Forgotten Children

Walking back to Chrysalis’ chambers for the first time in many months, he practiced what he wanted to say. Muttering to himself, he soon realized that he was at the bridge. Looking around, he noticed far fewer guards than previous. Still quite a few, but not the shoulder-to-shoulder amount that he had become accustomed to.

He asked a guard if he could go in and they just waved him past. Walking across a relatively unguarded bridge he quickly made his way to Chrysalis’ private chambers. Entering through the living wall, he noticed that the young changelings did not seem to pay him any special notice, neither positive or negative. “I’m becoming normal,” he mused sarcastically to himself.

Stepping into the central chamber, he looked around and saw Chrysalis lying on her bed, but nothing else of note. He walked to the edge of the bed, and hesitated before stepping onto it. Chrysalis waved him forward.

As he walked closer, Chrysalis, who had not spoken up until now, said to him, “I suspect you’ve come to talk about leaving.”

He nodded at her and sat down a few feet away. “I am. But, I was curious, there seems to be a lot less security. Is something happening that I’m not aware of?”

“Aye, there is,” Chrysalis said, giving him a smile. “Many guards are in other places, teaching your daughters how to survive in the world above, much the way you are. I’ve also been sending scouts on runs to the surface much more often. With the new additions to our numbers and the countless more that I can now produce, we’re starting a new period of exploration and colonization.”

“Well, good,” he shrugged, not knowing what else to say. “I was going to request that we be allowed to go up to the surface one evening, soon, so that I might show my girls how we do things in the equine world. Get a bit of practice, you see?”

“Oh, I understand,” Chrysalis replied. She also looked at him much more seriously as she continued, “But what is interesting to me is how you refer to them as ‘my’ girls. You are turning out to be quite the leader.”

He scowled. “I’m taking care of them until they can take care of themselves. I’m not their leader.”

Chrysalis shrugged. “If you say so.” Quickly changing the subject, she said with a cheerful smile, “So! I’ll have one of my scouts go up and find you a nice little place you can go. You want a house to be included so they can steal love too?”

He nodded again. “Please.”

Chrysalis made a show of being shocked. “Oh! Please! Such manners!”

He sighed. “Will your scout come to us or do I have to come back down here?”

Chrysalis dropped her act but kept the sarcasm as she replied, “As much as I love to have you visit me, I’ll send Mali down to your area once she finds a suitable location.” Chrysalis shifted about on her bed and continued, “I’ll also have her escort you up there as well as wait for your return. If you don’t return in one day I’ll assume you’re not coming back.”

He stood up. “Fair enough. I’ll wait for her to come by, then. For now, I’m going to go over some last minute details and important points before we go.” He walked away from Chrysalis and was pleased that she didn’t call out to him with any last-second conditions.

…

Arriving back at his training room, he gathered his daughters in the central room. “Okay girls, this is important,” he said sternly. “I’ve spoken with Chrysalis and she’s approved us for our first real training run on the surface. Any time now I expect her scout, Mali I think her name was, to come by and give us a quick briefing on our target.” He paused to collect his thoughts, and continued, “But don’t be too excited, we need to be serious. Usually you’ll have zero data on situations you walk into. I expect that we’ll formulate a quick plan, and then all of us are heading to the surface.”

There was a collective ‘ooh’ of elation, but he was quick to squash it. “Now, its going to be different than anything you’ve experienced down here. You need to keep your eyes, ears, and senses on alert. When I tell you to do something, I expect you to follow instructions immediately. So, until then, we’re going to go over some drills.”

A collective groan now sounded. “Father,” protested Fext, “What are we going to learn that we haven’t already?”

“You’re going to learn what the outside world is like with your own eyes,” he snapped.

“No,” Fext shook her head. “I mean, what are we going to learn before we leave?”

“Well,” he said, walking up to her, “It would be good to learn to do what I tell you instead of asking dumb questions!”

Fext cowered from the larger figure in front of her. “Sorry, yes, what do you want me to do?”

“Change, quickly,” he commanded.

“Into what?” Fext asked, before a hoof came across her face. “Ow!” When Fext turned her head back around from the blow, a large and irritated timberwolf stared back at her.

“What did I just say about asking dumb questions!?” it barked at her.

Fext blinked once, but seeing her father’s hoof-turned-claw raise up to strike her again, closed her eyes and turned her form to a timberwolf as well. He turned his attention away from Fext and back to the others. Kishi and Mara had already taken timberwolf forms, so he commanded the rest to do the same. They complied quickly.

“Good, good,” he said as he walked around inspecting them. “Your eyes are supposed to be green,” he said to one. “You need to lower your gait in the back,” he told another. When she did not comply, he growled. “I told you to lower your gait!” He brought his thorny paw up and smacked her across the face.

She squeaked, and replied tearily, “The metal rods don’t bend!”

“Oh,” he said, lowering his foot back on the ground. “I didn’t realize it was you, Chakora. You’re really getting good at changing.” He kissed her head. “Sorry about that.”

Chakora squeaked again, quieter this time.

“Ok, now everyone shed your coats and change to an equine form,” he instructed, watching as everyone shook their coats loose and grew new fur, wings, horns. “Better,” he told them. Swiveling around to a blue-haired mare, he shoved himself in her face and asked angrily, “Who are you, huh? I haven’t seen you before!”

Hidden behind her disguise, Acheri said, “My name is Summer Rain, sir. I’m just traveling through your town.”

He shook off his timberwolf coat and continued to question her, “Traveling through to where? And where are you from?”

Acheri shifted about a bit and answered, “Just taking a tour of the country, sir. Sorry if I offended you. Its very beautiful here.”

He looked around at the walls and ceilings. “And just what, pray tell, is so fucking beautiful about this damp cave, hmm?”

Acheri swiveled her head around, not sure if it was still a test. “Uhh, I...its so...uhh, damp?”

He kept his icy glare at her for a few more seconds before breaking into a wide grin. “Oh, shit, I couldn’t hold it! The look on your face was so priceless!” He looked at the floor as he started to laugh. “Nice job!” He shifted instantly to a serious face and walked up to the diminutive Lamia and demanded, “And where are your parents!?”

Lamia sniffled and covered her head with her hooves. “I don’t know! We were out walking and I turned around and they were gone!” Lamia started to cry. “I don’t...I don’t know what to do! Please help me mister!” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Will you help me find my parents?”

He grimaced. “You’re getting too damn good at that, Lamia. Its getting kind of creepy how you can just turn that on and off.”

Lamia wiped her eyes and gave him a sadistic grin. “That just means I’ll never go hungry.”

He shook himself from head to tail as he walked to the other side of the room, black fur growing from seemingly nowhere to envelop himself. “So,” he asked, stretching his new wings as he walked, “Are we feeling pretty confident about this?”

They all nodded and replied in the affirmative. “Good,” he said, “So someone tell me who’s approaching our door?”

Their heads all turned in that direction. Chakora’s quiet voice spoke first. “I don’t sense anything, Father.”

“Me neither,” said several of her sisters in unison.

“Listen carefully, and try again,” he instructed.

They all waited, patiently, quietly, as the sound of hoofbeats sounded from outside their doorway. “Its a changeling,” Fext said to no-one in particular. “Not Chrysalis. I can feel the void in front of the glow from mother.”

“Our scout, I suspect,” he said, moving to the door without bothering to drop his disguise. Just as he approached, they creaked open and a changeling without distinction stepped forth.

The new arrival stopped quickly. “Sir! Scout Mali.” She saluted him.

He grinned at her. “Such formality! Whoever did you learn that from?”

His daughters came up behind him, some still in disguise and others not, but Mali continued to look into his emerald eyes. “Until I’m told otherwise, I still treat my parents with respect, sir!” Mali saluted him again.

He raised his eyes at her. “Well, I appreciate that, Mali. Come in and tell us what you know.” He turned and motioned for Mali to follow.

Mali did so, and at the far wall she continued to stand as the others sat around her. “I’ve been told by Chrysalis to scout you a location for a training run. I’ve located a farm a some distance from the north entrance of the Hive. Medium size operation. Mother and father earth pony, two mature sons and one younger daughter.”

He nodded. “How far from the edge of the forest is the farm?”

Mali looked at him. “A few fields distance. Best I could find.”

He nodded again. “We’ll leave shortly. Chrysalis told me you’d be escorting us out?”

Now it was Mali’s turn to nod, but in quick, short motions. “I’ll take you through one of the nearby exits. please do not fall behind, I move fast.”

He looked at his girls. “Shed your coats. Siphon love from your mother and gather at the door. We leave now.”

As they did as he instructed, Roddi approached him. “May I come too, Master?”

He regarded Roddi for a moment, before smiling gently. “Of course you may. I expect you to do as instructed too but I don’t think I have to tell you.” Roddi smiled and went to move away but he grabbed her and pulled her back. “But,” he whispered to her, “You need to keep your libido under wraps. No distractions. Got it?”

Roddi shook her head in affirmative. “Yes, Master!”

He released her to gather with his daughters. Turning back to Mali, he asked, “If you have come back from the surface, what time of day is it?”

Mali, still standing rigid, answered, “Its been a bit of a hike back down, but when I started it was mid-morning.”

He smiled at her. “Thank you, Mali. Let’s go. Lead the way?”

Mali took the lead but paused at the doors. “Is everyone ready?” She glanced about the assembled group of eight changelings, only one of which reminded her of herself. Hearing no objections, Mali turned sharply, and led them out of their hall and down ever-darker hallways towards one of the Hive’s many exits.