//------------------------------// // 19. Firstborn's Dream // Story: The Teal Changeling // by MrAlterad //------------------------------// Falling... Falling... Falling... Featureless white void, flashes with red pain. Cold breeze. Distant echoes. Calm. Falling stops. Void flickers red. Breeze weakens. “G- Gotcha!” A distant, energetically familiar voice. “Don't worry, I've got her. We need to...” The void fades, the voice growing distant, before the white returns. “...I can carry her. She's gonna be fine. Just trust—“ “She's not going to be fine.” A cold, protective voice. “Not if it's you carrying her.” “I may not be a Shadowbolt, but I can carry her to-” The world fell. For how long, who could tell? Then the fall ended, the void flickering red again. “S- She slipped.” The voice was heavy with shame. “I'm telling you, I can—“ “Dud, I can carry them both. You're injured too. Think about Her Highness.” A pause. Trembling. “Momo and Chrys are- and Thundercloud- I- It- It's all gone!” Confused anguish. “Cloudmake, Tradencloud, Rafters, Horizon Park, Gold Lining, it's all, gone! And—” “Calm down. You need to be calm. We need aid, and I don't know the way. They're trusting you in all this, so pull yourself together, and let me carry her.” A pause. There was a shaking, small, and sad. “You … can carry them both?” Silence. Movement. A flicker of red. A brief touch of reassurance. The voice grew distant. “Is it alright, carrying her like that?” Pained concern. “She's not as frail as you think. She may not look it, but she's one of the most durable members of the hive. It's why she eats so much, her body is tougher than a typical changeling. She is, after all—“ “-a Princess,” Queen Amber said with a proud smile, looking over the group of clutchlings, the largest clutch in the hive's history. She then motioned to the titan that towered over the small teal hatchling. “And this is her guard, Bulwark.” Amber then eyed the princess expectedly, who glanced at her, fear flickering in her eyes, before she took a step forward, looking to her clutchlings for the very first time. “You are all clutchlings. That means you share a bond that will never fade. Even as time passes, and you choose where your path will lead you, that will never change.” The princess stood there for several moments, the hatchlings looking to her, glancing between each other in expectation. Amber then leaned close to the princess, a warm smile on her face, “Well, my Little Chrys—“ “I'm not little,” Chrys replied, despite being shorter than most of the hatchlings in the room, she then raised her head, before approaching the group. As she did, some of the more sociable of the clutch stepped forward, and it wasn't long before others followed, showering the hatchling of a different color with questions. While the princess was assaulted with unaccustomed attention, many of the clutch were eyeing one hatchling in particular. A female, her eyes and mane gleaming a passionate tint of red as she hovered in the back, an odd considering look on her face. She was the firstborn, Little One. No, that was her name, now she went by a new one. Momo. The first to hatch. The first to fly. The first to be praised. The first to help a clutchling in trouble. The first to choose a name for herself. Many were waiting to see her reaction; waiting to emulate the stance she carried towards the princess, an outsider now being introduced to them. Unbeknownst to the clutch, Amber was also waiting to see what Momo would do, a hint of sadness in her eyes. The Princess was going to get what Momo wanted most. And no matter how hard she tried, that would never change. She could deny the princess. Deny the impossibility of her dream. Deny what it meant to be a female drone. Deny the princess happiness, out of spite. This possibility played through the firstborn's mind as she glanced to the side. She then frowned as she looked back to the princess, her gaze softening when she saw Chrys looking a little overwhelmed by the questions she was peppered with. Momo then recalled the brief look of fear the princess wore before taking a step forward. Momo couldn't deny her own nature. She flew forward, towards Chrys, a determined look in her eyes. Her clutchlings watched, ushering the others around the princess to make space, as Momo landed before her. She was a head taller than Chrys, and all questions died as everyone's eyes fell towards her. The princess wasn't oblivious to the shift in attention, adopting an apprehensive look as she eyed the firstborn. “H- Hi. I'm Chrysalis,” she let out, looking Momo in the eyes. Everyone else seemed to be holding their breath as they looked to Momo. The firstborn looked over the princess coolly for a second, before adopting a warm smile. “Hi Chrys. I'm Momo,” she let out energetically, getting smiles from the clutchlings around them, the group coming closer in response. “You have a name too?” Chrys asked in surprise, getting a nod from her clutchling. “That's right! Now, this is big, okay, so listen up!” Momo added, making Chrys blink, adopting a guarded look as Momo offered a hoof. “If you need help, just ask! We clutchlings look out for each other. Right?” Chrys looked a little taken aback, several other clutchlings nodding in agreement as the princess eyed Momo's offered hoof. Behind her, Amber and Bulwark were smiling as the princess took Momo's hoof, giving her a smile of her own... Fading... Fading... Fading... White void. Rustling leaves on an unseen breeze. Comforting warmth. Turmoil. “Stay away from me!” A young, beloved voice. “I'm fine! Let me go! I want to see Momo!” “Now look here missy,” unfamiliar voice, compassionate and stern, “you're hurt too, so just sit still and—” “I said I'm fine!” “Chrys, Momo is—“ “Shut up Dud! I don't want to hear it!” “Chrys, put the bed down.” “I said shut-” The voice faltered. A crash. A flicker. “High- Erm, Crystal, you need to behave.” A protective voice, an embarrassed, ashamed voice. “A- Aegis? Why'd you stop me!?” “Your anger is only going to make things worse.” “Make things worse!? What do you know, you traitor!? I bet you knew about the trap!” “Chrys!” “I said shut up, Dud.” Hesitation. “Come on Momo, get up.” Shaking. Desperation. Fear. “Please, get—“ “-up!” Momo heard through a red haze of pain, making her eyes open, seeing Darrin standing over her. “We both know that you're not done, so get up!” She glared at him as she got on her hooves, rubbing her aching jaw as she took a step back. “I'm not leaving her,” she declared. “I made a promise-” Darrin charged towards her, and she was too hurt to dodge, so she stepped forward into his charge, her slightly bigger frame slamming into his chest, knocking the air out of both of them. Everything seemed to darken for a second, before awareness returned to Momo, seeing a recovered Darrin appraise her. “A promise means little if you can't carry it through. Mantis will crush you, and toss your body in front of Chrys as a warning. So I'll crush your stubbornness here, before he does worse. You need to follow Mantis's advice,” he stated, a disgusted look on his face for saying such a thing. “I won't. I won't be crushed, not by you or him. I'll be there for her, and I'm going to protect her.” “Why?” “Because...” Momo hesitated for a moment. Why was Chrys so important to her? Why was she more afraid of abandoning the princess, over protecting her life? Oh... It'd been so long since she'd last thought of it. She just latched onto Chrys, and at some point, she'd forgotten why. Chrys could obtain what she couldn't, because Chrys was a princess, and she was just a drone. Now, seeing the reason for what she did, she found that it didn't matter anymore. “Because, she's my clutchling. He's taking the others from her, and now she needs me, us, more than ever.” “Hmph. She doesn't need a clutchling. She needs a soldier, and she doesn't need you, or your protection. She's already got a shield. She's got Bulwark.” “Yeah, well, two shields are better than one,” she said offhoovedly, getting a surprised look from him. “Well, I suppose you're right about that,” Darrin replied, a small smile in his eyes, before his gaze hardened, and he attacked again. And so she fell again. She'd get up, and he'd knock her down. She was hardy, and didn't make it easy for him. Yet, each time she fell, it was harder to get back up, and at some point, Momo's body became numb, but despite that, she always got back up. “D- Darrin,” she rasped out, making him hesitate, “Do you want to be her shield, too?” “No. I will be- I am her sword. I will strike down anyone that stands in the way of the future she wants. Including you,” he declared with an adamant gaze. She looked into those fiery eyes, feeling as if she'd caught a glimmer of something she'd never seen in the soldier before. Compassion. “...Sorry,” she let out as she eyed the ground, getting a confused, almost flustered look from him. “What are you apologizing for?" “I'm never gonna give up. So, you're gonna have to do it,” she said, giving him a coy look. “And I know you don't want to do that, so, I'm sorry.” He blinked at her, before adopting an angry scowl, his hooves trembling. “You don't want to give her up, right?” she asked, making him eye her for a moment, before walking up to her. The glimmer in his eyes seemed to burn brighter, making her close hers, a smile on her face as her body gave up on standing. The last thing she noted as she fell into darkness was the feeling of being caught in his hooves... Fading... Resting... Shifting... White void grows orange. Rustling beckons. Promises of peace rests in the wind. “...Momo, it's Aegis. There's something I wanted to get off my chest. You need to wake up. Her Highness hasn't been herself since she recovered. Before, she wanted to see the ponies of Dodge, and now that we're here, she hasn't left your side. Can you feel her? She's passed out next to you... “The Princess is still young. The Queen hasn't had the chance to teach her of the Queen's burden. The Princess isn't ready for it. The way she's acting is proof enough... “A queen's life isn't touched by time. That means she's going to always outlive her children, or in this case, her clutchlings... “Momo. You need to wake up. I don't think the princess will be able to take it if she loses you...” Frustration. “Can you even hear me? “...I know he's nearby, he could protect her in my stead.” Determination. “That's why, If I could, I'd switch with you. It'd be easier for her, if I was in your place. “...I really do regret it. Following Mantis, stinging you, putting her Highness in harm's way... “Momo. Please wake up. If- if you do, I'll gladly...” Confusion. Hesitation. “I should have been carrying Her Highness when the lightning struck.” Regret. “If only we'd swapped places...“ The orange void gave way to an amber cavern filled with hatchlings, including Little One, their eyes on the drone teaching them, Teyra. On the amber wall, drawn in black chalk, were several diagrams of ponies, one of each type. “Now that we're done with that, we have a special guest for today's lesson,” she said in an energetic voice, giving her class a smile, “And I know some of you were whispering about it earlier. Well, I can tell you that the rumors are true.” That elicited an excited murmur from the clutch as Teyra cleared her throat. “Please come in,” she said, directing her gaze to the door, welcoming the general of the hive, Mantis. Even though something else was gnawing at Little One, she couldn't resist looking towards the door. Mantis was the clutch's sire. He was the hero whose daring action brought the hive food aplenty. He was the most important drone in the hive. He entered the room, wearing the armor of his title. He walked tall, a proud smile on his face, his eyes aglow as he them in. He gave off a presence that struck the hatchlings in awe. A true hero stood before them. A fact that only made that nagging feeling come back. One of the hatchlings was missing, and Little One knew where he was. Little Seventy Seven, the youngest of the clutch. She had a feeling he'd want to see this. So, why wasn't he here? Teyra stood to the side, letting Mantis stand center. The two shared a brief, familiar smile, before Mantis gave the clutch a determined look. He was about to start, and a clutchling was missing. Getting up, Little One moved, intending to find Seventy Seven. Her wings buzzed lightly as she flew towards Teyra. She could feel Mantis's curious eyes follow her as she reached their teacher, instilling a moment of apprehension in the hatchling. “Something wrong Little One?” Teyra asked. “Seventy Seven isn't here,” she stated bluntly, “I'll get him.” “You're Little One?” Mantis asked with a hint of interest, making the hatchling flinch as she looked to him, giving him a nod. “Her Highness has said a good deal about you,” he said with an assuring smile, making her smile back as he nodded to Teyra. “Alright, make sure you come right back.” Teyra said, getting a determined nod from Little One. As she made her way towards the exit, Mantis cleared his throat, getting the attention of the class as he pointed towards the drawings of the ponies. “What are ponies?” he asked, and before anyone could answer, he slapped the wall with a hoof, the impact causing a loud echo through the room, “They are food...” Little One heard him say, as she quickly scurried out, towards a place higher in the hive. Going past a large number drones at work expanding the tunnels, she eventually found her way to a place her clutchlings liked to hide when they didn't want to be found. A small, forgotten hole that lead to the sunny landscape outside. A raised ledge on a cliff face that overlooked The Badlands. Not to her surprise, Little Seventy Seven was there, laying belly down, enjoying the sun's warmth to the point that he didn't notice he wasn't alone until she was standing over him. “Hey, Mantis is teachin'. Don't you wanna see?” she asked, getting a surprised look from him, before it shifted to irritation. “He's a soldier, not a worker. He shouldn't be teaching. He wants something. So, I don't want to be a part of it, and you shouldn't either,” he stated confidently, getting a confused look from Little One. He was the youngest, and she was the oldest, yet she couldn't help but feel that he was always a little brighter than her. This moment was no different from the others. “If he wants somethin', why not give it to him?” she asked, getting a small sigh from him. “It must be nice, being so simple.” To her, that sounded like a compliment, so she gave him a big grin for his effort. “Don't give me that big grin. I can't stand that look,” he added, making her ears fall as she glanced to the side. “Tch. I can't believe someone like you is firstborn.” He then let out a sigh, “If only we could swap places.” “Swap places?” she asked, eyeing the ground he rested on, making him roll his eyes. “You hatched first. I hatched last. Because of that, everyone looks to you. Even mother,” his eyes then narrowed as he got on his hooves. “Hey, I just had an interesting idea. Let's trade names.” “H-Huh!? We can do that?” “Yeah, it's easy. You start calling yourself Little Seventy Seven, and I'll be Little One. And to make it fair, I'll give you some of my nectar. How's that sound?” he asked, making Little One consider him for a moment. Having more nectar did sound appealing, however, she still shook her head. “My name is mine. And you are you. So nu-uh.” “Well, why not?” he asked, getting up close to Little One, almost making her take a step back. “'Cause I know you don't want to do that,” she said, making him blink, before giving her a small glare. “You are you, and I am me. You don't really want to be me. Right?” she asked, making him blink, his eyes darting to the side as his head fell. “I ... don't know who I want to be.” “That's easy! Just be you!” she said adamantly, “You're smart, so do something smart,” she added with a sagely nod, making him roll his eyes, before laying back down. “Isn't there a class you should be attending?” he asked, making her eyes widen as she turned to leave, before hesitating. “You should come too...” “Pass. I think I'll do what I'd do, and that's to stay here,” he replied, giving her a snide smile, getting a confused look from his clutchling. She then adopted a small frown, before moving, and sitting next to him. "H- Hey, what are you doing?" "I'm not goin' alone. If you're stayin' then I am too!" she said, getting an annoyed groan from him. Sitting along with the silence he offered, it wasn't long before she started feeling bored, making her start pestering him with questions. When he shied away from that, she tried playing with him, making him squirm in at her persistence. Totaled up, he held out for half an hour, before caving in. "Fine! Since you won't stop bothering me, let's go back," he said, a bitter taste in his mouth as she gave him a warm smile. With her head held high, she led him as they made their way back, unaware that they'd both completely missed out on Mantis's 'lesson'... Fading... Lost... Sadness... Amber void, home to a large black tree. Leaves singing a calming song. Melody. Lullaby. Harmony of rest, and tears... “Momo...” Flickering teal light. “The nurse said you're having sweet dreams. Are you? ...If it's not too much to ask, could you wake up? Dud and Aegis have been acting funny since I woke up. Aegis seems even colder than before, and Dud is acting as if nothing bad happened...” It's my fault. And I don't mean the trap. The lightning was drawn to my magic, and then you-” Tears. “She said it may take a while for you to wake up. Weeks. Months. Y- Years. The longer you sleep, the less likely you'll-” Caught Breath. “I- I heard her, talking to Aegis a few days ago. She said- She said-” The void started to fade away, into darkness... “Please Momo. Don't go. Wake up... Please, don't go...” In the darkness, the rumbles of a battle between two monsters could be heard. Momo couldn't move, her body paralyzed, but she was aware of what was going on around her. Her clutchling was dragging her, to the best of her abilities, away from danger. There was a chill in the air. She couldn't see anything. She was scared. Darkness was all around them, and there was no telling where Chrys was going, no guessing where they'd end up. Chrys was quivering, and it wasn't from the cold. A fact that made Momo want to cry, but the manticore venom kept her from even accomplishing that. So she lay there as Chrys grew weaker. Resting in the dark as her clutchling succumbed to the cold. Waiting... Fading... It was raining. She was soaked to the bone, and she was famished. The air was cold, but her pegasus form was keeping her warm. She was lost. The Badlands looked so different without the scalding sun, features that she thought were familiar made her take a second guess at as she tried to find her way back to the hive. The time to seal the tunnels had come, and she intended to sneak back in. But now she was starting to fear that it was too late. Chrys would assume the worst, and that would be that. Would she starve out here? Should she head to Equestria? Suddenly, a teal light pierced through the gray skies, making Momo's mouth fall in surprise. The point radiated brightly for several moments, before fading. The spot on the horizon was locked in Momo's mind, and she charged towards it, hope beating in her chest, as the rain grew heavier... In the dark bowels of the earth, each immobile moment passed, and as time ticked away, she could feel her numbness start to lose hold on her. Her destination was clear. “Momo, you still haven't told me. You need to tell me, why did you stay with me? Why do you stick your neck out for me?” Well, that's an easy one. It's because she loved her. Princess? Queen? These were just titles to Momo. Queen Amber was still her mother, and Princess Chrysalis was still her little clutchling. No amount of words or station would ever change that. Nothing would change who she was. What she wanted to become. What she dreamed of. Just like so many changelings before her, when she came to chose her name, she knew who she was, who she would be... Shifting... Little One looked on as she saw her mother playing with her clutchlings. She saw the happiness in Amber's eyes, and it made her own aglow with awe. Unbridled happiness, born of a mother's love. She felt it when Amber hugged her. She saw it when Amber played with the others. She wanted that. She wanted to play with little hatchlings of her own. She wanted to feel such joy. She wanted to be a mother of her own. And as if hit with a flash of inspiration, she knew what her name should be. “Hey, mama!” Little One let out, flying over to the queen energetically, “Guess what, guess what!?” she asked, getting an amused look from the queen. “You learned how to walk on the ceiling?” she asked in mock surprise, making the hatchling blink in confusion. “I can do that?” she asked, before shaking her head. “No, that's not it! I have a name!” she let out, getting a surprised look from the queen, making her clutchlings look to each other, whispering about this development. “Already?” Amber asked, before adopting a proud look, “First to choose your name too. Very well then, what is it?” “It's Momo! It's like mixing mama and mom!” she said, making Amber's smile falter for a moment. “Y- You're sure about that?” “Yep!” She'd never been more sure of anything in her young life. “So, you want to be a mother...?” “U-huh!” she let out, making the queen's ears fall. “I'm sorry sweetie, but a drone can't do that. Only a queen, or a princess, can become a mother.” Momo blinked at that, not quite understanding what Amber meant. “Then Momo will be a princess!” she let out, making Amber adopt a pained look as she motioned to her aides, making them usher the rest of the clutch out of the room as she looked Momo in the eyes. “You can't become a princess. A changeling doesn't become a princess. They're born into it, just like Chrysalis.” Chrysalis, the princess no one else has seen. The only member of the clutch without a number. A ghost who was said to be of a different color. “But, I can be like her if I try really really hard-” She was cut off when the queen gave her a close, apologetic hug. “I'm sorry, Little One. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be like her.” I'll never be a mama? “You should think of a different name,” she said, getting a hurt look from the hatchling. “No. I'm Momo,” she said sternly, getting a considering look from the queen, before pressing her nose to Momo's. “Very well, Momo,” she said, a sad, yet proud smile on her face. “By claiming your name, I am now your queen, do you understand?” she asked, getting a sheepish look from the hatchling, which got a small chuckle from the queen. “Maybe you were a little too early to claim your name. Well, as your first duty, you must keep setting a good example for the others. Sound good?” “Okay...” Momo replied, the weight of Amber's words still going through her head, still sinking in, as the queen put her down. And it wasn't long before a somber atmosphere fell over her, as everything faded away... In the darkness stood a tall black tree. It stood alone, but it wasn't lonely. Its amber leaves sang a song that welcomed an approaching drone. She had a smile on her face. She felt at peace here, as if all the struggles that came before were a lifetime away. Eyeing the leaves, she saw a countless number of them, each singing a lifetime's song. Each melody was different, yet they all weaved together seamlessly into a single note of harmony. The song of the Amber Hive. Walking under the tree's canopy, she started to hum a small note of her own. One that harmonized with the tree's song, spreading a sense of accomplishment from the drone. Her note carried words, expressions of her life which grabbed her attention as she sang them. You are you, and I am me. You'll never be like her. There's more to our world than these small caverns. That's just the way things are. There's a reason for everything. The words to her melody were swept up into the leaves' song, their meaning, weight, and life lost to her. The image of a silver cage came to her. Words not born from any member of the hive making itself known in her song. Just because something seems impossible, doesn't mean it actually is. Her song faltered. The tree continued singing, and after composing herself, she began to join again, but the image never left her. Please Momo. Don't go. She paused as a flicker of light emanated from behind her, making her look back, curiously. There was nothing there. Confused by the odd occurrence, the drone looked back at the tree, blinking in surprise as she saw an unexpected figure standing before it. It was an old stallion. A pony, who smelled of the sea. He was staring past her, a look of great interest in his gaze, which prompted her to look back to where she thought the flicker came from. Looking into the dark horizon, she saw the flicker again. A pulsing teal light, flickering like a heartbeat. Her gaze now intent to see more, she waited several moments, before seeing the beat again. She turned back to the stallion. He was giving her a warm smile. She blinked, and he was gone. She considered the odd encounter for a moment, before looking back to the teal light, feeling a compulsion to seek it out. The song the tree sang shifted, the breeze coming down, giving her a gentle push, towards the direction of that light. She eyed the tree for a moment, feeling as if it was bidding her loving farewell. Adopting a determined look, she looked back towards the source of light, before taking a step forward. How long was it before her second step finished? A second? Hour? Week? Distance gave way in this timeless place, bringing the drone before the source of her curiosity. A small teal flower, flickering at regular intervals. It lay rooted in a bed of cold stone, its head hung low, weighed down by a great sadness. Unlike the tree, the flower felt lonely. It was young, far too young to sing. All Momo could hear from the flower was a quiet, sad murmur. Its voice was lost to the wind that carried the tree's symphony. The drone nodded in understanding, and began to hum the amber song. She knew, the flower wanted that song, more than ever. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, the drone couldn't carry the note. The distance was too great, and her coming here had left her detached from the melody. But the drone didn't falter. Instead, she started to sing a different song. One she felt would help the teal flower. It came to her so easily, for she had been singing the song for most of her life. "Life?" She smiled. That's right. There was a life waiting for her. A flower, a free bird, a stalwart wall, a dented shield, a sharpened sword. They were waiting for her, across the darkness, in the land of light. And still, she sang. She kneeled before the flower, and it wasn't long before her song harmonized with the flower's murmuring. In response, its petals started to shimmer, its stem straightening, its voice gaining strength, as it started to grow. Its teal flickering became steady, the light spreading out, enveloping the drone with warmth, as the flower began to raise its head... ~~~~~~~~~~ It's warm. That was the first thing Momo thought as she came to. Shifting her body slightly, she felt tight around the chest and back. She lay on her side in a soft bed, covered snugly by a blanket. The sweet smell of burning wood rested in the air, the slight crackle and pop of its source close by. Opening her eyes, she became aware of a young unicorn balled up, resting with her, covered in a blanket of her own. Momo blinked slowly in confusion as her eyes took in the wooden room. On the far wall was a window, snow piled on the outside ledge, reflecting moonlight into the darkness beyond. Next to the window was a desk. A middle-aged unicorn mare was fiddling with a pestle and mortar, working slowly and quietly as she hummed a small song to herself. Momo looked from her back to the filly sleeping with her. They were the only ones in the room. Trying to recall how she got here, Momo closed her eyes, seeing the destruction of a city made of clouds in her mind's eye. She opened them in realization, understanding that her clutchling was the one tucked snugly with her. What happened? Where were they? Who's the pony? Why do I feel so ... weak? Questions raced through her mind as she shifted in the bed, trying to free her hooves from the covers without waking Chrys. Her wings didn't budge. They itched something fierce, and when she did try to move them, it earned her a wince in pain. Freeing a hoof, she was reminded that she was in a pony form. Finding something amusing about that, she adopted a smile as she rubbed Chrys' head. “I don't normally let relatives sleep with my patients,” the pony said coolly, making Momo flinch as she looked to her. The pony had an indifferent look on her face, “That said, your little sister was suffering from nightmare induced insomnia. Don't know what Luna was up to.” She let out a passive shrug, “She sleeps like a foal when she's with you though. So, that's that,” she concluded, turning back to her tools. “Oh, I'm Joy, and congratulations on waking up. Name?” “M- Momo?” “You know your name, and your reaction appears normal. Prognosis: Looking better than I thought you'd turn out,” she said dismissively, a small smile on her face as she glanced at Momo from the corner of her eye. “How long was I-” Momo began to ask, but paused when Chrys started to stir. She sat up, holding the blanket close to her as she looked to Momo, blinking slowly, before her eyes widened in recognition. “M- Momo?” Chrys asked, her voice quivering as she looked her clutchling in the eyes. “What's up?” she asked sheepishly, her eyes widening at seeing Chrys on the verge of tears, “Whoa, hold on, what's wrong?” “Nothing's wrong. You're awake. There's nothing wrong,” she let out as she glanced to the side, a smile on her lips. “...Is that a big deal?” Momo asked, a little confused. “Yes. It's a very big deal,” Chrys replied burying her head between Momo's forelegs, making Momo wince when her horn prodded her chest. “It's gonna be okay now,” she said in a relieved note as Momo caught Joy wearing a small smile. Momo then became aware of moisture building between her forelegs, making her confusion melt away as she hugged her clutchling close. Tilting her clutchling’s head slightly to avoid a certain discomfort. “Sorry, for making you worry,” Momo whispered, getting silence in return as Chrys hugged her all the tighter, her silent sobs lost on the pony in the room, as Momo patted her princess on the head. As she did, she started humming a song. She wasn't sure where she'd heard it before, but there was a serene quality to it, and in that warm embrace, it wasn't long before the princess fell asleep, holding to Momo all the while. Shortly after, Momo followed her clutchling, falling into a peaceful slumber, her body weak from recovery, as they both shared sweet dreams.