Chrysalis: Rise of the Changeling Queen

by Mystic Mind

Chapter 2

Things were not looking good for the faelings. The incident in the earth pony settlement was seven months ago, and tensions between the three pony tribes had never been higher. Chrysalis tried to provide aid through her hive workers wherever possible, but it wasn’t enough. Winter changed to spring, and now they were on the cusp of summer with no changes to the weather.

No matter what the pegasi tribes did, they couldn’t stop the endless snowstorms from raging, locking them inside for weeks at a time. On the few occasions the snow stopped, the raids grew in both frequency and violence. What Chrysalis experienced before was merely a taste of what was to come.

Ponies armed themselves with whatever weapons they had available. No longer content with stealing food and destroying property, the raiders openly hunted and killed members of different tribes. So horrid were the sights she witnessed, sleep became a near impossibility. Every time she closed her eyes, she’d see another body, broken and mutilated beyond all recognition.

So, after many days of careful consideration, Chrysalis returned to her hive. There was nothing more she could do for the ponies. From this point on, she had to focus on survival of both her own and her kind. The long, snowy walk was a sombre one, her head hung low as the winds battered her face. Her strength had all but faltered, now too weak to fly.

The hive’s outer walls reflected her mood. Gone was the polished amber on the spiral towers, replaced instead with a dull, rusted brown. Chrysalis looked up at the runes carved on the front gates and tapped them with her horn. Nothing happened. She closed her eyes and concentrated, straining her muscles to force up whatever magic she had left. What came out was barely a spark, but it was enough. The runes lit up and the gates swung open.

Inside, the resident faelings didn’t look much better. They tried to show some enthusiasm for their princess’ return, but she could tell their smiles were forced. The colours of their chitin were fading, and they were all dreadfully thin. As much as she hated to admit it, her kin were dying. Many had already succumbed to malnutrition, their bodies littering the hive despite attempts to conceal them.

“Matron Mother,” said Pharynx, looking up at Chrysalis, eyes dim. “How are the negotiations? Are the ponies well?”

Chrysalis suppressed a pained sigh. She knew Pharynx had developed a special relationship with the filly, Pumpkin Spice. She wished she could tell him the truth, but she knew the truth would, quite literally, kill him. “They are well,” she feigned optimism through a gentle voice. “There has been… progress, however small. I anticipate all shall be well soon enough.”

“Thank you, Matron Mother,” Pharynx bowed, only to be rattled by a violent cough. His voice was raspy and thin. If Chrysalis didn’t find a solution to the love famine soon, the faeling race would be no more. She hoped her little white lie would help them hang on for just a bit longer.

“I shall spread the word,” Pharynx continued once he got his breath back. “The Matron Mother always brings hope, without fail.”

The higher she ascended through her hive, the more times Chrysalis had to repeat the same lie. She had to concentrate hard to keep her mind closed, avoiding any telepathic projection that would accidentally reveal the truth.

Once she entered the royal chamber, she all but collapsed onto her throne, panting. There to greet her was the one amongst her kin she could be one-hundred percent honest with: her mate, Thorax, first Prince of all faelings.

“My love, you’ve returned!” he exclaimed, dropping the letter he was reading and throwing his hooves around her. “How did it go? Did the delegation reach a decision?”

“The delegation…” Chrysalis bit her lip. “…was a dismal failure. None of the three pony tribes could agree on anything, all blaming each other for the current crisis.”

Thorax’s expression fell. “I’m sorry to hear that, though I’m hardly surprised.”

“It’s worse than that,” she continued, both her voice and her hooves trembling. “I stopped by the earth pony town on the way back. You know the one, right? Where I met the injured filly? Well, it… it’s….” She could barely describe what she’d seen, it was so horrific.

“Relax, my love,” Thorax hugged Chrysalis tighter, gently rubbing his hoof down her mane. “You don’t need to speak if you’re unable. Mind meld with me, and I’ll see for myself what you encountered.”

Chrysalis gave a solemn nod, touching her horn against Thorax’s and letting what little magic she had left to flow free. In her mind’s eye, she saw it all. Oh, how foolish she had been, thinking that the one band pegasi ruffians were the epitome of brutality. No, the unicorns that had followed her were far worse.

The unicorn militia didn’t raid the town, they destroyed it, razed it to the ground and captured any survivors. All for the sake of revenge over their own ruined city. They were just civilians! She cried mentally, just as she’d done on that day. They barely had any weapons. They just wanted to be left in peace! Just because they’re earth ponies... Why did they have to be so brutal? And Pepper, she…

Then, she saw it. They both did. Pepper had been slaughtered, executed like a dangerous criminal. All for standing up to the unicorns when few others would. Now, her body had been burned, her head cut off and placed on a pike around the outskirts of town – along with any others that dared to question the attackers’ authority. It was a sight that shook Chrysalis to her very core.

“My goodness—” Thorax broke away suddenly, his breaths fast and shallow as he severed the magical link. “I knew the three pony tribes were at each other’s throats, but this? This is on a whole new level.”

“I’m sick of it,” Chrysalis sobbed. “I’m sick of all the fighting, the hatred, the injustice. It’s not just the unicorns, either. I see this everywhere. Poisoned water, towers crumbling, wings ripped from their sockets… Because of this war, our kin, they are dying, Thorax. Starved of love. We cannot fight in this condition, and if ponies will not give us the love we need, we…” she thought about her next words carefully, swallowing hard. “We must find a way to exist independently.”

Thorax cringed at the notion, a reaction that came as no surprise to Chrysalis. Faelings had existed within pony societies for hundreds of years. She had thought long and hard about the topic, and her decision was not made lightly. They both knew the three tribes got into conflicts from time to time, but this? This was different.

“I… understand,” Thorax hesitated. “The cruelty, it is nothing like we’ve ever seen. But there must be ponies out there who think as we do, like Pepper Spice. They can’t all be monsters! Maybe if I talk with the unicorns, I can help them see—”

“It’s too late for that!” Chrysalis snapped, causing Thorax to lurch back in his seat. Seeing his lower lip quiver, she softened her tone. “I know you mean well, my love. You have always had a heart for both ponies and faelings. But I fear that this time, the ponies have gone too far. When our kin are starving, we need a new source of love to sustain us. The longer we wait, the more of us will die.”

Thorax let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right, a short-term solution is vital. Perhaps there is wisdom to be found in both our methods? Maybe I am naïve, but I still feel there is a deeper cause to the disaster unfolding.

“I don’t know how, just yet, but I feel that this endless winter and the escalating war are interlinked. Perhaps, for now, it’s best we follow our own paths in looking for a solution? We can still convene regularly to share what facts we uncover. This way, we can keep each other informed and adjust our plans accordingly.”

A small smile grew across Chrysalis’ lips, her posture relaxing. “I knew I made a good decision in choosing you as my mate,” she said, staring deep into Thorax’s eyes. “I love you so much.”

“I love you two,” Thorax leaned forward and kissed Chrysalis on the lips. “Perhaps it’s best for us to rest for tonight? Save what little energy we have for our investigations.”

“Yes, good idea.” Together, the royal faelings retired to their cocoons, though Chrysalis didn’t get much sleep. To save the faeling race, she would have to think outside of the box, and that meant chasing down a legend said to be as old as time itself.

---

It was early the next morning when Chrysalis set out. She had woken up before Thorax, though she didn’t see it necessary to leave a note. After the previous night’s discussion, he’d more or less know where she was. Truth be told, she didn’t know where to find her solution, if indeed the force involved could be found at all. The legends told of a powerful chimera—a god, even more ancient than her—who’s magic thrived off chaos and disorder. Discord was his name, and with the turmoil of the civil war showing no signs of slowing down, now was a perfect time to seek him out.

Upon Chrysalis’ recollection, there was a time when both faeling and pony ancestors worshipped Discord. Though she had no idea if the cult of chaos still existed, she did know her kin had retrieved artifacts from that era, found in the deep caverns below her hive. As such, she would need a guide, and she could think of no other faeling best suited for the job.

Frenulum, she transmitted telepathically. I’m in need of your services.

It took several minutes for Frenulum to arrive. She suffered from the same muscle atrophy as the rest of her kin. Chrysalis could already feel a heavy pang of guilt in her chest from forcing any faeling to work in such demanding conditions.

She did her best to push those feelings down. This was for the greater good, she reminded herself. If one faeling is to die this day, thousands of others may be saved.

“Yes, Matron Mother?” Frenulum said, her voice but a hoarse whisper.

“Thank you for coming,” Chrysalis began, embracing her in a gentle hug. “You are the renowned archaeologist within this hive, are you not?”

“I try my best, Matron,” Frenulum looked up at Chrysalis with a weak smile. “It is my passion to enrich the knowledge of the faeling race. I’m happy to be of use to you, of course, but what do you need, exactly?”

“I have…” Chrysalis chose her words carefully. While she was eager to inspire hope in her kin, she didn’t want it to be based on false promises. Her plan was a long shot, as for all she knew, Discord was just a myth, an avatar of chaos for less enlightened minds. But, on the off chance he was real, she wanted his gifts to be accepted with proud enthusiasm.

“I have become curious about our history,” she continued. “How did our ancestors deal with chaotic times? They, too, must have faced natural disasters, and found a way to deal with them. Perhaps their ruins can hold some solution to our ongoing crisis?”

“A fantastic idea, my Matron!” Frenulum beamed. “Sincerely, that is the heart of why I’m an archaeologist. To learn from the past and inform the future. I would be honoured to join you on this adventure.”

“I’m glad to hear,” Chrysalis gave a small bow. “Please, lead the way.”

The tunnels were connected at the base of the hive, the entrance excavated and connected with the ascending spiral walkway. It had been a long time since the tunnels were in active use, so there were no lights or markings to guide their way. Chrysalis had to maintain a glow spell, which was no easy task in her weakened state.

Every now and again, her magic would flicker, threatening to go out as her natural arcane reserves ran dry. Frenulum offered to use her magic instead, but Chrysalis refused. If her guide were to become exhausted, she would inevitably become lost soon after. The dedication of her kin was a minor sustenance, but it was enough to keep her going for now.

It took hours of searching, with each tunnel dividing into smaller pathways, but through Frenulum’s guidance, Chrysalis found her prize. An ancient monument, circular in nature, with pictograms carved into the stone to represent each animal which was part of the chimera. On the back wall, a large, stone tablet was hung, covered in what she presumed were letters of an ancient language.

“This is incredible!” Chrysalis exclaimed. “Have you been able to decode what the tablet says, Frenulum?”

“It has been some years, but I think I should be able…” Frenulum trotted over to the tablet, carefully examining the inscriptions to decode their meaning.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis took a moment to inspect the pictograms closer. They were not detailed drawings, but rather a series of simple lines that took the rough shape of the animal in question; much like the constellations. In addition, she noticed that the pattern changed depending on the angle. Comparing each symbol, she discovered that they were all interchangeable. Whether representing a ram, a dragon, or a pony, it was all dependent on from which perspective they were viewed from.

This cast her mind back to the words of Swift Nimbus. Like Pepper Spice, she was also a mother, lashing out at those she perceived to be her oppressors. The fact that Pepper was in the same situation seemed to be lost on her. The racial prejudice had blinded her to the truth, which only Chrysalis saw, being an objective outsider. Perhaps this was the legacy of Discord? If chaos worship ran in the family, they could still desire to control their chaotic reality – at least, when it was chaotic against them.

As much as Chrysalis empathised with the ponies’ position, she saw no justification for the atrocities committed. The gruesome images were still fresh in her mind. The route to her hive was littered with pony bodies from all three tribes, many mangled beyond recognition. Such was the hatred toward their fellow equines, no tribe was immune from defiling the fallen. She felt a fresh surge of bile rise in her throat, which took all her effort not to expel across the ritual circle. If she were to desecrate the shrine of Discord now, there would be no chance of summoning him.

“My Matron?” Frenulum’s voice cut through her mental haze. “Is everything alright, my Matron? You’re looking quite pale.”

“I will be okay,” Chrysalis replied, though she could feel her magic beginning to fade. “Have you decoded the tablet?”

“As much as I can, my Matron. The text is a bit faded, but from what I have deciphered, it says to present one of each animal depicted by the runes. With this offering and the call of his name, Discord shall appear."

“Then it appears we’re at an impasse,” Chrysalis sighed. “We don’t have a hope of finding enough animals in time, not in this weather. Unless…”

Frenulum blinked and tilted their head. “What is it, Matron?”

A spark of inspiration flashed in Chrysalis’ eyes. “Frenulum, can you stand in the middle of the circle?”

“Um… my Matron, what do you intend me to do?”

“You will be the offering of all animals! Please, transform into each one in the order I describe.”

“I’m not sure I can, my Matron,” Frenulum looked away. “I haven’t transformed in weeks. I don’t know if I have the strength to do it once, let alone multiple times.”

“Please, you have to try,” Chrysalis placed her hooves on Fenulum’s face, turning her to make eye contact. “It may be our last chance to save the faeling race.”

Frenulum gulped. “I… I can certainly try, my Matron. But I cannot guarantee results.”

“Anything you can do is good enough,” Chrysalis beamed. She was tantalizingly close to achieving her goal, she couldn’t back down now. “Please, hurry, I don’t know how much longer my light spell will last.”

With shaking hooves, Frenulum turned and stepped into the centre of the ritual circle. “I… await your instructions, my Matron.”

Chrysalis took a moment more to study the pictograms before deciding. “Alright, first, become the ram.”

Frenulum closed her eyes to focus, reaching deep inside of herself to draw on whatever magic she had. The transformation was not instantaneous, the green glow of her magic flickering as it struggled to reach ankle height. Her muscles tensed, and sweat poured from her brow as she strained to complete the spell.

“It’s no use!” Frenulum groaned. “I—ugh! I c-can’t hold it much longer!”

“Keep going!” Chrysalis urged, watching with bated breath as fae fire flashed around her. “You’re almost there, I can feel it!”

“I… I...” Frenulum’s magic was raising, but slowly, phasing her form right up to the base of her wings. But then, she hit her limit. Gasping for air, the light on Frenulum’s horn went out, and the spell began to reverse as her legs gave out from under her.

“No, no, no!” In a panic, Chrysalis lunged forward, shooting her light spell directly into Fernulum before they could hit the ground. Then, she stopped falling, suspended in mid-air through her matron’s magic.

“Frenulum? Frenulum, can you hear me?” Chrysalis shook her fallen kin, but she got no response. Her body just hung there, limp as a ragdoll.

Chrysalis feared the worst, but on closer inspection, Frenulum wasn’t dead. She was breathing slowly, her wide eyes kept open with a dark, green glow. She couldn’t explain why, but Chrysalis felt a small amount of strength return to her body. She gently lowered Frenulum to the ground, noticing something odd as she did so. Normally, she could freeze a pony-sized creature in the air, but no more than that. This time, however, she was able to manipulate Frenulum’s body like a puppet. Gently at first, she stood the faeling archaeologist up.

I wonder if… Chrysalis pondered the unfinished thought. She’d never considered such power before. After all, why would she? She tried to be a benevolent Princess, working with her kin to the best of their ability. She clenched her teeth. She had already breached that rule once today, and as she’d established plenty of times by now, this was the last hope for the faeling race.

It seems fate has decided for me. She only hoped Frenulum would forgive her once this was all over. Focusing, Chrysalis weaved her magic through her underling’s body, conjuring the image of a ram in her mind’s eye. Amplifying the residual power inside Frenulum, Chrysalis enveloped the faeling’s body in mystical fire and, like a sculptor with soft clay, warped and manipulated until it resembled that of a ram – spiral horns and all.

She didn’t stop there. Spurred on by the excitement over her success, she quickly moved on to the next animal, then the next, and the next after that. One after another, Frenulum was transformed, turning from pony, to dragon, to hawk, and so on. Even once she’d run out of animals, she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. The shrine’s magic had enraptured her, pushing her mind to repeat the cycle again and again.

Then, the transformations halted. Frenulum no longer resembled a faeling. Caught between her different forms, sparks of magic arched across her body.

“Frenulum?” Slowly, Chrysalis extended her hoof, not knowing if her kin was alive or dead.

The sparks ignited, erupting in a bright ball of fire that consumed the faeling’s body. Chrysalis leapt away, the powerful heat searing at her chitin as she hit the ground.

No sooner had it appeared, the flames flared out in a dazzling flash of light, finally revealing what the young faeling had become. The creature that emerged from the fireball was a being greater than the sum of its parts. It was the draconequs; Discord, God of Chaos.

“Oh, my goodness, that was a long nap!” Discord yawned, stretching his limbs. “I haven’t slept like that in millennia. In fact, it may have been a millennium since I was last awoken.”

Chrysalis was slightly taken aback. The ritual had worked. No longer just a myth from ages past, Discord was standing right there, as real in flesh and blood as any faeling could be.

“Ah, it seems I only have a single patron this time around,” Discord said, his voice swab and polite in contrast to his manic appearance. “Well? What would you have of me? Surely you didn’t go through all this trouble just to gawk, now would you?”

Chrysalis straightened her posture and cleared her throat. There was no turning back now. “My name is Chrysalis, Princess and Matron Mother to the faeling race. I have come to ask for your help.”

“Oh? Help, from me?” Discord looked up from filing his nails, twisting in the air to lean closer to Chrysalis with a sly grin growing across his face. “And here I thought mortal races didn’t trust me anymore. Little old Discord was too much of a bother, chaos no longer suiting their style. Yet here you are, full in the knowledge that my ways are, let’s say, complicated.”

Chrysalis fought to keep her expression neutral. When the alternative to chaos was death, she would gladly take chaos any day – though this did little to ease her anxiety. All she could do was push through those fears and work with whatever she was given.

“My race is dying,” she said, deciding that a blunt approach was best. No false pretences, just cold, hard facts. “We thrive off love and positive emotions from other races. For the longest time, this was enough. But now…” she paused, taking a moment to compose herself. “But now, a natural disaster has put tensions between ponies at an all-time high. From this endless winter, war has come. Tribe has turned against tribe, and my faelings are starving as a result. I have tried to talk to the ponies, tried to resolve whatever differences they have, but it’s no use. They’re too stubborn, they won’t listen to me.”

“And so, you beseech a higher power to be your knight in shining armour, correct?” Discord smirked, conjuring a set of silver plate armour to cover his torso and head, complete with a matching sword and shield. “However, I have a question for you, too, Princess.”

Chrysalis remained resolute, refusing to break eye contact with Discord. “Of course, you do. You want to know why you should help me, correct? What manner of deal would benefit you, as well as me?”

“Oh ho! Aren’t you such a clever little thing?” Discord’s voice was somewhere between mockery and admiration. With a snap of his fingers, his armour dissipated, replaced instead by a scholar’s cap and little reading classes. “Well, let’s cut to the chase, since you’ve figured everything out already. What do you offer?”

“Something very simple, actually,” Chrysalis grinned. It was time to seal the deal. “We faelings can become anything, given enough love to keep us going. If you help us, you will once more retain the title of a god, rather than just a forgotten legend. We will hold annual festivals in your honour, with games and tributes as chaotic as your heart desires! A grand, free-for-all celebration with you at the centre, as the saviour of the faeling race. How does this sound?”

Discord rubbed his chin with his talon. “You certainly know how to sweet-talk your way into a relationship.” Twirling his fingers, he broke off a lone stalactite, enveloping it in a small vortex of glowing, purple magic. In a flash, the rock was transformed, presented to Chrysalis as a three-pronged crown of solid jade.

As Chrysalis reached out to take the crown, its magic arced and shot through her body like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, she felt rejuvenated, the aches and pains of her fatigued muscles vanishing as the crown’s power restored her health. It was like no other magic she’d felt before, a force to finally put an end to all the pain and misery her kind had suffered at pony hooves.

“Well?” Discord asked, letting the crown falling into Chrysalis’ waiting hooves. “Why don’t you try it on?”

Chrysalis didn’t need to be told twice. Sitting down, she slowly lowered the crown on to her head. The moment it touched her, its magic flowed outwards, wrapping around her head like a headdress and granting her thick, armoured shells around her carapace and hooves.

“This… is incredible!” she gasped, the headdress and armour glowing with a radiant green light.

“Of course, it is!” Discord said smugly. “I made it, after all. But, as great as your new crown is, there is but one condition you must always follow.”

Chrysalis cocked an eyebrow. “And that would be?”

“It is very simple!” with another snap, Discord conjured a parchment and a self-writing quill. “You must sustain it as you sustain yourself. If you cease to feed, it will die along with you.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Well obviously. I’m hardly stupid, you know!”

“Then do we have a deal?” Discord ushered his newly written contract over to Chrysalis.

“We have a deal,” she took the quill in her magic and wrote her name at the bottom. “Pleasure doing business with you, God of Chaos.”

“Indeed, it has been!” Discord cheered, clapping with excitement. “I have a feeling we shall see each other again very soon, Queen Chrysalis!” As quickly as he had arrived, Discord’s spirit vanished, his physical form leaving behind Frenulum’s twisted remains.

Kneeling before the body of her kin, Chrysalis released a mournful sigh. “I’m sorry, Frenulum,” she said. “I swear, your sacrifice will not be in vain. Thanks to you, the faeling race will be reborn, stronger than ever.”

Blasting the cave wall with her magic, Chrysalis used the broken rocks to form a makeshift grave for Frenulum. In truth, she only felt the smallest twinge of guilt for her loss. Whatever awaited her kin in the next life, she had a feeling she would understand the necessity of all that transpired this day.

As she turned to leave, the last words of Discord echoed through her mind. Queen Chrysalis, huh? She thought. I could get used to a title like that.

---

Twilight’s expression had turned progressively more sombre as Thorax recounted his tale. The fact that Discord was now involved complicated matters, especially from a textbook standpoint. This level of historical knowledge was meant to educate—to reflect on why events happen and learn from them—not to inspire fear.

They weren’t likely to encounter Discord often, and when they did, he’d almost certainly be with Fluttershy. This could help mitigate potential anxiety, but there was still a high likelihood for resentment without modern context. So, she decided to mark her notes, highlighting the specific paragraphs referring to Discord, with intent to add an addendum on the final draft. In addition to this, there was one other aspect of this history she needed to bring up.

“Just so you know, Thorax, I’ll be omitting some of the details about pony war crimes,” she said, keeping her tone matter of fact to avoid sounding accusatory. “Not to absolve them of guilt, of course. This textbook will be aimed at a high school level – you know, about Ocellus’ age. They’ll still understand how the events escalated, just without the gory specifics. Does that sound good to you?”

“Of course, it is,” Thorax replied, giving Twilight a sympathetic smile. “It’s your textbook, after all. I’m just giving you the facts to fill it with.”

“Well, yeah, I get that,” Twilight felt her cheeks flush a little. “But it’s also your history, and I don’t want to disrespect it.”

Thorax shook his head. “Don’t worry, you’re not doing that. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d bring up the brutal violence to begin with. Princess Celestia has been in pony’s lives for generations, it’s hard to imagine a time without her. What’s the relevance of such violence when we’ve already moved past it?”

“Well, if Chancellor Neighsay…” Twilight gritted her teeth on mention of that name. That unicorn was more than just a pain in the backside. To undermine her core values was to undermine her job as a princess. She could write an entire essay on how destructive his attitude was, but she restrained herself. Thorax and changeling history were today’s focus, and getting side-tracked with old grudges would be a waste of time.

“I mean, if the school opening proves anything,” she continued, “It’s that prejudice toward non-pony races hasn’t gone away. With stuff like the Hearth’s Warming Eve play, it’s limited to a purely pony perspective. If I’m to fulfil my role as Princess of Friendship, then I need to open young minds to a truly multicultural view of history.”

Thorax rubbed his chin and hummed for a moment. “That gives me an idea, actually.”

Twilight cocked her head a little. “Huh?”

“If you have the time, why don’t you make two books instead? One can be a summarised version for your school, while the other can be the full story, bloody details and all.”

Twilight’s ears pricked up at the words ‘second book’. “Now you’re speaking my language!” she giggled. “I’ll do just that. You’ve gone through all this trouble, it’s only right for everypony else to know what I learned today—” she paused for a moment, stopping short of a full-on info dump. “If they can stomach it, of course.”

“It’s hard enough for most changelings, as it is,” Thorax looked down at his drink, his expression growing dark. “Chrysalis has fed those grisly images to generation after generation, leaving some with permanent mental scars. I wish I could block out their memories like they ask me to. It’d stop the constant nightmares for sure…”

“I hate to sound like a broken record,” Twilight said, reaching across the table to place her hoof over Thorax’s. “But, when I said we can stop at any time, I meant it. We’re here to document history, not put you on trial.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Thorax looked back at her with a weak smile. “I can still pace myself.”

“If it makes any difference, I’ll pass on some of this info to Starlight. I know a Guidance Counselor is different to a regular therapist, but she might be able to offer a listening ear, if need be. I know she’ll understand.”

“That would help, yes. For now, I’m fine to press on with the interview. Chrysalis needed a guinea pig to test the crown’s power, and she had just the faeling for the job.”