Chapter 11. Lessons from the Past
Quivering and fighting for each step, the changeling approached. It cast a longing look at Rahak and Grata but sat next to Daring Do. It refused to look away from the Gryphons.
“Nach Nymphes spak? Matunien sa lang awaiten see nymphes an spak eich. Ein mussin nymphes.” She snuffled, tears in her eyes. “Ein heartenful ma nymphes.”
Daring Do took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Es ein hiven clase?”
That got the changeling to turn her head and bring eyes full of tears to Daring Do. “Es hiven destrukit. Ein cornin cam in nichat an kapit os al. Fightem all con bat Eiggmatunin shi kapit. Al eigg ein an cary way. Hiven blazin ein see nat mair.”
Tears in her own eyes, Daring Do asked, “Ein al alane?”
The changeling simply nodded, tears flowing.
Daring Do reached out and pulled her close. The changeling simply began to bawl and practically try to fuse herself with the pegasus. “Ein mussin clase olden. Clase mindes.”
Daring Do pulled her tighter. The changeling, in snuggling to her as if the contact was precious, accidentally knocked Daring Do’s trademark pith helmet off. Her horn laid gently against Daring Do’s bare forehead.
There was the gentlest of green glowing magic that flowed between them. Reluctantly, the changeling pulled herself away, saying, “I/we am sorry. Yours is a single mind. I/we should not have done that.”
Daring Do said in a gentle voice, “It is alright. You have been alone too long. Do not be afraid to share your mind with me. I cannot return the sharing except when you do it. I find it strange to feel but I am not afraid at all.”
Grata was watching the whole exchange closely. “I was listening as well as I could, Doctor Do. As nearly as I can make out, this changeling is looking for something she calls nymphes. She seems to think that Rahak and I are some of these nymphes. Is that correct?”
Soberly, the changeling replied, “I/we, hoped so, but I/we fear that you are not. You look and smell very like my/our nymphs but you did not come from here, nor were you looking for me/us.”
Grata was slowly putting things together, eyes slitted, crest stiff with concentration. “What were you were saying to Doctor Do about your hive? As nearly as I can sort it out, your hive was attacked and destroyed by unicorns. Is that right?”
Tears brimming in her eyes at the memory, the changeling nodded.
“You fled. From what I know of changelings that means that your Queen was killed. What brought you here? I can not make that out at all.”
The changeling bit her lips to keep from crying outright. When she got herself under control, she said, “The hive must endure. I/We took eggs, all that I/we could carry and I/we fled. The hive burning in the night is the last that I/we saw of my/our home. I/we tended the eggs as carefully as I/we could. I/we turned them and kept them as warm as I/we could.
“The road here was not used by any other so that is why I/we followed it. Here I/we found a cave and I/we hoped to start a new hive. I/we loved the eggs but they did not love me/us as they should have. I/we still love them and turn them but it has been so long and they do not love me/us back as they should.”
Daring Do suggested, “Grata and Rahak have come far to find how their kind came to be. Clues that we found led us here. After you came here, can you tell us more of what happened?”
“It was a time, I/we do not know how long. The sky from that direction,” she pointed back west, toward Equestria, “burned for three days and nights. The ground shook so that I/we feared for the eggs in the cave. The roads there and there fell down the slopes.
“Some time later, flying ponies like you came, pushing great clouds before them. The clouds fell in here and made the lights of the night.”
She pointed up. There above them, glowing like pale auroras, were the shattered runes of an ancient war, still randomly combining and breaking apart.
“Some of the flying ones stayed and joined with the eagles. They made eggs.” She got a bit of a shifty look as she went on, “Hive needs eggs. I/we took some.
“When the eggs hatched, they had pony hoofs and they died. Meat made them ill. Grass made them ill.
“I/we took more eggs. This time I/we loved them carefully, not to form, queen, worker, drone, or egg keeper like I/we. I/we just loved them to live. Since front parts eat meat, all parts must. Some of my/our nymphs did change and live. Some of my/our precious nymphs only part changed and they died.”
Grata set her crest in determination, stared up at the softly glowing remains of a war two thousand years gone and spoke to the changeling. “I can see that this brings you much pain, mother of our eggs. Let me tell you the rest of it.
“Your precious nymphs were the ancestors of my kind. They left this place, seeking some safe place where their chicks could live and grow. They meant to come back but the journey was not just one of kilometers. It was generations long.
“They never forgot that this place existed, but they did forget where it was. Our kind have now grown strong in both numbers and wisdom. We sought the help of Daring Do, who has willingly shared herself with you, so that we could find this place again. Finding you still here, waiting for our return was a thing beyond our greatest hope.
“Your nymphs, chicks, if you will, have returned. We are sorry that it took so many generations to find you, mother of our kind.”
Grata held out a claw. “Come, mother, and let your nymph share her mind willingly with you. You have been alone too long.”