Three days had passed as normal. Daedalus had, using his injured form, done what he could to take care of Chrysalis, albeit she didn’t need to be taken care of. He could see that she enjoyed being pampered though, which didn’t surprise him. Her missing leg had healed nicely, but they both knew it wouldn’t be missing much longer. The magic had finally faded from Chrysalis and his other form was coming to heal her.

Speaking of his other form, Chrysalis had been shocked to learn that he could control separate bodies, just as Sutha had been. Unlike Sutha, she quickly began questioning how it worked, to which Daedalus answered as best he could. Of course, without being a virus herself, Chrysalis had trouble understanding some of it, but she understood enough to know that it was one mind controlling both bodies. He also told her that his other form that was the one continuing to work of the flowers.

In fact, the flowers were almost entirely done. Daedalus just needed to wait for the roots to grow out and connect to each other. Once that was done, he could activate them all at once rather than one at a time. If he had done that, it might have taken several days or more, as the chamber was filled with nearly six thousand of them.

The only special thing of note was the information Luna gave him one night as he slept.

“Daedalus.” Luna said, a frown firmly on her face. Her voice was tense, clearly indicating that something was bothering her. Daedalus, of course, didn’t know what it was yet.

His dreamscape this time was simple yet meaningful. It was the Sapphire Hive, albeit it was empty of Changelings. Specifically, he was in the room that would become the home of the new flowers he planned to plant when he woke up. “What’s wrong, Luna?”

She sighed, weariness plain in her voice. “Some how, some way, word got out that Gene Splice was sent on a mission to negotiate peace between Changelings and ponies.”

“It’s not good, is it?” Daedalus asked in worry.

“No, it’s not. Fortunately, the information was not spread as far as it could have been. Obviously, my sister told Ms. Dust, Ms. Brand, and Ms. Sparkle of your endeavours. After a week of your absence with no real word from you, other than the dream we shared that was worryingly interrupted, they began sending my sister and I letters, insinuating that you had been ponynapped.”

“What did you do?” He asked, curiously.

“What we could. We assured them that you were safe and that negotiations were proceeding nicely. They did not believe us. Finally, we ultimately stepped in when the three mares formed a small group with several other citizens. Their intention was to find you and, ah, ‘bring the bug monster to justice,’ as one stallion put it.”

“You calmed them?”

“No. They refused to calm.” Luna said with a long sigh. “We had to take action, though my sister and I regret it.”

“What happened?” Came the inevitable question.

“We were forced to remove the memory of your location from their mind. We replaced it with a fake memory of you being sent on an exploration mission into the Everfree, as befits the persona you introduced to them. They were naturally worried, but they had no reason to suspect Changelings. Confused, the group disbanded and returned to their homes.”

Daedalus sighed. “I didn’t know you had that power.”

“We may not be true goddesses, but we are still powerful in our own rights, Daedalus.”

He nodded, accepting the reply. “So, when I return, I have to play along with the story of being sent as a scout into the Everfree?”

Luna nodded sadly. “Yes, you will. It brings us pain to know that not only are we forcing you to lie to your friends, but also that our subjects are not ready to accept another species. My sister has been grievously struck by this knowledge.”

“I could imagine. I still remember the conversation we had before I left. Give her my condolences.”

Luna nodded. “I will. I shall let you sleep for the night, Daedalus. I’ll speak to you again another time, though it may be after you return.”

It had rather disappointed him. He hoped that the ponies would be able to get over the fear that Celestia had warned him of, but it seemed very unlikely now. Chances are good that Chrysalis would have to sneak in to Canterlot just to forge a treatise with the diarchy; she simply would not be able to walk down the street in her true form. Chrysalis, too, was disheartened when he told her the news. The Queen had nearly began crying when the hope of a better future drained from her. Daedalus had to remind her that her kind’s future was getting better. Once the flowers were created, they would no longer need to steal love.

It was some time before Daedalus’ other form walked in. With a moment’s thought, he focused entirely on the fully-healed form and switched to it, allowing his injured form to sleep. Chrysalis looked on in amazement as this happened; she had yet to see the switch take place. The virus walked over to the Queen and knelt down beside her, placing his hands on her damaged limb. He paused and looked up, meeting her slitted eyes. Nothing but trust and hope shone in them. He turned his attention inward and slowly began spreading his virus over her leg before his work really began.

First, he applied a localized anesthesia to prevent her from feeling any of what was about to happen. Then, he quickly and cleanly severed the nerves, further preventing any sensations from making their way to her brain. Quickly dissolving the last three inches of the limb to remove the scar tissue, he began rebuilding the limb.

Using the Queen’s own DNA as a model, he replaced the missing appendage with a new one, making it identical to original. At first, it was a solid limb, ending in a hoof, that was plated in a black chitin. Then, using not only his memory but her own genes, he formed the now-familiar holes in her leg that was specific to Changeling kind. Quickly after, he adapted her chitin to be able to absorb liquid love and harden, just as Sutha said they could. All of the information he needed came straight from her own DNA.

To him, it didn’t seem long. In reality, Chrysalis watched in unabashed curiosity for nearly an hour, not able to see nor feel anything. Her surprise was great when suddenly, she could feel what was left of her leg. More than that, it felt like she could feel her entire leg, as if it had grown back. She smiled brightly, small tears of joy rolling down her muzzle to splash silently against her bed. A moment later, the enveloping cover of tendrils faded, retreating back into his body. Daedalus stood, smiling at the while, as Chrysalis began to examine her new, and old, limb.

Turning to his currently inactive body, he set to work. Repairing this form was far easier and faster, taking a mere ten minutes. Daedalus added an extra seventy pounds of pure biomass to allow further regeneration, then stood back. It was good as new and he now had two perfectly functional forms, though one was far heavier.

Switching back, his second form left the room to continue monitoring the plants. His first one, and the one that had once been injured, walked back over to Chrysalis and sat on the edge of her bed, smiling at her. “How do you feel, Chryssi?”

She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she leaned over and wrapped her arms and wings around him, hugging him tightly. “So much better, thanks to you, Jay.”

Daedalus sighed happily; the feeling of being wrapped by chitinous hooves and gossamer wings was one that was difficult to describe, yet could be summed up as a single, meaningful words. Comforting.

The virus reached out and wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his forehead against hers as both of their eyes closed. “I’m glad you’re healed, Chryssi. It hurt when I saw you injured and, to be honest, I kinda went into a small rage.”

She smiled cheekily. “It’s good to see somepony cares about me.”

Daedalus smirked in return. “I don’t know, maybe I was doing it just to get a reward, Some bits, maybe? Gems?”

When Chrysalis deadpanned to him, he chuckled and she smiled as well, knowing he was simply joking. He continued. “Though, in truth, I do care for you. You are one of, if not the, closest person, or anything, to me. The only ones I feel comfortable around is the Princesses, and even then I didn’t get to know them as well as you and I have.”

Both Chrysalis and Daedalus felt a warm feeling swell as he spoke. Both of them recognized it, though neither knew the other felt it as well. Chrysalis, while a Changeling, was not actively sensing emotions and did not feel it. Daedalus, on the other hand, could not sense emotions and wasn’t examining Chrysalis’ body for out of place chemicals.

Chrysalis sighed happily, mimicking what Daedalus had done just some moments earlier. She slowly fell over on her side, lying almost on top of Daedalus, who simply reclined against the wall and draped an arm over the Queen. She spoke as one hoof idly traced the lines in the ceiling. “None of my subjects know me as well as you do; they don’t see me without my crown on, so to speak. Day by day, they see the royal Changeling who leads them and cares for them. Rarely do they ever see the real me, the one who loves to read, joke, and all around have fun.”

She leaned her head back farther, looking Daedalus in the eyes. “You do, though. Jay, you’ve allowed me to be me more often in the last week than I normally am in a year. Ever since the failed Invasion that I should have never ordered, my Changelings have suffered, and so too have I.”

Her hoof waves wildly in the air, gesturing symbolically to everything. “Then here you come, disguised as a strange earth pony, with one of my Changelings on your back. At first, I thought you were some fool seeking wealth, or even a companion.”

“Companion?” Daedalus asked in curiosity as the tone of the conversation slowly changed.

Chrysalis sighed again, this time in sadness. “The few who accept Changelings see us as nothing more than prostitutes, They think that because we can change shape that we belong in brothels, making customers’ dreams come true. It is rare but not unheard of for ponies or other species seeking a companion in more carnal matters to locate a Changeling Hive.”

She stopped and when no question came forth, she continued on. “Yes, I thought you to be a fool. A fool who could feed our Hive for a few more days, but a fool nonetheless. When you announced a possible treaty between Sapphire Hive and Equestria, I was ecstatic. It was a chance for my subjects to never starve again, and to not need to steal to be full.”

“Starting from when you first revealed yourself to me, I knew you were going to change things for the Hive. I didn’t know whether for good or ill, but I knew things would change.” She looked up at him as she finished, locking eyes with him.

“It was clearly change for the good. You personally fed me, and then went on to feed the Hive as well. Then, you began to work on a means to provide us a way of permanently being fed without having to steal and replace ponies. You also watched over me after I was injured, ensuring I was well-cared for and looked after. Now, you’ve become close to me and became a friend I thought I would never have, especially after my greatest mistake.” She said softly.

Daedalus reached down and ran his hand through her mane, no words to be said. There was nothing that needed to be said. Both knew that the other made them happy, though neither knew just how strongly the other believed it. After a time, he did speak anyway. “Guess your mistake wasn’t enough to drive everyone away, was it?”

Chrysalis looked up at Daedalus again. “No, Jay, I guess it wasn’t. Not if you came to my side and became my friend anyway.”

The virus tightened the arm that was around Chrysalis, smiling as he brought her in a one-armed hug. “I won’t be leaving any time soon.”

The Queen scoffed, though she had a teasing smile on her muzzle. “I thought you were leaving back to Equestria once you finish creating the flowers.”

Daedalus opened his mouth to speak, then glanced down and saw the small smile and sighed. “You know what I meant, Chryssi.”

She laughed lightly and nodded. “You’re right I do. I could always come with you instead.”

That made Daedalus quirk an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You have a Hive to run here, Chryssi.”

“Hive Mind, Daedalus. I could leave and still give orders, see what my Changelings see, and know what is going on. I don’t actually need to be here to rule, it just makes my rule more personal when they can actually see me every day.”

Daedalus nodded, understanding her point. He couldn’t help but hum thoughtfully, though. After all, the idea of Chrysalis accompanying him, while risky, was also tempting. She was one of the four that he had told the truth to and he had gotten close to her. Chrysalis must have sensed a little of what he thought because she smiled at him and spoke with a small chuckle. “Tempting, isn’t it?”

Daedalus nodded honestly. “Yeah, it really is.”

Chrysalis’ muzzle tinted green for a moment as she received the unexpectedly honest answer. While she agreed with him wholeheartedly, she didn’t expect such an honest, blunt answer. “I’m not going to lie. I want to.”

Daedalus smiled lightly, though he tried, and failed, to hide it. “Then come with me when I have to leave. I would love to have company that I can trust and talk freely to. You understand how lonely it can be for a shapeshifter.”

Chrysalis nodded, though it was somewhat sad. “Yes, I do. Just not like you. My Changelings have a Hive to return to. You don’t.”

The virus nodded slowly. “You’re right, of course. I don’t really have an actual home. No place I can be myself without any worry of discovery or betrayal.”

A surprising thought struck Chrysalis rather suddenly, making her stop. “Actually, you do.”

When Daedalus faced Chrysalis fully again, he was greeted by the sight of a warm smile on her chitinous muzzle. She answered in reply to his questioning look. “Here, Jay. Sapphire Hive. Here you can be yourself."

He paused for a moment as the truth of her statement hit him. She was right. The Changelings in her Hive wouldn’t be freaked out over his powers. They would see another shapeshifter, nothing more. A lot of the Queen’s subjects like him already for saving Chrysalis from the Alpha, and they’ll only like him more once word gets out that he healed her leg. “You’re right. Completely.”

“Is there any surprise there?” Chrysalis asked, suddenly taking a faux snobbish tone.

Daedalus smiled to her. “No, not really.”

The chitinous Queen leaned up and nuzzled his neck, contentedness clear in her eyes and actions.

Overnight, Daedalus had watched closely as the roots of the flowered plants grew, connecting to each other in a complex web of communication. A single order to one could be shared to all of them. Around two in the morning, the roots finished connecting and Daedalus did something he didn’t want to. He reached out to the ‘central’ root, a twisted spire in the center of the cavern, and installed one final genetic implementation. A kill switch. He didn’t want to, not at all, but he made a promise to Princess Celestia that he would and so he did. The virus had no intention of using it though; he didn’t think Chrysalis would ever betray him.

Half an hour later and with a heavy heart, Daedalus returned his second form to the small cavern underneath the flower field outside of Ponyville. A four hour dead sprint is what it took before the second body settled in place in the stone room. Finally, Daedalus closed his eyes and brought all attention to his original body, which was one room over from Chrysalis. Still incredibly early in the morning, he closed his eyes and let sleep take ahold.

The morning came quickly as he awoke when Chrysalis gently shook him awake. He opened his eyes to see her standing at the side of his bed, concern in her eyes. “One of my patrols said they saw you leave early this morning. I was worried that you got called back for something.”

Daedalus stood up, fully awake immediately. “No, that was my other body returning to my hidden room in Ponyville. It isn’t needed here anymore.”

Chrysalis stepped back, worry and despair quickly filling her eyes. “The flowers… they don’t work, do they?”

The virus couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped him. He reached out a clasped a hand on her shoulder, smiling to her. “Do you think I would be in a good mood if they didn’t work? No, they’re finished. All I need to do is send the command to activate them and I want you to be there when I do.”

“W-what?” Chrysalis gasped out, all her previous worries vanished in a flash, replaced by excitement. “They’re done? Come on, let’s go!”

She reached out with her magic to grasp his hand. Gently but insistently, she started tugging to get him to move. Daedalus chuckled loudly, making her stop and blush as she realized how she was acting. The eager Queen spun around and looked at him with a curious mix of a pout and a smile. “Can you blame me for being so excited? One of my greatest dreams is about to come true!”

Daedalus shook his head and started walking, leading the way toward the cavern. “No, I don’t blame you at all. What you said raised a question I have for you, though.”

He looked over his shoulder to see Chrysalis following him, a curious look on her muzzle. He continued as he quoted her. “‘One of my greatest dreams?’ What are some of the others?”

Her earlier blush returned stronger and she rapidly shook her head. “Nothing but hopeful dreams. Some are close to happening, one will hopefully happen very soon, and others may never happen in my life.”

Daedalus spoke when she drew to his side. “I wouldn’t mind helping some of those come true, whatever they may be, Chryssi.”

Chrysalis smiled, her green blush slowly fading. “You just might.”

Daedalus smiled back as Chrysalis’ wings spread, ready to fly. She expected him to grow wings as well. To her surprise, he simply stepped off the edge of the porch, quickly falling to the ground below. Because most of his extra weight was with his other form, he only slightly dented the ground when he hit. That didn’t stop Chrysalis from freaking out when she landed. The carapaced mare quickly darted over to his side and checked him over, bumping him several times as her wings frantically patted him over. “What were you thinking? You could have been hurt!”

The virus chuckled and booped her muzzle, making her reel back in surprise as her face scrunched. “I’m fine, Chryssi. You know that I can’t be hurt, or at least not permanently.”

She had the decency to look at him indignantly. “Well what did you think I would do when the man I l- can confide in jumps off into a hundred foot drop?”

Ignoring whatever she almost said, Daedalus replied. “Yeah, I see your point. Now you know, though.”

She sighed and began walking. “I guess. Come on, let’s go see the flowers before you give me a heart attack again. Next I know, you’ll jump off a mountain.”

“I could do that.” Daedalus called out as he quickly caught up.

“Don’t remind me!” She said firmly, making him chuckle again.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, all the while with Chrysalis practically writhing from excitement, they reached the cavern that contained the flowers. Daedalus smiled and gestured from Chrysalis to go in. She did, coming to a complete halt directly inside. The entrance was above the cavern floor, with a rough ramp going down. From this height, she was able to see over the plants and tell that the flowers filled the entire cavern. When she spoke, it was in a breathless voice. “H-how many?”

Daedalus came to a stop beside her, his hand resting gently on her back. “Sixty rows of a hundred, totaling six thousand. Each flower is capable of producing enough love in an hour to feed twelve Changelings for a day. They won’t always be producing love, though. I installed strict ‘feeding times.’ They’ll produce love from six to eight, eleven to one, and six to eight.”

Chrysalis sniffed lightly, hurriedly turned and furiously nuzzled Daedalus’ arm. “Thank you so much, Jay. Thank you so very much.”

Daedalus laughed and reached down, pulling Chrysalis into a quick hug. “You’re very welcome, Chryssi, but they aren’t even active right now. I still need to activate them for the first time.”

She looked up, a little teary eyed. “You’re right, it’s seven. They would be producing love right now, wouldn’t they. What does that look like?”

“Come on and find out.” Daedalus said, gesturing toward the flowers. Without hesitation, he leaped off the ledge and over the lamp, landing at the beginning of the rows. With two short flaps, Chrysalis was by his side again.

“First, I want to explain a few things about the flowers. Right now, they seem dull and, well, un-flower-like. That’s because the flowers bud and bloom once they are active, making it pretty obvious when they are working.” Daedalus begins.

“What happens if they are destroyed?” The Queen asked.

“Yeah...not happening. Each plant’s stalk is stronger than steel from being so dense. Though I couldn’t find a way to harden the flowers without damaging their ability to produce mistified love, they can be regrown in under an hour if they are torn off or damaged. The roots are just as strong as the stalks, with the exception of the core that gathers nutrients for the plants.”

“Speaking of nutrients, the flowers live off of a water well deep down below the Hive, getting everything they need to survive and thrive for that. There’s no worry about them hibernating or dying during winter, since they don’t require sunlight to function. The planet’s core temperature will also stop the water they feed off of from freezing during the winter; it just doesn’t get cold that far down.”

The pair came across the center of the field, a large spire between two of the rows. There was no larger than average gap, no change in the structure of the rows or columns, nothing that stood out to make the spire easy to find. Daedalus was only able to find it because he knew exactly where it was. Anyone else would need to count the columns to find the center, then walk down it. The spire itself looked like a coiled bunch of brown roots extending about three feet off of the ground. Daedalus stepped forward and rested his hand on it.

“This is the control spire.” Daedalus says to Chrysalis. “Every order or command I give from here is spread through the web of roots, reaching every plant in under a second.

“So fast?” Chrysalis asked.

The virus nodded. “I structured it like a brain and it’s neurons. Information is sent through electrical pulses, which the plants can recognise and interpret into orders. That’s about as far as their intelligence goes, though.”

Daedalus focused on the spire, bringing his virus to bear as he started transmitting orders. “Be ready, I’m activating them now.”

Chrysalis nodded and looked around, taking quick note of the chamber. The plants themselves were eight feet in height, made of some form of thick stalk almost a half foot wide. Near the top, it broke open into a tree-like structure, branches forming a pseudo-canopy. In the branches, dozens of buds were situated, clearly where the flowers would be. The buds were a golden color, contrasting nicely to the dark brown of the branches and the dark green of the stalks.

The floor, unlike the rest of the Hive, wasn’t made of dirt or the black resin Changelings built with. It was dirt, though it seems to have been compacted slightly. All over the place, roots breached the surface for a moment before sinking back down. It was fortunate she didn’t trip walking down the path, she didn’t notice them until now. The roots were a solid black color and were large, easily half as think as the plants themselves, rather strange for roots.

A single pulse of blue light went from Daedalus’ hand into the spire where it traveled into the ground. It vanished for a moment, then reappeared as it traveled across the roots incredibly quickly, lighting each root, plant, and the entire cavern for a fraction of a second in a blue glow. Nothing happened for a moment, then the blue glow returned.

This time, it traveled in lines up the stalks of the plants, then spread throughout the branches. Unlike before, the lines of blue didn’t fade. They remained in the plants even as the buds began to bloom. Each golden bud bloomed into golden, heart shaped petals with a pink interior, just as Chrysalis had asked him to make. The final product was different than what he originally created, though she couldn’t complain as a golden glow suffused the air, mingling with the blue one from the lights.

Rather suddenly, a pink mist filled the air above their heads before slowly drifting down. When it first touched Chrysalis, she gasped aloud when she felt pure love filling her senses. It was far more pure than any she had tasted from a pony, entirely untainted by even hints of lust. It was so sweet, she felt her mouth salivate just from being in the mist. When she inhaled, she felt every last remnant of hunger fade from her body instantly; there was just that much in the air.

Spinning around to Daedalus, she leaped at him. He seemed to pause in surprise right before she hit him, carrying both of them to the ground. She landed on his chest, though it didn’t hurt him due to his lack of a chest cavity. He opened his eyes, having closed them habitually during the fall, and looked up to Chrysalis.

To his surprise, shock, and concern, she was openly crying. Tears streamed down her muzzle in the brief glimpse he got before her muzzle was promptly buried in his shoulder. Quickly, he reached up and placed a hand on her withers comfortingly and began to stroke her mane with his other hand. With a tap of his foot, he allowed the plants to stop producing love and the pink mist began to fade. Daedalus simply held the crying mare, allowing her to let out all the pent of emotions into his shoulder even as mistified love settled in the air around them.

Chrysalis had never been happier than she was at that moment. No more did she have to fear her kind’s starvation. Never again would a Changeling approach her and say in a pitiful voice, “My Queen, we’re hungry.” No more would she have to fear and it was all thanks to Jay, the viral being she was crying on. All the years of fear, worry, and guilty anger were draining away from her, leaving her feeling more free than she had in centuries.

Replaced by the fear and the pain, a warm feeling began to well up within her as she took notice that Jay was holding her, letting her let everything out without worry of being judged. Being a Changeling she recognized it immediately as love, a feeling that had been recurring in her for several days now. She knew it wasn’t from the mist that had been around them, either. No, Chrysalis knew she loved Jay, though she didn’t know whether the feeling was returned.

Daedalus became aware that the Queen atop him had ceased crying, though her muzzle was still in the crook of his neck. He stiffened then quickly calmed when she slowly began to nuzzle his neck. Rather suddenly, she pulled back and looked at him from above. Her emerald green slits were looking at him with an expression that conveyed several things to him all at once. Hope, concern, worry, joy, and most powerfully, love. He knew from that gaze along that she felt exactly as he did, that he had no reason to worry for any reason.

Slowly reaching up, he gently grasped the back of her head and pulled her toward him. She offered no resistances, eagerly meeting him in the middle as their lips connected and their eyes fell closed. The kiss was simple, no lust or desire present in it. Instead, a warmth that could only be described as unaltered love was the only feeling shared between them. All too soon, the pair parted and Chrysalis gazed down at Daedalus. The virus would have lost his breath if he needed to breathe, all because of the sight that greeted him when his eyes opened.

Chrysalis lied on his chest, her head above his and gazing down at him. Her slitted eyes met his with a gaze full of love and tender affection. Her mane came down and framed her face, draping down to the side of his own head. Her muzzle was only inches away from him, adorned with a smile that showed she was content with the world. The ethereal blue and golden glow around them only added to the unbelievable feel Daedalus experienced, which only expanded when small, glowing blue spores floated down from the ceiling. The virus felt a tension in his chest, one that didn’t ease at all as time passed and they stared at each other, both with looks of love.

Finally, Daedalus spoke in a whisper, filled with meaning. “I love you, Chryssi. There’s no denying it; I do.”

Her smile seemed to only widened and she leaned, planting another gentle kiss on his lips before speaking softly, passionately. “I love you too, Jay. I don’t want to deny it.”

Daedalus laughed, the tension in his chest draining instantly. “Neither do I. I don’t think we even could deny it.”

The carapaced Queen shook her head softly, a happy smile on her muzzle on mirth in her voice. “I’ve never been this happy, this loved. And before you say my Changelings love me, you know what I mean.”

Daedalus nodded. “I know exactly what you mean.”

Chrysalis lied down fully at his side, resting her head on his chest even as the plants above them shone brighter. Daedalus looked at them curiously before a thought struck him, making him smile. “Heart’s Blossom.”

“What?” Chrysalis said curiously.

“The plants, we’ll call them ‘Heart’s Blossom.’” Daedalus explained. “Inadvertently, they made us fall in love with each other.”

The Changeling couldn’t keep the dopey smile off of her face. It was so cheesy, but so heartfelt that she could feel her own heart warm from it. “Heart’s Blossom. I like that.”

Daedalus draped an arm over Chrysalis, content to simply lie there for a time, basking in the joy of being loved. Chrysalis felt no reason to complain; her Hive was still being fed by the love Daedalus had created when she was unconscious.

Author's Notes:

Is there any surprise I was looking forward to this chapter? Don't hesitate to share your thoughts, whether positive or negative.

This chapter has been BetaRead by BurningDusk, of course.