(Chrysalis' POV)

"My Queen, your drones have successfully infiltrated the Royal Guard, only a select few remain, including that girl and dragon you wanted us to keep an eye on." My most loyal warrior, Phorid. My plans were finally nearing their completion, and the aid of that...Nightmare was certainly unexpected, while I'd prefer not putting my drones under his command, that monster is not to be trifled with if he promised me this kingdom for resources so be it

"Good, but continue your watch on that dragon and the maid, they have been around that creature Ruin is after, so be wary." I stomped firmly to emphasize my point, without a word he bowed, shifting back into his hidden form to proceed with the next step. I, however, found this to be amusing

"You seem awfully happy?" If I had a heart I swore it has stopped under the voice of Ruin. With a stern glare, I turned to face the Nightmare who looked to be worse than before, I could smell the burnt flesh from here. "From a woman who has yet to fully defeat her enemies you have an awful lot of confidence."

"I - well, with the way everything has progressed, and the death of Chris, I would say everything is within our grasp." My calm smile was only shot down by the cackling of this Nightmare, he stared down at me with a sinister grin, his eyes narrowed mere inches from my face

"I wouldn't count Swifty and the Dragon out yet. They are very good at what they do, even I am not ashamed to admit that." He pressed his finger to my chin, tilting my head up to look at him directly, his snake-like tongue licking his teeth. "The last thing we need to do is let a single, honest soul get through and throw a monkey wrench in my dodgeball court. You mess up and I'll let them slaughter your whole putrid race."

I suddenly felt my feet lift off the ground, his hand grasped my jaw tightly enough to force my chin to crack, forcing a wince from my throat, but I stared in horror at the sight of this being's true colors, the look of death in his eyes was enough to make even mountain shake at the sight.

"You so much as harm Swift though, I will see no reason as to not leave you all burning under my feet, as I strip the very souls from your hollow frames!" With a violent toss, I felt my feet stumble back onto the ground, my hand against my chin softly. With a smile, he turned back around. "Now, if you have nothing better to say I have an Empire to prepare for plan B."

In an instant he was gone again, leaving me to continue looking through my drones' eyes. One particular pair caught my fury though.

"Hey." Spoke the man in blue armor

"Hey." The one in gold answered back

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

"That's one of life's - hold on, totally random question, but do you hear something?" The gold guard pointed to the door they sat against, his ear to the wood

"What? We're the only others here, what else could..." He stopped when he too heard what sounded like heavy footsteps, followed by a guy shouting

"GOD DAMMIT, I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT!"

"Who's-"

The sudden force of the wood splintering across the hallway was loud enough to alert the entire sector of the castle. The gold-armored Changeling's magic had failed, revealing its black form, not strung up on several spikes that shot forth from the door, piercing his chest and throat, green blood leaking down the tendrils as a man stepped through, not noticing the Changeling in blue armor beneath him.

"What did you-" His head was promptly smashed under the boot of Chris, his foot nearly slipping on the grey matter that stained the carpet, staining his shoe a bright green for a moment, the Blacklight consuming the DNA again

(Chrysalis' POV)

I felt my own insides turn at the sight. "W-What!? How is he alive!?" With a growl and a new-found hatred towards this vile monster, I felt the emerald magic seep across my body. "My Drones, head for the stairwell to the east, I want that putrid monster lying in a pool of his own blood now!"

I felt my eyes peer through that of my Drones, their eyes darting between each other as they marched for the hallway before my eyes I saw the staircase, but something slithered up the stairs, forcing my Drones to halt in place. To my eyes I saw that creature, the one that insulted me before, he was a mere fool with power not worthy to be in his hands, but this...this was different.

His hand clasped his right eye, teeth bare as he stumbled up the steps towards my brood, but not a single one budged from place. Only staring back at the grunting man as he moved towards them. His lips moved, but I couldn't hear him, nor make out what he was saying to my brood, but it frightened them, I felt their terror bounce back to me.

He was laughing. Not talking, but laughing as his left eye turned to look at the Changeling I looked through, but...was he looking at me? That insane stare was a pinprick, but the pupil was staring back at me through my own magic field. I...I will not tolerate this any longer, I -

We see you

I lost my connection to the changeling's mind, so with a quick redirection, I jumped to another, only to have my stomach turn at the sight of Chris standing tall with the Changeling held high above him, green blood flew from his stomach, two claws had pried the Drone in two, spilling guts and blood like a fountain atop my brood, with a turn, his eye blinked once and the eyes of another changeling went dark.

Turning to another, I felt my blood run cold, seeing the index and middle finger of Chirs piercing the eyes of the previous changeling, pulling back to allow the Drone to scream in terror, only to have another tendril from the stairway snap his neck, throwing his corpse into the wall with a silent splat, green staining the walls.

We know you

Once more I felt my gaze shift to another, and I could only watch as more of my Hive was subjugated to the horrific deaths by this monster's hands. Another had his spine torn out and used to gorge the chest of another, ribs sticking out as his body fell to the floor too in a heap. Two more were held high in the air, tendrils coiled tenderly around their necks, soon the two tendrils pulled them apart, with a spin, the bodies of my Drones were smashed into each other with neck-breaking speeds, showing the eyes I looked through with blood.

"All Drones, fall back, you need to run now!" I yelled warily at the sight, thankfully my Brood did, most either separating or flying away undisguised, it didn't matter, they needed to run. Unfortunately, my sigh of relief was cut short as a remaining Changeling was held up by Chris's hand, eye staring back at us with a sickening laugh I couldn't hear, but even as my body trembled with fear, I stood strong as I stared back. "You are nothing but a monster. You are-"

We Are You

I couldn't hear it, but the sound of flesh and bone twisting and snapping could be heard from beyond the doorway, my final glimpse of Chris was gone, along with another of my Brood. This thing wasn't right, no human would consider such an abomination as their ally. No...Ruin, did he plan for this? Was he aware Chris was alive just so he could get his side of our deal? If so...was all of this worth it anymore? To my Hive?

I jumped slightly, a voice cackled by the doorway of the dining room, he was laughing, but his voice, no, their voices, hundreds of them were laughing, moaning, crying, yelling...he had broken through my Collective Mind, he could hear my thoughts and I too. With a wave of his finger back and forth, he stood tall with his hand still held to his right eye.

"You Are Us." His thoughts were dead, say for a single voice, small, child-like. Chris was gone, and I had little time to breathe, teleporting backward to avoid being impaled by a bloodied pike of tinted spines, still coated in my Hive's blood, it was sickening to watch, it wasn't Chris I was fighting, he was playing a pawn to whatever this black entity was, no normal human's sanity could last doing this, not as he was now

"You will pay dearly, monster." I fired a burst of green flames his way, and in a split second the voices returned in an ear-piercing screech from the fire. But with a 'Z' motion with my hand, I enchanted the ground under his feet, three arcane rings forming under his feet while he was distracted. "Subvenisti ruinæ ante fructum hunc tormentorum!"

The rings came to life, engulfing the manifestation of darkness with a bright, ivy flame, the tendrils coiling back towards its host to protect itself. But from the flames shot two silver lines, so with a quick turn on my feet, I watched as the silver projectiles flew past me, embedding in the wall. I readied another spell to cursed this abomination, it was my only chance to savor my plans and my Hive from damnation. Yet Chris was gone, instead, I felt the pressure of magic shift behind me.

I erected a barrier, the claws tearing through the ether with ease, I can't win with brute strength, but I needed neither it nor thoughts to conjure a plan, I simply needed to do what was fit for a mutt like him, play dirty. The moment his feet grazed where the remains of my shield were, the remaining fragments turned pitch black on contact, protruding a dozen stalactites to pierce his form, holding the monster in place as the columns ignited.

Yet the struggle under the flames and dark magic spires did little to stop this creature from attempting to grab me, even as I had used every ounce of magic in such formidable attacks, so why was the hand covering its right eye moving for a mask? I didn't wish to endure the suffering of my own kind, the ones that I had foolishly sent to their demise if I am to bring them closure, I shall claim this pitiful kingdom for not just myself, but for my Hive.

"You hear me, monster! You may believe yourself to be that which is the apex, but those smarter than you will always claim what is theirs." Raising my palm I increased the output of flames again, the pressure of heat was next to nothing against my hidden chitin armor

With a click of his fingers, the mask was grasped between his thumb and palm, quick to raise the mask against his face, covering the wild rotations of the right eye, and the pinprick left, leaving me with a skeleton face. But, the sudden pressure of magic had ceased entirely, the tendrils screeched painfully, their cries weakening with every second, my columns of fire and dark magic dissipated too, leaving a bloodied man behind, a strange, holy light shimmering across his tattered clothes.

He only wore a torn tunic, a belt that held up burnt trousers that smoked still, a device on his left arm and a few objects attached to his body by straps and chains, other than that, the foolish Chris had fallen to a knee, panting heavily as the remnants of that dark matter disintegrated to dust. The whole room was silent between us, say for his head raising to me.

"I just got nerfed." With a breath, he fell forward, slapping against the marble floor as if all that had transpired meant nothing. He was alive but weak...very weak. My head slowly conjured the pride I needed, and soon the laugh I deserved. With a simple motion, I moved for Chris, planting my foot against his back with enough force to crack something within his body, making him wince. "I'd rather you not do that."

"Oh? Does it hurt?" I pushed again, hearing him groan before I removed my foot and promptly broke his ribs with a sharp kick of my heel, rolling him onto his back to face me again. "You should never have defiled my Changelings, Chirs...I'll be sure to make your little friends pay with their lives, and it will all be on you."

"My Queen!" I turned slowly with a smug smile, seeing Phoird standing by the doorway with a majority of my own guards, all disguised like I to not arouse any suspicion. "We came upon our...mens' worry, are you alright!?"

"Yes, I am glad you are all safe, but our problem has been dealt with." I kicked him again for good measure, whatever he has done, it had taken away his power or a vast majority of it. "Take him to the Crystal Burrows, leave him and the Princess to rot down there together!"

"At once, your grace." With a small bow, their magic grasped him, and the bonds made of the same material as my throne bound his magic, leaving me with a bitter-sweet relief. If I had not stopped him, I fear this plague could have been far worse than just Canterlot's problem

"Resist. Refuse. Run. Do whatever you like, abomination, you will find no salvation here, in MY kingdom." The final slithers of our telepathy connection gave out, and I was left to regather my plans

Author's Note

Really working for that M rating. Be glad I'm here to at least keep this story on some form of understandable storyline. Do hope you enjoyed though.

Sincerely, Slendy

The overpowered has become less so, a shame but change breeds conflict which is what I desire.