It was shortly after Queen Chrysalis recovered from the shockwave the two ponies made tossing her and her forces from Canterlot that she was summoned by the Changeling Council. She cursed under her own breath. Her invasion of Equestria was supposed to be a secret until she had a foothold. Somehow the council learned of her actions and now were summoning her. She had no choice but to comply.
The black organic-shaped castle known as Black Keep was the center of the Changeling territories. Chrysalis was flanked by several of the central guard, who sole purpose was to guard the castle. Following the guards, she made her way to a room where a single throne stood. It was the throne of the Queen Mother, the forebearer to the entire race of Changelings. It lay vacant until a queen came along and proved themselves worthy of being in the seat. In the history of their race, only a few queens ascended the throne. It was Chrysalis' goal to be on that throne herself one day.
She was brought back to the present when one of the guarded nudged her to keep moving. The corridors of the castle were ever-changing, with only the guards and the First Queen being able to reach their destination. This walk allowed Chrysalis to consider her response to the council. She found solace in the fact one of the council was her older sister Cridiss. However, that wasn't enough to satisfy her concerns.
Her train of thought was halted as the group reached the council room. In front of them sat several queens, each one the head of their own faction in the Changeling territories. Each one looked quite different from the next, but all sported the same features of a changeling; Insect wings, holes along their body, and a changeling queen's crown. Her sister sat on of of the seats to the side. She approached her and gave a polite bow of her head.
"Queen Cridiss-" Chrysalis started before her sister interjected.
"Enough of that Queen Chrysalis." She snapped, making her sister look a bit shocked. Clearly her sister was taking her role of council member more important than being her sister. "The council is not here for you to play favorites." She turned her head to look at the others, with some nodding their heads. Cridiss turned back to look at her sister before continuing.
"It has come to the council's attention that you committed an invasion into Equestria in attempts to expand your hive and territory. What do you have to say for these accusations?" Cridiss said.
"Accusations?" Chrysalis scoffed. "I don't consider it an invasion, only a love gathering expedition. Ensuring that my hive wouldn't starve a shortage." Cridiss' eyes narrowed at this. Queen Burn from the Molten Changelings then spoke up.
"Love gathering isn't a large issue when it comes to keeping your hive alive even in a shortage. All queens can put inessential workers in hibernation until stores are back up." Queen Burn said. "What you did was unnecessary and clearly just a power grab."
"A power grab? That's what you think it is?" Chrysalis jabbed, turning to Queen Burn. "If it were a power grab, wouldn't I have attacked one of the other hives?" Queen Burn was quiet. Chrysalis mentally celebrated this victory, but was interrupted by another member, Queen Chrystal.
"Taking on another hive while being not frowned upon, is considered more of a last resort." She said, Chrysalis turned towards her and spoke.
"Ah, of course Queen Chrystal would be bold to say that, considering her hive has that hardened crystal-like form." Chrysalis said, pointing a hoof at Chrystal's body.
"But you straight up attacked Canterlot, making the chances of our own love collectors in Equestria to be tossed out, jeopardizing our entire race from collecting energy there." Queen Chrystal said. "You know that the love energy that Equestrians give is one of the most potent we've seen. By potentially ruining that, all hives would suffer, not just yours."
For once, Chrysalis was quiet. While it would jeopardize the rest of the hives, her hive would have grown to defeat the others, ensuring her place as the First Queen.
"You've been throwing accusations at me left and right, not even having a chance for me to voice my side of the story." Queen Chrysalis said, condemning the others for unfair equality.
"Queen Chrysalis speaks true in this regard." Queen Amethyst said. "Let us hear why she did this... 'reckless act', then decide from there her fate." The others were quiet as the queen spoke. Amethyst was one of the oldest and wisest queens on the council. She had a reputation for helping smooth things between different hives. Queen Chrysalis politely bowed her head before speaking.
"As we all know, love is what allows our race to survive. Different races produce different flavors and satisfaction for us. When rumors came to me of an Alicorn of love becoming married soon, I realized that any love from her would be of better quality than normal equestrian love. And with an event such as this, the amount of love would be greater.
"However, as I readied my collectors, I realized that the amount wouldn't be enough to take it all. So I had to use those not suited for love collecting to ensure we can secure enough to last a long time. The plan was I would disguise myself nearby the Alicorn to get enough reading for tests to see how many non love collectors we would need.
"However, the equestrians were under the impression that they were to be invaded in a hostile force. They erected a barrier to ensure they would be safe. The one who made the barrier was none other than the one the Alicorn was marrying. In a change of plans, I disguised myself as the Alicorn to get close enough to the caster to weaken the spell enough so my hive could collect the energy needed.
"Then my plan were further changed when a pony related to the caster threatened to reveal my identity. With the whole operation in jeopardy, I had to temporarily banish her to the caves where she found the Alicorn there, who recently escaped temporary custody. They then came back right before the ceremony was to begin.
"With no other choice, I revealed myself and began my collecting. The guards saw them as a threat and began to defend themselves. With a large portion of my force being warriors, the more trigger happy of them began to fight, resulting in a fight that wasn't supposed to happen. But when it looked like we're were going to finally be able to collect, the Alicorn and shield caster remade the shield even more powerful, sending me and my force all over Equestria. I'm still trying to find them to this day."
The council looked at one another and excused Queen Chrysalis while they debated her fate. She walked back into the hall while she thought about her lie. It was quite elaborate, having had days to think about it. It should cover her bases, while keeping her true plans a secret.
But there was something about that caster and pony who exposed her. They both had very powerful magic. Each one clearly was of a high ranking family in Equestria for sure. Her close proximity allowed her to get a good reading on the two and their friends. They all had high levels of energy she'd never seen before. The power felt similar to love energy, but had a different feeling. Queen Chrysalis could still taste the bitter but potent taste she had sampled. It was a flavor that didn't agree with her, and by extension, her hive. The power as not a good thing.
When she had gotten back to her hive's home, she used her intelligence network to gather info on this power. The ponies wielded a power known as the Elements of Harmony. It was quite powerful and had been used to defeat several powerful foes the six had faced. They seemed to rely on each other in order to use it, with the one called Twilight Sparkle being the center. Having the Element of magic, she acted as a focus for the rest of the six. If she were to conquer Equestria, she would have to deal with Twilight.
A core guard notified Queen Chrysalis the council had made their decision. She walked in and waited for their decision.
Queen Crisiss spoke up. "The council has decided that in spite of your actions, the active revealing of our existence has put us in jeopardy. You will be put under probation until the fallout of our presence Has been dealt with. Your hive will be connected to my hive until that decision is met, with little autonomy of your own hive. This will be to ensure no more reckless actions can be caused."
Chrysalis could feel a large portion of her hive link disabled. She still had a fraction her power, but any major ordering of her force was gone. The guards escorted her out, and she cursed under her breath.
"This all wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for that Twilight Sparkle." She muttered as she left the Black Keep behind her. Her interjection resulted in her power being diminished. She would have to play it smart. While she was expected back at her hive, no one would notice a small detour. She had a plan to deal with Twilight Sparkle.
"You may have won this battle, Twilight Sparkle" Queen Chrysalis said with venom in her voice. "But I will win this war, and you won't be around to see it. As you lay dying, I'll float at your demise while my plan continues onward. Soon all of Equestria will fear the name Chrysalis."
She soon arrived at her destination, a small secluded spot a portion of her special hive was located. They were still controllable by Chrysalis and her sister Cridiss would be none the wiser. She went over to one of her stealth drones. While most of her drones had little autonomy, her stealth drones had higher intelligence. This particular one was designed for infiltration and execution. She woke her drones and it awaited orders. The following three words ingrained in its brain till the job was done.
"Kill Twilight Sparkle".
Author's Note
I've always been interested in the Changelings and have always wanted to write a story. It wasn't until I read Law Abiding Pony's Hive saga that I realized the best way to tell it. While the plot will play similarly to theirs, I plan for it to ultimately play out differently. As a wise man once said, "I'm only asking that you turn the page, continue reading... and let the next story begin."
