From Chrysalis to Butterflyby KnyfeChapters1. What a Horrible Day for a Wedding2. The Damage is Done3. Friendless Slumber4. There's No Place Like Home1. What a Horrible Day for a WeddingThis day is going to be perfect. And that's how it had started out. She'd had a plan, had a plan for months. Her Changelings had multiplied like rabbits, increasing their numbers—and with them, defenses—by the thousands. Not only had they invaded Equestria, they'd invaded Canterlot! Of all places, ponies would have least expected a first attack on the snooty capital city. Twilight, that foolish mare, she'd never mattered, not even at the finish line. The Queen of Changelings had had it all. Yes, the spotlight was a bit more pressure than she was used to, but it was hardly more difficult than managing the attention she received at her own palace. She'd been acting there, too. The only difference was a bigger audience, wasn't it? The hardest part? It hadn't been the preparations, the draining, it hadn't even been the battle with Celestia. No, the hardest part had been the first. The hardest part had been fitting in. Ponies always took everything for granted, especially the princesses. They thought it nothing that they could raise the sun or moon, it was of no meaning to them that the could fly and do magic. So what, the Changelings thought little of it—it was a common trait, found in each and every one of them. But the alicorns? They shouldn't go flaunting their gifts in the face of others—especially earth ponies. If they weren't always so damn cheerful they might have looked up and felt the envy they deserved. That would've been nice. Envy tasted good, too. Chrysalis may not have had many emotions, but she understood those of others. The queen had always been a modest Changeling. She wore no crown, and really the only thing that made her stand out in a crowd was her size and mane. Half the time she disguised herself as a normal Changeling anyway. Yeah, her subjects could tell the difference, it just made the queen more comfortable that way. She didn't need a throne to feel respected. As much as she hated the Princess of the Sun, Celestia had had a point: her one flaw, the entire reason her plan had failed, was that Chrysalis had revealed her true form. She'd fooled everyone else—maybe she could've tricked Cadence into believing she was insane. Poor pony'd been in solitary confinement ever since she'd been replaced. She wasn't too far from being completely out of her mind. And Twilight? Eh, she was never a threat. She had been viewed as overprotective from the moment she began suspecting Chrysalis. Capturing the princess had been easy. Poof, flame, gone. Of course she'd had to find the right time, the right place. She'd had to be able to replace Cadence convincingly. That'd been tricky, that'd been the toughest bit. But even that was no major roadblock. Just watching Cadence for a couple weeks gave Chrysalis enough information to create a successful duplicate. Fooling Shining Armor had been easy—once she'd started draining him, he'd lost most of his energy and all of his suspicions. And once he was convinced, he would defend "Cadence" as he would his sister. And he loved his sister. The wedding preparations had been fun. It'd felt odd when Chrysalis had first noticed it. Real emotion of her own was unusual and hard to come by, even a little uncomfortable when actually experienced. But all that organization, the party decor, the pastry samples, every pony looking to her for every decision. . . . It was nice. Yeah, it did get old. But it'd never been permanent, and the queen had enjoyed it while she'd had it. Which hadn't been long. It was surprising how much one missed the things they thought they despised. Her subjects' cold manner felt oddly uncomfortable after everypony looking after her every whim in Canterlot. The wedding had started out fantastic. That was the day when everything had almost come together. Like her plan had been a present and the wedding was a bow. It secured the whole deal, wrapped it up neatly in one neat little package. Cadence had destroyed it. Like the gift had been a Sapphire Cupcake and the princess had been a birthday Spike. She'd swallowed the whole thing in one ridiculous bite. And she opened her mouth when she chewed. Sure, Changelings weren't known for their manners, but at least they tried. Queen Chrysalis had had a plan. A well-developed plan that had taken weeks simply to draw out. And the same foolish ponies who had stopped Discord and Nightmare Moon had stopped someone who hadn't even been in it for herself. Having an entire empire to yourself was nice, but it wasn't something she would have chosen for herself. There was one emotion that, no matter how she denied it, was always flickering at the bottom of Chrysalis' heart. Love. Yes, she loved her subjects, loved their quirks and uniformity and loyalty and everything about them. Leadership was not her best skill. If she was a pony, her cutie mark would probably have something to do with writing, maybe, or gardening. But it was love that kept her head high and her voice cool and controlled, love that forced her to pick her hooves up and run across all of Equestria just for her Changelings. When duty called, Chrysalis was always one to answer. She'd known that her plan was a risky one, but she just couldn't stand to see them starving, pawing at the ground for real solid food when there was no emotion to be spared. She would probably even let them feed from the little feeling she had. But no—they couldn't know. There would be a rebellion, of course there would. A leader who put her emotions before her duties? Unacceptable. Besides, Chrysalis didn't have nearly enough power to to remain standing with thousands feeding off of her. The Changelings, to put it mildly, were furious. They had the right to be, of course. To have a Nirvana just at your hooftips, and then to have it snatched away. . . . There were no words that could describe such a thing. Chrysalis forced the thoughts of an upcoming rebellion from her mind and fell gratefully into her waiting bed. 2. The Damage is DoneYou've failed everyone. The Changeling Queen gritted her teeth, wishing she could bare them at the nagging voice in her mind. What sort of queen do you think you are? She scrunched her eyes, trying to block out the sound by cutting off her vision. They wouldn't be starving if you hadn't been such a fool. Having a mind's eye must be so much better than having a mind's ear. You know they're going to kill you. No they aren't, Chrysalis thought desperately. They are my Changelings and I am their queen. It went on as if she hadn't spoken a thought. Right now they're outside that door. Mutinous. Cover your ears, here comes the battering ram! Chrysalis did as the voice said. Maybe she could become deaf to the voice as well as the banging. You know what? Don't fight them. Let them drain you once they kill you. The queen tossed and turned; she should be able to be comfortable physically if mentally was impossible. You know you deserve it. And then the door gave way. Hundreds, no, thousands of Changelings poured in, battling each other to get to their queen. They swarmed over her, biting her, gripping her, pulling at her ears and mane and tail. They smiled greedy little grins and laughed nasty little laughs. Oh, the queen had taught them so well. Taught them to pounce and prey and fight and drain and kill. She should be so proud. The queen whimpered. They took this as an invitation to jam their hooves into her mouth, crushing her teeth into her gums to pull themselves onto her head, reaching at her horn, licking it, teething at it, all the tiny things they knew the queen hated. And she screamed, and the Changelings went running. The queen didn't have much time. Shaking the nightmare from her sleep-dazed mind, she sat up, stretching briefly and half-leaping out of bed. She ran a hole-ridden hoof through her tangled mane, smoothing it down with a twitch of her horn. Can't let the others see me like this, thought the queen, rushing to answer the furious knocking on her door. "We heard Her Majesty shriek." As soon as the door was half-opened the metallic drone of a Changeling's voice interrupted Chrysalis' troubled thoughts. Flustered, the queen struggled to compose herself. "Don't trouble yourselves. It was nothing." The Changeling raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Suspiciously? Maybe her subjects could feel after all. "Is Her Majesty sure?" It was more of a statement than a question. Her Majesty was not sure. "It was nothing, I am sure. I heard nothing of the sort. Whatever it was, it wasn't here." The Changeling nodded. "Very well. We are eager to assist Your Majesty whenever you should call." Chrysalis slapped on a smile. "It is much appreciated." She shut the door gently, resting against it as her subjects took their leave. Her smile then faltered and vanished completely, replaced by an annoyed frown. She hated it when the Changelings acted this way: so false and stiff and insincere. It didn't matter whether or not they truly cared. She would've rather known how they really felt about her, be it good or bad. Chrysalis was a Changeling, the same as any of them. She just had a powerful position. Chrysalis walked slowly to her mirror. She loved mirrors. Only problem was she saw herself in them. Which was okay, except for when she'd just woken up. Using her magic to run a comb through her mane, Chrysalis sighed lightly. She glanced at the clock: nine a.m. She'd slept in again. Hitting herself, the Changeling queen magicked open her curtains. The sun burst into her room, flooding it like a tsunami overpowering a weak village. The queen was a wreck as she looked at herself in the new light—when had she last slept? Really fallen asleep, woken with the sun and not with a dream? But maybe the dreams were better. At least then she was waking under her own power and not whenever Celestia chose. The Changeling Queen opened her door again, letting in a draft. The loose wind felt good, a nice break from the stale air she'd grown so used to. Outside surely felt even more free, but that could wait. Chrysalis had been locked in her room for so long, she'd need to readjust to light and breeze and all the other elements she'd missed out on. Resisting the urge to morph into her casual Changeling form, Chrysalis headed toward the palace dining room. She was sick of hiding herself, sick of acting like anyone else—especially that do-good pony Cadence. It took only a quick glance at the fancily set table with towering heaps of pancakes, buckets of strawberries and fruit salads, stacks of crepes and waffles drenched in maple syrup—plates upon plates of omelets, easy-over eggs, boiled and fried, varieties of homemade cereals and granola, dusted with sprinkles flavored joy or love—it took only one glance for the queen's stomach to start swaying, her nose to crinkle, overwhelmed, her throat to sting as she felt stomach acid bubbling slowly into her mouth and forcing half-digested meals of broth and expired emotion from her lips. Chrysalis struggled to swallow the vomit before it really started, choking back the bile and dashing for the bathroom. She spent an hour in there. Half of it was actually throwing up, half of it was waiting to fight back the pains. She spent an extra hour expecting them to come back again. But eventually Chrysalis had to face the fact that she couldn't use an upset stomach as an excuse to hide in the bathroom all day. And who knows, maybe it hadn't even been the food that had caused it! Maybe all she needed was a little fresh air. Rising uncertainly to her shaking feet, Chrysalis gave her wings an experimental flitter. Nope, no nausea. Should be safe to move now. Glancing at her mess with distaste—she could have one of the servants clean it—Chrysalis stepped cautiously into the hallway. It was empty. As soon as the Changelings had heard of the queen's illness, they had fled to their rooms until it was over—no one wants to be in a sick pony's way. And the queen was grumpy when she was sick. A grumpy Chrysalis was not a fun one. If she was, they would've called her fun Chrysalis instead of grumpy. Enjoying the lonely, eerily quiet and somewhat peaceful feel of the palace, Chrysalis headed towards the gardens, taken a route that would lead her away (far, far away) from the dining room. The garden out back was had a simple and chaotic mood at the same time. Were there many plants? Yes, but the only things they grew were considered weeds in Equestria. Well, the Changelings, Chrysalis included, found them not only beautiful, but tasty as well. No, they wouldn't make up for emotion—no solid food could ever come close—but many had tastes good enough to convince Chrysalis she'd never had an upset stomach in the first place. Of course, no matter how good a plant could taste, nothing could make the queen try one, at least not at the moment. She'd fed purely off of Shining Armor's love for so long that she'd become a bit of a snob--even envy or lust would be plain to her. She'd have to adjust to the blander foods as well. 3. Friendless SlumberChrysalis knew she'd never been loved as a ruler, not by her subjects and definitely not by outsiders. They thought her cruel for draining extra emotion to feed to her Changelings. They thought she had a choice, but no, emotion was the one thing Changelings needed to survive. The rest of their meals were optional, but a month without love or confusion or even anger would kill one easily. When everyone treats you like you're evil, eventually you start believing it. You simply aren't able to help it. And after a while of that, you even start to act a little sinister. Until you turn completely. Which really doesn't take long. But once in a while, when you're alone, you remember who you used to be. Especially when you're alone in the woods. Which was where Chrysalis was headed. The trees are whispering to me. The Changeling queen smiled to herself and imagined the possibilities. What would her mother say if she could see her now? Would she be proud? Angry? Disgusted? It was a known fact that Changeling royalty often felt more emotion than the commonfolk. Perhaps because a good leader needs a good deal of empathy to understand hers subjects. Perhaps not. Chrysalis kicked at the ground self-consciously. She knew no one was around to see her alone in the woods, but acting so . . . so pitiful, so pathetic was shameful no matter who saw her. Chrysalis gritted her teeth, hissing at herself angrily. Royal behavior was not necessary now. And in order to appear dignified in public, she would need to appear undignified in private. She needed to relax, she needed to unwind, and after that that she could finally pull herself together. Maybe I'll just spend the night here, thought the queen to herself. Get away from the palace for a while. Return before they know I'm gone. She liked the idea of it. And when she got back, she would be a different queen altogether, someone truly worthy of the title. She would be herself again. The queen sighed happily. The sun had fallen and the moon was the only thing guiding Chrysalis' hooves as she struck a match, watching as the sparks lit the pile of leaves and branches in front of her. She popped a cherry into her mouth and chewed nonchalantly--although the royal gardens grew only weeds, the forest was untamed and filled with desirable plants, fruit trees and wildflowers. They might not look pretty, but the taste was worth it. The spark quickly sprouted into what was practically a bonfire, chasing away mosquitoes and warming up the frosty night. Pausing to stack more rocks around the flames to prevent their spreading, Queen Chrysalis carefully spread out thin blankets of moss on the ground. She rested on her makeshift mattress, nibbling at a pile of fruit stacked near where her pillow might have been. The crickets' excited chirping faded to a contented chorus as the minutes stretched into hours and the moon stretched higher into the sky, shedding white light as the fire's orange glow dissolved into darkened coal and ash. The sound of cicadas and crickets humming softly to themselves easily took the place of a lullaby in the Changeling Queen's mind, and, singing softly along with them, she drifted into the first peaceful sleep she'd had since she'd returned from Equestria. Uninterrupted by nightmares. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares doesn't mean sleep uninterrupted. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares can also mean sleep interrupted. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares can also mean sleep interrupted by a few things. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares can also mean sleep interrupted by many other things. Like shouting. And cheering. And search parties. Queen Chrysalis woke to a shout. It was shortly followed by half-hearted cheering. Oh, and then the search party showed up. Hooray. "My queen! My queen!" a young Changeling—he couldn't have been older than a year—gasped, fluttering his wings nervously. At an annoyed glance from his comrades, he laid his ears back meekly and corrected himself: "I mean, er, our queen. We've been searching for you through the whole night, Your Majesty." Chrysalis smiled—a genuine smile, one she rarely showed her subjects. She'd always loved the younger ones, before they became too dull and robotic. It never lasted long, but she enjoyed it when she saw it. But at the serious glares of the older Changelings, the queen's amused smile turned guilty. She stood up hastily, her good mood replaced by something much more common and a bit more pleasant: responsibility. The hive depended on her. She couldn't just take a day off and pretend they'd ignore it. "I apologize for my absence," said the queen formally, dipping her head slightly. They wouldn't ask questions, she knew. They never did. "And when will we be returning to the palace?" "Whenever you are ready, Your Majesty." One of her personal guards had apparently joined the search, and he now spoke, his voice twisted by frustration. The queen hadn't been herself lately, leaving many of her choices resting on his shoulders. He was not of royal blood, and not only was he uncomfortable with it, but also inexperienced when it came to royal decision making. Sensing what was on his mind, the queen nodded respectfully, and—what was that in her eyes? Shame? The guard blinked. Such emotion was rarely witnessed unless they were feeding on it, sucking it away from those who had experienced it originally. But no, all traces of shame were gone now, replaced by Chrysalis' quiet words of, "That would be now." The Changelings parted in front of her, gesturing for her to take the lead. And the party made their way back through the gardens, eagerly awaiting the drama and false cheers that awaited them inside. 4. There's No Place Like HomeDreams are carnivals where someone else has won the prize. If the empire had been a carnival, the Changelings certainly wouldn't have won any prizes. Not for enthusiasm, at least. When the queen led the search party in, she had expected . . . something. An uproar of a sort. At a time like this it might actually be nice to be a pony like Celestia—she'd have Pinkie Pie at command to throw as large a party as she wanted. Because what she saw when she entered the palace wasn't the sort of party she'd have liked to see. Not even close. It was a better thing than she'd expected, Chrysalis spending the night in the woods. It gave her the perfect opportunity for a semi-dramatic reappearance. As soon as the queen opened the door the royal hallway fell silent. Whispered tones hushed towards the back of the room, through the doorways, warning other Changelings: Chrysalis was here, and she was looking pretty pissed. Of course, Chrysalis had expected chatter. She'd expected some sort of gap in the noise when she stepped into the hall. She had not expected this. She had not expected Changelings hanging from the ceiling, pony prisoners bound tightly in cocoons, draining of the emergency love stores—she had not expected such disobedience, such disrespect, such . . . ugh. There simply was not a word for it. Chrysalis knew she'd never been loved as a ruler, not by her subjects and definitely not by outsiders. But if this was a clear portrayal of her subjects love—or lack of it—for her, it gave new meaning to the phrase "definitely not by outsiders." Crud, thought the queen. This is what they do with their free time? I'm a bucking tyrant. She cleared her throat, unleashing a new wave of noise from her subjects. The muffled flutter of Changelings lowering themselves onto the floor, the whiffs of frantic escape attempts, teleporting hastily to their own rooms, all the eyes suddenly shifting downwards as if the movement had been practiced for weeks. The apologies. Half of them even sounded sincere. Letting the confusion do the talking for her, Chrysalis stood tall. She was a leader, they were nothing but followers. If they couldn't handle eight hours by themselves, she'd put them all through school again if she had to. And by the look of it, she might just have to. Coughing loudly, the queen wordlessly summoned silence once again. She spoke. "Anyone who does not belong here will leave immediately." Poof. Almost as easy as getting rid of Cadence. That left only the guards. The ones who had been partying, that is. "The rest of you will spend the night in the dungeon." Worried glances. Ears laid back. Submissive positions. She grinned. "Don't worry, it's a lot better than the woods." The next morning was worse than the previous night. It was true that Chrysalis had recovered from moping. She had accepted and moved past Equestria. But that didn't mean the Changelings had moved on. Moved on meant forgiving, maybe even forgetting. But forgiveness required emotion. A lot of it. Forgiveness required love. And if there was one thing Changelings lacked, it was love. The reason why love was there main source of food? It was as they taught it in Equestria: in life, you need only five things to live. Food, water, shelter, air and love. And since the Changelings would never be able to produce enough on their on, they had no choice but to borrow some from strangers. They weren't hurting them—just depriving them. And only a little, at that. The Changelings were upset. If they couldn't love, they could still feel. And maybe they didn't feel strongly, maybe they didn't understand what they were feeling exactly. . . . But they could definitely feel. And it was becoming increasingly obvious that they were not feeling good. She took a deep breath and began to speak, hesitation clear, as if no attempt had been made to hide it. "I am aware that our recent . . . expedition has not gone as planned. There is a shortage of solid food now, and virtually no emotion left. We may have to break into our emergency stores soon." She frowned, remembering that they had already been broken into. She considered bringing it up, but said nothing except, "Strangely enough, I fear that our stores may be lower than I thought. This leaves us with a problem, and problems need plans. Luckily, I have one." There was a smattering of unenthusiastic applause that covered the quiet exchanges taking place between the Changelings. "They have won the battle, but we have yet to win the war. Our defeat was very recent, was it not? More likely than not, the ponies are still licking their wounds and reestablishing order. The ordeal has been difficult for us, yes, but they will not expect us to attack so soon! Shining Armor and Cadence are to be easily defeated, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends are resting back in Ponyville. Celestia will be focusing on the recovery and defense of her land, as will Luna. Everypony will have their hooves more than full. "That, of course, is when we will strike." Chrysalis watched as the Changelings spoke softly among themselves. She thought she saw faint smiles on their faces, but they vanished the second she looked. A few of her officials were looking concerned, and Chrysalis might have overhead one saying, "Yet another of our Queen's plans. If this one fails as well, I would be just about ready to find a new ruler." "I am with you. In fact I do not think it is worth even trying out this one." Heads turned to face the officials, and more voices rose out from the crowd. "We have trusted you for too long, Your Majesty!" "This will not work. This will not work!" Chrysalis cleared her throat, and the crowd settled down immediately, the eyes of her faithful subjects locked with hers, and a glance passed between her and her kingdom that said this will work!, and everyone nodded to themselves and they followed her loyally back to Canterlot— but that didn't happen. They fought and they swarmed, a huge mass of buzzing Changelings, and advanced towards their Queen. She shrieked and dissolved into a common peasant Changeling, merging into the crowd and running as fast as she could. They chased her for a mile, but knew that she would die without them anyway, and the Queen was alone again for the second time in twenty-four hours.
1. What a Horrible Day for a WeddingThis day is going to be perfect. And that's how it had started out. She'd had a plan, had a plan for months. Her Changelings had multiplied like rabbits, increasing their numbers—and with them, defenses—by the thousands. Not only had they invaded Equestria, they'd invaded Canterlot! Of all places, ponies would have least expected a first attack on the snooty capital city. Twilight, that foolish mare, she'd never mattered, not even at the finish line. The Queen of Changelings had had it all. Yes, the spotlight was a bit more pressure than she was used to, but it was hardly more difficult than managing the attention she received at her own palace. She'd been acting there, too. The only difference was a bigger audience, wasn't it? The hardest part? It hadn't been the preparations, the draining, it hadn't even been the battle with Celestia. No, the hardest part had been the first. The hardest part had been fitting in. Ponies always took everything for granted, especially the princesses. They thought it nothing that they could raise the sun or moon, it was of no meaning to them that the could fly and do magic. So what, the Changelings thought little of it—it was a common trait, found in each and every one of them. But the alicorns? They shouldn't go flaunting their gifts in the face of others—especially earth ponies. If they weren't always so damn cheerful they might have looked up and felt the envy they deserved. That would've been nice. Envy tasted good, too. Chrysalis may not have had many emotions, but she understood those of others. The queen had always been a modest Changeling. She wore no crown, and really the only thing that made her stand out in a crowd was her size and mane. Half the time she disguised herself as a normal Changeling anyway. Yeah, her subjects could tell the difference, it just made the queen more comfortable that way. She didn't need a throne to feel respected. As much as she hated the Princess of the Sun, Celestia had had a point: her one flaw, the entire reason her plan had failed, was that Chrysalis had revealed her true form. She'd fooled everyone else—maybe she could've tricked Cadence into believing she was insane. Poor pony'd been in solitary confinement ever since she'd been replaced. She wasn't too far from being completely out of her mind. And Twilight? Eh, she was never a threat. She had been viewed as overprotective from the moment she began suspecting Chrysalis. Capturing the princess had been easy. Poof, flame, gone. Of course she'd had to find the right time, the right place. She'd had to be able to replace Cadence convincingly. That'd been tricky, that'd been the toughest bit. But even that was no major roadblock. Just watching Cadence for a couple weeks gave Chrysalis enough information to create a successful duplicate. Fooling Shining Armor had been easy—once she'd started draining him, he'd lost most of his energy and all of his suspicions. And once he was convinced, he would defend "Cadence" as he would his sister. And he loved his sister. The wedding preparations had been fun. It'd felt odd when Chrysalis had first noticed it. Real emotion of her own was unusual and hard to come by, even a little uncomfortable when actually experienced. But all that organization, the party decor, the pastry samples, every pony looking to her for every decision. . . . It was nice. Yeah, it did get old. But it'd never been permanent, and the queen had enjoyed it while she'd had it. Which hadn't been long. It was surprising how much one missed the things they thought they despised. Her subjects' cold manner felt oddly uncomfortable after everypony looking after her every whim in Canterlot. The wedding had started out fantastic. That was the day when everything had almost come together. Like her plan had been a present and the wedding was a bow. It secured the whole deal, wrapped it up neatly in one neat little package. Cadence had destroyed it. Like the gift had been a Sapphire Cupcake and the princess had been a birthday Spike. She'd swallowed the whole thing in one ridiculous bite. And she opened her mouth when she chewed. Sure, Changelings weren't known for their manners, but at least they tried. Queen Chrysalis had had a plan. A well-developed plan that had taken weeks simply to draw out. And the same foolish ponies who had stopped Discord and Nightmare Moon had stopped someone who hadn't even been in it for herself. Having an entire empire to yourself was nice, but it wasn't something she would have chosen for herself. There was one emotion that, no matter how she denied it, was always flickering at the bottom of Chrysalis' heart. Love. Yes, she loved her subjects, loved their quirks and uniformity and loyalty and everything about them. Leadership was not her best skill. If she was a pony, her cutie mark would probably have something to do with writing, maybe, or gardening. But it was love that kept her head high and her voice cool and controlled, love that forced her to pick her hooves up and run across all of Equestria just for her Changelings. When duty called, Chrysalis was always one to answer. She'd known that her plan was a risky one, but she just couldn't stand to see them starving, pawing at the ground for real solid food when there was no emotion to be spared. She would probably even let them feed from the little feeling she had. But no—they couldn't know. There would be a rebellion, of course there would. A leader who put her emotions before her duties? Unacceptable. Besides, Chrysalis didn't have nearly enough power to to remain standing with thousands feeding off of her. The Changelings, to put it mildly, were furious. They had the right to be, of course. To have a Nirvana just at your hooftips, and then to have it snatched away. . . . There were no words that could describe such a thing. Chrysalis forced the thoughts of an upcoming rebellion from her mind and fell gratefully into her waiting bed.
2. The Damage is DoneYou've failed everyone. The Changeling Queen gritted her teeth, wishing she could bare them at the nagging voice in her mind. What sort of queen do you think you are? She scrunched her eyes, trying to block out the sound by cutting off her vision. They wouldn't be starving if you hadn't been such a fool. Having a mind's eye must be so much better than having a mind's ear. You know they're going to kill you. No they aren't, Chrysalis thought desperately. They are my Changelings and I am their queen. It went on as if she hadn't spoken a thought. Right now they're outside that door. Mutinous. Cover your ears, here comes the battering ram! Chrysalis did as the voice said. Maybe she could become deaf to the voice as well as the banging. You know what? Don't fight them. Let them drain you once they kill you. The queen tossed and turned; she should be able to be comfortable physically if mentally was impossible. You know you deserve it. And then the door gave way. Hundreds, no, thousands of Changelings poured in, battling each other to get to their queen. They swarmed over her, biting her, gripping her, pulling at her ears and mane and tail. They smiled greedy little grins and laughed nasty little laughs. Oh, the queen had taught them so well. Taught them to pounce and prey and fight and drain and kill. She should be so proud. The queen whimpered. They took this as an invitation to jam their hooves into her mouth, crushing her teeth into her gums to pull themselves onto her head, reaching at her horn, licking it, teething at it, all the tiny things they knew the queen hated. And she screamed, and the Changelings went running. The queen didn't have much time. Shaking the nightmare from her sleep-dazed mind, she sat up, stretching briefly and half-leaping out of bed. She ran a hole-ridden hoof through her tangled mane, smoothing it down with a twitch of her horn. Can't let the others see me like this, thought the queen, rushing to answer the furious knocking on her door. "We heard Her Majesty shriek." As soon as the door was half-opened the metallic drone of a Changeling's voice interrupted Chrysalis' troubled thoughts. Flustered, the queen struggled to compose herself. "Don't trouble yourselves. It was nothing." The Changeling raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Suspiciously? Maybe her subjects could feel after all. "Is Her Majesty sure?" It was more of a statement than a question. Her Majesty was not sure. "It was nothing, I am sure. I heard nothing of the sort. Whatever it was, it wasn't here." The Changeling nodded. "Very well. We are eager to assist Your Majesty whenever you should call." Chrysalis slapped on a smile. "It is much appreciated." She shut the door gently, resting against it as her subjects took their leave. Her smile then faltered and vanished completely, replaced by an annoyed frown. She hated it when the Changelings acted this way: so false and stiff and insincere. It didn't matter whether or not they truly cared. She would've rather known how they really felt about her, be it good or bad. Chrysalis was a Changeling, the same as any of them. She just had a powerful position. Chrysalis walked slowly to her mirror. She loved mirrors. Only problem was she saw herself in them. Which was okay, except for when she'd just woken up. Using her magic to run a comb through her mane, Chrysalis sighed lightly. She glanced at the clock: nine a.m. She'd slept in again. Hitting herself, the Changeling queen magicked open her curtains. The sun burst into her room, flooding it like a tsunami overpowering a weak village. The queen was a wreck as she looked at herself in the new light—when had she last slept? Really fallen asleep, woken with the sun and not with a dream? But maybe the dreams were better. At least then she was waking under her own power and not whenever Celestia chose. The Changeling Queen opened her door again, letting in a draft. The loose wind felt good, a nice break from the stale air she'd grown so used to. Outside surely felt even more free, but that could wait. Chrysalis had been locked in her room for so long, she'd need to readjust to light and breeze and all the other elements she'd missed out on. Resisting the urge to morph into her casual Changeling form, Chrysalis headed toward the palace dining room. She was sick of hiding herself, sick of acting like anyone else—especially that do-good pony Cadence. It took only a quick glance at the fancily set table with towering heaps of pancakes, buckets of strawberries and fruit salads, stacks of crepes and waffles drenched in maple syrup—plates upon plates of omelets, easy-over eggs, boiled and fried, varieties of homemade cereals and granola, dusted with sprinkles flavored joy or love—it took only one glance for the queen's stomach to start swaying, her nose to crinkle, overwhelmed, her throat to sting as she felt stomach acid bubbling slowly into her mouth and forcing half-digested meals of broth and expired emotion from her lips. Chrysalis struggled to swallow the vomit before it really started, choking back the bile and dashing for the bathroom. She spent an hour in there. Half of it was actually throwing up, half of it was waiting to fight back the pains. She spent an extra hour expecting them to come back again. But eventually Chrysalis had to face the fact that she couldn't use an upset stomach as an excuse to hide in the bathroom all day. And who knows, maybe it hadn't even been the food that had caused it! Maybe all she needed was a little fresh air. Rising uncertainly to her shaking feet, Chrysalis gave her wings an experimental flitter. Nope, no nausea. Should be safe to move now. Glancing at her mess with distaste—she could have one of the servants clean it—Chrysalis stepped cautiously into the hallway. It was empty. As soon as the Changelings had heard of the queen's illness, they had fled to their rooms until it was over—no one wants to be in a sick pony's way. And the queen was grumpy when she was sick. A grumpy Chrysalis was not a fun one. If she was, they would've called her fun Chrysalis instead of grumpy. Enjoying the lonely, eerily quiet and somewhat peaceful feel of the palace, Chrysalis headed towards the gardens, taken a route that would lead her away (far, far away) from the dining room. The garden out back was had a simple and chaotic mood at the same time. Were there many plants? Yes, but the only things they grew were considered weeds in Equestria. Well, the Changelings, Chrysalis included, found them not only beautiful, but tasty as well. No, they wouldn't make up for emotion—no solid food could ever come close—but many had tastes good enough to convince Chrysalis she'd never had an upset stomach in the first place. Of course, no matter how good a plant could taste, nothing could make the queen try one, at least not at the moment. She'd fed purely off of Shining Armor's love for so long that she'd become a bit of a snob--even envy or lust would be plain to her. She'd have to adjust to the blander foods as well.
3. Friendless SlumberChrysalis knew she'd never been loved as a ruler, not by her subjects and definitely not by outsiders. They thought her cruel for draining extra emotion to feed to her Changelings. They thought she had a choice, but no, emotion was the one thing Changelings needed to survive. The rest of their meals were optional, but a month without love or confusion or even anger would kill one easily. When everyone treats you like you're evil, eventually you start believing it. You simply aren't able to help it. And after a while of that, you even start to act a little sinister. Until you turn completely. Which really doesn't take long. But once in a while, when you're alone, you remember who you used to be. Especially when you're alone in the woods. Which was where Chrysalis was headed. The trees are whispering to me. The Changeling queen smiled to herself and imagined the possibilities. What would her mother say if she could see her now? Would she be proud? Angry? Disgusted? It was a known fact that Changeling royalty often felt more emotion than the commonfolk. Perhaps because a good leader needs a good deal of empathy to understand hers subjects. Perhaps not. Chrysalis kicked at the ground self-consciously. She knew no one was around to see her alone in the woods, but acting so . . . so pitiful, so pathetic was shameful no matter who saw her. Chrysalis gritted her teeth, hissing at herself angrily. Royal behavior was not necessary now. And in order to appear dignified in public, she would need to appear undignified in private. She needed to relax, she needed to unwind, and after that that she could finally pull herself together. Maybe I'll just spend the night here, thought the queen to herself. Get away from the palace for a while. Return before they know I'm gone. She liked the idea of it. And when she got back, she would be a different queen altogether, someone truly worthy of the title. She would be herself again. The queen sighed happily. The sun had fallen and the moon was the only thing guiding Chrysalis' hooves as she struck a match, watching as the sparks lit the pile of leaves and branches in front of her. She popped a cherry into her mouth and chewed nonchalantly--although the royal gardens grew only weeds, the forest was untamed and filled with desirable plants, fruit trees and wildflowers. They might not look pretty, but the taste was worth it. The spark quickly sprouted into what was practically a bonfire, chasing away mosquitoes and warming up the frosty night. Pausing to stack more rocks around the flames to prevent their spreading, Queen Chrysalis carefully spread out thin blankets of moss on the ground. She rested on her makeshift mattress, nibbling at a pile of fruit stacked near where her pillow might have been. The crickets' excited chirping faded to a contented chorus as the minutes stretched into hours and the moon stretched higher into the sky, shedding white light as the fire's orange glow dissolved into darkened coal and ash. The sound of cicadas and crickets humming softly to themselves easily took the place of a lullaby in the Changeling Queen's mind, and, singing softly along with them, she drifted into the first peaceful sleep she'd had since she'd returned from Equestria. Uninterrupted by nightmares. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares doesn't mean sleep uninterrupted. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares can also mean sleep interrupted. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares can also mean sleep interrupted by a few things. Of course, sleep uninterrupted by nightmares can also mean sleep interrupted by many other things. Like shouting. And cheering. And search parties. Queen Chrysalis woke to a shout. It was shortly followed by half-hearted cheering. Oh, and then the search party showed up. Hooray. "My queen! My queen!" a young Changeling—he couldn't have been older than a year—gasped, fluttering his wings nervously. At an annoyed glance from his comrades, he laid his ears back meekly and corrected himself: "I mean, er, our queen. We've been searching for you through the whole night, Your Majesty." Chrysalis smiled—a genuine smile, one she rarely showed her subjects. She'd always loved the younger ones, before they became too dull and robotic. It never lasted long, but she enjoyed it when she saw it. But at the serious glares of the older Changelings, the queen's amused smile turned guilty. She stood up hastily, her good mood replaced by something much more common and a bit more pleasant: responsibility. The hive depended on her. She couldn't just take a day off and pretend they'd ignore it. "I apologize for my absence," said the queen formally, dipping her head slightly. They wouldn't ask questions, she knew. They never did. "And when will we be returning to the palace?" "Whenever you are ready, Your Majesty." One of her personal guards had apparently joined the search, and he now spoke, his voice twisted by frustration. The queen hadn't been herself lately, leaving many of her choices resting on his shoulders. He was not of royal blood, and not only was he uncomfortable with it, but also inexperienced when it came to royal decision making. Sensing what was on his mind, the queen nodded respectfully, and—what was that in her eyes? Shame? The guard blinked. Such emotion was rarely witnessed unless they were feeding on it, sucking it away from those who had experienced it originally. But no, all traces of shame were gone now, replaced by Chrysalis' quiet words of, "That would be now." The Changelings parted in front of her, gesturing for her to take the lead. And the party made their way back through the gardens, eagerly awaiting the drama and false cheers that awaited them inside.
4. There's No Place Like HomeDreams are carnivals where someone else has won the prize. If the empire had been a carnival, the Changelings certainly wouldn't have won any prizes. Not for enthusiasm, at least. When the queen led the search party in, she had expected . . . something. An uproar of a sort. At a time like this it might actually be nice to be a pony like Celestia—she'd have Pinkie Pie at command to throw as large a party as she wanted. Because what she saw when she entered the palace wasn't the sort of party she'd have liked to see. Not even close. It was a better thing than she'd expected, Chrysalis spending the night in the woods. It gave her the perfect opportunity for a semi-dramatic reappearance. As soon as the queen opened the door the royal hallway fell silent. Whispered tones hushed towards the back of the room, through the doorways, warning other Changelings: Chrysalis was here, and she was looking pretty pissed. Of course, Chrysalis had expected chatter. She'd expected some sort of gap in the noise when she stepped into the hall. She had not expected this. She had not expected Changelings hanging from the ceiling, pony prisoners bound tightly in cocoons, draining of the emergency love stores—she had not expected such disobedience, such disrespect, such . . . ugh. There simply was not a word for it. Chrysalis knew she'd never been loved as a ruler, not by her subjects and definitely not by outsiders. But if this was a clear portrayal of her subjects love—or lack of it—for her, it gave new meaning to the phrase "definitely not by outsiders." Crud, thought the queen. This is what they do with their free time? I'm a bucking tyrant. She cleared her throat, unleashing a new wave of noise from her subjects. The muffled flutter of Changelings lowering themselves onto the floor, the whiffs of frantic escape attempts, teleporting hastily to their own rooms, all the eyes suddenly shifting downwards as if the movement had been practiced for weeks. The apologies. Half of them even sounded sincere. Letting the confusion do the talking for her, Chrysalis stood tall. She was a leader, they were nothing but followers. If they couldn't handle eight hours by themselves, she'd put them all through school again if she had to. And by the look of it, she might just have to. Coughing loudly, the queen wordlessly summoned silence once again. She spoke. "Anyone who does not belong here will leave immediately." Poof. Almost as easy as getting rid of Cadence. That left only the guards. The ones who had been partying, that is. "The rest of you will spend the night in the dungeon." Worried glances. Ears laid back. Submissive positions. She grinned. "Don't worry, it's a lot better than the woods." The next morning was worse than the previous night. It was true that Chrysalis had recovered from moping. She had accepted and moved past Equestria. But that didn't mean the Changelings had moved on. Moved on meant forgiving, maybe even forgetting. But forgiveness required emotion. A lot of it. Forgiveness required love. And if there was one thing Changelings lacked, it was love. The reason why love was there main source of food? It was as they taught it in Equestria: in life, you need only five things to live. Food, water, shelter, air and love. And since the Changelings would never be able to produce enough on their on, they had no choice but to borrow some from strangers. They weren't hurting them—just depriving them. And only a little, at that. The Changelings were upset. If they couldn't love, they could still feel. And maybe they didn't feel strongly, maybe they didn't understand what they were feeling exactly. . . . But they could definitely feel. And it was becoming increasingly obvious that they were not feeling good. She took a deep breath and began to speak, hesitation clear, as if no attempt had been made to hide it. "I am aware that our recent . . . expedition has not gone as planned. There is a shortage of solid food now, and virtually no emotion left. We may have to break into our emergency stores soon." She frowned, remembering that they had already been broken into. She considered bringing it up, but said nothing except, "Strangely enough, I fear that our stores may be lower than I thought. This leaves us with a problem, and problems need plans. Luckily, I have one." There was a smattering of unenthusiastic applause that covered the quiet exchanges taking place between the Changelings. "They have won the battle, but we have yet to win the war. Our defeat was very recent, was it not? More likely than not, the ponies are still licking their wounds and reestablishing order. The ordeal has been difficult for us, yes, but they will not expect us to attack so soon! Shining Armor and Cadence are to be easily defeated, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends are resting back in Ponyville. Celestia will be focusing on the recovery and defense of her land, as will Luna. Everypony will have their hooves more than full. "That, of course, is when we will strike." Chrysalis watched as the Changelings spoke softly among themselves. She thought she saw faint smiles on their faces, but they vanished the second she looked. A few of her officials were looking concerned, and Chrysalis might have overhead one saying, "Yet another of our Queen's plans. If this one fails as well, I would be just about ready to find a new ruler." "I am with you. In fact I do not think it is worth even trying out this one." Heads turned to face the officials, and more voices rose out from the crowd. "We have trusted you for too long, Your Majesty!" "This will not work. This will not work!" Chrysalis cleared her throat, and the crowd settled down immediately, the eyes of her faithful subjects locked with hers, and a glance passed between her and her kingdom that said this will work!, and everyone nodded to themselves and they followed her loyally back to Canterlot— but that didn't happen. They fought and they swarmed, a huge mass of buzzing Changelings, and advanced towards their Queen. She shrieked and dissolved into a common peasant Changeling, merging into the crowd and running as fast as she could. They chased her for a mile, but knew that she would die without them anyway, and the Queen was alone again for the second time in twenty-four hours.
