Chrysalis' Love Hotel

The Badlands. Never did I think I’d see this place firsthoof. I’ve seen pictures of the vast, barren desert devoid of friendly life, sure, but that’s as much as anyone needs to see to get the full scope of the changeling swarm’s home turf.

As we marched across the dried ground, our armored hooves making soft clinks and kicking up small dust clouds around us, the heat of Celestia’s sun beating down on us and making (at least me) sweat profusely, several chills began snaking their way up and down my spine as the current situation fully dawned on me.

Two squads of Solar Guards, thirteen in each, marched in formation across this arid landscape in the direction which Princess Celestia said the signal from her recording crystal was emanating from. The princess herself lead us toward our destination, and for once in my life (perhaps I wasn’t alone and some of my fellows shared my sentiments) I found myself viewing Princess Celestia as more than just Equestria’s prevalent ruler.

Everything from her movements, to her armaments, to her posture was more akin to that of a warrior than a princess. All throughout the mission briefing, the tone in which Princess Celestia spoke to us was a far cry from the soft, almost motherly voice typical of her. Instead, the manner in which she spoke to us was more militaristic, yet still very feminine. I suppose the best comparison would be that of a teacher instructing her class to remain perfectly behaved on a field trip, except with a whole lot more gagging.

When Celestia explained to us what exactly she believed the changeling queen’s latest scheme was, it took everything in my power to avoid hurling my breakfast all over the ground. The idea that the changelings have been running a brothel as a means of harvesting love energy was utterly disgusting and, quite frankly, an insult to all that is virtuous. Even worse, the exact extent of the ponies’ willingness was uncertain, but we weren’t about to take any chances.

Once the general outline of our mission was explained, we all set out to the Badlands by chariot, whereupon we switched to walking so as to harbor the element of surprise. We all wore our traditional golden armor, and had our standard swords sheathed aside us. Alongside her regalia, Celestia had a couple of saddlebags strapped to her sides, the contents of which she hadn’t told us.

The way she carried herself was also very atypical of the solar princess. Unlike the Celestia who’d keep up a regal appearance to the masses, this one kept her wings tucked in and head held straight, her gaze locked forward as she marched steadily, her hoofsteps kicking up sizeable dust clouds as she led us across the desert. Never before had I, or any of her guards I think, seen Celestia behave in such a serious manner before. While certainly a dramatic change, all of us could agree it was appropriate for the mission at hoof.

We traversed the desert for what must’ve been at least a couple hours, judging by the sun’s position. We eventually spied a small outcropping of rocks along the horizon, the sweltering heat making me question whether or not it was just a mirage.

Celestia halted in her tracks, to which we followed suite. She motioned for everypony to break rank and form a horizontal line facing ahead, which we did with gusto and waited for further orders. Celestia stared ahead at the rocky terrain, the expression on her face indicating she was deep in thought, most likely what our best course of action would be from here on out. When she spoke to us, it was with the same grave seriousness as during our mission briefing.

“Everypony listen very closely to me . . .”

“Who’s ready for a lesbian orgy!?” I shouted excitedly.

The eight mares in the room cheered with jubilant enthusiasm, while the drones I selected to act as their lovers merely smiled and awaited my signal.

When these clients had come to us asking for same-sex partners, I was initially skeptical of love’s authenticity with such a pairing. The whole idea of same-sex relationships is still a relatively new subject for me, which is why I decided to personally oversee this instance to learn if true love could indeed exist between two ponies of the same gender. If it could, then I was all the more curious as to what it’d taste like compared to regular male/female love.

“Now then, if you’re all set to go . . .” Every one of my minions nodded their heads. “Have at it!”

In little more than a few seconds the room was filled with guttural moans and passionate kissing as the eight mares went at my drones in an almost animal-like frenzy. I can’t say I was all too surprised, though; the clients looked about ready to jump each other when they first arrived.

The group had been at it for about one minute when I started feeling the love energy pouring off them in droves. Letting it fill my senses, I found that this brand of love energy tasted quite different from what I was used to. The love I tasted had a prevalent dissonance to it mixed with a hint of both light-hearted and playfulness, like that of a young, naive drone. In comparison, all the love energy I’d previously sampled felt stronger and more serious at its base. Whatever this meant I didn’t care; the love energy was edible, and that’s all that mattered.

Suddenly, I felt a second energy assault my senses, one of hatred. Confused at first, I quickly realized it was emanating from outside the room. I left the eightsome to their lovemaking and stepped outside, searching for the hatred’s source. The lobby was completely deserted, but after a bit of tracking I realized the hatred was emanating from the entrance hall. Turning my head revealed the sight of nothing but green bioluminescence and dirt, to which my confusion only returned in greater force.

My confusion gave way to shock as a large plume of smoke suddenly erupted in front of me, blinding me and causing me to fall back in surprise. Around me I heard quick, shuffling hoofsteps accompanied by metallic clanking, and I swiveled my head around trying to find the source through the smoke. Then I felt a sharp pain on the back of my neck, to which I let out a loud wail of agony and collapsed to the floor barrel-down. I tried to lift myself back up, but a series of quick, bone crushing slams against my legs prevented me from doing so.

As I lay there, writhing in pain, the sounds of shrieked gasps and excited chirps emanated throughout the caverns. Just behind me I heard a collective cacophony of high-pitched feminine screams, most likely belonging to the eight lesbian mares I’d just attended to. I tried using my magic to teleport away, but that too was thwarted when I felt something slide over my horn, to which my magic instantly shut off.

What’s going on!?

I got my answer a few seconds later when the smoke finally cleared, and I gasped in surprise at what I saw. Royal Guards. Specifically, Princess Celestia’s solar guards, wearing the same golden armor as back at the wedding. They scurried about the lobby, checking every door and pulling out every pony and changeling within, holding them tight against their attempts to break free. In all the chaos and confusion happening I almost didn’t hear it when my own captor spoke, and the voice’s familiarity was even more unpleasant than seeing my minions getting rounded up like dumb sheep.

“It’s time you paid for your crimes, queen,” Princess Celestia said condescendingly. “You should’ve paid for them some time ago in fact, but better late than never.”

“You’re a bothersome one, Celestia,” I huffed. “And just so you know, my name is Chrysalis.”

I felt the telltale tingling sensation of magic erupt through my body erupt through my body before I was lifted into the air and turned around to face the solar mule. She wore a displeased frown on her furrowed gaze as she regarded me with total distaste. I did my best to match her expression, feeling nothing but distaste for her as well.

“If you think you can strike me down with ease then you’re sorely mistaken, Chrysalis.” She practically spat out my name, like it disgusted her to speak. “During our last encounter, I held back out of fear for my subjects’ safety; had the situation been more favorable I wouldn’t have hesitated to use my full power to eradicate you.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Do. Not. Tempt. Me.”

A small part of me was afraid to hear Celestia’s words there, but I didn’t let it show and instead scoffed at her in response. “Yeah, like I’ll ever believe that.”

“You don’t have to,” Celestia replied simply. “I hope you’re okay with cold metal, because that’s all you’ll be seeing for a long time.”

The mule was approached by one of her guards and he whispered something in her ear. I didn’t bother trying to catch anything they said. It was over. I don’t know how she found us, but Princess Celestia somehow discovered the Love Hotel’s existence and decided to personally see to its end. Not that I’d expect anything less from her, but it really seemed this time like the changelings were set for life.

Sighing in defeat, I let my gaze wander around aimlessly. First to Celestia and her guard, then to the beautiful green glow of the bioluminescence coating the walls behind them, then eventually behind me to the lobby. The action was dwindling down by then, the guards having apprehended pretty much all the ponies and on-duty changelings; I figured they were somehow keeping the rest of my drones in the back at bay.

I noticed that a few of the ponies looked to be quite saddened. Some of the lesbian mares from earlier were practically crying, while a lone stallion who was in the next room over was slumped over and hanging his head sullenly. They all looked so pitiful, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at their reactions. Odds were quite high they’d get off very lightly, whereas the changeling swarm had basically been sentenced to death, since without me they’d never survive.

What a bunch of crybabies they are . . . wait a minute.

“Celestia?"

The princess was surprised to hear me speak up again. She ceased speaking to the guard and turned back to me. “What is it?”

I gestured with my head toward her little ponies. “Pardon my curiosity, but why are you taking your own subjects into custody?” I asked. “It seems rather uncharacteristic of you, in all honesty, but then again I don’t know you that well so maybe you’re really a dictator at hea-”

“That’s enough out of you, cretin,” the guard growled, pointing a hoof at me. “Princess Celestia has only Equestria’s best interests at heart, and right now that entails dealing justice for the crap you pulled at the wedding and-”

“At ease soldier,” Celestia interrupted, placing a placating hoof on his shoulder. He settled down and mumbled something I couldn’t hear over Celestia as she continued speaking. “My subjects are here of their own free will, that much I am aware of. Therefore, they will be tried for treason in aiding Equestria’s most wanted enemy.”

“I see,” I replied. Celestia and the guard were about to return to their conversation when I continued with, “You’re a fool, Celestia.”

The solar alicorn blinked almost stupidly in response, while the guard growled at me again and advanced toward me threateningly.

This time, Celestia didn’t hold him back. She wore her own expression of rage and replied with, “Do you have a death wish?”

I harked out a laugh. “I’ve grown so used to the threat of dying that me and my drones no longer fear it; it’s something we’ve lived with for longer than I can remember.” I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me right then, and I probably sounded insane to the ponies with how I was speaking. “That all changed when we started this Love Hotel. For once in a very, very long time the threat of starvation is all but eliminated, all thanks to your little ponies’ willingness to give us their love in exchange for fulfilling their crushed sexual fantasies.”

I leveled an accusatory glare at Celestia, and was amused to see her recoil a bit in response. “I may not know everything about you, princess, but I do know that you’d never condone the extinction of an entire species.” My lips pulled back into a smirk. “Or maybe Princess Celestia of Equestria isn’t the wise, benevolent ruler she’s made out to be? Maybe she’s a spiteful bitch who can’t forgive someone for one poor decision? Is that what you are, Princess Celestia; is that really the kind of mare you are?”

I basked in the shocked stupor Celestia fell into once I’d finished. Not just her, either, but also the guard, and I imagined most of everyone else present was too. Celestia just stood there, unmoving and staring at me wide-eyed like a fish, her jaw making a few attempts at movement but failing each time.

Truthfully, I believed right then and there I’d royally pissed her off, and would be struck dead the instant she regained her bearings. Not that it mattered, though, since my departure from the changeling hive would ensure they all died off, leaving me with nothing if I was ever released from Celestia’s dungeon. I wanted the royal bitch to know exactly what she’d become before being hauled away to Canterlot; a horrid, intolerant dictator with no care for the needs of anything that didn’t worship her solar ass.

Celestia’s face eventually returned to normal, and she glanced toward the lobby with a solemn expression. Whether it was for my changelings or her ponies I couldn’t tell, but I didn’t drop my glare even a bit all the while.

“How desperate can a person be to stoop this low?” she said.

I arched a confused brow. “Are you referring to my changelings or your subjects?”

“Both, really,” Celestia answered. She turned to me with a wistful smile. “As well as you.”

Yes, Princess Points-out-the-obvious, we’re desperate enough for love to whore ourselves out to your little perverted subjects.

“Are you going somewhere with this?” I asked.

Celestia’s smile fell into a small frown and she narrowed her gaze at me, yet, it wasn’t hardened like before. Rather, she seemed to be judging me, probably how long I’d need to be locked away before the swarm died off.

“Perhaps we can come to an agreement,” Celestia said suddenly.

I was thrown for a loop there. The context behind those seven words was about the last thing I’d expected to hear from the princess right then. I stared blankly at her in response for at least a few seconds before managing to regain my bearings and respond with, “Go on.”

“You’re still going to be punished for invading Canterlot and attempting to take over Equestria,” she said with conviction. “However, if you’re willing to listen to me, we can see to it that not only will that punishment not entail jail time, but that your Love Hotel business remains intact and with the official support of Equestria.”

That . . . was almost too good to be true. Here I thought my kind was about to go extinct, and now we’re being given a chance to continue feeding off ponies’ love for their lost crushes?

“You’re being genuine here, right?” I asked. No doubt Celestia picked up on my suspicion. “If not, then that’s sinking pretty low, Celestia, kicking someone when they’re down and out.”

Celestia sighed exasperatedly. “I understand that my previous demeanor was rather harsh and intolerant-”

No shit.

“-But I would never stoop so low as to tease a beaten opponent with a hoofshake only to strike them one last time.” Her expression turned solemn again. “I’m willing to make a compromise, but only if you’re willing to listen to my terms, Chrysalis.”

“Like we have a choice,” I said, sighing. “Very well, I’ll listen to your terms.”

Nodding, Celestia lowered me down onto the floor. As soon as my hooves set down I felt a huge pain spike shoot through them, to which I let out an intense wail of agony and fell onto my side, wheezing uncontrollably.

“Err, sorry,” Celestia said, unfolding her ears as she blushed. “I forgot your legs were broken.”

If looks could kill . . .