Love Within the Beast

Chapter 3

Trying not to be intimidated, or aroused, by the Queen's voice, Steelwing began to recall his history of how Shinning Armor, Princess Cadence and Princess Celestia had fought off Changeling Queen Chrysalis and her swarm along with the help from the six Elements of Harmony. It had happened several years before he had stumbled into Canterlot as a colt. "The Queen of Changelings...that is, a big title."

"Yes. Ah, you're beginning to comprehend just how much danger you're in. I can feel it rolling off of you, the fear that is~ It is delicious, keep that up if you can help it," she added, giggling quietly in a mischievous tone. Steel shuddered nervously and was thankful that he saw them approaching a lit room at the top of the stairs; allowing him to see most of the Queen's form. She also had the same deformity, holes in her limbs, as the rest of the drones he saw before. "I'd be foolish not to feel fear in a place like this." The Queen came to a halt at the top of the stairs, blocking his way, and giving him a full view of everything else, those soul-piercing eyes ever watching. Her mane and tail were indeed long, her horn cruel looking and crooked at two areas before coming to a dangerous point and her fangs were longer than those of her kin, however every other feature about her was horrifyingly beautiful to Steelwing. Her figure was far leaner than those of the ponies he was used to seeing around Canterlot or even the Princesses. Each curve was pronounced from there being not a scrap of extra flesh on her sleek body. A shell was on her abdomen, but wider than the others, stretching down to her lower belly then up to cradle against her rib-cage and the underside of her plump breasts, causing them to perk up more than a normal pony's would, it was a deep jade green. He breasts remain exposed much to Steel's shock, the areola being a dark grey in contrast to her smooth black skin.Down lower her trim waist flared out into impressive hips and around to a pert, rounded plot beneath her turquoise tail. Despite the deformities on her legs they still appeared strong and of beautiful shape, even the slightly pointed pair of ears peeking out the sides of her head out of her hair were cute to him.

Gazing over her, Steel knew her keen eyes missed nothing and he only prayed that she took the excessive staring as a compliment rather than an insult. Finally he spotted a a delicate ebony tiara on top of her head, the three main tips were adorned with large green opal stones with small turquoise stones set under them along the rim of it. How can someone so terrifying be so enchanting like this? Everything she does is wrong! "You feed off emotions, it makes sense you would enjoy my suffering as well," Steel said quietly, tearing his gaze away to stare at a wall. She scoffed and continued to walk, leading him into a room illuminated by dozens of pillar candles, rather than the eerie green lights in the lower sections of the Hive. "Now why am I here, why trick me?" And after all my lessons from the Princesses, why can't get my magic back out of your control?!

"So impatient, if it's anything you spoiled ponies lack inland is patents. You learn to get some when you're forced to wait month to month for a substantial meal." She shook her head, sitting down in a curved, high-back seat pulled out from a nearby, simple in design desk. Her eyes narrowed crudely as she addressed him. "You chose to leave the safety of Canterlot; of domesticated Equestria and all its glory, and the protection of the Princess of the Sun. Why wouldn't I take the opportunity to steal away something she believes is special to her? And the love you feel for the Moon Princess? Mmm, very tasteful -scrumptious!" she mocked lightly with a hearty laugh. "I took you for those reasons and being an alicorn, it is known that your power and emotions are far more than normal ponies, therefore the love I get off of you is stronger. Surprising after having control over that dope Shinning Armor, I didn't think anyone could sustain me better than his blind love for that pink alicorn. Cadence, yes? Yes. Well, why don't you tell me what element you specialize in anyway now that you're here and I have free time at hoof?"

Steelwing forced back a sneer. "I'm learning to master earth-metals. And what could you know of love? It's a bit beyond you I think, someone as cold-hearted and sinister as you, and everything that's here! What could you possibly know?!" His wings trembled with the desire to straighten up in defiance. The door they'd entered from suddenly slammed shut as a pulse of green energy smacked into his body and from the she-Changeling's horn, she glared at him menacingly as she stood, his body smacking against the wall hard before he drooped to the floor.

"I know much, you impudent whelp!! It feeds me and my swarm like nothing else in the entire world!" She strode closer, her porous hand soon curling around his neck as he groaned from the twinges of pain going down his back and wings. "How dare you question why I do things?! We are forced into this life and existence, thanks to your precious Celestia!!" she snapped bitterly.

Steel lifted his startled gaze to her menacing one. "Wh-What? How?" He choked out, fighting a bit to keep breathing normally.

Queen Chrysalis loosened her grip somewhat as she explained, hate dripping from her words, "I went to Celestia the week I earned my Queen-ship, I asked both Princesses to consider letting my subjects and theirs integrate, and intermarry if they wanted to, with hers. The Lunar Princess felt skeptical, but told me it sounded possible.Then that High Mare, Celestia, almost laughed me out of the throne room and ordered me out, else I'd be attacked by her puny Royal guards! She said this was out of the question for pony-kind to enter such relations with so terribly deformed and sickly creatures! That it would ruin any good lineage that ponies possessed by giving them undesirable mutations and deformities!! Never mind that love is supposed to be blind to imperfections of the body, she wouldn't hear any more of the subject!!" The Changeling Queen released his neck and Steel stood, bracing himself on the wall behind him and flexed his wings slightly. Nothing broken.

He stammered out, "I, never knew that happened."

"Of course not!" She paced across the room to the only window he'd seen since being in the Hive, it seemed to overlook the Badlands and the forest beyond them all the way to the ocean many miles away. "Everypony loves Celestia, but nevermind the wretchedness they've done to so many!" Her thin wings beat fast with irritation as the gazed out, like jagged pieces of stained glass tinted a pale blue. Minutes ticked by until they calmed with her emotions and slowly folded down against her back, the tips going down to the backs of her knees. Standing there, to Steelwing she looked to be lost in thought, her arms crossed stubbornly like she was reliving every plan she'd ever had only to have shot down, yet she still didn't give up. All for her children, not herself. Not for selfish reasons...All I've been told has been lies about these creatures, about Changelings. Like the rest of her, beastly, but amazing...

"I-I misunderstood. I'm sorry, Queen Chrysalis."

Said she-Changeling turned around, eyes wide as her wings brushed each other the sound they made sounding like dry leaves rustled by a breeze. "What," she blinked in a surprised manner, "did you say?"

Steel sighted and stood up straighter, figuring if she wanted him dead from a bold move of saying sorry, she would have done it by now."I'm sorry. I know I trespassed, was basically foal-napped, and am having my powers suppressed, but I misunderstood why all of that is happening to me. I didn't understand this place, or you." He cautiously took a few steps closer to her."I know I'm about to say something expected by you from anypony, but I honestly never knew Celestia would do something that horrible, to be so dismissive and uncaring. Can you please forgive this 'impudent whelp' of a pony?"Steel asked, standing very still, uncertain to whether or not this Matriarch would take offense or pity on his plea. What happened next however, Steel really didn't anticipate.

The dark Queen walked closer, the hard bottoms of her hooves making sharp clicks on the smooth floor and soon, Steel found that she was slowly wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. He caught a whiff of what he could make out as watermelon mixed with fresh dew on the she-Changeling's mane as his nose got covered slightly by it. Not knowing how to react, Steel shifted nervously and questioned, "U-Um, Queen Chrysalis...?" Despite the wonderful scent, he wasn't sure he wanted the Queen renown for turning ponies into mindless-love drunken fools.

"For an outsider, your eyes are not entirely blind to what life is for us. Especially being from the heart of Equestria... I'm impressed." She nuzzled the side of his neck briefly, inhaling the scent from his own short mane and flesh under the soft grey coat, a musky burning-wood smell. From her earlier nature towards him, Steelwing could have sworn this was some kind of dizzy day-dream, however it was real. Too soon for his liking it seemed though, she pulled away. It confused him inwardly how we could be this reluctant to have her move away from him, knowing all the evil she was capable of, could it be her magic somehow effecting him? "Perhaps you'll have more use here than merely becoming a Husk after all." Her smile sent an alarmed shiver down his spine, then he recalled the drones calling that poor filly the same name, 'Husk'.

"Queen Chrysalis, I have to ask, what is the reason for that? The ponies, look brainwashed, is that why they're called husks?"

Her smile drooped until her mouth was set in a serious line, her full lips parting to let out a disappointed sigh as she nodded. "They are ponies whom my swarm have lured in with the same trick I used on you. The fact is, what is your name again, Steelwing?"

"Steel, preferably," he added quietly as she moved to sit back in the chair she'd started in when they first entered the room.

She paused and gave another nod, "Steel. The fact is, my Hive is indeed the biggest and for now, the most powerful, but it takes so much to get to this point. Much moving, reproducing, building and there is never enough food it seems to go around, not just emotional either. Love is what keeps our life force ticking and our magic strong, but out here in the Badlands as Celestia so kindly named it," she had to inhale slowly to ease her temper from spiraling out of control again, her eyes glowed faintly as she opened them to continue," The Badlands don't grow food easily. I put out the order for Husks to be used in order for us to be less distracted by trying to grow tangible food, and more focused to find emotional sustenance. I know seeing that young filly displeases you, but they are as well cared for as we can afford. Only ponies who are resistant end up in the type of cell you were put in, they get fed and are allowed seven hours sleep between chore duties. Normally one of my children remain close to them as to encourage them to keep preforming their tasks. The younger Husks transport grain and the harvested crops that the older and stronger ones are able to grow and reap. It looks cruel to all outside the Hive, yet they are a necessity for use to live with a little less worry."

"Do they, only grow the food for the...swarm and themselves?" They're still slaves in every sense...

Queen Chrysalis shook her head. "Any female Husks we take get are taken to nursery chambers." Steel swore he saw her blush slightly. "That is where newly birthed stay until they under-go their metamorphosis into a drone. They need the most love to grow properly, so the drones stationed guard at the nursery chambers cast a spell to trick the mares into thinking that the newborns are their own foal to care for; their love allows them a chance to be strong after changing."

Steel felt conflicted about this and looked away from her. "That, does seem cruel to me."

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes but kept her voice calm. "Would you have survived without your mother?"

"No, not for long."

She nodded. "Neither would mine, but I cannot tend to hundreds at a time with me being only one Changeling. I visit as often as possible though, I cherish each one, even though I'm not the one constantly caring for them or holding them."

"Hu-hundreds?!" Steel sputtered out before thinking better of it, then quickly covered his mouth with both hands, his eyes still wide!

This caused a loud, trilling laugh from the dark Queen. "I was expecting that reaction, lower your hands, I will not rip out your tongue for that, this time," she smiled shrewdly. "Yes, hundreds. Unlike ponies who are born straight from the womb, Changelings are indeed born from an egg. A Queen, such as myself, can manage a hundred a day after we've been through our heat, or estrus cycle. Once outside our bodies, the eggs continue to grow for two weeks so the newborn won't be so terribly small." Tilting her head a bit, she smirked. "Does that explain it better?"

Steel chuckled nervously, "y-yeah. That sums it up, better." He pondered on that for a moment. "If you don't mind can I ask one more question?" Queen Chrysalis waved him on so, he asked, "if you're so concerned about having enough resources for your Hive to live on, wouldn't it be...wiser to not make, so many, er, children?"

"It would seem that way at first, but each of my children only live for ten years, more or less, after changing to a full fledged drone. And from egg to transformation takes two years roughly for each newborn so, you see the numbers fluctuate but I have to keep doing such things to keep my Hive from bottoming out and falling too much in number so another Hive does not over take ours in ruling."

There are more than hers? By how many? "I see," Steel replied with a reasoned nod.

"Now, its been a day and a half since I've been able to enjoy a good rest and I'd like to do that now. Enough questions for one night." She got up and went to the door.

Expecting her to open it and order him to leave he blurted out quickly, "please, don't send me back to that cell!?"

She looked over her shoulder and instead of opening the large door, her horn glowed and secured locks at the top and bottom of it. "I hadn't planned on it."

"Uh....what?" That, he hadn't expected.