Vengeance

The Royal Pony Sisters generously allowed Chrysalis and Peridot to stay in the suite of rooms reserved for visiting royalty or dignitaries. They gladly accepted, and that night, the Changeling sisters walked into their rooms for the first time.

This exclusive suite was complete with a huge bedroom, a spa-like bathroom, and a luxurious sitting room. The bedroom walls were calming lavender, the floor was a black-and-white checkerboard, the canopy bed draped with magenta silk and piled with fluffy pillows. The bathroom floor and walls were an intricate mosaic of white and creamy blue tiles, and the deep marble tub, sunken into the floor, looked like it could hold at least five full-grown alicorns. The sitting room was decorated in a color palette of soothing blues and complimentary oranges, with plush upholstery and very expensive-looking furniture. Each room had several tall, big windows with fancy silk drapes.

The state of the rooms should not have been a surprise to the sisters, since they were raised in a royal Hive, but these brilliant colors were all new to Chrysalis and Peridot. Plus, there was even a floating cloud bed in the bedroom, which neither of them had ever seen before. Peridot agreed to let Chrysalis try this wonderful new cloud bed for the first night. She would just sleep in the regular bed, which was almost as plush as the cloud.

But before they went to sleep, Chrysalis and Peridot decided to take a long, relaxing bath just to try out the amenities in the bathroom. Celestia and Luna had considerately sent three servant ponies – Cloverluck, a golden-and-white-maned, pale green unicorn; Raspberry Rose, a white earth pony with a dark pink mane; and Midnight Wind, a silver-gray pegasus with a dark blue mane – to assist their guests. The three young mares turned out to be efficient workers and Canterlot Castle's biggest gossips.

Raspberry filled the huge tub with hot water at just the right temperature while Midnight poured herbal bath oils and sweet-smelling flower petals into it and Cloverluck readied a diverse variety of shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. Chrysalis and Peridot slipped into the tub and sank into the luxuriously hot, herb-infused water. A mare could get used to this!

"Which mane and coat care products would you like to use, Your Highnesses?" Cloverluck asked the Changeling sisters, boxes and boxes of glass bottles floating in her pale golden magic. "We really have almost every type in Equestria. They are all made from only natural ingredients."

Chrysalis squinted at the bottles in indecision. "Let's see. I'd like to try the mint-and-thyme shampoo, the lemon mane and tail conditioner, and the lavender coat wash, please," she requested, gesturing at her selections. "And please, just call me Princess Chrysalis. I never did like the royal titles."

"As you wish, Princess," Cloverluck said with a dip of her head. She assembled Chrysalis's choices at the edge of the bathtub and turned to Peridot. "And you, Princess Peridot?"

"Oh, yes! A rosemary-mint shampoo, strawberry-citrus conditioner, and berry coat wash for me, please," Peridot said cheerfully.

"Excellent choices, Princess." Cloverluck set three more bottles of soap concoctions with Chrysalis's and busied herself with the preparation of clean towels while Raspberry and Midnight took over.

Midnight tended to Peridot, and Raspberry to Chrysalis. The earth pony and pegasus mares did a perfect job gently massaging shampoo and conditioner into their manes and tails and body wash into their coats. It was very relaxing; in fact, Chrysalis and Peridot felt more relaxed than they'd felt in years.

When the washing was over, the two servant mares helped the princesses out of the tub, and Cloverluck hurried over to dry their bodies with fresh, fluffy towels. As Chrysalis and Peridot pinned up their still-damp manes, each with one large mane clip, Raspberry came over and asked, "Do you need anything else before you retire, Your Hignesses?" She still looked a little apprehensive around the Changelings.

"Yes, it would be lovely if you could fix me a cup of hot raspberry lemon tea," Peridot said, trotting into the bedroom.

"Make that two cups, please," Chrysalis quickly added as she followed her sister.

"Right away, Your Highnesses." Midnight and Raspberry left the suite to make their tea, leaving Cloverluck alone with Peridot and Chrysalis. The unicorn was humming softly to herself while busily cleaning up the bathroom – draining the tub and putting the supplies and bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and coat wash away.

Chrysalis studied Cloverluck with interest. The light green mare didn't seem even a little scared of her and Peridot; Cloverluck looked completely at ease as she bustled around doing her job. She looked almost too comfortable . . . a flash of something like familiarity flared from her. With a small gasp, Chrysalis narrowed her eyes and concentrated on the edges of the unicorn's body. Sure enough, if she looked hard and closely enough, Chrysalis could see tiny green flickers here and there – skirting the edges of Cloverluck's mane and tail, flashing around her hooves and horn.

But that would mean . . . No way! It can't be!

Peridot noticed, her eyes darted to Chrysalis, and she instantly understood through the empathetic link they shared.

So Cloverluck is a . . .

Like she was reading Chrysalis's and Peridot's minds, Cloverluck turned and smiled. Suddenly, fangs gleamed in her mouth, a dead giveaway. "You finally figured me out, my princesses," she said smoothly. Green flames exploded around her, burning her pony disguise into nonexistence. In the ordinary unicorn's place stood a young-looking female Changeling drone, about eleven years old. But there was something different about her. Cloverluck's eyes – her normal pony eyes – were violet, instead of being bright blue, blank, and reflection-less like the gazes of the other Changelings. Also, she actually had a mane and a proper tail, which were both a pretty shade of purple. Her wings were transparent and purple, too.

"Cloverluck! You're – you're a Changeling?" Peridot gasped out, staring at her transformed subject with her jaw touching the floor – metaphorically, of course.

"At your service, my princesses," the Changeling said respectfully, with a flourishing bow. "And please, my name is Lavender."

Peridot gasped with recognition. I've seen her around the Hive, but that was years ago. And then she just disappeared. The Changeling-pony hybrid. It was before Chrysalis was born, I remember that.

"B-but how?" Chrysalis asked incredulously. "Did our mother order you to follow us here? And why do you look so different from the other Changelings?"

Strangely enough, Lavender flinched with hurt when her princess asked that last question. Her ears laid flat, but she perked them up again. "I have a lot to explain," Lavender said, looking up. Chrysalis could tell that her subject was forcing the pain away. "Let's sit down in the sitting room to talk, my princesses."

Chrysalis and Peridot flooded with sympathy for Lavender. "You may call us simply Chrysalis and Peridot, Lavender," Peridot said, opening the door to the adjoined sitting room. "Consider us friends. I believe you've earned the right."

"Thank you . . . Peridot," Lavender said, blushing faintly at her use of her princess's name.

Just then, the hoofsteps of Midnight and Raspberry returning made Lavender's ears shoot up straight. "Oh no, they can't know I'm a Changeling!" Quick as lightning, Lavender changed back to her unicorn form as Cloverluck with a burst of green fire. "Please, don't tell them!" she begged Chrysalis and Peridot.

Raspberry and Midnight entered the sitting room through the doorway that led to the bedroom. Midnight was balancing a tea tray on her back, steadying it with her wings. "Your Highnesses, your tea is ready," the pegasus said quietly, setting the tray on a side table. "We'll leave you be. Cloverluck, are you coming?"

"No, Cloverluck will be staying with us to have tea," Chrysalis said. She did not command it, but Midnight and Raspberry knew that it was a distinct order.

"Yes, of course, Your Highnesses," Raspberry uttered, flashing a questioning look at "Cloverluck" as she and Midnight left.

When the servants were gone, Lavender looked at her princesses with clear gratitude. "Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed. "Thank you so much! And now I owe you two an explanation, I suppose."

"Yes." Peridot's magic poured steaming tea into three cups and levitated one cup to each Changeling. They had all sat down on the unbelievably soft sofas. "Let's start with this. How is it that you are here in Equestria, Lavender?"

Lavender looked down at the woven rug. "You noticed that I'm different from the others," she said softly, fiddling with the cup of tea that was floating in her purple magic. "That's because my father was a pony."

Twin gasps of surprise came from the two Changeling royals. Peridot didn't know why she was still so shocked, though; she had known Lavender.

"My mother was a Changeling drone, though," Lavender admitted, keeping her gaze downcast. "They fell in love when my father caught her at the Equestrian border, collecting fresh rainwater for the queen. And then they had me."

"They were your parents?" Chrysalis's eyes brimmed with sympathy, and beside her, Peridot raised a hoof to her mouth.

"When Queen Thysanura found out, she was furious," said Lavender, with a small sniffle. Her purple eyes, staring past the sisters at something nonexistent, welled with tears, and she raised a hoof to wipe them away. "She executed my mother publicly, in front of the entire Hive, except for her daughters. And then she hunted down my father and killed him, too." Lavender raised her teacup and took a long sip.

"Oh, Lavender . . ." Peridot murmured. "I . . . I don't know what to say. I'm so, so sorry." Chrysalis nodded in agreement.

"It's okay. You couldn't have done anything, anyway." Lavender looked back up at them, a fire burning in her eyes. "After all that, the queen banished me from the Wastelands forever. She said that I was a mockery of the Changelings, that I didn't belong anywhere near her Hive. She threatened to kill me like she'd murdered my parents, if I didn't leave. So I fled here, to Equestria, to seek protection from the pony princesses. I told them about my parents, and my banishment, and they agreed to let me work in the palace under my disguise: Cloverluck.

"When I heard about the war from you, I knew what I was going to do," Lavender went on. "I do not work for Queen Thysanura anymore. I am no longer part of the Changeling Hive. But I have a duty to you, the Changeling princesses. I work for you now. I choose to help you in any way that I can. Because it is the only way that I can finally get revenge on the queen for what happened to my parents, and also because I've grown fond of you two in just this short time. And, of course, avoiding a huge war is important, too."

"Thank you, Lavender," Peridot said sincerely, setting a gentle hoof on her Changeling friend's shoulder. "We gratefully accept your help. We are in your debt now."

"No, there will be no debts," Lavender said, looking more cheerful. "After all, you agreed to keep my secret."

A light, quiet snoring interrupted the solemn conversation. Peridot and Lavender looked over to see that Chrysalis had fallen asleep, right on the sofa, her back rising and falling softly with each breath.

Peridot laughed and levitated her sister onto her back. "It's been a long day. We should be getting to bed. Lavender, why don't you sleep here, in this sitting room, tonight? You must be very tired, too," she said over her shoulder.

"Thanks for the offer, Peridot. I will." Lavender lay down on the sofa and pulled a soft, white fur blanket over herself. "Good night."

"Good night, Lavender."

Peridot snuffed out the flames of the candle lanterns and candle chandelier before she left the sitting room with Chrysalis draped over her back. She tenderly set her little sister on the hovering cloud bed, covered her with a blanket, and lovingly kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, little sis," Peridot whispered with a smile. She climbed into the ordinary canopy bed, blew out the candles, and closed her eyes.

Instantly, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep and didn't wake up until a loud noise roused her the next morning.

CRASH!

There was a thump, and then the sound of breaking glass was enough to wake Peridot from her peaceful slumber. "Aah! What is going on?" she cried, bolting upright in bed. "Lavender! What the hay is –" She broke off when she saw the mess on the floor.

The half-Changeling in question was standing by the tall dresser, an almost guilty look on her face as she shifted her legs awkwardly. Shards of colored glass lay all over the black-and-white floor – what looked like the shattered remains of the rainbow-glass butterfly-in-a-vase that had once stood on the top of the dresser.

Chrysalis was awake, too, sitting up on her cloud and watching Lavender with a sleepy expression.

"I'm sorry!" Lavender cried in a panic, her ears pinned back. "I'm really sorry! It was an accident, honestly! I-I was coming in to check on you two, and I bumped into the dresser, and it just – fell!" She stared down at the broken glass, her face falling. "It was so beautiful! And now it's ruined."

"It's all right, Lavender," Peridot said, softening. "Accidents happen, and besides, the damage is already done. Come on, let's find something to clean it up. Don't cut your – oh!"

Lavender frowned. "Oh? Oh what?"

"Your wing!" Chrysalis answered for Peridot, pointing a hoof at their new friend. "It's injured! We have to get you to a doctor, right now."

"What?" Lavender twisted around to look at her violet Changeling wings. One of them was marred by a long, single cut, from which a thin stream of scarlet blood trickled. "Oh, it's nothing," she said quickly. "My wings heal quickly, don't worry." She gingerly touched the wing, and winced visibly.

"Nothing or no, you are seeing the doctor right away," Peridot said in a no-nonsense tone that tolerated no argument. Her green magic wrapped around Lavender's hoof and practically dragged the latter to the door. Chrysalis flapped her wings to follow. "Now, point us to the palace infirmary."

"Can't, they'll know," Lavender pointed out. "We're going to Princess Celestia's private wing of the palace. Here, to make things easier." Her horn glowed with purple magic, and she vanished. "Invisibility spell. Now, take a right at the end of this hallway, and then a left . . ."