On the outside, her mother appeared the picture of confidence as she lounged along her side atop her pile of comfortable pillows. Inside however Chrysalis was nervous. Only because she was sitting right next to the changeling queen could Pupa sense it, and just barely at that. It was like catching a brief scent and then losing it immediately; you knew you smelt it, but before you could confirm that you had, it was gone without a trace.
The nymph looked back at her parent and give her a small smile in an attempt at showing her support, what little she could anyway. Her smile must have been a nervous one, since she was slightly worried herself concerning the event that was about to take place, and her mother placed a reassuring hoof on her withers.
“Everything will be fine,” Chrysalis whispered to the nymph. “I’ve been handing troublesome creatures for a long time and they won’t cause anyling harm. Just remember what I told you, we’re the predators, they are the prey.”
“Predators shouldn’t fear the prey,” continued Pupa. “Prey fears the predator.”
“That’s right,” said her mother, “what else?”
“We’re predators but we are not mindless beasts,” said the nymph, “be cautious with prey because even a mouse can strike back when cornered.”
“Good,” Chrysalis leaned down to nuzzle her daughter and Pupa gladly accepted the affection while taking comfort from her scent. “Now pay close attention to me. I’m going to control this meeting by throwing her off with only a single sentence.”
“I will,” chirped the nymph with a nod.
A few changelings began to filter into the chamber now, Mosquito and Phasmid among them, and took positions on either side of the room. With a nod from her mother the closest changeling to the entrance cleared his throat and began to speak.
“Her highness is ready” he said, “They may enter.”
The purple alicorn entered the room, trotting alongside a powder white unicorn with a violet mane. Both mares took each step with a determined poise. While the unicorn kept her head up, wanting to show them just how self-assured she was, it was the alicorn that held Pupa's attention. She didn’t appear the same way she had those few days ago; now her eyes simmered with resolve.
Both mares stopped and stood in place at the halfway point between Chrysalis and the exit, then a long pause of silence filled the chamber.
“Twilight Sparkle,” her mother said in a dual tone while keeping her voice sweet as honey, “how are your brother and sister-in-law fairing these days?”
As if she had been struck in the chest by an arrow, the alicorn, Twilight, tensed up. Both of her eyes widened and one of her ears twitched. The white coated mare leaned over and whispered something out of the corner of her mouth which seemed to restart the alicorn’s breathing. Chrysalis gave them both a vulpine grin then ran her tongue over her fangs.
“They were already cocooned when I last saw them,” her mother went on in her normal voice, “so we never had a chance to… catch up.”
“They’re fine,” answered Twilight with a tinge of abhorrence in her tone. “Happily married, deeply in love, and raising a wonderful foal; despite any of your disruptions.”
With the smile never leaving her lips, Chrysalis rested her cheek on the back of a perforated hoof. Her sharp emerald eyes glowed briefly and she tilted her head, causing a part of her long mane to slip over one eye to rest against her muzzle.
“So nice to hear that,” the queen purred, “but it seems you’re not in the mood for pleasantries. Perhaps we should get right to the colloquy about the issues at our hooves.”
“Yes, I think that would be for the best,” the alicorn agreed. “I request the immediate release of any captives currently in your possession.”
“We are disinclined to acquiesce to your request,” answered Pupa, causing all eyes in the room to shift focus onto her. Though she was completely unsure as to why she said that or how she even came up with such a phrase, she felt compelled to add one last sentence. “It means no…”
A long uncomfortable hush passed and the nymph swallowed the little lump that developed in her throat. Chrysalis then let out a mirth filled chuckle and reached around her daughter’s barrel to pull her against her chest. The alicorn exhaled, adopted an unimpressed look and cleared her throat.
“I have to agree with my daughter,” Chrysalis said, “unless you can give me a good reason to turn them over to you.”
“Because they had nothing to do with any attack on you,” said Twilight, her determination appearing to return. “Especially not my students.”
“Then perhaps you could enlighten us with who did?” pressed her mother.
“I don’t know,” answered the alicorn, “but it certainly wasn’t me or Thorax.”
“So you say,” said her mother, narrowing her eyes.
“Because it’s true,” the alicorn curtly said before continuing. “Look, let’s start by going back to the letter you found. Yes, it is one of my enchanted scrolls and it did have my personal seal on it, but after doing my own investigation on it, I believe it was stolen from my home. I think someone forged the message on it in an attempt to causes a fight between us.”
“Stolen from your castle?” asked the changeling queen.
“Yes,” Twilight nodded.
“Don’t you have some kind of security?” questioned Chrysalis. “Guards? Wards? Perhaps something called a lock?”
“Of course I have locks,” said the alicorn, “but I’ve never had any use for guards or wards.”
“You are a princess right?” asked her mother. “The other princesses have guards, though they are mostly for show.”
“What does that have to do with any of this?” sighed Twilight.
“Because maybe if you had some kind of protection set up in your castle, no one would have been able to steal from it,” deadpanned Chrysalis, “and we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“You’re blaming this on me?” balked the alicorn, frowning deeply and fidgeting her wings slightly. “How could I have expected something like that to happen? How could anypony!?”
Chrysalis let out a scoff and rose to her hooves. Her horn glowed softly and Pupa felt herself being lifted from the pillow pile to be placed on her mother’s back. With a few graceful strides, the changeling queen walked up the two ponies, overshadowing them with her height.
“I have lost twelve children sparkle,” Chrysalis hissed, “I almost lost them all. I’m entitled to blame someone.”
The alicorn stared up at the queen in silence, not backing away from her menacing stature. Then her violet eyes glanced to the nymph and took on a tinge of sympathy.
“Chrysalis,” said Twilight softly with only compassion in her voice, “I’m sorry about what happened, and I understand how you feel but-“
“No, you don’t understand,” snapped her mother, lowering her head so she was almost muzzle to muzzle with the alicorn. “You have no idea what it’s truly like to lose a child and you have no right to say you understand unless you have.”
"You’re right,” admitted Twilight, lowering her eyes. “I don’t know what it’s like. I can only imagine how hurt you feel.”
Slightly appeased by the alicorn’s concession, her mother raised her head up again, giving Twilight back her personal space.
“Since you’re in the mood to be understanding then I hope you can understand why it’s so easy for me to believe you and Thorax had some involvement in this,” Chrysalis said. “Since your student and him both worked together to poison the minds of my changelings.”
“Starlight and Thorax didn’t poison their minds,” defended Twilight, “they showed them they don’t have to steal love to survive. Thorax is leading them to a better way of life.”
Again her mother scoffed, turned her back on the alicorn and she shook her head as she took a few steps away.
“Thorax is leading them to their graves,” her mother said.
“What do you mean?” asked Twilight.
“Do you think that in all the thousands of years changelings have existed, or even in the hundreds of years I’ve been alive, that there weren’t a few like Thorax?” Chrysalis put forth, looking back over her withers at the alicorn. “What do you think happened to them?”
“There aren’t many records on changeling history,” said Twilight, “and I can’t say I remember coming across any similar stories.”
“I’ll enlighten you then,” Chrysalis said, returning to her pillow pile and sitting on her rump. She levitated Pupa from her back, placed the nymph in front of her and gently ran a hoof over her mane. “Their pretty colors will fade, their chitin will become brittle, their wings will crumble and then they’ll be no more than empty shells.”
“That’s… awful,” whispered the unicorn, placing on of her shiny hooves over her mouth.
“I’m sorry but how can I believe that’s true?” asked Twilight. “Every one of Thorax’s changelings that I’ve meet seems to be completely healthy.”
“What they did is like pouring a pile of dry leaves on a fire,” her mother explained. “It will burn brighter for a short amount of time but it will use up its fuel all the faster. For a few years they should be fine, maybe even for a decade or two, but then a sickness will set in. I know because I watched it happen before.”
A few of the changelings in the room began to whisper to one another and there was the sound of nervously buzzing wings.
“Let’s say I believe you,” the alicorn said, obviously suspicious, “could anything been done to help them?”
“I don’t care if you believe me,” said Chrysalis with no anger in her voice, just an acceptance, “and there is no way to help them.”
Twilight became momentarily withdrawn, a hoof against her chin and her eyes focused on the stone floor. Seemingly content to let the alicorn be for the moment, Chrysalis began to groom her daughters mane, fixing a tangle in the back and slipping the hairs behind Pupa’s ears. When the nymph looked up at her doting mother she could see the specter of regret in the matron’s eyes.
“Excuse me,” the white unicorn spoke up with her strange accent, “I know a lot of new information has just been divulged, and it is rather daunting, but perhaps we’ve gone a little far off topic?”
“Yes, I agree,” said Chrysalis, “let’s get back to the business at hoof. The release of a half dozen guards and your students, and yes I did say students. Four more of the little dears came to us all on their own, almost like four other uninvited visitors from years past; only this time they didn’t get very far.”
“If you harmed a-” the alicorn began.
“Please save it Sparkle,” her mother sighed, “calm you’re fetlocks, they’re safe and sound.”
The nymph nodded, thinking Gallus, Silverstream and Sandbar to be perfectly fine when she was with them.
“What are your demands then?” asked the alicorn, her eyes slightly narrowing.
Twilight really could mitigate a lot of problems with increased security.
Omg more please oh God chrystalist why?
I really hope that what Chrysalis told you is true, it always bothered me that the transformation of the changelings was incredibly spontaneous, easy and convenient and without any side effects or problems of any kind.
that is, it was perfectly convenient, and you know what they say perfection is the opposite of authenticity.
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derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/4/22/2020256.png
9653821
That is an angry looking avian.
and the negotiations begin
Pupa's cuteness certainly saves the day
As does Rarity's composure
As far as my personal headcanon goes, ex-lings are sustained through !harmony involvement. Thus, as long as they don’t leave the world (or a certain radius from Equestria) and as long as the !harmony holds strong they are generally fine. Should one leave for too long or should !harmony fail for a long enough time...
Normal changelings just need love supply, which has its ups and downs depending on the curcumstances.
Thank you, I've been wanting for this to be addressed for a while. Chrysalis now has a good reason to oppose the reform.
There are quite a few variations of the ex-lings fate anyways:
- they are doomed either way
- they can be fine (to a degree?), because xyz changed over the years
- they can be fine (to a degree?), because magic/science development can provide a solution that wasn’t possible before.
- a malicious 3rd party may have been involved before, causing the ex-lings demise. Should it be stopped, all would be fine
- etc..
Awesome chapter as always
9653863
I agree with you on the ups and down but not even Harmony can protect them from death. Nothing in existence can cheat death
So why does only Chrysalis know this and no other changeling?
If this is life threatening to their whole race!
And why do they puppate if this isn't supposed to happen and part of their life cycle?
Pupa clearly watched Pirates of the Caribbean in her previous life. Explanation about changelings accepted, though nothing being able to help them is hopefully untrue and unknownst to Chrysalis. Perhaps they can be reverted with some effort, or sustained with some kind of assistance that our favorite lovebug wasn't able to provide. Otherwise Starlight and Thorax really screwed that hive over. Excellent chapter!
9653805
Why in the world would you hope for that?
You want them to go back to a state of constant hunger that has to be fulfilled by being among other when they're fine as is right now?
9653877
Eh..
Let's say that I disagree with the statement as a whole, but have absolutely no desire to dispute it here. After all immortality is a very specific subject and has little to do with this story.
Health, medicine, conservation of energy and longevity on the other hand...
Many illnesses weren't really curable for a long time, but are not much of an issue in a modern civilization. Smoking a pipe could drastically increase a life expectancy for a sailor (by reducing a chance of pneumonia) but is a flat negative factor for health today.
Normal changelings get their sustenance from outside source. Ex-lings are a closed system that shouldn't really work under normal circumstances, unless we are missing something or something else is involved. Or say, their transformation changes them enough, so they should sustain themselves on normal food ... and all the "share love" isn't really working for sustenance. For a maximum amount of black humor and Irony, in this one case they can wither and eventually die via lack of specific nutrients that they don't get because they don't know they need them in the first place, can't get them via love anymore and still feeling good till the very last moment because their receptors/instincts/bodies_as_a_whole didn't change accordingly and just give "all is fine" signals. In this case - while Chrysalis words would still be true, a scientific/magical solution can be possible.
And considering that !harmony (and many other specific magical forces) are very real and active in Equestria, they might be involved at any point.
9653888
The author does raise a good point though-centuries to millenia and nobody knew much about Changelings, yet they apparently have the capability to simply recieve love, transform into christmas beetles, with no negative side effects? I think the author's solution to such a massive plot hole is quite eliquent, although it still does raise the question of how was this not documented in some capacity by either the other races who observed the changelings or, better yet, the changelings themselves.
Also, thought occurs; if this is what happens in this universe to changelings when they get free love, and someone is trying to stamp out the last remaining vestiges of the loyalists to Chrysalis' hive, are they making an attempt for the total genicide of the changeling species? Food for thought 🤔
9653903
Well, lack of knowledge can be explained by a relatively small amount of changelings existing, them being unknown to other races till the Canterlot wedding (except maybe as myths and old tales) and the conscious effort to hide the information. After all, should the change be that deadly in the old times, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume that queens would try to hide the information least someling try succeeding where all others failed before, causing chain reaction and mass deaths later... Especially if the scenario happened multiple times and without the advanced enough sceience/magic there was no way to understand what and where went wrong. Even more, eventually it likely would be seen by the Queens as something inevitable once it starts and to avoid at all cost, shaping the species customs and behaviour like few other things could.
It sounds a little like Chrysalis is saying that a changeling's lifespan is indefinite unless they go all shinybug, at which point it's very much finite.
Or at least the latter is shorter than the former, and the 'illness' is just age...
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Pretty sure they have at least to 'Harvest Love passiv to a certain level to keep themself alive. I see multible solutions for that. In fact its the same i see use Chrysalis in the future
9653863
That's comes across as wishful thinking and being even more reliant on the good nature of others which to be honest is a deathwish. But hey it's your head-canon and almost everyone has their own, c'est la vie.
9653866
Yep. It was to cheap of a solution from the start. I count 3 possibel solution to life in peace with Changeling . There are many storys covering em
9653903
That's not a plot hole. A plot hole would be a character losing their leg in an accident and then showing up sometime later with their leg completely fine and not explained.
9653880
Dont forget this story established there are Changeling that life outside the hive structure. This maverics could give away vital information... Solution? Only the Changeling Queens & Princess are allowed to learn about it.
9653882
Pretty sure she knows how to fix it, but dont forget... She was betrayed by Thorax and his followers! Now they have to face the consequences. Unless they come crawling and begging over To her with sufficent compensation Chrysalis would not hoof any information over.
9653888
Actualy there are multible ways to fix that:
1. The Mirror Pool- Clone a love filled Pony multible times and feed the hive.
2. Adopt orphans- raise them to be happy ponys and let them become a swarm/herd member.
And that only the Equestria friendly options
Edit: Funny how people dislike visible options
9653950
In canon its fine. Chrysalis has raised them to be selfish pricks from an early age. That and this entire show is built of easy conveniences.
9653938
So instead of warning them she dooms every changeling who randomly does it to which means she doesn't care for every changeling from her own hive.
The changelings didn't betray her either since she was the one who abandoned them running away.
She could have stayed and told them what could happen and even if they weren't living as long as before anymore they could have been part of her hive.
9653972
As long they follow they profit from her experiences and wisdom. Her knowledge is deserving only for loyal subjects. If they wannt to split apart from her hive she is no longer in obligation to care for them. If they realise it was a mistake and its not to late than maybe she will show mercy and let em rejoin her. If you change your nationality you cant expect to have the same ressources like before. That unrealistic
9653950
9653880
That's like asking why almost no one asides from the princesses knew of or the truth about:
1. Nightmare Moon
2. Discords statue
3. Changelings
4.Chrystal Empire
5. Sombra
6. Tirek
Simply put those in charge with the knowledge decided it was better left forgotten or unknown until absolutely necessary like most governments. There's a reason the term government disclosure is a thing.
9653972
Running away? Of couse the had to flee! She was surrounded by her former captured prey. What you expected her to do? She was literally on her own! Hive destroyed, her subjects not longer follow her and all her enemys that she needed to ambush in there sleep because they we're to powerful otherwise! Now there freed and you expect her to stick around?
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9653983
Comparing health information with government like secrets?
That's like hiding that radiation is poisonous for you.............
9653912
Ok, I think I understand what you type. Some things I understand and some I don’t understand. When I watch when they became ex-lings as you call them, they alter their outer and inner physical bodies, it created some negative effects to their lifespans and they won’t know until it happens
9653903
It seems a sensible belief for Chryssi to have, but I'm pretty sure those past failures did not openly associate with ponies in the past, not to this extent anyway. The increased ambient resources that come from doing so are the necessary component that had never been around until now, and she's a little narrow-minded for not noticing such a massive difference.
9653993
Cozy Glow is a perfect example of why as what she did was only possible after she found out about Tirek. All things considered if the process is irreversible keeping it secret that it exists is the common way to avoid stupid people attempting it anyway just like how most parents avoid telling certain things to children. And from the sounds of it she said it was tried several times meaning the decision to keep it secret most likely happened after too many idiots kept trying.
cause?
Lowercase S should be uppercase.
your
9653821
‘‘Pathetic’’
9654000
So why did she tell Twilight about it?
Especially in the presence of other changelings.
9653993
More like hiding a blueprint for a rather unstable and unsafe but highly productive nuclear reactor that can be easily made in one's backyard. Or any other dangerous knowledge. While it's possible to benefit from them, it doesn't need much to get a disaster that simply isn't worth it.
A lot of knowledge was hidden in canon, even for ponies.
9653994
Basically yes. It's entirely possible (for this story canon) that the magical change only appears to be simple supposedly fixing all changeling problems at once without giving them any issues. But as they likely don't understand the exact details of their body inner workings (like for example most doctors from more than 100 years ago) they won't understand what's wrong till it would be to late.
And Chrysalis is just used to condition being _always_ fatal. With her personal magical power, her feeling of utter helplessness to save lings after previous "changes" would give her even less reasons to try any more.
9654014
Chances are the ones with her are the ones she trusted not to be stupid to try and were possibly warned in advance just like government scientists and officials are given access to info that isn't made public. Also with Thorax already having transformed most of her original hive the knowledge is out all she can do is avoid the loyalists dying from making the same mistake.
Be careful, even predators should fear bigger predators and there are always bigger predators.
True
Now Chryssie, be smart and ask for help to find out who is responsible for what happened and then to be allowed to leave and not be followed
I personally am not on board with the whole "illness" thing that Chrysalis is talking about because I think the change is like a metamorphosis, in other words it's a natural part of Changeling physiology and I don't think that would be harmful for them.
9654069
Or maybe it's like some drugs or doping - makes you stronger and feeling better, but ruin you in the long term.
Because it seems that the transformed changelings survive on nothing - I do not think the show specifies if the changelings need actual food, but if they don't and now they don't need love (or probably the magic of love) then they really need nothing.
9653905
it hard, not impossible for the kid maybe there be precautions for being pushed by her mother but I can see it happening I mean didn't twilight filly do some major magic during a fear surge at school? side it the writer who makes it happen maybe pupa gets outside help to feel out the spell? or other little things no one said today she does it but maybe figure out steps to the goal?
9654069
“Natural” and “harmful” are relative in this case though. Natural cycles aren’t optimized for the benefit of a sapient individual. If a sapient insect individual can live a wholesome life for decades, does he benefit from reaching a next form that has a life expectancy of a year? Even if the metamorphosis itself can work perfectly safe? Locusts as a species do benefit from changing into suicidal mode if there’s too many of them around, but the individual insects do not.
Last, but not least there’s also magical forces in the world that can influence any of the natural or artificial processes.
9654033
And what's more, if the prey becomes sapient, it can decide to genocide your entire species if it gets sufficiently pissed...
I wonder why Chrysalis stated point blank that "the hunger of Changelings can never be satisfied" if she knew that they could metamorphose.
I think this fic should be labeled AU because there are some pretty large differences between this fic and the show, particularly in terms of Chrysalis's personality and position.
9654069
Even if she’s telling the truth it still means she screwed up. A quote works best here ‘Those that don’t learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.’ If she had taught the consecutive generations of changeling, what the consequences are for this metamorphosis perhaps it would have been done on such a large scale. This is a failing on her, for not providing better historical education to here give. Yes there would always be those among them that wouldn’t trust what Chrysalis has to say on the matter, unless they see it for themselves.
Though if it is true it just implies a very short lifetime unless there’s evidence to the contrary they could still reproduce.
9654124
Cause she believed (and had evidence) that the alternative is worse? Seems reasonable to me that she would openly lie in such case.
(And while the transformation change in the episode isn’t exactly metamorphosis in the usual sense, thats semantics)
9654097
Actually the Changelings are shown having a potluck meal so I think they still need organic food.