//------------------------------//
// The Journey Begins 
// Story: Long Live the Queen 
// by QueenChrysalisForever 
//------------------------------//

Two weeks later…
Changeling Castle-Music Room-Shiny Whistle
“Great job today everyling, keep practicing and I’ll see you Monday!” I grinned at my growing class. In the last two weeks, I had gained another eight students in the regular class, and three adults who came once a week when they had the time. Nemoria and Acronicta were still the only females. But through it all, there was a foreboding feeling in the castle. I especially sensed it around Queen Chrysalis and Apatelodes. The empty rooms around my own were filling up with changelings as they returned to the castle. 
I straightened a pile of sheet music on my desk, and replaced the extra quills in a cup next to them, and wondered. Why were all the changelings returning? Had something gone wrong out in Equestria? Whatever happened, neither Queen Chrysalis nor Apatelodes were speaking. Picking up my pennywhistle, I walked out the door of the music room and closed it behind me. I’d be eating lunch alone today, Star Bright taking her turn as a feeder today. As I came down the stairs to the door leading into the dining room, Queen Chrysalis stepped down from the right-wing stairs. 
“Ah Shiny, there you are. How was class today?” 
“It went excellent, everyone is improving and doing their best. A few might be ready for a small performance even soon.”
“Excellent, excellent,” she said, looking over my shoulder. I turned, seeing nothing there. What in the hay was up with her? She had seemed distracted ever since the morning after the feast. Almost scared even. I longed to ask her, but if she hadn’t told anypony or changeling else yet, what were the chances she would tell me?
“Are you okay?” I asked, stepping closer to her. 
“Once every changeling is home I will be,” she said. “Once he is home.”
“He?”
“Oh, Leptostales, the father of my daughter. He is one of my dearest friends, and it has been months since I last saw or even heard from him. I hope he is okay.” 
Was that what had been bothering her? His disappearance? At least he was just a friend, but no, I shouldn’t be thinking that. But, it was hard not to. I had to admit, I had grown to care for the changeling queen. Sure she had her odd times, seeming to stare into space and talk to herself, but something just drew me to her. 
“Well, I’ll let you get to eating, I’m sure you’re hungry, with a second mouth to feed.” 
She chuckled. “Yes, but I wouldn’t give her up for the world. She will have her first molting soon, they grow up so fast.” She turned toward the dining room and nodded to me. “Enjoy your lunch Shiny,” and put one hoof to the door to push it open.
“My Queen!” We both turned as Apatelodes came running toward us. “We’ve found him!”
Queen Chrysalis’s mood brightened at his words, her ears perked up and wings raised. “Where was he?”
“Is he, actually my Queen,” Apatelodes said and looked down. “He is in the Canterlot dungeons. One of our informants said he was captured about a month ago.”
“What?” Chrysalis growled. “And noling has tried to rescue him?”
“He is well guarded, noling has even been able to get close.”
“I might be able to help,” I said, and they both turned to look at me. I blushed and lowered my ears. “It’s just… maybe Princess Celestia will listen to a pony who wants him released? I did meet her once, maybe she’ll listen to me?”
Apatelodes snorted. “This isn’t some ploy to try to escape is it?”
“No! I enjoy it here,” I said, and grinned at Queen Chrysalis. “My classes are going so well, and I never had such a big group of ponies interested as I do your changelings. No, I just want to be of help.”
Queen Chrysalis nodded, “Then let’s do it. If I must I will fight Celestia to get him back, but if you can convince her to let him go, that will be all the better.”
“Wait, you can’t take such a long trip, my Queen, what about Citheronia? And… the rest?” Apatelodes looked at me. Yes, they were hiding something.
“You will do well in my place while I am gone Apatelodes. You know the turmoil that has been happening, and I trust you to watch over Citheronia.”
“What? You’re leaving me here too? My Queen, I… this is unwise, pardon me saying, but you’re going all the way to Canterlot with just him?” he said, and pointed a hoof at me.
“We can travel faster that way.”
“But he’s a unicorn, he can’t fly! The closest train station isn’t until Dodge Junction, you’d have to walk.”
I glared at him. “Come on Apatelodes, don’t you trust me yet?”
“No!” he growled. “I’m the Queen’s guard, I’m the one who needs to be there to protect her.”
“I’ll be fine Apatelodes, but Citheronia needs someling strong and cunning to protect her. Please do that for me?” She puckered her lips into a frown, giving what I can only call a ‘puppy dog face’ at him. 
He groaned, rubbing his head. “Very well my Queen. But you better return!”
Queen Chrysalis chuckled and rubbed a hoof through his frill. “I will always return,” she said and turned to me. “I must join my changelings for lunch first, but shortly after be ready to leave. Get something for yourself to eat, then pack your saddlebags.”
I nodded. “I shall do so, my Queen. See you soon!” I watched as she and Apatelodes walked into the dining room, and the door closed behind them. I turned to face the ponies’ dining room. There wouldn’t be time to say goodbye to Star Bright, but I would return. 



Dining Room- Apatelodes 
Why did I agree to such a foalish plan? I couldn’t lead the other changelings, even if it was just for a short while. How could I keep them all from panicking, with their queen missing from the hive? With the threat from that pony hanging over our shoulders, when they could return any time… what if they returned when she was gone? I sighed, unable to concentrate at even feeding off the pony in front of me. At least the pony seemed happy about that as she stared at me.
“Feed, Apatelodes. You’ll need the strength,” Queen Chrysalis said, and put a hoof to my shoulder. 
“My Queen, I… I can’t do this. Please reconsider, the hive needs you here.”
“I can’t do that Apatelodes. If it was any other changeling maybe, but Leptostales… he’s different,” she sighed and nibbled on some cantaloupe. 
“A queen’s not supposed to have favorites,” I said quietly and she turned and glared at me. “I’m… just trying to protect you. What would we do without you?” Oh great, now she had me getting sentimental. 
“I appreciate that Apatelodes, I really do,” she said softly.
“Then please, tell me why you must be the one to go, and not someling else? Give me one good reason and I will shut up about it,” I said, and put one hoof to her own. 
She sighed, then drew closer, whispering in my ear. “Because Chrys feels guilty about it. He’s always been so good at what he does, that she hasn’t realized he is getting older and is not his youthful self anymore. The princesses might not be the type to kill, but being trapped in the dungeons for too long will just as well kill him from starvation of love.”
“That might be so, but you’re not so young yourself anymore, excuse me saying. You’re… renewal returned some of your youth and healed old wounds, but without the power of Shining Armor’s love, can you best Princess Celestia? With none of us there to help?” 
“I don’t know Apatelodes. But I have to try,” I said, then whispered, “for Chrys’s sake.” 
“Have you ever practiced your transformations? You can’t go walking into Canterlot looking like yourself.”
She nodded. “A little bit, I have been pretty distracted these last few weeks. But I’m sure I can pass well enough, as long as I don’t pick some pony who everyone knows this time.”
I sighed, ears going down halfway, and looked over at her. “I’m not going to convince you otherwise am I?”
“Nope, I’m going.”
“Then be careful. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Don’t reveal your true self unless necessary. And lastly,” I said, “return to us. Even if it means you must leave him behind. We can’t survive without you.”
She ruffled my frill with a hoof and smiled. “I will return. I’ve only been ruling for a few weeks, after all, I don’t plan on being the Queen who doesn’t even last a month.” She looked back to her feeder pony for today, that friend of Shiny Whistle, Star Bright. “Now, let’s feed. We’ll both need the energy.” I nodded and watched as she placed her horn against the pony’s neck. 
I turned back to my feeder pony, a bright pink earth pony mare. I did need my strength. I wouldn’t fail my Queen. If she needed me to protect the hive, then I would. 



Changeling Castle Grounds- Queen Chrysalis
Shiny Whistle and I stood by the iron gates. Apatelodes watching us from the doorway of the castle. His ears drooping and frill in disarray, I almost felt guilty leaving him. 
“He’ll be fine. There’s no other changeling I would trust to be left in charge. Leptostales needs us now. I can’t let him die.”
I grinned. “And I thought you said you couldn’t love,” I whispered.
“I can’t.” she sighed. “Not in the way you are thinking of at least.”
“Ready to go?” Shiny Whistle asked. On his back, he carried saddlebags stuffed full of travel rations, his penny whistle strapped to the side in a little satchel. He grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“We should transform first, better to transform now than later. Who knows how soon we might come across somepony?”
“Yes… that is what we need to do. Shiny, do you have any siblings?”
“What?” he asked, startled by the question. “Oh yes, I have a younger sister, Dew Song, and an older brother, Velvet Beat,” he said and pulled a scroll out of his bag. Unrolling it, he levitated it over to me. It was a picture of the three siblings. Shiny stood in the middle, a huge smile on his face as he gazed down at the unicorn filly on his left. She was bright pink, mane, and tail the color of seafoam, with a streak of coral running through it. Her cutie mark a large dewdrop, a treble clef inside it.
The pegasus stallion to his right, a royal purple with a royal blue mane, a streak of gold tipping the edges of his spiky short mane. His cutie mark was a small red drum, two drumsticks poised to hit above it. “You have a lovely family,” I said simply and handed the picture back to him. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, concentrating. Green fire surrounded me, tickling against my skin as I changed. When the fire had dissipated, I opened my eyes and looked up. Shiny was now a little taller than me. I gazed down into a puddle from a rainstorm the previous day and grinned.
“WHY, why the pink one? Couldn’t you have just changed into his brother?” Chrys groaned. “I hate pink…” 
I chuckled and turned back to Shiny Whistle. “How do I look?”  
He just stared at me, eyes wide and mouth open. “You… you look just like her,” he said. 
“Good! Then let’s get going!” I said and laughed. We might be heading into who knows what kind of trouble, but the idea of finally seeing the rest of Equestria left me giddy. Or was it part of the transformation? Was his sister giddy like this?
“Okay,” he said, still not able to keep his eyes off me. “But this will be… weird. Will take some getting used to,” he grinned, shook his head, and walked forward. 
Chuckling I followed, walking next to him. I had to take two steps for every one of his, and my back felt… weird where my wings would be. It would suck not flying, but I wasn’t ready for a gender-changing transformation. All those extra bits just… yeah I wasn’t wanting that.
“You’ll get used to it dearie. After all, the easiest way for us to get love is sexual. Be that male or female well we take what we can get.”
I nodded and continued down the road. The nearest town on our path, Little Pony, was about half a day’s walk away, and I was hoping we’d be able to reach it by nightfall. 
“So, um… what is the plan for when we get there?” Shiny asked.
“Well if all goes well, you will get Princess Celestia to release him to us. If not, I’ll have to fight her.”
“Then you’re going to need a lot of… love right?”
I nod. “Yes. The only reason I beat her last time was because of the power of Shining Armor’s love. If I am to beat her again, I will need at least half if not more of what I gained from him.” 
“You won’t need to kill anypony for it, will you?”
“No, I rarely kill actually,” I said.
“Well… then I guess along the way I can… help you find somepony to feed on? Or well,” he blushed. “Even offer up myself, if that would help.”
“If I was to feed off you when we stopped, then we could do that. But I won’t force you.”
He smiled. “Well, that is good to know.”  He turned back to the path, looking ahead. A rabbit rushed by, stopping to look at us for a moment before continuing. I bit my lip, unsure what to say. Looking down at my hooves, I grinned. 
I lifted my head back up to look at him. “So, what is your sister like? Need to know so I can… impersonate her well.”
He snorted and grinned. “She’s a lot like you actually. Headstrong, stubborn, really cares for and loves her family. She also loves to sing. Has a beautiful, clear, soprano voice. An early riser, she will go out and sing amongst the garden while it is still covered in dew,” he looked down at the ground. “I really miss her,” he said and sighed. “She probably thinks I’m dead. I didn’t tell anypony where I was going, knowing they would stop me.”
“Don’t trust me do they?” I grinned, and he chuckled.
“No, nor any changeling. My family and I were all there for the wedding. None of us actually got hurt by anyling, but it sure stuck in all of our heads.”
“And yet you still thought of me as good?”
“Well, you’re certainly not perfect,” he chuckled, “but I knew your heart was in the right place.” He adjusted his saddlebags on his back, then turned back to me. “These past few weeks, getting to know you and your changelings, has been an adventure all in itself. I thought all my research before I came had been thorough, but then I learned that so much of it was wrong.”
He had researched us? Probably all written by ponies, anything written by changelings would have been hard to find in Equestria. “Well maybe you should write the book that tells the truth about us,” I said and grinned.
	“That would be interesting, especially seeing how many ponies might actually believe it.”
“Oh, but I’m not a writer,” he said. “I could try though. It would be nice if others saw you in a better light. Or,” he grinned, “do you like them seeing you as tough and scary?”
I laughed, “well being seen as scary has been fun. Keeps anypony that means us to harm away too.”
	“For the most part at least. Nothing has happened yet, but that unicorn who came to call the other night is certainly not scared of us.”
Yes, and them mentioning the Umbrum wasn’t good. I just hoped whatever they had planned, I could get all my changelings home before it happened.
“Well maybe I’ll keep you seeming dark and mysterious in the book then?” he said and laughed. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation, right?”
“No, that we wouldn’t,” I said. We came to a clearing and I looked up at the sky. There was not a cloud anywhere I could see, and the sun shone down hot and comforting on me. We were now at the beginning of summer, and I, as well as Chrys, was glad. Spring was just too unpredictable around here. One day we would get rain, and then the next snow, and not having fur, the cold really didn’t work well for us. 
“So if I was to write this book, would you be willing to tell me more? So I can make it accurate,” he said, also looking up at the sky.
“Hmm… some things perhaps, but there are some things we shouldn’t tell him. After all, the ponies keep secrets that even we don’t know with all of our careful observation of them I am sure,” Chrys said and I nodded in agreement.
“I would tell you what I could, but some things must be kept a mystery.”
“That is understandable. Maybe that is something we can work on during this long walk then, keep us occupied,” he said and grinned.
“We’ll see,” I said and stepped forward. “Let’s keep going, a long way to go if we are to make it to Little Pony before nightfall.” He nodded and trotted along, I next to him.



Changeling Castle-Main Floor-Apatelodes
“Where is the Queen?”
“Is everything okay?”
“Why are you not with her?”
“Calm down everyling, I have things under control,” I said, rubbing my forehead. All their questions were giving me a headache. “She… had some business to take care of, she’ll be back. I’m here because she left me in charge, and everything will be fine.”
“But-“
“Enough questions for now!” I yelled, and the changeling who had been about to speak glared at me. “Just go about your regular duties, and for those who have just returned today, come with me and I’ll find you an empty room. We might have to double up, but you’ll all have a place to sleep.”
“Apatelodes,” I looked down to see Nemoria and Acronicta standing at the front of the crowd.
I sighed. “Yes, what is it?”
“Do you know what happened to Professor Whistle?” Nemoria asked. “I haven’t seen him since class this morning.”
“The Queen brought him with her for her business. Music classes will be canceled until they return, but I still expect you to use that extra time wisely and practice.” I said and watched their crestfallen faces as they nodded and walked back into the crowd. The others looked at me expectantly, “as for the rest of you, a few of you are still assigned to look for more of our brethren correct?” A few of them nodded. “Good, then do that.” They nodded and headed toward the front doors. This was going to be harder than I thought, but I would make my Queen proud. 
Ten changelings had arrived home today, all from around Dodge Junction. I led them up the stairs to the third floor. Most of the rooms had been filled already, but there were a few near the stairs that had no occupants. I picked out four of the ten and sent them into the rooms, and continued. Passing by the room we had given Shiny Whistle, I wondered if I should give his room away for now. He wouldn’t be back for a week at least, and we could situate him elsewhere if needed, even if it meant having him sleep in his classroom.
I turned away and shook my head. No, he could keep his room for now. I had other places I could put these last few changelings. Upstairs a few rooms still stood vacant. I would put them there. How many were still out there, besides the Queen? Would we have rooms for all? Or food even? In the last two weeks, we had already gained an extra one hundred changelings, and if all the others were still alive we might have another fifty or so still out there or more? I had no idea, Queen Chrysalis was the one with the near-perfect memory after all, not me. “Oh, please return soon,” I sighed as I left the last changelings in their new rooms. “I’m not you, I can’t control emotions for long.”



On the Road-Shiny Whistle
It was so weird seeing Queen Chrysalis disguised as my sister. Her transformation was so convincing it was almost scary. I looked up at the sky between the branches of the trees, it was already growing dark in the shade of the trees, the sky a painting of oranges and pinks. We had made good progress though, stopping only once to eat a few apples each, then continued. Little Pony was probably about an hour away; we would get there easily just before or just after dark. 
Things had been silent between us for around the last hour, Queen Chrysalis seemingly lost in thought, or at least that was how she looked. Her eyes were unfocused on the road ahead, and she mumbled to herself softly, too low for me to hear any actual words. I was surprised she managed to keep walking in that state, but then I had not yet spent more than a few minutes with her at a time since living in her castle, so maybe this was how she usually was? Maybe the rumors about her being crazy were at least partially true, though she held up well around her changelings. 
“Everything okay?” I asked and she started, looking over at me, eyes now back to normal.
“Of course, sorry I’ve been… out of it. Just thinking and planning ahead.  Even under disguise, with the way most ponies feel about changelings this is a dangerous mission,” she said, “and I’m just worried we will get there too late.”
“Well,” I said smiling warmly at her, “if we are there is not much we can do about it, so why not think positive on how we will make it, and rescue him?”
She chuckled at me. “Always so optimistic aren’t you? Nothing ever seems to get you down.” She sighed and put a hoof to my shoulder. “Thank you, with all that’s been going on, I could sure use some optimism.”
“What has been going on?” The question had been bugging me for days, but with Apatelodes around her, all the time I hadn’t dared ask it. He hadn’t looked like he would take such a question well.
She looked away for a moment, eyes unfocused again, rubbing a hoof against her chin. Then nodded, turning back to me. “I can’t tell you much, I don’t want to scare you, but… there’s been a threat on our home. That’s why I am gathering everyling home. We’ll be safer together, and more of a threatening force against anything that tries to harm us.”
“Have you told Princess Celestia about the threat? She might be able to help against it.”
“I think it is pretty obvious she doesn’t trust anyling,” she said and frowned. “What reason would she have to help us? She might even be the one who sent the threat,” she growled.
“A threat like that wouldn’t be in her character. No matter how much she might not care for changelings, I don’t believe she would try to kill you all. We are on our way there, and telling her about the threat might even be the best hope of saving your friend, Leptostales was his name, right?”
She nodded, “maybe you’re right,” she sighed, “besides gathering everyling home, I am at a loss of what to do. This threat is stronger than anything we have seen in over a thousand years.”
“Well whatever you do, I’ll help. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.” I put an arm around her and hugged her close, then realized what I was doing and blushing pulled away. “Sorry, I… well...” I stammered. 
She chuckled and grinned at me. “It’s okay, you see me as your sister, and you love her, hugging her comes naturally to you so…”
I nodded. She was partially right, it had felt like I was comforting my sister, but it was more than that. I was finally seeing the vulnerable side of the queen, and it just hurt my heart seeing her upset. But I couldn’t tell her that, she’d laugh at me. 
Ahead of us, the forest began to thin out, the last rays of the sun shining down on us. The last few scraggly trees ended at the top of a hill, and down below nestled in a little bowl of a valley, was Little Pony. A small town, maybe half the size of Ponyville, Little Pony was home to mostly ponies but a few Zebras lived in homes on the outskirts. A few ponies still walked the roads of the town, but most had already retired to their homes, lanterns hanging outside, fireflies fluttering inside, gave the darkening streets a bright glow. 
“I believe there is an inn.... over there,” Queen Chrysalis said, pointing a hoof to the right as we walked down the hill. A zebra mare stopped in her hoofsteps as we passed by, big dark blue eyes watching us silently. I turned back around when I heard her golden earrings click-clacking as she galloped off, heading for the outskirts of town. “Hmm odd,” Queen Chrysalis said, noticing her as well it seemed. “Let’s hurry to that inn.”
Turning a corner the inn, The Timberwolf Fang, stood near the end of the street, four bright lanterns of fireflies tied to the roof, two to either side of the front door. I pushed open the door and stepped to the side to let Queen Chrysalis enter first. 
“Thank you Shiny,” she said and giggled, trotting inside. I turned my head to the side and raised one eyebrow. What was she doing? “Stop staring at me like that,” she whispered into my ear. “You’re going to make ponies suspicious. And don’t forget to call me by your sister’s name, Dew Song right?” 
I nodded. “Oh right, I’m sorry, Dew.” It was a little awkward calling her that, but she was right. We didn’t want anypony suspicious. We walked over to the counter, where a dark grey unicorn pony stallion, a bowl of steaming soup for a cutie mark, stood wiping down a glass jug. 
He nodded to us and sat the jug down. “What can I do for ya? A room? A good meal?”
“Both please, and a room with two beds if you have it. Want to keep a close eye on my little sister,” I said, putting an arm around Queen Chrysalis.
The stallion nodded and turned around. “Honey, we got two more!” he yelled and then turned back to us. “I do have a room like that, cost fifty bits a night.”
“Fifty bits!? That’s outrageous!” Queen Chrysalis growled.
“Dew, calm down, it’s okay,” I said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “What has mother said about being kind to ponies that serve you?”
Her ears went down and she bared her teeth, “but that is plain robbery!” she hissed. I stared down at her, folding my forehooves together. “Fine,” she said and rolled her eyes, turning back to the innkeeper pony. “I’m sorry sir, I’m sure you have a good reason for having such high prices.”
“Indeed I do! The changeling kingdom is less than a day’s walk away, and to protect my customers I have guards that traverse my property each night. The extra cost is for paying them to protect you. Would you rather become a snack for one of those monsters?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, not saying anything.
“Do you have any other rooms?” I asked, trying to get his attention away from her. 
“Yes, but it only has a single bed, thirty bits a night,” he said, turning back to me, but his eyes still glanced back Queen Chrysalis’s way. 
“We’ll take it,” Queen Chrysalis said and tossed the bits on the counter. “How much for the dinner?”
“Five bits each,” he said and sighing she levitated the bits onto the counter. “Thank you, my wife will have that out to you shortly. Please, have a seat while you wait.” He gestured behind them. 
Five tables were placed in the small room, circled around a fireplace, dark and unlit at this time of year. Three of the tables already seated other ponies, one with two muscular buckskin colored earth pony stallions, brown five-gallon hats on their heads, one with a black whip cutie mark, the other a dark purple handled sickle. They looked our way, and Queen Chrysalis stiffened beside me. I nudged her toward an empty table on the other side of the room, farthest away from the two stallions. 
She followed me over and sat down in the chair facing them. I sat down beside her, not wanting to show my back to them. “What was with that?” I asked, speaking softly. “Now they are suspicious.” 
“Sorry, it’s been a while since I did this,” she said and looked down at the table. “I’ve hardly left the castle these last two years since… well you know.”
“Out of practice then huh?” I said and chuckled. She nodded and looked up as a pale brown pegasus mare, cutie mark a wooden spoon, came toward us with a large platter, two steaming bowls, and a loaf of bread upon it. Placing them down in front of us, I grinned at seeing a hearty vegetable soup. The mare left us with a smile, carrying the tray back into the back.
“Ugh, I hate green beans,” Queen Chrysalis said, levitating one out of her bowl. 
“Stop being so picky, they are good for you sis,” I said and winked at her. “It’s a good meal.” I levitated the loaf of bread over and tore it in half. Steam poured out, little bits of crust falling to the table. “See, even the bread is nice and fresh,” I passed one half to her and dipped my own in my bowl, then took a bite, closing my eyes as I enjoyed its rich texture and taste. 
She sighed and levitating her spoon, lifted a spoonful of the soup to her lips. Her eyes widened, and she dipped the spoon in the soup again, licking her lips and grinning. “This is really good!”
“See, I told you,” I said and chuckled when she lifted the bowl and drank the soup down, panting then and waving a hoof in front of her mouth. “Don’t eat it so fast, it’s still hot.” She glared over at me, but a smile was on her face.
“You two are new to town,” I looked up to see the two earth pony stallions had stood and walked over to our table. “Did I hear right in that you are siblings?” The one with a black whip cutie mark asked.
“Yes sir,” Queen Chrysalis said, and beamed at him, tongue still hanging out from being scorched by the soup. “We’re on a trip around Equestria, right Shiny?”
“Right!” I said and grinned. So, that was to be our story. 
“Oh really, and where are you coming from? These parts are pretty dangerous, wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Dodge Junction. We heard there were some beautiful places to see around here, so before we head back to Canterlot we wanted to check it out," Queen Chrysalis said, and the stallion raised an eyebrow at her. 
“Well then, be careful. Those monstrous changelings haunt these parts. Wouldn’t want you two to be caught by them,” he said. I looked to Queen Chrysalis, to see her close her eyes, struggling to control her temper. 
“Right, we will sir..?”
“Buck Shot,” he said.
“Right, we’ll be careful. Now, if you’ll excuse us I should get my sister up to bed. It’s been a long day and she can get quite grumpy when she is tired.”
“Very well, if you need anything we’ll be around the inn grounds. We won’t let them monsters at you!” 
“Thank you,” I said and stood, practically dragging Queen Chrysalis back to the desk to get our room key. The two stallions sat back down, eyes still on us. I put an arm around Queen Chrysalis, who was breathing hard, forcing herself to look away from the two. “Can I get our key?” I asked the innkeeper stallion, and looking back up from cleaning another jug he nodded. He reached under the counter and tossed it my way. 
I grabbed it with my magic and turned toward the stairs. Queen Chrysalis grabbed her half of the loaf of bread from the table as we passed and followed me up the stairs.



Little Pony-The Timberwolf Fang Inn-Queen Chrysalis
“The nerve of those ponies! Calling us monsters,” I hissed once we were in the room, stamping my hoof on the floor. “They want a monster? Well then maybe I should give them one!”
“How would that help with our quest? If you reveal yourself, that will just bring the Princesses this way, our quest will be over before it’s really begun.” Shiny Whistle put a comforting hoof to my shoulder, but I shook it off. I didn’t want to be comforted. 
He was right, but that didn’t make me feel any better about it. It had been hard controlling the anger down there. Chrys was furious, and her anger had transferred to me. I took a chuck out of the loaf of bread and chewed it, sitting down on the bed, ears flicking back and forth in irritation. The soup and bread would do for now, but wouldn’t cover what I really needed. I didn’t want to feed on Shiny, not tonight at least. A little taste of that innkeeper maybe, or even one of the other travelers staying here tonight. That would be much more satisfying. 
“Don’t even think about it,” Shiny said. I chuckled, he was starting to catch on. He sat down in front of me on the floor, and turned his head to the side, shaking it to make his mane fall to the other side, leaving his neck bare. “This is how you feed, right? From the neck? Please, leave the other ponies alone, and just feed on me.” 
I raised an eyebrow and took another bite of the bread. “We need you strong,” I said and shook my head. “I don’t like this stupid town. I want to leave it as early as we can tomorrow. If I was to feed off you, we wouldn’t be able to leave until mid-morning at least.”
He sighed and put a hoof to his head. “Will you be fine for a while then?”
“Yes, we have been eating well enough lately that we can go a few days without love before it starts affecting us. It’s not recommended, but we can do it.” Chrys said. “Though how I would enjoy showing those ponies who they're messing with. But that would be unwise, with how wary these ponies are. Let’s just get some sleep,” Chrys sighed.
“Yes, I can go a few days without,” I said, and Shiny nodded, moving to where he was leaning against the bed.
“Okay, but remember, I’m here if you need some.”
I chuckled, “I won’t forget. We should get to bed,” I said and popped the last bite of the bread into my mouth. 
“Oh right, how we going to go about that?”
I hadn’t thought of that. When I’d picked this room instead of the other, I had just been wanting to save bits. “Let him in bed by us, it’ll be fun seeing him blush.” Chrys said, and I smiled at that.
“The bed is big enough, we can share,” I said and chuckled as pretty much his whole face turned red. 
“Uh… that’s fine well I… I can just sleep on the floor,” he stuttered and stood.
“Oh don’t be ridiculous. We’re spending enough on this room that we should both be comfortable in it,” I said and wrapped a hoof around him, drawing him back to the bed. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of resting by me?” I said, putting a hoof under his chin, and making a pouty face.
“No… of course not. It’s just… well… my sister…” 
“That can be solved dear Shiny, after all, no one should bother us in here.” I closed my eyes, and the green sparks of fire engulfed me, and I transformed back into my original form. “This better? Not quite so… awkward?” 
He gulped and nodded, neck going red now too. “Just look at you, such the seductress,” Chrys said, laughing. “He’s like putty in our hooves. Oh yes, this journey will be entertaining.”
“Come, let’s go to bed,” I said and pulled down the covers. “I promise, I won’t bite you,” I said as he climbed in on the left side. Climbing in on the right, I turned around to face him and whispered in his ear. “At least, not tonight.” I chuckled as a shiver ran down his spine at my words and turned back around, levitating the blankets over us. I never knew how fun teasing a guy like this could be. I liked it. Maybe I’d be able to fall into the changeling practices easier than I thought.
“I’m glad to see you becoming more and more like me each day. Alas, you might not need me for that aspect soon. Though I will still be there for everything else.” Chrys chuckled. “We have lived so long that our history is pretty much impossible to repeat it all, except for when parts of it are needed to know. But let’s not dwell on that, morning will be here before we know it!”
I yawned and snuggled deeper into the covers. Shiny Whistle laid stiff on the other side of the bed, heart thumping loudly. “You’re going to be sore in the morning sleeping like that, relax,” I said and he relaxed a little. I sighed and closed my eyes. Well, he would relax a little once he started to fall asleep, I was sure. 
“Goodnight, Queen Chrysalis,” he whispered, and I opened my eyes again and smiled.
“Shiny, I think you know me well enough you can drop my title when in a private company. Call me Chryssy.”
“Very well, good night, Chryssy.”