Queen Chrysalis slowly stood, her legs sluggish from dozing on Jay for nearly three hours. It was time to stop relaxing. She needed to tell her Hive that the flowers were working, as well as to let them come for lunch.

Jay snapped awake, immediately rolling to his feet and stretching. The Changeling couldn’t help examining his face, then his body quickly. That was hers, and she was proud of it. He must have noticed the grin on her muzzle because he laughed lightly. “What’s with the look?”

Without hesitation, she reached forward and planted a hoof on his chest and spoke. “The fact that this is mine.”

“I’m yours?” Jay asked with amusement clear in his voice. When she nodded, he smiled wider.

“I’m not complaining.”

Chrysalis laughed herself and spoke in a teasing manner while gesturing to herself with her wings. “Of course you aren’t complaining. It means that this is yours, as well.”

The pair laughed for a moment, love and affection rolling off of Jay, though he likely didn’t know. After a time, the two calmed and Chrysalis spoke. “I need to tell my Hive of this development. Will you wait here?”

“Which development? Us being together, or the plants functioning?” He asked in curiosity.

“Yes.” Chrysalis replied in a smug voice, making Jay chuckle.

“In any case, expect Changelings to start showing up some time after my departure. While I’m able to spread the news with the Hive Mind, I much prefer giving announcements face to face. I’m sure they like being able to see me, too.” She continued.

Jay nodded in response and Chrysalis leaned forward and quickly nuzzled him, then departed with a small blush on her muzzle. She heard his deep voice chuckle from behind her and the emotions he emitted increased lightly. She sighed, her eyes closing momentarily as she basked in it. Then she opened her emerald green eyes and continued onward.

Daedalus watched as Chrysalis left. He was incredibly happy at the moment and not just because he and the Queen were together. The Hive would no longer starve and with this new development, he could ensure that Equestria and Sapphire Hive would never go to war against each other.

What if they do, though? He thought to himself. Who would I fight for?

After a short moment’s thought, he answered his own question. Chrysalis, no doubt about it. I owe my loyalties to no one except my own interests. As it is, defending Chryssi is my interest, not Equestria.

The thought hurt, for sure, knowing he would willing go against Celestia, Luna, and Pinkie. Daedalus knew that if it came to it, he would pick Sapphire Hive over Equestria. He would fight reluctantly, but determined all the same.

Daedalus wasn’t sure how long he was buried in his thoughts, but he snapped out of it once he began to hear voices reverberating down the tunnels. Moving quickly, he stopped at the entrance of the cavern and waited for the Changelings to arrive.

And arrive they did. Not long after he began waiting, a small group of around a dozen Changelings arrived, each with a small bag on one side of their back. They stopped at the cavern entrance just after the Blossoms released a soft pink mist that drifted through the air. The lead Changeling’s horn lit up as a small stone levitated out toward Daedalus. He grabbed it, quickly noticing it was a small sapphire, and the Changeling looked at him curiously. “What’s this for?”

The Changeling chittered for a moment, stopping when Daedalus looked at her in slight confusion. She blushed a light green and spoke again, this time in English. “Payment, of course. Is it enough? The price wasn’t specified when our Queen announced the creation of the Heart’s Blossoms.”

Daedalus frowned slightly and dropped the gem back into the equine’s bag. When she looked at him in shock, he explained. “There’s no price. This is entirely free and I’m not accepting payment.”

Her pupil-less eyes widened as she looked at him, her muzzle slightly open as well. Daedalus looked on, faintly amused, and noticed one of the Changelings leave quickly. Hopefully, he’ll spread the word of there being no price.

After a short moment, the Changeling stepped forward and quickly nuzzled his arm and entered the cave, happily shouting, “Thank you!”

Daedalus nodded and watched with a smile as the group ran into the cave, quickly entering the mist. They moved around a row and he lost sight of them. A contented sigh escaped him and he turned back to the entrance, waiting for more Changelings to arrive. He had a feeling quite a number more would try to pay him for access; he wouldn’t accept it. Not for something that cost nothing to maintain or provide.

As an hour passed, the continuous flow of new Changelings failed to lessen. At first, the Changelings that arrived were all young or middle aged adults, as far as he could tell. Later came the elderly and the young as Chrysalis’ announcement spread far enough for individual homes to learn about it. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as he saw the happiness in their voices and actions as several young Changelings started to play hide and seek between the rows of large plants.

Vaguely, he became aware of a small black shape sitting against one of the plants, the Changeling’s back to him. He didn’t see any older adults around the equine so he walked over. He came to the young Changeling’s side and sat down, crossing his legs in front of him. Her looked over to the Changeling, seeing that she was very young, maybe eight or nine. To his concern, she was staring into the rows with a confused frown on her face.

“Is something wrong?” He asked softly.

The filly was silent for a time, clearly struggling to convey her feelings to him. She seemed to settle for an answer and spoke slowly, confusion clear in her voice. “I’m not hungry.

“What’s wrong with that?” Daedalus continued, confused at her meaning.

She fully faced him and sniffed once, her conflicted look not lessening. She spoke, her voice full of a strange mixture of happiness and confusion. “Nothing is wrong. It’s strange. I’ve never not been hungry before.”

Daedalus’ eyes widened in shock at that answer. He knew that, before he began to help them, the Sapphire Hive was having trouble feeding, but he still didn’t expect that reply. Daedalus frowned suddenly. When he had fed the Hive from his own chemicals, he knew he gave out enough to feed the entire Hive for a week, yet she still wasn’t fully fed? He would have to talk to Chrysalis about that.

“Well, you’re full now, right?” Daedalus asked to which she nodded with another sniff.

He continued. “It’ll be like this for now on, little one. These plants aren’t going away, they’ll be here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all of you.”

She stared at him with her large, watery blue eyes before suddenly leaning forward, burying her muzzle between his arm and side. He sighed and gently wrapped an arm around her, holding her as she relaxed in his arms and thanked him in her own wake. Soon after, he became aware of two Changelings standing at his shoulders. He looked up and saw them both smiling at him. His confusion must have been clear because one, a male, chuckled slightly. His head leaned down and nuzzled the young Changeling, who looked up at shouted. “Daddy!”

The filly practically leapt out of his arms, her wings buzzing loudly, as she landed on his back. He nodded to Daedalus and the two walked deeper into the mist. The other Changeling, possibly the mother, smiled at Daedalus. “Thank you for helping her. She’s not used to this amount of food. Most of us aren’t, but the rations have always been low through her entire life, unlike the rest of us. The sudden change just confused her.”

Daedalus stood up, glancing around at practically the entire Hive in one cavern. “That won’t be happening anymore, hopefully.”

She nodded. “Hopefully not. Will these plants always produce love like this?”

He shook his head. “No, only at breakfast, lunch, and dinner times. Otherwise, a Changeling might grow too powerful, do something bad, and hurt the world’s opinions of Changelings. Chrysalis and I agreed that we don’t want that to happen.”

She nodded again, then glanced around quickly and whispered. “Is it true you and the Queen are together?”

Daedalus smiled again, and the mare jerked back at the surprising burst of love from him. “Yes, we are. Since today, not long after the flowers finished.”

The chitinous equine smiled brightly at him. “The Hive’s fed, Equestria will soon be neutral to us, or even allies, and the Queen has a consort! She must be so happy now!”

The virus smiled and looked through the rows, watching several young Changelings chase each other, careful to avoid the roots. “She is, and I am too. We’re both happy now. Truth be told, this could have been revealed earlier today, but we got distracted.”

The mare blushed mildly. “You’re mated, now?”

Daedalus laughed. “No, we simply dozed off for a few hours next to each other. I don’t know if Chrysalis wants to take that step, or if she ever will, but I’m fine with that.”

The mare’s head tilted slightly as she replied. “You’re not interested in mating?”

“I am.” Daedalus replied honestly. “But I’d rather be loved than have lust. If Chrysalis didn’t want to mate with me, I’d accept it. ‘Course, I’ll be happy if she does and I’ll make sure she enjoys herself, but I’d be happy.”

Then Daedalus questioned her. “You seem rather calm about this topic. Why’s that? Most ponies would panic at any conversation involving mating.”

“Changeling.” She replied simply. “We gather and feed off of love. Sexual love works, too. Some Infiltrators rather that since it provides more. Most adult Changeling’s don’t balk at the topic. A blush or nervous cough is the most on average.”

Daedalus nodded in understanding. He realized then he didn’t know her name, and she might know his. “I’m Daedalus, or Jay as the Hive seems to know me.”

She smiled in return. “The Hive knows you. You’ve helped enough that your name is common knowledge by now. Only the very young or very old don’t know you. I’m Meta, and the Changelings earlier were my husband, Aphid, and my daughter, Crescent.”

Then she asked another question. “Why did you introduce yourself as Daedalus?”

“The name I go by, mostly. Jay is my real name, though I’ve been called Daedalus for two years now. Gene Splice is my pony form.” He answered.

“So it’s true.” Meta replied. “You are a shapeshifter?”

“Yes, I am, though nothing like Changelings. You use magic to mimic another species, but I don’t have magic. Instead, I actually change into them, all the way down to a biological level. If you were to turn into a male, your genitals would not work like a male’s. That is to say, you wouldn’t be able to impregnate a female. On the other hand, if I were to turn into a female, I could become pregnant.” He explained, using an example he commonly used to describe how detailed his shapeshifting was.

“That would make hiding and harvesting emotion in Equestria so much easier for our Infiltrators.” Meta said, thinking of how the Hive would have been different if Changelings shifted like that.

Daedalus glanced around at the Heart’s Blossom flowers on the large trees around him and smiled to Meta. “I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that any time soon, Meta. Your Hive will have plenty of love to feed on in the coming time.”

Meta smiled at him and nodded. “All thanks to you, Jay. Very few in this world would have been willing to do this, and of those none of them could have done it. Sapphire Hive owes you not just our lives, but the lives of every single Changeling larvae we’ll have.”

Daedalus just smiled to the Changeling, not quite knowing what to say to such heartfelt thanks. Meta, feeling his unease, laughed dismissively. “I need to get back to my mate and daughter. It was good to meet you, Jay.”

“Good to meet you too, Meta.” Daedalus said honestly, quickly memorizing her appearance so he can recognize her later. He took down note of the miniscule scar above her left eyebrow, intending to use that as a future reference point until he learned to tell between them with ease.

Meta nodded to him again and walked away slowly, heading through the rows of plants to find her family. She disappeared quickly in the pink mist that slowly grew denser as the Blossoms continued to produce their nectar. Daedalus turned around, seeing that all the Changelings who had watched him speak to Crescent had already left, and returned to his spot at the entrance of the cave.

Changelings continued coming in as a continuous stream, though far fewer were going out. The cavern was becoming more populated quickly and he knew he would have to add more caves full of the Blossoms to support the soon-to-be-growing population. With the massive influx in food, Changelings didn’t have to be wary of reproducing anymore.

Several newcomers brought payment with them, varying sizes of sapphires with very few other forms of currency. A couple times he was brought gold or Equestrian bits, but he turned it all away. Most, though, had heard that it was free and came without payment or saddlebags.

Some time later, he heard yet another set of hoofsteps echo down the tunnel. Unlike previously, all the other sets didn’t continue, but instead stopped, quiet whispering reaching his ears. He smiled as he realized who was coming, though he didn’t turn around. The hoofsteps grew far quieter as they approached him, though they can still hear him. They stopped just behind him and he imagined Chrysalis about to poke him with a hoof.

Spinning around, he saw that she was leaning forward to nuzzle him. She stepped back in surprise and he stepped forward, his longer legs allowing him to stop directly in front of her. Her neck craned as she looked slightly up at his taller frame. Daedalus, not caring of the spectators, leaned his head down and lightly kissed her. Satisfaction raced through him as she returned the kiss, her muzzle tinting a light green when whispers broke out around them. None of it was negative, so Daedalus didn’t care.

When the pair parted, they shared a genuine smile. “Hey, Chryssi. Everyling seems to be pretty happy. The cavern’s pretty full; I might need to expand in the future so there’s room for all to be here.”

Chrysalis nodded softly and looked around the entrance to the cavern. Changelings averted their eyes and pretended they weren’t watching as she did. A warm smile graced her muzzle as she watched Changeling children dart around the Blossoms, as adults laughed with friends they’ve been too busy or sick to see, as elders told stories and taught those who would listen. Her Hive was more active, more happy, and more content than it had been in years.

With her wings, she quickly waved Daedalus deeper into the Blossoms. She started walking and he matched her pace, nodding to the Changelings in the tunnel and gesturing for them to go into the field. Daedalus turned his attention forward again as he walked alongside Chrysalis, the mare who had been so different than what he expected. Part of him wondered if Celestia and the others were wrong about her entirely. Another, smaller part of him wondered if he was being tricked, though he doubted it. A final, larger part thought that maybe he just didn’t have both sides of the story.

As the pair walked deeper into the rows, the pink mist grew from lightly spread-out to a mild fog. Finally, the couple were at the far edge of the cavern, far from the Changelings that were enjoying the newly abundant food. When Chrysalis led him to the wall, she turned and sat down. Daedalus took a seat next to her, smiling as she quickly reclined against him, his natural warmth soothing to her chitin. After a moment of comfortable silence, she spoke. “Did anything happen while I was spreading the word?”

“Do Changelings use sapphires as currency?” The virus asked suddenly.

“Our Hives does.” Chrysalis said, looking up at him with a curious frown. “Did my subjects pay you to get in?”

“They tried, I think. One mare attempted to give me a sapphire. I didn’t know why at first until I asked her. When I found out it was y’all’s currency, I gave it back.” He explained.

Chrysalis leaned up and nuzzled his neck lightly as she spoke. “Thank you for not taking it. The Sapphire Hive uses sapphires as currency, although it’s not as simple and as effective as Equestrian currency.”

“Oh?” Daedalus asked, curious. “Would you mind explaining?”

Chrysalis smiled wider and sat up slightly, though she still leaned on him. She was glad he was interested in learning about her culture. “All Hives’ currency are based off of their namesake. As the Sapphire Hive, we used sapphires. Similar to Equestria, we have coins. Small, bronze coins embedded with sapphires, specifically. The amount and weight of the gems show its value, but so does a number stamped on the front of it.”

“What do the coins look like?” Daedalus asked. “I haven’t seen one, yet.”

With a flash of green magic, a small circular object appeared in Chrysalis’ telekinetic hold. She levitated it over to Daedalus, who took it and examined it as she continued. “That coin is a five chit coin, shown by the black number five on the bronze metal.”

“Chit? Like chitin?” Daedalus asked, slightly amused.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, though not at him. “Unfortunately, yes. Our ancestors were following the tradition of currency naming that started long ago. For some odd reason, every race’s currency is based off of them. Bits for ponies, claws for Griffons, horns for Minotaur, Chits for Changelings and so on. Anyway, as you can see, there’s also five small sapphires embedded in the coin, hence the value.”

Daedalus nodded. “How do you keep Changelings from making their own fake coins and using that in your economy?”

“That’s where it’s not quite as simple. In Equestria, the gold has the value. Bronze or silver painted gold with the proper symbols could pass off as actual currency. Here in the Hive, though, the bronze is practically worthless. It’s the sapphire that has the value. The magical nature of Equestrian gems make it impossible to paint them, too. Instead, shopkeepers have special tools that allow them to measure the weight of a sapphire, which is done in full view of the customer. Then, the weight is compared to accepted values to find out it’s worth.” She explained.

“How much are sapphires worth?” Daedalus quickly asked.

“Every pound of sapphire in worth fifty chit. One chit is worth about two bits, to compare. On the other hoof, one chit is worth about six claws, or seven horns.” Chrysalis answered.

“Why does it vary so much?”

“Not all the countries value the material the same. In Equestria, sapphires aren’t very valuable and not rare. Gems form quite commonly there. In Griffonia or the Republic, gems are rarer and more valuable, so a chit is worth more. Back on the topic of paying with solid sapphires, a shopkeeper will likely trade the sapphire for its appropriate value in chits. There, the shopkeeper will likely trade it with my Treasurer for its value. There, it’ll likely be broken apart, cut, and placed into chits to increase the amount of currency circulating through the Hive.” She explained.

“And since the sapphires are in the coins themselves, there’s no inflation.” Daedalus added.

Chrysalis nodded with a smile, happy that he was interested and listening. “Exactly. In modern times, inflation is almost unheard of because the money itself is valuable, rather than representing valuable metals.”

“My country, the United States, can’t do that, unfortunately. There’s too many people and too much currency circulating for Equis’ system to be adopted.”

Chrysalis nodded, agreeing with him. She knew too little of his world to reply, though.

Daedalus looked up as he felt an electrical signal pulse through the roots, telling the plants to deactivate. The blue glow dimmed slightly as the flowers ceased producing the prevalent pink mist. From across the cavern, he could hear the Changelings beginning to leave.

Chrysalis must have told them about the schedule. The virus thought to himself. Then he frowned as an unfortunate thought struck him. Chrysalis, naturally, noticed the change that overcame him and looked at him in concern.

“What’s the matter, Jay?” The chitinous mare asked as she looked to her partner.

“Now that my work here is done, I need to return to the Diarchy and tell them the news.” Daedalus explained. “Then you’ll need to meet with them and iron out the details.”

Chrysalis nodded slowly. “Will you be there with me?”

“I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to be in the room with you, but I’ll definitely be waiting for the meeting to end.” He replied honestly.

“I’ll take what I can get.” Chrysalis replied, leaning against him again. “Do you think they’ll be fair?”

Daedalus nodded. “I think they will. Expect them to request some form of reparations for the damage done during the Invasion, but they won’t be cruel about it. Most likely, they’ll just ask for some gold to pay for the expenses.”

“Fortunately, gold is something we have plenty of and next to no use for.” Chrysalis replied. “If that’s all they ask for, I don’t think there will be a problem.”

Daedalus hummed in thought. “Remind me to show you some of the more useful applications of gold, such as it’s conductive properties. That’s a lesson for another time, though, when you aren’t as stressed as you are now.”

She looked at him with furrowed brows and spoke. “What makes you think I’m stressed?”

“Chryssi, you are about to meet with the leaders of a country you invaded to hopefully make and sign a treaty. This is going to bring about a massive change for your Hive and you aren’t quite sure if it’s for the better. Any ruler who cares for her subjects would be stressed by this. I’m sure, in her own way, Celestia is stressed, too.” Daedalus continued, not breaking eye contact with her.

After a moment of staring, she sighed and averted her gaze. “You’re right. I’m a little stressed. So much has happened recently and I’m not quite sure how to handle it. Unlike Celestia, I don’t have a sister, a niece, or a trusted student to rely on. I have only myself.”

“And now me.” Daedalus admonished lightly. “You aren’t alone anymore. You weren’t before, either. You are meant to guide the Hive, but you can’t forget that they care about you, too. I would happily help you relax, either by entertaining you or taking some of your burdens.”

“By they are my burdens, no one else’s. They aren’t for you to shoulder. They are for me to adapt to and deal with. That’s the life of a Queen, and as such, my life.” She replied, convinced.

Daedalus reached over to her and placed a hand on her withers, then pulled her into a hug. “That’s the life of a solitary Queen. You aren’t alone. Maybe you don’t have a King, but you do have me. Don’t be afraid to let someone help you.”

Chrysalis said nothing in reply, simply basking in the affectionate glow coming from the virus. She didn’t know what to say to him, but she knew she wasn’t going to give in so easily. This was her job, not his. She couldn’t ask him to subject himself to the constant stress, exhaustion, worry, and boredom involved in ruling a Hive. No matter how well he could handle it.

“W-why did you do t-this?” Snow Flight, crying on the ground, asked pitifully as she gazed at the ruins of her home. Fear, hatred, disgust; all emotions unusual to ponykind yet, as she turned her eyes to the stallion standing next to her, they surged through her.

“Fire and screams, my dear. The two best things in our horrible little world.” Soul Flare replied to the mare. “Nothing warms my heart like a burning town and the stench of the dead.”

The mare, injured with a broken hind leg and a missing wing, felt the maelstrom of emotions within her pause, then erupt into rage. The Pegasus reached to her side where she knew a jagged metal pipe lay, grasped it with her hoof, and tried to ram it into Soul’s side.

To her fear, a burst of magic immolated the metal Snow held. With a yelp, she tried to hop back from the molten puddle only to land on the remains of her right wing. She collapsed in agony, pain permeated her senses as she tried to recover, to run away, to warn the Princesses. Her eyes finally opened only to see the Unicorn standing over her. “That wasn’t very kind, now was it?”

“Buck you!” Snow shouted as she attempted to spit on him. Her parched muzzle, though, stopped anything from happening. Soul just laughed, genuinely enjoying her torment.

Then he sighed. “I suppose it’s time I stop playing around and just finish you off.”

“The Princesses won’t let you get away with this, fool!” Snow shouted, knowing with a dreadful finality that she wouldn’t get away this time.

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to call ponies names?” Soul Flare asked before another burst of magic reduced Snow Flare to nothing more than dust. All that remained of her was the Town Guard armor she had worn. The very same armor that protected her from nothing he could do.

Soul Flare turned his gaze back to the town. His horn lit up again as a wave of fire passed over the entire town. Ponies, alive or dead, were cremated instantly as wood blackened and buckled. The screams silenced as death took ahold. The Unicorn coughed once, a red trail making its way down his muzzle before he wiped it off with a cloth.

“Let the Alicorns come. They’ll meet their end just as you did.” Soul said to the now-destroyed town. “The Reign of Light is over. Now comes Destruction.”

Two days passed quickly as both Daedalus and Chrysalis prepared for their departure. The virus had, once again, contacted Luna in his dreams and told her the news. She was delighted to know that the peace mission was a success and told him that their arrival would be expected sometime in the next week. Luna also told him that the common populace were unaware of the impending meeting, and as such, Chrysalis would have to arrive while in disguise.

Daedalus didn’t have much to do in terms of preparation. He checked over the Blossoms one last time to ensure they would function properly. He extended the times they would be active by half an hour each to ensure all Changelings had a chance to feed, though he soon learned that several Infiltrators would be harvesting love from the flowers to refill the Hive’s stock. They would also ensure that any Changeling that missed the designated times would still received sustenance.

After his check was complete, he found his way to Chrysalis to help her with her preparations. To his surprise, she was bringing nothing with her to the meeting. No papers, no books, no items or objects. The Queen was busy sorting a small stack of papers sitting on her desk. The sheets were being split into three stacks, placed separately on the side of her desk.

“You aren’t bringing anything, Chryssi?” Daedalus asked as he walked in.

“I have nothing that I need to bring. This is a peace negotiation that will hopefully end in the drafting and signing of a treaty. I’m likely not going to be at the Castle for more than a day.” The Queen replied, smiling to Daedalus. “I just need to sort these papers for perusal when I return.”

Daedalus walked over slowly as he spoke. “What do you have to do?”

Chrysalis spun around and placed a hoof flat against his chest, stopping him. Though she smiled at him, a hint of seriousness shown in her slitted eyes. “I can’t let you see them.”

Daedalus waved dismissively and stepped back, smiling at her. “I get it. Queen business, not meant for foreign eyes and all.”

“I’m sorry.” She replied honestly.

“Don’t be. I understand. I’m not part of your Hive and I’m here on a diplomatic mission from Equestria, a country that used to be your enemy. You’re just protecting your Hive.” The virus replied understandingly.

“Thank you.” Chrysalis said, sighing in relief. “We should probably begin making our way to Canterlot. It’ll take a day or two to get there and a few more hours to make our way to the Castle itself. Not to mention we’ll both have to stay in disguise.”

“Speaking of that, who will you be discussed as?” Daedalus asked curiously.

With a flash of green fire, Chrysalis was gone and a Pegasus was in her place. Her coat was a soft white while her mane was a light pink. Her eyes shone a soft green, though not slitted like her natural ones. Her cutie mark was a single white snowflake falling from a black cloud, set onto a gray background representing the sky. “Snow Flight, a Town Guard from a small town out north named Trotsdale. I met her once for only a few minutes, but it was enough to let me shift into her.”

Daedalus smiled as he quickly shifted into his Gene Splice form, his default pony form. His silver coat glinted in the light of the Hive, while his blue mane was laced with two bands of black and red. His large blue eyes shone with the same tint that the Blossom trees did, something Chrysalis couldn’t help but notice. His own mark was unusual amongst the equine species, being a familiar double-helix shape given to DNA. Set behind it was an orange Biohazard sign.

Chrysalis walked around Daedalus, examining the form in a way she hadn’t previously. “You look good for a pony.”

Then she stopped in front of him and smiled, speaking honestly as she winked lightly at him. “Though I prefer the original much more.”

Daedalus grinned to her, allowing his canines to temporarily form as he bared his teeth. The virus internally chuckled as her eyes locked on to the universal symbol of a predator. He also noticed the small, almost imperceptible shiver that ran its course through her body. Unfortunately, he didn’t have Changeling body language down yet and couldn’t identify the cause, though he was pretty sure he knew.

“I can’t help but agree with you. Your natural black and green is much more alluring to me.” The virus replied.

Chrysalis cleared her throat quickly. “Anyway, Ja-Gene, let’s go.”

She walked out of the room, Daedalus following a little behind her. A grin overcame his muzzle as he called out. “Still not a bad view!”

Contrary to the reaction he expected, the disguised Queen just replied evenly. “I can sense your emotions. I know you weren’t looking.”

Daedalus grumbled lightly as he lengthened his stride to walk alongside her. “You aren’t going to make teasing you easy, are you?”

“Nope. It’s going to be a very interesting war, Jay.” Chrysalis said honestly, her eyes momentarily flashing back to their natural state.

“An interesting one indeed.” Daedalus replied, happy he met someone who wasn’t flustered so easily.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was delayed significantly, which irritated me to no end. Among the reasons were lack of internet access, a mild, but still painful, throat infection, and being distracted, as I'm often wont to do.

This chapter was, unfortunately, not reviewed by BurningDusk so don't hesitate to point out any grammar, spelling, or syntax errors you may notice!