Author's Note

Alternate title: A Tale of Love

Tale 10: To Love and Be Loved

Cocoon was living the good life. Away from her tyrannical mother. With two wonderful friends who loved her and with whom she had lots of fun, and a pony who was pretty much like a sister to her that she admired a lot. If it wasn’t for a certain pair of bullies and the chaos occasionally appearing in Ponyville (when it wasn’t the literal incarnation of chaos himself who appeared to turn everything into something not unlike in the wildest dreams), she would say it was perfect.

Even if nopony knew her true identity, so she had to remain hidden behind the pegasus filly known as Scootaloo.

And she had no home, so she had to settle with a cave not far inside the Everfree Forest, which could get quite cold during winter.

But it was alright, because, at least, she was loved, and so, she was fed.

Heck, just a couple of days ago, she participated in the biggest love feast in the world! The marriage of the Princess of Love herself, Mi Amore Cadenza, alias Cadance! She got to be one of her flower fillies!

But then, it turned out that Cadance had been replaced by Cocoon’s own mother, Chrysalis, and she was surprised that Discord didn’t escape again with the chaos that followed. At least, it didn’t look like Chrysalis recognized her, with her disguise, and she was defeated before she could find out.

She thought that it was over when the love shield that was pushing away the changelings reached her, but thankfully, the shield seemingly saw that she wasn’t one of the bad ones because it passed her without hurting her. Probably because the love inside her hadn’t been stolen. Or she really loved her friends. She wasn’t sure. Magic science wasn’t her stuff.

And since then, the ponies were on high alert, becoming extremely paranoiac. Anypony could be a changeling, ready to prey on the unsuspecting innocent for their love. It wasn’t rare to see Twilight cast a spell that would destroy a changeling’s disguise. Thankfully, Twilight never suspected the foals, probably thinking that changelings could only turn into adult ponies.

Ponies only knew about changelings what they saw in the wedding. Not even Celestia knew much about them despite having fought them once in the past. And it worked well for Cocoon. She was still worried that she would be revealed one day, but she tried not to show it.

Before, Cocoon had been thinking of revealing herself, hesitating because she had been worried about what her friends would think of her real appearance, or that she deceived them all this time. But now, after the wedding, no way will she reveal her true self. Contrary to her mother, she wasn’t stupid.

Seriously, she wouldn’t be surprised if her mother summoned Grogar one of these days. This would be the pinnacle of stupidity, so totally something Chrysalis would do. But what do you expect from someone who was born inside a tree?

Cocoon, as Scootaloo, was in the clubhouse with her fellow CMC, already planning their next Crusade to get their Cutie Marks. Cocoon, being a changeling, didn’t need to crusade. She could get any Cutie Mark she wanted thanks to her shapeshifting. However, she had a lot of fun crusading with her friends, even if it often ended in tree sap, and she was honestly curious to discover if she had a talent besides deception.

She would feel much better discovering that she wasn’t limited to what her cursed species as a whole was good at.

Or most of the race. Again, her dear mother proved with the wedding that she really had no talent. Her acting as Cadance had been so awful that Twilight got suspicious, leading to her defeat. She just couldn’t bring herself to act nice for even one minute. That she somehow still managed to fool Celestia made Cocoon facehoof so hard after the wedding that she had a headache for most of the next day.

The Element Bearers, she could understand, they didn’t know Cadance. Cocoon herself fell for it because she didn’t know the mare (and she didn’t get many occasions to interact with her before the ceremony). But Celestia. Cadance’s own AUNT! Adopted, but still!

Were rulers all absolute idiots?

“So… Cutie Mark Crusaders Flower Fillies was a bust…” Apple Bloom, Cocoon’s earth pony friend, said. "Even if the second ceremony went as planned, we still didn't get our Cutie Marks."

“Maybe because of everything that happened? Like, we didn't succeed in one go?” Sweetie Belle, Cocoon’s other friend, a unicorn, asked. “So we could try again one day if there is another wedding.”

“And hopefully, this one won’t get interrupted,” Cocoon, or rather Scootaloo, said. “But with everything that is going on in Ponyville, I wouldn’t bet on it.”

The other fillies had to agree.

“Besides, it could be a while before there is another wedding. Are there any other new couples in Ponyville?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“There is Cranky Doodle and Matilda, but they barely started getting together, so we may not have a wedding before at least one year, or even two,” Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle facehooved. “I totally forgot about them!”

“Oh, Ah think that their wedding may be sooner than ya think. They already love each other a lot. It’s only a matter of time before Cranky proposes ta Matilda,” Apple Bloom said.

Cocoon had to admit that Apple Bloom was right. She felt Cranky and Matilda’s love for each other just by passing by. They really were smitten. So instead of waiting for months like usual new couples, going through many dates to get to know each other better, Cranky could really propose anytime.

“Well then, let’s keep an eye on them,” Sweetie Belle said. “And as soon as Cranky proposes, we ask them if we can be their flower fillies.”

“Alright, that’s good, but what do we do now?” Scootaloo asked.

“Uh, well, let’s see what we had planned before the wedding,” Apple Bloom said before she searched for a paper. “Ah, here it is. So… Bungee Jumping?”

Scootaloo got excited. “Aw yeah! Now I remember! It was my turn to give an idea before we were brought to Canterlot!”

Cocoon didn’t have to fake it, she loved thrills. Actually, she wasn’t faking anything about her personality. Why would she need to hide her personality? Scootaloo never existed before her arrival in Ponyville, so her personality could be anything she wanted, and she wanted it to be her personality. The best disguise was the one where you lied as little as possible about yourself.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glanced at each other, then the unicorn said, “Could we not, please? After the wedding, I would rather we do something calm.”

“Come on, this is exactly what we need to get our minds away from what happened. This will be fun.”

“Where will we even find an elastic rope?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Why not a normal rope?” Scootaloo asked.

“Ah don’t know. For some reason, elastic ropes are used to jump,” Apple Bloom said.

“Well, I’m sure that we can do it without an elastic rope, so you can just ask your sister to give you a normal rope, and we find a nice spot to jump,” Scootaloo said.

“I don’t know. I’m sure that there is a good reason why they use elastic ropes instead of normal ropes,” Sweetie Belle said. “How about we ask Twilight? She must know why.”

Scootaloo sighed, then was about to agree, only to stop when a tear appeared in the air near a corner of the clubhouse, opening into a hole.

Out of the hole came an alicorn Sweetie Belle.

The hole closed.

The three CMC looked in shock and wonder at the alicorn who was now among them.

The alicorn looked around and saw all of them, saying a simple “Oh.”

“Girls. Am I dreaming?” Scootaloo asked.

“I should be the one asking that,” Sweetie Belle said before she began to panic. “W-what the hay is going on?! Who are you?! Why are you me?! Are you a changeling?!”

Alicorn Sweetie Belle did calming gestures. “You have nothing to fear from me, Sweetie Belle. I’m just an alternate version of you. I explore worlds and… Uh… Fate… Yes, let’s call it Fate. Fate brought me to your world. So, no, I’m not a changeling.”

Scootaloo then saw Sweetie Void eying her for a moment before she focused back on Sweetie Belle.

“Call me Sweetie Void.”

Scootaloo began sweating. Why did she look at her specifically for a moment? Especially after saying the word “changeling”? Does she know? How? Did her Scootaloo/Cocoon reveal her true nature in her world (if she was really coming from an alternate world)?

“So…” Sweetie Void continued. “When am I exactly? What was the last major event?”

The fillies hesitated answering for a moment.

Eventually, Apple Bloom said, “Hum… Princess Cadance’s wedding two days ago.”

“Oh! With a changeling invasion?”

The three nodded.

Sweetie Void began to think. “So, let’s see… That was two days ago… So today… Were you discussing bungee jumping?”

“Woah! It’s exactly that!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “We were about to go ask Twilight why they use elastic ropes.”

“Oh, the answer is easy. Without an elastic rope, there would be no rebound, which is a big part of the fun in bungee jumping.”

“Uh. That's a good point,” Scootaloo said.

“Also, with a normal rope, your fall would suddenly be stopped instead of slowly as the elastic stretches. As a result, the kinetic energy accumulated would make your bones snap, pretty much as if you jumped without a rope and crashed on the floor. Since the rope is attached to the leg, it’s not that bad, but a broken leg still sucks. Rubber absorbs this kinetic energy as it stretches, so there is less force experienced by the jumper when reaching the end of the fall.”

The three fillies looked at her in horror.

Apple Bloom then stared at Scootaloo and said, “We are using an elastic rope.”

Scootaloo agreed with a nod.

“Thankfully for you, I just so happen to have such a rope with me,” Sweetie Void said before she put her hoof in her mane, pulling out a rope, to the fillies’ surprise. She pulled again and again, taking out meters and meters of rope, more than what should have been inside her mane. Eventually, the rope ended. “There. This should be enough. Now, how about we go to the canyon?”

“Are you Pinkie Pie’s daughter in your universe?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Sweetie Void giggled. “Not at all. So, should we go jump?”

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Apple Bloom stopped her. “There’s more urgent to know! Like, how are ya an alicorn? And… Ya’ve yer Cutie Mark! How did ya get it?”

Sweetie Belle gasped. “Hey! That’s true! I hadn’t seen it! Tell me how you got it! Does this mean that I will become an alicorn too?”

“Possibly, but unlikely,” Sweetie Void answered. “There is a possibility that you could find yourself in an event leading to you becoming an alicorn, but the chances of that happening are very low. Same for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Also, the event that turned me into an alicorn is the same that got me my Cutie Mark, so I doubt that you will get the same Cutie Mark as me. Sorry.”

“Awww…”

Uh? Did she imply that Scootaloo/Cocoon was a normal pony in other universes? That was what she meant when she said that Scootaloo could become an alicorn, right? She wasn’t sure what to think if this was really the case…

If she had been a normal pony… It would have meant that she would have had a normal, loving family. A home. A mother who wouldn’t have been Chrysalis. She wouldn’t have had to constantly hide herself from everypony. She wouldn’t be constantly hungry for love, literally.

She was starting to feel jealous of these other Scootaloos…

Meanwhile, Sweetie Void continued talking. “Don’t worry, I’m sure that you will find your Cutie Mark eventually. All Sweetie Belles do. It’s not always the same Cutie Mark, because they don’t always get it the same way, but they do get it eventually. Same for Apple Blooms and Scootaloos. Well, most, I must admit. A few universes ago, I met an Apple Bloom who was turned into a ghoul. The poor dear will never get a Cutie Mark.”

Again, the fillies looked at her in horror, especially Apple Bloom.

“Don’t worry, she still found her purpose in her long unlife. It’s just that it will never be represented as a picture on her flanks. So, yeah… If you go into the Everfree Forest, be careful if you find a town named Sunny Town. If it hasn’t appeared by now, I doubt it will appear in the future, but you never know.”

Apple Bloom bit her lip. “A-actually… Ah found this town… And Ah was able ta escape the ghouls… Scariest night of mah life.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at her in horror as she began shaking, then quickly hugged her.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ya wouldn’t have believed me…”

“Come on, Bloom, you’re the little sis of the Element of Honesty, and our best friend, of course we would have believed you… eventually,” Scootaloo said.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Void looked at the window, in the direction of the Everfree Forest, and she was glaring.

“So it exists in this universe too. We should tell Twilight. I don’t know when this town will reappear, but it’s best to prepare.”

Apple Bloom looked at her, very sad. “So there’re other me out there who never escaped?”

Sweetie Void slowly nodded. “I fear so. The Apple Bloom I know who got turned was able to lift the curse with the help of my friends, so she is with her family, the only ghoul left, undead but happy, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there are other Apple Blooms who found the town and remained trapped in it. Sadly, I learned long ago that it is impossible to save everyone, as much as I want to. I still try my best in every universe I end up in.”

Silence followed as the fillies sadly thought of those poor Apple Blooms who didn’t get as lucky as theirs. It made Apple Bloom shake even more as she thought of how she could have ended up like them, and her friends, including Sweetie Void, quickly comforted her.

“So, we go to Twilight?” Sweetie Void asked once Apple Bloom calmed down.

“Yes!” the three answered.

So they went to Twilight who was, as expected, quite surprised, then very excited, to see Sweetie Void, but once the alicorn began to tell her what happened to Apple Bloom, and convinced her that, yes, ghouls existed, the lavender mare quickly became serious.

Apple Bloom recounted her experience, constantly hugged by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, and Twilight had to be convinced, again, this time that ghosts exist. Once she was done, Sweetie Void told what she knew of the curse (“Yes, curses exist!”), and how to stop it, once Sunny Town reappeared.

“I will talk to Zecora,” Twilight eventually said. “She seemed to know that something wrong had been about to happen. She could tell me in advance if the town reappears.”

“But what if the town reappears, like, next century? Zecora won’t be there anymore,” Scootaloo pointed out.

“Good point. I’m sure that something can be found to alert of the town’s reappearance in the future. I will have to talk with Princess Celestia. I’m sure that she will make it a priority. It’s really worrying that such a town can appear pretty much at Ponyville’s doorstep. It must be dealt with sooner or later, as soon as it reappears. Thank you for telling me about this, girls. and Apple Bloom, I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you.”

“No, Ah’m sorry. Ah should’ve never left yer side,” Apple Bloom said.

Twilight sighed. “You saw a filly who seemed lost, and you went to help her before it got dark. I can’t blame you for that.” She scoffed. “I can’t even blame you for not trying to tell me, because you did try to tell me, but I was too focused on my task to listen. Anyway, Spike, take a letter.”

“On it!”

“Well, I guess it’s our cue to go,” Sweetie Void said. “Let’s go, girls. Goodbye Twilight, goodbye Spike.”

Everyone said their goodbyes, and the fillies left the library, leaving Twilight to tell everything to Celestia.

“So, still up for bungee jumping?” Sweetie Void asked.

“Well, Ah wouldn’t mind something ta distract me,” Apple Bloom said. “Alright.”

Sweetie Belle also agreed, and of course, Scootaloo was totally in. So they went to the canyon where Sweetie Void created a platform from which the fillies could jump without risking hitting the walls. Taking turns, they each jumped.

It was scary, but it was so fun! By the end, they were all laughing.

“Ah needed that,” Apple Bloom said.

“We all needed that after the wedding,” Sweetie Belle said.

“See? What did I say!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“No bungee jumping Cutie Mark however,” Sweetie Belle said as she saw the still blank flanks of her friends, and herself.

“Oh well.” Scootaloo shrugged. “At least, we had fun. And no tree sap. That’s good enough for me.”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom laughed again and both said, “For me too!”

…

“We jump again?”

“Yay!”

So they jumped, and jumped, and jumped, until Sweetie Void reminded them that it was getting late, so they should return home.

Once they were outside Ponyville, Apple Bloom bid goodbye to them before she took the path to Sweet Apple Acres. Scootaloo then accompanied Sweetie Belle to the Carousel Boutique.

This left Scootaloo alone with Sweetie Void. The two walked side by side for a bit.

Then…

“So, you are a changeling, uh?”

Cocoon almost jumped out of her fake skin. As she had feared. She quickly put a hoof on Sweetie Void’s mouth and said, “Ssshhhh! Not here!” She looked left and right, seeing that nopony thankfully heard the alicorn. There weren’t many ponies left in the streets at this time. Sighing in relief, she then said, “Follow me,” before she walked in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

Sweetie Void silently followed her.

All this time, Sweetie Void knew about her true nature, and yet, she didn’t reveal it to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and she didn’t attack her. Maybe she could trust her.

Soon, they left Ponyville, then entered the forest. A few minutes later, they arrived at a cave.

Then, Cocoon asked, “How did you know?”

“I can feel energies, including magic. Changeling magic is different from pony magic. The instant I saw you, I knew,” Sweetie Void answered.

“Why didn’t you do anything?”

“I didn’t want to spread panic, so I waited until we would be alone. Until then, I observed you.”

Cocoon stared at Sweetie Void nervously, shifting on her hooves. “So…?”

“Well… Your situation is difficult to judge. I have many changeling friends, but changelings generally don’t get friendly until Chrysalis is dealt with. And right after Cadance’s wedding? Friendly changelings are pretty much nonexistent as far as I know. Maybe Thorax. So, my first thought was “Who are you and what did you do to Scootaloo?” But then, the more I observed you, the more I began to doubt.

To put it simply, either you are the best darn actor in the universe, or you are genuinely friends with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. You seemed to really care and fear for Apple Bloom when you learned of her run in with the ghouls, and you seemed to really have fun while bungee jumping with them. Also, you perfectly act as Scootaloo would act, and that, not even the best changelings are able to do it. Unless you spent months constantly stalking Scootaloo to learn every little detail of her personality and her habits, it really looks like you are Scootaloo.

And the idea of a Scootaloo being a changeling isn’t farfetched. It wasn’t long ago that I met a Sweetie Belle who was born a robot.”

“What? Really?”

“Yep! So, at this point, I’m 99% certain that you really are Scootaloo. The 1% remaining is because I still need that absolute proof. So, give me a list of every single Crusades you did with your fellow CMC since the founding of the club.”

“Oh geez. That’s a lot. Ok, so… Our first crusading, right after the founding, was Cow-Milking, followed by Painter, Flower Seller, Cake Baker…” She winced at that one.

Sweetie Void groaned. “I know, I know, I sucked at cooking. No need to remind me.”

“”Sucked”? Past?”

“Yeah, I learned. Surprised?”

Cocoon gawked at the alicorn. “How many kitchens did you blow up?”

Sweetie Void exasperatedly threw up her hooves. “None! I was under the watchful eyes of professionals! VERY close eyes!”

Cocoon snickered. “Breathing-on-your-neck close, I’m guessing.”

Sweetie Void crossed her hooves and grumbled. “Anyway, you pass. Only the real Scootaloo could know about these Crusades so far back, before we even got the clubhouse.” She raised an eyebrow. “Unless you replaced Scootaloo before even that?”

“Oh come on! Scootaloo doesn’t exist in this universe! You see this cave? This is my home! If I had replaced a real filly, then why am I living in a cave instead of inside a warm house, taking the love of the unsuspecting parents?”

Sweetie Void nodded. “Good point. So, who are you, then?”

Cocoon hesitated a bit, then green fire enveloped her.

Now, before Sweetie Void, instead of a pegasus filly with a purple mane, was a changeling that, to her surprise, looked rather different from the usual changelings. She had the usual black exoskeleton with a black horn, and the wings, and the green carapace under them. But she also had a dark cerulean mane and tail, and green, slitted, normal eyes instead of the usual blue insect eyes.

In other words, she looked like a miniature Chrysalis, but there were also differences compared to her. She didn’t have any holes anywhere. Not in her legs, not in her wings, and not in her mane and tail. And her horn wasn’t gnarled. Instead, it looked like a full on blade!

Also, the mane was styled so it looked like the one of her pony-self, shorter and wilder, instead of being long and straight.

So it was Scootaloo if she was a filly changeling queen. A healthy changeling queen.

“My name is Cocoon,” she said before she looked away, hesitating. “I’m… Chrysalis’ daughter.”

Sweetie Void was amazed. “W-wow! You look good!”

Cocoon blushed. “You really think so?”

“Uhuh. I guess that you made good use of all that love that Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Rainbow Dash gave you.”

Cocoon laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess.”

“But what do you mean by being Chrysalis’ daughter? Aren’t all the changelings her children?”

“That’s true. But as you can see, I’m a special case. Chrysalis considers other changelings as just her minions, her subjects. Me, however, she considers me really as her daughter. As her little princess. But trust me, this is not a good thing. Have you ever interacted with her in other universes?”

“A bit, yes.”

“Then you know how she isn’t the kind to give love to anybody. When she called me her daughter, it wasn’t with love, but with calculation and opportunity. She only saw me as her future powerful general, who will lead her armies and help her conquer the world. And as a result, she gave me the… ‘best’ education you can think a mother could give to her daughter. She wouldn’t accept anything less than perfection. Absolute perfection.” She shivered. “Any error was severely punished.”

She suddenly found herself hugged by Sweetie Void. “You must have been so miserable."

Cocoon sighed and returned the hug. “You have no idea. And this is why, when she sent me to infiltrate the ponies for a whole week to test my infiltrating lessons, I used the occasion to slip away under the muzzles of her spies.” She chuckled as Sweetie Void released her from the hug. “I turned her lessons against her and used disguises after disguises to escape. For days I journeyed across Equestria until I thought that I had lost the spies following me. Then I settled here, in Ponyville, where I created my identity as Scootaloo. And in case you wonder, at first, I really looked like a miniature Chrysalis, but I hated looking like her, so I changed my mane-style into a similar style as my disguise’s.

Anyway, I had to give Pinkie a sob story about being an orphan wanting to settle in town because it would be nicer than in the big city, but I didn’t want other ponies to know that, so I made her Pinkie Promise to not tell anypony. As a result, she only gave me a small welcoming party with the two of us being the only ponies present. After that, she would secretly give me some money and bigger portions of food, and lots of hugs. I… really feel guilty taking advantage of her like that…

Then I had to disguise myself as an adult to register myself for school. Ponies would ask questions if they saw me wander around during school hours. Of course, since then, I have to be careful to not do anything bad to the point that the teacher would have to call my legal guardian. I can’t be both Scootaloo and my guardian at the same time, after all. Same with injuries. If I am ever sent to the hospital, they would find out that I don’t have a guardian, so I have to watch out.”

“And yet, you do stunts that would risk you getting a broken leg on a regular basis.”

Cocoon groaned. “I can’t help myself! I love thrills!”

Sweetie Void giggled. “I know. You may be a different species and you may have a different name, but in the end, you still are the Scootaloo I know.”

“Doing stunts… It makes me feel so free, so alive. After having lived most of my life under Chrysalis, it is the best thing ever. After becoming Rainbow Dash’s honorary sister, and after becoming Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom’s friend, of course.”

“Of course.”

“So, that’s pretty much it,” Cocoon finished before she hesitantly stared at Sweetie Void. “Hum… How… How are my parents? I mean, pony me’s parents.”

“Sorry, I don’t know them very well. I saw them very rarely,” Sweetie Void answered.

“Oh… Sorry, it’s just that…”

“You wonder “what if?” Uh?”

“Yeah…”

“Mmh… Then how about you talk to pony you?”

“What?”

“Wait a bit,” Sweetie Void said before she opened a rift and jumped through it, the rift closing behind her.

So Cocoon waited. Then, a few minutes later, a new rift opened, and out of it came Sweetie Void…

And Scootaloo.

Cocoon and Scootaloo stared at each other in amazement while Sweetie Void placed herself between the two.

“Scootaloo, I present to you Cocoon, who is you if you had been a changeling. Cocoon, I present to you Scootaloo, who is you if you had been a pony. She comes from that universe I told you about, where Apple Bloom has been turned into a ghoul. Have a nice talk.”

Then she walked away, leaving the two alone.

Scootaloo was the one who began. “Wow! You look cool!”

“Uh. Thanks. You are cool too.”

“Thanks! So, you are a changeling? What is a changeling?”

“Basically, we are shapeshifters who feed on love.”

Scootaloo laughed. “What? You mean that you eat if you are hugged?”

Cocoon laughed. “Pretty much.”

“Does this mean that you don’t need to eat vegetables?”

“I can eat normal food, but it’s not obligatory. So, no, I don’t need to eat vegetables.”

“Lucky you! My aunts always force me to eat vegetables! Ugh…”

“Your aunts?”

“Uhuh. Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty. They are the ones who take care of me.”

“Not your parents?”

“Uh… Well… They are world-traveling adventurers. They are rarely at home.”

“Oh… But at least, they love you, right?”

“Of course! But I wish that I could see them more often.”

“How are they?”

At that, Scootaloo recounted everything she knew about her parents, their personalities, the amazing things they did, and what they loved. The more Scootaloo talked, the more Cocoon became sad.

When Scootaloo finished, Cocoon sighed. “I wish that I had parents too…”

“Don’t changelings have parents?”

“We all have the same mother, and she isn’t very nice… I had to run away from her.”

“That bad?”

Cocoon nodded.

“But if you all have the same mother, it means that all the changelings are your brothers and sisters, right? I always wanted a sibling. Rainbow Dash is very close to one.”

“My brothers and sisters follow my mother, so we aren’t really in talking terms.”

“Oh. Well, I hope that you will reconcile with them. You have such a huge family. It’s sad that you are alone.”

“Maybe… One day…”

“But, wait! Does it mean that you can fly? And do magic?”

“Uh. Yes and yes.”

“Oh my gosh! I wish that I could fly too!”

“You can’t fly?”

Scootaloo grumbled. “Look.” Then, she jumped and began to flap her wings. She didn’t fly however. Instead, she was falling very slowly. Once she landed, she sighed. “I dream of flying alongside Rainbow Dash one day.”

“Well, don’t feel discouraged. I’m sure that you will be able to fly one day, once you grow up a bit.”

“That’s what Auntie Lofty said. That I’m a late bloomer. Still wish that Diamond Tiara would stop calling me a chicken.”

“It seems like she is a pain in the flank no matter the universe.”

“But you said you can shapeshift, right? Then you could get her into trouble! Like, you shift into her, then you do something bad, and everypony will think that she is the one who did it!”

Cocoon smirked. “That’s exactly what I do each time that she goes too far. I caused her to be grounded more times than I counted.”

“Heck yeah!”

The two hoofbumped.

“But I have to be careful so the ponies don’t suspect that I am a changeling,” Cocoon said.

“Why? What is the problem with you being a changeling?”

“Well… You remember Zecora? How ponies reacted to her?”

Scootaloo winced. “Not Ponyville’s best moment.”

“It doesn’t help that I have been living among the ponies for a while, passing myself for a pegasus, lying to everypony.”

“Well, I guess that the ponies would be a bit angry at first.”

“And it is possible that ponies may think that I have foalnapped the real Scootaloo to take her place and get their love.”

“True…”

“Then, my family showed up and did something very bad, so, now, the ponies fear the changelings. When I told you that my mother wasn’t very nice, I wasn’t kidding.”

Scootaloo winced again. “She tried to conquer Equestria?”

“Yep. She wanted to steal all the love of Equestria to feed the changelings.”

“...Yeah, I can see how this would be a problem if you revealed yourself. But I’m sure that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom would still accept you if you explained everything to them! And Rainbow Dash too!”

“Maybe. Or maybe Rainbow would beat me up while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle run away screaming. I don’t really want to take my chances right now. Maybe in a few months.”

“Well, I mean, if you go “Hey! Guess what? I’m a changeling! Surprise!” Then yes, things wouldn’t go well. But if you take time to explain while looking scared and even do a Pinkie Promise, then I think that you may have a chance.”

“I… I will think about it.”

“But trying to conquer Equestria is stupid. I mean, if the changelings need love, then shouldn’t they just… love each other?”

Cocoon stared at her counterpart in awe. “That’s… so obvious!” She sighed. “But no way will they listen as long as they follow my mother. She is too evil to love.”

“Well, that sucks…”

A moment of awkward silence followed.

“Uh… By the way,” Scootaloo eventually began. “Do changelings get Cutie Marks?”

“Not really. We can use our shapeshifting to put a mark on our flanks, but we don’t gain one like ponies do.”

“So it’s up to you to decide what mark you want?”

“Pretty much. But I’m still searching for my talent to decide which mark I want.”

“Oh. You know pretty well what your talent is supposed to be, dear daughter,” they suddenly heard, and Cocoon got a chill, recognizing the voice.

Thanks to her night vision, she was the first one to see her approach. Out of the darkness of the forest came Queen Chrysalis herself, looking very smug.

The two fillies began shaking.

“Is… Is this your mom?” Scootaloo asked.

Cocoon didn’t answer. Instead, she said, “N-no way. How did you find me? I thought that you didn’t recognize me!”

Chrysalis smirked. “That’s right. There was no way I could have recognized you with your disguise. However…” She approached her head to her daughter and whispered, “You didn’t disguise your voice.”

Cocoon wanted to facehoof, but she was too busy shaking and staring at her mother in horror.

“Of course,” the queen continued. “Taking you as soon as I recognized you would have ruined my plan. There were always so many ponies around whenever we talked. So I waited.” She glared. “Then my plan was ruined and I was sent flying.” Her expression returned to her previous one. “Thankfully, you and your… friends… were really talkative, constantly telling me about Ponyville and your little crusades, so it wasn’t hard to find you. A spy disguised as a bird saw you enter the forest, so I just followed her direction.”

“W-why did you talk to your mother? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with her,” Scootaloo asked her counterpart.

“She was disguised. I didn’t recognize her,” Cocoon answered.

“So, finally,” Chrysalis continued. “After one year of searching, I found you. And I see that you are doing well among the ponies. My my, look at you. It reminds me of the good times. But now…” She hissed, her long tongue coming out. “You will return to the hive RIGHT NOW!”

Cocoon hissed back. “No way! I refuse!”

“You are destined for great things, Cocoon. Together, we will rule this world, and have all the love we want. Nothing will stand against us. But you still have a lot to learn. Most of all: friends. Are. Useless! You especially don’t befriend food! So suck up the love of this filly and let’s go!

Cocoon placed herself between Chrysalis and Scootaloo. “No!”

Chrysalis glared at her. “Do it.”

“I will not follow you and what you say! I will stay with my friends!”

“Do it! You are my daughter and you must obey me! Stop with your friendship nonsense!”

“Friendship kicked your ass a few days ago!”

Chrysalis snarled. “They aren’t really your friends! I bet they don’t know the real you!”

Cocoon hesitated. “Well… At least, I love them!”

“Changelings don’t love! They take love!”

“That’s what you think, but maybe the changelings need a new ruler!”

Chrysalis hissed. “You dare-”

“Oh Chrissyyyy! Long time no see!” a sickly sweet voice interrupted Chrysalis before she felt something drop on her back and wrap its legs around her neck. “Is the big bad Changeling Queen still being a meanie? I’m disappointed, Chrissy.”

“Who are you?! Get off my back! Wait, that voice. You are the white unicorn filly!”

“Not the same white filly.”

“Get off my back!” Chrysalis repeated before she tried to grab the filly with her magic, only to fail. “Why can’t I grab you in my telekinesis?”

The filly burped. “Thanks for the meal.”

Chrysalis paled. “Did… Did you eat my magic?”

“Yep! Delicious!”

Chrysalis began to try to get her off by moving erratically. “Get off! I order you to get off of me!”

“Aw, Chrissy, we are best friends. Stop being silly.”

“Stop calling me that! I don’t know you!”

“But I know you very well. I love playing with you.”

“What are you talking about?! You make no sense!”

“What is the fun in making sense?”

“Sto-”

The filly put a hoof on her mouth, stopping her. “Shhh. Come on Chrissy, I will show you.” She then felt the filly whisper to her ear. “We will have so much fun together.”

Chrysalis got a chill, suddenly feeling as if an alpha predator was on her back. Immediately, she transformed into an ursa minor, then dropped on her back in the hope of crushing the filly. However, she teleported just before, and the filly appeared before her.

Sweetie Void was giving Chrysalis a slasher grin.

Roaring, Chrysalis slapped her.

Sweetie Void stopped the paw with just one hoof, not moving one millimeter.

Chrysalis became even paler. Then she saw that the filly was an alicorn, and she audibly gulped.

Then her eyes became empty, turning into two black holes. Her teeth turned into very sharp fangs. She tilted her head.

“Let’s play hide and seek. You hide, I seek. And if I find you…” Her grin became even wider. “You. Lose~. You have ten seconds.”

Immediately, Chrysalis turned around and transformed into a peregrine falcon before she flew away.

Sweetie Void returned to normal, giggling. “Oh, she is always fun to mess with.”

Meanwhile, Cocoon and Scootaloo stared at the alicorn, not without some fright.

“What… was that?” Cocoon eventually asked.

“Just me having fun, nothing to worry about,” Sweetie Void answered. “You changelings aren’t the only ones who have shapeshifting abilities. I just don’t need fire to envelope me to change parts of my body.”

“You stopped the strike of an ursa minor as if it was nothing!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

Sweetie Void shrugged. “I’m pretty strong.”

“And you really absorbed her magic?” Cocoon asked.

“Yeah. Energies, including magic, are to me what love is to you.”

“Wait. You mean you could eat love too?”

“Uhuh. And other emotions. But I don’t touch that stuff. Anyway, I think that it’s time for Scootaloo to return to her universe. I hope that you had a good chat together.”

“Aw… Already?” Scootaloo asked.

“It was already quite late in your universe when I took you. Your aunts will be worried.”

Scootaloo sighed. “Alright. But before I go…” She turned to Cocoon and hugged her. “I’m really sorry that you have such a mother. And it’s really sad that the changelings are ruled by her. Maybe if they had a nicer ruler, they could become friends with us ponies. Then you wouldn’t be forced to remain disguised. But I really think that you should reveal yourself to your friends, at least. It’s not because you are a love-sucking bug-pony that they will stop loving you, like we didn’t stop loving Apple Bloom when she turned into an undead. Because we will always be CMC forever.”

Cocoon smiled, tears in her eyes, then leaned into the hug. “Thank you, Scootaloo.”

Not long after, they broke the hug, and they said goodbye to each other before Sweetie Void opened a rift and Scootaloo jumped through, the rift closing behind her.

“So, what do you think now that you talked to pony you? Is life as a pony still so appealing?”

Cocoon thought for a bit. “Well, there are some good things, and some less good things. Like, her inability to fly. I love flying, so it must really suck for her. And just imagining constantly being called a chicken by Diamond Tiara…” She couldn’t stop herself from hissing at that. “And while she doesn’t need to eat love, being forced to eat vegetables is not so good. Also, yes, she has loving parents, but they are always absent, so it’s as if she doesn’t have them. Still better than having a mother like mine. But… I guess that all the changelings being my siblings would be nice if they weren’t currently following Chrysalis. Also, she doesn’t have to hide herself from her friends. If Chrysalis hadn’t attacked, then maybe I could have revealed myself.”

“You know,” Sweetie Void then began. “Tomorrow, I could be present at your side to help you reveal your true identity. I could vouch for you. It would be a good start.”

“You… really think…?”

“Uhuh. I promise. But I guess that it would be better for you if Chrysalis was taken down. Then all of your problems would disappear. Changelings would stop being mean and they would start to love you, ponies would eventually stop fearing them, and you would be able to live with your friends without a disguise. Maybe a pony could even adopt you, and you would have a loving mom and/or dad! And you would have a real home!”

Just thinking about that made Cocoon almost cry.

Sweetie Void hugged her. “You have nothing to envy from the ponies. It isn’t because you are a changeling that your life sucks, but because the wrong individual is at their head. Eventually, everything will get better. You will see.”

Not long after, Cocoon went to sleep, dreaming of a better life. Sweetie Void disappeared.

The next day, Cocoon, disguised as Scootaloo, went to school on her scooter. However, on the way, she met the Element Bearers, all six of them.

“There she is!” Rainbow Dash shouted before she went to fly toward the filly only to be stopped by Applejack holding her tail in her jaw.

This made Cocoon stop, looking at Rainbow Dash in worry.

“Uh… What’s going on?”

When she looked at the other mares, she saw that Rarity was crying. Applejack looked very angry. Fluttershy looked scared. Even Pinkie Pie looked worried.

Twilight just looked hesitant as she said, “Scootaloo? Something happened to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle last night. Can you come to the library, please?”

Cocoon immediately panicked, getting worried. “What happened? Are they alright? Are they at the hospital?”

“No, not at the hospital. They… Well, come, and we will show you.”

Rainbow Dash finally calmed down and stopped trying to fly toward Cocoon. She was about to say something, but then, Twilight’s magic appeared on her mouth, keeping it shut, making the pegasus glare at the unicorn who whispered something at her. Rainbow Dash crossed her legs.

The group silently ran toward the library. Cocoon wanted to roll as fast as she could to find out what happened to her friends, but she remained beside the mares.

Before long ,they were at the library. Once inside…

Twilight cast the anti-changeling disguise spell on Cocoon, transforming her back into her true self.

Cocoon could only look in horror as the mares, who had been joined by Spike, gasped.

“So it was true,” Twilight said.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SCOOTALOO, YOU MONSTER?!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

Cocoon looked around. She was surrounded. There was no escape possible.

“Bu-bu-but… How…? What…?” she tried to say.

“Spike?” Twilight asked.

Slowly, the dragon approached and showed two letters to Cocoon. They were identical.

We took the filly. If you want to see her, then have our princess come to the hive. She passes herself for the filly known as Scootaloo. She will know where the hive is.

The changelings

She couldn’t believe what she was reading.

It was two of her worst nightmares in one go. The reveal of her true identity in such a brutal way, and the foalnapping of her two best friends. She could only look in horror.

“Ya’re Chrysalis’ daughter?” Applejack suddenly asked, making her jump.

Shaking, she gulped. “Y-yes…”

“How long have you been in Ponyville?” Twilight asked.

“Since the day ‘Scootaloo’ arrived, about one year ago.”

“Impossible!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “You would have been sent flying by the love shield at the wedding!”

“W-well, I’m not sure how it worked, but the shield passed through me without hurting me,” she replied before she looked around. “I have always been Scootaloo. Pinkie Pie can tell, Scootaloo doesn’t have any family with her. You can tell them, Pinkie.”

“That’s true,” the pink mare said. “When I first saw Scootaloo, she told me that she was an orphan, and she didn’t want anypony to know. So I made a small party just for her. We played lots of games together.”

“But she must have somepony! How did she register for school, then?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I turned myself into an adult and registered myself with false information. I’m sure that if you looked at the forms and investigated, you would find out that it’s full of wrong stuff. For example, the address I put in is the one of that old empty house at the outskirts of Ponyville. It has been half devoured by the parasprites, and nopony bothered to repair it. I wouldn’t be surprised if a new house is scheduled to be built in its place in the next few months.”

“Oh yeah. That old shack that belonged ta Old Grump. That old hermit who died eight years ago,” Applejack said.

“Oh, I think I remember him. He yelled to everypony, especially the foals getting on his lawn,” Rarity said. “The first time he yelled at Pinkie has become legendary.”

Pinkie Pie shivered.

“So, Scootaloo never existed?” Twilight asked.

“More like she has always existed as a part of me,” Cocoon said, not daring to look at Rainbow Dash. “So, I guess that I’m going to the hive to rescue Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.”

“What are your real feelings about them?” Applejack asked.

Cocoon stared at her as seriously as she could. “I love them. They really are my best friends. I would destroy the world for them.”

“Woah there. Let’s not go that far, Sugarcube.”

“Please, guide us to the hive,” Rarity pleaded.

“Uh… I don’t advise that you come with me. Chrysalis has a throne that soaks all magics that are not changeling magic. You would be powerless,” Cocoon said.

“But then, you would go to the hive by yourself! What would you do there, alone?” Twilight asked.

“You will join Chrysalis, right?” Rainbow Dash said.

“I hate Chrysalis!” Cocoon shouted, crying. Rainbow Dash’s accusations were hurting her so much. “She made my life a nightmare! I would rather die than join her! No. I will go to the hive, get Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle out of there, and… I don’t know. Hopefully, I will manage to escape.”

The mares exchanged looks, silently agreeing to the same thing.

“We will still come with you,” Twilight said. “Even if we won’t have our magic, we could still help one way or another.”

“Magic or not, Ah can still give a good buck,” Applejack said.

“And I have my party cannon!” Pinkie Pie shouted before she took out of her mane her party cannon.

Cocoon looked at all of them, still not sure if they should come, but feeling grateful.

“O-ok.”

“S-so…” she then barely heard, coming from Fluttershy. “You really aren’t a bad changeling?”

Cocoon gently smiled at her. “Changelings may have given a bad first impression, but remove Chrysalis, and I’m sure that they won’t be as scary anymore.” She then looked down sadly. “I’m sorry that I have been lying to everypony all this time. Especially you, Pinkie. Sorry that I took advantage of you.”

“Aw, don’t worry silly. You weren’t really an orphan, but you were still all alone, so it changes nothing. Oh! Oh! You never told us what your real name is!”

“Oh, sorry, it’s Cocoon.”

“Cocoon! Then once we rescue Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, I will give you a real Welcome To Ponyville party with everypony, and everypony will know the real you! And you won’t have to lie anymore! And everypony will love you so you won’t ever be hungry anymore!”

Cocoon laughed, rubbing her wet eyes. “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle’s love has already been more than enough.” And Rainbow’s, but she didn’t say it. “So, when do we go to the hive?”

“We can go right now,” Twilight said. “The sooner we rescue the fillies, the better. Spike, remain behind, and be ready to send a letter to Princess Celestia if we don’t come back in… How long will it take us to reach the hive?”

“At least a couple of days. A few hours on the train, the rest on hooves,” Cocoon answered.

“So, five days. Six at most.”

And so, the group left Ponyville, Cocoon taking the lead.

Somewhere on the way to the Changeling Kingdom, about a day after they were off the train.

Cocoon was at the head when she saw Rainbow Dash flying beside her. The mare then landed and walked alongside her, remaining silent. Cocoon didn’t dare to say anything.

After a few more minutes, Rainbow Dash finally asked, “How much of Scootaloo was real?”

“Pr… Pretty much all of her,” Cocoon answered. “I lied about myself as little as I could.”

“So it was your personality?”

“Yes.”

“Your feelings?”

“Yes.”

“Your tastes?”

“Yes.”

“What about… what was between the two of us?”

“I genuinely admire you, Rainbow Dash. I really love watching you fly and do all these awesome stunts. And I treasure these moments when you hug me and we do stuff together and you call me your little sister. I…” Cocoon looked down in sadness. “I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier. I should have trusted you. And my friends. But… I was so scared… I didn’t want to risk losing… everything.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “I guess that we didn’t help our case with stuff like how we reacted to Zecora.”

Cocoon nodded. “If ponies reacted so badly to a zebra, who looks so much like a pony, how would they react to something so… alien?”

“Well, I think that we learned our lesson after Zecora, buuuut… Yeah, I understand.”

“I actually was supposed to reveal myself to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle today with the help of a friend that I made yesterday, then I would have revealed myself to you, but Chrysalis obviously said otherwise,” Cocoon grumbled.

“Eeehhhh… Truthfully, I’m not sure how I would have reacted even if you had told me yourself that you are a changeling. It wasn’t long ago that the changelings threatened everything I care about. I probably would have gotten in my head the worst case scenario and… Well, you can imagine the rest. I’m not really known for thinking before acting.”

“But then, you had to find out because of Chrysalis, which is even worse, I imagine. Your first action upon seeing me was to charge at me, and even when I proved that I really was Scootaloo, you still thought that I was an enemy.”

“I had just found out that everything I knew about my little sister had certainly been a lie. That I may have been used as a food source all this time by you. I… was hurt. I didn’t know what to think anymore. I debated with myself all this journey to know if yes or no I should trust you again. It took me all this time to convince myself to at least try to talk to you to try to settle it. I could see that you didn’t seem to be a bad filly, but I still had my doubts.”

“So… What do you think?”

“I think… that I don’t want to lose Scootaloo. So if you really are her, then I want to give you a chance. So…” Before she could say more, she was hugged by Cocoon. Seeing the genuine gesture, Rainbow returned it.

Then Pinkie appeared behind them, shouted “Yay! Group hug!” and before they knew it, they were in the middle of a pile of ponies.

Once they broke the hug, Rainbow Dash began to ask everything about Cocoon. They talked for hours and hours, Cocoon using the occasion to reveal that, no, changelings couldn’t just transform into adult ponies, warning them to be careful of even the rocks.

Second day of the journey, they traversed a forest, then finally reached the border of the Changeling Kingdom, the desolate land spreading before them with the huge hive visible in the distance.

“Be ready girls,” Cocoon warned. “Just a few more steps, and your magic will be gone. It means no flying anymore, Rainbow.”

“Aww that sucks.”

“Chrysalis certainly knows we are coming, so be prepared for anything.”

“Mah legs are ready,” Applejack said.

After that, they barely advanced that they felt their magic being sucked away. Trying not to think about it, they continued toward the hive.

After about another hour of walking, they arrived at the entrance. The main entrance. Holes all over its walls were constantly opening and closing.

Guards wearing helmets were present. However, to their surprise, when they saw the group, they didn’t do anything.

“The queen is waiting for you, Princess,” one of them said as the group approached. “She is at the Throne Room.”

“Uh… Thank you, Arista,” Cocoon said with suspicion.

At that, the group entered the hive, and Cocoon guided the ponies through opening holes, climbing until reaching the Throne Room.

A room absolutely filled with changelings, with Chrysalis sitting on the black throne. Beside the throne was a cocoon holding Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They were still awake, just trapped in it.

When they both saw Cocoon, Sweetie Belle said, “Scootaloo?”

“So she really is a changeling,” Apple Bloom said.

“Silence!” Chrysalis shouted at them before she looked at Cocoon with clear fake love. “Ah, my dear daughter. So you finally came back. And I see that you brought some gifts to be forgiven for leaving so abruptly.”

“They aren’t gifts!” Cocoon yelled. “They are here to help me!”

Chrysalis laughed. “Help you? Powerless, magicless ponies? What could they hope to do?”

“We can still fight, even without magic!” Twilight shouted.

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, then waved at the changelings in the room. “Against all of them?” Then she pointed at herself. “Without forgetting that I still have a lot of the excess love I took from Shining Armor. The same power that allowed me to surpass Celestia herself. So, tell me, do you still think that you can fight and win?”

Many of the changelings laughed, others hissed.

The ponies weren’t feeling as confident as before.

“If we manage to destroy the throne, we may have a chance,” Twilight said to her friends, low enough that Chrysalis couldn’t hear.

“How?” Rarity asked.

“Uh…”

Suddenly, Cocoon shouted, “You forget that I’m here, and I’m filled with love too! Even more than you! I will fight all of you by myself if I have to!”

Chrysalis snarled. “Stop your foolish rebellion! You are still just a filly! Your power is but a speck compared to mine! Go to your room! I will deal with you after I’m done with-” She ducked, barely dodging a beam fired from Cocoon’s horn, damaging part of the throne. “YOU DARE?!!”

“Listen well, Chrysalis, your reign ends TODAY! I will dethrone you! I will save my friends! And the changelings will be freed from your toxic influence! LOOK AT ME, EVERYLING! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LOVE AND ARE LOVED!”

And she fired another, bigger beam.

Chrysalis roared and fired back her own beam.

The two beams clashed, and were revealed to be nearly of equal power. However, Chrysalis’ beam was slightly more powerful, so it began to push Cocoon’s beam.

Beside her throne, Sweetie Void appeared and opened the cocoon, freeing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. She then said, “Go hug her. She needs your love,” before she disappeared.

The fillies looked at each other, then nodded before they ran toward Cocoon, hugging her.

Cocoon’s beam immediately gained power, becoming equal to Chrysalis’ beam.

“What the…?! No way!” Chrysalis yelled in rage.

“Girls! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier!” Cocoon said to her friends.

“Now is not the time for a talk!” Apple Bloom replied.

“Come on, Scoot! Take all our love!” Sweetie Belle said.

“If I forcefully take more from you, I will hurt you!” Cocoon shouted.

“No need for that!” they suddenly heard before they were wrapped by Rainbow Dash. “Here’s my love!”

“And mine!” Pinkie Pie shouted before she wrapped them too. “I have a lot of love!”

Fluttershy followed. “Me too.”

Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity came just after, completing the group.

Now, Cocoon’s beam surpassed Chrysalis’, gaining ground.

Chrysalis couldn’t believe it. “No! No! NO!”

“See?!” Cocoon shouted. “I share love with them, and they share love with me in return! Your stolen love can’t hope to surpass that!”

“RAAAHHHHH!!! SURPASS THAT!!!” Chrysalis yelled before she poured ALL her remaining energy into her beam.

Now, it pushed Cocoon’s beam again, rapidly.

“Uuuugh…” Cocoon tried to put more power into her beam, but failed. “PLEASE! MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME! LET’S BE FREE! AND I PROMISE YOU, WE WILL NEVER STARVE EVER AGAIN!”

The changelings looked at each other, not sure what to do. Then, one changeling, named Thorax, took the first step, and shared love with Cocoon. Immediately, some kind of cocoon of magic surrounded him, almost immediately disappearing in a flash of light. What the cocoon left behind was a transformed changeling, now green instead of black, no holes remaining, with a beautiful tail that looked like a long insect wing.

Seeing what happened to Thorax, other changelings repeated what he did, sharing love with Cocoon. Then more changelings followed them, and more, and more, until the totality of the changelings in the room shared love.

Cocoon’s beam tripled in size, totally overpowering Chrysalis’ beam.

The queen could only yell as the beam reached her.

What followed was an explosion that blew up the top of the central spire of the hive.

When the smoke cleared, the throne was totally destroyed.

Chrysalis was on what remained of it, unconscious.

And all the changelings present were now in various shades of green and blue. Except Cocoon.

The filly looked at the changelings, then at herself, then grinned.

“Well, you shared your love with me. Now, it’s time for me to share my love with all of you!”

And she did so, a huge quantity of love coming out of her and spreading everywhere. Like with all the other changelings, a cocoon of magic appeared and enveloped. However, it was much bigger than the drones’, and when it disappeared, the flash was blinding, like a miniature sun.

Once everyone could see, they saw Cocoon.

She was now orange, with a purple mane and tail, and purple eyes. She also had a pink carapace with matching wings.

When she saw her color, she laughed. “I guess that I spent too much time as my disguise.”

She was suddenly tackled by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the three hugging each other on the floor.

“That was so awesome, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle shouted.

“Ya were incredible!” Apple Bloom followed.

Cocoon laughed. “I know, right?! By the way, my real name is Cocoon. Sorry for lying to you all this time.”

“That’s already in the past. Ya did all that ta save us. We can’t be angry at ya after that.”

“Come here, squirt!” Rainbow Dash suddenly came and gave Cocoon a noogie, making her squeal. “Look at you, a filly, and already defeating your first villain! Your own evil mother!”

“Speaking of her, what do we do about her?” Cocoon asked, looking toward her unconscious mother.

“That’s a good question,” Twilight said. “She lost her army, but she still remains dangerous. I guess that we will have to send her to Tartarus, if she doesn’t change her way.”

Now, Cocoon became sad. “I wish she would. She remains my mom. I hate her, but deep down, a part of me still wants her love.”

Around her, the changelings had similar thoughts. Chrysalis was the mother of all of them. Now that they learned to love, they couldn’t stop themselves from loving her, and wanting her love in return.

“Maybe I should have brought Spike, finally. He could have sent a letter to Princess Celestia, and we could have talked about what to do,” Twilight said.

“Maybe if we give Chrysalis a group hug?” Pinkie Pie proposed.

“I doubt it will work,” Cocoon said.

“I may be able to help with that,” they suddenly heard.

And among them was none other than Sweetie Void, where nopony had been a few seconds earlier. Anyone nearby jumped in surprise.

“What the…?” Applejack exclaimed.

“Am I dreaming? An alicorn Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked.

“Uh. Whoever is the ling who transformed, that’s not needed,” Rainbow Dash said.

“She is not a changeling,” Cocoon said. “Her name is Sweetie Void. She is an alternate version of Sweetie Belle. She is the friend I told you I made yesterday.”

“Say what?!” everyone except the CMC and Twilight shouted, Pinkie Pie more exaggerated than the others, Fluttershy barely above a whisper.

Cocoon looked at Sweetie Void. “You mean that you can turn mom good?”

“Oh, no. Sorry, but Chrysalis is one stubborn mule. Of all the Chrysalis I met, only one stopped being evil, and it was because she had been left with no other choice. And even then, it took her time to start loving someone. The Chrysalis of my universe? I had to defeat Grogar himself to make her give up, and even then, she preferred to be sent to Tartarus rather than trying friendship. In the main timeline, she chooses revenge rather than joining her children in love and friendship, digging herself in her hatred. I haven’t yet determined what to say or do to convince her to be nice.”

All the changelings became sad at that.

“However,” Sweetie Void continued. “I can heal her and wake her up, to see if she will at least listen to her daughter. Who knows, maternal instincts are powerful. They could be enough. Or she could start a crusade against her own daughter. I have no idea.”

“Well… We can at least try,” Cocoon said.

“Yep. But before that, let me congratulate you. I knew that you could win, which is why I didn’t intervene. You faced your mother, saved your friends, brought your brothers and sisters to the friendship side, and I think that you found your purpose in your life. You will make a good leader once the time comes.”

Cocoon smiled while having some doubts. She didn’t know if she would make a good leader, but she will try her darn best. It will always be better than her mother.

“Well, time to wake up the sleeping ugly,” Sweetie Void said before she moved toward Chrysalis.

…

Twilight suddenly exclaimed. “Wait! She did say that she defeated Gr-”

Sweetie Void was suddenly before her face, a hoof on her muzzle. “Shhh. No need to focus on such a silly achievement. Let the mother and daughter have a talk.”

And then, she was back to walking toward Chrysalis, where she stopped.

Twilight was left speechless.

“Ooh! The Pink is strong in her!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Thanks. I train hard under Master Pinkie,” Sweetie Void replied before she reached Chrysalis. Rapidly, she healed her, then gave her some energy, before she began to tap her cheek. “Wakey wakey! Nap time is over! Don’t force me to give you mouth to mouth!”

Chrysalis suddenly sat up, waking up right away.

“Wha-Whe-Who?”

Once she calmed down, she looked down at Sweetie Void.

The alicorn waved. “Hi! Remember me? I guess you lost the hide and seek game.”

In one second, Chrysalis turned from black to white, and she jumped away. “Gah! Get away from me, demon!” She then tried to fly away, but Sweetie Void caught her tail in her telekinetic grip.

“No need to be so dramatic. I’m just messing with you. There’s someone who wants to talk to you.”

Chrysalis stopped flying. “Uh? Who…?” Then, she saw Cocoon who had approached and was now looking at her with longing eyes. Behind her, all the changelings had gathered. She hissed. “YOU!”

Cocoon didn’t even flinch. Instead, she raised her forelegs toward Chrysalis and asked, “Hug?” still with that same look.

That stopped Chrysalis right there, and she looked at her daughter in shock. “You… You took everything from me! And… And you ask me… to give you a hug?”

“I just showed that changelings can be something else than monsters. Now, we won’t starve anymore, we won’t be alone anymore, and we won’t need to fight anymore. Now, we want our mommy with us. Please.”

“We would love to still have you as our queen,” one of the changelings said.

Chrysalis stared at Cocoon, and you could see the battle happening in her mind with how her expression was constantly shifting. Then, after a few long minutes, she looked away.

Understanding, Cocoon lowered her legs, looking down.

“All my life,” Chrysalis then began. “I lived for conquest, getting as much love as possible to gain power and reach the top, leading the changelings to the summit. War and deception are all that I have known. But it’s clear that my era is over. Now, an era of peace and friendship is coming. I’m not made for that era. The changelings will need a new queen to lead them through it. You proved yourself, so become that new queen, make the changelings greater than I ever could, and forget about me.”

And at that, the ex-queen flew away.

Chrysalis flew toward the forest, stopping at its border to give one last look at her hive. Then, she turned around to walk into the forest, only to stop when she saw a certain alicorn filly before her.

She glared at her.

“What do you want? Leave me alone.”

“......They just wanted a mother’s love, you know?” the filly eventually said. “Queen or not, it wouldn’t have mattered as long as you would be there with them.”

“I can’t give them what they want. I only ever saw love as two things: food and power. The ones who loved were preys. So us predators couldn’t love. That was as simple as that.”

…

“And yet…” the filly began. “I saw genuine conflict for a moment when Cocoon wanted you to hug her. You actually grew to care for her… This is why you wanted her back to the hive.”

“I only gave birth to her to have a more powerful pawn than usual. My own queen under my command. With her, nothing would have stood in my way, not even Celestia.”

“That was what you thought at first, but… When you saw her for the first time after one year, was it what you were still thinking?”

“...”

“You wanted to see her becoming a great queen, like you. And now, there she is, surpassing you. You must be really proud.”

“.......I would have only caused problems to her if I had remained at her side. It’s for the best that I disappear from her life and let her guide the changelings by herself.”

The filly giggled. “I admit, even when you give a chance to love, you are still like one of these old grumpy ponies always criticizing the youth and telling them how the old ways were the best. But despite that, you could still develop real friendships, and the changelings really wouldn’t have minded. With time, you would have found your place in this new hive, and in this world.”

“...”

“Think about it. I’m sure that you will eventually make the right choice. Goodbye, Chrissy.”

And then, the filly was gone.

Chrysalis stared at where the filly had been for a bit, then she looked back toward the hive, before she finally began to walk into the forest, grumbling, “Don’t call me that, demon.”

Cocoon stared for a while toward where her mother disappeared.

Rainbow Dash eventually broke the silence. “So, what now?”

“Cocoon is now the queen, so it’s up to her to decide,” Sweetie Void said. “However, I can already say that there is a problem.”

“What is it?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“On one hoof, Cocoon has to remain here to start leading the changelings into a better future. Convincing the changelings who weren’t present in the throne room to share love. Repairing the hive. Creating treaties. Working on establishing diplomatic relationships with the other kingdoms. All that stuff you do when you rule a kingdom.”

Cocoon winced. That was more or less what she expected when she decided to overthrow Chrysalis, but it still promised a lot of work and she had no idea what to do. Chrysalis never taught her how to rule a kingdom, only how to lead an army, and only partially before Cocoon escaped. Also…

“On the other hoof, knowing Cocoon, she certainly wants to return to Ponyville to be with her friends. These three are inseparable.”

Cocoon looked down in sadness. That was true. If she remained here to rule the Changeling Kingdom, then she wouldn't be able to return to Ponyville to continue crusading and having fun with her friends. And she also couldn’t be with Rainbow Dash anymore.

“But!” Sweetie Void shouted. “There is a solution! Cocoon is still a child, so she has the ability to name a regent to rule the changelings in her place. And I know exactly who she could name.”

Suddenly, the alicorn’s leg stretched toward one of the changelings, wrapping him and bringing him to her side.

The changeling was obviously taken by surprise. “W-what?”

Cocoon recognized him. “Thorax?”

Sweetie Void nodded. “Thorax. In other universes, when the changelings reform, he is the one who becomes their new leader. He can perfectly take on the role of regent.”

“What? N-no! I can’t…!” Thorax began in panic.

“Yes you can. Like I just said, in other universes, you are the one who becomes the new ruler of the changelings. King Thorax is known to be very gentle, always wanting the best for his people. He manages to unify the changelings, even the ones who wanted to keep Chrysalis’ ways. He becomes one of the closest allies of Equestria, a figurehead of Friendship and Harmony. Under him, the changelings thrive. You are that Thorax. Trust in yourself.”

Cocoon approached them, gently smiling at her brother. “Thorax has always been the gentlest changeling to talk to. I could tell that he didn’t like mother’s ways, like me. I can totally believe what you say, Sweetie Void.”

Sweetie Void nodded. “Talk together, and I’m sure that you will both be convinced. Meanwhile…” She extended her hoof, and two disk-like devices appeared on it. “Teleporters. Place one of these disks somewhere in the hive, place the other in Ponyville, then all you have to do is walk toward the teleporter while thinking of your destination to be teleported. No need for a unicorn, and distance is not a problem. This way, you will be able to go back and forth between the hive and Ponyville to do queen stuff and then play with your friends.”

The alicorn suddenly found herself hugged by Cocoon, followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the three of them thanking her. Meanwhile, Twilight stared at the disks in awe, now wanting to study them.

After that, Cocoon talked to Thorax, convincing him to become her regent. She then gathered all the changelings (admittedly, most of the still black ones had been just outside the Throne Room, hesitating to see what happened when they saw their now colored brethren and words spread that Chrysalis was gone) to give them a speech about what happened and what she intended to do now that she was queen, naming Thorax her regent, saying that the ponies were now their friends, and so on. Many of the still black changelings were convinced to give love a try, transforming. Others, however, rebelled and chose to keep their way.

Cocoon decided to remain a day to be with her changelings and plan with Thorax, so the ponies departed without her. Cocoon gave Rainbow Dash the second disk, trusting her to find a nice spot for it. After some goodbyes, Sweetie Void then teleported the ponies to Ponyville, leaving Cocoon alone with her changelings.

Well, almost alone. Sweetie Void was still here.

“So, still envious of pony you?” she asked.

Cocoon giggled. “Not really, no.”

Sweetie Void nodded, then put a hoof on Cocoon. “I’m sure that you will be the best queen ever. And remember that you are not alone. Also, little info: drones can now procreate themselves, so prepare to have lots of nieces and nephews.”

Cocoon’s eyes widened. “Really? So I won’t have to…?”

Sweetie Void giggled. “Nope. No need to make thousands of children by yourself.”

Cocoon breathed in relief.

Sweetie Void then gave Cocoon a gentle look. “And I’m sure that you will see your mother again sooner or later. Give her time to understand that she has a place in your hive.”

Cocoon nodded.

“Well, time for me to go,” Sweetie Void then said. “Expect me to visit you one day, maybe with my own friends.”

“Thank you for everything you did, Sweetie Void.”

“It was only normal to help a friend.”

At that, the two hugged for a moment before Sweetie Void broke the hug and walked away. She opened a rift, said, “See you soon!” and then jumped through, the rift closing.

Months later.

Cocoon blew the twelve candles on the cake.

It was actually the second time she did that today. The first time, it was during a national party in the hive, with all the changelings participating, giving good wishes and gifts to their young queen.

Now, it was a much smaller-but still rather big-party in Sugarcube Corner, with her close friends in attendance, without forgetting half the town being present.

A lot happened in Equestria since Cocoon became the queen. The Crystal Empire returned. Twilight became an alicorn. The Plunder Vines rampaged not long after. Then Tirek’s rampage and Twilight getting a castle, then getting a pupil. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle even got their Cutie Marks!

The Changeling Kingdom had been less chaotic. Under Cocoon and Thorax, the changelings turned the desolate lands around the hive into a piece of heaven. The hive itself now looked like it was made of crystals. The changelings learned all kinds of professions, developing an economy, discovering the arts, competitions, and so on. And they were never hungry anymore.

As Equestria’s allies, they helped fight Tirek. Cocoon personally fought alongside Twilight when the alicorn had been given the magic of Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. Against Tirek powered by the magic of most of Equestria, they almost won, until Tirek pulled a dirty trick that forced Twilight and Cocoon to give up their magic. Everything still ended well, and the bond between the ponies and the changelings became deeper after that. The two kingdoms were now trusted allies, ready to help each other.

Cocoon visited the alicorns regularly. At first, it was because she wanted to learn more about ruling a kingdom, but then, both Celestia and Luna answered, “We just wing it most of the time, doing what we think is right. There is nothing to learn. Just keep your economy in the green and your people happy, and everything will be alright.” After that, Cocoon visited them just because she became good friends with them, and they still gave some nice advice.

Now, at her birthday party, Cocoon couldn’t think of how she could become happier.

Then, Rainbow Dash, looking very meek, gave an envelope to her as a gift. “I worked with Thorax and the princesses on this one.”

Curious, Cocoon opened the envelope and took the paper inside, reading it. She gasped, then looked at Rainbow Dash, tears appearing in her eyes. “You… You really…?”

“If… If you want…”

The mare was suddenly hugged by the young crying Changeling Queen. “Yes! Yes! I want! T-thank you so much, m-m-MOM! Mom! I love you!”

Eyes wet, Rainbow Dash hugged back her new daughter. “I love you, squirt.”

Everypony around applauded.

Including a white unicorn mare with a green mane at the back of the crowd. If asked, Cocoon would say that she never saw her before.

If anypony paid attention to her, they would see that her Cutie Mark was a chrysalis.