6. I See I Was Wrong
There wasn't much time. Chrysalis' mind was at war with her poisoned heart and losing. Badly. She focused every ounce of her intellect on fighting the effects.
Hate hate hate love hate hate hate hate
Her poor little dragon backed away another step from Chrysalis' demand, looking her up and down with those clever eyes of hers. Chrysalis couldn't blame Smolder, she knew she probably looked ill, and manic, what with trying to fight off her affection for the sweet thing because...why, exactly? What did it matter? It seemed important...but it wasn't, not really. Several other creatures on the street were staring as well, wondering what was going on, not that it was any of their business.
“Whoa, wait,” Smolder said, “how could you know if you've been love poisoned?”
Hate hate hate love hate hate love hate
Chrysalis took an uneasy step forward, shaking her head and smiling. She felt sweat on her pony body. The headache getting worse. “I-it's not the first time,” she said, and was glad that it was the truth despite the circumstances, both then and now. Lying to such a sweet young thing would have been a shame - wait, but wasn't she doing that right now by wearing the guise of a unicorn? Maybe she should -
Hate hate love love hate hate love hate
FOCUS. Smolder thought she was a unicorn and the dragon had enough going on in her life right now, what with her Cutie Map quest, and the spat that she and Ocellus were going through. It would break Smolder’s heart to learn that Nonchalant, her loving mother, was really Chrysalis, even if it would change nothing about how Chrysalis felt. She hated to do it, but she kept her unicorn guise. “Smolder, p-please listen to me. It's setting in. I don't-t have much time. A-and depending on the kind of l-love poison...m-maybe it will wear off, or maybe it could become permanent if we w-wait too long. You wouldn't want that to h-happen to me, would you?”
Hate hate love love love hate love hate
“But if a changeling drains it out of m-me then I'll be fine.” Chrysalis shook her head, still seeing uncertainty in Smolder's eyes. Ponies were still staring, which was kind of rude, this really should have been a private conversation between mother and focus focus focus focus FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS. Chrysalis advanced another step, getting close to the dragon, reaching out and putting a trembling hoof on Smolder's shoulder. “I only want t-to remove...remove the poison. It won't change the way I f-f-feel about you. There's no n-need to worry about that.”
Love hate love love love hate love hate
Smolder shook her head. She was a young dragon, defiance was second nature to her, Chrysalis could hardly blame her for that, could really only admire it. That attitude would take the little whelp far in life! “No way!” Smolder exclaimed. “There's already more than two dozen love-drunk changelings, you want there to be more?”
Love hate love love love love love hate
Chrysalis put a hoof to her mouth, hiding the small gasp. “Oh...thinking about others. That's so sweet of you! B-but think about it...they'll be fine i-in a few days...b-but f-f-for me, it...it could be p-permanent. R...really, Smolder, it's...it's important. I c-can help...help with the...” She closed her eyes so tight it almost hurt, breathing heavily, her hoof moving to her chest as her other legs wobbled even as she felt an ache in her heart about putting so much pressure on the little dragon. Almost as big as the pounding in her skull.
But this was important to Smolder, connected to the very reason why she'd come here, and that meant it was important to Chrysalis too. She had to focus, fight through the pain. “P-poisons...love...kn-know...about them. Won't be useful i-if I'm...doting on y-you..." She felt her eyes snap open, and she looked into Smolder's own.
Love love love love love love love hate
She didn't want to cry in front of Smolder, she needed to be strong for her teenage dragon. A solid foundation, that's what was needed for any youngster regardless of race. But there were tears in her eyes anyway - false eyes, but real tears that she didn't understand the source of as she smiled and leaned in and pulled the surprised dragon into a tight hug.
“H-h-h-help-p m-m-meee...”
Love love love love love love love LOVE!
Smolder stiffened. “O...okay, fine. Just let go of me!”
Chrysalis instead only squeezed a little tighter at her little dragon acting so concerned for her, but only for a moment. The headache felt almost like it snapped in her skull, then at last passed. And her trembling stopped as she ceased fighting against the love she felt.
She let go of Smolder and put on her brightest smile. "Good! I know I can be difficult, but I only want what's best for you.” She nodded, then noticed the other creatures staring at the two of them. “Yes? What is it? Can't a mother talk to...” She looked to Smolder, and giggled. “Well, I love you like a daughter, just as much as any daughter I've ever had of my own! More, even!”
The closest creature was the pony who had been offering free samples of those delicious sandwiches. She looked at Chrysalis closely. “I'm sorry, did you say you'd been love poisoned?”
“Yes, not that it means much,” Chrysalis said. Smolder had been moving her bag onto her back, but Chrysalis pulled her into a tight hug once more, nuzzling the dragon. “It's only a chemical reinforcement of how I already felt for her! She's going to grow up into a great wyrm one day. Kingdoms will open up their vaults for you, my little snugglebug!” She looked at the plate of sandwiches. “I don't think it was those, else Smolder would be showing the symptoms too. Still, maybe throw them out just in case? Artificial love isn't good for a growing filly or colt.” She looked to Smolder and tapped a hoof against her snout. “Or whelp. Boop!”
“Nonchalant?” Smolder asked, pushing against her. “We need to focus...”
“Oh! I'm embarrassing you! I'm so sorry, sweetie!” Chrysalis let go of Smolder. She felt bad about continuing to lie to Smolder about her form, but it was necessary for the moment. Although when the changelings drained out the silly poison, took her love...oh, but that had an easy solution too. No problem! Although she should wait a bit before telling Smolder. For now she could devote her attentions entirely to the most wonderful part of her life. “Now then, the first thing we need to do is get things sorted out between you and Ocellus.”
“Uh-huh, which means going to the Nook...”
“Right! Lead the way! It will have to be on foot. Strong as you are I don't think you could carry a full-grown mare like me all the way there with just your wings, but just you wait!” The two set off at a brisk pace, Smolder taking to the air so that Chrysalis could canter rather than merely trot. “Now about Ocellus...tell me about her. I should know more about your significant other.”
“You really shouldn't...”
“Please, Smolder, I only want what's best for you, like I said! Are you worried that I'm being judgmental because she's a changeling? Because I promise you, I really don't mind.”
“Uh-huh...”
“Love is love, my scaly little snugglebug! Well, that's not true, there are actually more kinds of love than can possibly be counted, even within just one race, to say nothing of how different races parse emotions. Each with their own flavor and texture. Ponies like to think sometimes that they're the most loving of all the races, but that's not true at all. Love can be found in equal proportions among all the races. And all love has the same fundamental texture, the same essence.”
Smolder glanced over at Chrysalis. “You know, I'm not sure which side of you I prefer...”
“Oh, this isn't really a 'side' of me. It's artificial, the real me is sort of asleep. Possibly forever if the love poison isn't removed in time!” At Smolder's wide-eyed glance, Chrysalis realized she'd misspoken. “No, no, honey, don't worry! I'm sorry, I spoke without thinking. I want you to know, I won't love you any less even if the love poison was removed. I never could! All the love poison did was chemically reinforce what was already there, I promise! And even if the real me stays asleep forever, would that be so bad? It just means that I'd be like this, forever!”
“Okay, yeah,” Smolder beat her wings, backing up and hovering over Nonchalant before grabbing her about the barrel and lifting. “I'm carrying you. Don't care how far.”
“Such a strong young dragon! You can do it, honey! Now, about Ocellus...”
As much as she wanted to hurry, Smolder couldn't carry Nonchalant all the way back to the Nook, no matter how much she'd tried to push her wings. But she did make it about halfway before being forced to set the love-addled pony down on the ground, and the two hurried towards the changelings' exclave as fast as their feet and hooves could carry them.
“Smolder, sweetie, you really should just tell me more about Ocellus,” Nonchalant insisted as they ran. Her eyes were wide and a grin had been plastered on her face the entire time. It was, frankly, freaky. “Look, if you could just explain how you feel about her, I'm sure - ”
“Nope. Not listening to a love-poisoned pony!”
“Dear, please, I promise I'm only...”
There was, at least, a trick to dealing with Nonchalant. Any deflection concerning her love life was met with long-winded speeches and reminders from Nochalant that as Smolder's “mother“, she only wanted what was best for Smolder, that Smolder was old enough to make her own choices but that didn’t mean she had to make them alone, and that as her mother Nonchalant would love her no matter what.
Nonchalant kept up a good pace, her four legs allowing her to easily keep up with Smolder’s two. Even still, the sun was edging downwards by the time the split-crown appearance of the Nook came into view. It was an uphill climb, literally, to get to it, but at least the end of the trip was in sight.
For the first time, Nonchalant paused in her trot to keep up with Smolder. “Sweetie, can you...hang on a minute?”
Smolder did pause, flexing and unflexing her strained wings. “We really don’t have time...”
Nonchalant nodded, smile still on her face, but for the first time since the poison had fully taken hold it showed slight cracks. “Yes, no, you’re right, my little snugglebug. And it is so uplifting to see you caring so much for me! Why any mare in Equestria would be so lucky to have you as a daughter and...a-and I’m just so happy it’s me...”
Smolder covered her face with her hands as Nonchalant began crying tears of joy. “You do know that most dragon parents kick their kids out as soon as they’re old enough to start wanting their own hoard, right? That we’re mostly raised by gangs? Last time I saw my mom she was shoving me into a pool of lava.”
“Well! I hope that I can be a better mother than that!” Nonchalant exclaimed. The tears were gone, now replaced by a maternal fury as Nonchalant rushed forward and grasped Smolder into another tight hug. “Smolder, I will never put your life in danger - ”
“Dragons are fireproof and don’t need to breathe.”
“It’s the principle of the thing! What if there had been lava turtles?”
“Not a real thing.”
“Or other dragons?”
“There was. My brother Garble. I joined his gang. There was a big welcoming ceremony and everything. I had phoenician balut.”
Nonchalant's embrace just became that much tighter. “Oh, you poor thing! Forced to join a gang! Well, don’t worry, I’ll raise you right. I’m sure your brother did his best but you’re with mommy now and she’ll do even better, teach you to look after yourself in this big scary world, we’ll start your pouncing lessons tomorrow - ”
Smolder struggled against Nonchalant’s surprising strength, pushing the unicorn away from her. “Look, we really need to get to the Nook, like, now.”
Nonchalant looked down to her, and nodded as she let go. “Right! But there’s something important I have to tell you first.” She backed away a few steps. “But you have to remember that mommy still loves you, okay, pumpkin? This doesn’t change anything!”
Smolder was about to ask what, but then licks of blue fire washed over Nonchalant, and Smolder found herself looking not at a unicorn, but at a Reformed changeling, with a cream-white carapace, orange elytra, and big, bright blue compound eyes.
Smolder snorted. “Honestly, I’m not surprised.”
The changeling looked surprised even as she set about adjusting the saddlebags she wore to accomodate her elytra. “R-really?”
“No. You knew way too much about changelings. Can we get moving?”
“Of course!” The changeling lifted herself off the ground, wings buzzing as she surged forward and grasped Smolder tightly before she could do anything. “Now my little lovebug,” she said as she flew them both, “I showed you this because if the changelings at the Nook had drained all my love - because I don’t think that they could really distinguish between real and fake love - mommy would have been starved to death. I don’t want to alarm you! Non-changelings just go to sleep for a few days when their love is drained, but changelings...we go feral, then die. But! There’s a simple solution. I just have to feed on love while the false love is being drained from me. Easy as pie!”
Smolder struggled against Nonchalant’s grip, but sighed after a moment and just let herself go limp. “Fine, sure, whatever, just hurry, you’re the one that - stop licking me!”
“Just cleaning you, Smoldy-Woldy!”
Nonchalant didn’t have far to fly, but it was still the longest flight of Smolder’s life as they set down outside the Nook’s main entrance. Venter was there, looking somewhat depressed, though his elytra opened and eyes widened when he spotted the two - and in particular the fact that Nonchalant kept a pastern locked around Smolder’s hand. “What the - who's this?” He demanded, stepping foraward. “I thought I knew every bug in the...Nook...” He took in a few deep breaths, and his eyes grew wide a moment, then his elytra snapped open and his wings dragged him back into the cave, away from the two. “Love poison!”
“Yeah, I know,” Smolder said, trying to detach Nonchalant from her hand to little success.
“I'm not letting her into the Nook, we're in a bad way right now and the bugs in there would eat her alive to feel better!”
“Bad way...?” Smolder began, but shook her head. “Look, just get, uh...Ecdysis and Ocellus, I guess, and a bunch of sober changelings, and tell them to bring Nervure and...Hyaline? One of the other love-drunk changelings that's sober enough to listen to instructions. We need to get this poison out of Nonchalant or she could be stuck like this - ”
“Oh, yes,” Nonchalant said, taking Smolder's hand into both of her forehooves. “Definitely bring Ocellus! We need to have a talk with her, if you're going to settle down with her one day. Also we'll have to discuss plans for the future, I know dragons live a very long time but when do you start being old enough to lay eggs? I want grandkids! We'll have to use magic, of course, then again as long as we're using magic anyway I suppose Ocellus could be the one whose eggs get - ”
“PLEASE HURRY,” Smolder begged. She was not too proud to beg at the moment. To her relief, Venter waited only a moment more before turning around, the pink-and-white changeling flying at his best possible speed into the Nook.
If the flight with Nonchalant trying to clean her was bad, the wait for changelings to show back up was even worse. In spite of her best efforts she learned far, far, far too much about the many magical ways that dragons and changelings could have offspring. It was bad enough to cause Smolder to start having smoke and licks of flame come from her mouth and nostrils, and she had to remind herself that Nonchalant was being forced to act like this, that she literally had no control over it.
“S-Smolder?”
Smolder opened her eyes at the familiar voice, and saw Ocellus flying towards her, somehow outpacing the larger Ecdysis and Venter in her flight - and no other changelings. Smolder almost started asking where the rest of the bugs Nonchalant would need to feed on were, but then saw Ocellus' eyes. Their rims were tinged red, and the fuzz around her cheeks was matted down with moisture. “Ocellus?” She asked, coming up to the changeling as soon as she landed. “Wh...what happened?”
Ocellus started to take in a deep breath, but stopped herself. She did lean into to Smolder, embracing her tightly. “I'll...I'll tell you later,” she said, “explain later. I need to apologize...”
“Oh...that's so sweet!” Nonchalant's voice interrupted. In an instant the cream-white changeling was there, turning the embrace into a group hug. “See? You two just need to be there for each other! You'll be a bottomless wellspring of support and - ”
Smolder grunted, putting a hand in Nonchalant's face and pushing her away. “Please stop.”
Ocellus almost looked like she was going to tell Nonchalant to go away herself, but the moment her mouth opened her eyes went wide, and she licked her lips. “Oh...oh wow...I could use some of that right now...”
At that, Smolder grabbed Ocellus and dragged the tiny changeling away from the bigger, poisoned one with a flap of her wings - Ocellus was a light load - putting as much distance between herself and Nonchalant as possible. “Okay, no, we're not letting you get love drunk!”
Ocellus must have realized what she had been saying, because she immediately clamped her mouth shut, and buried her face in the crook of Smolder's neck to hide herself. "S-sorry!” She mumbled. “J...just keep me away from her...”
That was easier said than done, as Nonchalant was giving chase. Smolder was faster than a changeling in the air, but the lovebugs were more nimble. “But Smolder, light of my life! I just want to help you!”
Nonchalant began babbling about a mother's love again. Smolder's grip on Ocellus tightened, feeling like she was playing a game of keep-away. Fortunately, dragons were exceptional at that game. She looked down to Ecdysis and Venter as she bobbed and weaved. “Okay, long story short, this is Nonchalant, the relationship counselor. Remember her from the airship?” At Ecdysis' nod, Smolder pressed on. “Apparently she's really a changeling. I have no idea why she was in disguise and I don't think we're going to get a lot useful out of her right now.”
“Except love and affection for all your days, my scaly little snugglebug!”
Ecdysis shifted in place. “Okay. I see why you wanted a love-drunk changeling, but...Smolder, Nervure is almost ready to rejoin the Nook, Hyaline too...I'm not just going to force them to stay in there longer!”
“Well the alternative is leaving Nonchalant like this or infecting some new changeling!” Smolder pointed out.
“Yeah...that's the plan,” Ecdysis said, wings opening and taking to the air. “I'm not going to let any more of my changelings get hurt. I'll eat the poison. Venter, Ocellus, Smolder, between the three of you Nonchalant can drain love from you without causing any real damage.”
“Wait, what?” Venter asked, following Ecdysis up. “Ecdysis, you're the boss bug, you can't just take yourself out, the Nook needs you. I'll drain - ”
“No! I'm not going to sacrifice a changeling just to keep myself safe, that's what Chrysalis would have done - ”
“Depended on the circumstance!” Nonchalant noted.
“ - and we're trying to make the Nook show what changelings are like without Chrysalis!” She surged forward, grabbing Nonchalant from behind and pushing the cream changeling down towards the ground. She opened her mouth, but before she could start drinking Venter tackled her off and tried himself. But then Ecdysis was back, leaning in closer to Nonchalant even as she tried to shove Venter off, while Venter tried to push her away himself, and Nonchalant struggled to get out from beneath both of them.
It started off almost comical - but as Ecdysis and Venter took more and more of the false love into themselves, their shoves against each other became less and less forceful, while they both started redoubling their efforts to hold down Nonchalant. Dormant instincts to feed took over. Their eyes narrowed, they leaned in close to Nonchalant with tongued lolling out, sucking down and swallowing great, gasping, greedy breaths of love. Nonchalant, meanwhile, had her own eyes grow wide, her own struggle to escape becoming more and more desperate, motivated as much by survival as by the false love she felt for Smolder. Her limbs shook and wings buzzed, but both began to grow weak. Bursts of blue fire surrounded her like she was trying to transform, but the love-powered magic was drained by Ecdysis and Venter just as fast as they could drink it.
Ocellus glanced up from Smolder, looking down at the scene. Her eyes grew wide. “W-we have to get down there!” Ocellus exclaimed, pushing off from Smolder and diving down. “Th...they're gonna take all her love! She'll die, or - or drink their tainted love, and...”
Smolder felt a needle jab into her heart as she followed Ocellus down, grabbing her before she could get too close. “Ocellus, I was kind of counting on there being a bunch of changelings here for her to drink from! If she only has you...”
“So help me!” Ocellus exclaimed, turning and grabbing Smolder's hands and then pulling the dragon forward with surprising strength, in spite of Smolder's wings beating to try and pull her away. “Between the two of us, we'll...make it. We'll definitely make it!”
“But dragons don't do love! Which means it'll be just you, and I won't let anything hurt you!”
“I'll be fine!”
“No!” Smolder grabbed onto Ocellus tightly, digging her heels into the ground and pulling her back and away from Nonchalant. She snorted fire, put muscles strong enough to propel her through boiling pools of liquefied rock to use in holding Ocellus back. “You're too precious, I won't lose you! You're mine!”
The sound of Smolder's own words in her ears almost made her let go of Ocellus, but her instincts made her grab on tighter - at least until Ocellus turned around in her grip, mouth open. Smolder had just enough time to realize that changelings actually still had fangs, just much smaller in size from before their Reformation, before Ocellus snapped her head forward and plunged those fangs into Smolder's arm.
The young dragon cried out in shock and pain, letting go of Ocellus. She fell to the ground, eyes wide, elytra and wings spread. “Hhhzzzkkk!” She hissed, a feral buzz to her voice that had never been there before. “I. Am not. Yourzzz!” With that, she turned around and dashed up to Nonchalant where she still lay under Ecdysis and Venter. The later two had fallen off of her, too drunk on the love poison to really put any effort on holding her down anymore - but Nonchalant had become too weak to put up any real resistance, either. The moment Ocellus was close enough, however, she grabbed and held Nonchalant in a hug, her horn glowing blue and touching Nonchalant's own. Feeding her love into the starving bug.
Smolder stared in shock, mouth hanging open, one hand grabbing where Ocellus had bit her. For just a moment, she felt as though she had been rooted in place. Petrified like she had been before earning her wings. Utterly helpless. She should have just been thrown at the nearest roc nest and left for the hatchlings to chew apart.
But in the next moment, she found herself beside Ocellus, grabbing and hugging her tightly. “I'm sorry!” She exclaimed. She felt Ocellus struggle against her at first, but once it became apparent that she wasn't going to move her, the tiny changeling stopped fighting. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm sorry...”
Ocellus turned in her hug to look at her a little more directly. She smiled just a little, and it was like a firework went off in Smolder's belly. “I...I know...I'm sorry too - I've been - ”
She didn't get any further, as Nonchalant's hooves reached out and grabbed them both around the shoulders, pulling them into a hug - or what seemed like one at first. But then Smolder felt herself encased in a blue magical aura, and the same one closed around Ocellus. Then, a pull, like static all across her scales, like something was burrowing under them and creeping and clawing its way through her body and into her chest - her heart - her soul - and pulling.
She grit her teeth and grabbed onto Ocellus tighter as Nonchalant began draining love from them. She felt her consciousness start to flicker around when the cream-white changeling stood up, kicking Ecdysis and Venter away from her with her hind hooves without letting go of either teenager. She tried to fight back against the pull, but Nonchalant's grip was stronger than iron as she let out sibilant, satisfied hisses.
Smolder's eyelids fluttered closed just as Nonchalant finally released her and Ocellus, and the pull on the two of them ceased. Both collapsed to the ground....and it was Ocellus who grabbed onto Smolder this time, holding on for dear life even as unconsciousness rose up to claim them both.
Pain. And hunger. Hunger like Ocellus hadn't known since the Reformation, since the day King Thorax had burrowed down and uncovered the entrance to the hatchery after overthrowing Chrysalis, since he and the other adults had shown each and every nymph and grub how to share their love, cast off their old forms, and escape the clutches of starvation.
But there was food. Her mouth was open, and she was breathing it in, tasting it even if not yet eating it. Ocellus' eyes fluttered open, and she found herself looking at an orange dragon wyrmling. They were both lying on a bed of moss in a small cave, light coming from tiny clusters of bioluminescent fungi in the walls. There was no more than three or four candles' worth of illumination, but for a changeling's eyes that might as well have been a bonfire. The entrance was in easy sight directly overhead, while a couple of school bags lay nearby.
Ocellus felt her body moving. The dragon was lying on her side, facing away from Ocellus; she crawled over on instinct, every hoof-fall quieter than the footsteps of a beetle. Soon she was looming over the dragon, taking in a long breath. Her eyelids fluttered at the bouquet of aromas that reached her. Draconic confidence and certainty and pride. The tang of greed...and love. There was love there, sweet and silky and smooth and just waiting for Ocellus to drink it down, fill her stomach and warm her heart...
...but she recognized the dragon. Smolder. Her classmate. Her friend, even if their relationship was rocky at the moment. Ocellus clamped her mouth shut, closing her eyes and counting to ten. She reminded herself that the rumble in her stomach and the ache in her heart would go away on its own. She was still blue, still fuzzy, still Reformed, still capable of creating her own love. So instead, Ocellus reached out and placed a hoof on Smolder, gently shaking her.
“Mmph,” Smolder mumbled, rolling onto her back. Her own eyes fluttered open - dragon eyes were about as good as changeling ones in the dark - but were slow to come into focus as she ran her hands over her face. “Ugh...let's...let's not do that again.”
“No, let's not,” Ocellus agreed, and giggled a little as Smolder sat up, one hand still rubbing her face, the other reaching around until she found her school bag and pulling it over to her, against her chest. She grabbed Ocellus' as well, though that she only set next to her. “Are you okay?”
“I'll make it,” Smolder said, glancing over to Ocellus and chuckling a little. The laugh died in her throat, though, when her eyes caught sight of a wound in her arm. A few scales were bent, even cracked a little, though they had done their job - there was no sign that the actual flesh had been broken. She regarded the injury for a moment, then looked back to Ocellus.
Ocellus stared back. “I...I'm sorry, I just - ”
“I deserved it,” Smolder interrupted, hugging her bag close to her chest and looking away. She closed her eyes. “I'm...I'm a stupid, greedy dragon who's just so stupid. I've been living with you in my...in our dorm. But all these stupid instincts in me make me think that that room is my lair, and everything in it is my hoard. That you're my hoard.” She took in a deep breath, then exhaled a little fire. “I'm sorry. You're not property, you're a person, and I know that. I really do...”
Ocellus shifted. She'd suspected as much. She swallowed a few times. “I've...I've b-been eating your emotions,” she said, closing her eyes.
“Huh?”
Ocellus turned away, rubbing one leg against the other. “Yours. Gallus'. Yona and Sandbar. Silverstream. And the other students, and the professors...I'm the only changeling in school and no creature even realizes I'm doing it. It's only tiny nibbles...little bites throughout the day. Never enough to hurt any creature, you'd never even notice...a-and I'm not the only changeling...” She let out a shuddering breath. “B...but it means it was a lie. It was all a lie. R-Reformation was never real and I'm horrible.”
There was silence in the little cave for a few minutes...and then Ocellus heard Smolder chuckling, then laughing. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Smolder clutching her bag even tighter, but only becasuse she was almost doubling over where she sat cross-legged on the floor. “Wh...what?” She asked. “It's not funny!”
“Yeah it is!” Smolder exclaimed between chuckles. She forced herself to calm down, looking to Ocellus with a bright, honest grin on her face. “Ocellus...we know you've been doing that.”
Ocellus' jaw dropped. It allowed her to taste the sincerity in the air, at least. “What?” She asked.
“Yeah. I think Sandbar put it together first, when he learned that changelings eat emotions with their tongues, and you licked your lips a lot around us. We were gonna confront you about it, but Gallus made us promise not to. He said something about getting where you were coming from. Which Silverstream put together why after Hearth's Warming, since he used to be destitute.” Smolder turned so that she was facing Ocellus directly. She set her bag aside, next to Ocellus' own. “We decided that it didn't matter. You're not hurting any creature, and you're not gonna forget years and years of starvation just 'cause you haven't starved for two or three recently.”
Ocellus shifted, rubbing one leg against another again. “But...but what about everycreature else?” She asked. “I...I mean, the fact that us changelings are still doing that, it's probably what's led to all of this in the first place!”
“No,” Smolder said, “what led to this is some jerk love poisoning creatures. And we might even have a lead on that now...”
“Ugh, back to business already?” a new, but familiar, voice demanded from above them. Ocellus and Smolder glanced up, and saw Nonchalant - in her changeling form - crawling in through the opening in the roof of the cave and, for some reason, carrying a purple-tinged stick with her in her telekinesis as she went. Once inside the chamber, she opened her wings and glided down to them, landing so she was standing over Smolder and narrowing her blue eyes. “For the record: you are not my daughter, and I never want you to be my daughter, and I hate you.”
Smolder flashed a toothy grin. “So the love poison's gone, then?”
“Yes. Also I hate you, snugglebug - ” she paused, took a moment to glare at the purple stick she held for some reason, then looked back to Smolder. “There may be some lingering minor symptoms. They'll fade, as long as I fight them. On that note: I hate you.”
Ocellus looked between the two, before she settled on looking at Nonchalant. “So...you're a changeling? But not part of the Nook...wait, why didn't you just tell us from the beginning? Nonchalant isn't a changeling name, either, who are you really? Why didn't you help out Clavicle?”
Nonchalant sat down, tapping her hooves together in thought. “Let's see...just because I'm Reformed doesn't mean I want anything to do with Thorax. I've built a life for myself without the Hive. No, my real name is not Nonchalant, but we'll pretend it is, keep things simple. And I didn't help Clavicle because I was too busy truthfully informing Mayor Dusk about the effects of love poisons, and also if the idiot was stupid enough to get love-drunk, he deserves whatever the ponies do to him. Which let's be honest, will probably be to sing some song about the dangers of gluttony at him and then send him on his way.” She shifted back into her unicorn form so that she could roll her eyes, a feat that was anatomically impossible for a changeling's true form. “I hardly fed him to a manticore. Also I hate Smoldy-woldy - gah! The dragon! I hate the stupid dragon!”
“Right,” Smolder droned, making to stand, “we've got a - whoa!” She wobbled on unsure legs, then fell backwards, avoiding a painful landing only because Ocellus quickly moved to catch her - although all that happened was both ended up in a heap, as Ocellus' own legs trembled at the effort of rapid movement.
Nonchalant watched the two evenly. “Mm-hmm. Nope. Neither of you are going anywhere at the moment, not while you're still recovering from me drinking your love. Besides, you've already been out for hours, the Sun's gone down anyway.” She shrugged as she shifted back into her changeling form. “Might as well sleep. Personally I'd go and end things myself, but, Cutie Map. I guarantee that if I went to try and solve things myself, the culprit would run off and make their escape, or somehow turn me to stone or poison me again, or whatever. Forces of destiny, it has to be you two. So instead...I'll be up there.” She tilted her head up, looking at the exit. “The...Nook. With other changelings. First time in a while...” She turned to her purple stick. “Shut up.”
Ocellus and Smolder had disentangled themselves from each other, and looked at the older changeling oddly. “The...stick?” Smolder asked.
Nonchalant grabbed and held the stick close to herself. “Yes. And also you because I hate you.” Her elytra snapped open, and she flew back up to the entrance and began crawling out. “I figured you'd be more comfortable down here anyway, dragon. Ocellus, you can come up if you want.”
Ocellus almost made to - she had enough strength to crawl to the walls, she thought - but paused. She tilted her head so she could keep both Nonchalant and Smolder in view “N...no,” she said. “I mean...Maybe tomorrow night. But tonight, I...I want to stay here.”
Nonchalant looked back to them, and grinned. “Excellent. Sleep tight, lovebugs! I hate you!”
With that, she scurried up the shaft, back to the main chamber. Ocellus turned to look at Smolder again, who was once more sitting up, clutching her school bag and looking at Ocellus pointedly. “You don't have to stay,” she said, and grunted. “M...maybe you shouldn't. Being around me...I'm just going to want to hoard you more.”
Ocellus considered. She knew that...she knew that very well. But at the same time...the barriers that had built up between the two over the past few weeks were finally starting to crack. Light was shining through them...and in truth, as much as Ocellus wanted to go up to the main chamber, settle in to the buzzing and the voices of a room containing hundreds of changelings, feel the presence of so many bugs lull her to sleep...the cadence of being in a Hive again would be...missing something, without Smolder. And Smolder probably couldn't be comfortable sleeping around so many other creatures...but Ocellus could be comfortable sleeping around her.
So Ocellus shook her head. "N-no. I want to stay." She smiled, her horn lighting up and grabbing her own school bag, bringing it forward and pulling out some books. “We have homework to do. Just a little, before we turn in.”
“But - ”
“I'm staying.”
“Is that really a good idea, though - ”
“I'll bite you again. For real this time.”
Smolder let out a surprised laugh at that. “Okay, then,” she said, glancing at her arm and rubbing where the scales had cracked “That wasn't for real? Youch.” She fished out her own school books, as well as a couple of gemstones. She bit into a ruby, crunching on it for a few moments as she considered the other half still in her hand. “Um...as long as I'm eating...you can too. Just to be clear.”
Ocellus' eyes grew wide at that, wings buzzing a little beneath her elytra. “O-okay,” she intoned, as she settled down, eyes on her book and on Smolder. Smolder rolled over onto her own stomach, head in her hands, with her book in front of her, tail lazily waving back and forth behind her as she read, munching on a ruby.
Ocellus sampled the air. Embarrassment, tinged with uncertainty. It almost didn't smell good, but both scents gave way to draconic greed that brought with it the sweet affection that Smolder always had for Ocellus and all her friends. The shame...a touch of it lingered, but it was abating. And now that it was leaving, Ocellus scented something else in the greed, a fundamental new flavor that was part of it, that had been there the whole time but which the shame had smothered...
Her jaw dropped open. Ocellus knew that scent. Every changeling did. She licked at the air just to be sure, and sure enough, felt it trickle down her throat and into her stomach - and warm her heart. The draconic greed came with it, but did nothing but compliment it, gave it a spice that Ocellus had never scented in it before...she found herself scooting a little closer to Smolder, eating another bite.
Love. Real love, directed at her. There was no mistaking it. And suddenly, everything Smolder had been doing, the way she had been acting around her, everything made sense.
Smolder looked to her. “So, um...what do I...oh, diamonds on fire, there is no way for me to ask what I want to without it sounding weird.”
She didn't know, Ocellus realized. Hadn't figured it out herself yet, didn't understand her own emotions. Ocellus almost giggled, but managed to suppress it, instead shaking her head. “Good,” she said. “Just...good. Let's leave it at that, for now.”
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It's probably my fault for not writing it clearly enough, but it seems like some people at the end of the last chapter missed that in Chapter 4 I had Chrysalis-as-Nonchalant specify that changelings under the effects of a love poison, that have consumed it like a pony might, act like any other creature would. Changelings get love-drunk the way Clavicle was by consuming the fake love of some creature already under the effects of a love poison, not from directly consuming it.
So anyone expecting to see Chrysalis high off her gourd in this chapter, that wasn't going to happen from her having consumed love poison directly. Sorry if you were looking forward to it!
Also as amusing as Chrysalis came across in this chapter, to be blunt it was horrifying to write from a first-person perspective (or third-person limited, but whatever). Imagine feeling your actions and even your very thoughts gradually slipping from your control, subsumed by some new, alien state of mind that you have no control over. Ugh. Gives me shivers to contemplate.
9897974
I think I like Chrysalis-as-Nonchalant even more, but not as much as Pharynx
Yeah. It came across that way, too. Chrysalis was NOT a happy ‘ling at all. That “hate hate hate love hate hate ...” was pretty effective.
That as surprisingly intense. Great chapter!
YES! YESYESYESYES!
They talked it out! And Ocellus KNOWS! *SQUEEEEEEEE*
Hmmm... I guess I need more data before I can guess the ending. I almost wonder if Chyrisy meant to be poisoned— it's tremendously unlikely, but she's ended up in a ludicrously good position.
Yay cute relationship things!
9898009
It's worth noting that she could have been trying to counter her mental possession, as opposed to reinforcing her defaults. I'm sure she's angry in general, but if she was as hate filled as all that she wouldn't have reformed properly and wouldn't have thought to take a vacation.
seriously no one figured that it was chrysalis. I mean no other changeling except for thorax or pharynx is that large.
9898095
Chrysalis made herself appear like a normal Reformed changeling. Note that she's noted as having compound eyes, and no mention is made of hair. It's a bit of a double bluff on her part. You see a being who you know to be from a shapeshifter race in the default form of that race - who'd suspect that she's still shapeshifted?
Smolder is moving to catch herself here. While technically correct I believe the intent was to have "Ocellus quickly moved".
9898116
yea still matter of time before discovery with her nasty attitude and somehow being unconnected with any other hive
this is going to raise some red flags.
9898116
It's genius. Nobody expects the changeling to be a changeling!
One of these days, Chrissy is going to gain a partial immunity to a love poison. Then it'll be Yandere Simulator: Equestrian Edition.
"Oh snuggly poo! You're so adorable! You'll be even MORE adorable stuffed and mounted on my wall! I'll be able to smile knowing every day you'll be there with me. Forever. 💕🔪"
Found a couple of typos.
whose
too
They're talking! Yay! And can I just say, FINALLY!
I'm not surprised the others figured it out. Someone needs to make the connection that it's not stolen, it's a gift. Isn't Occelus Generosity? I still think that means that gifted emotions leave you with more than you started with.
Diamonds on fire is a great expression. I'm sure you're aware but for those who don't? Diamonds really are flammable under the right conditions. It's just carbon after all.
The bit with Chrissi losing control...yeah, hilarious from the outside but definitely horrifying to think on.
The after effects though, where she's being Tsundere Bug? Pure comedy.
Hah, nice work Chrysalis! I honestly thought she was gonna be found out for sure. But she told just enough truth to hide the real lie. Excellent chapter.
Well, any cover Chrysalis actually has is paper then seeing as what she said.
Which, to be blunt, considering how disliked she is, any comments like this, in support, or even trying to make light of her is liable to result in suspicion, if not completely being ostracized from the rest of Changeling society.
Aw yiss, Chrysalis coping after being cured is hilarious. I wonder how Ecdysis is doing, and how the Nook will do in her likely absence.
9898466
Eh, they'll probably write it off as some odd effect of the Love Poison, or having misheard, if they even noticed at all.
Very nice way to show the futile struggle against the poison.
Uh huh, that's what they all say.
On the one hand, that is a nauseating mental image. On the other, it makes perfect sense as a draconic delicacy. And something has to keep the phoenix population under control.
And so the truth comes out. It's almost never as bad as you fear.
Things are definitely looking up, though it's going to be terribly awkward for Chrysalis to be surrounded by her former subjects. Let's see how long she can go without snapping.
I hope Chrissy's figured out the food made her love drunk.
9898061
I thought she was countering the poison and fighting it. It was a good representation of the internal struggle against the poison which is basically thought control. Maybe I did not articulate it well? I actually thought she was hating on the effects. Chrysalis never seemed to me one who would like to be told what to do, whether it be love someone or hate someone. It would be her choice not at the behest of someone else. I had been referring to your third paragraph in your reply about it being “horrifying.”
You did Chrysalis slipping into the poison very effectively. I laughed, then cringed in a good way at its effects on her. I also love her recognizing the destiny crap from the Cutie Map. Way to be genre-savvy, Chryssie! :p
9899181
And then obviously the next mission would be a Young Six one - they should have got some in the actual season.
first thing :
We finally know the answer to the question "What is love ?" !
Second thing : Has a player of Rimworld , Lava Turtles are something that I will now have nightmares of .
Now for the main thing :
While saying that I didn't like the chapter would be lying , I definitely didn't enjoy it has much has the earlier ones . Yes the story is great and all (that humor is absolutely wonderful , has an exemple of a good point) but the "Romance" tag is pushed a little too much for my tastes (emphasis
on "MY") .
I'll keep reading a few of the chapters but if I feel like I don't like it anymore , I'll just stop reading . Has said , don't think that you are doing something bad , not at all , someone who likes adventure stories with a (quite heavy) side of romance will absolutely love this !
I hope that didn't sound mean because that was not my point at all , if it did , very sorry for that.
Genre-savvy tsundere Chrissy is an absolute delight.
9898466
When has Chrysalis’s cover ever not been paper-thin (in canon, at least)? Same for most cases we’ve seen changelings actually trying to impersonate anyone -- their shapeshifting makes it easy for them to disguise themselves, but by all appearances it doesn’t also magically endow them with any special acting skills (not that it in and of itself really should, anyway).
That said, on the other side of the equation most ponies and other creatures in the magical world of Equestria also don’t seem to be particularly observant at least as far as anything outside their immediate current focus of attention goes. So it’s not too implausible that Chryssie could well afford to drop quite a few more unsubtle hints before the first observer’s penny finally does likewise.
(As an aside, I’m looking forward to that moment because my forecast predicts a bunch of colorful changelings crowding her and insisting she should stop pretending to have reformed and revert to her old “real” form already...
)
9897987
Yeah, for all that the situation was kind of horrifying, it was also hilarious.
9898033 9898353
There was really only so long I could string the two along before it got stale. I actually hadn't planned to do it here initially, but then it occurred to me that I'd written myself into a point where Ocellus was going to put her life in danger, and there was no way that Smolder wouldn't drop all pretenses at that, and thus Ocellus would be forced to react to it.
9898057
She is in a ludicrously good position, but given that a number of scenes are from her perspective it's unlikely that she meant to be here. Also, yes, my intent is that Chrysalis' "hate hate hate hate love hate hate hate" is a deliberate effort on her part to try and stave off the love poison.
9898306
Fun fact, I'm pretty sure that story is the one that lead me to That Changeling's a Pony!, and thus, That Changeling's a Bad OC!
9898312
Personally I like the wood elf yandere copypasta.
9898466
It's definitely a fine line. Then again, in Chrysalis' defense, she had a tendency to lead from the front (comes up a lot in the comics). I'm reminded of a line of Paul Giamatti's from the film Shoot 'Em Up: "The leader who stays in the rear, takes it in the rear."
9898553
We'll address both your quandaries at the start of the next chapter.
9899089
For the record, I style myself as a carnivore, I love meat, but I don't think I could ever have balut. I want anything I eat to have at least had a chance to open its eyes and experience the world for a good few years first. I don't know if that makes me hypocritical or something, but, there ya go. Plus, like you said, something needs to keep the phoenixes down.
9899207
Starlight: "You should Reform."
Chrysalis: "Screw you, I'll never do what you say!"
Starlight: "Okay, good point. It would make more sense for you to stay just how you are, Evil suits you."
Chrysalis: "I'll show you!" [Reforms] "Hahahaha! Take THAT! And you call me evil?! Watch this!"
[10 years later at Chrysalis' Loving Home for Disaffected Youths, while in the middle of playing patty-cakes with a filly]
Chrysalis: "...wait..."
9899239 9899526
For the record whenever destiny/fate/whatever pops up in my stuff, it takes the form of IF/THEN statements, with people still being fully able to affect the "IF" and thus change the "THEN". Still, sometimes it's just useful to work with fate instead of against it.
9899241
In hindsight I'm kicking myself for not having a Cutie Map in the treehouse. Would have made a little more sense.
9899445
Hmm, honestly not sure what you'll think of the balance of romance/adventure over the next few chapters. Thanks for giving it a chance, at least!
9898009 9898031 9898196 9898278 9898393 9899168 9899651
Thanks for the comments and corrections! By the way, if you're down here in my "generic" thank-you section, it doesn't mean that I don't have anything in particular to say to you, so much as anything I would say would be spoilers.
9900461
Where she had a tendency to lead doesn’t matter at this time. It is more that her reputation amongst the reformed changelings is likely akin to Sombra’s reputation within the crystal empire, hated and despised doesn’t cut it. Saying anything in support of the former leadership is liable to be looked at akin to someone speaking in support of the royalty during the French Revolution, with just as much danger to one’s health. Considering how zealous they are of not just being a new colony, but a colony that has never been touched by Chrysalis’s leadership or influence, it is likely that it actually is formed by the most fervent anti-chrysalis changelings.
9900495
I don't think the Reformed changelings have NEARLY the animosity toward their former queen that the Crystal Ponies would have with Sombra.
I say this mainly because of circumstances. Sombra mind controlled or enslaved the entire citystate with dark magic and forced the Crystal ponies into harsh physical labor in mines, while in chains. One of the important things about this image is that mining has historically been one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, with abysmal working conditions. Without showing it in the show, it is easy to imagine that Sombra literally worked a lot of hapless souls to death. Either through fear, or through direct mind control until the body literally failed out from under them.
The changelings in their badlands hive seem more like a softer version of North Korea. Resources (food) are tight and the entire hive economy is structured to favor military service in the name of the leadership. The queen, being selfish control freak, sustains her position by leading them through military victories that give them just enough resources to survive until the next operation. This artificial scarcity cycle is then reinforced by propaganda about 'duty'. You are either with the game plan, or you're a slacker and leach of resources... Or worse, an outright traitor. Whatever the reason, you fear becoming a disgrace. Thus, active choice to support the queen, or peer pressure not to slack off and be a disgrace keep them motivated to sustain the system.
If you break Sombra's system, you can expect him to be VIOLENTLY ended as fast as physically possible. As tends to be the case with horrid dictators.
If you break Chrysalis' system, she'll be tossed out and disliked, but it won't be a case of 'kill on sight'. Not if she was managing to maintain the façade of caring about the hive in the eyes of most of them. The breach of trust will hurt for a long time, but her existence won't be reviled.
I was correct in assuming the yet was necessary. I wonder if only Chrysalis can see Shadow or if others could under the right circumstances.
Guh, must've been horrible for Chryssie.
... "I hate you!" I XD
Ah, yes, the ol'e 'blame every single thing on Chryssie' approach.
I can actually see that happen.
Does anyone think the stick may become friends with the Twilicane?
Good chapter!
I enjoyed reading it.
I especially liked the idea of how Chrysalis/Nonchalant tried to cling to her hate (but eventually fails, as every hate is replaced by love).
chrysalis did not become no ordinary parent
she became (dramatic music plays) a helicopter parent
I hope some kindness stays in Chrysalis and help her grow into a true Queen.
10063330
Gadzooks! This is worse than we feared! Call in the family counselor!
10534679
Oh, good heavens, NO! She is the counselor!
11277571
Uh…what happened to the comment here?