My Little Pony 1. Chapter 1

******Maternal Instinct**

**Chapter One**

Outside the boundaries of the beautiful, fertile land of Equestria, there existed hundreds of nations that were home to the cosmopolitan of different species that inhabited the globe. One such nation was the ancient homeland of the Equestrian's number one foreign rivals, the Changelings.

The Changeling Kingdom (its official name was difficult to translate from Changeling), or 'Motherland', as it was affectionately referred to by its people, was a vast, depleted country, characterised by a desolate mountainous landscape which, during its infamously long, vicious winters, was consistently blanketed by thick layers of snow. The summer was not too pleasant, either; at times, it got hot enough to kill off scores of Changelings by heatstroke. The kingdom, especially as a mostly rural one, had its pluses like large forests and seas, but for the most part, it was the same greyed nightmare wherever you went.

The capital city, its name also lost in translation, buzzed the most with life. Changelings flew in and out of the towering grey buildings of the city, living their lives and doing their jobs as they did every other day. What stood out most was the current regime's proudest achievement; a tall, imposing citadel making up the entire north of the city, containing the extravagant and relatively new palace that was the official residence of the royal family, a glimmering gem standing out amongst the decaying labyrinth of concrete that formed the metropolis.

As Princess Luna's moon rose and darkness fell upon the land, within the confines of this cavernous palace, the royal family was getting ready to rest for the night. One of the much younger members of the royal household, however, was not being as cooperative.

* * *

"It's time to sleep, Princess, come now."

The Changeling filly wriggled sluggishly in the forelegs of her nanny, Cerci, as the latter flew over to the four-poster bed in the filly's royal bedroom. The whole room was a lot bigger than necessary for the tiny royal, but the same could be said about the rest of the palace. Although, it was not particularly glamorous; it was plan 22 x 30 feet with jade walls and a mint plush carpet, small pyramids of stuffed bug toys decorating one corner, and the essential ornate furniture in the other. It appeared almost like a nursery.

Cerci tucked the Princess up to her neck and made sure the little one was comfortable. Cerci was a fairly pretty and young female Changeling, old enough to have larvae of her own, with her lavender mane done up into a thick, large ponytail. She wore a plain, formal kimono, befitting her status as a servant.

The Princess, however, was a different story entirely. Despite being well groomed and fed and dressed in a beautiful black silk floral night robe, she was actually a homely looking filly with a scrawny, malnourished frame and was afflicted with physical deformities. Beneath her robe, she was suffering from a curvature of the back; her wings were abnormally undersized, even for her age; her hole-ridden limbs were unsightly disproportionate, with the left foreleg being severely withered; her eyes were glassy and sunken in like dark holes, and a continuous trail of saliva ran from her bottom lip like a tap, no matter how much Cerci kept wiping it up.

"Open up," Cerci instructed calmly, levitating a tall glass of water and a bunch of multi-coloured tablets from the bedside table. The Princess opened her mouth, letting her abnormally large tongue roll out the corner and allowed the insectoid mare to feed her tablet after tablet, washing them all down with short gulps of water.

"There, all gone." Cerci screwed back the tops on the many plastic jars and was about to turn off the light when she asked, "Okay, are you comfortable, sweetheart? Do you need anything else first?"

The Princess made a high-pitched whining sound, contorting her face in discomfort and she tried to pull her weak forelegs out from beneath the heavy blanket. She was clearly tired, but still did not want to go to sleep just yet. Cerci understood why.

"Now, now, Princess," she hushed, stroking her hoof over the filly's head. "I know you wanted her to come tonight, but I imagine she's very busy. She's the Queen, you know, and she has many responsibilities to attend to. Perhaps another night." Seeing her downcast expression, Cerci knew this was not going to be enough to satisfy the Princess. An idea came to mind and she grinned. "Pupa…I've got a surprise for you."

Princess Pupa immediately ceased her whining and cocked her head in curiosity, and Cerci pulled back the blanket to scoop her up in her forelegs. She opened up her night robe and blew a long raspberry into her green carapace. Pupa threw her head back and squealed in delight. Cerci stopped for a moment to let her calm down, before blowing a second, harder raspberry, making Pupa laugh so much tears leaked out the corner of her eyes. By the end of it, she was almost entirely worn out, only managing the odd giggle.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Cerci said, resting the filly back into bed. She took out a silk hoofkerchief and dabbed the drool around Pupa's lips. "There, messy filly." She then turned the light off and smooched Pupa's forehead. "Sweet dreams, Pupa-chan."

After Cerci left the room, Pupa shut her eyes and allowed herself to relax into her soft bed. It had been quite a long day and now the Changeling Princess needed what her mother often called, 'beauty sleep'. She did not understand why she needed it, though. Cerci and all her other nannies kept saying she was "the most beautiful and precious filly in the whole of the Changeling Kingdom".

In little time, Pupa felt her head go fuzzy and the weight in her body disappear. It made her feel so light it was like she was floating on a cloud. Her fur stood up on end and she was overcome with a strong tingling sensation, making her break out into short giggling fits, despite how tired she felt. This always happened to her at bed time after Cerci put her to bed and gave her tablets.

It took her a while, as it always did, but Pupa soon giggled herself an inch from total slumber. But at that very moment, she heard her door slowly creak open, followed by the sound of hooves crunching against the carpet.

Pupa forced her eyelids open to tiny slits, just enough for her to see, but this meant little in the darkness that engulfed her bedroom. The crunching sound grew louder and she could tell whoever or whatever it was was approaching her bedside.

She began to fear if she was under threat, but relaxed when she felt a gentle hoof brush through her mane, sending a tingle down her malformed back.

"Wake up, baby," spoke a strange shaky voice that sounded like two Changelings were speaking at the same time. Pupa instantly recognised it as belonging to her mother. Her eyes shot wide open and snapped her head in the voice's direction. In the darkness that engulfed her bedroom, she could surprisingly well make out the form of her beautiful mother standing there, smiling down upon her with truly all the love in the world.

Pupa managed to pull her forelegs out from her blanket and held them out for her mother, yearning for her sweet embrace. Her mother smiled and gently climbed into the bed with the filly, nestling very close and draping her forelegs around her in a hug.

They laid there for a while, enjoying each other's company. Her mother then broke the embrace and went back to stroking her filly's mane some more, planting the occasional sticky, wet kiss on her face. Pupa moaned with pleasure, her left leg twitching slightly and finally falling asleep against her mother's bosom. To her, if love was such an important food for her and her people, then this was all she would ever need.

But this night of tranquility came to its end when the rays of Princess Celestia's sun shone through the shoji window screens of her bedroom. Cerci entered the room quietly, and found the regal filly strewn over the bed alone, hugging tightly onto a pillow and her eyes moving in their sockets, indicating how she was still peacefully dreaming. The loving nanny hated the thought of disturbing the little creature, but they had a schedule to keep and there was the minor fact Pupa's sheets were utterly drenched with her drool.

* * *

Princess Pupa spent the first few hours of her morning having more tablets shoveled down her throat, then being thoroughly washed, and lastly dressed by her elite squadron of nannies and hoofmaidens, of which Cerci was the head. It was by no means an easy task. The Princess was rarely cooperative after she had just awoken and had a nasty tendency to physically lash out at her nannies and maids as they tried to prep her for the day. That morning alone, Pupa bucked her hind leg in the eye of a maid who tried to tie an obi around her waist. Said maid bowed before her and went to put an ice pack over her eye.

When the Princess was finally cleaned and dressed up in a beautifully pristine lilac kimono and a silver tiara that was too big for her little head, Cerci picked her up and flew off to the dining room. It was time for breakfast with the rest of the Royal Household, as was tradition.

The dining room was grand enough to fit more than two hundred Changelings. Its walls were coloured dark cerulean and grey, the colours of the kingdom's flag, but they were lost in a sea of tapestries and priceless artwork. Three large golden ornamental chandeliers were hanging from the dome ceiling, which was decorated with paintings of the countryside, showing the rare beautiful parts of the kingdom.

The members of Royal House of Roachanov assembled at the short polished dark wood table, sitting down on their haunches with their hind legs crossed. They were a large clan, who had ruled over the Changeling Kingdom for the last three hundred years and consisted well over a hundred members; a colourful collection of princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses and the like. Pupa was positioned right next to the far end of the table with Cerci, being cradled in the elder's forelegs like a larva.

Whenever Pupa was surrounded by her extensive family, she could always sense the pride and love radiating off them all. She did know how to feed off another creature's love, but it was a sacred rule that nochangeling would ever feed off their own kind, not that such a vile thought would ever cross her simple mind. Even so, like all Changelings, the Crown Princess could finely pick up on emotions like a radar, and what she felt made her cheeks blush. It all made sense to Cerci. Whether the filly fully understood it or not, Pupa was the centre of this large, united family, the focus of all its hopes and affections, the "Baby". No other Changeling filly was more beloved.

The family waited silently for its head, the monarch to arrive for them to start eating. She was somewhat later than usual, but when she finally did arrive, her presence was well made known. The golden double doors slowly opened and the dining room was flooded with the royal guards, all arctic blue-eyed and maneless, who took up their places around the room, all of them armed with spears and looking like they were ready to draw blood at the nod of a head. As this all happened, everychangeling in the room stood up.

Finally, in walked the most powerful Changeling on the face of the planet, flanked by her elite hoof-picked armoured guards. Pupa's face lit up when she saw her standing out beautifully amongst the gruff, thuggish guards.

Her mother. The Queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis.

Acting in a manner as if she were the only Changeling in the room, Chrysalis sat down at the head of the table. She was wearing a gorgeous black and green patterned kimono trimmed with gold, neither the most glamorous or expensive garb, but it suited her. Chrysalis was never known to be flashy. Without a word, breakfast began.

The table was decorated with a diverse abundance of food, consisting of the traditional Changeling and the modern Equestrian, enough to feed an entire village for a month. Amongst the more traditional foods, they included bowels of rice, cooked meat of various animals and hot, delicious bowels of glowing pink love soup, whilst the modern spread included the kind of foods that would be eaten at Canterlot Castle, like toast, fruit, cakes, macaroons, pastries, fine tea and coffee, etc. But the pièce de résistance was the fine collection of ponies placed on silver platters, all bound and screaming desperately for help through their gags.

Pupa, already a porky Changeling filly, even by aristocratic standards, fidgeted in Cerci's legs to get her to start feeding her. The older mare used her horn magic to levitate chopsticks or lumps of food into the Princess' mouth. Pupa needed a lot of help when it came to eating; she also found it difficult to chew some solid foods by herself. Cerci would have to use her horn magic to take control of the filly's jaw to chew for her.

Within minutes, the Princess polished off the rice, love soup and meat and moved onto the sweeter dishes. She was extremely fond of fruits, and Cerci kept shovelling them into her mouth like a waste disposal. Unfortunately, this only further led to Pupa making a complete mess of herself, which was most unbecoming of a Princess. Her muzzle was covered in rice, cream, soup, and meat and sticky fruit juices that ran down to her chest and large tummy, spoiling her once pristine kimono. None of her family members, on the other hoof, who were eating with enough eloquence to prevent a single drop landing on their persons, paid any notice.

It was only when boredom set in and Pupa's other bad habits at the table resurfaced that her family's patience was tested. Young Pupa was fascinated by other creatures' manes; the colours, the texture, the way some of them flowed in the wind. Combined with her being an exceptionally grabby filly, this often led to uncomfortable moments. So when she spotted her older cousin's pretty purple mane done up in a fashionable new style, Pupa could only think to grab a feel.

"Ow. Ow!" The older cousin squealed as Pupa greedily grabbed and tugged on one of her locks. "Pupa, stop it!"

"Pupa," Cerci scolded the filly, trying to get her to let go. "Stop that at once, young lady."

The Princess did not listen, and rubbed the silky smooth mane against her cheek, staining it with the food stains still on her face. She then pulled harder, causing her cousin to scream louder and made even more of a spectacle.

"Ow, ow, **OW!"**

"Pupa, let go of your cousin's mane, immediately!"

The other members of the royal family either tried to ignore what was going on or tried to interfere, depending on how close they were to the commotion. The guards just stood where they were, stone-faced and not even twitching in reaction to the fairly humorous scene unfolding in front of them. The situation would have only got worse if a certain voice did not speak up.

"Trying to _eat_, here."

Everychangeling, including Pupa, went dead silent, stopping what they were doing and their heads spinning in the direction of the end of the table. Chrysalis' head was raised from the trembling pony she held in her forelegs, retracting her large wet fangs. Her menacing harlequin eyes, retracted into her skull with lines induced by lack of sleep beneath them, turned on Pupa, Cerci and her niece.

"Pupa. Let her go. _Now."_

A now very sheepish Pupa released her cousin's mane and gave her a remorseful look as if to say 'sorry', while said cousin rubbed her now very sore head. Her mother's harsh, impatient tone was enough to suck the playful giddiness out of the filly, reducing her to silently curling up against Cerci's body. It was not just her who was suddenly fearful. Everychangeling else seemed to shy away at the sound of her sharp tone, as if they were afraid that she might lunge out and attack somechangeling at any moment.

Chrysalis glowered at them for a few seconds, and then returned her focus on her breakfast, which was now crying fluidly and whose muffled wails could barely be heard through her apple gag. She icily addressed Cerci, although she was more focused on enlarging her teeth and examining the best place on the pony's neck to continue her feeding.

"Cerci, if you're so incapable of reigning in my daughter's behaviour at the table, then kindly take her outside. Some of us have a long day ahead."

"…Yes, my Queen."

Standing up and bowing in respect, Cerci hoisted Pupa up so their heads were the same height and quietly hovered towards the double doors. Some of the other royals watched her depart; the others continued eating like nothing happened. This was not the first time, after all.

The filly peered regretfully over her nanny's shoulder at her mother, who merely casted a cold look of indifference at her out the corner of her eye. She frowned sadly and slumped on Cerci's shoulder, clinging onto the inferior fabric and the feeling of guilt growing inside her as the doors slammed loudly behind them.

* * *

When they were far enough away, Cerci took Pupa to a lavish chair and sat her down roughly on it. She was not particularly happy with the filly at the moment, who pouted grumpily and looked down at the floor, wanting to avert her stony gaze.

"Your Highness," Pupa winced at her nanny sternly addressing her by that formal term. She only ever called her that when she was about to lecture her. She remained hovering in mid-air, crossed her forelegs, and continued, "Your mother was not proud of your behaviour back there, and to be honest, neither was I."

Pupa tried to keep up her grumpy façade by crossing her own legs and tucking her head into her own chest in defiance, but such an attempt was futile. The Princess' love of her nanny was strong enough that it almost rivalled that for her mother, so even a glimmer of anger from Cerci was enough to intimidate her. Slowly, she raised her head to face Cerci with moist puppy dog eyes.

"Don't give me that look, young lady, you know what you did." Despite how justified she was in scolding her, Cerci could not help but feel horrible for doing it, especially when she had to stare into those adorable watering eyes. The sticky mess on her face only served to make her appear so pathetic that Cerci had to restrain herself from squeezing her like a teddy bear. "You've been told time and time again not to pull on other Changelings' manes, but you did it anyway."

A whining sound escaped Pupa's pursed lips and she began tugging on a lock of her own cerulean mane.

Cerci sighed heavily, her shoulders dropping and tone becoming softer, "I know how much you like them, but how many times do I need to tell you? It violates other Changelings' personal space and what's more, it's rude!" At first, Pupa seemed not to understand, until she heard those last two words and nodded timidly. "How would you like it if somechangeling just came up and yanked your mane? You wouldn't like it, would you?" Pupa simply stared back at her with a blank expression, blinking a few times. Cerci sighed again in frustration and rubbed her temples, turning her back to the filly. "Oh, Pupa, what are we going to do with you?"

Pupa rubbed her hooves together in the painful silence that followed. A sly smile spread across her face and she made a whinnying sound to get Cerci's attention. The elder mare eventually turned around and saw her putting on a transparent adorable act. Her harlequin eyes (she had her mother's eyes) were dilated, her cheeks were puffed out and she was smiling so sweet it could give a less experienced mare diabetes.

The nanny had to suppress a chuckle. "Don't you try and play that on me, little one. It doesn't work." That was, until Pupa put on the quivering bottom lip which combined with those eyes, made Cerci's heart melt like butter. "Aw baby…c'mere…" She coiled her forelegs around the filly's waist and held her close. "Who could ever stay mad at you?" But she did cringe uncomfortably when she held her away and discovered bits of rice and fruit juices on her own kimono. Pupa held her hooves to her mouth, giggling at the sight. "Okay, that was my fault."

Her anger dissipated and now replaced with love and affection, Cerci carried her charge down the corridor in the direction of the bathroom for the second time that day, and it was unlikely it would be the last.


	2. Chapter 2

**Maternal Instinct**

**Chapter Two**

Queen Chrysalis was _not _having a good day. Her schedule for the day was packed with several long meetings, not just with her cabinet of ministers, but with her close advisors, her generals, the palace staff, the list went on. She could not bear the long, tedious meetings with these incompetent buffoons inside that dark, dreary, freezing closet of a room as they were. They already taxed heavily on her free time and basic sleep, but the one she had today and those over the last several weeks were particularly painful for the monarch of the changeling kingdom.

"Your Majesty? Are…are you with us?" That was the polite, formal way of saying, 'wake up, you lazy mare!'

Chrysalis forced her heavy eyelids open to glare daggers across the table at her new Minister of Immigration and Citizenship. He was an exceptionally short and bespectacled changeling, complete with a thin, long cerulean beard. He sat cross-legged next to her left at the short table where the entirety of the cabinet sat, cross-legged and dressed in muted kimonos. Chrysalis herself sat at the far end of table, as was custom, with Prime Minister Weevil to her right.

"I'm awake," she growled, pinching her sinuses. "Continue."

"Yes, well," he cleared his throat and proceeded to read from his documents. "The official reports have come back." His face was grim, as if he supported the entire weight of the kingdom upon his shoulders and his hooves would give out at any moment. "Officially, a total of 368,000 changelings left the kingdom last year. That is a 34,000 increase from the previous year. Out of that 368,000, 47% have left for Equestria, 25% for the Griffin Kingdom, 14% for the Diamond Dog Republic, 7.7%-" His reading was cut short when the Queen raised a hoof.

"Diamond Dogs. My subjects now prefer to live amongst mangy, flea-bitten mongrels than under me, is that what you've just told me?"

The minister had no idea how to respond. He looked towards his fellow ministers for assistance, who either just shrugged or kept out of eye contact.

"Well?" Her voice grew impatient.

Eventually, all the minister could do was shrug and stutter, "W-well, I…I-I can't anything on their intentions, Y-Your Majesty. We lack the data."

Chrysalis took in a deep breath and sighed. "I've heard enough of this. Move on to the next item of business."

Checking the schedule, Weevil motioned to another minister further down the table, saying, "We have an important report from the Ministry of Health."

Another minister shuffled his papers and began reading from them, sounding cautiously more optimistic than his preceding colleague, "Your Majesty, I am pleased to report that larva mortality rates have stabilized for the first quarter. With these and recent trends, my ministry projects that we could see a steady decline within the next two years."

Instead of beaming at what actually constituted good news for the first time out of that department for months, the Queen stated dryly, not even looking at him, "Wow, you must have one of the most depressing jobs in the whole kingdom ever. Tell me, minister; in what way do you consider that good news?"

The minister was unable to answer at first, knowing he was being lured into a trap, but eventually spoke, "The…decrease in the death of larvae-"

"And thus, even more mouths to feed when we can barely feed our people as it is." The minister shrunk in his seat and the Queen sneered. "What was that I said? Most depressing job in the whole kingdom ever? That's right. Next."

Weevil boredly pointed a hoof at the next dead changeling walking. The Minister of Agriculture and Food, the most aged and haggard out of all the changelings there, wiped his glasses and opened up his folder, slowly scanning through his documents with strain. The other ministers waited patiently out of respect for their worn colleague.

"I stand corrected," she deadpanned.

There was an old saying that went around in changeling politics that if you wanted to look older and fast, become the Minister for Agriculture and Food. This changeling had been doing the job for five years, and he looked at least ten years older than he started.

The minister's news was grave. "The food shortage, I am afraid, my Queen, is reaching critical levels in the north-western region. The situation is dire."

"What else is new?" she yawned uninterestedly, examining her hoof.

"Analysts from our kingdom, in collaboration with the League of Nations, have found that unless serious action is taken within the next three years, the region will face a creaturtarian crisis."

Far from showing shock or concern over this revelation, as would be expected if the situation were taking place with any other world leader, Chrysalis craned back her neck to stare up at the darkness that clouded the ceiling from sight. It was old news to her, more so than you would think, seeing how this mess was all part of her inheritance. She said nothing for the next minute and a half, and no minister dared speak during that moment of time in case she did. When she broke the silence, it was enough to nearly make the other ministers jump from their spots.

"You know…you'd think, wouldn't you? That being the region where they're leaving the most-" She looked at the Immigration Minister. "Is that right?" He nodded. "You'd think they'd actually be more love for them to share around, or just basic food," she figured, tracing the tip of her large hoof along the polished table surface. "You know why they're leaving? The changelings in that region have become greedy. No, worse; they've become like ponies." The tone of her voice became very scornful when talking of her own subjects as she laid bare her own conclusions. Her shoulders tensed up and her hoof was now loudly scratching up the two million yen table. "They cannot be content with what they already have. I'm doing all within my power to help my subjects, but now they're turning their backs on me and scurry off like the little vermin they are! Well, you know what? If that's the kind of respect they show their Queen, they can burn in Tartarus for all I care!" She pointed at the Immigration Minister. "You."

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Congratulations, I've just made your job a lot easier." Chrysalis stuck her muzzle in the air in a royal manner. "We'll hear no more reports on those ungrateful cretins who are leaving. They are not worthy of our time."

The immediate reception of this informal decree, albeit not openly expressed, was mixed at best. On one side were the devout monarchists, made up mostly of nobility, who backed their Queen's decisions to the very end, and who coincidentally found themselves in the higher, more key positions within the cabinet. The rest would be considered more independent or liberal thinkers, mainly professionals holding position with less political clout. Most of the monarchists likely agreed with her that keeping record of these emigrants was needless, considering that their Queen's view was they were practically traitors, but the others were probably wringing their hooves beneath the table at suddenly losing this important statistic. But no matter their reservations, no changeling spoke out and accepted their Queen's decision.

"Only those who prove their loyalty to me in that region will receive _any _help. We need to spend the next five-wait a second…" her face suddenly tensed and her eyes lit up. In her rant, she had too easily forgotten an important detail her minister mentioned, which then hit her between the eyes. She snapped her head back in the direction of her Food Minister. "I'm sorry, how long did you say we had?"

He gulped and replied, "Three years, ma'am."

"Uh, no. No. _You _told me last time we had _five!_ And that was like, what, three months ago?"

"Well, y-yes, but upon further inspection, ma'am, they've deducted the more accurate estimate is three."

She furrowed her brows, snapping at the Prime Minister, "Give me my copy!" The leader of the cabinet used his magic to levitate the top of a short stack of folders in the centre of the table and set it in front of the Queen, who donned a pair of small reading glasses and rummaged through the folder. She detested wearing them; they made her feel like an old mare. "Alright, let's see here…" she mumbled to herself.

It was not the inevitable rage from their Queen that had the ministers terrified, but the silence, that was the worst part. The knowledge that it was coming, just sitting there helplessly and waiting for it to happen. And happen it did, though not for the reasons they were expecting.

"Wha…what?" Chrysalis' expression became that of confusion, and then quickly followed by anger. "What the…" She scowled, removed her glasses and barked at her underlings. "What is this?!"

Dead silence, until Weevil forced himself to speak, "W-w-what do you mean, ma'am?"

"WHAT. IS. THIS!?"

Her horn glowed sickly green and several documents flew out of the folder and suspended in mid-air. The ministers went wide-eyed, with some restraining themselves from giggling at what they say. These were indeed the documents, but they had been defiled to the point the writing was unintelligible. Scrawled all over the surface of these documents were large, brightly coloured _doodles_. They were drawn most crudely, even for doodles of trademark critters like rabbits and cats. It was something a larva having only just grown its legs would make.

"Hmm," the Food Minister adjusted his glasses and leaned in to get a better look. "I do believe the one on the left is supposed to be a cat. The one beneath it I believe to be a dog. It's quite hard to tell, Your Majesty, these aren't exactly works of art."

"Actually, I think that one in the corner there…" the Health Minister grinned slyly, pointed at the bottom right corner on the document the second from the right. It was a sloppy picture of a changeling that had not been filled in black and had a large green crown on its head. "I think that is supposed to be you."

Silence resumed as the Queen narrowed her eyes down to slits. Her cheeks were blushing in embarrassment, but were thankfully covered up by the locks of mane over her face. She dropped the documents, only rolling one up and keeping it by her side and rose from her sat position, stating in a tone as dry as a desert, "Hey, you know what? Buck it. This meeting is over. We'll reconvene next week, same time."

"But, ma'am, the matters at hoof-" Weevil tried to say.

"Can wait for a week, Prime Minister. You're all dismissed."

The ministers got up and bowed in unison, as was tradition, and the Queen walked around the table, hissing something in the Prime Minister's ear. He straightened up and followed her out the room. When both were gone, the remaining ministers slumped their shoulders and either let out collective sighs of relief or a chorus of restrained sniggering under their breath.

"I'm getting a drink." The Immigration Minister said as they all began shuffling out of the room.

"I'll join you," The Defence Minister patted his shoulder. "I'm going to need it for the briefing this afternoon. Cricka, will you be joining us?"

Remaining seated, the Food Minister kept reading through his thick folder. "No. I need to meet with my undersecretary after this. I'm booked all the way up to eleven, tonight. I'll see you all next week."

* * *

"I want him replaced by next week's meeting."

Weevil did a double take, keeping at his Queen's heels as they both turned a corner in the wide hallway. "Replace Cricka? Are you sure, ma'am? He's been working extra hours every night for last six months-"

"He's suffered enough. I'll give him his pension and a dacha. You just make sure he announces his resignation by tomorrow, and that you have somechangeling else in the position before the next cabinet meeting. I need a changeling with a glimmer competence for this bucking mess."

Chrysalis' kingdom had unfortunately fallen on evil days, and even that may be considered an understatement by some. For each political problem, there were three economic or social ones, blaring across the headlines of the international newspapers and the results of which were becoming more difficult to cover up from the rest of the world. Hundreds of thousands of her people were packing up and fleeing from the kingdom to make the journey to Equestria and start a new life. Many of them were skilled and qualified workers, causing a crippling brain drain. Worse still, the shortages of food and basic materials and products were as bad as they had ever been. A record number of changelings were dying of starvation every year. It all led to one massive headache for Chrysalis that she would not wish on any of her enemies... except maybe Celestia and Luna.

"Yes, my Queen. It will be done." He stopped when she turned into a passageway leading to a spiral staircase. "You have a military briefing in two hours, ma'am."

"I know." She stopped to show him the rolled up document before storming up the stairs. "I just have a few things to take care of, first!"

* * *

In a small but beautifully decorated room in the eastern tower of the palace, Princess Pupa sat cross-legged in front of a small round table littered with papers and a whole rainbow of crayons. She barely managed to levitate a purple one in the air with her puny horn, which gave off a few measly green sparks. The crayon sloppily ran across the paper, and the filly furrowed her brows in concentration, though it did not help much as her artistic skills left much to be desired.

Sat not too far away at a short varnished desk was Cerci, who was busy writing on a scroll quietly whilst the filly played, using a brush she infrequently dipped back into a small ink pot. She was writing a letter to her sister, who lived outside the capital in one of the hundreds of surrounding villages in the region. As a servant in the royal household, her contact with family and friends positioned outside the extravagant was not an easy task.

Cerci suddenly felt something hit her on the back of her head. She looked over her shoulder to see a rolled up piece of paper fall to the carpet. She levitated it up and flattened it out. It was another one of Pupa's many drawings. It featured three characters, all crudely drawn, but identifiable as changelings, complete with tiny pink hearts surrounding them. She figured that the smallest was meant to be Pupa; the one to the left with a pink mane was easily herself and finally, the one with a large yellow crown and green mane was Queen Chrysalis. It was adorable; Pupa with her two favourite changelings in the world.

Ignoring the picture's shoddiness, she smiled encouragingly at the filly, "My, my, we have an artist in the royal family, it would seem." Pupa beamed at the praise and got back to work on her next masterpiece, and Cerci set the paper down on her table. "Now you finish up whatever else you're drawing. We're going to go outside in the gardens soon and later we can get you some lunch."

Her eyes going wide as dinner plates, the crown princess of the changeling kingdom licked her lips in anticipation. She pushed the drawing she was currently working on aside and began drawing, however poorly, all the things she imagined she was going to gorge her insatiable appetite on, including rice, ramen and a big bowl of love soup.

While the princess' happiness gave her happiness, Cerci could not help but feel deep-rooted remorse when thinking about Pupa and her day-to-day life. All her cousins were right now receiving their elite education by their tutors, while she, despite being past the age to begin her studies, remained all day with her, drawing, painting, playing with her toys, and any activity that would not be considered too vigorous for the filly.

Only once did Cerci summon the courage to discuss the matter of Pupa's education with Queen Chrysalis. It was when Pupa was nearly old enough to start schooling and not a word had been spoken of arrangements or tutors or anything learning related. She began to fear the filly's education was simply being neglected, something she could not allow for her country's future leader.

She put it off for a few days, but Cerci finally decided to visit Chrysalis' royal chambers at night to ask her about it. At that time, the Queen was signing a whole mountain's worth of documents, so her ire was to be expected.

_"What do you want?" she asked more with tedium than anger, lying down on her favourite cushiony rug with her back to Cerci, using her horn magic to write on some documents with a black brush._

_Cerci closed the door and gingerly took a few steps forwards, saying, "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I just really need to discuss an important matter with you."_

_The Queen, at first, did not reply, creating an air of fear and suspense. Cerci felt her forehead moisten, fearing she had a made a serious mistake even coming in._

_"So talk," Chrysalis finally said, now sounding irritated. "What is it?"_

_"Your Majesty, it's…it's about Pupa," she said nervously._

_"That's a shocker," she muttered, rolling her huge, bug-like eyes and turning her head slightly to look at her out the corner of her left. "What about her?"_

_"I only wish to know…when she will begin her education."_

_The brush Chrysalis was writing with stopped and returned to its ink pot. Sitting back on her haunches, she looked at Cerci like the latter had a leg growing out her forehead instead of a little horn._

_"What?" she asked, almost sounding like she was about to laugh._

_"It...it's just that, there's been no talk on it," explained Cerci, rubbing one foreleg with the other. "And the little one is now of school age. If you want me go searching for tutors suitable for her special nee-" Chrysalis waved her hoof and she immediately stopped talking._

_Stretching her stiff back, Chrysalis resettled herself on her rug and told her a matter-of-factly, picking up her brush, "I appreciate your concern, Cerci, but that won't be necessary. It's already been decided."_

_"How do you mean?"_

_"I mean, we're not going to bother with it, **at all."**_

_The moment she said that, Cerci stepped back, as if she were a stricken filly. She became suspicious that Chrysalis was neglecting the filly's education, somewhat understandable due to the filly's 'special needs', but to dismiss it entirely, to not even try, was just shocking to the servant. Cerci stuttered, sounding utterly flabbergasted, "B-But Your Majesty, I… why?"_

_"We talked with her doctors," Chrysalis answered apathetically like the whole matter was a triviality, while returning to her work. "They believe she'll be overburden if we force her to attend school. Personally, I can't see any benefit in it, either."_

_"Then…then what will she-"_

_"You'll take care of her. You'll make sure she's fed, groomed and happy. That's all there is to it."_

_"But-"_

_Chrysalis snapped her head at Cerci, startling the servant, glaring intensely at her. She hissed acidly, as if challenging her, "Oh, I'm sorry, do you have a problem with the way I'm raising my own daughter, Cerci?"_

_She hung her head in defeat. "No, my Queen."_

_"Good. Now get out."_

Although common sense told her it would have done no good and would most likely have resulted with her head on a pike, Cerci still could not shake off her guilt for not taking a stand against her Queen those years ago and allowing her charge to be effectively cast aside. Since that encounter, Pupa had not received a single day's worth of education and it was most unlikely she ever would. Such indolence was normally not accepted of any member of the royal family, especially regarding education which, in a nation like theirs, was held with such great importance. But due to the circumstances the royal family found itself in, Pupa became an understandable exception.

In a way of making up for her perceived failure of duty, Cerci took it upon herself to teach Pupa some basic skills at least. She taught her the alphabet, how to use a quill and her beloved crayons and their biggest achievement, how to spell her own name. None of it was easy, but it was the least she could do for Pupa and sooth her own guilty conscious.

Finding herself, in her reminiscing, staring off into space in a trancelike state, Cerci shook her head and returned to finishing off her letter to her sister. It was meant to be short, telling her how everything was fine and asking how the family was, but it had taken nearly half an hour and by now, Pupa was done with her drawing and was getting antsy to go outside.

Just then, the door to the room suddenly and swiftly fwooshed open. Both changelings turned around in surprise to see a most unpleased matriarch standing in the doorway.

_"Having fun?!"_ Chrysalis seethed through bared teeth, her anger towards the filly hardly concealed.

"Your Majesty," Cerci dropped her brush, sprung up and bowed. "Whatever is the matter? Is there something-"

Chrysalis ignored her presence entirely and whipped out the defiled document and held it up for them to see. "What do you call this?!" She asked, speaking to her daughter, though she was not expecting an answer. Pupa only gawked at it, having no idea what to make of it.

"Um, I believe it is a cat, Your Majesty," Cerci offered.

"Shut up, Cerci!" she snapped viciously at her and stormed over to Pupa and practically shoved the document in her face. "You've been drawing on my papers again. Admit it!"

When you put them together, Pupa was definitely the spitting image of her mother. They shared the same mane, the same coat and even the same monstrous malformed spire protruding out their foreheads. If one was given a photograph of either Chrysalis during her fillyhood and one of many of Pupa's, one would find it difficult to distinguish them, if not for the obvious physical deformities in the current princess' appearance.

Pupa crumpled like a paper bag under the weight of her mother's anger and looked away from the doodles riddling the paper and down at her hooves ashamedly, making a pathetic whimpering sound.

Taking that for a 'yes', and after double-checking with the doodles on the table, Chrysalis slammed the document on the table top. "These are _my _documents! You don't draw on _my _documents, they're mine! Do you understand?!" The filly kept her head buried, but this only angered Chrysalis further, who took her chin in her hoof and yanked her up. "Pupa! Are you _listening _to me!?"

"I'm sure she didn't mean to-"

"I told you to shut your mouth!" she then whirled back on Pupa, getting up in her face. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Pupa whimpered some more and nodded, getting visibly more and more upset. A normal filly was likely to understand the severity of the situation, but Pupa was not a normal filly. She knew her mother was very angry with her, but her tiny mind could not wrap around why. She drew doodles all the time and it was only paper. Mother should not yell at her. It terrified her when she yelled.

She curled up again and mumbled something incoherent, the closest thing she could form to an, _'I'm sorry'._

"Oh, you're 'sorry'? You're _sorry?!_ Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed me in my meeting, young lady?!" Chrysalis snarled and grabbed her by the shoulder, raising her own hoof threateningly like she was about to smack the quivering Pupa. "Do you want me to beat you? **Is that what you want?!"**

"Your Majesty! Wait!"

Chrysalis' hoof froze in mid-air and dropped back to the floor. "Ugh…" She slowly pivoted her head at the mere peasant and disguised her annoyance with a faux sweet smile. Instead of berating her for speaking out of turn_again,_ she decided to indulge her. _"Yes,_ Cerci? What would you like to say?"

Cerci already knew the risk of what she was about to do, but the last thing she wanted was for the princess to suffer the consequences of her mother's wrath. The poor thing did not understand.

She took in a deep breath, bracing herself and explained calmly, "Please do not be mad at her, my Queen. She does not know any better. She had no idea what they were. I am responsible for her, so it is my fault."

"Is that right?" she sneered doubtfully.

"Yes. Please, allow me to be the changeling who is punished."

At first, nochangeling said anything, until Chrysalis shrugged and said plainly, "Alright…" She released Pupa and walked over to Cerci with the calmest expression on her face. She looked her up and down, and in a blink of an eye, pulled back her hoof and rammed it right into Cerci's muzzle.

The tiny princess gasped in horror, but Cerci just stood there and took it, even straightening up for the Queen's expected second blow. This time, it was right to the mouth, nearly sending her off her hooves and any harder, would have knocked out one of her fangs.

Finished, Chrysalis calmed herself down, steadying her breath and blowing a strand of mane from her face.

"Much better," she finally said, sounding positively refreshed, though retaining her hard expression. "I think that's fitting enough punishment. You're forgiven, Cerci." She turned around and walked towards the door. When she passed her daughter, who was still petrified by what transpired, her icy gaze softened a bit and she mechanically petted her on the head. "You're forgiven too, Pupa."

Before she left the room, Chrysalis turned to Cerci one more time and said, "I have a briefing to get to in two hours. _At least_ try to keep her out of my mane for that long, Cerci. I do not need her distracting me anymore today, got it?"

Bright green blood was trickling from Cerci's muzzle and mouth, but she kept it covered with the back of her hoof. "Yes, ma'am," she answered, though she was clearly in pain.

The Queen left the room without another word to either of them. Pupa sat there on the chair, an utterly horrible new feeling eating away at her internally. She loved her mother very much but she managed to make her angry at her, and now Cerci was probably going to be angry at her, too. It was enough to finally bring tears flooding from her eyes.

Cerci was quick to spot this and, covering her bleeding muzzle with her silk hoofkerchief, she went over to the small table to console her.

"Shhhh. It's okay, sweetie, it wasn't your fault," she hushed, taking her into a tight embrace. "Please, don't cry."

Pupa mumbled into her shoulder, repeating her heartfelt _'I'm sorry'._

It tore Cerci's heart to see the normally happily filly distraught. As a nanny, it was hard not to get attached to your charge, going to lengths of loving them as your own. The moment she first held the newborn Pupa in her forelegs, Cerci fell in love with the handicapped grub. How could her own mother yell right in her cherub's face, or even raise an angry hoof against her? She knew Pupa would always love her mother more than she ever would her, and that only made Chrysalis' harsh treatment more painful to watch. Did Pupa do something wrong? Of course, but with no malicious intent, like a dog chewing on its master's slippers. Could she be self-centred and impertinent? Sometimes, yes. But spiteful? Never.

The problem was how to explain and justify it all to a young filly with her condition.

She gave it her best shot. "Your mother's…just really stressed. She doesn't mean to be so mad all the time; it's just that she has a lot to deal with. The kingdom has got a lot of problems. But it will get better, I promise." Cerci held her so they made direct eye contact. Pupa raised her hoof to touch the blood stained hoofkerchief in concern, but Cerci pushed it down and held her close to her chest. "Don't touch it. It'll heal. I'll be alright. Everything will be alright, I promise."

The princess relaxed in her nanny's embrace, drinking in the warmth and feeling reassured by her soothing words. Cerci took the liberty of dabbing up her tears with the unstained parts of her hoofkerchief.

She was honestly not sure how Pupa got a hold of her mother's documents and drew over them without her knowledge. It was possible she did it when she went off crawling around the palace when Cerci had to perform other duties and leave one of the less attentive nannies in charge of her, who often gave Pupa something to do and left her to her own devices. One time, Pupa went missing for hours, but they eventually found her in an open closet, chewing on a mop. Rest assured, that nanny found herself suffering the _full _consequences.

"Come on, let's get you wrapped up and we can go outside and have some fun," she gently whispered in Pupa's ear as she got up and this time, placed Pupa on her back to carry her about, making her look an awful lot like the creatures of old who were said to ride on top of equines for transport. "I hear the protection spell has kept a lot of the garden plants alive and pretty."

Pupa responded by wrapping her good right foreleg around Cerci's neck and nuzzled into her lavender mane, making an infantile cooing sound as the two exited the room. She was so glad to have Cerci around to care for her and keep her safe, even from her mother's anger. Cerci would always be there for her, no matter what.

Although she no longer felt so guilty for Cerci's injury, Pupa still felt bad about how much she had upset her mother. She wanted to make it all better, but how? But as nanny and filly got changed and made their way to the gardens, she already began thinking of just the plan to make things right. Who knows? Maybe she could even make her mother smile for once…

* * *

Out of the hundreds of rooms and apartments making up the palace, there were a hooffull strictly for the Queen's use. One such room was her private bathroom located in the sublevels of the palace, specifically designed to meet her lofty standards in pampering and refreshment. It also served as a means of secluding herself from the sources of her headaches.

The room differed greatly from the others in its brightly coloured interior design. Flowing rose and pink fabrics hung from the ceiling and draped across the walls to the floor, removing the edges from the square room. Said walls and floors were slabs of solid black rock each polished to a mirror surface and inlaid with gold floral designs. Smack-dab in the centre was the large circular steaming hot onsen pool surrounded by a series of multi-coloured candles. A team of female servants: hoofmaidens, attendants, groomers and masseuses stood at attention in a row before the onsen, all sporting dazzling brightly coloured manes with matching pretty eyes.

"Queen Chrysalis, welcome," the head servant, who sported a neatly done emerald green mane addressed her as they all bowed. "The onsen is ready for your use."

"Good." Chrysalis stared down at the kimono draped around her body, before very reluctantly and slowly slithering herself out of it and giving the tiny crown on her head to a servant who placed it on a silk cushion. The sudden rush of cool air against her body made her fur stand on end and goose bumps formed on the skin. She kept her legs close together and held her head high to maintain her superior disposition in front of these insectoid mares.

In the last several years, Chrysalis did not like other changelings seeing her without a kimono on, as opposed to her youth when she showed off her stunningly gorgeous body to be marvelled and drooled over by every male within a thousand males. It was not that she had grown prudish; she enjoyed the attention of males and the ability she had to tease them. The reason was that her beauty had faded before its time.

Chrysalis had gained weight and it showed in the belly that hung between her legs like it was carrying bricks and strained her carapace. Her legs were fatter as well, concentrated in the thighs and hindquarters. Worse still, her body was marred by pale stretch marks around the thighs, hips and belly. Her face and mane also suffered; there were more premature lines than she could count beneath her cavernous eyes that were not just caused by lack of sleep and her mane was really beginning to thin, meaning she could not wear it long for much longer.

Without hesitation, Chrysalis climbed into the onsen and allowed herself to be engulfed to the neck up by the relaxing hot spring water, her breath shuddering as she did. She leaned her head and dipped her mane in the water, then pulled it to let it rest all together on her shoulder. Meanwhile, the servants scurried about the room, preparing the furniture and equipment. Chrysalis watched them for the next five minutes through narrowed envious eyes; flouting their their slim and slender bodies like the little harlots they were. She could only think of how much they starved themselves or make themselves sick to get those perfect hourglass figures, or all the action those tramps got from the palace guards.

"Your Majesty?"

She looked up to see one of them standing over her. "Yes?"

"We're ready for you, now. If you're ready…"

"Five more minutes," she murmured, sinking deeper into the pool. Her muscles had not fully relaxed in the water yet. She regretted it five minutes later when she became so accustomed to the onsen that, like always, she had to get the servants to practically pull her out.

Out of the onsen, a quick flick of her horn casted a drying spell on the changeling Queen. Her servants guided her over to a bed, which she climbed onto and carefully laid on her belly, head in her hooves and wings sprawled lazily to her sides. They were to begin with a massage to relief any remaining stress and tension, which they found a lot of.

"My Queen, you are carrying so much tension," stated the lead masseuse who was working her shoulders.

"I haven't noticed-gah!" she muttered sarcastically and suddenly cringed when a surge of pain shot up her spine.

The masseuses ceased what they were doing and one asked, concerned, "My Queen, what is wrong?"

Chrysalis forced a hoof behind her to point out the source of the problem. _"My back…"_ she grunted, the pain subsiding. "I've been having problems with my back for days now."

"Oh, Your Majesty, you should have told us," the lead masseuse said sympathetically, her and the others fearing repercussions. "I assure you, we'll be more gentle."

"Just around my back," she responded firmly, raising her head to them momentarily. "I still want the full treatment."

As they got right back to work, Chrysalis could not fully relax, despite their best efforts. She could not see them, but imagined perfectly how they were sneering behind her back, mocking her for the old mare she now was. Her excessive weight; the unsightly stretch marks; the loose folds of skin on her aching back and everything about her testifying how obsolete she was compared to the younger, prettier models. It filled her with so much self-loathing it was going to give her another bad case of indigestion.

When the massage ended, her limbs felt like rubber. They readjusted the bed into a chair to allow the Queen to sit up in a reclined position while they continued the rest of the royal treatment. The groomers took the lead, with one brushing the cerulean mane (and then the tail which dropped out through the space beneath the backrest) with firm but never rough strokes while the others busied themselves with the knots or gently trimming the mane to a reasonable length. The hoofmaidens levitated the heavy files to give her a much needed hooficure and sharpened her fangs and enormous dulled horn, the latter of which sent a tingling sensation through her skull. To top it off, a facial, complete with huge tubs of facial cream.

"How did it come to this?" she suddenly asked of a hoofmaiden who was hovering over her, filing her horn.

"My Queen?"

"Look at me…" Chrysalis sighed heavily, looking over herself with melancholy eyes. "I'm hideous."

The servants grimaced. They were all rehearsed with how to deal with the Queen whenever she got like this, but that did not make it any less unbearable.

"No, my Queen, no," the same hoofmaiden assured her with a weak smile, resuming the horn filing. "Don't talk nonsense. You are the definition of changeling beauty."

Chrysalis scoffed at this meagre compliment and went on to deride herself. "I used to turn every male's head within a hundred miles. Look at me now."

The head servant who oversaw the team tried to reason, "You've had a filly-"

"How many do you have?"

"…eighteen." Even the other servants had to stop at her statement and do a double take. Even by changeling society standards, that was a lot, and by the creator above, she looked _fantastic!_ That small waist of hers was a testament to that.

Chrysalis blinked and her ear twitched, the pale green facial mask only serving to make her blank expression appear comical.

"That's it. You. Get me my bowl," she ordered the attendant closest to her.

She looked very reluctant. "Your Majesty, the doctors say it really isn't-"

"Are you disobeying a direct order from your Queen?"

"Of course not-"

"Then _get-my-bowl!"_

The attendant flew off and returned seconds later, carrying a large bowl made of the same polished black rock as the floors and walls in her hooves, containing a long black feather.

All the other servants backed off as Chrysalis took the bowl and levitated the feather in front of her tilted back head. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she opened her mouth as wide as possible and stuck the feather deep into her throat. She immediately withdrew the feather as she made a violent retching sound and threw her head forward to vomit into the bowl. After spitting out excess saliva and catching her breath, she repeated the process at least twice, before returning the filled bowl and feather to the attendant and collapsing back against the backrest, taking short sharp breaths until it returned to normal and the royal treatment resumed. One gave her some water to rinse and spit into another bowl.

Self-induced vomiting was nothing new amongst changeling high society. Although experts had outlined in the detail the health detriments outweighing the benefits, it had still not fully died out. It made their Queen feel better, so no changeling tried to stop her.

"What colour would you like your hooves, Your Majesty?" asked a maid who knelt down and took out a wooden vial rack of hoof polish of many colours.

"Black, as usu-what happened to your eye?" Chrysalis did not notice it at first, but the maid was sporting an unsightly black eye, which the latter unsuccessfully hid behind a red mane strand.

"My eye? Oh, my…uh, my husband did it, my Queen." Her overly wide toothy smile and the way she stammered and her eyes shifted told she was lying. "It was my fault. I put on a dress he didn't like."

Lifting her limp hoof, she pushed the attendant's mane away and examined the inflicted area like a caring mother would do her child. "Really? If that's the case, you must be married to an eight-year-old filly. Tell your Queen the truth."

"…Princess Pupa did it this morning, when I was trying to dress her." She added quickly, "It was still my fault, though. I wasn't being gentle enough-"

_"That filly…" _A deep growl rattled her vocal cords, feeling the tension return and a pulse on the side of her head. She motioned the maid to get to work whilst she brooded. Just thinking of her daughter at the moment and how she made a mockery of her cabinet meeting was enough to boil her green blood. "You won't believe what she did to me, today…"

It was not the first time Pupa's childish antics caused Chrysalis embarrassment in front of her subjects and thinking about today only made her recall other incidents she would sooner forget. There was, for just one of many examples, Pupa's first and last military parade, where half a million soldiers in the changeling military took part in a traditional march through the capital city to celebrate the country's military might and its pride. It was a tradition for the royal family to oversee the parade on the balcony of the palace as the faces of the nation. However, it did not go as swimmingly as hoped when the then very young Pupa was brought out. Within minutes, Pupa became so frightened by the scene before her and the deafening sounds of military drums and music that she started crying, _loudly._ Cerci could do nothing except to quietly comfort her, "Don't cry, it'll be over soon", until a repulsed Chrysalis gave them her permission to leave. Chrysalis was so ashamed and disgusted with her daughter's apparent show of weakness that she barred her from attending future military events.

It was easy for a common changeling or pony to denounce Chrysalis as cold and unnecessarily harsh in her treatment of Pupa, but from her perspective, she only held her to the same expected standards her own parents did, regardless of disability. For the future ruler of their country and its people and defender of their traditions, softness could not be afforded. If anything, Chrysalis was doing her a favour. The problem, as she saw it, was the incessant mollycoddling by that idiot nanny of hers.

"I'm _seriously _considering replacing that moron Cerci…" the moment she said, nearly everychangeling else's ears pricked up.

"Really, Your Majesty?" The head servant smirked, flicking her mane back and putting her hooves together. "Well, I would not call that an unwise decision, my Queen, given her sheer display of incompetence. There are those _much _more deserving of such an important position."

Chrysalis did her best to hide her amused grin. She expected this. Cerci was not so popular with the lower ranking servants in the palace, holding a position of which many of them felt they were more deserving. Whilst she was toying with the idea of replacing Cerci, it was low on her list of priorities, and it was far more fun watching these opportunistic mares grovelling at the idea of themselves receiving the job, that and indulging their hopes for her own amusement.

"Like you?"

She beamed at that, probably thinking the opportunity of a lifetime was right in front of her. "Well…" she flicked her mane again and placed her hoof over her chest proudly. "I'm certainly not one to toot my own horn, but being a mother of eighteen, I think-"

Snip. That small, sharp cutting sound brought the whole room to silence. Chrysalis looked physically stunned when an entire severed lock of her beautiful cerulean mane fell past her face and onto her lap. The groomer responsible, who was just trying to trim her fringe, dropped the scissors she was levitating to the stone floor with a loud clatter. Everychangeling else stopped what they were doing, all of them gasping and holding their hooves to their mouths in horror and taking more than two steps back. But while they looked horrified, the groomer in question looked as if she were ready to drop dead, with the dark grey literally draining from her face.

Chrysalis picked the thick lock up in her hooves, staring down at it with an expression conveying neither anger nor upset. It was the lock that traditionally always draped over one side of her face.

What seemed like eternity passed until Chrysalis spoke. "You cut off my favourite lock."

The groomer collapsed to her knees and burst into tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please, Your Majesty, I-I didn't mean to!" She begged for mercy, burying her face in her hooves. "I didn't mean to!" She was the youngest changeling in the room, barely out of her adolescence and shared the head servant's emerald mane, if not a lighter shade.

The head servant stormed over and slapped her hard across the face if just to shut her up. "YOU STUPID MARE!" she shrieked, going red in the face. "Look at what you've done now!"

"I'm sorry, mother, I-"

She slapped her again, twice as hard and lifted her by a clump of her mane. "Can't you do anything right, you clumsy idiot!?"

"That's enough." All eyes turned to Chrysalis, who now looked calm and serene. She pointed at the groomer and motioned her forward, "Come here, my dear."

The head servant threw her daughter forward in revulsion, who landed belly-first on the black stone floor. She picked herself up and scrambled to her Queen's side and got back on her knees, still blubbering for forgiveness like the pathetic grub she was.

"I'm so, SO sorry, my Queen! Please don't have me executed! I'll do better, next time, I-"

Chrysalis could not bear hearing this changeling mare's nauseating grovelling apologies. She put her hoof over her mouth, and hushed her soothingly. "Shhhh, young one. I know you are." The Queen chuckled a bit and patted her cheek. "Why would I ever have such a…young, beautiful head likes yours put on a pike?" She glanced over the young groomer's hooves and said, "Give me your hooves."

Whimpering, she did as she was told and let her Queen caress her small, soft hooves.

"You have really pretty hooves, my dear…" Chrysalis kept her smile, though her envious eyes betrayed her. The smile slowly turned into a deep, hateful frown, until…

_CRUNCH!_

With the flash of a movement, the Queen drove her fangs deep into the groomer's hooves, shredding through the fur and flesh like tissue paper. The younger mare screamed in agony and collapsed to the floor on her back, holding her hooves as green blood gushed from the wounds like a fountain.

Chrysalis licked the dripping blood from her fangs and dropped back against the backrest contently. "Take her away and have her stitched up," she ordered uncaringly, to which the head servant obeyed, dragging her daughter out of the room like a bag of rubbish. "The rest of you, I don't believe you're finished." Just as they were about to do so, she queried, "Oh, which one of you was doing my fangs?"

"I was, my Queen," replied one attendant, holding up her file.

She licked the blood stained fangs once more and smirked, "Good job."


	3. Chapter 3

**Maternal Instinct**

**Chapter Three**

The gardens of the royal palace were first built some 300 years ago, under the order of King Cocoon. They were a gift for his new wife, the beautiful queen consort, Vespidae, who he knew adored flowers, especially those of the rare calibre. The new gardens became home to the kingdom's prettiest and rarest plant life, all for the queen and her family's eyes alone. As years passed, they took on the characteristics of the more traditional styles of Changeling gardens, and eventually divided up into a large modern ornate complex to accommodate them. Today, few creatures outside the palace have seen such an awe-inspiring pocket of the world for themselves.

"Stay on my back, Princess," Cerci told her as they trekked their way down the garden path which had been covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow. A nasty chill was in the air, turning the koi ponds' surfaces into solid ice. The nanny wore several layers (with a satchel hung around her shoulder), but it did little to keep her warm.

Pupa, on the other hoof, looked positively snug as a bug. Cerci had wrapped the princess up in twelve layers of clothing (far more than herself), complete with a thick scarf, three socks on each hoof and a large, furry hat. It was the strict rule that whenever she went outside in even the slightest cold weather, she was kept as wrapped up and warm as possible, to the point she could barely move her legs anymore. All of said layers made it even difficult for her to squirm atop of Cerci's back, no matter how much she tried, though the warmth she received against the biting cold air made up for the discomfort.

She looked above and saw with amazement the millions of tiny white flakes flittering down from the bright grey sky, one of them landing on the tip of her muzzle. She reached her hoof to it, but only to find a little bit of water. More flakes fell on her face and mane and she noticed that they too quickly turned to water. She kept her mouth wide open, trying to catch some more on her oversized tongue.

"We're here, darling," said Cerci, stopping where she stood and lifted the filly off her back and onto the white ground. They stood before a lush bed of fine pink tulips, arranged neatly like they were a disciplined company of soldiers. After a pause or two, Pupa steadied herself on her shoddy forelegs and, with an encouraging nudge from Cerci, she forced herself to haul her weight forward and crawl across the frozen, crunchy blades of grass.

But as Pupa crawled towards them, she felt her surroundings surprisingly turned warmer than they were just seconds ago, and the grass turn softer and moist as the frost melted. It felt like a lazy summer's day, despite everything she saw around her telling her otherwise. She looked up and around to see the snowfall had stopped around her and the flowerbed, though it continued everywhere else.

The little one shrugged off the strangeness and got to marvelling her tulips. In her mind, these were her tulips, nochangeling else's. Only she was allowed to idol their colour and figures and lose herself in their aroma. Greedily, she decided to pluck the nearest one for herself, but was foiled by the overseeing nanny.

"No, Pupa," she told her sternly, giving her a firm tap on the hoof to make her release the tulip, "you're supposed to look at them, don't touch them."

Pupa whined defiantly and tried to snatch the tulip again, but Cerci would have none of it and had to hold her back. It did not stop the princess, who kept squirming in her forelegs like a worm wriggling through the soil.

"Pupa, I said 'no'!" Cerci scolded, raising her voice but still keeping it to a reasonable tone, in case anychangeling was nearby and within earshot.

The princess soon stopped, though more from exhaustion than obedience. She grinned slyly as she got an idea, not a particularly clever one, but it worked in the past. She covered her face with her sleeves and forced herself to weep so loud Cerci could not ignore it.

"It's not going to work, Princess." She stood her ground and picked the little one up. "You can't have one, and that's that."

But Pupa's resoluteness was greater than her nanny's and the moment she was picked up, she threw back her head and raised the pitch in her voice, turning her weeping into a full-blown shriek. Cerci released her and covered her ears to drown the horrid sound out. Pupa brought her voice up to the equivalent of the world's biggest hoof being dragged slowly down the world's biggest chalkboard.

"Okay, okay! Alright!" Cerci yielded in seconds, and with that, the noise stopped and she looked down to see Pupa grinning ear-to-ear jovially as normal. She let out a sigh, knowing she had no choice now. Baby always got what she wanted. Reluctantly, she leaned over to the flowerbed and quickly plucked a small, less noticeable tulip from the collection and levitated it before her. "Where do you want it?"

Barely containing her excitement, Pupa batted the left side of her head. Cerci understood and slid the flower carefully into the filly's mane, just above her ear. The Princess was overjoyed; she rubbed up against her foreleg like a purring cat, allowing her to adjust the tulip so it faced upward. Cerci could not help but smile.

The two continued their journey through the gardens, stopping every two minutes to admire more flowers and with enough whining, added a new addition to the pretty bouquet forming in Pupa's mane. Exploring the gardens had been their favourite activity together since the day she was first brought here as a grub. It was a welcome change from the dark, dismal caverns of the palace. The only real problem was, naturally, Pupa's inability to admire natural beauty instead of just putting her hooves on everything in sight.

They passed a large pond on their way to the camellias. It was not a particularly special pond; it had no ornamental or floral decorations and looked like it was being left unattended. But once she saw it, Pupa became fixated with it, not in the manner of a filly with its favourite toy, mind you, but as something she dreaded. Just looking at the pond caused her fur to raise and she gave a hard tug on Cerci's collar to get her to stop walking.

Cerci barely had to look at the pond to get the idea and groaned with exasperation, "Oh, this again..." she set her down again and opened up and rummaged through the satchel. "Don't worry, I've brought it." What she pulled out was a large, ripe cucumber which had been written on with ink. She knelt down and said, "Do you want to do it this time, or me?"

Pupa shook her head and whimpered, crawling up behind her as if to use her as a protective shield.

Approaching the pond, the nanny stopped at the edge and awkwardly held up the cucumber. She glanced around to check nochangeling was watching, and then back at the expecting Pupa, before tossing the cucumber into the pond with a resulting _plop_.

"There," she said with finality and a small smile. "It's done. The Kappas will leave you alone, sweetie."

This odd little ritual pacified the filly and restored her joyful mood. She returned to her place on the elder's back and smooched the top of her head. Cerci took this affectionate display for the princess' way of saying 'thank you' and accepted it.

"You're welcome, princess."

Inwardly, she sighed. She now regretted the nights she spent reading those old stories to the princess. Make no mistake, she cherished every moment they shared together and each night she read, Pupa hung onto every word she spoke with wide-eyed fascination, be it _The Fountain of Youth_ or _The Husband of the Rat's Daughter._ What filled Cerci with regret were the times she told her stories of those damn Kappas.

The first time she was told them, Pupa was fascinated by stories of the flamboyant water sprits, known as the Kappas, what in turn encouraged Cerci to tell her more stories about them. At first, she saw no harm; they were only stories, after all. But she made the mistake of forgetting to take into account the filly's naiveté. Cerci herself doubted such even creatures existed, but for such an impressionable child they were as real as the sun that gave them light and the air they breathed. She became anxious whenever she was near rivers and ponds, the places where Kappas were supposed to dwell, fearing the creatures would spring out of them and eat her up like they did all Changeling fillies. Cerci was then forced to perform the ritual of writing the names of her and loved ones into the Kappa's pond to appease the demons and gain their favour, if just to give Pupa peace of mind.

Of course, Chrysalis was far from impressed when she caught wind of it, once commenting, "Oh, so now she's scared of imaginary water monkeys. How will she handle the ponies? Have you throw oats at them and hope they'll go away?"

Near the end of their little walkabout, the nanny and princess sat down on a snowy knoll on a decorative rolled out carpet. This was time spent to just sit back and enjoy the sounds and scenery of the garden. Cerci sat up with crossed legs and sat Pupa between them, letting her rest her little head against her chest as they did nothing but listen.

The babbling brooks. The splashing waters of the miniature waterfalls creating a steady pattern of endless rhythm. The chirping of the crickets and birds. All came together to create a sweet symphony of serenity, one which proved short-lived when broken by a noise, faint but incessant, one that did not belong in this natural environment. Cerci picked up on it and quickly traced it.

"Princess, what are you doing?"

Cerci stared down and witnessed the filly nuzzling into her chest yearningly, piercing and loudly puckering her lips in a perfect 'O'. She stopped when caught and returned a guilty look, pressing down on her stomach. She was hungry. Gently, she pushed her away from her chest. "No, sweetie. We don't do that anymore. You're too old. C'mon, let's go inside and get lunch."

As luck would have it, just as they were about to do that, Cerci ducked and covered Pupa protectively in her legs. She felt something fly fast over their heads. For a second, she thought it was a rock or a spear, but when she opened her eyes, she was immensely relieved to see it was only a large red ball, which rolled to a slow stop several yards from them.

The sound of heavy panting came from over the knoll as somechangeling ran in their direction. Cerci glowered at this newcomer and levitated the ball towards herself before standing up to meet her.

The newcomer, a flustered female servant who was badly underdressed for the weather, stopped a few feet from them, sweet dripping from her face and holding her burning chest. She was shivering uncontrollably from the biting cold, made worse by being caked up to her knees in snow. She looked like she was trying to say something, but was completely out of breath, leaving Cerci to start the conversation.

"Looking for this, Thysbe?" She asked unimpressed, levitating the ball up to her.

"I… I need to get this back," she did her best to explain, stopping to swallow and prevent herself from collapsing from exhaustion. "The Princess will-"

_"Thysbe! Hurry up!"_

That loud, shrill voice shriek came from only a short distance away, piercing their ears like a long, serrated knife. They recognized the voice; Cerci rubbed her temples, but Pupa smiled and tugged Cerci's sleeve.

"Uh, sweetie… I thought you wanted to eat. I'm sure you'd rather-"

Pupa opened her mouth wide, taken in a deep breath…

"Let's go," she said immediately, tossing the ball back to Thysbe.

Over the knoll, the trio made their way down the slope, struggling through the thick blankets of snow that reached up to their bellies. Cerci had to play a careful balancing act to keep Pupa from falling off her back, and the repetitive shouting from their beckoner was certainly not helping.

Finally, they reached their destination: a large, warm patch of garden shielded from the snowfall, almost the size of a regular garden and outlined with white chalk. It was covered in nine hoops set up in a pattern and the same types of coloured balls Thysbe were returning scattered about the grass. A game of sorts was being played here.

Standing inside this protected zone was a crowd of female changeling nobles and servants, the former all dressed up like they were attending a garden party or picnic. The noblemares were circled around one particular female, a tall, beautiful royal who was busy levitating a long mallet, which she dangled idly over the ground like a pendulum. The only other changeling that stood out amongst them was a restless little colt who stood at the feet of his own nanny, fidgeting non-stop on the spot, becoming increasingly fed up the longer he had to wait there.

The female in the centre stood roughly the same height as her older sister, sporting a smooth, attractive combination of dark purple mane, tail, carapace and eyes. She bore a strong resemblance to Chrysalis, but whilst she was now much wider and curvier, this royal was the complete opposite. The mare was as thin as a rake, with the kimono she was wearing practically hanging off her frame. Her face was particularly gaunt and made to look further ghastly by the same sunken eyes common in their family.

The irritated look on the royal's face made it clear her patience was running thin. She took a look at her golden watch and tapped her hoof on the ground.

When she saw the three Changelings entering the zone, she was no less annoyed. "There you are," she snarled at Thysbe and pointed at the chalk lines she just walked over. "Reset the ball. Nine inches. Use my mallet to make sure you get it right." She shoved the mallet into her hooves. "Go."

"Yes, Your Highness," replied the shivering, damp servant who was about to fulfil her duty, but momentarily stopped to formally introduce the newly arrived royal. "Oh, uh, Princess Danauria, your niece, Princess Pupa."

The older mare's demeanour changed in a snap of a griffin's talons as she and the nobles seemed to only take notice of Pupa's existence that moment. A sweet, caring smile appeared on her gaunt face, solely from the filly's presence.

"Ohhh, there's my favourite niece!" Princess Danauria whisked her horn and Pupa flew off Cerci's back and up to her chest, holding her in her foreleg. She hugged her and smothered her with kisses like she were a pedigree puppy, and Pupa returned the love to her favourite aunt with gusto. Danauria spotted the bouquet sticking out of her mane, which was now so large it was a wonder how her head kept balanced. "What's this?" She asked with no hint suspicion, but the question was aimed at Cerci, judging by her hardening eyes focusing on her.

Sweat formed on Cerci's head as she mentally kicked herself. She had forgotten completely about the flowers! Danauria was going to have her head for this: one of her favourite white roses was part of the ensemble.

"Well… it looks sweet." She said, her sweet mother-like smile suddenly returned, but her eyes remained on her. "It's a good thing you and Pupa are here, Cerci. We've just started a lovely game of croquet."

"Cro-ket, Your Highness?" Cerci asked, confused. "I've never heard of such a game."

"Of course you haven't," the older princess sneered, flicking her mane. "It's a game played by ponies of Canterlot high society." The noblemares around her held up their own large mallets, as well as their heads, proudly.

"Canterlot?" She did not like the sound of that, at all. "You mean you're playing an Equestrian game?"

"You have a problem with that?"

"Of course not, my Princess," she verbally backpedalled. "I… I just meant to ask i-if the Queen was alright with this."

Princess Danauria waved a dismissive hoof, laughing heartily, "Oh, don't you worry about dear Chrysie; she's far too busy with all her tedious royal business." She put her hooficured hoof to her chest, putting on a sophisticated air. "We're merely enlightening ourselves with Equestria's rich, superior culture."

The lavender-maned Changeling tried to conceal her intense distaste for this snooty princess with an insincere smile. To her, Danauria and her little entourage's 'enlightening' was a disgrace to the royal family and their kingdom. They arrogantly cast away their people's values of modesty and quiet dignity so to indulge themselves in the extravagance and garish decadence of what countries like Equestria and the Griffin Kingdom had to offer; she could smell the combination of many different but strong Equestrian and Griffin perfumes humming off them, almost making her gag.

"Why don't you join us?" Danauria asked all of a sudden.

"Oh, uh…" Cerci knew she could not exactly refuse, but tried to find an excuse. "Normally, it would be an honour, Princess, but Pupa and I-"

"Excellent," she rudely cut her off. "Thysbe, get her a mallet."

"But I was going to take Pupa inside-"

She bounced the little princess up and down in her leg, making her giggle. "There's no harm for the little in staying out a little longer. In fact…" Handing her back over to Cerci, Danauria looked over her shoulder and beckoned, "Morphin, sweetie, c'mere!"

The colt, who had gone virtually unnoticed for a while, begrudgingly walked towards them with his nanny in tow, whose tired, haggard face told the story of a mare who was just ready to drop dead.

While Danauria was, by all accounts, a beautiful mare, her little dependent was far less appealing to look at. He was no older than Pupa, with a long, thick, matted mane of a colour so dark in tone it could have been any. Like Pupa, some of his limbs were badly disproportionate, like his left hind leg, leaving him leaning to his right. His dental work was poor: a lot of his teeth were crooked or twisted about and some were missing entirely, made only noticeably by his underbite. Worst of all were his pale blue eyes, bulging not sunken and one staring out in another direction. The effect was frightening, and one could not fault Cerci for recoiling before bowing to them.

Danauria knelt down to his level, asking him, "Morphin, how would you like to go play with Pupa?"

"Mumsy!" the little one shrieked, not paying attention to her question as jumped up and down, reaching up to her, or rather, the mallet she was levitating. "Mumsy, I wants to play with the hammer! I wants to play with it!"

"No, darling, its mumsy's," she admonished gently, but gave him a loving pet on the head. "Croquet's for grownups. You can have fun with Pupa, instead."

The second the colt looked at his cousin, he became upset and shook his head violently. "NNNO! No, no, no! I don't want to play with her! No, no, no!" He shouted in screechy little voice. This frightened Pupa, who wrapped around Cerci's neck and buried herself in her shoulder.

His little outburst did not please his mother, who calmly told them, "Give us a moment…" she then angrily took her son aside, hissing into his ear, "Now you listen here…" the rest was inaudible for the other Changelings, but from her furious rasps, it was not pleasant. It went on for a minute at most, before they turned back around, Danauria smiling once again. "Right, so you kids can go spend some quality time together by the koi pond while we play croquet."

Cerci wanted to protest, or better yet, just turn around and leg it; leaving Pupa alone with this particular cousin of hers was not a good idea. But she knew she had no choice and hesitantly, she followed his nanny as the two took their charges over to a nearby koi pond.

The koi pond was frozen, and only the small orange blur revealed where the trapped fishes were moving about underneath. The other, more haggard nanny cast a spell overhead, causing the snow to stop falling in the spot they were standing, and the pintsized royalty were sat down facing each other on the snow still covering the ground.

Pupa felt uncomfortable sitting with him and was absolutely shocked to see Cerci and the other nanny slowly walking away from them. She whimpered for her, holding out her forelegs for her to come back.

She did indeed come back, but only to kiss her and comfortingly tell her, "It's alright. Play with him for a little while. I'll be back soon, I promise." With that, the two older mares departed.

Now alone, the two children sat there in total silence, save for the crackling ice on the koi pond and the whistling cold breeze, staring at each other awkwardly for what seemed like forever.

Although she could not say it, Pupa did not enjoy being around her cousin; there was something about the way he looked and the way he acted that made her very nervous. She only wanted to be away from him as soon as possible.

Prince Morphin was the first to finally break the ice. "You… look... pretty," he said slowly, but his loud voice still made her uncomfortable.

She tilted her head, looking at him confused. Was he trying to be sweet to her?

"Mumsy told me to -I mean… uhh, I wanna touch your mane."

He raised his hoof and, with the greatest apprehension, reached forward to touch her face. She shrunk away, whining in protest, but he touched her anyway. At first, the fur on his hoof felt rough and bristly like the brush Cerci used to clean her during bath time, and yet she got used to it pretty quickly and remembering her fondness for being petted, she slowly allowed him to explore the rest of her face and onto her mane.

Morphin was quite enjoying himself; he found her mane to be smooth and silky like the dolls' from the nursery. Wanting more, he took one thick lock and rubbed it against his cheek. Pupa did not mind, she thought it was funny. He did start pushing it, though, when he began poking her close to the eye.

"Your eye's doing it too!" he said, getting excited.

"Huh?" The princess squeaked.

He pointed at his own bugging eye, the one that stared in another direction from the other. "Your eye's weird, like mine!"

Pupa felt offended by that remark, and she sensitively flapped her hoof over her eye. Sometimes her right eye would stare off a bit, as it supposedly was doing now, but she did not like other Changelings talking about it or pointing at it.

"You're drooling!" Morphin continued, by now breaking out into a fit of giggles. "Why're you doing that? Only larvae drool."

She looked down and saw the front of her kimono was stained with her own dribble and the sticky substance was pouring off her bottom lip like a waterfall. Her lip began to quiver. Morphin was being mean and laughing at her.

Morphin clearly did not pick up that he was upsetting her and continued to grasp and stroke her mane, until she curled up and shied away from him. When he tried it again, she just pushed his grabby little hooves away.

In immediate response, Morphin leapt up, eyes widening and his breath accelerating. He clutched one hoof with the other, looking at it and acting as if she had just attacked him.

"Don't do that!" he practically screamed it. "You're not allowed to touch me!" His face was contorting in anger and his cheeks flushed green as he began jumped up and down. **"Nochangeling's allowed to touch me!"** In an arc of black, he slapped her hard in the face, knocking her off her haunches.

Pupa landed hard on her side, her head banging against the snow, knocking off her hat and getting it all in her mane. Her cheek stung horribly, her thick clothes meaning she could not sit back up to hold it, let alone stop the melting snow trickling down the back of her neck. The pain, discomfort and realization she had just been struck made her burst out crying, wailing for Cerci.

In an extraordinary matter of seconds, Cerci had witnessed what transpired and flew all the way down to the pond, landing beside her weeping Princess. Immediately, she held her and wiped off as much snow as she could. She kissed the stinging mark on her cheek where Morphin hit her. After making sure she was okay, her smouldering eyes fixated on the beastly little colt before her.

_"You!"_ she growled at him, her voice simmering with rage. "What do you have to say for yourself, _young Prince!?"_

"She touched me!" He yelled, pointing at Pupa. "Nochangeling's allowed to touch me!"

"Oh, that is it! I am going to—"

"Cerci!"

Morphin's nanny came flying at them, landing between her and the Prince before Cerci did something she would seriously regret.

"I've got this handled." She turned on the Prince and ordered him, "Morphin, you apologize to your cousin, this instant!"

"NO! No, no, NO!" The tyke even had the audacity to spin around and buck his hind legs at her. "Make _her _apologize!"

_"MORPHIN!"_

Morphin practically froze solid. That scream did not come from his nanny, but from his mother.

They all turned in time to see Danauria land firm on the grass in front of them, glaring at her son with not maternal disappointment, but of the outrage a Queen would have for the disobedience of a lowly knave. Wasting not a second, her horn glowed and the Prince squealed as he was lifted up by the ear to his mother's level.

"How _dare _you hit your little cousin!" she shouted, knocking the gall right out of him.

"B-But mumsy, she touched—"

She smacked him across the face, twice as hard he did Pupa. The resulting _'slap' _was enough to make the others wince (though Cerci was smirking inwardly at seeing the little brat get what was coming to him).

"Don't you 'mumsy' me! I don't care if you touched you! How many times have I told _you?!_ You're not allowed to hit anychangeling, especially a filly! Do you like it when I hit you?!" Danauria continued to berate him in his face before slapping him again, but much less harder. She brought him before his cousin who, by now, had finished crying and was looking at him through misty eyes. "Now, I won't say it again: apologize!"

Morphin looked Pupa in the eye, now wiping tears and holding his stinging cheek, he sniveled pitifully, "I'm sorry."

Danauria gave him to his nanny, ordering her, "Take him back to my chambers so he can think about what he did. I'll deal with him later."

They watched the sympathetic nanny take the distraught colt away. Danauria waited until they were far enough away before she dropped her angry front and let out a pained sigh of frustration, holding her forehead in her hoof.

"Your Highness…?"

"I apologize for my son's behaviour, Cerci." Danauria did not look at her, instead focusing her attention on Pupa, holding her chin. "He just doesn't like being touched, okay?"

"I will take the Princess back inside, in case she catches something."

"Alright. We'll try something later."

Finally free to get away from Danauria and her entourage, Cerci carried Pupa through the gardens and back into the palace. She may have felt a bit bad for Danauria after witnessing what she had to deal with, but any longer and she would have died from the sheer amount of obnoxiousness.

* * *

"I'll put you by the fireplace, Princess. The last thing we need is you getting sick." Cerci said, hanging her extra layers of clothing up on the hooks in the entrance corridor, before proceeding to get the filly out of hers. "What's wrong?"

The Princess was looking back at the entrance leading back into the garden with concern. Something was filling her with regret and it did not take an idiot to figure out what.

"Don't you feel bad for your cousin; he got what was coming to him for raising a hoof to you." She pulled through the five of Pupa's twelve layers. "Let's get you something to eat. The chefs have cooked you up some of your favourite ramen."

The filly smiled and tried pulling off her socks by herself, her hunger dousing any lingering pity for her cousin.

_'That worked like a charm,' _Cerci thought to herself as she finished getting her out of her outdoor layers and carried her off to her dining room. She then thought bitterly, _'But leave it to Danauria and her brat to ruin a pleasant day in the garden. If **that's **how he treats now, ugh… I can't bear to imagine what it'll be like when they're **married.**"_

* * *

**(A/N) Hi, I'm back, and using the author's notes for the first time (will probably go back to add them to previous chapters).**

**Anyway, sorry for the LONG delay, no excuses other than the Holidays (Happy New Year, by the way, and hope you had a merry Christmas), job searching and procrastination. I'm also working on a Littlest Pet Shop fic, 'Space Monkey'. So yeah, busy bee, but this fic is far from dad and don't worry, we're approaching the real drama of the story soon enough. Enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

**(a/n) Hello all, I just want to start off with a massive apology for how long it's taken to write this chapter. I'm afraid I've had a bit of writer's block with this story for a while, that and how I'm also working on other projects. Still, nearly two months is way too long and I can assure you, I'm over my block, have found new inspiration and am more clean in the direction this story is going. So expect updates more frequently.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's in the next when things get intense.**

* * *

**Maternal Instinct**

**Chapter Four**

A Changeling male, wearing a decorated general's uniform collapsed to the decorative carpeted floor. He writhed about like a snake being stepped upon, screaming horrifically in sheer agony and kicking his legs wildly in the air in all directions. His hooves lashed at the sides of his head, tearing up the fur and flesh with long trails of blood dripping from the wounds. The wretched creature looked like he was undergoing an exorcism.

Sitting around the small, dimly lit room were a large group of Changelings, predominantly males, dressed either in similar grey uniform, each wearing a varying collection of medals and pins, or the muted kimonos befitting politicians. This was the Changeling Army General Staff, convening within the stronghold of the royal palace. All of them sat with the silent demeanour and perfect posture of statues, not one of them twitching at the sight of the suffering officer or his agonizing cries.

Chrysalis sat before a short table, wearing her reading glasses as she looked over a large white map unfolded on top. It was a military map detailing the northern regions and its prefectures. Set on top were a dozen green figures, with many of them concentrated around the northern border, spilling over into the area on the map representing the lands beyond her kingdom's jurisdiction.

For the best of five minutes, Chrysalis stared intently at the map, going over every last detail. When she finished, she tilted down her glasses and rubbed her temples before forcing her aching head up.

Her eyes drifted lazily towards the Changeling sprawled out on the floor who, by now, had tears of pain pouring down his face as he rasped desperately for air.

"Apology accepted, General Antenaka."

The general finally gave up and collapsed flat against the floor, only one of his hind legs twitching as the last of his breath wheezed from his mouth and his body remained motionless.

"Gentlemen… our army is supposed to be something our kingdom is proud of," Chrysalis said simply but with an underlying harshness that was simmering near surface as she continued to speak. "This was supposed to be dealt with two years ago." She removed and folded up her glasses and levitated a newspaper to her right on the table and unfolded it.

The newspaper was one printed in the Griffin Kingdom. Its front cover featured a black-and-white photograph of a dozen Changelings in filthy, ragged military uniforms sitting down in shoddy camps in a mountainous environment. The headline read in its native Griffin, _'CHANGELING DESERTION AUF REKORDHOCH'._

"This was supposed to be **_over!"_**

She threw the newspaper back on the table with a loud 'thud' and though they tried to remain stone faced and quiet, the males visibly cringed. For them, they praised the gods that these meetings were strictly cut off from the outside world so none of their fellow males could see them in their position. For any male to be emasculated by a female was an absolute disgrace, even if that female was the Queen.

"What do you have to say for your failure?"

They kept their lips buttoned. They all knew she wanted answers, but none dared speak out of turn.

"You!" she suddenly snapped, pointing at the Defence Minister. "I'm talking to you!"

He felt his mane blow by the force of her voice. The now pudgy, middle-aged politician amongst hardened military Changelings looked dismally down at the damning statistics printed on the stack of documents before him that were thick enough for an encyclopaedia volume. Knowing he was doomed whatever he said, he gathered his bravery and bit the bullet.

"Your Majesty, the situation of our kingdom's army is out of control," he declared, not in shame or righteous indignation but as pure statement of fact. "Desertions by our soldiers have never been at such a shameful high in our military history. Our official estimates are placing the figure between 15,000 to 20,000 soldiers a year."

"I know all that. What I want to know is how you've allowed this to happen."

"Our research has uncovered numerous alarming factors that are contributing to this crisis." The minister turned over the documents as he read them out, "Lack of efficient weapons and supplies… squalid living conditions… harsh treatment by commanding officers…"

Chrysalis forced herself to laugh, not out of genuine amusement but derision. "So, heh heh… you're telling me either my soldiers are soft, undisciplined cowards, or my commanding officers are ridiculously incompetent? Or better yet, both?" She then composed herself and sighed, "Alright, I'll accept that. It sounds perfectly believable when you really think about it, doesn't it? Just tell me what you've decided to do about it."

"We are ahead of it, Your Majesty," spoke one tall, strongly built general in a gruff, baritone like voice. "We've already rounded up 400 deserters this month in the southern region and they will all pay the_ ultimate price."_

"Yes, but simply executing them will only deter the problem," said the minister. "It will not stamp it out." He immediately regretted it when he found himself under his Queen's glare.

"As much as I hate to admit, for once, I have to agree with you, Gryllus," she grumbled as her glare shifted from him to the general whom had spoken. "You're free to hunt these deserters down like animals, General, but I don't just want public displays, I want a permanent solution."

"Then how do you suppose we stamp out the problem, Minister?"

It seemed the minister had landed himself in a boiling tub of hot water, until an elderly silver-maned Changeling sitting near Chrysalis, wearing a medal decorated and gold trimmed military uniform that indicated the rank of_Gensui_, a field marshal, calmly interjected.

"Your Majesty, if I may…" the Gensui spoke softly but with an officer's authority, readjusting his large, round glasses. "My fellow officers and I have been discussing the matter the last three months in private." He motioned to the other senior officers sitting to his left and right. "We have put together a… _possible _solution to our dilemma."

Chrysalis looked far more interested in what this Changeling had to say than the others. "Go on."

"We would prefer it if we could tell you in private."

"I'm sure whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of your fellow officers."

The Gensui was, at first, silent, but then continued, "Your Majesty, my fellow Gensui and I have come to a consensus that these current problems facing our army can be traced down to one source: the army is simply too big and unsustainable."

"I see. And you're suggesting…?"

He accepted long before this meeting that he said next would place his reputation and honour amongst most of his fellow officers, the army and the kingdom on the line. He summoned the courage and drew a breath before speaking.

"As regrettable as it is, the best course of action for our army and the kingdom as a whole… is a steep reduction in military personnel and expenditure."

The moment these words were spoken, the entire room erupted in an unholy chorus of apoplectic outrage. Many of the officers and politicians stood up and began yelling and hurling accusations not just at the Gensui but even at each other. But the Gensui and his comrades sat straight-faced and silent with theirs head held high the whole time, the others' harsh words bouncing off them like they were nothing.

"Unthinkable!"

"Such thinking is treason!"

"Silence him! He insults our army!"

**_"ENOUGH!"_**

The room fell silent once again at the sound of the Queen's ear-piercing screech. Her wings burst out from her kimono and she flew into the air, her terrifying shadow cast over them all as she hovered above in mid-air.

"I am disgusted with you! You have the gall to call yourselves Changelings!? Let alone leaders of our army!?" She screamed at them without relent. "Prince Pierce is your honoured superior and senior! _You will all show respect!"_ Burning fury glowed from the narrowed slits that were her harlequin eyes and the room full of males felt their pride stripped from them and reduced to six-year-old colts.

She calmed herself down, pushing a strand of her mane back into place, before speaking to them with greater restraint, "All of you, except for Prince Pierce and Minister Gryllus, are dismissed. We will reconvene in one hour."

Heads held low and tails hanging between their legs, the officers and politicians, save for those named, trekked their way out of the meeting room. A couple of them were considerate enough to pick up General Antenaka's body and carry it out with them.

"And this conversation does not leave this room!" she barked after them. "Do you hear me?! It does **not **leave this room!"

Once they were all gone, Chrysalis used her magic to lock the door and cast a charm to ensure nothing could be heard from the outside.

She dropped back to her sitting position in front of the table, sighing through her nostrils and crossing again her numb legs just as pins and needles settled in. The minister took the time to take a drink of water to help clear his head.

Prince Pierce removed his glasses and polished them with a cloth he levitated out of his breast pocket, saying to her, almost amusingly, "Your officers are young, head-strong and overzealous. Heh heh, they remind me of myself when I was a youth."

Chrysalis, on the other hoof, did not look so amused. "Uncle…" she began, sounding relatively restrained, but with an underlining frustration in her voice. "You know I've always respected you. I mean, you've always been here to counsel me, especially when most officers your age would normally retire."

"Thank you," he nodded.

"Then how could you of all Changelings suggest such a thing?" she asked, anger now surfacing in her voice. She may have respected as she said, but that did not mean she hung on his every word. "Shrink the army?! No ruler in our history has ever done such a thing."

He retained his stoic expression, telling her simply, "I only wish for you to do what is logical and best for your kingdom."

"You consider it logical?"

The old Prince sighed and donned his glasses. He took her hoof in his and looked into her eyes, a lot like how he did when she was small.

"I am a good few hundred years old, my niece," he said, his voice croaking but carrying a strong air of wisdom. "I have seen many wars and their battles, nations rise and fall, and dictators and petty tyrants boast how they'll rule the world one day and executed by insurgents the next. What's happening to your army is what has happened to countless others: it is becoming _defunct."_

This explanation only baffled her only more. "How can you say that?"

"Your army has well over two million Changelings at your command this very moment, dear niece. What, pray tell, are you doing with them?"

"It's not as simple as that—" she tried, though she already knew that would do little against her uncle's sharp mind.

He raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Are you at war?"

"No."

"Is there civil unrest?"

"No!"

"What about _Manechuria?"_

She did not answer right away. Instead, she scrunched her eyes shut and bit her fangs down on her lip. _Manechuria_. The very name was a trigger for another migraine.

For hundreds of years, the Changeling Kingdom had its eye on the sparsely populated, resource and love-rich land of Manechuria, which had obvious advantages for their densely populated and resource and love-depleted kingdom. Past rulers sought to exploit the land to the north, some preferring to trade, others wanting to just march right in and take it. It was but another additional weight on the incumbent monarch's shoulders, and how exactly did Chrysalis feel towards the whole thing?

"Blah! Manechuria, Manechuria, Manechuria!" She repeated the name with such contempt, wrinkling her snout as if the word itself was unclean. "I'm sick of everychangeling going on about Manechuria. No, uncle, I'm not going to invade it! Why in Tartarus would I?!"

That was the answer he was looking for, but he went along with it. Shrugging, he offered, "Resources, territory, some love to take back to the kingdom. Not like you used to need a reason. I recall how much you used to enjoy the thrill of conquest when you were younger, before Cant-" He stopped himself then and there, seeing the scowl forming on her face.

There was one rule to remember if you worked with or answered directly to Chrysalis, even if you were family: you never mention _that _invasion in front of her, at least not by name.

"… the incident in Equestria."

"I'm done with invasion and conquest, uncle." Chrysalis rested her face glumly in her hoof, glazing her eyes over the map and making some of the little figures hover in the air. "It's not fun anymore. It used to be about just going in in disguise, destroy them from within, and then take all the love we could get. But… now it's all just…"

"Politics?" Pierce shrugged.

"Money?" Minister Gryllus offered, the reminder of his presence in the room almost making Chrysalis jump.

"Yeah, that's all it is now," she said, rolling her eyes and dropping the figures back onto the table. "It's all red tape, and League of Nations, and trying to please all our allies and how much we're gonna lose if we invade. I mean, after that clusterbuck in... you know... none of it is worth the headaches."

Minister Gryllus thought it best to chip in, "And we already have plenty of extraterritorial rights there as it is. We own hundreds of Manechurian factories and ports there, and not to forget the South Manechurian Railway, that's a real gem."

"Why conquer Manechuria if we can just own it?"

"Absolutely. So tell me..." Pierce said, his expression turning hard and serious. They had got a bit off topic there. "Why do you still insist on keeping such a large army?"

Chrysalis was trapped. She wanted to give an answer and put the matter to rest, but she drew a blank. Everything he said was true; he even tricked her into talking about how right he was. That was clever Uncle Pierce. Her mother always said he should have gone into politics.

"I just can't do it," she sighed, but with no hint of defiance in her voice or assurance in her own arrogance. It was the only thing she could regurgitate. "It's simply not done."

Pierce would not yield. He had her on the ropes. "Then you can be the one to do it. The army must be reformed or it will collapse. You must make the _right choice."_

She scoffed, "Right choice, uncle? When have I ever been able make the right choice?"

"Chrysalis…"

"In case you have not noticed, every decision I make is leading to disaster!" she cut across. "If it's not the food, it's the army! And if it's not that, it's my dau-" She caught her tongue at the last moment and paused before telling Gryllus sharply, "Minister, could you give us a moment?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." Gryllus gathered his documents and was more than glad to scurry out of the room, which Chrysalis flicked her horn at and unlocked for him.

"What would they say if they saw this? What would _he _say?!" She went on to rant, her voice heightening with anger once more as if at the flip of a switch.

"I understand, but-"

Chrysalis stood up and pointed vehemently (and rather triumphantly) up at the wall, from which hung a large portrait. It was of an enormous, menacing Changeling dressed in a decorative military uniform, his dark holes of eyes created the haunting feeling of one being watched.

"He knew how to do things right! His people had faith and confidence in him! How could you expect my people to support _this!?"_

She spun around and stormed frustrated up down the space between the table and the wall, grumbling under her breath.

"A decision may not be popular at the time, but that does not make it the wrong decision!" Pierce did his best to reason with her, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"But my father—"

**"You are not your father!"** He at last yelled exasperated, arising and banging the table hard with his hoof. The declaration was enough to stop the Queen where she stood, bug eyed and mouth hanging slightly open. The old Changeling appeared remorseful, but he continued, in a softer tone, "The kingdom your father ruled no longer exists, my niece. The next generation of Changelings no longer wants to be soldiers. They want to go to university and become businesschangelings and officials."

"Kids..." she muttered, staring down at the floor dejectedly.

"Yes, but that is the way the tide is turning." Pierce came up to her and gingerly placed his hoof under chin and lifted her up so she could look into her eyes. "I would never ask for the destruction of the Changeling army. Heh, I'd be out of a job, now wouldn't I? The army can and will still have its place in society, but it needs to change… just as we do."

Chrysalis pulled herself away, turning her back to him, and muttering quietly but just enough for him to hear, _"I need to think, uncle. Please, leave me."_

"I understand."

He left her alone in the room. For what in Chrysalis' mind could have been hours, she did not remove from her chosen spot, staring off into space. When she got bored of that, she made her way over to one corner of the room.

Sticking out like a sore hoof and occupying the entirety of the room's corner was a large globe made of precious smooth gem stones. It was a gift to their family from one of the Griffin Kaiser a couple hundred years ago, worth now approximately ten trillion yen, but left to gather dust here in one of the palace's hundreds of rooms, and not even on show.

She put her hoof to its cold, smooth surface, appearing to admire it, until her horn glimmered and a split formed across the globe. It then flicked open to reveal an assortment of tall, fancy bottles of wine, spirits, a cocktail bar and other beverages. She took a cocktail glass and a long-necked pink bottle, uncorked it and took a whiff of the sparkling contents in inside.

"So much for my new year's resolution," she grumbled, pouring herself half a glass, and downed the whole thing in one gulp. She shivered slightly with the fur on her coat sticking up on end, and poured herself another. Lather, rinse, repeat.

* * *

Dusk settled over the kingdom, obscured in the capital by the gathering clouds. They created a heavy rumble over the city, sending the Changelings the message a storm was brewing.

Pupa sat down alone in the same room in the eastern tower of the palace as earlier, hunched over a table with the same set of crayons and paper. Except now, she was all by herself.

Cerci had been called away to take her turn tending to one of the other princesses who required her assistance, leaving Pupa in the care of one of the other younger nannies. The little Princess, naturally, did not want her to leave but did not have a say in the matter.

The nanny she was left thing was younger and inexperienced. She only stayed with Pupa for five minutes before she decided to take a "quick sake break" with one of the guards, leaving the filly all alone with her drawings.

Switching a green for a red crayon, Pupa stopped. She felt a slight chill up her curved spine. She looked behind her, but there was nothing but the small decorated walls and the flickering candle the nanny left behind.

She had been gone for a long time now and Pupa was becoming scared by how dark it was becoming. It must have been nearly her bedtime by now, where was her nanny? Where was Cerci? She would make it better.

_You're a stupid girl._

Pupa's eyes twitched. It were those voices again; the little voices that came from somewhere, but Pupa could never see where. They went away and came back when they pleased. She had not heard from them in a while.

_Your mommy hates you. She thinks you're stupid._

_Why don't you just go away? Nochangeling likes you._

Curling up over her table and covering her ears, she tried to block them out. The voices said some of the meanest things. But it was no use; the voices rang as clear as a bell.

_Your drawings are horrible._

_You know Cerci doesn't like you, either._

_We hate you!_

A flash of light and a rumble came from outside the partly window, followed by the heavy sound of rain. It did not drown the voices, though.

_Get back to work._

_Finish it._

_You're so slow._

She hurried to finish her drawings, the ones she had been working on for hours. They were sloppily drawn and she managed to colour more outside the lines than in, but she was satisfied with them and when she was finished, held the paper up and smiled with pride.

It was for her mother. A gift to say sorry for the embarrassment and dishonour she caused her earlier that day.

_It's wonderful._

_She'll love it._

_Take it to her._

She knew she could not give it to her mother personally. She was still very busy with her meetings. That was not much of a problem; she could just put it in her bedroom for her to see. She had been in and out of her mother's bedroom plenty of times.

Holding the paper in her mouth, Pupa got on all fours and crawled out the room through the door her nanny left ajar.

* * *

Chrysalis pupil shrank to pinpricks under the bright light. The doctor switched the miniature torch off and levitated it back in his white coat pocket and allowed the Queen blink a couple of times while he jotted down some notes on his clipboard.

While Prince Pierce was an old Changeling in every sense of the word, Chrysalis' personal doctor was so ancient, and so withered, he looked as if he was constructed of black leather strips. His pristine white lab coat clung to his frail frame as he shuffled around the small, cupboard like examination room.

"Your eyes are failing, Your Majesty," he said, not looking up from his clipboard. "You're going to need glasses in two years best."

She rubbed her eyelid, saying, "I already have glasses."

"Glasses you'll need to wear all the time."

"They'll make me look like an old mare!" she growled, crossing her forelegs and squirming on the table like a defiant filly.

He held his hooves up pacifyingly, saying, "Well, there is an alternative; a Griffin ophthalmologist has recently come up with this new invention..." He levitated a brown leather covered book from a nearby table and opened it up so she could see the chapter he was looking for and the diagram it contained. "It is called a con-tact lens."

"A what?"

"Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous, but basically these are like glass lenses except you stick them on your eyes."

Chrysalis winced at the mental image of pieces of glass shoved in somechangeling's eyes. "That sounds like some form of torture."

"Maybe, but I hear they're selling like hot cakes in the Griffin Kingdom and Equestria. I would recommend at least trying them. Now, about your medication…" He put the book back and set his clipboard down and pulled something out of his coat pocket: a small jar of pills. "You told me the other day you've been having back problems with your headaches. In that case, the best option is to _up_ your medication."

She felt her heart leap at the sight of that jar and she started salivating. Her pills. Oh, how she needed them. It had been hours since she took them before going down for breakfast. If she had not the slightest self-control, she might have snatched the jar from mid-air and swallowed them all at once.

"Give them to me," she ordered. "And some water."

With a seeming reluctance, the doctor gave her the jar and poured her a paper cup of icy cold water by the sink. Chrysalis, meanwhile, unscrewed the lid and looked feverishly upon the many large, blood red capsules inside.

"How many?"

"Four in the morning, four before you go to bed."

She snatched the cup, popped two capsules in her mouth and took a long drink. She swirled the water about, allowed the pills to dissolve a bit, waiting until she could taste the bitterness before swallowing. She had stop to catch her breath, before doing the same thing with another two capsules. The doctor watched on as she did this, his face slowly scrunching up in concern.

"My Queen..." he began tentatively, rubbing his shrivelled hooves together. "I trust you have not been taking more than I recommend for you. These pills are highly addictive and have serious side effects like mood swings."

"Noted, doctor," she said sharply, taking another sip of water to rid herself of the bitter aftertaste.

He immediately bowed apologetically. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, it is just that these pills have a bit of notoriety about them. They are outlawed in certain countries."

"Well, then I trust in your capabilities not to give your Queen an overdose." Chrysalis felt the burning sensation shoot up her back as she got down from the table, the pills not yet taking affect, which she tucked into her kimono. "Before I go, can you look at one more thing?"

"Of course."

Hesitantly, the Queen craned her head, letting her thinning mane down before him. The doctor did not have to ask what the problem was.

"Oh, Your Majesty, such a problem is common with Aging." He bit his tongue when he heard a threatening growl escape her throat. "Um, that and stress, a _lot _of stress."

She groaned, flicking back her mane and straightening back up. "What can you do?"

"All I suggest for that is engaging in less stressful activities, like more sleep and-"

"Thank you, doctor."

With that and a pat on her kimono to know her pills were safe, Chrysalis turned to leave the examination room. But when she reached out her hoof to open the door, she was shocked when it suddenly _fwooshed _open.

"Your Majesty!"

It was Cerci standing there in the doorway, accompanied by another nanny, the younger one whose care she temporarily left Pupa. They were both appeared positively distraught. Cerci looked the worst. All the colour had drained from her face, leaving it a sickly pale grey; her mane was a mess with several strands falling over her face, and she was clutching her tight chest as she inhaled like a tired old mule on his last leg.

Chrysalis did not have to be a master of reading facial expressions to know something terrible had happened.

"What happened?" she asked, eyes widening. She had this horrible feeling she already knew.

Cerci roughly grabbed her younger counterpart and shoved her towards Chrysalis, shouting with a renewed sense of rage, "Tell her!"

"Tell me what?!"

The younger nanny tried to tell her, but the words came out jumbled and incoherent. "The Princess! She-she, I mean… I just went out for a second and—I mean, she was busy drawing... and… and-"

"SPIT IT OUT!"

"Cerci lost your daughter."

**"YOU WHAT?!"** she practically _squawked_.

Cerci, on the other hoof, looked repulsed by her subordinate's claim. _"I _lost her?! You little-"

"See?"

In a flash of bright bilious green, the two insectoid mares were flung and pinned up against the wall in the hallway, the force of it nearly knocking a few overhanging paintings off their hooks. They clung to each other, physically shrinking when Chrysalis' muzzle came inches from theirs.

The Queen's eyes burned with the fiery intensity of the sun. Her teeth were barred, showing off every canine and molar that looked sharp enough to tear apart flesh like tissue paper. The tip of her horn was even glowing like an enormous green hot poker, and the two mares began sweating by the overwhelming heat radiating from it.

"This is the _second time,"_ she said through gritted teeth. "The _second time_ you've lost Pupa. Are you even aware of your incompetence!? If she gets hurt, so help me, Cerci..."

"I'm sorry, my Queen, we'll find her, I promise!"

"Oh, **shut up!"** She roared, spittle firing over their faces. "I'm giving you an _hour,_ Cerci! You hear me? You have one hour to have Pupa standing in front of me. And if you don't..." Their muzzles were now pressed hard against each other. She lowered her voice to a chilling whisper,_ "Losing your job will be the **least **of your problems."_

She released them and they fell hard to the floor on their haunches.

"Now go! Find her! NOW!"

Neither mare needed to be told twice and galloped at full speed down the hallway, heading in the direction of the servants' quarters to rally the search for the missing Princess.

Chrysalis remained there in the hallway for a moment or two, her mind still processing what had transpired. This... was the _last _thing she needed today. The meetings, the army, her medication, and now _this!_

"Aaaaaaaggghhh!" Her hooves flew up to the sides of her head as an intense pain suddenly shot through the inside of her skull. The pain was so excruciating, she let her upper abdomen to fall on the floor and kept her head covered as her hind legs were kept up straight.

After several minutes, the pain subsided and she forced herself back up to all fours. Cold sweat was running down her face and a loud, thumping pulse made its way onto the side of her neck. When were those damn pills going to come into effect?

_Blam! _She opened her eyes again and saw with amazement through the fading green haze the smouldering, burnt remains of what was a marble bust of her great grandmother. A magical discharge. She had not had one of those since she was a teenager.

Check the destruction of a priceless family heirloom to the list.

Chrysalis backed up against the wall, horrified. It was all too much. Chocking back a sob, the Changeling Queen collapsed to the floor, pulling up her hind legs and finally allowed the tears to come rolling down her cheeks.


	5. Chapter 5

**Maternal Instinct**

**Chapter Five**

Pupa was actually quite safe. The tiny Princess had crawled her way through the palace, making her way up to her mother's chambers. She had been here and other not exactly permitted placed in the palace some times before, like the other day when she ran out of paper and decided to take some from her mother's desk; she certainly regretted doing that now. Perhaps now she could make up for it.

Pupa pushed the shoji door open by fitting her tiny horn through the crack and giving the hardest push to the left she could. She landed on her belly against the smooth, richly decorated carpet, her crumpled picture still clutched firmly between her teeth. She got back up and crawled further into the room and took a better look of her surroundings.

Her mother's chamber looked startlingly plain compared to the rest of the palace. It was fairly big with jade walls like hers, beautifully decorated carpets, a large desk piled with paperwork, stationary and other items in one corner and a full sized bed in the other. She never understood why her mother had her room like this, but she did not care enough to question it.

Her mother's bed caught her attention, with its grand size and soft, decorative covers welcoming her to approach. A big, eager grin spreading across her face, she crawled over as fast she could to it and began grasping at the sheets to pull herself up. It took her a minute before she managed to clamber on top of the bouncy mattress. She giggled uncontrollably as the springiness of the mattress bounced her up and down.

Noticing that her picture was now laying on her round belly, the filly picked it up and looked for somewhere to put it. She spotted the large white pillow at the other end of the bed and set it down there, where it blended in quite nicely.

Pupa spent the next five minutes bouncing about the bed, making an utter mess of the purple covers. It was so much fun she forgot completely about how she was supposed to be back in the round room and her drawing and colouring. She eventually bounced too high and landed right on the edge. She held tight onto the covers as she fell to the floor; they did well to break her fall and stop her from hurting herself.

Her little head poked from out of the pile, frazzled and dazed. She fell back onto the carpet in a hysterical fit.

* * *

Chrysalis stormed around the claustrophobically small sitting room, the heavy stomps of her hooves wearing into the old wooden floorboards. Her mane was becoming a mess the more she paced with locks falling over her face and a pulse was visible in her huge, bug-like eyes. None of the lights were lit, leaving the room in total darkness if not for the moonlight shining through the open window and the green glow of the Queen's eyes.

Only two servants stood in the sitting room with her: two females, standing side-by-side, fear written over their faces. They felt like they were trapped in a tiger cage for at any moment they could be ripped to shreds, or more appropriately, blasted to smithereens.

It had been approximately forty-five minutes since it was announced the Princess was missing and the entire palace was in a state of chaos as they searched high and low for her. The staff were not entirely clear on what they feared more; the prospect that they would not be able to find her or their Queen's unholy wrath.

There was a knock at the door, and Chrysalis' head snapped in its direction with the sharp reflexes of a cobra. One of the servants flew over to the door and slid it open to reveal a guard standing there, his downcast face telling all they needed to know.

"Your Majes-"

"Have you found her or not?" she interrupted him, her tongue as sharp as a razor blade.

"N… no."

Silence. Chrysalis stared down at the floor, her mane now covering her face like a drawn curtain. Her legs were shaking like they would give out any moment.

"We're currently searching the dining room and the West Wing, and-"

"Fifteen minutes."

"I'm sorry-?"

She raised her head, two green holes burning through the cerulean mane. The effect struck terror in the full grown, hardened guard's heart.

"You heard me," she said acidly, her voice quivering and she pointed up at the ticking clock hanging on the wall. "You all have _fifteen minutes._ Now get out."

The guard bowed and slunk off, and the same servant slid the door shut, bracing herself for the worst.

The Queen did not break out into a rage. Instead, she just went back to pacing around the room, slower this time and without the same air of repressed anger. It looked like she was done with yelling and shouting for one night, until she lifted a table carrying a silver tea set and flung it across the room. It smashed into a wall, splintering the wood and scattering the silver (along with the piping hot tea) loudly against the floor.

This went for the next five minutes. The Queen jumped and flew around the room, picking up whatever pieces of furniture she could get her hooves on and tossing and smashing them like toys. She did not scream, cry, or even scowl; she allowed her actions to speak for her. The servants stood still, trying all they could not to flinch as several pieces of furniture nearly struck them.

Chrysalis stopped when she threw another table on its side, sending the papers stacked on top flying. She caught some in mid-air and started ripping them to shreds when it suddenly clicked in her head.

These papers. They were official documents, the same kind as hers Pupa drew all over. Ones she only could have possibly got her little hooves on from her...

She dropped the paper and, without saying a word; spun around, shoved past the servants and stormed out of the room.

* * *

Pupa had grown bored with her mother's bed and steered her attention to the large desk, searching for something to play with there.

The Princess was disappointed when she climbed onto the stool to find a bundle more paperwork like last time. Remembering the incident earlier that day, she figured it best to just toss them on the floor in a mounting pile instead of using them for doodling. She never knew her mother had so many of these, or why for that matter.

She finally found something worthy of her interest: a tall red heavy bottle with a cork in the top. She eyed the dark bubbling contents curiously and remembered how she was a bit thirsty.

Using her little fang to pry out the cork, she inhaled the aroma but her muzzle wrinkled at the foul smell. Regardless, she carefully tilted the neck to her lips, only to gag violently at the equally nasty taste. She lost her grip on the bottle and it dropped to the floor.

The bottle shattered into a thousand tiny shards and the liquid created a deathly hiss as it consumed the papers in a bubbling pink froth with large bubbles rising from the centre.

_Now look what you've done._

_Mother will be furious._

Pupa grimaced at the mess and covered her ears at the sudden return of the voices. Why would they please not just go away?!

She recoiled back on the stool, only to end up knocking over a small open bottle of ink by mistake. It got all over the desk and spoiled all the remaining papers and began dripping down the sides. She gasped in horror.

_You've ruined it._

This time, she saw where the voice was coming from. It was a deep, gurgling voice resonating from the bubbles rising from the ink on the desktop.

_You ruin everything._

_You are ungrateful._

Panicking, she tried to clean it up, but all she got was ink stains spoiling the sleeves of her kimono.

_You will be punished._

_You're worthless._

"There you are!"

All the other voices went silent and the bubbling pink and black puddles suddenly ceased. That last voice was not in Pupa's head. She turned around. What she saw nearly made her jump out of her fur.

Chrysalis stood hunched over in what were the remains of the doorway, torn paper and splintered wood littered around her hooves. She was barely standing as her legs were ready to buckle from her sprint up the stairs of the palace; if the pulses in her neck and forehead were beating any harder they would burst.

The Queen held her raw, pounding chest and steadied herself before she collapsed from exhaustion, but her malevolent eyes were kept on her young issue. "You..." she wheezed, coughing a few times and standing up properly. "What are you doing in my... in my..."

She trailed off when she had the chance to actually take a look around her room, from the ruined bed, to the destroyed papers on the floor, to her ink covered desk and finally to her daughter sitting up on the stool. Her twitching eyes went wide enough they looked ready to pop right out of their sockets, while her jaw could not drop any more lower.

"Wha... you... WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Her scream was so loud the furniture in the room shook in their place. Pupa, unable to answer, shivered like a leaf and curled up on the stool, hoping right now that she would just vanish.

Chrysalis' stunned expression quickly contorted to pure hatred. For one day, just one day, she had had enough.

"You... _you..."_

Pupa whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut.

"COME HERE!"

Pupa felt herself violently yanked off the stool by the ear, knocking it over in the process, and dragged along the floor through the icky pink mess. She stopped in front of her mother's legs and was jerked up in the air. It all happened so fast, she did not have time to register her mother's large hoof swing at her face.

_Crack!_ The sound of the vicious slap resounded as Pupa dropped back to the floor with a painful thud. Her cheek stung horribly like it had been struck by a burning hot object. She held her little thigh, feeling a large bruise forming.

She wanted to cry out in pain for Cerci, but Cerci was no longer here to protect her. Her mother's sudden outburst rendered her stunned silent. She just laid there wide-eyed, lip trembling as her mother raged at her, looking ready to throw her hoofs around her neck and start strangling. Never had Pupa seen her this way. Worst of all, she was trapped like a defenceless animal, the subject of this ferocious mare's warpath.

Chrysalis knew she could have just left it here, but she did not want to. She was far from done. All the anger, all the mane-pulling frustration, she could feel it all boiling deep inside her bloating stomach and splitting skull. How they threatened to erupt like a volcano! She had to let it all out now before that long awaited aneurysm took her.

"You stupid little idiot! We've been looking _everywhere _for you!" she yelled as she towered over the filly, sticking her flushing green muzzle right up into hers and baring her monstrous fangs. "You've had everyone worried sick, you selfish bucking brat!"

The terrified Princess gurgled, trying her best to say_ 'I'm sorry'_ again, but Chrysalis would hear none of it.

"SHUT UP! All you've done today nearly gave me a heart attack! Do you enjoy making me more stressed than I already am?! Do you think it's _funny!?"_

Pupa felt the force of her mother's voice against her face, blowing her mane like it were in a wind tunnel. A dam of tears was building up behind her eyelids, ready to burst.

"I provide for you! I have you _fed!_ I have you _cleaned!_ If it weren't for me you'd be **_dead!" _**Chrysalis howled, getting progressively closer and snapping jaw's inches from her daughter's face, forcing her to crawl backwards. "And _this _is how you treat your mother in return?! I'm killing myself every day trying to run this kingdom and make things better for you! You get to just lie around like the spoiled, ungrateful lump you are!"

She stopped for a second and her glare faltered, staring right into her little girl's moist eyes. For a moment, it appeared she realized she had gone too far. But she then laughed a little, pulling herself back and putting on a smile. Pupa knew it was not a kind, comforting smile; it was the kind that she wore as a mask to cover up how furious she really was. She had seen her use it many a time just before she would sentence a Changeling to death.

"You know something, _sweetie?"_ Chrysalis chuckled and placed a hoof under Pupa's chin, tilting her head up and forcing her to look at her. "All mommy ever wanted was a nice, _normal _daughter who could take over her kingdom when she's gone. But what did I get instead?" she continued sweetly. Then, her smile vanished as her face decomposed into that same hateful scowl and pointed her shaking hoof between her eyes accusingly. "I got YOU! You stupid, malformed waste of space! You don't deserve your so-called "birthright"! You hear me?! YOU'RE WORTHLESS!"

By now the tears were pouring fluidly from Pupa's eyes. She could literally feel the pain inside her chest; it was her little heart breaking. Every cruel, vicious word her mother spat made her feel like she was being stabbed with a burning sword. She curled up into a ball and covered her head to make herself as small as possible.

"Well, I've had it with you! You're not a Princess! You're not my _daughter!_ You're nothing but an EMBARASSMENT!" She screamed with fire spitting out of her mouth, but she retained her senses enough to see the quivering ball before her. She picked her up and magically forced her eyes open. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM SPEAKING TO YOU!"

_Slap._ Chrysalis' head barely twitched and the sting was non-existent, but she still looked petrified. She dropped her daughter immediately and she touched the cheek the filly hit. The little one glared at her through her squinted eyes that were now red with tears. Never had Pupa dared raise a diddy hoof to her mother, except tonight.

That was it. All Chrysalis could see was red. The only thing she felt was the primal to desire to throttle her offspring.

**"I'LL KILL YOU!"**

Roaring bloody murder like a savage beast, Chrysalis smashed the helpless filly across the head, the sheer force sending her scattering across the floor like a lifeless rag doll. She pounced on her, her wild legs striking down again, and again, and again on the form of the helpless filly, who could do nothing by cry out desperately for help. Chrysalis drowned out the cries, her whole world having gone silent. Even the morbid thudding sounds of beating her daughter were death in her ears.

Chrysalis suddenly felt something heavy jump on her back, grab her by the neck and try to pull her off the filly. Sound returned to her.

"STOP IT! _STOP IT! _GET OFF HER!"

She shook her head wildly, green sparks shooting out her horn like fireworks, throwing whatever it was off her back. She looked behind and saw a hysterical Cerci with a look of absolute horror on her face, staring mouth agape down at the Queen's hooves.

The red faded from Chrysalis' eyes and she felt the cold sweat on her face, matting the locks of her mane. She looked down and what she saw made her gawk in horror. The rage simmering still inside her extinguished and an inaudible gasp escaped her throat.

Pupa laid there drenched and motionless in a ghastly puddle of green. Her eyes were half-closed, but twitching under the lids. The horrid green substance oozed from the enormous gashes on her temple and crown, staining her fur and mane and dying her once pretty lilac kimono a sickly green. The Princess was practically swimming in her own blood.

Chrysalis looked from Pupa to her own hooves. They were completely caked in it, so were her legs all up to the knees. It was even splattered on her face!

Reality came crashing down on her like a flaming wreckage. Her baby... WHAT HAD SHE DONE TO HER BABY!

The Queen threw herself at her mangled daughter's barely conscious form. She scooped her up dripping from the blood puddle, cradling her close against her breast, kissing her blood drenched face and frantically trying to stop the bleeding.

"Cerci..." She chocked, her own tears falling down against her battered filly's face like heavy rain. "Get help! _Go!"_

Cerci forced herself up and galloped out of the room, not waiting until she was even out the room to start crying hysterically for aid.

Chrysalis sat there in the wreckage of the royal chamber, unceasingly cradling and kissing Pupa. It was all she could think to do. A pained, laboured moan emanated from the still filly.

"Shhhhhh. I'm here." She put her hoof to her cheek, holding her tight. "Shhhhhh."

A million thoughts ran through the Queen's tortured mind. She could focus only on one that replayed again and again like a broken record.

_'Kami above, forgive me! Please, forgive me!'_

* * *

**(a/n) This is the chapter I have been waiting to do ever since I started this fanfiction. It's one of the most important, if not the most important, as it sets the tone for the rest of the story. Everything else that happens spawns from this key, emotionally charged and yes, I will admit, heart-wrenching chapter.**

**Also, if you want to know some of my inspiration for this chapter, here: wiki/File:REPIN_Ivan_Terrible% **


	6. Chapter 6

**Maternal Instinct**

**Chapter Six**

King Cocoon Hospital was renowned as one of the finest, as well as oldest and expensive hospitals in the Changeling Kingdom and the region. It was constructed two hundred years ago by the honourable intellectual King Cocoon II, one of many proud testaments to the wise King's revival of the capital into a cleaner, wealthier and larger modern city, standing so tall it pierced the sky and became a permanent addition to the city skyline. It was originally built exclusively for the nobility and other "crème de la crème" (a phrase Princess Danauria often used) and as the centuries passed, it gained world recognition by its visit from world leaders including Diamond Dog presidents, Griffin Kaisers and even Princess Celestia was said to have checked in years ago after picking up a stomach virus on a state visit, though it has never been officially confirmed. Nowadays, it found itself increasingly visited by the slow growing Changeling middle class who could afford their fees.

Yet from the perspective of history students at home and abroad, the hospital's true fame derived from its paying witness to numerous violent events from Changeling history. It was stormed and its supplies raided by frenzied citizens during violent riots triggered by the Great Famine. It was again stormed and occupied by Animalist rebels during the movement's brief yet violent attempted revolution in the kingdom, who fought to the last Changeling against the army, who in turn took the building back level-by-level in a matter of two days. When Prime Minister Mandible was being treated here for an eye infection, an unstable mental patient took a scalpel and fatally stabbed him in the neck.

The staff and administration of this fine institution were trained to carry out their services and handle the worst case scenarios with the greatest integrity and professionalism possible. When they arrived to work that morning, they were expecting a relatively normal day ahead, them having to only deal with some arrogant, self-absorbed nouveaux riche at the very worst, silently tending to their needs while they prattled on about their five-star cruise around the Fillypines.

So you could just imagine the shock on their faces that night when the royal guards came barrelling through the entrance doors with so much force they sent them flying off their hinges.

Several nurses and patients gasped and screamed at the terrifying sight of dozens of armoured Changelings storming into the hospital, all of them holding their spears up in an intimidating manner. It looked at first like they were being raided and some Changelings dropped to the floor, their hooves flying over their heads and crying; a fear dispelled when a mare came flying through a clearing made by the guards, her kimono dripping green with blood and carrying a large, completely blood drenched bundle in her forelegs.

"Get a doctor! We need help!" Cerci cried, halting in front of a gathering crowd of nurses. "Please! Hurry!"

The nurses were at first stunned by the shocking scene developing all around them, but seeing the bloodied bundle in the mare's legs, the size indicating straight away it was a child, their training kicked in and they surrounded Cerci, while others rushed to get a stretcher for the injured young one.

"Give us the child," demanded one of the nurses, roughly snatching the bundle from Cerci's shaking legs and setting it down on the stretcher. They hurriedly removed the bloodied cloths and when they finished, many of them gasped loudly, having to step back and make sure what they saw before them was real.

It was the Princess. Not just any one of the many princesses that made up half the royal family; this was the Princess, their future Queen, Pupa Roachanov. The nurses could make out her distinguishable features, however battered and bloody they were.

Few official photographs had been publicly released of the Crown Princess of the Changeling Kingdom, the ones that were mostly being from annual family photographs and the exceptionally rare public appearance. The Changeling royal family was never as public as their Equestrian counterparts, but even by their standards, Princess Pupa was a figure of mystery to the world outside the palace walls. To see her up-close and in person was already extremely rare, but to see her as she was now, then it did not matter how much training these nurses had; _nothing _could have prepared them for this.

Princess Pupa's body was almost completely painted in green, save for the occasional grey patch that was quickly turning into a sickly white, like a bloated dead fish, the more blood she lost. The two gashes on her head were badly wrapped up to in an effort to stem the bleeding, but they were clearly not working. There were signs of life from the filly; her laboured breathing, movement behind her shut eyes and the occasional twitch of one of her legs.

"Stand aside! Let me through!" a middle-aged, sharply dressed doctor scuttled through the crowd of nurses, who were swarming around Pupa's stretcher. He adjusted his glasses and looked her over carefully and like his co-workers, recognized her immediately. "My gods..." He snapped his head at Cerci. "What happened to her? Quickly, tell me!"

Cerci knew she was forbidden from telling them the truth and the consequences if she did. "There… there was an accident!" she stammered. "She's got gashes on her head! She's lost so much blood! P-Please, just help her!"

Although the doctor did not seem entirely satisfied with this answer, time was a serious factor. He glared at two orderlies in the crowd and barked, "Do not just stand around! Get the Princess into A&E! We must treat the wounds and prepare her for a blood transfusion! GO! GO!"

In an instant, the orderlies and nurses got around the stretcher and hauled it as fast they could, out through the double doors leading to A&E, the doctor following after them. Cerci watched as they disappeared behind the swinging doors, wanting earnestly to chase after them and be with her little one, but she was stopped by the remaining nurses.

"We're sorry, but you must stay here."

"Please, I'm the Princess' carer! She's just a filly; I have to be with her!"

"I understand, but only members of staff are allowed past this point."

The insectoid mare felt her veins pump with fury. "How dare you! I work directly for the _royal family!_ Now let me through! She _needs _me!"

"Madame, please, calm down."

"Calm?! You want me to be calm?!" Cerci was now screaming in the nurses' faces, her shaking hoof rising up, looking ready to hit one of them. **"I'll show you bucking calm!"**

She felt a firm hoof over her shoulder and forcibly pulled her away from the frightened nurses, another hoof covering her mouth. It was a guard, his dark purple armour indicating a higher rank than the others.

"Cerci, enough!" he grunted as he took her kicking and squirming aside. "This won't help anything!"

"No!"

Fresh hot tears were trickling out the corners of Cerci's eyes, her composure collapsing like a fragile tower of cards. She kept kicking and screaming at him to let her go, but he only tightened his grip. When she finally stopped resisting, he released her and threw her to the floor in a sobbing wreck.

The guard rolled his eyes in disgust and gave one of the nurses a look telling her to tend to her. The nurse reluctantly broke away from the group, went over to help Cerci up to her hooves and led the distraught mare away in the direction of the canteen.

_'Stupid mares.'_

"Lieutenant."

That harsh, baritone voice caused the guard to turn around and saw a much taller, huskier guard marching through the destroyed entrance and, the guards' clearing while every guard in the room stood at attention upon his arrival. He was covered head to tail in large, yet not clunking purple armour emblazoned with intricate golden patterns. Over one eye he wore a black patch and down the other side of his face from the brow to across the cheek was a large white scar.

"Captain Beetle, sir," he said, bowing before the veteran, seasoned Captain of the royal guard, who bowed in return.

"Has the area been secured?" his deep, gravelling voice carried with it the kind of imposing authority expected from the royal guard. When he spoke, every guard stood at attention, ready to take their orders.

"Yes, sir."

"And the Princess?"

"They have taken her in for treatment. I… do not know anything on her condition."

"Very well," the Captain took out a small scroll and gave it to the lieutenant. "I have new orders for you and your fellow guards."

The Lieutenant read the scroll carefully. He raised an eyebrow, asking, "Are we permitted to use force?"

The Captain waved his hoof indifferently. "If you think they are a journalist, do what you want. I am sure you understand how much the palace wants this strictly under wraps. Now, excuse me for I must speak to the doctor. But…" He began to walk away from him, but momentarily stopped to lean close and whisper sternly in his ear, _"... try to avoid killing anychangeling this time. Now go."_

The two guards bowed each to each other again and the Lieutenant, a sinister grin working its way onto his mouth, made his way out of the room, signalling on the way a group of guards who followed after him.

Captain Beetle stood around for the next ten minutes, waiting for the doctor to return. A nurse came up to him, asking if he needed anything, and he asked for a coffee. She went off to get it for him, and he made sure he got a good long look at her fine, tight rump.

"Captain Beetle."

He looked behind and saw the doctor entering through the double door and the two bowed to each other. The doctor had small blood splatters on his pristine white coat, but his demeanour remained calm and collected. He had obviously been in the profession for so many years now that the sight of blood, regardless of whose, no longer fazed him. In a way, that was something the two Changeling stallions shared.

"What's the news, doctor? But spare me the technobabble. Keep it short and straight."

"Fair enough," the doctor sighed, and magicked a clipboard before his vision. "Straight up, not good. Not good at all. The Princess has sustained severe injuries and has lost a lot of blood. We may very well need donations."

"Isn't that what you've got reserves for? I heard you got tones in the freezer from the royals."

"We can only store blood for a certain amount of time, Captain. We need _fresh _blood."

He looked down on him, unimpressed and magicked-up a cigarette. "Well, you'll be glad to know the Queen is on her way to the hospital, this moment. You'll have all the blue blood you want."

"Excellent," said the doctor, taking down some notes. "We'll prepare for the procedure."

The same nurse from earlier returned with Beetle's coffee, which the Captain drank slowly so he did not scold his tongue. He then looked around, getting an understanding of those who were within earshot.

"Hey, doctor, listen…" Beetle said, lowering his voice and leaning in. "Between you and I, what are we talking about, in terms of chances?"

"You mean the Princess?"

"Yeah."

His professional facade began to show cracks for the first time as he sighed heavily, "Nothing can be said for certain at this time, Captain. We've only just taken her in, and like I said, her injuries are _severe_. We have her stabilized but she…" He bit down on his lip, as if fear was preventing him from saying anything else. "We will discuss the rest with the royal family. Strictly hospital policy, I'm sure you understand."

"Fine," the Captain grumbled, turning around to leave the lobby. "I will go and prepare for Her Majesty's arrival-wha? Ugh!" He looked down and stepped back in disgust when he saw he had stepped in a large puddle of blood. Normally, it would not have bothered him, except here he had a good idea whose it was. "Oh, for the love of the Kami… doctor!"

"You two!" He barked at the two nearest orderlies. "Clear this up before the Queen arrives!"

Both orderlies got right to work, using chemical sprays and wet cloths. But no matter how hard they tried, the drying stains proved difficult to remove, especially where they had sunken into the cracks of the pearly white floor tiles.

The double doors flew open, and a nurse stuck head out, looking flustered and beckoning the Changeling in the white coat, "Doctor, quick! We need your help! It's an emergency!"

"Pardon me, Captain," the doctor groaned, shoulders slumped and bowing to the Captain. "Duty calls." With that, he marched out of the lobby and through the doors to deal with whomever's life depended on his rare and valued skills.

* * *

She was drowning in an endless sea of darkness, too weak and crushed under its weight to kick her little legs. She could see nothing but the darkness. Her ears felt like they were filled with water, muffling out the sounds she could best identify as other Changelings talking, but. The strangest thing was she could definitely feel something. Something invisible caressing her in a warm, comforting embrace.

She had never felt this way before. She did not wonder where she was or whether something was wrong, she just felt so peaceful.

A glow appeared all of a sudden in the darkness. It looked like the tiny flicker of a bedside candle light, slowly growing brighter. The more she stared at it, the more relaxed she became, and the muffled sounds and the soft caress began to fade.

Then all of a sudden, the glow changed a bright white, flashing over her eyes again and again. Something tight and uncomfortable formed around her chest and legs, much unlike the caress she enjoyed so much. The sound in her ears began to grow, this time clearer and more distressed.

Still, she understood not what was happening or if she was in trouble, until something cold pressed against her lips, and a gush of air blew down her throat, and she knew no more…

* * *

For the nurses of King Cocoon Hospital, the sight of the battered and bleeding body of the mysterious Princess Pupa would be enough to make them to do a double take or think they needed an eye check-up at the very best. But to see the Queen, their supreme leader and the face of their nation and their species, slumped down ungracefully in a chair, her legs and kimono smeared with blood, and wearing an expression that read positively catatonic would make them question whether they had completely lost their minds.

Yet there she was, sitting there in the lobby, encircled by Captain Beetle and a platoon of guards to make sure she was safe. Her sister, Princess Danauria was sitting there by her side, doing whatever she could to comfort the older sister, who just kept shrugging her off. The skeletal Princess looked distraught as well; she had already badly chewed on her freshly done hooves and her makeup had started running down her cheeks.

Chrysalis silently stared down into the piping cup of tea one of the nurses gave her. She got a look at her reflection: she was a bedraggled mess. Wet locks of her cerulean mane were still clung to her sore, tear drenched face. Her skin was paled from the blood she had just donated to her poor filly. She forced the cup to her lips and took a draught, the contents slightly scorching the inside of her mouth.

"Your Majesty," perhaps the only female doctor in the entire hospital who stood over her spoke calmly, but with a degree of nervousness tinting her words. "Your daughter has been stabilized and we are treating and disinfecting her wounds, but she still remains unconscious. It was a good thing she was brought here when she was, otherwise I don't think she would have been so lucky."

"Will she be alright?" Danauria asked on her sister's behalf.

"If all goes well, she _should _pull through." A look of dread came over her face, indicating she knew how the next bit of news would not be well received by the royal pair. "But we can't yet be sure the extent of _internal_damage, especially to the _brain."_

Brain damage. The prospect her baby was going to be even more permanently damaged than she already was shook the war hardened Changeling Queen's foundations. She looked down and closed her eyes, fresh tears she had been fighting to hold back now streaming silently down her face. She felt her stomach lurch, like she was going to be sick.

"YOU!"

She recognized that voice. She opened her eyes and looked up just in time to see Cerci leap through the wall of guards and punch her as hard as she could across the face. The others gasped, horrified as the sheer blow sent their Queen to the floor, wailing and holding her face in pain.

"MONSTER! YOU **MONSTER!" **The nanny, or rather _former _nanny, screamed in an unbridled rage and leaped at Chrysalis, using whatever energy she had left from this horrible night to thrash the Queen who had hurt the one she loved the most, punching her, scratching her and pulling at her mane. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Get her off me! Get her off!" Chrysalis screamed, struggling to throw off the murderous mare. The guards and Danauria were already on her and eventually managed to pry her off their Queen. Chrysalis crawled back, trembling like a whipped dog, trying to get as far away from this mad mare as she could.

"How could you?! She's your daughter! And you- you **MAULED **her! You- get your hooves off me!" Cerci flailed wildly in the guards' grasp, her lashing and kicking now directed at them. One guard got a swift kick to the jaw and Beetle received a mouthful of spit in his face. She was a much stronger mare than she appeared. She continued shouting at the Queen, "She _loves _you! How could you do this to your _own filly?!"_ At that moment, Chrysalis saw in her eyes the murderous fury she herself had displayed less than an hour ago. "Pupa could DIE because of YOU!"

Chrysalis looked up pitifully at the servant whom she had abused on a daily basis, struggling and screaming profanities at her, too shaken and overwhelmed by everything that had happened. On any other night, she would have had Cerci executed on the spot, but tonight… she knew she had no right, nor could she expect her to give quarter. She had enacted enough wanton cruelty for one night. Chrysalis actually felt like wanting to comfort the mare. She understood her genuine care for Pupa, something she had shown throughout the latter's brief life; Cerci was showing the raw anger and grief only the mother of an injured filly could possibly feel.

"You filthy peasant!" Danauria snapped outraged, stepping forward and giving Cerci a vicious slap. "How dare you lay a hoof on my sister! Your _Queen!_ And you have the GALL to accuse her-!"

"Yes she did, you stuck-up COW!" She spat, getting right in the gaudy Princess' face, their horns scraping and teeth bared to the gums. She pointed at the emotionally wrecked Queen on the floor. "You did this to her! YOU'VE KILLED HER!"

"LIAR!"

By now, Cerci had broken free of the guards and she and Danauria were clawing at each other in a wild foray like two savage harpies. It took half a dozen guards and the orderlies to finally separate the two, both of whom had their share of cuts and scratches. One orderly took a small syringe and injected it into Cerci's neck.

"NO! LET ME GO! SHE KILLED HER! **SHE KILLED MY BABY!"** Cerci wailed, tears pouring uncontrollably and her body going limp as the guards carried her away and out of sight.

"ARREST HER!" Danauria yelled at the guards, restrained only by two exceptionally strong orderlies. Her attention then turned to her sister, who pulled herself to her weak, shaking legs, back arched and head held low. "Sister! Are you alright?"

"I'm alright," Chrysalis grunted quietly, holding her throbbing jaw and spitting out some blood and spittle. Cerci certainly had one mean left hook. "I think she may've broken my jaw." That or she chipped a tooth.

Danauria wrapped her forelegs around her sister and pulled her into a hug, only now Chrysalis did not resist her. Right now, she could use some sisterly comfort, even though she did not deserve it.

"Don't worry," she hushed, stroking her mane. "I'll see to it the little peasant is punished."

"No," Chrysalis said firmly, pulling away from her. "She's upset, Danauria." She looked away, not bearing to look her in the eyes. "She has every right to be…"

The younger sister could not believe her ears. "Chrysalis, she _punched _you! You're the Queen-"

"Well, maybe I deserved it!"

"Are you even listening to yourself?! That crazy mare said you... that you..." Danauria trailed off midsentence as she took time to process what Cerci said and the look of utter shame that became increasingly visible on her sister's face. "Sister, you would never do such a thing…" Chrysalis turned her head away, trying to avert her gaze. The younger sister pulled her back, looking pleadingly into her eyes. "Chrysalis, _please_, tell me you didn't-"

"I'm so sorry, Daury."

Not waiting for her to respond, Chrysalis stepped away from her sister and slowly trekked her way out of the lobby, the sense of guilt and self-loathing hanging over the now broken monarch. Danauria wanted to go after her, but Beetle put a hoof on her shoulder, shaking his head. Only a small group of guards followed after the Queen, only for the sake of protocol.

A dreadful silence filled the lobby. You could literally hear the tiniest of pins clatter against the tiles.

Danauria did not know what to do, what to say. She was still having trouble taking this all in. When she saw Pupa being carried out of the palace, bleeding to death and with the appearance of having been crushed like a cockroach by a large rock, she screamed and would have flown her to the hospital herself if not for Cerci keeping the filly firmly in her legs and beating off anychangeling who tried to take her from her.

The thought that Chrysalis, her beloved older sister, even with her horrid temperament and tendency to act irrationally, could do _that _to her most favourite niece…

If the things that Cerci said were true, Danauria would surely die on the inside.

"Your Highness, is there anything we can do?" Beetle asked apprehensively, walking up behind her. Danauria looked back at him, and she leaped into the behemoth guard's legs, permitting a tidal wave of emotions pour into his chest.

Inwardly, Beetle groaned. He did not become captain of the royal guard for _this_.

* * *

"Hmmm."

Discord lowered his chocolate milked-filled champagne goblet in his eagle claw, his feral yellow eyes firmly shut and frowning supposedly in deep thought. He sat back in his extensively tall throne in his castle throne room, pulling his goat leg over his lizard one.

The yellow Pegasi sitting next to him noticed his sudden change in demeanour.

"What… what is it?" she stammered.

He opened his eyes and clicked his tongue, "That's odd."

"What is?"

"Trouble's a brewing in the East," he stated simply, taking another overly sophisticated sip of his drink. "Be a dear and contact Canterlot castle for me, Fluttershy. Use that little dragon speed dial you and your friends use. I think I need to talk with dear old Princess Celestia."

"O… okay." Fluttershy arose from her seat and instead of worming her way through the sea of partying guests, went out through the back door in search of Spike.

Discord released his goblet, letting it hang in mid-air for a moment. He clapped his paw and claw and a gargoyle's mouth, situated above his throne to the left, opened up and a stream of chocolate milk poured down into the glass, not spilling a single drop.

"Oh, DJ?" He spoke, retaking his goblet and holding it up high. "Let's crank it up, shall we? I can barely feel my throne shake."


End file.
