43 years ago
*BOOM*
Cocoon heard the explosion from under the rocks. It must've been close for a couple of stray rocks fell on her hiding place. She had felt safe underneath these rocks. Her whole life had revolved around them. But today rocks were an enemy. They were killing as much as they were saving.
It didn't help that nopony held any love. They were killing changelings left and right but changelings were too weak to fight back. If they had the smallest drop of love a few changelings might survive.
But not enough.
Cocoon was only 7 years old. A changeling life span was about 75 years, if they didn't get caught, but hers was just about tripled. She was the only child of Chrysalis the Changeling Queen.
"Princess, we must move." She heard.
Moving one of the rocks, Cocoon saw one of her changeling guards.
"It is safe but not for long. We must be moving." He told her.
Cocoon swiftly jumped out from the pile.
"Then let us go." She said.
The guard guided Cocoon away from the violence and towards safety. He had seen the violence and nearly all the changelings carcasses lying in the hive.
Stallions were barely getting scratched. The changelings had barely been given any love so they had little strength to move let alone fight. So many changelings were dead.
Cocoon was the regular height of a filly. She had her mother's hair but it was red. Her eyes were a shining red that almost immediately made you think of love when you looked into them. She had the crown atop her head that her mother did, but the little buds at the top were red instead of blue.
It wasn't too long after they moved thru the halls of the Hive that a stallion ambushed them.
"Not so fast changelings. I ain't gonna letcha go and escape." He told them.
"Cocoon get out of here." The ChangelinG Guard ordered as he charged the pony. Cocoon ran out from the fight. She didn't want to die. She was gonna turn 8 in a few months.
She wanted to see her mother again.
Cocoon kept running. Nopony had seemed to stop and attack her. It was almost like they wanted her to escape so she could know that nopony would want her or give her any love.
"You will not win Chrysalis!" Cocoon heard. She stopped where she was and she looked inside the Grand Hall.
Her mother fighting a pony that was different than the rest.
She was taller than Chrysalis by about three inches, not including the crown and horn. Her mane had four sparkly colors flowing in the wind that Cocoon couldn't find. Her eyes weren't blue like the pony that had attacked her earlier. They were pink.
Her white coat only had one thing staining it. A sun, with orange flames and a yellow circle in the middle. She was pretty.
"I would not make such assumption Celestia. I am Queen of the Changelings. I will not be defeated by a pony!" She yelled.
Her mother charged the beautiful pony but it appeared as though neither of them touched. They began firing spells at their opponent, neither side winning this fierce some battle.
"Just give up Chrysalis and admit defeat. I can see you are getting weaker." The majestic pony Cocoon now knew as Celestia told her mother.
Before Cocoon could hear her mother's response, she was dragged off in a dark green aura.
Away from the hive.
She was locked inside a cell with another changeling, who looked dead. Cocoon wanted to scream for her mother to come find her, but knew it wouldn't do her any good. Her mother would either be hurt because of the distraction or Cocoon will be killed so as to silence her.
But, looking around Cocoon saw so much more than what happened in the Hive.
Ponies. A lot of them. Bleeding inside a nearby tent. They looked so broken, so sad, so empty of all the good emotions Cocoon had been told about. She came to the quick conclusion her family did that to them. Sure, the ponies were attacking the changelings but the wounds Cocoon saw made her quickly forget about the hate she felt from them.
Now, she could feel heartbroken at the idea that Changelings were as brutal, if not more brutal, than ponies. This war was going to end, but both groups would suffer greatly because of it.
Cocoon felt so alone after thinking that. Who else wanted neither side to win? Who else just wanted the war to stop all together? Come to think about it, what would the Ponies do to her beloved home if they won. And that pretty pony fighting her mother, she said Chrysalis was getting weaker. Cocoon was sure her mother would be dead by night's end.
Thinking that just made her want to cry. So she did. Cocoon cried herself to sleep.
Many hours later, a hoof banging on her cell woke her up from her nightmare. A stallion with purple eyes and golden battle armor with only a few green stains of Changeling blood on it.
"The Princess wishes to see you." Cocoon thought his voice would scare her stiff, but it seemed to bring her out of her fearful state.
Cocoon climbed out of the cell, her wings were too weak to fly. She was gonna learn when she turned eight. Though, she knew she wouldn’t make it til then. Her peaceful home was gone now and her mother was gone as well.
She quickly found she was in a purple aura. "Sorry bug, but its the rule." He assured her. Cocoon felt a small amount of love in him, enough to let her shrug her shoulders.
She walked the battle camp of the ponies. They were packing everything up, the war won, so they could return to their families. She guessed the war was just about over, no more bloodshed, no more of changelings hurting ponies and ponies hurting changelings. Their wounds would heal, their lives would go on as if nothing had happened.
Cocoon knew she wouldn’t have that luxury. Her mother was without a doubt gone now, even if she did survive that loving and caring nature would vanish. She didn't like having such sad thoughts but as hard as she tried Cocoon couldn't have a happy one.
It wasn't long til she arrived at a red tent with golden tassels on the edges. Two stallions with golden armor and grey costs guarded the opening. The stallion walked up to the guards
"The prisoner the Princess requested to see." The guard that was with Cocoon told the grey stallions who quickly step aside.
Cocoon was moved inside when she noticed the Princess was the same white pony that had fought her mother.
Cocoon also found she was filled with love. Slowly and carefully, she trained gaining some so she would be able to walk and talk.
"So this is the changeling found by the Grand Hall?" The Princess asked the stallion.
He gave the Princess a nod. "I noticed she looks a great deal like the Changeling Queen and thought it was best to take her in with other changeling prisoners." The stallion explained.
"Thank you Arrow Holder. You can release her now." Cocoon was suddenly dropped onto the floor. Thanks to whatever love the princess had and from the stallion Cocoon was able to stand.
"What is your name little one?" The Princess asked Cocoon.
"Cocoon." She answered quickly. The Pretty Pony had hurt her mother, what if she did the same to her?
"Pleasure to meet you Cocoon. My name is Princess Celestia, but you can call me Celestia." The white pony greeted.
"Nice to meet you." Cocoon greeted.
"Where is your mother?" Celestia asked. Cocoon felt a tear slip out from her eye, she could still see the image of her mother being slowly defeated by the white pony before her.
"Last I saw she was fighting you." Cocoon finally answered. "Is my mom gone now?" Cocoon looked up at the princess with her love red eyes.
The Princess shook her head. "Your mother was weakened during the fight, but rest assured Cocoon she is alive." Cocoon felt as though a giant weight was lifted off her shoulders. Her mother was alive.
But, Cocoon still knew the mother she had would be dead and some monster would take her place.
"Now a more important question is what do we do with you Cocoon?"
Cocoon, *ahem* sorry, Trusting Lovely lived a happy life in Canterlot for the past forty-three years. Her 50th birthday was today but she felt as young as ever. Although she strongly dislikes a few ponies, she loves Canterlot for all it's worth. The place was full of love and trust.
Lying on the bed, Cocoon thought back to her time spent since she was saved during the Changeling War. When Celestia first brought her into the Grand White Halls of the palace, how a new room was made just for her, how she was given a form to take designed for her seeing as how ponies still weren’t too kind towards Changelings.
Her coat had become light pink, pink wings with faded red tips. Her mane was two colored, light yellow and bright pink. Her eyes were golden, filled the kind of grace and love she had been going for. As years passed, she even gave herself a cutiemark. It was of a golden heart, with a black ribbon wrapped into a bow around it.
Of course, this wasn’t just the first change Cocoon found. Around the time when she was 24, she met a nice stallion earth pony. His coat was dark green, with light purple hair. Spring Green, Cocoon remembered his name to be. Months after they met, they fell in love and married. He found out she was a changeling but knew it was still Cocoon.
Months after, he had to go away for a job he was called for in Fillydelphia. He never came back, fell off a bridge Cocoon was told. It broke her heart. Not just for her, but for the foal she found out she was carrying the day before. Cocoon had rushed to tell Spring this and found out while searching.
When the foal was born, Cocoon was happy again. The little filly was also an alicorn. Her coat was the same shade of pink as Trusting Lovely’s. Her mane was tri-colored, pink yellow and purple. Her eyes, when they opened, were purple. Spring Green’s purple eyes. Cocoon teared up, happy to know she had more to remember him by.
Years went on and her daughter, Mi Amore Cadenza or Cadence for short, was a happy filly. She had a big heart, full of love from what Cocoon could tell. Cadence was almost always bouncing around, trying new spells and flying.
One day, Cadence went out to babysit a foal (claiming she need bits for a gift for her Mother and Aunts) and met Twilight Sparkle... and Shining Armor. Cocoon nearly fell over laughing that day when Cadance practically flew into the Castle.
Even if she couldn’t feel the love coming from Cadence, Cocoon recognized The Look. The same one she had after meeting Spring Green.
Soon after, Cadence earned her cutiemark. She earned it after finishing a spell in giving love. It felt ironic, Cadence came from a species made for taking love and was giving it up instead.
Nevertheless, Cocoon was proud of Cadence.
The Changeling Secret was kept from Cadence though, not wanting her to feel like a monster or freak. Cocoon simply let things play on, she would cross the bridge when it came.
And when it came, it came hard.
A little after the time of Luna’s returning, Cadence told her Mother she was engaged to Shining Armor. Cocoon was so happy about this. Telling her daughter how proud she was in her.
Cocoon was happy to help plan, but the job was given to Twilight Sparkle, the groom’s younger sister and the closest friend Cadence had. At first, it looked like nothing was wrong, Cadence was her usual self.
But one day, Cadence just switched. Instead of carefully listening, she cut ponies short. She snapped at them all the time.
Using her almost forgotten Changeling magic, Cocoon found the problem. Her daughter was replaced by a changeling! She was brainwashing Shining Armor! Later that night, Cocoon confronted the changeling. Demanded to know what it had done with her daughter.
The Fake Princess of Love smiled, simply saying ‘the same thing I’m going to do to you’.
When Cocoon awoke, she was trapped in the Crystal Caverns.
About three days later when the Changeling Princess felt like she was going to collapse from the Love-Starvation, she felt it. A small amount of love. It was enough to help her get back on her feet.
But as she did, a bright pink barrier pushed her back into a wall. Cocoon felt who it was the set off the spell.
Cadence and Shining Armor.
Waiting a moment for the wall to pass, Cocoon used what little strength she had to fly up towards an exit. Collapsing when she did.
This lead to where she was now, in the Castle Infirmary being watched over by all the ponies who attended. Finally meeting Twilight Sparkle as well as her five friends. Cocoon listened to the conversations as she slowly got stronger thanks to the love coming off all of them.
“Mother, please wake up. I can’t do this without you.” Cadence asked. Cocoon could feel her hoof being gripped.
Based on what she could hear and feel, Shining was standing behind Cadence, everypony else was on the other side of her. Celestia was just outside talking with the guards.
“She was down in the caverns with us?” She couldn’t tell who but it felt like Twilight.
“Uh-huh. Apparently Chrysalis locked her down there after she figured out I was switched.”
Wait... Chrysalis. Her mother? Her mother was alive and decided to ruin her granddaughter’s wedding! She locked Cadence, Twilight and Cocoon in the Caverns.
How had Cocoon not known it was her when she used her changeling magic? Had her mother purposefully hidden herself as to avoid greater detection? Did Chrysalis use some kind of chamoeflouging spell to keep others from discovering it was her?
“I’m so sorry, if we had searched a little harder...” The mare Cocoon was now sure to be Twilight started, sounding like she was a nervous wreck/
“Then we would’ve missed the wedding and Chrysalis would’ve won. We did the right thing Twilight.” Cadence explained before resting her head on her unmoving mother.
Using some of the strength she had gained, Cocoon muttered a single word.
“Mother?”
Cadence’s headshot up. Her mother spoke, her mother was alive!
“Mother, it’s me! Cadence!” The pink alicorn yelled to her weak mother.
“Mother...” Trusting Lovely spoke again. “Mother...where is she?”
At that moment, Celestia walked into the room. Seeing her friend awake.
“Lovely, you finally woke up.” Celestia greeted.
“My...mother...where...is...she...” Lovely asked the sun goddess.
Celestia’s pink eyes widened. Lovely heard about Chrysalis.
“She was taken away Lovely, she came looking for you.” Celestia explained.
“Auntie, who is she talking about? I thought Grandmother was killed by a Changeling.” Cadence asked. Shining placed a hoof on his fiancee’s shoulder.
“Princess, how did she even survive down there?” Shining asked.
“Why wasn’t she asking somepony for help?” Twilight asked. “And who was her mother?”
Celestia looked at the three, then the other five Bearers of Harmony. The answer was hard to say.
“Should I tell them?” Celestia asked Cocoon the Changeling Princess.
The figure lying in the bed nodded, the secret needed to be told. If it caused this much, that means it needs to be known.
“Go ahead Celestia. She needs to know.” Lovely explained, taking a deep breathe as she slowly gained more love from the ponies.
Hearing this, the ponies became worried.
“Princess, what is Princess Trusting Lovely talking about?” Twilight Sparkle asked her mentor.
“Does it have somethin’ ta do with the invasion?” Applejack asked.
“Could you tell us please... you know... if you want to.” Fluttershy squeaked.
Celestia nodded at the mares. “It has everything to do with the invasion.” She turned to Cadence. “Do you remember what Chrysalis told you while Twilight ran to get the Elements of Harmony?”
Cadence nodded. “She said that us ponies needed to pay for our crimes. That somepony named Cocoon needed to be avenged. Our love would not only feed the changelings but serve as the punishment.”
Lovely placed her other pink hoof on Cadence’s.
“I’m so sorry Cadence, this wasn’t supposed to happen.” Lovely said cryptically.
“Mother what are you talking about?” Cadence asked.
Just as the decision to finally say it came to Lovely, a tear fell from her eye.
“You remember hearing about the Changeling War over forty years ago?” Lovely asked.
“Yes.” Cadence said.
“It was our last War. Multiple deaths on both sides but it was hardest on the Changelings if my history book is right.” Twilight explained.
Lovely nodded. “It was, I lived through it. According to the records, a young filly changeling named Cocoon was killed.”
The group gasped.
“But, if you look closer. *stops to take a little more love* You will also see that the same time Celestia returned, she brought a small guest with her.” Lovely slowly sat up, her strength was slowly coming back to normal.
“And that was Cocoon?” Twilight asked.
“It was.” Celestia answered. “She was such a sweet filly. Though she did cause a few incidents, we soon had them corrected.”
Lovely rolled her eyes. Those were accidents and Celestia knew it!
“Her mother was Chrysalis.” Many of ponies gasped with wide eyes. “When I brought Cocoon in, she had told me she saw her Mother fight me and lose. She further explained that she didn’t want to live in the Hive after seeing what they were doing to us ponyfolk and she was sure her mother wouldn't be the same. So I took her back to Canterlot and gave her a new identity to hide behind. Then I let her be free.”
“B-b-but you told Chrysalis Cocoon was dead!” Shining Armor yelled.
“Because she was, Cocoon was dead just not in the way you would think.” Celestia explained.
“What does all of this have to do with my mother?” Cadence asked.
Trusting Lovely put her hoof up on Cadence’s muzzle.
“Because Cadence, when Cocoon died...” In a near instant, the older pink alicorn was wrapped in green flames. In covered her whole body yet didn’t burn the sheets she was lying in. “Trusting Lovely took her place.”
Cadence sat in shock. In the place of the mother that raised her, was a creature looking like Chrysalis but red. The flimsy blue-green hair of Chrysalis was replaced with beautiful bright red and the green cat eyes replaced with bright red pony eyes. The pink fur of Trusting Lovely replaced with black chitin with holes. Feathered wings turned translucent red and the horn was made deformed and crooked.
Cocoon, the Changeling Princess, was her mother. Which meant that she was...
“No.” Cadence muttered. “No, I can’t be.”
Cocoon smiled, showing off the fangs she had hidden for so long. “Cadence, I’m sorry to keep this a secret from you. I’m surprised actually that Mother didn’t tell you about it when she found you. Cadence, you. Are. A. Changeling.”
“No. I’m not!” Cadence yelled.
“How dare you accuse my fiancee of being one of those bugs!’ Shining Armor yelled.
“Hey! That’s my Mother you’re talking about Mister. I would greatly appreciate if you didn’t call us bugs!” Cocoon yelled.
The other Bearers stepped forward.
“You could’ve stopped the invasion all along! I bet you helped with it!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“How could ya do that to the Princess and Shining Armor!” Applejack yelled.
“I’m simply confused as to why the shield didn’t keep you out!” Rarity yelled.
The strength Cocoon had gained was waning, she was trying to get what she could from Celestia.
“You big meanie! You ruined the party!” Pinkie Pie yelled. The Royal Couple backed away from the red changeling, joining the ranks of Harmony.
“Cocoon what did you do to my mother!” Cadence yelled.
“It is me! GAH! Could you please stop this?” Cocoon asked, trying to grip onto something to stop the burning slowly entering her head.
“I believe Cocoon needs her rest...” Celestia began.
“And you...” Candace started. “You knew about my mother being switched with a changeling!”
“She wasn’t switched Ca-”
“I know my mother! She wasn’t a love stealing changeling!” Cadence yelled at her aunt.
Meanwhile, the burning was slowly growing for Cocoon. A bead of sweat formed on her head.
“Stop this insanity Mi Amora.” Celestia ordered, calling Cadence by her name.
“Not until this bug explains herself!” Cadence screamed.
Twilight, looked on the form of the Changeling Princess. She could see the crown with three little red gems on the top like Chrysalis, she noticed the similarities between Mother and Daughter Changeling. Though, she also noticed the bead of sweat and quickly realized what happened.
Changelings fed on love, Cocoon wasn’t getting love. Only hate and scorn.
Cocoon was dying.
Barely thinking, the purple unicorn walked up to the Changeling Princess. Knowing of the solution to stop the fighting.
“How did Cadence come up with the hoofshake?” Twilight asked Cocoon, mother of Cadence.
The Princess of Love turned to the bed, seeing Twilight talking to the changeling.
“When she was a little filly...gah, she wanted to...make a gift for Mother’s Day...I told her she didn’t need to get me anything...that her love was enough... but she tried anyway. On...Mother’s Day...she came skipping into the room...cheering about how she found the perfect gift...*cough* then she started dancing... and singing. *gasp*
“sunshine, sunshine
Ladybug’s awake
Clap your hooves
And do a little shake”
The Changeling Princess slowly tried lifting herself up, but the burning wouldn’t go away. “I told her it was...beautiful...and that she should use it forever. Two weeks later... Cadence ran into my room explaining she showed it to you...and you wanted to make it your...special hoofshake.
“*gasp* I told her it was fine *gasp* and that she could as *gasp* my gift to her.*cough*.”
Starting to feel the affects of the burning, Cocoon slowly felt it fading. It felt much better than the burning. Like cold water pouring over her, washing the burning away.
Looking over at Celestia, Cocoon saw why they burning had vanished.
Cadence was practically crying, her purples looked over flooded with tears.
Without another word, Cadence hugged her mother. Happy to know she was okay and that she herself was sorry.
It didn’t matter to Cocoon, because this was still the greatest birthday she had ever known.
Chrysalis lay wounded in the crater, her plan had failed. How could it have failed? That stupid unicorn had gotten in the way! She rescued that alicorn and ruined everything. Twilight was going to pay.
But right now, she had to find some food.
It was sad really. For over forty years, Chrysalis has been mourning Cocoon. Then, she finds out the Royal Couple was having their wedding on the same day as her 50th birthday. Chrysalis took it as a mockery to her daughter’s name.
So, she began scheming. Using all her resources to help the invasion before finally taking the alicorn of Love down and replacing her as the bride. Things were going great, nopony suspected a thing.
Until the mother got involved.
Chrysalis remembered the elder pink alicorn pushing her into a room and demanded what had happened to her daughter. How a changeling had been able to take her precious little Cadence down.
When Chrysalis remembered using her magic on the alicorn and sending her back to the Caverns, she felt changeling magic. Not just any changeling magic but strong magic.
For the smallest second, Chrysalis thought it was her little baby but then she remembered that her daughter wouldn’t betray her like this. That Celestia might’ve done horrible things to her.
That fact was doubled when Celestia explained Cocoon died on the battlefield. The Changeling Queen was furious, going out against them and planning to drain Celestia dry herself.
And now, here she was, three hours later. Lying in a crater caused by the love alicorn and the Captain of the Guard.
Then she felt something
“Mother”
Chrysalis tried lifting her head, was that...
“Mother”
No. Cocoon was dead. Celestia told her...
“Mother...where is she?”
Yes. That was her. Chrysalis would know that voice anywhere.
Cocoon. Her little Ling was alive. Celestia had lied to her.
Using what strength she had left, Chrysalis stood up and began back towards Canterlot.
This time, she wouldn’t leave without her baby.
Author's Note
Pretty long huh? I know, been working on it for a month.
Went under a lot of changes, some big and some small. But here is the finish!
Like, comment, fav. Do whatever the fuck you want.
