Having a family of changelings isn't always easy, but it IS worth it.
This is an anthology of silly, cute, unrelated short stories about Anon, Chrysalis, and their friends and family. It takes place after Bed Bug, Lovesickness, Run Without Debugging, and Gamophobia, but reading them is not required to understand or enjoy this story.
Being married to the ex-queen of the changelings, Chrysalis, is an interesting experience. Having five little bug children running around doesn't make matters any easier. That said, one thing is certain...
There's more than enough love to go around.
Rating for occasional no-no words and sex jokes/innuendo.
Anon’s eyes slowly drift open. He could have sworn he felt something just now. He smacks his lips together as he rolls over before squinting at the alarm clock on his nightstand. Sure enough, he doesn’t have to wake up for the better part of an hour. Allowing a yawn to escape him, he shuffles back into a comfortable position and closes his eyes once more.
Only to immediately be awoken again by the entire house shaking.
“Ugh, not again,” he mumbles as he finally begins rolling out of bed.
After quickly stumbling into the closet and halfheartedly throwing some clothes on, he trudges out of the bedroom and down the hall. Just as he reaches the stairs leading down to the ground floor of his home, he hears voices coming from below.
“Gotcha!”
“Let go!”
“Not until you say ‘uncle!’”
“Over my dead body!”
“That can be arranged.”
“Terga!”
“Both of you stop, you’re gonna wake dad up!”
Anon sighs as he begins descending the steps.
“Alright, what’s going on?!”
His voice booms throughout the house. All at once, the arguing voices fall silent. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, he turns into the spacious living room. Slowly, he looks over the entire room, identifying that nothing is broken before finally acknowledging the five colorful changeling children glancing everywhere but at him, beads of anxious sweat dripping from all of their foreheads.
Sitting calmly on the sofa is Seta, a green changeling with bright blue eyes. She’s the largest of the group, and she’s the eldest sibling by a whole twenty minutes. She’s also a hopeless romantic that dreams of finding a star-crossed lover like in her favorite novels, but has difficulty doing so with her sharp tongue and sarcastic attitude.
Sitting on the floor with a suspicious new bruise on the side of his head is Tarsus, the second-eldest and second-largest child. He’s a striking gold color with orange eyes, and his build is generally stockier than his siblings’. He tends to be the hardest for Anon to handle due to being easily excited, not to mention that he respects his mother way more than his father.
Sitting to Tarsus’s left is Canthus, the middle child. He’s a sky-blue color with striking purple eyes. Despite being the third-eldest child, he’s only the fourth largest. Anon tries to be patient with him, understanding that he’s undergoing a bit of an identity crisis as the middle child (even though they all hatched on the same day). Still, his penchant for “trying to prove himself” leads him into trouble frequently, made clear by the numerous bumps, bruises, and bandages across his body.
On the far side of the room is Gena, the second-youngest child. She’s a light-pink color with blue eyes, and although it’d be a death sentence to say out loud, she’s easily the cutest of the bunch. This is due in part to being the runt of the group, sitting a whole head shorter than Canthus. She’s very quiet, but also extremely bright. All in all, she’s basically the exact opposite of Tarsus, right down to her treatment of Anon. A real “daddy’s girl,” as it were.
Finally, sitting on the other side of Tarsus and breathing heavily (though lacking the bruises) is Terga, the youngest of the children. Despite being the youngest, she’s the third largest, just barely beating out Canthus and easily dwarfing Gena. She’s a deep purple with green eyes, and two faded scars line the left side of her face. Despite how young and bug-like they all are, basically anyone would be able to tell that she’s the most physically capable of the bunch. This has resulted in a penchant for roughhousing, specifically with Tarsus and Canthus.
And by the looks of things, Anon can safely assume that she won. Again. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he takes a deep breath.
“Were you getting into it again?”
“N-no!” Tarsus pouts and looks away with puffed-up cheeks.
“They totally were,” Seta chuckles with a smug grin. “Terga got Tarsus in a headlock, he tried to fight back, Canthus wanted to get involved and failed, and then you came downstairs.”
“Terga started it,” Canthus mumbles.
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
“Quiet, all of you.” Anon tries to stand firm, but Tarsus, Canthus, and Terga continue to bicker. He glances at his remaining two daughters, who just give him a shrug. With a sigh, he steps into the living room proper and lifts both Tarsus and Terga by the backs of their necks. They attempt to slap at each other, forcing Anon to keep them far apart. “Will you–”
“You can try to fight me all you want, it’s not gonna make you any bigger than I am!”
“Size doesn’t mean a thing when you can’t use it, loser!”
“Shut up!” It isn’t until Anon yells that the bickering siblings finally fall silent again. “Neither of you are getting breakfast.” He glances at the floor, where Canthus sheepishly looks away. “Same goes for you, Cant.”
“N-no! Please!”
“You all have to stop fighting like this in the living room.” Anon bites his tongue before saying more. If it were up to him they wouldn’t fight at all, but if his wife is to be believed, fighting is both natural and healthy for growing changelings. “At least take it outside.”
“Whatever,” Tarsus mumbles while crossing his arms. “Mom would be fine with it.”
“Well, mom isn’t here right now, so what I say goes.” Anon drops both of them, causing them to furiously flap their wings as they approach the ground. They can all fly, but they’re not very good at it yet. “Seta? Gena?”
“Hm?” Gena’s voice is quiet, but it’s the first he’s heard from her all morning.
“I’m making omelets. Sit tight.”
“Noooooooo!” Canthus sobs from the ground. Is it a bit mean to make their favorite breakfast when three out of five of them aren’t allowed to eat it? Probably, but that’s what makes it a punishment.
Breakfast was quiet and a bit awkward, but if nothing else, Anon succeeded in keeping his children from beating the snot out of each other again. The rest of the morning goes by without much of note occurring, and right around noon, the handle on the front door begins to wiggle.
“I’m home, and I brought company.”
With a couple of excited gasps, the changeling children rush to greet the new arrivals. Standing tall in the doorway with half-lidded eyes is the dreaded ex-queen of the changelings, Chrysalis. Despite her children being light changelings, she maintains her dark changeling form. She is, technically, also a light changeling (having a loving family will do that to you), but this is the form she wishes to keep. It might be menacing, but it’s her.
Meanwhile, standing on either side of her are two mares. The first is a mint-green gal named Lyra Heartstrings, who greets everyone present with an excited smile. The second is a much less enthusiastic (but still visibly smiling) Bon-Bon, Lyra’s wife. These two are basically the only ponies that Chrysalis is willing to call her friends.
Without missing a beat, Gena leaps into Lyra’s arms to give her an adorable hug. The affectionate mare happily hugs her back before doing the same with Canthus. Meanwhile, Seta, Tarsus, and Terga all give Bon-Bon a smile and a nod, which she quietly returns.
Chrysalis saunters into the house without much care, quickly approaching Anon and whispering into his ear.
“They invited themselves.”
“I figured as much.”
Lo and behold, the two mares let themselves in as politely as possible. It doesn’t take long for everyone to slowly funnel into the living room and find a place to sit. Anon, of course, gets exclusive rights to the recliner.
That’s his recliner.
“So,” Lyra starts as she removes her saddlebag and takes a seat on the sofa. “Are you all ready for school to start?”
There’s a collective groan from the children aside from Gena. Both Lyra and Bon-Bon laugh at the sight before Lyra starts digging into her saddlebag.
“We figured as much. That’s why your mother asked us to help her get you all some presents.”
Seta’s eyes widen. Tarsus and Canthus suddenly start paying attention. Gena and Terga pog.
“Here we are!” Lyra pulls out a suspiciously small box from her saddlebag. It’s a metallic-white color, and it easily fits in one hoof. “I’m still amazed this thing works.”
“What is it?” The usually quiet Gena pipes up, her curiosity overcoming her low-key demeanor.
“A discontinued device from S.M.I.L.E.,” Bon-Bon remarks with a cocky grin. “Perfect for compressing and hiding disguises.” Lyra presses a tiny button on the side of the box, causing the top to glow with enchanted magic. Suddenly, a series of garments shoot out of the top with explosive force, not unlike the shot of a party cannon. Most hit the ceiling before falling back down onto Lyra, who is quickly buried in clothes. “Or it would be, if they could ever get the enchantment right.”
“We got you some new school clothes,” Chrysalis halfheartedly mumbles. “If you want any more, you’re gonna have to buy them yourselves.”
It doesn’t take long for Lyra to sort through the clothing, at which point her horn glows as she magically tosses the clothes to the appropriate children.
“C-can we try them on now?!” Seta’s eyes practically glow at the prospect of new (free) clothes, though she’s not sure what it is that she’s holding.
“How else are we gonna know if they fit?” Anon chuckles.
With haste, all five children scramble to get their new clothes on. Some have more difficulty than others, with Tarsus specifically having a lot of trouble, but it doesn’t take long for them to start looking down at themselves. Chrysalis rolls her eyes before her horn glows with a sickly green magic. Seconds later, magical mirrors appear in front of each of her kids.
Seta got a flowy dress that accentuates her tall stature, making her look elegant and refined. Tarsus and Canthus both got simple shirts that are baggy enough to be comfortable, but tough enough to withstand whatever trouble they’re inevitably going to get into. Gena got an adorable sundress that makes her bright-pink body pop even more, while Terga got two pairs of simple leg warmers.
Tarsus and Canthus exchange an unenthused glance, not being particularly impressed by the “gift” being clothes. Seta and Gena beam with excitement, while Terga looks mostly relieved that she didn’t get another uncomfortable dress or something.
“It’s so pretty!” Seta twirls around, being sure to observe herself at every angle. “Maybe you guys do have some semblance of taste!”
“Yeah, it’s…”
“It’s alright…”
Tarsus and Canthus continue to do their best to not look disappointed. Behind them, Gena happily hums to herself as she smooths out the sundress. Terga fiddles with the leg warmers, not being used to them but clearly enjoying them more than she would any other piece of clothing.
“What do you say?” Anon asks with a sly grin.
“Thank you,” the mini buggos recite in unison with very little energy. Chrysalis groans at the display, not really being one for manners herself.
“Well, we should get going.” Bon-Bon nudges Lyra, who is clearly having the time of her life watching the children mess with their presents. “We wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Sure you don’t want to stay for lunch?”
Chrysalis shoots Anon an annoyed glance, though he ignores it.
“We have some plans of our own, but thank you.” She stands, practically dragging Lyra along with her. “See ya later. And good luck at school tomorrow.”
A series of goodbye waves and hugs are shared before the mares finally depart, leaving the living room in an awkward silence.
“...Do I have to wear these?” Terga mumbles.
“No, no you don’t.” Chrysalis’s horn stops glowing, causing the mirrors to disappear. “They insisted they get you all something. I was the one that picked those out.”
Terga lets out a sigh of relief.
“Thanks, mom.”
“And what about you two?” Chrysalis narrows her eyes at her two sons. Their new shirts do little to hide their bruises. “You haven’t been getting into trouble while I’ve been gone, have you?”
The boys exchange a guilty glance. While Chrysalis wouldn’t care if they fought in the living room on her watch, she would be angry to learn that they went against their father’s wishes. Their eyes shift from each other over to Anon, who stares at them for a quiet moment before sighing.
“I stopped them before anything got out of hand,” he lies.
“...Alright. Good.” They both stand in stunned silence for a moment. Did… did their dad just cover for them? “You’d better not do anything like that at the School of Friendship. Am I clear?”
Chrysalis’s voice is so stern and commanding that all five children nod in unison. While she might not be the most emotionally open changeling, she is extremely good at keeping her brood in line.
“C-can we play outside now?”
“Yes, you may.”
“Woo!”
There’s a sudden whirlwind of movement as the children all frantically fly through the front door and into the sunny hills of Ponyville outside. Only Gena lags behind, carefully removing and folding her sundress before following her siblings. Once the front door closes, Anon and Chrysalis both take a deep breath.
“They got into it, didn’t they?”
“I made them skip breakfast.”
“Think that’ll be enough?”
“For a while, yeah. At the very least, they’ll take it outside first.”
“Ugh, we can only hope.”
“Chryssi?” Anon tilts his head, confusing Chrysalis with his growing concern.
“Hm?”
“It’s not like you to be so uncertain.”
“Well…” She lets out a deep sigh before continuing. “They might be my first brood, but they’re far from the only changeling children I’ve raised. I’m just… not used to doing it like this.”
“That’s a good thing, Chryssi. I’d really prefer it if our kids didn’t grow up to become a bunch of love-starved soldiers.”
“As would I. I’m glad that I can still keep them in line, but I’m not sure I’m… doing it right.”
Anon’s look of concern slowly morphs into a warm smile. Standing from his cherished recliner, he saunters over to the sofa and plops himself down right next to his wife.
“Chryssi, they love you. They respect you. And they’re definitely bright enough to know when something is wrong.”
“Tell that to Tarsus.”
“He’s brash, but he means well. Trust me.” Anon chuckles. “Besides. Tomorrow, they’re going to the School of Friendship.”
“Peh. And what does that have to do with me?”
“You’re allowing your children to be taught at a school run by Starlight Glimmer. If that doesn’t speak volumes about how far you’ve come, I’m not sure what does.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She lightly elbows him in the ribs, coaxing another chuckle out of him. “Anyway, I’m hungry.”
“I figured as much.”
A smile creeps across Chrysalis’s face as she crawls on top of Anon. They’ve gone through this song and dance hundreds of times. She wraps herself around him and presses her lips to his own, pulling him into a passionate kiss as she feeds on his love. Unlike most creatures, Anon cannot run out of love, meaning she has a free all-you-can-eat buffet. Even if that weren’t the case, he loves her more than enough to sustain both her and the rest of their family.
The display of passion behind the kiss is completely unnecessary, too. She can feed on his love without any physical contact at all. Heck, he’s mastered the art of quite literally adding love as an ingredient to his meals for the sake of the kids. Still, the connection is something that they both appreciate, however unnecessary it may be.
“You’re gonna get fat if you keep that up,” Seta remarks as she sneaks through the front door and up the stairs. Anon’s eyes widen in shock, but Chrysalis seems completely unbothered by her daughter seeing the display.
Such is a typical day in this household. It’s noisy, it’s hectic, and it’s certainly strange by Ponyville standards. And yet…
It’s another calm day in Ponyville. A light drizzle was planned for the afternoon, but it’s supposed to clear up by the time the kids come home from school. The sound of the rain gently hitting the roof of the house creates an almost melancholic vibe.
Chrysalis lives for this sort of weather.
While she kept the main changeling hive in perpetual drought during her reign, doing so was, in her mind, a strategic move. It made the land undesirable and difficult to attack, allowing them to remain isolated from foreign powers. Actually living somewhere with the rain that she rarely saw for so many years is a pleasant change of pace, though you’ll never hear her admitting as much.
Actually, she’s come a very long way from her days as queen. What started as an attempt at hiding in Anon’s basement eventually became a beautiful relationship built upon love and trust. Sure, the road might have involved traumatized children, near-fatal injuries, and dramatic escapes from secret underground facilities, but they made it through all the same. That’s what really counts, right?
Staring into the bathroom mirror, she briefly transforms into her light changeling appearance. In truth, most creatures would consider her to be much more beautiful if she just stuck with her “true” form. However, “most creatures” can shove it up their ass. Magic envelops her once more as she takes on the appearance of her old self once again.
She might technically be a light changeling, but this is who she really is. It’s a remnant of a past she’s trying to learn from. It’s an appearance that strikes fear into the hearts of many, but acts as a source of comfort for Anon and her children.
Also, screw what other ponies say. She’s hot, dammit!
After briefly stretching her long, hole-filled legs, she steps out of the bathroom and starts to head downstairs. It’s pretty quiet without the kids around, but she can hear some faint shuffling in the kitchen.
“Nonny?”
“I’m in here.”
“What are you doing?”
She turns the corner to see Anon with several circular baked goods on the counter in front of him. Along with them, there are several jars and other types of packaging containing a wide assortment of food items.
“Making myself some bagels.”
“...Why?”
“I like bagels.”
“No, I mean why aren’t you just waiting for dinner?”
“Because I spent all morning consoling Terga after Gena convinced her that her yak classmates were going to eat her.”
“She did what?”
“Terga was trying to bully her again, so Gena just started making stuff up to scare her off. Kids will be kids, I guess.”
“Haha!” Chrysalis starts to cackle as she walks up alongside Anon. “About time that daughter of mine grew a spine.”
“I wouldn’t encourage that type of behavior. The last thing we need is Terga treating her yak friends differently.”
“Yeah, yeah. ‘Unity’ or whatever.” She clicks her tongue before looking at the bagel Anon is halfway through shoving into his mouth. “Why the spread?”
“Every time I buy bagels, the kids always beat me to ‘em. I’m enjoying these while I can.”
“And that’s why you have so many different things to put on them?”
“Bingo,” he mumbles with a full mouth as he finishes off the bagel. He swallows contentedly before reaching for another one. “Here, check this one out. I call it the ‘Chrysalis special.’”
“Oh?” Her curiosity quickly fades in favor of disappointment as her husband slides several slices of Swiss cheese into the bisection of the bagel. “And where did that name come from?”
“You know, your–”
Anon blinks as he meets Chrysalis’s gaze. Her stare is cold, but there’s a strange cockiness to it underneath the quiet anger. It’s like she’s daring him to continue, and as he considers not doing so, she leans forward.
He has officially dug his own grave.
With an anxious gulp, he takes a bite of the bagel before continuing.
“Swiss is a light and refreshing variety of cheese. Just, uh… just like how I feel when I speak to you?”
“...Somehow, I think that’s even more insulting than the truth.”
“The holes in the cheese and the bagel remind me of your legs.”
“There you go.” She gives him a pat on the back that’s a bit more forceful than necessary. “Though I don’t much appreciate being mocked.”
“It was supposed to be endearing,” he whispers to himself.
“Whatever you say,” she sighs as she begins to turn around. “But you should probably leave at least a few for the kids. They’ll kill you if they find out you had these.”
“Not to worry,” he confidently remarks with a proud smile. “I anticipated that and prepared a peace offering.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
“Look right over there.”
Anon motions to the kitchen table, upon which rests a suspicious white box. Narrowing her eyes, she approaches the box before lifting it with magic. She briefly sniffs the air before recoiling at the sickly-sweet scent.
“Are these what I think they are?”
“If I know that nose of yours, your assumption is probably correct.”
With a blank expression, Chrysalis pops open the box. Lo and behold, it’s filled with precisely what she was expecting.
“Donuts? Really?”
“Come on, they love donuts!”
“You just had to order another food that reminds you of my legs?”
“I… what?”
“I believe I already told you that I don’t appreciate being mocked.”
“Chryssi, that’s not–”
“I expect you to make it up to me tonight.” Her voice is low, almost a purr. It’s a strange mixture of inviting and intimidating, though Anon would be lying if he said he wasn’t somewhat used to it. For better or for worse, he’s going to be sore in the morning. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to do some… what did you call it? ‘Light and refreshing’ pod making?”
“You’re still trying to turn the basement into a mini hive?”
“Trust me, Nonny, it will be useful in the future.”
“For what?!”
“That’s for me to know and you to dread.”
She gives him a coy smile and a wink before disappearing around the corner. After a moment, Anon groans.
“You’re flapping too hard!” Chrysalis’s voice is firm, but not aggressive. She hovers in the air alongside her children, each of which are about ten feet off of the ground. Sweat beads down their foreheads in the hot afternoon sun. While Chrysalis looks completely unbothered, the same cannot be said for her brood. “It’s about a consistent rhythm, not raw strength.”
“B-but how… how much strength is enough strength?” Tarsus wheezes, clearly struggling more than his siblings.
“Just enough to keep you airborne without tiring you out.”
“And how long–”
“All day, if necessary. I won’t accept anything less.”
Finally at the end of his rope, Tarsus’s wings finally give out. His stocky body plummets to the ground below, but just before he can hit the grass, he lands safely in the waiting arms of Anon.
“You’re doing great, bud.”
It takes Tarsus a moment to catch his breath enough to speak clearly. During this moment, he calmly allows his father to hold him. It’s surprisingly comfortable, but as soon as his body is able to move again, he remembers his pride and rolls out of Anon’s grasp.
“Whatever.”
Anon barely has time to think before a purple blur begins to fall from the sky just a few feet away. He quickly dives towards it, his stomach sliding along the grass as he just barely catches Terga before she can hit the ground. Much like Tarsus, it takes her a moment before she’s able to overcome her exhaustion.
“Th… thanks dad,” she mumbles, not quite as embarrassed as her brother by her father catching her.
“Alright, that’s enough. We’ll take a five-minute break.” Chrysalis lands with practiced ease while Seta, Canthus, and Gena follow her to the ground with much less grace.
“Who needs hosed?” Anon asks as he saunters towards the side of the house. All of the children aside from Seta follow him on shaky legs, some with twitchy wings that need some time to recover from their mother’s flight training. “Careful, it’s probably pretty cold.”
With a turn of a knob, water begins to pour out of the hose’s nozzle. Unwinding it enough to ensure that there are no knots in it, Anon grins as he points the hose at Canthus. He is almost blown back by the force of the cool water, but he manages to hold his ground. An excited laugh escapes him as he’s hosed down, the sudden drop in temperature feeling extremely welcoming after the test of endurance his mother just put him through.
After a few seconds, Anon points the hose at Tarsus. He tries to act stoic, but not even he can hide his growing smile at being rinsed down by his dad. Gena doesn’t attempt to hide her joy, and Terga twirls in the water’s path as though she is taking a shower. Being changelings, the water runs down their smooth, chitinous bodies with little resistance, allowing them to fully embrace the cool relief it brings.
“You sure you don’t want any, Seta?”
“I’m fine,” she shouts from behind her siblings. “This is nothing.”
“You should at least get a drink or something. It’s hot today and I don’t want you getting heat stroke.” Anon tilts his head with concern as he hands out water bottles from a cooler he prepared, tossing one to Seta while pointing the hose back at Canthus again.
“I said I’m fine,” she repeats through gritted teeth. “I can make it just–”
“Listen to your father.” Chrysalis speaks up from behind Seta, and her eyes widen as she realizes that her mother, too, is sipping at a bottle of water. “We’re trying to help you get stronger, not kill you. Staying hydrated is an important part of that.”
“...Is that how you did things back at the hive?”
“No. But you shouldn’t be looking at how I ran the hive as an example of how to act. If anything, I was a perfect example of how to do everything wrong.”
“You made strong soldiers, though.”
“I did. And they’re still paying the price for my decisions to this day.”
Chrysalis’s voice is low, quiet, almost melancholic. Seta blinks. She rarely hears her mother speak like this, and she almost never mentions what life was like back when she ruled the hive.
“I… I’m still–”
“Tired and thirsty?”
“...”
“Go get a drink.”
After hesitating for a moment, Seta sighs.
“Fine.”
Unfortunately for her, she barely has time to turn around before she’s blasted in the face with a jet of ice-cold water. Her legs lock up and her wings remain frozen in an outstretched position. After a moment, her wide eyes begin to burn with fury.
“DAD!”
Anon and the rest of her siblings laugh as he continues to hose her down. Lowering her head, Seta begrudgingly walks towards him and accepts a bottle of water. After a few seconds, he decides that she’s had enough and goes right back to aiming at Gena. Seta says nothing.
Her pride won’t let her admit that it felt pretty good.
After a few minutes pass and everyone has time to hydrate and regain strength in their wings, Chrysalis whistles. Knowing that that’s their cue, the children all take their positions before jumping into the air and taking to the sky once more. As usual, some struggle more than others. Terga lags behind a bit, and Tarsus is the last to make it to the proper height. Eventually, however, they’re all back in the air as Chrysalis gives them orders and advice to help them fly more efficiently.
After nearly half an hour, another changeling plummets to the ground. Surprisingly, it isn’t Tarsus, nor is it Terga. Instead, it’s the tall, green form of Seta that gives out first. Unlike her siblings, however, she doesn’t fall in a standing position. Rather, her form goes completely limp, and the result is her plummeting much faster than they did.
She closes her eyes as she falls to the ground. She’s embarrassed, sure, but she’s also ashamed of herself. She’s not obsessed with being the largest of her siblings like they are. Heck, she’s not even particularly interested in impressing her parents like Tarsus or Gena.
She just wants to feel competent.
Expecting the ground to hit her after the brief instant it takes for her to plummet out of the air, she’s taken aback when she lands on something soft. Finally opening her eyes, she sees the large form of her father face down on the grass below her. Somehow, she landed on his back.
“Dad?”
“Don’t worry. I gotcha.” His voice is muffled due to being face down in the grass, not to mention how winded he is from placing himself between his daughter and the ground. “You were going a bit too fast for me to catch you properly, but hopefully this is good enough.”
“Are you okay?!”
“I’m good,” he wheezes as he shuffles onto his knees. “How are you?”
“I’m… I’m fine.”
“Seta.” Once again, Chrysalis’s voice is firm as she lands next to her daughter. The rest of the children remain in the air, but they look down at their older sister with intrigue. “This is the key difference that makes our family better than the old hive.”
“...Wh-what do you mean?”
“When you fall, you’ll have us to catch you.” Anon grins.
“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Chrysalis whispers as she places a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder. “Now, are you ready to try again, or do you need more rest?”
“...I-I think I can go again.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Seta awkwardly clears her throat before glancing between her parents. “Just, uh… stay below me on my way up. Please?”
Anon chuckles.
“Sure thing. Good luck up there.”
With a smile and a nod, Seta leaps into the air one more time, somehow feeling more energized than before. Her mother follows her up, and the next thing she knows, she’s right there alongside her siblings once again. Chrysalis stifles a smile as she watches her eldest daughter confidently hover in the air next to her.
Canthus and his older brother huddle together in a quiet corner of the School of Friendship library. Classes just ended for the day, so while the halls are filled with bustling, excited students, the library is mostly empty. Still, a few stray students are seated at individual tables or looking through the countless bookshelves, likely preparing for all sorts of homework.
“First of all, keep your voice down.” Tarsus’s voice is a whisper, though he speaks firmly and with a slight aggressive demeanor in an attempt to replicate his mother’s commanding nature. “Second of all, do you have any classes with Ocellus?”
“Miss Ocellus? Isn’t she a student teacher this semester?”
“I’ll take that as a no.” Tarsus clicks his tongue and glances to the side in annoyance. “Dang it. I thought you might be able to help me out here.”
“What’s wrong?”
“She hates us, Canthus.”
“Sh-she does?”
“Yeah. Ever since the semester started, she’s been looking down on me. Every time I start paying attention, she’s glaring at me or calling on me when she knows damn well I don’t know the answer.”
“Probably because you don’t pay attention in class.”
“No!” Tarsus winces at his own accidentally raised voice. “I-I mean… no. She hates all of us. You, me, and the girls. Probably our whole family.”
“I thought she and dad talked a lot, especially when he’s a substitute.”
“Okay, fine. Our whole family except dad.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Haven’t you heard the story about how she and mom butted heads back in the day? Ocellus still resents her for everything back at the hive.”
“Well, can you blame her?”
“I can absolutely blame her for taking it out on us! We didn’t do anything wrong!”
“That’s why we’re having this conversation, Cant. She has done something.”
“W-wait, what?”
“Earlier today, she failed me on my botany exam. For no reason!”
“...Are you sure you didn’t just–”
“No, Cant. She’s trying to make us look bad.”
“What would she have to gain from–”
“Look, are you going to help me or not?”
“Help you with what?”
“Fixing the grade! Duh!”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Sneak into the classroom and find Ocellus’s gradebook. How else would I do it?”
“Actually studying for your next exam.”
“That wouldn’t mean a thing if Ocellus is still being a bitch!”
“Don’t call her that,” Canthus mumbles.
Tarsus groans and lightly stomps a hoof onto the carpet below.
“Fine. Be that way.” Tarsus begins to walk away, doing his best to hide a growing sneer. “But don’t be mad at me when our report cards come in and mom sees that my grades are better than yours.”
“Y-you…!” After taking a moment to contain his growing frustration, Canthus takes a deep breath. “Fine. Let's get this over with.”
“Tarsus, this was a horrible idea.”
“Get over it, dweeb. We’re in too deep now.”
Canthus shivers with anxiety. He and his older brother sit hunched together in a tiny closet. Said closet wasn’t made for much more than a few shelves, and since neither has yet to master shapeshifting, they’re crammed together in a very small space not made for two changeling boys.
Tarsus detailed the plan before they left the library. Ocellus has been teaching botany in Classroom #7. Since classes had already ended, no students would be present. However, the same could not be said for Ocellus herself, who usually stays late to take care of some assignments of her own. They have to strike before she leaves, otherwise there will be no gradebook to change.
The plan was simple. Have Tarsus, who is at least good enough at shapeshifting to replicate voices, call Ocellus out of the room while pretending to be Headmare Starlight. Then, while she goes to investigate, Canthus sneaks into the room, changes their grades, and sneaks back out before she returns. Easy.
What Tarsus failed to account for was Ocellus realizing not long after leaving the room that Headmare Starlight is off for the day, causing her to return to the classroom with a heightened sense of suspicion. Knowing he needed to warn Canthus, he was able to book it to the classroom while taking the long way around, just barely making it inside before Ocellus turned the corner. That left the two boys with no way out.
Now, they’re crammed together in a closet whispering to each other as they watch Ocellus through the tiny cracks in the door. The plan was a bust, and their new priority is to get out without being caught.
The tension in the air is palpable as the boys try to remain as quiet as possible. The only sounds are their own muffled breathing and the faint scratching of Ocellus writing something down. Every now and then, she lightly hums to herself with a smile on her face. It’d be pleasant if they weren’t in so much danger.
Finally, after literal eons (seven minutes) of waiting, Ocellus nods to herself. Tarsus and Canthus look on with newfound hope as she stands from her desk, tosses her belongings into her saddlebag, and trots towards the exit. While they can’t quite see that far, they do hear the door open and close. After hearing nothing at all for a few seconds, they nod to each other.
With a sigh of relief, both children press on the door and stumble forward. Tarsus catches himself, but Canthus falls to the floor with shaky legs. After taking a moment to stretch, they both begin to giggle.
“Well, that was an awful idea.”
“Yeah, your awful idea.” Canthus slowly gets back on his hooves. “Ugh, I don’t know why I bother listening to you. Miss Ocellus has been nothing but nice to me since the semester started.”
“Then she’s faking it. She hates all of us, and me most of all. You’ll see.”
“I think I’ll just stick to studying. Gosh, this was stupid.”
“You’d better not tell anyone about it.”
“Or what?” Both of them suddenly freeze as their eyes go wide. “Really, I’m interested to hear what you’ll do to poor Canthus.”
With a slow turn of their heads, they find themselves face-to-face with Ocellus herself. A strangely intimidating smile is spread across her face as she stands next to the door.
“Wh-when did you come back?”
“I never left.” She lets out a quiet chuckle before continuing. “I knew you two were in there the whole time. You’re really, really bad at whispering. Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t notice me standing here before I spoke up.”
“M-Miss Ocellus, is it true?”
“Hm? Is what true, Canthus?”
“Do you hate our family?”
“...” Ocellus stares at Canthus in silence for a long, tense moment. Her gaze slowly shifts to Tarsus, then back to Canthus again. Finally, she lets out a long sigh. “No, Canthus. I do not hate your family.”
“B-but Mom–”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I hold no love for Chrysalis.” Her voice is firm and serious, but beneath her stern demeanor, there’s a warmth that both boys can feel. “That said, you children have never done anything wrong. I’m not going to judge you for who your mother is.”
“Erm…”
Canthus fiddles awkwardly as his gaze falls to the floor, coaxing another chuckle out of Ocellus. With a kind smile, she reaches out a hoof and pats him on the head.
“I’m sorry if my history with your mother makes you boys uncomfortable. It was never my intention to make you feel unwanted.”
“N-no, I never said that! Miss Ocellus, you’re really nice!”
“Haha! Thank you, Canthus, but you’re not even in my class!”
“I sure don’t feel wanted,” Tarsus grumbles.
“Tarsus, it’s not my fault you fall asleep during my lectures and don't study for your exams.”
“N-no! There’s no way that grade was correct!”
“You do know it’s called ‘foal’s breath’ and not ‘fool’s breath,’ right?”
“It… is?” Tarsus’s golden face quickly turns beet red as he looks down at the floor. “Uhh… hehe. Oops?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Ocellus. We shouldn’t have made assumptions about you, and we shouldn’t have tried to cheat!”
“It’s alright, Canthus. I think there was a lesson to be learned here.”
“To not believe a word that comes out of my brother’s mouth?”
“Hah! Not quite what I was going for, but that seems like a good lesson to learn!” With a sly grin, she turns back to Tarsus. “Now, then. Tarsus.” Her voice lowers, and the air in the room suddenly seems to grow cold. “You knew full well that I care about you children, didn’t you?” Sweat begins to form on Tarsus’s brow, and he does everything in his power to avoid looking at his teacher. “You tried to trick your brother into helping you cheat.”
“Uhh…”
“I’ll be seeing you in detention tomorrow.”
“...” Tarsus lets out a very, very deep breath. “Damn it.”
“Make that the next two days.”
Canthus snickers at his brother’s misfortune as he hastily makes his way to the door.
“See you tomorrow, Miss Ocellus!”
“Goodbye, Canthus!” With a cold smile, she wordlessly manages to coax Tarsus out of the room as well. “Goodbye, Tarsus!”
Once the door shuts behind them, she chuckles to herself one last time.
Gena’s eyes flutter open. With a tiny groan, she rubs at her blue eyes before glancing at the clock on her nightstand. It’s almost 2:00 A.M., so why did she wake up? She’s always been a light sleeper, but not even she just wakes up for no reason.
Focusing on the quiet darkness of the house, she barely hears an unintelligible whisper come from downstairs. A few seconds later, that whisper is followed by the distinct sound of the front door opening and then closing again, with whoever is stepping outside intentionally trying to do so gently and quietly.
This, of course, only further piques her curiosity. If past experience is anything to go by, someone heading out the door at this hour means trouble. More than likely, it’s Tarsus or Terga getting up to something again. With an aggravated sigh, she throws the covers off of her small body and steps outside of her bedroom.
Her first instinct is to go tell her parents. However, as she looks at their closed door, she considers two possibilities. First, they could easily be doing something she does not want to see. Married changelings tend to, uh… do that a lot. Her mother is no exception.
Second, said mother might not be happy to be woken up at this hour. The mental image of Chrysalis’s half-asleep rage being directed at her is enough to make her blood run cold. Deep down, she knows her mother isn’t the changeling everyone says she used to be anymore, but she’s seen her when she gets mad. To say that it’s intimidating would be an understatement.
No. The risk is simply too great.
Taking a deep breath, she steels herself. On light hooves, she sneaks down the steps and out the front door. She’s never snuck out of the house before, but her small stature and quiet nature make it shockingly easy for her to do so undetected.
The evening air immediately washes over her. The night carries a gentle breeze, which does much to counteract the humidity. As per usual, the moon hangs high in the sky, providing just enough light to allow her to see where she’s going.
Ponyville is practically silent. It isn’t a loud town to begin with, but at this hour, even the night owls have fallen asleep. Taking advantage of this, Gena closes her eyes once more. There wasn’t much time between when she heard someone sneaking out and when she herself stepped outside, so they couldn’t have gotten too far.
Her left ear suddenly twitches. Sure enough, she can faintly hear more hushed whispers walking away from her down the road. While she cannot make out the words being said, she’s fairly certain that there are two voices.
For a moment, she considers if this is even worth it. Regardless of which siblings she might be tailing, she will gain nothing but their ire for ratting them out. Or, even worse, she could get in just as much trouble as them for sneaking out to begin with. However, Gena is curious to a fault. Even if there is nothing to be gained from this endeavor, she won’t be able to sleep if she doesn’t satisfy her own desire to know what’s going on. With a defeated sigh, she begins to follow the sound of the whispers.
Thankfully, she doesn’t have to go very far. While she at first assumed that her targets would be heading into town, they instead make a sudden left off of the road. Even in the darkness of night, she knows their route to be a shortcut into Ponyville Park, a quiet little piece of nature that’s great for picnicking and not much else.
What business would her siblings have over there? Did Tarsus hide something in the bushes again? Perhaps Terga got it in her head that late-night training is another way to make her taller. Or maybe Seta is secretly meeting up with a guy she doesn’t want their parents to know about?
…No. All of those would require complete secrecy, even from the rest of the family. What would two of her siblings be getting up to out here?
Gena furrows her brow as she considers the possibilities before creeping behind some bushes, carefully following the dark outlines of whoever it is that she’s following. It’s difficult to do without rustling the foliage, but her tiny body helps with that.
Finally, she watches as the pair comes to a stop. They stand beneath a big, shady tree next to a small pond. After a moment, they both take a seat on the grass. Gena tilts her head and leans forward, but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t quite make out who they are or what they’re saying.
Then, a couple seconds later, they stop speaking entirely.
Ugh, great.
Without voices, she’s going to have to rely on visual confirmation. After taking a moment to confirm that neither of them are looking around, she takes a big risk. She emerges from the shrubbery and immediately dives to the side. As expected, the foliage rustles around a bit. As far as she can tell, neither of her targets bothered to look back. For now, she is safe.
Letting out a silent sigh of relief, she steps forward. The shade of that big tree blocks out the moonlight, so it’s nearly impossible to make out who exactly is sitting there. Feeling impatient, she steps forward again. Then again. Then again.
At some point, she starts doing it without thinking. With every step, she’s that much closer to solving the mystery. She just needs to get a little bit closer, and she’ll–
“AHH!”
The creature sitting right in front of her reacts without warning. Its head silently rotates a full 180 degrees, its large, green eyes that seem to pierce the darkness immediately locking onto her own. Gena falls onto the grass below in shock, but even through her now rapidly beating heart and strained breathing, something clicks when she looks into those eyes.
“M… Mom?”
Chrysalis stares at her daughter silently for a moment before her head swivels back around. Before it does, however, Gena senses that something is off. She knows her mother. Chrysalis is a strict, aggressive, powerful changeling. She never shows weakness. She never shows vulnerability.
And yet, her eyes looked as though she’d been crying.
“We were followed.”
There’s a sigh. She knows that sigh.
“It was bound to happen at some point.”
“D-Daddy?”
“Hi, Gena.”
Both figures turn around completely, though neither bother to stand up. After all, they meet her at eye level when they’re sitting like this.
“Wh-what are you two doing out here?”
“I believe we should be asking you that question.” Chrysalis’s voice is as stern as ever, but once again, Gena can’t help but feel like something is different about it.
“I-I heard someone sneaking out, a-and I thought it might’ve been Seta meeting a new boyfriend or Tarsus trying to–”
“You thought it was appropriate to give chase?”
“I…”
“Come on, Chryssi. What was she supposed to do, tell us? The ones that snuck out?”
After a moment, a groan escapes from Chrysalis.
“Whatever. Let’s just go home.”
“N-no!”
Chrysalis, who had begun standing up, looks down at her with a mixture of anger and surprise.
“Excuse me?”
“Y-you…” Once again, the vision of her mother’s face contorted into a hideous snarl of disapproval shoots through Gena’s mind. And yet… “Something is wrong with you!”
“I beg your pardon?!”
“Your voice is all shaky! And your eyes are watering! That’s not the mother I know at all! I know being sneaky and lying is your thing, but… but…” Gena feels her own eyes getting misty, but she’s not particularly sure why. “I didn’t think you lied to us!”
“Gena, she–”
“Especially not you!” She points accusingly at her father, who simply stares back with a downtrodden expression. “Why would you go sneaking around behind our backs?!”
“...”
“...”
“...Chryssi.”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “I’ll tell her.”
The darkness is suddenly pierced by the sickly green glow of Chrysalis’s horn. Gena gasps as she feels herself being lifted off of her hooves. She’s only brought a couple of inches above the ground before she’s pulled forward. What happens next is the last thing she ever expected.
Chrysalis pulls her into a tight embrace.
There’s a long, awkward moment where she’s legitimately unsure of what to do. It has been a very long time since her mother has hugged her, especially willingly. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. What would she even say at a time like this?
“Gena.” Chrysalis’s words are quiet and, in a manner completely unlike her, gentle. “Every so often, I find it difficult to sleep at night.”
“H-huh?”
“I’ve been alive for longer than you can imagine.” She closes her eyes, and Gena does nothing but blink as her mother begins to stroke the back of her head. “I’ve done… I’ve made more mistakes than I count. It wasn’t until not very long ago that I even considered them mistakes.”
“You mean… back when you were a queen?”
“Right.” There’s a long pause before she continues. “I was of two minds at the time. On one hoof, I thought I had it all. I thought I was the most beautiful creature alive. I had an entire kingdom at my disposal. My armies were nigh-unstoppable. I was at the very top of the world.” Another pause. “On the other, I always wanted more. More land. More troops. More love to feed on. No matter what I did, it was never enough. I was still… hungry.”
Anon reaches over to place a hand on her shoulder before she continues.
“Then, I lost it all. I lost the trust of my kingdom. I lost the victory I thought I wanted. I lost my crown. I lost… well, what I thought were my friends.” She pauses one last time before finishing her story. “Then I met your father. I don’t need to bore you with what came next, but… for the first time in my long, long life, I no longer feel hungry.”
“Well, yeah. We’re light changelings. You finally have all the love you could ever want.”
“True. But I never considered what that might mean.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means that for the first time in a long time, I have something to lose again.”
Gena feels her mom reinforce her grip on her small body. Unsure of what else to do, she starts to return the hug as best she can.
“Your mother gets extremely vivid nightmares from time to time. I know you kids probably can’t imagine it, but dark changelings don’t do a lot of dreaming. She’s still not very used to it.”
“Wh-what about Miss Luna? She always helps us out when we’re having nightmares.”
“I told her to stay out of it.” Chrysalis’s voice is cold and stoic when she mentions the ex-princess. “My fears are not hers to see, and my life is not one for her to provide counsel for.”
“But she still needs someone to talk to.” In contrast to his wife’s cold tone, Anon’s voice is somber and calm. “We all do. And sometimes, those talks come with tears. That said, your mother doesn’t like you kids seeing her tears.”
“Shut it, Nonny.” Finally, she lets go of Gena. However, to her surprise, Gena does not do the same. “Gena?”
“I… I don’t really understand what you’ve been through. I don’t know if I ever will.”
“That’s a good thing, Gena.”
“But I’m here, too.”
“...Hm?”
She looks down at her daughter in surprise before glancing towards Anon, who simply crosses his arms with a proud, knowing smile on his face.
“You don’t need to hide it from us, Mom. Dad’s not the only one who loves you.”
“...R-right.” Gena feels her mother awkwardly pat the top of her head. With a quiet giggle, she takes that as her cue to back away. She does so just in time to see a few more tears begin to form in Chrysalis’s eyes, which are quickly wiped away. The troublemaker in her wants to say something snarky, but she holds herself back. “Regardless, it is way past your bedtime.”
“Why don’t you walk us home, Gena?” Anon chuckles as he gets back on his feet before offering Chrysalis his hand. “I’m interested in seeing how such a master of stealth does it.”
“O-oh, I’m nothing special like that.”
“Come on, not just anyone can sneak up on your mother like that.”
“True,” Chrysalis mumbles as Anon helps her to her hooves. “Though you didn’t quite make it all the way. We’ll have to work on that.”
“There’s no way you’re about to lecture me on my sneaking right now!”
After a moment’s hesitation, all three begin to laugh. With a smile on her face, Gena quietly escorts her parents home.
Terga groans as she takes a seat at the kitchen table. She’s up bright and early, something that is unusual for her. It’s even more strange today specifically, seeing as it’s a Saturday and she has an opportunity to sleep in.
Across from her sits her father, who sips at a steaming cup of coffee while reading the morning paper. Chrysalis had an overnight stay at the Changeling Hive last night due to Thorax wanting to keep his advisors close during a diplomatic meeting with the griffons. As a result, she won’t be home until the evening.
The room is quiet, with the silence eventually being broken by the crinkling sound of the newspaper being lowered as Anon takes a look at his youngest child.
“Good morning, Terga.”
“Morning, Dad.” Her voice is a grumble, clearly still fatigued from having just woken up.
“You’re up early,” he quietly observes with an amused smile creeping across his face. “Got plans for the day?”
“Well, I wanted to talk to Mom, but I guess she’s not here.”
“She should be back later tonight. Is something going on?”
“N-no. Nothing you need to hear about, at least.”
Anon raises an eyebrow at that.
“Should I be concerned?”
“Nah. You wouldn’t be able to help me anyway.”
“You sure?”
After hesitating for a moment, Terga sighs.
“Yeah. You don’t know how to fight, so–”
“Fight?” Anon raises an eyebrow as he takes another sip of his coffee. “What’s this about?”
Terga clicks her tongue.
“You wouldn’t get it.”
“Look, Terga. I don’t like sticking my nose in your business when I don’t have to, but you can’t just say something like that to me and not elaborate. You’re not getting bullied or anything, are you?”
“Hah!” Terga lets out a hearty laugh before covering her mouth, realizing she might wake her siblings up if she’s too loud. “First of all, I don’t think there are a whole lot of bullies at a place called ‘The School of Friendship.’ Second of all, even if there were, they wouldn’t be able to do a thing to me.”
To accentuate her point, Terga flexes the muscles in one of her legs. It’s difficult to tell due to her being a chitin-covered changeling, but Anon gets the idea. He lets out a chuckle before responding once more.
“You take after your mother. But, that still doesn’t explain why you’re interested in fighting.”
“Ugh.” Terga looks away as her cheeks start to darken. When she speaks again, her voice is a mumble. “I lost a fight to Tarsus.”
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I lost a fight to Tarsus, damn it!”
“Language.” Anon stares at his daughter for a moment, who continues to look away. Her face has contorted into a pout, with her purple cheeks puffed and her brow furrowed. It’s downright adorable, but it’d be a terrible idea to say that out loud. “Anyway, you lost to Tarsus.”
“Yeah. And I shouldn’t have.” Terga takes a deep breath in an effort to compose herself, much like her father does in stressful situations. After a quiet moment, she looks back at him with serious eyes. “He doesn’t put any work in. Just because he was born bigger than me, he thinks he’s hot sh– stuff. I’ve been working out every day to surpass him, and it’s just… not enough.”
She puts her chin on the table with a defeated “tsk.”
“Hey, you’ve been doing great! You’ve already passed up two of your older siblings!”
“Gena is a runt, and Canthus… well, even if he was strong, I don’t think he has the heart to fight me with everything he’s got. He’s too nice. So, they don’t really count.”
“I can help you, you know. You’ve got the strength already, now all you need is the technique.”
“That’s a bunch of crock and you know it, Dad. You’ve seen how thick Tarsus’s skin is. He could just stand there and let me wail on him and I still wouldn’t be able to do anything. Nah, I just lack the brute strength to break through him.” She slouches in her chair as her eyes drift the floor. “It’d be great if the gym would stop turning me away for being ‘too young.’”
“...Heh.” Terga looks up at her father, who smiles wistfully at nothing in particular as he takes another sip of his coffee. “You’re a chip off the old block, that’s for sure.”
“I seriously doubt Mom was like me when she was younger.”
“No, she certainly wasn’t. But I was.”
Terga snorts.
“You?! How in Equestria could you relate? No offense, but you’re not much of a fighter either, Dad.”
“First of all, that’s not entirely true. Second of all, I don’t mean the fighting thing.” Anon sets his now-empty mug on the table before leaning forward and resting his head in his hands, smiling gently as he begins his story. “When I was a kid, I really wanted to be good at basketball.”
“What’s basketball?”
“A sport for creatures with hands.” Anon smiles as he flexes his fingers for emphasis. “Anyway, I joined a local team when I was in elementary school, even younger than you. Heh, I had so much fun back then.”
“Let me guess. You weren’t good at it?”
“Nope, not even remotely. I remember my coach keeping me on the bench until our team was either so far ahead or so far behind that the game had basically already been decided nearly every time I played. It was… humiliating. And it definitely wasn’t very fun.”
“Is this supposed to make me feel better?”
“Cool your jets, we’re getting there.” Anon raises his hands innocently as his playful grin only grows. “Anyway, I knew something needed to change, and I knew it wasn’t going to be everyone else. So, I started practicing.”
“Did the gym tell you you were too young?”
“Yes, actually!”
“...” Terga sits upright, her head tilting as she suddenly finds herself much more invested. “W-wait, you actually tried the same thing I did?”
“Sure did. And without being able to work on my muscles, I worked on my form. Saved up enough money for my own ball, started frequenting the local basketball court in the park, and just… practiced. Day after day after day. I’d go to school, practice with the team, then head to the park and practice some more. On the days I had off, I’d be there from sunrise to sunset, just shooting basket after basket. Soon enough, I’d gotten pretty darn good at it.”
“And then what?”
“Then I was better than most of my teammates.”
“Most?”
“Most. Some were just, well, better. Faster, more dexterous, better at shooting, you name it. Heh, then middle school came along and we all went through puberty. Next thing I knew, even the teammates that basically never practiced were a head or two taller than me. I couldn’t make a shot to save my life.”
“So, what? I’m just supposed to give up?”
“...I realized I needed to change my approach.” Anon continues without answering Terga’s question. “Brute force wasn’t going to cut it. I couldn’t just be good at shooting. I needed technique. I needed to be able to make up for the advantages everyone else had over me. So, that was exactly what I did.”
“I think I’m lost.”
“I stopped focusing on trying to outperform everyone else.” Anon lowers his voice as he keeps his eyes trained on his daughter’s. “I was never going to be taller than them, and I probably wasn’t going to be stronger, either. If I wanted to beat them, I had to outmaneuver them. Outsmart them.” He taps the side of his head with one finger. “And that’s exactly what I did.”
“I…” Once more, Terga sighs. “I don’t get it.”
“Well, why don’t I show you what I mean when your mother gets home?”
“H-huh?”
“Trust me.” He gives her a playful wink as he stands from the kitchen table. “Anyway, what do you want for breakfast?”
Terga and Anon stand across from each other in the backyard. The sun is beginning to set, and Terga has been antsy to see what her father has planned all day. While she wears nothing (as usual), he is dressed in a baggy tank top and comfortable-looking basketball shorts.
Around them is the rest of their family. Chrysalis leans against the house with a blank look on her face, though the twinkle in her eye gives away her amusement at the sight unfolding before her. Tarsus yawns as he tries to contain his boredom. Canthus and Gena sit next to each other, eagerly anticipating whatever mysterious event is about to take place. Finally, Seta stands off to the side, her stifled grin indicating that she already has a pretty good idea of what’s about to happen.
“So?” Terga feels herself growing tense despite not knowing what’s happening. “What’s this big idea of yours?”
“Fight me, Terga.”
“...WHAT?!”
Terga’s eyes practically bulge out of her head. Gena and Canthus gasp while Tarsus finally starts paying attention.
“Come at me with everything you have.”
“D-Dad, I can’t do that. Tarsus is one thing, but I don’t want to hurt you!”
“Hey!” Tarsus shouts from the sidelines.
“Bold of you to assume you can hurt me.”
“I really don’t mean this as an insult, but you’re… soft! Squishy!”
“True, I’m not your mother. But that’s also not the point here.”
“What is the point? For me to beat the snot out of you? Is this some misguided attempt at giving me my confidence back?”
“If it were, you’d be able to land a hit.”
“...Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Anon beckons towards himself as a cocky grin spreads across his face. Not only is Terga gullible, she’s easily goaded. While he appreciates her hesitation to hurt him, this is the quickest way to get things moving. “You couldn’t put a scratch on me if you tried.”
“...Are you sure about this?” There’s a growl to her voice, and Anon knows she’s taken the bait. “Because once I get started, no take backs.”
“Positive.” Anon bends his knees, taking a stance his children have never seen. “Come at me.”
Terga stops hesitating. The second her father confirmed that he intended to fight, she was ready to leap into action. Literally. From a standing position, she throws herself at him as fast as her body will take her. As it turns out, this is extremely fast, giving Anon less than a second to react before her hoof meets his stomach. One way or another, she’s landing that hit.
Or so she thought.
Terga blinks as she skids along the grass. There’s silence for a moment as a breeze picks up. In front of her, there’s nothing but empty yard. Slowly, she turns her head. Sure enough, her dad stands behind her, his arms folded across his chest.
Without a word, Terga spins in place. Her eyes focus, the vivid green color within them practically glowing. If it were darker outside, they would look like they’re leaving a trail of light behind them.
With speed that would impress a Wonderbolt, Terga drives a hoof directly into Anon’s chest. This time, she focuses carefully on his entire body, watching for any movement whatsoever. The fact that he does end up moving is not surprising. What is surprising is the manner in which he does so. Just as her hoof is less than an inch away from his chest, he turns at an angle. Said hoof then glides along the angle that is being pulled away at the same speed she’s throwing her punch, carrying her weight in the exact direction that he decided. At this point, she’s already committed to the attack. She can’t stop herself.
Her body continues forward. She tries to pull back in an attempt to recover more quickly, but it’s too late. She feels two arms grab her from behind, with the elbows holding onto her front legs. She is pulled towards Anon’s chest, her back pressed flat against his stomach while her front legs are held still by those elbows. She instinctively begins kicking her hind legs, but she can’t put much power into those kicks when restrained like this. She tries in vain to flap her wings, but they’re already squished against his chest.
In a matter of seconds, she has been completely and utterly defeated.
There’s a moment of silence as everyone tries to process what just occurred. A knowing smile spreads across Chrysalis’s face while Terga’s siblings are a mixture of shocked and confused. Slowly, Anon releases his grip on his daughter.
“We’re done here.” Terga lands safely on the ground, gently flapping her wings as she does so. She takes a moment to catch her breath before turning back around to look at her father. “You okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“...” There’s an awkward silence for a few seconds. Anon feels a weight begin to settle in his chest, but the feeling is cut short when Terga begins to laugh. “Only my pride.”
“Do you get what I was going for?”
“...Yeah. Yeah, I think so. It’s about technique, right?”
“Work smarter, not harder.”
“I still want to get stronger, though.”
“And that’s fine! So long as you keep in mind that brute force isn’t going to solve all of your problems.”
“So,” Chrysalis flatly remarks as she approaches the pair. “That’s what this was all about.”
“Mom! W-would you be willing to train me?”
“I’ve already been training you.”
“W-well, yeah, but I want to do more! I want to get stronger!” She turns to Anon with a warm smile. “In more ways than one, I guess.”
“...Very well.” Chrysalis stands tall, the flippant smile she’d been wearing falling away in favor of a flat, serious expression. “But I won’t go easy on you, you know.”
“Yes!” She pumps a hoof into the air and leaps towards the sky, getting a few seconds of hovering in before falling back to the ground.
“Everyone hear that?” Terga freezes as her mother addresses her siblings. “If anyone wants extra training, you can join your sister and I in the mornings. 6:00 sharp.”
“W-wait–”
“Hell yeah!” Tarsus steps forward, an excited grin on his face. “I’ve always wanted soldier training! Just like the old hive!”
“It won’t be quite like that, but don’t expect it to be easy.”
“Um, Mom?” Terga pokes at her mother’s leg with an uncharacteristically sheepish disposition. “I was, uh, kinda hoping it’d be just the two of us.”
“That wouldn’t be very fair, would it?”
“B-but I wanted to beat Tarsus!”
“Then use what you’ve learned today. I’m not your only parent.”
Chrysalis turns and begins to head back inside, leaving Terga to ponder her words. She looks up at Anon, who smiles back at her.
“He’s right there, Terga.”
“W-wait, can I?”
“If he’s up for it. We’re outside, after all.”
“...Hey, Tarsus!”
“What do you want, dweeb?”
“I demand a rematch of yesterday!”
“Pfft. Sure! I’ll take you on anytime!”
“How about right now, then?!”
“Bring it on!”
Without another word, Terga flings herself at her older brother. He’s seen this attack before, and with a cocky grin, he puffs up his chest. She can’t break through his thick skin and they both know it. Once again, he’s going to come out on top.
He barely has time to yelp before Terga switches her attack mid-approach, opting to instead willingly fall onto the grass. With her weight carrying her forward, she slides beneath the hefty Tarsus. Using that momentum, she kicks with all of her might. The next thing he knows, he’s been flipped onto his back. He can’t even struggle before Terga pins him down. Try though he might, he can’t get that stocky body of his out from beneath her.
“I’d say Terga is the winner here,” Seta remarks with a sly grin as she walks past the pair. “Better luck next time, Tarsus!”
“Y-you got lucky!”
“Get used to saying that, loser.”
After sticking her tongue out as a playful, cocky gesture, Terga hops off of Tarsus, gives her father a thankful smile, and follows her sister inside. A few seconds later, Canthus and Gena follow as well.
“Ugh. What the hell?!” Tarsus’s voice is practically a whine as he struggles to stand up. It isn’t until Anon offers him a hand that he’s able to get back on his hooves. “Thanks, I guess.”
“You sound bitter.”
“...Terga isn’t supposed to beat me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m her older brother, not to mention bigger than her! This shouldn’t happen!”
“Tarsus, you’ve seen how hard she works. She’s been training for this. I don’t mean to sound rude, but the same isn’t true for you.”
“But she still wasn’t strong enough to beat me. And that was just yesterday!” He rubs his temple and lets out a frustrated groan. “I can’t let her catch up to me.”
“You want to try sparring with me, too? I sure as heck didn’t teach her that power slide move she used on you, but it sure looked to be inspired by our bout.”
“Nah. I doubt I could pull that off, anyway.”
“Maybe. But that’s the whole point of training.” Anon pokes him on the forehead, causing him to blink in confusion. “Use your strengths to your advantage.”
“...Why are you helping me, anyway?”
“Hm?”
“You were just helping Terga figure out how to beat me. Why switch sides now?”
“I’m not on her side. I’m on all of your sides. It really doesn’t matter to me who beats who, I just want to see you all reach your goals.”
“And if our goals don’t line up with each other?”
“Whether they line up or not, it’s up to you to follow through with them. I’m just here to push you in the right direction.” Anon gives his son a warm smile as he takes a few steps back. “So. Wanna take a stab at your old man?”
Tarsus stares blankly at Anon. From his perspective, everything with Terga happened so fast. One moment, she was getting served by their father, who isn’t even supposed to be all that strong. The next, she has him of all changelings pinned to the ground in a matter of seconds.
Maybe his dad is on to something.
With a smile and a nod, Tarsus lowers himself and takes a fighting stance.
“Take heed, Gena the Brilliant! Today, your empire falls!”
“Dark Knight Canthus, how lovely of you to join me this evening. Unfortunately, that sunset shall be the last you ever see!”
Canthus and Gena throw themselves at each other, their hooves making contact with obviously restrained force. Both grin ear to ear as their eyes sparkle with excitement. They hold the pose for several quiet seconds before a groan takes them out of the moment.
“Settle down. You’re causing a scene.”
Their ears pull back as their cheeks start to darken. They back away from each other before quickly turning to face their mother, their heads drooped down.
“Sorry, Mom.”
Chrysalis rolls her eyes before looking around. The three of them stand in a long line outside of Ponyville Cinema, which opened a few weeks ago. A number of ponies stand in front of and behind them, most of which are young adults. Those that are unfortunate enough to make eye contact with her quickly look away in fear, causing her to chuckle to herself.
“And you’re sure this is what you want?”
“Absolutely,” they respond in unison.
“Seta wanted me to buy her a new dress, something that she’ll probably use for at least a few months. This is going to last all of, what, an hour?”
“Probably two.”
“Yeah, two is the norm.”
They look up at her with big, excited eyes. She has to give them credit for their unwavering conviction if nothing else.
“Very well. It’s your choice.”
Last week, the School of Friendship report cards went out. As is tradition for their family, anyone who does well in school gets a reward. While Chrysalis wanted to use this system to promote excellence, Anon is extremely lenient with what “doing well” means. Passing grades, signs of improvement, or even just not getting in trouble are good enough for him. “Everyone has their own strengths,” he says. In her opinion, it completely ruins the point of a reward. But, she has no intention of arguing about it.
Seta asked for a new dress to show off at school. Knowing her, she’s probably hoping to either outdo one of her classmates or attract the attention of whichever guy captured her heart this month. While Chrysalis isn’t looking forward to going shopping for that, she’ll at least have Anon’s help.
Meanwhile, Tarsus and Terga are not getting a reward. Tarsus is failing half of his classes and has been getting detention after detention for attempts at cheating. Terga’s grades are doing okay, but she got a temporary suspension for getting into a fight. While both Chrysalis and Anon suspect that there’s more to that story, she refuses to talk about it. In fact, she herself said to not give her a reward. Anon was concerned, but Chrysalis didn’t press any further.
That just leaves Canthus and Gena, who were very adamant about coming to the cinema. Today, specifically.
“What’s so special about this movie?”
“It’s a spinoff of Legend of the Intergalactic Champions! It explains what happened to Captain Stargate when he was separated from the rest of the crew during their journey to Hoxxes IV!” Canthus is practically shaking with excitement as he enthusiastically explains the premise of the film.
“And it wasn’t in the books!” Gena is just as excited as her older brother. “The advertisements kept saying that they’re including a super-secret new villain, too! Ahh, it’s gonna be so cool!”
The siblings can hardly sit still as the line slowly creeps forward. Chrysalis looks on, completely unimpressed.
“I still don’t see the appeal of these ‘films.’”
“Don’t worry, Mom. You’ll totally get it once we’re inside!”
“Why did I have to come with you, again?”
“Because minors need to have a guardian with them.” Canthus clicks his tongue. “Apparently space swords are ‘too violent’ for children.”
“And Dad has the flu,” Gena adds. “But they’re only showing the movie today, so it had to be you.”
After remaining silent for a moment, Chrysalis sighs.
“Let’s just get this over with.”
Finally, the three of them are able to enter the building. It’s a small cinema, and with movies of this caliber still being a fairly new technology in Equestria, there’s only ever one movie playing at a time. Still, thanks to how new the building is, it’s very clean. Even the concession stand looks pristine, much to Chrysalis’s dismay as her two children practically drag her into the line for popcorn. The smell is almost overwhelming for her sensitive nose, but she does her best to not show her disdain.
Eventually, they’re able to make it to their seats near the back of the room. They got their tickets later than most, so while said seats aren’t particularly desirable, they’ll do the job just fine. Chrysalis nearly trips over herself in the darkness, but she’s able to play it cool along the way.
“Oh boy, the advertisements are starting!”
“Advertisements?”
“Yeah, they like to show off upcoming movies before starting the one we’re here to watch.”
“What? That’s ridiculous. We already bought our tickets. Why should we be advertised to if they already have our money?”
“Uhh… I dunno.”
Chrysalis sighs once again as the advertisements roll. She’s completely uninterested in the showings. There’s some sort of detective movie, a shitty documentary about the Flim Flam brothers (made by Flim Flam Pictures, of course), and even a theatrical adaptation of the Power Ponies. The PCU, they’re calling it.
Finally, the lights in the room dim. Canthus and Gena excitedly lean forward while munching on their popcorn. Chrysalis leans back and watches on with a bored expression. Resting her head on one hoof, she prepares herself for what is sure to be a complete waste of time.
“So, it was you the whole time.”
“Hah hah hah! That’s right, Stargate! There never was a Princess Skyla! From the very beginning, it was ME!” Canthus and Gena watch with bated breath, their eyes glued to the screen. There’s a flash of green light as Princess Skyla of Compuscant slowly begins to shapeshift, her beautiful, graceful form slowly becoming dark and disfigured. Her lovely blue eyes turn sickly green, and she begins to cackle as her true form is revealed. “Space Empress Chrysalis!”
Canthus and Gena freeze, their eyes as wide as can be. They both feel their hooves run cold. Slowly, they turn to look at their mother. To their surprise, there isn't a hint of anger on her face. She isn’t wearing her iconic nonplussed expression, nor does she look bored. Instead, she, too, has her eyes glued to the screen, her back arched as she is subconsciously leaning forward. The two siblings share a glance, shrug, and turn back to the screen, now taken out of the experience a little as they watch an actor (who isn’t even a real changeling) impersonate their mother.
Is that even legal?
“You knew?”
“Of course I did. And though it was brief, I shall never forget the time we spent together, Chryssi.”
“Oh, Stargate!”
Canthus and Gena cringe as the two characters on screen passionately lock lips. Once again, they slowly turn to look at their mother. Immediately, their jaws drop.
Chrysalis is still leaning forward. She holds a hoof over her mouth, but she seems practically frozen in place. Thanks to the light of the movie, they can see the glimmer of tears running down her cheeks as her eyes remain locked onto the screen. Yet again, they share a confused glance.
Meanwhile, the two characters in the movie share dramatic parting words as Stargate closes the airlock, flinging himself into the depths of space to save Space Empress Chrysalis’s life. The Empress watches tearfully as her lover disappears into the dark expanse, never to be seen again.
The lights in the theater slowly turn back on as the dramatic music swells, indicating the movie’s end. The credits start to roll, and the audience cheers and applauds. After wiping the tears from her cheeks, Chrysalis claps right along with them.
Canthus and Gena remain perfectly still.
“So, was it everything you expected?” Now outside the cinema, Chrysalis has returned to her usual, stoic self.
“Well…”
“Kinda?”
“Hm. Perhaps you’ll pick something else the next time your report cards come in, then.”
The two children slowly walk behind their mother. The sun is setting below the horizon, and Ponyville has gotten much quieter than when they entered the cinema. Once more, they share a glance before Canthus clears his throat.
“S-so, Mom. What, uh, what did you think of the movie?”
“Ugh. It was a complete waste of time, if you ask me.”
“W-well, I guess it was… unexpected.”
“And putting the twist that Stargate survived after the credits had already rolled was an awful decision. I sure hope someone got fired for that blunder.”
“Um…” Gena’s voice is quiet and shaky. “Wh-what did you think of the villain?”
“Terrible. If they wanted me in the movie, they could have just asked. She didn’t even get my cackle right.” Chrysalis turns back to her children, a sneer on her face. “Do you have any idea how important it is for a queen to have a satisfyingly intimidating cackle? Some actress that mare was.”
“So… you didn’t like the movie?”
“I’d sooner read a book. It takes a lot more than that to get a response out of me.”
One last time, Canthus and Gena share a glance that says more than words ever could.
“Well, thanks for taking us, Mom.”
“Y-yeah. Thank you.”
“Hmph. Thank your father for being sick.”
“You did still agree to come. We really didn’t think you would. I-it was nice to spend the afternoon with you.”
Gena says nothing, but she nods at Canthus’s words.
“...Well.” Chrysalis clears her throat. “We should get home. With your father out of commission, I suppose I will have to make dinner.”
Although she says nothing more, Canthus and Gena swear that their mother walks the rest of the way home with a bit more energy than usual.
