My little Twilightby Thunder-DasherChaptersA foal named TwilightBabies don't come with training wheelsMagic lesson number oneThe fox says ouchThe truth comes outEnter, the new bratOf birds and beesA foal named TwilightMy name is Chrysalis, and I am the proud queen of a hive of changelings. Some time ago, my hive was slowly starving from a lack of love energy. I decided to invade the pony capital of Canterlot and secure a healthy supply of love energy. Unfortunately, all that was ruined by one Twilight Sparkle. As I sat in my chamber, contemplating more ways to squash the pest, I got a message over the hive mind informing me of a strange basket outside with my name on it. Why my name was on a basket, I still have no idea, but I figured it was worth a look. I told the drone who found the basket to bring it to me, and he did. Gotta love the undying loyalty of drones. Anyway, when the basket appeared in front of me, I looked it over very carefully. It looked like an innocent little picnic basket, but what was inside was what mattered... and it would change my life forever. As I lifted the little white blanket off the top of the basket, a little lifeform came into view. Surprised, I fell backwards onto my rump and let out a little yelp. I woke the little thing up. When I regained my royal composure, I looked back at the tiny creature, and saw what it was. Someone had the bright idea to deliver to me a pony nymph... or do Equestrians call them foals? Anyway, doesn't matter. The little pony in front of me had a lovely lavender coat, a dark purple mane and tail with a lightly colored purple streak alongside a pink one. It's eyes were a nice of purple as well. And it had a horn. After seeing the horn, it clicked... I wasn't just looking at a baby, I was... the baby was none other than Twilight Sparkle, the pest I'd come to hate with more than a small fiery passion. I had so many questions run through my head. Why was she at my hive? Why was she disguised as a baby? As impressive as it was, I wondered if it was some trick. I lit up my horn, ready to finally end this life of hers. She'd no longer be a problem for me, and I could take over Canterlot for sure. All it would've taken was letting loose with my spell. It would just be so easy... so why couldn't I do it? I couldn't cast the spell. I couldn't bring myself to kill the very pony who had brought destruction to my hive. Perhaps it was that look in her eyes. It was the unmistakable look of a baby who needs its mother. She wanted me to pick her up and cradle her. Another trick? No... too much innocence. And then she started to cry. I don't think a child could have a healthier set of lungs than this young pony. My horn went dark and I covered my poor ears as the vocal assault began. I was quickly getting a headache, and I had to do something. So, what did I do? A simple blow would've ended everything. She was so fragile, even one of my weakest hits would do the trick. But no... I couldn't do that... not to a child. Instead, I scooped her up and held her close, attempting to soothe her. And it worked. Her cries turned into sobs, which turned into baby babble as I continued to cradle the young pony. When I looked down at the bundle of fur in my forelegs, I realized something. This pony wasn't Twilight Sparkle. Well, she was, but she was different. It was like her life had been reset. I didn't even have to look in her eyes to tell you that she looked upon me as her mother. No, the love rolling off of this child was enough to tell me that. As I continued to look down at the young pony, I couldn't help but smile. She was so small, so young, so cute... I knew who it was I was holding. I was not holding the mare that brought certain doom to my hive. I wasn't holding a pony that I thought of ways to dispose of for the past year. I was holding my newest daughter. I don't exactly know why, but I kept her original name. She seemed to like it, so it stuck. "Welcome to the hive, Twilight," I said softly as I nuzzled her. She giggled adorably at my touch, and my rock hard heart started to melt. I called over the hive mind for some nursery furniture to be brought to my chamber. I still wonder how badly I confused my drones with at that odd request. No matter. I got the furniture within half an hour, and finished setting in place not long after. I attempted to lay Twilight down in the cradle, she got THAT look. I've raised three hundred and ten thousand, eight hundred and forty four changelings in my life, so I know all the looks of an infant. She didn't want to lay down, she wanted to be held. I pulled her in close and placed her back into my forelegs. She seemed to like that because her little smile came back. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm an insectoid, not a mammal. I tried once to give a lost foal some milk by becoming a mare... but it did not work. Unfortunately, the foal did not survive. That was the first pony I ever cried for the loss of. It would be so easy to leave Twilight to that fate. Just leave her outside the hive, let her wither away into nothing. But I can't do that. She's a real foal, and she needs to be cared for. I ordered one of my drones to fly to the nearest pony village and grab some milk for foals. He did, and claimed he didn't even have to pay for it. He's a master thief, what can I say? Anyway, little Twilight was very upset before the drone got back, and she wasted no time in letting me know. I'd have gone deaf if not for one of the caretakers casting a mute shield around Twilight. When I finally got her a bottle fixed up, I cracked the shield and stepped inside. She no sooner had the nipple on the bottle touched her lips had Twilight calmed down, satisfied with the sustenance. My name is Chrysalis, and I am now the adoptive mother of my most hated enemy. Babies don't come with training wheelsIt has been a few days past a year since Twilight came to my hive. Throughout that time, not much really happened aside from constantly trying to avoid turning into a living jungle gym. I don't understand how pony mothers can handle their kids climbing all over them like that, but meh... whatever keeps her happy with as little an annoyance factor as possible keeps the hive fed with ease. I still find it insane how one little creature can feed a hive of ten thousand on its own. Honestly, how can something about half the size of a drone emit so much love energy? It's crazy. Today, I'd decided, was the day I started teaching Twilight how to walk on her own four hooves. Nymphs learn how to walk on their own within the first thirty six hours of life, and Twilight's been strong enough for too long now. I honestly don't know why I've let her crawl everywhere for as long as I have, but I can't afford to keep her like that forever. I had no idea it'd be as hard as it was, either. Perhaps it was because I waited so long? I guess I'll never know. I started off the day as I had every other day for the past year. Twilight had moved from a cradle to a crib some time ago. I guess she had been having a great dream (I wonder what babies dream about), because she was quick to let me know she did not approve of being woken up. She has a very healthy set of lungs. It didn't bother me anymore, however, as I had developed sound dampening earmuffs. Well, one of my engineers did the development, I just came up with the idea. Got to give credit where it is due. Anyway... After calming her down, I sat her down and got out breakfast. One thing about pony babies: how can they stomach such disgusting looking food? Changelings are carnivores, so we're used to blood, guts, and gore... so the fact that I have to ask such a question baffles me. Actually, come to think of it, is there a way to get a pony used to a carnivorous diet? I sure hope so... Regardless, after breakfast, it's morning bath time. Pony babies are such messy eaters... and again, this is coming from a carnivore. After the tub is filled up with nice, warm water, I pour in some bubbly stuff. Twilight refuses to cooperate at bath time unless it's a bubble bath. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm over spoiling her. Well, I do intend to cut her off eventually from the spoiled princess life. After all, while It's kind of cute right now while she's still quite young, it's going to get out of hoof later on if I don't cut her off at some point. But anyway... back to bath time. She goes right into the bubbly water with no argument, and what's the first thing she does to think me for a nice bath? She splashes water and suds all over my face. Then, just to add insult to injury, the brat points at me and nearly falls over laughing! No matter what face I gave her, she still found it funny. Yep, welcome to my morning routine... After bath time, it's time to learn how to walk. She's strong enough to stand on her own four hooves, so how hard can walking really be at this point? The answer? Really difficult. It takes a bit to encourage her to even take one step forward, and that just ends with her falling flat on her belly. As funny as I found it, it wasn't as amusing to her. She's not weak by any means. She's taken tumbles here and there, and nothing's really come of it for some time. This, however, was a different story. Why'd I have to leave those earmuffs in my chamber? Perhaps she was mad that I found her fall kind of funny? If that's the case, I deserved a headache. It took all of a minute and a half for me to finally overcome the vocal assault and comfort the filly. And good grief did it take a while to get her to try again. Forget the instructions manual I mentioned earlier, get this kid some training wheels or something. In the end, what got her to try again? Her favorite toy. One of the nursery drones crafted a little doll for Twilight, and she loves that thing to death. So, naturally, when I brought out within eyeshot of the kid, she reached out for it. "You can have bubba, but you gotta walk over to him first," I said. When she realized the doll wasn't just going to be given to her, she started crying again. I had to go to my chamber to get the doll, and I was smart enough to grab my earmuffs. I had a feeling seeing the doll and not getting it was going to make her mad, and I was right. Remember how I said I was cutting her off eventually? Well, this was going to be the first day I suppose. I didn't even place the doll that far away, just a little out of reach of her. Eventually, the tears dried up. She wanted to cry more, you could tell, but she just couldn't. What I did next was the trick I wish I'd thought of earlier. My horn lit up and a faint green aura wrapped around the doll. I manipulated it just enough to where it looks like the thing was actually talking. Amazing, huh? Anyway, as I manipulated the doll, I spoke in a slightly child like tone of voice. She was really gullible as well, which helped my case. As I spoke basically through the doll, Twilight got up and tried walking again. She fell time and time again, but she eventually got it. She was very unsteady at first, but she finally walked. She reached the doll, finally. To finish the day's walking lesson, I had her believe the doll was actually proud of her. I have never seen a bigger smile in my life. My name is Chrysalis, and I am now the mother of a gullible, walking pony baby. Magic lesson number oneAnother year and a half flies by. The biggest improvement this time? Speech. That's right, little Twilight has gotten an amazing grasp on communication. She still hasn't figured out how to use the hivemind (Yes, I linked her with our hivemind), but that will come with time. I'm just glad I don't have to guess at what she wants anymore, she just lets me know. If only potty training her was as easy... She's also shown a strong desire to learn how to use magic. And that starts today. I hope she likes books, because the biggest part of learning new spells is reading about how to cast them, how they work, and all of the known nasty side effects that'll come should you miscast the spell. And believe me when I say that some spells can have really nasty side effects. I start the day off by summoning Twilight from her room. I decided to give her a room of her own a little over half a year ago, and she's loved it for a while. It took her a little while to get used to not sleeping with mommy, but that's just to be expected. Anyway, so I summoned her from her room down to the dining hall. She's gone from that nasty looking mush to solids, which makes it easier to adapt her system to meat. She was quite adverse to the food at first, but got over it eventually. When she put that first scrap of deer meat into her mouth, she seemed to really like it. Strange for a pony to like meat the first time they try it, but I guess it has something to do with her being so young and impressionable. Anyway, back on track. Breakfast this morning was blackberry waffles, ham, and love infused mango juice. While love energy isn't vital for Twilight like it is for the rest of us, giving her love infused food and drinks helps her feel more like one of us. "So, sleep well?" I asked as I sat down across from Twilight. "Yep," She said, taking her first bite, "Had another great dream about being out on an enjoyable hunt with my friends". "What have I told you about talking while chewing?" I asked with a tone of warning. "Sorry, mommy," Twilight said after swallowing, ears folding back. I will admit, even I'm still amazed by how well she can communicate. This is a standard kind of conversation over breakfast. Also, why is a child her age having dreams about hunting and killing things? Well, remember who's raising her. Changelings are carnivorous, and so is Twilight now. It's only natural she'd have dreams of being on a great hunt every now and again, even at such a young age. "So, what were you hunting this time?" I asked, swallowing the last of my first waffle. I absolutely love blackberry waffles, they're my favorite breakfast item. "Elk," Twilight said, "It was a little harder than I'd expected, but we eventually toppled the beast and claimed it in the name of the changelings. Even finished it off with a flag and heroic pose". I almost chocked after that last part. Not out of shock, but because it made me laugh a little. This kid has changed me. Hard to think three years ago, I'd have tried to kill her if I'd met her. Now, here I am, laughing at her adventures in a dream she had last night. Oh, how the mighty do indeed fall. "Well, I know something that'll help you with the hunt," I said, "Magic". "That would help, yea," Twilight said. "And I think you're old enough to start learning how to use it," I said. "Seriously!?" Twilight asked quite loudly. "Yes, after breakfast and morning duties are tended to, we'll start on your lesson," I explained. I thought she was going to suddenly learn how to fly right then and there. She doesn't have wings, but I'm certain she could've still flown a little if she'd bounced just a little harder. "Alright, alright, settle down," I said, "Starting off, I hope you like books. While I go about my morning routine, you'll be reading about basic levitation. I figured we'd start off with the most important basic spell a changeling will ever learn to use". I refuse to call her a unicorn, It would just raise too many questions, the likes of which I am not yet prepared to answer. "I won't disappoint you, mommy," Twilight said, "I'll have that book read front to back in no time". "Yes, well do take your time," I said, "Magic is a fragile thing, not to be taken lightly. As you read, you'll see that even levitation can cause things to go bad if misused". After breakfast, we head to the library to find the book she'll need. After locating it, I give to her with strict instructions not to practice anything until I can be there with her. I remember my first time trying to levitate something... it wasn't pretty. I'd have preferred to NOT have a repeat of that... but life just doesn't play fair. Halfway through my duties, my first indication that something was wrong was a kettle flying through my throne room wall. The sudden entrance of an object that wasn't normally there set my guards on alert. I will have to admit how humorous it was watching the most elite of my personal guard attack a kettle. Sighing, I walked over to the new hole in my wall. When I looked through it, what did I see? None other than Twilight's terrified face. I excused myself and went to go talk to her. Upon arriving, I noticed she was hiding under her bed. It took some coaxing, but I eventually got her to come out, though she refused to look away from the floor. All I heard as she walked over was "I'm sorry" being said over and over again. I could tell she was doing everything in her power to not cry. "What did I tell you NOT to do?" I asked sternly. "Not to practice without you," Twilight said, gaze still locked on the ground. "And what did you just do?" I asked. "I didn't mean to," She said. "Magic doesn't work unless one wills it to," I explained sternly. No response. "Lesson number one: NEVER practice new spells without some one close by in case something goes wrong," I said. Twilight just simply nodded quietly. I pulled her close and let her know everything was ok. No one got hurt, unless you count my throne room wall as a living thing (Spoiler alert, it isn't). I was disappointed, and I think that was enough for this time. After she settled down, I decided to put my other duties to the side and teach her the proper way to levitate things. And no, I never did find out why she had a kettle in her room. My name is Chrysalis, and I'm now the mother and mentor of an overeager magic student. Author's Note I know some people may be a little concerned about the pacing of everything, so let me explain it. She's being raised by changelings. I see changelings as a race that ages faster than ponies, so they have less time to learn everything required to function properly in society. "What about the lisp that basically every toddler has?" We don't know enough about the stages of life for these ponies to know if they even really have a lisp as toddlers. And don't bring up Pumpkin and Pound Cake, they're basically like a year old, maybe slightly older. "What about magic surges baby unicorns have?" It's technically just still rumor. Unless somebody can prove to me that a unicorn having uncontrollable magic surges is canon, then I say they don't in this story. And no, Flurry Heart is not a valid example because she's an alicorn, not a unicorn. "How can Twilight's stomach survive meat?" While it is true she's an herbivore, I like to think it's possible for her to have the ability to survive on a carnivorous diet. Besides, starting her off young like Chryssie would also help a good bit. The fox says ouchTwilight is now seven years old. Hard to believe it's been that long already. She's been going through hunter training for the past year, and she's done well. You wouldn't expect a pony to be amazing at hunting, but Twilight's proven it's possible. Well, today's the day she puts it all to the test. If she does good today, she'll become a full fledged hunter. We start off the day with the usual breakfast. Instead of eating across from me, Twilight has been recently eating with the others in her hunting class. It's good for her to have social interactions, but I do sometimes miss the mornings where we would sit and talk together over warm waffles. Yes, I have a heart and feelings... so what? After breakfast, we all head down to the classroom. After everyone is geared up and ready, the instructors go over what the test will consist of. There are five junior hunting parties in the class, each with their own styles and techniques. Each party is given a choice of whatever creature they want to hunt, and Twilight's party chooses to hunt an Equestrian elk. She's been having dream after dream of felling one for some time now, so I suppose it's fitting. After every party has decided on a creature to hunt, the instructors inform them of the rules and special instructions. Each party will have an instructor watching them from the shadows, grading them throughout the whole hunt. Each party has thirty minutes starting when they reach the trial grounds. Unknown to Twilight is that I will be watching her hunt through her eyes via the hivemind. It's a painless procedure, she won't even know I'm watching, and every action will be one hundred percent her own. Speaking of the hivemind, Twilight has also learned how to access it. It's an vital ability for hunters, so she had to master it to progress in the class. Despite what one might believe, learning to use the hivemind is really difficult. The first time one accesses it, their head is swarmed with thousands of voices all communicating at once. It's a terrifying experience for sure So, on to the hunt. After Twilight and her party are dropped off near the edge of their trial grounds, their judge fades away into the shadows. Twilight's hunting party consists of the minimum three members, herself included. The other two are Jade and Swift, two very talented drones. Twilight coordinates the hunt, Jade is the spotter (Her crazy heightened sense of smell is perfect for the role), and Swift is the striker (She's called Swift for a reason). Together, these three make up a very deadly hunting machine. It takes Jade all of about five minutes to catch wind of their prey. After approaching their prey, they see not one, but at least twelve Elk in a herd. Twilight assess the situation then hooves out instructions. Swift takes her position in the tree canopy, ready to drop at any second. Jade takes on the appearance of a wolf, and Twilight casts an advanced illusion spell to give her friend some spectral wolf buddies (It was quite impressive). Moments later, Jade and her spectral pack jump into the fire, purposely startling the herd. Jade heads up the center, while Twilight manipulates her illusions in a fan formation, forcing the herd to move in only one direction, right towards the spring loaded Swift. Their goal isn't the young, sick, or otherwise weak herd members, but the big bull. Twilight figured the numbers she was trying to manipulate (Seriously, her control over those illusions is very impressive), but it had backfired quickly. While the females and young ran, the bull lowered his head and charged. Luckily, he aimed first at a fake. I fear for Jade if she was the first target. After the blow is struck, the bull adopts a confused look, moving his head from side to side, looking for the wolf. Makes sense see as, if that was a real wolf, it would've gone flying. Jade took the opportunity to move with Twilight's illusions into a position of surrounding the bull. Swift took the opportunity to move through the canopy and right above the bull. As the bull prepared to strike another wolf, Swift dove down and drove a knife into its neck. After the strike, the bull reeled back and tossed Swift back first against a tree. Good thing for tough carapaces. With the first blow dealt, the bull was reasonably weakened. Twilight threw her illusions one by one at the bull, causing it to rear up and defend itself, exposing it's soft belly for Jade to strike at freely. Longest seven minutes of my life, and I wish I'd have made popcorn. After such an impressive display, I'd say they deserved to graduate. Back at the hive, the grand hall was filled with drones. The five junior hunting parties stood proudly up on the stage behind their judges. As each party was given their final score, I held out hope. In the end, Twilight's party scored pretty high. Ninety for teamwork, ninety four for technique, eighty two for speed, and seventy five for cleanliness. Overall score? Eighty five and a quarter. Very impressive if I do say so myself. In the end, only one party failed, having taken too long to kill their prey and having decided to bleed it out so the kill was not clean at all (First time I've ever seen a negative score). The second reward for graduating? First pickings. Twilight went for the heart, liver, and lungs, while her party members went for the more meaty bits. She also requested the antlers be put on a plaque with Jade and Swift's names engraved into them. I'm unsure of the meaning behind that, but I have a feeling it has something with her sense of comradery. My name is Chrysalis and I am now the proud mother of one of the hive's newest hunters. Author's Note Ok, so no foxes were harmed in the making of this chapter, but I felt the title was kind of fitting. The truth comes outTwilight is now ten years old. The past three years have been eventful for her. She's got some scars now to show that she's been on a few tough hunts. Her left ear is torn slightly, and she has a scar running from just above her right eye down across the bridge of her muzzle and ending at the left side of her lower jaw. She got that second one from a rather nasty fight with a manticore. She's lucky Jade knows how to void manticore venom from a victim's body. Half a year ago, she met a drone by the name of Fenrir. It started off as a simple friendship, but it quickly turned into more. Hanging out turned into dating every weekend. They look cute together, I must admit. Neither of them care much for hiding their affection in public, as is made obvious by them kissing every time they meet each other after a hunt or some similar event. They don't even have to do it in public, you can taste the vast amount of love energy by just walking past Twilight's door as they make out. It's actually quite delicious... Ok, that sounded better in my head. Though, I am surprised Fenrir isn't fat yet since he's at the center of it all. Moving onward to today... I was sitting happily on my bed, reading the next adventure of Daring Do, when Twilight decides to walk in. Her face, and the mixture of confusion and anger coming off of her told me tough times were in my future. "Twilight, is everything alright?" I asked. "Mother, I want some answers," Twilight half growled. Yep, tough times are definitely in my near future. "Alright, well ask away," I said. "First off, what in Tartarus am I?" She asked. "What are you-" I started off asking before Twilight cut me off. "Don't give me any of that crap!" She yelled, "I'm pregnant, which is impossible for drones. So tell me what I really am!" Well... shit. "I was hoping this moment would never come," I said quietly, my heart sinking, "You want to know what you are? Very well. You're correct in assuming you're not a drone. What you are, Twilight, is a unicorn, a pony". She said nothing as she walked over with a look on her face that could kill in a heartbeat. "When I first found you, you were but a baby in a basket outside the hive," I explained, "I took you in and cared for you. I can't leave a child to fend for themself, and you were no exception". "And why did you never tell me this?" Twilight asked harshly. "I... I didn't want you to feel left out, didn't want you to feel like an outcast," I admitted. "And you wanted a food source as well, didn't you?" Twilight asked. "Back when you first came to the hive, yes," I admitted, "But as time went on, I quickly grew to like you. I wanted you to feel like you belonged, like a real changeling, so I hid the truth and did everything I could to help you feel like one". "So, you never intended to let me know the truth?" Twilight asked. "Damn it, child, I was doing what I felt was best!" I yelled, "No, I never wanted you to know the truth. While I simply wanted you for food at first, I don't anymore. You are my daughter, Twilight. I may not have birthed you, but that does not make you any less my daughter. I haven't always made the right decisions, I've made many mistakes, but everything I've done, I've done to help you live the best life possible". That seemed to catch her off guard as she flinched at the response. "You want to know the hardest part of all this?" I asked, "When I first saw you back then, I had wanted to kill you". "Ki...kill me?" She asked, taking a step back. "Have you heard anything about the failed Canterlot invasion eleven years ago?" I asked. Twilight simply shook her head. "Eleven years ago, I took every drone in this hive and invaded Canterlot in an attempt to take over and gain a very nice source of love energy," I explained, "Everything had gone perfectly. I had abducted the bride and taken her place, had almost everypony wrapped around my hoof. The one thing I hadn't planned on, however, was you. You ruined everything! Because of what you did, we were all exiled and were starving faster as a result. I'd wanted so badly to kill you for that, and I finally had my chance. You were so small and fragile, I could've crushed your body with the greatest of ease". "And yet, you didn't," Twilight pointed out. "I couldn't," I admitted, "And as a result, I ended up adopting you. I've raised you since. I didn't raise you as a pony, and maybe that was a mistake, but I did what I felt was best for you". "Why not tell me this from the start?" Twilight asked. "Tell me, until today, have you been happy?" I asked. "Well, yes," Twilight admitted, "I've made friends, I've got a coltfriend, who, I might add, isn't even the same species as me, and I've got some good memories. But that doesn't change anything". "Yes it does," I said, "If I hadn't decided to raise you as a changeling, you wouldn't have all that. You'd possibly be a willing thrall, but you wouldn't truly be happy in the end. It's because you didn't know the truth that you have the memories you do, the friends who'll be by your side no matter what, and the coltfriend who really does honestly love you. A pony who knows they're a pony wouldn't have all that here, and that's the honest truth". Silence filled the room for several moments before I spoke up again. "I've made mistakes, I've not always been the best mother, but I've at least given it my all every single day," I said, "If you want to hate me for the rest of your life, then I won't stop you. But please, give my reasoning some serious consideration first". More silence followed shortly by Twilight leaning in and pulling me into a comforting embrace. "I still don't like that you hid the truth," she said, "But... I'll try to forgive you for it one day". "I'd appreciate that, though I know that will take some time," I said, "For now, however, let's change tracks a little. I believe you said you were pregnant, right?" Normally, only the queen can get pregnant, and, as such, is the only one allowed to harbor any child in the hive. However, I figured I'd start my path to forgiveness by changing that rule and allowing Twilight to raise her own child after it is born in several months time. I might even allow her to travel to Equestria when she is old enough to go out without aid. For now, I've just glad I've calmed the savage beast inside of her and can live to tell the tale. My name is Chrysalis and I am now the mother of an expecting mother pony who now knows the real truth about herself. Enter, the new bratSo, it's finally time. Nine months have passed, and it is now time for Twilight to become a mother. I can honestly say I never expected to look forward to someone else giving birth, and yet here I am... Twilight still hasn't really forgiven me for hiding the truth from her for ten years, but at least her anger dissipated only days after that conversation. Since then, some other changes have occurred. Now, Twilight is the first pony I've ever seen with natural claws. Well, maybe not claws like say... a bear's claws, but claws nonetheless. I have no idea why, but she decided it would be a good idea to carve into her hooves and cut away chunks in evenly spaced intervals. I'd have been impressed if I didn't find out after she'd been sedated in the infirmary. Regardless, she survived the crazy ordeal and has been living with claws ever since. Oh, and they actually work as well. I know this because I asked her to try and scratch me with them... she actually made me bleed, and even left me with a scar on my chest. To this day, I still don't know what possessed her to do that. Other than her claws, the next change is her hormones. I can honestly say that pregnant Twilight is scary Twilight. I don't know how Fenrir has survived this long, but he seems to know what he's doing when she goes berserk. Thanks to him, only vases seem to die when Twilight's wrath comes out, though he does have a couple of scars obviously given to him by Twilight's claws. Anyway, so there I was, sitting just outside Twilight's room at the infirmary, waiting ever so patiently. I wondered what she'll have. Would she be giving birth to a pony or a changeling? Perhaps even a hybrid? I wondered what that'd look like. Would she give live birth? Would make sense, since she's a mammal. However, since her mate is a changeling, could she be the first pony to lay an egg? Oh, THAT would be interesting. She'd have probably given birth already if that were the case, though. Live birth it is then. When the nurse came out to tell me to enter, I nearly jumped through the roof. What? I wasn't expecting someone to suddenly speak up from right beside me while I was deep in random thought. Anyway, after I entered the room, I walked over to see Twilight holding onto a swaddled up baby. I couldn't see much at first, but then Twilight unwrapped the cloth so I could get a proper look at my granddaughter (That feels REALLY weird to say). She's a hybrid. She looks mostly like a pony with a full fur coat, and her changeling features include a hole in each hoof, a slightly curved, changeling style horn, tiny fangs, and a membrane mane and tail with Twilight's colors. All changelings are born without wings, and this hybrid was no exception. However, I wonder if she'll grow wings at a month old like we changelings do. I also wonder if she'll require love energy for food. So, after examining the new baby, I asked Twilight what her name would be. Twilight and Fenrir had settled on Kara, the name of the first changeling to ever exist... at least, that's how history records it. Fitting, seeing as she's the first known pony/changeling hybrid. She'll have plenty of adventures later on, just like her mother (Here's hoping she doesn't try to give herself claws like Twilight did), and I look forward to every bit of it. My name is Chrysalis, and I am now the proud grandmother of the first ever pony/changeling hybrid. Author's Note So, that's it for this story, the sequel will start soon, I promise. So, a little bit about lil Kara. I got her name from Norse Mythology. Kara is the name of a Valkyrie, and the name means "The wild one". That wild nature will come into play throughout the sequel, and it'll drive poor Twi up a wall. About her design, I tried to mix as many pony and changeling features as possible without going overboard. Why does she have more changeling features? Well, I figured it'd feel more familiar to Twilight that way, don't you agree? And one other big question I'm sure you want the answer to: Does she need love energy? The answer is yes. She doesn't need as much as a regular drone, but she DOES need it. Last, but not least, she WILL grow wings. Of birds and beesAuthor's Note If it isn't obvious from the title of this chapter, it's time for "The talk". Chryssie doesn't hold back, either. Twilight gets quite a detailed explanation. If this bothers you, feel free to skip this chapter. Of birds and bees It's been a couple of weeks since Twilight and her friends graduated hunter school. Whenever they go on hunts, I have learned to expect a small feast. Yesterday, they brought home a grizzly bear, something I'd never expected to eat. Tasted pretty good, all things considered. That, and it's a bear... I mean, if that's not an impressive kill to bring home at seven years old, I don't know what is. Today, Twilight would learning something else. She entered my room at a little past seventeen hundred saying something was wrong. First question I asked was what was going on. She said her butt was itchy, and the itch wouldn't go away. Must be said, that's the weirdest way to start this conversation I've ever heard. Anyway, I pointed out a few things for her to try, but she claimed to have already tried them all. I then told her to sit down beside me, mentally preparing myself the whole time. I'm no stranger to this conversation, I've had it with countless drones. The conversation in question? Explaining sex. Yes, other drones can have sex, though it's only for pleasure between drones. Only queens such as myself can actually get pregnant. The tricky part? Twilight's not a drone and I don't know if a drone can get a pony pregnant. "I'm going to be ok, right?" Twilight asked. I could taste the pure fear coming off of her... and I hated it. "You're going to be fine, Twilight," I assured, "What you're experiencing is perfectly normal". "It... it is?" Twilight asked, the fear quickly subsiding. "You're getting older, and your body is getting ready for certain things," I explained. "Like what?" Twilight asked, "What am I getting ready for?" "There's something in life drones experience every now and again called sex," I explained, "It's quite the feel good sensation. In fact, it's the best you'll ever get to know". "How does that involve my butt?" Twilight asked. "It CAN, if you're into that," I explained with a slight chuckle, "But what it involves mostly is a part of you called a vagina. It's that hole just below your butt". "So that's what that's for," Twilight said, "But wait, why does it itch?" "Because you're going into heat," I explained, "It's supposed to drive you insane until you satisfy it with a male's sexual organ known as a penis. You can satisfy it with another female, but it's not very easy". "I see," Twilight said, "So, they're different, then. But... how different? What does a penis look like, exactly?" This is about to get slightly awkward. Instead of trying to explain it, I simply turned myself into a stallion. "Why'd you turn into a pony?" Twilight asked. "Changelings can't transform into another changeling," I explained, "But, the concept is the same with any species, so it won't matter any". Twilight simply nodded, as if quietly prompting me to continue. "This here is like something you've undoubtedly seen before," I said, pointing between my legs, "This is known as a sheath, and it keeps the penis hidden until needed. A changeling's is more scaly, but it's the same thing". "But, why hide it?" Twilight asked. "It can be uncomfortable to try and move around with it out," I explained. "Oh, ok," Twilight said. "If you ever want to get it to come out, gently caress it for a few seconds," I explained before demonstrating, "And, that's what a penis looks like unsheathed". "What do you do with it, now?" Twilight asked, tilting her head slightly. Oh the curiosity of the young... "Well, when two drones are consenting, the female will turn her back to the male and spread her hind legs a little bit. This ensures stability for the female and easier access for the male," I explained, "The male, in turn, raises himself up on his back hooves and places his front hooves on the females flanks, then moves forward and positions himself almost a full body length above the female. When he's in position, he then thrusts his hindquarters forward, inserting his penis into the females vagina. How gently and hard he does this is up to the female". "So, that would go in here, then?" Twilight asked, pointing first to my exposed penis and then turning and pointing to her vagina. "Exactly," I said, "After penetration, the two will often assume another position assuming there is enough stability to do so safely. After both are satisfied in their positioning, the male will continue to thrust his hindquarters back and forth. Sounds like a simple thing, but it's quite pleasurable, and even pretty fun depending on your level of kinkiness". "Kinkiness?" Twilight asked. "What you prefer to do to get as much pleasure as possible," I explain. "Oh, alright," Twilight said, "So... how long does it last?" "That depends on the males endurance," I explained, "The more endurance he has, the longer it'll take him to excrete a sticky substance known as semen. Once that comes out, sex is over". And that was it... well, it should have been. Twilight seemed to be going over everything in her head for a couple minutes before looking up and asking the one question I've never been asked in this conversation before. "Will you show me?" She asked. She broke me with that. My eye started twitching and everything... it was so awkward. How does one respond to a kid asking them that? After coming back to the world of the living, I explained her why I couldn't. First off, I can't take on a small enough body. That, and it's not ok for adults to bed children (Yes, we have such morals). If she wanted to find and ask a male drone in her age group, then fine (I honestly hope they can't get her pregnant), but the limit is five years older. That seemed to satisfy her... which I am eternally grateful for. I am Chrysalis, and I am... unsettled.
A foal named TwilightMy name is Chrysalis, and I am the proud queen of a hive of changelings. Some time ago, my hive was slowly starving from a lack of love energy. I decided to invade the pony capital of Canterlot and secure a healthy supply of love energy. Unfortunately, all that was ruined by one Twilight Sparkle. As I sat in my chamber, contemplating more ways to squash the pest, I got a message over the hive mind informing me of a strange basket outside with my name on it. Why my name was on a basket, I still have no idea, but I figured it was worth a look. I told the drone who found the basket to bring it to me, and he did. Gotta love the undying loyalty of drones. Anyway, when the basket appeared in front of me, I looked it over very carefully. It looked like an innocent little picnic basket, but what was inside was what mattered... and it would change my life forever. As I lifted the little white blanket off the top of the basket, a little lifeform came into view. Surprised, I fell backwards onto my rump and let out a little yelp. I woke the little thing up. When I regained my royal composure, I looked back at the tiny creature, and saw what it was. Someone had the bright idea to deliver to me a pony nymph... or do Equestrians call them foals? Anyway, doesn't matter. The little pony in front of me had a lovely lavender coat, a dark purple mane and tail with a lightly colored purple streak alongside a pink one. It's eyes were a nice of purple as well. And it had a horn. After seeing the horn, it clicked... I wasn't just looking at a baby, I was... the baby was none other than Twilight Sparkle, the pest I'd come to hate with more than a small fiery passion. I had so many questions run through my head. Why was she at my hive? Why was she disguised as a baby? As impressive as it was, I wondered if it was some trick. I lit up my horn, ready to finally end this life of hers. She'd no longer be a problem for me, and I could take over Canterlot for sure. All it would've taken was letting loose with my spell. It would just be so easy... so why couldn't I do it? I couldn't cast the spell. I couldn't bring myself to kill the very pony who had brought destruction to my hive. Perhaps it was that look in her eyes. It was the unmistakable look of a baby who needs its mother. She wanted me to pick her up and cradle her. Another trick? No... too much innocence. And then she started to cry. I don't think a child could have a healthier set of lungs than this young pony. My horn went dark and I covered my poor ears as the vocal assault began. I was quickly getting a headache, and I had to do something. So, what did I do? A simple blow would've ended everything. She was so fragile, even one of my weakest hits would do the trick. But no... I couldn't do that... not to a child. Instead, I scooped her up and held her close, attempting to soothe her. And it worked. Her cries turned into sobs, which turned into baby babble as I continued to cradle the young pony. When I looked down at the bundle of fur in my forelegs, I realized something. This pony wasn't Twilight Sparkle. Well, she was, but she was different. It was like her life had been reset. I didn't even have to look in her eyes to tell you that she looked upon me as her mother. No, the love rolling off of this child was enough to tell me that. As I continued to look down at the young pony, I couldn't help but smile. She was so small, so young, so cute... I knew who it was I was holding. I was not holding the mare that brought certain doom to my hive. I wasn't holding a pony that I thought of ways to dispose of for the past year. I was holding my newest daughter. I don't exactly know why, but I kept her original name. She seemed to like it, so it stuck. "Welcome to the hive, Twilight," I said softly as I nuzzled her. She giggled adorably at my touch, and my rock hard heart started to melt. I called over the hive mind for some nursery furniture to be brought to my chamber. I still wonder how badly I confused my drones with at that odd request. No matter. I got the furniture within half an hour, and finished setting in place not long after. I attempted to lay Twilight down in the cradle, she got THAT look. I've raised three hundred and ten thousand, eight hundred and forty four changelings in my life, so I know all the looks of an infant. She didn't want to lay down, she wanted to be held. I pulled her in close and placed her back into my forelegs. She seemed to like that because her little smile came back. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm an insectoid, not a mammal. I tried once to give a lost foal some milk by becoming a mare... but it did not work. Unfortunately, the foal did not survive. That was the first pony I ever cried for the loss of. It would be so easy to leave Twilight to that fate. Just leave her outside the hive, let her wither away into nothing. But I can't do that. She's a real foal, and she needs to be cared for. I ordered one of my drones to fly to the nearest pony village and grab some milk for foals. He did, and claimed he didn't even have to pay for it. He's a master thief, what can I say? Anyway, little Twilight was very upset before the drone got back, and she wasted no time in letting me know. I'd have gone deaf if not for one of the caretakers casting a mute shield around Twilight. When I finally got her a bottle fixed up, I cracked the shield and stepped inside. She no sooner had the nipple on the bottle touched her lips had Twilight calmed down, satisfied with the sustenance. My name is Chrysalis, and I am now the adoptive mother of my most hated enemy.
Babies don't come with training wheelsIt has been a few days past a year since Twilight came to my hive. Throughout that time, not much really happened aside from constantly trying to avoid turning into a living jungle gym. I don't understand how pony mothers can handle their kids climbing all over them like that, but meh... whatever keeps her happy with as little an annoyance factor as possible keeps the hive fed with ease. I still find it insane how one little creature can feed a hive of ten thousand on its own. Honestly, how can something about half the size of a drone emit so much love energy? It's crazy. Today, I'd decided, was the day I started teaching Twilight how to walk on her own four hooves. Nymphs learn how to walk on their own within the first thirty six hours of life, and Twilight's been strong enough for too long now. I honestly don't know why I've let her crawl everywhere for as long as I have, but I can't afford to keep her like that forever. I had no idea it'd be as hard as it was, either. Perhaps it was because I waited so long? I guess I'll never know. I started off the day as I had every other day for the past year. Twilight had moved from a cradle to a crib some time ago. I guess she had been having a great dream (I wonder what babies dream about), because she was quick to let me know she did not approve of being woken up. She has a very healthy set of lungs. It didn't bother me anymore, however, as I had developed sound dampening earmuffs. Well, one of my engineers did the development, I just came up with the idea. Got to give credit where it is due. Anyway... After calming her down, I sat her down and got out breakfast. One thing about pony babies: how can they stomach such disgusting looking food? Changelings are carnivores, so we're used to blood, guts, and gore... so the fact that I have to ask such a question baffles me. Actually, come to think of it, is there a way to get a pony used to a carnivorous diet? I sure hope so... Regardless, after breakfast, it's morning bath time. Pony babies are such messy eaters... and again, this is coming from a carnivore. After the tub is filled up with nice, warm water, I pour in some bubbly stuff. Twilight refuses to cooperate at bath time unless it's a bubble bath. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm over spoiling her. Well, I do intend to cut her off eventually from the spoiled princess life. After all, while It's kind of cute right now while she's still quite young, it's going to get out of hoof later on if I don't cut her off at some point. But anyway... back to bath time. She goes right into the bubbly water with no argument, and what's the first thing she does to think me for a nice bath? She splashes water and suds all over my face. Then, just to add insult to injury, the brat points at me and nearly falls over laughing! No matter what face I gave her, she still found it funny. Yep, welcome to my morning routine... After bath time, it's time to learn how to walk. She's strong enough to stand on her own four hooves, so how hard can walking really be at this point? The answer? Really difficult. It takes a bit to encourage her to even take one step forward, and that just ends with her falling flat on her belly. As funny as I found it, it wasn't as amusing to her. She's not weak by any means. She's taken tumbles here and there, and nothing's really come of it for some time. This, however, was a different story. Why'd I have to leave those earmuffs in my chamber? Perhaps she was mad that I found her fall kind of funny? If that's the case, I deserved a headache. It took all of a minute and a half for me to finally overcome the vocal assault and comfort the filly. And good grief did it take a while to get her to try again. Forget the instructions manual I mentioned earlier, get this kid some training wheels or something. In the end, what got her to try again? Her favorite toy. One of the nursery drones crafted a little doll for Twilight, and she loves that thing to death. So, naturally, when I brought out within eyeshot of the kid, she reached out for it. "You can have bubba, but you gotta walk over to him first," I said. When she realized the doll wasn't just going to be given to her, she started crying again. I had to go to my chamber to get the doll, and I was smart enough to grab my earmuffs. I had a feeling seeing the doll and not getting it was going to make her mad, and I was right. Remember how I said I was cutting her off eventually? Well, this was going to be the first day I suppose. I didn't even place the doll that far away, just a little out of reach of her. Eventually, the tears dried up. She wanted to cry more, you could tell, but she just couldn't. What I did next was the trick I wish I'd thought of earlier. My horn lit up and a faint green aura wrapped around the doll. I manipulated it just enough to where it looks like the thing was actually talking. Amazing, huh? Anyway, as I manipulated the doll, I spoke in a slightly child like tone of voice. She was really gullible as well, which helped my case. As I spoke basically through the doll, Twilight got up and tried walking again. She fell time and time again, but she eventually got it. She was very unsteady at first, but she finally walked. She reached the doll, finally. To finish the day's walking lesson, I had her believe the doll was actually proud of her. I have never seen a bigger smile in my life. My name is Chrysalis, and I am now the mother of a gullible, walking pony baby.
Magic lesson number oneAnother year and a half flies by. The biggest improvement this time? Speech. That's right, little Twilight has gotten an amazing grasp on communication. She still hasn't figured out how to use the hivemind (Yes, I linked her with our hivemind), but that will come with time. I'm just glad I don't have to guess at what she wants anymore, she just lets me know. If only potty training her was as easy... She's also shown a strong desire to learn how to use magic. And that starts today. I hope she likes books, because the biggest part of learning new spells is reading about how to cast them, how they work, and all of the known nasty side effects that'll come should you miscast the spell. And believe me when I say that some spells can have really nasty side effects. I start the day off by summoning Twilight from her room. I decided to give her a room of her own a little over half a year ago, and she's loved it for a while. It took her a little while to get used to not sleeping with mommy, but that's just to be expected. Anyway, so I summoned her from her room down to the dining hall. She's gone from that nasty looking mush to solids, which makes it easier to adapt her system to meat. She was quite adverse to the food at first, but got over it eventually. When she put that first scrap of deer meat into her mouth, she seemed to really like it. Strange for a pony to like meat the first time they try it, but I guess it has something to do with her being so young and impressionable. Anyway, back on track. Breakfast this morning was blackberry waffles, ham, and love infused mango juice. While love energy isn't vital for Twilight like it is for the rest of us, giving her love infused food and drinks helps her feel more like one of us. "So, sleep well?" I asked as I sat down across from Twilight. "Yep," She said, taking her first bite, "Had another great dream about being out on an enjoyable hunt with my friends". "What have I told you about talking while chewing?" I asked with a tone of warning. "Sorry, mommy," Twilight said after swallowing, ears folding back. I will admit, even I'm still amazed by how well she can communicate. This is a standard kind of conversation over breakfast. Also, why is a child her age having dreams about hunting and killing things? Well, remember who's raising her. Changelings are carnivorous, and so is Twilight now. It's only natural she'd have dreams of being on a great hunt every now and again, even at such a young age. "So, what were you hunting this time?" I asked, swallowing the last of my first waffle. I absolutely love blackberry waffles, they're my favorite breakfast item. "Elk," Twilight said, "It was a little harder than I'd expected, but we eventually toppled the beast and claimed it in the name of the changelings. Even finished it off with a flag and heroic pose". I almost chocked after that last part. Not out of shock, but because it made me laugh a little. This kid has changed me. Hard to think three years ago, I'd have tried to kill her if I'd met her. Now, here I am, laughing at her adventures in a dream she had last night. Oh, how the mighty do indeed fall. "Well, I know something that'll help you with the hunt," I said, "Magic". "That would help, yea," Twilight said. "And I think you're old enough to start learning how to use it," I said. "Seriously!?" Twilight asked quite loudly. "Yes, after breakfast and morning duties are tended to, we'll start on your lesson," I explained. I thought she was going to suddenly learn how to fly right then and there. She doesn't have wings, but I'm certain she could've still flown a little if she'd bounced just a little harder. "Alright, alright, settle down," I said, "Starting off, I hope you like books. While I go about my morning routine, you'll be reading about basic levitation. I figured we'd start off with the most important basic spell a changeling will ever learn to use". I refuse to call her a unicorn, It would just raise too many questions, the likes of which I am not yet prepared to answer. "I won't disappoint you, mommy," Twilight said, "I'll have that book read front to back in no time". "Yes, well do take your time," I said, "Magic is a fragile thing, not to be taken lightly. As you read, you'll see that even levitation can cause things to go bad if misused". After breakfast, we head to the library to find the book she'll need. After locating it, I give to her with strict instructions not to practice anything until I can be there with her. I remember my first time trying to levitate something... it wasn't pretty. I'd have preferred to NOT have a repeat of that... but life just doesn't play fair. Halfway through my duties, my first indication that something was wrong was a kettle flying through my throne room wall. The sudden entrance of an object that wasn't normally there set my guards on alert. I will have to admit how humorous it was watching the most elite of my personal guard attack a kettle. Sighing, I walked over to the new hole in my wall. When I looked through it, what did I see? None other than Twilight's terrified face. I excused myself and went to go talk to her. Upon arriving, I noticed she was hiding under her bed. It took some coaxing, but I eventually got her to come out, though she refused to look away from the floor. All I heard as she walked over was "I'm sorry" being said over and over again. I could tell she was doing everything in her power to not cry. "What did I tell you NOT to do?" I asked sternly. "Not to practice without you," Twilight said, gaze still locked on the ground. "And what did you just do?" I asked. "I didn't mean to," She said. "Magic doesn't work unless one wills it to," I explained sternly. No response. "Lesson number one: NEVER practice new spells without some one close by in case something goes wrong," I said. Twilight just simply nodded quietly. I pulled her close and let her know everything was ok. No one got hurt, unless you count my throne room wall as a living thing (Spoiler alert, it isn't). I was disappointed, and I think that was enough for this time. After she settled down, I decided to put my other duties to the side and teach her the proper way to levitate things. And no, I never did find out why she had a kettle in her room. My name is Chrysalis, and I'm now the mother and mentor of an overeager magic student. Author's Note I know some people may be a little concerned about the pacing of everything, so let me explain it. She's being raised by changelings. I see changelings as a race that ages faster than ponies, so they have less time to learn everything required to function properly in society. "What about the lisp that basically every toddler has?" We don't know enough about the stages of life for these ponies to know if they even really have a lisp as toddlers. And don't bring up Pumpkin and Pound Cake, they're basically like a year old, maybe slightly older. "What about magic surges baby unicorns have?" It's technically just still rumor. Unless somebody can prove to me that a unicorn having uncontrollable magic surges is canon, then I say they don't in this story. And no, Flurry Heart is not a valid example because she's an alicorn, not a unicorn. "How can Twilight's stomach survive meat?" While it is true she's an herbivore, I like to think it's possible for her to have the ability to survive on a carnivorous diet. Besides, starting her off young like Chryssie would also help a good bit.
The fox says ouchTwilight is now seven years old. Hard to believe it's been that long already. She's been going through hunter training for the past year, and she's done well. You wouldn't expect a pony to be amazing at hunting, but Twilight's proven it's possible. Well, today's the day she puts it all to the test. If she does good today, she'll become a full fledged hunter. We start off the day with the usual breakfast. Instead of eating across from me, Twilight has been recently eating with the others in her hunting class. It's good for her to have social interactions, but I do sometimes miss the mornings where we would sit and talk together over warm waffles. Yes, I have a heart and feelings... so what? After breakfast, we all head down to the classroom. After everyone is geared up and ready, the instructors go over what the test will consist of. There are five junior hunting parties in the class, each with their own styles and techniques. Each party is given a choice of whatever creature they want to hunt, and Twilight's party chooses to hunt an Equestrian elk. She's been having dream after dream of felling one for some time now, so I suppose it's fitting. After every party has decided on a creature to hunt, the instructors inform them of the rules and special instructions. Each party will have an instructor watching them from the shadows, grading them throughout the whole hunt. Each party has thirty minutes starting when they reach the trial grounds. Unknown to Twilight is that I will be watching her hunt through her eyes via the hivemind. It's a painless procedure, she won't even know I'm watching, and every action will be one hundred percent her own. Speaking of the hivemind, Twilight has also learned how to access it. It's an vital ability for hunters, so she had to master it to progress in the class. Despite what one might believe, learning to use the hivemind is really difficult. The first time one accesses it, their head is swarmed with thousands of voices all communicating at once. It's a terrifying experience for sure So, on to the hunt. After Twilight and her party are dropped off near the edge of their trial grounds, their judge fades away into the shadows. Twilight's hunting party consists of the minimum three members, herself included. The other two are Jade and Swift, two very talented drones. Twilight coordinates the hunt, Jade is the spotter (Her crazy heightened sense of smell is perfect for the role), and Swift is the striker (She's called Swift for a reason). Together, these three make up a very deadly hunting machine. It takes Jade all of about five minutes to catch wind of their prey. After approaching their prey, they see not one, but at least twelve Elk in a herd. Twilight assess the situation then hooves out instructions. Swift takes her position in the tree canopy, ready to drop at any second. Jade takes on the appearance of a wolf, and Twilight casts an advanced illusion spell to give her friend some spectral wolf buddies (It was quite impressive). Moments later, Jade and her spectral pack jump into the fire, purposely startling the herd. Jade heads up the center, while Twilight manipulates her illusions in a fan formation, forcing the herd to move in only one direction, right towards the spring loaded Swift. Their goal isn't the young, sick, or otherwise weak herd members, but the big bull. Twilight figured the numbers she was trying to manipulate (Seriously, her control over those illusions is very impressive), but it had backfired quickly. While the females and young ran, the bull lowered his head and charged. Luckily, he aimed first at a fake. I fear for Jade if she was the first target. After the blow is struck, the bull adopts a confused look, moving his head from side to side, looking for the wolf. Makes sense see as, if that was a real wolf, it would've gone flying. Jade took the opportunity to move with Twilight's illusions into a position of surrounding the bull. Swift took the opportunity to move through the canopy and right above the bull. As the bull prepared to strike another wolf, Swift dove down and drove a knife into its neck. After the strike, the bull reeled back and tossed Swift back first against a tree. Good thing for tough carapaces. With the first blow dealt, the bull was reasonably weakened. Twilight threw her illusions one by one at the bull, causing it to rear up and defend itself, exposing it's soft belly for Jade to strike at freely. Longest seven minutes of my life, and I wish I'd have made popcorn. After such an impressive display, I'd say they deserved to graduate. Back at the hive, the grand hall was filled with drones. The five junior hunting parties stood proudly up on the stage behind their judges. As each party was given their final score, I held out hope. In the end, Twilight's party scored pretty high. Ninety for teamwork, ninety four for technique, eighty two for speed, and seventy five for cleanliness. Overall score? Eighty five and a quarter. Very impressive if I do say so myself. In the end, only one party failed, having taken too long to kill their prey and having decided to bleed it out so the kill was not clean at all (First time I've ever seen a negative score). The second reward for graduating? First pickings. Twilight went for the heart, liver, and lungs, while her party members went for the more meaty bits. She also requested the antlers be put on a plaque with Jade and Swift's names engraved into them. I'm unsure of the meaning behind that, but I have a feeling it has something with her sense of comradery. My name is Chrysalis and I am now the proud mother of one of the hive's newest hunters. Author's Note Ok, so no foxes were harmed in the making of this chapter, but I felt the title was kind of fitting.
The truth comes outTwilight is now ten years old. The past three years have been eventful for her. She's got some scars now to show that she's been on a few tough hunts. Her left ear is torn slightly, and she has a scar running from just above her right eye down across the bridge of her muzzle and ending at the left side of her lower jaw. She got that second one from a rather nasty fight with a manticore. She's lucky Jade knows how to void manticore venom from a victim's body. Half a year ago, she met a drone by the name of Fenrir. It started off as a simple friendship, but it quickly turned into more. Hanging out turned into dating every weekend. They look cute together, I must admit. Neither of them care much for hiding their affection in public, as is made obvious by them kissing every time they meet each other after a hunt or some similar event. They don't even have to do it in public, you can taste the vast amount of love energy by just walking past Twilight's door as they make out. It's actually quite delicious... Ok, that sounded better in my head. Though, I am surprised Fenrir isn't fat yet since he's at the center of it all. Moving onward to today... I was sitting happily on my bed, reading the next adventure of Daring Do, when Twilight decides to walk in. Her face, and the mixture of confusion and anger coming off of her told me tough times were in my future. "Twilight, is everything alright?" I asked. "Mother, I want some answers," Twilight half growled. Yep, tough times are definitely in my near future. "Alright, well ask away," I said. "First off, what in Tartarus am I?" She asked. "What are you-" I started off asking before Twilight cut me off. "Don't give me any of that crap!" She yelled, "I'm pregnant, which is impossible for drones. So tell me what I really am!" Well... shit. "I was hoping this moment would never come," I said quietly, my heart sinking, "You want to know what you are? Very well. You're correct in assuming you're not a drone. What you are, Twilight, is a unicorn, a pony". She said nothing as she walked over with a look on her face that could kill in a heartbeat. "When I first found you, you were but a baby in a basket outside the hive," I explained, "I took you in and cared for you. I can't leave a child to fend for themself, and you were no exception". "And why did you never tell me this?" Twilight asked harshly. "I... I didn't want you to feel left out, didn't want you to feel like an outcast," I admitted. "And you wanted a food source as well, didn't you?" Twilight asked. "Back when you first came to the hive, yes," I admitted, "But as time went on, I quickly grew to like you. I wanted you to feel like you belonged, like a real changeling, so I hid the truth and did everything I could to help you feel like one". "So, you never intended to let me know the truth?" Twilight asked. "Damn it, child, I was doing what I felt was best!" I yelled, "No, I never wanted you to know the truth. While I simply wanted you for food at first, I don't anymore. You are my daughter, Twilight. I may not have birthed you, but that does not make you any less my daughter. I haven't always made the right decisions, I've made many mistakes, but everything I've done, I've done to help you live the best life possible". That seemed to catch her off guard as she flinched at the response. "You want to know the hardest part of all this?" I asked, "When I first saw you back then, I had wanted to kill you". "Ki...kill me?" She asked, taking a step back. "Have you heard anything about the failed Canterlot invasion eleven years ago?" I asked. Twilight simply shook her head. "Eleven years ago, I took every drone in this hive and invaded Canterlot in an attempt to take over and gain a very nice source of love energy," I explained, "Everything had gone perfectly. I had abducted the bride and taken her place, had almost everypony wrapped around my hoof. The one thing I hadn't planned on, however, was you. You ruined everything! Because of what you did, we were all exiled and were starving faster as a result. I'd wanted so badly to kill you for that, and I finally had my chance. You were so small and fragile, I could've crushed your body with the greatest of ease". "And yet, you didn't," Twilight pointed out. "I couldn't," I admitted, "And as a result, I ended up adopting you. I've raised you since. I didn't raise you as a pony, and maybe that was a mistake, but I did what I felt was best for you". "Why not tell me this from the start?" Twilight asked. "Tell me, until today, have you been happy?" I asked. "Well, yes," Twilight admitted, "I've made friends, I've got a coltfriend, who, I might add, isn't even the same species as me, and I've got some good memories. But that doesn't change anything". "Yes it does," I said, "If I hadn't decided to raise you as a changeling, you wouldn't have all that. You'd possibly be a willing thrall, but you wouldn't truly be happy in the end. It's because you didn't know the truth that you have the memories you do, the friends who'll be by your side no matter what, and the coltfriend who really does honestly love you. A pony who knows they're a pony wouldn't have all that here, and that's the honest truth". Silence filled the room for several moments before I spoke up again. "I've made mistakes, I've not always been the best mother, but I've at least given it my all every single day," I said, "If you want to hate me for the rest of your life, then I won't stop you. But please, give my reasoning some serious consideration first". More silence followed shortly by Twilight leaning in and pulling me into a comforting embrace. "I still don't like that you hid the truth," she said, "But... I'll try to forgive you for it one day". "I'd appreciate that, though I know that will take some time," I said, "For now, however, let's change tracks a little. I believe you said you were pregnant, right?" Normally, only the queen can get pregnant, and, as such, is the only one allowed to harbor any child in the hive. However, I figured I'd start my path to forgiveness by changing that rule and allowing Twilight to raise her own child after it is born in several months time. I might even allow her to travel to Equestria when she is old enough to go out without aid. For now, I've just glad I've calmed the savage beast inside of her and can live to tell the tale. My name is Chrysalis and I am now the mother of an expecting mother pony who now knows the real truth about herself.
Enter, the new bratSo, it's finally time. Nine months have passed, and it is now time for Twilight to become a mother. I can honestly say I never expected to look forward to someone else giving birth, and yet here I am... Twilight still hasn't really forgiven me for hiding the truth from her for ten years, but at least her anger dissipated only days after that conversation. Since then, some other changes have occurred. Now, Twilight is the first pony I've ever seen with natural claws. Well, maybe not claws like say... a bear's claws, but claws nonetheless. I have no idea why, but she decided it would be a good idea to carve into her hooves and cut away chunks in evenly spaced intervals. I'd have been impressed if I didn't find out after she'd been sedated in the infirmary. Regardless, she survived the crazy ordeal and has been living with claws ever since. Oh, and they actually work as well. I know this because I asked her to try and scratch me with them... she actually made me bleed, and even left me with a scar on my chest. To this day, I still don't know what possessed her to do that. Other than her claws, the next change is her hormones. I can honestly say that pregnant Twilight is scary Twilight. I don't know how Fenrir has survived this long, but he seems to know what he's doing when she goes berserk. Thanks to him, only vases seem to die when Twilight's wrath comes out, though he does have a couple of scars obviously given to him by Twilight's claws. Anyway, so there I was, sitting just outside Twilight's room at the infirmary, waiting ever so patiently. I wondered what she'll have. Would she be giving birth to a pony or a changeling? Perhaps even a hybrid? I wondered what that'd look like. Would she give live birth? Would make sense, since she's a mammal. However, since her mate is a changeling, could she be the first pony to lay an egg? Oh, THAT would be interesting. She'd have probably given birth already if that were the case, though. Live birth it is then. When the nurse came out to tell me to enter, I nearly jumped through the roof. What? I wasn't expecting someone to suddenly speak up from right beside me while I was deep in random thought. Anyway, after I entered the room, I walked over to see Twilight holding onto a swaddled up baby. I couldn't see much at first, but then Twilight unwrapped the cloth so I could get a proper look at my granddaughter (That feels REALLY weird to say). She's a hybrid. She looks mostly like a pony with a full fur coat, and her changeling features include a hole in each hoof, a slightly curved, changeling style horn, tiny fangs, and a membrane mane and tail with Twilight's colors. All changelings are born without wings, and this hybrid was no exception. However, I wonder if she'll grow wings at a month old like we changelings do. I also wonder if she'll require love energy for food. So, after examining the new baby, I asked Twilight what her name would be. Twilight and Fenrir had settled on Kara, the name of the first changeling to ever exist... at least, that's how history records it. Fitting, seeing as she's the first known pony/changeling hybrid. She'll have plenty of adventures later on, just like her mother (Here's hoping she doesn't try to give herself claws like Twilight did), and I look forward to every bit of it. My name is Chrysalis, and I am now the proud grandmother of the first ever pony/changeling hybrid. Author's Note So, that's it for this story, the sequel will start soon, I promise. So, a little bit about lil Kara. I got her name from Norse Mythology. Kara is the name of a Valkyrie, and the name means "The wild one". That wild nature will come into play throughout the sequel, and it'll drive poor Twi up a wall. About her design, I tried to mix as many pony and changeling features as possible without going overboard. Why does she have more changeling features? Well, I figured it'd feel more familiar to Twilight that way, don't you agree? And one other big question I'm sure you want the answer to: Does she need love energy? The answer is yes. She doesn't need as much as a regular drone, but she DOES need it. Last, but not least, she WILL grow wings.
Of birds and beesAuthor's Note If it isn't obvious from the title of this chapter, it's time for "The talk". Chryssie doesn't hold back, either. Twilight gets quite a detailed explanation. If this bothers you, feel free to skip this chapter. Of birds and bees It's been a couple of weeks since Twilight and her friends graduated hunter school. Whenever they go on hunts, I have learned to expect a small feast. Yesterday, they brought home a grizzly bear, something I'd never expected to eat. Tasted pretty good, all things considered. That, and it's a bear... I mean, if that's not an impressive kill to bring home at seven years old, I don't know what is. Today, Twilight would learning something else. She entered my room at a little past seventeen hundred saying something was wrong. First question I asked was what was going on. She said her butt was itchy, and the itch wouldn't go away. Must be said, that's the weirdest way to start this conversation I've ever heard. Anyway, I pointed out a few things for her to try, but she claimed to have already tried them all. I then told her to sit down beside me, mentally preparing myself the whole time. I'm no stranger to this conversation, I've had it with countless drones. The conversation in question? Explaining sex. Yes, other drones can have sex, though it's only for pleasure between drones. Only queens such as myself can actually get pregnant. The tricky part? Twilight's not a drone and I don't know if a drone can get a pony pregnant. "I'm going to be ok, right?" Twilight asked. I could taste the pure fear coming off of her... and I hated it. "You're going to be fine, Twilight," I assured, "What you're experiencing is perfectly normal". "It... it is?" Twilight asked, the fear quickly subsiding. "You're getting older, and your body is getting ready for certain things," I explained. "Like what?" Twilight asked, "What am I getting ready for?" "There's something in life drones experience every now and again called sex," I explained, "It's quite the feel good sensation. In fact, it's the best you'll ever get to know". "How does that involve my butt?" Twilight asked. "It CAN, if you're into that," I explained with a slight chuckle, "But what it involves mostly is a part of you called a vagina. It's that hole just below your butt". "So that's what that's for," Twilight said, "But wait, why does it itch?" "Because you're going into heat," I explained, "It's supposed to drive you insane until you satisfy it with a male's sexual organ known as a penis. You can satisfy it with another female, but it's not very easy". "I see," Twilight said, "So, they're different, then. But... how different? What does a penis look like, exactly?" This is about to get slightly awkward. Instead of trying to explain it, I simply turned myself into a stallion. "Why'd you turn into a pony?" Twilight asked. "Changelings can't transform into another changeling," I explained, "But, the concept is the same with any species, so it won't matter any". Twilight simply nodded, as if quietly prompting me to continue. "This here is like something you've undoubtedly seen before," I said, pointing between my legs, "This is known as a sheath, and it keeps the penis hidden until needed. A changeling's is more scaly, but it's the same thing". "But, why hide it?" Twilight asked. "It can be uncomfortable to try and move around with it out," I explained. "Oh, ok," Twilight said. "If you ever want to get it to come out, gently caress it for a few seconds," I explained before demonstrating, "And, that's what a penis looks like unsheathed". "What do you do with it, now?" Twilight asked, tilting her head slightly. Oh the curiosity of the young... "Well, when two drones are consenting, the female will turn her back to the male and spread her hind legs a little bit. This ensures stability for the female and easier access for the male," I explained, "The male, in turn, raises himself up on his back hooves and places his front hooves on the females flanks, then moves forward and positions himself almost a full body length above the female. When he's in position, he then thrusts his hindquarters forward, inserting his penis into the females vagina. How gently and hard he does this is up to the female". "So, that would go in here, then?" Twilight asked, pointing first to my exposed penis and then turning and pointing to her vagina. "Exactly," I said, "After penetration, the two will often assume another position assuming there is enough stability to do so safely. After both are satisfied in their positioning, the male will continue to thrust his hindquarters back and forth. Sounds like a simple thing, but it's quite pleasurable, and even pretty fun depending on your level of kinkiness". "Kinkiness?" Twilight asked. "What you prefer to do to get as much pleasure as possible," I explain. "Oh, alright," Twilight said, "So... how long does it last?" "That depends on the males endurance," I explained, "The more endurance he has, the longer it'll take him to excrete a sticky substance known as semen. Once that comes out, sex is over". And that was it... well, it should have been. Twilight seemed to be going over everything in her head for a couple minutes before looking up and asking the one question I've never been asked in this conversation before. "Will you show me?" She asked. She broke me with that. My eye started twitching and everything... it was so awkward. How does one respond to a kid asking them that? After coming back to the world of the living, I explained her why I couldn't. First off, I can't take on a small enough body. That, and it's not ok for adults to bed children (Yes, we have such morals). If she wanted to find and ask a male drone in her age group, then fine (I honestly hope they can't get her pregnant), but the limit is five years older. That seemed to satisfy her... which I am eternally grateful for. I am Chrysalis, and I am... unsettled.