1. Is There Still Room For Friendship?
“When Twilight and her friends defeated me, I chose to run away and seek revenge. You don’t have to, you can be the leader your subjects deserve!” Starlight said, filling her voice with motivation for the defeated queen who lay in the rubble and debris of her fallen kingdom.
Destroyed by the pony who dared speak to her
The mare, Starlight Glimmer, offered her hoof of friendship to the queen. And for a split second, Queen Chrysalis was going to accept the hoof. She reached out with a hoof of her own, but then, the memories of what she had to do over the years to please her subjects came to mind. All the defeats that she suffered. Her black coat getting a shade darker with each passing second.
No matter how hard she tried, she wouldn’t forgive them. The purple-coated mare in front of her stole her hive—her children.
Remembering what she had promised her hive long ago, she slapped Starlight’s hoof away and quickly stood up, looking at her enemy in the eye, resentment clear as day like the eternal blue sky. “There is no revenge you could ever conceive of that will come close to what I will exact upon you one day Starlight Glimmer”
With that, she fled for her life, jumping from the cliff that was behind her.
She sighed as she looked out the holes that were placed around her hive, witnessing the pegasi flying in the blue sky that was painted in all directions, no cloud to be seen for miles.
The throne was made from rock that had a shape that was worthy of a tyrannical ruler. The sides had carvings of weapons and scales that were representing their origins—which no changeling including Chrysalis knew much about—and there were words carved at the back of the grey stone throne.
The words were in the old language they spoke.
There was a pillow so Queen Chrysalis did not have a sore rump at the end of the day which happened most days either way.
At the top of the throne of a crown that was carved to be shaped the same way, Queen Chrysalis wore hers. The Queen herself did not admire her throne.
She despised it.
The throne she was looking at was the throne that had led to her demise so many other times in her life for the last few millennia. But, she was still sitting on it, as if waiting to make another mistake that will lead to her downfall. Perhaps that’s what she wanted.
Maybe she was looking for a way to end her reign or she wanted something. Something that would give her satisfaction, make her feel proud. Still, she knew she was just being silly. There was no way she could be redeemed by anypony or creature, who would help her?
Why she was thinking about redemption and help was because she wanted to be ... better.
She sighed and looked around the hive, witnessing her children playing and having fun. Some were training, some were learning, others were alone, not wanting to be disturbed if possible.
She had sacrificed so much to recreate what she had lost. So much so, that she had gradually started to lose memories of her old changelings. The ones she felt betrayed by, especially Thorax. She had known that Thorax was a bit of an oddball, but she never expected him to betray her or the Hive.
Yet, that was precisely what she did.
Chrysalis abruptly shook her head. Trying to shake away her line of thinking that was the reason she lost her Hive in the first place; thinking about the past led to vengeance. What used to drive her to the point of exhaustion.
She looked over the sea of her Changelings who were making their Hive thrive. Despite rebuilding a new Hive—a better one than the others, she still longed for something better, something that could feed her hungry heart. But she still wondered if her hoof was still open for friendship.
A small part of her hoped it wasn’t but another part of her wondered if there was still a shimmer of possibility.
She had nothing to lose by it other than her reign as Queen would be over. And maybe that is exactly what she needs, to step down as Queen to give her changelings a chance at a new life, a new era that had been born before she foolishly fled.
One of the biggest reasons she despised Starlight Glimmer’s offer was because she had once been offered friendship ...
a long time ago ...
Shaking her head of the old times she wondered what would happen if she were to write a letter to Starlight Glimmer. Would it be rejected? Probably, because she was in many ways, the last unreformed changeling from the old changeling empire that was by all means defeated.
Politically and officially it was defeated, but not in the eyes of Chrysalis which she hated to admit.
To her, the old changeling kingdom was still standing strong, ready to defend or attack any kingdom that doesn’t have the power to hold against them.
“Old habits die hard ...” She chuckled to herself. As she watched her mindless changelings doing their tasks, she remembered how she felt so lonely. So incredibly lonely after she rejected Starlight Glimmer’s hoof, fleeing from the on-lookers before they could even capture her.
She regretted it, she regretted it so much and she cried so many nights in a row thinking about it wondering what would happen if she were to fly over to Ponyville and ask for friendship again.
But something always held her back.
her fear of being rejected outweighed her will to ask for friendship, causing her to feel isolated despite the thousands of changelings that marched through her hive that stood proud.
But something was nagging her away. What if she did write to Starlight Glimmer? If she was rejected then it would be through a letter and she wouldn’t have to face the mare.
It wouldn’t hurt any less, but it would help her with not being in the mare’s presence.
With newfound motivation, Chrysalis used her magic to summon ink and an empty scroll.
Dear Starlight Glimmer
It has been a while since we last Spoke, me fleeing after you offered me friendship. I know that you are afraid of reading this, believing this to be some scheme to make you come to me so I could finish what I started. To take my vengeance upon you for what you did to me, for taking my hive, my changelings, and my kingdom. You believe that I want vengeance.
And I don’t blame you.
I’ve not proven to you or any creature else that I want friendship if anything, I have proven the complete opposite; that I don’t want friendship, abhor it even. This is why you will not believe me and think that I am tricking you, but I want to ask need to ask ...
Is there still room for friendship?
With Kind Regards Queen Chrysalis
When Chrysalis read through her letter, she felt like a young changeling again, afraid of being rejected by the other mare, wondering if she would ever be accepted by any creature.
By no means was she trustworthy in their eyes, she was not expecting that, but she still hoped that she would gain a friend and hoped she would be the worthy Queen of the changelings, the Queen they rightfully deserved.
Using the royal Changeling hoof to show its authenticity, she sent the letter to the last known location of where Starlight Glimmer potentially lived. Using her magic, the scroll vanished along with the words written on it showing the side of Chrysalis no creature had ever seen before.
All she could do now was hope for the best.
The next morning, Chrysalis woke up to the aroma of food coming from ... somewhere.
It smelt delightful, she’d never smelt something so delicious and ... appetizing before, and it was making her wonder who was making it. Certainly, it was no changeling, they don’t have taste for food whatsoever. The only taste they have is for emotions.
Getting out of her strangely comfortable bed, she left her room and headed for the kitchen that was located on the higher floor. Making a beeline for the kitchen where the aroma was the strongest. But before she opened the door, she realized a crucial detail.
If her changelings weren’t cooking the food then ... who was doing the cooking?
Slamming the doors to the kitchen with such force they flew away, Chrysalis was trying to find the intruder but strangely she found—
Her heart started to beat faster, not from the physical activity and rush of adrenaline seconds ago. Rather, this was something that made her feel terrified.
Something she hasn’t felt for a very, long time.
“Hello, Chrysalis!” Came the cheery voice of Starlight Glimmer.
The mare in question sat on one of the many chairs inside of the kitchen, smiling broadly at Chrysalis. It wasn’t an aggressive one nor a sign that there was foul play. The smile was genuine, so genuine that Chrysalis for a split second feared.
“No need to be afraid,” Starlight explained, getting out of the chair and trotting over to the Queen of the Changelings. “I’m here to talk ... about the friendship you offered.”
With a hesitant voice, Chrysalis asked the question she felt afraid of; “Are you not interested?”
The question made Starlight’s eyes go wide. The lavender-coated mare looked at the changeling Queen in shock, almost as if she’d been run over by a school bus.
“Why would you believe so?” She retaliated. “I am genuinely interested in a friendship with you. I wondered for countless nights if you regretted it if you wanted friendship or if you simply didn’t want to be redeemed ...”
Surprised, Chrysalis looked over Starlight’s face, trying to find the lie that would unravel the truth. She gave up when she realized that there was no point. Starlight Glimmer wasn’t lying.
Not even trying to.
Before anything else could be discussed, Starlight showed the changeling Queen the pancakes she made. “Want to try some pancakes?”
In confusion, Chrysalis took the pancakes and placed them in front of her before looking up at Starlight looking at her with expectant eyes. “To friendship,” Chrysalis said, taking her first bite and instantly falling in love with the taste.
“To friendship!” Starlight replied, starting her friendship officially with the Queen of the changelings.
