The Teal Changeling

by MrAlterad


16. Broken Cage

Momo eyed her companion as they flew a circle around the Tradencloud district. His smile from earlier had already faded, and his eyes retained that distant look. She tried picturing being in his hooves, her own home falling into ruin, and it made her chest ache.

He never really answered her earlier question, when she asked if he was alright. A fact that now ate at her as he lead them through the area.

Another fact that ate at her. It was cold. Very, very cold. Without Chrys' magic keeping the princess warm, and by association the one that carried her, Momo was completely exposed to the elements. Her body was shivering, sapping any desire to speak, feeling as if she'd accidentally bite her tongue if she did.

After flying for about a minute, they reached an unassuming building. It had wide, opaque, misty panes of cloud lining the front, showing a ransacked interior full of shelves and many assorted pony-wear.

“First stop, saddlebags and clothes,” Dud stated, not hesitating to fly through the cloudy window. Momo followed after, enjoying the lack of a chilly breeze inside as she eyed the garments littering the place. Her eyes lingered on a hole in the floor, seeing several articles of clothes nearby having been burnt, confirming Dud's theory to the hole's origins.

With speed that surprised her, Dud singled out something for her to wear, helping Momo put it on shortly after presenting her a coat intended for pegasi. The coat was cold, but that fact was short-lived as her body worked to heat it up.

“Feeling better?” he asked as he appraised her, making her look at the coat in surprise. It was starting to feel very snug and warm, which prompted her to give him a nod. He gave her a small smile, before he continued rummaging through the store. Momo then blinked, before shaking her head.

“Dud, how are you feeling?” The fact that he was worried about her, despite being glum, bothered her.

“...I feel like somepony that got what they asked for, but not what they wanted.”

“What?”

“...I didn't like this city when I was a colt. In fact, I once wished this place would simply vanish from the skies,” he stated, pulling out a saddlebag from a toppled pile, eyeing it for a moment before discarding it for another.

“And now you feel bad because of this?” Momo then shook her head, “Dud, this wasn't your fault, it was our fault,” she emphasized as she placed a hoof to her chest.

“We both know you were at the hive when Thundercloud was attacked,” he replied matter-of-factly. “And I'm not really blaming myself. It's just a feeling, an unpleasant one.” He then lifted up a particularly large pair of bags, raising an eyebrow at it before slinging it over his shoulders, carrying it instead of wearing it.

“If that's the case, then, well... Dud, what is Thundercloud to you?” He blinked at her question, a slight frown on his face as he devoted more of his attention towards scavenging. “...Dud?”

“Don't wanna talk about it. It's not like you really need to know,” he replied, before tossing on a set of saddlebags that fit him snugly. He then looked to her, and she hesitated. He caught her off guard when he slapped a pair of bags over her back, making her look over him for a moment as he straightened her bags.

“Is this city why you're a dud?” she asked, making him pause at that, giving her a considering look, before he placed some articles of clothing into her bags.

“These are for you and Chrys, let's go.” He then slapped a thick scarf around his neck, before heading towards the door.

“Dud, I don't like being ignored,” Momo warned, a small frown on her face. “When you were talking about 'bigots' earlier, you called us friends. That means we trust each other, right?” she asked with a small sense of uncertainty.

He paused at her question, making him look to her for a moment, considering something. He then motioned her to follow, before flying out through the windows. She followed him silently, her brow furrowed as he led them to another ransacked shop. He stopped at the entrance, before looking to her.

“Momo, do you have a story? One you have trouble telling others? One you haven't told anyone, including your clutchlings?” he asked, almost making Momo stumble on her landing.

“Y- Yes...” she replied apprehensively. He was about to reply, but an unexpected gust of wind silenced him, making them pause as it brushed past.

“This city and me, it's one of those stories,” he said flatly, before turning towards the building. Momo eyed him as he moved away, feeling as if he had just placed a wall between them. A wall meant to keep hearts apart. A wall that bothered her.

But, why?

She wondered this as he entered the building, leaving her alone as it started to snow. Why did it matter? Why did she care? He wasn't her clutchling. He wasn't even a changeling. He was a pony.

She then shook her head. She was worried about him. She understood that much, which meant, to her, that it didn't matter if he was a pony.

This story of his, one he wanted to keep to himself, was that wall. It's not natural for a pony to lack love for others, and she had a strong feeling that this story was to blame.

He helped her clutchling. He helped her. He put his life on the line to help them get to Equestria. Because of that, she wanted to shatter that wall.

These thoughts in mind, she adopted a determined look, as he stepped out of the store with a disappointed expression on his face. His eyes met hers, making him pause.

“Dud, what if I told you?” she asked, making him blink in confusion.

“Told me what?”

My story,” she replied, making him look over her for a second, before shaking his head.

“It's not the same, if you can tell it just like that,” he replied flatly.

“It's not easy. I get that. Look, I haven't told Chrys,” she continued, taking a step forward, “I want to tell her, but it's embarrassing. My face feels hot, and I just can't seem to get the words out when I want to. It's important to me. It's not something I can tell 'just like that'.”

“Uhh," he started, a worried look in his eyes, "shouldn't this wait till she's here to listen then?” he asked, making Momo shake her head.

“I don't think I can tell her. Not yet. But, I think I can tell you.”

“Why?”

“Because Chrys is the reason for my 'story'. And, because we're friends,” she said resolutely, making him appraise her for a moment, before his ears fell. He simply stood there, glancing to the side in silence, making Momo's face flush. She took it as a sign of acceptance, prompting her to take in a deep breath. “Dud, do you have a dream? You know, a goal you're aspiring towards,” she asked, not quite ready to dive head-first into it.

“I did,” he replied, getting a brief, surprised look from the mare, before her ears fell.

“I see, you must have given up on it too.”

“Given up?” he asked in surprise, before shaking his head, “I accomplished it,” he added proudly, making Momo look at him, her mouth falling open at the notion.

“You- You did?”

“Yep!” he said with a smile on his face, “So what's that have to do with your story?” he asked, making her face flush further. Suddenly, she found the idea of telling him very unappealing, and it was because he had reached his dream, whatever it was, while she had abandoned hers. Still, she looked him in the eyes.

“W- When a hatchling knows what they want to do in the hive, they give themselves a name that they like...” she explained as she glanced to the side, knowing he knew this much. She was quietly hoping, and dreading, that bringing this fact up right now would make him figure out the rest.

Indeed, he considered her words for a moment, mouthing out her name, before his eyes widened. Momo could see it all playing out in his eyes, making her wish she could bury her face in the clouds. Actually, she could do that, but she resisted the urge as his ears fell in comprehension.

“I see. It's in your name,” he stated, pausing for a moment before adopting a contemplative look. “So why'd you give up on your dream?” he asked, his question acting like a bucket of cold water on her mood.

“W- What?” she asked, unsure if she'd heard him right.

“Why'd you give up on your dream? You're not someone that gives up,” he added with a confident nod. She knew he just pieced together what she hid from Chrys, so the fact that he asked such an incredulous question made her frown.

“Because my dream is impossible! It was impossible from the moment I hatched.”

“Momo, a dream is only impossible when you give up on it,” he stated, making her frown deepen.

“What would you know? Your dream was clearly easier to reach!”

“Was it?” he asked, mostly to himself, before faltering a moment. “I suppose it does look that way,” he admitted, glancing to the side, eyeing the city around him. He sat silently for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before looking her in the eyes, “Momo, when I was a colt, this city was my cage,” he stated, making her blink.

“But, but I thought it was your home?”

“To a bird locked in a cage, they're one in the same.”

“I ... don't follow.”

“Right, changeling,” Dud replied as he glanced to the side, “Some ponies like to keep pets. For pegasi, it's usually birds. Some ponies use cages to keep their birds from flying away,” he explained, getting a nod from Momo as she appraised the stallion.

“So this was your cage?” she asked as she motioned to all around them. Even in the shadow of one of the other districts, the city felt very open and inviting. “What am I missing?” she asked, and he appraised her for several moments, before taking in a deep breath.

“The rich bigots, those old-fashioned ponies that flaunted their power like a badge. I was the foal of such ponies.”

“...That doesn't sound too bad,” Momo pointed out, flinching when he gave her a harsh glare.

“Said the changeling to the dud.”

“R-Right. Sorry,” she replied as her ears fell, “Can you fill me in?”

“What's to fill in? I lived in a big, fancy home, that always felt empty. The ponies my parents wanted me to talk to were too infatuated with themselves to care about others. The ponies outside saw me as the foal of snobby bigots, and kept their distance from me. I felt alone in this city. I felt like a bird in a cage. I wanted to leave. To leave this city, my home, and my name. But I couldn't.”

“Why?”

“Because, I was the foal of a rich bigot. And that would never change, no matter where I went,” he stated, before he adopted a small smile. “That's what I felt; what went through my head every time I considered leaving. Escaping this cage was my dream, and it was out of reach, because I didn't realize I could fly,” he explained, and Momo nodded, considering his words as he continued.

“When I was still a colt, a blank-flank, my father purchased a rare bird, and kept it in his study. It was a sapphire phoenix, a magical bird that would explode into a plume of snow when it reached the end of its lifespan. From that snow, a new hatchling would emerge,” he explained, a glimmer in his eyes. He looked like he was about to go into more detail concerning sapphire phoenix's, but thought better of it, shaking his head. “Father kept Blue in a cage, and she became my first friend,” he said, adopting a warm smile as he eyed the falling snow. “I thought she was just like me. We were just two birds, trapped in our cages. I talked to her, all the time, though I don't think she understood me,” he explained, before he started to laugh, “One day, she somehow managed to open the cage on her own, and left. Just like that. She left the cage of her own will and strength. A fact that infuriated my father. He thought I did it, and I didn't feel the need to correct him.”

“...So you followed her example?”

“Not quite. A couple weeks later, father bought another rare bird. This time, I did set it free. It felt so good, helping another leave their cage. So much so that I went out looking for other trapped birds throughout Thundercloud. Eventually, after having freed a good number of rare critters, I found a Snow Dove. The little fellow had been kept since he was hatched, and he didn't know the way back to his native lands. So, I decided to show him the way, leaving Thundercloud without even a second thought. Can you guess what I found when I did?” he asked, and Momo shook her head as his smile widened.

“Nopony outside of Thundercloud knew who I was. I was just some yellow pegasus who knew a lot about rare critters. After I showed my feathered friend a home with others of its kind, I made my way back to this city. When I was close enough to the city to see it in the sky, I paused. I asked myself 'why am I returning?'.” He then nodded to himself, “That's when I figured it all out. My cage wasn't just a home in the clouds, but it was also in my heart. I thought I was always gonna be seen as just another spoiled rich pony. But nopony knew me outside of Thundercloud. I didn't need to come back. I didn't need to return to my cage.” He then gave her a prideful grin, “I got my cutie-mark that day, and I set out to see the world, and all the rare creatures in it,” he concluded, making her eye the mark on his flank, as if seeing it for the first time: An open, silver birdcage.

“So, you're glum because you didn't want to return to your cage?” Momo asked as she indicated the city.

“No, this place hasn't been my cage for a long time,” he said as he eyed the ruined surroundings, his ears fallen. “I may not have liked Thundercloud, but it was home for so many others. It's sad, seeing it being destroyed like this. A small part of me is happy that my old cage is like this, which only makes the bigger part of me all the more 'glum',” he said, making her appraise him for a moment.

Was this the first time he's ever told anypony this?

“You ... made friends after leaving. Right?” she asked, making him shake his head.

“If you mean pony friends, then not really. You and Chrys are the closest to having pony friends I've ever gotten.”

“Well, why?”

“Because nopony changes overnight. I … didn't like the idea of making friends, only for them to learn about who I once was,” he said, before giving Momo a worried side glance.

“Dud. I'll be the first to admit, that I don't really get all this bigot rich pony nonsense. What I do get, is that you're our friend,” she then hesitated for a moment, “But, I don't get why you see us as friends,” she admitted, getting a confused look from him. “When we first met, and I mean the very first time, you were in a cage in Lores' chamber. If you hate being in a cage, then why don't you hate … us?”

“I don't hate being in a cage. Hate is too strong a word for it. And I suppose there was plenty reason to dislike being trapped in your hive, but I never really felt like I was in a cage back there.”

“Why?”

“I don't know. Because I enjoyed it? Talking to Lores, learning about changelings, it was all, exciting. I saw a rare race on the verge of something big, and I wanted to see what became of it. So, when the princess of that race asked me for help in escaping her father, how could I say no?” He then shook his head, “I don't hate you, or any other changelings. And, I'm kind of glad, that you see me as a friend.” He then blinked, as if realizing something, making him glance to the side for a moment, a small blush on his face, before looking to her, “So, thanks, Momo.”

“W-What for?” she let out unexpectedly, his tone making her blush for some reason.

“I ... didn't want to get into it, my story, but now that I've let it out, it feels, lighter,” he explained, a hoof on his chest. He sat there for several moments, watching the snow fall, looking content, which brought a small smile to Momo's face. He then nodded to himself, getting on his hooves. He approached her, making her face flush further as he reached out with his wings, brushing the small layer of snow that's gathered on her shoulders. “Let's go. We've got food to gather.”

“R-Right!” she replied, having forgotten, which only made her face redden further. Desperate for a distraction, she quickly pointed to the shop Dud had looked into, “What was that place?”

“Oh, that's an alchemy shop,” he said as he looked back, “Was seeing if there was anything useful, but there wasn't,” he explained, getting a curious look from Momo as he walked past her, heading to a shop across the street. “Alchemy is about mixing things together to make magical things happen. I'm not too familiar with it, but finding some medicinal items would have been nice,” he added, giving a small shrug as Momo followed after him. “So, back to earlier,” he casually began, “Why'd you give up on your dream?” he asked, making her trip into the snow.

“D- Dud!” she let out in annoyance, picking herself up, brushing snow off of herself, “I told you, it's because my dream's impossible to reach! I'm a drone, and I'll never be anything else.” She then glanced to the side, “That's ... just the way things are,” she added, making him frown at her.

“Right. You told me it's impossible, that's what made me tell you my backstory,” he said with a nod, as if that cleared everything up. “I thought it was impossible to leave my cage, so I never tried,” he said as he shook his head, “I didn't like a single part of your reply, Momo. A changeling saying they'll never be anything else?” he emphasized as he approached her, “'Impossible to reach? That's just the way things are?', Did you even try?” he asked, making her face turn beet red, one part embarrassment at his final question, another part anger.

“It's still easy for you to say! Your dream was some sort of silly mental block-”

“And it's no different for you,” he interjected getting an exasperated look from her. “Momo, it's fine to have more than one dream.”

“W-What do you mean?” she asked, her anger temporarily defused by confusion.

“You believe you'd never be able to reach your dream. But Chrys, she can. I can see now, that's why you stick your neck out for her, more so than your other clutchlings. You let go of your dream, and latched onto her instead," he stated, before giving her a soft look. "Look, there's no rule that says you can't have both. You don't need to give up on it.”

“How?” she began, glancing to the side, “How can you say that so confidently? You think I liked it, giving up on, on...” Even though they both knew what she was referring to, she still couldn't say it out loud. She felt as if Chrys would appear out of nowhere, overhearing her if she did.

“Momo. You're a changeling,” he stated matter-of-factly. “That's 'just the way things are'? Why not, you know, change it?” he asked, before pointing to all around him, “You're walking in the sky right now, thanks to magic. Did you ever think that was possible before now?” he asked, making her shake her head. “Just because something seems impossible, doesn't mean it actually is.”

“...You think I could actually do it?” she asked, her eyes starting to sting, her head down, chest aching as she considered the prospect.

“I know you can,” he replied with a smile. “You just gotta pick it back up.”

Pick it back up?

She couldn't deny that she still wanted it. Even now, while following her clutchling across the lands, she still wanted it. Taking action when she saw Ssarah's children in danger. Speaking to Lores to be a Caretaker for the hatchlings. Becoming close to Chrys, caring for and protecting her. It all spiraled around the core of her dream. She may have abandoned it, but she still held pieces close to her heart.

I'm sorry, Little One. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be like her.

Words whispered by her mother, the queen. Words that shaped who she was now. Words that shattered a dream. Could she really pick it back up?

As she wondered this, she ran her hoof across the ground, seeing the cloudy road give slightly, quickly reforming in her wake. Seeing that made her pause. She couldn't deny, she was envious when she saw Chrys walking on the clouds, as if it were nothing. And now here she was, standing in the heart of a pegasi city, living a prospect she could never even imagine possible not a fortnight ago.

Thinking that, an ember that had long been smoldering in her heart started to find new life. An ember that never truly grew cold, thanks to her desire to follow Chrys. Raising her head, she gave Dud a determined look, which he replied with a smile.

“Dud, do you think there's a way? Some sort of Equestrian magic, that can help me reach my dream?”

“I'd be surprised if there wasn't,” he resolutely replied, making her look him in the eyes. She felt an urge to look into his heart, making her glance away, as she adopted a small smile.

“Do you think that's fine? Looking for help from ponies, after everything we've done to them?”

“I think that's fine. And if it's only me that thinks that, I'll still help, all the way.”

“...Thanks,” she replied, giving him a small smile.

Before now, she traveled with the others for Chrys, for the Queen's safety, for the hive's safety. Now she had another reason to go Equestria, one not driven by fear and worry, but something more inspiring.

So the two sat, letting the snow fall as each of them found themselves thinking about what lay ahead of them. It wasn't long before Dud's stomach broke the snowy silence, getting a small laugh from the stallion, which Momo mirrored. “I suppose we should get back to getting food, huh?” she stated.

“Well, yes. Now that serious time is over, let's do that!” he replied, hopping into the air and blowing off all the snow on him in the process. Momo shook her head in amusement, before mirroring his actions, following after him to continue their scavenging.

~~~~~~~~~~

Chrys' body ached all over. She was in the form of a pegasus filly, but she had all the physical features of Star Shell, only with wings. She smiled as she gave her wings a small flap. It'd been several hours since the others left, and now she had freeform down, to Aegis' surprise. He seemed quite proud with her determination and effort.

Now she understood why her mother wanted to wait till she 'grew up'. The entire process wasn't exactly comfortable. She winced as she turn around, looking to the western sky, seeing the glow of sunset set Thundercloud ablaze.

Aegis kept an eye out as she shifted from time to time, her fur or eyes shifting color with each change. On a whim, she shifted again, her coat now a splash of different shades of blue, her mane a number of different colors. It didn't look natural. In fact, shifting into such a palette made her feel more than a little silly.

“They're back,” Aegis pointed out, making Chrys' eyes widen in panic as she shifted back into Star Shell's true palette, trading out the wings for a horn. Dinner was here, and shifting would be a poor idea from here on. Which was fine, as she didn't particularly see it as a wise idea to travel into Equestria as a changeling.

Rubbing a hoof over her unicorn horn, she couldn't help but frown. It was straight, and had more of a spiral feel to it. Shrugging off the distracting fact, she cast her heat enchantment, feeling quite snug as the chill in the air disappeared.

Giving her attention to the others, she saw Momo and Dud flying down towards them. Momo was wearing clothes, another notion the princess found strange, and they both had saddlebags that looked well packed. As they landed, she couldn't help but notice that Dud seemed a little brighter than when he left.

“Dud, we need to talk,” Chrys began, making him blink before he glanced to Momo.

“Is it time for serious talk, part two?” he asked almost whimsically, getting a confused look from Chrys as Momo blushed.

“Look, I want to know what you think about all this,” Chrys elaborated, almost impatiently as she indicated the ruined surroundings.

“Yep, that sounds like serious talk,” Dud replied, letting out an exasperated sigh in the process.

“Yes, it's serious,” she replied flatly, “Dud, do you still think Equestria will 'win', after having seen this?”

“This? Yes, I still think so,” he quickly replied with a nod, “Not all pony towns are made of clouds.”

“But Equestria's lost three cities, and this one's looking pretty close to a fourth,” she pointed out, feeling a little guilty at the fact.

“It's not like they were destroyed overnight,” he replied, before rolling his eyes. “Okay, it practically was overnight, but from what I've gathered, a lot of prep work was put into it. Like, years of prep work. A direct assault on Canter Town won't play out the same.”

“Look, you told me once that you had faith in Equestria,” she replied, looking him in the eyes, “Dud, what if Mantis won? What if he destroys Cantertown, and captures your Princess Luna?” she asked, making him tilt his head in thought.

“That would mark the point of no return. Your hive would fall,” he said without a glimmer of doubt, getting alarmed looks from Chrys and Momo, and a glare from Aegis.

“W-What!?” Chrys let out.

“You think to mock us?” Aegis interjected, getting a considering look from Dud as he read their reactions.

“Why do I get the feeling none of you have considered what happens after 'winning' against Equestria?”

“What do you mean?” Momo asked, stepping towards him.

“Dud, what is it?” Chrys asked as she stepped closer to him, “What do you see that we're overlooking?” she asked, making Dud adopt a confused look for a moment, before his eyes widened in realization.

“Chrys, you are aware that the world is bigger than just The Badlands and Equestria, right?”

“W- What are you implying?”

“The world is a big place. It's home to not just ponies and changelings, but also lamia, kirin and qilin, zebra, griffons, and so many others. If you capture Princess Luna, and also all the other ponies in short order somehow, you'll be making a lot of enemies,” he stated, before giving her a glum look. “Chrys, taking Luna means the sun would no longer be raised and lowered. All those races rely on her magic, including yours.”

Chrys' mind raced at this information, making her glance to the ground in thought. She knew of zebras, and lamia, but the others were all new words to her. The world is a big place? If Dud was truly right about Luna raising the sun and moon, which her mother and Mantis doubted, then capturing her would make untold enemies.

“Dud, why didn't you tell me this sooner?” she asked, unable to hide the accusing note in her voice.

“Never really came to mind,” he replied with an apologetic look, “Last time I talked about Luna's magic, you got skeptical.” He then put a hoof below his chin, “And mad. I definitely remember you getting mad.”

“Chrys,” Momo began, “we need to stop the attack,” she stated, giving her clutching a very worried look, getting an agreeing nod from Chrys.

The attack wasn't needed. A small tree in the broken mountain, as well as all the ponies they already had captured made that a fact. A fight they couldn't win wasn't what her hive needed right now. It needed something different.

“Dud... Do you know if Luna would be open to peace?” she asked, her eyes glancing to the surrounding ruins.

“Probably. She seems really nice,” Dud replied, “I can ask her next time we talk,” he added, getting a thankful look from Chrys.

“Highness, you put too much stock in his claims—” Aegis began, making her round on him.

“Aegis, I may have left the hive thanks to Mantis, but my desire to assess Luna's threat is genuine. When we get there, it won't take long for me to know for certain if she can actually do what Dud claims. If it's true, we need to stop the attack on Cantertown,” she stated resolutely, giving Aegis a small glare, “I'd appreciate it if you didn't doubt this pony.”

“That's okay Chrys, I don't mind,” Dud replied. “Did you have any more questions?” he asked, getting a considering look from her.

If she could talk to her mother, she could stop the attack on Canter Town. However, that meant having to deal with Mantis directly. Would he see reason if all this was presented to him? She thought on it for a moment, trying to picture what he would do with this knowledge.

He wouldn't give up. He'd probably work around the problems, and still insist on taking Canter Town. He needed to be dealt with. But how? Lost at that question, she looked to the others for a moment, before nodding to Dud. She needed to know more. Apparently, her mother had been wrong. The world wasn't small at all, and Chrys needed to know just how big it actually was.

“I want to know more about these other races,” she stated, before her stomach voiced a concern of its own, making her face flush. “While we're eating."

“Right!” he replied, and in short order he brought out the desk in the broken building. He then started pulling out all sorts of plants out of his bag, while Momo gave a stuffed saddlebag to Aegis, who eyed its contents for a moment, before simply slinging the bag onto his back.

“I'll pass for now,” he said, getting a surprised look from the others, “I'll wait until we're soundly in Equestria before taking food from our supplies.”

“You sure?” Dud asked, getting a small nod.

“Well, alright,” Momo added, going into the bag on her back, pulling out a scarf and beanie-hat, presenting them to Chrys, “Here, this'll help keep you warm, only without using magic!” she said with a smile, getting one from Chrys as she eyed another pony oddity she'd need to adjust to.

As she put them on, Dud started placing dry foods on the desk. It was mostly grasses and flowers, but there was also a small bundle of well preserved carrots, which he divided between each of them. “Eat up! We've got a busy day tomorrow.”

“...What's the weather factory gonna be like?” Chrys asked as she picked up a carrot with her magic, eyeing it apprehensively, before seeing her clutchling chow down on one of her own with an audible crunch.

“Don't know. Depends on how damaged it is,” he replied with a shrug. Momo then let out a very satisfied noise as she appraised her remaining carrots.

“These orange things, they're great!” she let out energetically, “Come on Chrys, you gotta try it, they're nothing like nectar!” she claimed, making Chrys eye her as she dived into the rest of her food, making the princess appraise her carrot for a moment longer, before taking a bite out of it.

Eating nectar for one's entire life made for a lacking pallet when it came to the understanding of dietary variety. Chrys' pupils widened as she tasted something truly different for the very first time. In short order, the carrot was gone, and her mouth watered as she eyed the rest of them. Okay, maybe pretending to be a pony for a while had its upsides.

Suffice to say, dinner was short-lived.