I am scared of nothing. I’m queen of the changeling. There was nothing on land that could contest my might, but there was something that irked me. I just had to settle on a planet mostly covered with water. I just had to. I had oceans. They’re scar-NO! Nothing scares me. They’re just unsettling is all. I could drown. I know I can just change my form to fit the sea, but I always found that uncomfortable. The same for my kin. So that’s why I created water-lings to conquer the seas for me. I just haven’t visited them in a while, which made this trip strange in many regards.
“Why do we have to go to the sea again?” I asked my husband. I was busy keeping my little ones cozy and secure. They weren’t going to drown on my watch, stupid oceans.
“Because we don’t know exactly what our kids are, Chrysalis.” Hurricane noted, polishing his blade intently. A warrior’s weapon is his life and my husband has a fine life indeed. I’ve seen him carve into the hide of a dragon once with that blade. I’d thank the unicorns, if they didn’t constantly think of my kin as bugs. “They look like sea ponies in some respects, so it might shed some light on what we need to do.”
“We’re doing fine on our own,” I huffed. He was being unreasonable. We could take care of our young already. I mean, Adagio and Aria were nestled up beside me and…. “Sonata?” I did a double take and found her missing. My baby was missing!
“Chrysalis,” Hurricane knew me well and knew I was probably going to try and rip apart the essence of existence to find my daughter. He was right of course. “Calm down.”
Oh those were a very poor choice of words. “Calm down? Calm down?!! How dare youuuu!” Everything felt like it was falling. My babies were screaming. I hated that sound. I wanted to hug them close, but I had to find Sonata. I quickly passed them to their father. He’d slay anyone who’d come close.
With a flick of my horn, the door was burst off its hinges. I didn’t care how expensive this whole thing was. Such thoughts are so ‘pony’. I stuck out my head and the first thing I saw was a shrieking pegasi tumbling to the earth. It was a rather speedy descent, since he was outpacing our own descending carriage. I didn’t care. I and my family would just fly out and we’d get another guard. No, what caught my attention was the blue blue at the base of one of his wings. Blue blur? Blue…. BLUE!!
I grabbed the both of them with my magic and yanked them up. My poor baby. She must be so scared. I was going to hug her and never let her go. Thankfully, she was alright. She was giggling as she slashed the flesh away with her teeth of the base of that pegasus’ wing. Adorable~
“M-my queen,” the pegasus guard grunted as we kept descending. “Could you get her off of me?”
I nodded and took my beloved daughter away from her prey. Pegasi weren’t as tasty as some believe, but they were okay. She whined, but I gave her a little nuzzled and tossed the pegasus away.
“Uhem,” Hurricane called out from inside. He must have heard the scream.
I sighed and brought the pegasus back up. I breathed over the wound, healing it with my special brand of genetic magic. It’s a special kind that only changelings can do, which healed the wound instantly. “Fly us to safety,” i then threw him towards the front and went back inside. Within less than a moment, we were straight again so I sighed in relief.
My husband wasn’t so lucky, since Adagio kept biting his muzzle. He pushed her down and kept her in place, away from his nibbled muzzle. “You are not a commander yet, Adagio.” Hurricane gave her a stern glare which quelled her fire. “You have no power over me and you best remember that.” She whimpered, but he gave her a little reassuring pat on the head. “But you will one day.” The little one smiled and nuzzled his hoof.
“Awww,” I smiled. It was good to see him getting along with the trio. For a while, I thought he wouldn’t. Not to say that my Hurry Worry is a bad stallion, far from it actually. It’s just, I was being a big ol’ worrywart about my babies. It’s just my instincts. Speaking of which, I need to find a way to curb my daughter’s predator instincts. Sonata was enjoying that pegasus’ wing a bit too much. I licked away the blood from her, causing her to giggle. Such music.
Little Aria was curled around herself, huddled against her father. “Aria, one must overcome their fear, not dwell on it.” Hurricane spoke to her. He used his wing to gently pick her up and nuzzle her. I picked the perfect stallion to sire my young. He’s such a good father. “Besides, you have me as a father, don’t you? I won’t let some fall hurt you.” Aria shook for a few seconds in fear, before smiling and giving him a little nuzzle. “Perhaps I was a bit too hasty to go on this trip.” He sighed.
I chuckled and nuzzled the cute oaf. “You’re just trying to help. I have to admit, I am curious as to what these ‘sea ponies’ can do to help us. My kind has never really interacted with them, with the exceptions of a few rare cases.” One becoming a fairy tail in its own right.
“I give you my word,” Hurricane bowed his head. “Everything will go- Adagio!”
At the frightened squeal, I turned my head to see Adagio had pinned Sonata down and was growling at her. I frowned and used my magic. “Adagio, your sister didn’t mean to make us fall. She’s sorry, aren’t you Sonata?” My little Sonata nodded and I gave her a reassuring nuzzle. “I will not tolerate you fighting each other, understood?” Adagio growled and tried to bite me, before I hissed in warning. She shut up and nodded.
“It’s a wonder how quickly they’ve come to understand us,” Hurricane furrowed his brow.
“They are my children,” I smiled and cooed to calm Adagio and let her know that I still loved her. “Of course they would grow a bit faster than most.”
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Every time the waves crashed against the shore, I had to stop myself from flinching. I will not give it the gratification. I am Queen Chrysalis. None scare me! My children on the other hoof seemed drawn to the ocean for some reason. I had to keep them restrained with my hooves and magic. They weren’t going to drown in that infernal place on my watch. “How much longer must we wait?”
“Not long,” Hurricane stood proudly, with twenty-five pegasi at his beck and call. I wanted to bring some of my changelings, but then again, that might not have set well with the sea-ponies. Hurricane’s pegasi were great soldiers, so I had no doubt they would give those swimmers some trouble if it came down to a fight.
Suddenly, something erupted from the water. It was some weapon or something. Never trust something with ‘sea’ in the name! I was going to blast it into smithereens and… oh it was just a flying fish.
Still horrendous though, accursed sea creature.
I was about to scold my husband for picking the wrong place, when something burst out of the water. I could tell right away they were sea-ponies. Their bodies were long and scaly, with elegant fins on their sides. Their muzzles were lithe, hardly suited for tearing into flesh. The leader, the one wearing the most gold ornaments and was a blazing bright blue so I’ll just go on a hunch here, spoke up.
“Ah, Commander Hurricane. On time as always,” he remarked.
“Only death can make me break my word,” my husband remarked. “And even then it would struggle in its efforts.”
The sea-pony then turned his head towards me and frowned. “Queen Chrysalis, I presume?”
“The one and only,” I narrowed my eyes. A creature of the sea is never to be trusted, what with their watery ways.
“And those are your children?”
“Get to the point, sea-pony.” I snarled, keeping my children close.
“Bring them to me,” I beckoned me forth with a fin.
How dare he beckon me over! I am queen of the changelings. This cur ought to bow down to me and do as I wish. I shall not hoof my children over to this sea dwelling wretch. I was about to blast this creature when I felt my husband’s hoof on my shoulder. When I looked at him, he gave me a warm, comforting smile. He only ever gives me that smile and it just makes me feel so warm inside. His love is just so delicious and I just want to hug him so much for loving me, the big lug. I sighed and trotted over to him. I placed my children near the edge, but not to near and backed up a couple spaces. If he tried anything, I’d still be able to kill him.
The sea-pony leaned forward and closed his eyes. A blue aura seemed to flow over him and then my children. I kept myself calm. They were alright, even if Aria was shivering in fear. She did that with strangers. Sonata was just giggling at the sensation and Adagio-
“GAH!” The sea-pony screeched in pain as Adagio lunged and bit into his muzzle. The two flapped into the water... They were both in the water.
“MY BABY!” I jumped up to my hooves. Why were they constantly being put in danger today? I don’t know, but my baby was in the ocean. She could drown! DAMN OCEANS. They’re too big for their own good. “Get my baby. Get my baby!” I wanted her back, but I couldn’t get near that sea.
Hurricane made to jump in, but the sea-pony quickly surfaced, carrying Adagio in an outstretched fin. His muzzle had several gashes in it as blood dripped down into the ocean. “Your daughter has inherited your fire.”
I took Adagio in my magic and cuddled her to my chest. “Of course she does.”
“I will like to say that I’ve learned a thing or two already,” the sea-pony remarked, rubbing his bleeding muzzle. “Saves me the trouble of getting near them again today.”
“And?” Hurricane asked as he too nuzzled Adagio. The little girl allowed us to nuzzle her without biting this time. That would change in a moment, I’m sure of it.
“They have inherited their mothers need for emotions,” the sea-pony spoke. “There was a hole inside them that I’ve only seen in changeling, but it was different. It was strange and not yet formed.”
“So I should be feeding them love?” They seemed to be going fine with solid food. Baby changelings can’t handle the stuff so soon after birth. They just need a steady supply of love to get going.
The sea-pony shook his head. “It was… different, but for now, they’ll just need the usual meat and such. This emotional feeding doesn’t look like it’s going to come to the forefront any time soon. Still, it’s also troubling how closely they align with us. Were you…” He seemed uncomfortable with what he intended to say.
I rolled my eyes. “No, I wasn’t a sea-pony when we had sex.”
The sea-pony sighed in relief. Rude much? “Then I’ll just assume this is a normal changeling thing.”
I nodded. “Changeling unions with other species have… unusual results.” I hesitated for a moment. “So you’re sure they’re healthy?”
“Healthy is subjective,” the sea-pony muttered. “With their current bodies, I’m going to have to recommend frequent trips to the sea.”
“THE SEA?!!” I held my daughters close to me. Why did it have to be this place? Accursed luck!
“They are natural born swimmers,” the sea-pony remarked. “We’ll need to teach them a few things and I assure you that they’ll be safe.”
“Flooran has always been a sea-pony of his word,” Hurricane said. “I trust him on this. If our children need to learn to swim, then I’ll allow it.” He chuckled. “Perhaps it’s time I practiced a bit of swimming myself.”
“But... “ I gulped, taking a look at the foreboding body of water. Cursed place, it is.
He nuzzled underneath my chin, causing me to purr in contentment. I just loved the way he felt against me. “I’ll be there with them the whole time.”
That made me feel much better about this. “Perhaps I’m just being silly.” I sighed and gazed down at my children. They were staring up at me with little smiles on their faces. I teared up a bit. They were mine. This was all mine, a family. “Perhaps I should let go of my own fears, for my children’s sake.” I nuzzled them and they returned it eagerly. This certainly was going to be interesting.