“I’m getting kinda sick of this. Maybe we should have just joined Thorax’s hive after all...” The drone buzzed in irritation, leaning on the cavern walls. “I mean seriously– We’ve always followed her even in defeat, but it’s not the same when there’s like, twenty of us. It’s not the same when we’re defeated like– Every time.”
“Dude, can you not be disloyal right now? I’m literally just chilling here!” The other drone laid on the cavern floor, feeling the sunshine of one of the few crevices above them that bathed them in light, doing the closest thing that changelings could to sunbathing.
“I’m just saying. Our failures have been particularly pathetic lately.” he groaned, fidgeting with his antennas. “She needs us more than we need her. Does she even have a plan anymore?”
“I HAVE A PLAN!” Chrysalis boomed with joy and gusto, entering the cavern, and every drone that inhabited it straightened their backs and paid attention. “And don’t you think I wasn’t hearing your disloyalty, drone.” She gritted her teeth, towering over him. “Strike two and you’re out.” She muttered with a snarl.
“Yay.” He rolled his eyes, and she mercifully chose to ignore him.
“Gather around, my loyal minions!!” The Queen boomed, flying towards a particularly mossy stone, and began scribbling on it. “I have just concocted a plan that may finally give me all that I could have EVER WANTED!!”
“What’s the fail ratio?” One of the drones asked shyly in the crowd.
“I HEARD THAT!” She snapped. “And much like ALL my plans, it will be BRILLIANT!!”
The small crowd muttered amongst themselves, completely unencouraged.
“Show some backbone, fools!” She fluttered her wings with a hum, as she began scribbling onto the moss, making crude interpretations of her enemies. “For tomorrow, we will gain revenge on my nemesis, my worst enemy, and yet, my most powerful, Queen Celestia!!”
“Wait, I thought your nemesis was Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
“Nah, nah, it’s that Princess Sunset Shimmer. Remember when she burned her hair?”
“Wait, do you mean Starlight Glimmer? Ugh pony names are confusing.”
“The queen sure has a lot of nemesis nowadays, huh?”
“No, guys, her nemesis is deeeefinitelly Thorax.”
“FOOLS! KNOCK THE QUEEN DOWN, AND THE PEONS SHALL FALL WITH HER!” She barked out in frustration, pointing her hooves at a crude moss drawing of Celestia, with even cruder versions of the other alicorns surrounding her.
She then ran towards the crowd singling out the drone that spoke Thorax’s name. “And do NOT say the name of that baby-faced TRAITOR.“ She stomped her hooves on the ground in rage, shuddering with it. “That tiny NOTHING is absolutely part of this plan– He will get what he deserves for making my precious changelings into hug-loving flower-crown-wearing IDIOTS!!”
“Don’t knock on hugs till you try them, my queen!” One of the drones giggled on the corner, and she nearly blasted him immediately.
“You are all SO lucky I am in desperate need of lackeys– Or else I’d be chewing on your skulls like they’re GUM.” She muttered to herself, going back to the center of the cave.
“Okay so, uh, what’s your plan, my queen? Getting revenge, on, uh…?”
“CELESTIA!” She bellowed, pointing at her crude moss drawing once more. “That gorgeous, immortal, pompous nuisance will rue the day she ever stood in my way… Yes, it is all coming into focus now! This new plan of mine will have her at my mercy, finally… It is the most diabolical, most wicked, most INFALLIBLE plan I’ve ever made YET!!”
“Well, we caught Chrysalis. That was easy.” Sunset chuckled to herself.
“You got LUCKY, you little nothing!!” Chrysalis snarled, completely restrained by chains. Horn and legs were bound, being dragged both by Sunset and Twilight through the halls of Canterlot Castle. “Tell your mother that I'll only speak to HER!”
“We heard that the last ten times you said it!” Twilight rolled her eyes, fluttering her wings in annoyance. “That doesn’t work if you won’t stop blabbering and monologuing!!”
“Do not take that tone with me, you nerdy little IDIOT! Were I free of these chains, I’d sink my teeth into your–” She was immediately interrupted by Sunset stomping her face down with a hoof, forcing her head onto the floor.
She loomed over the Queen of Vermin, flared her wings, and her horn sparked. “Go ahead. Keep threatening Twilight. Give me a reason to do what we usually do to bugs.”
“So angry! Would your mother approve?” Chrysalis teased, but Sunset pressed her hoof down further. “Ow ow OW OW OW!!”
“Sunset. No more.” Twilight commanded plainly, but was unable to contain a smile on seeing Chrysalis humiliated.
The fire Alicorn obeyed immediately with a nod. “You’re lucky she’s here.”
“I hate both of you.” The Queen muttered. “WHERE is Celestia?!”
“Right here, Chrysalis.” The dominating voice of the Queen echoed in the halls. “Will you only speak to me, then?”
“Y-yes!! Get your two little students out of sight; I can smell their love, and it is SICKENING!!” She rattled her chains pointlessly.
“Thank you for catching Chrysalis, you two.” Celestia smiled warmly, bowing lightly, and her two students followed. “I trust that she did not cause much trouble?”
“Please, with me and Twilight together?” Sunset smiled confidently, nuzzling the other Princess. “It was easy.”
Twilight giggled, nuzzling back. “I can see why you’re not mad whenever Chrysalis escapes– She’s really easy to catch!! We didn’t even need to call the others!”
“Indeed, without her hive, she is little more than a nuisance.” The Queen of the Sun snickered, fluttering her wings. “Neither of you are hurt, I take it?” She quickly inspected them.
They both proudly displayed that they were perfectly fine, while Chrysalis complained. “I’m right here!! Stop ignoring me, you angelic-voiced beast!!”
“Stay near, will you?” Celestia hummed to the two students proudly. “When I am done interrogating her, I will require your services on taking her to Canterlot prison.”
“No prison can hold me!!”She bellowed below, and was promptly ignored once more.
“Of course! You can count on us!” Twilight beamed.
“We can take on anything, together.” Sunset nuzzled her again, smiling truly.
Celestia couldn’t help but smile warmly, immensely and pridefully. “I am so proud of you two. Seeing you work together fills me with hope for the future of Eques–”
“--HEY! WHERE’S MY INTERROGATION, CELIE??”
The three alicorns paused, frowning at her.
“Okay, c’mon, Sunsun, let’s go get lunch.” Twilight blew raspberries at the changeling, turning around.
“Alright, Sparkles. I heard it’s Taco Tuesday in the cafeteria, too!” The other beamed, and they walked by with wings interlocked, flank to flank.
“Those two make me sick.” The Queen of Vermin muttered, making grimace after grimace, pretending to heave.
“Says the vermin that lives to eat love.” Celestia rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, then.” She began dragging the changeling queen behind her, who could barely move, with all of the chains, but smiled nonetheless.
The doors closed behind them, and they were alone in small yet comfortable quarters.
A fireplace crackled quietly, the room was impeccably decorated, but it strategically had no windows. Celestia wrapped Chrysalis's chains onto the ceiling, forcing her to stand, an act she didn’t mind, eye-to-eye.
She was bound by each limb, and her horn had a nullifying cuff, but that didn’t stop her from feeling as confident as ever, smiling casually. “Your daughter is a psycho, by the way. She threatened to burn my eyebrows off.”
“I’d take her threats seriously if I were you.” Celestia lounged, amused. “Sunset and I share many traits, but mercy is not one of them.”
“Well, as long as that little nerd is around to keep her on a leash, I should be fine.” Chrysalis grumbled.
Calmly, Celestia selected from a tea set that was left for her in the room, and began preparing a cup for herself, absentmindedly. “Let us get to the point already, Chrysalis. Here we are again– You wanted me alone, you have me.” Celestia raised a single defying eyebrow, without fear.
“Oh, I will have you.” She snarled back, with a delighted smile.
“Get to the point, then. I tire of these clashes.” The Alicorn sighed, rolling her eyes.
“I don’t.” She delighted herself, licking her lips with a long slimy tongue. “Centuries of you and me clashing, again and again… Hasn’t it been as fun for you as it has been for me?”
“I cannot say that it has.” She narrowed her eyes. “The safety of my kingdom is always my priority– All you have ever done is jeopardize that safety.”
“Do you remember when we first met?” Grinning, reminiscing, she tilted her head in a bug-like way. “Oh, I remember it fondly. I was draining the love of a stupid little prideful city with my armada of changelings– Oh, the glory days– And there you came, like a meteor, crashing down on me.”
“...Nostalgic, are we?” For a moment, she tried wondering just what the Vermin was thinking, being here. “That must have been… nearly a thousand years ago.”
“None of your subjects know that my scars belong to you, do they?” Filled with pride, she displayed her torn insect legs, and even her horn, bent and twisted. “I carry parts of you wherever I go.”
“Are you here for an apology? Because if so, I am–”
“--Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, Celie.” She grinned, leaning forward. “Just like I wouldn’t dream of scarring an inch on your pretty face…”
The alicorn narrowed her eyes, then widened them, then simply grimaced in confusion.
“I often shed, grew, and healed–” She traced a hoof over a limb. “But I am fond to display the marks you left on me wherever I go.”
“I am not sure what you are playing at.” She pouted, frowning, taking a sip from her teacup. “But I do not like it.”
“I remember that night fondly.” She looked to the ceiling, with a dumb little smile. “Oh, our battle was hard fought– ‘Finally!’ I thought. An equal. A challenge. The ONE being in all of Equestria that could ever match me.”
“We are far from equals.” Celestia frowned, making piercing eye contact.
“Such is the nature of nemesis.” She did the best she could to wave her appendages, and flutter her wings with a buzz, despite the chains. “You beat me, I beat you– But we never ended each other. You tried banishing me dozens, dozens of times… And I always came back.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me–”
“Can you really blame a moth for being drawn to the beauty of the flame?”
“What”
“I have seen better days...” Chrysalis muttered to herself in annoyance. “My kingdom and hive are no more. I have very few loyal lackeys anymore– My minions openly discuss abandoning me, when there was a time they would die for me without question– And there are so little of them, I cannot even punish them for their disloyalty.”
“You have my pity.” The smallest smile appeared on Celestia’s lips, as she sipped the tea again.
Chrysalis smiled, looking away. “With the advent of your two new pupils, and all they’ve done, I am noticing the winds of change sweeping through all of Equestria… And I believe it may be time I change, too.”
This prompted Celestia to stand immediately, nerves high, in full surprise, setting her teacup down. “Chrysalis– Are you– Finally considering reform?!”
“I refuse to return to the remains of my hive– I will NOT live under that baby-faced FOOL.” She snarled, shaking her head, but then her expression softened. “But I have come to realize something. When it comes to draining love… I only ever wanted you.”
The Queen of the Sun had absolutely no idea how to reply to that.
“We are equals, you and I.” She grinned madly, leaning forward. “In power, in majesty, in dominion… In beauty.”
It was the strangest sensation, to be complimented on your appearance by a bug monster whom you fought for a thousand years, and with it, the Queen of the Sun could only respond with a simple word.
“Eh?”
“I’ll make it very simple. Let’s make a deal.” Chrysalis’s smile was as delighted as ever, if not softer. “I won't feed on any other creature’s love. And I won’t be kneeling to any other, too– Only you.”
“What in Equestria are you proposing?!” Narrowing her eyes, she came closer.
“Take me. For all I am.” Her expression became almost flirtatious. “We need be enemies no more. Keep me in chains, bound at all times, if you must– As long as I can feast on your love, and yours alone.”
Celestia sat down, her gaze shifted to the fireplace, where she pondered. “You are saying you would cease your villany, permanently… All to be my… What?”
With a mad grin, Chrysalis leaned even further. “Anything you desire of me. I will be yours, fully. Your weapon, your puppet, your… lover?”
“E-excuse me?” Her face turned red, and she recoiled. “What is this new ploy of yours?! I do not appreciate it, nor understand it?!”
“No ploy.” She spoke earnestly, almost with a tone of pleading, desperately seeking physical touch. “I have longed for you since we first met, my flame. Your power is matched only by your beauty– There is no other in this pathetic world that is worthy of me– And I’ll be damned if I am not right to believe that the same applies to you!!!”
“You cannot be serious.” Her face was stern, angry, and yet, red. “You canNOT have feelings for me after all the pain we have caused each other.”
“Why wouldn’t I? We immortals are above such pettiness! You are the only one that could hurt me, you are the ONLY one that could match me!” Exasperated, she rattled her chains, leaning closer, and Celestia did not recoil. “Why do you think I called myself queen? I have always wanted to upstage you, to call your attention, to defy you!” Her wings buzzed and hummed with energy.
“Are you seriously implying that you have antagonized me for centuries due to a CRUSH?!” She flared her wings in anger, still taken back.
“Oh, it’s far more than a crush, hot stuff.” She grinned coyly. “Your long legs, your beautiful neck, your lucious backside– don’t even get me STARTED on those wings– Do not tell me that you have not longed for a lover of your own size, your own CALIBER– Because I HAVE!” Her wings buzzed fiercely, and she continued with the same energy. “Do not tell me either of us should settle for anything less than the best. And WE ARE IT!”
“You are insufferable, you know that?” Celestia rolled her eyes, turning away, and Chrysalis kept her gaze on the Queen of the Sun’s backside. “Out of all your ploys, this has to be your most desperate. You really must be out of options.”
“Think of your star pupil, and that daughter of yours– Both of them are going to take the throne together, lead Equestria into a golden age, bla bla bla– They will get to love each other and please each other for a thousand years, and meanwhile, you have ruled on what could only be surmised as a vow of CHASTITY! What a WASTE!” She barked, undignified, shaking her hooves. “The Queen of the Sun deserves much better. Call upon me and I will give you anything, my love!!”
“Stop that.” Celestia commanded, and was surprised to see the vermin complied with a smile. “What my pupils will do with their rule is their business– I am nothing if not happy that they will have each other.”
“And you only have your dear younger sister. That smug little looney Luna. Will you honestly retire without ever taking a lover?! Are you not envious of the next generation?!” She was genuinely upset. “You are a QUEEN. And you should TAKE WHAT YOU WANT.”
“What I want…!” Celestia approached her sternly, and the changeling folded immediately. “You would honestly serve me? Follow my every command?”
“If m-my conditions are met.” Her wings buzzed and fluttered, as her face did the closest a changeling could to a blush. “I would gladly relinquish my title of nemesis, if I could be something… more to you.”
A moment passed where the Queen of the Sun looked through her, scanning her every expression, thinking thoroughly.
Slowly she took her teacup and drank from it, as an excuse to look away, her face reddened. “You have no idea how frustrating it feels at times to be a thousand-year-old virgin.” She muttered in defeat. “Most of my subjects presume I’ve gotten action– I don’t have it within me to tell them otherwise.”
“That should be a WAR CRIME!!” vibrating her wings, the Queen of Vermin barked. “You are the most powerful and beautiful being in this world– You deserve EVERYTHING!!”
Celestia turned to look at the insect, pondering, thinking, considering, considering strongly.
“A thousand years as enemies…” Chrysalis muttered with a toothy, flustered grin. “What could the next thousand years await for us, my dear flame?”
“I’m not making you my sex slave just to get you to stop being evil.”
“AWW C’MOOOON!!!” She pleaded to the very air, nearly in tears. “PLEASE?!”
“No.”
“Pretty please?”
“No!”
The Queen of Vermin shouted indistinct curse words while rattling her chains.
“I mean it, Chrysalis.” She spoke sternly, as she turned around, lounging on a couch. “I am offended that you would even suggest it– What is the point in reforming you if it would only be for my benefit? You must serve Equestria, not me.” She took a brief pause, looking away, face red. “...And I’m fairly certain that if I went through with this, my entire family– Sister, daughter and even niece– Would disown me.”
The changeling Queen hung her head low in defeat, almost like a bow, her hair covering her face. Her wings buzzed behind her rhythmically.
“Honestly, Chrysalis… nearly every other changeling has changed. You said it yourself– Equestria is changing… you can be better too, if you simply let go of your pride– Nurture love, instead of eating it, like your reformed compatriots...” She spoke with genuine pity, and almost affection, face still red. “...Maybe then, I would consider your proposal.”
“I am perfect the way I am– As are you, my flame.” She could hear the Queen of Vermin mutter, facing down. “Though I suppose there is one way of which you could have changed, after all these years… you could have been less gullible.”
Using gravity, still bowing, she spit a glob of acid down, aiming at the horn cuff that bound her, melting it off near instantly, harming herself for a chance to liberate her own magic.
“Because guess what.” She raised her head with a malicious grin. “This WAS all a ploy!”
“Are you kidding me–”
With a single movement, she teleported out of the chains that bound her, standing proudly facing the Queen of the Sun down. “I have been communicating with my lackeys through the vibrations of my wings this entire conversation, you fool!!”
“Oh.” Celestia didn’t even bother taking a battle stance. She merely sat there, disappointed.
“While your little pupils were distracted with their wretched ‘Taco Tuesday’, and you were distracted by me, my drones have managed to infiltrate and raid your armory– And are making off with dozens of explosives as we speak!!” She fluttered her big wings with joy, cackling maniacally. “Next time you see me, it’ll be with a big BOOM! YOU HAVE ONCE MORE BEEN PLAYED FOR A FOOL BY YOUR NEMESIS, QUEEN CHRYSALIS!! MWAHAHAHA!”
“Sure, then.” Celestia shrugged, unamused, disappointed.
“...You’re not gonna try to stop me?” The changeling pouted.
“...I’m not in the mood.” She frowned, turning around and lounging on a couch. “My students will, I’m sure. Go on then, make your escape. Tomorrow, we will be enemies like always.”
“O-oh. Uh. Okay.” The Queen of Vermin awkwardly shuffled towards the door. “U-um. Bye.”
Silence befell the room, accentuated only by distant sounds of the changeling’s escape, explosions, shouting, and maniacal laughter.
With a sigh, Celestia dragged a hoof across her own face, in a fluster.
“What the hell is wrong with me.”
Sunburst ran as fast as he could (which for a scholar, was admittedly, quite slow) as he climbed the many stairs of the changeling hive, being painfully reminded that all changelings could fly by how the stairs were poorly constructed.
The new hive was undoubtedly beautiful, vines and flowers meshed with the walls and windows lovingly, and every resident did their part to take care of it, which was a joy to witness; Not as much when you had to run through it.
As he was finally reaching Thorax’s chambers, he heard the strangest of sounds– Crying.
Actually, it was wailing.
“I-I came as fast as I c-could!!” He could only speak through shallow breaths, panting, as he finally reached Thorax. “W-what’s the situation?”
“...Sunny, couldn’t you have just teleported here?” The bug Prince tilted his head.
“...Shoot.” Sunburst covered his face in embarrassment at his own lapse of judgment. “W-wAIT, IS THAT–”
Queen Chrysalis laid sprawled on the large couch in Thorax's room, bawling her eyes out, eating directly from a tub of ice cream.
“W-what in Equestria is SHE doing here?!!” He adjusted his glasses nervously.
“Y-you’ve got me, I’ve got no clue! I’ve tried asking, but she’s, uh, mostly been crying.” Thorax shrugged with pity. “I think something really bad must have happened to her.”
“Something really bad–” Sunburst paused in disbelief. “--Happened to the evil Queen that sucks Love?”
“I guess?” The Prince tilted his head, approaching her. “Um, hi, do you… Want to talk about it?”
“I HAVE NEVER FUMBLED SO POORLY IN ALL MY CENTURIES OF LIVING!!” She wailed, her pitch black tears staining the pillows of the couch she was sprawled upon. “I HAVE LOST IT ALL!!!”
Sunburst ignored her words, his gaze was fixed on what she was holding. “H-hey!! I-is that my favorite ice cream?! W-we were saving it for theater night!!”
“Yeah, she, um, already ate a whole tub of my favorite, too…” Sheepishly, Thorax pointed towards the now completely raided fridge, still open.
“Ugh.” Sunburst walked over and made sure the doors to their sweets were closed. “Q-queen Chrysalis, do you mind explaining your invasion at this hour?!”
“I-I had her, for a single, beautiful moment, I had her…!” Her words were barely audible as she continued to feast savagely on a whole tub of ice cream.
“Had who?” Thorax tilted his head. “She’s not making any sense.”
The two watched in complete disbelief as the Queen muttered to herself, voice warped due to the ice cream in her mouth. “We could have been so good together! We could have lived this dance forever!! But noooow who’s gonna dance with me!?!”
“Okay, she’s started singing.” Thorax winced with pity.
“What the heck is that?!” Sunburst pointed at the corner. Standing in it, clumsily, was a life-sized plushie replica of none other than Queen Celestia.
“yeah, she brought that with her, I think?” Thorax grimaced in confusion. “I, uh, have no clue why.”
“Queen Chrysalis, why did you bring a body pillow of Queen Celestia into Thorax’s room?!”
“Excuse ME!” She snarled, dropping her tub of ice cream, and with her magic, snatching the plush, and embracing it. “This is no mere body pillow! This is a life-sized-limited-edition COLLECTORS ITEM, thank you very much!!”
The two watched in complete disbelief and confusion as the Queen of Vermin cuddled with the Plush Celestia, despite still overflowing with tears.
They exchanged glances and grimaces, until the Queen interrupted. “The decor on your hive SUCKS by the way. Colorful vines and flowers everywhere?! Are you kidding me?!”
“I’m sorry, have you come here just to judge me and also cry on my couch?!” Thorax finally snapped, channeling all of the confidence he had learned from the dragon lord. “You’re not welcome here!! P-please leave!!”
“Make me, you infant.” Chrysalis snarled.
“Okay, I'm calling your brother.” Sunburst sighed, shaking his head, turning to the door immediately. “Pharynx! We need you up here!”
“You don’t get to summon me, twerp.” The warrior in question flew incredibly fast into the room, almost teleporting into it. “Now what the fuck is she doing here?! Want me to throw her out, lil bro?”
“N-not yet, let’s just figure out what she’s–”
Chrysalis teleported forward, clutching the tub of ice cream with one hoof, and the neck of her most prized possession in the other, and her expression was of plea. “H-how did you do it, you baby-faced fool?! How did you seduce glasses boy?!”
“Glasses boy has a name…!” Sunburst sighed in resignation.
“I-I’m sorry, what?!” Thorax grimaced in confusion.
“Are we just ignoring the Celestia body pillow?” Pharynx pointed at it, in utter disbelief.
“You have built a bridge between changelings and ponies, yes!” Chrysalis barked in anger. “And not just that, but you’ve got yourself a mediocre pony boyfriend?! HOW?!”
Thorax’s brother immediately stepped in. “Hey, don’t insult my brother’s taste in men. Only I get to do that.”
Sunburst smiled innocently. “Aw, Thanks for defending me, Pharynx!”
“You smell bad.” He barked immediately.
“P-please, both of you. Quiet, please.” Thorax pouted. “Sorry Chrysalis, what did you say?”
“And that’s the worst part!! Look at you!! You’re biteless! A weakling!!” She shuddered in anger, clutching the plushie tighter for comfort. “How is it that you seduced this pony?!”
“Um. I was nice?” Thorax smiled awkwardly. “There wasn’t really much seducing involved…”
Sunburst, adjusting his glasses, piped in. “Communication and kindness are the cornerstone of a healthy relationship. Me and Thorax share curiosity and interest over learning and improving the world through healthy political connections between our species, so we worked our way from there, and it helped that I was the ambassador of pony relations here, too–”
“GAH! Why do I even bother!!” She barked to the very air. “Kindness, niceness, YUCK! You short-sighted idiots are good for nothing!! And none of you could compare to Celestia–”
“I’m sorry, what?” Pharynx grimaced. “Am I missing something? Does she have some sort of stupid crush on the Queen of the Sun?”
“I fear that may be the case, yes.” Sunburst shuddered.
“YOU FOOLS WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND OUR LOVE!!” Chrysalis shouted dramatically, and then sprawled herself out on the couch once more, cuddling with the plushie and continuing to feast on what remained of the ice cream.“Tonight the music seems so loud!! I wish that we could lose this crowd!! Maybe it's better this way!! We'd hurt each other with the things we want to–”
“--Okay, this is getting sad, she’s singing now. Who should we call about this?” Pharynx looked at the other two in utter confusion.
Adjusting his glasses, Sunburst pondered. “Perhaps Cadance, first? The Princess of Love might have insight on Chrysalis’s… Outburst.”
“BAH!” The Queen shouted out, dismissing them. “That little pink prissy would have no advice to give, on a love that surpasses legend!! She is nothing compared to Celestia!! She knows nothing at all!! Not the first thing about love!!”
“Says the monster that only knows how to suck it.” Pharynx frowned.
“If ANYONE HERE is an expert at SUCKING, it is ALL OF YOU!!” She pointed accusingly.
“That’s it, I’m kicking your ass.” Pharynx entered a battle stance.
Just then, the sounds and vibrations of wings below them sent a message that only changelings could understand. ‘Charges ready.’ Of which all in the room could hear except for Sunburst.
The Queen grimaced with malevolence. “You all fell for it.” And just then she vibrated her own wings to relay her own message. ‘Set the timers.’
Flinching, Thorax’s eyes widened. “W-what have you done?!”
“Fools!! Did you really think I was some lovestruck foolish puppy, coming here to mourn?!” She clutched the plushie, laughing maniacally.
“Actually, yes.” Sunburst nodded.
“Yeah, you were pretty pathetic.” Pharynx affirmed.
“W-well I WASN'T!!” She snarled, pouting. “This was all a PLOY to have you DISTRACTED!!! Even now, my loyal changelings infiltrated your hive, disguised as your own– Covertly, they planted explosives we raided from Canterlot Castle this morning on the foundations of your home– and now, the timers are SET! If I can't have my hive, NONE OF YOU CAN! SO LONG, SUCKERS!! MWAHAHA–” Chrysalis attempted to fly out of a window, bringing her plushie with her, and flew face first into a force field.
“I cast that force field around your room the moment I saw her on your couch.” Sunburst pointed, adjusting his glasses.
“Thanks, Sunny.” Thorax smiled, then turned to his brother. “Big brother, get down there and warn the others! We need to do something about the explosives!!”
Pharynx nodded and immediately flew out of the room.
Chrysalis, still dizzy, stood up, and started vibrating her wings in an attempt of communication with her lackeys, as she fiddled with the forcefield. “F-fools!! Disarm the charges!!” She buzzed her wings again. “I’m still here!! What do you MEAN you don’t know how to disarm them?!”
Sunburst and Thorax ran out of the room, and the scholar gave his insight. “I-if the explosives are magically primed, I’m very certain I can disarm them!! Just point me to where, and I can probably do it!”
Vibrating his wings, Thorax was communicating with his fellow changeling. “N-nearest charge is on the central column, let’s go!”
Above them, stranded in Thorax's room, unable to escape, Chrysalis bellowed. “BURY ME WITH MY BODY PILLOW!!!”
“Well, we caught Chrysalis. …Again.” Sunset chuckled to herself, side by side with Twilight, as they watched the Queen of Vermin squirm in her chains. “That was easy.”
“And the changeling hive is safe!!” Twilight beamed, as they stood outside it, with many of its denizens hugging and cheering. “Awesome quick thinking on Sunburst’s part!!”
Sunset leaned lower, poking the queen. “How does it feel to have all of the last drones that were loyal to you change their minds, Chrysie?”
In the distance, the newly reformed changelings danced and hugged each other, with Thorax delivering a speech over the importance of love and family, side by side with the Queen of the Sun, celebrating the union of all changeling kind.
“I hate both of you.” Chrysalis muttered in defeat.
“Whatever.” Sunset shrugged, nuzzling Twilight.
“Let’s go join the party, Sunsun!” Twilight spread her wings with glee. “While Chrysalis here can sit around and think about what she’s done!”
And indeed they did, as she was surrounded by guards, defeated, face first on the ground, mulling over it.
She had indeed lost everything, change had come to Equestria faster than she had anticipated, and now she had no lackeys, only herself; Her enemies stood tall and strong, and she was alone.
“Now, now, what have we learned?” Celestia’s dominating yet soothing voice approached, and the Queen of Vermin immediately tensed up, with her tail flailing about.
“Nothing.” She grinned maliciously, being towered over by the alicorn. “If I must continue my evil alone, so be it. Change has come after all.”
“And yet, you will not change?” Celestia leaned forward with pity.
“Keep asking, my Flame.” The insect smirked, raising her head. “I love hearing it.”
Celestia quickly and quietly pressed Chrysalis’s face down on the dirt, silencing her, then turned to the guards. “Will one of you bring me a muzzle, please? I believe we have had enough of the Queen of Vermin spouting her venom for now.”
Chrysalis couldn’t help but grin wider, as she was pressed down by the Queen of the Sun, smiling like an idiot. “Look at you, and your capacity for nefariousness…” Her eyes watered, this time, with joy. “Oh, we could have been so good together…!”
"...And you will return, I imagine." Celestia tilted her head, with a sly smile, still ensuring Chrysalis couldn't lift her head.
"Always." The Queen of Vermin had a genuine smile on her face. "My next ploy will be even better, you'll see."
Rolling her eyes, the alicorn sighed. “All of your lackeys have left you, you have lost your hive, and you’re once again captured. You have lost everything, and still, you cling to your evil?”
“Oh, I still have my most prized possession, with it, I will never–”
Sunset emerged from the hive, shouting out with a smile. “Hey everypony! I just found a Celestia body pillow! Who wants to watch me burn it?!”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
Author's Note
Behold, my attempt on making a SHORT fic for once lmao. It's so rare I have one-and-done ideas, I always think too big for my own good.
Then I realized, hey you know what's the funniest thing ever? Anytime Chrysalis is shipped with ANY character. Then I went down my list of flashbacks I wanted to write for my main fic, the "Shimmerverse" and realized smth obvious. This flashback would be funner if it wasn't a flashback at all, but instead just it's own main thing, with Chrysalis as the protagonist lol. Sure, Sunset and Twilight being alicorns is thematically relevant, after all, they've made Chrysalis's life much more difficult, but the Queen of Vermin is the focus!
She's my favorite villain! (Wallflower notwithstanding, she's just an antagonist, after all.) I think the chaoticness and pettiness of a character that considers herself a match for Celestia is so funny. And it's even funnier if she's just lusting after the Queen of the Sun lmao. They really can work as nemesis, but the show was more preoccupied with the admittedly hilarious idea of Chrysalis declaring revenge with whatever enemy beat her, which starts being everyone.
Worth stating, I also conceived of this because I was always kind of disappointment on how Chrysalis lost her hive-- Not all of it, of course, I love Thorax. But the simple idea that ALL changelings at once betrayed her seems a bit far-fetched (Also, all of the good guys just losing off screen? Lame. They seriously had to jump through so many hoops just to make Starlight be the one to save the day, they could have done better.)
I wanted to make my own story of her losing all the last loyal changelings; Hell, in the Shimmerverse, (And it's prime universe) I even mentioned more than once how there would be a changeling civil war going on in the background, and this would have been after that, with it already solved, and with so many of the changelings having sided with Thorax already. Chrysalis is in her last legs!
This dooooes lead me to another Idea I had on the Prime universe, very related to this one, where instead of Chrysalis making the "Mean 6" (Clones of the main 6 that oppose their original ideals) She makes clones of Twilight and Sunset, the two main alicorn Princesses, (who are in love) To see if they can take down the other two, and I considered how fun it'd be to have the evil two easily overpower Chrysalis, and then have a really fun back and forth about how this version of Sunset refuses to take orders from anyone, and how this Twilight wants to control everything, especially her.
MAYBE my love for Dark Pit from Kid Icarus Uprising would be guiding most of my ideas but still lol.
Cut from this was Chrysalis insinuating that she'd only go for Cadance if she's desperate because Cadance is the inferior Celestia lmao. (Meta joke about how in the Shimmerverse there's one universe where Chrysalis is happily in love with Cadance lmao.)
Also if you've been paying attention to the Shimmerverse, Celestia and Sunset only deny being mother and daughter when they're in each other's presence, and Chrysalis doesn't get pony relationships, she really thinks Sunset is her daughter lol. I originally had a scene where they were addressed as having a familial relationship next to each other and immediately denied it, but cut it either way, lol.
Also if you're fond of this Chrysalis, I plan on having her appear on the Shimmerverse (When I finally do the Argent alien invasion flashbacks, she'll be part of the bad guys that joined all of Equestria uniting against them... Uh. Yeah the Shimmerverse is insane.)
But right now, I'm rewriting forgotten friendship on my P&P universe, which I might just dub something else. I already have one chapter down, but I want to post it when I have three chapters!
