Festival of Lights

by Cascadejackal

Rating: everyone
Tags: Changelings, Queen Chrysalis, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5515

A young Queen Chrysalis experiences an ancient changeling festival for the first time.

Once, every decade, the changeling race prepares for their most sacred of days.
It is a celebration of life, of the past, of the bond between all Queens, past and present, and their subjects.
It is a time of joy, when all changelings return from the world beyond Flutter Valley to be with their families.

But one filly looks forward to it more than most. For Chrysalis, future Queen of the Changelings, this is her first Festival of Lights and her first step on the road to becoming Queen.

Published 2014-04-28 12:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-28 12:00:02 UTC

Firefly Dreams

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
—
FIREFLY DREAMS

Summer had come to Flutter Valley, bringing with it the cries of birds, the buzzing of insects and, most importantly, the frantic yet joyous preparations for the most sacred of changeling celebrations.

The hidden city was abuzz with activity. Every last changeling who could help did, each glad to be a part of what was happening. Teams worked together, cleaning and preparing. Pillars and arches, carved from the living stone of their home, were dusted and polished, statues and tapestries depicting their history and past Queens given reverent care. Glowbud ivy, the plants whose softly shining bulbs lit the curving streets each night, were tended and trimmed. Fruits from the jungle above were sorted, some to be eaten whole during the festivities, others to be turned into mouthwatering dishes.

Foals, too young to help, ran and scampered through courtyards and streets, playing in the babbling fountains and thriving gardens of their ancient city, all laughing, each one excited by the approaching event their parents, brothers and sisters were working so busily for.

From a high balcony, a tall and regal figure watched her subjects, her children, and smiled.

Leanan Sidhe, Queen of the Changelings, was many things. Her wisdom, inherited from her mother, had guided her people for many years, bringing prosperity and growth to the isolated race. Her cunning and daring had led to changelings not only impersonating their prey, the soft ponies, but living among them, forging identities of their own to better feed and serve the Hive, working right in front of the unknowing muzzle of the foolish, naive Sun.

Above all, however, she was beautiful, from the iridescent sheen of her wings to her tall, slender form, wrapped in a carapace of midnight hues. Her majesty and grace were legend, and it was said that in her wilder years, before taking the throne, she was one of the Hive's greatest collectors of love, leaving their home for months at a time, returning only to share her bounty with her future subjects. Her youth had been a time of plenty for all the changelings and her coronation, the day of her mother's passing, was marked not with a sorrowful return by the young, wayward Queen, but a grand feast, a celebration of the former Queen's life.

And now, as she watched her children prepare, heard them sing, felt the joy each of them radiated throughout the hivemind, she couldn't help but smile. To see the changelings happy, full on love and food, wanting for nothing, was the greatest thing a Queen could have.

"Mom!"

Well, the second greatest thing, anyway. The first was charging towards her, hooves clacking on the smooth stone floor of the gallery.

"Chrysalis, slow down!" The Queen chuckled as the gangly filly, her daughter, skidded to a stop in front of her, panting.

Leanan Sidhe, Queen of the Changelings, was many things. One of these things, unfortunately, was not being good at coming up with names.

"Now, what's got you all in a tizzy, hmm?" The Queen smiled as she bent to nuzzle her young daughter and pushed her messy mane, which, among changelings, was unique to a Queen, out of her face.

Chrysalis caught her breath and looked up to her mother, beaming. "I'm done with my lessons! I can help now, right?"

The Queen put on a show of thinking it over, tapping her chin with one hoof as her daughter grew increasingly agitated, her small, glittering wings buzzing frantically with barely-contained anticipation. Finally, she smiled and nodded. "Alright. We'll finish decorating this hall, then go see the gatherers. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Giggling, Chrysalis leapt into the air, her wings a humming blur as they fought to keep her aloft.

Leanan Sidhe laughed and pointed to a multicolored mess on the floor, thin, rainbow-hued ropes made from dyed and woven plant fibres. "Terrific. We need to hang all these, okay?"

"All of them?"

The Queen nodded. "Of course."

Chrysalis pouted. "But that'll take forever!"

The Queen smiled. "No it won't. I'll even tell you a story to make it go by quicker."

The filly's eyes grew wide and she darted to the pile, dragging out one of the brightly colored decorations and passing it to her smiling mother, who began to weave it around the columns lining the open side of the hall, where small balconies looked out onto the city. "Now, Chrysalis, do you know why we're doing this?"

Chrysalis nodded. "Because it's the Festival of Lights, right?"

"That's right. Another one, please, dear." Chrysalis passed another of the streamers to her mother. "But, do you know why we have the festival?" At this, Chrysalis shook her head, earning another smile from the Queen, who continued her decorating, watching her young heir from the corner of her eye. "Are you listening, dear?" An eager nod drew a smile from the elder changeling, and she began her lesson.

"The Festival of Lights is a special occasion for us, one that only comes once every ten years. The last one was just before you were born." The Queen's tone grew wistful, as she remembered the words of her own mother, the lesson she herself had received so long ago. "We hold it in remembrance of the First Queen, Queen Rosedust, to honor and thank her, and all the Queens since. You see, dear, they look on us even now, watching from the stars above and protecting us, even as I protect our people myself."

"All the Queens?" Chrysalis sounded awestruck. "They're really there, watching over us?"

With a small smile, Leanan Sidhe nodded. "Oh, yes. They dwell with the Maker, you see. The one who gave us life, who gave the First Queen her garden, the place our souls come from and return to."

"Wow." Chrysalis breathed the word softly, entranced.

"Mmhm." The Queen motioned for another streamer, which Chrysalis quickly retrieved. "Now, do you know what happens tonight, after the feast?"

Chrysalis thought as hard as she could, her tongue sticking from the side of her mouth. The sight made her mother giggle softly. "We... all get painted up, right?"

"That's right, my little one. We paint ourselves with special paint that glows in the moon's light, and there's a big dance that lasts all night long. And do you know why?"

"Nope!" The filly bounced in place, eager to hear the final part of the lesson.

"It's how we show the spirits of our ancestors we're thinking of them, and invite them to come down and dance with us." The Queen took to the air, hovering just above the floor and dancing slowly, spinning and dipping as her daughter looked on in wonder. "We ask the Queens of old to bless us, to guide us, and to welcome us when our time on this world is done."

"Wow..." Chrysalis murmured. "Do they... do they ever come down? To dance with us, I mean."

Leanan Sidhe landed and approached her daughter with a smile, kneeling beside her. "Would you like to know a secret, little one?" Chrysalis nodded, her eyes wide. The Queen giggled, sure she'd looked like that herself, some long-ago day. "Most of the time, we dance alone. But sometimes, just sometimes, mind you, I see the old Queens, and we dance together. When they come, it's a blessing like no other, and something wonderful is sure to come from it."

"Wow..." Chrysalis was awestruck at the thought. "Do you think they'll be here tonight?"

"We'll just have to see, won't we?" The Queen smiled and pointed to the last streamer in the bunch. "As soon as that's tied up, we can go meet the gatherers. Would you like to do the honors, dearest?"

"You bet!" Eager to move, Chrysalis wasted no time in wrapping the vine around the nearest pillar, tying it into a large, messy knot. "Done! WHA!" As she moved to fly to her mother's side, she almost crashed as one hoof, snagged, refused to part with the pillar. "Hey! Let go, stupid rope!" She waved her hoof around frantically, trying to free herself from the rope she'd accidentally threaded through one of the holes in her leg. Her mother clicked her tongue in mock dismay as she moved to assist.

"Always so eager, little one. You get so excited, and you just can't help yourself. No wonder you get into so much trouble..." With a quick bite, Leanan Sidhe's fangs sliced the rope, freeing her daughter. "There now." While Chrysalis buzzed backwards, giving the rope a dirty look, her mother tied the severed ends into a neat bow before turning back to the hovering filly. "You need to learn to take your time, Chrysalis."

"Yes, Mom." Embarrassed, the filly looked at the ground, kicking one hoof at the smooth stone.

The Queen sighed. "Oh, whatever will I do with you?" Getting no answer, she hooked one holed foreleg around her daughter, pulling Chrysalis in for a hug, to be rewarded with a smile and a hug of her own. "Come here, you."

A twitch of the Queen's ear caused her to draw back, smiling. "The gatherers are coming. Shall we go meet them, my sweet?"

"Yeah!" Chrysalis took to the air in anticipation, her wings a buzzing blur as she hovered.

Leanan Sidhe raised her hoof, a small smirk on her lips. "Ah! Ask them what they have, first."

"Aww, do I have to?" Chrysalis pouted.

Leanan Sidhe gave her daughter a flat look. "Now Chrysalis, it's important for you to practice. Besides, I asked them to bring you something special as a treat, all the way from Equestria." A teasing smile made its way to her face. "If you ask nicely, they might give you it early."

Frowning, the young Queen concentrated, her mind reaching out to touch those of her brothers and sisters. Despite her grumpiness at the delay, she couldn't suppress a smile as they welcomed her to the hive mind, the shared awareness of the changeling race, their trust in and love for the future Queen all-encompassing. In the background, there was always the sense of her mother's watchful eye, like a foal's blanket for the mind, soft and welcoming. Seconds ticked by as she reached further, beyond the valley, past rock and stone, searching for the returning gatherers and, finding them, asked what they were bringing.

When the answer came through, Chrysalis' eyes shot open and she started drooling. "They've got fruit bats!"

The Queen smiled, knowing that the filly shared her own weakness for the delightful, winged morsels. "We'd best hurry to meet them then, hadn't we? Come along, dear."

The pair stepped from the bare edge of the balcony they'd been decorating, wings blurring as they descended to the streets, avoiding the vines and streamers that criss-crossed the air between windows and pillars. Their hooves touched down on the solid stone of the courtyard below, worn smooth by the passage of countless years and countless changelings, with a soft click, and they set off. Chrysalis lead the way through the ancient city, her mother following behind at a more sedate pace, one the eager filly was forced to match when it became clear there would be no rushing the journey.

All around them, their children worked tirelessly. Changelings filled the air and the streets, shining green and glossy black against the greys, reds and browns of the living rock their home was carved from. Each greeted their passing Queens, both elder and younger, either physically or through their shared consciousness, while groups of rambunctious foals begged Chrysalis to join them in games. Chrysalis promised to play with them after attending to her Royal Duties, which earned grins from more than a few changelings who knew exactly what "Royal Duties" meant to her. That both the Queen and her daughter were mad for fruit bats was well known, and the gatherers had announced their cargo to the entire hive at the younger Queen's query.

Still, they didn't delay for too long. After all, their favorite treats were waiting.

Although it seemed much longer to the impatient, hungry Chrysalis, it was barely half an hour before they found themselves waiting at the entrance to their home, the great tunnel on the very outskirts of the city. Large enough for a dozen changelings to walk side-by-side with room to spare, its yawning mouth was the most oft-used passage to the outside world. The fairly feeble light that pierced the jungle canopy, so far above, barely illuminated beyond the tunnel's mouth, and much effort had been spent to grow glowbud ivy along its walls to aid the gatherers, so vital to the hive's wellbeing, in their travels from safety to the wilds and back again.

Leanan Sidhe had timed their journey well, the gatherers emerging from the darkness of the tunnel just after her own arrival. Dozens of changelings, bearing baskets and saddlebags full of bounty from the Pony Realms, filtered one after another into the light of their home and the presence of their Queen, who greeted each of them with a nod, a smile and her touch on their minds. While many of them inhaled the sweet air, laden with the familiar scents of their home, some found themselves the target of their younger Queen, who darted into the returning crowd spouting both greetings and requests for presents... or, as she put it, "Royal Tribute".

The Queen smirked a little, giving a mental command to her children that Chrysalis was not to receive any early treats from them, before turning to one of the few changelings to approach her directly instead of passing and heading for the city proper, where they would offload their goods and be welcomed back by eager friends and families. "Welcome back, Captain. I trust your journey went well?"

The changeling, similar to all his common brethren save for the helmet upon his head and the armor upon his back, marking him as Captain of the Queen's Guard, dipped his head in a small but respectful bow. "As well as ever, my Queen. The great roc flies to the east in search of prey, and the hounds of the Shattered Lands could only howl in anger as we flew over their foul packs."

"And your mission?"

"My apologies, my Queen. The Sunstone yet eludes us, though we are certain it lies within Equestria's borders."

"There is no need to apologise, my child." The Queen knelt to rest her head against the armored changeling's neck, to reassure her subject. The Captain leaned against her, relishing the contact. "We will find it, one day. All we need do is be patient." Leanan Sidhe rose, her subject stepping back almost regretfully as the touch was withdrawn. "There is one more thing, however. Did you bring... them?"

"Of course, my Queen." The changeling gestured to the saddle bags he was carrying with a knowing smile. "As you asked, I prepared them myself." He reached a hoof into one of the bags and withdrew a small object wrapped in paper, offering the parcel to the Queen, whose eyes shone with barely-concealed desire.

Leanan Sidhe took the small package in her magic, unwrapping it a tad faster than Royal Decorum would have normally allowed and sinking her fangs into the contents. With a satisfied moan, her eyes rolled back as the heavenly taste washed away all stress or worries, her pleasure radiating through the hivemind. "Chocolate coated, candied fruit bats," she mumbled past the mouthful of pure bliss. "My dear Captain, you have outdone yourself." She took another bite, savoring it this time, chewing slowly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Chrysalis creeping closer, a predatory look on her face, eyes locked on the half-eaten treat. A short mental command had her Captain move between them, the armored changeling taking another candied fruit bat from his bag as a peace offering. "Little Queen, would you accompany me to the kitchens? I'm sure the cooks would appreciate your help in tasting the food for tonight."

Chrysalis didn't hesitate, snatching the snack and stuffing it into her fanged maw before nodding. "Can I ride on your back?"

The Captain gave a long-suffering sigh at Chrysalis' antics, but nodded nonetheless. "As you wish, Little Queen. Your desire is my purpose."

"Thank you, Captain." The filly leapt onto the Captain's armored back and struck a regal pose. "Onwards, to the kitchens! My Royal Duties await!"

The Captain waited for his Queen to give her consent, setting off as soon as she dismissed him through the mouthful of chewed fruit bat.

As they departed, returning to the city, Leanan Sidhe turned to the remaining changelings, hastily swallowing the last of her snack. The waiting gatherers pretended not to have seen their Queen stuffing her face and prepared to give their reports on the latest harvests.

Chrysalis reeled, her senses overwhelmed by the cacophony of the kitchens. The long, wide room was full of changelings, swarming around carved countertops and stone ovens, shouting, buzzing and sharing minds as they prepared hundreds of mouthwatering dishes. The air was thick with woodsmoke from the ovens and the smells of countless delicacies in various states of readiness, the sweltering heat from the fires and gathered bodies kept from becoming stifling by the breeze that came through the open archway to the grand courtyard outside and the dozens of ventilation shafts that pockmarked the high ceiling.

There, and there alone, were greetings for the young Queen kept brief, so as not to interrupt their busy work. That didn't stop the head chef from sending a brief message through the hivemind, directing Queen and Captain towards a dish in the corner, out of the way and covered in a selection of choice samples.

"After you, Little Queen." The Captain knelt down so Chrysalis could hop from his back, the filly eagerly approaching and taking the two nearest pieces of food in her magic. One of them was passed to the Captain.

Chrysalis smiled a fanged smile. "I won't see my loyal subjects hungry, Captain." She raised her own hors d'oeuvre, inviting the older changeling to bump his against it. "Let's eat!"

The pair shared grins as they tucked in, Royal taste-tester and her favorite guard.

The day passed quickly, a blur of energy and excitement, and the afternoon was rung in with bursts of song and music. Tables filled the courtyards, laden with delights from every corner of Equestria and, in some rare cases, even beyond.

"Are you ready, my little one?" In the great courtyard at the heart of the city, Leanan Sidhe knelt beside her daughter. "This is a very important duty, after all."

Chrysalis nodded, her eyes narrowed in determination. "Yes, Mom. I won't let you down!"

The Queen smiled. "I know, my dearest, and you never will. Now, let us feed our subjects and begin the festival."

Together, watched by the entirety of the changeling race, Chrysalis and Leanan Sidhe stepped over the small ring of water in the center of the grand courtyard and onto the lowest petal of the enormous, stone flower that had been carved for this very purpose, moving to the raised centre with graceful steps. As one they raised their crooked horns to the sky, emerald magic beginning to pulse around them, spreading out in steady waves. With each breath they took in as much of the gathered love as they could and magnified it with their own, their bodies soon filled to bursting with the energies of life itself.

The Elder knelt, touching her horn to that of the Younger, and Love filled the hivemind.

It was as though Flutter Valley had been set alight with emerald flames, each changeling lighting their own horn to accept and share the glorious feast their Queens had given them. Love washed through the stone streets, infusing everything with the life-giving energy.

To a one, the changelings cheered, sounding their thanks and their love for the Queens, a roaring wall of sound that crashed down on mother and daughter like a wave. After what seemed like an eternity, the pair separated, smiling, spent and exhausted, the glow from their horns fading.

"Did... did I do it right, Mom?" Chrysalis blinked up at her mother, her legs shaking. It had been unlike anything she'd felt before, a glorious connection, a sharing of minds and hearts deeper even than the hivemind, and it had left her weak, but full, her endless hunger sated for the time being. She could already feel her strength returning, fueled by the love saturating her body.

"Yes, my darling." Leanan Sidhe smiled softly. "You did wonderfully. Would you like to start the feast? Our subjects' hearts are full, but their bellies are still empty."

With a flitter of her wings, Chrysalis, full of energy once more, leapt into the air, raising her front hooves high to draw attention to herself. "My subjects! Let the feast... begin!"

With their Queen's words, another cheer rang out, and the swarm descended.

The feast had ended, and all were filled. Their bodies and hearts were sated and filled, and each changeling thanked their Queens, past and present for the bounty they had given them.

But the best was yet to come.

The changelings had split into their family groups for the final event of the celebration. Chrysalis was placed in the care of the Captain while her mother retreated to prepare herself, for the reigning Queen had very special preparations to undergo. The pair were in the throne room, a large, open space lined with pillars and hanging plants, with not even a door to separate it from the grand courtyard beyond. It was a welcoming place, cool and shaded, and most days could find the Queen holding court from her throne, a low, padded bench that placed her only slightly above the eye level of her subjects. It was by this throne that two changelings were readying themselves for the approaching evening.

Chrysalis squirmed as the Captain ran the brush over her chitin, leaving a vibrant blue streak on the dark surface between her wings. "It tickles!"

"I know, Little Queen." The Captain dipped his brush into a clay pot filled with paint, before daubing the filly with green this time, painting swirls along her sides and down her legs. "But you want to look your best, don't you?"

"Yeah, but it tickles!" Chrysalis' wings buzzed as she fought the urge to swat at the brush. "And how come you aren't painted?" The Captain just smiled and took up the final pot, leaving specks and spatters of brilliant red on her glossy body.

"You have to be ready first, my Little Queen. Then, you get to paint me."

"Oh." Chrysalis paused, thinking this new information over. "Are you done yet?"

The Captain chuckled and dragged his brush down her muzzle, the filly going cross-eyed as she tried to watch it, and the red stripe it left behind. "Now I am, Little Queen." He pushed the pots and brush towards the filly and removed his armor and helmet, setting them beside the throne with care before standing at attention. "Do as you will, small one."

He didn't try to hide his smile as Chrysalis cackled with glee, though a tremor ran up his spine as she set about her task with reckless abandon. The brush really did tickle.

A sea of painted chitin filled the grand courtyard, a riot of greens and reds and blues in the swiftly fading light, and it was almost impossible to tell one changeling from another from a distance. So, it was with good reason that Chrysalis was once more riding on the Captain's back as they joined the crowd. "Wow... everyone's here." Chrysalis was turning her head, trying to see everywhere at once. Her future subjects, her brothers and sisters all, were packed into the courtyard. Some had taken to the air, others still had perched on outcrops and balconies overhead. "It's pretty!"

"As you say, Little Queen." The Captain nodded. "But if you want to see something even prettier, look up there." He raised his hoof to point, and when Chrysalis saw what was coming, her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped.

"Mom..."

Leanan Sidhe fluttered into the courtyard in a slow spiral, drawing gasps and whispers from the gathered changelings. Her entire body was covered in green paint, leaving no piece of her chitin bare. Blue marked out the edges of her backplate and shadowed her eyes, while the red was reserved for the star painted on her forehead, at the base of her horn. Her mane and tail had been plaited, and ornamented with living glowbud ivy.

She was the very picture of changeling beauty and, as she flittered above the crowd, the Captain felt his heart flutter. "My Queen..." He whispered softly, almost starting as her eyes found his, and she smiled. He smiled in return, nodding once as the heavenly creature continued her descent, coming to a rest atop the stone flower she'd last stood on mere hours before.

"My children," she began, her voice strong and clear, calling the crowd to a respectful silence, "it warms my heart to see you, to know you are safe and well on this most sacred of days. Each of you, my precious ones, has helped our hive grow strong, and I could not be more proud."

The Queen turned slowly, taking in the happy faces surrounding her, lingering a moment on her Captain and daughter. "But we do not walk alone, for our ancestors are with us always. Let us pray, my children." She dipped her head in a bow, followed by every changeling present, even those who were airborne, and she began to speak, her voice reverent.

"First Mother, Queens of old, we thank you for your guidance and your wisdom, and ask that you bless us once more, to see us through the coming years, to give us the strength to face all trials, and to welcome us when our days are done. Great Maker, we beg of you, take our Queens and those who have passed, and hold them close in your loving embrace. May you shield us from the Sun's cruel eyes and the Moon's deceitful dreams, from all that would see us fall or fade, that we may keep your Word, your Will, and your Way."

As she prayed, the Queen's body began to glow, lit by the rising moon. The paint took the silver light into itself, giving her the appearance of a phantom, a spirit, or a Queen of old. All around her, the gathered changelings were similarly transformed, their streaks and stripes and swirls glowing brilliant greens, blues and reds.

"For our lives. Great Maker, we thank you."

"We thank you," the crowd echoed.

"For our souls, forever one. Great Maker, we thank you."

"We thank you," the crowd echoed.

"For our Queens, and for our Children. Great Maker, we thank you."

"We thank you," the crowd echoed.

Leanan Sidhe rose from her bow and leapt into the air, her wings a scintillating blur as she began to dance, accompanied musically by the few changelings lucky enough to possess instruments. Drums and fiddles sounded out the joy of the changeling race as the air was filled by countless flying, dancing forms covered in glowing paint, with glittering wings and shining bodies, all twisting and turning. Those who lacked grace made up for it with enthusiasm, but even the most graceful could not compare to their dipping, twirling, ephemeral Queen.

Even the Captain took to the air, his hooves extended towards Chrysalis as she hovered, unsure of what to do. "Dance with me, Little Queen!" He called his invitation, which the filly responded to eagerly, if slightly bewildered by the sudden chaos around them. Their hooves met and the pair began to swirl, caught up in the moment.

The swarm moved in an unconcious rhythm, those at the center rising in a circle around their Queen, only to flutter and spiral to the back of the crowd and sink to the ground as their brothers and sisters followed closely, to close with their Queen and rise once more, beginning the dance all over again. From time to time, Leanan Sidhe would take a changeling from the crowd and dance with them for a few precious moments, before returning them once more to the mercy of the rhythm and dancing alone for a time.

In those breaks, when her mother was alone in the circle, Chrysalis could almost swear there was another changeling, as tall as the Queen, following in her glowing trail. Perhaps more than one, as it faded and reappeared like a mirage, brought to life by the moon's light and the whirl of colors that filled her world, but she could never be quite sure, even when it was her own turn to dance with her mother.

"Are you having fun, my darling?" Leanan Sidhe smiled at her daughter as they whirled and spun, their hooves locked to keep them from separating. Chrysalis nodded, beaming.

"It's amazing! I think I see the Old Queens, too!"

"Oh my!" The Queen gasped, her eyes shining with joy. "Such a lucky filly! Let's dance with them, then. Together!"

Chrysalis shrieked in delight as she was suddenly pulled upwards, her wings going madly to keep up. A few more cycles, and the giggling filly was released, swept up by the swarm as her mother waved, a mischievous smirk on the Queen's face as she went straight for her next partner.

The Captain was yanked, none-too-gently, into Leanan Sidhe's embrace, for the final dance of the night.

The festivities were long over, and morning was quickly approaching, but the night was not yet gone. Changelings had gathered in the pools dotting their home, where hot springs bubbled up through the rock, washing their bodies of softly glowing paints and dyes.

In one of the deeper pools, hidden away in the Royal Chambers, shrouded and curtained by soft mosses and glowbud ivy, Leanan Sidhe knelt in the mineral-rich waters and purred. "A little harder, my dear Captain."

The changeling in question hummed quietly as he worked, a brush strapped to the hoof that was pressed between his Queen's wings, scrubbing her chitin clean. The hot, bubbling water around them was stained with the colors of their celebration already, but there was still a ways to go before either of them could be called spotless, so the Captain redoubled his efforts, becoming more vigorous in his rubbing.

The Queen sighed with pleasure, her body melting as she took another brush in her magic, sending it to attend to her Captain. He was surprised at first, as it worked against his barrel, but quickly relaxed, content in the peaceful moment with his beloved Queen.

Long minutes passed, nearing an hour, before both were free of any marking, and they moved to the side of the pool, to where Chrysalis had fallen asleep during her own scrubbing. Only the filly's head remained above the water, propped on a stone at the pool's edge, and the sight drew a smile from the Queen, who placed a gentle kiss on her resting daughter's head.

"My little one, my precious daughter. You did so well tonight." She turned to her companion, who stood ready with a manebrush. "Don't you agree?"

The Captain considered this for a moment, before moving beside the taller form. His brush found its way to her mane, and he smiled. "Chrysalis is a wonder. Our people love her, as they love you, and she is beginning to blossom into a fine young Queen. One day, she will lead the Festival, and I believe she will shine brighter than the moon itself, and lead our people to a glorious future."

Leanan Sidhe paused. "I see..." Her eyes lingered on her sleeping daughter, envisioning the young face as it may one day be, proud and strong, bearing the crown and making her proud. "But I believe you are wrong about one thing, my dear."

"Oh? And what is that, my Queen?" The Captain moved to support his Queen as she relaxed against him, her tall, slender body pressed against his. He felt his face burn and his body ache at the nearness.

"She will not shine brighter than the moon." Leanan Sidhe pressed her muzzle against her companion's, nuzzling upwards until her head rested atop his, her eyes lidded and heavy. "Chrysalis, my blessing, my daughter, my hope for our people... one day, she will shine brighter than the sun itself."

Author's Note

Felt like I should expand my horizons, try something new. Turned out pretty well, I think. ^_^

For anyone interested, here's the origin of the Queen's name.:twilightsmile:
And of course, some art by the amazing FarewellDecency on DA.:pinkiehappy:
Leanan Sidhe and the Old Queens.
Full size.