After that first day, Chris couldn't quite get enough of everything he had learned. There were so many new things for him to learn about that he lost track of time reading all the books in Chrysalis' bookshelf. When those got boring he took the time to get a feel for the room. The sheer simplicity of it all made it interesting, and it allowed him to get a good look at everything around him. Not that there was much to be interested in. The only thing of remotely any aesthetic value were the tiny crystals that lit her room, even in the dark of night time, Which he could only tell was the case because of the many Different caretakers Chrysalis sent to look after him. That is, when she wasn't checking up on him herself.

"Hm. Is she afraid of the dark or something?" He asked himself when looking over all the lights in the room.

The only reason he'd managed to get any more books was because she was nice enough to offer some to him. She said they were from the royal vault of knowledge, or something. Chris made a mental note to visit this place whenever he had the chance.

Some time after that, however, one of his caretakers suggested that he get some sleep, so he took their advice and hit the hay for the night, staying in Chrysalis' room for fear of getting lost. Yet another suggestion given by the queen herself for his continued safety.

He liked how nice she was. It put him at ease for some reason.

The next morning, Chris was already up, looking into the many books given to him by Chrysalis. She had sent him quite a few-obviously to occupy his mind when she wasn't around- and he still wasn't done with some of them. his favorite stories so far told of old warriors and of the first Changelings, who lived in peace and harmony with others until disaster struck with the defection of one of their own.

He was eventually exiled and laws were passed to prevent others like him from popping up. Which is where Chris' interest was piqued. He read over each of the old laws, eager to see how this society lived so long ago.

Rule 1: Never reveal yourself to others

Rule 2: Never take love from your fellow changeling without given consent.

Rule 3: Protect your kinsmen

Rule 4: Never disobey the queen

These four laws were what kept the first Changelings safe from harm, until they all died out. That fact saddened Chris, but old age could not be escaped.

He was just about to put down the book and move on to the next one, when he heard a voice say,

"I see the queen was right about you."

Chris looked up from where he was positioned on the floor of the room to see another changeling. "What? What do you mean she was right about me? What did she say?"

The changeling, by whose voice. Chris could tell was female, giggled. "She said you were quite the bookworm!"

"Hey, that's not funny!" Chris stood up and glared playfully at the changeling, throwing a book at her.

She caught it deftly in her magic and set down on Chrysalis' bed. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to...offend...y...wow."

"What? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Chris said, checking his face for any abnormalities.

"No, it's just...you're so...tall..." the changeling said, her eyes wide.

"Oh, is that it? I get that a lot. I'm 6'2" so, yeah, i'm pretty tall." Chris smiled.

"When The queen said you were different, I didn't think you'd be this different." She quickly switched gears and put out a hoof, sweating a bit. "The name's Aloe Whisper, i'm a scout."

"Chris Havensmith, a human." Chris introduced himself as well, shaking her hoof.

"A human, huh? Never heard of you before."

"Well, I guess that makes me the first of my kind to be here." Chris' smile became a grin.

"Your kind? There are more of you?" she asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Of course. Where I come from there are billions of other humans!"

She seemed to grow pale at that. "B-b-billions...of other...humans, just like you..." She looked dizzy.

"Maybe not just like me but-Whoa!" Chris caught her before she could fall and pass out onto the floor of the queen's room. "Let's just get you out of here, alright?" He began walking out of the room with her in his arms.

When he left the room, he set her down and waited for her to wake up from her shock. He couldn't just wander off, so he was forced to sit and wait right there, outside Chrysalis' room.

When Aloe finally woke up some ten minutes later, she mumbled something that sounded like, "Ridiculous", and sat up, wiping her eyes and shaking her head to clear her confusion.

"Where am I? Where did you take me?" she asked, panicking.

"Relax, we're outside Chrysalis' chambers." Chris said, slightly irritated at how long her had to wait.

She seemed to do just that once she heard where they were. "Oh...oh, right. That's right. We were just inside her room."

"That's right." Chris rolled his eyes. "Hey, wait, speaking of the queen. Where is she? she told me she'd arrange for my escort to come and get me or something."

"The queen is busy with urgent matters at the moment, and has sent me to come find you in her place. I am the escort she arranged for you."Aloe revealed, finally standing on her four legs.

"You!?" Chris shouted in shock. "Sheesh, she could've let me know you were coming or something."

"As I said, the queen is busy. She sent me here to come get you. From now on, i'll be with you wherever you go. For your own safety!"

"yeah, I get it. Sorry. I haven't eaten and i'm a bit irritable. Is there a place we can get something to eat?" Chris asked,

"Well, looks like I know where our fist stop will be. Onward, to the kitchens!" Aloe Whisper strode proudly away from Chrysalis' room, Chris following after her.

"So, what is Chrysalis doing, exactly?" Chris asked as the two made their way through passageway after passageway in pursuit of the food they both so desperately wanted.

"She's talking with the other queens about how to best deal with our first public love capturing operation." Aloe answered

"Love Capturing Operation?" The terms of this place still confused Chris to no end.

"It's just an expedition out into the world to get others to share their love with us. Or that's what Chrysalis wants it to be. Some of the queens believe we should invade instead."

"Invade. As in, attack?" Chris asked. This was starting to sound more and more of a bad idea the more he listened to her speak.

"Yep. Some of the queens think we should show our dominance. Pummel them down so that they will have no choice but to give us their love."

"Well, I think it can be handled more peacefully." Chris said, crossing his arms.

"I do, too." Aloe said in agreement. "I just don't think we should attack the poor ponies. they're so kind and sweet to all who come to them."

"Wait. Ponies. As in, living breathing, thinking, speaking ponies, with a fully developed civilization in place?" Chris asked, an incredulous look on his face.

"Yep. Over here we have the Badlands. They live in Equestria, some ways away from us over a mountain range to the far right of the outskirts of our lands."

Chris seemed to think this over for a moment before thinking, 'Hm. First changelings, now ponies. This dimension just keeps getting better and better.'

"We're here!" Aloe called as they reached the kitchens. Chris hadn't bothered paying attention, seeing as it would be a different path in the morning.

He looked down at Aloe to see her waving her hoof out at all the changelings darting about. He looked up as well, only to be hit not with the sight of it all, but the smell of it all. he had no idea what smelled so good in here, but he had to have it, and quickly.

"Follow me!" Aloe said as she galloped off toward the kitchens proper, Chris running right next to her while maintaining an even pace to not lose her in his haste.

"So, what exactly does a scout do?" Chris asked Aloe as they sat at their table, eating their respective foods, Aloe with a salad, and Chris with the usual bacon and eggs.

"Well, we haven't had any real use since we have yet to go out and search for sources of love. Instead, the queen makes us search for possible threats and scour the Badlands looking for stones."

"Stones? And what's that about love sources?" Chris asked, his fingers laced together under his chin.

"Yes, well," Aloe began "The queen makes us search for stones out in the badlands, as I said. Some of these stones are compatible with magic and can be imbued with power from those who found them. Like the glowing stones in the Queen's room."

"So that's what those are for?" Chris asked, more to himself than her.

"Yep! And...well, those that can't contain magical power are simply kept by the Queen. She...really likes crystals."

"I see... and as for the love sources thing?" Chris asked, bringing the conversation back on topic.

"Ah, yes, sorry about that. Remember when I told you the queen was busy with planning out the operation?"

Chris nodded.

"Well, she can't send us out to find any without giving us information on how to go about the search, and so far...she has none."

"Hmm..." was all Chris answered with, as he was deep in thought.

Or he was until Aloe noticed something. "Hey, you haven't touched your drink."

Chris looked over at his drink. He'd been trying to avoid drinking it because it looked like someone chopped up a tree, and then had someone grind up the leaves and put them in a cup. Not to mention it was sparkling like glitter, so... yeah.

"Are you sure it's safe for a human to drink? I'm not a changeling in disguise, you know?" Chris said, grabbing the drink and holding it just below his lips. If there was one good thing to be said about the drink, it was that it smelled good. In fact, he thought this was the smell that had hit his nose when he first showed up.

"Nonsense. The only way that drink could hurt you is if you tried to drink it on a full stomach!" Aloe giggled.

Chris' eyes widened. "What happens then?"

"It's very sweet. You won't be able to sleep."

Chris waited to see if that was all it was, then, upon realizing that it was, promptly burst out laughing. "Is that all?"

"Yep. That's all."

Chris had just one more question. "But how can a drink have a fragrance outside of when a person actually drinks it?"

"Simple. Magic. Those little glitter like things? They're edible magical particles."

Chris looked at Aloe, took a deep breath, let it out, and smiled, saying, "You're kidding, right?"

Aloe simply smiled back. "Nope!"

"I figured you weren't." Chris said.

"Go on, it's harmless!" Aloe said, waving her hoof in a 'Hurry up' gesture.

Chris sighed before staring down at his cup. "Well, bottoms up!" With that, he down the drink and...

"Hey, this is pretty good! It's so sweet!"

"Told you so!" Aloe said, her smile becoming a grin. Then she had a thought. "Wait. You can taste them?"

Chris looked confused for a moment. "Taste them? Taste what?"

"Only changelings can taste love particles! How are you able to do it?"

"I don't know? I just downed as much as I could before it got too sweet for me to handle." Chris said, throwing up his hands in an 'I don't know' gesture.

"You don't know? That's impossible! You're from here aren't you? From Equus? Don't tell me you're an alien, there's no way! You have to be from here!" Aloe had sat up, her hooves gripping(somehow) the edge of the table.

Chris simply smiled nervously.

"Oh, my Faust you're not from here, are you? You are an alien!" Aloe practically screamed it. It was a miracle no one heard her over the slowly dying buzzing in the kitchens as the customers and staff left.

"From another dimension, actually." Chris corrected her, only for her left eye to twitch a few times with how much stress she was under.

"We have to tell the Queen! She has to know! We have to find a way to get you home!" she exclaimed.

"I was trying to avoid doing that, but maybe you have a point. If we tell her, maybe she can help me get home." Chris said, a finger to his chin.

"That's right, mister! Now grab the drink and let's go!" she stood up and galloped off.

"Why bring the drink?!" Chris yelled back.

"Evidence!" Was the only reply he got before he joined her in her sprint.

"So let me get this straight." Said Chrysalis as Chris and Aloe stood before her. They had told her of the situation. Now all they needed to do was wait for the outcome. "You, Chris, are from another dimension entirely separate from Equestria, the Badlands, and even Equus itself?"

"Yes, Ma'am." he answered.

Chrysalis closed her eyes. She held this position for quite some time before she finally opened them again, saying, "I should have figured. I've been alive for over 3,000 years, and I've never once heard of a human before."

Chris gulped as her eyes settled on him. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Um, well, I...I wasn't using or deceiving you or anything. I just thought it best not to tell you for fear of you being shocked or not believing me. It's not like it was some big secret. I just didn't feel like sharing it is all."

Chrysalis seemed to think on this for a moment before saying, "Very well then. While it is hard for me to believe, I assume my age is far more surprising to you at the moment. Yes, I am immortal, and in all my years, I have yet to hear anything like the story you have given today. It is truly a shock."

She looked up and smiled at Chris. "We will do all that we can to get you home, Chris. This I swear on my honor as queen."

Chris' shoulders relaxed at the happy tone in her voice. This was made even more so the case when he heard her say,

"Just....please don't feel that you have to hide things from us. You are our guest, as I have said before. We will care for you as long as is necessary. That includes listening to your thoughts and problems. Do not be afraid."

The two smiled and said at the same time, "Yes, Ma'am!"

Chrysalis laughed. a good-natured, joyful laugh that filled the room, and made Chris blush. "And stop calling me ma'am. I thought I told you that!"

"Sorry, Chrysalis." Chris said as he and his escort walked out of the queen's chambers to continue the tour.

"Next stop! The Residential District!"

Author's Note

Hi guys! Sorry if this one's a bit long. I have a subconscious need to match chapter word counts as best I can, and I got carried away with my idea. Anyway, tell me how I did with this chapter, and as always, enjoy!