Chapters On the outskirts of Equestria proper, there was a place that was nothing but desert. A desolate place, full of nothing but sand, sand, and more sand. Vast expanses of the golden grains covered the land as far as the eye could see.
And, given the fact that the sand had long since been carried by the wind through the air, there wasn't much to see anyway. Not without getting a stinging feeling in your eyes, at least. No animals stirred, no plants grew, and no rivers flowed. It was almost as if nothing could live here at all. It was barren, void, dead. A wasteland. It was empty, end of story.
At least...that's how it appeared on the outside. One the inside however, lived a civilization thousands of years old. A population that not only lived, but thrived , in environments like this. A culture so ancient, so isolated, so shrouded in myth and legend, that it was thought to have never existed at all.
But that's the thing. They do exist. And one lucky (or perhaps unlucky) human is about to find that out for himself, once and for all.
"Ugh...what hit me?" Chris asked to no one in particular as he struggled to stand up, going from having his face firmly planted in the sand, to kneeling, and then to standing in all of ten seconds. he took a moment to check himself over before looking around and noticing nothing.
Nothing, as in nothing at all around other than sand for what seemed like miles. As he stared at all the emptiness around him, only one thought managed to surface in his slowly panicking mind.
"Where in the name of all things holy am I?!"
Chris had lost it. He was now currently sitting down in the sand, hyperventilating and clutching his head as if that would stop the fear from spreading to the rest of his body.. His eyes were wide and he kept rocking back and forth on his heels, trying to give his body something to do to take his mind off the reality crisis he was currently having. Where was he? What happened to his parents? What about his siblings? Were they alright? How did he get here? He was pretty sure he had been in his bed staring blankly at the ceiling for a while before this all happened. So how did he end up here? Wherever here was. Was he still on earth? Did he get kidnapped by aliens? Was he gonna be probed?
He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at that one, even in his condition. 'There's no way that would happen.' Then he realized something. If he wasn't kidnapped by aliens, then there were only two possible explanations for this to be happening.
Either he's in another dimension, or he's dreaming. He chose to believe the latter option.
'But if this is a dream, then I should be able to pinch myself and wake up.' He rolled up the sleeves of his brown long sleeve shirt and gave his arm a nice quick pinch. While it elicited a sharp intake of breath from him because of the pain, the dream still remained, unchanged.
'Damnit! I thought that would work! but if it didn't then that means... No. There's just no way. It can't be...' He couldn't actually be in another dimension could he? That's impossible! Human technology hasn't even gotten that far yet!
'And if it has, why haven't I seen it?' Chris thought as he was finally able to calm down enough to think rationally.
'Well, it looks like the best course of action is to search for other people.' He couldn't stop himself from thinking, 'If there even are any people left in this dimension.'
And so, he trudged on, keeping the sand out of his eyes as best he could with both his hat, and his hand.
'Where the heck is everyone? There can't seriously be no one here at all. Right? Right?'
Chris had been walking for almost an hour now, and there was still no sign of anyone at all. Every now and then, he thought he heard a bug flying close by, but he assumed that it was just his imagination, or that the heat was getting to him.
'How could bugs of all things live in a place like this anyway? Must be a hallucination.' He thought as he wiped his forehead. He had begun to sweat profusely in just under twenty minutes of walking
However, even as he said that, he had begun to notice a significant increase in the number of these strange bugs ever since he started moving. He would hear them much more frequently now, buzzing about to and fro all around him. It was almost as if there were thousands, maybe millions of the little things crawling around. That thought alone was enough to cause shivers to run down Chris's spine.
'Millions of bugs? Are you kidding me right now? I'd kill as many as I could and book it the heck out of here. That is, if I knew where I was going.'
That's right. Where exactly was he going? up until now, he'd been following his instincts. That quickly changed to following the sounds of those weird bugs he kept hearing. He didn't know exactly what made him do it, but he felt that, if he could follow these bugs, he would be able to find his way out of this empty place.
And so, he did. He followed the sounds of the bugs all the way up until he saw some kind of strange figure materialize somewhere in the dust ahead of him. The sand clouds were so thick, he couldn't see what the figure looked like. Nevertheless, seeing what might be the first sign of life for miles got his hopes up.
"Hey! Hello! Is anyone out there?" He shouted, his hands cupped on either side of his mouth to amplify his voice as best he could.
The figure didn't move.
'What's wrong? Did they not hear me?' He tried again, this time, louder. "Hey! I said, 'Is anyone out there'!"
Still nothing.
'What in the-...? How in the world am I supposed to know they heard me when they don't even answer? Are they deaf?' Chris was getting a little impatient now.
"Hey-" He tried again, but was cut off.
"Yes, yes, I can hear you. Now quiet down would you? You're making my head hurt."
'Ah...perfect. So they did hear me after all.' Chris immediately relaxed. He was about to be saved. He had made his way through the desert to finally be rescued by someone who could take him to civilization. He watched and waited for whoever it was he had called out to to show their face.
But what he saw when they did, shocked him. This was no human. There weren't even words that could begin to describe what it was he was currently looking at. The closest, he thought, would be...
Monster.
It had a black body, and slightly resembled the equines of his world, only smaller. A pony, maybe? No. Ponies didn't have insect wings, last time he checked. Neither did they have fangs so sharp that they looked like they could cut through steel, and eyes that, the more he stared at them, seemed to stare right back, deep into his soul. But, those things were all a part of his imagination, right? Just a hallucination caused by the heat. He noted the fact that the strange bug-like creature had slit pupils, and double ringed irises. Taking a wider view of the creature revealed a dark green saddle like thing on it's back, and holes in all of its appendages, including its wings.
'Okay....that's...weird.' he thought to himself as he stared the creature down. Driven by a sudden curiosity to know, despite his situation, he couldn't quite stop himself from asking...
Off in the distance, the sound of humming could be heard as Queen Chrysalis, queen of the changelings and ruler of the hive, trotted along her territory. 'Ah, what a wonderful day for a walk.'
Having been so stressed out recently, what with the demands of her rule and all, Chrysalis decided that she needed time to clear her head.
'Ah...A mother's work is never done.'
She'd just about had it. No more Global Hive Meetings where all they do is talk about either conquest or the glory of the old days. No more letters from changeling dignitaries asking for merges, containing death threats, or of all things, her hoof in marriage. No more local hives asking for her help just to take out the trash, and none of her slightly overdependent children begging her for cookies.
Now, it was just her, the sand, and her thoughts. Or...so she thought.
"Hey! Hello! Is anyone out there!" she heard a voice call out over the sound of the rolling sands.
'Now who could possibly be out here at this point in time? It's much too early. I swear if one of my scouts managed to get lost on the way back here i'll-"
"Hey! I said, 'Is anyone out there'?"
She heard it again. This time, a bit clearer than before. That didn't sound like any changeling she knew. Where was the echo in their speech, the characteristic, 'My queen', or even, 'Mother'? Something was wrong.
"Hey!"
'Oh, for the love of-' she thought as she held a hoof to her head before saying, "Yes, yes, I can hear you. Now quiet down would you? You're making my head hurt."
She took a moment to nurse her throbbing head, only able to hold one eye open in the process. However, what that one eye witnessed, it would never forget.
As she watched the sand settle around the figure she saw behind it, she was shocked to see something she could only call...
'A monster.'
It was tall and hairless save for the short brown mane on the top of its head. It was bipedal, with forelegs that ended not in hooves, but in five strange blunt looking claws. It had a flat muzzle, small eyes and slightly resembled a kind of hairless ape of some kind. She took note of the fact that it wore clothes.
'Hmm, so it's not just an ordinary animal.'
As she watched the strange being slowly make its way toward her, she couldn't help but ask...
"What are you?!"
"What are you?!" they both said at the same time.
Chris immediately covered his mouth. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry! I don't mean to sound ru- wait. Did you just talk?"
The strange creature seemed just as surprised as he was. "Why, yes. I did. And it seems you did as well."
Chris couldn't believe his ears. Whatever-whoever-this creature was, it could talk just as well as he could! This was, admittedly, amazing!
"Oh. My. God. This is officially the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me." Chris said, as he stared down at the creature with a nervous smile.
A smile that was likewise, returned. "I suppose I could say the same. I've never seen anything quite like you before."
"The same goes for me. I haven't seen anything like you before, either."
There was a slight, awkward pause before Chris spoke again. "So...start over?"
"That would be for the best, I believe. If you do not mind, I will start us off." The creature, who's voice Chris could only now tell sounded female, even if it did have a bit of an echo to it, held out a hole ridden hoof in what he could only see as a gesture for a handshake. "My name is Chrysalis. Queen of the changelings and ruler of the hive."
He copied her motion, and shook her hoof. 'Changelings huh? Hopefully she's not like the ones from my world... and did she just say queen?'
"Oh!" Chris immediately got down on one knee, bowing before her. "I'm so sorry, your highness! Please forgive my disrespect."
Chris stayed in that position for a while, holding his head down for fear of angering her. But, when nothing happened, he chanced a glance up at her, only to see a look of surprise on her face.
"Um...your highness? What's wrong?" Chris asked, hoping he didn't anger her further.
He watched as she blinked, seemingly breaking out of whatever trance his actions had put her under. "Oh! Oh yes, of course. Forgive me for spacing out. It's just, I've never seen anyling kneel to me like that before. You're quite the gentlestallion, aren't you?"
Chris stood up straight and looked down at the changeling queen. 'Did she just say anyling? As in, any changeling? Is that this dimension's version of anybody? I'll keep that in mind. Also, stallion?'
"Thank you ma'am, but it was nothing at all. Just being polite. I'm Chris, by the way. A human. Not a stallion." Chris told her his name finally.
"I see. Well, Chris the human, there's no need to refer to me in such a way. Only my children may feel the need to call me queen. Oh, how I do wish they would all just call me mother. But I suppose that is the price of being royalty."
Chris simply nodded, as if he understood what she meant. In truth, he didn't. He just felt it would be right to do so at that moment.
"Wait. You have children?" Chris asked, genuinely curious.
"Why, of course I do. You didn't think the queen would be without subjects to rule over did you?" she answered, jokingly.
"Well, yeah, that's true but, for all of them to be your children is a little..." Chris gestured with his hands as he trailed off in his sentence, choosing not to say anything more.
"Shocking? I know. Many outsiders are shocked when I reveal that little detail to them. But yes. My subjects are all my children, and I love them with all my heart." Chrysalis smiled as she thought of all of her wonderful children down in the hive.
"That's great. Absolutely wonderful." Chris himself seemed to have gotten caught up in Chrysalis' words and was himself now in a trance of his own. That is until he remembered one tiny little detail. He was still lost.
"Oh, that's right!" he suddenly yelled out, startling the queen.
"Y-yes? What is it?" She asked, slightly taken aback by his sudden outburst.
Chris quickly apologized. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. it's just that, well...I'm lost, and I need to find my way out of this desert. I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out with that."
Chrysalis seemed to think about this for a moment before saying, "I'd be more than happy to help you get back to civilization, but...where will you go from there? Forgive me for saying so, but, you look like you have nowhere to go."
"No need to apologize ma'am-Sorry, Chrysalis. You'd be right. To be totally honest, I don't know where I am, or how I even got here. One minute i'm home and the next, I'm here, traversing the burning sands of a desert in the middle of nowhere." Chris made an "I don't know" gesture, shrugging his shoulders and throwing his hands up in a carefree manner. He looked down to Chrysalis to see her looking up at him with sad eyes.
"Oh, you poor, poor thing. You're out here all alone, lost with no way to get back home. It must be so terrible for you."
Chris chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. He didn't want her to feel obligated to help him or anything. "Well, It's not so bad. I'm still alive, and it's not like i'm in danger or anything. I just need a little direction is all."
"Nonsense! You must come with me right away. If you really are without a way home, then I will help you get accustomed to life here. In the meantime, I will do everything in my power to help you get home." She didn't let up.
Chris sighed in mild defeat. If she wanted to help him, who was he to stop her? He certainly wasn't gonna turn her down. That would be just mean. Not to mention rude. Plus, there was the possibility that he could get food out of it, and maybe a little something to drink as well. He'd been feeling parched ever since he started walking in this dreary place. Any chance to get out of this sweltering heat was a welcome change in his book.
"Okay. Sure. Let's go!"
"Wonderful! Follow me." She said, walking off in what Chris would soon find out was the direction of her hive.
As they made their way to her home, a previous nagging feeling in the back of Chris' head had returned to torment him once more. He had to ask this question, lest it cause him to lose sleep later in the day.
"Hey, Chrysalis." he called.
"Yes, Chris?" Chrysalis looked in his direction.
"Why are your hooves riddled with holes?" He gave her a quizzical look.
Chrysalis stopped walking for a second, slightly taken aback by what he had just asked, only to burst out laughing a moment later.
"What? What's so funny?" Chris asked, slightly confused.
"Oh, nothing. It's just...that is also a question I get quite often from outsiders. And the truth is, we have no idea where it comes from. Some think it is from our ancestors, who had holes in their legs for some unknown practical reason. And some believe we evolved to look like this. Whatever possible use nature believed we would get out of having holes in our legs is a mystery to me. Perhaps it's just a design flaw.
"Design flaw? You mean like vestigial structures?" Chris asked, smiling.
"I'm sorry? Vestigial what?" Chrysalis asked, giving him a confused look.
"Vestigial structures. Parts of our body that we have but don't necessarily need." Chris explained.
"Ah, I see. So that's what it means. Well, they certainly are more of a nuisance than anything else. Getting sand in these things is one of the worst things that could happen to a changeling."
"Oh, i'm sure it's fine." Chris joked.
"You try taking a shower and getting dirt out of a hole in your leg. Believe me it's harder than you think." Chrysalis joked back.
"I'll take you word on it, then." Chris responded, ending this particular conversation just in time to hear Chrysalis say, "We're here!"
Chris looked up at her words just in time to see the most amazing thing he'd ever laid eyes on.
He looked around at all the Changelings buzzing all about him. Left, right, up down, sideways. So many different changelings were moving to and fro, here and there at such speeds that it was hard for Chris to keep up with where they were all going. But the greatest thing of all? Greater than witnessing the largest number of animals Chris had ever seen since he was five? Was the giant, towering, greenish-black spire in the center of it all. It was the tallest thing he had ever seen. Easily reaching past the empire state building and entering somewhere into biblical territory. Of course, this could all just be his imagination talking. He was witnessing something that only happened on TV after all, Before he could get too confused however, he heard Chrysalis' voice just ahead of him. He looked down just in time to hear her say,
"Welcome, to the Hive!" She made a sweeping gesture with her hoof that sent his attention right back to the great behemoth of a structure in front of him. It filled his vision, causing him to have to blink several times to properly focus again.
He looked around for Chrysalis, only to see her well ahead of where he was standing, just a few feet away from what looked to be the entrance into this grand testament to buildings everywhere. She looked back at him and waved, saying,
"What are you waiting for? Come on over here!"
He wasted no time in following after her, catching up to her in only a few steps and greeting her with a smile.
"You ready?" she asked.
He simply noddded his head in the affirmative. "You know it."
"Well then, let's go." With that, she pushed open the doors to her Hive, and they both walked in, the smiles never leaving their faces.
Chapter 3: Culture Part 1
As they made their way through the hive, Chris' eyes were glued to his surroundings. He just couldn't get enough of it. The place was even bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. All the space made him feel like a kid again, and the fact that they were moving through a literal tunnel made him feel like an adventurer, exploring a cave for some secret treasure. It was all so wonderful.
He stared in awe at the ceiling of the structure, watching with glee as the natural crystals that made up it's surface glittered and gleamed with light so dazzling he was sure it would make his eyes hurt if he stared too long. He looked down at Chrysalis to see her smiling up at him.
"Do you like it? It is rather difficult to make such an elaborate hive, so seeing your reaction to it lets me know that we did a good job somewhere along the line."
He smiled back at her. "I love it. It's so bright and there's so much space! The whole atmosphere of the place makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. It's all so new and exciting."
"I see. I'm glad you like it so much. It would have been disheartening to hear you voice distaste for our creation." Chrysalis said, a hoof over her heart.
"I would never!" Chris answered back, returning his gaze back to the hive just in time to see one of the passageways close up. His happy expression was soon replaced by one of confusion.
"Um...Chrysalis?" He began, "Why did that tunnel just close up like that?"
Chrysalis looked at her companion for a moment before giving him a reassuring smile. "Oh, those little things? Don't worry yourself over them. While I do caution you to be careful, I see no need for concern. It is simply a mechanism we changelings use in all of our hives. Magic built into the tunnels makes them close and reopen all on their own. The passageways change quite frequently, and what they lead to does as well, so I would advise not running off on your own for a while."
Chris nodded his head at this. " Yes, yes. That's right, I understand. I'll be carefu- wait. Did you just say...magic? As in...real magic?"
"Quite. Do you not possess magic where you hail from, Chris?" she asked, curiosity in her tone.
"Nope. Where I come from, magic is fake and is only present in fiction." He answered.
Chrysalis' face fell after hearing that. "I see. How unfortunate."
Chris smiled down at her, scratching his nose with a finger as he spoke. "Not really. In exchange for having no magic, we ended up getting advanced technology. Even now, humanity is expanding its knowledge with the help of that technology."
Chrysalis smiled after hearing that. "Oh? I see. What kind of technology do you have where you come from?"
"Well, before I left, it seemed like the most recent tech to hit the market was cars that can drive themselves."
Chrysalis grew confused again. "I'm sorry? Cars? Driving? What is that?"
Chris chuckled nervously. "Oh, sorry. That's right. You have no idea what i'm talking about do you? Cars are like giant metal things that can get take you from place to place faster."
Chrysalis seemed to understand now. "Oh! So it is like the carriages in our neighboring countries. I see now."
“Yes. Exactly like that.” Chris held up a finger to emphasize his point.
“We changelings have never seen fit to use such things, i’m afraid. We prefer our own wings to travel by vehicle. However, traveling long distances can be rather tiring.” Chrysalis said, her attention on the path ahead of them.
“I’d imagine so.” Chris said. “Such physical exertion must be quite a burden on your bodies.”
“Oh no! Our bodies are built for such lengths. However, it is only natural that one would grow exhausted after such a long time airborne.” Chrysalis explained.
“I see.” Chris said, his finger to his chin in thought. “So, where are we going, Chrysalis?”
“We are headed to my chambers.”
Chris’ eyes widened. “Wait, what?!”
“Relax, Chris. I assure you my thoughts are as pure as the winter snow. There is nothing to fear. I simply thought that since there is no way for anyone other than a changeling to navigate their way through the passageways, that I would simply forgo the tour and lead you right to the only room that never changes position. Mine.”
Chris thought about this for a moment, mulling it over in his mind before shrugging and letting it go. “Fair point. Let’s go.”
“To think you would assume me to be anything other than purely trustworthy.” Chrysalis began to giggle, and Chris soon joined her. They were laughing all the way to the door of her chambers.
“Well, here we are! Please, step inside.”
Chris took a look at the open passageway, staring at it for a small moment before taking a tentative step toward it...only to be pushed lightly toward it by Chrysalis, who smiled when he looked back at her.
“Oh, stop being such a nymph and go on! It won’t bite you.”
“I hope you’re right about that.” Chris said as he heeded her words and went inside… and saw the simplest of rooms.
It was more of a surprise to him that after all the grandness of everything else he’d seen, he’d come here and see some thing so simple. It was almost spartan in comparison.
A single bed in a far off corner of the room. A nightstand next to that made out of what was no doubt the same glowing crystals he’d seen in the walls, given its slight glow coming from a cluster of those same crystals in the very center of it. All the way across from that sat a lone bookshelf, filled to the brim with knowledge he couldn’t help but instantly be interested in. But there was one thing he had to address first.
Fortunately, it seemed Chrysalis had already guessed as to his line of thinking and brought it up for him.
“It is....rather simple, isn’t it? I prefer not to give my children too much of a show of my power, lest they be scared to approach me. Heck, my throne already does quite enough of that.”
Chris closed his eyes and nodded his understanding.
“I just want them to see me as less a queen and more a mother. Someone to rely on in their times of need, rather than a symbol to be idolized and kept at a distance. So, I use things like this to show them that I, like them, am as normal a changeling as they are. The only true past time I engage in is reading, as you could probably-”
Chris’ attention was once again overtaken by the bookshelf of untapped knowledge in his line of sight.Chrysalis giggled.
“I see we have found something you like, hm?”
Chris’ seemed to break out of his state at the sound of her voice. “Hm? Wh-what’s going on?”
“You, silly! You’ve been staring at my books this entire time! I’m just waiting for them to catch fire with how intensely you gaze at them.”
Chris blinked and blushed. “Uh...sorry. I’m not normally like this. It’s just, i’m in an unknown place and well, I kinda wanna know the story behind it all you know?”
“Ah, i see...” Chrysalis said. “You want to learn of our culture, is that it?”
“Is that...weird?” Chris asked, scratching the back of his head nervously.
“Nonsense!” Chrysalis waved away the question. “Come! We shall have you properly educated by dinner tonight.”
“That reminds me,” Chris suddenly thought, “What do you all eat?”
“You shall find out when dinner arrives.” Chrysalis said, in a matter of fact tone. “For now, you learn.”
The two spent the better part of the morning, and even a bit of the afternoon, studying up on Changeling culture. From what they ate, to how they dressed, to their celebrations, events and holidays, all the way up to how their government system worked. Chris bore a smile as Chrysalis regaled him with tales of all the times she's had to listen to old fools, or Cordages, as they were called in changeling language, ramble on about topics ranging from love shortages, which was slightly confusing to Chris, to maintaining secrecy, to whether or not diplomacy is a better alternative to invasion, which Chris found to be a non-issue as soon as he heard it. They went over things from history, the founding of all changeling kind, to what little advances in technology they were able to make, starting with the Pool of Emotion, a large pond of stored love used for emergencies when natural reserves are low.
"It can also be tapped into for several other things, such as power, magical energy, and of course, food." Chrysalis had told him during their study session.
But there was one small issue with all this new information. Something that stuck out too much to Chris, and he had to know what it was about.
"So, I don't think i'm ever gonna get used to the use of magic in this place, but...that first bit...about...feeding off of love. Is that...true?"
Chrysalis giggled. "Surely you aren't afraid we'd do such a thing to you. Are you?" The look on his face told her all she needed to know.
"Oh, you poor dear. Of course nothing will happen to you. You are our esteemed guest after all. No harm shall come to you as long as you are with us. You are safe to do as you see fit."
Chris stared for a moment, before nodding and smiling, reassure of his safety.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must make arrangements for your personal escort. Can't have you getting lose on your way through the tunnels." Chrysalis trotted out of the door, but just before she closed it fully, she poked her head back inside.
"You know, if you ever do feel up to offering your love to the hive, come find me. I can assure you we will do everything in our power to make it an enjoyable experience for you." She giggled, and Chris couldn't help gulping nervously, even with a smile on his face.
Author's Note
Hi, Guys! I'm back! I haven't been on this fic in a while, so tell me in the comments if I did as well as the last two chapters. Thanks! And as always, Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Culture Part 2
After that first day, Chris couldn't quite get enough of everything he had learned. There were so many new things for him to learn about that he lost track of time reading all the books in Chrysalis' bookshelf. When those got boring he took the time to get a feel for the room. The sheer simplicity of it all made it interesting, and it allowed him to get a good look at everything around him. Not that there was much to be interested in. The only thing of remotely any aesthetic value were the tiny crystals that lit her room, even in the dark of night time, Which he could only tell was the case because of the many Different caretakers Chrysalis sent to look after him. That is, when she wasn't checking up on him herself.
"Hm. Is she afraid of the dark or something?" He asked himself when looking over all the lights in the room.
The only reason he'd managed to get any more books was because she was nice enough to offer some to him. She said they were from the royal vault of knowledge, or something. Chris made a mental note to visit this place whenever he had the chance.
Some time after that, however, one of his caretakers suggested that he get some sleep, so he took their advice and hit the hay for the night, staying in Chrysalis' room for fear of getting lost. Yet another suggestion given by the queen herself for his continued safety.
He liked how nice she was. It put him at ease for some reason.
The next morning, Chris was already up, looking into the many books given to him by Chrysalis. She had sent him quite a few-obviously to occupy his mind when she wasn't around- and he still wasn't done with some of them. his favorite stories so far told of old warriors and of the first Changelings, who lived in peace and harmony with others until disaster struck with the defection of one of their own.
He was eventually exiled and laws were passed to prevent others like him from popping up. Which is where Chris' interest was piqued. He read over each of the old laws, eager to see how this society lived so long ago.
Rule 1: Never reveal yourself to others
Rule 2: Never take love from your fellow changeling without given consent.
Rule 3: Protect your kinsmen
Rule 4: Never disobey the queen
These four laws were what kept the first Changelings safe from harm, until they all died out. That fact saddened Chris, but old age could not be escaped.
He was just about to put down the book and move on to the next one, when he heard a voice say,
"I see the queen was right about you."
Chris looked up from where he was positioned on the floor of the room to see another changeling. "What? What do you mean she was right about me? What did she say?"
The changeling, by whose voice. Chris could tell was female, giggled. "She said you were quite the bookworm!"
"Hey, that's not funny!" Chris stood up and glared playfully at the changeling, throwing a book at her.
She caught it deftly in her magic and set down on Chrysalis' bed. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to...offend...y...wow."
"What? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Chris said, checking his face for any abnormalities.
"No, it's just...you're so...tall..." the changeling said, her eyes wide.
"Oh, is that it? I get that a lot. I'm 6'2" so, yeah, i'm pretty tall." Chris smiled.
"When The queen said you were different, I didn't think you'd be this different." She quickly switched gears and put out a hoof, sweating a bit. "The name's Aloe Whisper, i'm a scout."
"Chris Havensmith, a human." Chris introduced himself as well, shaking her hoof.
"A human, huh? Never heard of you before."
"Well, I guess that makes me the first of my kind to be here." Chris' smile became a grin.
"Your kind? There are more of you?" she asked, sounding a little nervous.
"Of course. Where I come from there are billions of other humans!"
She seemed to grow pale at that. "B-b-billions...of other...humans, just like you..." She looked dizzy.
"Maybe not just like me but-Whoa!" Chris caught her before she could fall and pass out onto the floor of the queen's room. "Let's just get you out of here, alright?" He began walking out of the room with her in his arms.
When he left the room, he set her down and waited for her to wake up from her shock. He couldn't just wander off, so he was forced to sit and wait right there, outside Chrysalis' room.
When Aloe finally woke up some ten minutes later, she mumbled something that sounded like, "Ridiculous", and sat up, wiping her eyes and shaking her head to clear her confusion.
"Where am I? Where did you take me?" she asked, panicking.
"Relax, we're outside Chrysalis' chambers." Chris said, slightly irritated at how long her had to wait.
She seemed to do just that once she heard where they were. "Oh...oh, right. That's right. We were just inside her room."
"That's right." Chris rolled his eyes. "Hey, wait, speaking of the queen. Where is she? she told me she'd arrange for my escort to come and get me or something."
"The queen is busy with urgent matters at the moment, and has sent me to come find you in her place. I am the escort she arranged for you."Aloe revealed, finally standing on her four legs.
"You!?" Chris shouted in shock. "Sheesh, she could've let me know you were coming or something."
"As I said, the queen is busy. She sent me here to come get you. From now on, i'll be with you wherever you go. For your own safety!"
"yeah, I get it. Sorry. I haven't eaten and i'm a bit irritable. Is there a place we can get something to eat?" Chris asked,
"Well, looks like I know where our fist stop will be. Onward, to the kitchens!" Aloe Whisper strode proudly away from Chrysalis' room, Chris following after her.
"So, what is Chrysalis doing, exactly?" Chris asked as the two made their way through passageway after passageway in pursuit of the food they both so desperately wanted.
"She's talking with the other queens about how to best deal with our first public love capturing operation." Aloe answered
"Love Capturing Operation?" The terms of this place still confused Chris to no end.
"It's just an expedition out into the world to get others to share their love with us. Or that's what Chrysalis wants it to be. Some of the queens believe we should invade instead."
"Invade. As in, attack?" Chris asked. This was starting to sound more and more of a bad idea the more he listened to her speak.
"Yep. Some of the queens think we should show our dominance. Pummel them down so that they will have no choice but to give us their love."
"Well, I think it can be handled more peacefully." Chris said, crossing his arms.
"I do, too." Aloe said in agreement. "I just don't think we should attack the poor ponies. they're so kind and sweet to all who come to them."
"Wait. Ponies. As in, living breathing, thinking, speaking ponies, with a fully developed civilization in place?" Chris asked, an incredulous look on his face.
"Yep. Over here we have the Badlands. They live in Equestria, some ways away from us over a mountain range to the far right of the outskirts of our lands."
Chris seemed to think this over for a moment before thinking, 'Hm. First changelings, now ponies. This dimension just keeps getting better and better.'
"We're here!" Aloe called as they reached the kitchens. Chris hadn't bothered paying attention, seeing as it would be a different path in the morning.
He looked down at Aloe to see her waving her hoof out at all the changelings darting about. He looked up as well, only to be hit not with the sight of it all, but the smell of it all. he had no idea what smelled so good in here, but he had to have it, and quickly.
"Follow me!" Aloe said as she galloped off toward the kitchens proper, Chris running right next to her while maintaining an even pace to not lose her in his haste.
"So, what exactly does a scout do?" Chris asked Aloe as they sat at their table, eating their respective foods, Aloe with a salad, and Chris with the usual bacon and eggs.
"Well, we haven't had any real use since we have yet to go out and search for sources of love. Instead, the queen makes us search for possible threats and scour the Badlands looking for stones."
"Stones? And what's that about love sources?" Chris asked, his fingers laced together under his chin.
"Yes, well," Aloe began "The queen makes us search for stones out in the badlands, as I said. Some of these stones are compatible with magic and can be imbued with power from those who found them. Like the glowing stones in the Queen's room."
"So that's what those are for?" Chris asked, more to himself than her.
"Yep! And...well, those that can't contain magical power are simply kept by the Queen. She...really likes crystals."
"I see... and as for the love sources thing?" Chris asked, bringing the conversation back on topic.
"Ah, yes, sorry about that. Remember when I told you the queen was busy with planning out the operation?"
Chris nodded.
"Well, she can't send us out to find any without giving us information on how to go about the search, and so far...she has none."
"Hmm..." was all Chris answered with, as he was deep in thought.
Or he was until Aloe noticed something. "Hey, you haven't touched your drink."
Chris looked over at his drink. He'd been trying to avoid drinking it because it looked like someone chopped up a tree, and then had someone grind up the leaves and put them in a cup. Not to mention it was sparkling like glitter, so... yeah.
"Are you sure it's safe for a human to drink? I'm not a changeling in disguise, you know?" Chris said, grabbing the drink and holding it just below his lips. If there was one good thing to be said about the drink, it was that it smelled good. In fact, he thought this was the smell that had hit his nose when he first showed up.
"Nonsense. The only way that drink could hurt you is if you tried to drink it on a full stomach!" Aloe giggled.
Chris' eyes widened. "What happens then?"
"It's very sweet. You won't be able to sleep."
Chris waited to see if that was all it was, then, upon realizing that it was, promptly burst out laughing. "Is that all?"
"Yep. That's all."
Chris had just one more question. "But how can a drink have a fragrance outside of when a person actually drinks it?"
"Simple. Magic. Those little glitter like things? They're edible magical particles."
Chris looked at Aloe, took a deep breath, let it out, and smiled, saying, "You're kidding, right?"
Aloe simply smiled back. "Nope!"
"I figured you weren't." Chris said.
"Go on, it's harmless!" Aloe said, waving her hoof in a 'Hurry up' gesture.
Chris sighed before staring down at his cup. "Well, bottoms up!" With that, he down the drink and...
"Hey, this is pretty good! It's so sweet!"
"Told you so!" Aloe said, her smile becoming a grin. Then she had a thought. "Wait. You can taste them?"
Chris looked confused for a moment. "Taste them? Taste what?"
"Only changelings can taste love particles! How are you able to do it?"
"I don't know? I just downed as much as I could before it got too sweet for me to handle." Chris said, throwing up his hands in an 'I don't know' gesture.
"You don't know? That's impossible! You're from here aren't you? From Equus? Don't tell me you're an alien, there's no way! You have to be from here!" Aloe had sat up, her hooves gripping(somehow) the edge of the table.
Chris simply smiled nervously.
"Oh, my Faust you're not from here, are you? You are an alien!" Aloe practically screamed it. It was a miracle no one heard her over the slowly dying buzzing in the kitchens as the customers and staff left.
"From another dimension, actually." Chris corrected her, only for her left eye to twitch a few times with how much stress she was under.
"We have to tell the Queen! She has to know! We have to find a way to get you home!" she exclaimed.
"I was trying to avoid doing that, but maybe you have a point. If we tell her, maybe she can help me get home." Chris said, a finger to his chin.
"That's right, mister! Now grab the drink and let's go!" she stood up and galloped off.
"Why bring the drink?!" Chris yelled back.
"Evidence!" Was the only reply he got before he joined her in her sprint.
"So let me get this straight." Said Chrysalis as Chris and Aloe stood before her. They had told her of the situation. Now all they needed to do was wait for the outcome. "You, Chris, are from another dimension entirely separate from Equestria, the Badlands, and even Equus itself?"
"Yes, Ma'am." he answered.
Chrysalis closed her eyes. She held this position for quite some time before she finally opened them again, saying, "I should have figured. I've been alive for over 3,000 years, and I've never once heard of a human before."
Chris gulped as her eyes settled on him. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Um, well, I...I wasn't using or deceiving you or anything. I just thought it best not to tell you for fear of you being shocked or not believing me. It's not like it was some big secret. I just didn't feel like sharing it is all."
Chrysalis seemed to think on this for a moment before saying, "Very well then. While it is hard for me to believe, I assume my age is far more surprising to you at the moment. Yes, I am immortal, and in all my years, I have yet to hear anything like the story you have given today. It is truly a shock."
She looked up and smiled at Chris. "We will do all that we can to get you home, Chris. This I swear on my honor as queen."
Chris' shoulders relaxed at the happy tone in her voice. This was made even more so the case when he heard her say,
"Just....please don't feel that you have to hide things from us. You are our guest, as I have said before. We will care for you as long as is necessary. That includes listening to your thoughts and problems. Do not be afraid."
The two smiled and said at the same time, "Yes, Ma'am!"
Chrysalis laughed. a good-natured, joyful laugh that filled the room, and made Chris blush. "And stop calling me ma'am. I thought I told you that!"
"Sorry, Chrysalis." Chris said as he and his escort walked out of the queen's chambers to continue the tour.
"Next stop! The Residential District!"
Author's Note
Hi guys! Sorry if this one's a bit long. I have a subconscious need to match chapter word counts as best I can, and I got carried away with my idea. Anyway, tell me how I did with this chapter, and as always, enjoy!
Chapter 5: Culture Part 3
Author's Note
Sorry guys. I'm quite a few days late. Please enjoy this longer chapter as an apology. I hope you like it!
Chapter 5: Culture Part 3
Chris walked at an even pace, his head on a swivel as he looked around at all the little 'houses' and 'homes' around him. He was walking down a corridor that reminded him all too much of a street, or even just a path.
Of course, it was a very well- lit path, with so many gems lining the rocky hall at such expressly even intervals that he was beginning to think he was trekking through a subway, rather than exploring a large network of caves.
He called them houses for convenience, but they couldn't really be called that. They possessed no roofs, and had none of the differing material that a house would be made out of.
Instead, they were all made out of a strange material that appeared to be rock, but upon closer inspection, turned out to be a cross between a spongy material, rubber, and "spider silk" that couldn't have come from a spider if they tried.
For a brief moment, he wondered what it was. But he didn't have to wonder long, as the answer came to him in the from of Aloe Whisper's explanations.
"Strange huh? It's made out of Songe."
Chris gave her a quizzical look. "Songe?"
"Yep! Songe. It's a green goo made out of changeling saliva and love magic. It may not feel solid enough to hold, but trust me it's tough enough to withstand dragon fire...once" Aloe scratched her head nervously.
"Once?" 'There are dragons now? How many fictional creatures am I gonna have to keep track of before this is all over?' Chris thought to himself as he asked the question.
"Yeah, well...That's why we put force fields over them, to help with defense. A changeling force field is stronger than a pony's."
"Really? Why?" Chris asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't know. Maybe it's because of all the enemies we had to deal with back in the old days?" Aloe answered before moving on. "Anyway, how are you liking the residential district so far?"
"It's great. It feels like i'm walking down a subway tunnel. The atmosphere is all eerie and mysterious. I love it." Chris smiled as he waved his hands in a "scary" fashion.
"Uh...what's a subway?" Aloe asked.
'Oh, that's right. They don't know about my world.'Chris mentally face-palmed. "Imagine an underground transportation system."
Aloe's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh, I get it!"
"Yep. Just like that." Chris closes his eyes and smiles, crossing his arms.
"That's so cool!" Aloe grins, stars in her eyes.
"Nope. I don't think it's all that big."
"What are you saying?! It's great! I can only imagine the civilizations underground. The technology!"
Chris' smile fell once he heard that. "Aloe, we don't have underground civilizations where I come from."
Aloe seemed to visibly deflate at this news. "Aww!"
"But we do have underground homes!" Chris quickly said.
"Really?!" The stars returned.
"Yes, really." Chris smiled again.
"Yay! You have to tell me." Aloe started skipping along, her wings fluttering.
Chris shook his head, smile still on his face. 'She reminds me of my little sister...' Then his thoughts turned to his family, and his expression changed to a frown.
'Erica...'
Fortunately, he was spared from his dark thoughts by a voice from just ahead of him. "Hey! What's wrong? We have to finish the tour!"
The smile was still plastered on Aloe's face, and he couldn't help but return it. "It's nothing! I'm coming!"
Soon, their tour ended, and after returning to Chrysalis' room, Chris and Aloe parted ways for the day, with her walking into one of the passageways of the hive, and him simply returning to the room.
Thinking that Chrysalis might be back, he didn't want to be rude, so he tried to remain as quiet as possible, tip-toeing his way across the stone floor.
After a while, he stopped his movement, listening for any disturbances in the quiet of the night. He also took a moment to look around. The light of the gems was still on, so that was fine. But after a while, he started to feel...strange. Like a tingling feeling running up and down his spine.
Something was wrong. He looked around a bit more, turning around as he did so. 'Left, right, back, front, Left right, back, front. Okay, I'm all good.'
But then he looked up.
The queen wasn't in bed. And that feeling hadn't left yet. 'Uh oh'
"Boo!"
Suddenly, Chris felt a pair of hooves on his back, and then he was headed toward the ground, screaming. He managed to stop himself before he could hit the ground, though.
"What was that for?" Chris asked, glaring at Chrysalis.
"Forgive me, Chris. I couldn't help myself." Chrysalis let out a giggle. "I must admit. Your scared face is rather adorable. You're like a nymph caught with his hoof in the cookie jar! Or maybe a griffon in headlights!"
Chris blushed at the comparison and stuttered his next words. "Sh-shut up! Where were you hiding anyway?"
He felt Chrysalis get off of him, and he himself got up off the ground to watch Chrysalis.
"My dear Chris. Did you forget what I am?" she asked, faking a hurt expression.
"No. You're a changeling right?" He said. crossing his arms.
"Correct. We changelings can change our form to be whoever we like. You know that much correct?" Chrysalis looked at him with a more mellow, calm expression.
"Yeah, I know." 'Get to the point already.' Chris thought, still a bit angry about being scared like that.
"Well, did you know that we can also become what ever we want as well?" With that said, she promptly transformed into a stone, the same color as the stone of her floor. He could barely see her anymore.
He couldn't believe it. "You were...a stone!" He yelled.
She transformed back and smiled. "Yes. I was."
Chris could suddenly feel a headache coming on. "How could I not think of that?"
"Well, us changelings are well known for our stealth, you know?" Chrysalis boasted. But Chris simply walked over to the bed and plopped down onto it, ignoring her.
"Um...Chris? I really am sorry for scaring you." Chrysalis said, showing her sincerity.
"No, wait. It's not that. It's just..."
"Just what?" Chrysalis asked, a worried look on her face. She went over to his bedside and placed a hoof on his hand.
"Nothing. I'm tired is all." Chris said, trying to divert the question.
It didn't work. "That's not the only reason is it?" Chrysalis asked.
Chris sighed. He'd been found out. "How could you tell?"
"Changelings are sensitive to the emotions of others. We feed on it, after all. If we weren't sensitive to it, we wouldn't be able to survive."
Chris sighed again. "Fine. I'll tell you."
Chrysalis sat on her haunches and listened to Chris speak.
"It's my family. I've been stuck in this dimension for a whole day now. Surely they've noticed something is wrong with me not getting out of bed for two days."
Chrysalis squeezed his hand with her hoof. "Aww, you must be homesick. I know you miss your family, and I promise we will find a way to get you home."
Chris turned around to look at her. "But how long will that take? And what if it turns out I can't go back? I'll never see my family again. Not my parents, not my little sister..."
Chrysalis could see that his eyes were tearing up. Whoever this sister of his is, he must love her deeply. She's always had the hive, so she couldn't understand what he was going through. The closest she could get was...
"Chris, we're going to get you back to your family, I promise. Trust me." She lifted his hand and nuzzled it, the hardened chitin of her body felt less like armor and more like skin, and as his fingers brushed against her muzzle, he could feel the warmth of her body, the heat of her breath.
It almost put him to sleep, he was so comfortable. But then he remembered something. "Hey, wait. Aloe said you went off to do something?"
When Chrysalis didn't reply at first, Chris looked down to see her still nuzzling his hand. "Uh...Chrysalis?"
Chrysalis jumped, seeming to have gotten caught up in the feeling of his skin against hers. "Oh! Um, well, I was..." She blushed. "Oh, yes, that's right. I was just coming back from a royal council meeting. Oh, you wouldn't believe the things I go through with those Cordages. The higher ups are such a pain in the flank." Chrysalis scratched her head nervously.
Chris rolled his eyes and gave her a deadpan stare. "Chrysalis. I asked you what you were doing. Not who you were doing it with."
Chrysalis blushed again, this time from the embarrassment of her own blunder. "Oh! Yes, yes, of course. I was discussing the plans for the next love collecting operation."
"And how did it go?" Chris asked, a hopeful look in his eye.
A look that soon faded as he heard her sigh. "Sadly, it would appear that we are to invade Canterlot."
"WHAT?!" Chris sat up and looked down at Chrysalis with a serious expression, the sadness gone from his eyes, to be replaced with anger. "When?"
"We are moving out in five days." Chrysalis said. "Why?"
"Because i'm gonna stop them."
Chrysalis' eyes widened upon hearing that. "What?! No! You can't do that!"
"Watch me." Chris said through gritted teeth.
Chrysalis flew around him, stopping in front of him. "No, I mean you literally can't do that. Attacking the council will only get you thrown in the dungeons."
"Then what do you suggest I do? You got any better ideas?" Chris asked, making wild gestures with his hands.
"The only way to defeat the council is to challenge them in the court! You have to convince them to rescind the ruling! But, even so..."
"But what? Come on!" Chris yelled.
"In order to beat them you have to have knowledge of Changeling strategy. You have to know the laws. You have to be persuasive enough to make peaceful relations sound like a good thing."
"I've been told i'm very persuasive. Plus, i've been reading the books you brought me. I should be fine."
"Those books aren't enough to help you win against the council!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Well then, here's to hoping I've got enough knowledge in me to fight a decent fight." Chris grinned and walked past her, only to be stopped once again.
"What is it this time? I'm going to that council!"
"Just tell me why?" Chrysalis said.
This stopped Chris right in his tracks. "What?"
"Tell me why! Why do you want to help us? You've only been here two days, and that's counting today. You barely know anyone besides me and Aloe, and you don't even belong here! You're a human from another dimension, for Faust's sake! This is our fight, not yours!"
"So you were planning on fighting the ruling?" Chris said.
"You weren't supposed to hear that." Chrysalis said.
"How dare you try to stop me when you're planning on doing the same thing yourself!" Chris yelled.
"It's not your fight to finish!" Chrysalis yelled, struggling against Chris' advancing form.
"Who are you to decide that?!" Chris yelled, and pushed back. Chrysalis returned the favor. They pushed back a little too hard, and knocked each other down. unfortunately, Chris landed hard on the stone floor...headfirst.
"Chris, no!" Chrysalis yelled, rushing over to him and grabbing his hand again. "Chris, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I...I..."
"Don't...worry about it." Chris coughed. When he hit his head he also landed on his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs. "I forgive you. Just go... and get 'em. Stop...the invasion." He coughed again, causing Chrysalis to worry.
"Chris?" She moved around frantically. "Chris?" She started pumping his chest. "Chris?!" She put an ear to his chest, listening to the slow beating of his heart. She sighed.
"Haaah, he's still alive." 'Now, I have to get to the counsel and stop this before he wakes up.' Chrysalis thought as she galloped off, sparing only a single look back at Chris' prone form.
'I'm sorry. But it's better if you don't get involved. I'll...see you soon, Chris. I hope.'
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