Diaries of the Mare in the Moon

Diaries of The Mare In The Moon
Chapter 4
Mare Fecunditatis

Luna's Moon Diary
Entry 109

I've done it! I still find it hard to believe, myself. A creature that can alter its form in any way I desire: a changeling. It was exhausting both magically and physically, but sitting beside me is proof of my success.

Now I have to find Buzz; he must be starving, and I think I've earned the right to show off a little. I imagine he's been residing in the cave – it's the most obvious place.

I'm not looking forward to setting foot in there again, but needs must.

I hope Buzz likes the changeling – it was for him as well. I would name it, but its personality is a blank slate until it transforms, and it seems a bit pointless. Not to mention it's much more fun if you can forget that it's a changeling while...

You get the picture.

***

Buzz was indeed lying at the entrance to the cave, tracing small circles idly into the dust and staring into the distance with a glazed expression. When Luna appeared on the horizon he jumped up and prepared his wings for a hasty getaway if needed. At least until he saw what she had in tow behind her.

“Well, what do you think?” she asked, arriving beside him. Buzz examined the creature with his usual inquisitiveness, head cocked in the way Luna always found adorable. The changeling simply stood there, stoic and impassive as Buzz hopped around him.

Contrasted like this, the differences between them were much more noticeable. Buzz was shorter than the changeling, even when ignoring the horn, and all of his movements felt more... alive, somehow. Luna wasn't sure what it was, but while Buzz seemed like an actual living thing, the changeling was closer to an unpainted canvas; lively while transformed but only because it was imitating something else.

Character. It lacked character, though she supposed it didn't matter given its role.

“Buzz, I want to reward you for your patience. And to apologise.”

Buzz gave her a questioning look.

“You can have a couple of hours with the changeling to do what you will. Consider it a gift. He has more than enough energy after last night; you should be able to feed off it.” Luna turned to the changeling. “I'm sure Buzz has some desires deep down that only you can fulfil. Treat him.” And then, back to Buzz, “Don't worry, I won't peek.” With a flourish of her wings Luna set off the way she had come. “I'll see you at home.”

Home... It was the first time she'd referred to that bleak patch of dust as home, even to herself.

Buzz regarded the changeling once more, obvious confusion on his face. Before his eyes the changeling's skin faded into dark blue, growing several inches as lighter-coloured adornments ran themselves around its hooves. A sparkling blue mane curled out from its head and a white patch on each flank resolved into a crescent moon.

If Luna had chosen to ignore her promise and look back, she would have seen a mirror image of herself, moving towards Buzz and giving him a passionate kiss.

***

“That's awful!” Luna did her best to restrain laughter, failing miserably when she saw Buzz's downcast expression. “It's just you without anything between the legs! It doesn't even look feminine.”

Buzz pouted, and the not-quite-female Buzz did the same, only making her laugh harder. After their return, Luna had decided to see just what her new creation was capable of, and soon enough she had created a stallion version of herself, which met with mixed reactions. Luna found it hilarious, while Buzz had scrunched up his muzzle, visibly disturbed by the sight. When his turn came to try the same trick he'd been far less successful.

“Look,” she said, trotting over to the changeling, “you can't just make a stallion into a mare by changing what they've got down there, there's more to it than that. Mares have curves. Wider hips, a softer jawline.” The changeling shifted, accommodating her changes. Now it really did resemble a female Buzz, almost uncannily so. “See? Much better.” In fact, it reminded her of another white-coated mare. In horror she saw the first speckles of a sun-shaped mark begin to materialise, and she slapped the changeling on the flank – a wordless reprimand. “Perfect,” she said through gritted teeth. It got the message, the markings fading even quicker than they had appeared.

Hanging its head, the changeling dug its hoof into the dust. Luna stared hard at the small indentation it left, the first snatches of an idea beginning to form in her mind. She pawed at the ground herself, but any attempts to leave a substantial mark were stopped by the barrier in her thoughts.

“Changeling,” she said. “Follow me. I have to try something.”

***

The cave was just as horrible as it had been the first time, thick dread filling Luna's heart as they travelled deeper.

It's just a spell, it can't hurt you. It's simply part of the binding magic.

She couldn't entirely convince herself, hooves lightly shaking and ready to bolt at the earliest opportunity. But soon enough they reached the end, Luna's horn illuminating the sheer rock at the bottom. She held up a hoof, not quite touching the surface. It tingled; an unpleasant crawling over her flesh. The spell did not want her here.

Motioning her changeling over Luna stepped back, well away from the wall and any harm it might do.

“Dig,” she commanded.

It eyed her dubiously, and even Buzz stiffened a bit at her order, despite already proving his own immunity to the wall's effects. The changeling lifted a hoof against the hard surface and pressed firmly onto it with a wince, anticipating the worst. Again, nothing happened. Emboldened, it drew its hoof down, dragging it across the wall and leaving a shallow groove gleaming in the rock.

Luna could hardly keep the excitement from her voice. “Buzz, you try.”

Buzz nodded, though he couldn't keep the concern from his eyes. The result was the same, a twin etching parallel to the the changeling's, reflecting her light like glass.

“Well,” she said, voice a hushed whisper, “this is a development.”

***

Luna's Moon Diary
Entry 110

There's a loophole. A wonderful, glorious loophole. I can get to the shard, I can get it back. I can get to Equestria, I can see my sister again.

Actually, I need to think about how to handle that. I cannot let her remain unpunished for what she's done. Not even if I want to.

But back to the loophole. I can't alter the landscape directly – at least, not with an aim to get to my soul. Damage that happens as a consequence of my other magic is an exception, but repeating one of those spells won't fool the binding magic. My intentions are known to it, and it will stop me before I make any progress.

But that only goes for my intentions. Buzz and the changeling are entirely independent; their actions are their own and the binding doesn't affect them. They could, if they had the means, choose to leave. They can also do something else I cannot: they can dig.

We headed back to the cave, where they both demonstrated that the wall which incapacitated me had no effect on them. In fact, they were both able to create an indentation with their hooves (I'm glad I made their exterior as tough as I did).

However, between the pair of them it would take millennia to reach my soul. And now I know what I can do with them, the binding will inevitably prevent me from creating more.

Except I've thought of a way around that, too.

When I created the changeling (and Buzz for that matter) I allowed my estrus to consume my thoughts. Once in that state I could channel my magic far more efficiently because it was all I could think about. For once, this heat will work in my favour. It will make it so that I am only concerned with sating myself when I create another changeling, and therefore bypassing the spell's inhibitor.

Magic isn’t intelligent, it simply prevents me from direct interference by judging my intentions. There's no way it can stop me when my only motivation is to create something to please me. With a multitude of changelings all chipping away at that wall I'll be able to make my escape as soon as possible. When I return to Equestria I'll lead them as an army, and show Celestia why I deserve the respect I demanded.

I'm getting shivers just thinking about it.

***

A very different kind of shiver ran through Luna's body as the newest changeling pulled out of her, collapsing next to the still-smoking crater it had originated from. As her mind recollected itself, Luna mused on her lack of progress.

In the month since she had concocted her scheme, she had added a grand total of three new changelings, including the one lying beside her. Three a month made thirty-six a year, and that was going at her current, draining pace.

The way her body ached and the overwhelming exhaustion she felt suggested it was too much to ask for even one more month at this rate, let alone a year.

And even supposing she was able to maintain it, she would need far more than forty changelings to dig at any useful pace. Her current method was just too inefficient to yield a good result. As she led her latest creation to where Buzz was frolicking while her other changelings lay about, bored, she concluded it wasn't worth continuing. Luna needed a new plan.

***

“Stop fidgeting.”

The changeling sighed at her words, fed up with Luna's prodding. It had been well over three hours now, and standing rigidly still for that long would take its toll on anything. Luna's hoof-prints ran in a deep circle around it, dust packed hard from her incessant pacing, treading the same ground both figuratively and literally.

Every now and then she would jot a note down, sometimes seemingly hit by inspiration and scribbling with an intense fervour for a minute or so. Inevitably these episodes would be followed by a moment of contemplation, and then ever more furious scratchings as Luna struck through everything she had just written.

This had been going on for several days.

At night she curled up with Buzz after their love-making, while the changelings slept separately, nesting together. Their novelty had quickly worn off; Luna tried telling herself she simply didn't have the imagination for it, that she preferred to enjoy her time with the unchanging Buzz, but it was hardly coincidence she had lost her desire after the game they had played a few weeks ago.

The most recent one hadn't even changed before sating her, and she didn't see the point in asking him to. It was a shame their magic was so focused; a different kind would have been of immeasurable help in the digging.

Imitation magic was one of the simplest and least draining to perform, mostly because it drew heavily off other ponies rather than being all from the user. Something with the power to blast the rock would be far beyond her capabilities to create, and could even kill her if it required too much energy. It wasn't worth the risk.

As always, the devil was in the details. Luna knew she could create something similar to changelings, but had no idea how she could make something that could make more changelings in turn.

The obvious solution was a female, except even that had some gaping flaws. Gestation, pregnancy; all of those had inherent difficulties as well as taking huge amounts of time. What was the point the female took just shy of a year to create a single peon?

Her next idea was to alter its magic, but again she hit a wall. She was comfortable with her current design, having proved it to be reliably replicated, albeit with some difficulty. Changing the creature completely was a last resort.

Unfortunately this left her needing to add extra magic, which was no mean feat given how much energy she already expended. Adding further magic to that – not that she even knew what to give it – was veering into the realms of incredibly dangerous.

So here she was, stuck writing useless ideas down and just as quickly erasing them, with no end in sight. But she couldn't give up. She couldn't let her sister win, couldn't stay here for a thousand years. She had to get to her soul, or die trying.

Her soul...

***

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

“Okay, it might sound a little crazy, but what's the alternative?”

Buzzzzzzzz.

“Maybe that's fine for you, but you haven't seen Equestria, Buzz. You haven't seen how beautiful it is, compared to this wasteland.” Luna smiled at him. “You'll love it.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“It's my life I'm risking, not yours.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! He stared at her, pleadingly.

“No, I... I know I feed you...” Luna sniffed. “I hadn't really thought about that.”

Buzzz.

Her face hardened as she gathered her resolve. “I'm sorry, but I have to do this. We can't stay here. Even if the worst happens it's better than a millennium of solitude.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz?

“I am alone! You don't count!”

Luna regretted the words the moment they left her. Buzz's ears drooped, and his eyes grew large and hurt.

“I didn't mean that.”

But it was too late, she'd said it. Buzz said nothing more (insofar as he was able to say anything at all), and instead just lay down in the dust where he was sitting, curled up and facing away from her.

“Buzz, I-” Luna stopped herself. “I'm coming back, I promise.” She tried to place a reassuring hoof on his shoulder, but he shrugged off her touch.

It was not the goodbye she'd hoped for.

***

Okay, you can do this.

Luna gritted her teeth, grinding her hooves into the dust to anchor herself. It had been two whole weeks since she'd last felt the touch of a stallion, two weeks since she'd left Buzz and the other changelings without saying a proper farewell, and she was about at her breaking point.

If she waited any longer she ran the risk of incapacitating herself again rather than focusing. Yes, the trick relied on her needing nothing more than to be rutted, but she had to maintain at least a little control to channel that energy. She couldn't afford to lose it completely, wandering aimlessly over the moon's surface looking for a mate.

This was a spell of three parts: Secession, Removal, Creation. First, the separation of a part of her soul. Luna's horn glowed as she allowed magic to pour into it. She felt inside herself, finding the core that made her 'Luna'. She could feel it, lively and powerful within her, even with that already missing shard.

Souls are strong. They can withstand damage, though the pony will always lose a part of their 'self'. For such small removals the effect was minimal – perhaps changing a favourite food, or the music they enjoy – but Luna still had to come to terms with the fact that doing this would make her less ‘her’.

Accepting those terms, Luna sent her magic driving forwards, slicing off a fragment. There was an immediate sense of loss and disorientation. Of wrongness, similar to when she had first arrived on her prison. It quickly passed, and now in front of her was a small, blue crystal, gleaming in the sunlight.

That made the first two parts complete, and the ones she had been most worried about. It was another taboo area (she seemed to breaking those a lot), normally only sanctioned for binders. As for self soul-fragmentation, she didn't think it had ever been done before.

But it was the final piece of the puzzle she had been building. The raw energy and magical potential within was incredible, and more to the point, attuned with her. The creature it spawned would be almost as powerful as a regular alicorn, formed as it was from the essence of one.

Her horn remained alight, and now Luna concentrated it on the crystal. Her mind was starting to cloud with desire, on the brink of losing control, but she forced her lust down.

No, I'm too close. In time.

Luna filled her head with images of her changelings, concentrating on the alterations. With her soul as an ingredient she should be more than capable of the additions.

Except in the instant before she released the spell, her heat had one last surge. Just before sending her energy into the crystal, an image of her sister flashed in her mind, legs spread invitingly. It was no longer than a second, but enough to throw her focus.

It was too late to tame the spell. She couldn't hold it, and any damage the distraction had caused was permanent. As her magic arced towards the crystal, Luna could do nothing but pray it wouldn't affect it.

There was no flash, no explosion of energy; those were products of chaotic magic. Here Luna's soul guided it, shaping it into what it needed to be. The ground drew up into an unshaped blob, swirling and crackling with energy.

But Luna could take no more, dropping to the ground, the world fading into darkness as exhaustion overcame her.

***

“Hello, sister.”

Luna's eyes snapped open to find a white, gold-dressed hoof in front of her.

“Tia!” she shouted, pulling herself to a sitting position. “You... You came to get me!?” A few months ago Luna would have hated the desperation in her pleas. Now all she could think of was returning to Equestria. Going home.

“Oh, would you look at that? The poor dear actually thinks I'm Celestia. You really are out of it, aren't you?”

“I... Wha...”

Celestia smiled. “I can pretend to be, if you'd like. I'm very good at pretending.” She ran a hoof over Luna's back, trailing slowly down over her flank. Her words were a gentle purr. “I do already look the part, after all.”

“But... Who...”

“Have you already forgotten? I know it must have taken a lot out of you, but you can't be that far gone.”

Memory asserted itself, visions of her spell returning to Luna. “You're... my changeling?”

The image of her sister cackled. “Please, I'm far more than that. A queen amongst the common herd.” She mulled that thought over for a minute. “Oh yes, I like that. Queen of the Changelings has a nice ring to it, don't you think?”

“Please... I need...”

“Yes, your heat. That's why I assumed this form. It's the one you find most pleasing, after all.”

Luna balked at her implication. “Celestia!?”

“Indeed, though I don't know why you're acting so surprised. It's your fantasy.” She assumed an air of mock innocence. “Don't you love me, sister?”

“Of course! But not... not in that way...”

The creature grinned. “Perhaps not, but you want to.” She leaned in next to Luna, hot breath running down the princess' neck. “You've dreamed of this, and now here I am in front of you. Won't you let me satisfy you, sister?”

As Luna tried to reply, her sister's form moved the rest of the way and kissed her deeply. Protesting thoughts quickly dissolved under a sea of lust, the familiar warmth of her sister's embrace filling her, spreading down through her body to the point where it was nearly unbearable.

“Tia...” she whispered as they broke apart. It was all she could manage.

Celestia hushed her, loving gaze telling her not to worry herself. “Be still, little sister. Let me calm you.” Her hoof ran over Luna's back once more, trailing slowly over the curves of her rear, continuing its wandering path and moving lower, over her cutie mark and between her thighs. Luna's breath caught as Tia traced around her, nearing but not quite touching her yearning nethers.

“Do you want me, Luna?”

Luna swallowed, nodding shakily.

“Do you need me?”

Another nod.

Celestia leaned over her body, practically mounting her to whisper in her ear. “Say it. Tell me you need me.”

“Please, Tia. I need you...” How could Luna have resisted? Her sister, who had been gently kissing Luna's neck, slid back off her, body rubbing tantalisingly against her skin.

From the very first touch Luna shuddered. Her sister's hoof pressed deliciously against her, against her opening, touching her where she had felt so deprived. Luna's delighted gasps spurred Celestia on further, occasionally moving to toy with her clit before returning to the main event.

Fire coursed through her veins, burning pleasure bringing Luna to her knees. Celestia seemed to know Luna's body almost better than she did herself, each caress and probing touch bringing even more heightened ecstacy than the last.

“Do you love me, Luna?”

Yes, oh yes. Especially when she did that. Once again Luna nodded, happy to agree with whatever Celestia asked as long as she continued.

“Show me. Come.”

And Luna did, letting the fire overwhelm her. Celestia's touch didn't cease, only forcing that roaring, unstoppable sensation to mount and mount, an inferno she couldn’t and didn’t want to control. As she came down from her height, Celestia held her tightly, lying next to her and nuzzling against Luna's face.

“I don't think that was enough,” Tia murmured.

“It was wonderful,” said Luna, still-tingling nerves assuring her of that fact.

“I don't doubt it, but heat is a fickle beast. It will return in full force if we don't sate it now.”

“I have other changelings for that,” Luna replied. “Ones better equipped.”

“But they're not me,” said Celestia, playing idly with Luna's mane. “And there are ways to... compensate for what's missing.”

“You... You don't mean...” Luna coughed meaningfully.

“Oh my, no, nothing so drastic.”

Luna couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. While her changeling may well have been capable of 'outfitting' Celestia, an alternative would be immensely preferable. “In that case, what do you suggest?”

Disentangling herself, Celestia rose to her feet. “An experiment. It'll be good to test my magic anyway.”

Luna looked on as Celestia's horn lit up a deep green. That was the only outward difference the creature had shown from her actual sister, whose aura was a pale yellow. It was worth noting for future reference.

A sizeable chunk of moon rock was torn from the ground, hovering in mid-air as the magic whittled away at it, shaping and transforming it to the changeling's will. Luna's heart lifted at the sight. Her spell had worked: this was magic other than altering appearance. It occurred to Luna that she had yet to see her creation's true form, but that thought was quickly displaced at the sight of Celestia strapping the result around her rump.

“What do you think?” asked Celestia.

“It's certainly... different.”

The toy protruded proudly forward between Celestia's legs, as white as her coat. “I hope I didn't overdo it.”

Luna felt a familiar needy sensation between her legs. “No, no, not at all.”

“You like it then?”

She nodded, trying to maintain a semblance of her pride by refraining from vulgarity. The truth was that while she had never thought her sister would be enticing with something like that attached beneath her, already her imagination was running overtime, envisioning Celestia mounting her, taking her roughly from behind and riding her. It's the heat, she told herself. Nothing more. But once that thought had taken hold it was nothing short of irresistible.

She turned, prostrating herself before Celestia who quickly stepped forwards, wings outstretched in arousal. Warmth enveloped Luna as Celestia moved over her, her presence both comforting and assertive.

A whisper in Luna's ear. Three words. “I forgive you.”

Celestia pushed forwards, burying her toy into Luna, thrusting it almost entirely inside of her in one swift movement. Luna quivered as her sister's toy parted her. It was, it had to be said, not quite the same as a real stallion's, changeling or otherwise. It lacked warmth, an occasional twitch or pulse that was the indicator of male pleasure. What it lacked in realism, however, its owner more than made up for in talent.

It seemed Celestia had seen fit to make herself as well-endowed as she could while still keeping it comfortable for Luna. When the night princess tightened around the shaft that filled her she didn't have far to go, allowing it to press even more against her, stimulating her almost everywhere at once.

Once Celestia's hips bumped against her flank, her sister began to lightly buck her hips, barely retreating at all while still allowing her toy to run against her. As she did so, Celestia would occasionally lick her sister's horn, circling it with her tongue. It was far better than Luna's dreaming imagination had told her it would be; Celestia's warm, wet tongue making Luna shudder as the toy pressed into her.

When she looked to her side she could see Celestia's hooves, and for some reason she found that both reassuring and extremely arousing. Being the bigger mare, Celestia was able to stand over her while only barely pressing down on her back, but Luna found herself wishing that her sister would lean down more, would push her towards the dust while taking her. It was a dangerous thought that she tried to dispel, but the image refused to leave her mind.

Apparently unsatisfied with only two avenues of attack, Celestia lit her horn with a deep green glow and magic began to play around Luna's clitoris, gentle and teasing.

This was my best idea ever.

Luna would come to regret that thought, but for now the pleasure that seized her body was undeniable. With each thrust, each lick, each tingle as the magic played with her, she was pushed closer to her limit.

And now Celestia did pick up the pace, pushing down against Luna as she did so. It was wonderful, that feeling of being rutted, of being used, of being dominated, and Celestia was the only pony who would dare try it. After so many years of Luna submitting to her sister's whims, this display only asserted that. Isn't this easier? it said. Why fight it when you can just submit? Who cared that it wasn't really Celestia? The imitation was immaculate. Of course it was, taken directly from Luna's memory. While Luna hated what Celestia had done to her, she couldn't deny the love she felt now.

The bigger mare above her was more than just an imitation. She was an outlet, a way for Luna to express her feelings without risking anything. She could never broach this subject with the real Celestia, even assuming she escaped, and had resigned herself to the fact that this was as close to a reciprocation as she would ever get.

As things went, it was pretty damn close indeed.

Luna, bent down against Celestia's thrusts, pressed herself back for the final time, taking the toy's length as fully as possible as she broke over the crest. Her body shuddered as she climaxed, feeling her sister's warmth, her love, surrounding her. When her body settled itself, she found herself held in a caring embrace, her sister nuzzling happily against her neck as they rested.

"What about you?" Luna asked.

"Don't trouble yourself," came the reply. "Your love is all I need."

It was only later that Luna would feel the true ramifications of that statement. In the afterglow it simply seemed to be the final part of the play her new creation had performed. It was enough to send Luna to sleep with a smile on her face.

***

The sun had risen once more when Luna stirred, sitting low on the horizon as it began its arduous journey across the sky. The hooves wrapped around her were white no longer, not now in the harsh light. They had become the same jet black as her other changelings, and even more pockmarked. Hot breath tickled her neck as the changeling queen murmured into her ear.

“That was fun. We'll have to do it again soon.”

The changeling moved down, kissing along her neck and making Luna shiver, not from cold. She stood, turning to face her newest creation.

'Queen' was an appropriate title. Her features were distinctly feminine, even with the longer fangs that spiked from her mouth. Her torso was banded green, and unlike the other changelings she had a mane of a similar colour, though it was straggly and unkempt. Her horn was as long as any alicorn's, with a scythe-like shape that was more than a little intimidating. Even lying down Luna could tell this changeling was bigger than her, distinctive legs long and skinny. The alicorn soul must have had more of an influence than purely on the magical side.

“And what do I call you?” asked Luna.

“Celestia seemed more than acceptable earlier.” The changeling sighed at Luna's expression. “No sense of humour I see. Well fine, let's think of something more... apt. Our aim is to create more changelings, yes? To make them appear from the dust itself, like a butterfly from a cocoon.” The creature smiled, showing its fangs in all their glory. “Chrysalis. A description as much as a name, and doesn't it just roll off the tongue?” The creature flitted her own tongue between her teeth, revealing the pointed fork at its end.

Luna nodded. “I like it.”

I hate it.

She shifted under Chrysalis' gaze. Perhaps it was the eyes; reptilian with green irises, pupils a thin line running down through each. Whatever it was, something about Chrysalis' demeanour felt 'off', though Luna couldn't even put a hoof on quite what felt wrong.

It may just have been that Chrysalis was the closest thing to a living pony that Luna had seen in months, changeling illusions notwithstanding. Here was something with its own desires and wants, fully capable of communication and, hopefully, very competent in terms of magic. If Chrysalis' earlier demonstrations were representative, she had already confirmed as much.

“Well,” said Chrysalis, oblivious to Luna's growing doubts, “shall we get started? After all, we only have a thousand years...”

***

Luna's Moon Diary
Entry 153

I wonder if all great magical advances come with this sense of unease. Chrysalis is marvellous, of that there is no doubt. I have created a creature that is almost as powerful as I am. It's never been done before, and given that Celestia and I are the only ones who would be even remotely capable of repeating it, likely never to happen again.

And with her I'll be able to make my escape. Today we begin in creating enough changelings to mine out the tunnel and reach my soul fragment. The sliver I used to create Chrysalis appears to have had no ill effects, though I suppose I wouldn't notice the change if there was one. It's too late to worry about now. Her use as a catalyst will outweigh whatever it was.

Except even knowing that I can't help but feel a strange apprehension. It's in the way she moves, the way she talks, the way she seems to know what I'm thinking before I've actually said it. She's like me in a lot of ways, but she reminds me of Nightmare Moon, that side of me. And that scares me.

My reunion with Buzz was cheery, but somewhat subdued by the pure adoration the changelings showed Chrysalis. She named herself their Queen; a daring proposal, but one I can hardly refuse. The changelings certainly took to her, following her around like sheep. They still do what I say if I ask them, but every time they'll first spare a glance to Chrysalis, who'll give an almost imperceptible nod before they actually do it.

Buzz, as ever, is the exception. He ignores Chrysalis for the most part, and if she asks something of him, he will turn to me. I take great pleasure in that, in giving my own nod. She may have some innate command over the changelings, but she cannot turn Buzz from me.

It's to be expected; I created Chrysalis to control the changelings, as I won't be needing them after Equestria's conquest except to maintain order. I just wish that they still showed more deference to me. While Chrysalis has been nothing but loyal so far, it's a lot of power to trust her with.

I can't afford second thoughts at this point, so I'll move onwards as planned and hope this doesn't come back to bite me later.

I'm sure it will be fine.