Groggily, Chrysalis felt her consciousness return to the surface.

Like a whale slowly rising from the abyss, gradually coming out of the haze of dark blue waters, becoming more and more buoyant as it ascended into the light… then crested.

Her eyes fluttered open in a panic! Had she? Was she?

“Shh… shh… you’re OK Chryssi, you’re OK… you’re still with me.”

That voice! Was it?

Looking down at her, with a face full of love, and a hoof gently stroking her brow… was Starlight Glimmer. There were no chains on her hooves… and no magic-blocking mucous compound on her horn!

Danger!

Her reactions screamed at her to get distance from the mage, to throw up a magical shield… to skitter away into the many maze-like caverns of her lair. She knew how powerful Starlight truly was! The only reason she would not have escaped once given the chance would be to finish Chrysalis off… and the sadistic mare had even waited until she regained consciousness to bask in that victory!

Chrysalis tried to struggle to her hooves, but she couldn’t move, there was no strength in those limbs.

“Easy! Easy Chrys…” Starlight cooed. “You’re still weak…”

Chrysalis realized her head was in the unicorn’s lap, being coaxed and comforted. ‘Why is she helping me? Why!?’ She could feel the love pouring from the unicorn, care, and affection that she hadn’t felt since she’d lost her children, her hive all that time ago. And yet, it was even more than that… not a familial love, a commanding love… but a love of true intent.

Chrysalis hummed with satisfaction, not thinking, snuggling into the comfortable lap as she basked in the sensation - so filling. So perfect.

Wait! Why?

She struggled to focus her eyes, looking up at the unicorn’s face. There, in the mare’s still sweaty and exhausted face, she could see her eyes… still two green-tinted heart-shaped pupils, sparkling with intensity and care… a devotion that could never be matched in even the most far-flung of romantic fairy-tales between perfect princes and amorous princesses.

‘Ah. That’s why.’ Strangely, Chrysalis felt a heavy pang of disappointment. Despite the fact that she knew that she was now safe, was now being taken care of by a love-sickened broodmare… that she had won… that she had her perfect prize.

She was sad?

Why?

That moment, when she’d thought the love was real… earned… true...

Could that be it? Could she really still be so foolish after all these years? She should know better by now. She could not earn love, could not be loved.

She could only take it. This was the best she would ever get.

Still, it wasn’t bad. “Ah-ahem… well, you’ve been a very obedient little pet, Starlight.” Chrysalis grinned, rolling out of her prone position with a sigh, her body’s strength quickly returning under the reinvigorating presence of Starlight’s love.

“Oh… oh, please…” Starlight giggled, shuffling to her hooves as well with a smile, “it’s not like I was going anywhere after all that.” She wiggled her eyebrows and jerked her head back over her shoulder toward where the manacles sat empty.

Chrysalis cracked her neck experimentally and a slicing grin came back to her face. “Nonetheless, my little broodmare… I’m feeling generous… perhaps when I use my ovipositor this evening, I will take more… enjoyable form for you…”

Chrysalis let the familiar waves of transformative energy wash over her, chitin shifting into fur, muscles, and limbs rearranging, organs and genitalia shifting… as she quickly took the form of Sunburst, Starlight’s childhood friend and longtime crush.

She let her ovipositor shift and morph, taking the form of the bookish, bespectacled colt’s stallionhood… though still retaining its size and function beneath. Small or not in real life, Chrysalis’s Sunburst would pack a monster… well-hung and able to inject hoof-sized eggs.

Sunburst-Chryssi turned and shot what she thought was a winning smile to her new unicorn broodmare, hoping this little treat would please her.

But only a frown was waiting for her, and a lessening of that delectable love.

“Chryssi…” Starlight scolded, shaking her head slightly.

“Wh-what?” Sunburst-Chryssi mumbled, blushing.

“I appreciate the gesture - but I don’t want Sunburst… well, not tonight, anyway.” Starlight grinned. “I want you, the real you.” The mare’s horn ignited, the aura quickly pushing away Chrysalis’s disguise and revealing her black, carapace form.

Chrysalis blushed. That strange feeling bubbling up deep in her gut again, that unique, unspeakable taste… that desperate hope. But she had to ground herself… this was simply magic and biology, nothing more.

“A-ah… I see.” Chrysalis stumbled, reasserting herself. “I didn’t realize just how deeply my love-poison has affected you, my little broodmare… I really have taken your love, haven’t I?”

Starlight blinked again, cocking her head, pausing in confusion. Then she clicked her tongue as she realized. “Oh, the eyes?”

Starlight lit her horn again, blinking and opening her eyes again. They were back to the deep, beautiful purple irises that Chrysalis had grown to long for. Then, with another flash of her horn, and another blink, they were back to the green heart shapes.

“I can suppress your love chemicals whenever I’d like, Chryssi.” She giggled, stepping closer to the queen.

Chrysalis stumbled back, shocked, stunned. She was scared of this pony, coming into her own personal space, displaying love and affection… of her own volition?

“I just think that it’d be too much fun not to take advantage of this… I feel hornier than Pinkie-Pie in estrus when I leave it on.”

“I… I don’t understand! Stay… stay back!” Chrysalis held her hooves up feebly, terrified of the emotions she was experiencing.

But Starlight still advanced, backing up the queen until she bumped against the far wall, trapped.

“Silly little love-bug… you shouldn’t be scared of what you’ve wanted most. Not when you finally have it!” Glimmer craned her face up right into Chrysalis’s, until they were nose to nose. “And you always had it wrong, you know… true love can’t be taken… only given.”

And then she kissed her.

Her!

The ugly, changeling queen. An evil dominatrix that had plagued the land. Had plagued her friends. Had kidnapped her. Assaulted her! Poisoned her!

She was kissing her! Hugging her!

The love… the love was real!

Unabated… unabashed!

That strange hint in her belly grew, expanding quickly. Fattening her up like a pregnant broodmother as she was stuffed with love. A warm, burning fire began to tingle… and then, suddenly, like a flower blossoming in one single moment, all of her hide began to peel and flake… a bright light exploded through the cave.

The kiss parted.

The light began to fade.

Chrysalis felt… different… lighter… happier…

More colorful.

She… she had transformed… into… into one of those… love-lings!

“Wh-what did you do… what did you do to me?”

Starlight emitted something very much like a small squee, clapping her hooves together with glee. “I loved you.”

Chrysalis panicked, scratching at her new carapace. Strangely she felt imbued with incredible strength, power… and… happiness?

“W-well… un-love me! I detest this form!”

The unicorn only laughed at her, shaking her head with amusement. “Sorry Chryssi, doesn’t work that way! Actually, if anything… the loving goes up, not down!”

Chrysalis saw the unicorn’s horn ignite… a thaumic field sliding under her new colorful body… and quickly finding its way to her nethers… and beginning to coax her new, improved, even-larger ovipositor from its hidden trestle.

“Mmmf… hey!”

“Hey yourself…” Starlight wiggled her eyes sexily. “You’ve shown me what you could do with your tongue… but now, I think it’s my turn to give you… a tongue lashing.” She ducked her head under the bug.

A moment later, Chrysalis emitted a very un-queen-like squee.

Author's Note

And there we go! All done!

This was a fun story to write, surprisingly. It was the first time that I ever wrote something akin to a commission - the idea and creative control ultimately belonging to someone else instead of me.

It wasn't quite as intimidating as an actual commission, where I owed someone due to literal cash being on hand, but still... someone had won a contest and put forth a high level of effort in attaining that win! I really wanted to impress.

And I ended up growing to like the theme, I even managed to put up with the lack of futa ovipositors! That's right readers... my first ever true lesbian story that involved no magical penises only occurred because of Gapaot!

I guarantee Chryssi's biggol changeling-donger would have made an appearance otherwise (it's kind of my thing, lol).

That said, I was probably even happier to see how it actually turned out, especially the ending!

We actually toyed around with another fun ending: at the end, Starlight turns out to be Ocellus transformed to help Chrysalis have her little fantasy... but then, to her surprise, Chrysalis turns out to be Thorax transformed!

But, I like the idea of Chrysalis being transformed into gay-deer snugglebug mode by Starlight's sheer love.

What did you think?

Pleas let me know!