Broken

Chrysalis was content.

She had no worries, no fears, no regret, no hunger, and no anger as she slowly, peacefully, walked through the never ending fields of wheat.

It was blissful; it was pure calmness.

She hummed a soft Changeling lullaby to herself as she continued forward with her eyes closed, certain that nothing would come at her and that she wouldn't, by chance, trip over a rock or root or something of that nature.

There were no memories of the prison, the failed invasion, or the starvation that had led her to attack.

She hardly even knew why or how she was here, but she didn't care.

Chrysalis was content.

And then she woke up.

~=(♥)=~

Two eyes stared back at her in a curious but neutral way, and Chrysalis let out a snarl as she realized Celestia's student was examining her.

"Come to rub it my face, or perhaps you're here to beg for forgiveness for when I break out of here and take over?" Chrysalis mused with a sinister smirk.

Twilight stared, unamused, at the helpless Changeling Queen before flicking her horn rather painfully.

"You little whelp!  I'll skin you alive, I'll hang your corpse from the rafters, I'll-" Chrysalis screamed as she clutched her horn in an attempt to null the pain.

"I'm sorry." Twilight interrupted.

Chrysalis could feel the emotions rolling off of the unicorn in waves.

Sadness, hope....Curiosity? the Changeling thought as she tasted each emotion.

Chrysalis wasn't sure she liked the feeling of curiosity coming from Twilight Sparkle, but no matter how hard she searched for it she couldn't find the one emotion that would put her above the bothersome unicorn.

Fear.

Twilight Sparkle did not fear the Changeling but she should, and she soon would...

Rising to her hooves quickly, Chrysalis grinned like a maniac and jabbed her horn into Twilight's chest--

Only to have the apparition dissolve into purple powder.

The real Twilight Sparkle sat safely behind the iron bars, channeling her magic into the image before her concentration broke at Chrysalis's attack.

Twilight blinked at the Changeling Queen in confusion and even intenser curiosity, which nearly caused the Queen to double over.

"Maybe it would be better if I came back tomorrow..." Twilight said awkwardly.

"Perhaps it would be better if you didn't come back at all!" Chrysalis snapped, trying to flare her magic and wincing in pain every time the metal band around the base of her horn reacted; sending waves of pure energy through the Changeling's body that felt like pure fire.

The purple unicorn sighed and shook her head in a disappointed manner before turning away to leave the Changeling alone.

So dreadfully alone.

But I'd rather be alone than in the company of such vile creatures! Chrysalis thought furiously, a gentle flow of doubt quietly entering her mind.

~=(♥)=~

Chrysalis grinned wickedly at her victory.

She had finally beaten the ponies.

She had done it.

There, again!  I won again! Chrysalis mused happily as the Royal Guard blinked again.

Queen Chrysalis had yet to blink, although she certainly had an advantage with her 'second eye', or the thin, transparent film that she could willingly close over her eyes to keep out the rushing wind and bugs when she flew.

Chrysalis chuckled to herself as the guard changed and the losers retreated back to wherever they had come from.

New challengers, goody.

...

Did I really just think that?  'Goody'?

Chrysalis snarled at herself; she had been getting too soft while in the presence of these ponies.

She needed to be back in her swarm, her children, where she could feed them and keep them safe.

Chrysalis turned to the left wall of her cell and inspected the scratches she had managed to make in the wall.

Six days.  It has been six days since I woke up here.  One more and the hive will fully revert back to its primal instincts... Chrysalis thought sadly.

The life of a Changeling was a sad one indeed.

Changelings were born without a mind, lived only to serve their ruler to their dying breath.  Changeling royalty were the only ones with true sentience in the hive, and all males in the royal line were restricted to positions such as the Changeling Military, or Scavengers.

The Queen held all the power, but without her the hive would eventually collapse.

Not wishing to remind herself how her hive worked and would eventually fall without her there, Chrysalis turned her attention to the small, barred window behind her.

Soon, my children...Soon...

~=(♥)=~

Food...

Feed...

FEED! Chrysalis's body screamed.

It was a painful experience to starve, but even more painful when it was a Changeling starving.

In addition to the simple but intense pains on the inside that normal creatures would feel, a Changeling felt every inch of their body as if it were aflame while the green or blue scales that adorned the Changeling's torso slowly fell off to expose the inside of the Changeling anatomy.

Chrysalis's scales had only just begin to crumble at her touch, but she knew it would only worsen if she did not feed soon; especially in a hostile environment.

What would the ponies do when they discovered what was happening?

Would they string her up in public to let the ponies watch in morbid fascination as her scales fell away and her vital organs spilled from her body?

Would they tear the rest of the scales off faster to add to her pain?

...

Would they laugh as they did so, their voices forever echoing in the dying Queen's mind as a reminder of her failure?

Chrysalis didn't even notice the four white hooves that stood outside her cell as she quietly began to sob.