17-Recovery

Daedalus sighed, his right hand waving as his right stump twitched. His left leg twitched slightly as it walked forward, making him grunt in annoyance.

Controlling two separate bodies simultaneously was much harder than he originally anticipated. Movements and actions were bleeding over, making him twitch and writhe. His injured form was beside Chrysalis, taking care of her and lowering her fever temperature. His second one, though, was pacing in his workshop, slowly but inevitably piecing together the genome for the plants that would sustain Chrysalis' Hive.

Daedalus removed the rag from Chrysalis' head and replaced it with another, cooler one. Throughout the week, her fever slowly abated and he expected the chitinous mare would awaken soon. The entire time she was unconscious, he had been there, taking care of her.

Daedalus watched sadly as Chrysalis twitched and shivered in her forced-sleep. The injured Queen had been suffering from nightmares he predicted were caused by the curse. He had contacted Luna in his sleep and even she couldn't help Chrysalis; the night mare was blocked by the dark energy. She suggested just helping her until she woke up naturally. The virus himself had awoken already annoyed, though not really with Luna.

Daedalus had attempted to feed Chrysalis love, yet she seemingly couldn't absorb it without a physical attachment, hence why she would gently bite him. Even when he pressed his remaining arm against her fangs, she wouldn't feed.

The door opened and Sutha entered, carrying a small bucket of cold water. She set it beside him before stepping back. Daedalus nodded his thanks to her and dunked a cloth in the water. He wrung it out and draped it across Chrysalis' head, hoping it would lessen her fever.

"Sutha, is there any way to feed a sleeping Changeling?" The virus asked the Changeling.

To his frustration, she shook her head. "No. A Changeling has to focus to feed. Only Infiltrators are able to feed without thought. Why?"

"I'm worried Chrysalis will end up becoming malnourished. We don't know how long she'll be out like this."

Sutha just laughed lightly and pointed to the small pool of goo in the corner. Daedalus glanced at it and gave her a questioning look. When she saw it, she quickly stopped and spoke. "You don't know about the larvae paste?"

Daedalus just sighed. "I'm not familiar with Changelings, remember?"

The Enforcer just chuckled sheepishly. "Right. Well, the paste is used to provide love to larvae since they are too young to be able to feed, what with not having fangs and all. Eventually, it was discovered that, while not fulfilling, the paste could be used to keep a Changeling alive for several months. Apply it to her stomach and her chitin will absorb it."

Daedalus stood and approached the pool. "The stomach, specifically?"

"Mmhmm. Anywhere else and her body won't recognize it. Instead of feeding her it'll just harden her chitin, which is really uncomfortable for us, though useful in battle."

"Just be warned, she's gonna be starving when she wakes up. Expect her to want to feed immediately." Sutha added.

"That's fine. She's fed off of me already." Daedalus replied absently before touching the goo. Like Sutha said, it was actually more of a slick, cool paste than a goo.

He heard Sutha gasp lightly. He turned to see her blushing green before she quickly turned and made her way out of the room, not saying a word to him. He frowned slightly. "Strange."

Shrugging, he walked over to Chrysalis and spread the paste over her stomach. He felt a strange feeling within as his hand felt her smooth chitin. Then he shrugged it off and sat on the edge of the bed.

Chrysalis, in her sleep, must have felt the movement. She rolled over and pressed against his leg before calming. Daedalus looked down and saw her remaining front hoof wrap around his leg before she started breathing softer, signaling her descent into slumber.

He smiled lightly at the sight. "What am I going to do with you?"

Lying back against the wall, he too fell asleep. Though, he made sure it was a soft one; any movement or sound from Chrysalis would awaken him in moments.

Daedalus watched as the Changeling nurse unwrapped the bandages with immense care. It was easy to see that Chrysalis was loved by her people, whether through the near-religious protectiveness her Enforcers had, or the gentle touch her nurses retained when dealing with her.

First to be uncovered were the many cuts, scrapes, and gashes that marred her sleek chitin. They were healing nicely, each already gaining a protective clear cover that reminded Daedalus of a scab. The nurse examined each one and nodded before moving on. After a few moments, she came to the bandaged stump that used to be Chrysalis' left foreleg.

The nurse deftly unwrapped the injury and stepped back, nodding in approval. To the virus' surprise, the wound had already partly closed. The chitin had formed a smooth seal over most of the stump. The few spots that hadn't sealed were scabbed over, green blood dotting the chitin around them.

The Changeling turned to him and spoke with a slight smile. "Today and tonight the wounds need to air out. Tomorrow, I want you to clean the dried blood and grime from her leg and around the cuts to prevent infection. The day after I'll come back and bandage the wounds that need it. Okay?"

Daedalus nodded simply and the nurse smiled brighter before turning for the door. She stopped in the frame and glanced over her shoulder. "And Jay? Thank you for being there taking care of her. It means a lot to all of us. She's like our mother."

Before he could reply, she left and closed the door. Daedalus smiled slightly, then turned back to Chrysalis. He saw that her hair was in her face as well as partly in her mouth as she breathed. The virus reached forward with his good hand and brushed her mane out of her face.

"Of course I'm here for her." Daedalus murmured softly to himself. "She's the reason I can even feel."

Daedalus awoke the next day to see a Sutha carrying a small tub inside. She set it down next to the bed and smiled when she saw him awake. "Good morning, Jay."

He nodded in reply before looking down at the bucket. It was filled with hot water. In fact, the water was near boiling. "This is to clean Chrysalis' wounds?"

When Sutha nodded, he continued. "Why is it so hot?"

She smiled. "Three reasons. To relax her muscles so she doesn't wake up tense and sore, to help prevent infection and disease from affecting her, and comfort. Our carapace prevents us from feeling most heat, though we're still vulnerable to cold. Hot water feels incredibly good on our chitin, which is why most Changelings take the time to learn simple heating spells."

Daedalus nodded. It made sense to him and explained why Chrysalis enjoyed lying next to him and on him. His internal friction usually made his body temperature incredibly hot. Unless he purposely slowed down his virus, he was normally uncomfortable to touch. For Chrysalis, though, he was just comfortable.

He reached down and grabbed the small sponge. He moved to dip it in the water only to see a small white chunk in it with bubbles around the edges of the tub. He picked it up. "Is this soap?"

She nodded. "It's a special wax made from one of the plants that grows underground. We don't have access to Equestrian soap and shampoo so we make our own."

Daedalus couldn't smell any scent from the wax. He hummed lightly in thought as he placed it back in the water. "It has no scent?"

She shook her head. "Nope. We don't mind, though. It works well on our chitin and, most importantly, stops us from smelling bad."

Daedalus nodded and soaked the sponge before gently wiping the blood off of the remains of Chrysalis' leg. Sutha was right, it seemed made specifically for chitin. Granted, it probably was, but his point made. The blood and grime came right off under the sponge and the revealed carapace shined lightly from the water. Daedalus couldn't help but think it looked good, although it was marred by the injuries.

"So Sutha, care to explain why you reacted as you did when you learned Chrysalis feeds off of me?" Daedalus asked suddenly.

He heard the mare stutter lightly from behind him before she cleared her throat. "She really feeds off of you? Through a bite?"

Daedalus nodded. "Yes, she does. Whenever she would get hungry, I would hold out my arm and let her feed. Why?"

Though he couldn't see it, Sutha was stunned, her eyes wide and full of surprise. "The fact that you willingly offer to let her feed means something in our culture."

Daedalus sighed loudly when he heard that. "Let me guess, it's either offensive or a marriage proposal."

"W-what? No! It just means you trust her and care for her. It's a sign of close friendship. Where did you get that idea?" Sutha asked.

"Too many books." He answered simply. Daedalus finished with her leg and moved on to some of the gashes on her chest. "How close of friendship?"

Sutha coughed lightly before answering. "Easily willing to die for each other friendship."

"You aren't wrong." Daedalus stated simply.

"I thought so." Sutha replied.

Like she said, the nurse returned the next day. She quickly checked over the smaller wounds, applying small patches to some of them. She then turned to the stump and wrapped it again, explaining that the chitin would be soft and tender when Chrysalis awoke, likely causing some pain.

Daedalus listened closely as she described how to care for the soft chitin as well as what things would harden it and make it less painful. He knew he would only uses he information until the curse faded from Chrysalis' body completely. He would then rebuild her leg with his other body.

He spent all of that day caring for Chrysalis, applying the paste, and tending to her airing wounds. Sutha didn't come by, but several other Changelings came and left small mementos on a small table near the bed. Each one thanked him for looking after their ruler, which surprised him.

The next day played out a little differently. Rather than Sutha visiting him in Chrysalis' room, she visited him in his little workshop. The plants were almost fully made, requiring some more fine-tuning before he could truly produce them.

"Jay." Sutha called out from behind him.

Daedalus turned and faced her, several tendrils connecting him to a large plant structure. "Sutha? I wasn't expecting you. Or at least, not here."

She nodded. "I know. I wanted to speak to you in private."

Daedalus nodded. "Go ahead."

"Why do you care so much about our Queen?" She asked.

"Because she is my friend, and friends help each other. Because she is a ruler, and her people need her. Because she may one day be a mother, and I don't want that to change." Daedalus replied easily.

"No." Sutha said simply. "I'm not asking you why you think you help her. I'm asking you why you help her?"

"I-I don't know what you mean." Daedalus said in confusion. Sutha just sighed.

"How do you feel when you think of her?" She asked bluntly.

"Happy and content. I've told her this. Why?" Daedalus questioned.

"When she's around, do you feel slightly nervous or completely relaxed?" She asked, ignoring his question.

"Relaxed. Once again, why?" He asked again.

"When you saw her on that bed, her leg bandaged, how did you feel?" She asked, once again ignoring his question.

Daedalus resigned himself to not receiving an answer. "It physically hurt me, more than losing my arm did."

"And if she wakes up, what will you do?"

"When," Daedalus started, a slight glare pointed to Sutha, "She wakes up, I'll ensure she doesn't want for anything. Then, when the curse is gone, I'm going to heal her."

Sutha smiled. "That's what I thought."

"What?" He asked.

The Changeling turned and started to leave. She called over her shoulder in reply to his question. "You'll find out soon enough. And for the record, I approve!"

Then she was gone, leaving Daedalus with nothing but confusion and irritation, plus a warm feeling he couldn't identify. He couldn't even find it in his system, which concerned him slightly.

"So you're not going to explain what you told me yesterday?" Daedalus asked in slight frustration.

"Nope!" Sutha chirped.

"Not even a vague clue?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Sutha said with a smile, causing Daedalus to roll his eyes.

"I really need to develop a way to retrieve memories without injuring the host." The virus spoke, mostly to himself.

He didn't speak quietly though. "What way do you have right now?"

Daedalus glanced up with a slight smirk. "Eating the brain."

She coughed a couple times when she swallowed air, then chuckled nervously. "You're kidding, right?"

Daedalus didn't answer. Instead, his smirk widened and he leaned back against the wall. Sutha tried again. "Right?"

The Changeling Enforcer sighed. "This is revenge for not telling you what I meant, isn't it?"

Daedalus chuckled softly. "Kinda. I don't really eat brains. I absorb them and gain memories from it. Don't worry, you aren't on the menu."

Sutha shrugged. "I figured I wasn't. It was still more than a little shocking when you said that, though. It's not every day you hear someone say they eat brains."

Daedalus noticed something in her speech and decided to ask about it. "Sutha, why is it that I've heard Changelings say 'someling,' 'somepony,' and 'someone?' Wouldn't you say just one of them?"

She simply smiled before answering. "Somepony comes from always being around ponies. Someling is generally what we say when we discuss Changelings. We say someone when talking about multiple races, or anything other than Changelings or ponies. Of course, a lot of the time, we just say one, no matter who our company is. What does your kind do?"

"Someone or somebody. They mean the same thing, but where I'm from, humans are, or were, the only sentient beings." He replied.

"Were?"

"Creatures like me, Blacklight Evolved that is, changed that." He answered simply.

Sutha nodded and Daedalus turned back to the sleeping form of Chrysalis. It had been a week and the curse had nearly faded from her completely. Not only that, her vitals had risen the day before. She had slipped from unconsciousness to simply sleeping and could awaken at any point, though he would rather let her rest.

Although, it seemed as though it wasn't meant to be. Her vitals were rising as her heartbeat and breathing rate slowly increased into wakefulness. She started to move lightly in her sleep as her eyes flickered slowly. "Sutha, she's waking up."

Chrysalis' eyes opened slightly, a narrow slit showing her emerald eyes. She glanced around before locking eyes with Daedalus. Her left leg came up as she tried to touch him, only to fail. The part of her eyes he could see seemed to be on the verge of panic. When she spoke, the pain and fear in her voice made him physically tremble. "J-Jay..."

Daedalus reached out with his good arm, hiding the ruined one behind him, and lightly grasped her injured leg. He slowly lowered it to her side, smiling sadly all the while. "I'm here, Chrysalis. I'm not leaving."

Sutha spoke up softly from behind him. "Of course you aren't. You haven't left this room in a week."

Chrysalis' eyes opened wider from shock. "You haven't left once?"

Daedalus went to speak only to be bumped by Sutha, who answered. "No, Your Majesty, he hasn't. Any time he needed something, such as more water or a clean cloth for you, he asked me to get it so he wouldn't have to leave you. He couldn't bear the idea of leaving you while you were hurt."

Daedalus frowned for a second, then smiled when Chrysalis turned to look at him. Her cheeks tinted a light green as she spoke softly. "Thank you."

He smiled warmly to her. "No thanks needed. I'm just glad you're awake."

She grimaced slightly as a thought came over her. "How bad is my foreleg?"

Daedalus winced, only sparking her worry. He gently rubbed the remaining part of her leg and spoke softly, not bothering to lie to her. "It's not good, Chryssi."

"It's gone, isn't it?" She asked, a small tremble in her voice.

Daedalus was quiet for a moment before he answered slowly. "Part of it."

Chrysalis' eyes snapped closed as she tried to curl up, the reality hitting her hard. Daedalus reached over and gently grasped her shoulder. "Chryssi, it'll be okay."

When the reply came, it was weak and so quiet he almost couldn't here it. "How? How will it be okay?"

"Once I recover, I'll be able to heal your leg completely. I have complete viral control of genetics, even those of another's. I can regrow your leg and heal any wounds you have received from the Alpha. You'll get your leg back, I promise. You won't be missing it forever. Just a few more days, a week at most." He said comfortingly.

Chrysalis sniffled before replying. "A week is far better than forever."

Daedalus smiled and nodded, not noticing as Sutha made her way out of the room, giving the two some time alone. "Exactly. I'll be with you the entire time, just as I was while you were out."

Chrysalis suddenly rolled over to face him and saw his right arm before he could hide it. A look of horror came over her face as she saw his injury. Her own leg forgotten, she reached out and touched the stump. "J-Jay, what happened?"

He sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid it. "The Alpha that got you, well, he got me, too. I still killed him, but he got part of my arm. Don't worry, I'll get mine back just like you will."

Chrysalis frowned sadly at him. "How can you be so calm about losing a limb?"

"How can you?" Daedalus asked in reply.

She was silent for a moment as she considered how to answer that before she settled for sheer truth. "Because I trust you."

Daedalus' eyes widened slightly as he heard that. "You trust me that much?"

She nodded. "I do. Everything you said you would do, you did."

Daedalus opened his mouth to respond only to be cut off. "Or are currently doing it."

He snapped his mouth shut and was surprised to hear her giggle lightly. Daedalus smiled slightly as he looked at her. "Chryssi, did you just giggle?"

She blushed green and quickly shook her head. "You heard nothing!"

Daedalus grinned and leaned forward, lighting tapping her forehead. "Oh, I think I did. Glorious Queen Chrysalis can giggle."

"I did not!" Chrysalis shouted as she blushed brighter, bringing her foreleg up to try to cover her muzzle. She ultimately failed as he just glanced through the holes to see the green tint. Chrysalis noticed and slapped him with her unpinned wing, making them both laugh.

"I'll stop teasing you." Daedalus said, laughing lightly.

"Thank you, Jay." She replied with a smile of her own.

"Though, you are pretty cute when you blush." He added sincerely.

Chrysalis seemed more shocked than embarrassed. "You find me...cute?"

He nodded. "And attractive in general."

She spluttered. "A-attractive? A Changeling? You're insane!"

"In the membrane." Daedalus agreed before growing serious. "No, I'm just different. I myself am a shapeshifter. While I am sure there are physical forms that may disgust me, yours does not."

"W-what do you find a-attractive?" She asked meekly.

"Well, Chryssi, your voice. Something about the dual-tone is amazing. Your carapace as well. The sleek, slightly shiny black color is very attractive to me. Your eyes, too, are beautiful. The viridian slits are exotic and attractive to me. And honestly, general body shape. Long legs, slender frame, long horn and exotic wings are all attractive to me." Daedalus answered honestly, knowing it would be useless to lie to a Changeling. He, too, was glad that this was distracting her from any pain she had.

As he spoke, Chrysalis' muzzle grew more and more green until finally she looked away in embarrassment, not expecting anyone to find her attractive. The sheer sincerity in his voice and emotions amazed her; Daedalus truly meant what he said. When he finished, it took an astronomical amount of strength for her to speak. "Thank you for being honest."

"Of course, Chryssi. You asked for the truth and got it, even if you expected something different." He said with a small smile, even though she couldn't see it.

“I honestly never expected to be found attractive by a member of another species.” Chrysalis added honestly.

“I don’t doubt you, Chryssi. A lot of things we don’t expect can happen, though. I didn’t expect to be brought to this world, nor did I expect to meet an amazing Queen, either. A lot of amazing things that make our life far more enjoyable can be unexpected.” Daedalus replied.

Chrysalis was silent for a time, the sheer meaning behind his little speech striking her silent. After several minutes, she responded, albeit, not in any way he expected her to. “Jay, I’m happy you came here. Not just because you have saved and are saving my subjects, but because you are also easily one of the closest friends I have ever had.”

Daedalus thought for a moment before he replied. “It seems so strange. We haven’t even known each other very long yet we both see each other as a close and trustworthy friend. It worries me, almost.”

The Changeling shrugged the best she could from her position. “For me, there’s nothing strange. Changelings develop bonds faster than most other species. Our ability to sense the emotions of others allow us to tell between sincere feelings and lies. I can tell that you’ve meant everything you’ve said to me today.”

The virus just sighed. “Humans are different, Chryssi. We develop bonds far slowly than ponies and definitely Changelings as well. Some of the more cautious humans can take years to develop a single friendship.”

Chrysalis reached up with her good forehoof and lightly pressed it flat against his chest. “Jay, you aren’t human. Don’t compare yourself to them. It only causes problems that are completely avoidable if you just remember that you are an Evolved, something that works entirely different than you are used to.”

She leaned forward slightly to nuzzle him gently, to which Daedalus closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the smooth feeling. “Don’t value any type of relationship based on how much time it took to make, or how long it has lasted, but rather on how you feel in that relationship, whether romantic, platonic, or familial.”

“Some wise words, my Queen.” Daedalus says with a small smile, which she returned readily.

“I am Glorious Queen Chrysalis, after all.” She spoke with a faux tone of arrogance, making Daedalus laugh. After a short moment, Chrysalis joined him as well, filling the room with the kind of happiness shared between close friends.

Daedalus and Chrysalis talked for some time before the door to the room opened, providing entrance for Sutha as well as another Changeling. He seemed rather young as well as shorter and less built than Sutha. The newcomer quickly approached the bed-ridden Queen and casted a small spell that highlighted her leg in green magic. He nodded to himself and finally spoke. “I am Kyre, one of the Hive workers assigned the Medical section. You seem to be fully healed, my Queen, with the obvious exception of your leg. While you are able to leave, it would be best for you to remain resting. Perhaps being relocated to your home and remaining there until the wound has healed over and formed scar tissue?”

Daedalus took notice that this doctor, unlike most others, didn’t bother asking her how she felt or if she was experiencing anything unexpected. He thought on the matter for a moment before he realized that the Changeling could probably sense everything Chrysalis felt and had no need to ask those basic questions. He didn’t need to ask about her condition because he already knew it. Instead, he focused on offering a solution to the problem she had; bed rest in a more familiar, more comfortable room.

The doctor continued. “Of course, you’ll need someling there to help you. While your magic does function, there are some things that are simply better when done by hoof.”

The Queen turned to look at Daedalus after thinking for a moment and agreeing with her subject’s statement. “Jay, would you be willing to help me?”

Daedalus smiled and nodded his agreement. “Of course I am, I’ve already helped you for a week. What’s a few more days?”

Kyre nodded and continued speaking to Chrysalis. “You’ll be able to fly back to your home. After that, we recommend you keep flight and magic on the minimum. There isn’t any noticable reason why you should, but we’d rather be cautious with our Queen’s safety.”

Chrysalis nodded, a warm smile on her face. “It’s good to know my subjects care for me.”

Daedalus chuckled lightly. “Several of your subjects stopped by and wish you a fair recovery while you were out. Your subjects more than just care for you. They love you."

Both Sutha and Kyre nodded at his statement, making Chrysalis’ smile widen. Daedalus could almost see the happiness coming off of her in waves.

Wait...could he? For a moment, he thought he saw a small red mist coming off of her. It was gone, and after looking through his memory and examining it, he couldn’t find it again. Daedalus just shrugged internally and dismissed it as a bleed-over from his other body. Though, when he focused on the sight of his other self, he couldn’t see anything red that could have bled over. He dismissed it entirely and focused back on the conversation.

“Goodbye, my Queen.” Sutha and Kyre said in unison as they left the room. Chrysalis slowly stood up only to stumble when she tried to put weight on her missing leg. Daedalus caught her and allowed the injured royal to lean against him before they slowly started to move toward the door. When they got there, Daedalus attempted to reach out to touch the gel-like substance only to stop when he realized he was moving his stump-he still had not grown used to temporarily missing an arm. The gel was enveloped with a green magic and flowed to the side, clearling the doorway.

Daedalus looked to his side and saw Chrysalis smiling up at him, her eyes closed. She seemed to know he was looking and opened her eyes, trust in them. “You’ll be my leg and I’ll be your arm.”

The virus chuckled and nodded, her warm contentness flowing over him as well and making him smile brightly. “That’ll work.”

Then he added with an amused smile. “Be careful, though. It might become a habit that we keep even after we heal.”

Chrysalis murmured something she didn’t expect him to heal, although he did, thanks to his viral hearing. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Instead of replying, Daedalus gestured toward the door. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

She nodded and the two exited, heading down the hall and out of the building. A short discussion later and Daedalus slowly sat on Chrysalis’ back as she took flight, heading back toward her home.

Daedalus watched closely as the flower slowly opened up. The small, heart-shaped buds opened wide, each easily a foot long and half as much wide. As he watched, slowly, a small, pink mist began to fill the air. It was slightly, almost unnoticeable, but still there. Daedalus, after a moment, stepped into it. He could feel the mistified love entering his system. There wasn’t much, but, then again, this was only one flower out of the thousands that could fill this cavern.

The virus stepped back and smiled. It had worked. Quickly, his other body turned to speak only to see Chrysalis sleeping on her bed. Both forms shrugged as the injured one lied down on the floor to sleep the night away. This form, though, went to work. He began preparing the room for more flowers, still unnamed as they were. Water ways had to be dug, stone needed to be pulverized into dirt, and rows needed to be formed. There was still a day or so of work on the cave before it could support the flowers.

The flowers, too, had some small modifications to go through. Each needed to be condensed, making them hard to destroy. They needed their roots to be able to interact, as well as an activation switch added to them. He didn’t want to lie; there were still three or so days of work left. But the love-producing mechanism itself? That was done. More buds to be added to each flower and more flowers to each plant was all that was left to be done to that system.

Daedalus smiled. He was finally able to fulfill that promise to Chrysalis.

He stepped into the mist as he began to work. When he did, the love was absorbed by his flesh. It left a peculiar feeling behind, a sort of warmth that spread throughout his body. It felt familiar and he wondered where he had felt it before. His perfect memory did not fail him. Daedalus stopped as the thought struck him.

The virus had felt this once before when he and Sutha had discussed Chrysalis in this very chamber.

Well, that is unexpected. Perhaps it won’t be unwelcome, though. He thought to himself before he continued his work, now knowing it was more important that ever.

Author's Notes:

Tell me your thoughts on this chapter. I rewrote it twice, with this being the third rendition. I'm still not fully satisfied with it, but by this point it was several days late. I forwarded it to my BetaReader, BurningDusk, and then posted it immediately after we both checked it over.