They're Not Bugs, They're Features

Chapters

The Day You Were Born (The Hatching - Part 2)
Personal Record (Tarsus the Termite - Part 1)
Roll Call
Holes
When You Fall
Student Teacher
Vulnerable
Strong
A Day at the Cinema
Isn't Dad a Mammal? (The Hatching - Part 1)
Canthus's Secret
Date Night
Legacy
Like Mother, Like Son (Tarsus the Termite - Part 2)

The Day You Were Born (The Hatching - Part 2)

The sun has nearly set over Ponyville. For a Friday afternoon, it’s eerily silent outside of the feared household of the ex-queen of the changelings. This isn’t helped by the five children standing motionless in front of the door, their eyes unfocused and their expressions hesitant and fearful.

Out of the silence, Tarsus clears his throat.

“W-well, Seta?”

“Well what?”

“This whole operation was your idea. So… go ahead. Open the door.”

“Oh, uh… I-I would, but you see, I… hurt my hoof.”

“You hurt your hoof?” he asks, unconvinced.

“Yes, it’s quite swollen. Wh-why don’t you open it?”

“Ah, well, you’re… you’re all in my way, so I can’t–”

Tarsus is interrupted by his siblings parting to give him a perfect path to the door.

“...Right.”

He takes a deep breath as he slowly trudges towards the door, doing his best to look cool and focused. Carefully, he brings a shaky hoof up to the doorknob. He swallows hard as his hoof reaches the smooth surface and begins to turn.

“What are you all doing out here?”

“AHH!”

Five panicked voices yelp at once as an older, familiar voice calls out from behind them. One by one, they each turn around to see their father approaching them, a paper bag in each hand.

“Woah, jumpy! Did something happen?”

“D-Dad!”

“Hi, Dad.”

“Er, we were just…”

“Playing outside!”

“Y-yeah, and we were… trying to catch our breaths before coming in!”

“Really? You were playing outside?” The children nod, causing Anon to narrow his eyes, an amused smile on his face. “All of you?” Another set of nods. “Isn’t it a Friday? I thought it was Sugarcube night.”

“...Eheh,” Seta anxiously chuckles as she rubs the back of her head. “It was… too crowded.”

“Ah. Well, that was bound to happen at some point.” Anon smiles at his children, who let out a few obviously forced laughs. “...Soooooooo are we gonna go inside or what?”

“Oh. Right.”

Tarsus clears his throat as he finally opens the door, allowing the group to funnel inside one at a time. Anon tilts his head as he realizes that none of his children are going up to their rooms, opting instead to leave their saddlebags on and generally stand around awkwardly.

“Seriously, are you guys alright?”

“Y-yeah! We just…” Seta glances between her siblings, who simply shrug or look even more panicked than she does. After hesitating for a moment, she closes her eyes and sighs. “Actually, we wanted to talk to you. A-and Mom.”

“Oh?” Anon’s voice quickly goes from humored to serious as he places the bags of groceries down on the kitchen table. “What’s wrong?”

“...”

“...M-maybe we should grab Mom first. So we don’t have to explain twice, I mean.” Terga taps the floorboards beneath her, unwilling to make eye contact with her father.

“I’m in here,” a voice calls from the living room. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it belongs to Chrysalis. “If you’ve got something to say, then out with it.”

“Chryssi, they’re clearly bothered by something. Let’s try to be a bit more gentle, alright?”

After a moment of silence, a sigh can be heard.

“Very well.”

Anon looks down at the children and nods, prompting them to slowly make their way into the living room. After taking their usual spots on the sofa and various other seats (making sure to leave Anon’s recliner and Chrysalis’s spot on the sofa alone), a heavy silence fills the room. There are a few anxious breaths and more than a couple nervous coughs.

“So? What’s on your mind?” Anon asks as he folds his arms over his chest. “I haven’t seen you get like this since that time you burned Starlight’s house down.”

“We said we were sorry!”

“I know, I know. I’m just saying, you’re obviously upset. You know you can tell us anything, right?”

“Easy for you to say,” Canthus mumbles, his eyes briefly darting towards his mother.

“...D-Daddy?” To everyone’s surprise, it’s Gena who speaks up. Her eyes are misty, and she looks to be on the verge of tears.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“A-are you… I mean, did you…” She clenches her eyes tight as she forces the words out. “Are you our real dad?”

Silence. Gena’s words hang heavy in the air as Anon simply stares at her. No one dares to move a muscle, and with every passing second, it feels as though an eternity is going by. Finally, Anon blinks. His eyes glance towards Chrysalis, who returns his stare. The silence continues, every moment feeling like absolute agony for the children.

Eventually, Chrysalis breaks the silence.

“What brought this on?”

“W-well…” Seta struggles to find the right words. “We never really thought about it, but we just reached the part of our biology classes where we learn about anatomy. A-and reproduction, and all that. We talked about mammals, and then I remembered that Dad is a mammal, and that we’re NOT mammals, and… and…”

Seta trails off, unable to hold in her tears. She sniffles, doing her best to maintain her composure as much as her body will allow her. She shuts her eyes tight and looks to the floor, her tears falling onto the carpet below. There’s the sound of movement in front of her, but she dares not look.

At least, not until she feels a hand begin to gently pat her head.

She opens her eyes once more. Through her tears, she sees the familiar figure of her father kneeling down in front of her, a warm smile on his face.

“Seta. Let me show you something.”

Anon shuffles from a kneeling position to a sitting one. As he does so, he gestures for everyone to gather around him. With a bit of hesitation, they do so. Seta and Gena attempt to dry their tears so they can get a better look at their father. Once everyone is in place, he rolls up one of his sleeves and twists his arm, confidently showing off the back of his left arm right above his elbow. There, a darkened bit of skin stands out, a birthmark vaguely shaped like a question mark.

“H-huh?”

Anon’s smile grows as he gently reaches for Seta’s hoof. Carefully, he turns her arm over and points to the same spot above her elbow. Despite her chitinous body, a darker bit of green can be clearly seen against the rest of her light green arm, its shape quite familiar.

“The old ‘question birthmark.’ My grandma had it, your grandma had it, I have it… and you have it.”

“W-wait, but… th-that doesn’t make sense! How can I have your birthmark if you’re not–!”

Seta stops speaking, her voice catching in her throat as the tears return.

“I am your dad.” He smiles as he looks at the wide range of expressions his progeny are giving him. “Though, I understand if you’d prefer someone else. Even if you’d be missing out on the chance of inheriting my incredible sense of humor.”

“Shut up, Dad!”

Anon is suddenly bowled over by his eldest child throwing her arms around him, knocking him to the floor. He begins to laugh as she squeezes him very tightly. It isn’t long before her sisters and Canthus join her, leaving only Tarsus sitting on the sofa next to his mother. They glance at each other and simultaneously raise an eyebrow.

Whether or not they were her kids was never in question.

It takes a solid minute for everyone to get comfortable again, with Anon reclaiming his recliner. Once they’re in position, Canthus’s confused voice speaks up first.

“You’re still a mammal though, right? How are you our dad?”

“That’s… an interesting story. You know how most creatures in Equestria have some form of magic?”

“Yeah, and you said humans don’t.”

“Well, that was a bit of a fib. See, we do have our own brand of magic. We like to call it the ‘indomitable human spirit.’”

“Woahhhh, what does that mean?!”

“It means that if a human puts their mind to something, they will accomplish it, no matter how impossible it may seem!”

“That’s dumb.”

“That’s untrue.”

“You’re lying.”

“Harsh!” Anon laughs at his daughters’ skepticism. “It is a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s mostly true. And, well, that’s where you all came from! Your mother and I wanted kids very, very badly, and I wasn’t about to let her down just because of my species! Right, dear?”

For the first time in a while, all eyes fall to Chrysalis. She appears completely unimpressed and almost bored by the conversation.

“Ugh. Yes, like it or not, this dork is your father. With how much you all love to cry and hug over every little thing, I’m amazed it took you this long to figure that out.” She rolls her eyes, prompting an unhappy “ahem” from Anon. “Anyway, I don’t know about that whole ‘human spirit’ thing, but I do know that he pinned me down and yelled ‘get pregnant’ over and over ag–”

“Can you not repeat that to our children?!”

“What? You asked.”

A variety of emotions fill the five young changelings as each and every one attempts to erase the mental image from their heads.

“Anyway, even I have to admit that this whole thing is a little silly. You all really thought I wasn’t your dad?”

“We wanted to believe, honest!” Terga’s voice is open and pleading, catching Anon’s undivided attention. “But… well, humans don’t lay eggs.”

“No, we don’t. Let me tell you, your hatching was an ordeal for me.”

“Ah!” Seta excitedly gasps as she leans forward. “Are you finally gonna tell the story of our hatching?!”

Anon glances up at Chrysalis, who simply shrugs in return.

“Hmhm. Alright, alright. It was almost time for bed one evening.”

“Ahh. You don’t get evenings this pleasant very often.”

“Hey, Nonny.”

“Hiya, Chryss– WOAH! What happened to you?”

Anon looks up with surprise as Chrysalis emerges from the basement. In a manner entirely unlike her, she’s drenched in sweat and trembling, like someone who just finished running a marathon. In spite of that, her expression is completely neutral like nothing is wrong.

“Five.”

“Five?”

“We’re having five.”

“Five what, Chryssi?”

“Five children, genius. I just laid our eggs.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” He briefly turns back to his book before unceremoniously dropping it as his eyes go wide. “EGGS?!”

“Did I stutter?” she stutters.

“What do you mean, ‘eggs?!’”

“I mean I laid our eggs. You know, that thing I just said. I don’t know how to make that any more clear.”

“Like… egg eggs? The type of eggs that newborns come out of?”

“Newborn changeling grubs specifically, yes. Five of them.”

“And you didn’t say anything?!”

“I just did say something.”

“I didn’t even know you were pregnant!”

“Well, with how fat you’ve been keeping me with all of your love, I didn’t know either. Changeling gestation isn’t nearly as long as with you mammals.”

“I didn’t even know I could get you pregnant to begin with.”

“You sure as shit tried.”

“That’s…. true. W-wait, where are the eggs?”

“Basement.”

“Why are our children in the basement? By themselves?!”

“Calm down.” Anon leaps to his feet just as Chrysalis presses a hoof against his chest. Despite her nonchalant nature, her voice turns warm and soothing. “They’re safe, I promise. I’ve been making the basement into a proper changeling hive for a reason. Breathe.”

Anon takes a few moments to control his breathing, though his eyes remain shaky and unfocused.

“S-so we have five children.”

“We will once they hatch properly.”

“How long will that take?”

“Depends on how well-fed their mother is.” Chrysalis glances down at her own figure. Although still healthy, she’s definitely put on a few pounds since getting married. Plenty of love to go around in this household, that’s for sure. “Judging by this belly of mine, I’m gonna guess… eh, a day or two.”

“WHAT?! That’s no time at all!”

“True. We’d better get those renovations done soon, now that I think about it. We’re gonna need four more bedrooms.”

“Oh gosh, oh gosh.” Anon begins to pace back and forth around the living room, the living embodiment of a nervous wreck. “We’re gonna need to buy so many things, we need to pick out names, I don’t even know how to care for a human baby, let alone a grub! What are we gonna… do?”

Anon is interrupted once again by Chrysalis, who rests her tired, sweaty head against his chest. It’s comforting, and slowly he feels his breathing starting to return to normal.

“This might be my first time laying my own eggs, but it’s far from my first time raising a few grubs. Just follow my lead and we’ll be fine.”

“...Right. Right.” His voice is quiet, almost like he’s trying to reassure himself with his own words.

“I can make sure they stay healthy, but I’m gonna need you around to make sure they grow up right. Historically, I’ve been pretty bad at that.”

Anon remains silent for a moment, but he eventually rests a hand on Chrysalis’s head and begins to stroke her mane.

“I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit, but I’ll do my best.”

“You’d better.” She gently nuzzles him before backing away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I did just give birth. I’m so thirsty.”

“Oh shit, my bad!”

“As a father, I understand that it is my responsibility to say something along the lines of ‘they’re beautiful.’ Now that I’m looking at them, though…”

“Changeling eggs are anything but beautiful. You’re not offending anyone.”

“They’re a lot goopier than I was imagining.”

“Spoiler alert, grubs aren’t exactly cute either. I know ponies love to walk around with their little strollers showing off their newborn foals, but changelings don’t really do that. Besides, grubs bite.”

“They what?”

“Never mind.”

Anon sits on the floor. Surrounding him in various puddles of green goop are five eggs, each about four inches long. They’re a pale green color with dark green swirls along their surfaces. Every now and then, a fluorescent green light seems to shine from within, showing the clear outline of a soon-to-be-hatched grub. Chrysalis sits to the side, a proud, almost smug look on her face.

“Having second thoughts yet?”

“No.” There isn’t even a hint of hesitation in his voice. “As alien as this all is, I don’t think I’m ever gonna forget this moment.”

“Ugh, you’re such a sap.”

“So, we don’t even have to keep them warm?”

“Changelings were made for cool, damp areas like this. Believe me, even if I didn’t have the know-how, I have the instincts. They’re fine.”

“Neat. What about– oh good lord!”

Anon’s eyes go wide as an egg sitting about a foot away from him tips over. Chrysalis rushes to his side, her eyes glued to the egg.

“Was it supposed to–”

“It’s hatching, doofus!”

As if on cue, a crack forms on the surface of the egg. Both parents watch with bated breath as the crack widens. Then, another crack forms. Then another. Then another. Finally, a river of goop begins to pour from a newly formed hole in the egg’s shell, and a small green head pokes out of it.

“Oh...”

“It’s a girl.”

The egg splinters as the newborn changeling wiggles onto the floor, her green body covered in a layer of white aside from her front legs and face. She rolls onto her back before righting herself again, her massive blue eyes squinting as she takes in the world around her.

“Seta.” Chrysalis’s voice is quiet, almost anxious.

“Seta?”

“A good name for an eldest daughter. She’d make a fine queen one day.”

“She’s only been in the world for ten seconds.”

“And?”

“...Heh. Somehow, I can’t help but agree.”

The newborn Seta hisses, prompting Chrysalis to reach out a hoof. The grub instinctively grabs onto her mother, her sticky body helping support her lack of grip strength.

“She’s beautiful.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll admit, I’m not used to seeing light changeling grubs. They’re usually much more temperamental than this.”

“We should probably take that as a blessing. Otherwise, we’d– oh gosh there’s another one!”

Sure enough, a second egg topples over. Within the span of a few seconds, a golden grub has wiggled his way into the world.

“Tarsus.”

How Chrysalis keeps coming up with these names, Anon doesn't know. Still, he can’t deny that they seem to fit perfectly with his newborn children. This thought is reinforced as, within the next five minutes, Canthus, Gena, and Terga all open their eyes for the first time in their lives. The next thing he knows, he has his arms wrapped around his wife, who in turn holds their five babies against her chest. They’re very wiggly, and unlike human babies would likely be, they don’t seem to have any intention of sleeping.

“They might not be as aggressive as dark changelings, but they’re just as full of energy.”

“Are, uh, are we supposed to feed them? You don’t exactly have–”

“They feed on their… what did you call it? ‘Goop?’ That’s what the sacks are for.”

Sure enough, littered across the floor between the eggs are several green sacks that are filled with a mysterious, mucus-like substance. How Chrysalis made those, Anon dares not ask.

“They don’t need love?”

“There’s love in their food, courtesy of yours truly.”

Anon blinks.

“What? Dark changelings or otherwise, mothers need to feed their young.”

“Couldn’t they just eat my love?”

“Eating love directly from a victim, or in this case a donor, would be too much for them. They’d probably explode.”

“Explode?!”

“I’m joking, Nonny,” Chrysalis chuckles, her gaze never lifting from the grubs in her grasp. “Though it would be unhealthy.” Slowly, she begins to turn around. “Do you want to hold them?”

“C-can I?”

She nods as she holds out her arms. Anon does the same, unsure of how to remove them from her grasp. He doesn’t have to think for very long, as the grubs gradually let go of their mother and begin crawling into his arms of their own free will.

“They’re… not conventionally ‘cute,’ but still precious.”

“Hmhm. Never thought you’d take the role of a changeling dad with such ease. Even actual changeling fathers tend to have trouble with–”

“OW!”

“The grub phase. Hah.”

Anon winces as Tarsus and Terga each chomp down on his arms. They might be newborns, but their fangs are already in perfect piercing condition.

“I think I have my work cut out for me.”

Anon forces a smile, but that smile is interrupted by Chrysalis pressing her lips against his own. The kiss is brief and chaste, but it’s warm and meaningful, able to convey thoughts and feelings better than words ever could.

“You’re gonna do great.”

Grubs still in his grasp, Anon leans on his wife, who smiles as she presses her own weight back against him.

“We’re gonna do great. Together.”

“Aww!”

“That was so sweet!”

“I liked the part where I bit him.”

“I didn’t! Sorry, Dad.”

Anon lets out a hearty laugh as his progeny react to the now-finished story.

“And your mother wasn’t lying, you kids were not kind to me in your grub phase. Still got a scar on my shoulder to prove it.”

“And who caused that one?”

“Gena.”

“Gena?!”

The room is filled with laughter as Canthus and Terga begin to tease their sister, causing her to laugh right along with them. The energy in the room is high, and the tensity that filled the space not too long ago has long been forgotten. It isn’t until Chrysalis clears her throat that everything begins to calm down once more.

“It’s getting late. I’m going to bed.”

“This early?”

“I’m… tired.”

“Oh. Goodnight, Mom!”

“‘Night, Chryssi!”

With a nonchalant nod, Chrysalis stands from her seat and begins heading upstairs. The children continue to tease and roughhouse with each other for some time, occasionally grilling their father for more details about their time as grubs. Eventually, however, even they begin to feel fatigued. One by one, the children all retire upstairs for the evening. When Gena finally pries herself from her father’s lap, only Anon and Seta are left in the living room. Seta lets out a yawn before looking back at her father, a warm, comforted look on her face.

“Hey, Dad?”

“Hm?”

“I’m proud to have you as a father. I, er, just wanted you to know that.”

Anon is quiet for a moment as a smile slowly spreads across his face. When he speaks, his voice is very quiet, but it couldn’t be more genuine if he tried.

“Seta, when I first laid eyes on you, I knew that being your father was the greatest job I’d ever have. You kids are the most important thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Dad?”

“I’m proud of you, too. And I know she doesn’t say it much, but I promise that your mother feels the same way.”

“...Eheh.” Seta blushes at her father’s sudden sentimentality. Unsure of what else to do, she turns away from him and begins to walk towards the stairs. “G-goodnight, Dad.”

“‘Night, Seta.”

Seta scurries up the stairs, unable to contain the smile on her face. In hindsight, she’s not sure why she ever questioned if Anon is her father. Even if he didn’t raise her as a grub, even if she didn’t inherit his birthmark, even if Chrysalis made the stupid decision of cheating on him or something, she’s always known that he loves her. He loves all of them, and there’s nothing in the world that can take that from them.

What could be more precious than that?

Author's Note

I've gotten so many requests for a hatching scene that I've lost count. So... here ya go! :heart:

Personal Record (Tarsus the Termite - Part 1)

A weightlessness overtakes Tarsus. He closes his eyes, knowing full well that time has stopped for him and him alone. He’s practiced this dozens of times, and there isn’t an ounce of fear in his body. He’s got this. He knows he does.

He keeps his wings tucked closed to his back. His body spins in midair, deftly avoiding the cylindrical walls surrounding him. Through the darkness of his closed eyelids, he knows he was successful. He’s emerged from the final obstacle, and now all he has to do is–

Pomf.

A perfect landing, soft as a feather.

He opens his eyes, a smirk on his face as he looks back at the obstacle course behind him. A number of students standing off to the side applaud him, with all eyes trained on the fancy new electronic scoreboard placed over the School of Friendship’s sporting arena. “2:13” it says in big, yellow numbers. A single chuckle escapes him.

That’s not just a new personal best. That’s a new school record.

“Nice one, dude!” Rainbow Dash looks ecstatic as she descends from a cloud placed conveniently above the course. “Just goes to show that size isn’t everything! Let Tarsus be an example to you all!” She motions to the rest of the class, some of whom are clearly more enthused than others. “Even when you’re large and in charge, you can still move with the nimbleness of a breezie!” She gives him an enthused pat on the back. “Seriously, great job.”

“Thanks, Dash. Learned a few tricks from my mom,” he adds with a confident click of his tongue.

“Looks like she taught you well. Anyway, who’s up next? Elitra?”

“Right here!” Another changeling almost the exact same size as Tarsus steps forward. She’s got a deep, purple-black hue to her with piercing yellow eyes. Between her coloration and strong presence, one might be forgiven for believing that she’s a dark changeling. However, this is simply not the case. Her father, Pharynx, has much the same problem. “Ready to go whenever you are.”

“I like that attitude! Let’s get the timer reset and you up to the starting line!”

Dash nonchalantly tosses Tarsus a bottle of water before beginning the preparations for Elitra’s run through the obstacle course. Feeling quite proud of himself, Tarsus finds a seat amongst good company.

“Nice run, dude.” A purple dragon, easily twice Tarsus’s height, sits on the bench next to him. “You weren’t kidding about breaking that record.”

“What? Did the mighty Obsidian think I couldn’t do it?”

“Nope!”

Obsidian elbows Tarsus in the shoulder, prompting a brotherly laugh out of both of them. The two have been inseparable since Tarsus was able to walk on his own. Everyone at the School of Friendship knows that where Tarsus and Obsidian go, trouble is sure to follow. No one in school has more detentions than Obsidian, though Tarsus seems keen on breaking that school record, too. The result is a long, desolate path of broken rules and slipping grades being left in their wake.

“I thought you could.” Next to the two boys, Gena appears downright tiny. She looks up from the book her nose had been buried in, a gentle smile on her face. “Just don’t expect Terga to take it lying down.”

“Eh, she’s more concerned about the mid-air version of the course. Guess she thinks she’s gonna have flying mastered by the end of the semester or something.” Tarsus shrugs before letting out a hearty laugh. “She’s just scared of competing against the best. Can’t say I blame her,” he adds with a flex.

“Woah! That’s incredible, Elitra!”

Tarsus, Obsidian, and Gena all turn back towards the obstacle course, their eyes immediately going wide. Where they expected to see the confident form of Elitra, they instead see a literal cheetah making its way through the course. It leaps through a hoop before turning a corner with extreme precision and dexterity. It reaches a group of hurdles, but before it can jump, it’s enveloped in a yellow flame. In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, the cheetah is replaced by… Obsidian?

The faux dragon uses its height to its advantage, forgoing the standard jumps over the hurdles in favor of simply stepping over them with little issue. The result is an unexpectedly fast time, and almost certainly less strain on the competitor. However, the show isn’t over quite yet, as the final hurdle, the hanging tube, still looms before her. Elitra is once again enveloped in a yellow flame, and a moment later, Gena is being thrown through the tube. Next to Tarsus, the original Gena gasps, a mixture of shock and discomfort spreading across her face.

And then, the buzzer goes off.

“That… was… AWESOME!”

Rainbow Dash celebrates in the sky as, now standing on the finish line, Elitra returns to her original form. On the scoreboard above them, big yellow numbers reveal her time. “2:09.”

Tarsus’s record barely stood for five minutes.

“Phew,” the now-sweaty changeling exclaims as Dash tosses her some water. “Been practicing that little show for a while.”

“That was GENIUS! I mean, I figured a changeling could probably turn into something to their advantage, but I never would have thought to change to something different for each obstacle!”

“Eh, that’s just a little something I picked up back at the hive. Nothing too special.” With a cocky smirk on her face, she brushes her unkempt, yellow mane out of her face. “Still, good to see it paid off.”

“I’ll say. That’s another school record! Hahah, you kids never stop impressing me! Miles, you’re up!”

Dash flies towards the group of students yet to start, leaving the competitors that have already finished to their own devices. Tarsus opens his mouth to speak, but Elitra interrupts him before he can say anything.

“Good job today, Tarsie. For a second, I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to beat ya.”

“That’s–”

“But then common sense kicked in. HAH!”

She throws her head back, prompting Tarsus to roll his eyes.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure winning comes easy to you when you’re willing to cheat.”

“Oh, my silly little Tarsie.” She saunters up to him, closing the gap more than he’s comfortable with. “Just because someone can do something you can’t doesn’t make it cheating. It’s not my fault you can’t transform yet.”

“Yeah, because unlike someone, I–”

“Have the most hated changeling alive for a mother, yes, I know. It must really suck not having someone to teach you skills that those of us at the hive learned when we were half your age.”

“She’s doing her best,” he growls, his voice low and quiet.

“Really? Wow, that’s embarrassing.”

Tarsus grabs the bench beneath him. He can feel his face growing red. The taste of metal fills his mouth as he bites down on his tongue hard enough to draw blood. He hates talking to Elitra. She’s always been the number one source of frustration in his life, but she’s so good at putting on that dumb little goody-two-shoes act that he always ends up in detention after she instigates. It’s not fair.

“Get off his ass, Elitra.” Obsidian stands from his seat, glaring down at the changeling girl with a subdued fire in his faded-orange eyes. “You know he can’t do anything about that. Don’t hate him for the shit his mom did.”

Tarsus says nothing.

“Oh, Obsidian, you seem to be confused. I don’t hold any contempt for poor Tarsus, here.” She runs a hoof along the back of Tarsus’s neck as he stares at the ground, sending a shiver down his spine. “No, I pity this sad child.”

“Stop it.” Gena speaks up for the first time. She does her best to sound serious and intimidating like the company around her, but only succeeds in forcing her voice to crack. “We don’t talk smack about your family.”

“My family was a victim of yours, Gena.” She finally turns from Tarsus and towards his smaller sister. “But please don’t think I’m taking this out on you. Unlike your brother, you have the common sense to not idolize a monster.”

“...”

“Sounds like the peanut gallery is finally out of things to say.” With another flick of her mane, Elitra turns from the group. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go make sure Professor Dash puts my name on the record board.”

“It won’t be there long,” Taurus finally growls. He picks his head up just enough to lock eyes with Elitra, but seeing the unshakeable smirk on her face, the dim expression on his own couldn’t be more obvious. “I’ll… I’ll…”

“Face it, Tarsie. You act big, but you’re just chasing a shadow that nobody even wants around anymore. Let it go.”

“I’m not my mom.”

“No, Tarsie. You’re not.”

Without another word, Elitra walks away.

“Ugh, that girl makes me so mad.” Obsidian shakes his head, trace amounts of smoke escaping the corners of his mouth in the process. “I was two words away from getting suspended.”

“...” Gena remains silent, her gaze fixed on the grass below her. However, after a few moments of silence, she looks up at her older brother. “Tarsus?”

“Shut up, Gena.” She opens her mouth to speak, but can’t quite find the words. Meanwhile, Tarsus lifts himself from the bench, turns around, and walks away from class. “I’m going home.”

“T-Tarsus, the school day isn’t over yet!”

“I don’t care.”

Obsidian raises a hand in protest, but a glance towards Gena prevents him from saying anything. Not another word is spoken as the class continues, now with one less student.

“Tarsus, where the hell are you?!” Chrysalis’s furious voice booms throughout the house, with Gena right behind her. “I swear, when I find you, you are going to learn what a changeling queen can ACTUALLY do!”

Gena shrinks in on herself as she follows her mother into their home. Seta went out shopping with some of her friends, while Canthus and Terga have extracurriculars to deal with today. And, since Anon is still working, that leaves only herself and her mom to track down Tarsus.

Of course, she didn’t give her mother all of the details about him skipping class. She doesn’t like lying, but Tarsus would probably rip her head off if he knew she talked about all of that.

“Have you checked his room?” Chrysalis growls.

“Y-yes, but I didn’t see him there.”

“Is he even here?”

“I have no idea.”

“Ugh.” Chrysalis isn’t exactly slow to anger, and when she loses her temper, everyone in town knows it. Gena treads carefully, making sure to be as selective as possible with her words. There’s an aura in the air exuding from the ex-queen, and it’s enough to make her nauseous. “Do a sweep of the house. If you don’t find him, go play with your friends or something. And tell your siblings to do the same.”

“Wh-why?”

“You’re not going to want to be here when he comes home.”

“...Yes, Mom.”

Tarsus takes a deep breath. Then another. Then another. Ordinarily, he would do as his father taught him and place a hoof on his chest to better control his breathing. However, as he looks down at the long, spindly, hoof-less leg attached to him, he knows that that isn’t an option right now.

Surrounding him is his bedroom. The familiar shape of his bed is right there, mere feet away. However, as he is right now, such a distance couldn’t feel any farther. He glances down at the wood underneath him, the smooth, glossy surface barely reflecting his face back at him. Said face is not the face he wants looking back at him. Instead of his usual, cocky visage, a termite stares back at him.

He’s not used to having six legs.

Beneath him is his dresser. There’s not much to look at from his perspective, due in no small part to the lack of use his dresser sees. A half-empty can of Munster Energy sits on the far end of the surface, threatening to fall onto the floor far, far below with even a gentle shake of the dresser. Behind him is a long-forgotten necklace he bought in a misguided attempt at looking cool. Too lame to wear but too expensive to throw away, it hasn’t moved in months. He sneezes, the dust suddenly a bigger problem than when he was a normal size.

If he could get a better look at himself, he would see that he looks exactly like an everyday termite. Tiny, somewhat gross, and lacking the wings that the cool termites have, the only notable aspect of his unexpected form is his bright orange coloration, a lingering aspect of his old body.

He’s not even sure how this happened. One moment, he was storming into his room while trying to hold back tears. He wanted nothing more than to dive into bed, to bury himself underneath his covers and forget the fact that he’ll never be enough, that he’ll always be a tiny blip on the radar stuck in the shadow of his mother’s past deeds. The next moment, a flash of light was overtaking him and he was staring out at a much, much larger bedroom than before.

He’s been stuck up here all afternoon.

Suddenly, the door to his room swings open. What would ordinarily be a regular occurrence suddenly feels world-endingly intense, the sheer force of the wind from the door’s sudden opening nearly throwing him off of his balance. He hunkers down, instinctively trying to clench the teeth that he no longer has. Then, just as quickly as the moment began, it comes to an end.

There’s a moment of silence before his energy drink falls onto the floor below.

“Ew!” Gena recoils at nearly being splashed by the days-old can of liquid poison. “T-Tarsus, are you here? Please, Mom isn’t happy with you.”

He wants to reply, to yell as loud as he can. However, his words don’t reach her. At his size, he may as well be completely mute, not to mention invisible. Why would she be looking for a termite on his dresser? Even if she were searching for a single bug, he’s so small that he’d almost assuredly be overlooked anyway.

“Gena, please! I’m right here!”

Gena stands still for a moment, carefully scanning the room for any sign of movement. Despite being by far the smallest member of their family, Tarsus notes how massive she looks right now.

“...I hope you’re okay,” she mumbles to herself as she turns to head out of the room.

Tarsus braces himself as said room is disturbed yet again by the closing door. He’s not sure how termites do it, fighting for their lives every time someone does something as innocuous as entering a bedroom. When the energy dies down, he tries to focus on himself. He’s done this dozens of times in the past couple of hours, but surely he’ll succeed this time, right? Anything to avoid his mother’s wrath, right?

Trying to focus on his inner energy, he closes his eyes.

…

“Gah!” He releases the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. “Damn it!”

Chrysalis never taught them how to transform. She certainly tried, but nothing ever seemed to work for them. She said it was due to not understanding light changeling biology, but despite her appearance, she IS one! A part of him has wondered if being half-human might have crippled their ability to transform. Having heard the hushed whispers of his sisters, he’s sure they think the same thing, even if they won’t say it aloud.

“Good job, Tarsus. You finally did it.” He lets out a growl, though the hot breath that escapes his clenched termite mouth indicates something other than anger. “Now you get to die as you lived.”

“TARSUS!”

He feels his entire body lift into the air as he is thrown back by the incredible force of his door once again opening, but now with the untold anger of a mother scorned. He only moves a few inches, but considering his size, it’s about as dangerous of a journey as he could take.

“Argh!”

He slams his head against his old necklace. A throbbing pain spreads across his termite body as he falls back onto the wood below. Through blurry vision, he sees the unmistakable form of his mother, Chrysalis, with a fire in her eyes and a scowl on her face. She bares her fangs as she steps into the bedroom, her bright green eyes appearing massive and terrifying. Her pupils become the thin slits of a hunter searching for her prey, and for a brief instant, Tarsus wonders if he might be safer without his mother being able to see him.

Glancing down at his termite body, he quickly changes his mind.

“MOM! I’M DOWN HERE!”

Yet again, if she hears him, she shows no sign of it.

“PLEASE! PLEASE, HELP ME!”

She steps further into his room, her sneer only spreading as she checks the far side of his bed.

“Please…”

Tarsus feels his spindly legs grow weak. He doesn’t fight it, allowing them to give out underneath him. His head hits the wood. For the first time in a very, very long time, he wonders if his fears might show on his face.

But termites can’t cry.

Unable to think, Tarsus closes his eyes.

“...”

“…”

“...Tarsus?”

“H-huh?”

He recoils, the voice calling out his name loud and all-encompassing. He glances towards his bed, expecting to see his mother searching every nook and cranny for a changeling that doesn’t exist anymore. Instead, he sees two massive, bright-green eyes staring down at him, the anger within subdued in favor of confusion.

“Mom!”

He tries to wave his arms around, but only succeeds in flailing about like a newborn babe. Still, the unnatural movement combined with his coloration seems to further attract Chrysalis’s attention. She stares down at him for a moment as her jaw slowly drops.

Then, without another word, she’s enveloped in green flames. Less than a second later, Tarsus is staring at another termite directly in front of him.

“Tarsus?”

“Mom, please! You’ve gotta help me!”

“How did you do this?”

“I-I don’t know! I just came home and I wanted to take a nap and I ended up like this.”

“...Okay. First of all, take a deep breath.”

“What do you think I’ve BEEN doing?!”

“Do NOT snap at me, young man!”

Although her terminology makes no sense, the phrase is a bad habit she picked up from her husband.

“W-well, what am I supposed to do?! I can’t turn back!”

“You can. Just focus.”

“I’ve been doing that, too! I am focusing, and it’s not helping me!”

“Are you really?”

“Duh!”

Chrysalis closes what little space there already was between them, placing her own termite form as close as she can get to his own without touching him.

“Are you positive that there’s nothing else clouding your mind? Some reason you might subconsciously be seeing yourself as a termite?”

“I… I…”

“That sounds like a yes to me.”

“What do you know?!”

“Tarsus.” Even though she’s a termite, he can feel the serious, resolute stare she’s giving him. “Now isn’t the time to be arguing about this. We can talk further after we’ve gotten you back into your own body, alright?”

“You…”

Her voice, while stern, has a subdued warmth to it. It’s not often that her motherly nature shines through, especially around her eldest son, but it fills him with a sensation he hasn’t felt in a long, long time.

“How are you feeling, Tarsus? You don’t have to give me the details, just be honest.”

“I…” He closes his eyes again. The lump in his throat slowly begins to descend. He breathes in, the air around him feeling cold and alien. A shiver spreads from the tips of his insectoid legs to the very top of his back. Finally, he speaks. “I’m scared, Mom.”

A flash of light. A burst of magic. The rushing of warm, stagnant air on his skin. Tarsus opens his eyes, a familiar, comfortable feeling washing over him. He takes a breath, filling his lungs with a greater volume of air than before. He glances down, seeing the hooves he learned to walk on.

He’s back.

Another flash of light follows, and before long his mother stands before him. Her expression is practically unreadable, a mixture of anger, fear, joy, and everything in-between shining through her eyes all at once. She looks hesitant, as though she’s unsure of exactly what to say. When she does speak, it’s in a cold, flat tone.

“Don’t do that again.”

She turns to leave the room. In an instant, a thousand feelings course through Tarsus’s veins. Relief that he’s himself again, and that Chrysalis isn’t killing him for skipping school. Fear at the uncertainty of what just happened, and the possibility that it might happen again. But, more than anything, he feels heat rising to his face. Unresolved feelings begin to bubble up, and while he tries at first to, as always, bite his tongue before he can make the situation worse, the sight of ex-queen Chrysalis walking away like nothing happened finally pushes him over the edge.

“I… I hate you.” She freezes. He can practically hear the joints in her body snapping as she prepares to turn back, but he doesn’t stop. “Everything that’s wrong with me, everything I’ve ever had to deal with is YOUR fault!”

“Tarsus.” Her head turns, her furrowed brow and glowing, slitted eyes piercing his own. To her surprise, he doesn’t back down. “Who do you think you’re speaking to?”

“A changeling. A changeling just like any other.” He steps forward, the heat within him spreading from his face to his chest and all the way down to his hooves. “A changeling that fucked everything up. A changeling that failed to be the queen she was supposed to be!”

Chrysalis turns around fully. Facing the brunt of Tarsus’s fury, she makes no effort to back down. Instead, she sits herself down on the floor between him and the door, prepared to have a conversation about feelings he’s clearly been holding in for a long, long time.

“You failed everyone. You hurt a bunch of ponies, and then you hurt a bunch of changelings! You failed the hive in every conceivable way! Even now, everyone HATES you!”

She stares back at him, her expression softening. Still, she says nothing.

“And then you tried to hide behind dad! ‘Oh, look at me, I’m all better now! Princess Twilight forgave me, and I’m gonna have a bunch of kids and live a normal life like everyone else!’ It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?!”

She remains silent.

“And now… now I have to pay for it! Because YOU couldn’t just choose one! You couldn’t commit to being a queen, so I have to toughen myself up while dealing with whatever fucked up genes you and dad gave me! And you can’t just pretend you weren’t a queen, because everyone thinks I’m gonna turn out like you anyway! I’m too strong to be a normal changeling, but I’m too weak to be the soldier you could have made me into! You’ve given me the worst of both worlds!”

He slams his hoof on the ground, the echo of which spreads throughout the house.

“I’m tired of not living up to your legacy, and I’m tired of people telling me whether or not that’s a good thing! I’m tired of being your son! I’m tired of… of being WEAK!”

He stomps again. For a brief moment, he swears that his hoof resembles the leg of a termite. Before he can linger on it, he feels an arm wrap around his neck.

“Wh-what?!”

“Tarsus. You’re crying.”

He tries to reply, but ends up choking on the lump in his throat. Chrysalis rests her head on top of his own, pulling him in close. She hasn’t hugged him since he was a grub; he was always too proud for that. The strange feeling of warmth and closeness is simultaneously comforting and extremely jarring.

“Mom…”

“You’re right.”

“What?”

“You’d be better off with someone else as your mother. I’ve known that since the day you kids were born.” She takes a deep breath, carefully stroking the back of his neck before continuing. “I had a feeling something like this would happen. Your father insisted I’d be better at parenting than I thought, but… I can’t undo the past, Tarsus. I’m sorry.”

“...”

“I’ve done everything I can to try to give you the life you deserve. You don’t want to be like a changeling soldier of old. I need you to take my word on that.”

“At least then I wouldn’t be falling behind everyone else.”

“I don’t know why shapeshifting doesn’t come as naturally to you kids as it does other changelings. I just don’t.”

She pulls away, locking eyes with him once more. He notices that her eyes are misty, but unlike his own, her tears aren’t making their way down her cheeks.

“But today, you did exactly that.”

“Yeah, and for what?”

“Tarsus, look at me.” She grabs both of his cheeks, forcing him to gaze directly at her. “You. Just. Shapeshifted. That means it can be done. And you’ll do it again.”

“And if I get stuck?”

“I’ll be there to help you.”

“...Mom?”

“Hm?”

“I… I didn’t…”

“You don’t need to say it, Tarsus. I don’t know what’s going on at that school of yours, but I trust that you’re smart enough - strong enough - to handle it. That you’ll do the right thing.”

“...”

“And if not, you’ve got us to help you through it. Even if your problems are my fault.”

“They’re not,” he whispers. His gaze falls to the ground as he deflates in front of her. “They’re not.” He repeats himself, like a mantra he needs to convince himself of. “Just leave me alone for a while, okay?”

“...Very well. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.”

She shuffles out of his room, glancing back only once before shutting the door. Feeling a sense of twisted humor at knowing that said door is no longer capable of killing him, Tarsus finally lies down.

For the first time in many years, his tears run freely.

Author's Note

Big thank you to Mikkybun for the incredible art, and another thank you to DarthBall for pre-reading!

Roll Call

Author's Note

Hello everyone!

Much like "Sunshine and Tia," this story is an avenue through which I plan to write a bunch of one-shots following Anon, Chrysalis, and their family. Each chapter is a self-contained one-shot with a focus on humor and slice-of-life-style coziness. Feel free to dive into any given chapter as you please!

Because this is where I'll be putting all future stories of this ilk, it is marked as "Incomplete." However, there isn't going to be a major ongoing narrative, so there's no need to worry about that.

With that said, I hope you all enjoy!

EDIT: You can also check out artwork of the changeling children here: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1036571/look-at-these-buggos

Roll Call

Anon’s eyes slowly drift open. He could have sworn he felt something just now. He smacks his lips together as he rolls over before squinting at the alarm clock on his nightstand. Sure enough, he doesn’t have to wake up for the better part of an hour. Allowing a yawn to escape him, he shuffles back into a comfortable position and closes his eyes once more.

Only to immediately be awoken again by the entire house shaking.

“Ugh, not again,” he mumbles as he finally begins rolling out of bed.

After quickly stumbling into the closet and halfheartedly throwing some clothes on, he trudges out of the bedroom and down the hall. Just as he reaches the stairs leading down to the ground floor of his home, he hears voices coming from below.

“Gotcha!”

“Let go!”

“Not until you say ‘uncle!’”

“Over my dead body!”

“That can be arranged.”

“Terga!”

“Both of you stop, you’re gonna wake dad up!”

Anon sighs as he begins descending the steps.

“Alright, what’s going on?!”

His voice booms throughout the house. All at once, the arguing voices fall silent. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, he turns into the spacious living room. Slowly, he looks over the entire room, identifying that nothing is broken before finally acknowledging the five colorful changeling children glancing everywhere but at him, beads of anxious sweat dripping from all of their foreheads.

Sitting calmly on the sofa is Seta, a green changeling with bright blue eyes. She’s the largest of the group, and she’s the eldest sibling by a whole twenty minutes. She’s also a hopeless romantic that dreams of finding a star-crossed lover like in her favorite novels, but has difficulty doing so with her sharp tongue and sarcastic attitude.

Sitting on the floor with a suspicious new bruise on the side of his head is Tarsus, the second-eldest and second-largest child. He’s a striking gold color with orange eyes, and his build is generally stockier than his siblings’. He tends to be the hardest for Anon to handle due to being easily excited, not to mention that he respects his mother way more than his father.

Sitting to Tarsus’s left is Canthus, the middle child. He’s a sky-blue color with striking purple eyes. Despite being the third-eldest child, he’s only the fourth largest. Anon tries to be patient with him, understanding that he’s undergoing a bit of an identity crisis as the middle child (even though they all hatched on the same day). Still, his penchant for “trying to prove himself” leads him into trouble frequently, made clear by the numerous bumps, bruises, and bandages across his body.

On the far side of the room is Gena, the second-youngest child. She’s a light-pink color with blue eyes, and although it’d be a death sentence to say out loud, she’s easily the cutest of the bunch. This is due in part to being the runt of the group, sitting a whole head shorter than Canthus. She’s very quiet, but also extremely bright. All in all, she’s basically the exact opposite of Tarsus, right down to her treatment of Anon. A real “daddy’s girl,” as it were.

Finally, sitting on the other side of Tarsus and breathing heavily (though lacking the bruises) is Terga, the youngest of the children. Despite being the youngest, she’s the third largest, just barely beating out Canthus and easily dwarfing Gena. She’s a deep purple with green eyes, and two faded scars line the left side of her face. Despite how young and bug-like they all are, basically anyone would be able to tell that she’s the most physically capable of the bunch. This has resulted in a penchant for roughhousing, specifically with Tarsus and Canthus.

And by the looks of things, Anon can safely assume that she won. Again. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he takes a deep breath.

“Were you getting into it again?”

“N-no!” Tarsus pouts and looks away with puffed-up cheeks.

“They totally were,” Seta chuckles with a smug grin. “Terga got Tarsus in a headlock, he tried to fight back, Canthus wanted to get involved and failed, and then you came downstairs.”

“Terga started it,” Canthus mumbles.

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Quiet, all of you.” Anon tries to stand firm, but Tarsus, Canthus, and Terga continue to bicker. He glances at his remaining two daughters, who just give him a shrug. With a sigh, he steps into the living room proper and lifts both Tarsus and Terga by the backs of their necks. They attempt to slap at each other, forcing Anon to keep them far apart. “Will you–”

“You can try to fight me all you want, it’s not gonna make you any bigger than I am!”

“Size doesn’t mean a thing when you can’t use it, loser!”

“Shut up!” It isn’t until Anon yells that the bickering siblings finally fall silent again. “Neither of you are getting breakfast.” He glances at the floor, where Canthus sheepishly looks away. “Same goes for you, Cant.”

“N-no! Please!”

“You all have to stop fighting like this in the living room.” Anon bites his tongue before saying more. If it were up to him they wouldn’t fight at all, but if his wife is to be believed, fighting is both natural and healthy for growing changelings. “At least take it outside.”

“Whatever,” Tarsus mumbles while crossing his arms. “Mom would be fine with it.”

“Well, mom isn’t here right now, so what I say goes.” Anon drops both of them, causing them to furiously flap their wings as they approach the ground. They can all fly, but they’re not very good at it yet. “Seta? Gena?”

“Hm?” Gena’s voice is quiet, but it’s the first he’s heard from her all morning.

“I’m making omelets. Sit tight.”

“Noooooooo!” Canthus sobs from the ground. Is it a bit mean to make their favorite breakfast when three out of five of them aren’t allowed to eat it? Probably, but that’s what makes it a punishment.

Breakfast was quiet and a bit awkward, but if nothing else, Anon succeeded in keeping his children from beating the snot out of each other again. The rest of the morning goes by without much of note occurring, and right around noon, the handle on the front door begins to wiggle.

“I’m home, and I brought company.”

With a couple of excited gasps, the changeling children rush to greet the new arrivals. Standing tall in the doorway with half-lidded eyes is the dreaded ex-queen of the changelings, Chrysalis. Despite her children being light changelings, she maintains her dark changeling form. She is, technically, also a light changeling (having a loving family will do that to you), but this is the form she wishes to keep. It might be menacing, but it’s her.

Meanwhile, standing on either side of her are two mares. The first is a mint-green gal named Lyra Heartstrings, who greets everyone present with an excited smile. The second is a much less enthusiastic (but still visibly smiling) Bon-Bon, Lyra’s wife. These two are basically the only ponies that Chrysalis is willing to call her friends.

Without missing a beat, Gena leaps into Lyra’s arms to give her an adorable hug. The affectionate mare happily hugs her back before doing the same with Canthus. Meanwhile, Seta, Tarsus, and Terga all give Bon-Bon a smile and a nod, which she quietly returns.

Chrysalis saunters into the house without much care, quickly approaching Anon and whispering into his ear.

“They invited themselves.”

“I figured as much.”

Lo and behold, the two mares let themselves in as politely as possible. It doesn’t take long for everyone to slowly funnel into the living room and find a place to sit. Anon, of course, gets exclusive rights to the recliner.

That’s his recliner.

“So,” Lyra starts as she removes her saddlebag and takes a seat on the sofa. “Are you all ready for school to start?”

There’s a collective groan from the children aside from Gena. Both Lyra and Bon-Bon laugh at the sight before Lyra starts digging into her saddlebag.

“We figured as much. That’s why your mother asked us to help her get you all some presents.”

Seta’s eyes widen. Tarsus and Canthus suddenly start paying attention. Gena and Terga pog.

“Here we are!” Lyra pulls out a suspiciously small box from her saddlebag. It’s a metallic-white color, and it easily fits in one hoof. “I’m still amazed this thing works.”

“What is it?” The usually quiet Gena pipes up, her curiosity overcoming her low-key demeanor.

“A discontinued device from S.M.I.L.E.,” Bon-Bon remarks with a cocky grin. “Perfect for compressing and hiding disguises.” Lyra presses a tiny button on the side of the box, causing the top to glow with enchanted magic. Suddenly, a series of garments shoot out of the top with explosive force, not unlike the shot of a party cannon. Most hit the ceiling before falling back down onto Lyra, who is quickly buried in clothes. “Or it would be, if they could ever get the enchantment right.”

“We got you some new school clothes,” Chrysalis halfheartedly mumbles. “If you want any more, you’re gonna have to buy them yourselves.”

It doesn’t take long for Lyra to sort through the clothing, at which point her horn glows as she magically tosses the clothes to the appropriate children.

“C-can we try them on now?!” Seta’s eyes practically glow at the prospect of new (free) clothes, though she’s not sure what it is that she’s holding.

“How else are we gonna know if they fit?” Anon chuckles.

With haste, all five children scramble to get their new clothes on. Some have more difficulty than others, with Tarsus specifically having a lot of trouble, but it doesn’t take long for them to start looking down at themselves. Chrysalis rolls her eyes before her horn glows with a sickly green magic. Seconds later, magical mirrors appear in front of each of her kids.

Seta got a flowy dress that accentuates her tall stature, making her look elegant and refined. Tarsus and Canthus both got simple shirts that are baggy enough to be comfortable, but tough enough to withstand whatever trouble they’re inevitably going to get into. Gena got an adorable sundress that makes her bright-pink body pop even more, while Terga got two pairs of simple leg warmers.

Tarsus and Canthus exchange an unenthused glance, not being particularly impressed by the “gift” being clothes. Seta and Gena beam with excitement, while Terga looks mostly relieved that she didn’t get another uncomfortable dress or something.

“It’s so pretty!” Seta twirls around, being sure to observe herself at every angle. “Maybe you guys do have some semblance of taste!”

“Yeah, it’s…”

“It’s alright…”

Tarsus and Canthus continue to do their best to not look disappointed. Behind them, Gena happily hums to herself as she smooths out the sundress. Terga fiddles with the leg warmers, not being used to them but clearly enjoying them more than she would any other piece of clothing.

“What do you say?” Anon asks with a sly grin.

“Thank you,” the mini buggos recite in unison with very little energy. Chrysalis groans at the display, not really being one for manners herself.

“Well, we should get going.” Bon-Bon nudges Lyra, who is clearly having the time of her life watching the children mess with their presents. “We wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Sure you don’t want to stay for lunch?”

Chrysalis shoots Anon an annoyed glance, though he ignores it.

“We have some plans of our own, but thank you.” She stands, practically dragging Lyra along with her. “See ya later. And good luck at school tomorrow.”

A series of goodbye waves and hugs are shared before the mares finally depart, leaving the living room in an awkward silence.

“...Do I have to wear these?” Terga mumbles.

“No, no you don’t.” Chrysalis’s horn stops glowing, causing the mirrors to disappear. “They insisted they get you all something. I was the one that picked those out.”

Terga lets out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, mom.”

“And what about you two?” Chrysalis narrows her eyes at her two sons. Their new shirts do little to hide their bruises. “You haven’t been getting into trouble while I’ve been gone, have you?”

The boys exchange a guilty glance. While Chrysalis wouldn’t care if they fought in the living room on her watch, she would be angry to learn that they went against their father’s wishes. Their eyes shift from each other over to Anon, who stares at them for a quiet moment before sighing.

“I stopped them before anything got out of hand,” he lies.

“...Alright. Good.” They both stand in stunned silence for a moment. Did… did their dad just cover for them? “You’d better not do anything like that at the School of Friendship. Am I clear?”

Chrysalis’s voice is so stern and commanding that all five children nod in unison. While she might not be the most emotionally open changeling, she is extremely good at keeping her brood in line.

“C-can we play outside now?”

“Yes, you may.”

“Woo!”

There’s a sudden whirlwind of movement as the children all frantically fly through the front door and into the sunny hills of Ponyville outside. Only Gena lags behind, carefully removing and folding her sundress before following her siblings. Once the front door closes, Anon and Chrysalis both take a deep breath.

“They got into it, didn’t they?”

“I made them skip breakfast.”

“Think that’ll be enough?”

“For a while, yeah. At the very least, they’ll take it outside first.”

“Ugh, we can only hope.”

“Chryssi?” Anon tilts his head, confusing Chrysalis with his growing concern.

“Hm?”

“It’s not like you to be so uncertain.”

“Well…” She lets out a deep sigh before continuing. “They might be my first brood, but they’re far from the only changeling children I’ve raised. I’m just… not used to doing it like this.”

“That’s a good thing, Chryssi. I’d really prefer it if our kids didn’t grow up to become a bunch of love-starved soldiers.”

“As would I. I’m glad that I can still keep them in line, but I’m not sure I’m… doing it right.”

Anon’s look of concern slowly morphs into a warm smile. Standing from his cherished recliner, he saunters over to the sofa and plops himself down right next to his wife.

“Chryssi, they love you. They respect you. And they’re definitely bright enough to know when something is wrong.”

“Tell that to Tarsus.”

“He’s brash, but he means well. Trust me.” Anon chuckles. “Besides. Tomorrow, they’re going to the School of Friendship.”

“Peh. And what does that have to do with me?”

“You’re allowing your children to be taught at a school run by Starlight Glimmer. If that doesn’t speak volumes about how far you’ve come, I’m not sure what does.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She lightly elbows him in the ribs, coaxing another chuckle out of him. “Anyway, I’m hungry.”

“I figured as much.”

A smile creeps across Chrysalis’s face as she crawls on top of Anon. They’ve gone through this song and dance hundreds of times. She wraps herself around him and presses her lips to his own, pulling him into a passionate kiss as she feeds on his love. Unlike most creatures, Anon cannot run out of love, meaning she has a free all-you-can-eat buffet. Even if that weren’t the case, he loves her more than enough to sustain both her and the rest of their family.

The display of passion behind the kiss is completely unnecessary, too. She can feed on his love without any physical contact at all. Heck, he’s mastered the art of quite literally adding love as an ingredient to his meals for the sake of the kids. Still, the connection is something that they both appreciate, however unnecessary it may be.

“You’re gonna get fat if you keep that up,” Seta remarks as she sneaks through the front door and up the stairs. Anon’s eyes widen in shock, but Chrysalis seems completely unbothered by her daughter seeing the display.

Such is a typical day in this household. It’s noisy, it’s hectic, and it’s certainly strange by Ponyville standards. And yet…

It just feels right to them.

Holes

It’s another calm day in Ponyville. A light drizzle was planned for the afternoon, but it’s supposed to clear up by the time the kids come home from school. The sound of the rain gently hitting the roof of the house creates an almost melancholic vibe.

Chrysalis lives for this sort of weather.

While she kept the main changeling hive in perpetual drought during her reign, doing so was, in her mind, a strategic move. It made the land undesirable and difficult to attack, allowing them to remain isolated from foreign powers. Actually living somewhere with the rain that she rarely saw for so many years is a pleasant change of pace, though you’ll never hear her admitting as much.

Actually, she’s come a very long way from her days as queen. What started as an attempt at hiding in Anon’s basement eventually became a beautiful relationship built upon love and trust. Sure, the road might have involved traumatized children, near-fatal injuries, and dramatic escapes from secret underground facilities, but they made it through all the same. That’s what really counts, right?

Staring into the bathroom mirror, she briefly transforms into her light changeling appearance. In truth, most creatures would consider her to be much more beautiful if she just stuck with her “true” form. However, “most creatures” can shove it up their ass. Magic envelops her once more as she takes on the appearance of her old self once again.

She might technically be a light changeling, but this is who she really is. It’s a remnant of a past she’s trying to learn from. It’s an appearance that strikes fear into the hearts of many, but acts as a source of comfort for Anon and her children.

Also, screw what other ponies say. She’s hot, dammit!

After briefly stretching her long, hole-filled legs, she steps out of the bathroom and starts to head downstairs. It’s pretty quiet without the kids around, but she can hear some faint shuffling in the kitchen.

“Nonny?”

“I’m in here.”

“What are you doing?”

She turns the corner to see Anon with several circular baked goods on the counter in front of him. Along with them, there are several jars and other types of packaging containing a wide assortment of food items.

“Making myself some bagels.”

“...Why?”

“I like bagels.”

“No, I mean why aren’t you just waiting for dinner?”

“Because I spent all morning consoling Terga after Gena convinced her that her yak classmates were going to eat her.”

“She did what?”

“Terga was trying to bully her again, so Gena just started making stuff up to scare her off. Kids will be kids, I guess.”

“Haha!” Chrysalis starts to cackle as she walks up alongside Anon. “About time that daughter of mine grew a spine.”

“I wouldn’t encourage that type of behavior. The last thing we need is Terga treating her yak friends differently.”

“Yeah, yeah. ‘Unity’ or whatever.” She clicks her tongue before looking at the bagel Anon is halfway through shoving into his mouth. “Why the spread?”

“Every time I buy bagels, the kids always beat me to ‘em. I’m enjoying these while I can.”

“And that’s why you have so many different things to put on them?”

“Bingo,” he mumbles with a full mouth as he finishes off the bagel. He swallows contentedly before reaching for another one. “Here, check this one out. I call it the ‘Chrysalis special.’”

“Oh?” Her curiosity quickly fades in favor of disappointment as her husband slides several slices of Swiss cheese into the bisection of the bagel. “And where did that name come from?”

“You know, your–”

Anon blinks as he meets Chrysalis’s gaze. Her stare is cold, but there’s a strange cockiness to it underneath the quiet anger. It’s like she’s daring him to continue, and as he considers not doing so, she leans forward.

He has officially dug his own grave.

With an anxious gulp, he takes a bite of the bagel before continuing.

“Swiss is a light and refreshing variety of cheese. Just, uh… just like how I feel when I speak to you?”

“...Somehow, I think that’s even more insulting than the truth.”

“The holes in the cheese and the bagel remind me of your legs.”

“There you go.” She gives him a pat on the back that’s a bit more forceful than necessary. “Though I don’t much appreciate being mocked.”

“It was supposed to be endearing,” he whispers to himself.

“Whatever you say,” she sighs as she begins to turn around. “But you should probably leave at least a few for the kids. They’ll kill you if they find out you had these.”

“Not to worry,” he confidently remarks with a proud smile. “I anticipated that and prepared a peace offering.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Look right over there.”

Anon motions to the kitchen table, upon which rests a suspicious white box. Narrowing her eyes, she approaches the box before lifting it with magic. She briefly sniffs the air before recoiling at the sickly-sweet scent.

“Are these what I think they are?”

“If I know that nose of yours, your assumption is probably correct.”

With a blank expression, Chrysalis pops open the box. Lo and behold, it’s filled with precisely what she was expecting.

“Donuts? Really?”

“Come on, they love donuts!”

“You just had to order another food that reminds you of my legs?”

“I… what?”

“I believe I already told you that I don’t appreciate being mocked.”

“Chryssi, that’s not–”

“I expect you to make it up to me tonight.” Her voice is low, almost a purr. It’s a strange mixture of inviting and intimidating, though Anon would be lying if he said he wasn’t somewhat used to it. For better or for worse, he’s going to be sore in the morning. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to do some… what did you call it? ‘Light and refreshing’ pod making?”

“You’re still trying to turn the basement into a mini hive?”

“Trust me, Nonny, it will be useful in the future.”

“For what?!”

“That’s for me to know and you to dread.”

She gives him a coy smile and a wink before disappearing around the corner. After a moment, Anon groans.

“I just wanted some bagels, man.”

Author's Note

bayguls

When You Fall

“You’re flapping too hard!” Chrysalis’s voice is firm, but not aggressive. She hovers in the air alongside her children, each of which are about ten feet off of the ground. Sweat beads down their foreheads in the hot afternoon sun. While Chrysalis looks completely unbothered, the same cannot be said for her brood. “It’s about a consistent rhythm, not raw strength.”

“B-but how… how much strength is enough strength?” Tarsus wheezes, clearly struggling more than his siblings.

“Just enough to keep you airborne without tiring you out.”

“And how long–”

“All day, if necessary. I won’t accept anything less.”

Finally at the end of his rope, Tarsus’s wings finally give out. His stocky body plummets to the ground below, but just before he can hit the grass, he lands safely in the waiting arms of Anon.

“You’re doing great, bud.”

It takes Tarsus a moment to catch his breath enough to speak clearly. During this moment, he calmly allows his father to hold him. It’s surprisingly comfortable, but as soon as his body is able to move again, he remembers his pride and rolls out of Anon’s grasp.

“Whatever.”

Anon barely has time to think before a purple blur begins to fall from the sky just a few feet away. He quickly dives towards it, his stomach sliding along the grass as he just barely catches Terga before she can hit the ground. Much like Tarsus, it takes her a moment before she’s able to overcome her exhaustion.

“Th… thanks dad,” she mumbles, not quite as embarrassed as her brother by her father catching her.

“Alright, that’s enough. We’ll take a five-minute break.” Chrysalis lands with practiced ease while Seta, Canthus, and Gena follow her to the ground with much less grace.

“Who needs hosed?” Anon asks as he saunters towards the side of the house. All of the children aside from Seta follow him on shaky legs, some with twitchy wings that need some time to recover from their mother’s flight training. “Careful, it’s probably pretty cold.”

With a turn of a knob, water begins to pour out of the hose’s nozzle. Unwinding it enough to ensure that there are no knots in it, Anon grins as he points the hose at Canthus. He is almost blown back by the force of the cool water, but he manages to hold his ground. An excited laugh escapes him as he’s hosed down, the sudden drop in temperature feeling extremely welcoming after the test of endurance his mother just put him through.

After a few seconds, Anon points the hose at Tarsus. He tries to act stoic, but not even he can hide his growing smile at being rinsed down by his dad. Gena doesn’t attempt to hide her joy, and Terga twirls in the water’s path as though she is taking a shower. Being changelings, the water runs down their smooth, chitinous bodies with little resistance, allowing them to fully embrace the cool relief it brings.

“You sure you don’t want any, Seta?”

“I’m fine,” she shouts from behind her siblings. “This is nothing.”

“You should at least get a drink or something. It’s hot today and I don’t want you getting heat stroke.” Anon tilts his head with concern as he hands out water bottles from a cooler he prepared, tossing one to Seta while pointing the hose back at Canthus again.

“I said I’m fine,” she repeats through gritted teeth. “I can make it just–”

“Listen to your father.” Chrysalis speaks up from behind Seta, and her eyes widen as she realizes that her mother, too, is sipping at a bottle of water. “We’re trying to help you get stronger, not kill you. Staying hydrated is an important part of that.”

“...Is that how you did things back at the hive?”

“No. But you shouldn’t be looking at how I ran the hive as an example of how to act. If anything, I was a perfect example of how to do everything wrong.”

“You made strong soldiers, though.”

“I did. And they’re still paying the price for my decisions to this day.”

Chrysalis’s voice is low, quiet, almost melancholic. Seta blinks. She rarely hears her mother speak like this, and she almost never mentions what life was like back when she ruled the hive.

“I… I’m still–”

“Tired and thirsty?”

“...”

“Go get a drink.”

After hesitating for a moment, Seta sighs.

“Fine.”

Unfortunately for her, she barely has time to turn around before she’s blasted in the face with a jet of ice-cold water. Her legs lock up and her wings remain frozen in an outstretched position. After a moment, her wide eyes begin to burn with fury.

“DAD!”

Anon and the rest of her siblings laugh as he continues to hose her down. Lowering her head, Seta begrudgingly walks towards him and accepts a bottle of water. After a few seconds, he decides that she’s had enough and goes right back to aiming at Gena. Seta says nothing.

Her pride won’t let her admit that it felt pretty good.

After a few minutes pass and everyone has time to hydrate and regain strength in their wings, Chrysalis whistles. Knowing that that’s their cue, the children all take their positions before jumping into the air and taking to the sky once more. As usual, some struggle more than others. Terga lags behind a bit, and Tarsus is the last to make it to the proper height. Eventually, however, they’re all back in the air as Chrysalis gives them orders and advice to help them fly more efficiently.

After nearly half an hour, another changeling plummets to the ground. Surprisingly, it isn’t Tarsus, nor is it Terga. Instead, it’s the tall, green form of Seta that gives out first. Unlike her siblings, however, she doesn’t fall in a standing position. Rather, her form goes completely limp, and the result is her plummeting much faster than they did.

She closes her eyes as she falls to the ground. She’s embarrassed, sure, but she’s also ashamed of herself. She’s not obsessed with being the largest of her siblings like they are. Heck, she’s not even particularly interested in impressing her parents like Tarsus or Gena.

She just wants to feel competent.

Expecting the ground to hit her after the brief instant it takes for her to plummet out of the air, she’s taken aback when she lands on something soft. Finally opening her eyes, she sees the large form of her father face down on the grass below her. Somehow, she landed on his back.

“Dad?”

“Don’t worry. I gotcha.” His voice is muffled due to being face down in the grass, not to mention how winded he is from placing himself between his daughter and the ground. “You were going a bit too fast for me to catch you properly, but hopefully this is good enough.”

“Are you okay?!”

“I’m good,” he wheezes as he shuffles onto his knees. “How are you?”

“I’m… I’m fine.”

“Seta.” Once again, Chrysalis’s voice is firm as she lands next to her daughter. The rest of the children remain in the air, but they look down at their older sister with intrigue. “This is the key difference that makes our family better than the old hive.”

“...Wh-what do you mean?”

“When you fall, you’ll have us to catch you.” Anon grins.

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Chrysalis whispers as she places a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder. “Now, are you ready to try again, or do you need more rest?”

“...I-I think I can go again.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Seta awkwardly clears her throat before glancing between her parents. “Just, uh… stay below me on my way up. Please?”

Anon chuckles.

“Sure thing. Good luck up there.”

With a smile and a nod, Seta leaps into the air one more time, somehow feeling more energized than before. Her mother follows her up, and the next thing she knows, she’s right there alongside her siblings once again. Chrysalis stifles a smile as she watches her eldest daughter confidently hover in the air next to her.

She’s finally learned the real lesson.

Author's Note

Chryssi is trying as hard as she can to be a good mom. :fluttershbad:

Student Teacher

“Tarsus, what’s this about?”

Canthus and his older brother huddle together in a quiet corner of the School of Friendship library. Classes just ended for the day, so while the halls are filled with bustling, excited students, the library is mostly empty. Still, a few stray students are seated at individual tables or looking through the countless bookshelves, likely preparing for all sorts of homework.

“First of all, keep your voice down.” Tarsus’s voice is a whisper, though he speaks firmly and with a slight aggressive demeanor in an attempt to replicate his mother’s commanding nature. “Second of all, do you have any classes with Ocellus?”

“Miss Ocellus? Isn’t she a student teacher this semester?”

“I’ll take that as a no.” Tarsus clicks his tongue and glances to the side in annoyance. “Dang it. I thought you might be able to help me out here.”

“What’s wrong?”

“She hates us, Canthus.”

“Sh-she does?”

“Yeah. Ever since the semester started, she’s been looking down on me. Every time I start paying attention, she’s glaring at me or calling on me when she knows damn well I don’t know the answer.”

“Probably because you don’t pay attention in class.”

“No!” Tarsus winces at his own accidentally raised voice. “I-I mean… no. She hates all of us. You, me, and the girls. Probably our whole family.”

“I thought she and dad talked a lot, especially when he’s a substitute.”

“Okay, fine. Our whole family except dad.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Haven’t you heard the story about how she and mom butted heads back in the day? Ocellus still resents her for everything back at the hive.”

“Well, can you blame her?”

“I can absolutely blame her for taking it out on us! We didn’t do anything wrong!”

“I don't think she's done anything wrong, either.”

“That’s why we’re having this conversation, Cant. She has done something.”

“W-wait, what?”

“Earlier today, she failed me on my botany exam. For no reason!”

“...Are you sure you didn’t just–”

“No, Cant. She’s trying to make us look bad.”

“What would she have to gain from–”

“Look, are you going to help me or not?”

“Help you with what?”

“Fixing the grade! Duh!”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“Sneak into the classroom and find Ocellus’s gradebook. How else would I do it?”

“Actually studying for your next exam.”

“That wouldn’t mean a thing if Ocellus is still being a bitch!”

“Don’t call her that,” Canthus mumbles.

Tarsus groans and lightly stomps a hoof onto the carpet below.

“Fine. Be that way.” Tarsus begins to walk away, doing his best to hide a growing sneer. “But don’t be mad at me when our report cards come in and mom sees that my grades are better than yours.”

“Y-you…!” After taking a moment to contain his growing frustration, Canthus takes a deep breath. “Fine. Let's get this over with.”

“Tarsus, this was a horrible idea.”

“Get over it, dweeb. We’re in too deep now.”

Canthus shivers with anxiety. He and his older brother sit hunched together in a tiny closet. Said closet wasn’t made for much more than a few shelves, and since neither has yet to master shapeshifting, they’re crammed together in a very small space not made for two changeling boys.

Tarsus detailed the plan before they left the library. Ocellus has been teaching botany in Classroom #7. Since classes had already ended, no students would be present. However, the same could not be said for Ocellus herself, who usually stays late to take care of some assignments of her own. They have to strike before she leaves, otherwise there will be no gradebook to change.

The plan was simple. Have Tarsus, who is at least good enough at shapeshifting to replicate voices, call Ocellus out of the room while pretending to be Headmare Starlight. Then, while she goes to investigate, Canthus sneaks into the room, changes their grades, and sneaks back out before she returns. Easy.

What Tarsus failed to account for was Ocellus realizing not long after leaving the room that Headmare Starlight is off for the day, causing her to return to the classroom with a heightened sense of suspicion. Knowing he needed to warn Canthus, he was able to book it to the classroom while taking the long way around, just barely making it inside before Ocellus turned the corner. That left the two boys with no way out.

Now, they’re crammed together in a closet whispering to each other as they watch Ocellus through the tiny cracks in the door. The plan was a bust, and their new priority is to get out without being caught.

The tension in the air is palpable as the boys try to remain as quiet as possible. The only sounds are their own muffled breathing and the faint scratching of Ocellus writing something down. Every now and then, she lightly hums to herself with a smile on her face. It’d be pleasant if they weren’t in so much danger.

Finally, after literal eons (seven minutes) of waiting, Ocellus nods to herself. Tarsus and Canthus look on with newfound hope as she stands from her desk, tosses her belongings into her saddlebag, and trots towards the exit. While they can’t quite see that far, they do hear the door open and close. After hearing nothing at all for a few seconds, they nod to each other.

With a sigh of relief, both children press on the door and stumble forward. Tarsus catches himself, but Canthus falls to the floor with shaky legs. After taking a moment to stretch, they both begin to giggle.

“Well, that was an awful idea.”

“Yeah, your awful idea.” Canthus slowly gets back on his hooves. “Ugh, I don’t know why I bother listening to you. Miss Ocellus has been nothing but nice to me since the semester started.”

“Then she’s faking it. She hates all of us, and me most of all. You’ll see.”

“I think I’ll just stick to studying. Gosh, this was stupid.”

“You’d better not tell anyone about it.”

“Or what?” Both of them suddenly freeze as their eyes go wide. “Really, I’m interested to hear what you’ll do to poor Canthus.”

With a slow turn of their heads, they find themselves face-to-face with Ocellus herself. A strangely intimidating smile is spread across her face as she stands next to the door.

“Wh-when did you come back?”

“I never left.” She lets out a quiet chuckle before continuing. “I knew you two were in there the whole time. You’re really, really bad at whispering. Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t notice me standing here before I spoke up.”

“M-Miss Ocellus, is it true?”

“Hm? Is what true, Canthus?”

“Do you hate our family?”

“...” Ocellus stares at Canthus in silence for a long, tense moment. Her gaze slowly shifts to Tarsus, then back to Canthus again. Finally, she lets out a long sigh. “No, Canthus. I do not hate your family.”

“B-but Mom–”

“Don’t misunderstand me. I hold no love for Chrysalis.” Her voice is firm and serious, but beneath her stern demeanor, there’s a warmth that both boys can feel. “That said, you children have never done anything wrong. I’m not going to judge you for who your mother is.”

“Erm…”

Canthus fiddles awkwardly as his gaze falls to the floor, coaxing another chuckle out of Ocellus. With a kind smile, she reaches out a hoof and pats him on the head.

“I’m sorry if my history with your mother makes you boys uncomfortable. It was never my intention to make you feel unwanted.”

“N-no, I never said that! Miss Ocellus, you’re really nice!”

“Haha! Thank you, Canthus, but you’re not even in my class!”

“I sure don’t feel wanted,” Tarsus grumbles.

“Tarsus, it’s not my fault you fall asleep during my lectures and don't study for your exams.”

“N-no! There’s no way that grade was correct!”

“You do know it’s called ‘foal’s breath’ and not ‘fool’s breath,’ right?”

“It… is?” Tarsus’s golden face quickly turns beet red as he looks down at the floor. “Uhh… hehe. Oops?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Ocellus. We shouldn’t have made assumptions about you, and we shouldn’t have tried to cheat!”

“It’s alright, Canthus. I think there was a lesson to be learned here.”

“To not believe a word that comes out of my brother’s mouth?”

“Hah! Not quite what I was going for, but that seems like a good lesson to learn!” With a sly grin, she turns back to Tarsus. “Now, then. Tarsus.” Her voice lowers, and the air in the room suddenly seems to grow cold. “You knew full well that I care about you children, didn’t you?” Sweat begins to form on Tarsus’s brow, and he does everything in his power to avoid looking at his teacher. “You tried to trick your brother into helping you cheat.”

“Uhh…”

“I’ll be seeing you in detention tomorrow.”

“...” Tarsus lets out a very, very deep breath. “Damn it.”

“Make that the next two days.”

Canthus snickers at his brother’s misfortune as he hastily makes his way to the door.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Ocellus!”

“Goodbye, Canthus!” With a cold smile, she wordlessly manages to coax Tarsus out of the room as well. “Goodbye, Tarsus!”

Once the door shuts behind them, she chuckles to herself one last time.

“I think they’re gonna be alright.”

Vulnerable

Gena’s eyes flutter open. With a tiny groan, she rubs at her blue eyes before glancing at the clock on her nightstand. It’s almost 2:00 A.M., so why did she wake up? She’s always been a light sleeper, but not even she just wakes up for no reason.

Focusing on the quiet darkness of the house, she barely hears an unintelligible whisper come from downstairs. A few seconds later, that whisper is followed by the distinct sound of the front door opening and then closing again, with whoever is stepping outside intentionally trying to do so gently and quietly.

This, of course, only further piques her curiosity. If past experience is anything to go by, someone heading out the door at this hour means trouble. More than likely, it’s Tarsus or Terga getting up to something again. With an aggravated sigh, she throws the covers off of her small body and steps outside of her bedroom.

Her first instinct is to go tell her parents. However, as she looks at their closed door, she considers two possibilities. First, they could easily be doing something she does not want to see. Married changelings tend to, uh… do that a lot. Her mother is no exception.

Second, said mother might not be happy to be woken up at this hour. The mental image of Chrysalis’s half-asleep rage being directed at her is enough to make her blood run cold. Deep down, she knows her mother isn’t the changeling everyone says she used to be anymore, but she’s seen her when she gets mad. To say that it’s intimidating would be an understatement.

No. The risk is simply too great.

Taking a deep breath, she steels herself. On light hooves, she sneaks down the steps and out the front door. She’s never snuck out of the house before, but her small stature and quiet nature make it shockingly easy for her to do so undetected.

The evening air immediately washes over her. The night carries a gentle breeze, which does much to counteract the humidity. As per usual, the moon hangs high in the sky, providing just enough light to allow her to see where she’s going.

Ponyville is practically silent. It isn’t a loud town to begin with, but at this hour, even the night owls have fallen asleep. Taking advantage of this, Gena closes her eyes once more. There wasn’t much time between when she heard someone sneaking out and when she herself stepped outside, so they couldn’t have gotten too far.

Her left ear suddenly twitches. Sure enough, she can faintly hear more hushed whispers walking away from her down the road. While she cannot make out the words being said, she’s fairly certain that there are two voices.

For a moment, she considers if this is even worth it. Regardless of which siblings she might be tailing, she will gain nothing but their ire for ratting them out. Or, even worse, she could get in just as much trouble as them for sneaking out to begin with. However, Gena is curious to a fault. Even if there is nothing to be gained from this endeavor, she won’t be able to sleep if she doesn’t satisfy her own desire to know what’s going on. With a defeated sigh, she begins to follow the sound of the whispers.

Thankfully, she doesn’t have to go very far. While she at first assumed that her targets would be heading into town, they instead make a sudden left off of the road. Even in the darkness of night, she knows their route to be a shortcut into Ponyville Park, a quiet little piece of nature that’s great for picnicking and not much else.

What business would her siblings have over there? Did Tarsus hide something in the bushes again? Perhaps Terga got it in her head that late-night training is another way to make her taller. Or maybe Seta is secretly meeting up with a guy she doesn’t want their parents to know about?

…No. All of those would require complete secrecy, even from the rest of the family. What would two of her siblings be getting up to out here?

Gena furrows her brow as she considers the possibilities before creeping behind some bushes, carefully following the dark outlines of whoever it is that she’s following. It’s difficult to do without rustling the foliage, but her tiny body helps with that.

Finally, she watches as the pair comes to a stop. They stand beneath a big, shady tree next to a small pond. After a moment, they both take a seat on the grass. Gena tilts her head and leans forward, but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t quite make out who they are or what they’re saying.

Then, a couple seconds later, they stop speaking entirely.

Ugh, great.

Without voices, she’s going to have to rely on visual confirmation. After taking a moment to confirm that neither of them are looking around, she takes a big risk. She emerges from the shrubbery and immediately dives to the side. As expected, the foliage rustles around a bit. As far as she can tell, neither of her targets bothered to look back. For now, she is safe.

Letting out a silent sigh of relief, she steps forward. The shade of that big tree blocks out the moonlight, so it’s nearly impossible to make out who exactly is sitting there. Feeling impatient, she steps forward again. Then again. Then again.

At some point, she starts doing it without thinking. With every step, she’s that much closer to solving the mystery. She just needs to get a little bit closer, and she’ll–

“AHH!”

The creature sitting right in front of her reacts without warning. Its head silently rotates a full 180 degrees, its large, green eyes that seem to pierce the darkness immediately locking onto her own. Gena falls onto the grass below in shock, but even through her now rapidly beating heart and strained breathing, something clicks when she looks into those eyes.

“M… Mom?”

Chrysalis stares at her daughter silently for a moment before her head swivels back around. Before it does, however, Gena senses that something is off. She knows her mother. Chrysalis is a strict, aggressive, powerful changeling. She never shows weakness. She never shows vulnerability.

And yet, her eyes looked as though she’d been crying.

“We were followed.”

There’s a sigh. She knows that sigh.

“It was bound to happen at some point.”

“D-Daddy?”

“Hi, Gena.”

Both figures turn around completely, though neither bother to stand up. After all, they meet her at eye level when they’re sitting like this.

“Wh-what are you two doing out here?”

“I believe we should be asking you that question.” Chrysalis’s voice is as stern as ever, but once again, Gena can’t help but feel like something is different about it.

“I-I heard someone sneaking out, a-and I thought it might’ve been Seta meeting a new boyfriend or Tarsus trying to–”

“You thought it was appropriate to give chase?”

“I…”

“Come on, Chryssi. What was she supposed to do, tell us? The ones that snuck out?”

After a moment, a groan escapes from Chrysalis.

“Whatever. Let’s just go home.”

“N-no!”

Chrysalis, who had begun standing up, looks down at her with a mixture of anger and surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“Y-you…” Once again, the vision of her mother’s face contorted into a hideous snarl of disapproval shoots through Gena’s mind. And yet… “Something is wrong with you!”

“I beg your pardon?!”

“Your voice is all shaky! And your eyes are watering! That’s not the mother I know at all! I know being sneaky and lying is your thing, but… but…” Gena feels her own eyes getting misty, but she’s not particularly sure why. “I didn’t think you lied to us!”

“Gena, she–”

“Especially not you!” She points accusingly at her father, who simply stares back with a downtrodden expression. “Why would you go sneaking around behind our backs?!”

“...”

“...Chryssi.”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “I’ll tell her.”

The darkness is suddenly pierced by the sickly green glow of Chrysalis’s horn. Gena gasps as she feels herself being lifted off of her hooves. She’s only brought a couple of inches above the ground before she’s pulled forward. What happens next is the last thing she ever expected.

Chrysalis pulls her into a tight embrace.

There’s a long, awkward moment where she’s legitimately unsure of what to do. It has been a very long time since her mother has hugged her, especially willingly. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. What would she even say at a time like this?

“Gena.” Chrysalis’s words are quiet and, in a manner completely unlike her, gentle. “Every so often, I find it difficult to sleep at night.”

“H-huh?”

“I’ve been alive for longer than you can imagine.” She closes her eyes, and Gena does nothing but blink as her mother begins to stroke the back of her head. “I’ve done… I’ve made more mistakes than I count. It wasn’t until not very long ago that I even considered them mistakes.”

“You mean… back when you were a queen?”

“Right.” There’s a long pause before she continues. “I was of two minds at the time. On one hoof, I thought I had it all. I thought I was the most beautiful creature alive. I had an entire kingdom at my disposal. My armies were nigh-unstoppable. I was at the very top of the world.” Another pause. “On the other, I always wanted more. More land. More troops. More love to feed on. No matter what I did, it was never enough. I was still… hungry.”

Anon reaches over to place a hand on her shoulder before she continues.

“Then, I lost it all. I lost the trust of my kingdom. I lost the victory I thought I wanted. I lost my crown. I lost… well, what I thought were my friends.” She pauses one last time before finishing her story. “Then I met your father. I don’t need to bore you with what came next, but… for the first time in my long, long life, I no longer feel hungry.”

“Well, yeah. We’re light changelings. You finally have all the love you could ever want.”

“True. But I never considered what that might mean.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means that for the first time in a long time, I have something to lose again.”

Gena feels her mom reinforce her grip on her small body. Unsure of what else to do, she starts to return the hug as best she can.

“Your mother gets extremely vivid nightmares from time to time. I know you kids probably can’t imagine it, but dark changelings don’t do a lot of dreaming. She’s still not very used to it.”

“Wh-what about Miss Luna? She always helps us out when we’re having nightmares.”

“I told her to stay out of it.” Chrysalis’s voice is cold and stoic when she mentions the ex-princess. “My fears are not hers to see, and my life is not one for her to provide counsel for.”

“But she still needs someone to talk to.” In contrast to his wife’s cold tone, Anon’s voice is somber and calm. “We all do. And sometimes, those talks come with tears. That said, your mother doesn’t like you kids seeing her tears.”

“Shut it, Nonny.” Finally, she lets go of Gena. However, to her surprise, Gena does not do the same. “Gena?”

“I… I don’t really understand what you’ve been through. I don’t know if I ever will.”

“That’s a good thing, Gena.”

“But I’m here, too.”

“...Hm?”

She looks down at her daughter in surprise before glancing towards Anon, who simply crosses his arms with a proud, knowing smile on his face.

“You don’t need to hide it from us, Mom. Dad’s not the only one who loves you.”

“...R-right.” Gena feels her mother awkwardly pat the top of her head. With a quiet giggle, she takes that as her cue to back away. She does so just in time to see a few more tears begin to form in Chrysalis’s eyes, which are quickly wiped away. The troublemaker in her wants to say something snarky, but she holds herself back. “Regardless, it is way past your bedtime.”

“Why don’t you walk us home, Gena?” Anon chuckles as he gets back on his feet before offering Chrysalis his hand. “I’m interested in seeing how such a master of stealth does it.”

“O-oh, I’m nothing special like that.”

“Come on, not just anyone can sneak up on your mother like that.”

“True,” Chrysalis mumbles as Anon helps her to her hooves. “Though you didn’t quite make it all the way. We’ll have to work on that.”

“There’s no way you’re about to lecture me on my sneaking right now!”

After a moment’s hesitation, all three begin to laugh. With a smile on her face, Gena quietly escorts her parents home.

Strong

Terga groans as she takes a seat at the kitchen table. She’s up bright and early, something that is unusual for her. It’s even more strange today specifically, seeing as it’s a Saturday and she has an opportunity to sleep in.

Across from her sits her father, who sips at a steaming cup of coffee while reading the morning paper. Chrysalis had an overnight stay at the Changeling Hive last night due to Thorax wanting to keep his advisors close during a diplomatic meeting with the griffons. As a result, she won’t be home until the evening.

The room is quiet, with the silence eventually being broken by the crinkling sound of the newspaper being lowered as Anon takes a look at his youngest child.

“Good morning, Terga.”

“Morning, Dad.” Her voice is a grumble, clearly still fatigued from having just woken up.

“You’re up early,” he quietly observes with an amused smile creeping across his face. “Got plans for the day?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to Mom, but I guess she’s not here.”

“She should be back later tonight. Is something going on?”

“N-no. Nothing you need to hear about, at least.”

Anon raises an eyebrow at that.

“Should I be concerned?”

“Nah. You wouldn’t be able to help me anyway.”

“You sure?”

After hesitating for a moment, Terga sighs.

“Yeah. You don’t know how to fight, so–”

“Fight?” Anon raises an eyebrow as he takes another sip of his coffee. “What’s this about?”

Terga clicks her tongue.

“You wouldn’t get it.”

“Look, Terga. I don’t like sticking my nose in your business when I don’t have to, but you can’t just say something like that to me and not elaborate. You’re not getting bullied or anything, are you?”

“Hah!” Terga lets out a hearty laugh before covering her mouth, realizing she might wake her siblings up if she’s too loud. “First of all, I don’t think there are a whole lot of bullies at a place called ‘The School of Friendship.’ Second of all, even if there were, they wouldn’t be able to do a thing to me.”

To accentuate her point, Terga flexes the muscles in one of her legs. It’s difficult to tell due to her being a chitin-covered changeling, but Anon gets the idea. He lets out a chuckle before responding once more.

“You take after your mother. But, that still doesn’t explain why you’re interested in fighting.”

“Ugh.” Terga looks away as her cheeks start to darken. When she speaks again, her voice is a mumble. “I lost a fight to Tarsus.”

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I lost a fight to Tarsus, damn it!”

“Language.” Anon stares at his daughter for a moment, who continues to look away. Her face has contorted into a pout, with her purple cheeks puffed and her brow furrowed. It’s downright adorable, but it’d be a terrible idea to say that out loud. “Anyway, you lost to Tarsus.”

“Yeah. And I shouldn’t have.” Terga takes a deep breath in an effort to compose herself, much like her father does in stressful situations. After a quiet moment, she looks back at him with serious eyes. “He doesn’t put any work in. Just because he was born bigger than me, he thinks he’s hot sh– stuff. I’ve been working out every day to surpass him, and it’s just… not enough.”

She puts her chin on the table with a defeated “tsk.”

“Hey, you’ve been doing great! You’ve already passed up two of your older siblings!”

“Gena is a runt, and Canthus… well, even if he was strong, I don’t think he has the heart to fight me with everything he’s got. He’s too nice. So, they don’t really count.”

“I can help you, you know. You’ve got the strength already, now all you need is the technique.”

“That’s a bunch of crock and you know it, Dad. You’ve seen how thick Tarsus’s skin is. He could just stand there and let me wail on him and I still wouldn’t be able to do anything. Nah, I just lack the brute strength to break through him.” She slouches in her chair as her eyes drift the floor. “It’d be great if the gym would stop turning me away for being ‘too young.’”

“...Heh.” Terga looks up at her father, who smiles wistfully at nothing in particular as he takes another sip of his coffee. “You’re a chip off the old block, that’s for sure.”

“I seriously doubt Mom was like me when she was younger.”

“No, she certainly wasn’t. But I was.”

Terga snorts.

“You?! How in Equestria could you relate? No offense, but you’re not much of a fighter either, Dad.”

“First of all, that’s not entirely true. Second of all, I don’t mean the fighting thing.” Anon sets his now-empty mug on the table before leaning forward and resting his head in his hands, smiling gently as he begins his story. “When I was a kid, I really wanted to be good at basketball.”

“What’s basketball?”

“A sport for creatures with hands.” Anon smiles as he flexes his fingers for emphasis. “Anyway, I joined a local team when I was in elementary school, even younger than you. Heh, I had so much fun back then.”

“Let me guess. You weren’t good at it?”

“Nope, not even remotely. I remember my coach keeping me on the bench until our team was either so far ahead or so far behind that the game had basically already been decided nearly every time I played. It was… humiliating. And it definitely wasn’t very fun.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel better?”

“Cool your jets, we’re getting there.” Anon raises his hands innocently as his playful grin only grows. “Anyway, I knew something needed to change, and I knew it wasn’t going to be everyone else. So, I started practicing.”

“Did the gym tell you you were too young?”

“Yes, actually!”

“...” Terga sits upright, her head tilting as she suddenly finds herself much more invested. “W-wait, you actually tried the same thing I did?”

“Sure did. And without being able to work on my muscles, I worked on my form. Saved up enough money for my own ball, started frequenting the local basketball court in the park, and just… practiced. Day after day after day. I’d go to school, practice with the team, then head to the park and practice some more. On the days I had off, I’d be there from sunrise to sunset, just shooting basket after basket. Soon enough, I’d gotten pretty darn good at it.”

“And then what?”

“Then I was better than most of my teammates.”

“Most?”

“Most. Some were just, well, better. Faster, more dexterous, better at shooting, you name it. Heh, then middle school came along and we all went through puberty. Next thing I knew, even the teammates that basically never practiced were a head or two taller than me. I couldn’t make a shot to save my life.”

“So, what? I’m just supposed to give up?”

“...I realized I needed to change my approach.” Anon continues without answering Terga’s question. “Brute force wasn’t going to cut it. I couldn’t just be good at shooting. I needed technique. I needed to be able to make up for the advantages everyone else had over me. So, that was exactly what I did.”

“I think I’m lost.”

“I stopped focusing on trying to outperform everyone else.” Anon lowers his voice as he keeps his eyes trained on his daughter’s. “I was never going to be taller than them, and I probably wasn’t going to be stronger, either. If I wanted to beat them, I had to outmaneuver them. Outsmart them.” He taps the side of his head with one finger. “And that’s exactly what I did.”

“I…” Once more, Terga sighs. “I don’t get it.”

“Well, why don’t I show you what I mean when your mother gets home?”

“H-huh?”

“Trust me.” He gives her a playful wink as he stands from the kitchen table. “Anyway, what do you want for breakfast?”

Terga and Anon stand across from each other in the backyard. The sun is beginning to set, and Terga has been antsy to see what her father has planned all day. While she wears nothing (as usual), he is dressed in a baggy tank top and comfortable-looking basketball shorts.

Around them is the rest of their family. Chrysalis leans against the house with a blank look on her face, though the twinkle in her eye gives away her amusement at the sight unfolding before her. Tarsus yawns as he tries to contain his boredom. Canthus and Gena sit next to each other, eagerly anticipating whatever mysterious event is about to take place. Finally, Seta stands off to the side, her stifled grin indicating that she already has a pretty good idea of what’s about to happen.

“So?” Terga feels herself growing tense despite not knowing what’s happening. “What’s this big idea of yours?”

“Fight me, Terga.”

“...WHAT?!”

Terga’s eyes practically bulge out of her head. Gena and Canthus gasp while Tarsus finally starts paying attention.

“Come at me with everything you have.”

“D-Dad, I can’t do that. Tarsus is one thing, but I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Hey!” Tarsus shouts from the sidelines.

“Bold of you to assume you can hurt me.”

“I really don’t mean this as an insult, but you’re… soft! Squishy!”

“True, I’m not your mother. But that’s also not the point here.”

“What is the point? For me to beat the snot out of you? Is this some misguided attempt at giving me my confidence back?”

“If it were, you’d be able to land a hit.”

“...Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Anon beckons towards himself as a cocky grin spreads across his face. Not only is Terga gullible, she’s easily goaded. While he appreciates her hesitation to hurt him, this is the quickest way to get things moving. “You couldn’t put a scratch on me if you tried.”

“...Are you sure about this?” There’s a growl to her voice, and Anon knows she’s taken the bait. “Because once I get started, no take backs.”

“Positive.” Anon bends his knees, taking a stance his children have never seen. “Come at me.”

Terga stops hesitating. The second her father confirmed that he intended to fight, she was ready to leap into action. Literally. From a standing position, she throws herself at him as fast as her body will take her. As it turns out, this is extremely fast, giving Anon less than a second to react before her hoof meets his stomach. One way or another, she’s landing that hit.

Or so she thought.

Terga blinks as she skids along the grass. There’s silence for a moment as a breeze picks up. In front of her, there’s nothing but empty yard. Slowly, she turns her head. Sure enough, her dad stands behind her, his arms folded across his chest.

Without a word, Terga spins in place. Her eyes focus, the vivid green color within them practically glowing. If it were darker outside, they would look like they’re leaving a trail of light behind them.

With speed that would impress a Wonderbolt, Terga drives a hoof directly into Anon’s chest. This time, she focuses carefully on his entire body, watching for any movement whatsoever. The fact that he does end up moving is not surprising. What is surprising is the manner in which he does so. Just as her hoof is less than an inch away from his chest, he turns at an angle. Said hoof then glides along the angle that is being pulled away at the same speed she’s throwing her punch, carrying her weight in the exact direction that he decided. At this point, she’s already committed to the attack. She can’t stop herself.

Her body continues forward. She tries to pull back in an attempt to recover more quickly, but it’s too late. She feels two arms grab her from behind, with the elbows holding onto her front legs. She is pulled towards Anon’s chest, her back pressed flat against his stomach while her front legs are held still by those elbows. She instinctively begins kicking her hind legs, but she can’t put much power into those kicks when restrained like this. She tries in vain to flap her wings, but they’re already squished against his chest.

In a matter of seconds, she has been completely and utterly defeated.

There’s a moment of silence as everyone tries to process what just occurred. A knowing smile spreads across Chrysalis’s face while Terga’s siblings are a mixture of shocked and confused. Slowly, Anon releases his grip on his daughter.

“We’re done here.” Terga lands safely on the ground, gently flapping her wings as she does so. She takes a moment to catch her breath before turning back around to look at her father. “You okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“...” There’s an awkward silence for a few seconds. Anon feels a weight begin to settle in his chest, but the feeling is cut short when Terga begins to laugh. “Only my pride.”

“Do you get what I was going for?”

“...Yeah. Yeah, I think so. It’s about technique, right?”

“Work smarter, not harder.”

“I still want to get stronger, though.”

“And that’s fine! So long as you keep in mind that brute force isn’t going to solve all of your problems.”

“So,” Chrysalis flatly remarks as she approaches the pair. “That’s what this was all about.”

“Mom! W-would you be willing to train me?”

“I’ve already been training you.”

“W-well, yeah, but I want to do more! I want to get stronger!” She turns to Anon with a warm smile. “In more ways than one, I guess.”

“...Very well.” Chrysalis stands tall, the flippant smile she’d been wearing falling away in favor of a flat, serious expression. “But I won’t go easy on you, you know.”

“Yes!” She pumps a hoof into the air and leaps towards the sky, getting a few seconds of hovering in before falling back to the ground.

“Everyone hear that?” Terga freezes as her mother addresses her siblings. “If anyone wants extra training, you can join your sister and I in the mornings. 6:00 sharp.”

“W-wait–”

“Hell yeah!” Tarsus steps forward, an excited grin on his face. “I’ve always wanted soldier training! Just like the old hive!”

“It won’t be quite like that, but don’t expect it to be easy.”

“Um, Mom?” Terga pokes at her mother’s leg with an uncharacteristically sheepish disposition. “I was, uh, kinda hoping it’d be just the two of us.”

“That wouldn’t be very fair, would it?”

“B-but I wanted to beat Tarsus!”

“Then use what you’ve learned today. I’m not your only parent.”

Chrysalis turns and begins to head back inside, leaving Terga to ponder her words. She looks up at Anon, who smiles back at her.

“He’s right there, Terga.”

“W-wait, can I?”

“If he’s up for it. We’re outside, after all.”

“...Hey, Tarsus!”

“What do you want, dweeb?”

“I demand a rematch of yesterday!”

“Pfft. Sure! I’ll take you on anytime!”

“How about right now, then?!”

“Bring it on!”

Without another word, Terga flings herself at her older brother. He’s seen this attack before, and with a cocky grin, he puffs up his chest. She can’t break through his thick skin and they both know it. Once again, he’s going to come out on top.

He barely has time to yelp before Terga switches her attack mid-approach, opting to instead willingly fall onto the grass. With her weight carrying her forward, she slides beneath the hefty Tarsus. Using that momentum, she kicks with all of her might. The next thing he knows, he’s been flipped onto his back. He can’t even struggle before Terga pins him down. Try though he might, he can’t get that stocky body of his out from beneath her.

“I’d say Terga is the winner here,” Seta remarks with a sly grin as she walks past the pair. “Better luck next time, Tarsus!”

“Y-you got lucky!”

“Get used to saying that, loser.”

After sticking her tongue out as a playful, cocky gesture, Terga hops off of Tarsus, gives her father a thankful smile, and follows her sister inside. A few seconds later, Canthus and Gena follow as well.

“Ugh. What the hell?!” Tarsus’s voice is practically a whine as he struggles to stand up. It isn’t until Anon offers him a hand that he’s able to get back on his hooves. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You sound bitter.”

“...Terga isn’t supposed to beat me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m her older brother, not to mention bigger than her! This shouldn’t happen!”

“Tarsus, you’ve seen how hard she works. She’s been training for this. I don’t mean to sound rude, but the same isn’t true for you.”

“But she still wasn’t strong enough to beat me. And that was just yesterday!” He rubs his temple and lets out a frustrated groan. “I can’t let her catch up to me.”

“You want to try sparring with me, too? I sure as heck didn’t teach her that power slide move she used on you, but it sure looked to be inspired by our bout.”

“Nah. I doubt I could pull that off, anyway.”

“Maybe. But that’s the whole point of training.” Anon pokes him on the forehead, causing him to blink in confusion. “Use your strengths to your advantage.”

“...Why are you helping me, anyway?”

“Hm?”

“You were just helping Terga figure out how to beat me. Why switch sides now?”

“I’m not on her side. I’m on all of your sides. It really doesn’t matter to me who beats who, I just want to see you all reach your goals.”

“And if our goals don’t line up with each other?”

“Whether they line up or not, it’s up to you to follow through with them. I’m just here to push you in the right direction.” Anon gives his son a warm smile as he takes a few steps back. “So. Wanna take a stab at your old man?”

Tarsus stares blankly at Anon. From his perspective, everything with Terga happened so fast. One moment, she was getting served by their father, who isn’t even supposed to be all that strong. The next, she has him of all changelings pinned to the ground in a matter of seconds.

Maybe his dad is on to something.

With a smile and a nod, Tarsus lowers himself and takes a fighting stance.

“Good. Let’s get started, then!”

Author's Note

Is it Terga Time?

I think it's Terga Time.

A Day at the Cinema

“Take heed, Gena the Brilliant! Today, your empire falls!”

“Dark Knight Canthus, how lovely of you to join me this evening. Unfortunately, that sunset shall be the last you ever see!”

Canthus and Gena throw themselves at each other, their hooves making contact with obviously restrained force. Both grin ear to ear as their eyes sparkle with excitement. They hold the pose for several quiet seconds before a groan takes them out of the moment.

“Settle down. You’re causing a scene.”

Their ears pull back as their cheeks start to darken. They back away from each other before quickly turning to face their mother, their heads drooped down.

“Sorry, Mom.”

Chrysalis rolls her eyes before looking around. The three of them stand in a long line outside of Ponyville Cinema, which opened a few weeks ago. A number of ponies stand in front of and behind them, most of which are young adults. Those that are unfortunate enough to make eye contact with her quickly look away in fear, causing her to chuckle to herself.

“And you’re sure this is what you want?”

“Absolutely,” they respond in unison.

“Seta wanted me to buy her a new dress, something that she’ll probably use for at least a few months. This is going to last all of, what, an hour?”

“Probably two.”

“Yeah, two is the norm.”

They look up at her with big, excited eyes. She has to give them credit for their unwavering conviction if nothing else.

“Very well. It’s your choice.”

Last week, the School of Friendship report cards went out. As is tradition for their family, anyone who does well in school gets a reward. While Chrysalis wanted to use this system to promote excellence, Anon is extremely lenient with what “doing well” means. Passing grades, signs of improvement, or even just not getting in trouble are good enough for him. “Everyone has their own strengths,” he says. In her opinion, it completely ruins the point of a reward. But, she has no intention of arguing about it.

Seta asked for a new dress to show off at school. Knowing her, she’s probably hoping to either outdo one of her classmates or attract the attention of whichever guy captured her heart this month. While Chrysalis isn’t looking forward to going shopping for that, she’ll at least have Anon’s help.

Meanwhile, Tarsus and Terga are not getting a reward. Tarsus is failing half of his classes and has been getting detention after detention for attempts at cheating. Terga’s grades are doing okay, but she got a temporary suspension for getting into a fight. While both Chrysalis and Anon suspect that there’s more to that story, she refuses to talk about it. In fact, she herself said to not give her a reward. Anon was concerned, but Chrysalis didn’t press any further.

That just leaves Canthus and Gena, who were very adamant about coming to the cinema. Today, specifically.

“What’s so special about this movie?”

“It’s a spinoff of Legend of the Intergalactic Champions! It explains what happened to Captain Stargate when he was separated from the rest of the crew during their journey to Hoxxes IV!” Canthus is practically shaking with excitement as he enthusiastically explains the premise of the film.

“And it wasn’t in the books!” Gena is just as excited as her older brother. “The advertisements kept saying that they’re including a super-secret new villain, too! Ahh, it’s gonna be so cool!”

The siblings can hardly sit still as the line slowly creeps forward. Chrysalis looks on, completely unimpressed.

“I still don’t see the appeal of these ‘films.’”

“Don’t worry, Mom. You’ll totally get it once we’re inside!”

“Why did I have to come with you, again?”

“Because minors need to have a guardian with them.” Canthus clicks his tongue. “Apparently space swords are ‘too violent’ for children.”

“And Dad has the flu,” Gena adds. “But they’re only showing the movie today, so it had to be you.”

After remaining silent for a moment, Chrysalis sighs.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

Finally, the three of them are able to enter the building. It’s a small cinema, and with movies of this caliber still being a fairly new technology in Equestria, there’s only ever one movie playing at a time. Still, thanks to how new the building is, it’s very clean. Even the concession stand looks pristine, much to Chrysalis’s dismay as her two children practically drag her into the line for popcorn. The smell is almost overwhelming for her sensitive nose, but she does her best to not show her disdain.

Eventually, they’re able to make it to their seats near the back of the room. They got their tickets later than most, so while said seats aren’t particularly desirable, they’ll do the job just fine. Chrysalis nearly trips over herself in the darkness, but she’s able to play it cool along the way.

“Oh boy, the advertisements are starting!”

“Advertisements?”

“Yeah, they like to show off upcoming movies before starting the one we’re here to watch.”

“What? That’s ridiculous. We already bought our tickets. Why should we be advertised to if they already have our money?”

“Uhh… I dunno.”

Chrysalis sighs once again as the advertisements roll. She’s completely uninterested in the showings. There’s some sort of detective movie, a shitty documentary about the Flim Flam brothers (made by Flim Flam Pictures, of course), and even a theatrical adaptation of the Power Ponies. The PCU, they’re calling it.

Finally, the lights in the room dim. Canthus and Gena excitedly lean forward while munching on their popcorn. Chrysalis leans back and watches on with a bored expression. Resting her head on one hoof, she prepares herself for what is sure to be a complete waste of time.

“So, it was you the whole time.”

“Hah hah hah! That’s right, Stargate! There never was a Princess Skyla! From the very beginning, it was ME!” Canthus and Gena watch with bated breath, their eyes glued to the screen. There’s a flash of green light as Princess Skyla of Compuscant slowly begins to shapeshift, her beautiful, graceful form slowly becoming dark and disfigured. Her lovely blue eyes turn sickly green, and she begins to cackle as her true form is revealed. “Space Empress Chrysalis!”

Canthus and Gena freeze, their eyes as wide as can be. They both feel their hooves run cold. Slowly, they turn to look at their mother. To their surprise, there isn't a hint of anger on her face. She isn’t wearing her iconic nonplussed expression, nor does she look bored. Instead, she, too, has her eyes glued to the screen, her back arched as she is subconsciously leaning forward. The two siblings share a glance, shrug, and turn back to the screen, now taken out of the experience a little as they watch an actor (who isn’t even a real changeling) impersonate their mother.

Is that even legal?

“You knew?”

“Of course I did. And though it was brief, I shall never forget the time we spent together, Chryssi.”

“Oh, Stargate!”

Canthus and Gena cringe as the two characters on screen passionately lock lips. Once again, they slowly turn to look at their mother. Immediately, their jaws drop.

Chrysalis is still leaning forward. She holds a hoof over her mouth, but she seems practically frozen in place. Thanks to the light of the movie, they can see the glimmer of tears running down her cheeks as her eyes remain locked onto the screen. Yet again, they share a confused glance.

Meanwhile, the two characters in the movie share dramatic parting words as Stargate closes the airlock, flinging himself into the depths of space to save Space Empress Chrysalis’s life. The Empress watches tearfully as her lover disappears into the dark expanse, never to be seen again.

The lights in the theater slowly turn back on as the dramatic music swells, indicating the movie’s end. The credits start to roll, and the audience cheers and applauds. After wiping the tears from her cheeks, Chrysalis claps right along with them.

Canthus and Gena remain perfectly still.

“So, was it everything you expected?” Now outside the cinema, Chrysalis has returned to her usual, stoic self.

“Well…”

“Kinda?”

“Hm. Perhaps you’ll pick something else the next time your report cards come in, then.”

The two children slowly walk behind their mother. The sun is setting below the horizon, and Ponyville has gotten much quieter than when they entered the cinema. Once more, they share a glance before Canthus clears his throat.

“S-so, Mom. What, uh, what did you think of the movie?”

“Ugh. It was a complete waste of time, if you ask me.”

“W-well, I guess it was… unexpected.”

“And putting the twist that Stargate survived after the credits had already rolled was an awful decision. I sure hope someone got fired for that blunder.”

“Um…” Gena’s voice is quiet and shaky. “Wh-what did you think of the villain?”

“Terrible. If they wanted me in the movie, they could have just asked. She didn’t even get my cackle right.” Chrysalis turns back to her children, a sneer on her face. “Do you have any idea how important it is for a queen to have a satisfyingly intimidating cackle? Some actress that mare was.”

“So… you didn’t like the movie?”

“I’d sooner read a book. It takes a lot more than that to get a response out of me.”

One last time, Canthus and Gena share a glance that says more than words ever could.

“Well, thanks for taking us, Mom.”

“Y-yeah. Thank you.”

“Hmph. Thank your father for being sick.”

“You did still agree to come. We really didn’t think you would. I-it was nice to spend the afternoon with you.”

Gena says nothing, but she nods at Canthus’s words.

“...Well.” Chrysalis clears her throat. “We should get home. With your father out of commission, I suppose I will have to make dinner.”

Although she says nothing more, Canthus and Gena swear that their mother walks the rest of the way home with a bit more energy than usual.

What an… interesting day at the cinema.

Isn't Dad a Mammal? (The Hatching - Part 1)

“I know that what you just heard was a lot to take in, so don’t feel ashamed if you need a few moments to process it all. That said, are there any questions?”

Fluttershy looks across the thirty or so students in the classroom before her. A single bead of sweat rolls down her cheek as she observes their expressions, which range from shocked to confused to disgusted to… well, clearly holding in laughter. She had expected as much, and she hasn’t really been looking forward to this unit. On the blackboard behind her, big, bold lettering spells out “REPRODUCTION - MAMMALS.” Beneath it are a few key points on what classifies a mammal and how they reproduce.

“...Very well, then. I hope today’s lecture was insightful. W-we won’t be covering any of this on the final, so absorb the information as you will.” As she opens her mouth to continue her thought, the School of Friendship’s bell rings out throughout the building. Students of all shapes and sizes begin gathering their things and standing from their desks. “On Monday we’ll go over some non-mammalian species, like dragons and changelings. Have a nice weekend!”

It takes no time at all for the crowd of students to funnel out of the classroom. There are a few hushed murmurs and sighs of relief, as well as more than a few students popping their backs or rolling their shoulders on the way out. However, Fluttershy’s attention is grabbed not by them, but by the single, solitary student still sitting at her desk. She’s staring down at her notes with a furrowed brow, her hoof tapping mindlessly on her cheek all the while.

“Seta?”

“Hm?” As if awoken from a daze, Seta looks up at her teacher with wide, surprised eyes. “Y-yes, Miss Fluttershy?”

“Are you okay? You seemed very… engrossed today. N-not that that’s a bad thing!”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I’m fine.”

“Is there something on your mind?”

“I…” Seta’s bright blue eyes dart around the room. Her tongue presses against the inside of her cheek as she tries to find the words that best represent her thoughts. After a few moments, she takes a deep breath. “Okay. I’m a changeling, right?”

“Correct.”

“And changelings aren’t mammals.”

“We’ll be discussing changeling biology in more depth on Monday, but yes.”

“Still, the whole thing separating mammals from non-mammals is that they don’t lay eggs, right?”

“It’s a bit more complex than that. Mammals also feed their young via milk, and–”

“No no, I get that. I know I’m young, but I already knew most of what you taught. Trust me, Mom was very open about the whole ‘bird and bees’ thing with us.”

Seta shudders as she recalls her mother’s flat, matter-of-fact explanation on where children come from.

“Then what’s the issue?”

“Well… I guess I never really thought about it, but… isn’t Dad a mammal?”

“Hm? Er, yes, I suppose he is. I-I’ll admit, I’m not very knowledgeable about human anatomy - I don’t think there’s a pony in Equestria who is - but he’s said as much to me before.”

“Okay, but… where does that leave me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Dad is a mammal, sure, but Mom sure as heck isn’t. Neither am I! I came from an egg!”

“O-okay, what’s your… oh. I, uh, I see the problem.”

“Oh, do ya?!”

“N-now now, no need to raise your voice.”

“I’m kinda freaking out over here, Miss Fluttershy! What if Dad… isn’t my dad?!”

“Seta!” It’s rare for Fluttershy to raise her voice, so the sound of her doing exactly that causes Seta to immediately freeze in place, her attention squarely on her teacher. “Have some faith in your father! I’ve known him for a very long time, even longer than you. Do you really think he’s the type to hide something like that from you?”

“Well… no.” Seta’s eyes narrow as she takes another long, deep breath. When she speaks again, her voice is shaky and quiet. “I’m not so sure about Mom, though.”

Fluttershy opens her mouth to respond, but finds that she doesn’t have the right words. She thinks better of it, then decides to change her course.

“I’m sorry, dear. I don’t have an answer for you. That’s something you’ll need to bring up with your parents.”

There’s a moment of tense silence before Seta lets out a hesitant sigh.

“Thanks anyway.”

Without another word, Seta gathers her belongings and quickly shuffles out of the classroom, leaving a concerned Fluttershy behind.

Sugarcube Corner bustles with activity. Right after classes get out on Friday afternoons is as busy as the place gets, so the fact that five colorful changeling teens were able to get the circular corner booth all to themselves is nothing short of a miracle.

Seta sits in the far corner, her face contorted into a look of sheer distress and her mouth glued to a straw leading to a chocolate malt. Canthus and Terga sit on either side of her, the former resting a hoof on her shoulder. Tarsus and Gena sit on opposite ends closest to the booth’s exit, with Tarsus appearing to be the only member of the family amused by the situation.

“Come on, Seta, there’s no use getting so worked up over something we don’t know for sure,” Canthus reassures.

Seta lifts her mouth from the rich dessert to better express her sheer panic to her younger brother.

“But what are we supposed to do?! Walk up to Mom like ‘Hey Mom, did you cheat on Dad?’ She’d KILL US!”

“Mom wouldn’t do something like that!” Gena’s voice is uncharacteristically loud, garnering the attention of her siblings and causing her to blush before sinking into her seat.

“Gena, I’d have thought you’d be the first to accuse Mom of cheating,” Terga questions.

“W-well…” Gena bites her tongue, not wanting to reveal what she saw in the park one evening some months ago. “You thought wrong.”

“Nah, that honor goes to me.” Tarsus leans back in his seat as he takes a confident bite out of a strawberry-filled pastry. “I wouldn’t really call it an ‘accusation,’ though. More like… a ‘statement of fact.’”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Canthus growls.

“Come on, guys. Mom was a queen for hundreds of years, and she was a damn good one. Stealing love was her whole thing. Remember the story about Princess Cadance’s wedding?” Canthus recoils at Tarsus’s words, but no one notices. “Do you really think Dad is the only guy she’s fucked? She doesn’t exactly have a clean track record.”

“How could you say something like that?!”

“Can you prove me wrong?” Tarsus’s smug grin disappears as he glances between his siblings one at a time. Terga and Gena open their mouths to protest, but no words come out. An uncomfortable silence overtakes them, and no words are spoken for several long, tense seconds. “Well?”

“...”

“...Why are you so okay with this, Tarsus?” Gena’s voice is quiet. She’s trembling in her seat, causing Terga to lean over and wrap a wing protectively around her. “I… I don’t want to lose our family.”

“Who said anything about losing our family?”

“You’ve seen how protective of Mom Dad is.” Canthus’s voice is surprisingly stern and stoic, his expression hard and cold. “If Mom cheated on him and he’s still around, I can’t imagine he knows about it. If we bring this up… well. Who knows?”

“...” After a few more seconds of silence, Tarsus sighs. When he speaks again, his voice is also quiet, but there’s a raspiness to it that wasn’t there before. “I don’t want to be right, either. I’m just trying to be realistic.”

The silence overtakes them once more, but it is quickly broken by the sound of a straw reaching the bottom of a recently emptied malt glass. Everyone looks to Seta, who has remained relatively quiet since the conversation began. She smacks her lips together as she finally backs away from her comfort food, her eyes closed all the while.

“We’re going to have to bring it up one way or another. I don’t think any of us are going to be able to sleep comfortably with this on our minds. Agreed?” Slowly and with hesitation, her siblings nod one by one. “Alright. Let’s go, then.”

Author's Note

Part 2 coming soon!

They're at that age where they think they know everything. It's a part of life I think we all try to forget. :raritywink:

Canthus's Secret

“Oh, that’s the bell.” Rarity looks up at a nearby clock, confirming that it is, in fact, the end of the school day. The sound of shuffling fills the classroom as all of the students therein begin packing their belongings. “Ah, before you all go, I have two announcements for you.” A number of students groan at the disruption preventing them from going home, but Rarity chooses to ignore them. “As I’m sure you are well aware, this semester’s field trip is next week. We apologize for the short notice, but there were some complications getting the details of the trip sorted out. Anyway, we are ready to announce both our destination and the chaperones.”

That gets the class's attention. Among the students present are Canthus and Terga, who eagerly await the reveal of their soon-to-be destination.

“Ahem. This semester, we will be going to the Crystal Empire.”

A number of students begin to murmur at their teacher’s words. Terga, meanwhile, is unimpressed. She was hoping for something a little more exciting than some dusty old empire filled with particularly shiny ponies. However, her disappointment is quickly replaced with confusion when she glances at her brother. His eyes are practically sparkling, and he’s grinning from ear to ear.

“While we are still determining availability, the chaperones have mostly been decided. Most of the teaching staff here at the School of Friendship will be in attendance, substitutes included. On top of that, a number of parents and other volunteers that have previously consented to being chaperones were decided via a raffle. Among the winners are Mr. Tale, Ms. Filler, and Mrs. Chrysalis.”

The air in the room suddenly grows tense. A number of eyes dart towards Canthus and Terga, who themselves stare directly at each other. They remain almost completely frozen, not knowing quite what to do or say.

“Well, that is all. We’ll have more information for you on Monday. Have a nice weekend, everycreature!”

Rarity waves the class goodbye as she dips out of the classroom, followed closely by most of her students. It only takes a minute or two for the room to have almost completely cleared out, save for the two changeling children still frozen at their desks.

“...H-hey, Canthus?”

“Yeah?”

“Isn’t Princess Cadance the ruler of the Crystal Empire?”

“Yup. She’s a really nice mare, too.”

“Yeah, she… wait, how do you know that?”

“Uh… um…” Canthus fidgets in place for a moment as a bead of sweat begins to form on his brow. After a moment, he awkwardly clears his throat and speaks up once more, his voice cracking all the while. “I’ve been to the Empire quite a few times for my ‘Foreign Friendships’ class with Mrs. Pinkie Pie, remember?”

“And that led to you interacting with Princess Cadance?”

“Is that really so strange?”

“I… I guess not.” Terga shakes her head, deciding to just shrug it off. “Never mind, we’ve got bigger fish to fry! Mom can NOT go on this trip! It’d be a disaster!”

“I agree,” he responds, his voice now low and quiet. “‘Disaster’ would be an understatement.”

“...We should go discuss this with everyone at home.”

“Ugh. It’s about to be a long week, isn’t it?”

“I’m not going, and that’s final.”

Five changeling children let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Oh no, you’re not getting off that easy!”

Five changeling children let out a collective groan of frustration.

The family has gathered in the living room, as is typical of their meetings. While the children are all seated, Anon and Chrysalis continue to argue standing up in the middle of the room.

“I am not going anywhere near those pathetic fools! And we both know they want nothing to do with me as well!”

“Chryssi, don’t you get it? This is the perfect excuse to get on better terms with them!”

“Better terms?! I’ve made my mistakes already, Anon, and I’ve already apologized. I neither want nor need their forgiveness now.” She stutters for a moment as she tries to find the right words, but her countenance softens as she lets out a deep sigh instead. “And I don’t really deserve it, either.”

“Give them some more credit, Chryssi.” Anon lowers his voice, going from commanding and authoritative to calm and understanding. “They probably want to put everything behind them just as much as you do.”

“And why would they want that?”

“Don’t forget, Cadance is the Princess of Love. She’ll understand that you’ve changed. Heck, she probably already knows that. All it’ll take is a little nudge, and we’ll all be able to move forward.”

“I don’t think it’ll be that simple,” Canthus mutters under his breath so quietly that no one hears him.

“...Ugh. I really don’t want to do this.”

“I never said it’d be easy.”

“How would I even connect with her?”

“I dunno. Find some common ground, I guess?”

“What could we POSSIBLY have in common?!”

“Er, Mom? Dad? Sorry to interrupt, but we’re all still here.”

The two parents look down at Tarsus with confusion before Anon sheepishly smiles and rubs the back of his head.

“Oh, uh, haha. Sorry about that.” He clears his throat and straightens out his back, his typical smile returning to his face. “Anyway, it sounds like between your mother being chosen as a chaperone and myself being a substitute teacher, this field trip is going to turn into a little mini family vacation. I doubt we’ll see too much of each other though, haha!”

“Lovely,” Seta remarks in her usual sarcastic tone. “Our parents are going to be breathing down our necks during our whole trip. Great. I love that for us.”

“I’m just as happy about it as you are,” Chrysalis growls. “Believe me, there are plenty of things I’d rather do next week.”

“Be that as it may, the decision has been made. So!” Anon claps his hands together as his smile widens. “Who’s excited?!” The living room falls completely silent. “...Hooray!”

“Alright,” Anon shouts over the sea of the students. “That concludes the pre-set curriculum laid out for this trip. You all have the rest of the evening free to do as you please, but you must be back at the inn by 9:00! If you aren’t, you will be severely reprimanded! Dinner is being served in the lobby, but you’re free to eat elsewhere if you have the money.”

The students have mostly dispersed before he even finishes his thought, causing him to roll his eyes. It was a long day mostly filled with history lessons, though there were a few key points that piqued the students’ interest more than others. Spike showed up to give a briefing on the Empire’s numerous battles with Sombra (being sure to hype himself up all the while), Sunburst spoke about his experiences as Princess Flurry Heart’s Crystaller, and Princess Cadance even made a surprise appearance to talk about the small nation’s history and values. That sure caught everyone’s attention.

However, even as the crowd begins to thin, there is one thing on the minds of every student present. One moment during the trip stood out more than any other, and the reception was… mixed.

“Did you see the Princess?”

“I can’t believe she looks like that.”

“She’s…”

“Kinda scary.”

“So pretty!”

“A disgrace to her family.”

“Breaking new ground!”

“Ugh, is that brat really worth all this gossip?” Chrysalis mumbles as she sidles up to Anon nonchalantly.

“They’re just surprised. It doesn’t help that Cadance and Shining Armor have tried to, er, downplay Flurry’s tendencies.”

“...Hm.”

“Something wrong?”

“I have this strange feeling in my chest. It’s like frustration, only more… deeply rooted.”

“Is it because of Cadance and Shining?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I still hate them with every fiber of my being. But this feeling is different.”

“Because of Flurry?”

“It’s like… knowing that they’re ashamed of the runt makes me… ugh, I can’t think of the word.”

“Cocky? I wouldn’t be surprised if you felt some strange sense of satisfaction knowing their relationship.”

“No, it’s exactly the opposite. Like… they call ME a monster, but I don’t force my children into being something they’re not.”

“Except when you think we’re getting weak,” Terga chuckles as she approaches the pair. Behind her are Gena, Seta, and Tarsus. The group traveling together is a typical sight, which makes the absence of a certain blue-hued middle child all the more noticeable. “By the way, good job, Mom. You haven’t exploded on anyone once today!”

“That’s because all of you lovely students are avoiding me like the plague.”

“Can you blame us?” Tarsus asks before promptly being elbowed by Gena.

“Did you have fun, at least?” Anon questions as he sits on one of the many seats in the lobby of the inn.

“Lessons aren’t exactly ‘fun,’ but the change of pace is nice,” Seta admits. “I think everyone has been mostly looking forward to the free time. Celestia knows I have.”

“Oh? Got something planned?”

“I was gonna go to the mall with Gena, but–”

“Have you guys seen Canthus?” Gena pleads, speaking up for the first time since they arrived. “He was supposed to go with Seta and I, but we can’t find him!”

“He was sticking close to Terga the whole trip,” Tarsus adds, “but he disappeared right after Princess Cadance’s speech and Princess Flurry’s surprise appearance. Not sure how he slipped away.”

“Probably by using the unplanned mother-daughter argument that unfolded right before our eyes. I don’t think anyone could look away from that.”

“W-wait, Canthus is missing?” Anon’s eyes narrow as he leans forward. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“No one noticed until just a bit ago.”

“He always has been good at sneaking by like that,” Chrysalis mumbles. “Well, it’s his choice. I’ll leave it to the teachers to get on his ass about it.”

“Um…” Gena takes a moment to gather her courage before speaking up properly. “C-can you help us find him?”

“Why? He can take care of himself.”

“Y-yeah, but it’s not like him to get separated from everyone like this! He’s always so… anxious.”

“True,” Anon says in a stern voice as he stands back up. “And I’ll be in serious trouble with Starlight if she finds out I let him get separated on my watch.” He looks to Chrysalis as he stretches out his back. “Let’s go find our son.”

“Ugh, fiiiiiiiiiine. But if we bump into those spineless royals along the way, you’re gonna be paying for it.”

“If you say so,” he chuckles. “Now then. Where did you all last see him?”

“Come on, this is discrimination!”

“Correct. Villains known for endangering Equestria are not allowed near the Crystal Heart.”

“She isn’t a villain! And we don’t care about your stupid heart!”

“Watch your language!”

“Anon. Dear. Drop it.”

In a surprising turn of events, Anon is the one making a commotion in public. Two large stallions prevent the family from approaching the castle, as well as the Crystal Heart housed beneath it. Chrysalis does her best to soothe her frustrated husband, whose red face is practically only seen when he is exposed to someone insulting his wife.

“What about us?” Seta asks as she tilts her head. “Are we banned, too?”

“W-well… that’s…”

A bead of sweat begins to form on the stallion’s brow as he glances at his partner, who awkwardly clears his throat.

“You wouldn’t stop us from entering just because you don’t like our mother, right? You wouldn’t want us telling the entire School of Friendship, not to mention Princess Twilight, that the Crystal Empire turns away innocent children just because they’re changelings, right?”

“Alright, fine. You may enter.” The guard steps aside, though he quickly begins glaring at Anon and Chrysalis. “However, only you may enter.”

“...Fine.” Anon crosses his arms and scowls back at the guard. “Let us know if you find him, alright?”

“We’ve got it covered,” Tarsus says as he nonchalantly trots right by the guards. “If we’re lucky, we’ll just be in and out.”

It doesn’t take long for the four siblings to enter the castle properly. The lower levels are open to the public, and although it is very pretty, there isn’t much to see. A great location for dignitaries and visitors to get a good look at the entire Empire or host formal gatherings, but not exactly the most interesting place for a changeling teen to be hanging around.

“Where do you think he went?” Tarsus asks no one in-particular.

“Maybe he had to find a restroom and got lost on his way back?” Terga ponders.

“Maybe a girl caught his eye. Oh, wouldn’t that be romantic?! Finding love in a foreign empire?! Ohhhh, I’m already jealous!”

“Seta, I seriously doubt he fell in love within the span of, what, ten minutes?”

“Hey, you don’t know! Mom and Dad met in a basement! And Mom assaulted him!”

“Yeah, well, you try that on the next guy you decide is the love of your life and tell me how it goes.”

“That’s–!”

“Shh!” Gena interrupts the bickering trio as she raises a hoof in the air. “Do you guys hear that?”

“...No?”

“Listen.”

Four pairs of ears twitch as their owners freeze in place and begin to hold their breaths. They listen closely for any sound that might be out of place. There’s the crackling of magical torches, distant hoofsteps on another floor, the occasional door opening or closing around some unseen corner.

Finally, they hear it.

“...What is that?”

“Whispers.”

“I-I can’t tell what they’re saying.”

“Me neither. I think they’re coming from–”

“Oh! Hello, everyone.” The siblings are interrupted by two ponies approaching them from behind, causing their eyes to widen. After only a moment’s hesitation, they all begin to bow. “Oh, no no no! There’s no need for that, you’re my guests!”

Princess Cadance shows them one of her iconic, motherly smiles. They can’t help but smile back as they stand back up.

“What are you all doing in the castle?” Prince Shining Armor asks. “Not that there’s anything wrong with you being here, it’s just not a very popular place for kids like you to be hanging out.”

“W-we’re looking for our brother,” Terga stutters. “He went missing somewhere along the tour during your appearance, Princess.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that! I’m also sorry about my presentation. I, er, wasn’t expecting to be interrupted like that. It was very unprofessional of me to allow a family dispute to interrupt your learning.”

“Speaking of, we can’t find Flurry, either,” Shining adds. “She’s been gone since… well, about that same time.”

“Wait, really?”

“Guys, I think there are two voices coming from–”

Gena is interrupted as a nearby broom closet (the door of which she’d been staring at) suddenly swings open. There’s a moment of silence as everyone present watches two figures emerge from the closet, their mouths agape.

The first figure is the unmistakable form of Canthus, his blue head and purple eyes looking anxiously at the crowd before ducking back into the closet, apparently having not expected there to be anyone there. The second figure is significantly more shocking. Her coat is a light pink, her mane purple with a blue stripe. Her wings are extremely large, and her matching horn makes it clear to all that she’s an alicorn. She has beautiful blue eyes that are accentuated by a generous amount of eyeliner. Despite her cute, pastel colors, said eyeliner is black. Similarly, a black streak has been added to her mane alongside the blue one, obviously through the use of dye. Her ears have been pierced numerous times and are adorned with all manner of jewels. She wears a black choker and a black shirt showing off the logo of some niche band that is meant to be listened to at max volume. Fishnet stockings adorn her front left leg and back right leg. Make no mistake, this pony is rocking the goth aesthetic.

And this pony is none other than Princess Flurry Heart, heir to the Crystal Empire and disappointer of her parents.

Unlike Canthus, she doesn’t appear bothered by the attention at all. In fact, she steps out into the open corridor with a cocky smile on her face. As she does so, Canthus follows her with clear hesitation. Sweat covers his comparatively plain, bandaged face. He tries to appear as confident as she does, but fails miserably. Flurry opens her mouth to speak, but is interrupted by two more creatures entering the hall.

“We are going to be in so much trouble.”

“As much as I hate impersonating that pretentious know-it-all, I have a bad feeling about what my son is… doing. Hm.”

All eyes fall on Anon and his associate, who appears to look just like Princess Cadance. However, as Candace herself makes a strange guttural noise of confusion instead of saying anything, the look-a-like is consumed by a green glow, quickly morphing back into the familiar form of Chrysalis.

“What are you doing here?” Shining growls. “Also, hi, Anon.”

“Hey. Sorry about this, we’re looking for our son, Canthus.”

“Oh, I think we have that covered,” Terga mutters with a hesitant voice. Once again, all eyes fall back onto the pair that just emerged from the closet. “Though I think that brother of mine has some explaining to do.”

“Yes he does~!” Seta prances in place for a moment as a massive smile spreads across her face. “Go on, Cant! Introduce us!”

“I… I…”

“Come on, Cant. Don’t let them bully you.” Flurry’s voice is confident and cool despite how naturally cute and high-pitched it is. “Go ahead. Introduce me.”

“I…” He swallows hard as he faces the crowd consisting of his four siblings and both his and Flurry’s parents. “I…”

“...Ugh, fine.”

“Flurry? Is this what I think it is?” Cadance asks, unsure of if her voice should sound proud or angry.

“It’d better not be,” Chrysalis adds as she saunters up to Cadance’s side. “We’re gonna have some problems if this goes where I think it might.”

“For once, we agree on something.”

Anon and Shining Armor exchange a worried glance, but say nothing as their wives finally find that common ground they were looking for in the worst possible place.

“Not like either of you are strangers to problems,” Flurry retorts with a roll of her eyes.

“Well, I never–”

“Flurry and I are dating!” Canthus blurts out. The room falls completely silent as the elephant in the room is finally addressed. “W-we have been for a few months now!”

“And where did you two even meet to begin with?” Anon asks.

“Here, during my Foreign Friendship classes,” he mumbles just loud enough to be heard. “W-we… you know… hit it off. Those classes have been good excuses to see each other.”

“And why did you hide in that closet?”

“This!” he shouts as he motions to everyone in the room. “Obviously Mom doesn’t approve of it even though we’re supposed to be finding creatures to love! And Princess Cadance doesn’t approve either even though love is her WHOLE THING!”

Flurry turns to him in surprise. No one has ever heard him shout so angrily before. It doesn’t take long until she’s wrapped one of her oversized wings around him and turned back towards the rest of the group.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself. We’re super in love, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

She narrows her eyes and glares a cocky glare at her mother. Cadance stutters for a moment before closing her eyes and letting out a sigh.

“...Very well. It’s not my place to tell you who you can and can’t love. Even if it’s the child of the mare that tried to marry your father in my place against our will.”

“I said I was sorry,” Chrysalis mumbles as she looks away.

The room falls silent once again as tension fills the air. Everyone glances between each other, suddenly feeling much more awkward. Finally, Anon clears his throat as he looks to the other father in the room.

“W-well, I’m happy for the both of you.”

“As am I,” Shining adds.

“But you’re still in trouble for sneaking away.”

“R-right! You’re grounded for a month, young lady.”

“Ugggggh, but Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad! The My Little Romance concert is next week!”

“You should have thought about that before interrupting your mother’s presentation. Now come on, you’ve got homework to do.”

“...Dammit.” She lets out a sigh before turning to Canthus and giving him a small, genuine smile. “I’ll see you soon, Cant.”

She gives him a quick peck on the cheek before nonchalantly walking through the small crowd and disappearing down the hall, leaving Canthus a blushing, stuttering mess.

“We should all get going too,” Anon says to his children. “Before the guards realize there are two Cadances in the building.”

“There you are!”

Two stallion guards emerge from around a corner behind Anon and Chrysalis.

“Welp.”

“We should run, dear.”

“Eeyup.”

With a flash of light, Chrysalis shapeshifts into a green dragon just large enough for Anon to leap onto. Without an ounce of hesitation, the pair fly out of a nearby window, forcing the guards to book it back through the door they just came through in pursuit.

“They are going to be in so much trouble with Headmare Starlight,” Tarsus chuckles.

“Maybe you kids should get back to your inn,” Cadance suggests as she rests a hoof on her head in exhaustion. “I, uh… I suppose we’ll be seeing you around, Canthus.”

“Th-thank you, Princess Cadance.”

“Careful around my daughter,” Shining coldly adds, a wicked smile on his face. “I’ve learned a thing or two about ‘dealing with’ changelings since my wedding. Just so you know.”

Canthus nervously clears his throat.

“I-I understand, sir. Y-your highness!”

“Good.”

His smile goes from threatening to warm in an instant as Cadance escorts him away, leaving the five reunited children alone in the corridor.

“So… you actually bagged a princess?”

“C-can you not word it like that? Besides, I don’t really care about the whole ‘princess’ thing. And neither does she, that’s why she and her parents are always arguing.”

“You might not care about her being a princess, but I’d be willing to bet you do have a thing for goths,” Seta teases. Canthus’s face goes bright red as she begins to laugh. “I was right~!”

“Shut up!”

The siblings’ laughter echoes through the castle as they depart, their nonstop questions nearly bringing the embarrassed Canthus to tears. No one expected this to be the outcome of the School of Friendship’s field trip. However, despite that…

Canthus regrets nothing.

Author's Note

Artwork courtesy of the incredibly talented Mikkybun! Be sure to check them out!https://x.com/Mikkybun

Date Night

“A date night?”

“Why would the five of you take any interest in whether or not your father and I go on a date?”

The five children glance between one another, each hoping that one of their siblings will have an answer to that question. After a few awkward seconds, Seta clears her throat.

“Well, they say that couples need to go on regular dates as they grow older to maintain a close relationship. Otherwise, you risk growing apart!”

Anon and Chrysalis share a quick, unimpressed glance.

“Are you implying we don’t get along?”

“Or are you implying that we’re old?”

“Uhhh…” Seta’s eyes grow wide and unfocused. “No?”

The room falls silent yet again. Beads of sweat begin to form on Tarsus’s forehead. Gena awkwardly pokes at the floor beneath her. The only sound is the shaky breathing of Canthus.

“...You know, a date night might not be so bad.”

Chrysalis turns towards her husband, a bored, nonplussed expression on her face as she wordlessly blinks.

“You’re actually convinced?”

“I mean, why not? It’s been a while since we’ve gone out, just the two of us. It could be nice.”

“And leave five rowdy changeling children alone at our house?”

“Come on, they’re old enough now to take care of themselves.”

“I’m not concerned about their safety, I’m concerned about their penchant for getting into trouble.” She casts a half-lidded, extremely judgemental glance towards her brood. After a moment of hesitation, she sighs. “But I suppose they’ll need to learn independence at some point.”

A grin begins to spread across Seta’s face.

“Oh, you’ll be so cute together!”

A single look from her mother is all it takes for her to stop talking.

“Where to, then?”

“Hm. I’ve been meaning to try that new place down by the stream.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about that. Didn’t some kirin open that place?”

“I think so. Apparently, no one works a grill quite like a kirin.”

“Hmph. We’ll just have to see about that,” Chrysalis responds as she turns away from the living room with an exaggerated gait. “Come on, then. The night is young, but it is destined to die before its prime.”

“What, are we waxing poetic now?” Anon asks with a tilt of his head as he follows his wife out the door. He closes it behind himself, but it quickly swings back open as he turns to his children. “You all know the rules. Take care of yourselves, okay?”

“S-sure thing, Dad!”

With a satisfied nod, Anon closes the door once again. He lets out a contented sigh as he and Chrysalis begin to make their way down the well-trodden dirt path towards the center of town. The sun is half-set, and there’s a gentle breeze that offsets the heat and gives the late-afternoon air a pleasant, cozy feeling.

“They’re definitely hiding something,” Chrysalis chuckles.

“Oh yeah, no doubt about that.”

“Hmhm. Well, we’ll just see how they go about hiding it by the time we get home.”

Sharing a laugh, the two lovebirds don’t hesitate to close the gap between them. Hand in hoof, they set out on their first date night in a long, long time.

“We are so fucked,” Tarsus groans as his shaky legs give out from under him, causing him to fall to a seated position on the floor. “Mom is gonna kill us.”

“Yeah, if our mistakes don’t do it first.” Gena inhales slowly through her nose, bringing a hoof to her chest in the process. She exhales, stretching out her body as she does so. It’s a de-stress technique her father taught her some time ago. “We need to fix this.”

“How?” Terga, who appears uncharacteristically nervous, glances around the living room, her eyes unfocused and shaky. “Even if we could fix this, there’s no way we could get it done before Mom and Dad get back.”

“Let’s get help, then.” Gena responds with a matter-of-fact tone. “Friendship is magic, after all.”

“That has to be the most cliché thing you’ve ever said.”

“Tarsus, we go to a friendship school.”

“Don’t remind me.”

Once again, Seta clears her throat, catching everyone’s attention.

“Tarsus, I need you, Canthus, and Terga to try to fix this on your own.”

“What?! That’s not fair, what about you and Gena?”

“Gena and I are gonna see if we can get any help.”

Without a second thought, Seta walks past her siblings, scoops the comparably tiny Gena up under her arm, and waltzes out the front door.

“...I really hate her sometimes.”

“Oh, well.” Canthus shrugs as he walks out of the living room and into the kitchen. “I’ll grab a dustpan.”

“You’re actually going along with this?!”

“It’s that or be on the receiving end of Mom’s wrath.”

“...Damn it,” Tarsus mumbles. After taking a moment to fume, he lets out a deep sigh. “I’ll get the broom.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many salads on one menu.”

“I still don’t understand the appeal of salads.”

“You don’t understand the appeal of most foods.”

“Why should I? Everything tastes dull when compared to your love.”

“Aww, you’re sweet.”

A deep green blush spreads across Chrysalis’s cheeks as she glances away from Anon.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that and you know it.”

“Relax, I’m just teasing you.” Anon closes his eyes and grins while his wife buries her face in her menu. Luckily for her, her mere presence was enough to cause anyone within a two-table span of them to vacate the premises in a very fast, admittedly very rude manner. They could only laugh at the sight. “Woah. The ‘Cheesy Caesar?’”

“Again with the cheese?”

“N-no, I swear I wasn’t–!”

Anon trails off as he sees Chrysalis giving him a smug, amused grin. Slowly, his concern melts away as his eyes droop to half-lids. She gives him a wink, and he blows a raspberry in return.

Seta knocks on a small wooden door three times with just a bit too much force for it to seem casual. Instinctively, she glances at a second-story window just in time to see the curtains hanging therein shake a bit. A small smile creeps across her face. Caution is understandable for mares with this line of work.

After a few moments, the door swings open.

“Seta, Gena, what a nice surprise!”

Lyra Heartstrings quickly emerges from the doorway and wraps one arm around each girl, pulling them into a tight hug. Seta winces at first, but Gena happily returns the gesture.

“Let them go, Lyra.” Bon-Bon strolls up behind her wife, an amused grin on her face. “It’s nice to see you girls.”

“Hey, Auntie Lyra. Hi, Auntie Bonnie.”

“So, what’s wrong this time?” Bon-Bon chuckles as she leans against the door.

“Wh-who said anything is wrong?” Seta stutters as Lyra releases her grip on the pair.

“You two usually show up when you need something.” The grin doesn’t leave Bon-Bon, even as guilt spreads across the changeling children’s faces. “Oh, don’t be like that, I’m just teasing you. Seriously, what’s up?”

“Welllllllllllllll–”

“We messed up. Really, really bad.”

“So we sent Mom and Dad on a date night while we try to fix everything.”

“But there’s no way we’re gonna get done in time.”

“And since we’re here, only the boys and Terga are at home.”

“And Mom will definitely kill us if she finds out.”

Lyra and Bon-Bon share a glance before letting out a hearty laugh. A cool breeze washes over them as the sun finally finishes setting, bathing Ponyville in a crisp, comfortable darkness.

“Alright, alright, fine,” Lyra wheezes as she wipes a tear from her eye.

“On one condition,” Bon-Bon adds.

“You will NOT tell your parents we were involved. Even if you get in trouble.”

“Deal!” Seta shouts a bit louder than she had anticipated.

With a smirk, Lyra offers Seta her hoof, which she gingerly takes in her own. One firm, somewhat awkward hoofshake later, they both nod.

“Well, let’s go see what sort of catastrophe you kids caused this time.”

Anon and Chrysalis step out of the restaurant, each letting out a deep breath they hadn’t realized they’d been holding in. Neither exactly fit in when they go to establishments like restaurants, but they at least try to stay on their best behavior. Being able to unwind a bit and be themselves is always a relief.

Wordlessly, they make their way down Ponyville’s long, winding roads, letting the evening breeze wash over them. Chrysalis’s long, sickly green mane billows in the wind, catching Anon’s attention.

“Your mane is looking a lot healthier these days.”

“Is it?” She looks down at herself, grabbing a bit of her mane and analyzing it with her equally green eyes that seem to glow in the dark. “Hmm. Ah, I see.”

“What is it?”

“You’re feeling romantical tonight. You’ve been fattening me up and I haven’t even realized it. Got my mane sparkling against my will.”

“Huh! It’s been a hot minute since that happened. Maybe this date was a good idea.”

“...I will admit it’s been a pleasant evening.” She lets out a single, incredulous chuckle as she stops next to a conveniently placed park bench. After sharing a glance with Anon, the two take a seat. Anon leans over to rest his head on Chrysalis’s shoulder. She doesn’t reciprocate the gesture, but she also doesn’t object to it. “Perhaps we should make a habit out of this.”

“The only reason we ever stopped was because of the kids. I think they can take care of themselves, right?”

“To an extent. They can take care of their own safety, but I’m less confident in their ability to take care of… our… house.”

Chrysalis trails off as both she and Anon look across the grassy field before them. There, some two hundred feet away on another dirt path, is Lyra, sprinting in the direction of their house with what looks to be a shovel in her mouth.

“...Should we be concerned?”

“Probably,” she sighs.

“...Want to give them a bit more time to sort things out?”

“Eh, why not. It could end up being funny.”

“TARSUS, WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

“I DON’T KNOW!”

“HOW IS THERE MORE FIRE THAN BEFORE?!”

“I SAID I DON’T KNOW!”

“OH SWEET CELESTIA SAVE OUR MORTAL SOULS!”

“My mom would have hated you.”

“Hah! She can join the club.”

Anon is lying flat on the bench, his head resting in Chrysalis’s lap as she leans back. She gently strokes his hair with the back of her hoof as she looks out at nothing in particular, a content smile on her face.

“My dad, though? He’d have loved you.”

“What? What kind of a freak is he?”

“The kind of freak that would be proud to see his ‘boring’ son married to someone as cool as you. With kids, to boot.”

“Oh, so I’m ‘cool’ now?”

“I just think he’d appreciate your brand of charm.”

“Runs in the family, then.”

“Considering who Canthus is dating, yeah, I’d say so.”

“...I hate that you might be onto something there.”

“Does anyone have a bandage?”

“I’ve got one right here.”

“Good, now hold on. This is going to be a bumpy ride!”

Anon and Chrysalis stand before their home. They share a glance, then go back to looking at the house. At this point, it’s nearly midnight. The house is completely silent, and there doesn’t appear to be a single light on.

“Well, let’s get this over with.”

With a nod, Anon opens the door. The two gingerly step inside as they brace themselves for the worst. However, to their surprise, nothing seems out of order. In fact, it looks as though the house has been thoroughly cleaned. The floors are spick and span, the pillows on the couch are right where they need to be, and heck, there is a nice lemon-y aroma in the air.

And there isn’t a creature in sight, be they changeling or mare.

“Whatever they did, they cleaned up after themselves,” Chrysalis whispers.

“Isn’t that the best we could have hoped for?”

“It makes it a bit difficult to figure out what they did.”

“Eh, let them have their fun. I’m sure when they’re ready, they’ll tell us all about it.”

“Will they?”

“Gena will, at least.”

“That girl is more cunning than you give her credit for. If you’re not careful, she’s gonna take advantage of you.”

“I…”

Anon opens his mouth to continue, but thinks better of it.

“But… you have a point. Besides, I’d like to get to bed.” She looks back at Anon, a sultry expression on her face. “We still need to finish our date off with a ‘bang.’”

“Th-the kids are here,” Anon whispers back sheepishly.

“I’ll cast a silencing spell on the room. Now,” she starts as her horn begins to glow the same green color as her eyes. A moment later, Anon finds himself being magically lifted into the air. “Momma is gonna get what she wants.”

“H-how are you getting through my magic resistance?”

“Your love just makes me that strong, I suppose. Hmhmhm.”

Despite the low volume, a sinister cackle escapes Chrysalis’s mouth. Anon finds his face becoming flush as he is carried into the master bedroom, apparently having done a much better job on this little “date night” than he ever intended.

Oh yeah, they’re definitely doing this again.

Hiding in the basement of the quiet home are five young changelings and two grown mares. The seven of them remain huddled together in a corner, their eyes wide as they struggle to remain as quiet as they can. Two floors above them, Chrysalis’s silencing spell does little to stifle the sounds coming from her bedroom.

“Should we make a break for it?” Lyra whispers as quietly as possible.

“I think the children are in more danger than we are, Lyra.”

“If we aren’t at the table for breakfast, they’re going to be really suspicious,” Canthus adds beneath his breath.

“I think no matter what happens, we’re totally dead,” Terga responds, her voice devoid of hope.

“Hey, look on the bright side,” Seta says with a smile.

“Don’t say it!”

“At least it can’t get any worse!”

With perfect timing, a loud crash rings out through the house above them. Quickly following it is the sound of an explosion, then a loud whistle, then a dog bark, then an unknown squelching sound, then what could only be described as the sound of a car starting up despite cars not existing in Equestria.

Then, for a moment, there is silence.

“Anon?” Chrysalis’s distinct, commanding voice rings out around them.

“Yes, dear?”

“Fetch the bug spray.”

“...”

“Did I stutter?”

“N-no, honey.”

The children and their aunts share a look. One by one, they each close their eyes, lower their ears, and bow their heads.

They are so dead.

Author's Note

It's been a while since I've gotten the aunties involved. :twilightsmile:

Legacy

Terga groans as her eyes slowly crack open. Her room is pitch black, and if it weren’t for the fact that changelings can see better in the dark than most creatures, she’d likely be close to blind. She threw blackout curtains over her window for that very reason, but even if she hadn’t, the cloudy sky outside means that even moonlight would fail to filter into her room tonight. With a slight shuffle, she turns to look at her bedside clock.

12:42 A.M.

“Great,” she mutters as she sits upright. “Can’t wait to be tired in the morning.”

She stretches her sore muscles before clicking her dry tongue against the roof of her mouth. Between her mother’s training, many long hours at school, countless homework problems, and her own training taking up all of her energy on a day-to-day basis, she basically always passes out the moment her head hits her pillow and doesn’t wake up again until her morning alarm drags her out of bed kicking and screaming. If she woke up in the middle of the night like this, it’s due to one thing and one thing alone.

She’s really, really thirsty.

With heavy, lethargic steps, Terga slowly begins to make her way across her bedroom. She tries to remain as quiet as she can while she carefully opens her door, but she can’t prevent a thud from ringing out through the hall when it closes behind her. She knows that Gena is a light sleeper, and while she isn’t up to anything bad, she’d rather avoid a confrontation with her older sister. She remains completely still for some time, eventually taking the silence as confirmation that she was successful.

Getting downstairs is a simple process compared to escaping her bedroom, especially as her ability to fly has been slowly improving. It’s barely a struggle to make it down the stairs without her hooves ever touching the ground, and she can’t help but beam with pride when she makes it to the bottom. Feeling confident, she turns the corner without a care in the world.

Only to be greeted by a light source and a conscious family member.

“Ah!”

She jumps a bit, having not expected to see anyone awake at this hour. Her yelp causes the figure, whose large form is unmistakably that of her father, to turn around from the dining room table with just as much surprise as her.

“Terga? What are you doing up so late?” He turns in his seat to face her properly, the concern never leaving his face. “Oh, did I wake you up? I’m sorry about that.”

“N-no, you’re fine.” They both speak in hushed whispers, not wanting to wake up the rest of their family. “I was just coming down here to get a glass of water.”

“Ah, I see. Well, don’t let me stop you.”

Heeding his words, Terga makes her way into the kitchen and quietly grabs a glass. As she turns on the faucet, she can’t help but look back at the kitchen table. Anon sits with his head rested against one hand. His expression is the embodiment of melancholy. He appears deep in thought as he stares longingly at a collection of papers illuminated only by the warm light of a nearby desk lamp.

“Dad?”

“Hm?”

“What are you doing down here so late?”

“I had a… vivid dream, so I’m just reminiscing a little bit.” His voice is wistful and distant, but not necessarily unhappy. For a moment, he remains focused on whatever it is that he’s looking at, but he eventually turns to face his youngest daughter with a small smile on his face. “Want to take a look?”

“Uhh, sure?”

Tilting her head in confusion, Terga quietly crosses the room, glass of water in hoof, and takes a seat next to her father. Her confusion only grows as she looks down at the papers on the table, all of which are covered in what appear to be a disorganized collection of random thoughts.

About 5’10”. Brunette with pale skin. Green eyes.

Liked her burgers without tomatoes.

Taught me to play piano when I was six.

“What is all of this?”

“These are memories, Terga. Memories I’m afraid of forgetting.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Haha, yeah, I guess it looks insane without an explanation. Here.” Anon chuckles as he separates the pages into three distinct groups, though the groups themselves don’t seem much different from one another. “These are my memories of my mom. These are of my dad, and these are of my sister.”

“W-wait, this stuff is about your old family?”

“You say that like they’re not your family, too. From your perspective, these are your grandparents and your aunt.”

“Huh.” Terga pauses for a moment. Her father rarely talks about his life before ending up in Equestria. Being a changeling that is the daughter of one of the most feared tyrants of all time, it’s easy to forget sometimes that her other parent is technically an alien. Whenever someone brings it up, he usually just laughs it off and changes the subject. Though, now that she thinks about it, her blood is just as much that of a human as it is that of a changeling. Well, maybe. Her biology grade isn’t the best. “What were they like?”

“Well, your grandmother was really strict. She always wanted me to stand out from the crowd. She demanded that I get the best grades, insisted that I did well in sports, made me learn things I really had no interest in. I felt stifled by her a lot, to be honest.”

“That… doesn’t sound fun.”

“Looking back, I think it came from a place of love. She expected a lot out of me, but she never made me feel like I was unwanted. If I didn’t meet her expectations, she just dusted me off and told me to try again. I think she just wanted me to not regret my actions, to keep me from missing out on things I might enjoy. It wasn’t perfect, but… looking back, I appreciate a lot of the lessons she taught me.”

“She sounds a lot like Mom.”

“Haha, true! Though, I bet if they met, there’d be hell to pay. They would butt heads every time they spoke, and I’d probably get caught in the crossfire.” Terga snickers at the mental image of an old human woman trying to fight her mother, with poor Anon caught in-between them. “But you know what? There’s not a doubt in my mind that she’d love you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You’re doing exactly what she wanted me to do. You’re living by your principles, and you’re working every day to be the best changeling you can be. It’s inspiring, really.”

Terga turns away as a light blush spreads across her cheeks.

“I-I’m just doing what comes naturally.”

“You’re also cute as a button, so I’m sure she’d love all of you kids.”

“Dad!”

“Haha, I’m just teasing you!” Anon raises his hands innocently as Terga punches him in the arm. “But you know what? Your grandfather was the exact opposite.”

“How so?”

“He was just about the most laid back guy I’ve ever met. He wanted the best out of me, too, but he had the opposite approach of my mom. He was content to just sit back and let me figure things out myself. His thought process was that I’d naturally find the things I enjoy myself, and he trusted me to sort things out on my own terms. He’d be there to talk if I needed it, but he never gave me his opinion unsolicited. Well, unless I was about to do something really stupid.”

“You? Do something stupid? Never!” Terga laughs at her own sarcasm, and Anon smiles warmly at the sight. “Granddad sounds cool.”

“I wish I could introduce you to him. Knowing him, he’d spoil all of you kids rotten.”

“Think you can get him to Equestria in time for Hearth’s Warming?”

“Hah, only if I buy enough eggnog to feed a small village!”

The pair share a laugh before Terga looks back down at the papers about her grandfather.

“And he sounds a lot like you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Especially when you kids were younger, I found myself thinking ‘what would Dad do?’ all the time. If I’m even a fraction of the man he is, I’ll consider that a win.”

“It sounds like you really love your parents.”

“I do. That’s part of why I try to keep you kids so close. I want you all to have the same privileges I did.”

“That’s sweet of you. Now, what’s the deal with your sister?”

“Ah, your human aunt. She was, er… complicated.”

Glancing down at the third pile of papers, Terga immediately notices that the thoughts organized on them are much more slapdash and haphazard.

Kept her hair long.

Don’t feed after midnight.

Liked all food unless I was the one making it.

“She and I didn’t get along very well,” Anon admits, his voice much quieter and more somber than before. “She was loud, she was opinionated, and she was… hard to deal with sometimes.”

“She sounds like Tarsus.”

“That’s… hm.” Anon bites his tongue. “I’d rather not compare the two.”

Terga tilts her head before giving her father an apologetic look.

“This sounds like a painful memory for you.”

“Sort of.” He sighs and looks back down at the papers before continuing. “I mean, yeah, we fought a lot. And when I ended up in Equestria out of the blue, we weren’t on very good terms. Hell, she wouldn’t even speak to me at the time. But… it’s not like I didn’t love her, too.”

“You miss her more than you thought you would.”

“I do. And…” Anon rests his head in his hand. There’s pain in his voice, but rather than a sudden pain that would cause tears to fall, it’s a resolute pain, a pain that he’s grown uncomfortably used to due to years of exposure. “I think my biggest regret was not telling her how much she meant to me before it was too late. From her perspective, the brother that she probably assumes hates her just up and disappeared without a trace one day. That will always be the impression she has of me.”

“...” Terga struggles to think of a response. It’s normal for Anon to comfort her or her siblings when they need help sorting themselves out, but it’s practically unheard of for him to open up about his own problems like this. He’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, but everyone recognizes that he finds discussing his own problems to be a burden on others. Now, as the two of them sit alone together at that dark kitchen table, he’s shown Terga a piece of his past that she never knew existed. But, if humans are anything like changelings, there’s an assumption he’s making that he himself contradicts. “Are you sure about that?”

“Hm?”

“You were on bad terms with her, but now you miss her. She wouldn’t speak to you, but now you want to speak with her. After all these years, are you sure she doesn’t feel the same?”

“I–”

“I bet she misses you, too. I bet she feels just as guilty about not having said something to you before you ‘disappeared.’”

“Terga…”

“If your family… our family, was as loving as you say, then why would you believe that any of them, my aunt included, wouldn’t miss you? They love you just as much as you love them.”

“...Hmph.” Anon exhales sharply through his nose as his typical warm smile returns to his face. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.” He turns to look at his daughter, his smile genuine and comforting. “Thank you, Terga.”

“I-I didn’t do anything,” she mutters as she turns away again. “A-and I think I’m gonna go back to bed now, I have to get up early.”

“Righty-o. I should probably get back to your mother soon, too. She gets cranky without her cuddles.”

“Wait, really?”

“Uhh, don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“Hah!”

Terga shushes herself after accidentally letting a loud laugh escape her and quickly makes her way to the nearby stairs. However, just before she can turn around the corner, she looks back at Anon as he cleans up the papers still spread across the table.

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you. Just… thought you should hear it out loud.”

“...Hmhm. Love you too, Terga.”

With a nod and a smile, Terga unfurls her bug-like wings and ascends the staircase as quietly as she can before escaping into her room. Meanwhile, as Anon turns off the only remaining source of light in the house, he lets out a deep, contented sigh.

“Maybe I’m not doing so bad, after all.”

Like Mother, Like Son (Tarsus the Termite - Part 2)

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Tarsus’s eyes gently open, his vision blurry and unfocused. An almost inaudible groan escapes his lips as he rolls over in bed, closing his eyes once more when the sun’s rays pouring through his window land directly on his face.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Oh, Celestia, WHAT?!”

“Bud, you’ve been in bed almost a full 24 hours. I know you wanted some alone time, but please at least come get some food. I just made lunch.”

The low, concerned voice of Anon permeates through the door. Tarsus blinks, tilting his head to get a look at the clock hanging on his wall. Sure enough, it’s a little past noon. Considering it was later than that when he and his mother had their conversation, it would seem that he was asleep for quite a while.

As he sits upright, the audible growling of his stomach confirms that.

“Y-yeah, whatever. I’ll be right out.”

Satisfied, Tarsus watches the shadow underneath his door disappear down the hall. Sighing to himself, he rolls out from underneath his covers, hearing his joints pop all the while. He briefly considers the fact that it’s a Thursday, and he definitely missed school. That neither his parents nor his siblings woke him up, combined with his father not mentioning such just a moment ago, gives him pause.

After a groggy trip to the bathroom, Tarsus trudges into the dining room with an exhausted scowl on his face. Anon gives him a warm, concerned smile, the look in his eyes saying more than words ever could. Glancing at the table, he confirms that a bowl has already been prepared for him. It’s a simple vegetable stew. Not a complex meal, but certainly a hearty one for lunch. And besides that, it’s one of Tarsus’s favorite foods.

“Thanks.”

He plops himself down across from his dad, not bothering to look up as he grabs a spoon and starts to dig in. It isn’t until the first spoonful of broth hits his tongue that he realizes exactly how hungry he is. Anon, meanwhile, flips through the morning paper, only occasionally taking conspicuous glances at his son.

“Congratulations,” he eventually says after clearing his throat. “Your mother tells me you shapeshifted for the first time yesterday.”

“...Yeah,” he mumbles, shoveling another bite into his mouth. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I won’t make you,” Anon sighs as he sets down the newspaper. “She told me what happened. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you.”

“You always say that.” His voice is still a grumble, and he still refuses to look up from his bowl. “You always act like there’s something you can do to help. But you can’t.” He takes a deep breath, briefly closing his eyes to do so before his attention returns to the stew. “No one can.”

“I can make your lunch,” Anon argues with a coy smile. “And I can tell the school you’re not feeling well so your absence is actually excused.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Another bite. “Not really what’s on my mind, though.”

“You know, I’m not gonna force it out of you, but maybe it’d be easier to sort out what is on your mind if you told someone about it.”

“I can’t even begin to describe how much I don’t want to talk to my dad about my feelings.”

“Been there, done that,” he chuckles. “Just saying. If you need a shoulder, I’m here. I understand that you’re on, er, awkward terms with your mother. Figured it’s good to give you options.”

Tarsus winces at his father’s words. He wants nothing more than to keep looking down at his lunch, but as the last spoonful of stew gets swallowed, he realizes he has little choice anymore.

“...I don’t know what I want to be anymore.”

“Oh?”

“Ever since we were grubs, I wanted to be the strongest. Stronger than Terga, bigger than Seta. I wanted to be the big, cool changeling warrior like the ones in Mom’s old army. I wanted to… I don’t know, be the best at something. At something.”

“...”

“And for a long time, I thought I was doing a pretty good job.” Tarsus idly rolls his spoon around inside the empty bowl, still avoiding Anon’s gaze whenever possible. “But I’m not anymore. Terga has just about caught up with me physically, I’ll never be the largest kid with lanky old Seta around, I still can’t fly as well as everyone else, and now I’m not even impressive at school anymore.”

“Wait, what happened at school?” Anon tilts his head before his eyes go wide. “Oh no. Did something happen at the obstacle course? I know you were looking forward to that.”

“Everything was fine at first. I ran it perfectly, just like I practiced. I set the school record.”

“Tarsus, that’s amazing!”

“Yeah, for all of five minutes. Then Elitra came around and showed off her fancy new shapeshifting. A cheetah, a dragon, hell, she turned into Gena for a part of it!” Tarsus rests his head on the table, burying his face behind his hooves. “She blew my time out of the water.”

“Well, that is the nature of competition.”

“But what does that mean about me?!” Although he doesn’t pick his head up, Tarsus finally locks eyes with his father. “I can’t shapeshift! None of us can! Every other changeling at school can do it no issue!”

“Well, you’re not like the other changelings at school.”

“That’s the problem.”

“...Tarsus, I can’t help that you’re half human.”

“The problem isn’t that I’m half human.” He lets out a long, deep sigh, hesitating before finishing his thought. “The problem is that I’m half Chrysalis.”

“...”

“Anyway. Elitra rubbed her victory in my face. Then she made fun of me for being stuck in Mom’s shadow. I wanted to tease her back, but I know she’s right. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing.”

“Tarsus, you–”

“Just don’t, Dad.” Another sigh. “I know Mom did a lot of bad stuff. I’m not saying I want to be like that, but… I can’t pretend like I don’t want to be as strong as she used to be. I want to be cool like she was, but not whatever else came with it. I just wish everyone else could see that.”

For a few moments, the dining room is silent. Tarsus feels his father’s eyes on him, but he doesn't dare look back. What could he possibly say? He’s already resigned himself to the fact that he can’t be “helped.” He just has to hope he doesn't accidentally turn into a termite again.

“You already are, Tarsus.”

“Wh-what?”

That got his attention. Finally sitting upright, he faces Anon in earnest.

“It’s okay to be weak. But, it’s also okay to be strong. I’ve seen the way you train, even when you think your mother and I aren’t looking. You’re passionate about it, and that’s really all you need, bud.”

“That’s not–”

“And you’re right, you aren’t like your mother. She was single-minded, ignorant, downright cruel. You’re not, and yet, here you are setting school records.”

“Records that get broken.”

“But you still set them. And you did it without even shapeshifting! Let’s see Elitra get the time you got with nothing but her original body! Let’s see her try to match the flight endurance tests Chryssi has had you going through!”

“That’s…” For a third and final time, Tarsus sighs. “Thanks, Dad, but she still has the record.”

“You broke the school record once,” Anon replies with a cocky grin as he takes a sip from his mug. “You can do it again. And unlike a certain someone else, you don’t have to make fun of your opponent to feel good about yourself, do you?”

“Dad?”

“Don’t be afraid, Tarsus.” He sets the mug back down, giving his son a full, warm smile. “Keep going. And if you fail, get back up again. We’re not going to judge you for it. And each time you stumble, you’ll get a bit better. Next thing you know, you’ll be running obstacle courses in no time at all and shapeshifting into a termite at your own discretion!”

“Ugh, don’t remind me of the termite thing!” Despite his protests, Tarsus finds himself smiling for the first time in a while. “I never want to think about that again!”

“You say that, but I think Gena was planning on throwing you a party. Wanted to celebrate your first shapeshift.”

“Aw, no!”

“Better go stop her, don’t you think? Besides, if you head out now, you might make it back to school in time for Dash’s class.”

“Y-yeah!” Practically leaping from his seat, Tarsus books it for the front door. “Thanks, Dad!”

“Good luck out there!”

With nothing more than a single wave, Tarsus is out the door and halfway across town in seconds. Anon chuckles to himself while he takes another sip of his drink.

“He forgot his bag. Again.”

“Oh, hey, Tarsus! You’re just in time!” Tarsus struggles to choke out a response to his airborne teacher through strained breaths. Running all the way to school is not easy. “You’re not scheduled to go again today, but Gena is just about to take her turn on the obstacle course if you wanna cheer her on.”

“Gena?”

Through his pants, Tarsus glances up at the starting line. Sure enough, an anxious-looking Gena stands at the ready. Out of everyone in their family, she’s the least physically inclined. She’ll almost certainly get a bad time, but if he knows his sister, she won’t care anyway. Physical Education was never her favorite class.

“There you are!” Obsidian chuckles as Tarsus trudges towards the bench and throws himself down next to the eager dragon. “I was starting to think you weren’t coming back to school.”

“That was the plan,” he starts with a sigh. “Dad wasn’t having that, though.”

“You feeling okay? You looked like you weren’t doing too well yesterday.”

“I’m fine,” he mutters unconvincingly.

“Go, Gena, go!”

Tarsus’s attention is stolen by the performance before him. To his surprise, Gena isn’t doing too poorly. She’s certainly not matching the speed of himself or Elitra, but she’s not as much of a pushover as he was expecting. The hurdles give her pause, but after a slight delay she’s able to clear them, too.

“You got this, Gena!”

“Been a while since I’ve seen you this pumped,” Obsidian chuckles. “Goin’ soft on me?”

“Let her have her moment, dude.”

“Alright, alright.” Obsidian stands on top of the bench, his voice immediately booming above all others. “KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, KID!”

Gena turns the last corner, a look of sheer determination shining through her blue eyes. With one final leap, she enters the hanging tube.

Only to fall short of clearing it, smacking her face on the bottom half before she exits it completely.

There’s an audible smack as she face plants onto the finish line. The time on the scoreboard reads “2:43,” but no one seems to care as Dash rushes down to check on her potentially injured student.

“Gena! That looked like it hurt. Did you break something?”

“Only my pride,” Gena groans as she stands from the ground. There’s a fresh bruise on her cheek, but aside from it and the sweat and dirt clinging to her body, she’s largely unharmed. “How’s my time?”

“A personal best! Great work, kid.”

Gena says nothing else, only giggling as she politely exits the field and allows Dash to turn her attention to the next student. She locks eyes with Tarsus, and the pair smile at each other.

“Hey, dude.” Her voice is low, almost hesitant as she approaches the bench. “You actually came to school today?”

“Yeah, you can thank Dad for that,” he half-fibs. “He told me you were planning a stupid party, and I came to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“Thank you, Father,” she mocks as she takes a seat on the opposite side of him as Obsidian. “And don’t worry, I was joking. Probably.” She briefly laughs to herself before patting him on the back. “Seriously, are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s not very convincing.”

“And I’m not gonna try to convince you further, either.”

“Touché.”

The relative peace is short-lived. Midway through a yak classmate’s attempt at the obstacle course, the sound of someone obnoxiously clearing their throat rings out from behind them. They barely have time to turn around before Elitra sets herself down next to Gena, wrapping an arm around her in the process.

“Nice work out there, Gigi! Your time was excellent!”

“Th-thanks, Elitra.”

“What do you think, Tarsie? Doesn’t she deserve a standing ovation?”

“She got a PR. That’s pretty good in my book.”

“Aww, but you didn’t answer my question! Shouldn’t we all just celebrate how talented and special she is? I mean, now two of you got new records without being able to shapeshift! Shouldn’t we be celebrating!”

“You’re patronizing us,” Tarsus replies flatly, his eyes half-lidded.

“Patronizing? Oh, no no no! I’m legitimately happy that you’re overcoming your natural disadvantages!”

“We aren’t ‘disadvantaged,’ El.” Gena’s voice is equally low, though it’s clear that there's less anger and more sadness in her voice than her brother’s. “We’re just getting there at our own pace.”

“Yes, of course,” she nods, the coy smile never leaving her face. “I’m sure that once you’re able to shapeshift you’ll be able to do everything you’ve ever wanted. You’ll keep being our cute little Gigi, and Tarsie over there will get to be the changeling he always wanted to be, right?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tarsus growls.

“Well, I imagine you’ll start with the school record. You’ll copy my idea, of course, and rip that record right out from under my nose. Then you’ll use your newfound power to show everyone what a big, strong soldier boy you are, just like everyone’s favorite ex-despot! You’ll make her proud, I bet!”

“Elitra.” Tarsus stands up, his wide, golden form tense and imposing as Elitra stands to meet him. “I don’t care what you think about me. Stop making fun of my family. Now.”

“Yes, and I’m sure your mother stopped being a dictator when asked nicely too, didn’t she? News flash, Tarsie: My mom lost a leg fighting for Chrysalis. She’ll never walk right again.”

“What’s that got to do with me?”

“You’ll have to forgive me for holding a teensy bit of resentment for the mare that ensured I’d never get to go on a mountain hike with my mom. She can’t go up inclines very well, you know, and she can only barely swim.”

“The mare that caused that is long gone, Elitra.”

“But you want to be like her, don’t you?” Finally, Elitra’s voice loses its forced high pitch. She drops all pretenses, the coy smile fading in favor of a cold, malicious stare. “Equestria is better off without changelings like you.”

“I can do whatever I want.”

“So can I! And I decided to take your dumb record. Die mad about it.”

“I don’t even care about the record anymore,” he mumbles.

“Good.” Elitra turns away, giving Gena a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Let those of us who actually deserve the spotlight get our time in the sun. Be like your sister and get out of our way. Be happy settling for mediocrity.”

Elitra saunters away, leaving the trio in a long, tense silence.

“...I wasn’t trying to be mediocre.” Gena’s voice is a hushed whisper, unheard by anyone but Tarsus. A single tear forms in the corner of her eye. “I worked really hard for that time.”

“Elitra.” Tarsus’s voice is loud. Cold. Commanding. Despite standing nearly ten feet away, she stops, feeling his eyes on the back of her head. “I’m sorry about your mom. Really.”

“...”

“But we had nothing to do with it. If you want to compete with me, fine, whatever.” He takes a step forward. “You still owe Gena an apology.”

She turns her head, but her body remains faced away.

“Your apologies mean nothing to me, and I’m not obligated to offer them back.”

“I wonder what Dash will have to say about that?”

“Oh, threatening to rat me out to the teachers now, are we?!” That got her attention, forcing her to turn around and march back up towards Tarsus, her face now mere inches from his own. “Suddenly little old Tarsie wants to play the good student?”

“We’re attending the School of Friendship.”

“And you’ve never given a flying fuck about that until now, have you? You’re a coward, Tarsus. Just like your mom.”

“You’re right.” Tarsus closes his eyes. “I am a coward. I’m too damn scared to admit when I’m wrong. I’m terrified of turning out like the changeling Mom used to be.” He opens his eyes again. He feels… different. Bigger. “And you know what? So is she. She’s been working every damn day to be better than she was.” He speaks with confidence, unsure of if his voice is even his anymore. Still, his heart tells him that he means every word. “And so is Gena. So am I, even though I’m scared as can be. Yeah, we’re struggling. All of… this doesn’t come as easy to us as it does everyone else. But every day, we get up and we try again. We want to grow.” Tarsus realizes that he’s now looking down at Elitra, who stares back up at him with fear in her eyes. “The only one that’s letting fear hold them back is you, Elitra.”

“I-I’m telling Dash!”

Without another word, Elitra books it towards the obstacle course, panic clearly overtaking her. Suddenly feeling very, VERY exhausted, Tarsus lets out a sigh.

“T-Tarsus?!”

“Hm? What’s up– woah!” For the first time, Tarsus looks down at himself. His body is black, though he sees hints of a long green mane hanging from his head. There are holes in his legs, and his wings sparkle in the daylight. He knows this body anywhere. “Why do I look like Mom?!”

“You shapeshifted!” Obsidian whistles before letting out a withheld laugh. “Man, that was awesome! I’ve never seen Elitra so terrified before!”

“C-can you change back?” Gena questions, stumbling over her words.

“M… maybe?”

Tarsus tries to focus, but only succeeds in remembering his failures of the previous day. Panic begins to spread across his face, his green slitted eyes darting to and fro.

Then, the words of his mother echo in his mind.

Just be honest.

Tarsus takes a deep breath, and in that moment, everything falls silent. Gena, Obsidian, the panicked Elitra, even the obstacle course behind him. He closes his eyes, allowing darkness to envelop him. Just as he had done when he transformed, he listens to his heart.

“I’m scared of turning into the monster Mom used to be, but… I know that’s not who I am.”

Tarsus exhales. Opening his eyes, he sees Gena in front of him, standing at her normal height.

“Tarsus?”

“...Did I do it?”

“Tarsus!” Gena throws herself at her brother, an act rare for both of them. He stands perfectly still, staring down at her while she nuzzles against his shoulder. As he does so, he notices the blurriness in his vision. Tears run down his cheeks, though he can’t properly explain why. “Thank you.”

“I-I didn’t do anything.”

“Shut up.” Gena smiles through her own harsh words. “Just let me be happy for a bit.”

“Alright, what’s going on over here?” Dash flies above them, with Elitra hanging just below. “I was told you were tormenting your class.”

“No tormenting here, ma’am!” Obsidian rests his claws behind his head, a coy, toothy grin spread across his face. “Does this look like torment to you?”

Dash glances at the tearful hug taking place. She blinks, trying and failing to process what she’s looking at. Eventually, however, she looks down at Elitra, who gives her an obviously forced smile.

“I think you’re imagining things, kid.” Clearing her throat, Dash turns back to the obstacle course. “Apollo, you’re on deck!”

Gena lets go of Tarsus just in time for him to give Elitra the biggest shit-eating grin she’s ever seen.

“What was that you said about ratting someone out to the teachers?”

“Shut up,” she mumbles, her face going red as she walks past the trio. “I still have the school record.”

“Not for long, I bet!” Obsidian lets out a deep, guttural laugh. “Especially now that he’s figuring out his shapeshifting!”

With a hearty slap on the back, Tarsus finds himself laughing right along with him. He won’t perfect shapeshifting overnight. Heck, it will probably be a long while until he’s able to retake his school record. However, just like his mother before him and his sister after him, he’ll get there. No one said changing is easy.

But it is doable.

Author's Note

It's rare for me to struggle with a given story arc for even remotely as long as I did with this two-parter. I hope the wait was worth it - both for all of you, and for Tarsus. :twilightsmile:

Once again, big thank you to Mikkybun for the incredible art, and another thank you to DarthBall for pre-reading!