Metamorphosisby EnehaChaptersChapter 1: FrenzyChapter 2: OpportunitiesChapter 3: BanishmentChapter 4: ReplacementChapter 5: AcquaintancesIntroductionChapter 1: FrenzyChapter One Trudging through what was most certainly the Everfree Forest, Chrysalis lead her minions to the North. The forest was massive and even the Changelings didn’t know who (or what) all dwelled within. Chrysalis did know, however, that there was much civilization in the North—some village of sorts with a steadily growing population. However, this place—Ponyville, was it?—was quite a bit away, with Canterlot being even further off. On wing they could likely reach the outskirts of the forest by sunrise; however, with her Changelings being so low on energy, they would have to heal slowly, naturally, until another food source was found and depleted. Fortunately, she thought, there were many smaller stops they could make along the way. A sudden murmur spread throughout the pack and with a start, Chrysalis jerked her head around and beamed at them with glowing, green eyes. “What was that?” she demanded, flattening her ears back against her head as she eyed them over. Silence was her only reply. “I’m certain there will be food soon, but we have to keep going,” she added bitterly before turning around and taking flight. “Keep heading North as long as you can and I will meet back up with you tomorrow. With your sustenance.” With that, the Queen departed and a sea of Changelings stirred and cheered below her. *** Queen Chrysalis soared through the night sky, prowling the forest for any sign of sentient life from which she could feed; insects and small animals weren’t capable of creating any sort of worthwhile energy for the Changelings. A brilliant emerald aura shone from her horn occasionally as she used her magic to bend and break obstacles from her path. She had to find something—they were counting on her. They were always relying on their Queen to help them, to feed them, to protect them, and the life of a Changeling Queen was all she had ever known. Whenever she tried to picture any sort of childhood, or a time before her rule, the memories were clouded by a green haze, and it caused her pain. Growing frustrated of the migraines and spotty memory, she decided that the past was not worth worrying about, and allowed herself to assume she was always their Queen. For as long as there were Changelings, Chrysalis was their ruler, their god. After what had to have been hours, Chrysalis felt her luck changing as she saw a soft glow in the distance. Seeing this light gave her hope and her wings buzzed furiously, propelling her at record speeds towards her target. He really fed me well, she thought bitterly, thinking back to the stallion that she had so brilliantly manipulated. Unfortunately, the very love that had fueled Chrysalis’ rampage had ultimately resulted in her demise at the castle. As she approached the large camp, she spotted the source of the light. In the center of the many tall, dark tents was a brilliant flame of purple that gave off minimal light and no amount of smoke. It would be impossible to detect from afar without the keen predator eyes of a Changeling, but it gave off an unnaturally warm and encompassing heat. Chrysalis’ eyes grew wide as she stealthily crept about the camp, trying to investigate. There was certainly plenty of something, most likely ponies, dwelling within those warm tents, due to the intensity of the magic. It was likely the work of a unicorn—and a powerful one at that. She licked her lips as a grin slowly spread across her face. Moving as silently and carefully as possible, she approached the tents farthest from the magic flame, intending to work her way around the circle and up towards the center. She would have to be mindful of other possible magic wielders and their defenses, but thanks to Shining Armor’s strength, Chrysalis knew she could get away with a bold approach regardless. The Changeling Queen closed her emerald eyes as she approached the first tent and her form collapsed and faded into the large shadows the tent cast upon the ground. On the inside of the tent, she began to take form, surveying its contents with hidden eyes that slowly rose from the ground as her body took shape around her. As she expected, they were ponies, although the ones in this tent were simple earth ponies. It appeared to be a family as a small filly lay at the foot of a humble “bed” composed of a few thick blankets, her parents nestled together oh so sweetly above her. She rolled her eyes; the sight of this pathetic family sickened her, but at least she had an easy target. “Good luck in the forest, kid,” she smiled maliciously as her horn flared green for a moment. The young filly shimmered green for a brief second before she disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind but a subtle impression in the bundle of blankets. That’s my cue. Chrysalis’ dark, twisted body appeared to shrink into itself and her features changed drastically. In an instant, she had perfectly replicated the little girl, and a moment later she had taken her place in the bed. After laying still for a few moments—and watching the parents suspiciously—she stood up with a start, flailing out and giving a kick to dad to make sure they woke up quickly. “MOMmy, DADdy, I had a bad dream!” Chrysalis whined in her stolen voice. “OW—huh, what?” the dad groaned, sitting up and nudging his wife with his snout. “Autumn Sky, calm down.” “Everything’s ok, my little pony,” her mother cooed, repositioning herself on the bed so that she could nuzzle the small, hazel filly. Her father sighed tiredly but patiently and joined the pair. Autumn was never a very outspoken filly and she hadn’t made any sort of fuss about a dream before. He should trust that his daughter really needed their love and support right now, no matter how tired they were from a long day of work. Silently, Chrysalis felt the familiar, bittersweet rush of energy seeping into her being. Manipulating the situation, Chrysalis quickly added, “But in my dream, you and daddy didn’t love me anymore. I was so scared and alone!” “Shhh, hush now, your father and I will never leave you! We love you so very much, Autumn Sky, and we will never let anything happen to you,” her mother replied, draping an arm over what she thought was her beloved filly. Despite the hilarious irony, the mother’s pledge fueled the Changeling Queen even more. She almost had to stop herself from laughing at the morons. The thought of these saps clinging to themselves was pathetic, a sign of weakness. All of this love, and see what it got them? They failed to protect their daughter like they blindly promised just moments ago. Though she was unharmed—as far as Chrysalis knew, anyway—the filly was teleported to a distant location in the forest and left to fend for herself. Nomad or not, she doubted the little thing had the essential skills to find her camp. But still… there was something about the affection that Chrysalis enjoyed for a different reason, one she couldn’t quite put her hoof on. There was always the rush—it was exhilarating to feast on such strong emotions; however, she felt a different sort of warmth within her when she was the object of affection. Whatever feeling it was, it seemed foreign to her Changeling body. She remained with the family for a while longer, allowing them to fall soundly back asleep before she sunk into the shadows beneath them and slipped back out into the night. Off to a good start, she smiled. For the rest of the night ‘til the crack of dawn when all the ponies began to stir and awake for the day, Chrysalis crept about from tent to tent hunting down the best candidates. Many ponies were left behind simply because she saw no opportunity to drain their love; others were a bit too intimidating or well set up to bother with replacing. By the morning, she had successfully invaded nine different tents, and received a hearty fill at each. She had replaced a number of different ponies ranging from girlfriends to grandmothers, and no one had suspected a thing. Exhausted from her labors but fueled by the energy she so delicately cradled within, she leapt up into the air and quickly made her way back to meet up with her Changelings. With her accelerated movement, she easily caught up to the pack and zoomed to the front, landing with elegance as green flames rolled off her hooves. “Come to me,” Chrysalis called, “Your Queen has provided for you.” She braced herself, closing her eyes as they swarmed like insects around her. The rolling, green flames coming from Chrysalis spread out in waves to the Changelings as they flew and crawled around her, encircling her, and draining her reservoir of energy. She began to feel weak as the energy visibly departed from her body. The process itself caused her a great deal of pain—the energy roots itself within her body until either she expends it herself, or until the whirring, relentless Changelings used the magic in their own horns to tear it out of her. To Chrysalis, it felt like pieces of her soul getting ripped out. She would endure this pain until the excess energy had been drained, and she straightened up, opening her eyes. “Alright, my pets, that is enough,” she said weakly, looking out to the swarm with expectant, tired eyes. But they didn’t stop. They kept circling around her, shining with brilliant green light, and they began to tap into Chrysalis’ own life essence. “That is enough,” she repeated with a more commanding tone. She grew infuriated as they once again ignored orders. “ENOUGH!” she bellowed as a wave of pure magic shot out from her, knocking the Changelings back with a surprising force. She panted, head hanging low, with her forelock dangling over one of her furious green eyes. “You will OBEY your Queen when she commands you!” she screamed, her voice shaking, “I will personally see to it that anyone that dares touch my essence again will die a slow and hungry death!” Her fangs protruded with her threat and she hissed at them. “N-now,” she said, ears lowered back, “we will continue North like I told you earlier.” She began to walk North, waiting for her Changelings to follow behind. The nomads provided a fair amount of energy—enough to keep them from starving for a little while, at least—but with so many of them sharing it, there wasn’t much to go around. “Now that you have been fed,” she said, adding a bitter emphasis to the last word, “you can heal yourselves and take flight.” As they gathered around her, shining green from time to time as they expended their new energy to heal themselves, she sighed a breath of relief. “We’re going to Ponyville,” she grinned wickedly, and with that, the Changelings and their Queen ascended to the skies and made their way to the unsuspecting civilians. *** The scene that had only moments ago been bursting with magic and crawling with winged demons now sat in absolute silence. Several minutes after all of them had departed, however, the bushes began to rustle. Before the creatures had come, a small, black and white striped mare had been in the area gathering herbs that were only found this far out into the forest. When they approached, she ducked into the brush, carefully watching this sea of unfamiliar creatures march on, before they were stopped by a larger, feminine looking one. The mare watched—and listened—in awe as the brilliant lights splashed and danced about before her. “Before my eyes, it cannot be; are those Changelings that I see??” she gasped. “If they are truly off to Ponyville—I must warn the girls of this evil!” Chapter 2: OpportunitiesChapter Two [Rework in progress] The sun rose over Ponyville and the ponies—and other such creatures—went about their day. Twilight Sparkle and her friends arrived later into the morning, having spent the previous night in Canterlot celebrating the union of her brother Shining Armor (and his Princess Cadence) along with the defeat of the Changelings that had imprisoned the Princess. When they arrived at Ponyville, the girls said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Applejack escorted Apple Bloom back to Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow Dash zoomed off to the clouds, Pinkie Pie bounced off, Fluttershy went along to check up on her animal friends, and Rarity lead Sweetie Bell back home. “Well, Spike, let’s head home,” Twilight said with a proud smile. “I have so much to learn about protection spells, affection spells, googley-eye spells and real headache spells, and then I have to brush up on my Changeling history! ..We can stay up all night reading together, it can be like a slumber party!” “Uhh, Twi, that totally sounds like fun and all, but when will you have time for all of that reading in between helping Cherilee and the birds?” the small, purple dragon replied. “Oh no!” Twilight gasped as she put her hoof to her face in frustration, “This whole wedding through my entire schedule off. I was so busy worrying about my brother not telling me about the wedding and then the whole evil imposter thing—I didn’t even recheck the speech I had prepared for Cherilee’s class!” “I’m sure it’s fine, Twilight. You would have caught any big mistakes the second time you read it. Or the third. …Or the fourth,” Spike muttered, recounting each read through by counting on his claws. “No time to waste, Spike!” Twilight cried as she scooped Spike up unto her back with her magic and trotted off at a quick pace. “I have to check it a fifth time to make sure I didn’t mess anything up! If we hurry, I’ll have time to finalize the migration pattern with the pegasi before we meet with the birds this afternoon.” “I can’t wait,” Spike groaned. *** Deep in the Everfree Forest, the dark threat swarmed ever closer to Ponyville. Queen Chrysalis led her Changeling minions with their recently acquired strength; reaching their destination shouldn’t take much longer. Perhaps they’d even arrive before sunset, allowing them adequate time to sneak around and get in position. Chrysalis didn’t know what sort of ponies lived there, but she would start how she always started—by finding the strongest—or most loved—creature and making it disappear. Someday soon, Chrysalis knew she would have the chance to crush the Princess and her new husband—no matter who or what she had to banish or impersonate, she would love nothing more than to crush the pair and take control of Shining Armor for good. *** Zecora panted heavily, running over the aging tracks of the Changelings at full speed. Her suspicions were correct—they were headed straight for Ponyville as fast as they could, and once they swam in the essence of their leader, they were all able to take flight. Even with her lean, conditioned muscles, she was simply incapable of keeping up with their flying. All she could hope for was that her message would not arrive too late. *** After a full day of lecturing fillies over the wonders of dragons—which involved a lot of flattery for Spike and a less than ideal amount of audience participation for Twilight—she began researching aerial navigation and weather predictions with several pegasi. After that, Twilight had met up with Fluttershy to help convey those findings to the young birds of Ponyville. It was well past sunset before the pair had returned home; with an exaggerated sigh, Twilight collapsed onto her bed. “Another job well done, Spike,” she said tiredly. “Gee Twilight, it was awful nice of you to help so many ponies out today, but you look exhausted. Maaaybe you should take a day off for yourself sometime, and take a break from saving the day and helping everypony and all that,” Spike suggested. “Oh Spike, there’s no need for that. I mean, I would love to read up on those spells sometime, but being a good friend is what’s most important to me. I know everypony appreciates my help.” Twilight rolled onto her side, facing the wall. “But… maybe I will sneak off and catch up on some reading for a little while tomorrow,” she smiled, closing her eyes. “Goodnight, Spike,” she called as the small dragon nestled into his own bed, and she turned the lights off with a flash of pink magic. “G’night, Twilight,” he said with a yawn. *** Her?! She lives in Ponyville? Oh this is just too good. The stupid, purple unicorn would soon be at the mercy of the Queen, and we’ll just see how powerful her pathetic magic is without her brother’s love as a weapon. This time, it was going to be too easy—no pony noticed her replacement of the beloved Princess before; now, with Twilight out of the way, Chrysalis could easily work her way deep into the heart of the town and bleed them dry. Oh, Twilight Sparkle, Chrysalis thought, smiling wickedly as she watched the pony trotting off to what had be her home. Soon you will lose everything. Once the Changelings get established, Chrysalis knew her best bet would be to banish Twilight the next time the foal was alone... *** “Now you will pay, Twilight Sparkle,” a voice echoed tauntingly as Twilight drowned in a sea of emerald green light. The mighty and terrifying Changeling Queen had returned, and she stood over a cowering, shivering Twilight. “Now I’ll take you, and all of the love anypony has ever had for you!” “No!!” Twilight cried, shivering—why was she unable to use any magic? Or for that matter, move? She looked up to face the sneering Changeling Queen. She looked distorted—the whole world did—as if nothing quite made sense. All she knew was that she was terrified and powerless. “Stop right there!” an unfamiliar, male voice beamed as a tall, dark and presumably handsome stallion leapt out to Twilight’s aid. She had never seen him and although she couldn’t make out any distinguishable features, she swooned quietly. “My love for Twilight will stop you, Changeling Queen!” “Nooo!” the Changeling hissed as she reared up and began slowly retreating. “Twilight, you must run,” the mysterious stallion called, “Run— …up!” “O-okay,” Twilight agreed, dazed, “I’ll run—wait a second. Run where?” “My love will wake the power of this ancient spell, and I’ll be able to help save Equestria up!” he said, beginning to sound more and more distorted as the world spun around her, almost melting away. The stallion turned to face Twilight and her heart skipped a beat—who was this heroic pony? But his features soon began to twist and change and Twilight was soon looking into the green eyes and purple scales of her companion, Spike—she was immediately jarred awake. “…already, Twilight,” Spike said, shaking the unicorn. “It’s not like you to sleep in so late.” “AH! Wait, what—Spike!” Twilight cried, exasperated. She shook her head quickly from side to side, trying to shake herself into reality. The dream—or was it a nightmare?—slowly began to bleed away and she began to get ahold of herself. “Sorry, Spike, I was in the middle of a really… weird dream,” she laughed shakily, “I wonder what it means.” She shivered as she thought of the menace of the Changeling Queen, but was greeted by pleasant warmth at the thought of her rescuer. “Maybe you have a book on it,” Spike teased under his breath. “Speaking of books, I got out all the ones you asked for and your favorite saddlebag. Now you’re ready for some good R&R!” “Oh, thank you, Spike,” Twilight said, jumping out of bed and brushing her mane with the usual magic. She continued to get ready and saddled up, gently putting a couple books on each side. When Spike left the room, she quickly dashed over to one of the bags she received at the wedding. She quickly tucked a small, rectangular shape into her saddlebag before calling out a quick goodbye to Spike. With that, she was on her way to a nice, peaceful spot where she could relax and read whatever she liked. After all, all of your worries melt away when you read a good book. Chapter 3: BanishmentChapter Three Down a stream that trails off into the Everfree Forest, an old, towering willow tree provided Twilight Sparkle with an excellent get away spot. She knew better than to cross the stream and continue down to the forest, but this spot allowed her to be just far enough out that she wasn’t likely to be bothered by anypony. She felt a little guilty about hiding away like this, but all of the events over the past few days had been fairly overwhelming and a break was just what she needed. She trotted up under the shade of the willow and smiled brightly, brandishing her books and aligning them alphabetically on the soft grass before her. “Oooo, which one should I read first?” she exclaimed, looking over all the titles expectantly. Although she had much to learn about this new type of protection spell Shining Armor had introduced her to, and she was eager to learn about magic remedies for common ailments, the back of her mind nagged her to investigate the item she had snuck into her bag earlier. “Well,” she paused, biting her lower lip in contemplation, “I could give that a look over…” She pulled it out with her magic, hovering it over the others. Quickly she looked from one book to the next frantically, waiting for a decision to come to her. “Ok!” she exclaimed, raising the mystery book up higher than the others, “I’ll—read this ..love story.. for a while.” As she said the words ‘love story,’ she appeared to sink into herself, looking around with suspicion. She quickly tucked the other books into her bag as she plopped down onto the ground, enjoying the cool shade and gentle breeze. Using her magic, Twilight carefully slipped the book out of its cover and set it down before her. With a glimmer of purple, the pages turned and Twilight began reading the story Celestia had given her after the wedding. It was a simple story of star-crossed ponies separated by their families. The girl was a beautiful unicorn, and the boy was a dashing pegasus—their families forbad their love due to their race. Twilight had a difficult time understanding the concept—to her, everypony was equal, but each family treated the other terribly because they were different. In the story, the two met in secret at night, and worked together to create a spell that would grant them each their heart’s desire. The spell was difficult, but the magic of these unicorns was pure, powerful. Regardless, the spell would take a month to prepare. In the meanwhile, their families were on the verge of war, and it was getting harder for the two to meet together. The story had gotten so dramatic, Twilight was slouched over the book with wide eyes that eagerly scanned back and forth over the pages, absorbing the story. She had spent longer than she was aware reading and by the time she had begun to reach the climax of the story, it was already well into the day. Crimson Wing, the pegasus, and Aurora Dream, the unicorn, had planned to meet one final time in secret—the night the moon was at its fullest, shining brightly down on the land to illuminate their display for everypony. When that time came, they had tricked their families into meeting in one place—the pond at the edge of town. The moonlight trickled down, reflecting off the water’s surface as everypony stood in stunned silence around the pair. They stepped silently into the clear water, sending a gentle ripple across the surface. Once they stood over the reflection of the wavering moon, Aurora closed her eyes and gently pressed her horn to Crimson’s forehead. He closed his eyes as well, breathing deeply. The two became encompassed in a blinding, white light that swirled over their bodies. The spell gave the pair what they most wanted—it used the tuned, powerful magic of a unicorn along with the raw essence of a pegasus, with their love being the final “ingredient.” However, the wish became tainted when they desired two fundamentally similar but drastically different things. Aurora wished with all of her heart for Crimson to be like her—like her family—so that their love would be accepted. She pictured Crimson with the horn of her kind, meeting her at the altar in marriage. Crimson, however, wanted his family’s acceptance, and deep down wished that his love could soar the skies with him. Because they both had very clear, strong visions of the future they wanted, the spell began to spark and fizzle before erupting into brilliant emerald flames that showered down upon them. Their bodies changed before their eyes—Aurora sprouted radiant wings from her back and Crimson threw back his head as a horn began to grow. However, his wings remained. As did Aurora’s horn. Twilight gasped, pausing from her reading for a brief moment. “Is that—is that how alicorns came into existence?” she choked before diving back into the story. This was far beyond a simple “love story;” did the Princess give this book to her for a more important reason? As she continued reading, however, she saw that the magic had gone even more wrong than they had feared and their families saw them as abominations. Growing more and more outcast, the two wept together and grew weaker by the day. The tainted spell began to slowly corrupt the two, and their bodies began to reflect the changes within. Realizing they needed the support of their families to survive, they worked together, using the last of their magic to concoct a spell that had the power to win over their affection. “Is this…” Twilight breathed, eyes widening even further as she slowly flipped the page. Before she could realign her eyes to the top of the page to continue reading, she heard the crackling of flames from around her and looked up just in time to see herself become engulfed in green flames. “What’s going on?!” she cried, as she was thrown jarringly into darkness. “Twilight Sparkle,” a familiar voice echoed, “That was far too easy.” “It’s you—!” Twilight exclaimed, leaping into the air as she frantically looked about. With a small huff, she was able to produce a shining aura from her horn that acted as a light source. “Of course it’s me,” Chrysalis spat, invisible to Twilight, “Did you really thing I’d let you be after humiliating me in Canterlot? I won’t make the same mistake twice, you stupid foal! You’ll never escape from here; my Changelings built this tomb especially for you.” Twilight’s heart stopped and she froze in place. “You—you can’t!” she gasped, “I—…” “Oh, you what? You had no idea who you were messing with when you interfered; I don’t play around. But soon, I’ll trick all of your little friends into loving me while you wither away here, much like the fate you wished upon us!” “Please stop, there’s another way! I can help you and your Changelings, I promise—you just have to trust me! Princess Celestia wouldn’t want anypony—or Changeling—to die, but you can’t just go about attacking Equestria!” Twilight begged, trying to reason with the disembodied voice echoing all around her. “Nice try, Twilight, but you’re talking with the Queen of deception, here,” Chrysalis said mockingly. “Enjoy your stay—I know I am going to just love Ponyville, but hopefully they'll love me more," she laughed. “No, please listen to me!” Twilight sobbed as her magic flickered out, leaving her in darkness, “Don’t do this!” “Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle,” a soft voice cooed before fading out entirely. In that instant, Twilight knew she was alone, and she had no idea if her magic would be strong enough to save her this time. As she cried silently, her thoughts fleeted to her friends in Ponyville, and she felt sick with worry. *** A young, lavender unicorn stood under the shade of a grand willow tree, looking down at a saddlebag full of books. A smile of satisfaction slowly crept across the pony’s face as her horn flashed green with magic and she raised the bag up, placing it on her back. She was off to Ponyville. Chapter 4: ReplacementChapter Four As the hybrid mare trotted down the streets of Ponyville, she felt the familiar rush of adrenaline she normally got when an infiltration was successful. She had to blend in, had to become something new, and had to deceive an entire town with her disguise. It was almost more satisfying to be impersonating Twilight, despite her lesser status, simply because it was a sign that Chrysalis had won. Or at least, she was one step closer to that check mate. It is going to be difficult to go so long without having wings, she groaned internally. It would be harder to sneak into her other forms with the little dragon companion following her around all the time. “Evenin’, Twilight!” Spike called enthusiastically, opening the door for the pony. “I can’t believe you actually stayed out all day, you musta found a really good book.” “Oh, er,” Chrysalis said, adjusting to her new voice, “I sure did.” She fumbled around in her saddlebag, quickly pulling out a random book to hold up. “I just love the characters in…—” she paused, squinting to slowly read the title aloud, “…Traditional Unicorn Remedies for Common Equine Ailments…” Spike stood still for a moment, blankly staring at the unicorn. Chrysalis stared back—eyes wide—aware of her mistake. When he finally opened his mouth to reply, she tensed up, waiting for the accusation. “Uh. There are characters in a book about curing headaches?” “M-Minor ones, background ponies, really, but they—with their magic—were the first to,” she paused, flipping through the pages rapidly with her magic, “…combine… traditional, medicinal herb grinding… and… this, oh—innate unicorn magic!” She looked up at Spike and gave him a cheesy grin. “…It’s brilliant?” “Geez, Twilight, you are an egghead,” Spike laughed, walking in to serve up dinner for his friend. She watched as he placed a succulent looking salad on the table before her. Chrysalis planned to nibble at it, but she knew normal food didn’t provide much of anything for her kind. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure, though, she had to admit. Thank goodness, Chrysalis sighed, walking over to the table with a slow clop in her step, He’s an idiot. “I can’t quite put my claw on it, but something about you seems more—” Spike started, turning to face Chrysalis as she raised a fork full of salad up to her mouth, “More…green-y.” Chrysalis looked down at her fork, now glowing with green magic, and immediately dropped it back onto the plate. “You…don’t say?” she nonchalantly inquired. “No… I do say. You’ve never had a green fork-lifting spell before, is this some new trick from your reading today?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes…that’s right; it’s part of a new daily exercise I’m doing that’ll improve my health. Because…green magic is—” she paused, before a spark lit in her eyes, and her speech became more animated, “wild, natural. It’s the primitive magic of nature, and anyone smart enough can tap into it and take advantage of its power.” “Well, any unicorn maybe, but I doubt I’ll ever be able to control any silverware with magic, nature-y or not. Then again, I don’t really use forks and stuff anyway, am I right?” Spike laughed. He nudged his pal to join in on poking fun at his bad eating habits. “Er,” Chrysalis swayed, not expecting the sudden nudge, “You sure don’t, Spike.” She looked down at the laughing dragon and forced out a few giggles, keeping a close eye on him. “I think I’m going to bed now,” she added, looking around the place. She knew the gist of where Twilight slept, but wasn’t sure how close the dragon nested to her. “Already? Gee, you’re so sleepy today.” “Well, all the magic usage has really…drained me,” she said tiredly, and there was a ringing truth to her words. “Oh, ok, then. G’night Twilight!” Chrysalis noticed the proximity of the dragon’s bed and cringed. It would be much more difficult to slip out with him being so close. She’d have to exit the normal way and transform outside, just in case. “Pleasant dreams to you, Spike,” she said, a bit uncomfortably, and situated herself in the bed. It was nice to be able to relax again—this small cottage seemed luxurious, even though she had recently stayed at the Canterlot Castle. For the majority of her life, Chrysalis slept on the cold, hard ground, often dwelling in caverns or covered, dark forests. As she got comfortable, she pulled the covers up over her with a flash of green, finally closing her eyes and welcoming sleep. She could already feel herself growing stronger from even just this little dragon’s love… The Queen grew excited at the thought of the days soon to come—and what a feast she would have. *** Twilight paced endlessly around her holding place for an indeterminable amount of time—in the pitch black prison she had been thrown into, there was no way to measure time. She had circled the perimeter, carefully measuring it by placing one hoof in front of the other. Thirty hooves tall by approximately twenty-three hooves wide, she calculated, and began thoroughly investigating the walls themselves. To her surprise, the walls were not made of rock as she initially suspected—instead, they appeared to be made of some sort of…organic material with a fair amount of mud mixed in. Whatever it was, it had hardened up and seemed impenetrable. Over the next long duration of time, Twilight began experimenting with different spells. Spells of strength and fire left no notable damage to the “walls,” and she couldn’t risk any sort of teleportation. She could be a fair distance underground and surrounded by miles of dirt for all she knew, and the Princess herself warned of the dangers of phasing into an occupied space. But still… Her stomach already began to rumble and her thirst only continued to grow. If the time came—and Twilight would know it in her heart if it had—she would attempt the blind teleport. Please, somepony—anypony… help me… After another full day—or night, for all she knew—of experimentation, she rolled over onto her side, tears rolling down her soft, soiled cheeks. As she lay there silently, she cast a weak illusory spell upon the ceiling of her prison. Stars shone dimly down upon her and the moon rose into the center of the sky. She smiled faintly, watching her world spin at an accelerated pace above her—even with the quickened pace, the familiarity of the night sky was comforting. Although the softly shimmering cosmos soon faded, she too was able to find sleep under its hopeful light. *** Zecora was fast approaching Ponyville, although at this point there was no hope in tracking anything. The signs she had been following seemed completely random now, although the Changelings seemed to have split up around this area. She approached a small stream and slowly began to get her fill of water; she had been running for hours on end, and her body began to grow weak. As she raised her head up from the stream, however, she caught a glimpse of a dark creature flitting about in the distance. She stood in indecision at the edge of the stream, debating on whether or not she should continue in the direction of Ponyville, or to investigate. If this was their nest, knowing its location would be valuable information. Nodding, she leapt over the stream and quietly made her way around the trees and brush, approaching the mysterious creature. As she continued forward, veering farther off the path to Ponyville, she saw a swarm of the Changelings buzzing around an absurdly large structure—it appeared to be some sort of… of a hive, like an insect would create. The one thing she noticed from her inconspicuous location was that this hive of sorts didn’t appear to have any sort of entrance. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that the creatures buzzing around it were mindlessly adding layers upon layers to the exterior, she would have assumed this was more likely to be some sort of cocoon. But for what? No matter the answer, she knew this did not bode well for the ponies. Anything these mischievous Changelings were apart of certainly had to be bad news—their infamy had reached even Zecora, as a fellow Forest dweller. She turned and snuck back out, tearing off strips of bark from certain trees as she made her way to the path. With these marks and her natural navigation prowess, she was certain she could lead the ponies back here if need be. Leaving additional marks along the way, she once again sped off towards Ponyville to warn her friends before it was too late. Chapter 5: AcquaintancesThe next morning, Chrysalis awoke before sunrise. Spike remained in a deep slumber, not likely to wake up anytime soon; she used this opportunity to slip down and out the front door, heading for her minions. Several of them had stayed fairly local—blending in when necessary, but generally lurking just on the outskirts of the forest. The majority of the Changelings, however, were busy constructing the tomb farther into the forest. Chrysalis knew certain precautions had to be made in order to keep the unicorn confined, but she was surprised with their diligence. Although the interior was no more than a few wing spans wide, the exterior had been built up so much that the construct would now tower over the Queen and her Changeling, its shape both elliptical and elongated by the process. As she stood in the shadows, certain she was alone, Chrysalis shed her false appearance and grew back into her old form. As her legs stretched, the purple coat of the unicorn seemed to peel back and become consumed by rolling emerald flames, revealing the sleek, ebony body beneath. Transparent, insect wings erupted from her back and her lavender horn cracked and grew, crooked, gleaming with a faint emerald aura. She inhaled deeply once before she zipped off at incredible speeds to the stream from whence she had entered Ponyville; three or four Changelings had been ordered to stay around the area. They would have found or constructed a decent shelter by now, but Chrysalis expected at least one of them to be on alert for their Queen’s return. She would rendezvous with them tonight and debrief them on their upcoming task. *** The little dragon yawned, stretching his stumpy arms over his head. “Mornin’ Twilight.” “Yes, good morning, Spike,” Chrysalis replied, adding a yawn. “I’ll be leaving soon—busy day and all. See you this afternoon?” she asked, heading towards the door. “Wait! You can’t go!” “And why not?” she inquired. For a split second, her eyes flashed green with anger. “I just have a lot to do today and I’d probably accomplish things quicker without any company.” “Oh, I know you have a lot to do today,” Spike said eagerly, “You have to help Mr. and Mrs. Cake replace their oven, take your Astronomy books to the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ and then you get to go on a picnic with Rarity! ..And the other girls.” He blushed, raising a small journal up to Chrysalis’ face. “I can’t believe you almost forgot this thing, Twi,” Spike added, quickly changing the subject. “You always have to follow your schedule down to a T.” Chrysalis looked through the pages of the planner in dismay. With all of these nuisances to tend to, she’d likely be busy all day. “I guess I forgot I took it out of my bag,” she grumbled, shoving it in the saddlebag that had been cast to the floor the previous night. After bitterly placing the saddlebag onto her back, she again told Spike goodbye and escaped through the front door. Why couldn’t she still be the whiny Princess? No one expected royalty to tend to such trivial tasks. “Off to find these… ‘cake’ ponies,” she growled, head lowered in discontent, and headed off to the main square. As she walked she began to grow lost in thought and was oblivious to the pastel yellow pegasus that bumped into her. “Oh! My, I’m so sorry, Twilight; I should have been watching where I was walking,” Fluttershy apologized in her soft, delicate tone as a small slip of parchment drifted down to the ground. “Yes you should, but it’s fine,” Chrysalis replied noncommittally, not wanting the pony to stick around and continue to talk to her. “Thank you, Twilight” she cooed, stepping aside for her friend, “Um, Twilight..? Is everything ok?” “Yes, yes, I’m fine; I’m just such a busy pony,” she replied, picking up her pace. She avoided looking at the mare beside her—her deep, blue eyes were just flooded pools of emotion which both energized and irritated Chrysalis. Regardless, she had no time to waste. “Goodbye…--my friend.” “Oh, ok, good luck with everything, then,” she added with a smile. “Oh! And I hope you can make it to our Pet Picnic Play-date today!” Fluttershy called, waving with her left hoof. “Hmm, now where is that grocery list—ah! Here it is. I’ll make the perfect lunch for all of our little friends,” she smiled, continuing on to some food stands in town. IntroductionShe awoke dazed and confused, the world around her veiled in darkness. Green sparks of magic crackled through her crooked horn as her eyes adjusted to her pitch black surroundings; the memories of the wedding slowly crept back into her mind. That’s right—the little brat ruined everything for Chrysalis. If it weren’t for her, that pathetic princess would still be rotting in the cavern and the Changelings would be feasting on Canterlot. At the thought of the princess—Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, a voice echoed bitterly in the back of Chrysalis’ mind—the magic surged and erupted, illuminating the area to reveal several crashed Changelings littering the ground. From the looks of it, they had been blasted all the way to a forest, most likely the dark Everfree Forest, a place Chrysalis had learned to call home. Huffing, failing to regain control of her temper, she screamed out to her minions. “Changelings! To me!” Slowly, the small beasts gathered and dusted themselves off. As dozens of them slowly assembled around their Queen, she noticed several of them appeared injured. And although she couldn’t be bothered to know all of her Changelings individually, she grimaced as she realized there were far less appearing than there should be. “My pets…” she cried, her rage subsiding as the green illumination encompassing her form dimmed and phased out entirely, leaving just the moon’s pale glow to light the area. At the thought of her lost Changelings and lost efforts, her heart ached and she soon felt the familiar lightheadedness of the energy drain. She had wasted far too much of the supply Shining Armor had given her in her battle with Celestia, and the anguish she felt now only expedited the draining process. The feast could have lasted them for years if all had gone according to plan, but instead, it was looking more likely that the Changelings would starve and wither away to nothing… because she failed to save them. Undoubtedly, the Changelings had begun thinking similar thoughts and it reflected across many of their faces; however, they would follow their Queen until the end. It was their way. “We will eat soon,” she promised, trying to inspire faith. “Just hold out a while more, my darlings, and we will rule all of Equestria. ..Everyone and everything shall acknowledge me as their Queen, and no Changeling shall ever go hungry again. Let us regroup—replan—and, for the meanwhile, pay a visit to the nearest town. It’s snack time.”
Chapter 1: FrenzyChapter One Trudging through what was most certainly the Everfree Forest, Chrysalis lead her minions to the North. The forest was massive and even the Changelings didn’t know who (or what) all dwelled within. Chrysalis did know, however, that there was much civilization in the North—some village of sorts with a steadily growing population. However, this place—Ponyville, was it?—was quite a bit away, with Canterlot being even further off. On wing they could likely reach the outskirts of the forest by sunrise; however, with her Changelings being so low on energy, they would have to heal slowly, naturally, until another food source was found and depleted. Fortunately, she thought, there were many smaller stops they could make along the way. A sudden murmur spread throughout the pack and with a start, Chrysalis jerked her head around and beamed at them with glowing, green eyes. “What was that?” she demanded, flattening her ears back against her head as she eyed them over. Silence was her only reply. “I’m certain there will be food soon, but we have to keep going,” she added bitterly before turning around and taking flight. “Keep heading North as long as you can and I will meet back up with you tomorrow. With your sustenance.” With that, the Queen departed and a sea of Changelings stirred and cheered below her. *** Queen Chrysalis soared through the night sky, prowling the forest for any sign of sentient life from which she could feed; insects and small animals weren’t capable of creating any sort of worthwhile energy for the Changelings. A brilliant emerald aura shone from her horn occasionally as she used her magic to bend and break obstacles from her path. She had to find something—they were counting on her. They were always relying on their Queen to help them, to feed them, to protect them, and the life of a Changeling Queen was all she had ever known. Whenever she tried to picture any sort of childhood, or a time before her rule, the memories were clouded by a green haze, and it caused her pain. Growing frustrated of the migraines and spotty memory, she decided that the past was not worth worrying about, and allowed herself to assume she was always their Queen. For as long as there were Changelings, Chrysalis was their ruler, their god. After what had to have been hours, Chrysalis felt her luck changing as she saw a soft glow in the distance. Seeing this light gave her hope and her wings buzzed furiously, propelling her at record speeds towards her target. He really fed me well, she thought bitterly, thinking back to the stallion that she had so brilliantly manipulated. Unfortunately, the very love that had fueled Chrysalis’ rampage had ultimately resulted in her demise at the castle. As she approached the large camp, she spotted the source of the light. In the center of the many tall, dark tents was a brilliant flame of purple that gave off minimal light and no amount of smoke. It would be impossible to detect from afar without the keen predator eyes of a Changeling, but it gave off an unnaturally warm and encompassing heat. Chrysalis’ eyes grew wide as she stealthily crept about the camp, trying to investigate. There was certainly plenty of something, most likely ponies, dwelling within those warm tents, due to the intensity of the magic. It was likely the work of a unicorn—and a powerful one at that. She licked her lips as a grin slowly spread across her face. Moving as silently and carefully as possible, she approached the tents farthest from the magic flame, intending to work her way around the circle and up towards the center. She would have to be mindful of other possible magic wielders and their defenses, but thanks to Shining Armor’s strength, Chrysalis knew she could get away with a bold approach regardless. The Changeling Queen closed her emerald eyes as she approached the first tent and her form collapsed and faded into the large shadows the tent cast upon the ground. On the inside of the tent, she began to take form, surveying its contents with hidden eyes that slowly rose from the ground as her body took shape around her. As she expected, they were ponies, although the ones in this tent were simple earth ponies. It appeared to be a family as a small filly lay at the foot of a humble “bed” composed of a few thick blankets, her parents nestled together oh so sweetly above her. She rolled her eyes; the sight of this pathetic family sickened her, but at least she had an easy target. “Good luck in the forest, kid,” she smiled maliciously as her horn flared green for a moment. The young filly shimmered green for a brief second before she disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind but a subtle impression in the bundle of blankets. That’s my cue. Chrysalis’ dark, twisted body appeared to shrink into itself and her features changed drastically. In an instant, she had perfectly replicated the little girl, and a moment later she had taken her place in the bed. After laying still for a few moments—and watching the parents suspiciously—she stood up with a start, flailing out and giving a kick to dad to make sure they woke up quickly. “MOMmy, DADdy, I had a bad dream!” Chrysalis whined in her stolen voice. “OW—huh, what?” the dad groaned, sitting up and nudging his wife with his snout. “Autumn Sky, calm down.” “Everything’s ok, my little pony,” her mother cooed, repositioning herself on the bed so that she could nuzzle the small, hazel filly. Her father sighed tiredly but patiently and joined the pair. Autumn was never a very outspoken filly and she hadn’t made any sort of fuss about a dream before. He should trust that his daughter really needed their love and support right now, no matter how tired they were from a long day of work. Silently, Chrysalis felt the familiar, bittersweet rush of energy seeping into her being. Manipulating the situation, Chrysalis quickly added, “But in my dream, you and daddy didn’t love me anymore. I was so scared and alone!” “Shhh, hush now, your father and I will never leave you! We love you so very much, Autumn Sky, and we will never let anything happen to you,” her mother replied, draping an arm over what she thought was her beloved filly. Despite the hilarious irony, the mother’s pledge fueled the Changeling Queen even more. She almost had to stop herself from laughing at the morons. The thought of these saps clinging to themselves was pathetic, a sign of weakness. All of this love, and see what it got them? They failed to protect their daughter like they blindly promised just moments ago. Though she was unharmed—as far as Chrysalis knew, anyway—the filly was teleported to a distant location in the forest and left to fend for herself. Nomad or not, she doubted the little thing had the essential skills to find her camp. But still… there was something about the affection that Chrysalis enjoyed for a different reason, one she couldn’t quite put her hoof on. There was always the rush—it was exhilarating to feast on such strong emotions; however, she felt a different sort of warmth within her when she was the object of affection. Whatever feeling it was, it seemed foreign to her Changeling body. She remained with the family for a while longer, allowing them to fall soundly back asleep before she sunk into the shadows beneath them and slipped back out into the night. Off to a good start, she smiled. For the rest of the night ‘til the crack of dawn when all the ponies began to stir and awake for the day, Chrysalis crept about from tent to tent hunting down the best candidates. Many ponies were left behind simply because she saw no opportunity to drain their love; others were a bit too intimidating or well set up to bother with replacing. By the morning, she had successfully invaded nine different tents, and received a hearty fill at each. She had replaced a number of different ponies ranging from girlfriends to grandmothers, and no one had suspected a thing. Exhausted from her labors but fueled by the energy she so delicately cradled within, she leapt up into the air and quickly made her way back to meet up with her Changelings. With her accelerated movement, she easily caught up to the pack and zoomed to the front, landing with elegance as green flames rolled off her hooves. “Come to me,” Chrysalis called, “Your Queen has provided for you.” She braced herself, closing her eyes as they swarmed like insects around her. The rolling, green flames coming from Chrysalis spread out in waves to the Changelings as they flew and crawled around her, encircling her, and draining her reservoir of energy. She began to feel weak as the energy visibly departed from her body. The process itself caused her a great deal of pain—the energy roots itself within her body until either she expends it herself, or until the whirring, relentless Changelings used the magic in their own horns to tear it out of her. To Chrysalis, it felt like pieces of her soul getting ripped out. She would endure this pain until the excess energy had been drained, and she straightened up, opening her eyes. “Alright, my pets, that is enough,” she said weakly, looking out to the swarm with expectant, tired eyes. But they didn’t stop. They kept circling around her, shining with brilliant green light, and they began to tap into Chrysalis’ own life essence. “That is enough,” she repeated with a more commanding tone. She grew infuriated as they once again ignored orders. “ENOUGH!” she bellowed as a wave of pure magic shot out from her, knocking the Changelings back with a surprising force. She panted, head hanging low, with her forelock dangling over one of her furious green eyes. “You will OBEY your Queen when she commands you!” she screamed, her voice shaking, “I will personally see to it that anyone that dares touch my essence again will die a slow and hungry death!” Her fangs protruded with her threat and she hissed at them. “N-now,” she said, ears lowered back, “we will continue North like I told you earlier.” She began to walk North, waiting for her Changelings to follow behind. The nomads provided a fair amount of energy—enough to keep them from starving for a little while, at least—but with so many of them sharing it, there wasn’t much to go around. “Now that you have been fed,” she said, adding a bitter emphasis to the last word, “you can heal yourselves and take flight.” As they gathered around her, shining green from time to time as they expended their new energy to heal themselves, she sighed a breath of relief. “We’re going to Ponyville,” she grinned wickedly, and with that, the Changelings and their Queen ascended to the skies and made their way to the unsuspecting civilians. *** The scene that had only moments ago been bursting with magic and crawling with winged demons now sat in absolute silence. Several minutes after all of them had departed, however, the bushes began to rustle. Before the creatures had come, a small, black and white striped mare had been in the area gathering herbs that were only found this far out into the forest. When they approached, she ducked into the brush, carefully watching this sea of unfamiliar creatures march on, before they were stopped by a larger, feminine looking one. The mare watched—and listened—in awe as the brilliant lights splashed and danced about before her. “Before my eyes, it cannot be; are those Changelings that I see??” she gasped. “If they are truly off to Ponyville—I must warn the girls of this evil!”
Chapter 2: OpportunitiesChapter Two [Rework in progress] The sun rose over Ponyville and the ponies—and other such creatures—went about their day. Twilight Sparkle and her friends arrived later into the morning, having spent the previous night in Canterlot celebrating the union of her brother Shining Armor (and his Princess Cadence) along with the defeat of the Changelings that had imprisoned the Princess. When they arrived at Ponyville, the girls said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Applejack escorted Apple Bloom back to Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow Dash zoomed off to the clouds, Pinkie Pie bounced off, Fluttershy went along to check up on her animal friends, and Rarity lead Sweetie Bell back home. “Well, Spike, let’s head home,” Twilight said with a proud smile. “I have so much to learn about protection spells, affection spells, googley-eye spells and real headache spells, and then I have to brush up on my Changeling history! ..We can stay up all night reading together, it can be like a slumber party!” “Uhh, Twi, that totally sounds like fun and all, but when will you have time for all of that reading in between helping Cherilee and the birds?” the small, purple dragon replied. “Oh no!” Twilight gasped as she put her hoof to her face in frustration, “This whole wedding through my entire schedule off. I was so busy worrying about my brother not telling me about the wedding and then the whole evil imposter thing—I didn’t even recheck the speech I had prepared for Cherilee’s class!” “I’m sure it’s fine, Twilight. You would have caught any big mistakes the second time you read it. Or the third. …Or the fourth,” Spike muttered, recounting each read through by counting on his claws. “No time to waste, Spike!” Twilight cried as she scooped Spike up unto her back with her magic and trotted off at a quick pace. “I have to check it a fifth time to make sure I didn’t mess anything up! If we hurry, I’ll have time to finalize the migration pattern with the pegasi before we meet with the birds this afternoon.” “I can’t wait,” Spike groaned. *** Deep in the Everfree Forest, the dark threat swarmed ever closer to Ponyville. Queen Chrysalis led her Changeling minions with their recently acquired strength; reaching their destination shouldn’t take much longer. Perhaps they’d even arrive before sunset, allowing them adequate time to sneak around and get in position. Chrysalis didn’t know what sort of ponies lived there, but she would start how she always started—by finding the strongest—or most loved—creature and making it disappear. Someday soon, Chrysalis knew she would have the chance to crush the Princess and her new husband—no matter who or what she had to banish or impersonate, she would love nothing more than to crush the pair and take control of Shining Armor for good. *** Zecora panted heavily, running over the aging tracks of the Changelings at full speed. Her suspicions were correct—they were headed straight for Ponyville as fast as they could, and once they swam in the essence of their leader, they were all able to take flight. Even with her lean, conditioned muscles, she was simply incapable of keeping up with their flying. All she could hope for was that her message would not arrive too late. *** After a full day of lecturing fillies over the wonders of dragons—which involved a lot of flattery for Spike and a less than ideal amount of audience participation for Twilight—she began researching aerial navigation and weather predictions with several pegasi. After that, Twilight had met up with Fluttershy to help convey those findings to the young birds of Ponyville. It was well past sunset before the pair had returned home; with an exaggerated sigh, Twilight collapsed onto her bed. “Another job well done, Spike,” she said tiredly. “Gee Twilight, it was awful nice of you to help so many ponies out today, but you look exhausted. Maaaybe you should take a day off for yourself sometime, and take a break from saving the day and helping everypony and all that,” Spike suggested. “Oh Spike, there’s no need for that. I mean, I would love to read up on those spells sometime, but being a good friend is what’s most important to me. I know everypony appreciates my help.” Twilight rolled onto her side, facing the wall. “But… maybe I will sneak off and catch up on some reading for a little while tomorrow,” she smiled, closing her eyes. “Goodnight, Spike,” she called as the small dragon nestled into his own bed, and she turned the lights off with a flash of pink magic. “G’night, Twilight,” he said with a yawn. *** Her?! She lives in Ponyville? Oh this is just too good. The stupid, purple unicorn would soon be at the mercy of the Queen, and we’ll just see how powerful her pathetic magic is without her brother’s love as a weapon. This time, it was going to be too easy—no pony noticed her replacement of the beloved Princess before; now, with Twilight out of the way, Chrysalis could easily work her way deep into the heart of the town and bleed them dry. Oh, Twilight Sparkle, Chrysalis thought, smiling wickedly as she watched the pony trotting off to what had be her home. Soon you will lose everything. Once the Changelings get established, Chrysalis knew her best bet would be to banish Twilight the next time the foal was alone... *** “Now you will pay, Twilight Sparkle,” a voice echoed tauntingly as Twilight drowned in a sea of emerald green light. The mighty and terrifying Changeling Queen had returned, and she stood over a cowering, shivering Twilight. “Now I’ll take you, and all of the love anypony has ever had for you!” “No!!” Twilight cried, shivering—why was she unable to use any magic? Or for that matter, move? She looked up to face the sneering Changeling Queen. She looked distorted—the whole world did—as if nothing quite made sense. All she knew was that she was terrified and powerless. “Stop right there!” an unfamiliar, male voice beamed as a tall, dark and presumably handsome stallion leapt out to Twilight’s aid. She had never seen him and although she couldn’t make out any distinguishable features, she swooned quietly. “My love for Twilight will stop you, Changeling Queen!” “Nooo!” the Changeling hissed as she reared up and began slowly retreating. “Twilight, you must run,” the mysterious stallion called, “Run— …up!” “O-okay,” Twilight agreed, dazed, “I’ll run—wait a second. Run where?” “My love will wake the power of this ancient spell, and I’ll be able to help save Equestria up!” he said, beginning to sound more and more distorted as the world spun around her, almost melting away. The stallion turned to face Twilight and her heart skipped a beat—who was this heroic pony? But his features soon began to twist and change and Twilight was soon looking into the green eyes and purple scales of her companion, Spike—she was immediately jarred awake. “…already, Twilight,” Spike said, shaking the unicorn. “It’s not like you to sleep in so late.” “AH! Wait, what—Spike!” Twilight cried, exasperated. She shook her head quickly from side to side, trying to shake herself into reality. The dream—or was it a nightmare?—slowly began to bleed away and she began to get ahold of herself. “Sorry, Spike, I was in the middle of a really… weird dream,” she laughed shakily, “I wonder what it means.” She shivered as she thought of the menace of the Changeling Queen, but was greeted by pleasant warmth at the thought of her rescuer. “Maybe you have a book on it,” Spike teased under his breath. “Speaking of books, I got out all the ones you asked for and your favorite saddlebag. Now you’re ready for some good R&R!” “Oh, thank you, Spike,” Twilight said, jumping out of bed and brushing her mane with the usual magic. She continued to get ready and saddled up, gently putting a couple books on each side. When Spike left the room, she quickly dashed over to one of the bags she received at the wedding. She quickly tucked a small, rectangular shape into her saddlebag before calling out a quick goodbye to Spike. With that, she was on her way to a nice, peaceful spot where she could relax and read whatever she liked. After all, all of your worries melt away when you read a good book.
Chapter 3: BanishmentChapter Three Down a stream that trails off into the Everfree Forest, an old, towering willow tree provided Twilight Sparkle with an excellent get away spot. She knew better than to cross the stream and continue down to the forest, but this spot allowed her to be just far enough out that she wasn’t likely to be bothered by anypony. She felt a little guilty about hiding away like this, but all of the events over the past few days had been fairly overwhelming and a break was just what she needed. She trotted up under the shade of the willow and smiled brightly, brandishing her books and aligning them alphabetically on the soft grass before her. “Oooo, which one should I read first?” she exclaimed, looking over all the titles expectantly. Although she had much to learn about this new type of protection spell Shining Armor had introduced her to, and she was eager to learn about magic remedies for common ailments, the back of her mind nagged her to investigate the item she had snuck into her bag earlier. “Well,” she paused, biting her lower lip in contemplation, “I could give that a look over…” She pulled it out with her magic, hovering it over the others. Quickly she looked from one book to the next frantically, waiting for a decision to come to her. “Ok!” she exclaimed, raising the mystery book up higher than the others, “I’ll—read this ..love story.. for a while.” As she said the words ‘love story,’ she appeared to sink into herself, looking around with suspicion. She quickly tucked the other books into her bag as she plopped down onto the ground, enjoying the cool shade and gentle breeze. Using her magic, Twilight carefully slipped the book out of its cover and set it down before her. With a glimmer of purple, the pages turned and Twilight began reading the story Celestia had given her after the wedding. It was a simple story of star-crossed ponies separated by their families. The girl was a beautiful unicorn, and the boy was a dashing pegasus—their families forbad their love due to their race. Twilight had a difficult time understanding the concept—to her, everypony was equal, but each family treated the other terribly because they were different. In the story, the two met in secret at night, and worked together to create a spell that would grant them each their heart’s desire. The spell was difficult, but the magic of these unicorns was pure, powerful. Regardless, the spell would take a month to prepare. In the meanwhile, their families were on the verge of war, and it was getting harder for the two to meet together. The story had gotten so dramatic, Twilight was slouched over the book with wide eyes that eagerly scanned back and forth over the pages, absorbing the story. She had spent longer than she was aware reading and by the time she had begun to reach the climax of the story, it was already well into the day. Crimson Wing, the pegasus, and Aurora Dream, the unicorn, had planned to meet one final time in secret—the night the moon was at its fullest, shining brightly down on the land to illuminate their display for everypony. When that time came, they had tricked their families into meeting in one place—the pond at the edge of town. The moonlight trickled down, reflecting off the water’s surface as everypony stood in stunned silence around the pair. They stepped silently into the clear water, sending a gentle ripple across the surface. Once they stood over the reflection of the wavering moon, Aurora closed her eyes and gently pressed her horn to Crimson’s forehead. He closed his eyes as well, breathing deeply. The two became encompassed in a blinding, white light that swirled over their bodies. The spell gave the pair what they most wanted—it used the tuned, powerful magic of a unicorn along with the raw essence of a pegasus, with their love being the final “ingredient.” However, the wish became tainted when they desired two fundamentally similar but drastically different things. Aurora wished with all of her heart for Crimson to be like her—like her family—so that their love would be accepted. She pictured Crimson with the horn of her kind, meeting her at the altar in marriage. Crimson, however, wanted his family’s acceptance, and deep down wished that his love could soar the skies with him. Because they both had very clear, strong visions of the future they wanted, the spell began to spark and fizzle before erupting into brilliant emerald flames that showered down upon them. Their bodies changed before their eyes—Aurora sprouted radiant wings from her back and Crimson threw back his head as a horn began to grow. However, his wings remained. As did Aurora’s horn. Twilight gasped, pausing from her reading for a brief moment. “Is that—is that how alicorns came into existence?” she choked before diving back into the story. This was far beyond a simple “love story;” did the Princess give this book to her for a more important reason? As she continued reading, however, she saw that the magic had gone even more wrong than they had feared and their families saw them as abominations. Growing more and more outcast, the two wept together and grew weaker by the day. The tainted spell began to slowly corrupt the two, and their bodies began to reflect the changes within. Realizing they needed the support of their families to survive, they worked together, using the last of their magic to concoct a spell that had the power to win over their affection. “Is this…” Twilight breathed, eyes widening even further as she slowly flipped the page. Before she could realign her eyes to the top of the page to continue reading, she heard the crackling of flames from around her and looked up just in time to see herself become engulfed in green flames. “What’s going on?!” she cried, as she was thrown jarringly into darkness. “Twilight Sparkle,” a familiar voice echoed, “That was far too easy.” “It’s you—!” Twilight exclaimed, leaping into the air as she frantically looked about. With a small huff, she was able to produce a shining aura from her horn that acted as a light source. “Of course it’s me,” Chrysalis spat, invisible to Twilight, “Did you really thing I’d let you be after humiliating me in Canterlot? I won’t make the same mistake twice, you stupid foal! You’ll never escape from here; my Changelings built this tomb especially for you.” Twilight’s heart stopped and she froze in place. “You—you can’t!” she gasped, “I—…” “Oh, you what? You had no idea who you were messing with when you interfered; I don’t play around. But soon, I’ll trick all of your little friends into loving me while you wither away here, much like the fate you wished upon us!” “Please stop, there’s another way! I can help you and your Changelings, I promise—you just have to trust me! Princess Celestia wouldn’t want anypony—or Changeling—to die, but you can’t just go about attacking Equestria!” Twilight begged, trying to reason with the disembodied voice echoing all around her. “Nice try, Twilight, but you’re talking with the Queen of deception, here,” Chrysalis said mockingly. “Enjoy your stay—I know I am going to just love Ponyville, but hopefully they'll love me more," she laughed. “No, please listen to me!” Twilight sobbed as her magic flickered out, leaving her in darkness, “Don’t do this!” “Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle,” a soft voice cooed before fading out entirely. In that instant, Twilight knew she was alone, and she had no idea if her magic would be strong enough to save her this time. As she cried silently, her thoughts fleeted to her friends in Ponyville, and she felt sick with worry. *** A young, lavender unicorn stood under the shade of a grand willow tree, looking down at a saddlebag full of books. A smile of satisfaction slowly crept across the pony’s face as her horn flashed green with magic and she raised the bag up, placing it on her back. She was off to Ponyville.
Chapter 4: ReplacementChapter Four As the hybrid mare trotted down the streets of Ponyville, she felt the familiar rush of adrenaline she normally got when an infiltration was successful. She had to blend in, had to become something new, and had to deceive an entire town with her disguise. It was almost more satisfying to be impersonating Twilight, despite her lesser status, simply because it was a sign that Chrysalis had won. Or at least, she was one step closer to that check mate. It is going to be difficult to go so long without having wings, she groaned internally. It would be harder to sneak into her other forms with the little dragon companion following her around all the time. “Evenin’, Twilight!” Spike called enthusiastically, opening the door for the pony. “I can’t believe you actually stayed out all day, you musta found a really good book.” “Oh, er,” Chrysalis said, adjusting to her new voice, “I sure did.” She fumbled around in her saddlebag, quickly pulling out a random book to hold up. “I just love the characters in…—” she paused, squinting to slowly read the title aloud, “…Traditional Unicorn Remedies for Common Equine Ailments…” Spike stood still for a moment, blankly staring at the unicorn. Chrysalis stared back—eyes wide—aware of her mistake. When he finally opened his mouth to reply, she tensed up, waiting for the accusation. “Uh. There are characters in a book about curing headaches?” “M-Minor ones, background ponies, really, but they—with their magic—were the first to,” she paused, flipping through the pages rapidly with her magic, “…combine… traditional, medicinal herb grinding… and… this, oh—innate unicorn magic!” She looked up at Spike and gave him a cheesy grin. “…It’s brilliant?” “Geez, Twilight, you are an egghead,” Spike laughed, walking in to serve up dinner for his friend. She watched as he placed a succulent looking salad on the table before her. Chrysalis planned to nibble at it, but she knew normal food didn’t provide much of anything for her kind. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure, though, she had to admit. Thank goodness, Chrysalis sighed, walking over to the table with a slow clop in her step, He’s an idiot. “I can’t quite put my claw on it, but something about you seems more—” Spike started, turning to face Chrysalis as she raised a fork full of salad up to her mouth, “More…green-y.” Chrysalis looked down at her fork, now glowing with green magic, and immediately dropped it back onto the plate. “You…don’t say?” she nonchalantly inquired. “No… I do say. You’ve never had a green fork-lifting spell before, is this some new trick from your reading today?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes…that’s right; it’s part of a new daily exercise I’m doing that’ll improve my health. Because…green magic is—” she paused, before a spark lit in her eyes, and her speech became more animated, “wild, natural. It’s the primitive magic of nature, and anyone smart enough can tap into it and take advantage of its power.” “Well, any unicorn maybe, but I doubt I’ll ever be able to control any silverware with magic, nature-y or not. Then again, I don’t really use forks and stuff anyway, am I right?” Spike laughed. He nudged his pal to join in on poking fun at his bad eating habits. “Er,” Chrysalis swayed, not expecting the sudden nudge, “You sure don’t, Spike.” She looked down at the laughing dragon and forced out a few giggles, keeping a close eye on him. “I think I’m going to bed now,” she added, looking around the place. She knew the gist of where Twilight slept, but wasn’t sure how close the dragon nested to her. “Already? Gee, you’re so sleepy today.” “Well, all the magic usage has really…drained me,” she said tiredly, and there was a ringing truth to her words. “Oh, ok, then. G’night Twilight!” Chrysalis noticed the proximity of the dragon’s bed and cringed. It would be much more difficult to slip out with him being so close. She’d have to exit the normal way and transform outside, just in case. “Pleasant dreams to you, Spike,” she said, a bit uncomfortably, and situated herself in the bed. It was nice to be able to relax again—this small cottage seemed luxurious, even though she had recently stayed at the Canterlot Castle. For the majority of her life, Chrysalis slept on the cold, hard ground, often dwelling in caverns or covered, dark forests. As she got comfortable, she pulled the covers up over her with a flash of green, finally closing her eyes and welcoming sleep. She could already feel herself growing stronger from even just this little dragon’s love… The Queen grew excited at the thought of the days soon to come—and what a feast she would have. *** Twilight paced endlessly around her holding place for an indeterminable amount of time—in the pitch black prison she had been thrown into, there was no way to measure time. She had circled the perimeter, carefully measuring it by placing one hoof in front of the other. Thirty hooves tall by approximately twenty-three hooves wide, she calculated, and began thoroughly investigating the walls themselves. To her surprise, the walls were not made of rock as she initially suspected—instead, they appeared to be made of some sort of…organic material with a fair amount of mud mixed in. Whatever it was, it had hardened up and seemed impenetrable. Over the next long duration of time, Twilight began experimenting with different spells. Spells of strength and fire left no notable damage to the “walls,” and she couldn’t risk any sort of teleportation. She could be a fair distance underground and surrounded by miles of dirt for all she knew, and the Princess herself warned of the dangers of phasing into an occupied space. But still… Her stomach already began to rumble and her thirst only continued to grow. If the time came—and Twilight would know it in her heart if it had—she would attempt the blind teleport. Please, somepony—anypony… help me… After another full day—or night, for all she knew—of experimentation, she rolled over onto her side, tears rolling down her soft, soiled cheeks. As she lay there silently, she cast a weak illusory spell upon the ceiling of her prison. Stars shone dimly down upon her and the moon rose into the center of the sky. She smiled faintly, watching her world spin at an accelerated pace above her—even with the quickened pace, the familiarity of the night sky was comforting. Although the softly shimmering cosmos soon faded, she too was able to find sleep under its hopeful light. *** Zecora was fast approaching Ponyville, although at this point there was no hope in tracking anything. The signs she had been following seemed completely random now, although the Changelings seemed to have split up around this area. She approached a small stream and slowly began to get her fill of water; she had been running for hours on end, and her body began to grow weak. As she raised her head up from the stream, however, she caught a glimpse of a dark creature flitting about in the distance. She stood in indecision at the edge of the stream, debating on whether or not she should continue in the direction of Ponyville, or to investigate. If this was their nest, knowing its location would be valuable information. Nodding, she leapt over the stream and quietly made her way around the trees and brush, approaching the mysterious creature. As she continued forward, veering farther off the path to Ponyville, she saw a swarm of the Changelings buzzing around an absurdly large structure—it appeared to be some sort of… of a hive, like an insect would create. The one thing she noticed from her inconspicuous location was that this hive of sorts didn’t appear to have any sort of entrance. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that the creatures buzzing around it were mindlessly adding layers upon layers to the exterior, she would have assumed this was more likely to be some sort of cocoon. But for what? No matter the answer, she knew this did not bode well for the ponies. Anything these mischievous Changelings were apart of certainly had to be bad news—their infamy had reached even Zecora, as a fellow Forest dweller. She turned and snuck back out, tearing off strips of bark from certain trees as she made her way to the path. With these marks and her natural navigation prowess, she was certain she could lead the ponies back here if need be. Leaving additional marks along the way, she once again sped off towards Ponyville to warn her friends before it was too late.
Chapter 5: AcquaintancesThe next morning, Chrysalis awoke before sunrise. Spike remained in a deep slumber, not likely to wake up anytime soon; she used this opportunity to slip down and out the front door, heading for her minions. Several of them had stayed fairly local—blending in when necessary, but generally lurking just on the outskirts of the forest. The majority of the Changelings, however, were busy constructing the tomb farther into the forest. Chrysalis knew certain precautions had to be made in order to keep the unicorn confined, but she was surprised with their diligence. Although the interior was no more than a few wing spans wide, the exterior had been built up so much that the construct would now tower over the Queen and her Changeling, its shape both elliptical and elongated by the process. As she stood in the shadows, certain she was alone, Chrysalis shed her false appearance and grew back into her old form. As her legs stretched, the purple coat of the unicorn seemed to peel back and become consumed by rolling emerald flames, revealing the sleek, ebony body beneath. Transparent, insect wings erupted from her back and her lavender horn cracked and grew, crooked, gleaming with a faint emerald aura. She inhaled deeply once before she zipped off at incredible speeds to the stream from whence she had entered Ponyville; three or four Changelings had been ordered to stay around the area. They would have found or constructed a decent shelter by now, but Chrysalis expected at least one of them to be on alert for their Queen’s return. She would rendezvous with them tonight and debrief them on their upcoming task. *** The little dragon yawned, stretching his stumpy arms over his head. “Mornin’ Twilight.” “Yes, good morning, Spike,” Chrysalis replied, adding a yawn. “I’ll be leaving soon—busy day and all. See you this afternoon?” she asked, heading towards the door. “Wait! You can’t go!” “And why not?” she inquired. For a split second, her eyes flashed green with anger. “I just have a lot to do today and I’d probably accomplish things quicker without any company.” “Oh, I know you have a lot to do today,” Spike said eagerly, “You have to help Mr. and Mrs. Cake replace their oven, take your Astronomy books to the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ and then you get to go on a picnic with Rarity! ..And the other girls.” He blushed, raising a small journal up to Chrysalis’ face. “I can’t believe you almost forgot this thing, Twi,” Spike added, quickly changing the subject. “You always have to follow your schedule down to a T.” Chrysalis looked through the pages of the planner in dismay. With all of these nuisances to tend to, she’d likely be busy all day. “I guess I forgot I took it out of my bag,” she grumbled, shoving it in the saddlebag that had been cast to the floor the previous night. After bitterly placing the saddlebag onto her back, she again told Spike goodbye and escaped through the front door. Why couldn’t she still be the whiny Princess? No one expected royalty to tend to such trivial tasks. “Off to find these… ‘cake’ ponies,” she growled, head lowered in discontent, and headed off to the main square. As she walked she began to grow lost in thought and was oblivious to the pastel yellow pegasus that bumped into her. “Oh! My, I’m so sorry, Twilight; I should have been watching where I was walking,” Fluttershy apologized in her soft, delicate tone as a small slip of parchment drifted down to the ground. “Yes you should, but it’s fine,” Chrysalis replied noncommittally, not wanting the pony to stick around and continue to talk to her. “Thank you, Twilight” she cooed, stepping aside for her friend, “Um, Twilight..? Is everything ok?” “Yes, yes, I’m fine; I’m just such a busy pony,” she replied, picking up her pace. She avoided looking at the mare beside her—her deep, blue eyes were just flooded pools of emotion which both energized and irritated Chrysalis. Regardless, she had no time to waste. “Goodbye…--my friend.” “Oh, ok, good luck with everything, then,” she added with a smile. “Oh! And I hope you can make it to our Pet Picnic Play-date today!” Fluttershy called, waving with her left hoof. “Hmm, now where is that grocery list—ah! Here it is. I’ll make the perfect lunch for all of our little friends,” she smiled, continuing on to some food stands in town.
IntroductionShe awoke dazed and confused, the world around her veiled in darkness. Green sparks of magic crackled through her crooked horn as her eyes adjusted to her pitch black surroundings; the memories of the wedding slowly crept back into her mind. That’s right—the little brat ruined everything for Chrysalis. If it weren’t for her, that pathetic princess would still be rotting in the cavern and the Changelings would be feasting on Canterlot. At the thought of the princess—Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, a voice echoed bitterly in the back of Chrysalis’ mind—the magic surged and erupted, illuminating the area to reveal several crashed Changelings littering the ground. From the looks of it, they had been blasted all the way to a forest, most likely the dark Everfree Forest, a place Chrysalis had learned to call home. Huffing, failing to regain control of her temper, she screamed out to her minions. “Changelings! To me!” Slowly, the small beasts gathered and dusted themselves off. As dozens of them slowly assembled around their Queen, she noticed several of them appeared injured. And although she couldn’t be bothered to know all of her Changelings individually, she grimaced as she realized there were far less appearing than there should be. “My pets…” she cried, her rage subsiding as the green illumination encompassing her form dimmed and phased out entirely, leaving just the moon’s pale glow to light the area. At the thought of her lost Changelings and lost efforts, her heart ached and she soon felt the familiar lightheadedness of the energy drain. She had wasted far too much of the supply Shining Armor had given her in her battle with Celestia, and the anguish she felt now only expedited the draining process. The feast could have lasted them for years if all had gone according to plan, but instead, it was looking more likely that the Changelings would starve and wither away to nothing… because she failed to save them. Undoubtedly, the Changelings had begun thinking similar thoughts and it reflected across many of their faces; however, they would follow their Queen until the end. It was their way. “We will eat soon,” she promised, trying to inspire faith. “Just hold out a while more, my darlings, and we will rule all of Equestria. ..Everyone and everything shall acknowledge me as their Queen, and no Changeling shall ever go hungry again. Let us regroup—replan—and, for the meanwhile, pay a visit to the nearest town. It’s snack time.”
