Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Torn Beat was an average pony, living a pretty average life. In her home, everything was quiet. She studied herself in the mirror. Besides her average dark gray coat, you wouldn't think she was very average at all. Her part scarlet part indigo mane gave meaning to her nickname of Two-Tone given to her by her best friend, Fluttershy. Her rose colored eyes looked no different, and her broken heart cutie mark matched the red in her mane and tail. “It’s going to be another boring day.” She muttered to herself. She brushed out her mane and tail and left the house.
---Queen Chrysalis’ POV---
“Let’s see, today I think I’ll go as…ah, yes, perfect.” The slender queen’s crooked horn glowed with a bright green aura, and before she could open her eyes she had transformed into a different pony. Her horn glowed once more, now with a minty green aura, and she transported out of her castle.
When she landed in Ponyville, she began strolling around town, occasionally stealing some energy from a couple of the weaker looking ponies. Her mint green coat suited her well, and being a unicorn was only an added bonus seeing as how she was naturally a skilled unicorn changeling herself. After a while of pointlessly traveling around the town, she spotted a pony. Frozen in place, she stared at the pony. She sensed this pony this pony was different from the rest of them; mindlessly bumping into ponies, strange looks being shot at her from everyone. And her mane. Her mane is much different than anypony else’s mane the queen had ever seen. A lump formed in her throat. C…could it be? After shaking her head free of her racing thoughts, she decided to approach the pony.
“Hi! Do I know you from somewhere?”
She was disgusted by the way her voice sounded, but she wasn’t about to let the pony out of her sight.
“Uh, probably, but I’m sorry, I don’t know you.”
Her voice was surprisingly elegant with a hint of slang. It was not too high, but not too low, either.
“Oh, well that’s okay. Do you want to come back to my place for some tea? We can catch up on where I know you from. Although, I gotta warn you, it’s kinda far from here.”
“Uh…sure I guess.”
“Great! Follow me.”
Excellent.
The pair trotted towards the Everfree forest, past Fluttershy’s house.
“Alright, just through here!” Queen Chrysalis said. Torn Beat had heard things about this particular forest from Fluttershy, but they didn’t really faze her. Queen Chrysalis led the subject of her interest through all kinds of trees until they reached a clearing in the forest. All around there were houses and stores and bigger buildings, and far in the back situated on top of a hill was a rather crooked looking black castle. “We’re here.” Queen Chrysalis said.
---Torn Beat’s POV---
Torn Beat couldn’t believe her eyes. There’s an entire village here in the forest!
A door closing caught her attention. She looked to see a black, sort of disfigured creature step from the door. Is that a changeling?! That must mean… She looked over to the minty unicorn next to her, who was now covered in a bright green glow. Then, her body changed into a different form; a slender, black unicorn with holes in her legs and bug wings on her back. Her two-tone eyes looked down at her rose hued ones. “You’re…you’re…”
“Queen Chrysalis, queen of the changelings. Don’t worry, I promise I will not hurt you, I simply want to talk.”
“Uh…” Torn Beat was quite frankly taken aback by the queen’s sheer beauty. She had heard about this queen, but the way she had been described made Torn think she was some awful, hideous creature.
“Al… alright.”
“Excellent. Follow me up to my chambers, we will talk more there.”
“Okay.” Apparently a few of the changelings had been watching, because as soon as the queen started walking towards her castle, a few of them hurriedly went back to whatever it is they were doing. Torn trotted behind Queen Chrysalis, rather closely in fact; the changelings sort of scared her. The entrance to the castle that was now looming over her was guarded by two just as menacing looking changelings. Queen Chrysalis leaned over and spoke to one of them, and he nodded his head. The elegant queen continued walking and went up a flight of stairs. Torn followed her up the stairs to what she presumed to be her bedroom.
“Come in, make yourself comfortable.”
Torn sat down in a chair while Queen Chrysalis lay down on a rug with her front hooves tucked under her.
“Now, it’s unfathomably and extremely ridiculous that I, the great Queen Chrysalis, am going to tell anypony but…”
The queen sighed.
“When I first spotted you back in Ponyville, I knew there was something different about you. In fact…I saw myself when I was younger, before I was banished to this forest. I saw how I used to mope around the city, only barely ignoring the stares I got from the other ponies.”
Torn Beat fidgeted in her chair, deeply engrossed in what she was hearing.
“It’s why I steal love and other emotions, you know.” The queen continued. “It’s why I feed off of it. Sure, it would make me the most powerful mare in all Equestria, but…I had little love growing up, being an orphan and being so…different. I guess you could say…the loves fills a hole in me.” The queen smirked to herself at her last comment. “What I’m asking you is…err…what was your name again?”
“Oh…my name is Torn Beat, but some ponies call me Two-Tone.”
The queen seemed to tense at the mention of her nickname.
“Yes…Two-Tone…what I’m asking you is, would you like to be my student?”
“Oh…I…” Torn thought to herself for a moment. Be the student of the evil queen of the changelings?! It sounds absurd, but…I kind of feel sorry for her. I mean, she can’t be all bad… she ended her thoughts and came to a conclusion. “I…will accept your request, Queen Chrysalis. I would be honored to be your student.”
The queen’s half and half eyes lit up.
“Excellent. I look forward to it. Leave now; there is work to be done. Return tomorrow.”
“Yes, Queen Chrysalis, thank you.”
After getting back out of the forest, happy yet confused, Torn walked to Fluttershy’s house and knocked on the door. A familiar yellow coated mare opened the door. “Oh! Two-Tone, please come in.” Torn greeted her and closed the door behind her.
“Would you like some tea?” Fluttershy asked.
“Actually, I think I’ll pass on the tea this time, Flutters. Thank you though.”
“Oh, okay. I’m going to have some, though. I-if you don’t mind, anyways.”
“Not at all.” Torn was used to Fluttershy’s behavior, so she didn’t think much of it. Fluttershy sat down across from Torn on the floor with her cup. Should I tell her about what happened earlier? I don’t want to get her in trouble…no, I don’t think I will. Fluttershy stopped Torn’s train of thought. “So, Hearts and Hooves day is coming up, not too far away.”
“Yeah, and I still don’t have a special somepony.”
“Hm…do you like anypony?”
“No, and I don’t really plan to, either.”
“Yeah…I suppose I wouldn’t blame you for that.”
Torn looked out the window and saw it was getting darker outside.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, Flutters, but it’s getting kind of late, and I think I should start heading home.”
“Oh…yeah. You can crash here if you want to!”
“Oh, uh, okay, only if you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all, Two-Tone. But, it’s only i-if you want to, that is…”
“No, I do, thanks, Flutters.”
“No problem!”
---Queen Chrysalis’ POV---
The sleek queen stood at her balcony in her room overlooking the forest. “How ridiculous of me…choosing a student who isn’t even a changeling. But…she’s practically a copy of me from when I was a filly. She…she even has the same nickname as me…No matter, I shall just see how everything goes tomorrow.”
Queen Chrysalis sighed to herself and crawled into bed.
Royal Matters
When Torn Beat woke up, light was already filtering through the window by her bed, casting a yellow shadow on her blankets. She sat up and yawned. Today was her first lesson with Queen Chrysalis. She threw the covers aside and got out of bed. She walked up to her desk and picked up her brush then went over to the mirror. After brushing out all of the knots and tangles in her her mane and tail, she sat the brush back down and and left her house.
The Everfree forest wasn’t far from where she lived; she lived close to Fluttershy. When she got to the forest, she looked around to make sure nopony was watching, took a breath, and began trudging through the trees and bushes. Upon entering the clearing, Torn was stopped by a changeling guard.
“Halt! Why do you wish to enter the changeling kingdom?’
“I’m Queen Chrysalis’ student.”
The guard loosened his tense posture and looked at her with sarcastic fluorescent green eyes.
“Yeah. And I’m a dragon.”
“The only difference is I am telling the truth.”
“Did I say I was?”
Torn rolled her eyes and breathed a frustrated sigh. The guard started to speak again.
“Sorry pretty pony, but I can’t let ya in.”
Torn snorted at his stubborness.
“Fine, don’t believe me, but it’ll be your flank when she comes down here wondering what’s taking me so long.”
“She’s right, you know.” A new voice interrupted the argument.
“Qu-queen Chrysalis! Oh, aha, what a lovely surprise I was just um-”
“Arguing?” The slender queen cut him off.
“Well, you see, what had happened was-”
“Enough. Well, Two-Tone, are you ready for your first lesson?”
The guard’s charcoal jaw dropped.
“Yes, Queen Chrysalis, I am.”
Torn flashed the guard an ‘I told you so’ look.
The queen was about to start walking, when she noticed her guard.
“Hulio, are you trying to catch flies? Shut your muzzle, boy.”
The guard closed his mouth and licked his lips a little bit. “Y-yes ma'am.”
Torn followed Chrysalis up to her room and reclaimed her spot on the chair.
“Now.” Queen Chrysalis began. “Your first lesson is going to be mostly based off of your own contributions. I want you to tell me everything you know or have heard about the changelings and I.”
“Alright...I was told an evil being came into Canterlot and and took the place of Princess Cadance on her wedding day in order to steal the princess’ love and feed it to her bug-like army so she can rule over all of Equestria.”
Queen Chrysalis thought for a moment before speaking. “Alright. I cannot tell you what you heard is completely untrue, but I can explain to you the real reason as to why I did so. As I’ve said before, love is the most powerful substance in all of Equestria and to absorb it would give me the power to be the ultimate queen but the truth is, my kingdom was dying. We live off of the emotions of others, and you ponies are an excellent source of those. But, the time came when we could not go into the town. Ponies were beginning to get suspicious. Being the changeling’s queen, I could not just sit back and watch my kingdom die.” Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence and a tear fell from her cheek. “So...in order to keep my kingdom alive, I went for the biggest source of love I could find. I did not do it because I hate ponies or whatever ridiculous reason they came up with. I did it to save the changelings. It was selfish, but I couldn’t let my subjects die.”
Torn nodded in her understanding. “It’s...okay, Queen Chrysalis. I think what you did is...justified.”
“You...you think?” The queen blinked at her, a little shocked.
“Yes...I do.”
“I...I have sensed something special in you since the day I first saw you. I saw myself when I was younger. You know...everyone used to call me Two-Tone, because of my eyes. I also think you would make a phenomenal ruler. What I’m asking you is...would you like the be the changeling princess?”
Torn tensed up in the chair she was sitting in and stared in awe into the queen’s eyes.
“Are...are you serious, queen?”
“Yes...I think you would make an excellent princess.”
“I...I will have to think about it. I’m sorry, queen.”
“No, it is alright. I understand. It is a lot to take in at once. Well, in that case, today’s lesson is over. Return tomorrow.”
“Yes, Chrysalis, thank you.”
Torn Beat left the castle to see a familiar guard waiting outside.
“Ugh, what do you want?”
“Oh, I don’t know, just figured I’d escort a pretty pony like yourself out of here.”
Torn rolled her eyes. “I’m not a filly.”
“I didn’t say you were, I just don’t want the other guards to do what I did when you came here.”
“Okay...whatever.”
They walked in silence for the rest of the trip to the entrance of the forest.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
--- Hulio’s POV ---
Hulio trotted back into the kingdom only to be stopped by a guard. A small shot of fear stabbed through his brain. What if it’s about her? He waved it away and approached the guard.
“You called?”
“Yes, Queen Chrysalis wants to see you.”
His heart stopped racing.
“Oh. Alright.”
He walked in through the black and cerulean doors and up to the queen’s quarters.
“You wanted to see me?”
The slender queen turned to face him. “Yes I…need advice.”
“And you’re asking me?”
She smirked and spat back “I have to use you for something, don’t I?”
“I suppose. With what do you need help?”
“Am...Am I doing the right thing, Hulio?”
The changeling sat down across from her; vibrant green green eyes meeting vibrant blue and green ones.
“With your student?”
“Yes...I asked her to be the princess so suddenly…”
Hulio’s mind trailed off for a moment. If she was princess, I’d get to see her every day…
“...I tried to change her opinion on something she’s probably been told ever since she was little...Hulio, what’s wrong with me?”
“Well, queen, if you want my honest opinion, I’d have to say you’re caring.”
Queen Chrysalis’ eyes lit up and a look of mild shock spread across her ebony skin.
“Me? I’m...I’m caring? No...no that cannot be right.”
“Don’t think it’s a bad thing. I’m happy for you. Ever since you took her on as your student you’ve not been as miserable and I like it.”
“I...suppose...you’re right...but what about her world? Won’t this be conflicting?” The look of shock faded into worry.
“I...yes, it will be conflicting but, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, rest. You need it.”
The slender queen sighed and got to her lanky hooves.
“Thank you, Hulio.”
“You’re welcome...mother.”
