dud let out, right before he landed into said spot, hitting with his forward hooves. The blow made the antlion's body twitch oddly, bringing its slick tail around towards the pony. Alarm flashed through Dud’s eyes as he pushed off the lion, barely dodging the tail. In its distracted state, the antlion failed to notice the snake slither around the rocks, bringing its tail under the beast. As she did, Chrys shouted at the antlion, dropping her rock on the monster's head, earning its attention as all six of its eyes looked to her. The distraction presented Momo the opportunity to strike, which she eagerly took. Getting past its tail, she crashed into the same spot Dud had, eliciting a brief cry from the antlion, before its body went rigid. It was frozen, head held up, tail still coiled for another attack, as if time had stopped. However, its eyes were still looking around, hungrily, as it found itself unable to move. Dud hovered around the immobile beast, letting out an impressed whistle as he did. “You pack a hard punch, Momo,” he said, making her blush slightly. “Pony, get off!” the snake let out, making Momo's eyes widen in surprise as she saw the rest of the snake get under the antlion. With a hop, Momo flew to the side, and shortly after, like a coiled spring, the snake lashed out, sending the antlion sprawling down the hill. It crashed, rolling once, before sliding back into the murky water it came from. The four combatants stared at the water for a moment, as if expecting it to burst forth with a vengeance. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen, the snake slowly looked to her unexpected guests, before slithering, as quickly as she could, towards the cave. Momo returned to Chrys' side as the princess watched the snake return to her hatchlings, which were waiting for her right in the cave's entrance. Hopping on Momo's back, Chrys picked up their nectar as Dud joined her, a big smile on his face. “That went pretty well too!” he said, prompting him to look towards the snake and her hatchlings, which Chrys mirrored. Her eyes then widened in surprise when said snake bonked both hatchlings on the head. “What did I ssay about going outsside!?” she shouted, making them cower back in shame as the colt mumbled something under his breath. “What wass that?” “Not when it's rainin',” the filly repeated. “And?” “We won't do it again,” they both answered in unison, getting a cold, appraising look from the snake, before she brought her tail around, wrapping both of them up and pulling them close, giving them a hug. “You better not, you nearly sscared me to death,” she said, making Dud and Momo smile, while Chrys looked on in wonder. The filly started to cry, apologizing repeatedly as she returned the hug, while the colt glanced to the side, his face blushing. The snake then ended the hug, looking over her shoulder to glance at the fliers, her eyes pausing on Chrys. “Why'd you help? You're not hungry, are you?” she asked suspiciously. “Because we wanted to,” Dud replied, before glancing to Momo and Chrys, “Right?” “Right!” Momo let out energetically, her enthusiasm catching Chrys off guard. The snake eyed them for a moment longer, before looking out into the darkening surroundings. “I don't want to owe a group of changelingss anything. You can sstay the night, if you wissh,” she said, slithering further into the cave without waiting for a response. “Mama, what's a changelin'?” the filly asked, rubbing her eyes as they descended out of sight. “Let's get going-” Chrys began, stopping when she saw the looks her companions were giving her. Both of them had a sparkling glow in their eyes, each of them giving her a pleading look. “I've never talked to a lamia before!” Dud said as he flew uncomfortably close to her. “Did you see the little ones! They were adorable!” Momo let out, “We gotta stay the night!” “I completely agree!” Dud let out, prompting both to share a smile, some unseen bond forming between them as they looked back to Chrys. “Can we!?” they asked in unison. “W-What!?” Chrys replied, “That was a snake!” “Lamia-” “Whatever! Point is, no!” she said stalwartly, making both of their ears fall. “I suppose you're right,” Dud said as he gave a dragged out sigh, “I mean, we helped save a snake, and now we have the chance to talk to her.” He then held up a hoof as Chrys was about to interject, “No no, I understand. I suppose I can wait till next time. You know, when I'm in The Badlands again, saving ‘snakes’,” he finished as he turned away, dejected. Chrys let out an annoyed sigh, before seeing Momo's face, on the verge of tears. “M-Momo, I said no.” “But, Chrys, hatchling snakes!” she said as she gave an even more pleading look, her eyes prepared to set off waterworks that would put the rain to shame. “Can we at least talk to the hatchlings for a little bit? I promise, if the big one attacks, I'll knock her senseless!” “I can hear you!” the snake cried out from the cave, “I'll take you on anytime, featherbrain, jusst ssay when!” she added, getting a slightly alarmed look from Momo. “Still, it would be nice, sleeping in a cave...” Dud pointed out as he looked out into the lightning riddled Badlands, night's shadow now in full force. Chrys then shook her head in annoyance, tapping Momo to put her down, making them land at the cave's mouth. “We're staying!?” he asked, his excitement mirrored by Momo. Chrys sternly shook her head. “No. You don't get it. That's a snake in there! Look, you wondered how I got away from Sledge and Aegis. I didn't. A snake came, drawn to my light spell, and it knocked them aside. Like pebbles!” “Oh,” Dud replied, his eyes widening in surprise, before adopting a considering look, “But, that was a different lamia.” “Snake. It's a snake. And it doesn't matter if it's a different one. A snake's a snake!” she repeated, the fear from that encounter still fresh in her mind. “Princess, it does matter,” Dud said calmly. “One snake is different from another, just like changelings, just like ponies.” “No, it's not!” she replied, slamming a hoof down, “Snakes are monsters! They're no different from those antlions!” she said as she pointed to the broken teeth, “They both crushed those rocks like it was nothing.” She then shook her head, “If anything, she's the bigger monster, since she sent both antlions flying!” “Chrys...” Momo said, looking like she wanted to say more, but simply glanced to the side. “Well, actually, you may be right, about the antlions anyway,” Dud said as he glanced out into the waters nearby. “I'm not a creature expert-” He then blinked, before smiling, “Wait, I am a creature expert, well, a rare one anyways.” He then paused before adopting a sheepish grin, “Right, what I was gonna say was that I'm pretty sure one of them is eating the other right now.” He then shook his head, before looking to Chrys. “Princess, why would you help a monster?” he asked, making Chrys consider him for a moment. “Why would a monster help you?” he added, making her frown. “She isn't helping us, because we're not staying,” she replied sternly, getting a small smile from him. “A few days ago, you called ponies monsters.” His words made her recall the heated rant she threw against him about ponies and changelings. He was right, she relied on a pony to escape, and she called ponies monsters. Her expression softened a little as she saw what he was inferring, making her glance to the side for a moment. “Ponies have it easier than we do,” she said, eyeing the ground as she did, “But, I guess they're not really monsters,” she admitted, before looking him in the eyes, “But, snakes drink blood. It's all they eat. How can you say they're not monsters if that's their diet?” “Wellll, you can choose your food, right?” “Right. And what if she chooses us?” she asked as she raised an eyebrow. “The three of us can take her,” Momo interjected, getting an agreeing nod from Dud. “She's not the only one that can smash rocks,” she added with a confident smile. “We need to sleep, and resting in the open isn't going to be very restful,” Dud added sagely, his words punctuated by a rumble of thunder. “Besides, aren't you curious?” “About what? The snake?” Chrys asked incredulously, getting a nod from Dud, which prompted her to shake her head. “Yeah, no,” she then glanced to the side. “Come to think of it,” Momo began as her eyes widened, “Chrys, can't you shapeshift into the snake's filly?” “What?” Chrys asked flatly, Dud's eyes lighting up as he stepped closer. “That's right! She's the right size for you!” he added, making her lean back form him, looking between them. “I- Well, that is-” Chrys let out, now feeling conflicted. The idea of being able to shapeshift into a camouflaging snake did sound appealing. “H- Hey! Why are you two ganging up on me?” she asked in an attempt to change the topic. “Just ten minutes ago, you,” she said as she pointed at Momo, “suggested leaving him!” she finished as she pointed at Dud. Dud and Momo shared a look, making her briefly blush in shame, before coughing into her hoof. “I'm over that. It's all behind us,” she said resolutely, getting a smile from him. He then placed a hoof on Momo's shoulder as he shook his head. “Still, we should respect Chrys' wishes,” he began in a sad tone, “If she wants us to leave this comfy shelter for sleeping in the rain, then that's simply what must be done,” he added as he glanced away. Momo looked like she wanted to complain, but her ears simply fell as she let out a sigh. “I get it. Come on Chrys,” she said as she walked close, presenting Chrys the opportunity to hop on her back, making Chrys hesitate. For some reason, she couldn't help but feel like she was the bad guy in this situation, making an unwanted sense of guilt bubble up. She didn't want to stay, but what were the odds of them finding another cave anytime soon if they left? She was also tired, and having that guilt piled onto her fatigue was a little more than she was willing to tolerate. “That's not fair,” she mumbled under her breath, before looking them in the eyes with a frustrated glare. “I'm going to have some very mean words for you two if the snake decides to have us for dinner,” she added, getting a big smile from her companions, their smiles dispelling her guilt, making her let out an annoyed sigh as she turned around, and entered the cave. Momo followed, moving to her side, while Dud followed from the other. “She won't have us for dinner, since we helped her!" Dud declared, before glancing to the side, "At least, I sure hope so,” he added, before that curious glow returned to his eyes. “The mother and colt were constrictor type, but the filly was easily a slithering type! I wonder if the father stayed, or moved on?” he asked in wonder, getting Momo's attention. “Constrictor? Slithering?” she asked, eager for an answer as Chrys rolled her eyes. Before Dud could answer, Momo gave Chrys a brief hug, making the pegasus pause as the princess blushed. “Thank you Chrys. I really mean it.” “I-I didn't do it for you. I'm just tired, and I want to learn shifting into a snake, is all,” she replied, fooling nopony, as the three of them descended into the cave. As they did, Chrys could make out a low glow ahead of them, feeling that it was warmer inside the cave than outside. There were many hanging stone decorations, some with intricate carvings made on them. After traveling a short distance, they came across an opening, where the snake was waiting with an impatient look in her eyes, her children sitting behind her, peaking from over her back to see their strange guests. “You're fine with ssharing in a 'monsster'ss' hosspitality?” it asked sarcastically, getting a small glare from Chrys as Dud stepped forward. “Quite so! I'm Grumpy Gust, but you can call me Dud!” he said with a nod, getting a slightly surprised look from the snake. “I-I'm Ssarah,” she replied, before moving to the side, letting them into the chamber. After entering, she started to push on a large round rock, shaped like a wheel, with a hole big enough for a pony to squeeze through in the center. It looked quite heavy, and before her guests could complain, the entrance had been sealed. Sort of. “Just to keep any wandering antlionss out,” she assured, spending a moment to make sure the 'door' was secure, a moment Chrys used to eye their surroundings. The cavern walls had a number of paintings. Snakes of varying sizes and colors detailed with great care. There were small holes near the roof, where the source of light was coming from, and if Chrys had to guess, the heat as well. She then looked to the snake as she turned to them. “Thank you for ssaving Lin,” she said as she indicated the filly, before indicating the colt, “and Ren,” she added as she adopted a brief smile, rubbing both on the head. Momo had a look, as if she wanted to let out some sort of strange, d'aww inspired noise. To Momo, she found the mother's gesture towards her children beyond cute, and was having a hard time staying composed for it. Ssarah then opened her mouth, as if to say more, but no words came forth, only an annoyed sigh. “I can't believe a pair of poniess and a changeling hatchling helped—” “I'm not a hatchling, snake,” Chrys interjected, getting a glare from Ssarah. “That's Ssarah,” she said, before giving Momo and Dud a suspicious look, “You're all changelingss, aren't you?” “Just these two,” Dud quickly answered, getting a brief look from Chrys. “What?” “Some discretion would have been nice,” she muttered, despite the fact that she was standing in front of Ssarah in her changeling form. “Uhm, Sarah-” Momo began. “It's Ssarah, not ssarah!” “That's not what she said,” Chrys replied with a small grin. “No, she said ssarah,” The lamia replied, before frowning, “ssarah.” Her frown deepened, frustrated by her inability to shorten her own name. “So is it Sarah, Ssarah, or ssarah?” Chrys asked as she took a step forward, her antagonizing grin growing, which faltered when Momo stepped between them. “Chrys, be nice,” she said in a calm tone, making Chrys eye her for a moment, before letting out a small huff. “Ssarah, I'm Momo. Can I … talk to your hatchlings?” “'Children',” Ssarah replied. “Huh?” “They're children, not 'hatchlingss',” she insisted, getting a confused look from Momo. "I don't like the word. If thingss were the way I wanted, Lin and Ren would've been born the same way as poniess," she said as she let out a sigh, "Don't call them hatchlingss. I don't like it." “Same way as ponies?" Chrys asked, "Does that mean ponies aren't hatched from eggs?” she added, finding the concept alien to her. Momo looked between Dud and Ssarah, a curious look on her face. “If not from eggs, then how?” she asked as she looked to the pony in the room. The others looked to him as well, making Dud blink as he realized the situation he was now in. “Uhh, well, you see-” he began, his mind racing before his eyes widened, adopting a small smile as he nodded to himself, “It varies.” “It... varies?” Chrys asked, finding herself more than curious to this question's answer. Lin and Ren were also interested, a fact Dud and Momo took note of. “Well you see, for pegasi, a mare and stallion need to wish upon a rain cloud.” He then clapped his hooves together, his voice mimicking thunder, “Then bam! A foal appears, and if their wish was genuine that foal will live a blessed life!” His expression then softened a little, “But if it wasn't, the foal born will have a bumpy start.” He then blinked before shaking his head. “Now, for earth ponies, they have to plant their love into the ground and wait till the next harvest to get their foal.” He then nodded sagely, “Unicorns have a complex spell for it. I've heard it's quite a hassle, magicking a foal into being.” He then adopted a small grin as he looked to Ssarah, who had the look of one that was about to get unwanted attention. “Though now I'm curious, how does it work for a lamia? I mean, since you're half pony, that means there's more to it than just hatching from eggs, right?” he asked unabashedly, making his audience turn towards her. “Yeah Mama, tell us!” Lin asked. “What? I- Uhh. You ssee,” she let out, her face slowly blushing as she gave Dud a brief glare, “I'll tell you when you're older. Bed time!” “Awww!” Ren let out in disappointment. “Ms. Sara- Ssarah,” Momo began, “Is it alright if I … tell them a bedtime story?” “A story?” Ren asked wide-eyed. Momo gave Ssarah a pleading look, which the snake considered for a moment, before letting out a long sigh. “I'll be close, sso don't try any of that love-eating nonssensse,” she said, getting an excited cheer from her children, the filly scampering off to her room excitedly as Momo followed after her. Ren watched them go for a moment, before turning to Ssarah. “What do changelings taste like?” he asked. Bonk. “Ow!” “Don't be rude to the oness that ssaved you.” “S-Sorry,” he mumbled, before following after his sister and Momo. Chrys eyed them for a moment, glancing to Ssarah, then to where Momo went. She then eyed the barrel of nectar in her grasp. She placed it down near the door, and after hesitating for a moment, followed her clutchling, leaving Dud behind. “So, how does it work?” she heard him ask Ssarah as she went deeper into the cave, seeing a small red lizard move from one of the holes in the wall to another. She felt a small surge of heat born from that lizard's passing, making her wonder if it was a flaremander. Little lizards, gecko-like in appearance, that resided in The Badlands. Flaremanders were mostly harmless, as long as you didn't startle them. Their bodies generate a magical heat, and when spooked, they flared, burning anything that could threaten them. The hive once tried taming the lizards to keep them warm through the monsoon, but feeding them through the rainy months proved too difficult. Flaremanders didn't care for nectar. Seeing it made Chrys realize how warm it actually was in Ssarah's home, prompting her to end her heat enchantment, feeling a small weight lift off her shoulders as she did. She didn't realize it until now, but her magic was pretty close to being spent, and she was beyond tired. She shook her head, trying to sway the fatigue as she reached a smaller room, where Momo and the children were. The first thing that caught her eye, were the two little stone beds nestled in the corner. Seeing those piles hit Chrys with an unexpected sense of homesickness, making her glare at nothing more than her sentiment. She hadn't been gone for even a day, but after dealing with Mantis and antlions and now snakes? She let out a small sigh as Momo was about to begin her story, before noticing Chrys. “Oh, Chrys. Did you want to … you know...” she said hesitantly as she glanced to Lin, who was giving them a confused look, making Chrys take Ssarah's children in. Lin's scales were constantly trying to match the color of the rocks around them, even trying to mirror the shadows cast by the dim light in the room. Her short mane and coat were changing color too, but it was more gradual, subtle even. Because of their room, she was currently tan, with hints of gray mixed in. One thing about her that didn't change, that Chrys took note of, was her slitted blue eyes, as blue as the sky. Ren on the other hoof, greatly resembled his mother. He even had a similar diamond pattern down his back. His eyes were blueish green, which Chrys couldn't help but appreciate. Looking between them, she didn't hesitate, after all, it was a completely harmless thing to do, so she looked into Lin's eyes, her own eyes glowing as she looked into the filly's heart. There, she saw her love for Ssarah and Ren, but, that wasn't what Chrys wanted. Looking beyond that love, came a feeling of understanding, a sense of certainty. Feeling as if she'd become a little more than the changeling she was a moment before, Chrys broke eye-contact with Lin, dispelling the figures cast in her mind's eye. “You're not up to anythin' funny, are yah?” Ren asked, making Chrys raise an eyebrow at him. “Just changeling things,” she said, before calling on her power, being briefly wreathed in flame as her body shifted. She then let out an indignant yelp as her hind legs formed into a snake's tale, making her fall over in the process. “Whoa!” Ren said wide-eyed as Chrys sat up. Looking over herself, she eyed her lower body curiously, finding herself having surprisingly little difficulty moving with a snake's tale. The ease of using an unfamiliar form made her recall gliding across the gorge, making her wonder if this ease of control was part of being a queen. “She looks like me!” Lin said as she came closer, a sense of wonder in her eyes that made Chrys look to her with a proud smile. “That's right!” Chrys said, her voice mirroring Lin's. They looked at each other, as if looking into a mirror, which Chrys couldn't help but find novel. She's taken the form of other fillies before, but she's never been face to face with them. “What else can you do?” Ren asked excitedly, getting an annoyed look from Chrys. “You're addressing a queen, you know,” she said, before adopting a smug smile, “So, you should count yourselves lucky to be in my presence,” she added as she returned to her normal form, “Have you ever seen magic before?” “Was that what you did with the large rock?” Lin asked eagerly. Chrys nodded as her horn glowed, and before she knew it, she was showing off to the two of them. All the while Momo watched, a serene smile on her face, as Chrys' concerns about being in a snake's den faded away... Meanwhile, back at the first cavern, Dud was nodding to himself sagely. “That was very informative, thanks!” “I sshould bite you for putting me on the sspot like that,” Ssarah replied, letting out a small huff as she did. “On a related tangent, Chrys, she ran into a snake earlier today, a slitherer. It must have been large. It took on two royal guards and stood out on top.” “Sslitherer? Don't you mean lurker?" Ssarah asked, making Dud tilt his head as she continued, "Anyway, royal guardss are the really big changelingss that never tire or get ssick, even when sshapesshifting, right?” she asked as she eyed a drawing on the wall, one of a green snake fighting a crude sketch of a changeling. “Yep!” “Hmm, there aren't too many lurkerss around here. Sspecailly around the changeling hive. Ssouth... That, may have been my mate sshe ssaw,” she said, before hesitating, “Though, he sshould have been assleep already. He doessn't have a home like mine,” she added as she made a dismissive gesture. “I was curious, why aren't you asleep?” he asked, “I mean, I guess you don't have to since it's nice and warm in here.” “The heat'ss for Lin. She hass her father'ss blood, sso she'd get tired if it wasn't for the flaremanderss.” She then nodded to herself before cutting off Dud's next question, “And yess, we could ssleep through the rain if I drove the lizardss out, but I'd rather sstay awake. Givess me plenty of time to teach them,” she added, adopting a small smile. She then eyed the pegasus curiously. “Sso, what'ss a pony doing with a pair of changelingss? You don't appear to be their thrall.” “Just helping them towards tomorrow,” he replied with a smile, getting a confused look from her. “Thank you, for not calling uss monsterss. Poniess are sso sscared of uss, it'ss upssetting.” “Drinking blood doesn't really help.” “I'll have you know that we live on antlionss out here,” she said defensively. “I know,” he said with a nod. An excited gleam then appeared in his eyes. “Is it true that once you get a taste of something, you're driven to drink all you can?” he asked, getting an uncomfortable look from her. “N-No. Well, yess, but that'ss more like a rare trait than the norm.” Her eyes then narrowed, “Did my mate bite the little changeling?” “Not that I'm aware of,” he replied as he considered Ssarah, “Chrys had scrapes and bruises, but I didn't see any bite marks on her.” “That'ss good. My mate, Ssnare-” “One 's' or two?” Dud asked, getting an bothered look in turn. “...One,” she admitted in a small voice, before shaking her head, “Hiss name is Ssnare, and he doess have that trait. If he got a tasste of her, he'd follow her to the edge of the world to drink what'ss left.” “I see,” Dud said, wondering if this Snare got a 'taste' of the royal guards. The two talked for a little longer, mostly on the finer points of Ssarah's life in The Badlands. However, Dud did reciprocate, giving Ssarah answers to what Chrys and their journey involved, which, at the very least, she found interesting. When their curiosity was satisfied, Dud let out a long yawn, before glancing down to where the others went. “Huh, I thought Chrys would stay in here,” he said, just now realizing that wasn't the case. Ssarah blinked as she looked down the tunnel, before wrapping her tail around Dud's waist, tightly. “Ack- Bit tight,” Dud let out as Ssarah moved around him. “I don't like how quiet it iss. You better hope your princesss and her clutchling haven't placed my children in thosse creepy cocoonss.” “They're fine,” Dud said confidently, giving Ssarah a smile. She eyed him for a moment, before letting out a small sigh, letting him go. “You sigh a lot.” “I’m a mother,” she replied flatly. “And you're an odd bird,” she pointed out, as she proceeded down the tunnel. Dud rubbed his side for a moment, before letting out a small laugh. “Yeah, I get that a lot,” he replied as he followed after her, pausing as she did when they reached the cavern. Lin and Ren were sleeping soundly in their beds. At some point, Momo had returned to her changeling form, and she was laying next to the wall, sound asleep, with Chrys bundled next to her. Despite being in a 'monster's' cave, Chrys had a peaceful look on her face. Dud had no doubt they would be sleeping well, in spite of the dull thunder that managed to leak its way into the cave. “Tch,” Ssarah let out in annoyance, “That little brat kind of lookss cute when sshe's assleep.” “They're even cuter as pegasi,” Dud said with a sagely nod, “Though, I think that's just me,” He added as he looked over them, before glancing to the side, a sad smile on his face. “Have a good night.” "You're not gonna sstay up and keep an eye on me?” she asked. Dud shook his head, getting a smile from her. “Good to ssee there'ss a pony out there that doessn't think I'm out to eat them.” She then paused for a moment as she looked over her children. “Thank you, for helping me. It … meanss a lot,” she said quietly, getting a nod from him as he picked a corner of the room separate from the others, curling up into a ball as he closed his eyes, letting his fatigue do the rest of the work, falling asleep.