Third Floor-Music Room-Shiny Whistle
I yawned walking into the music room. The bed had been comfortable enough, but I had still slept rather poorly. The little changelings were not due for another twenty minutes or so, and I still needed to write down that list for Queen Chrysalis. I grabbed a blank scroll and a quill and looked through my supplies. We’d need more sheet music for sure, quills, ink, some music stands, and more copies of The Beginners Guide to Playing the Penny Whistle by Golden Tone, that would probably be enough for now.
I sat the list aside, pinching up a bit of sand with my magic and spreading it over the scroll so the ink wouldn’t run or smear. A knock sounded at the door, and I set the list aside, trotting over to answer it. “Why hello there, Nemoria wasn’t it?” I said, seeing the petite changeling filly, a blue daisy tucked behind one of her ears.
“Yes sir,” she said and grinned. “Am I too early?”
“Not at all, I was just finishing setting up. Come on in and have a seat. Did you bring your whistle?”
She nodded, and opening her bag, levitated it out in front of her. “Right here!”
“Excellent, we shall begin when the others arrive,” I said. She nodded and trotted over to the little circle of chairs, turned to face the largest of the chalkboards.
“You might need more chairs than this,” she said. “A lot of my friends are planning on coming too.”
I nodded at that, levitating up a piece of chalk and starting to draw a picture of a penny whistle on the board. “I’ll add that to my list for Queen Chrysalis,” I said.
Nemoria sat down near the middle of the circle and placed her saddlebag down on the floor beneath her chair. Some giggles sounded from out in the hall and I looked up to see three more changelings walk in. Two males, one with an earring in his left ear, the other with a dark blue muzzle, and a female with a blue streak in her frilly mane. The female sat by Nemoria and the males on the far left.
“Welcome, young ones,” I said and grinned when Nemoria and her friend giggled. It was only a few minutes later when the rest had trickled in, filling the chairs with five other changelings standing in the back. Nemoria had been right, we would need more chairs. In total there were twenty young changelings, Nemoria and her friend being the only females surprisingly.
“I’m glad to see so many of you interested in learning to play,” I said, and the chatter between them stopped. They all looked my way, most looking excited, only one or two with bored looks. “Now, why don’t we start with introductions?”
“I’m Acronicta,” Nemoria’s friend said, and giggled.
“Euchaetes.”
“Pyrrharctia.”
“Horama.”
“Ephyriades.”
“Polingii.”
“Inachis.”
“Sthenopis.”
They began to introduce themselves, raising a hoof with each of their names. I grabbed a fresh scroll and wrote down all of their names as they listed them off, nodding to each in turn. As the last one spoke up, I wrote his name down and pinched up some sand, dusting the scroll with it, then rolled it up. “Excellent. It might take me a few weeks but I will learn each of your names. Please help me out for a bit with that.”
“Of course,” Nemoria said. “What shall we call you sir? Professor Whistle?”
“Oh… well sure that will work Nemoria. Now, shall we begin? Have you all received whistles?”
“I still need one Professor Whistle,” Sthenopis said quietly, raising his hoof. “My father gave me the bits for it this morning.” He levitated them over to me.
“Thank you,” I said, looking down at my list, “Sthenopis right?” He nodded. “Go ahead and go pick out a whistle from the bookshelf then Sthenopis.” Sthenopis stood and trotted over to the bookshelf, looking through them. “Anyone else?” A few others nodded and levitated their bits to me, also trotting over to pick out a whistle.
When everypony was settled back down, I turned to the board. “Now that we all have our whistles, we can start class. Let’s start with introducing you to the parts of the whistle and names of each note.”
“Thanks for coming everypony, make sure to practice your scales and arpeggios for the next class! I have a real treat of a song to start teaching you next time,” I said as they all stood, levitating their saddlebags back onto their backs. Acronicta and Nemoria giggled as they left last, their gazes flicking back to me every few seconds as they whispered close together.
As they reached the door I stood up straighter. Queen Chrysalis stood by the door, greeting the two changeling fillies and waving a hoof at them as they walked down the hall.
“Looks like you are making out well,” she said stepping slowly inside the room and looking around. “And the room looks amazing! How did you get it cleaned up so fast?”
“Well… I had a little help. Star Bright helped me when she was done with her chores,” I said and twirled one hoof around a dent in the floor.
“Star Bright?” She asked and got a faraway look in her eyes for a moment then nodded. “Right, the unicorn mare who works in the kitchens. Well, that was nice of her. I’m glad you are making friends already. How did your first class go?”
“It went great! A few of my students seem like they are just here because their parents want them to, but most of them are excited and willing to learn.” I looked over at the chalkboard, now covered in notes and pictures of the hoofings used to play the penny whistle. It was good they all had magic, which made it much easier to play. “We started learning scales and arpeggios.”
Queen Chrysalis nodded. “Yes, we all want our little ones well rounded, whether they want to be or not,” she said and chuckled. “Do you have that list for me?”
“Oh! Yes right here,” I said, and grabbed up the rolled-up scroll, levitating it over to her. “We also need more chairs. Five students had to sit on the floor today, so maybe ten more chairs for now just in case more students want to join. I haven’t heard from any of your adult changelings yet though.”
“That can be arranged, and they’ll probably get to you later this evening. Been a busy morning already for many. There is to be a feast tonight to celebrate the birth of my daughter.”
“Congratulations, by the way. I’m sure she will grow into a beautiful young changeling mare. Have you picked a name for her?”
She nodded, “Citheronia, and thank you. I sure hope she does,” she said, an almost sad tone to her voice. She looked back up at me and smiled. “Would you be willing to play some music for the feast?”
I started, gasping up at her in shock. “Oh um sure I can do that. Nopony is going to try to feed on me afterward will they?”
She closed her eyes and chuckled. “No, as a teacher you are exempt from that, remember?”
“Just checking,” I said and laughed hesitatingly. “Anything else I can do for you, my Queen?”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise for a moment, but then shook her head. “No, that is all. I will send a changeling off to get these for you right away. You have a good day, Shiny Whistle, and I will see you tonight.”
“You have a good day as well,” I said and bowed to her. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.”
“Of course,” she said and turned around walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.
I took a deep breath and collapsed into one of the student’s chairs. What was I going to play for all her changelings? I had to make sure it was appropriate. How many were in her hive anyway? A few hundred, a few thousand? I hadn’t seen the inside of the dining room yet. Last night at dinner I had sat with Star and the other pony servants, in a small room just off the kitchens set aside for those ponies not being feeders.
I didn’t want to disappoint anypony, or well I guess anyling? Should I start saying that instead? I shook my head and blew a fringe of my mane out of my face when it fell in front of my eyes. “I think the first matter of business, will be to trim this,” I said and stood. I levitated over one of the books of changeling music and stuffed it in my saddlebag, along with my personal penny whistle. I would figure out a song a little later.
Levitating my saddlebag onto my back, I looked out the window at the castle grounds below. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining bright with only a few fluffy clouds in the sky. A few changelings ran around in the grass below, kicking a ball between them. Another sat atop one of the stone pillars of the wall surrounding the castle, a book levitated in front of them. Perhaps after a haircut, I would practice a song outside. I turned away and walked to the door of the classroom, and closed it behind me as I left.
Changeling Castle Grounds- Apatelodes
“There you are,” I growled. I had spent the last half hour trying to find Shiny Whistle, only to hear he had been outside the whole time. He looked up from his whistle playing, startled.
“Apatelodes! I’m sorry, the day was just so beautiful I figured I’d come out here to practice a few songs for tonight,” he said and stood up from his place against a tree, stretching.
“What do you mean for tonight?”
“Queen Chrysalis has asked me to play for the feast.”
“What?” He growled. Why would she want him playing at it?
He nodded. “I guess she likes my playing.” He placed his whistle in his bag and looked back at me. “So, time for that review then?”
I nodded, “follow me.” I led him back inside. “Did your first class go well?” I asked.
He nodded. “Had a lot of students, more of them than I had chairs for. I’m glad to see so many interested.”
“Well, we’ll just see how many stay that way,” I snorted. “What were you planning on playing for tonight?”
“Well I’m not sure yet, was thinking of "Beautiful Changeling" or "Love Me Pony", but then I haven’t had a chance to go through all this book of changeling songs yet. Unless you have another song to recommend?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never been much of one for music, I leave that mostly to you ponies. You’re the ones that burst out into song at the weirdest times. I mean who does that?”
He chuckled. “Yeah a lot of us are like that.”
“Well, I guess you are fine. For now,” I said and stared back at him. “I talked to a few of your students, and they do seem to have learned something. Just don’t give me a reason to revoke my decision.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, thank you Apatelodes.”
Changeling Castle Grounds- Queen Chrysalis
After visiting with Shiny Whistle, I hoofed off the list to Danaus, and transforming into a blue pegasus with a flowing white mane, he flew off towards Ponyville. He should easily be back in time for the feast that night, as long as he found everything on the list easily enough.
Tables and chairs levitated in the air as preparations began. The dining room was too small for the whole hive to sit in for the celebratory feast, and Chrys and I wanted everyling to be able to attend that was possible. Nemoria and Acronicta practiced their whistles over to the side of the area set aside for preparations and I smiled over at them. Just one day of practice and they were already sounding better, a lot less shrill notes.
Two unicorn ponies worked on a little wooden stage in the left corner. Shiny Whistle would not be the only performer tonight. Some changelings were to do a dance, an earth pony juggling, and even one unicorn pony who was to do magic tricks.
“This is going to be perfect! We haven’t had a celebration like this in years! I’m glad you suggested it.”
“Well of course, every kid deserves to have a special celebration once in a while. And the birth of a princess? A great reason to celebrate,” I said and grinned.
“Having a party and you didn’t invite me?”
“Discord!” Chrys and I said together, turning around to greet the draconequus.
“I’m sorry, in all the chaos it slipped my mind,” I said.
“Well no wonder I sensed something happening, if there is that much chaos,” Discord said and grinned, eyebrows wiggling. “A little bird told me it was for your daughter,” he said, snapping his fingers and making a robin appear, chirping, and then flying in a circle around his head before flying away.
“Well your little bird was right, she hatched last night.”
He smiled warmly at me and mussed a hand through my mane. “Well at least I am glad you are here for her,” he said then whispered, “Chrys.”
“At least in mind if not exactly body,” Chrys agreed, and I repeated to Discord her thoughts.
“True that,” he said. “So where is the little pupa?”
“Still in the nursery. She’s going to have a long night, so figured getting in a nap now would be best for her.”
He nodded at that thoughtfully, rubbing his goatee. “And you, my dear? How are you adjusting to being a quadruped, magic, flying?”
“Not too bad for it having been only a few days. At least I haven’t tripped in front of anyling yet.”
“No, but it does seem you have the lingo down,” he chuckled.
A wave of magic pulsed behind us, and I turned around to see a unicorn stallion lighting lanterns hanging above us. Upon meeting my gaze he jumped. “I… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to disturb you,” he mumbled and backed up.
Is everypony scared of us that much? I wondered and shook my head at him. “No need to apologize, you’re just doing your job.” I grinned at him and then turned back to Discord.
“Sorry about that dearie, I do admit I have had my bad years, and they all remember that too well. But it is almost time for the feast. The sun well set soon, and then shall the fun begin! Let’s take Discord and go down to get Citheronia.”
I nodded and turned to Discord. “Almost time to begin. Care to come with me to the nursery and bring up my daughter?”
“Certainly!” he said and magicked himself into an expensive-looking black suitcoat, a teal-colored rose in his buttonhole. “Let us go.”
“Show off,” Chrys muttered and I smiled. We stepped inside and walked toward the nursery.
Attacus nodded to me and bowed as we came to the door. “My Queen, Lord Discord. Come to collect the young princess?”
I nodded, and he stepped aside, opening the door for us. “My has it been a LONG time since I was last in here,” Discord said, looking around. “Over one hundred years I believe?”
Phengaris trotted up to us, meeting at Citheronia’s incubator. “Citheronia is doing well my Queen,” she said. Discord and I looked down at Citheronia. She must have felt her mother was near, as even though she was sleeping she stirred and opened her eyes, looking up at us. She let out a chirpy giggle and smiled.
“Thank you, Phengaris,” I said and levitated Citheronia up into my hooves. Discord looked down at her and a sly grin filled his face. “And what is that sly grin for?” I asked.
“This little one will be quite a hoofful for you when she gets older,” he chuckled.
“Oh, so you can tell the future now?”
“Perhaps,” he said and tickled Citheronia under her chin. She wiggled in my hooves, trying to get away from his clawed paw, but with a smile on her face.
“I guess we shall see what happens then,” I said and shifting her to a more comfortable position so I could hold her in one hoof, took a deep breath, and headed for the door slowly. I chose my steps carefully. Tripping on my own was one thing, but tripping with little Citheronia in my hooves was out of the question.
“Indeed we shall,” Discord said and followed me back to the door.
The halls were nearly empty as we came back to the main floor, a changeling running back and forth here and there finishing up some last-minute task before the feast. I felt a tug on my mane and looked down to see Citheronia had grabbed a strand of it and placed it in her mouth. A grin came to my face and I kissed her on her forehead.
Apatelodes stepped inside from a door to the outside and bowed to me. “Everything is ready, my Queen,” he said and seeing Discord nodded to him. “Good to see you Discord.”
“Then let us head on out,” I said.
“Always good to see you Apatelodes. This will be quite the party,” Discord said, needling his fingers together.
I narrowed my eyes at him, a slight grin on my face. “You know you are sounding like that Pinkie Pie right?”
“Me?” he said, paw and claw to his chest in mock surprise. “Is there a problem with liking parties?”
“No,” I said, and turned to the door, following Apatelodes. Discord snickered and followed us.
I leaned back in my chair, stomach distended, licking my lips. The feast so far had been a success. Everyling was laughing and joking, the young ones running around, chasing each other. The entertainment was about to begin. Discord sat to my right, Apatelodes next to him, a frown on his face. Our table was situated in front of the stage.
The first act was to be three changelings doing a dance. While I waited for them to be ready I ran a hoof through my daughter's little frill. The excitement had tired her out, and she was resting peacefully in my hooves. She stirred, and turned on her side, smacking her lips and licking them. I had given her more love earlier, and her little stomach was as distended with it as my own. Under the light of the lamps, her carapace almost looked a midnight blue.
“She might end up having traces of blue after she has molted a few times.” Chrys said. “It does happen sometimes.” We looked up as the changelings around us clapped, seeing the others step on stage. Two other changelings levitated a piano beside the stage, and one a chair. Hitting his hooves together, the one who had brought the chair sat down and began to play.
Slow music played as he tapped the keys, and the three dancers pirouetted around the stage, forehooves spread wide, bending down into a plie and jumping into the air, twirling once and landing back in a plie. I continued to watch, eyes half-closed, absentmindedly rubbing Citheronia’s belly. She yawned and wiggled deeper into her blanket.
When the performance was done, I clapped along with everyling else as the changelings bowed and left the stage, helping the others take the piano back inside. A little green unicorn mare, her mane yellow with a cutie mark with three gold stars and a seven of clubs between them stepped onto the stage to take her turn. A midnight blue magician’s hat with a gold satin ribbon tied around the brim sat upon her head, and to her side was a small table, a midnight blue blanket over the top of it. A stack of cards, three silver rings, and a fat white rabbit in a wire cage was placed on top of it.
She smiled nervously at us all, then took a deep breath and began. Levitating up the three rings, she showed us they were all connected, then with a sweep of her hooves, the middle ring fell to the ground, the others one in each hoof. I clapped along with the rest as she bowed, putting the rings back on the table and grabbing the deck of cards. “Now,” she said, and looked at me. “My queen, would you be willing to help with this next trick?” I grinned and nodded, stood up, and gently placed the sleeping Citheronia in Discord’s paws
“Be careful with her,” I said, giving him a stern look, and walked up to the stage. Discord just grinned and nodded, hugging her close. I looked back to the green unicorn. “What can I do for you?”
She held out the deck of cards and spread them out. “Pick a card, any card, and show it to the audience, but don’t let me see it!” I pulled out a card, the queen of spades, and held it out to show the audience. I grinned seeing Apatelodes looking away.
“Ah that stubborn changeling,” Chrys said, and snickered.
“Okay, now put it back in the deck,” the green unicorn said, and I did so, making sure she still couldn’t see it. Pulling the cards back she pulled them back into a pile. “Now,” she said and tapped the deck twice. “Is this your card?” She pulled from the top of the pile the Queen of Spades.
“Yes, indeed it is,” I said, and she grinned, the changelings clapping around us. She bowed and I returned to my seat.
“Now, I believe our guest Discord will enjoy this next trick the most,” she said and levitated the rabbit out of his cage. Discord handed Citheronia back to me and rubbed his paw and claw together in anticipation. The green unicorn shot a bolt of magic at the rabbit, one eye closed, and the rabbit started croaking like a toad, his chest rising and falling in a big bubble with each croak. She shot another bolt of magic at it, and its legs grew long and stick thin, rubbery skin replacing the fur. The rabbit croaked in shock and began to run in circles around the stage, before tripping over its new feet.
Discord howled with laughter, tears trickling from his eyes as he grinned mischievously at the unicorn. “Now this mare is hilarious!” He said, still laughing, and I had to hush him so he wouldn’t wake my daughter. The unicorn zapped the rabbit once more, and it returned to its natural form. She put it back into its cage and bowed to us. She levitated her things off the stage as she left for the next entertainer.
I grinned upon seeing Shiny Whistle nervously step onto the stage, he gulped and his eyes went wide upon seeing the large audience. He had a new hairdo, his bangs now stopping just above his eyes, the rest running down his back and withers with a slight curl. Some changelings cheered for him a few tables down from mine, and I turned to see Nemoria and Acronicta, their own whistles waving in the air. They wiggled in their seats as they cheered again.
“Well he has certainly won over the little changeling fillies,” Chrys said. I nodded and watched as he turned to look at them and relaxed. He looked over at me and smiled, then lifted his penny whistle to his mouth and began to play. “Oh, I know this song, it is one of ours. He must have looked through a changeling songbook.” Chrys began to hum along in my head, and I smiled. She then began to sing along.
“Beautiful changeling, gaze up at me,
Love juice and ponies are there to feed thee.
Noise of the princesses heard by the bay,
Stopped by your dear queen have all gone away.
Beautiful changeling, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody.
Fled have the woes of life’s ev’ry wrong,
Beautiful changeling, do gaze up at me.
Beautiful changeling, do gaze up at me!
Beautiful changeling, out on a hunt,
Ponies will never catch onto our front.
By Canterlot deception is borne,
Naught to diminish feeding with horn.
Beautiful changeling, keep up the part,
Then the love we’re craving all will be free.
Those ponies world will all tear apart,
Beautiful changeling, do gaze up at me,
Beautiful changeling, do gaze up at me!”
As Shiny Whistle lifted his head after playing, cheers and hoof clapping came from near every changeling. Nemoria and Acronicta did loop de loops above their chairs, and Discord stood, applauding. Citheronia stirred in my hooves and turned her head to look over at the stage, her big bright eyes glistening as she watched Shiny Whistle, and she gave a toothy grin at him.
Shiny Whistle blushed and put his whistle in his bag, taking a bow. He stepped off the stage and a dark blue earth pony stepped up, bowling pins stuffed in his saddle bag. He took them out of his bag and standing up on his back hooves, began to juggle them. But my attention wasn’t on him. I couldn’t get Shiny Whistle’s song out of my head. He could have played any old song, but he went through the trouble of learning one of ours.
“And for having such little time to learn it, he sure did well,” Chrys said. “What are we going to do with our new music teacher?”
“Not kill him, I would hope?” I said quietly, and Chrys chuckled. I shook my head, turning back to the juggling pony and trying to pay attention to him. We couldn’t possibly think about it, no. We might be able to feel affection, but love? No, he just played enchanting music that was all. Our heart was black and cold, if anything we were just lusting after him.
“Yes, it is just like it was with Shining Armor. It is only the idea of conquering him that stirs in us,” Chrys said in agreement. I looked down at Citheronia, who had snuggled back down in her blanket when Shiny Whistle had left. Discord chuckled beside me and I looked up, the earth pony had dropped one of the bowling pins on his head and was rubbing the spot it had hit.
“This has been quite entertaining Chrys, but I must get back. Fluttershy and I have a tea party planned for tomorrow morning, and I really must get some rest for that,” Discord said and stood.
“I still can’t believe you are friends with her, how can you be friends with both of us?” Wow, Chrys was rubbing off on me, I was starting to be annoyed by even Fluttershy!
“That just makes life more chaotic, the way I like it,” he said and chuckled. “She really is a sweet pony. If you weren’t so keen on draining their love, you might get to like them.”
I snorted. “Only way that would happen is if I was to reform, and sorry Discord, but I don’t plan on doing so. Being good is boring.”
“Ah, only a few days and you are getting so much closer to your ‘old’ self,” he chuckled. “Don’t forget to invite me if something… chaotic happens.”
“I won’t forget next time,” I promised him, and with a wink and a pop, he was gone.
Apatelodes sighed and stood. “My Queen, it grows late. Shall we head back to the nursery and get your little Citheronia to bed?”
“Yes, it is starting to get cold out here anyway, wouldn’t want her to catch a chill.” As the other changelings finished the last of their meals, laughing and joking with each other, Apatelodes and I turned toward the castle and headed inside.