"Once upon a time, there was a changeling and a dragon. Their love was forbidden, but they cared not. From their star-crossed union was born a child. Because of their forefathers' grudge the child was torn from her mother's arms...and would return a monster of our own making."
— Prologue to The Tragedy of Princess Apterus, commissioned by Empress Blackrose to ensure the events that transpired would never be forgotten.
In the wake of Xestobium's mad crusade, many feared what other terrible consequences from the aeons-spanning Changeling-Dragon feud would literally come to light and threaten the existence of both implacable enemies. Those who shared this concern would discover to their horror what those consequences are when one of the more tragic legacies of the blood feud return to have her revenge.
[WIP]
Tropes:
- Beyond the Impossible: It was long believed by the Royal Changelings of both Courts that moving past their Semi-Divine status was impossible... until the newly-Ascendant Thorax proved they could, by showing off his future potential as a Changeling Emperor. This goes to show to all of Changelingkind that their hateful grudge towards Dragonkind really was holding them back individually and as a race.
- Calling the Old Woman Out: Because of how Blackrose treated Queen Acherontia and punished both her and Dragon Lord Vulcan for daring to fall in love and have a hybrid child, many of her children were rightly angry with her. Mimetidae would punch Blackrose in the jaw before leaving the Spring Court for 200 years, while Pentatomidae would leave for 500 years to make a point to her mother for ignoring her pleas to spare Acherontia and letting her anti-dragon racism influence her actions anyway. Puck, while still staying by Blackrose's side, was noted to be rather disappointed in his mother as well.
- Fantastic Racism: Deconstructed. The cruelties and racial stigma displayed towards Apertus's parents for daring to fall in love with each other, as well as Apertus herself for merely existing, eventually caused her to snap under a lifetime of abuse and discovering her true heritage. The result was an extremely pissed-off Changeling/Dragon hybrid Princess rampaging through the Changeling Courts, determined to take revenge and give her family what was rightfully theirs. Both Changelingkind and Dragonkind would also be subjected to the ire of several other deities, who were rightly disgusted and furious with what both sides had done; Luminiferous in particular pointed out to Changelingkind that indulging in old grudges ruined their chance to cure their Curse.
- God-Emperor: It's heavily implied that this is what Thorax would eventually become down the line, despite such a feat being considered even by Royal Changelings to be something no-one has ever done before. Having defeated Chrysalis with The Power of Love and befriended two dragons, he has far more potential to achieve great things than even Blackrose and Blackthorn's Semi-Divine children. Judging from the shocked reactions of the Summer Court's Kings, Thorax's divine form heavily resembles Emperor Blackthorn himself, just more colorful.Emperor Blackthorn (Attributed): “How truly remarkable.”
- History Repeats: Defied at the end. Blackrose would commission several divine and mortal artists to make a play based in the events that led to Princess Apertus's rampage, so no one would suffer unnecessary destruction and death, or participate in similar activities again. Unfortuantely, readers know that history would repeat nevertheless with Dr. Toxikon later.
- Irony: Because of the sheer advantage and power Apertus's Changeling-Dragon hybrid heritage would give her, no one could properly challenge or beat her through strength and skill alone. However, what brought on her defeat and death is the cooperation of both dragons and changelings, such as Thorax and Ember who were powered by their future divine potential, and Apertus's own parents, Acherontia and Vulcan, who would deal the final blow.
- Large and in Charge: Ember's future potential manifested as a massive and mighty "Grand Dragon Lord" who is even larger than her father, Torch, who was shown to be a large dragon himself in canon.
- Show Within a Show: The Tragedy of Princess Apertus is a tragic example. After learning and seeing exactly what would happen if she and her kin continued indulging in old grudges and racism, Blackrose commissioned several divine and mortal artists to make a play based on the real-life events that transpired, so no one would repeat the horrific cruelties that she and others had inflicted on Acherontia, Vulcan, and their daughter again.
- Shout-Out: The whole event is based on Season 3's finale of Star vs. the Forces of Evil. Much like Meteora, Princess Apertus was the hybrid product of a loving relationship between royals of two species, only to be torn away from her parents and hidden somewhere by those who were disgusted by her mixed heritage and existence. Her parents, Queen Acherontia and Dragon Lord Vulcan, would also be sealed away to punish them for falling in love with each other, vilified by racist members of their respective kin. Naturally, the actions taken against Apertus and her family would come to bite back at those responsible, as Apertus would snap after enduring a lifetime of abuse and remembering her true origins, leading to a rampage as she tried taking revenge and getting back what was rightfully hers. Ultimately, like Meteora, Apertus would be put down by her own parents, though she would also be reverted back to infancy, just through different means.
- The Unreveal: The appearance of Thorax's future potential isn't explicitly described, but it's implied from the shocked reactions of the Summer Court's Kings that Thorax heavily resembles Blackthorn himself, just more colorful.
