A Changeling Queen By Any Other Name

Chapters

1. What's Love Got to Do With It?
2. All You Need Is Love
3. You've Got to Hive Your Love Away
4. I Love the Night Life

1. What's Love Got to Do With It?

----------- A Changeling Queen by Any Other Name -------------

Chapter 1 -- What's Love Got to Do With It?

I found myself screaming at the top of my lungs when I checked my reflection in the mirror. A hideously contorted expression seemed to mock my terror as I could not believe what I saw -- a long jagged horn adorned the top of my head, my body completely black except for a green chitin shell which ran the length of my back and wrapped around my mid-section. A small crown rested behind my horn, the one item that I almost instinctively knew marked me as the Queen. The long stringy teal-colored hair didn't help my mood either. Almost as unnerving as my appearance was the fact that I had these holes in my legs, wings, mane, and tail as well. Worse still was the fact that those creepy green eyes staring back at me seemed to be drawing myself into another universe -- I was forced to quickly look away, lest I hypnotize myself.

If I may back up for a moment here, I didn't look like this when I laid down to sleep last night -- I was actually a male human by the name of Michael Walker. At some point during the night, this radical change had occurred; my wife had requested a glass of water at some point, but when she saw what I had become, she ran out of the room screaming. I had almost chuckled at this event, but now it didn't seem so funny as I inspected my body to see just how radical those changes had been. I calmed down a little, considering that screaming my head off wasn't going to improve my condition -- I think I might have also freaked out my step-daughter and her children with the noise I was making.

I was starting to believe I was making a little progress as I began testing out my new body, trying to determine its limits and abilities until a loud cacophony of voices started buzzing in my head. I tried to shut it out, the noise absolutely deafening in scale -- but each time I tried to force those voices into submission, they returned with even greater intensity, making my head throb with pain.

Don't fight against the hive mind, my Queen, one of the voices said loud enough over the others to catch my attention.

"How many of you are there?" I asked aloud, oblivious to how the hive mind actually functioned.

There are five thousand of us, my Queen, one answered.

"Where are you? I cannot sense anything other than your voices," I said, addressing the ceiling.

We are where you need us to be, my Queen -- we are everywhere.

Just great, I thought to myself. I had five thousand new voices in my head, all trying to communicate simultaneously. "Can I try to convince all of you to keep the noise down? You're all so loud I can't even hear myself think," I stated aloud, still unaware of the hive mind's greater functionality.

It IS great, my Queen, and we will try to keep our voices down for you -- but it has been so long since we last talked to you, we wanted to welcome you back to the living, another one said. You don't need to address us with your voice -- we can read your thoughts, my Queen.

My jaw dropped when I heard that -- the thought of five thousand entities eavesdropping on my most private thoughts was something that deeply dismayed me. This realization must have been sensed by the others in the hive mind as they all started buzzing again, trying to convince me that they would respect my privacy as best they could, but another thought ran through my mind, one that expressed some disbelief at such a claim. This was then rebuffed by another loud buzzing, this one mostly being promises to respect my private thoughts. This exchange went on for about fifteen minutes, a back and forth of my cynical thoughts and reassurance from the hive mind before I gave up trying to fight against it.

Might as well get used to it now, there doesn't appear to be any turning back, I thought. I must have sensed a collective sigh of relief from them as the buzzing died down to a low murmur, causing me to chuckle in irony. I trotted around the house in an attempt to locate Brenda, Xaviera, and her children. My attempts proved to be futile as I was unable to find them -- my calls to them went unanswered and the doors to all the rooms were open. I even checked the laundry room to see if they might have been so scared as to seek refuge there, but again, no trace. I had the house to myself, which initially satisfied me until I realized that being alone might not be so comforting. Another buzzing from the hive mind seemed to sense my discomfort and tried once again to reassure me that they were there for me should I need them.

What am I supposed to do now? I asked myself. I should have known better than to ask such an open question as the five thousand voices of the hive mind cranked into overdrive, the throbbing in my head so painful that I held my forehooves against it. Aaah! Shut up! I commanded. The voices died down immediately, which elicited another chuckle from me. Thanks, I offered, which resulted in a collective, You're welcome.

I decided to turn on my computer and find out some information regarding Chrysalis -- I figured I'd be better off if I knew more about myself, or what I was supposed to be -- but there was another thought nagging at me, one which almost made me laugh at the prospect. There was a part of me that wanted to teleport to Ponyville, to meet with Twilight Sparkle and see if she could enlighten me on the subject of Changelings, should the internet prove to be an unreliable source of information. I quickly recalled the events of the Royal Wedding, reminding myself that the lavender unicorn -- or was she an alicorn now -- would be less than thrilled to see me in my current form.

I scoured the internet for as much information as I could find, the search taking a few hours. There were some very interesting things I learned, but communicating with the hive mind proved that most of the information I was finding proved to be somewhat inaccurate, though there was enough there that matched up closely enough. I now had to decide on a course of action -- but my hunger started to make itself known, causing me to question if what I needed was food intake or actual love energy.

One aspect of being a changeling was that I could change my appearance to match whatever I could imagine -- and with my imagination being quite vivid, I could picture myself as a very attractive human female. Focusing my concentration on the form in question, I closed my eyes and allowed the change to take place. Upon opening my eyes, I regarded my new form with a bit of a smile before going into the laundry room to check my work in the full length mirror against the wall. I went upstairs to fetch some clothes from Brenda's dresser so I could look somewhat presentable, then fished out the car key and wallet from my pants. I wasn't going to drive the car, I just needed the house key to get back in -- I figured if Brenda returned, she could wait until I returned, but not knowing where she was caused me to check my phone for messages or missed calls. None showed, which puzzled me.

My stomach growled at this point, letting me know I needed something, so I decided to tentatively venture out of the house; perhaps I needed to test my appearance or try to find a source of love energy, but even so, I felt a sense of trepidation. I no longer looked like my former human self and my self-consciousness was causing me to glance around nervously in an attempt to ascertain whether or not anyone was staring at me. I hadn't put a great deal of forethought into my new female human appearance, but I had figured that by taking the appearance I had, I would be able to find sustenance of some sort or other a little easier to obtain. I wasn't sure which direction to start walking -- I considered my options for a few moments, then started walking towards the nearest convenience store.

I hadn't traveled more than half a mile before I was approached by a dark-skinned male human -- I was never good with names and faces, and was certain that this guy was no one I knew. He invited me to his house and escorted me to his car -- he was even kind enough to open the passenger door for me, but took a moment to cop a feel on my buttocks as I tried to sit down.

"Watch where you put those hands unless you want to lose them," I growled at him, glaring angrily. My eyes flashed a menacing green, causing him to back off a little.

"Whoa, sorry there, ma'am, but I couldn't resist! You're a very pretty lady," he offered, grinning a little.

"Get me something to eat and I'll forgive your little excess," I responded, trying to disguise my ulterior motive.

"What do you want?" he asked, perhaps a little annoyed by my attempt to get some free food out of him.

"Some fish, if you don't mind," I replied almost cheerfully. I found I was able to sense the amount of love I could extract from him without arousing his suspicion, causing me to grin a little too widely.

"You sure seem happy today -- what's your name?"

"You may call me Felicia," I replied flatly. I noticed a smile cross his lips for a moment as he spent a few moments ogling my body. "I didn't know I was that attractive," I added. I should have taken that into consideration before changing my appearance, I silently thought.

We are pleased you might be able to feed us with the love you collect, my Queen, added the hive mind. This distraction was noticed by the guy, who gave me a quizzical look.

"Ah, sorry about that. What did you say your name was?" I asked, flashing a smile.

"Lamont, Lamont Jenkins," he replied, his grin widening. "Should only be a little bit longer. How many ya want?"

"Two would be fine, Lamont," I replied nonchalantly.

"You want something to drink with that?"

"A Sprite would be good, I think. Thanks, Lamont," I replied cheerfully.

We pulled into the drive thru of the local Long John's and got some fish and chicken. I waited a little before opening the box with my food in it, causing him to glance at me.

"Don't want to get your car dirty," I offered.

"You can eat in my car if you like," he stated. He turned the car down a different street as he drove towards his house, eating a chicken strip with one hand, the other holding his drink. He steered using the hand he was holding his food in. I glowered at his bad manners, but considered that taking all his love energy would be sufficient punishment for his egregious transgressions. I received a message from the hive mind suggesting I add him to the hive, but responded by entertaining the thought that he wasn't smart enough to become a changeling. I received buzzes of approving laughter at this thought, one which forced me to stifle a giggle or two.

"Something funny, Felicia?" he asked as he pulled the car into his driveway.

"A stray thought popped into my head, one which I found particularly amusing," I replied cryptically.

"Maybe you could tell me what it was when we go inside," he stated as he turned off his car and pocketed the key. He exited then went around to my side of the car and opened the door for me. He motioned for me to follow him, which resulted in me rolling my eyes at his chauvinism. I followed him anyway, relishing the thought of extracting all his love energy. A wicked smile crossed my lips for a split second as I mulled this possibility before entering his house. My nostrils were assailed by the stench inside his home, causing me to stifle my gag reflex and grimace in disgust.

"Something wrong with my home, Felicia? Perhaps you could clean it up for me! I haven't had a good house-keeper around here since my last girlfriend left me," he guffawed.

"Perhaps your mother should have trained you better," I scoffed. "But I believe it's a little too late for that now."

"What do you mean by that? You'd better explain yourself, Felicia," he stated almost angrily.

I walked right up to him and pushed him back into a chair with both hands. "I never was very good at explaining things," I began as I allowed my disguise to melt away. My transformation had the desired effect of shocking him into a state of immobility, his fear and terror causing him to freeze up.

"W-what are you g-going t-to d-do?" he asked fearfully as he stared at me in disbelief.

"Perhaps you don't know who or what I am -- that's immaterial now -- but you are going to provide me with some love," I replied, flashing my canines menacingly at him. He grinned for a moment, thinking lustful thoughts -- thoughts I decided to shatter immediately. "I know what you're thinking -- that I would be willing to take your love in the physical sense by letting you have sex with me," I chuckled. "But that's not how I operate. I will drain you using my magic, sapping your love from you without giving you any physical gratification. Sorry, Lamont."

While I was talking to him, I had been hypnotizing him with my gaze. He seemed to nod dumbly at my statement as I lit my horn with a green glow. I sensed his love energy and began taking it slowly, allowing the sensation of it to permeate my body. The taste was somewhat sweet, but Lamont didn't seem to have much in the way of love energy -- it ran out quite quickly, causing me to glare at him.

"Is this all you have? You are pathetic," I said, voicing my contempt as best I could. I sensed his life force at this point and was sorely tempted to take it as well, but I didn't have it within me to kill him. Doing so would make an already delicate situation far worse, so I left him drained of his love, still sitting in his chair. His mouth was open, an expression of surprise appearing to be a permanent reminder of my visit. I fished his car key out of his pocket and drove back toward my house after resuming my previous female human appearance. I stopped the car and parked it in the parking lot of the convenience store, locking the key inside it. I then walked back towards my house feeling somewhat sated by my first taste of human love energy. I decided to figure out how to obtain more without raising the suspicion of those whose love I was absorbing as I walked back home. I needed a plan, but wasn't sure where to start.

2. All You Need Is Love

A Changeling Queen by Any Other Name

Chapter 2 -- All You Need Is Love

I found the front door of the house unlocked, which surprised me somewhat. Upon entering, I was set upon by Brenda, who had armed herself with a gun. She leveled the weapon at me, glaring very angrily.

"Who the fuck are you? What are you doing here?" she asked. I dropped my disguise at this point, scaring her into discharging the gun at me. I used my magic to cause the bullet to stop in mid-air.

"You can call me Mike if you wish, but this form is called Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. I can take on the appearance of anyone I wish," I stated nonchalantly, almost grinning at her shock and disbelief that I could stop bullets like that.

"How the fuck are you able to stop bullets like that?" she asked.

"I can use magic, Brenda -- but my magic reserves depend on my absorption of love energy. When that energy runs low, so does my magic ability, though I can't lose all my magic. I'm working on a plan to find locations where I can take love energy without causing too much of a disturbance."

"Don't look at me! How can you even think of taking MY love?"

"You don't have any left to take, Brenda," I replied flatly. "I have other ways of dealing with this issue. I have five thousand who are relying upon me to feed them, which is why I must locate a love source quickly."

"Five thousand? Where are they? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I have a hive of that size -- and if I don't feed them, they'll die without me. They've told me they've gone a long time without feeding and they are quite weak. I have little time to waste with this."

"Well, why did you wake up like that? What am I supposed to do with you looking like THAT?!"

"Because I can look like THIS," I replied, taking on an appearance of a handsome young man, eliciting another look of shock from my wife. I chuckled at her reaction. "This is just a small demonstration of what I can do."

"Can you do Kevin Costner?" she asked facetiously. I took a moment to recall the most memorable image of the actor -- his role in "The Bodyguard" was the one I could think of. I altered my appearance somewhat slightly to match her request, causing her jaw to drop wide open. I sensed an uptick in her love energy when I did this, so I surreptitiously drained a little from her, though the taste of her energy was somewhat bitter, causing me to grimace ever so slightly.

"Why did you frown up like that? You only make that face when you take a sip of beer," she mused.

"The taste of your love energy is like a bitter beer, Brenda," I replied as I stopped sipping at it.

"WHAT? You were stealing my love energy?!" she practically screamed, a look of rage on her face.

"I'm getting good at this -- you didn't even notice until after I had told you. I'm sorry for doing that, but I needed to test my skill on that action. You need not worry about me doing that again, especially to you."

"You'd better not, or I'm gonna kill you!" she shouted.

"I might be tempted to take you up on that offer some time later," I mused softly as I pondered my future as Chrysalis.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?"

"Never mind. I need to find a serious source of love energy, Brenda -- do you have any ideas?" I asked as I began rubbing my chin with my thumb and forefinger, pondering my options.

"Why the fuck should I help you? You've already taken some from me --don't even THINK of stealing any from any of my children or grand-children! What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm. I was thinking that any location with a large group of people would be perfect for my needs," I mused.

"Do you really think you can get away with stealing love energy from people? Don't you think you'll get caught doing that?"

"And what makes you think I'll get caught? I already stole some from you and you didn't even know I was doing so until after I had told you -- so I know I won't get caught. I just need -- hmm. A mall? I think I have somewhere to go," I grinned, exiting the house and getting into my car. Brenda followed me out, a look of grim determination on her face.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going, Mike?" she asked as she opened the passenger door.

"So, you want a demonstration of what I'm going to do? I'm headed to the local mall, and I'm going to take as much love energy as I can without raising suspicions. When I have taken my fill, I will have to find where my hive is so I can feed them. Perhaps I can summon them with my thoughts, but I must hold back on that until the time is right."

"The hive? You're beginning to scare me, Mike," she muttered.

"Analyzing driver data," the car stated flatly. "Driver data unconfirmed. Driver, please state your name for my records."

"Michael Walker," I replied in an even tone.

"Voice data unconfirmed. Data is in conflict -- activating safe mode," came a monotone from the speakers.

"TS, I can assure you that I am Michael Walker -- activate master control override protocol number seven," I stated sternly as my annoyance began to build towards anger.

"Password required," came the flat response.

"Cheese and onions," I replied curtly, a hint of anger in my voice.

"Recalibrating driver data, safe mode override confirmed. Good afternoon, Michael! Where are we going today?"

"Mike, I hate it when the car does this," said a very annoyed Brenda.

"Passenger data confirmed," came the flat monotone from the speakers.

"Pick out a mall where there's a lot of people," I said, stifling a chuckle.

"Calculating. Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, distance of 148.3 miles. Preparing to teleport." The words weren't even out of the speakers as Brenda tried to protest, to no avail. A blinding flash of white enveloped us as we were teleported to the parking lot of this very large mall. I drove to a relatively close space to one of the entrances and parked the car, locking it and pocketing the key. I still looked quite a bit like Kevin Costner, and my appearance caused quite a scene as I entered, Brenda walking by my side.

"Kevin! I've seen all your movies! I'm your biggest fan! Can I have an autograph?" asked some lady who had rushed up to me. A mob started to form very quickly around me at this point, though I could sense quite a bit of love from them. There were too many people around me for me to steal some of that energy without being noticed.

"My name's Mike, not Kevin -- I just look like him! Get away from me!" I shouted at the group of people. Some of them grumbled in complaint as they dispersed slowly. "Brenda, give me a moment to use the bathroom -- I'll have to change my look just a little."

"You should have known better than to keep that appearance," she giggled in response.

"Whatever," I muttered as I searched for the bathroom. I had to tell quite a few other people I wasn't who I looked like until I found the washroom and entered a stall. I considered a few options for a new appearance, then concentrated and changed myself. Upon exiting the stall, I was immediately asked where Kevin went. I shrugged my shoulders in response to the query and went to find Brenda. I walked around the mall looking for her, but was unable to find her. I sensed love energy from people and began secretly stealing it from various people wandering around the mall. I noticed that some of the folks I stole love from started acting more aggressively, but paid it little heed. I had needs and I was going to satisfy them as best I could and as quickly as I could as well.

After about two hours of wandering the mall, I was able to find Brenda in a clothing store. I had absorbed enough love to slake my thirst and told her it was time to go. She had picked out several things she wanted me to buy for her, though I didn't have the money for it and told her as much.

"Come on, Mike, I need these clothes! It's only $227, you can cover that," she insisted.

I flashed my eyes that menacing green color. "You're leaving with me, NOW," I snapped. She meekly complied with my demand and I allowed a chuckle to escape my lips. "Maybe some other time I'll get those things for you."

We made our way back to the entrance we had come in, though I noticed quite a few incidents involving people getting into fights with mall security. One particular incident caught our attention as someone had brandished a gun and was shooting indiscriminately. An off-duty police officer managed to subdue the shooter, but not before they scared quite a lot of people.

"What would make someone snap like that?" asked Brenda.

"I have no idea," I muttered as we walked out to our car. I probably need to be even more careful about doing that, I thought to myself. I had another argument with the car as it was once again confused by the change in my appearance -- I was forced to say the password again to get the car to take us home. TS then asked me an unusual question.

"Michael, why has your data changed again?" came the monotone query from the speakers.

"I suffered another transformation in my sleep last night," I replied flatly. "Apparently, I can change myself."

"That means you're a changeling now?"

"Not just any changeling -- I was transformed into the Queen herself," I replied flatly.

"Michael, is this true?" asked a different voice. I kept forgetting my car had a direct link to Princess Celestia.

"Yes, your Majesty, it is. I'm not sure how to proceed with this -- I don't know if TS can transform me back."

"No, Michael, I cannot," answered TS flatly.

"I would desire an audience with you at your earliest convenience," came the Solar Princess' voice through the speakers.

"Princess, I don't know if that would be such a good idea right now," I replied flatly. I pulled the car into our driveway and turned it off. "Brenda, go into the house -- I may need to talk to the Princess a bit longer."

"Maybe SHE can turn you back into your normal human self -- shit, Mike, I fucking HATE it when shit like this happens! Why does it keep happening to YOU?"

"I have no idea, Brenda -- I don't like it any more than you do," I replied, maintaining a flat tone.

"Well, whatever it is, it had better stop -- I'm getting really tired of not knowing who or what you are anymore." She slammed the passenger door hard at that point and walked back into the house. A crackling sound came from the speakers at this point.

"Michael, I need for you to teleport to my location," the Solar Princess stated flatly. "Please do so now."

Please, my Queen, we beg of you -- don't do it!

I'm sorry, but I have to -- I'll be back soon, I offered. I concentrated my magic, focusing on the Royal Throne Room of Canterlot Castle, my body glowing a bright green before I materialized ten feet away from the Day Princess.

"Michael, please assume your true form," she commanded. I dropped my disguise to reveal myself in all my black and green glory, grinning sheepishly. "So, you have indeed replaced Chrysalis. How long have you been in this form?"

"I woke up like this about ten hours ago, your Majesty," I replied.

"I hope you understand you will not be permitted to retain that form."

"Why not? I'm not bothering anypony in your realm, and I will retain this form in my realm. I have become somewhat attached to it, your Majesty. I have a hive of five thousand counting on me back home -- I can't exactly leave them behind now, can I?"

"You should know by now that your presence cannot be tolerated --"

"Is there a way you can transform me into my previous state as a male human and return me to my home world?"

"I was getting to that point, Michael, before you interrupted me. I have various ways of dealing with changelings and as you have become a queen, there are certain steps which must be taken," the alicorn stated flatly. It was at that moment that one of the guards announced the arrival of Twilight Sparkle. At this mention, a smile came to my face.

"Your Majesty, I would appreciate an audience with her," I offered hopefully.

"You should already know what she thinks of changelings, Michael. Just to satisfy your curiosity, I shall allow her entry. Guard, please show her in -- she is welcome any time."

I was surprised to see a lavender unicorn instead of an alicorn as she nearly pranced into the room to meet with her mentor. "Princess Celestia, I am here for my -- gaaah! What -- what are YOU doing here?! After what you did the LAST time you were here?!"

"Does the name Michael Walker mean anything to you, Twilight?" I asked her.

"Don't tell me you visited his home world and are taking it over!"

"No, Twilight, I woke up like this this morning," I replied flatly. "There was a part of me that was hoping you might have an answer or know a way to change me back into a human."

"Oh. Sorry, Michael, I didn't know -- I apologize for automatically assuming you were Chrysalis herself."

"I must admit, it brings a smile to my face to see you once again," I said softly, offering a sincere smile. Unfortunately, this meant my canines flashed as well, which unnerved the librarian. "Sorry about that, I keep forgetting."

"That's enough pleasantries for you both. Michael, I shall need for you to accompany me."

3. You've Got to Hive Your Love Away

A Changeling Queen by Any Other Name

Chapter 3 -- You've Got to Hive Your Love Away

I followed the alicorn as she trotted out of the throne room, her faithful student trotting to her right. I pondered my options as best I could, though the thought of being returned to my human form, tantalizing though it was, was overruled by my desire to return home and provide for my hive, though I hadn't even seen them. Another buzzing came to me while I was trotting behind the Solar Princess, but this one seemed almost alien to me.

Who are you? Why are you here? Where is our Queen? asked a voice from this new hive.

I wonder if she might have exchanged places with me -- if that's the case, I must return to my home world at once!

Where is your home world? Where is our Queen?

You'll get your Queen back as soon as I can return to my home world! I shouted mentally, causing the buzzing to diminish to a bare whisper. Their hushed responses elicited a smile from me as I allowed a brief moment of introspection on my ability to command so many so easily.

"What are you smiling about, Michael?" asked the alicorn. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed I had stopped trotting behind her.

"Begging your pardon, your Majesty, but the hive mind here has informed me that their Queen is not in this world, and that she may have traveled to MY home world. If that's the case, I must return immediately to keep Chrysalis from causing trouble there. I simply commanded the local hive mind to be quiet, which they did -- but I really have to go back. I'm sorry to do this, but I can't have her running amok in my world -- the chaos would be terrible."

"Perhaps your return to your home world would precipitate her return here," Celestia mused. "Very well then, Michael, you are free to return to your home world, though I would request you contact me via your car's ability to communicate across the dimensional barrier. Take care and good luck."

"I would like to join you, Michael," Twilight offered, almost grinning at the possible prospect of traveling to a new universe.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Twilight -- my world might be a bit dangerous for you," I replied flatly. The librarian expressed some disappointment at this, but Celestia nodded her head in agreement with me.

"Trust Michael on that matter, Twilight. I need you here, not assisting him on what might be a very dangerous mission," the alicorn warned gently. "I admire your desire to learn about his world, but I cannot allow you to visit, at least not yet anyway."

"I hope to see you again under better circumstances, your Majesty. You too, Twilight, I will keep you in my thoughts. Fare well," I offered, waving my right fore-hoof, feeling the air flow through my spiracles as I did so. I concentrated on my home world, focusing on the front yard of my house. My horn glowed green as I disappeared in a blinding flash of white, materializing five feet to the left of my car. I sent a mental communication to the hive mind, trying to locate them -- I was met with silence, which puzzled me.

Where are you? I need to ask a favor of you, I addressed the hive mind.

Who are you? We do not recognize you. How are you communicating with us like this?

I thought I was your Queen -- is there a new Queen? I asked. Another flash of light forced me to shield my eyes as Chrysalis herself materialized five feet to my left.

"What? Are you trying to mock me?" she asked indignantly, glaring at me in disapproval -- or was she scowling at me?

"Your hive awaits your return in Equestria. Why not go back and see to their needs?" I asked as I decided diplomacy was the best course of action to take.

"I have a hive here, you impostor! Why don't YOU go to Equestria instead?" she retorted almost angrily, her scowl deepening as she flashed her canines at me.

I bared my canines at her. "This is MY home world! You have stolen my hive!" I screeched at her, lighting my horn in an attempt to frighten her. She allowed a wicked grin to color her features as she tried to stifle a chuckle.

"You have an attitude to match mine! You might be a mockery of me, but I am impressed! If what you say is true, I shall go back to see if you're being honest with me -- but if you're lying, I WILL return to take your hive and your world as well!"

"I would hope to make you a friend of mine instead of an enemy," I offered. She tilted her head quizzically at me.

"So you must be speaking the truth -- tell me, if you are not me, then what is your name?"

"Michael Walker," I replied, which caused her to start chuckling.

"You mean to tell me you were one of these ... hairless apes? How did you become like me?"

"I have no idea, Chrysalis. I woke up like this earlier this morning. Given my experiences over nearly five decades of my life, I have developed a considerable amount of contempt for my fellow humans and -- to be honest -- this particular transformation has given me an opportunity to manifest my contempt by taking their love energy, though you have probably already discovered how abundant that energy is," I grinned. She returned my grin with one of her own.

"You definitely have an attitude to match mine! I like the way you think -- perhaps we could work together?"

"Imagine that -- two Changeling Queens working in tandem..." I mused, as my grin widened. "Hmm. That sounds very tempting, Chrysalis."

"Great! We can start with Equestria," she chirped.

"Hold on a minute there -- I just came from talking to Princess Celestia -- and I assured her that my return here would result in your return there. I am extremely reticent about helping you conquer Equestria, as I have a great deal of respect for the Princess and the ponies there. About my home world -- my concern is not so great," I responded.

"I would expect your assistance with Equestria, Michael -- in exchange for assisting you in conquering your home world. I couldn't care less what YOU think about Equestria -- I wonder if you understand the level of contempt I have for that place, especially with what happened about a year and a half ago when my hive and I were expelled from Canterlot -- I had the perfect plan, and those ponies ruined it!"

"My suggestion would be for you to work out a truce with Princess Celestia, that you seek a symbiotic relationship where you and your hive can survive in peaceful co-existence with the ponies -- besides, given the size of Equestria as well as numerous towns and cities, perhaps you and your hive could live near Manehattan or some other large city -- there must be at least one location with a sizable population -- and you could siphon off love surreptitiously, living for centuries without arousing the suspicions of the Solar Princess," I offered. I watched her strike a thoughtful pose as she pondered my suggestion for a few moments.

"Always the pragmatic approach, eh, Michael? I'm impressed by your intelligence and even though I'm disappointed by your concern for those ... ugh ... ponies, I'd be pleased to help you, if you'd like," she replied.

"Thanks for the offer -- I may take you up on it later. By the way, can I get a hug from you? I don't suppose that would be too much to ask..."

She smiled and approached me, rearing onto her hind legs. I mimicked her action, my forelegs wrapping around her barrel as she wrapped hers around me. We exchanged a hug, allowing it to linger for awhile.

"Thank you, Chrysalis," I said warmly.

"Thank you, Michael -- it has been too long since someone showed me that level of affection," she smiled.

"Perhaps we could rub horns together some time," I grinned, flashing my canines, eliciting giggles from the Queen.

"Stop being silly! We might actually lock our horns up if we do that!" she giggled, then teleported back to Equestria.

Where is our Queen? asked a voice from the hive mind.

I am your Queen, you must respect me as such, I responded. The buzzing returned, mostly incredulous that I would respond like that. The perception I got was that they doubted me, that they wanted me to prove to them that I was indeed their Queen. I have taken some love energy -- I shall distribute what I can, I offered.

Any earlier cacophony of buzzing was a mere shadow of the intensity of this one -- my head was pounding so hard with this incredible level of activity, I fell to the ground holding my head with my forehooves. My hive was approaching, making their arrival extremely well known. The buzzing voices increased in their intensity, then I heard a different buzzing as the changelings started arriving in their physical form. The loud buzzing of their wings as they continued to arrive was deafening and the size of the army astonished me as they continued their approach; I gawked at the sight of five thousand changelings, all of them competing for a share of what I could offer them.

I'm going to have to teach them how to take what they need carefully -- can't have them draining every human they see dry -- that would make too many enemies. As I contemplated this thought, the buzzing of the hive mind seemed to concur with my thoughts, giving me a sense of approval. I seemed to instinctively know how to measure out the needed love for my hive, but even what I had absorbed proved to be little more than a snack for them -- they wanted more -- they needed more.

"I'm glad you all came -- it warms my heart to know you're here -- and I know that what little I have given you is not enough to satisfy your needs. I will need for you to honor my requests -- I expect this of all of you -- do not kill any humans, we cannot afford to make them our enemies. We can have them as a source of energy, but we must not kill them. We must not drain them of all their love, either, as tempting as it may be to do so," I reiterated as I addressed them.

We shall do as you request, my Queen, they answered, almost in unison.

One other thing -- I know I already requested this, but please try to keep your volume down. You make my head hurt when you all try to talk at once.

We will try to do that as best we can, my Queen.

"We will have to find a suitable location with lots of people -- New York City would be an almost ideal choice."

Brenda walked out of the house and was stunned by what she saw, then quickly turned around and went back into the house. I heard some of the voices call on me to extract her love and I soundly rebuked them for that demand.

She is not to be harmed or any love energy taken from her or her children! Do I make myself clear?!

Yes, my Queen, but why her?

There are certain humans which must be spared from our needs -- those humans have significant meaning to me and they must be exempt from our actions. I understand your contempt for the entirety of the human race, but I must request you respect those humans I deem exempt from our predations. I need to talk to her -- her name is Brenda.

I changed my appearance after I had confirmed the hive would comply with my request, then entered the house. I trudged upstairs to our room to find her in the bed, cowering under the comforter.

"Brenda, I apologize for bringing the entire hive here -- we shall leave shortly. I hate to say this, but I'm going to be establishing our new hive location near New York City -- so as to be near a very large food source. As a changeling, my sustenance is now love energy, as I may have told you."

"Mike! You can't leave us here, without a way to pay the bills! What am I supposed to do?"

I dropped my disguise once again, causing my wife to freeze up in fear. "I'm sorry, Brenda, but I have a new job now. I don't know what to tell you, other than to call on your sisters, your brothers, friends, whomever you can to help you. I can no longer be your husband like this," I stated somewhat sadly.

"No! You can't leave me! Why?"

"Because the temptation to drain your love energy is too strong. I can no longer live with humans under the same roof, Brenda. I have to go now." I turned around and began trotting to the stairs, then slowly down to the front door.

"Mike! I need you here!" she shouted after me as she followed me. I opened the front door and trotted out, closing it behind me. Brenda opened the door and followed me out, only to see the hive still waiting on me -- upon seeing them, she screamed again and fled back into the house.

"My children, I am going to establish our new hive location in New York City! The journey will take a few days, but I trust you all to follow me as we lay claim to the largest and most populous city in the country! We shall feast on all the love we can, though we must not drain every human we encounter. Let us be off!" I called out, a big grin on my face as I took to the air, my wings carrying me almost effortlessly. My army followed me into the sky as we made our trek to the east. I was almost giddy with excitement as I relished the opportunity to establish a new home for myself and my hive. I contemplated finding a large abandoned building to suit our purposes, noting the buzzing of approval from the hive mind as I mulled the possibilities.

4. I Love the Night Life

A Changeling Queen by Any Other Name

Chapter 4 -- I Love the Night Life

I informed my hive that we would be traveling at night so as not to arouse suspicion. Considering the weather and its effects on the changelings, I had contemplated taking a southerly route, perhaps to Miami or Houston -- I discovered that I was seemingly immune to whatever the weather decided to throw at me. The hive mind informed me that they likewise seemed to be immune as we continued eastward. We were able to make good time, stopping in various locations to build up our strength, sapping love by assuming human forms and mingling with others. I discovered that my hive were quite adept at assuming human forms, including clothing, something that impressed me.

It took us about five days of traveling to reach New York, though we did so at what I considered to be a very leisurely pace. After our numerous stops to replenish our energy, we were now ready to build a proper hive in the city. I sent my army to scout locations and found a particularly attractive one the day after I made the request. I was amazed at their efficiency, though they informed me that their previous queen had trained them in that discipline.

This abandoned building should suit our needs quite nicely -- we should be able to stay here for a long time, I noted mentally, receiving affirmations through the hive mind as a response. Now that we had established a location, it was time to actually build the hive proper. One of the benefits of having a pre-established hive was that there was a certain hierarchy which I discovered on our travels. There were five divisions, each with its own commander -- and it was these commanders who had initially contacted me through the hive mind. As it turns out, once I had proven to them I was fit to be their queen, their subservience was automatic.

I issued commands to the hive to retrieve building materials to fix up the building and create a Royal Suite for me -- as their Queen, I deserved to be treated like one! During the construction process, one which went much faster than a normal construction crew would, we would put the building together during the day disguised as normal humans, then during the evenings we would go around to various bars, taverns, and night clubs in order to recover any lost energy as well as consume the needed sustenance to keep ourselves fully satisfied. I suppose taking love energy from humans may have been cold -- perhaps even brutal -- but I understood that there were certain needs which had to be met, which was a justification I used to convince myself that what we were doing was necessary for the survival of our species. It was my continuous existence as a changeling queen which seemed to be having an effect on my mind, though those effects were barely perceptible.

It had been about two weeks since I had left Equestria and I had wondered out of curiosity if Princess Celestia might have been trying to contact me. I recalled that she had wanted me to keep in contact with her, but without my car I was unable to do so. I had been so preoccupied with establishing our new hive in New York that the time had flown by -- our construction was nearly complete and our strength was nearly as fully restored as it was some time before the previous Queen had died, though the circumstances surrounding that event were unknown to me. I hadn't even given it much consideration until now as our efforts neared completion and had finally given me enough time to contemplate our next course of action.

The following day was when we finally completed the hive, though the abandoned building still retained the appearance of one. The work had been done on the interior of the building, living quarters, conference rooms, barracks, and my Royal Chambers being concealed quite well from prying eyes -- I wanted to ensure that anyone who might see the building would not consider giving it a second look. I spent that day touring the entire building and giving my approval to the quality of work which had been accomplished. We celebrated by feasting on a substantial number of humans, sating our hunger completely, the hive still mindful of my request that they not be completely drained.

You have done well, my children! I am deeply pleased with the results of your work!

It was a pleasure, my Queen. We would like to know what the next course of action is.

We shall expand slowly, but we shall improve our strength and conditioning so we can become a force to be reckoned with.

We have done that before, my Queen.

Then improve agility and swiftness -- we can never be too strong or too fast!

Agreed. We shall strive to become as powerful as possible!

The next few weeks went quite smoothly as my army began using the energy they absorbed by channeling it into improving their fighting capabilities. My plan was to increase the size of the hive to ten thousand, though the process was going to take a considerable amount of time and it would most likely result in the need for an expansion of our building.

I was feeling a slight amount of discomfort coming from my lower abdominal area -- it felt as though I had a bad aching in my stomach. It was while I was sitting in a chair that I felt something slide out from between my hind legs, causing me to shriek in horror at what had popped out. I discovered that one small problem with being a Queen was that I was laying eggs, something which freaked me out, causing me to scream my head off again. The hive mind tried to console me and sent me multiple reassurances that this was a normal part of being a Queen. Fortunately, the hive had foreseen this possibility and provided an incubation room for my new offspring, though the prospect of laying eggs was one which frightened me, though adding to the hive was a bit of a necessity in order for us to survive.

I was slowly adapting to my new life as a changeling queen, but was interrupted one day when a certain oddly-shaped creature teleported into my chambers. I considered the being to be male, as he had a rather deep voice, though it was hard to tell what kind of creature he was -- he appeared to be a jumbled mish-mash of different animal parts.

"Well, well -- how are things going for you, Chrysalis?" he asked, grinning slyly. I heard him chuckle softly as he seemed to be sizing me up for some purpose.

"Hmm, what manner of creature might you be? I seem to recall pictures of you on the internet -- I haven't had much time for that since I became the new Queen. You must be Discord, yes?"

His grin widened. "Yes, Chryssie, that's right!"

"I don't have time for your games, Discord. What is it you want?" I asked, annoyance clearly evident in my voice.

"Oh, no games, Chryssie, just a business proposition," he replied nonchalantly, still grinning at me.

"What are you getting at?"

"Well ... I've grown bored of playing with the humans and I wanted something a little more exciting. I noticed your recent return from the dead and have been watching you to see what you would do. I was wanting to offer you an opportunity to conquer this little planet."

"Not interested, Discord -- I'm not trying to take over the world -- why should I?"

He sidled over to me, wrapping his lion's paw around my withers, grinning broadly. "Just think! The two of us together, with your army -- we'd be unstoppable!" he chortled.

"You realize I used to be human before I became a changeling queen, right?" I asked. He nodded his head.

"Of course, Chryssie! I was just wanting to see how well you'd adjust to those changes!"

I glared at him in disapproval. "You could have chosen someone else, you know," I grumbled.

"Are you kidding me? This is much more fun! Come on, Chryssie, what do you say?"

"Go back where you came from, Discord. I'm too busy dealing with my own issues --" I began, but was interrupted by another egg coming out of me. "Uhhh! I don't think I'll ever get used to that!" I exclaimed indignantly, causing the dragonequus to chuckle loudly. I narrowed my eyes at him. "What if you were the one laying eggs?" I asked harshly as a team of my army flew in and took the egg to the incubation room.

"Well ... consider it a learning experience, Chryssie! I would hate to be in your position," he offered in an almost apologetic tone, but his eyes spoke differently. "Though I hope we can work out an agreement -- I'd love to enlist your aid!"

"One other thing, Discord -- I am on good terms with Celestia, and I would hate to have to inform her that you're running around here causing trouble," I stated, flashing an almost malevolent grin.

"Oh, Chryssie! Do you really think she can do anything to stop me from having my fun? If you won't help me, I'll take over the world myself -- I would hate to have you as one of my enemies," he said firmly, giving me a stern look.

"There are certain humans who I have chosen to protect, Discord -- if any harm befalls them, I will hunt you down and I will hurt you," I admonished, my gaze hardening.

"You realize, of course, that threatening the God of Chaos is utter foolishness," he warned, his stare hardening into an evil grin. "If you think you can take me on, I'll be waiting for you!" he laughed, then disappeared. It appeared to me as though I was going to have to enlarge my army to the point where we could defeat him.

My children, the time has come for us to enlarge the hive -- we must build an army of a hundred thousand as quickly as possible!

It will be our pleasure, my Queen!