Third Floor- Left Wing- Apatelodes
“This will be perfect,” Shiny Whistle said and turned back to me, a grin on his face. A little room in the corner of the third floor, nothing special, just a four-poster bed, desk, and chest of drawers. Yet he made it sound like it was a luxury suite! He walked over to the window and looked outside. “What a view of the forest! You sure this room isn’t taken?” He laughed.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I sighed. “It’s all yours, for what free time you will have to enjoy it.” Why did ponies always have to be so happy? Well, he wouldn’t stay that way for long. Even the other ponies who were teachers had lost their utter positivity once they learned they could never go home for a visit. After all, if we let them go home, they would likely never return.
“Well, I should probably go clean the classroom if I am to start teaching tomorrow. Would you like to help?” He asked, and I laughed.
“Sorry, but I don’t do menial jobs like that. Think you can find your way there without getting lost?”
“Well, it is just down below us, I think I can manage one floor if you don’t want to stick around. I’m sure you have more important things to do than basically babysit me all day.”
“Right you are. Your arrival has put me behind schedule. I’ve done what my Queen requested for you, so I’ll let you get on alone.” I open the door and look back at him. “Expect me in the early afternoon tomorrow. That should give you time to teach your students and get things looking cleaner in the classroom.” I trot off, closing the door behind me. “Finally free,” I said and sighed. Dinner was just hours away, and I did NOT intend to miss the main meal again.
Changeling Castle- Third Floor-Left Wing- Shiny Whistle
I left the room a few minutes after Apatelodes and trotted toward the stairs. The day was still young, I would have plenty of time to get a good start on cleaning the classroom. A good scrubbing of the windows would be a great place to start. They had been so dirty that even with the curtains open the light inside had been dim.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I paused in my hoofsteps. Star Bright was waiting for me by the classroom doors. I smiled at her and trotted over. “Hello Star Bright, what brings you up here?”
“Well, I finished my chores in the kitchens for today, so I figured I’d come to help you with your cleaning,” she said and levitated up some cleaning supplies with her magic. “Even found you these.”
I was touched, I smiled warmly at her and opened the door. “Well, I’ll appreciate the help, I’m going to need it!”
She looked around as we entered. A mouse skittered away into the corner. Star dropped the cleaning supplies near the door and looked over at me. “You weren’t kidding. How long has it been since they last had a music teacher?”
“I didn’t think to ask,” I said and stepped towards the windows, “Why don’t we start with these? A little extra light in here will make things look so much better.”
“Sounds good to me,” Star Bright said, levitating over some washcloths and a bucket of soapy water.
“So how long have you worked here?” I asked, dipping the washcloth in the soapy water and bringing it up to the first window.
“About five years,” she said as she brought her own washcloth to a window. “I miss my family so much. They probably think I am dead.”
“Dead? But don’t you ever get the chance to visit them?”
“Those who are from the village closest to us sometimes can go home, but once you are employed here, you never leave.”
“What?” I dropped my washcloth on the ground, coughing as a plume of dust came up from the floor. “Why? Do they want everypony to think their loved ones are dead?”
“Well no, I don’t think that is the idea. I think they don’t allow it because they know most ponies if given the chance would never return. They insist they treat us well, and for the most part that is true, but the feedings are… not usually pleasant.” She paused, washcloth held to the window she had been cleaning.
“Does it… hurt?” I asked, picking my own cloth up off the floor and rinsing it off in the bucket.
“It… can. Depends on the changeling. The Queen, even in her brusqueness, often makes it quick and painless, but others…” she shuddered. “I’d rather not talk about it,” she said and went back to washing her window.
“That’s understandable,” it was starting to look like this wouldn’t be the perfect job I thought it would be. I guess I would see how things went tomorrow. I sighed, what had I gotten myself into?
“Don’t think it is all bad though. Most of us do miss our families, but as strange as it may be, there are a few that have bonded with certain changelings and well, have a love for each other,” she said and dunked her washcloth into the water, then started on the next window.
“So… they can truly love then? All I’ve read goes toward the opposite opinion.”
“All you’ve read was probably written by ponies. With the changelings being seen as evil or monsters, of course, they will not want other ponies as seeing them as sympathetic. For example, the main reason Queen Chrysalis attacked was to feed her changelings. She did get greedy when the opportunity came to impersonate Cadence, but her intentions were based on love,” she said and blushed. “Sorry, I guess I get a little defensive of them sometimes.”
“Even with how Apatelodes treated you?”
“He’s one of the exceptions. He thinks of us just as food. The only time he is actually nice to ponies is when the Queen is around. He doesn’t want to lose his position.”
“I have so much to learn,” I sigh, “thanks for telling me though. That should help me make a better teacher for them tomorrow.” I wiped a drop of sweat from my forehead and dropped my washcloth in the bucket. The windows sparkled, and cast their light much more brightly on the dusty room.
“I’m sure you will do great,” she said and picked up a broom. “I’ll start sweeping if you want to pick up the loose papers and clean and straighten the bookshelf?”
I nodded, “sounds like a plan.” I levitated the wash bucket and took it over to the bookshelf with me. Picking up a few sheets of music, I paused at one, reading through the lyrics. “Well, this is certainly interesting.”
“What is it?” she asked and walked over, looking over my shoulder at it. “Oh, I’ve heard a few of the older pupas singing this. It is kind of a fight song they were taught. They sure believe in starting them young,” she said and chuckled. “Maybe you could teach it to your new students? It looks simple enough.”
I nodded, grabbing one of my whistles from the cart, and played through the notes. As I played, Star Bright sang next to me.
Canterlot will soon be ours,
Soon be ours,
Soon be ours
Canterlot will soon be ours, my dear changelings.
Light your horns and take them down,
Take them down,
Take them down
Light your horns and take them down, my dear changelings.
We’ll have all the love we need,
Love we need,
Love we need
We’ll have all the love we need, my dear changelings.
They will never stand a chance,
Stand a chance,
Stand a chance
They will never stand a chance, my dear changelings.
So transform and we’ll begin,
We’ll begin,
We’ll begin
So transform and we’ll begin, my dear changelings.
I lowered my whistle as I finished, and looked back at Star. “You have a beautiful singing voice.”
“Aw, it’s nothing special,” she said and blushed. “I don’t get a chance to practice enough. You though, your whistle playing is amazing!”
“I’ve been playing since my father gave me my first Penny Whistle for Hearth’s Warming Eve back when I was a colt,” I said and shrugged.
She chuckled and grabbed the broom again. “Well… I guess we better get back to work.”
“Might be a good idea,” I said and grinned, piling the sheet music that was still useable on one of the chairs, added the books to the pile, and grabbed a new washcloth.
Changeling Castle- Dining Room-Queen Chrysalis
“I’m so excited for music classes tomorrow! We haven’t had a music teacher since I was an egg,” Nemoria said, wings buzzing in excitement.
“This one is so much more handsome than the last one too,” Acronicta, a little older than Nemoria, with a bright blue streak in her frilly mane, said. “He was so old!” The two changeling fillies giggled.
“Think he would go for a changeling?”
“Well he did come here voluntarily, so it’s a possibility.”
I chuckled across the table from them, glad Shiny Whistle had made such a good impression on the young ones already. Hopefully, they would still feel the same after his classes. I wasn’t worried though, with his little performance, I had no doubt he knew his stuff.
Apatelodes sat next to me tonight, frowning at the two gossiping changelings as he finished feeding off his pony, a blue stallion with two horseshoes for his cutie mark.
“Not much of one for gossip?” I asked, smiling down at him,
“Of course not my Queen, It is impolite at the dinner table, bad for digestion,” he said, absentmindedly nibbling on a slice of pear.
“Well give them a break, they are still young.” I smiled, remembering what Chrys had told me of his past. “I’m sure I remember you being much the same at their age.”
He gave a wry smile, snorting. “Forgive me my Queen, but sometimes I curse your almost perfect memory of the past.”
“Of course he would, I’ve worked closely with him since he was a hatchling. I know all about him.” Chrys said and chuckled. “I pride myself in knowing all my changelings by name and face, and if nothing else at least a few of the things that make them unique.”
“How could anyone forget you? Always first in your class, strong, brave, rising in rank faster than anyling in two hundred years.”
This time he showed a real smile, even blushed green a little. “Well, I do have you to thank for that. You’ve taken such a strong interest in me my whole life.” He tossed another pear slice into his mouth, a little drip of juice sliding down his chin.
“And you have served well all these years in repayment,” I said. “How is our new music teacher settling in any way?”
His ears lowered just slightly before he perked them back up again. “As happy as anypony could be. Though he did get a little scared upon seeing the ponies sleeping off their feedings,” he said and grinned. “Loved the room we found for him, spartan though it was. I thought ponies liked having… lots of things?”
“Guess he is different from the norm with that, else he knows he will have time to make it his own with things.”
Apatelodes shrugged, “I just wonder if he will have what it takes. Seems delicate.”
“We will find out tomorrow,” I said and brought a napkin to my mouth, dabbing off the fruit juices from my chin. Many changelings had already left the dinner table, those working in the kitchens having cleared most of it. Nemoria and Acronicta had left still giggling about Shiny Whistle.
“Ready to retire, my Queen?” Apatelodes said, popping one last pear slice into his mouth before standing.
I nodded and stood. “Tomorrow is to be a long day.”
Apatelodes chuckled and nodded. “Especially for that Shiny Whistle? He’s sure to get a culture shock. Shall I lead the way back to your quarters?”
“Yes, but he’ll adjust fast,” I said as we left the dining room.
“My Queen!” A young changeling, Danaus, yelled out, barging out from a door leading downstairs and coming to bow before me. “Sorry to interrupt you my Queen, but it is happening!”
“What’s happening?”
“Why, the hatching! She’s getting ready to hatch! Phengaris sent me up to get you, knowing you would want to be there for her birth.”
“Wait, does he mean my daughter?” Chrys gasped.
“Your DAUGHTER?” I yelled. She hadn’t mentioned anything like this!
“No my Queen, your daughter,” Danaus said.
“No time to explain right now dearie, get down there!”
I nodded to Danaus. “Lead the way. Apatelodes, you come too. I haven’t been down there since I…”
“Became our Queen?” Aptelodes whispered, head following Danaus as he nodded and turned around, leading us back down the door and stairs he had just left.
“Yeah, that.”
“Now this is an experience you don’t want to miss,” Chrys sighed. “Nothing like the birth of a new life.”
“Then I hope we don’t miss it,” I said, following Danaus down a staircase across from the dining room. How could Chrys have forgotten to tell me she had an egg? How does one forget that?
“We keep them near the center of the castle,” Apatelodes said, as Danaus opened a door to our left and led us down a long hallway lined with green fire-lit torches. “In the hardest place for enemies to get to. They are our future after all. The hibernation room is right next to it. Thankfully we haven’t had to use it in some time. The blast that tossed us from Canterlot was filled with love and all changelings who had been there having an ample supply to share with those who had stayed. Not for much longer though…” we turned left, and a hallway with only two doors was revealed. By one door, two burly changeling guards, Attacus, who had a narrow scar running across his right cheek, and Astraptes, with a faint blue sheen to his black muzzle.
“We are here!” Danaus said, stopping in front of the guards and breathing hard from our rush.
Attacus nodded, and stepped aside for us. “You’re in luck my Queen, your egg hasn’t hatched yet.”
“Oh my, that is good news!” Chrys said.
“What?” I said mouth gaping open.
“Yep, she sure has taken her time. A little under a year. I bet you’re excited to meet her, my Queen?” Attacus said chuckling.
A year? Then did that mean?
“No, you forget that eggs between ponies and changelings are usually culled, she’s not Shining Armor’s. Her father is well, it was kind of a one-night stand… after our defeat at Canterlot, and losing the use of my wings, I was quite depressed… You haven’t met him yet as he has been scouting for a good place to capture some ponies. His name is Leptostales, a little older than most changelings, in fact, I think he might be almost as old as me, well the previous Queen me? He’s always been such a great friend.” Chrys sighed. “He’ll be sad he missed her birth.”
“Yes, I… I am excited,” I said. Here I was never having been pregnant myself, and I was to have a little girl. What was I going to do?
“Well you better take good care of her! That’s the first thing you should do,” Chrys said sternly. “Now, let’s get in there, I don’t want to miss her hatching!” I grinned and nodded, the rest could wait.
“Then we shall proceed inside,” I said. Attacus nodded, bowed, and opened the door. I turned back to Danaus, who was still breathing hard. “Thank you, Danaus for coming so quickly.”
“No problem, my Queen,” he said and plopped down on the ground, resting against the wall. “I’ll just… wait out here if that is okay?”
“Of course,” I said and smiled at him.
“After you, my Queen,” Apatelodes said. I took a deep breath and trotted inside, Apatelodes following behind me.
The room was dimly lit, just a single green fire lit torch on each wall. Lined against the walls to either side of me, twenty-four incubators, twelve of them to each side. Each one faintly glowing with a green light coming from the eggs. A single female changeling, Phengaris, her mane almost white, watched over one near the middle. She looked up as we entered and waved us over.
“Any moment now my Queen,” she said and grinned. “She’s quite excited to finally enter the world.”
I looked down into the incubator. The egg glowed a translucent green. Underneath the egg, a dark grey blanket. It rocked back and forth, a little chirping sound coming from it. A tiny black body showed against the green mucus inside, and I sighed, already caring for the little one.
With a loud crack, a hairline fracture spread across the egg, and the liquid leaked out. The egg continued to rock, a chip falling from near the top. It rocked faster, and with one last loud crack, split open and deposited the little black bundle on the blanket. She adjusted herself, and with a deep breath, lifted her head and opened her eyes. Big bright blue orbs staring into my own green ones.
“Oh, she is perfect,” Chrys sighed. “She is so beautiful.”
“Do you have a name picked out for her, my Queen?” Phengaris asked.
“Let’s name her Citheronia.”
I nodded. “Citheronia, I’d like to name her Citheronia.”
“What a beautiful name, I’ll note it down,” Phengaris picked up my tiny daughter and wiped off the slime and mucus from her carapace, then wrapped her in a clean blanket. “Would you like to hold her?”
“Of course!” I said and Phengaris handed her over to me. I held her tiny body close to mine, looking into her beautiful eyes, feeling her strong heartbeat against my own. She lifted a hoof to her mouth and sucked on it, a grin on her face. I smiled back.
“She’s probably hungry, would you like to feed her, or shall I, my Queen?” Phengaris said.
“Let’s do it, we just had a good feeding so we have love to give,” Chrys said. “I’ll instruct you.”
“I’ll do it,” I said and following Chrys’s instructions, held one of my own hooves to my daughter’s mouth. She let go of her own and gave an open mouth grin, revealing tiny fangs, and let out a little chirp of delight. She bit into my hoof. It hurt for a moment, but the pain passed as she drank the love from me. After about a minute she withdrew her fangs and let out a little burp, snuggling deeper into her blanket and closing her eyes.
I looked over at Apatelodes who watched Citheronia in silence. “A beauty, isn’t she?” I said turning back to look down at her.
“Yes, she is,” he said and smiled at me.
“Her incubator is ready for her,” Phengaris said. I looked up to see she had cleaned out the incubator, putting in a fresh blanket at the bottom. “I’ll take good care of her my Queen, you go get some beauty sleep.”
“You better,” I said, a low growl in my throat. I reluctantly handed her over to Phengaris and she placed her gently back into the incubator. It would keep her warm and help her grow, but I already missed the feeling of her little body next to mine. I smiled down at her as she rested. “Sleep well, my little one,” I said and kissed her forehead.
Changeling Castle- Queen’s Chambers-Queen Chrysalis
“Why didn’t you tell me we had an egg?” I yelled. I paced in our room, mind reeling at what had happened below.
“Would you believe I forgot?” Chrys said. “It has been a long last few weeks, I didn’t even know if I would make it. My memory might be good, but it is not perfect.”
I sat down on the foot of the bed, scratching one ear with my hoof. “Even still, how does one forget their own kid? I mean I understand she has been taking longer than usual to hatch but…” I sighed. “Does that happen often?”
“I haven’t been my usual self lately, but your right. I don’t know how I could have forgotten about her, especially her being my first daughter. I feel upset enough as it is with myself,” she sighed and continued. “No, not this long at least. After the egg is laid, it usually takes around six to seven months to mature before it hatches. One of the secrets of our long lives is we grow slowly,” she chuckled. “She took… well I laid her egg on my last… transformation day. Would have been a year this Tuesday.”
“Does that mean… something might be wrong with her then? Taking months longer than usual?” I asked gently.
“No, she is perfect, you saw so yourself!” Chrys said and growled. “Some changelings just take longer to mature than others. She will one day grow into a beautiful young changeling mare. Just give her time.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply she wasn’t,” I said. “I’m… excited to be able to help raise her.” I lie down on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling. “She’s your first daughter? I would have imagined you would have had many by now, having been the queen so long.”
“Yes,” Chrys said simply. “In recent centuries, for reasons not even our doctors can explain, females being born has become quite uncommon. Maybe one for every five hundred males, if we are lucky? So she has to be perfect, the hive needs her to produce healthy changelings when she is old enough.”
I smile. “Well then, we’ll just have to hope she will be and do everything in our power to protect her. I’ve never raised a kid before, but I will do my best.”
“And I will help you. I have had my fair share of sons in the last few centuries. Though many have passed in wars or from sickness,” Chrys sighed.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “So, what will happen when she grows up? Will she take our place on the throne? Or will we continue our little spell forever?”
“That will be greatly up to you dearie. The Chrysalis before me had a young daughter but decided to continue using the spell rather than give her the throne. When the time comes you could pick that route too. Or, maybe it will then be time for not only all the spirits of those who have come before, but our body as well, to rest.”
I pondered on the thought for a moment, then pushed it aside for now. After all, she had only just been born, there were still many years before she would be old enough to consider for the throne. I yawned, covering my mouth with one hoof.
“We should get to bed. A long day tomorrow after all,” Chrys said, and I nodded in agreement. Sleep did sound nice. I pulled back the blankets and curled up beneath them.
Changeling Castle- Third Floor- Left Wing- Shiny Whistle
“That should do it for tonight,” I said, wiping sweat off my forehead. Star Bright and I had gotten pretty far after supper. The bookcase was clean and lined with books, sheet music, and boxes of my penny whistles. The floor pristine, instruments stacked neatly in the back after having been polished, and I had fixed the chair with a broken leg. “Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate you giving up your free time to do so Star.”
“Of course, I’m happy to help,” she said, wiping sweat from her forehead too.
“May I walk you back to your room?” I asked, and she blushed.
“Sure, you will still be able to find your way back though right?”
“I think I’ll manage,” I said and laughed. I closed the doors behind us as we left, and Star turned towards the stairs.
“I’m on the floor below, near the storage area,” she said and stepped down the stairs. I followed and as we arrived at the next floor, an orange earth pony mare with a red mane and a lasso cutie mark ran up to us.
“Have you guys heard? The Queen’s egg hatched tonight! A little changeling filly.”
“She finally hatched? That’s wonderful news,” Star said, a smile on her face. “Is she healthy? Doing okay?”
The mare nodded. “Yep, beautiful healthy little one.”
“That is good to hear. The Queen was so worried a few months ago when her egg didn’t hatch in the normal time period. Until she got sick,” Star sighed.
“I didn’t even know she had an egg,” I said.
“Well, of course, you just arrived,” Star said and chuckled. “Too bad we won’t be able to meet her for some time. Hatchlings are mostly kept in the nursery for their first few months. Even being the new princess, she probably will as well.”
Star thanked the mare, Rope Burn, and we continued on to her room. She stopped by a door near the end of the hall. “Well, this is it. Thank you for walking me down.” She gave me a little peck on the cheek, then with a grin magicked open her door, trotted in, and closed it behind her. I stood there for a full minute, bringing a hoof to the cheek she had kissed. My mouth dropped open slightly, I didn’t know what to do. I had not seen that coming, was she just teasing me? Or...? I sighed, mares were so confusing! I shook my head and glared at my bangs as they fell in front of my eyes. I really needed to get them cut.
I turned and headed back to the stairs. I still had much to do to prepare for my first class of students tomorrow. That list of materials for Queen Chrysalis for one. After walking up the stairs, I paused before my bedroom door. Tomorrow marked a new chapter in my life. If things worked out well, if I could help the young changelings out for the better, who knew what the future could hold?