Portrait of a Monarch

As the professor’s talk ended, multiple ponies raised hooves to ask questions. Chrysalis had nothing further to say, at least in public. Her questions for later could wait.

The questions that the professor took consisted mostly of prompts regarding his methodology, and Chrysalis half paid attention until the last of the questions was answered and the audience began to disband and go their separate ways.

Sunburst and Starlight thanked Eventide for his talk and then left the talk, not noticing the elderly librarian’s intense stare burning holes in their skin from behind.

Twilight finished writing up her notes on the talk and eagerly trotted up to the lectern to continue talking. Chrysalis flicked an ear, listening as the princess congratulated the professor for his talk.

“Thank you, Princess,” the professor said, dipping his head into a half-bow to her while she waved the gesture off. “I’m sorry for starting the talk late. Lightbulb was meant to be here, and I tried to wait for him.”

Twilight went to respond, but Chrysalis already wasn’t listening. The pony she had kidnapped was a friend of the professor’s. This was a brilliant opportunity.

She left the lecture hall and ducked into a dark hallway, retreating behind a corner before she changed her appearance into that of the yellow pegasus pony she had left dangling above her eggs. She quickly flexed his powerful wings, took a couple of steps to imitate the lanky pony’s stride, and then sprinted out of the hallway, hooves clattering against the tiled floor.

Chrysalis burst back into the lecture theatre, puffing for breath and awkwardly wheeling her wings to keep her balance.

“I’m so sorry!” she wailed when she saw Eventide.

He cut off his conversation with Twilight and trotted over to her. “Lightbulb, what happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I missed the first train from the Crystal Empire and I’m so sorry for missing your talk,” Chrysalis said.

Eventide nuzzled her, pressing his neck and chest against hers. Chrysalis hadn’t factored in for the possibility that she was now impersonating Eventide’s significant other, but she was nothing if not adaptable. She knew how to play the part of a lovestruck fool, although Chrysalis had never felt it herself.

She nuzzled him in response, catching her breath. “Did the talk go well?”

“It went great!” Thorax said, a goofy smile on his face unbecoming of the queen of the changelings. “I loved getting to hear the results of all your research, professor.”

“I really enjoyed it, too. These new scientific techniques are very exciting,” Twilight said, her wingtips twitching in excitement. “Where are my manners? Eventide, who’s this?”

“This is my boyf- my partner, Lightbulb. He’s a weatherpony from Cloudsdale, and he specialises in lightning clouds,” Eventide said.

“It’s an honour to meet you, princess,” Chrysalis said, choking back bile as she dipped into a bow for Twilight.

“Oh, how interesting! You know, I read a book by Sparkhoof about the formation of specialised lightning clouds in the weather factories. Are you familiar with her work?” Twilight said, levitating out her notebook to take notes on what Chrysalis would say next.

Chrysalis hoped dearly that she could make it out of this encounter without having to prove her own lack of ability to work with lightning clouds.

She fumbled for a moment, then said, “It would be great to talk with you about this sometime, Princess. But today is his day,” she said with a gesture at Eventide and a smile.

Eventide blushed a little. “I’m just glad you could make it after all.”

“I’ll send you my full list of questions by mail once they’re complete,” Twilight said to Eventide. “I’m so impressed with the breadth and depth of your research project.”

Flushing a little more, Eventide said, “It’s easy work when it’s something you’re passionate about.”

Chrysalis cast a glance at Eventide’s cutie mark. It was a large orange blotch across his flank with a black symbol she didn’t recognise on it.

“Oh, I know! That’s why the study of magic has never been boring for me,” Twilight chittered. “I’ll let you get back to your day, but rest assured, I really enjoyed your talk.”

Chrysalis stood faithfully at Eventide’s side while he spoke to the other attendees and answered further questions about his talk, and Chrysalis smiled and made nice. She even introduced herself to Thorax, who seemed none the wiser that his queen and mother stood in front of him.

Changelings couldn’t automatically see through each other’s disguises, but it was certainly easier for them since they knew what to look for. Thorax not even hesitating was a clear sign of the extreme complacency that had affected him.

Finally it was just Chrysalis and Eventide in the lecture theatre.

“Shall we go get some lunch? I’m starving,” Eventide said, gathering up his belongings. “I was too nervous to eat anything for breakfast, and now I would do dark things to get my hands on a hayburger.”

“Yes, let’s,” Chrysalis said. She could already feel the natural affection Eventide felt for Lightbulb easing the edges of hunger that were sneaking up on her.

“Where did you get that bag?” Eventide asked as he led the way down the university corridors.

Chrysalis startled for a moment as she realised that she was still wearing Amethyst’s quilted bag, which looked quite out of place on the shoulders of a young and energetic pegasus. “It was my grandma’s,” she said, hoping she wasn’t stepping wrong.

“It’s cool. I’ve been meaning to get into quilting,” Eventide said. He led her down the street to a diner.

“Sorry again for missing your talk,” Chrysalis said. This back and forth was already getting banal; she needed a way to trick him to accompany her back to the Crystal Empire, tonight if possible. “I wasn’t expecting to be as tired as I was after the Crystal Fair.”

“How was it?” Eventide asked. He ordered for her, and she ordered, hoping he had some money on him. Thankfully, he did, and they took a place at a booth.

“Good. I found out something really weird about Crystal Empire weather, though. I’m planning to head back there tonight to work on it - you should come with me,” Chrysalis said.

He tilted his head. “Tonight?”

“Yes. You’ll want to take a look, honestly.”

“It’s such short notice…”

“You deserve to take a holiday after you worked so hard on your lecture,” Chrysalis said. She could tell he wasn’t quite buying it, and a moment’s inspiration came to her on how to press him further. “Oh! And to sweeten the deal - when I dropped into the library to pick up that book you told me about, the librarian mare said she had found another book about changelings in the withdrawn bin in the back room.”

She had him now. His ears flicked forward in excitement and he perked up. “Well, I guess I have been working pretty hard.”

“I’ve already got my ticket for the last train tonight,” Chrysalis said. She was looking forward to getting him back to her lair so she could drop this exhausting charade.

“Okay, yes, let’s do it. I’ll just have to drop in home to pick up some luggage and then we can go,” he said.

Their food arrived. Eventide ate like a man possessed while Chrysalis picked at her food and watched him, learning his body language as best she could.

It was too easy.

Excerpt: Changeling Dissection Report Following Canterlot Invasion

• Deceased changeling submitted for analysis at Canterlot University.
• Cause of death believed to be blunt force trauma to the head following a confrontation with a baker pony on the streets of Canterlot.
• Dissection of sapient creatures without permission normally not permitted by Bioethics Committee; state of war between Equestria and changelings and the specimen already being deceased has allowed for special permission.

~~~~

• Commenced examination of holes present on legs.
• Interior surface of holes are lined with identical chitin to that on the exoskeleton.
• Dissection of right foreleg to investigate further.
• Nerve tissue in the leg is redirected from the core to travel around the holes.
• Muscle tissue in the leg is truncated in parts by the presence of the hole. Possible loss of leg strength as a result.
• Spiracle entry at top of the leg is rerouted to accommodate for the shape of the hole.
• Hole appears to have formed during standard development in pupation - i.e distinctive holes appear to have become genetic or otherwise heritable after Celestia’s attack.

The train clattered along the tracks and Eventide leaned against Chrysalis, dozing while she wrapped her wing around him. It was an easy meal to feed off him when he was so exhausted from a long day.

Deciding where to take Eventide was difficult. She wanted him awake and fully conscious so she could interrogate him, but he was a unicorn and possessed of some advanced intelligence, so it was not as simple as cocooning him or placing him in Amethyst’s cellar.

If she took him to the cave she kept her eggs at then he could pose some danger to her unhatched offspring, and his emotional reaction upon seeing Lightbulb confined there could be extreme.

There were other caves in the same area as her own. She had scouted them out before she had selected her one; hers was the largest and the most consistently warm, but if she placed him in another of the nearby crevices, he wouldn’t freeze. The snow and cold outside would prevent him from escaping, particularly if he was disorientated by being transported there unconscious, and he would be dependent on her for food. It was ideal.

The train arrived in the Crystal Empire station, right at the edge of the dome. She waited until most of the passengers had disembarked from the train and then nudged Eventide awake.

“Let’s get to our accommodation, hm?” Chrysalis said, and he blearily nodded and got to his hooves to follow her.

They walked slowly until it was just the two of them walking under the night sky, and then a flash of green light rendered him fully unconscious.

Eventide was easier to move than Lightbulb, but not by much. Once she knew that she was totally alone, Chrysalis simply levitated him into the mountains, hoping the green glow wasn’t visible from the city.

Trotting through the snow felt so much easier than it had when she had first come to the Crystal Empire. Chrysalis was strong and vigorous again; not quite at full power, but more than enough to overpower ponies and survive treks through the snow. Snow flurrying around her hooves passed through the holes in her legs, sending sharp points of cold through her nerves.

The holes had been there so long that she barely thought about them, except for when it was cold, or when she saw Celestia.

The Princess had retired now. She wondered where. Perhaps she could indulge herself once the hive was strong, and find Celestia to beat the life out of her.

It took Chrysalis a moment to find the cave she remembered. The whirling, ever present snows of the frozen north had buried the entrance, and she had to put Eventide down onto a rock to dig and unearth it. Once she found it, she lowered him into the hole, and then followed afterwards.

This cave was a single, poorly sheltered room, although the rock floor was warm enough to keep Eventide from freezing. She placed him on the floor and left him for the moment. When she ducked her head out of the cave, all she could see was white snow and dark skies. Eventide would have no idea which way to flee, if he was stupid enough to try.

She traveled around the side of the rise to find her own cave. The melted snow around the entrance left the crevice looking like an open mouth in the rock.

Slipping inside, she was relieved to see the eggs still bright and squirming, healthy as could be. Lightbulb and Amethyst were still and perfectly preserved in their cocoons, untouched. If Chrysalis needed some extra food, she could try keeping Lightbulb and Eventide in the same cave, although letting a strong flyer like Lightbulb out of his cocoon could prove fatal.

A couple more of the eggs had stopped developing. Chrysalis cast them out in the snow. She had plenty left, and it was normal to lose a few.

The cave was still warm and damp, and she left them so she could get back to Eventide.

Once she returned she released the spell on Eventide and waited patiently. She had the entire night until she needed to be back at the library.

After a few hours of silence broken only by the impossibly soft sound of snow falling, Eventide returned to wakefulness.

He blinked slowly, looking around the cave until he tilted his head up and saw Chrysalis.

If he was afraid, he didn’t show it. Instead he said, “Queen Chrysalis? Is that you?”

“Good, you know my name,” Chrysalis said, letting a smile play over her face. It felt good to be recognised as a queen again.

“I have so many questions for you!” Eventide said, scrambling to a sitting position and feeling around him with his hooves to find his bag. He pulled out a notebook with magic and opened it, looking at her excitedly. Then the gravity of the situation seemed to hit him. “Where are we?” He looked past her, out at the snowy expanse.

“The Frozen North,” Chrysalis said.

Eventide’s ears flopped back. “Where’s Lightbulb?”

“Your pony friend is safe, for now. Provided you cooperate, you may even be reunited with him in the future,” Chrysalis said.

“He didn’t compliment my haircut. I should have known it wasn’t him,” Eventide said. “Did you come to my talk?”

“I found it most interesting,” Chrysalis said. “I brought you here to learn more about your research.”

To her surprise, Eventide perked up again, his tail swishing from side to side in interest. “I’m glad you liked it! You know, I told Princess Twilight that if I could get an interview with you somehow it would be the crowning glory of my work, so don’t go thinking that I wrote my paper without you in mind.”

Chrysalis ignored that attempt at pandering. “Your purpose here is to answer any questions I might have. In exchange you and Lightbulb may be permitted to go free once my time here is over,” she said.

Eventide did not look deterred. “Sounds like a plan. I don’t have my research notes with me at the moment, but I do have a great memory.”

“I would also warn you against escaping. Between here and your rescue lies a great plain of unforgiving cold, and your pony blood will freeze before you find safety,” Chrysalis said.

“Oh, yeah, I figured. You don’t do things by halves.” He looked around the small cave for somewhere to get comfortable and settled on a flat, warm part of the floor. “Clever trick. I’m guessing we’re in a geothermal area.”

Chrysalis didn’t bother to respond to that. “I will bring you food when I can.” She turned to climb back out of the cave, but was stopped by his voice.

“Can you - can you bring me something to read, too? And maybe a blanket,” he said.

She whipped her head back around to him. “You’ll take what you’re given. Just being left alive should be enough to make you grateful for my generosity,” she spat, then left.

After another quick check on her eggs, Chrysalis made her way back to the Crystal Empire, ready to open the library the next morning.