Cursed

"So what exactly are you?" Jinx asked when they were far enough away from the patrol.

"I'm a Changeling. Unlucky enough to be prince." Venom responded.

"Unlucky? Is it really that bad being a Changeling?" Jinx asked, dreading the answer.

"Not really. But my mom is a bit... out there. She even once tried to take over Equestria," he laughed bitterly.

"Eh, what exactly is her name?" Jinx asked.

"Chrysalis. And that fat Changeling back there? His name is Trap."

Jinx's eyes widened. "You mean the Chrysalis? The one that impersonated mo- Cadence?"

"The one and only." he replied sardonically.

Jinx gulped. "My mom didn't exactly have the best experience with her. OW!!"

Jinx's uselesswing hit a tree. Sorry Fluttershy. she thought.

"Sorry." Venom apologized.

"S'okay."

"I've told you who my mom is. Now which Princess is your mom?" Venom asked.

"Um, Cadence." Jinx mumbled.

Venom's head swiveled. "Really? That's cool." he said.

"Not really. Your mom got my mom back."

"What did she do?"

"Cursed me so when I turn thirteen I turn into a Changeling."

"Uh huh. I have something to tell you, too."

"What is it?"

"I can see ponies pasts. Like I already knew about the curse before you told me."

"That's cool. Cursed? Not so much." Jinx compared the two abnormalities.

"No, I can't control it. When I touch a pony or Changeling, I automatically see into their past. Everpony hates me for that."

"I don't. It saves me a lot of talking." Jinx said.

"We're getting close. About a hundred yards ahead is the Hive." Venom announced.

Jinx squinted into the dim forest. "I don't see anything."

"It's in the trees.  I'm taking you to the palace, though. Mommy dearest will want to see you." Venom said sourly.

"Lucky me. Flying with a broken wing." Jinx said sarcastically.

"You'll be sitting on my back."

"Oh joy. First time in town and I'll look like a lazy bi-"

"Shut up. We're here."

Jinx shut up.

Venom spread his dragonfly wings. He always loved them, they weren't ragged like all the other Changelings. Even his mom had torn wings.

His wings buzzed furiously, which only got him to the first branch. He clung to it and slowly stood up.

"Hang on, this'll be bumpy.

Jinx clung tighter to Venom's neck.

Venom's hind legs bunched and he leaped to a higher branch. He jumped to a higher branch after that. And so on.

Midway through the trees, they reached the middle class of Changelings. They lived in average sized hexagons and they were of the middle height.

"The higher a hexagon is off the ground, the higher class the Changeling," Venom explained. "Timberwolves prowl the ground at night, so the higher a Hexa, the safer you are"

Jinx nodded. "I see."

Many branch jumps later, they reached the treetops. A massive Hexa lay in front of them, guarded by the burliest Changelings in the Hive.

Venom buzzed his wings once again and landed in the palace gateway. They were allowed through after earning a few glares.

"You can walk from here, right?" Venom asked.

"Yeah, I can walk." Jinx responded.

Venom allowed her down. She stood shakily.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," Jinx got her balance. "Mush!"

"What?"

"Forward!" Jinx commanded.

The pair wandered through a labyrinth of corridors.

Venom halted just short of a room that had strange green light flooding out.

"We're here. Do NOT talk about her failure in Equestria." Venom said seriously.

"Uh, okay." Jinx scrunched her eyebrows. "Why?"

"Just don't." Venom led her into the room.

Jinx gasped. This room was different from the corridors they were previously walking upon. The room's walls were almost seizure inducing; zebra striped, burst of green flames, scaly, green fire. Constantly changing walls heralded an obsidian throne lined with of course, green fire. And upon that throne sat the regal Changeling queen, Chrysalis.

"Hi, mom. Look who I found on patrol." Venom called.

"Very nice. Now go and do something." Chrysalis replied without glancing up from whatever she was doing.

"No, mom. It's an alicorn."

"Really?" Chrysalis leaned forward and examined Jinx. "Oh yes, I remember you. Cadence's, I presume?"

"She's my mom, but I'm pretty much on my own. Ma'am." Jinx added.

"Respectful. I like that. But why you here?" Chrysalis cocked her head to the side.

"You see my birthday's next week, and I can't go back home as a Changeling, and it'll take days for me to get even to Aunt Fluttershy's house, so I was hoping that you could reverse the curse?" Jinx asked hopefully.

Chrysalis chuckled. She actually chuckled. "No, I cannot 'reverse the curse' as you say it. I barely had enough energy to return to the Hive after I cast it. I am still recovering. Reversing takes much, much more energy than casting. I would probably die trying to reverse it and it still won't be broken. And I am not that selfless."

"Well that majorly sucks. Could you at least heal my wing? Please?"

"Hmm, let me think. No," Chrysalis laughed again. "But I do have cupcakes." she levitated a tray of rainbow colored cupcakes from behind the throne.

"Just leave. Don't respond, just leave." Venom whispered in Jinx's ear.

They left.

"Follow me. I'll take you to the hospital." Venom told Jinx.

"That sounds good. I think it's setting." Jinx glanced at her stiffening wing. "Lead the way."