Joys of being an older sibling
Cadence awoke with a groan from her dreams of things she wished to be. This list was a long one, though she has been able to cross off one item since of a week ago. This list contained names, places, and accomplishments. So far, these only happened in her dream realm.
Rolling onto her side to try and retrieve her sleep, she heard the sound of what could have been crumpling paper if she hadn't grown up to the sound. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked over herself.
Bedroom, check. Pink fur, check. Multi-toned mane, check. Insect wing, bad. she thought to herself as she spotted said limb where on of her alicorn wings normally sat. In had a slight tinge of pink to it but otherwise was the wing of a changeling. Cursing, she quickly tossed off the blankets and made her way to the bathroom.
Cadence made sure to lock the bathroom door behind her as she rushed in. Once she was sure no one would intrude, she inspected the insect wing that replaced her normally pink and slight purple ones. She cursed and focused her magic on the area. Suddenly, a knock on the door made her yelp and cut off her magic.
"Babe, you in there?" Asked her husband, Shining Armour. Cadence was about to respond when she remembered her disguise was faltering. After a quick magical examination, she deemed it safe to speak.
"Um, yes. Just dealing with some, uh, mare stuff." she said, failing to come up with a proper lie with her ever failing disguise.
"Are you sure? Never had anything like this before." he said. Cadence face hoofed. He would remember if she locked herself in the bathroom for this sort of thing.
"Yeah, well," She gave her insect wing a quick once over. "It's a bit more serious this time." she said. Silence followed. She started to think he finally gave up and walked back to bed. However, the glow around the door told her otherwise.
"Oh buck me." she whispered. She lit her horn another time and focused it on the rebelling limb, trying to restart her ability to shapeshift in that area. It was something you saw with larva, not someone her age. She had a few ideas but pushed them aside as a the second out of the three tumblers clicked.
The amount of magic, both pony and changeling, she was pouring into the wing was insane as she tried to turn it back to what it's supposed to be. Finally, though, it was replaced with a beautiful alicorn wing just as the door opened.
"Cadence, are you sure everything...is..all...." said Shining, trailing off and staring at her. Cadence blinked in confusion before turning to the mirror. Her eye twitched as she examined herself.
A black jagged horn sat where her usual one is supposed to sit. A small area around its base was black chitin instead of pink fur. In other words. Her attempts at hiding failed miserably because her magic was being the biggest ass on the planet, no offense to all the donkeys.
"It must be a fucking Monday." she muttered. Her eyes widened as her voice came out slightly lower and almost double, as if two of her were speaking simultaneously. Her eye twitched again.
"Chrysalis, I swear my hoof is going so far up your ass..." Her rant was cut off as she was pinned by a rather pissed white unicorn. Cadence groaned and hit her head on the wall. "Definitely a Monday."
"What did you do to my wife?" Growled the stallion. Cadence looked up at her exposed horn and sighed.
"Short circuited her ability to transform properly, apparently." said Cadence. She groaned as her head was forcibly bashed against the wall. A very nice headache was starting to form.
"Stop lying to me and tell me where she is." growled Shining again.
"Pinned against a wall by her husband." replied Cadence. Shining went to force her head back again, but she was ready. Using her magic and the love she had been collecting since they met, Cadence teleported behind him before booking out the door.
"Come on, bucking work already." she hissed at her horn. But, of course, it didn't respond and stayed in its changeling state. Sighing, she just kept running, hoping not many would noticed as she ran by.
"Alright, need to hide. Castle full of guards and pissed off husband thinking you are changeling bad, place to hide my ass good." muttered the alicorn, her eyes darting around. "Now, where the Tartarus is the changeling outpost in Canterlot? I heard them talk about it over the Hive Mind the few times I use it." It was true. Having been separated from the Hive Mind by herself meant she could connect and disconnect from it without anyling noticing. It helped her keep tabs on the race, but it didn't warn her about the invasion, sadly.
Racking through the information she had compiled about the hive, she finally tracked down the outpost that was, none surprisingly, in the Canterlot Caves. Cadence resisted the urge to giggle at how fond the hive's queen was of the area.
"Alright, just simply stroll in, drop disguise, and mind fuck Chrysalis forever. Simple as that." muttered Cadence as she ventured towards the cave's entrance, having escaped from said caves herself. She would have thought Celestia would have placed more guards down there after the invasion, but they all stayed above ground.
Slipping into said entrance, Cadence decided to try to work her entire transforming functions again, trying to see of she could at least get her body properly ordered. It just felt weird to go for endoskeleton to exoskeleton in one area of your head. Once she was finally able to get her disguise fully working, she finally decided to travel into the path she never thought she would travel back down. How ironic.
Keeping her steps light as to not alert any drones in the area, Cadence ventured into the dark caverns, all the while trying to think up a solution to her current predicament. Right now, her husband thought she was kidnapped by changelings and that he was about to be used again. He would tear down mountains to find the one he think stole his wife and possibly end up killing her in his ignorance. Oh how beautiful the turn of events have become.
"But again, isn't this all my fault?" She asked herself. "I pursued my silly dreams, made others think me dead, and then plan a vengeance plan on my wake. I did this all my self. But she is just as responsible." said Cadence, using the small bit of the Hive Mind she had in control to figure out where exactly the changeling queen was in the dark caverns.
"I might as well seek her out and fix this. It might be beneficial in the long run." mumbled Cadence, taking a turn down one of the tunnels. Each of them were dark, covered in crystals, and had green residue in places that Cadence had a very good idea of where they came from.
"Going to tell her off on these." said Cadence eyeing the residue. "She knows how much I hated this method." She gave it a disapproving glare before sighing and continuing down the caves.
"I swear, I've been gone for fifteen years and the whole hive has downgraded farther than when I was only a larvae." muttered the mare as she caught quick glances at skinny changelings that ignored her on their search for food. She sighed at the sight and turned the corner, only to run straight into black chitin.
"Watch where you ar-YOU!" Cadence rubbed her head and looked up to see Chrysalis glaring at her, her stance in defensive as she prepared to attack. Her black chitin was duller than the last time they met, no doubtly from the blast of love and from the hive's lack of food.
"Good morning to you too, Little Chrys." said Cadence, getting off the ground. The nickname froze Chrysalis.
"H-how d-did you learn that name?" She stuttered. Cadence chuckled,
"I created it, duh. Bothered the crap out of you at first but you ended up grinning every time I said it. Worked wonders for your mood, as well." said the pink alicorn with a smile. Chrysalis backed away before growling and lowering your horn.
"I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull, Cadence, but I refuse to let it work." growled the changeling. Cadence sighed and let her disguise drop in a pink flame, rising to a half a head taller than the changeling queen. Her chitin was a deep pink while her eyes gained two purple irises instead of one. Finally, the crown like appendage that marked her as royalty placed itself on her head.
"Sorry, but I didn't feel like playing tricks this morning." said Metamorphis. Chrysalis stammered, staring at her wide eyed.
"B-but, you died!" said Chrysalis stepping back. Metamorphis scoffed.
"I have no clue what dumbass drone told you that but I'm sure I just broke off from the Hive." said the changeling. Chrysalis fell on her flank shocked. Her head hung low.
"So, when I attacked Cadence and invaded to avenge you..."
"You actually sealed me in the caves and went to go steal the reason why I broke off in the first place because some jealous drone declared me K.I.A. Conform the body first, sister. I thought I taught you better." said the elder sister. Chrysalis softly sobbed.
"I'm such a fucking idiot. I doomed our race for revenge not needed." said the queen. Metamorphis bent down and embraced her sister.
"Hey now, don't cry. You didn't know I was still alive. Though I have to say, those obsessive ex-coltfriend's are a serious pain in the ass." The two giggled. There was silence before the elder continued.
"I should have told you I was leaving. It wouldn't have caused all this, created your hatred to the ponies, you wouldn't have invaded, and I wouldn't have to run from my husband because that blast fucked up my changing abilities." said Metamorphis with a dark chuckle.
"I'm guessing that's why you're down here?" Asked Chrysalis. Metamorphis nodded.
"Yep. The blast me and Shining created was fueled by own love thus rendering it useless against me, but it still seemed to mess with my changeling magic. I literally woke up with on pony wing and one changeling wing." said the nymph. Chrysalis shook her head.
"Well, I don't know how long you want to stay down here. They will probably look back down here and if they do..." She trailed off. Metamorphis nodded.
"I know. I just need to figure out a plan of action to either convince Shining I freed myself somehow and lead him to a dead end, or try and explain what I am and why you invaded. Either way, it's going to be one hell of a day."
"You got that right." The sisters froze at the voice. They both knew very well it belonged to and had no intention of facing him. Metamorphis cursed.
"By my mothers rotting chitin, I swear the gods above are just out to get me today." muttered the changeling before both her and her sister were pinned against a wall by Shining and a legion of guards.
"Good morning, honey. Sleep well?" Asked Meta sheepishly. Shining glared holes into him.
"You have no right to call me that, changeling. Only my wife does. Now, where is she?" Asked the stallion. Metamorphis winced at his outburst.
"Fine," she said weakly. "She is pinned up against a wall by her loving husband." Chrysalis groaned and smacked her head against a wall.
"Mety, you are in your true form. How in the great heavens do you expect him to believe that Cadence never existed?" Asked Chrysalis, staring at her older sibling.
"Hey, I have a huge headache and it's making thinking difficult. Why don't you get married to a pony who thinks he loves the disguise, not what's underneath." retorted Metamorphis.
"You're the older one, you should be smart enough to know you should have thought this out already."
"Let me see, I was head-over-hooves for fifteen years and trying to fix your mess for the past week. A contingency plan didn't exactly occur to me nor did I have the time since I somehow got my disguise to become a damn alicorn!" Shouted Metamorphis. She didn't know what her sister was doing, but considering Shining and the guards didn't try and stop their bickering, she hoped it was working.
"I didn't tell you to go after some pony and ditch your hive. Tartarus, I thought you were dead for all these fucking years!"
"That's because Mimic was a fucking jealous asshole and tried to get you invade just so he could watch Shining burn so he announced me dead! I would have preferred M.I.A, but he had other plans."
"But why did you even do it?"
"Because I love Shining Armour and I didn't give a shit if I was leaving the hive and making him think I was some princess!" Shouted Metamorphis. Chrysalis scowled but Meta could feel her consciousness press against hers.
Perfect, dear sister. said Chrysalis smugly. Metamorphis giggled over their mental connection.
Do you really think so? I do try.
Well, let's just see how he reacts. Acting as if they just remembered they had an audience, the sisters blinked and stared at the guards, Shining Armour staring at them slack jawed. He sat there for a moment before scowling.
"You two are coming with me to Celestia." He said, turning around.
Oh poo. said Chrysalis.
~~~~~~~~~~
Metamorphis had been in the throne room thousands of times, once to get crowned as Mi Amor Cadenza. And none of these times, and her wedding, had she been this scared as she entered.
Celestia, who had come to adopt her as her niece, was a force to be reckoned with when you were caught doing something you were not supposed to, she found this out the hard way. But of course, none of those times was in her true form just shortly after her sister had whipped the Princess's ass.
On the throne sat the two not so happy looking royal sisters Celestia and Luna. Metamorphis chuckled at how they looked exactly how her and Chrysalis did when they ruled along side each other. Her and her sisters rule lasted longer than the sister's infront of her, however.
"So I see the changelings have taken refuge under the castle once again. Not only that, but gained another ruler." commented Celestia, eyeing Metamorphis.
"No, actually. I was ruling the changelings alongside my mother while you were still pissing your diapers. And by gods why I am so confident." said Metamorphis. She shook her head and looked back up at the frowning Celestia. "Though, despite being about twelve years older than you, I seemed to pull off the teenage filly alicorn very well."
"So now you are claiming to be Mi Amor Cadenza?" Asked Luna, unimpressed.
"Considering how she didn't exist until she magically got into Celestia's school and became an alicorn, which I have no clue how I did that, yes. I am very sure Cadence doesn't and never did exist. Well, her looks at least."
"And what exactly does that mean?" Asked Celestia, still glaring at her.
"It means she acted like a foal the entire three thousand years I've lived and ruled with her." said Chrysalis, chuckling lightly. Celestia and Luna brought their attention to her for the first time.
"You seem rather calm considering what you pulled a week ago." said Celestia coldly. Chrysalis and looked away.
"I will tell you why I did it, if that is any consolation." said Chrysalis. "You see, me and my sister grew up in the times of changeling hunts, we barely escaped a few ourselves. It left a permanent mark on us, me more so.
"I saw ponies as creatures that killed anything they didn't understand. They didn't understand changelings, so they burned them at stakes even if they did nothing wrong. Metamorphis just pushed it aside as a bad memory should rather forget, but I turned it into hate, but necessity.
"Then when she took off to pursue her love, an ex-drone friend of hers came to me and announced her dead. It is only now that we know that said drone was only jealous and wanted revenge on both of them. And that hatred became rage and I planned this invasion for years. I finally saw the royal wedding as a perfect opportunity. Of course, I now know it was all foolish in the beginning."
"You attacked for the soul reason of avenging your thought dead sister?" Asked Luna. Her and Celestia had calmed down over the story, even started feeling empathy towards the sisters.
"Of course. I thought they took my sister from me. I couldn't let them get away with it. Though, I feel like executing a certain drone by the name of Mimic when I get the chance." Meta giggled at her sister, the others cracking a small smile. Despite being in a different form, she still had Cadence's personality. Them again, Cadence was only a piece of clothing. It did nothing to mask or alter how she truly reacted.
Celestia leaned back in her throne and thought the situation over in her head. Before her is her niece in her true form, her niece by marriage that attacked her on the thinking she was one of the ponies that was the cause of her sisters death, and a husband who seemed confused by this entire situation. She couldn't blame him either.
"What do you think, sister?" Asked Luna, whispering in her ear. Celestia thought for a moment before sitting up.
"Well, I believe I have a solution to this rather confusing predicament." She looked over the group before her and smiled.
"Queen's Metamorphis and Chrysalis, we shall have your stories given out to the public to help support my choice of pardoning you, Chrysalis, and the changeling race. You, Metamorphis, will be able to live your life as changeling queen and our new changeling ambassador while being able to roam the city with your husband without your disguise." said Celestia, still smiling warmly as the three of them gaped at her. Luna just smirked.
"Wha-, you mean you are pardoning me after what I did?" Asked Chrysalis. Celestia chuckled.
"You techenally didn't kidnap a princess plus your reasons are justified, though we will have to put you under under guard watch for public satisfaction." said the goddess.
"But are you sure letting her walk around without her disguise is such a smart idea. Even with me with her, ponies won't think twice going after her." said Shining, shocking Metamorphis with how he wasn't going after her like before. It was almost like he believed her and...forgiven her.
"I am certain you can handle the two of you, Shining. Now, it has been a very...interesting morning and I would like to relax before I have court. You are dismissed." said Celestia. With a wave of her hoof the binds around Meta and Chrysalis fell. Metamorphis got off the ground and started to walk towards the exit. She got half way until she felt a hoof around her. A quick look to see it was white made her grin.
"You're not going to bash my head into the wall once you get the chance, are you?" She asked, smirking.
"No, unless that is some sort of new bed fetish I'm not aware of." said Shining Armour, causing her to giggle. She leaned her head against his and sighed,
"Thank you for believing me."
Author's Note
Yay! More Chryssie and changeling fics! Anyways, this was a stray thought that popped in that I decided to share. It is now shared. Enjoy the slightly fast paced sisterly bonding and shiz. Enjoy it.
