Even Changelings Wear Masks

It has been a week since Chrysalis joined the population of Ponyville and started running the local orphanage.  While fitting in was simple, and finding friends was easier since she had Twilight, and later the other elements after some serious work, she still had yet to find a coltfriend or marefriend to help restart her race.

During her time there, Chrysalis kept a constant stream of love flowing to the injured.  There was still around a hundred left and she wanted to keep them alive long enough to see if she can revive them.  Sadly, their health has been getting worse and her stream was becoming a life support more than anything.  She just hoped she could find a solution soon.

Chrysalis finished signing off on the last document in the pile of legal documents for the Orphange.  She set down her quill and threw the document into the green fire in the fire place, sending it off to the station that was meant to receive it.  Now, she had time to relax and make up that meeting she had with Twilight.

~~~~~~~

Spike read the letter sent personally to him from Celestia.  He grinned as he read, patting himself on the back for achieving this much.

'Dear Spike,

Your report has seemed to be proving my concerns on her intentions true.  I will be sure to come by the library later this evening to handle with Chrysalis personally.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia'

"Soon, Twilight, you will be free and she will pay." said Spike.

"oh, I sure hope not."  Spike froze at the familiar voice.  He slowly turned around to see Twilight glaring at him.  "Spike, I thought you trusted Chrysalis.  I am not under any sort of control." said Twilight.  Spike back up.  He felt the edge of a rather thick tome brush against his hand.  He winced as he prepared for what he was about to do.

"This is for your own good, Twilight." He said as he grabbed the edge of the tome.

"What are you tal-"  There was a solid crack as the tome connected with the side of Twilight's head.  Spike dropped the tome and caught Twilight before she could hit the ground.

"At least she is in the bedroom." muttered Spike as he set her down gently.

"Hey, Twilight, you home?"  Spike chuckled as he heard Chrysalis' voice.

"Just making this easy for me, aren't you, you changeling bitch."  Spike picked up the tome and walked back out into the library proper, padding quietly to avoid discovery.

Chrysalis, however, was on edge.  She tasted hostility in the room, and the flow of love from Twilight was not present.  The library's warm, comforting feeling was replaced by a hostile, foreboding feeling.  Her feelings were confirmed as she heard something whistling through the air.

There was a solid thunk as the tome hit her square in the face, not knocking her out but dazing her.  Chrysalis groaned as she laid on the floor.  A purple figure loomed over her and picked the tome in his claws a second time.

"Why?" Was all she could spit out.

"Because I have to protect my mother."  The book came down.  Hard.

~~~~~~~~

Celestia stood in front of the library with a frown.  She hoped that Spike had enough time to restrain the elements so she could successfully break the spell.  She also hoped he survived capturing Chrysalis.

She sighed and pushed the door open to the library.  The lobby was empty of life, confusing her slightly.  Where exactly was Spike hiding them?

"Down here!"  Celestia turned her head and found the basement door open.  Cliché but simple.

Celestia made her way down the steps, ducking under the door way so she could enter.  The room was lit by multiple candles that illuminated the seven figures in the room, one of them being a tall, slender, changeling queen.

What confused her though was that Chrysalis was awake and obviously had no magic suppressor on her horn.  Instead, she stared off in the distance with a sad look.  She didn't even flinch as Celestia entered.  Celestia turned to Spike and gestured to the changeling.

"Don't ask me.  She just sits there like she's just waiting to die or something." whispered Spike.  Celestia looked back at her.  It was a look you saw at the toughest of times and commonly in war.  It was plastered on the faces of soldiers who were injured but had no way to get help.  It was the look of a pony who gave up.

"We might as well wake up the others so we can begin." said Celestia with a sigh.  Six buckets appeared above the elements before dumping down water onto each of them, waking them up from the shock.

"Not the dress!" Shouted Rarity.  She looked around in confusion as she found herself not in her boutique anymore.  Celestia raised an eyebrow at Spike.

"Hey, I wasn't going to hit her with a tome.  That would never get me a chance." said Spike.  Chrysalis scoffed.

"You have a problem hitting her with a book but not your mother?  A little fucked up in my opinion." muttered the changeling.  Spike glared at her.

"I did have a problem with it.  I only did it so I could get rid of that spell you put on her!" Shouted the drake.  Celestia watched as Chrysalis' head whipped around at the drake, her passive features turning into rage.

"I did not put any spell on Twilight." growled the changeling, hissing.  Spike yelped and stepped back.  Celestia kept a passive air even though she was surprised.  Their were some theories behind her reaction.  She had become close friends with Twilight, which is probably the case, or there were feelings that the changeling didn't even know about but pertained specifically around her student.  This emotion was more than likely love.

"As much as I want to believe you, the magical aura round you is telling me different.  I will ask you nicely to remove it."  said Celestia.  Another confusing event happened, Chrysalis was crying.

"I-I can't." said the changeling softly.  Spike growled.

"Hurry up and drop the bucking spell." said the drake.  Twilight gasped at his choice of words.

"Spike, language!"

"I don't give a damn about language!  Now hurry up and drop the mind control Spe-"

"It's a life support!" Cried out Chrysalis, sobbing now.  The room fell silent, Chrysalis' sobbing the only sound in the library basement.

"Life support for what?" Asked Celestia softly.  Chrysalis cried for a few more moments before gaining enough self-control to speak.

"I-it's keeping the remaining fifty changelings alive.  I-If I drop it, it would be instant death." said the changeling, trying to wipe her tears on her shoulder but failing.  Twilight offered her own shoulder with a smile.  Chrysalis muttered her thank and wiped her tears off on the lavender shoulder.

"But are you really helping them, Chrysalis?" Asked Celestia, sitting across from her.

"You can't really be buying this bu-"

"Spike, tell me if these tears are fake to you.  I can tell when a pony is broken or hurt.   Chrysalis is in pain and there is no reason for me to believe it to be lies." said Celestia, scolding Spike.  The drake shrank back and went to the corner.

"Chrysalis, are you really helping them by keeping their release at bay?  They want free of the pain, and death is the only release they can get." said Celestia, putting a hoof on the changelings shoulder.  "I think its time you drop the spell."  Chrysalis sat there, silently sobbing.  After a few minutes, she nodded.

"I-I need something to put in my mouth." she said softly.  Celestia nodded and levitated left over rope.  Chrysalis opened her mouth to accept the rope into her mouth.  She mumbled her thanks and lit her horn.

She bobbed her head once.  Twice.  Thrice.  And screamed on the top of her lungs as fifty changelings died at the same time, a head ache forming in the forefront of her mind.  Celestia stepped back at the sudden reaction.  She knew it was instant death, but she didn't suspect it to be that quick.  The elements looked over in slight worry as the changeling queen withered in extemely pain from the act of killing fifty changelings at once.

Chrysalis spat out the rope and started panting, tears running down her cheeks in a mixture of grief and pain.  She took a deep breath to calm herself and settled back against the wall.

"Well, at least we can be certain you weren't lying." said Celestia as she saw no magic aura around the changeling meaning she no longer had any spells working.  Chrysalis laughed slightly.

"Yeah, I guess." said the changeling.  Her face contorted in pleasure.  "Mnng~  That tastes wonderfully." cooed Chrysalis as she tasted the love from her food source of the last week.  She completely forgot about her company, however, and Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"Who, exactly, are you feeding from?" Asked the sun princess.  Chrysalis froze as she realized what she said.  She couldn't reveal the identity of her food source.  One, it would cause problems with the Princess, two her food source didn't know she was feeding off her.  The poor mare would die of embarrassment.  Thankfully, Chrysalis was skilled at creating ponysa on the spot.

"Just a stallion I've met over the last few days.  I'm not controlling him or anything.  And he doesn't live far from the library, actually." said Chrysalis with a smile, hoping the princess would not inquire further.  She didn't.

Twilight didn't believe her, though.  She knew from a few conversations that she had no interests in any of the towns stallions.  She even said herself that 'They are smelly, overly rude, and all the nice ones are taken.'  Besides, her gender of preference was mares, not stallions, so who was she actually feeding off of?

She opted to sit there and not say a word as they were untied.  She did, however, slap Spike once her hooves were free.  The moment her hoof connected with the side of the dragon's face the entire room fell silent.  Spike stared up at her, tears forming in his eyes.

"I thought you learned to trust others judgment, Spike.  It seems I was wrong."  That was all she said.  She turned and went to untie the others from their binds, letting Spike think on what she said.

"Well, it seems Twilight has some bite to her." said Chrysalis as she stood off the ground.  Celestia nodded.

"It's a bit of a change from the shy bookish unicorn I remember.  Living here has changed her a great deal.  I think you helped." said Celestia with a smile.  Chrysalis raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?" Asked the queen.  Celestia leaned close to the changelings ear.

"I know very well Twilight is the one you are feeding off of." said the princess.  She giggled as she saw the blush on the changelings features.

"Yes, so?" Asked Chrysalis, trying to suppress her blush.

"Just don't hurt her." said Celestia, pulling away from the changeling.  Chrysalis' face was now a deep crimson.

"We are not even dating.  I don't even know if she knows she is giving off her love and who she is giving it to." said Chrysalis, waving it off with a hoof.  Sadly she forgot Celestia was not so easily fooled.

"We both know that's not true.  You know very well who it is going to.  And it's you, am I correct?"  Chrysalis blushed and nodded.  Celestia chuckled and placed a hoof on the smaller alicorn changeling's shoulder.

"I won't meddle in who my student and considered daughter chooses to love, but I will interfere if the one she loves causes her pain.  All I ask is you treat her right." said Celestia.  Chrysalis looked over at Twilight who was helping a sobbing Fluttershy on the otherside of the room.

"I will.  I'm just worried how she will take to loving and being in a relationship with an immortal being.  I don't even know if she knows I'm immortal." said the changeling, watching the lavender mare care for Fluttershy.

"I'm sure she will understand and love you no less.  I suggest you sort your feelings tonight and make a choice." said Celestia.  She removed her hoof and turned to the rest of the group, raising her voice once again.  "I am sorry for the confusion, my little ponies.  I will be on my way back to Canterlot.  Elements, Spike, Chrysalis, fare well."  Celestia walked back up the staircase and made her way out to her awaiting chariot.  Chrysalis chuckled little as she watched the princess struggle through the door.

"I now know why the guards always called her sun butt." said the changeling with a smirk.

"Well that's not nice."  Chrysalis jumped and saw Twilight standing next to her, smiling.

"I just heard from the other guards." said Chrysalis with a blush.  Twilight giggled, the love output from the mare increasing.  Chrysalis had to keep her eyes from rolling back in bliss.

"I know.  I heard from my brother and a few other guards during my stay at the castle.  I got used to it." said the lavender mare.  Chrysalis smiled and looked back at the rest of the ponies.  Fluttershy was sobbing in the corner while the other elements tried to soothe her.  Meanwhile, Spike kept muttering apologies off in the corner.

"Holy shit, did I cause a mess." muttered Chrysalis as she examined the room.

"It's not all your fault, you know.  You could have never known this was going to happen." said Twilight, placing a hoof on the changelings shoulder.  Was this pony trying to drown her in love?

"Yeah, um, uh, we should probably help calm down Fluttershy." said Chrysalis awkwardly, walking over to the canary Pegasus, Twilight behind her.

~~~~~~~~

Chrysalis sighed in relief as she sat down on the couch in the living area of the library.  It took a lot of effort, but they were finally able to calm down the sobbing Pegasus and find out she was utterly scared since Spike nearly hit her with a tome.  He must have been desperate considering she was the most sensitive of the group.

With the library empty except for Twilight, Chrysalis, and Spike, the library was back to its semi-normal self.  Well, close to normal.  Chrysalis was about to head back to the Orphanage but the dying light was enough for Twilight to refuse to let her leave and force her to stay at the library, much to the queens dismay.

"I'm not going to let you walk out when it's dark so you might as well get comfortable.  You can sleep with me." said Twilight as she guided the changeling up the stairs.  By now, Chrysalis was trying to suppress her blush and slow her heart beat.  This beautiful mare who may or may not know she loves a changeling is inviting her to sleep in her bed with her.  If Celestia truely had the ability to watch her subjects from the above, she would be rolling in laughter at the changelings situation.

"That's alright, I will just spend the night in the guest room." said Chrysalis, getting ready to enter said room.  However, she already found it occupied by Spike.  The drake was just getting under the covers.

"I get the guest room for a week." said the drake with a shrug.

"How is this punishment?" Asked Chrysalis.  Twilight smiled and leaned next to her ear.

"He has nightmares often and still climbs into bed with me.  He tries to deny it but its true." said the lavender mare.  Spike frowned, seeming to have heard.

"That is not true!" protested the drake, crossing his arms.

"Denial doesn't make it true." sang Twilight, closing the door and prancing away up the stairs, giving Chrysalis full view of her swaying flank.

"God damnit, this mare is going to be the end of me before I can even ask her out." muttered Chrysalis, her cheeks deep crimson and a small trickle of blood flowing down her nose.  She wiped it off and followed.

"Don't mind the piles of papers.  I've kinda been researching changelings for awhile and it gets out of hand sometimes," said Twilight as they entered her room.  She wasn't kidding.  Books on what she suspected to be on changelings littered the desk and floor around it alone with stacks of paper and notes and a few broken quills.  On the top of one stack was a pair of purple reading glasses.  Chrysalis' aroused mind went to work with that little piece of information and created a 'sexy librarian' looking Twilight in her mind.  Complete with loose fitting dress shirt and glasses.

'No!  Bad!  Bad perverted mind!  We aren't even dating.  No sex till them.' scolded Chrysalis.  She was certain now she was going to need to 'relieve' herself when she got home later after making sure there where no foals hiding around and her door was firmly locked.  No need scaring them.

"Well, hope on in." said Twilight as she got under the sheets.  Oh how tempting it was to pull this sexy mare into a kiss.  And no matter how prevented your mind is, I will not place clop in here.  You have to ask and that will be a completely different story/one shot.

Continuing on, Chrysalis turned deep crimson as she got under the sheets with the mare.  Once both were settled, the lights were snuffed out.  It felt a lot like her first night in the library, albeit she wasn't running from her nightmares anymore.  And for some reason, it felt more warm, more comfortable.  She had no idea why, but she just was more relaxed.

"Chrysalis?"  The changeling turned her head to face the lavender mare.  Their muzzles were nearly inches away.

"Um, yes Twilight?" Asked Chrysalis, blushing slightly.

"You know, don't you?" Asked the mare.  So she did know full well who it was she loved.  Chrysalis bit her lip and nodded.

"I have for about a week.  I didn't say anything because I thought you didn't even know.  I thought it was just a passing phase and you would soon find another mare and focus on them, knowingly or not." said the changeling.  Twilight sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"I was confused at first.  I could get being friends with you, but how could I possibly fall in love with you.  We've met only once before yet here I was, falling for you.  I thought it was a spell for the longest time, but now I know it was just life support for the remainder of your hive.

"I kept it away.  Probably thinking you would just laugh and turn me away.  I guess being as shy and shut in as I am makes you automatically afraid of rejection."  Twilight played with the end of the blanket, examining her hooves working away at it.  "It was obvious you knew after that whole 'feeding off some stallion' deal.  We both know you despise half the stallions in this town."

"Dirty pigs." muttered the changeling.  The two shared a laugh.  For Twilight, being able to come out was relieving.  It got the weight off her shoulders, albeit having a new one placed there instead.  She planned of moving that one next.

"Chrysalis, would you ever date me?  I mean, actually date me and love me?  Not just to make me feel better."  Chrysalis' mind froze.  She was still sorting her own feelings and this question was dropped on her.  Not exactly the best situation.  Her only choice was a quick skim.

It was obvious she thought Twilight as sexy, telling on how she had a nosebleed courtesy of the lavender mare not that long ago.  Her older feelings still saw her as this smart, beautiful filly who seemed to love to learn from what she gathered from Celestia when she was disguised as Cadence.

"I would.  But there is one question I must ask, Sparkle." said Chrysalis, turning her entire body to face the mare.  Her face grew sad as she looked over the mare and prepared to ask the question that has kept her back for the last while.

"Can you love somepony who will live far beyond your death?" Asked the queen.  Her emotions were just getting a work out today.  Twilight thought for a moment before she caught what she meant.  Twilight's expression saddened a moment before a warm, yet sad smile graced her features.

"Well, I guess I will just have to make every moment count."  A thoughtful expression crossed her face.  "In theory a normal unicorn lives for close to a hundred years.  I'm twenty-four so that leaves me with seventy-six years to live with Chrysalis, but also have to take in consideration magical use as well as-"  Chrysalis smiled and leaned her head against a hoof, watching the mare go on full lecture mode over a simple subject most would cast aside.  Twilight caught herself and blushed.

"Heh, sorry." said the librarian, her cheeks crimson.  Chrysalis laughed, leaning forward and kissing her below the horn.

"You are undeniably cute when you ramble on, and impossibly adorable when embarrassed." said the queen with a smile.  Twilight's blush deepened, causing Chrysalis to grin.  "See?"

"Smart-ass." said Twilight, shoving her lightly.  Chrysalis stuck her tongue out and layed her head on the pillow.

"You do know we now have to come out to five mares who are still somewhat weary of me and a drake that still despises me, right?" Asked Chrysalis.  Twilight shrugged.

"It has to happen sometime.  It will be hard to hide anyways." said Twilight.  Chrysalis chuckled.

"We can't be that obvious."

"We can't go a minute without causing the other to blush madly."

"Yes we can." said Chrysalis with a huff.

"The last time we were in bed together you wrapped around me like a filly would her mother." said Twilight.  Chrysalis blushed.

"That doesn't count!  You did it on purpose!" exclaimed the mare.  Twilight smirked.

"But I proved myself right, didn't I?"  Chrysalis turned a brighter crimson and stammered.  She huffed and crossed her hooves.

"Damn your clever brain."  Twilight stuck out her tongue and curled back up under the covers, nuzzling up to Chrysalis who went ahead and wrapped her hooves around the smaller mare.

"Please tell me this isn't something that will disappear once I wake up." said Twilight, starting to drift off.  Chrysalis hugged her close and kissed her forehead.

"It's not."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Quiet!" Said Scootaloo in a hushed voice as Apple Bloom went to close the door behind them, causing it to squeak.  The earth pony filly smiled sheepishly at her Pegasus friend.

"Come on, Scoots.  Let's hurry up and find this True Hearts so we can head back and sleep." said Sweetie Belle, wiping the sleep from her eyes from being pulled out of bed late at night.  Scootaloo rolled her eyes and travelled further into the library.

"Why do ya think she is in 'ere?" Asked Apple Bloom as they went further.

"I saw her come the library earlier and never come out.  Odd thing is, Princess Celestia came earlier and then left, Miss True still not coming out." said Scoots. She shook her head.  "It just don't feel right.  I will figure out what's going on."  The other two crusaders nodded.

For the next half hour, the three searched the library as quietly as possible, even venturing into the dark basement but finding nothing.  Finally, they were left with the two bed rooms of the house, the guest room and the master bedroom.

"She has to be in here." said Scootaloo, standing infront of the guest room door.  She set a look of determination on her face and reared around, ready to kick in the door.  Sweetie, however, stopped her before she could kick open the door.

"Scoots, we don't know if something is actually wrong and she isn't just staying the night,  it would be rude for use to wake her up this late." said the white unicorn.  Scootaloo prepared to argue, but found her to be right.

"Fine, we will open it quietly." said Scootaloo with a sigh.  Sweetie Belle smiled and grabbed the door knob in her faint aura.  She carefully and quietly turned it until it was free to open.  The three stuck their heads in once Sweetie had the door open enough.

However, instead of finding a red mare in the bed, they found a snoring Spike, his butt in the air as his head was laying on the pillow in front of him.  Not exactly the best sleeping position in the world.  The three slipped out of the room and closed the door.

"Well, where is she then?" Asked Apple Bloom.  Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.

"Duh, the only room left." she said, pointing to Twilight's room.  They looked at each other and nodded, ascending the stairs as quiet as they could manage, hoping not to alert any of the library's residents.  Finally, they came to the red door that marked itself as the entrance way to Twilight's room.

Looking inside, the three found it to be a regular Twilight cave.  Tons of books, notes, quills, papers all over the floor, a changeling sleeping in the bed with Twilight, an embarrassing picture of Spike at Hearth Warmings Eve....wait, a Changeling?!

The filly's had to keep themselves from screaming as they saw the figure of a black insect creature they could easily place as a changeling.  They could even tell by its features to be none other than Queen Chrysalis, no less.

Slipping out of the room and slowly backing down the steps and out of the library all together, the three made it a safe distance away from the library, still staring at it in shock and horror.

"What the hay was she doing in there?!" Asked Scootaloo.  Sweetie Belle shook her head and looked back up to the bedroom window.

"Seeing as we couldn't find this 'True Hearts' mare, I say she is true hearts." said Sweetie.

"What was she doing with Twi, though?" Asked Bloom.  Scootaloo stomped on the ground.

"She probably brainwashed her and Spike and is feeding off of them!" Accused the Pegasus.  The other two nodded their agreement.

"What should we do then?" Asked Sweetie.  Scootaloo scoffed.

"We go to the police officers house and save Twilight."