The Moon Worshiper Part 3: Twisted

Fluttershy and Dark turned as Chrysalis came swooping back to them.“Sorry about that...I swear Fang, you are the only one I can count on.” The lovestruck changeling, of course, blushed deeply. “In any case...you wanted to spend the day with me, correct?”

Fluttershy smiled. “Oh yes! I would like to know more about your kingdom and your changelings. I mean, how do you feed on something like love? It doesn't seem all that possible.”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “Well, there's not much to tell about my kingdom that I don't want to keep secret...that might endanger our little truce agreement.” Dark winced as Chrysalis continued to speak. “This land was founded by my great, great, great grandmother after the Great War between the Equestrians and the Changelings that occurred over five thousand years ago. We have been living here ever since; isolated from the world in an effort to keep our love, feeding in the shadows...more quiet than boisterous.” She sighed. “It was our original goal at said time to the feed off the love in Equestria from the shadows like we always do, but...I admit it...” she said, lowering her gaze. “I got a little greedy...power mad...” She laughed harshly. “Nuts. And...” She started ramble, and there was something oddly revealing about her words and the manner in which she spoke. There appeared to be a strange shame in her mind for her previous actions during the wedding of Shining Armor and Cadence.

As Chrysalis's nonsensical speech was starting to get a little out of hand, Dark held up a hoof.

“Don't worry about it your majesty,” he said with a smile, lowering his slightly shaking foreleg. “Happens to the best of us; though next time you get a little greedy, try not to go for the whole 'Conquering of Equestria' thing; that's not the right way to do things. Maybe you could have just asked Celestia or something...”

Chrysalis glared. “Do you think that blowhard would ever work with an freak like me?”

Fluttershy scolded her with a question. “Did you even try?”

After a rather awkward pause Chrysalis admitted “No, not really...but that doesn't change the fact that she can be slightly stubborn...and a pain. You were there at the meeting! she was about ready to blast me home”-

“Home?” Dark asked suddenly. He frowned. “Celestia blasts criminals to Tartarus...”

Chrysalis's eye twitched and she quickly changed the subject. “Ahem, yes, well...as for how we feed on love, we have two methods which can be compared to a leech feeding on blood...but of a more magical nature.” Her horn lit up and glowed green. “There are many different kinds of love in this world...the love that one feels for their friends...” She nodded to Fluttershy who offered her the tiniest of smiles. “The love one feels for the idols they worship,” she continued, throwing a knowing glance to Fang before turning to Dark:  “...and the love that two creatures of this world feel for each other.” She scorched Dark with a penetrating stare and he shrunk slightly into his shadow. Chrysalis sighed “We feed on it two ways...Mr. Sidewinder would you please step forward?” Dark did so, narrowing his eyes.

Chrysalis lowered her head and shot a blast of emerald magic towards Dark, causing the dark green thestral to flinch. He was confused until he saw a tiny heart float from his body towards Chrysalis, who caught it with her leg. “We changelings feed off the most minuscule pieces of that love...because even the smallest piece of love for us is like a normal meal for you ponies.” She took a small bite of the heart as her eyes widened and smiled with pure glee at the taste.

Dark looked at her nervously...the look in her eyes was untamed, wild...predatory. “Queen Chrysalis, a...are you okay?” he asked, swallowing hard.

“You love someone that loves you back,” Chrysalis said quietly, trying her hardest to prevent herself from stealing more and more love away from the poor thestral. “That type of love is the most divine and powerful love that exists in this world...the taste is so exquisite it's like...” She paused, thinking about how she could explain the taste of this love to the ponies standing in front of her “It's like eating the most lavish and expensive apple known to all Equestria,” she finished. Saying that caused Chrysalis to drool uncontrollably as she savored every ounce of the exquisite flavor that was the love of Dark and Luna.

Fluttershy smiled. “So...it's like Applejack's apples?” Chrysalis frowned confusedly at her. “Trust me, your majesty; Applejack's appearance may be deceiving, but you will not find finer apples in all of Equestria! I can promise that.”

Chrysalis decided to simply take her word for it: “I'm sure that the apples of which you speak aren't as addictive as the love two ponies feel for each other; especially if they are equestrian ponies.” She rubbed the back of her leg. “Cadence and Shining Armor was such an example...I ate...quite a bit of their love...” she murmured quietly.

Dark had to ask since she had just done the same to him. “What would happen if you ate all the love I have in me?”

Chrysalis hesitated. “You see...love the emotion and love the food work different ways. If I were to eat too much of love the food well...” She rubbed the back of her head nervously. “The pony I would be feeding off would have hatred fill the void left by love for three weeks...unless they experience an instance of strong love, as Cadence showed for Shining Armour.

Dark shivered. “Yeah, let's not do that.” He paused...he had to ask. “What's this second method to gain love?”

Chrysalis suddenly turned bright red and was about to say something when the door opened and she sighed with relief...the second feeding technique was rather...awkward. She turned to see Starnight and General and frowned, even though she was grateful for the interruption. “Can I help you?”

Starnight glared at her. “You may have to explain these!” he hissed. He chucked the files to the floor as General drew his sword. “Dark, I was right! This whole thing was a trap!”

Dark frowned at him and tilted his head “She did say that she originally had a plan for revenge that she scrapped...”

“That's right, she did...but here's what she didn't tell you,” the lieutenant of the crystal guard growled, seething with fury. “The Changeling Kingdom...is Tartarus!”