“NGHEEAAAARRRGHH!!!” screamed a short, jet-black insectoid-equine figure, furiously flapping membrane-like wings as it rolled about the ashen ground, an identical creature doing the same adjacent to it. Bright orange flames ate away at the creatures’ meek bodies, their raspy screams ignored entirely by a passing individual. The being slowly cantered past the searing corpses, embracing the shadows cast over him as granite walls crept around him, distant echoes of dripping green goo resonating through the gaping tunnel before him.
Strands of golden blonde danced about his grey-tan forehead, cerulean blue eyes fixated entirely ahead, a look of dead seriousness masking whatever lay beneath his rather unimpressive appearance. The individual possessed no abnormal height or muscle, no unique shape or texture about him. He looked as any other common stallion one might find in the various towns and villages he had passed during his journey to the Hive, though his incineration of multiple other Changeling hives had earned him a reputation as a ruthless pyromaniac.
Walking directly through a civilized area would earn him looks and stares of many, mixed fear and curiosity. Fear proved the major sensation in passerby, though, as approaching any structure would cause its inhabitants to slam shut doors and windows, barring themselves behind such flammable material ironic in itself. Had his repute proved accurate of his true nature, he would have simply incinerated the towns as well as hives.
Nopony dared to approach him, to investigate into rumours spread between lands of an emotionless unicorn who reduced changeling hives to ashes. Nopony bothered wonder why he did such things, why he showed no emotion, but most of all, why he had not assaulted ponyfolk, sojourning through their towns as often as he did. And so he walked on, bringing fiery destruction upon the foul changeling race, false rumours of a supposed psychotic nature placed upon him. One rumour claimed he had made contact with ponyfolk, but a week after his first sighting they had been narrowed down to contact with but a single pegasus, whom had darted off into the southern skies afterward, leaving a magnificent aurora in her wake.
His path winding up, down, left and right, forking and branching off into yet more tunnels every few minutes, the stallion arrived at a translucent, sickly green membrane barrier.Eyes still fixated directly ahead, his pace unaltered, bright orange flames tore a small hole in the center of the barrier, making its way outwards and finally to the walls themselves as it disappeared entirely, leaving nothing but the scent of singed mucus.
The stallion halted within the dimly lit chamber, his gaze now focused upon a sleek, withered figure lying in a heap against a sloped granite wall. Her tattered teal mane draped down her tarnished black coat, tattered wings covering her midsection and gangly, hole-littered limbs laying limp on the ground, her dry, raspy wheezing the only sound breaking the deathly silence between the two. Weary, serpentine green eyes shifted over to the unicorn standing before her, a half-smirk finding its way to parched lips.
“What is it… you ponies say….? Kick ‘em…. When they’re…. down?” the creature managed, in a dry, breathless voice.
“Love….” The stallion spoke in a soft voice, eyes half-open, “is an infinitely powerful force.” Snapping his eyes open, he shot the feeble being a terrifying, bloodthirsty leer, as if staring into her very core, giving her a hollow sensation as she momentarily choked on her breath. “It is NOT a source of FOOD for a bunch of BUCKING INSECT FREAKS!!” his bellowing echoed loudly through the cavern, trembling her very bones as the unicorn bared his teeth, low-grumbling emanating from within.
Her smirk transitioned into a hateful frown. “The nerve…. you dare…. insult….”
Her gnarled black horn illuminated faintly, flickering slightly. With a painful groan, she yielded to her weakened state, the faded green glow dissipating as she drooped her head.
“Why…. are you here…. yet you refrain…. from ending me….?”
Approaching the creature, he dug a hoof into her neck.
“Chrysalis-“
“That’s…. Queen-“ his hoof pressed harder against her throat.
“Chrysalis, I am here with a question.” The changeling queen’s eyes shot open, glaring at him with hatred and confusion. "Why do you feed off love?”
“Fool…. we need it…. to survive….”
“WRONG answer. Equestria was not always home to such affections between individuals. And yet, you survived. How?”
“I don’t…. have to…. answer…. such questions…. from a pathetic…. pony….” She spat out the last word, gritting her fangs.
The stallion remained entirely unfazed. “You weren't always this way, were you?”
“You-“
“And yet your desire for dominance, at some point, brought you to adapt new…. ‘abilities’….”
“Watch…. your tongue….”
“Magic exists in many forms, and somehow you discovered how to siphon raw magical energy from strong negative or positive emotion.”
Her eyes twitching with anger, Chrysalis was managing a hiss.
“Equestria’s newfound age of harmony was nothing more than a feeding frenzy to you and your ilk.” Releasing his hoof from her neck, he turned and cantered to the opposite end of the cavern, halting to face her once more. “From peace, you forged chaos. In a perfect world, you sought to soak up love itself in the simple desire for dominance.”
The creature before him began to slowly climb to her hooves. Bones cracked and creaked as she managed to stand upright, her newfound anger fueling her deprived form. A sickly green glow emanated from her crooked black horn, her smirk returning. Channeling hatred to her horn, the glow brightened, forming emerald flames as she prepared to unleash her fury.
The stallion still stood across the cavern, facing away. He shut his eyes as Chrysalis spoke, chuckling at her enemy’s impending demise.
“Fight fire….” She grinned hideously.
“….with fire.” The unicorn finished, swiveling around on the spot to reveal glowing orange markings decorating his face, luminescent eyes glaring at her, his horn cloaked in azure blue flames. The changeling queen had no time to counter between her shocked reaction and the searing cobalt wave.
Engulfed in intense heat, the raw magical energy infused to create the wave form struck her body like a twenty-foot wave, sending her reeling into the granite wall behind her. As the force pressing her hard against the cavern wall released her a moment later, the creature dropped the ground, screaming in agony at the azure flames eating away at her coat, instantly incinerating it as her skin began to fry, sizzling like a barbeque. The stallion watched her toss about, ignoring the ironic pain searing his ears from Chrysalis’ glass-shattering shrieks.
Momentarily, the unicorn peered down at his flank, in response to a tingling sensation, and the image of a deep orange bird appeared, wings outstretched, its tail not unlike the fire he had wrought upon the changeling queen this fateful day.
