Fluttershy was never happy to see any creature upset and rested her wing reassuringly over her student’s withers.
“Do you need to step out and get some air?” she asked her softly.
“No, I just need a moment,” Ocellus replied, looking over at the preoccupied little nymph before whispering. “It’s just really strange, how much she knows after only leaving her cocoon this morning.”
The nymph appeared harmless enough, giggling aloud and fully engrossed, along with Silverstream, in playing with the ferrets. While she watched the diminutive creature, Fluttershy was briefly reminded of a former innocent looking student; one who tried to steal all the magic in Equestra for herself.
“Do you have any treats for the ferrets?” the little changeling asked while she struggled with one that had wrapped around her like a furry snake.
“Oh yes,” Fluttershy said, “I have some scrambled eggs I made a little earlier for them. Silverstream, would you mind getting the jar from my saddle bag and help feed the ferrets?”
“Sure thing,” the chipper hippogriff said.
The little nymph had managed to extricate herself and followed closely after Silverstream. The ferrets, excited from hearing the word ‘treat’, made a happy chuckling sound as they hopped after them.
“Ocellus,” Fluttershy asked the young changeling once the little nymph was out of earshot, “if you wouldn’t mind, could you explain a changeling’s life cycle and why Peppers is so unusual?”
“Sure,” Ocellus said. “Well, changelings start out as eggs and around three months later we hatch into larva. Then, five months later, the larva spin a cocoon to start their metamorphosis into nymphs and that lasts for four months. Normally they looked like this before Thorax took over.”
A curtain of light blue magic circled around Ocellus as she transformed into a small black shelled changeling with blue eyes.
“Why does little changelings have holes in their legs?” Yona asked.
“Well, before we ‘changed’ into the way we are now, the holes in our chitin would develop by going without feeding on love for too long,” Ocellus explained as a ring of pale blue swirled around her once again, returning her to her normal form; “but she seems to have only a few holes in her chitin so I guess she was a well fed larva.”
“And now newborn changelings don’t develop the holes in their bodies?” Fluttershy inquired.
“No, well, not in our hive,” Ocellus said. “My younger brother and sister hatched after Thorax became king and they were fine after they emerged from their cocoons.”
“Before you said your brother and sister were nothing like how Pepper is,” Sandbar brought up. “How much different is she?”
“She’s very different from what I’ve seen,” Ocellus whispered, looking back over her withers to make sure the little changeling wasn’t listening. “She is a little taller than normal and she has a mane, something only Chrysalis had. Her eyes, her horn, they are just like Chrysalis too… it makes me wonder.”
“What?” Fluttershy asked.
“If she might be a young queen,” Ocellus said, biting her bottom lip. “I never even heard of another changeling queen other than Chrysalis.”
“So what does that make her?” Smolder asked. “A changeling Princess or something?”
“Who’s a princess?” Silverstream asked as she poked her head into the huddle that the others in the room had formed.
“Uh…” Gallus stammered, looking down at the little changeling as she trotted up behind his friend. “Aren’t you a princess, Silverstream?”
“Me? No,” the hippogriff giggled. “I’m just Queen Nova’s niece.”
"Anyway," Fluttershy said, "lets get back to our lesson."
Fluttershy had spent the next hour of the class teaching about the ferrets, only occasionally getting interrupted with an extra fact or two by the little changeling nymph, when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Twilight was at the door to the classroom, peeking in and waving her over.
“Class could you excuse me for a moment?” she said. “On the shelves, over in the corner, there are some toys the ferrets really enjoy playing with. They love to run through those tubes there and chase after the feathers tied to the end of that string. Please keep Pepper with you too.”
Once Ocellus had escorted the younger changeling over to the shelves with the other students, Fluttershy trotted over to the door and stepped outside. Twilight was waiting in the hall along with Spike.
“Fluttershy, I am so sorry I didn’t warn you,” Twilight said frantically. “After what happened this morning with Starlight and trying to get everything straightened out again, I completely forgot to ask Ocellus to stay in her room with the changeling until I could get into contact with Thorax.”
“It’s okay Twilight,” Fluttershy said to her friend with a smile. “The students explained everything that’s happened and she hasn’t been any real trouble, though she does seem to have poor Ocellus a little worried.”
“She hasn’t been throwing things around, destroying your classroom or trying to hurt anycreature?” Twilight asked, peeking into the room again.
Back inside the room the little changeling was buzzing her wings with a grin on her muzzle, showing off her little white fangs. She had one end of a braided string in her mouth, tugging against it as a ferret pulled at the opposite end.
“Not at all,” Fluttershy reassured her.
“Did Ocellus say why she was concerned?” Twilight asked as she moved away from the door again.
“Well from what she explained to me about little changelings, Pepper is special,” she told Twilight.
“Pepper?” Twilight asked.
“That’s what we’ve been calling her.” The pegasus explained. “Although I’m not sure if maybe we should be calling her Queen Pepper or Princess Pepper.”
“What?!” Twilight balked, causing Fluttershy to flinch.
Fluttershy proceeded to tell Twilight what Ocellus had told her about changeling young, how different the nymph is and that she might be a juvenile queen.
“This could be bad,” Twilight said once Fluttershy finished. “She’s already said her mother’s name is Chrysalis and there is no denying the resemblance.”
“Yona told me she discovered her cocoon hanging from a tree within view of the school,” Fluttershy added, “but from what I remember seeing at the old changeling hive, they kept all their young inside.”
“And you would think somepony might have noticed her cocoon sooner,” Twilight said, placing a hoof against her chin in thought, “if it was hanging from a tree, just a couple of yards from the school, for a few months.”
“Do you think she could have just been placed there recently?” Fluttershy asked.
“Maybe,” Twilight muttered, “but why?”
The two friends pondered in silence for a moment until a belch from spike interrupted them. A gout of bright green fire spouted from the little dragons mouth up into the air, and within the blaze a rolled up scroll appeared. It dropped, unharmed by the flame, into Spikes waiting claws and he quickly unrolled it.
“It’s from Thorax,” Spike said as he scanned over the paper. “He’s on his way along with a few others changeling to see the nymph.”
Fluttershy looked down the hall as a group of ponies came around the corner. They noticed her and Twilight, then started to trot in their direction.
“Did he say anything else?” Twilight asked, moving behind the dragon so she could try and read over his shoulder.
“Um… Twilight…” Fluttershy stammered when she noticed the angry green glow on the horn of the unicorn who was leading the group of approaching ponies.
“Yeah,” the little dragon answered, both himself and Twilight not hearing the soft spoken pegasus. “He said to be careful and keep an eye out, in case there might be more rogue changelings around.”
0w0 is that Chryssi?
Pepper is in for a wild ride
Nice chapter. I've a theorie.
Could id be that Chrusalis Hive run out of love or hadn't enought of it? So she placed the cocoon so it had to be found?
Sry for my bad english
A green glow? Uhoh, mommy's here, and she's not happy.
So... anyone else guessing it was Leech doing it after Cicada showed him about the new kinds of changelings?
I'm glad that this updates so frequently!
So.... I see two potential twists here... o.o Either Chrysalis put our adorable Pupa in the tree to ''save'' her from something... or the new group of traitor changelings tried to get rid of Pupa... while at the same time trying to blame it on the ponies which Chrysalis already has a horrible relationship with o.o
In which case these changelings that just showed up are either A, Chryssi here to rain hellfire and brimstone upon anyone within a few kilometers of Pupa.... ooooor... B, They're traitor changelings here to try and kill Pupa o.o ... either way.... Let the action commence o.o
Oooooh lordy.
NO ONE TOUCHS THE PRINCESS
I wouldn’t reform someone else’s kid if I was you. The actions of good can spark revenge and hatred
Thankls for the chapter!
huh, I thought the holes also helped with disrupting sound giving them near silent hoof steps?
Alrighty, well this might get a little ugly. On one hand, Chrysalis' hive seemed to be severely undermanned, so it's not exactly as if they could easily sweep through the halls hellbent on a rampage. On the other, it's likely their hive views 'kidnapping' the queen's favored child in a very dim light, and are that much more desperate and determined to do whatever is required to recover her. Hopefully everyone rolls high on their speech checks. Excellent chapter!
Momma Chrysalis is mad. Never get between a protective mother and her child.
Although I suppose it's possible these are rogues trying to harm Pupa as well.
Thank you very much for the update, but do you really have to end the chapter on such a tease!?
I am guessing still it's 3 factions of Changelings. Thorax's hive, Chryssalis' loyalists and Rouges. The Rouges want to be left to their own devices, feeding as they please, living with rich pony aliases. So set every ling else against one another so they don't bother them. They see Thorax as a wimp and Chrysalis as a psycho.
Oh boy were about to have a big confrontation here!
I almost positive those aren't chyrisalis's changelings. I'm betting thier from another hive or faction.
Here's what I think is going on, rival group of changelings attack chrysalis and her group to exterminate them so they wont have any competition in trying to take over equestria, someone escapes from battle carrying changeling egg, and purposely leave it in town in plain sight so ponies will find it and keep what's inside safe from rouge changelings. Something like that anyway. Xd
Momma Changeling to the rescue?!
so either rogue changeling: pretty bad or momma bear chrysalis: run.
regardless looks like they're in for a ride
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The rival fraction is as far as I know led by Cicada who has managed to become a Changeling Queen via gorging on love as Honey
As of current events have at least 4 changeling groups 3 major and 1 minor.
Major:
1) King Thorax and Pharaynx - Holds the majority’ of the changelings in this hive.
2) Queen Chrysalis- Changelings from the hive who due to their own reasons rejected Thorax’s offer and returned to Queen Chrysalis.
3) Changeling Rouges - This is not a unified group. It’s made up mostly by Inflitrators that having learned about what happened to the hive, decided to strike it out on their own. Rather than accepting Thorax's offer or rejoining Chrysalis. Although some of this group can come from Changelings at the hive during Thorax's metamorphosis who while disillusioned with Chrysalis, still rejected Thorax’s offer.
Minor:
Queen Cicada - Officially only Cicada and Leech are part of this group. However it’s possible that Cicada through Leech has managed to sway some changelings from Chrysalis and the Rouges to herself.
From a Pony point of view any changeling with a black hole ridden shell would be considered a rogue. As they are not affiliated with King Thorax and King Phalanx.
As for the mystery of Pepper’s cocoon ending up in a tree I still stick to my original theory. Namely that Cicada via Leech did it. Although this theory has split in two do to recent events. Either Leech dropped the cocoon by accident due to being chased or he knowingly placed it there so Twilight’s students would find it. This would allow Cicada the chance to build up strength from the shadows while Chrysalis feuds with Twilight. Who would take up Chrysalis’s time making her forget about Leech and Cicada for a time.
I mean let’s be real the hypothetical Changeling Rouges operate under the assumption that no one knows they exist. This lot would want to stay as far away from Chrysalis and Thorax as possible. Which means they would have no idea Pepper exists.
Pepper is one cute af name
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I am in agreement!
Oh
I am sensing Chrysalis might have a plan
or not.
Now the question is if these guys are Chryssie and company or Cicada's rogues
Well, on the good side, if it's Chryssi, I think that Pepper might be able to defuse the situation. The ponies didn't do anything wrong to her so far.
And here come the Stooges to try and fix their screw-up...
Keep going! ;)
Flutter shy has a point.
His memory lost may be due to his cocoon being moved.
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What memory loss? Pepper/“Puppa” remembers everything of her/his current lifespan. Her/His memories of his/her previous life is something else entirely. The memories are buried but have been shown to leak based on certain stimulus. Pepper is still experiencing these leaks, so every thing is fine.
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If it was a screw up to begin with.
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crosses fingers and hopes
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Are you hoping that it was a screw up or that it was deliberate? And if the latter, do you hope it was done by, or against, the wishes of Queen Chrysalis?
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Yes.
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Don't you Trollestia me
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😉 we wish for the best potential outcome.
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Best for who though? And who decides what is best for Pepper?
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Therein lies the wise question, friend.
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Normally I would say that were each the only one who knows what is best for ourselves, but considering Pepper's situation and her mind being far more developed than it should be for a Nymph her age... its hard to say.
Let the fun begin, in 3...2...1....
Chief Hiccup of Berk: "This is Ponyville. It's an ancient village, but every building here is brand new. *[watches as a new disaster suddenly obliterates the School of Friendship]* Like I said, 'every building--brand new'.
"Although, the Chrystal Castle has been here for a couple of years. It's currently the oldest structure here, only because the weekly villain hasn't figured out how to destroy it yet. *[an explosion kicks up a cloud of dust and Alondro stomps off cursing.]*
"Not for the lack of trying."
What could possibel go wrong?
Oh, now this definitely looks to be an interesting interaction
Have a text error.
Should this be Pepper?
Mischief sounds better to me for her name
not going to lie... I'm a tad confused now, I liked momma Chrysalis... this is making me think she purposely got rid of the special changeling to make sure she didn't have royal challengers... which is nice because she didn't kill the challenger... but motherly chysalis was so adorable!
At the end of this chapter i hear a announced: " MORTAL COMBAT! "
Chryssie's gonna have to choke a bitch.
Did Twilight suffering from a hit to the head? Thorax was informed but Celestia & Luna are excluded...
Celestia forget to teach Purple Smat common sence and her importance overall
Time to duelllllllll
Novo
Few other changelings
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They are screwed... Only devine intervention can help them:
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This can't end well:
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Chaaarrrgggeee! Save the Cuddlebug princess!
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What could possibly go wrong ?
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Or are storage area for their Larve?
Perhaps a audible Intimidation tactics?
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The Target is save if ever threat is eliminated
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So the Crystal Castle is more of a Fortress?
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Or two...
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Ehem
Horny much