5. And I’m not so Strong
The scrubland and forest that Ecdysis, Smolder and Ocellus were flying by was eventually broken by a wide, slow-moving river. Ecdysis turned to guide them upstream, low over the surface of the water that gradually became less and less salty as they flew, though the water remained muddy, with Smolder not able to see the river’s bed.
“There’s a road connecting us to Tiatarta as well,” Ecdysis said, “but I prefer this approach for first-time visitors when possible. We’re already in the Nook’s land - it’s everything within five miles of the Nook itself.”
“So technically we’re in the Changeling Kingdom, not Equestria,” Ocellus noted, once again in her true form. Her voice was light, though she still cast an occasional glare towards Smolder that she responded to with a stuck-out tongue and a small snort of smoke.
The river turned a few times, even as the land started to rise up and slope, becoming increasingly rocky. The forest that had framed the river gave way to cleared terraces, vertical farms on the sides of hills with rows upon rows of trellises or tilled fields being flitted over and tended to by dozens of changelings, some in their natural form, some letting blue fire wash over them to take on forms more appropriate for what was needed. A maulworf to dig a trench, a minotaur to pull a cart, teams of rabbits to rapidly dig holes and plant seeds.
And then, the Nook itself. The river led up to a waterfall that fell a few dozen feet from a cliff’s face, the river itself having over eons carved a cleft a hundred feet deep through the cliff it flowed off of. The Nook was set into either side of this cleft - holes dug into its faces, burrows that wound their way deep into the earth. But the changelings has also built up and out, the rock of the cliff covered by colorful, semi-translucent resin that rose from its top in spires that stretched a few hundred feet into the air. The whole thing was covered in moss, lichen, and vines, even across the changeling’s resin. All in all, it looked almost like an organic, vegetation-covered crown that had been split in half
“Not bad,” Smolder allowed as the three flew towards a road that led up to the cliff from the north. The main entrance to the Nook lacked a door or gate, instead simply being yet another burrow into the cliff’s side with an overhang, the tunnel beyond sloping downwards. Smolder couldn’t help but grin a little as they all landed, thinking about her pony friends, particularly Sandbar. He’d probably wonder why the changelings had built a tunnel and cave network, ask why they didn’t build houses or something. The answer was of course obvious: caves were better.
“No welcoming committee?” Smolder asked as they advanced inside, glancing around while adjusting her bag into a more comfortable position on her back. She saw only rock, and glowing moss and lichen to light the way. “Or are some of these rocks changelings?”
Ecdysis turned her head enough so that she could see Smolder behind her as the three walked past a particularly large rock. “No, everything here is what it appears to be. I’ve gotten every bug to agree to be in their natural forms when non-changelings are...” she trailed off, then turned to look directly at the rock. “Oh, no - ”
And that was as far as she got before the rock suddenly was awash in blue fire, and something black and fanged and full of holes was charging right at Smolder and Ocellus. A changeling. An unreformed changeling.
Ocellus let out a cry of fright, wings snapping open and dragging her backwards - though she reached out and grabbed Smolder with hooves and telekinesis both as she did. Smolder fought the instinct to fight her off even as she took in a deep breath, then exhaled a gout of flame straight forward. The unreformed changeling ducked the fire...but rather than press the attack, it remained crouched on the ground, hooves over its head and eyes closed against the heat. After a moment, it opened its eyes. “Watch it!” He - based on the voice, anyway - buzzed. “You almost burned me...”
“She almost...that would have been your fault, not hers, Venter!” Ecdysis exclaimed as she stomped up to him.
Ocellus had paused in her retreat at the exchange, and Smolder's instincts once again took over, grabbing her friend and pulling her in front of her - but only so that Smolder could hold onto the changeling tightly, fold herself around her, crouch, and spread her wings wide, ready to retreat. Her tail pounded against the stone floor beneath her even as she exhaled smoke and a few licks of fire. “What the heck was that?“ she demanded.
“Wh-what Just happened?” Ocellus asked as well. Smolder was careful to avoid blowing smoke her way. Ocellus didn't seem to mind the changed position, holding on to Smolder's arms tightly as she was. “Wh...why is there...“
The unreformed changeling - Venter, Smolder gathered, and recognized the name - took in a sharp breath, then smiled as he stood back up. Changeling magic once again washed over him as he stepped up closer to Smolder, heedless of her growling or her smoke. Once the magic faded, it revealed a Reformed changeling, pink-and-white in coloration, with his tongue licking the air before he let out a satisfied buzz. “Mmmm, that’s the good stuff!”
Ecdysis, meanwhile, was covering her face with her hooves. “This is Venter. Yes, he's Reformed...somehow. He just actually likes the smell and taste of fear and does this...too often. far too often.”
“Ah, thock,” Venter said, tongue still lapping at the air. “Thock, nogh hear, hear oh herror ihingh ah hooh - ”
Smolder’s hand lashed out, grabbing Venter’s tongue and pulling the changeling close so that she could fill as many of his eye segments with her as possible. “You have to ask before eating my emotions,” she growled, then blew smoke directly in his face as she pushed him away before she scooted back from him herself, still clutching Ocellus tightly. The changeling coughed and sputtered as he stumbled. “So he’s the problem bug,” Smolder said, remembering what Mayor Dusk had said.
Ecdysis nodded, peeking out from behind her hooves. “I’m so sorry, he’s a genius at resin-casting so we keep him around, otherwise I would have asked King Thorax to take him back...”
“Come - eugh - on, Ecdysis - ” Venter had to pause then as he waved his hooves in front of his face, gradually blowing away the smoke, “If - if I can't eat then you shouldn't - eugh - lie, just ‘cause the dragon can’t smell it. You like me too much. Plus I’m the only one who even pretends to do guard duty when it’s my turn. Where’s the other bugs, by the way?”
Ecdysis at last lowered her hooves, and cast her head down. Venter took in a breath, then his eyes fluttered. “Oh,” he said, and wasted no time in going over to Ecdysis and hugging her. Before Smolder knew what was happening, Ocellus squirmed out from her grip, and did likewise, though she cast a smile back at Smolder first.
The dragon breathed in and out a few times, closing her eyes and crossing her arms - mostly because she somehow now felt vacant without Ocellus. Once she settled herself, she looked up, and found the changelings still hugging things out. “There’s gonna be a lot of this, isn’t there?” She asked. Ocellus nodded without letting go of Ecdysis, and Smolder rolled her eyes, waiting it out, though she tried to think happy thoughts at least for their benefit.
It took awhile, but eventually the three changelings separated, taking in deep breaths - to taste the air or to steady themselves the way she had needed to, Smolder didn’t know. “Okay,“ Ecdysis said, “let's get going. Venter...please stop. For the love of Thorax, please.“
“Well, for a little bit,“ the pink changeling promised. He waved to Smolder without turning his head. “I'll leave you alone, don't worry. No more jump-scares.“
Smolder grunted, walking by him with her wings still flexing and unflexing. She snorted more fire. “I won't miss next time,“ she said. Venter looked in no way intimidated, and Smolder wanted to fix that, but Ocellus was already walking away. She hurried along.
The passage they walked through was twisting, with side-chambers and little caves dig out every dozen feet or so, most of them empty. There was a growing sweet scent the deeper they went, but the smell as they reached the main chamber of the Nook wasn’t actually as bad as Smolder had been expecting. The changelings had either found or dug for themselves a large cavern, easily big enough to fit hundreds of bugs at a time on the floor alone - but changelings also clung to the wall or ceiling with ease. The chamber was supported by pillars of both stone and resin, many of the latter having hollows throughout them for changelings to crawl into. Light was provided through a great hole in the roof through which sunlight shined in and changelings came in and out, though Ocellus couldn’t help but wonder what they did when it rained.
What Smolder hadn’t been expecting, but in hindsight was obvious, were the personal touches. Every changeling seemed to have a space in the chamber of “their own”, and decorated them as they liked, with cubbies for their belongings, personal art projects, hanging decorations...what the chamber lacked, the wyrm lurking under Smolder’s scales couldn’t help but note, was walls. Doors. Even privacy screens. Everything was completely open, free for the taking...she felt herself flexing her fingers and wings a little, the back of her mind imagining her rushing towards one of the cubbies - maybe that one, she thought she saw something shine within - and grabbing it, shoving it into her bag, then flying off. Down one of the tunnels, or straight up out the hole in the roof. Flying off with her prize...
She felt a nudge from Ocellus, who was looking at her pointedly. “What?” She asked, then realized when she noticed that a lot of other changelings were looking at her, either giving her a wide berth or shuffling closer to one another, or their stuff. Smolder sighed. “Oh. Right. Um...should I make a big announcement that I’m not really going to try and make off with as much as I can carry?”
“Just stop feeling it,” Ocellus said in a low voice.
“How do I just stop feeling something? Intentionally?” Smolder demanded, but tried anyway, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. “Okay, okay...happy thoughts...happy thoughts...”
It wasn’t that Smolder wanted to steal everything that wasn’t nailed down (and nothing was in the Nook). Well, she did, but that was just her instincts: she was in a new place with new things and so she wanted them, needed them. Unfortunately, changeling senses didn’t make much of an allowance for instinctual drive verses intellectual knowledge. Ocellus couldn’t stop herself from shrinking up a little at the sight of so many changelings moving away from Smolder - and thus her. Even Ecdysis’ own pace quickened as though to put distance between her. Greed didn’t smell or taste bad, but changelings weren’t blind to what an emotion meant just because it was edible.
“S-so,” Ocellus said, stepping up to Ecdysis. “We should probably start with the changelings affected by the love poison. See if we can learn anything. I know you’ve already tried, but...”
Ecdysis caught Ocellus’ worry and embarrassment, and nodded. “Of course. We’ve been keeping them in another chamber, this way...”
The chamber was off and up from the main one, requiring a flight up to its entrance followed by a nearly vertical climb up its passage. Ocellus and Ecdysis made the walk easily, while there was enough room for Smolder to fly rather than having to climb and damage the resin-covered walls with her claws.
The chamber they entered was dimly lit via windows to the outside cliff face, with sound of running water and the waterfall outside filtering in. A couple bugs stood guard, or rather sat at guard, by the entrance, which immediately led to a dip down into a sort of wide, shallow pit covered with soft moss and lichen where more than two dozen changelings lay around in what could only be described as various states of inebriation. Some of them just lay in place, giggling to themselves; others were grouped together and taking animately, but with slurred speech. A few were asleep, while one green-and-blue one, on seeing the three, spread her elytra and flew unsteadily towards them. “Queen!” She exclaimed happily.
Ecdysis froze, and enough shock came off of her that Ocellus was surprised Venter didn’t suddenly appear to lap it up. “Nervure, I’m not - ”
“Whatever,” Nervure said as she landed, stumbling a little. She smelled sweet, the same cloying joy and elation that had poured off of Clavicle, though subdued enough that Ocellus’ mouth at least didn’t start watering. “You’re...in charge a’ the Hive. Nook. Hive Nook. You’re resposs - Heeellloooo...”
She had turned to look at Smolder, and grinned widely. Licks of blue fire stuttered over her, and Ecdysis and the two teenagers were looking at another teenage dragon, a male that shared Nervure’s colors, taller than Smolder and strongly built. Yet at the same time, he was off, the eyes not quite fully missing their changeling sheen, and the wings were gossamer.
He nevertheless stumbled forward and up to Smolder. “N-never ha-ad a dragon’s love before...” he slurred, reaching out to Smolder.
“Yeah, no,” Smolder grabbed Nervure’s wrists before he could embrace her, holding the transformed changeling at arm’s length easily - another sign of an incomplete transformation, the muscles only being cosmetic. She looked over to Ecdysis. “I thought you said they weren’t violent.”
Ocellus shook her head. “What’s going on?” She asked. “We...we don’t steal love anymore!”
“I’m askin’!” Nervure objected. “Was just...makin’ an offer. Hugs aren’t violent, you...you...little orange...cutie.”
Ocellus’ eyes grew wide, and before she knew what she was doing she had cast off the school bag she carried, turned into a dragon herself - her preferred beige form - and grabbed Nervure, pulling him off of Smolder since her transformation and the draconic strength that came with it weren’t merely cosmetic. She felt her assumed belly filling with fire. “She isn’t an adult yet!”
“I mean, that’s kind of a complicated concept with dragons,” Smolder noted, one hand resting on her hip as she looked Ocellus up and down.
Ecdysis sighed, flying up and grabbing Nervure from Ocellus, dragging him backwards. “Love poison seems like it slightly damages a changeling’s ability to nourish ourselves with our own love for as long as it’s in our system, slows our ability to process it even though we still consume it normally, so the bugs end up getting a little hungrier then we’ve grown used to over the past few years. It’s also nearly useless for magic, hence the bad transformation.”
As if to emphasize this, Nervure transformed into her original self. She shook her head, then wobbled. “I’m...I’m just...just a little peckish, is all. Wasn’t gonna...take.”
In spite of the risk and the temptation it would cause, Ocellus turned back into her own true form so that she could take in the scent of Nervure, needing to be sure. Beyond the cloying sweetness of the love poison, she did indeed smell sincerity, and a touch of embarrassment. “Okay,” she said, though she stepped a little closer to Smolder nevertheless, conscious of the dragon eyeing her and her reaction to Nervure making an advance on Smolder. Ocellus shuffled on her hooves, not entirely sure what to make of it herself.
Curiosity poured off Ecdysis as well, but she turned her attentions to Nervure, landing in front of her and pulling the literally love-drunk changeling into a hug. Nervure’s tongue snaked out of her mouth, and she lapped up the offered affection. “Just a few more days,” Ecdysis promised. “Then you can come out.”
Nervure giggled, hug on Ecdysis tightening a moment before she withdrew. “O-okay, m-my...” she shook her head, then put her hooves in Ecdysis’ shoulders and stared directly at her. “Y’sure you don’ wanna be called a queen? ‘Cause this is a hive, an’ that dork Thorax put ya in charge...”
Ecdysis shook her head. “No.”
“Princess.”
“No.”
“Rani.”
“What? No. What’s a rani?”
“Frog. Ribbit.” With that, Nervure began giggling, stumbling back from Ecdysis and taking to the air, then landing down among the other love-drunk changelings, where she joined one of the other less-inebriated ones in a song.
Smolder came up to the edge of the pit, looking down herself. “Wait, but they’re probably feeding off each other, right?” She asked. “That’s not making it last longer than it should, is it?”
Ecdysis shook her head. “I don’t know. We don’t know enough about love poisons. They are coming down, though, so even if it’s slow, it’s better than leaving them alone.” She looked to Smolder. “And I’m sorry, but I swear we’ve made sure they’re fed enough love that they won’t snap. That was just...like if you were carrying around a tray of cupcakes. She wanted one but didn’t think to ask first.”
“My cupcakes,” Smolder noted.
She probably meant it as a joke, but Ocellus felt a pang of guilt going through her. She nibbled on those cupcakes all the time and Smolder was none the wiser. Ecdysis stiffened a little when she scented the guilt, but before she could dive into it Ocellus stepped up to the edge of the pit as well. “We should try and talk to some of the more lucid changelings,” she said. “See if they remember anything, or at least learn where the last place they remember being was.”
“Right,” Smolder said, spreading her wings. “You stay up here for now. Don’t want you eating the wrong stuff.” She hopped into the air, then glided down, back towards Nervure to start with - before Ocellus could stop her, as it left her alone with Ecdysis.
The red changeling stepped closer to Ocellus. “Guilt?” She asked quietly, tongue flicking out, then scrunching her muzzle at the taste.
Ocellus cast her head down. “Y...yes,” she whispered, knowing lying would be pointless. It was a luxury she could have at the School of Friendship, but not around other changelings. “I’m sorry...but there’s no other changelings at the School of Friendship, and no creature there even knows that I’m eating their emotions, and I know King Thorax said we should try not to but its like being always surrounded by every flavor of cookie...”
Ecdysis smelled of confusion rather than scorn, something which only confused Ocellus herself. “But I mean, guilt over...” she trailed off, then shook her head. “Nevermind. It’s not important right now. Look, I have to tell the rest of the Nook about Clavicle. Please, if you have to go down there,” she pointed to the pit of love-drunk changelings, “turn into something else so you can’t smell or taste the love poison. Okay?”
Ocellus nodded, and Ecdysis turned, though she paused before leaving as she looked to the two bugs who were still sitting guard. “Why didn’t you help with Nervure?” She asked the two.
Both guards shrugged. “The dragon had it,” he said, and his companion agreed.
Ecdysis mumbled something under her breath, frustration filling the air as she trotted past them and started crawling down the hole. Ocellus watched her go, then sighed and turned around. Considering a few shapes, she settled on her dragon form again, and leapt in after her friend.
Time passed frustratingly slowly with the inebriated changelings. Their attentions wandered aimlessly, and they’d segue into discussions about anything and everything. A bug named Hyaline recognized Ocellus even in her dragon form and would not stop talking about she was the pride and joy of the Hive, the first in a bright new future, and eventually broke down crying over how happy he was that things were working out for Ocellus - and also over how much he loved pancakes, something that all the other changelings sober enough to hear agreed upon.
“Is our best lead,” Smolder asked hours later as the two climbed out of the pit and to the hole that led down towards the main chamber, “seriously a place called Patios & Pancakes?”
Ocellus sighed even as she sloughed off her dragon form, picking up her school bag from where she’d dropped it and putting it back on, a complicated process if she wanted to leave her elytra free to open for her wings. “Tiatarta isn’t very big. I don’t think the fact that every bug down there has been there means much. They’ve all been to the Chill Spot too.” Also half of them had just started chanting “zeppelins” when Clavicle’s situation and Cloud Spirit’s Sky Diving had come up. That had taken a few minutes to stop.
Smolder was about to respond to that, but Ocellus yawned, and Smolder ended up catching it. “It’s only, like, noon, why are you tired?” The dragon asked once she was able to close her mouth again.
“I didn’t sleep well last night,” Ocellus responded before she could think about it - and then nearly bit her tongue at the wave of guilt, greed, and shame that assaulted her from Smolder. The other two changeling guards caught the scent as well and started coughing.
“Eggshells!” One exclaimed, pressing back against the wall and staring directly at Smolder. “You have issues.”
The negative scent didn’t abate are that, but it was joined and then overwhelmed by another: draconic anger, far out of proportion to the insult. Ocellus’ eyes widened, and she dashed in front of Smolder before she could advance more than a step towards the guards. “S-Smolder!” She exclaimed. “Just...just leave them alone. Maybe you...I mean, I d-don’t think you got much sleep either, did you?”
Smolder growled, but the guilt and shame began to overtake the anger. She snorted smoke, then turned to the exit and hopped down it, spreading her wings. Ocellus followed, though not before casting an annoyed glare back at the guards.
By the time she’d reached the bottom, she’d lost track of Smolder, or at least visual track. She probably could have followed the emotional scent like a trail - if not for being hit by a sudden miasma of depression.
Ocellus’ eyes widened as she clamped her mouth shut. She found that the changelings in the main chamber were all gathered together in groups, talking among themselves. As she got closer, she scented other emotions, anger or fear or uncertainty. But depression was the biggest. Given how often Ocellus heard Clavicle’s name mentioned, along with the words love poison, it wasn’t hard to figure out the source of the depression.
Ocellus grimaced, trying to steel herself, remember lessons that Ecdysis had taught her back when both had fangs and black, identical carapaces. Emotions were like fire. They spread from one creature to the next as they were expressed, and no creature could sense that spread better than changelings. Controlling it was a different matter altogether. If Ocellus had been an infiltrator she would have had to not let the happiness, the joy, the contentment or the love of those she lurked among affect her. The easiest way to do that would have been to focus on her hurt and pain and anger.
The same lesson could be applied here, just in reverse. Ocellus focused on happiness and joy within herself. Good times with her friends - the Hearth’s Warming they had spent together. The spellvenger hunt. The tea parties that she and Smolder secretly enjoyed. She almost laughed at the unbidden mental image of Smolder in a dress standing between her and the negative emotions of the Nook.
So girded, she sought out Ecdysis, and found the red changeling moving among the other bugs, trying to get their spirits back up. It worked while she was in front of them...but no sooner would a Ecdysis leave given changelings behind than would the depression of other changelings come back. She was fighting a losing battle against the emotional tide that would put every changeling here in a malaise for...for however long it took for something to change it.
It wasn’t just over Clavicle being arrested, Ocellus knew; that would be too simple, even if it was how most bugs articulated it. It was something deeper. Even with two dozen changelings above them drunk on love poison, the bugs here had been able to ignore or move past the implications. The bugs were getting better, would be fine, and no creature had been hurt. It could be brushed aside or reasoned against.
But with Clavicle now in a pony stockade, all alone except for one other changeling, facing punishment for a crime he’d had no control over...
...or had he? The crimes the others had committed had only seemed victimless because no victims had been found. But somehow, changelings were being poisoned. Draining ponies of love. The Bad Old Days, all over again.
Maybe changelings couldn’t...
Ocellus shuddered as she flew away from the rest of the bugs, finding an empty nook in one of the main chamber’s pillars and landing on the soft moss that covers it, hunkering down. No. Changelings had changed. All of them, they were better than they had been. More. Ocellus sucked in a breath and shuddered again, hugging herself.
But then, she stole love all the time, didn’t she?
Chrysalis had acquired sunglasses. Ponies on vacation needed sunglasses, and they went well with her hat. Otherwise she’d quite enjoyed her hours in the sun, physically doing nothing except making sure she didn’t cook under its rays, mentally refining her plan to claim the Nook as her own - although even she could admit that this mostly took the form of a fantasy of her triumphantly throwing some nondescript pony to the bugs, watching them get drained, and then all of the Nook turning to her and apologizing and begging forgiveness. Probably it wouldn’t be that simple. The last time she’d expected things to go simply, she’d found herself with fuzz and a mane thick enough to lose a boat in. But, also, a capacity to generate her own love. Feed herself. So maybe that was a good sign?
A growling stomach at last drew her from the beach. As long as she kept her magic basic she never had to worry about love anymore, but more basic physical hunger was a plague that would never go away. So, she packed up, dropped off her things at her hotel, had a quick shower to wash off the sand - just before I take my revenge on Thorax, I really should thank him for the shampoo recommendation, she mused as she regarded the glossy look to her fuzz that made it far more tolerable to look at - and then set out to see what Tiatarta had for eateries.
And bumped right into Smolder as soon as she stepped from the hotel.
“Gah!” The dragon exclaimed. “Watch - oh. It’s you.”
Chrysalis glared down (her chosen body was just tall enough) at the dragon whelp. “Yes. It’s me.” Her eyes narrowed, though not so much at the affront of being bumped into (though that was galling), but more the fact that she had a plan and it wasn’t supposed to start until tomorrow and yet here was Smolder and...
...actually, where was Ocellus? “What happened to your better half?” She asked.
Smolder glared at her, shifting a bag she held in her claws rather than across her back. “What do you care?”
Chrysalis huffed, and started chanting think of the plan over and over in her mind even as she affected a bright smile. “I changed my mind,” she said, coming up alongside Smolder. “Whatever is happening to those poor changelings is a travesty, so I’ve decided to help you and Ocellus - because, let’s be honest, that must be what the Cutie Map sent you here for. So...where is she?”
Smolder grunted, starting to walk again through Tiatarta’s street, the town to her left and the beach and Luna Bay to their right. Chrysalis followed nonchalantly - ha! - stopping every now and then by a few eateries that had ponies offering free samples outside of them and popping them into her mouth. Appetizers. Delicious. Whatever else could be said about ponies, they certainly knew how to cook. Although she questioned the existence of hay bacon every time she encountered it. Didn’t stop her, though.
“Ocellus is back at the Nook,” Smolder said, hugging her bag tighter as she walked, hunched over it. “I needed some alone time, away from...stuff.”
“Hmm...” Chrysalis mused as she followed Smolder. Another free sample, this one of some fruit smoothie, went down the hatch. “Among changelings, ‘alone time’ is a punishment, you know. Even infiltrators spending months or years away from the Hive would at least be planted among other races. Surrounded by them. Bugs don’t do well...alone.” Chrysalis found herself contemplating her own words. Almost. She was the queen, she was made of sterner stuff than any drone. Besides, she had the shadow for company. She checked her bag to make sure it’s wooden home was safely there, and smiled when she found it was.
Ooh, was that a tiny cupcake? She devoured the free sample from the bakery. And another.
Smolder glared into Chrysalis’ assumed eyes. “You don’t really get the concept of ‘alone time’ yourself, do you?”
“I think it’s an interesting point of conflict between you and your lover. Dragons are all about standing alone and apart, after all.”
Smolder growled, turning on Chrysalis. “I don’t love Ocellus. Dragons - ”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Chrysalis insisted, holding up a hoof. “I used to think that too. Hmm...” she trailed off as the two walked by a seaside diner that advertised a surprisingly eclectic menu, including fish for visiting carnivore or omnivore races. All of it looked fried and greasy and salty and fattening - the perfect vacation lunch, then. The salmon free sample outside was delectable. “Yes, this will do. Are you hungry?”
“Are you buying?” Smolder responded.
“For you? Absolutely not. I’m a relationship counselor, I spend every moment of my life helping others. This vacation is supposed to be a chance to me to act a little selfish. Poor, vulnerable changelings notwithstanding.”
With that, Chrysalis went in. She was almost surprised that Smolder followed her - almost, but not quite. “Now then, Smolder. We’re not going to do much to help the Nook if you and Ocellus are having your little spat the whole way through. And if you really wanted alone time then you would have found somewhere in the forest or on the beach, not flown five miles to Tiatarta. So I think what you wanted was less alone time, and more time away from changelings.” She chuckled externally, but inside she was grimacing. “They’ve become that bad, have they?”
“What are you talking about?” Smolder demanded.
Chrysalis held off on speaking for a moment as she ordered and paid for hay fries and smoked salmon on a stick. Ponies occasionally would eat fish, so it wouldn’t break her cover beyond odd looks from unadventurous ponies who found carnivory in equines to be distasteful.
Smolder ordered nothing, but she did sit down at the same table. Chrysalis took a few moments to squirt lemon juice over her salmon and then take a few bites before pressing on. “Changelings used to be driven by one thing,” she said, horn lighting up to lift up fries. “Hunger. It gave them both focus and purpose. Everything was linked to hunger. Everything came back to hunger. When a changeling masqueraded as a friend or loved one they felt no guilt no matter what they did, because they were hungry, and that justified everything.”
Chrysalis paused in chewing on the salmon, and examined it. There was some bone still left in, probably an accident by the griffin cook. She finished off the meat and then used her telekinesis to crack open the bones. The marrow was the best part, tiny slivers or not. “But now, the changelings aren’t hungry. And just like a blind pony gaining better hearing, the changelings have become...sensitive, to things that never used to matter.” Chrysalis pulled out the marrow with magic and slid it into her mouth. Tasty.
She looked to Smolder, who was instead of looking appreciative at this lesson had her rather gem-like eyes focused on her plate. Chrysalis looked down at it herself, and saw nothing but an ordinary empty plate, a good meal consumed. “What?” She asked.
Smolder shook her head, the light glinting off her scales. “The only creatures I’ve ever seen eat that fast are Ocellus and my other friend Gallus.”
Chrysalis’ eyes narrowed. “I like food,” she said. She’d ordered a drink as well, a soda pop that she drained in moments, fighting past the brain freeze.
“I’m just wondering if you’re projecting your own stuff about hunger onto - ”
“One of us h-has a wall with a diploma on it and one of us doesn’t.” It was actually more likely to be Smolder than Chrysalis, seeing as she knew she had no such diploma, but whatever. “My point is...” she paused, furrowing her brow a moment as she stared at the dragon. What was the point? Oh, right. “...that you’re a dragon. You like strength, and changelings have become soft and weak. You like to bottle things up, but changelings can smell your insecurities and issues f-from across a room. Including one changeling in particular.”
Chrysalis grimaced at the pounding in her head. The slight stutter hadn’t escaped her notice either. Fine, she’d pace herself with cold drinks from now on. She stood after a moment and exited the restaurant, Smolder still in tow. “This sounds like a lot of knowledge about changelings for a relationship counselor,” Smolder said.
“I can have hobbies. Who s-says I can’t?”
“And you’re still wrong.” Smolder flapped her wings, though she didn’t take off. Chrysalis eyed the wings. Quite strong, not delicate like a changeling’s. There was a lot to admire about dragons physically, though maybe not right now as she’d almost tripped over...something. “Still has nothing to do with - ”
“Yes, yes, yes, dragons not f-feeling love.” She paused at another free sample, a pony mare offering tiny sandwiches. She grabbed two in her telekinesis, one for her, and held out the other to Smolder. “Eat.”
Smolder stared at the sandwich. “I thought you were trying to be selfish.”
“Yes, but this is free and you’re a growing y-young dragon. Eat.”
Smolder sighed, grabbing the sandwich and swallowing it in one bite. Chrysalis ate her own. “Good. Now as I was saying, that’s a load of...of horse...something. Doesn’t m-matter. Doesn’t your back hurt?”
Smolder’s muzzle scrunched. “What?”
“Walking like that. Hunched over your bag. Doesn’t that h-hurt?”
“No...you’re acting kinda’ weird, Nonchalant.”
“I’m sorry, I think - ”
Chrysalis froze, words catching in her throat. She had just apologized. To a nice young dragon that was only trying to look out for her -
What.
Chrysalis put a hoof to her forehead. Warm. Stuttering, slight slur to her words too. Headache. She’d almost tripped and needed to brace herself to stand - uncoordinated. And when she looked to Smolder she saw a young dragon with lustrous orange scales, strong and tall spines. She picked out not the weaknesses in Smolder, saw only the corded muscles and the powerful wings.
“I’ve b-been love poisoned.”
Smolder took a step back from Chrysalis. “What?”
“Love p-poisoned. I like you. A...a lot. Suddenly. M...maternal love, I th-think. Want to h-help you grow. S-seeing only positive...” Chrysalis breathed in, trying to steady herself, focus on the important thing. “You and Ocellus really need to just sit down and...”
No, wait, that wasn’t right! Chrysalis focused. “Take. M-me. To. Th-th-the. Nook.”
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'What' indeed.
Was it the fish, or was it the sandwich?
Well Chrysalis, how is your search for the culprit going? Oh, you have been poisoned yourself.
At least you still have the possibility of presenting yourself as a stronger ruler than Thorax and get them to follow you. Oh, wait now they all will see you in your drugged up state.
Hmm, at least the success rate of your plans remains constant, I guess.
And here it goes , bloody hell , it's going to be a freaking massacre , physical or mental , both are options . Anyway , great chapter , has always !
maybe it the source of the raw ingredients that been poisoned?
And that was how Ocellus learned that dragons can whistle.
Great idea. Poke the raw emotions of a dragon. Next try holding a copper rod on top of a hill in a thunderstorm and shout "All gods are bastards!"
I have to appreciate how this comes immediately after Ocellus has a personal moral crisis. Fantastic contrast.
The changeling and the once-destitute orphan. The two who know not to take a meal for granted.
Well, there's a lead. Unfortunately, given the sheer quantity of free samples Chrysalis downed, it doesn't narrow down the culprit much... though given love poison's almost instantaneous onset time, the fish place is the lead suspect. Especially if the poison was slipped in Chryssy's soda. We'll see soon enough.
Also, good to see love poison adjusts for the target's age. A lot of deeply unpleasant implicatons avoided there.
Well, that's, uh... that's one way to conduct your investigation....
So that little joke about such a thing in the comments of the prequel is actually canon now.
Sweet stinger at the end!
Well, she ate the free samples from basically every restaurant in town, so we still aren't closer to finding the culprit.
Holy crap, that ending.
I loved the description of the Nook, by the way. Very awesome. One small thing.
I think that should be past-tense.
Careful Chrys! Being around other changelings while you're inebriated doesn't sound very conducive to remaining hidden. Also, I bet it was the soda that did it! Anyway, excellent chapter!
That's not fair! How can you inflict cliff hanger endings on us you know how much they suck!
9891255
...I understand. I feel reassured I'm not the only one who feels like this.
I don't want to bother you. I'll be sending the other guy a PM instead.
What's it say that I immediately thought of this?: https://youtu.be/0rLocGmC9RM?t=23
Heh, I think a motherly tsundre is funnier than a romantic one.
It was pretty clearly the milkshake, though I appreciate putting her brief bout of loneliness ahead of that as a red-herring.
The food sellers don't have a way of piercing Changeling disguises that we know of, but there haven't been any reports of non-Changeling infected. I suspect some food vendors are putting trace amounts of love poison in all of their food, creating an overall positive atmosphere for the town. The Changeling slowly poison themselves until they snap.
9891168
Don’t forget to take your shoes off for maximum conductivity. And send me a picture of the aftermath, because lightning scars are ridiculously cool.
Like a hungry changeling, I needed my fix. So glad to see this updated! The perfect thing to kick-off the weekend.
I really like the description of the Nook, as well as the idea that different changelings might like different emotions--or at least a little variety. Can you translate what he was saying though? It was a bit hard to cipher.
Also, I love the idea of Patios & Pancakes. It's totally ridiculous but fits right in with Equestrian norms.
Can't say I blame Smolder for storming off ... but the more juvenile voice in my head can't resist commenting that her sudden flush of guilt-shame was probably the changelings equivalent of suddenly breaking wind ... and then having someone comment on your diet! No wonder she wanted to get away!
Chrysalis is always fun in her horribleness and I like her scene with Smolder. Also, nice touch having the love poison manifest itself differently when it comes to certain differences, i.e. it isn't romantic-love in all cases. That'd get awkward. Especially after Smolder's encounter with Nervure. I can't wait to see Chryssy at the Nook and of course more of our favorite changeling-dragon duo! (Sorry Thorax and Ember, you're just not as cute as Ocellus and Smolder).
Can't wait to see everyone's shock when Chryssi reveals herself to have been Reformed on accident.
9889524
That's what you get when you rush an ending...cuz' timetable.
Not the fish. The SODA. Hide the 'sweet poison', in the sweet drink.
An evil Galiffreyan biologist?
9891046
Fun fact, Chrysalis' reaction here is partially based on a D&D character I ran, in that she's more than smart and experienced enough to realize that she's been cursed while still being powerless to do anything about it. Although Chrysalis is fairly less likely to end up, once the curse is broken, screaming for ten minutes straight followed by spending an hour curled up in a corner crying, which is what happened with my character since her greatest fear was a loss of agency or control, and she spent the better part of a day not really in control of her own actions or even thoughts.
Said character was a Lawful Evil Fiend warlock who had on not less than two occasions ducked behind or otherwise endangered actual children to save her own skin, though, so don't feel too bad for her.
9891123
We can figure it out...with science! And
reservessacrificial lambsinvoluntary test subjectswho will be well compensatedwho will be honored.9891168
Ah, the late, great Sir Terry. I haven't read nearly enough of the Disc.
9891172
Chrysalis is good at this! Smolder too!
9891176
Actually it's been canon the whole time - one of my responses to it was to say that I'm completely fine with it being the canonical response-letter from Thorax and Pharynx. Although your guess is as good as mine as to how the response letter actually got to Chrysalis.
9891202
Well, technically just the street that borders the beach. Provided she was poisoned there, that does narrow things down a bit.
9891218
Thanks for the compliment on the Nook. I wasn't sure I was exactly getting across what I wanted in the text. Before the changelings started clearing land for terrace farms and adding resin to make their hive, I imagine the place looked like this, while the terrace farms that surround it look like this. Meanwhile the Nook's large communal chamber is meant to invoke something like this, although cleared of trees and with more of a roof.
9891276
Oof, if you think this is bad, imagine how I've felt over the past few weeks as I was reading through Child of the Invasion. FanOfMostEverything can probably back me up on that one. Personally, though, I think a well-timed cliffhanger is good (and Starscribe in Child used them well too, even if I did age more in five weeks than I did in the previous five years over those cliffhangers).
9891290
Thanks.
9891327
archive-media.nyafuu.org/wsr/image/1451/88/1451882173413.jpg
9891166 9891328
It has been said by many that quantity has a quality all of its own.
9891331
Can I just say that I find it hilarious that if you find yourself trapped outside in a lightning storm, the safest position to be in is bowed over with your ass in the air?
9891351
Venter says, "Ah, Shock. Shock, not fear, fear or terror isn't as good" before being cut off by Smolder. I tried to transliterate what it sounded like saying that while my mouth was wide open and I was sticking my tongue out. But I actually have a really short tongue, so I'm not sure if it's the same sounds that anyone would make.
9891648
I really hope she shows up again sooner or later. Technically Nervure was wrong by saying it's a frog since the Latin for frog is actually rana, but in fairness, she's drunk, and we should be impressed that she apparently knows the feminine form of the Hindu raja.
9891144 9891193 9891229 9891396 9891493
Thanks for the comments!
9891709
I just got started with SF Debris' review of Going Postal, The Hogfather and Colour of Magic (I appreciated your remarks about the Little Match Girl and the link in "Ocellus' Ordinary Day." I watched the animated version of Wyrd Sisters and fell in love with it. I'm actually going to make an attempt to write Zecora with Granny Esme Weatherwax in mind.
9891276
Can confirm RDD's take on Child of the Invasion. Starscribe is devastatingly good at cliffhangers.
I am also way too amused by the fact that not long after you updated this story about an unlikely burgeoning romance with a changeling, this story also updated: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/436145/a-tempestuous-pharyngeal-engagement
9891802
I am a wee, tiny bit annoyed that that story knocked this one down a peg on the feature box, and subsequently it was knocked out of it. But it's undeserved jealousy; I do love that story and was ecstatic to see it updated, especially with a fifteen-thousand word chapter.
wouldn't it be interesting if it turns out love poisons or curses are used to just boost business? a so-called "harmless" little gimmick to improve there city or get the tourist to drop coins and improve reputation as a couples getaway that doesn't harm any pony in small doses but then changelings happen? like I bet some small businesses had to have used small curses like imagining a love it needs it spell to boost sales or slip of love poison to get sappy couples or sudden whirlwind romance going and go on dates so romantic and worse thing is ponies do those acts often over the top stuff crazy love things
9891123
Soda
9891825
Heh, been there. Of course, when one of my stories gets in the popular box it's usually for all of about 10 minutes. =P
(P.S. I now want a half-crazed, uber-loyal changeling declaring Thorax to be his queen at any and all occasions--especially in front of Pharynx and the Equestrian Princesses. "FOR. THE. ROYALTYYYYYYYY!")
9891869
Actually that might happen. My plan in the Lunaverse is that all changeling titles are gender neutral even if they sound like they should have a gender. Like, "hive lord" can refer to a male or a female changeling, "brood mothers" can be male or female (it refers to changelings who tend to hatcheries and nymphs, not necessarily the changelings who actually laid the eggs), and so on. And the ruler of a changeling hive is always called the Queen. So when Thorax takes over in due time, he'll be Queen Thorax.
9891878
Oh reaaaally~
Pharynx: https://youtu.be/AZCK4AmbkGY?t=6
Looks like she's busted...and we found the source of the poison...the restaurant.
9891827
I honestly hope it's something quasi-harmless like that. Instead of being a conspiracy to ruin the rep of the Changelings, the Chef or whoever is doing this just "spiced" up the food to get return customers-but it backfired...horribly.
9891327
My mind went somewhere ENTIRELY different:
https://youtu.be/VtYO32AVyMM?t=2m30s
and
https://youtu.be/jRZx1_KxyZo?t=3m10s
Welp, looks like her cover's blown. If Ocellus doesn't recognise the symptoms, one of the other changelings probably will.
9891123
Could be any of the free samples
9891168
Or it's always set on Maternal Love
9891709
AH! That's where Rani came from. Makes sense now.
The nook is lovely. These changelings clearly understand my aestetic, though personally I'd have kept the trees.
Well I hadnt expected that ending!
I'm putting in my guess now. It's the marrow from the fish. If it was straight away to start effecting her it had to be something in the fish as the cook didn't remove the bones on purpose and the marrow was tainted but it didn't happen on purpose the first time, or maybe it never happened on purpose. Also the name of the place they stopped wasn't mentioned.
Yeah reading the start of the meal again it's either the fish or the soda, and on purpose or not. If only some are the marrow they could all eat there but only some get sick.
Well. This took an interesting turn.
I wonder if she can keep her facade up?
That is... a really good explanation for the drastic personality shift the changeling kingdom experienced on a societal scale.
Oh this is continuing to be so good! I love this story so much, it makes my day.
9895767
I just figured that while not exactly a hive mind, they do tend to absorb some of their leaders personality - or perhaps rather, the leaders among changelings are those who can take a stand strong enough to shape the consensus.
I really love this story and where it's going so far. Really looking forward to reading more. The way you've written Smolder has given me some ideas for my dragon story, so thank you for that as well. :)
New theory, rereading this chapter.
I spoil this just in case I actually did manage to Sherlock this just now.
It's not the soda as I kneejerk thought before. It IS the fish. Specifically, it's the fish bone marrow.
I'll start with the clues as I view them:
- Chrysalis, in the scene where she eats the fish, has narrative expressly laid down to finding a bone in the fish she ate, and crunching on it for the marrow, the 'best part', despite it being tiny.
- The fish is already something that is going to be eaten only by adventurous ponies, and carnivores. However, adventureous ponies aren't going to eat fish bones, and will toss them out. Likewise, most predatory creatures in the town are likely well off and won't see a tiny fish bone in the food as anything worth crunching on.
- HOWEVER TWO, ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: These same carnivores aren't DESTITUTE and COMING OFF STARVATION. This is made a plain, glaring narrative and conversational point when Chrysalis both points out how changelings think about food, as well as in a tiny narrative poke, point out that even the tiny bones are worth it to her as she crunches them.
- The result of this chain of circumstances means that the source of the contaminant can be hidden in plain sight with lots of partakers masking the infectees. The fish bones will only end up in the food when the chef is careless, and even then, won't be eaten often because only a small population out of the whole will go all the way to eating the bone and marrow when the fish ARE improperly prepped.
The next question is, how is love poison getting into the fish?
I look at the next trail of clues that go more speculative.
1: Chrysalis mentions a griffon chef in passing to herself. If the chef IS a griffon, then we have a lead.
a:: Griffons are penny pinchers by nature in this world. That's profiling, but supported.
b:: A griffon running a carnivorous establishment in a pony-dominant city is going to have a small market for profit.
c:: Said griffon is going to want to keep cost down to profit.
d:: Griffon still needs supplies of fish to operate.
e:: Supplier of fish is likewise going to be operating in a small market at a large cost if they're running fishing expeditions (boat, supplies, crew).
f:: Rather than running a cost heavy fishing expedition, supplier OR griffon chef set up a fishery/hatchery.
g:: To keep supplies up, and cost down, the hatchery's production is enhanced with love poison, so that the fish breed like CRAZY.
:g 1::: As the CMC have shown, the raw ingredients for a love poison are so easy to get, a child could do it. So they are practically FREE.
h:: The fish consume the love poison over their lives. And while most of it probably works its way out of their system or is metabolized, bone holds trace contaminants for a long time, even when cooked down.
i:: bone bits make their way into some of the food from time to time, but very few creatures eat the tiny bone bits with exceptions
j:: Those exceptions being creatures that have spent most of their lives under the influence of starvation... Like random changelings, or Chrysalis.
There is not hostile action to poison changelings, someone is just giving Princess Twilight an excuse to found the FDA.
9905964
Honestly, genuinely brilliant deduction for where the love poison might be coming from (not saying it's right or wrong, but I do love the effort), but also, there's an immediate problem.
Changelings under the effects of a love poison from consuming it directly (A) act differently than changelings who have eaten fake love (B). The Nook currently has a drunk tank with two dozen changelings suffering from having eaten B, but Chrysalis is the first time we've heard of any creature suffering from the effects of A. Otherwise until now there seems to have been no victims of A despite there being over two dozen victims of B.
Love how Chrysi is strong enough of will that it’s not anywhere near as debilitating...yet.
Fight it, Chryssie!
He surely must love Nightmare Night...
Somehow reminds me of this one:
Ooops...
I can immediately see Chrysalis going back to that restaurant in a week or 2 after the poison where's off, and it immediately turns into a hostage situation with part of the place burning. And the police outside can still hear screaming from where the employees are kept:
"I WILL SAY ONE MORE TIME! WHICH ONE OF YOU- BUCKING LOOK AT ME!!! WHICH ONE OF YOU WORTHLESS PILES OF HORSE SHIT AND FEATHER MITES, DUMPED SOME BUCKING POISON INTO THE FAUST DAMNED FOOD?!?!?! IF YOU DON'T BUCKING TELL ME, I WILL TEAR OFF YOUR TAILS AND BUCK YOUR INTESTINES OUT OF YOUR ASSHOLES WITH MY OVIPOSITOR!!!"