The Flower Ponies Tame The Changelings

Chapters

My Two Moms
General Pinkie Pie
The Great Deciever
Drums Of War
One In A Million
Princess Chrysanthemum
You Will Be Assimilated
The ( Not So ) Great Escape

My Two Moms

“Say Pinkie,” asked Rarity, “do you think Daisy is acting a bit odd.”

Pinkie looked at who she thought was Daisy. She was watering her flowers. A colt walked up to her from behind, wanting to buy daffodils for his mare friend.

Sensing his presence, she turned and hissed, all the while retracting her body into a pouncing position.

“No why?” Pinkie asked.

Nobody missed the flower ponies, because top changeling infiltrators were assigned to impersonate them.

This was their punishment for failing to abduct Applejack last week.

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Far away, in the crystal empire, a white stallion told a pink mare that last night had been very special.

The mare asked “Oh, why is that?”

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On their first night, the flower ponies shivered atop cold slabs of stone in an odd house. The house appeared to be made of honeycomb, though it had a sickly green colour and none were tempted to lick the sticky exterior. It did smell nice.

Two changelings were stationed outside the house, pacing across the front door. The girls assumed they were guards. They’d be quite surprised and even perplexed to learn that they were actually attendants meant to see to the ponies comfort.

After two days, Roseluck was finally mad enough to scream at what they thought were their jailers. She told them that the beds were too hard, that they were freezing, that they needed food.

The attendants were pleased that they finally had a chance to be useful. Roseluck just watched, perplexed as one changeling moved to the side of the house. There was an outdoor wood stove, its design utterly alien to the ponies. It was connected to the house via a series of intake and exhaust radiator pipes. Soon the house was comfortably warm, while a dinner was being prepared on the stove. They feasted on grilled vegetables, fruits, nuts, and even a type of cake with zucchini baked into it.

Every morning the changelings escorted them out to an overgrown forested area. There they cleared trees and dug out roots, preparing the area to become farm land.

They ran into a similar situation here. There were several changelings just sitting in the trees within sight, and leering at them menacingly. One day, while trying to yank out a particularly difficult root with her teeth, Daisy let go for a second and screamed “You know you could help me!” to one of the changelings. The changeling leapt from the tree and eagerly tried to do what he’d seen Daisy doing.

Eventually the ponies realized that the changelings were actually worker drones, physical labourers. They were the ones who were supposed to be toiling with the earth, and the flower ponies could have just taught, supervised, and directed them all this time.

Changelings were hard workers, though they needed to be told everything.

There was one changeling who Daisy always wanted close to her. It was the one she believed had once been Big Macintosh. Of course no drone here had ever been a pony. This was simply a deception that Chrysalis had devised.

Daisy, like many girls in Ponyville, had a crush on the manly stallion. Drone was willing to take his form, even though work was actually harder without the strength and natural armour his proper body possessed.

As for Chrysalis, she’d been strangely absent for days. Once Daisy asked Drone where she was. He found a simple seed and presented it to her. She had no idea what this meant.

Lily, though the most knowledgable about farming techniques, was by far the worst worker. She was a bundle of nerves jumping if a changeling so much as breathed on her. As a result she would feint sickness from time to time and just stay in her honeycomb home under the warm covers the attendants eventually brought her.

One day they saw Chrysalis return. Lily wasn’t there.

“What do we do?” Daisy cried. “Big Mac,” she turned to Drone, “if Chrysalis sees that Lily isn’t working she’ll be mad. I don’t think the poor dear could take a visit from Chrysalis, she’s so afraid of her.”

Chrysalis landed in one of the cleared area’s. Her body appeared fuller than before. She certainly wasn’t bloated, her appearance was almost normal compared to how thin she usually was.

The Queen looked at her changelings, making sure they were all hard at work. She then looked at the ponies. Roseluck was directing some changelings to safety fall a tree . Daisy started reading something, even though she didn’t know what. Finally she saw Lily helping two changelings pull a root.

She sniffed at the one who looked like Lily, then smiled. ‘That’s it Drone,’ she thought, ‘convince them you’re their ally. Give them false hope so that they work harder.’

Looking pleased, Chrysalis flew off.

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Around noon, Chysalis laid a bakers dozen of eggs. Contractions came upon her rather suddenly, so she laid them in her palace, then called some servants to transport them to the hatchery. She was a bit anemic, and so didn’t follow them right away.

Later that day, Lily forced herself out of bed.

She figured she may as well get some work done, feeling guilty that the others toiled away and didn’t even complain about her long absences.

On her way to the scheduled farm land, she heard a cart coming up from behind her. Lily stepped to the side. The cart was filled with hay, and the hay had strange objects mixed into it. Perhaps it was some sort of melon. They were dark, yet not quite opaque. From within the objects a teal light did shine through. It was teal just like the mane of Chrysalis. Lily stopped as an idea occurred to her. Could those be eggs?

Then she heard a plop. Just as the cart passed her, one of the eggs fell from it, into a muddy ditch.

‘What do I do?’ She thought.

Lily rushed to the egg. It didn’t appear to be cracked. She was about to touch it when she remembered. Certain birds will reject their own eggs if it gets the smell of an enemy on it. It was probably silly to even consider that this could be the case for changelings, they were thinking beings after all. On the other hand, they did seem to rather enjoy their own animalistic tendencies.

Lily ran ahead of the cart. “Stop she cried.”

The changeling pulling the cart snarled at her.

“Wait please listen. You dropped an egg.”

The changeling did not listen. He growled as snapped his mouth at Lily. When she persisted the changeling finally bit her.

Lily yowled in pain. It was only a minor wound, yet here was where she backed off.

Soon the cart was gone. Lily ran back to the egg. She was mortified to see the teal glow had become fainter. ‘It’s getting cold,’ she thought.

When Lily touched it the glow brightened a bit. She emptied out her saddle bag, letting her tools fall in the mud. Next she placed the egg inside, hoping her own body would keep it warm.

Lily would just have to sneak the egg back to the hatchery herself.

First she ran down the road, staying just a few paces behind the cart. She waited until the cart entered the hatchery. The hatchery was inside a cave. One guard covered the entrance.

She waited behind a piece of honeycomb, looking at the egg from time to time to make sure it still had a glow. The brightness was fine, though the colour was a little off.

Finally the guard took a bathroom break. Stealthily she snuck into the hatchery.

It was warm inside, warm enough for the eggs.

The cart driver returned from his delivery. Lily hid as he passed her. He stopped once and sniffed around. Lily cradled the egg, more concerned about it then her own life. She tried her best to slow her breathing. Finally the cart driver moved on.

Soon Lily found the other eggs. They were still scattered in straw and grass.

Carefully she inched her way closer to return the egg to its brothers and sisters.

“Don’t.”

The voice had come from behind her. Lily froze. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck.

She stuttered a few times before managing to speak. “I was just putting this egg back. I didn’t steal it, it fell out of a cart.”

Chrysalis approached from behind. She breathed on Lily’s back, then circled around her until she was standing between Lily and the other eggs. “Don’t mix that in with my eggs.”

“This is your egg.”

“Hardly, the light emanating from my eggs is a teal colour, it matches my mane. Look at your egg.”

She looked. The light was amber, like her own mane, and brighter than before.

“Take that away from my brood,” Chrysalis demanded.

“How can you be so cruel?”

“Cruel!” The Queen of the changelings laughed a long and disturbing laugh. “You’re the one who is being cruel. You who would put that child in amongst a litter of proper changelings.”

Lily didn’t understand.

“You’ve been feeding that unborn infant. The warmth of your body was filled with your protective feelings, your worry, your affection. You fed it. Now what hatches won’t be a proper changeling. It’s adapted. Our unborn infants don’t just change, they adapt. The other hatchlings won’t understand this. They may be curious why that one changeling is different or they may just try to play with it like they would any brother or sister. The result will be the same. With no armour, the fangs and mandibles of it’s siblings will rend apart the skin of this abnormal changeling. Returning that egg now is the most cruel thing you could possibly do.”

“I’m sorry,” Lily cried. “I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to.” In truth she barely even understood.

Lily cradled the egg, crying.

“Quit bawling,” Chrysalis hissed. “You showed courage coming here, before I thought you were the weakest pony I had ever seen. Now I think your one of the strongest. Take the egg.”

Did she just say take it? Lily looked at the egg, then at Chrysalis.

“Leave!” Chrysalis snarled.

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The decision Chrysalis made today was not made casually, nor did it sit well with her. She just hoped her captain had at least dropped the right egg. Even she didn’t know at just a glance. While pondering her choices she partook of the fermented nectar and so made herself tipsy.

Drone found her late that night, and helped her to her bedroom

“My mother was beautiful you know.” Chrysalis told the drone. Drone felt no need to respond. Chrysalis had told this story many times before.

“You may not believe this. My mother had a velvety coat of pink fur, a golden horn, and a darker pink mane. If it helps your imagination, she looked like that twit, Princess Cadance.” Chrysalis held in some vomit, then breathed for a moment before continuing her story. “That’s another thing they had in common. They were both twits.”

The door opened to her bedchambers

“I am so lucky. My egg rolled under the bed. Imagine what I’d have been if she’d nurtured my egg. I was born around the time of the pestilence. If my body wasn’t designed to hunt, I might have ended up just like her.”

There was a lavish double queen bed at the centre of Chrysalis’s room. The mattress was stuffed with the most downy of Pegasus feathers. It had silk sheets and a cozy fur comforter.

Chrysalis crawled under the bed. This is were she always slept.

The drone tried to nuzzle her face in an affectionate manner. She pushed him away.

General Pinkie Pie

The Cakes were receiving new inventory for their bakery.

“Oh dear,” said Mrs Cake. “Our chocolate order is short again.”

“I expected as much,” said Mr Cake. “They say locusts are attacking the cocoa crops down in Appleloosa.”

Pinky bounced through the bakery. “I know, it’s horrible right? Still we should have gotten a full shipment this week. Last week Donut Joe got his full sized shipment, and this week he did again.”

“Now Pinkie, you know Donut Joe’s famous Boston cream recipe is topped with chocolate. Ponies from all over flock to try them.”

“Aw c’mon, our baked goods are better than his.”

“Now don’t be a boasting billy goat. In times of need ponies must prioritize, and our bakery has plenty of alternatives to chocolate. Why this time of year everyones buying the pumpkin treats anyway.”

“Like Pumpkin Pie.”

“Pumpkin tarts.”

“Pumpkin torte.”

Now this had become a game. The first person to run out of pumpkin themed desserts loses. Whoever that may be, Pinkies mind was distracted from the chocolate shortage.

“Pumpkin ice cream.”

“Pumpkin cheesecake.”

“Pumpkin dream cake.”

“Pumpkin oatmeal cookies.”

“Pumpkin pie crumb bars.”

“Pumpkin cheesecake pillow popovers.”

“Caramel pumpkin pot de Creme.”

“Pumpkin cupcakes.”

“Fudgy pumpkin bars with vanilla bean brown butter glaze.” Pinkie no longer remembered that chocolate was an issue.

“Pumpkin bread pudding with dulce de leche.”

“Pumpkin pecan spiced macarons.”

“Pumpkin coffeecake donuts.”

“Pumpkin cinnamon rolls.”

“Pumpkin seven layer magic bars.”

“Pumpkin spiced pancakes.”

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No light entered the barrel. The changelings traveled in the cover of darkness on an overcast night. Roselucks one peep hole was only good for air. She would press her mouth to the hole and breathe, if only to taste air that was not saturated with the stink of salted fish. Roseluck only emptied the barrel half way. This was actually the smarter thing to do, on account that the filling made her trip less bumpy, and if anypony looked inside the barrel, there was at least enough fish to bury herself and hide. In truth, the real reason she left the fish inside was because the uniquely pungent fish, from the changeling swamps, were very difficult to dispose of discreetly.

The barrels were carried in a net tied securely to several changelings. She was careful to use a barrel at the bottom of the pile, hoping it wouldn’t be opened until the return trip. It was only the reprieve from her motion sickness, that told her they might have landed.

Roseluck tried to open the barrel only to find that the lid was stuck. She would not have this. It was likely that the flower mare was already in Ponyville. It would be awful to come this close only to be taken back to the hive.

She leaped with all her might, and felt the barrel itself rise into the air, then land with a thud. Maybe if she did this again and again, it would break the barrel. The tree’s in the changeling Forest are a fast growing tropical variety and the lumber has nowhere near the strength of the mighty oak. She jumped, and landed with a thud, then jumped again. Little did she know the barrel was inching closer to the edge of a palette which it rested upon.

The barrel tipped onto its side and began rolling away.

Meanwhile, the changelings were discussing how best to transport the cocoa trees. The trees were larger than saplings, and quickly outgrowing their potted planters. They were raised in a warm nursery and would likely thrive in the hives climate. Getting them to the hive meant going through temperatures that would be a shock for the spoiled indoor grown tree’s. The best they could think of was to wrap the plants with dead leafs and old newspapers.

One changeling turned into Daisy for a second, thereby commenting that they should have brought those flower ponies along. He would never suspect the irony of his statement.

Roselucks fish barrel rolled off a rooftop, onto a bushel of hay, then tipped onto the street and rolled away.

At this time Roseluck was no longer worried about being caught by the changelings. She was instead worried about her life. She screamed for help.

The barrel rolled down the most steeply inclined street in Ponyville.

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The next morning, Pinkie was skipping through town, when she came upon a barrel that was stuck in Matilda’s prize rose bushes.

“Hello,” came a voice.

“Hi,” Pinkie answered.

“Pinkie, is that you?”

“It sure is.”

“Pinkie, this is an emergency. You have to get me to Twilight!”

The pink mare eyed the barrel quizzically for a second. “Okey Dokey Lokey!”

She jumped atop the barrel, and ran in a moonwalk, in order to make it roll forwards, riding it through town.

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Some time later, at the hive, Drone was still agonizing over how to come clean. When the flower ponies were first brought to the hive, Chrysalis needed a way to make them work. Torture would have impaired their ability to do hard labour, so instead Chrysalis opted to tell them a harmless little lie. She said that if they didn’t do her bidding she’d turn them all into changelings. Drone wasn’t sure if that was even possible.

Daisy mentioned a princess who turned her friends into breezies once. Maybe ponies were more able to accomplish this feat then the changelings themselves. Though that was beside the point.

To convince them that her threat was possible to carry out, Drone lied and told them all that he was someone named Big Mac, who had been transformed into a changeling. Darn this was complicated. Drone had decided, and Chrysalis even gave her blessing, that he would tell the truth.

There was also an unspoken understanding that they wouldn’t be tortured. Technically everything was unspoken with Drone, he was the least verbal of all his brothers in sisters.

Daisy has this cute notion that changelings communicate by playing charades. In reality they emit complex frequencies by creating micro irregularities in the more regular carrier frequency of their high speed wingbeats, then read these frequencies by using their horns as antennae.

Charades just started as something him and mother did, originally to wile away the hours when they were stuck in the caves during monsoon season. Later, at the end of the changeling invasion, Drone injured his wing shielding Chrysalis herself from what would have been a nasty fall. When his wing healed the tendons were tighter then before. This altered Drones true voice in a way he was still very self conscious about. In changeling terms he now has what would be considered a lovely girls voice.

Still Drone never regretted the incident. Since then he had mothers favour. This afforded him a position within the hive which likened to the harlequins of old. Yes, he was supposed to amuse her with his constant playing of charades, still he was allowed to be more candid and have deeper conversations with his mother then any of his brother and sisters could. Another word for his position was advisor, for he was one of the few who was actually allowed to be critical of their queen. They say his predecessor actually argued against the Canterlot invasion, and he was never punished. He spoke candidly to the Queen for years, right up until the day of his mysterious disappearance.

This again was beside the point.

When Droned wondered how to tell her the truth, he was literally wondering ‘how to tell her the truth.’

Drone could read, but he couldn’t write. Changeling mouths have trouble holding pens. They tend to chew them up.

When he transformed, he could do anything a pony could do, but only through mimicry. If this sounds silly to you, then try pointing both your hooves together then making clockwise circles with both at the same time. It’s not impossible, and of course some of the infiltrators must learn to do just that, it simply is not easy.

Perhaps he could patch together words from different ponies to make the sentences he wanted. Still he didn’t just want to relay a message. He wanted to have a serious conversation. He wanted to have many conversations every day. He wanted to gauge her responses, answer her questions, and so on. Would that ever be possible between them?

Around this time Daisy galloped up to him. “Big Mac, the raiding party is back with the trees. Come see, their flying in now.”

Daisy galloped back to the returning raiding party.

Drone followed after her, and if she knew how to listen she’d have heard poetry, songs, and a even full explanation in his wingbeats.

Daisy was amazed with just how many trees they managed to transport, though feared that a few may not have survived the trip.

“We should let the trees relax from their journey before we try to plant them.” She struggled with the knot on a piece of twine. Seeing this, Drone bit through the twine. Daisy tossed the newspaper to the ground and began sweeping dry leafs aside.

Drone noticed something on one of the newspapers pages. At first he wanted to hide the paper, then decided this was his chance. He presented the page to Daisy.

At first Daisy just glanced at the page, and went back to work. It was nice to see something from home. The article was about a pie eating contest. Surprisingly Mayor Mare, and Cranky Doodle Donkey were the contenders.

Drone showed her the paper again, this time pointing to a certain pony in the picture. It was Big Mac.

“I see. One of the infiltrators is impersonating Big Mac.” She noticed how in the picture Applebloom curled around his leg, while Applejack rifled his hair in a playful fashion. “It looks like he’s doing a good job.” Daisy stopped herself, thinking she might have hurt Drones feelings. Was it hard for him to see his sisters with an impostor? Perhaps he was finally remembering his old life.

Drone slapped his head twice against the ground. Next he pointed at the picture, then at himself, and shook his head.

“You’re saying that’s not you.”

Drone nodded.

“It was once.”  Drone shook his head.

“It was. You just don’t remember.”

Drone shook his head.

“So what are you saying? You think you’ve always been a changeling.”

Nod.

“Why are you bringing his up right now?” Daisy demanded. Her voice was angry, so the juxtaposition of what came next surprised her. Drone kissed her cheek.

Daisy backed away. Not too far away, not far enough to be mistaken for a cringe. She blushed, her cheeks turning crimson. Drone cautiously approached her. Then Daisy practically leaped into his privacy bubble, coming within kissing distance. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I need to think. We’ll talk more about this later. I just… We’ll talk about this later.”

Daisy trotted off and a breakneck pace.

One of the other changelings gave Drone a stern look, then faced the trees, and looked at him again. He knew what the look meant. It said: “You had to do this now.” They had a lot of work ahead of them with the trees. Another changeling already cut the trunk of a tree trying to sweep the leaves aside.

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Back to the morning of Roselucks escape.

“Twilight, hey Twilight!”

The lavender princess turned her head, then leaped backward. She was surprised to see Pinkie riding a barrel towards her.

“Hey Twilight, This barrel says it needs to talk to you.”

Pinkie wavered, and tipped atop the barrel. Just when it looked like Pinkie was about to crash into her friend, she instead stopped on a dime and hopped off.

“Did you hear me? This barrel needs to talk to you.”

Twilight turned to the barrel.

“Oh, my head, so dizzy,” came Roseluck’s voice.

“Pinkie theres someone inside that barrel.”

“You sure about that?”

As they were speaking, Spike grabbed a crowbar and tried to break the seal.

“Stop you’re hurting her!” Pinkie warned.

With a plop the barrel opened. Fish fell out first, then a vertigo suffering Roseluck slid out overtop the scaly fish.

After a long shower, and an experiment in using tomato juice to get the fish smell out of her mane ( it didn’t work ), Roseluck sipped on some hot coffee and told Twilight her story.

She told them about being abducted. Then she mentioned the threat to turn them into changelings, and how Daisy believed one changeling was Big Mac, yet she had her suspicions. She told them how Lily had adopted a changeling egg, and nopony knew what would hatch from it. Next she spoke about the land they tilled, and how the impostor flower ponies had set up a nursery in their names, even including minor details like how the changelings were increasing their frog population, possibly to protect from pestilence. Finally she told of her escape, how she came in a fish barrel when changelings were retrieving the baby trees.

Twilight took some time to think about all this. It wasn’t a big concern that changelings wanted to take up farming. She would probably have to rescue Daisy and Lily, though from the sound of it, they may not want to come back.

“They must be behind the chocolate shortage,” Pinkie declared.

“What!” Twilight questioned.

“Isn’t it obvious! That nasty changeling queen is creating a chocolate shortage so that she can extort the rest of Equestria. Why after being starved of chocolate, whole armies will surrender to her. The cocoa must flow. She who controls the chocolate controls the empire.”

“Pinkie I seriously doubt that’s her plan.”

“Yes, it is a plan, a plan most diabolical.”

“Are you even listening to me.”

“Don’t worry Twilight. I have my own plan. I know how to deal with these chocolate stealing baddies. Just leave everything to Pinkie.”

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Lily was the only one directing the changelings in the planting of the trees. Fortunately it was a fairly routine process. Dig a hole, put manure and fish guts in the hole, place the tree, and backfill. After about five trees, the changelings were working pretty independently. The biggest problem was lining up the rows to Lily’s satisfaction. Changelings weren’t pattern seekers to the extent that most intelligent creatures were. As long as the roots had space, who cared if they were in neat rows or not. Drone was already in a section of the fields that was out of sight from the remaining flower pony.

A frog ate a locust. The frog eyed Drone cautiously. Drone was the first to turn away, more or less stating that he had no intention of eating the creature, as long as they held their end of the agreement.

There were loud croaking noises in the distance. Many frogs were gathered in one spot. He flew in to investigate.

There was a strange creature. It was currently in the marsh lands. It didn’t have wings and the swampy terrain would make it hard to run fast. Drone reasoned that it would be safe to get a closer look.

It was roughly the shape of a stallion. What stood out most was that its mane was made of locusts. The stallions skin looked rotten. It had holes in it, not like the pristine cauterized holes on a changeling, more like places were the flesh had decayed away. Was it even alive?

The creature turned to face Drone.

Its voice was strong, deep and booming, yet raspy and old.

“You are the ugliest honeybird pony I have ever seen.”

“You’re one to talk”

“I thought I had destroyed your kind. All these centuries in Tartarus were made bearable only by the thought of what I had accomplished. I know I killed the pink queen. She was weak.”

“She subdued you.”

The creature answered only with a glare.

Drone smiled a toothy grin.

“Good! If the old queen could subdue you, then my mother will destroy you.”

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Lily came home after a hard day of planting. It was hard for the changelings at least. The egg was still in her wool saddle bag. She mostly took a managerial role on account that the other changelings were quite possibly more protective of the egg than she was.

Daisy hadn’t been to work in days. There was some complaint, though everyone was more concerned about the missing Roseluck.

The remaining flower ponies kept expecting a visit from Chrysalis. Daisy was in fact goading her to come, yet she never did. Unbeknownst to her, Chrysalis trusted Drone to manage issues with workers, and didn’t generally interfere unless he said there was a problem.

Lily washed her hooves. They had a cordial supper together.

Soon it was getting dark. Lily, needed rest more than Daisy, who napped most of the day. With her mouth, Daisy pulled a blanket over her friend, then nuzzled her affectionately.

“You’re my best friend Lily. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Lily closed her eyes and Daisy walked quietly away. Cautiously Daisy turned. “Lily, if I ever forget you, please forgive me, and would you try to be my friend again.”

The dead tired Lily didn’t even hear enough to understand what she was asking.

Chrysalis didn’t seem to be coming, so Daisy made her way slowly to the palace.

She walked the long steps, explained herself to the guards and was actually allowed to go into the queens chamber.

The queen was still quite terrifying to her. She had all of Celestia’s grandeur and none of her aura of kindness. She put down her book and addressed the flower mare. “What do you want,” Chrysalis demanded.

“I want to be a changeling.”

Chrysalis made an awkward squeak. It was rare that anypony could throw her so off guard.

“Our deal was I work or you make me a changeling.”

“That was more of a threat.” ‘I thought Drone told her that was also a lie. Perhaps the twit only half understood.’

“I haven’t worked in three days, and I won’t work again unless I become a changeling.”

The two engaged in a staring contest. Neither wanted to be the next to speak. This went on possibly for minutes.

The tension was broken when another changeling rushed into the throne room. The changeling was surprised to see Daisy, on account that she was the very pony he impersonated back in Ponyville until recently.

He quickly shook off his surprise and addressed the Queen.

“Your majesty…”

‘He just spoke,’ Daisy observed. ‘He must be part of the changeling A team.’

“Your majesty, a giant statue of your beautiful countenance has been left at the northern drawbridge of the hive.”

“A giant statue of me,” Chrysalis gave a critical expression. “This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger.”

“Another thing your majesty, it’s made of chocolate.”

The Great Deciever

Roseluck focused her binoculars. Her and the usual ponies hid behind a sand dune, watching to see if the changelings take the bait.

The giant statue of Chrysalis had been Pinky’s idea, however, they were not following her plan. Pinky had wanted to draw attention to the North gate, so that the Pegasi could sneak them over the West gate. From there her plan involved a Rube Golberg machine that would be built from rubber chickens, an accordion, two oranges, a lasso, an umbrella, magnets, and water balloons. The lasso may only be there so that Applejack wouldn’t feel left out, regardless they weren’t doing that.

Pinky had already procured the chocolate, during a shortage no less, figured out how to get it across a desert without melting, and employed the Cakes and Donut Joe as sculptors.

The statue was more regal then Pinky had expected. Artists have certain go to poses when trying to depict a princess, and they figured they could use the same for a queen. Though it was Chrysalis’s body, the pose was based on one of the great works of Equestrian history, the coronation of Celestia first immortalized by Virtuoso Polymare. Some find the old masters work a bit pretentious, yet she couldn’t deny his ability to flatter the subject.

Twilight was going to follow the plan, she really was. Every time she doubted Pinky, Twilight would remind herself of events like the end of the parasprite infestation, or what happened when she doubted Pinky sense. The newest princess didn’t want to disregard all Pinky’s efforts, yet another idea was suggested to her, and it was slightly less ridiculous. Instead of following Pinky’s plan they recruited Shining Armour to hide inside the statue.

Shining Armour’s magic shield can encompass the entire city of Canterlot. The Canterlot invasion had been stopped by generating a love boosted shield while the changelings were already inside the city.

As long as the Changelings take the statue into the hive, Shining could secure the entire hive and incapacitate every drone. Twilight had no doubt of her big brothers awesome power.

Pinky didn’t like this. She wished they had gone with her idea. Moreover, she didn’t like the prospect of evicting creatures, even temporarily, from their homes.

“Okay,” said Roseluck, “I see changelings examining the statue. Now they’re talking with the changelings who work the drawbridge. One is flying off, probably to talk to the queen. A crowd is gathering.”

“The sentries at the West gate have left their posts.”

“Pinky, I told you we’re not following your plan.” Twilight turned to Roseluck. “Are they opening the drawbridge?”

“No, the changeling that left is coming back. They’re lifting the statue. Maybe they want to fly it over the wall. They’re lifting it higher. They’re above the drawbridge. It’s higher than the top of the palace.”

Twilight nibbled her hooves. What were they up to?

“It’s headed up to the clouds.”

“At that height the air would be really thin.” Rainbow Dash added. “A unicorn would pass out up there.”

“THEY DROPPED IT! THEY DROPPED IT!”

“BBBFF!” Twilight screamed in horror.

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“You hear that screaming?” One changeling sentry spoke in wingbeats.

“Yes, it’s coming from behind that sand dune.”

“How many soldiers should I send?”

“200, I’d say.”

“Better make it 500, just to be sure.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A ruler slapped against the desk.

Twilight Sparkle was startled into wakefulness. The lavender mare looked about the room, all eyes were upon her. She could vaguely hear whispers from the ponies farther away. Were they whispering about her? Twilight, the wonder student, caught sleeping in class.

It couldn’t be. She never slept in class. Sometimes she stayed up late, reading. Once in a while she skipped meals because she was so enthralled in a book. Even then she never slept in class. The lessons were so riveting.

She looked up at the mare who had startled her, the teacher.

“Ms. Harshwhinny!” This wasn’t right, was it?

“Sleeping in class, Ms. Sparkle?”

“Was I?” Twilight touched her hooves to her temples, as though confused. “No, I couldn’t have been.”

“Oh, paying attention were you? Then you should have no problem solving the problem on the board.”

There was indeed a problem on the backboard. Twilight turned her head left, then right. So many eyes were upon her. The whispers were deafening, so many that they were unintelligible, yet she was so conscious of the noise, the noise drowned out the voice telling her this was all wrong.

‘All ready caught sleeping in class, such shame, what will I write to the princess? The problem on the board, it’s a toughie. Too tough for the foals in this class. Is the teacher punishing me? Maybe if I solve it I can redeem myself.’

“Well Ms. Sparkle, I’m waiting.”

“The problem can’t be solved as it is.”

Ms. Harshwhinny sneered, and Twilight quivered at the sneer. Had any teacher ever been mad at her before. The whispers grew louder. Twilight continued:

“You have to do a change of variables. Change the ‘u’ into csc( x ) and arrange it to use cosine law.”

The whispers stopped. For a moment all was silent. Twilight was at last able to think clearly. Dream logic, she thought. Everything seems real in a dream, while you’re dreaming. She wasn’t a foal. This wasn’t a junior high class. That was more of a college problem. She’d been sleepwalking. There was a sweet odour in the air, perhaps something that induced the state she was in.

The world came into focus. The foals where changelings, they didn’t whisper, they laughed at her. The walls were a sickly green material, neither mucous nor honeycomb. Twilights left hind hoof was shackled, and there was more honeycomb on her horn blocking her magic. A green flame seemed to encompass the body of Ms. Harshwhinny. The teacher, who was never a teacher, disappeared into the flame, and Queen Chrysalis appeared in her place. The blackboard was real.

Twilight looked again at the blackboard. She knew this problem, she solved something similar once with the breezies.

“This is a transformation algorithm, Twilight declared. I can’t help you with this.”

“That’s all right,” came the disinterested yet menacing voice of Chrysalis. “Change of variable, I got it.”

She solved the problem straight through. Never did she pause, the chalk kept moving until the correct answer appeared. Although Twilight could have done it in two less steps.

“Take her to the dungeon.” Chrysalis ordered.

The queen laughed to herself. She’d put aside much of her ego as of late. Not long ago Chrysalis would never have smashed such a flattering statue of herself, even though it was an obvious trap. Those foolish ponies should have just used the statue as a distraction, they could have easily invaded from the West wall. Still, she prides herself a being the grand deceiver, even if it is only to such foolish creatures.
Chrysalis made her way to the potion room. In her lifetime she had certainly learned at least as much magic as an alicorn who had yet to pass through a single century. She’d have solved the problem sooner or later.

The Queen munched on a few pieces of chocolate, giving little thought to the possibility of contaminating her concoction. She mixed timber wolf splinters, the green and indigo of a rainbow, cockatrice feather, and poison joke in roughly the concentrations that twilight had calculated, boiled it for a bit with magical energy from her own horn, then cooled it in a water bath and shook the concoction. As long as it turned black she’d know the mixture was successful. She shook it and waited. She shook it and ate more chocolate. She shook it wildly and angrily, practically willing the concoction to change colour. Finally it turned black, as black as a changelings armour.

The Queen took the concoction to Daisy who was still waiting in the throne room.

At first she was respectful and cautious not to touch anything. After a while she grew bored and looked for something to occupy herself. She began reading through Chrysalis’s book. It was the newest book in the ‘Afterglow’ series. In the book, the pony with a bell and swan wings on her flank confronted the queen. Changeling had been missing for some time. With the help of Draconequus they stormed the hive. The terrifying Changeling Queen overwhelmed Draconequus and stabbed him with her horn. Then she approached the pony. She moved closer and closer and then…

The page was covered in a shadow. A tingle moved up Daisy’s spine. Chrysalis loomed over Daisy.

She dropped the concoction in front of her. “Drink it or don’t. I don’t really care.”

Daisy eyed the concoction, and then took a drink.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The worst part would be hearing Pinky say: “I told you so.”

Everything was going according to her plan. Her ridiculous, absurd, crazy plan was actually working. It was only when Twilight deviated from the plan that they were captured.

Maybe that wasn’t the worst part.

Was her brother even alive?

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Drone and the Pestilence glared at one another.

Several more changelings gathered around their brother. When Drone didn’t return from working the fields, two changelings were ordered to check up on him. At first the two were just upset to be missing the chocolate. The Pestilence didn’t move at all, and seemed to be a dead thing. One changeling obeyed Drone and went to gather soldiers. Another joined him in guarding against the creature.

The changeling turned to look at Drone. “You think it’s asleep?” He spoke in wingbeats.

“It’s waited a long time. It’s very patient.”

“It’s probably just dead,” said another. “Hey did you hear about the chocolate. It’s scattered all over the palace courtyard.”

“Keep your eyes on the creature.”

“We should probably just kill it ourselves. This thing is not worth bothering momma over.”

The daring changeling inched closer. “Stay away from it,” Drone warned.

“It’s so pathetic. If this is the thing that killed the old queen it just wasted itself away in Tartarus.” He moved closer still.

Angry, Drone nipped at his hind leg, with sharp mandibles.

“Hey!”

“Get away from it,” Drone warned.

The daring changeling walked away. Drone turned his head for one moment, to see him off.

The Pestilence lunged. The changelings would have been startled just to see it blink, yet in an instant it was upon Drone, and he was pinned to the ground. They treated Drone like a leader, and Pestilence thought to cut off the head.

The other changelings poised to attack.

Locust exploded from the creatures mane, engulfing them in the torrent.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another changeling burst into the room. Daisy was so startled that she nearly spit out her drink.

His wings fluttered.

There was a nub on Daisy’s forehead, the start of a growing horn. With the movement of his wingbeats she felt vibrations in her nub, forming into garbled sounds in her mind:

“Marshland… Monster… Help… Drone.”

Daisy rushed off. She ran, Chrysalis flew.

However, Chrysalis had a stop to make before she would confront the creature.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chrysalis made her way to the flower ponies hut. She found Lily, who was fast asleep from a hard days work. The queen knew she didn’t have time to waste, yet hesitated to wake her.

Lily slept with the egg. Even in slumber she cradled it lovingly. ‘Must be nice,’ Chrysalis thought. She was referring to the unhatched infant.

The Queen tapped Lily with a hoof.

Lily opened her eyes. She hugged the egg protectively. Once convinced she was fully awake, the queen spoke. Her voice was gentle, more gentle then Lily ever thought Chrysalis could be.

“There’s trouble. Go to the hatchery. You’ll be protected there.”

Lily grabbed her woollen saddle bag, and gently rolled her egg inside of it. She looked around the room.

“What about Daisy?”

“I turned her into a changeling. She’ll have to fight with the rest of the hive.”

“Oh.”

Perhaps it was the matter of fact way that Chrysalis told her. Maybe Lily was too shocked to process the information. She barely reacted at all.

“If you like I can have Roseluck sent to the hatchery to keep you company.”

Lily quivered. She held the egg tighter. Chrysalis was insulted by the gesture. Did Lily think she had to protect the egg from her, the biological mother? Or maybe she knew Chrysalis would never strike her while holding the infant. Either alternative bothered her.

“Roseluck escaped days ago.”

“I know she’s back.”

Lily just stuttered to find words so Chrysalis added: “Neither of you are being punished.”

“Yes, I think I’d like it if she joined me in the hatchery.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Oh this is just atrocious.” Rarity complained. “The walls are a ghastly green and sticky. These shackles make me wonder if our tetanus shots are up to date, and the room smells of,” she sniffed the air, “fish.”

Roseluck smelled her own mane, wondering if the fish smell came from her. She’d taken so many showers since the barrel escape.

A guard stepped into the cell where the mane six and Roseluck are being held.

Each had one hoof shackled, the unicorns and alicorns had honeycomb on their horns to disable their powers.

The guard unshackled Roseluck and led her away.

“Where are you taking her?” Rainbow Dash demanded to know.

The changeling took the form of Chrysalis herself, in order to mimic her instructions.

“Take Roseluck to the hatchery. She’ll be safer there.”

“What about the rest of us?” Applejack asked.

“The others, they’re not important. Leave them in the dungeon.”

“Not important! Why I never,” Rarity was insulted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Pestilence was poised to take a bite from Drones flesh. It had already cracked the chitin armour. This was not fatal. Drone was overdue to shed his skin anyhow. However, the meaty material underneath was now vulnerable.

One changeling fought through the torrent of locusts, ploughing forward like a creature possessed.

It turned and struck Pestilence in the snout with a mighty hind kick. Next the changeling grabbed Drone and pulled him away.

Once they were a good distance from the locusts, drone opened his eyes.

The changeling who saved Drones life stood over him. She nuzzled her face close to his. Drone caught a whiff of the scent of her hair. It was nice. She didn’t smell like one of his sisters, yet there hadn’t been separate hives in a long time. The female smelled a little bit familiar, and a little bit new.

Hair was rare for changelings. Some girls have it. Of course mother has it. Her hair was a lime green colour, it had curls and fluffiness that that was just like his loves beautiful hair. Then he saw the eyes. There were the beady blue eyes of a changeling, yet they had a kindness to them. There was no mistake. It really was her. It was Daisy.

Author's Note

Looks like this will be at least one chapter longer then I expected. I was going to finish it off, but there was more left to tell then I realized.

Drums Of War

The air outside was frigid and damp. Lily hugged the egg closer to herself. Even the stone path they walked upon seemed frozen to the touch; so it was a relief when they finally reached the hatchery. The hatchery was warm inside, it was always warm. The changelings made use of a natural hot-spring with geothermal energy. Lily thought, ‘what a fine place this is to keep an egg warm, and Chrysalis was wise to put the hatchery here.’

If eggs were hatched using body heat then they received love. Here they only received warmth. Lily never thought that this might be the intention.

Roseluck had never been here before, and Lily had only been here once. As they walked up the path, something stopped the changeling guard who was escorting them. Said guard motioned for the two mares to keep going, and they did.

Not knowing her way around, Roseluck allowed Lily to lead her.

Soon they were deep into the caves of the hatchery. Roseluck gagged slightly from the smell of past egg remnants.

“Lily,” she asked, “do you know what that barrier was?”

“No! It must be there to protect the hatchery.”

“How come we could pass through it, but the guards couldn’t.”

Before Lily could answer, they spotted something white, contrasting with the blacks and dark greens of their surroundings. It was a Stallion. He had a blue mane, and there were bandages around his ribs.

The flower mares approached the Stallion from his backside. Hearing them, he turned around, suddenly, and they were shocked to see a green glow in his eyes. It was a sickly green, like the dripping of the hive.

“Ladies come in,” he called. “I’m so glad that my guards found more survivors. Don’t be afraid.” He motioned for them to sit. He seemed a bit frantic, yet made a clear effort to speak with the dignity and forcefulness of a military Stallion.

Something didn’t sound quite right to Roseluck. The stallion said “my guards,” when referring to those who had brought them here.

“Don’t be frightened ladies. The castle is safe I promise you.”

He did it again she thought. He just referred to the hatchery as a castle. The hatchery is in a cave; it’s not a castle by any stretch of the imagination. Roseluck looked into the green glow of his eyes. He was under a spell, surely he was.

The Stallion introduced himself as Shining Armour, former head guard of Canterlot and current protector of the of the Crystal Empire. He told them that he was using his unicorn magic to make the crystal castle a safe space from the changeling invasion, then his eye twitched a few times.

Lily whispered to Roseluck. "I’ve heard of this guy. He’s Princess Cadence’s husband.”

“Yeah, he’s head guard because he can make pink bubbles of unicorn magic that protect whole cities.”

“Uh huh, he just told us that.”

“He also told us we’re in a castle and he’s protecting us from a changeling invasion.”

Roseluck looked over at him again. Shining Armour just smiled, he stood there surrounded by Chrysalis’ unhatched brood, his eyes still glowing a faint green. One egg shook and made a crinkling sound.

“Should we tell him the truth?”

Lily thought for a moment. “All accounts I’ve heard say that he’s a good guy.”

“Yeah, on the other hand, he has more reason to hate changelings then anypony. Chrysalis imprisoned his wife, took her place, and fed off him for who knows how long.”

“And now here he is protecting a changeling hatchery from… What are we being protected from again?”

“I heard It was something called the pestilence, and that it’s supposed to be an eldrich abomination made of locusts.”

“I’m not telling him.” Lily finally decided.

They both turned, and Shining just smiled again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of countless locusts was deafening. To a changeling the undulating pulses would normally be soothing. This however lacked the harmony of naturally occurring locusts. Rather then harmonious, it sounded as though each insect was trying to be heard over and drown out each of the others.

The screeching grew in tempo. Drone wondered if this was the buildup to an attack. Daisy thought the noise so harsh that it must be an attack in of itself.

Daisy now knew that a changelings horn wasn’t a source of magic, only a receiver of sound. Now that Chrysalis had transformed her into a Changeling, she heard her kins true language in small pulses within the larger carrier frequency of their wingbeats.

Not long ago, Chrysalis threatened to transform her and her friends into changelings if they did not obey her. Even more recently Daisy challenged the queen to do just that. It was the first time she’d ever seemed Chrysalis seem flustered, and for a while she wondered if it was even possible for a pony to become a changeling. Eventually Chrysalis did produce that potion, and now here she was with armour, claws, mandibles, wings that buzz, and even her horn. She felt so strong, meat looked appetizing, it was glorious.

Drone vibrated his wings, ordering the other changelings to hold their ground. Daisy was surprised by this voice. It was a kind voice, it didn’t sound as rough or angry as the others, yet it commanded attention. She liked it.

Drone had injured his wing once, protecting the queen. The tendons in the wings became unusually tight when they healed. To him the voice was a source of shame and he usually avoided talking. After all, the changelings who long for mothers love, tend to like his voice a little too much. Singing gets tiresome after a while.

Chrysalis finally arrived. The screeching of the locusts went silent.

Pestilence turned its head ever so slowly. His gaze swept up and down, as though taking in all that Chrysalis was. Next it spoke it a raspy, yet somehow booming voice. “You’re uglier then your mother,” it said.

The idea that this creature even thought she would care about his comment only mildly amused Chrysalis.

“Perhaps if that twit had laid upon your egg, and given it her love, then you’d have been born beautiful.”

Now Chrysalis sneered. That one actually did sting a little.

“Is it so important to you that what you seek to destroy be beautiful. If so, I know some ponies you could focus your attention on. The princesses have star sparkles in their manes.”

She had to stall the creature. She had planned for this day ever since the Pestilence had escaped Tartarus on Tireks coattails. Chrysalis almost felt sorry for her comments about the sparkle haired princesses, considering they had warned her about the creatures escape, with no strings attached.

“It is alright, I will destroy you,” said the creature. “first I will make sure we don’t have to repeat this dance again in a few millennia.”

‘What did that mean?’ Chrysalis wondered.

The mass of locust seemed to loose its shape. It was as though something inside the mass lost its weight and substance, or perhaps teleported away. The locusts became normal and flew off in every direction. As they separated, smoke escaped from the center of the mass.

In contrast to how casually the creature just left, Chrysalis dropped her air of composure and turned frantically to face Drone. “You and Daisy gather the contingency forces,” she ordered. “Move them to the hatchery immediately.”

Daisy wanted to run to the hatchery herself. Nopony had told her so, but she immediately thought that Lily’s egg must be there. Drone motioned for her to go with him in the other direction. She was unsure. She didn’t know what the contingency force was. What made her obey was not her affection for Drone. She knew from the look in Chrysalis’ eyes, she knew that the queen would defend her hatchlings to her last breath.

Even if she would never lay upon their eggs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twilight Sparkle sighed. All the mane six were in a dungeon beneath Chrysalis’ castle.

The walls were made of a substance refined from the armoured skin that changelings would shed on a yearly basis. It’s hardness rested somewhere between that of steel and diamond. The bars were the same material. There was no window.

Her magic was lost to her. The changelings had some sort of green slime, that hardened like an epoxy cement. The same slime coated her horn, effectively blocking all her magic.

Their attempt to rescue Lily Valley and Daisy had been a disaster. Now she didn’t know where her brother, Shining Armour, was or if he was even alive. And she had given Chrysalis a powerful mathematical algorithm for transformation spells. What was the queen planning to do with that? Did she have some evil plan to turn all Equestria into changelings? No, that was insane. That many changelings would not have enough to feed upon. Maybe it was just for the six of them. That thought terrified her. She had to get her friends out of this dungeon.

‘C’mon Twilight, think.’ The first step is to get my magic back. There must be a way to dissolve the green cement. How?

First don’t reinvent the wheel. Chrysalis must have her own solvent. What would it be: an acid, a base, an enzyme, heat. Was the slime hot when she applied it to my horn? Did it harden or oxidize? Was there a chemical change?

She shook her head violently, demanding that her brain find a solution.

“Hey stop it Twilight. You’re gonna poke my eye out with that thing.”

Twilight looked up. “Pinkie! What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to get this gunk off your horn, so you can use magic again.”

“How? Do you know its chemical composition.” Twilight didn’t ask how Pinkie got out of her shackles. She was Pinkie after all.

“Sure do. It’s made of honey.”

“Honey.” Twilight lifted one eyebrow incredulously. “Honey is blocking my magic. How can honey block my magic.”

“Maybe the bees used pollen from atropa belladonna," Fluttershy offered. "That blocks magic, although it wouldn’t be poisonous in honey form.”

“Why do you know about poisonous flowers?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Sometimes I help Zecora with her gardening.”

Twilight looked at her friends with pride in her eyes. “So how do you plan to get the honey off of my horn?”

Pinkie grinned. She licked her lips, and inched her face towards the horn.

Slurp, Slurp!

Tingles moved down Twilights entire body. She’d read that the horn was an erogenous zone. Strange that she could live in her own skin her whole life, and never really test that.

“No… Pinkie… Don’t… Stop!”

Pinkie pulled back.

“I said don’t stop!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daisy took to flying quite quickly, or so she thought. Normally changelings flew lower then pegasi, preferring the stealth of the forests. Instead she flew just above, where there were no obstacles. She still had to watch for updrafts and gusts.

It occurred to her that she didn’t know what the contingency forces were. Had Chrysalis formed some alliance of necessity to protect her unhatched babies. If so, who was the ally? Perhaps it was the princesses, and this would issue a new era of peace. Or maybe Discord, that would be cool, so long as the temperamental draconequus didn’t turn them all into cotton candy. Could it be Griffons, Yaks, a trained Ursa major.

Her thought were interrupted when Drone began descending into a marsh area.

Drone turned to Daisy. Speaking in gentle wingbeats, he instructed her to translate what he said into a speaking language. Daisy had retained her talent for spoken languages, which was elusive to most changelings, save for the ability to mimic others when they shape shifted.

His wings vibrated with a continuous buzz. Daisy’s new horn translated the buzzing into words her mind recognized.

“Friends,” said she, “the era of a 100 years of peace is soon upon us. As promised, we stopped feeding on your kind, and turned our attention to your greater enemy the snakes. For months now, you have enjoyed absolute safety. If we were still your enemies, would we have allowed your numbers to grow to their unprecedented levels. There are now 50 of you for each of us, and we have also secured food so that you could support this population.

As promised, you have not grown lazy, or allowed yourselves to become kept creatures. No, you are all great warriors. Now I ask you to fulfill your end of the agreement. Our horrible enemy now descends upon the hatchery.”

There were some collective gulps from the audience.

“Yes, the hatchery! The pestilence plans to not only destroy us, but our future, our young. Even in the darker days, when we were still enemies, were we ever so cruel to you? Please, my friends, I beg you, fight for us.”

Sounds rose from the audience, like drums of war.

One In A Million

Not long ago:

Daisy insisted changeling language wasn’t actually that hard. She turned to Drone and asked him to repeat something he had told her earlier that day.

Drone hopped around three times, then rubbed his belly and shook his head.

“He’s saying changelings don’t eat frogs.”

Lily nodded. Ponies were vegetarian anyway, so she’d never really thought about whether changelings ate frogs or not.

Now he slithered on the ground, rubbed his belly, and nodded.

“Changelings eat snakes.”

“Gross,” Lily admonished. She wondered if she’d have to catch snakes and feed them to her baby.

Now Drone wrapped his arms, as though holding a baby, and rocked them back and forth. Following this, he shook his hoof at the imaginary infant.

“He says, mothers orders.”

Lily was starting to catch on. It’s not that changelings don’t eat frogs, they were just ordered not to. Furthermore, they were eating snakes, the frogs predator. Perhaps Chrysalis wants a high frog population. Sometimes frogs are useful, in eating certain bugs. Is Chrysalis worried about an infestation?

There is always a crack to slip through. To say the serpents knew this was an understatement; the very design of their bodies optimizes there ability to slip through the cracks. Some say the serpents can slither between worlds, making use of cracks that only they perceive.

The serpents did however have to admit that the mysterious energy sphere surrounding the hatchery was hard to infiltrate. This energy sphere, which was Shining Armour’s armour, was not airtight, and it had to stop at the bedrock beneath the ground lest it would bore through the earth. The earth underneath was hot due the geothermal springs the hatchery was built upon.

The Pestilence was also a creature designed to find cracks, only of a different sort. It saw how changelings had decimated the snake population, in favour of the frog population, and knew there would be a few of their kind who would be nursing a grudge.

The lead serpent was a brash youth, who had defied it’s elders to come on this mission. He boasted to his allies that they would get into the hatchery, and they would eat whole changeling eggs.

Roseluck searched the hatchery. All the time she had previously spent worrying about survival and trying to escape the changeling hive had caused a habit to form. Wherever she was, she was always looking for possible weapons and escape routes. It wasn’t a bad habit for her current situation, though she’d have to quit it when she got back to ponyville.

She didn’t expect to find much to use for weapons. The hatchery was a place that would periodically be filled with infants. On the other hand, they were changelings, so it would be a surprise to find nothing at all.

She did find where they kept the oil for the lanterns that lit the cave. It was in one of the few cool places in the warm hatchery. She also found three carts filled with straw, Roseluck suspected that Chrysalis kept them there so the eggs could be moved quickly if the hatchery became unsafe. Just one cart would be enough to carry the current brood, which counting Lily’s egg was a bakers dozen.

It occurred to her that the carts were farther from the entrance then they ought to be, unless there was an alternate escape. She licked her hooves and felt for air currents.

At the same time, Lily had found something to talk about with Shining Armour. It turns out they are both expecting to be parents soon.

“How do you lift a filly?”

“You bite down on the scruff of the neck and lift.” Shining answered. “I’ve already lifted a few in a prenatal care class.”

Lily knew this much of course, she’d seen it done. “Do you use your teeth?”

“Of course. Don’t bite, just grip. Focus your eyes on the ground and just a little ahead.”

“What if the baby has wings that get in the way?”

Shining Armour hadn’t thought of that. He was a unicorn and Cadence was an alicorn. His baby might be a pegasus; surely she couldn’t just give birth to another alicorn. He lifted his head for a moment to think. At that same moment, Lily saw something emerge from a crack behind them.

“Look out,” Lily cried.

Shining Armour took a quick glance, then leapt aside, just as a snake lunged towards him. It’s mouth agape, fangs barred and tongue extended, the serpent intended to bite.

Now it may surprise you to know that Lily had actually practiced catching snakes. When the changelings were clearing roots from an area that was to become farmland, they had found the odd nest. She watched the changelings pounce at them, and even tried it once or twice when Daisy and Roseluck were not looking. The changelings were helpful, and kept secrets well, practice was necessary, after all, what if her baby needed to eat snakes.

These were of course common garden snakes, which had no venom. Lily would never have tried this on anything poisonous. However, when that one poisonous snake just missed biting Shining Armour she couldn’t let the creature try again, ( or go after her next ).

Just as the snake was about to realize it failed to bite Shining Armour, Lily pounced and took the snakes mouth into her own jaws. The snake squirmed and thrashed, and she knew that if she let go the creature would bite her immediately. She adjusted her jaw, pulling the creature backward in her mouth. Lily wanted to grip the creature with her back molars. Her front incisors might have broken skin and caused her to drink the snakes poison. By pressing with her back molars, she was instead able to dislocate the snakes jaw, rendering it unconscious.

She tossed the unconscious snake aside, and looked for Shining Armour. Shining had found another snake, and was going to try stomping at the creature with his hooves, not to get bit, only to try and drive it away. He was too close to the eggs. The green glow in his eyes shone brighter, and he didn’t realize what he was about to do. He could crack an egg.

Lily leapt again, this time grabbing the scruff of Shining Armours neck and with a twisting motion moved him away from the eggs. The second snake leapt with intention to bite, Lily let go of Shining and caught the creature in an even faster motion. Again she dislocated the creatures jaw, knocking it unconscious.

Now she turned to check on Shining. Lily was startled to see the Stallion glaring back at her. The green glow in his eyes was gone, and she could see the white of his eyes once again. Why was she more afraid of these eyes then the ominous enchanted ones, he sported before?

“You’re not a pony.” Shining accused.

“What!” What did he mean not a pony? Of course she was a pony.

Shining looked around. Gone was the teal coloured magic which had been like rose coloured shades to him. A moment ago, this place looked like a safe room in the castle of the Crystal Empire. Now it was a hot spring in a cave, which stunk of remnants from past litters. The pretty flowers, that he only knew he was not supposed to step on, were eggs, large black eggs with a teal glow emanating from inside, all sitting on hay. They were the brood of a changeling queen.

Yet, strangest of all was the way Lily Valley had pounced upon those snakes. “I remember now. I came to the hive with Twilight and her friends. We were going to rescue the flower ponies; Daisy and Lily Valley.”

“Yes, I’m Lily.”

“No, I bought flowers from Lily once. I asked about her when we came for the rescue. Lily is a timid mare who once fainted at the sight of bunny rabbits.”

Is that the first thing ponies hear whenever they ask about me, Lily wondered? “Hey! There were a lot of bunny rabbits, a whole lot. And they were eating all my pretty flowers.” If that bunny invasion had been any closer to hearts and hooves day her flower shop would have been in ruin; and don’t get her started on those awful parasprites. This wasn’t important now. How could she convince him she was who she said she was?

“No, you’re not Lily! You’re a changeling in disguise.” He looked around, his ribs aching from falling out of the chocolate statue. “Chrysalis must have enchanted me to do her bidding.”

“Well, yes, but you were protecting eggs and… hold on! Is your bubble still up? Are you still protecting the hatchery.”

“It is, tell me why I should… Ouch!”

Shining Armour yelped in pain. A third snake had slithered in from behind, and bitten him in the hind leg.

Lily should have been watching. It confused her when Shining Armour said she wasn’t really a pony. Of course she was a pony. She grabbed the snake, by the neck, while it was still biting. Lily just barely kept the snake from delivering a fatal dose.

Shining Armour seemed grateful for a moment then his eyes became harsh again. “You’re no pony.” He took a step forward, but was unsteady on his feet.

“I am a pony,” Lily cried. “I… I think I am.” Then Shining Armour passed out.

The prison was unguarded. Though they didn’t hear much about what was going on, the mane six knew the changelings had more pressing concerns. Once Pinkie restored her magic, by licking the magic honey off Twilights horn, Twilight picked the latches of the other ponies shackles and even the cell door easily.

They were free, but what now?

Roseluck was just returning from her little expedition. She found Shining armour passed out.

There was a thunderous sound of screeching locusts. Had they just gotten here, or was Shining Armours magic bubble blocking even the sound? Lily quickly, if frantically explained what happened. Roseluck took it all in, though she wondered if Lily taking out three snakes was an exageration of some sort.

Shining Armour’s protection was no small loss. It was hard to even tell her story, over the screeching of the locusts. An impending sense of doom fell upon the two mares.

“We can’t let the locust monster thing get the eggs,” Lily cried.

“I know Lily, but what can we do. We’re not heroes, we’re just timid little flower ponies.”

Lily thought for a moment. “There’s nothing wrong with being flower ponies my dear. Just look at it this way, some nasty bugs are our to ruin our pretty flowers (eggs). Now what would a true flower pony do.”

“Call Fluttershy.”

Lily glared at Roseluck.

“Well, Fluttershy’s, like, really brave. She’s helped me with spiders, and rats, and even a racoon.”

Now Lily crossed her arms.

“What about smoke? I don’t know about locusts, but my sunflowers once had a really bad bee problem. You can confuse bees with smoke.”

A smile started to form on Lily’s mouth. It started small, then grew wider until it was a fully formed grin.

“Roseluck,” she said, “we’re flower ponies. Everyone thinks we’re cowards. You know the best part of having everyone think you’re a coward.”

Roseluck smiled back. “Nobody will be surprised if we take the cowards way out.

The Pestilence was outside the hatchery. It never did anything quickly, the creature preferred to leave others with time to ponder their imminent doom. Chrysalis had thought the hatchery was safe. She thought that Shining Armour’s force field would protect her eggs. Now the force field was gone. All that protected the hatchery was two timid little flower ponies. Pestilence was currently giving her time to let that sink in.

Roseluck appeared at the entrance, pulling a cart behind her. Even Pestilence had not anticipated this. Chrysalis too watched with anticipation. “What are you doing you little twit?”

The cart was filled with hay. Inside were little ovoid shapes, pure black.

The flower pony faced the pestilence. Again it had taken an equine shape. Roseluck let out a tear. She put down a lantern she was carrying in her mouth, then spoke to the creature. “This is what you want isn’t it, if I destroy these eggs myself, will you promise to spare us.”

Daisy watched the scene unfold in disbelief. “Oh Rosie, please no!”

“How could you, you little twit!” Chrysalis descended from the sky, the earth exploded with the force of her landing. “Don’t bargain with this Pestilence. Do this, and I shall destroy you both!”

A small swarm of locust took shape between Chrysalis and Roseluck. It seemed to form a face in the direction facing the terrified Roseluck. Finally if nodded, accepting her agreement. The Pestilence would spare Roseluck and Lily if she destroyed what was in the cart.

Roseluck lifted her torch again, and tossed it into the cart. It soon caught fire.

Everyone watched the flames in awe, as Roseluck stepped to the back of the cart, and bucked it from behind. It rolled downhill, and smashed into some rocks, the remains still burning. The eggs were gone.

No one was more in shock than Chrysalis. After all these millenia, it was still a shock to lose any of her brood. What very few knew was that the thirteenth egg of this litter was a queen. Queen eggs are so rare, that Chrysalis might lay two broods a year for a thousands years and not birth another. The way Lily held that egg, she never thought that pony would let this happen. Was Lily a part of this? Had Roseluck acted on her own. Perhaps Chrysalis’ judgement was clouded just because Lily’s coat and mane matched her mothers in colour.

When the Pestilence was certain that the eggs were sufficiently burned and cracked, the locust left the wreckage, allowing the changelings to investigate. Two changelings checked the wreckage throughly, then in wingbeats reported back to Chrysalis. Changelings have the ability to speak through vibrations in their wings. When they speak this way, only other changelings can understand them.

Chrysalis tried very hard not to smile.

At this time Lily was hard at work loading the real eggs, and the unconscious Shining Armour onto the remaining carts.

“Did he fall for it?” She asked.

“Totally, he thinks they were real eggs.”

Actually they were real eggs. They were the remains of eggs that hatched years ago. It was hard to find pieces big enough that they would look whole when partially covered by the hay.

“Does Chrysalis think we really did it?”

“Naw, One of the drones flashed me a wink. The changelings are way too smart for that.”

“Why miss Roseluck, I do think you’re starting to like changelings.”

“Busted, but I think you like them more Lily”

The two moved on, searching for the secret exit to the hatchery.

Princess Chrysanthemum

Changelings patrolled the site of the battle. Speaking in wingbeats, as only they can, they reported to one another without alerting the enemy. Drone ordered them to be on the lookout for a mysterious horse shaped creature. When the Pestilence first appeared, it seemed to be as a walking corpse that was infested with locusts. They now believed that Pestilence was itself the locusts; making its name very literal. The horse creature probably carried the locusts and provided a food source, so they could conserve energy before going into Battle. Drone however was unconvinced. He’d heard stories of the old queens great battle with the creature. It was always described as the bringer of the pestilence, and from that came the creatures name.

Their strategy was sound. The contingency forces covered the ground, forcing the locusts to stay in the air. Changelings were ordered to prevent any escape, figuring the locusts would have to go to ground eventually. For the time being they were not trying to escape.

This made of a standoff. How long could the locusts stay airborne vs how long could the frogs remain active in a dry area. Yes, your heard right. The contingency forces consisted of millions of frogs; tree frogs, horned frogs, great toads and tiny dwarf frogs. There was fifty frogs for every changeling. Chrysalis had negotiated with the frogs elders, agreeing that her people would stop eating them, and reduce the population of their enemies, the snakes. This allowed for a greater frog population then the hive had ever seen.

Daisy was exhilarated. She had never been part of a battle before. She had joined one of several groups of seven changelings, who circled the battlefield in a special pattern. The pattern was meant so as not to be a pattern, at least not a predictable one. Enemies could not predict where she would be from time to time, while the changelings created winds that cut off all escape routes. The changelings mastery of weather was no where near that of the pegasi, but they could at least create walls of barometric pressure that the locusts were not able to breach.

Her position was fourth in a line of seven. All Daisy had to do was keep up and follow the leader to get the desired cyclone effect. The changeling behind told her she was doing good, that she was a natural. A changeling two bodies up the line warned her that she had better keep up. He was given an angry look by another, for daring to do anything other than encourage. It seemed like all the changelings were just a little bit in love with the only girl of their species they knew who wasn’t their mother or their sister.

Chrysalis fought in the center of the battlefield. Green flame shot from her horn, and burned between shots, daring the locusts to challenge her. Many locusts were drawn to the flame. Did this mean individually they were not intelligent, or were they trying to kamikaze themselves to drown out the flame with their shear numbers?

Though flame was an effective weapon against the locusts, they also sought to create some rain. Rain would cause more locusts to lose flight, while keeping their allies, the frogs, from dehydrating on the battlefield.

The locusts had been scattered for some time, as though scrambling individually for escape. Now they started gathering together into a great mass. They gathered just beside a large peak in the rocky terrain.

Thinking this was her chance, Chrysalis made her horn burn brighter, and charged at the gathered locusts, determined to burn them all.

At that instance, a creature leapt from the rock peak charging at Chrysalis. A brutal kick struck at the Queens left wing, and she plowed into the ground; frogs leaping to get out of the way. She struck the ground with such force, that it made a crater. One wing broken, Chrysalis could no longer fly.

“Where had that creature come from!” Drone screeched. Drone could form some spoken words, mostly just one liners, because verbal speech was difficult to a changeling.

The creature turned somewhat transparent. It was like a chameleon, though in the darkness of the night it may as well be turning truly invisible. When it appeared again its hooves stomped on Chrysalis. The queen screamed in pain. It took all Daisy’s will not to break formation at that moment.

Shining armour stirred slightly. He hadn’t felt like this since… well actually Spike was the dragon that hosted his bachelor party, so he never really felt like this. Anyhow, his head hurt, a lot.

“Oh hey, you’re finally awake,” said Roseluck.

“What happened?”

“You were bitten by a snake, a really big one.” Roseluck spoke. Her voice had a grunting quality because she and Lily were currently pulling trailer carts uphill. Lily’s cart carried changeling eggs. There were twelve in the cart, and one very special egg in her saddle bag. Roseluck’s cart carried Shining armour, who she hoped would be able to walk on his own soon.

Shining Armour looked right then left. I remember now. Then he shot upwards. A jolt of pain almost made him fall back into the warm hay. He still had broken ribs. Again, more slowly he got up and he pointed a hoof at Lily.

“You’re a changeling!”

“I most certainly am not.”

“It’s true. I saw you catch those snakes. No pony could do that.” He was referring to an incident back at the hatchery where Lily saved his life.

Lily turned up her nose at this slanderous comment.

“Where are you taking me?”

“We don’t know. Wherever this tunnel leads us I guess.”

“The hatchery isn’t safe anymore, so we’re taking the eggs, and trying to escape.”

“Ah ha, if you’re really a pony then…” Shining stopped himself. He knew plenty of ponies who would never let harm come to an innocent unhatched egg. Even with all he suffered at the hands of changelings, he was more liable to defend an egg then crack one.

Shinning munched on some hay. In a few minutes, he got out of the cart and started walking. Roseluck abandoned her cart, and started pushing Lily’s cart from behind.

At some point the tunnel just ended. Lily fretted that they might have to turn back, when Shining noticed something above their heads. It was a plank of wood. Roseluck got up onto the cart and pushed up on the plank; Shining ready to catch her if she fell. The plank was covering a hole, which was the exit to the tunnel. Rosie slid the plank aside, but it was dark above. Eventually they figured out that the entrance / exit to the tunnel was under a bed.

Shining pushed the two mares through the hole, despite the pain in his ribs, and they poked their heads outside the covers.

Lily and Roseluck walked around exploring. It was a simple room. It had a lavish bed that looked like it had never been slept on. There was no dresser, but two book shelves, and a nightstand with a bottle of fermented nectar. Lily smelled the sweet nectar, and wished in weren’t such a bad time to stop and drink.

There was a balcony, and two doors. The first door opened to a closet. All that was inside was a picture that had been taken down.

“Hey look at this,” Roseluck called.

“What is it?” Lily took a look. It was a beautiful mare with a pink coat and golden hair. From her back sproated wings. There weren’t pegasus wings. The closest thing they could be compared to was the wings of a butterfly.

“Doesn’t this look like you?” Roseluck asked.

“Maybe a little,” Lily answered. Neither would have guessed that this was the mother of Queen Chrysalis.

They gathered up the eggs, and pulled Shining up. They had to push the bed aside and build makeshift pulley with bedsheets.

The group left through the other door, and found path that exited to Chrysalis’ throne room. On the floor was the remainder of the black potion, the one that turned Daisy into a changeling. Shining sniffed at it, not knowing what it could be.

In the distance they saw a glow of swirling sparks. Shining told the ladies to stand back and cautiously took a closer look. Then he called out with cheer “Twily!”

Twilight Sparkle and her friends ran up to them. Apparently they escaped the dungeon under the castle, and were looking for a way out. Brother and sister were reunited.

“Hey Twily what’s up with your horn,” Shining Armour asked.

“Chrysalis had some kind of green honey that blocked my magic. Pinkie uh… cleaned it off.” Actually Pinkie had licked the magic honey off her horn. “Maybe theres a buildup of power because my magic was blocked.” That’s what she told her brother, but Twilight herself didn’t believe it. After all, she only felt the power build as Pinkie was cleaning her horn. The Energy had seemed to pulse with every stroke of the pink mares tongue, until just touching it would give a jolt to Pinkie Pie. Her coat still had a bad case of static cling. Twilight would have to learn more about this phenomenon. She hoped there would be time to experiment later.

The groups compared notes on what had happened to them. Shining still insisted that Lily was a changeling, and Lily practically screamed that she wasn’t, but other then that they all got up to speed.

“So what now,” Rainbow Dash asked.

Just then, they heard the buzz of a changelings wingbeats. They turned and saw Daisy. Daisy practically collapsed in front of them.

Daisy explained that the fight was not going well, “Chrysalis sent me to find you. She says …” Daisy held back her tears. “She says, if the changelings are to die,” then at least make sure the eggs live on.”

Lily turned to Twilight. “Please,” she begged, “you have to help them.”

Twilight was all set to go, but Applejack called “Now wait just a darn pick’n minute. The changelings are our enemies too. If we jump into the battlefield, how do you know them and this Pestilence critter won’t just team up against us.”

“I’m sorry to say that is a possibility,” Rarity added.

Lily opened her saddle bad and took out her egg. Twilight saw that the glow from the egg was different from the other eggs. “This is my baby. Lily declared. She’s a changeling. What if I need help from other changelings to take care of her.”

“You and Chrysalis,” Changelings were a mysterious lot, and the details of their reproduction cycle is not known even to the most learned ponies. She did not know that an egg can adapt and be transformed by love it is given in the pre birth stage. When she heard this was the baby of Lily and Chrysalis some misconceptions may have run through her mind.

“Your baby?”

“Yes,” Lily cried.

“A changeling?”

“Yes.”

“Did Chrysalis force you.” Twilight asked.

“What,” Lily almost face faulted. “No, of course not.”

Daisy put her hoof on Lily’s shoulder. “Lily, Chrysalis told me something before I came here. That’s a queen egg. They’re one in a million. You’re the mother of the next queen. If Chrysalis dies then until that baby comes of age you’ll be queen; that’s the law of succession. Lily, if Chrysalis dies then you’ll be queen of the changelings.”

Lily went bug eyed. A million thoughts ran through her mind. How could that be? Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Finally someone cut in.

“This is good right. Chrysalis and the Pestilence might destroy one another. Then we’ll have peace with the remaining changelings.”

Lily was silent. She lowered her head. Everyone discussed the various possibilities. It was all white noise to her, she didn’t care who said what.

Finally she raised her head, and spoke with the authority of the queen she might soon be. “Save Chrysalis, save the changelings,” she demanded, “OR I’LL DECLARE WAR ON EQUESTRIA MYSELF!”

Chrysalis held her own against the Pestilence, but gained little ground. Her wing was badly broken. She suspected the creature was merely toying with her.

Finally the Pestilence pinned her. He seemed ready for the kill.

“This is how it was with the old queen,” came his raspy voice. “Except your moher was saved at the last minute. She was saved by a power you clearly don’t possess. A Unicorn saved her with the magic of…

Suddenly a massive blast struck the Pestilence in the chest, and it was blown backwards.

The changelings all turned to look at what had teleported onto the battlefield. Twilight sparkle hadn’t fired a blast like that before, ever, she didn’t even think it was possible.

The frogs looked upon the Pestilence as it stuttered to get up. locusts fell to the ground, hit by the shockwave. They should have feasted on the locusts, but the frogs saw a greater opportunity. They would show the changelings what a valuable ally their kind were. They would prove worthy of the 100 year peace they were promised.

Pinkie asked Twilight if she needed help reloading. The pink mare was joking and expected to make Twilight blush. Twilight took a moment to think about what that meant, then said “not in front of everybody, “ and gave her a wink.

“Oh Celestia!” Rainbow Dash screamed. What are those frogs doing?

“The horror! The horror!” Fluttershy covered her eyes.

Soon the Pestilence was no more.

Epilogue

It was a bit lonely for Roseluck, being the only flower pony who returned to ponyville. She was also overworked, now alone tending a flower shop that her friends once serviced together.

Fortunately she wasn’t alone for very long. In the coming year, not one, but two mares from Miss Cheerilee’s school discovered their own flower cutie marks. Roseluck allowed them both to work in the shop and mentored them with care.

Summer Marigold was a bright hearted and cheerful mare, with a golden coat and auburn mane. She was elated that her calling meant she could be surrounded by pretty flowers all the time, and fascinated by everything Roseluck took the time to teach her.

Sapphire Petal had a grey coat and predictably a sapphire mane. She was interested in darker colours, and the beauty of plants that were slightly poisonous. Other flower ponies might have found her a little odd; and some thought she should be sent off to a bigger city, where in the wider population she might find a niche group for practicing her different style of floristry. Roseluck would not have that. She encouraged her, learning new things herself, in order to hang on to her mentor role and keep the childish admiration the two girls held for her.

Twilight would send letters to Lily Valley from time to time. Celestia sent a magic fire pit to the changelings allowing them to be added to the service range of Spike mail. All correspondence was done through Lily Valley. It was a bit odd actually. Lily could talk to Chrysalis on Twilights behalf, but if she tried to address a letter to Chrysalis directly, the response would be a short and rude reminder that Lily was her ambassador. Once a letter reply from Chrysalis was limited to only two characters, F and U.

Spike also had to be Lily’s mail mare for any friend she and Daisy wanted to keep up with in Ponyville. They were chatty mares and the new responsibility actually took up a lot of the dragons time.

Twilight was a bit secretive about the progress of the peace talks, which Chrysalis wanted for some unknown reason. One day Spike delivered a letter from Lily to Roseluck and her face lit up at the contents.

In Canterlot a red ribbon was placed around the newly constructed changeling embassy. The embassy was a small piece of Changeling land on Equestrian soil.

Changelings who preferred the architecture be done to their style and specification, buzzed around the building. It was dark and gaudy, a strange mix of black chitin and honey comb. Some say Chrysalis wanted a bigger castle then Celestia in Canterlot, though it really only measured to three quarters of the size.

Eight changelings flew into Canterlot, carrying a stage wagon. “There it is,” Marigold pointed, and Roseluck looked up with excitement.

When the wagon was set on the ground, Daisy flew up and opened the door. A red carpet was rolled from the entrance to a stage set in front of the new embassy.

All were quiet, and awed. Honorary princess Lily Valley of the changeling empire stepped out. Upon her brow sat a crown identical to the one Chrysalis wore. She lifted her nose high, as though showing it off to all in the audience, and walked up to the stage.

Daisy now stood on the stage, between the great princesses of Equestria. Luna whispered into her ear, “I see that this Lily Valley is not an alicorn. What exactly makes her honorary princess of the changelings?”

“Her and Queen Chrysalis had a baby together” Daisy whispered. Luna turned beet red. The changelings being a secretive as they were, the details of their reproduction is still somewhat mysterious, and Luna may have guessed wrong as to what that entailed.

A tiny filly, stepped out of the stage wagon, just after Lily. A changeling had to help her to get out, because she was too small for the steps. Despite having hatched from an egg with a golden glow, she had a pink coat and a teal mane. She was slender. There was some baby fat on her face, yet her longer snout gave an a regal quality. She had green eyes, and even the whites of her eyes were actually a lighter green. What struck ponies most was the wings. Her wings had the insect like nodus of the changelings, however the pterostigma ( the flaps of strong fleshy material that caught the wind ) was many translucent colors; when she opened her wings, the sun passed through and made a beautiful tapestry of pinks, golds, and teal green project on the ground along with her shadow.

Upon her brow sat another small crown. The girl lifted her nose and mimicked Lily’s walk to the stage. Lily was the more regal of the two as it was clear that the filly was just cutely trying to emulate her mother.

Behind her walked a few frogs, who came because they wanted the ponies to know what a high and dignified place their kind still hold in the empire.

Lily walked up to the podium and began to speak. “Today we open our first embassy in Canterlot. Next year my daughter, Chrysanthemum Corsage, will be the first changeling to attend the Celestia school for magic. This represents a new era of peace between our societies.” She opened the floor to questions.

“Lily Valley, is it true that Changelings can feed on chocolate in place of love.”

“Yes.”

“Is it true that the peace accord actually stipulates in the fine print that it’s not valid in years where you have an insufficient crop of farmed cocoa beans.”

“Of course, we do need to feed ourselves after all.” Lily spoke as though she were a changeling herself. Twilight gulped at that last part. She had to admit the peace accord wasn’t actually her best work.

“Couldn’t we just give the changelings chocolate so they won’t attack us?”

“Changelings won’t be kept creatures dependent on the charity from ponies.”

Twilight gently nudged Lily aside, before she started a riot. “The changelings have become the number one cocoa producer in Equestria, and will even be exporting their excess to Canterlot. In fact we’ll be treating everyone to treats made with changeling chocolate after this ribbon cutting ceremony.

“Is it true you had to analyze the chocolate for transformation potions before approving it for consumption.”

“Would you prefer I hadn’t.”

“Lily, admit that you’re a changeling in disguise just like Shining Armour says you are”

“I said no further questions.”

Lily thanked Twilight for knowing when to end that press conference. She hoped things would calm down in the next year or so, when her little Chrysanthemum Corsage started school.

“It’ll be fine," Twilight assured her. "We’re making progress. By the way do you have the honey?”

Lily sighed, then had a changeling discreetly unload twelve jars from the stage coach. Twilight licked her lips at the sight of it”

“What do you even do with that stuff?”

Twilight grinned. “It’s for research.”

That afternoon Lily, Daisy, Roseluck, Summer Marigold, and Sapphire Petal all met in a tea shop. Summer a was bit nervous, while Sapphire had a million questions about what it is like for a pony to become a changeling.

Apparently Daisy and Lily opened a flower shop, in the hive. It was surprisingly successful. Changelings weren’t interested in cut flowers, except to eat but there were now planters and flower beds around every home.

Daisy and Drone now shared a room in the castle. Lily was given quarters that actually shared a balcony with Chrysalis, and it was rumoured that they kept their doors open to one another all the time.

However much life changed, these mares could still come together united by how they all shared flower shaped cutie marks.

On her first day, Chrysanthemum Corsage was escorted to school by two guards, a snake wrangler and her mom.

They entered the school grounds. With all the students watching, Lily grabbed her daughter into a hug, and kissed her forehead. Showing no embarrassment, Chrysanthemum Corsage hugged back. In fact, she didn’t seem to want to let go.

Lily mostly kept her daughter on a diet of love, believing this was better for her then giving a child excess amounts of chocolate. She hoped that hug and kiss would hold her until lunch.

A few of the blue bloods approached Chrysanthemum, wondering if she was the type of princess that would help advance their station and popularity. Chrysanthemum was polite but showed little interest. She instead found a flower garden, being tended to by a filly with a tulip cutie mark. “Can I help?” she asked. The other girl shyly offered her a shovel.

Later she saw some older colts teasing the little flower unicorn, and ran up to them.

“Hey, I’ve heard of you.” said a colt with a red mane and white coat. “You’re that changeling.”

The other colt asked, “Hey is it true that changeling queens have genetic memory.”

“Genetic Memory?” The first colt asked what that was.

“My sister read about it in a book. It means she’s got the last queens thoughts inside her head. She’d be like, Queen Chrysalis reborn.”

“Wow, cool! But no way that’s true.”

They turned they heads to face Chrysanthemum Corsage once again; then they stepped back. One pace, then two. The two colts both ran screaming in different directions.

“Twits.” Said an imposing changeling that looked exactly like Queen Chrysalis. Then with a burst of green magic, she was Chrysanthemum Corsage once again.

It might be interesting to note that Queen Chrysalis never said the word twit in her presence.

Chrysanthemum nuzzled her friend affectionately, who was still crying from the bullies abuse. The girl had seen what happened with the two colts, yet she still nuzzled back.

Chrysanthemum knew there was a reason she liked flower ponies the best.

You Will Be Assimilated

“Have you ever heard of the Honeybird Ponies?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy took a moment to think. “Oh yes,” said she. “I heard that story when I was just a filly.” She then lowered her eyes and her voice dropped to even more of a whisper. “I felt so sorry for them.”

“Great.”

Fluttershy blinked in surprise.

“I mean, since you’ve heard of them maybe you’ll be interested in what I’ve found.”

Twilight showed a scroll to Fluttershy, explaining that it was a recently uncovered research journal of Starswirl the bearded. Fluttershy wasn’t surprised. Twilight loved talking about her academic idol, though unlike her Daring Doo fandom, she needed a slightly better segue to get other ponies interested.

“A research journal? I don’t follow. Did he research an old mare-y tale.?”

“Yes, Starswirl was fascinated by the story.” Twilight tried to reign in her excitement, realizing she was practically yelling at her more timid friend. She spoke softly, “Fluttershy, why don’t you tell me the story as you heard it, then I’ll use that as a lead-in to what I learned in this journal.”

Fluttershy took a moment to think.

“The story goes that a Pegasus was exploring one day and he discovered a strange fruit with a delicious scent. He brought it up to the clouds, and experimented with it. Eventually he figured out how to make a delicious paste from the beans, and gave some to all of his friends. A few of those Pegasi did something unheard of at that time, they chose to live on land so that they could dedicate themselves to growing and harvesting this plant. For generations they grew vast fields of this plant, covering acres and acres of tropical landscape. They grew ten times what they could use and exported this crop to neighbouring nations for all there other needs. Then one year there was a pestilence. The crop was destroyed, and the civilization fell into ruin.

Of course even the more primitive nations at the time wouldn’t have just let them starve. Most believe this is just a cautionary tale, telling farmers to diversify their crops.” Fluttershy nodded her head at the last part.

“That’s right,” said Twilight. “Even Starswirl believed that the legend is no more than half true.

He believed that the crop was cocoa. It’s well documented that cocoa nearly went extinct in 7000 BC ( before Celestia ). Surviving plants were rediscovered in a distant jungle, or possibly an alternate universe, by Starswirl himself.

Cocoa contains a chemical called Phenethylamine. Starswirl believed that the Honeybird ponies needed this chemical like we need water or air.”

“That’s really interesting Twilight. What else does it say?”

Twilight smiled. She began reciting facts with glee: She mentioned how they were said to be extremely beautiful. How their wings were the inspiration for stain glass windows. That they were supposed to smell of honey. They were probably never really Pegasi, though Starswirl couldn’t be sure of this. They had a queen, a lost Alicorn.

“Wow, another princess.”

“Tell her the interesting part.” Rainbow Dash interjected.

Twilight insisted that Fluttershy wouldn’t want to hear about that. She didn’t know why Rainbow Dash was interested either, though perhaps it was because Nightmare Night was fast approaching.

Fluttershy wanted to know. When it became clear that Twilight wouldn’t tell her, Rainbow explained it herself.

“Phen…

“Phen-ii…”

“Phenethylamine,” Twilight offered.

“Right. That stuff is also found in the brains of ponies. Starswirl said that some of the honeybird could have survived by changing from being farmers to predators.”

A squeak came from Fluttershy. Otherwise the room was silent.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Oww! Get your hoof out of my face.” Lily begged.

“Me,” Daisy whined. “I have a least two ponies on my back.”

“I think she was talking to me. I’m trying to move, but I can’t see where I’m going. What’s this against my back. It feels like…”

Suddenly the pony who had two ponies atop her back felt a thud, as though she’d been dropped from a foot in the air.

It turned out they were inside a burlap sack. The sack was untied. Roseluck was the first to find the opening and poke her nose out. Seeing what was outside the sack, she promptly retracted her head back into the sack and told her friends they should just stay there.

Their captor knelt next to the sack as his queen approached.

Chrysalis, flipped some hair from her eye and turned to her drone. She led the drone off a short distance from the sack, just far enough away to speak in private.

“Will they be of use to us?” Chrysallis asked.

The drone nodded.

“How do you know.”

In response, it wiggled it’s behind then bit on the stem of a wild flower, pulling it from the ground and presenting it to the Queen.

“They all have flower cutie marks.” Chrysalis shrugged. It wasn’t bad. She would prefer ponies with trees or even vegetables on their flanks. Her other Raiding party was repelled by an orange pony with Apples on her flank and a seriously powerful hind kick. At least the B team didn’t come back empty handed.

The drone pointed to the sack, then scratched at the ground, and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yes,” said Chrysalis,” convincing them to work for us will be difficult. If we just wanted information I could torture them, however, we need them to be physically able. Camouflage yourself with the terrain and stay close to them. No doubt they will discuss their captivity situation with one another. Listen carefully. Perhaps these Ponies will reveal weaknesses we can exploit.”

The drone changed the colour and texture of his chitin armour to match the nearby rocks, then he laid upon the ground, close to the burlap sack.

It was a full hour before Daisy, Lily, and Roseluck made their way out of the sack.

Roseluck was the bravest of the three, which isn’t saying much. She sniffed at the ground, and walked away from their sack, in an ever widening spiral. Eventually she came to a cliff face, then circled around, discovering that they were on the flattened peak of an impossibly steep mountain. Finally she dared to look beyond the cliff. the peak was a lookout point overseeing the entire changeling hive. Nervously she returned to the others, and reported what she saw.

“A changeling hive,” said Lily. “What would changelings want with us?”

“They must want to feed on our love,” Daisy offered in her Southern Equestrian drawl.

“Yeah, except, uh… none of us have coltfriends.”

Daisy and Lily nodded reluctantly.

“Wait, said Daisy,” don’t you have something going on with Dr. Whooves.”

Roseluck blushed. “I don’t know. Maybe, once, but he’s changed”

“Maybe the changelings think the three of us are…” Lily stopped herself, blushing more furiously than Roseluck. “Never mind.”

Daisy blushed as well and so did Roseluck when she finally caught on.

“Well,” said Roseluck, “If they don’t want to feed, maybe they want to turn us into changelings.”

Lily quivered at the suggestion. “Can they do that?” she asked.

“Well, maybe. I haven’t heard of it really happening, but I’ve read about it in stories.”

Lily shook even more.

Daisy was the next to speak. “Are you talking about the one where the pony is in a love triangle with a changeling and a draconequus” She sounded excited as she asked.

“No! I stopped reading those books when they introduced crystal changelings.”

At this point Lily had her eyes tightly closed. Her body was shaking visibly. Daisy nuzzled next to her and did her best to comfort her terrified friend.

“I don’t want to be a changeling,” Lily cried.

At this point the camouflaged changeling appeared before them. The three ponies grabbed one another and huddled together.

Roseluck spoke for the group. “Please mister changeling, just let us go. We don’t want to join your hive.”  “I’m sure it’s a very nice hive,” Daisy added, “even if none of you glisten.”

The changeling sniffed at them, then jumped from the cliffside. Roseluck and Daisy watched as he glided downward, circling the peak then descending into the centre of the hive.

“His wingbeats are so fast,” said Daisy, sounding a little too impressed.

The drone returned to Chrysalis. It landed a few feet away, then ran to close the remaining distance, stopping suddenly and bowing at his queen.

“What did you learn?”

the changeling transformed into Lily. He mimicked her quivering form, then slowly, very slowly returned to normal pretending to be terrified as he did.

Queen Chrysalis tilted her head, and spoke in an incredulous tone. “They’re afraid we’re going to turn them into changelings?”

The drone nodded.

Chrysalis thought about this. The worst thing they can imagine is becoming changelings; how insulting. Besides, changing a pony into a changeling would be like turning a dog into a cat. “Where did they even get such an idea?”

The drone scanned his head slowly from left to right, then lowered it an notch, returned quickly to the left, and did this again.

“I see. On the next raiding party I want you to steal some of these books. I’m curious whether it is truly possible for a pony to become a changeling.”

The drone smiled, showing its fangs and mandibles.

The two of then returned to their captives together.

The flower ponies had been terrified to see just one changeling, so naturally meeting the queen of changelings was even worse for them.

“The horror, the horror,” Lily proclaimed just before she fainted.

Roseluck looked at her friend on the ground, then turned to Chrysalis. “Please don’t take that personally your majesty. I once saw her faint over a heard of bunnies.”

“Oh I actually take it as quite the compliment,” Chrysalis replied. She landed upon her hind legs, and casually curtsied before dropping onto all four hooves.

“Hello again Mr Changeling.” Daisy waived her hoof at the drone.

Gathering her courage, Roseluck faced the queen. “What do you want with us?”

“You will assist my drones in an agricultural endeavour.” said Chrysalis

“You want to farm?” Lily asked, while still flat on her back.

“I prefer to hunt,” Chrysalis answered. She turned her head, as though in shame. “Lately you ponies have better defences against our kind.”

“What if we refuse?”

“You will serve us one way or another. Right now you might be more use to us as ponies, but if you simply won’t comply then we’ll make you like us.” Chrysalis turned, facing the drone who was a step behind his majesty. “Show then what you used to look like.” Chrysalis winked and suppressed an urge to snicker.

The drone transformed into none other than…

Author's Note

I’ve been away for awhile.

I know I shouldn’t start a new story with an old one on such a long hiatus. I have more of a plan on this one, it’ll probably only be four or five chapters, and hopefully writing this will inspire me in finishing the other. On the off chance I end up with two unfinished works, please don’t hate me too much.

I got the idea from watching a youtube reading of Inkrose’s Origin of Queen Chrysalis. I liked it so much I decided to give Chrysalis a completely different Origin, if that makes sense. I’m not being sarcastic, it’s a great story.

The ( Not So ) Great Escape

“It has been quite a while since your last visit.” Fluttershy checked the aroma of her pot, to see if the tea was properly steeped.

“Yes, I do apologize. I’ve been running myself ragged with work.”

At the moment, Discord wasn’t doing anything crazy or outrageous. Nothing was floating, or upside-down, and no inanimate objects had come to life. He just sat there and waited for his tea. ‘The poor dear must be stressed’ Fluttershy thought.

“Oh, and what sort of work have you been doing?”

“Celestia thinks someone else might have escaped from Tartarus.”

Fluttershy quivered slightly, as she turned to face the draconequus. “There’s been another escape?”

“Not quite, my dear,” Discord added a teaspoon of marinara sauce to his tea. “This escapee probably just hid behind Tirek’s coattails and laid low.”

“Is he dangerous?”

“Oh yes, very, he…” Discord stopped himself. “We don’t have to talk about this.”

“That’s okay,” Fluttershy meekly responded. “I want to know.”

“This horse originally had three brothers, so there were four altogether. They came to Equestria to do harm, I don’t know their exact motivation. Among his brothers: War was defeated by the Pegasi, Famine was overcome by the earth ponies, and Death was beaten by a unicorn who became an alicorn.”

“Do you think the escapee will try to free them too.”

“Oh they’re not in Tartarus. They’re just gone.”

Fluttershy just gave a gentle nod.

“Anyway, the last brother did the most damage. You’d think it would have been Death, but no. This last brother, he wiped out a species.”

There was nothing Fluttershy could say to that, so Discord continued. “There was this race called the Honeybird Ponies. They were sickeningly cute. He hit them on two fronts. First he commanded locusts to wipe out their crops, then he murdered all their egg layers, their Queens. Their last egg layer, a pretty pink Honeybird Princess, died subduing him.”

“They’re all gone?” Fluttershy held back a tear.

“Short answer is yes.”

“What does that mean?”

“That pink princess I mentioned, she laid a Queen egg in secret. It was an egg capable of producing an egg layer. She actually hid it under her bed before she went off to fight the last horse. Apparently she asked her closest friend to nurture the egg if she didn’t come back alive.” Discord groaned before he explained the next part. “The friend got it in her fool head that she could help fight that monster. They ended up both dying. Nobody knew about the egg, and without proper nurturing, the thing that hatched from it can’t rightfully be called a honeybird pony.”

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In the days following the hatchery incident, Lily kept Chrysalis’s egg close to her at all times. She knitted a wool saddle bag, believing it would allow her to better warm the egg in transit. When working she placed it in a basket with swaddling blankets. The flower mare was thankful for the tropical climate, during the day it wasn’t necessary to warm the egg with her own body, although she viewed skinship as being very important.

She no longer seemed uncomfortable around changelings, and was more accepting of their peculiar habits. Lily still couldn’t get a handle on their language, and often needed Daisy to translate for her.

When changelings took the form of ponies, they could imitate phrases the ponies had used. Drone, aka Big Mac, showed that he could say eeyup and nope, before switching back to the more comfortable nod and shake of the head. More than once Lily received messages from what she thought were her friends, only to have the ponies turn into changelings before her eyes. That was still kind of terrifying.

Daisy insisted changeling language wasn’t actually that hard. She turned to Drone and asked him to repeat something he had told her earlier that day.

Drone hopped around three times, then rubbed his belly and shook his head.

“He’s saying changelings don’t eat frogs.”

Lily nodded. Ponies were vegetarian anyway, so she’d never really thought about whether changelings ate frogs or not.

Now he slithered on the ground, rubbed his belly, and nodded.

“Changelings eat snakes.”

“Gross,” Lily admonished. She wondered if she’d have to catch snakes and feed them to her baby.

Now Drone wrapped his arms, as though holding a baby, and rocked them back and forth. Following this, he shook his hoof at the imaginary infant.

“He says, mothers orders.”

Lily was starting to catch on. It’s not that changelings don’t eat frogs, they were just ordered not to. Furthermore, they were eating snakes, the frogs predator. Perhaps Chrysalis wants a high frog population. Sometimes frogs are useful, in eating certain bugs. Is Chrysalis worried about an infestation?

The three of them walked back to the honeycomb house.

The last few days, Roseluck had been mapping the hive, in order to discuss possible escape routes. Changelings kept careful guard over the boundaries of the hive. They did however seem more concerned with keeping threats out, then keeping ponies in, the reverse of a typical prison. Right now her best options seemed to be the waste disposal area’s, or the Forrest. The Forrest was in the wrong direction yet had better coverage for an escape. Although because of this better coverage, more guards patrolled the area.

Without thinking, Daisy allowed Drone to follow them inside, and he saw their escape map.

Drone stepped up to the map. Roseluck stepped back. Changelings were still threatening enough that you don’t stand in their path. He scanned over it with his bug eyes, taking in every detail. Was he going to tear it up? Was he going to report treason to Chrysalis?

Actually he pointed to the cartographers nest on the map. Yes, changelings have a hive cartographer, and her maps were far better than this doodle.

Next he pointed to an edge of the map, and crawled on the floor panting as though desperate for water.

“He says you gotta cross a desert to get back to Ponyville.”

Drone fluttered his wings.

“You won’t make it without wings.” Daisy explained.

Drone declined an invitation to stay for supper. He had found a snake nest while working, and wanted to get to it before any other changeling could. Daisy reminded him to come for breakfast before work tomorrow. She promised him a big stack of apple cinnamon pancakes, and he faked interest. Apparently Big Mac likes pancakes.

“You know what?” said Roseluck, “I feel like I’m doing this all by myself.” She tousled her hair with her hooves, a habit that came out when she was irritated. “Are you mares even trying to escape?”

“Yes, I suppose,” said Daisy. “Though I don’t want to leave Big Mac behind.” Daisy occasionally expressed a belief that if they took him home maybe the princesses could cure him, or he’d remember his love for his family, or he’d just fall in love with her.

“There’s another thing that’s been bothering me. If Chrysalis can turn us into changelings then why doesn’t she?”

Roseluck had a point. The girls were still under the mistaken belief that Drone had been Big Mac at some point. Drone was undoubtably loyal to Chrysalis. When the queen was around he followed her like a puppy.

“Well, when he became a changeling, he forgot some things. Chrysalis must want us for our knowledge.”

“There’s a first.”

“And what about you Lily?”

“I’m not escaping,” said Lily. “Escaping is too dangerous. What if my egg gets cracked. Then what happens after we escape. We have to cross a desert, and who knows how the little one will be treated in Ponyville?”

Roseluck tousled her hair again. “Everything's about that egg with you. You don’t know what’ll hatch from it.”

“Chrysalis said my love has made her different from the other changelings.”

“It’s a her now.”

“A mother knows.”

“No! You don’t know,” Roseluck told her. “What if Chrysalis is just messing with you? What if it’s just another changeling in that egg? Are you still going to be its mommy. What if you can’t give it a warm hug because it has cold armour all over its body. Will you nurse it if it has fangs? Well…”

Roseluck already regretted what she was saying, yet her frustrations and anxieties spilled forth. On the verge of tears, Lily ran outside.

When next Roseluck turned, Daisy was giving her the stare. Roseluck shrunk before her gaze, she felt like a child who had her wrist slapped for the first time.

She lowered her head, took two breaths, then in a much meeker voice said: “I’ll go apologize.”

When she stepped out the door, she saw Lily. Lily had apparently grabbed the first changeling she saw. She embraced him in a tight bear hug. The bystander changeling blushed and looked away, apparently watching the moon, and reminding himself that he wasn’t allowed to feed on her.

“This is nice,” said Lily. “I’ll be okay with this.”

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Drone fluttered onto Queen Chrysalis’s balcony.

The Queen was in a fetal position, reading. The book was called ‘Afterglow’. It was something she had requested Drone get for her, and she really was not enjoying it.

“I never thought I’d say this. I’m on team draconequus.”

Drone took the form of Daisy then returned to normal.

“No, I haven’t learned how to transform ponies into changelings. The book explains how, but it’s just fiction.”

Drone made a shrug.

“Yes, I’m sure. If you don’t believe me then test for yourself. Drain that mare friend of yours of all but the last pint of her blood, then let her drink your own blood, and see what happens. May I remind you that our blood is acidic, which is another thing this book gets wrong. It is full of misconceptions: Changelings that glisten, random superpowers, a precognitive changeling whose powers only work when it’s narratively convenient.”

Chrysalis stopped herself from mentioning one last thing. According to the book, changeling queens have inherited memory. In theory an egg layer should have all the memories of the past queens up to the time she was conceived. Chrysalis had actually heard this myth before. She heard it from the surviving honeybirds, who expected her to just pick up where her mother left off, as though the two were interchangeable. The pressure was infuriating.

She tossed the book on the ground, and Drone slumped his head.

Chrysallis rose, ready to go to bed. Drone nipped on her leg, stopping her motion.

“You feel bad about lying to her.” She paused, in thought. Chrysalis never considered that her changelings would give a damn about a few ponies. There was a strong sense of community in the hive, though that’s because changeling are literally brothers and sisters to one another. How did the ponies get adopted? She wondered. “Then You may as well tell her the truth.”

Drone made bug eyes at her.

“Don’t be afraid. Truth is like when you’re stuck by an arrow. You either pull it out, or drive it the rest of the way through. Either way, best to get it over with, so you can cauterize the wound before the gangrene sets in.”

Now Drone couldn’t stop looking at the holes in her legs.

“I’ll think of some other lie to motivate them. This was a ridiculous deception anyway.”

Once Drone was gone Chrysalis eyed the book on the ground. Sure it was tripe, yet she just had to know. She had to know if the pony who has a bell with swan wings on her flank, whatever that means, would come to her senses and realize draconequus is a better match for her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, the girls were roused from their sleep by a commotion outside. Of course they new what the commotion was for, this had been in the planning for several weeks now.

They left their home and made there way into the main town.

“Aw why weren’t we invited to the party,” Daisy complained.

“It’s a raiding party.” Roseluck told her.

“Maybe we’ll all celebrate when they come back with what they’re stealing,” Lily offered.

Word had arrived that there were dozens of cocoa plants being held in a nursery in Ponyville. The very changelings who were disguised as the flower ponies had set up this nursery. If successful, they were sure to win back their queen’s favour. A group of changelings was preparing for the long trip to go retrieve the plants.

They had provisions of course. There was water for crossing the desert, and barrels of salted fish, because it was an extra stop to steal meat in Ponyville

Roseluck eyed the barrels. She asked herself if they would notice if one barrel carried a pony instead of fish. ‘This day is going to be perfect,’ she thought.

Author's Note

I kinda needed this chapter to get to the next one. I hope it’s still good on its own, and not too much of an exposition dump.