Author's Note
Hello Silver here with a new one shot featuring the queen love bug herself. I wrote this all last night and then had my editor go over this morning. With this story I go into one of my personal head cannons for Chrysalis. As always let me know what you think and have a happy love bug day.
Amor Vitiatas Inficit.
Chrysalis sat alone in Ponyville park disguised as an aqua colored unicorn mare with a lavender mane and a trio of gold hearts for a cutie mark. She was watching the pony couples pass her by on their way to somewhere else or setting up picnics. She had been there for hours just watching the ponies with a sad look on her face and doing nothing else much to the bafflement of Starlight Glimmer, who was currently spying on the queen along with Thorax.
Starlight had been giving Thorax an explanation of Hearts and Hooves day and showing him what ponies did during the holiday. She had been surprised to hear that none of the changelings knew about it when she brought it up a week prior. She thought that it being a day to celebrate love that it would have drawn Chrysalis and her changelings to it like moths to a flame before now. When she had told him the date that the holiday fell on, Thorax’s response had been to say that that would explain why they had never heard of Hearts and Hooves day before, because every year on that date Chrysalis would call everypony back to the hive and then just sit on her throne and tell them all a story.
Starlight at the time had said that that didn't really sound like something she would do. Thorax had agreed but said that something about had always had her acting differently. A week later and she was taking him around explaining how the holiday worked when he had suddenly tensed up and then pulled her into some bushes. When she had asked him why they were in a bush he shushed her and pointed out the aqua unicorn mare and said that the mare was his mother in a low whisper. The two had been sitting there waiting for Chrysalis for three hours now with nothing happening.
“Are you sure that is Chrysalis?” Starlight asked in a hushed tone as to not give away their location. “ I mean she is not doing anything but watching other ponies on their dates. Could you have been wrong about who she is?”
Thorax shook his head. “No that is definitely mother although all I am reading off of her is sorrow and loss instead of the usual hunger and anger.” He whispered back.
While they were talking back and forth Chrysalis looked over to the bush that the two were hiding in and let out a sigh. “ You can come out now Thorax and bring your friend with you. I only have six more hours until the hunger and madness return.” She said in a surprisingly gentle tone. After a couple of minutes of them not moving she let out another sigh. “Look I am not going to hurt anypony I promise. I am just here to tell my son my story as I have every year. If you will allow me this, I then will leave before the madness returns. However, if you don't agree to this I will leave now and you will have missed a chance to capture me.” She said to the pair in the bush. “Now make your choice, will you listen to my story or shall I leave?”
Starlight and Thorax sat there discussing the options when a thought occurred to Starlight she whispered to Thorax who upon hearing what she said agreed. They both left the bushes and walked to in front of Chrysalis. “ We will agree if you allow Twilight to be here.”
“Deal! Now if one of you could get this twilight you mentioned then we can start. After all, we don't want to keep the curious bystanders waiting too long do we?” Chrysalis said as she waved her hoof at something behind the two. When they turned around they saw a large group of ponies had gathered around them.
“I will go get Twilight if you will watch and make sure she doesn't try anything.” Starlight said to Thorax who nodded his agreement after which her horn lit up and she disappeared in a flash. She reappeared after five minutes but had Twilight and spike with her.
Twilight made her way up to Chrysalis and looked her up and down. “I don't know what game you are playing but before coming here I sent letters to Celestia and Luna letting them know what is going on and they are on their way here.” She stated as she raised a barrier between Chrysalis and the crowd.
Chrysalis took this all in stride. “Ah, so you are Twilight. Well, then I owe you an apology for ruining your brother's wedding then again for foalknaping you and your friends. I regret that my hunger and madness has caused you grief.” She said with a bow to Twilight who was at a lost for words. “Now as my time is short I shall begin my story.”
My story begins in what is now known as the badlands. Back then it was not a wasteland but rather a paradise teeming with all kinds of plants and animals. A race of ponies who had giant butterfly wings on their backs and called themselves flutter ponies made their home there. It was to the leaders of these ponies that I was born. My birth was seen as a good omen to my people as I was born with wings and a horn. I grew up with my family and had a normal life for about thirty years when it became obvious that I was not physically aging anymore. It was then decided that I was to take over for my parents and lead my people when they passed away. After I took over as queen I ruled for two hundred years with only the minor problem to deal with. It was around this time that sightings of the other pony races began. When asked they all said the same thing, that they were fleeing the chaos that had fallen their land of Equestria. Feeling for their plight I allowed them to settle in my kingdom and become citizens.
After a few months, I was approached by a brown colored earth pony stallion during court. I sat on my throne and gestured for the guards to let the next petitioner in. When they had let the earth pony in he walked up to my throne and bowed to me. I bid him to rise and asked him what he wanted of me.
“My name is Rare Herb and I was hoping to get your endorsement and a loan to open a tea shop. I even brought a bag of my best tea mix for you to try.” He said as he reached his head into his saddlebags and then withdrew from them with a bag held in his mouth. I took the bag in my magic and then cast a quick spell to detect poison. The spell found nothing so I then gave the bag to the maid and requested a pot to be made from the leaves. After ten minutes the maid returned with a teapot and a teacup. She then filled the teacup up with the tea and offered it to me. I took the cup in magic and thanked the maid as she left the room. I then brought the cup to my lips and took a sip. The brew had slightly sweet taste followed by a bitter aftertaste.
“Well, Rare Herb I will say that while not the best tasting tea I have ever had it is decent enough. You have my endorsement.” I said to him as I put the cup down. After a few seconds of looking at him, I started to feel lightheaded and my heart started to beat rapidly.
“Wait, You are saying that you are the princess in the old tale that Hearts and Hooves day is based on?” Twilight said interrupting Chrysalis’ story much to the irritation of the crowd. “But that still doesn't explain how you became what you are now.”
“I was getting there before your little outburst. Now, where was I?” Chrysalis answered.
I had fallen in what I thought was love with Rare Herb. I would find out differently fifteen years later after my kingdom had fallen into anarchy from my neglect and Rare Herb was on his deathbed. He admitted that what he had given me all those years ago was a love potion. When I asked him why he did it he said that he fell in love with me at first sight and that he could not bear the thought of me not feeling the same way so he made sure that I would. Minutes later he passed from this world and at the same moment I felt agonizing pain from my heart. I fell to the floor with a loud crash. I laid there for what seemed like hours before somepony came into the room. When they entered I felt a warmth coming from them that I craved. Now I don't really remember what happened next only that after it was done I felt more powerful and the poor pony was drained of energy. The good feeling I had lasted for a minute before the hunger came again but this time stronger. So that is how I lived the next few months, hunting down ponies for their love. Draining those that I found and start the cycle over again. After a year I found that my body had begun to change. In five I was as you know me now the perfect predator adapted to hunt my prey. Twenty years later I had my laid my clutch of eggs because I alone could not feed my ever-growing need for love. That brings us to now a thousand years later where I am only sane for one day out of the year because of the abundant amount of love that gets fed to me thanks to this holiday being based on my past.
Ponyville park was silent as Chrysalis finished her story smirked and then let her disguise fall. Even Twilight was quiet as she mulled over the information she had been given. A few minutes later the sound of ponies beginning to panic could be heard from within the crowd. Many a cry of ‘the horror’ was heard and then much to Twilight, Starlight and Thorax’s dismay, the crowd started to run every which way. They looked at the pandemonium all around them then looked back at where Chrysalis had been only to see that she was no longer there.
“We can't let her get away again. Thorax can you track her by her emotions?” Twilight yelled over the chaos that surrounds them.
“Normally yes, but with all of the panicking ponies around us all I can sense is fear,” Thorax answered with a sour look on his face.
“Just great.” Groaned Starlight as she sat down and then rubbed her head with a hoof as she felt a headache come on. “You know if I didn't know better I would say that this was all just a prank by Discord but as he is spending the day with Fluttershy I don't think it is.” As Starlight said this she could hear laughter over sounds of the panicking ponies.
