Not all of us are monsters. Changeling of two lands.

I woke to the smell of carrot stew being made. I looked around, but the starving ponies were still sleeping. They must have been exhausted from lack of sleep at the rainbow factory. I sighed with relief that they were finally getting some much needed rest, and trotted into the kitchen, to see the mint pony stirring a huge cauldron. Her head tipped up as she heard me approach.

“Good morning…” Lyra spoke gently, trying not to make a lot of noise.

She must have been up all night as she had bags under her eyes. I noticed there was a lot more cakes and food than last night; she must have baked them all.

“I see you’ve seen I’ve-” Lyra was interrupted by a huge yawn, “Sorry… I’ve been up all night trying to bake enough for a little while, but I can’t possibly bake any more as there are no baking materials left…”

She yawned again and nearly toppled over with tiredness. Poor thing… I caught her just in time before she hit the ground.

“You didn’t have to do this for us…” I spoke gently.

“I couldn’t let you starve…” Lyra spoke simply.

Her eyes closed and she drifted off into sleep. I carried her to a small bed, and laid her in it. I tucked her in, and kissed her gently on the forehead. I turned round and went back to the huge cauldron. I stirred it gently, looking into the soft orange liquid. Hunger gripped my stomach, but I ignored it and continued to stir. Soon it was boiling, showing it was ready. I went into Pinkie’s desk and got out the little order bell. I put it gently on the desk, and pressed the little ringer on the top. It ringed loudly and eyeryponies eyes shot open.

“We have plenty of food here! Courtesy of Lyra!” I spoke loudly, and everypony got to their hooves.

I got out all the plastic and metal bowls and began to pour the lovely liquid into them. I heard the soft snores from Lyra as I began to portion it out. I asked Night stars (a black unicorn with a star as a cutiemark) to take some stew to Pinkie Pie and Lyra.

“Enjoy everypony!” I called to them all as they ate.

I ate quickly, and when it touched my tongue, the gorgeous liquid swirl round my mouth, and down my throat, and warming my weary soul. After I finished, I heard an explosion from outside. I ordered everypony to stay inside, as I went to check what it was.

I stepped outside, to see Queen Chrysalis, but… She was a lot thinner than I last saw her. Her shell was not shiny like mine. She must have been starved almost to death. I felt pity come within me for the starving queen. But she hurt my friends, and captured or killed them.

“Why are you here Blackfire?” Chrysalis spoke weakly, “I left you to die years ago!”

“You left me too close to Canterlot to die.” I spoke calmly, “Why are you here?”

Chrysalis did not reply, but simply looked down on me, hunger in her eyes. I looked back up at her with angry eyes.

“Where are the other ponies?” I shouted, breaking the eerie silence.

Chrysalis did not reply. I roared with rage, and tackled her to the ground, suddenly realising how tall I am, as I am almost as tall as Chrysalis herself. I swiped my horn viciously, but she nimbly dodged, then swiped herself. I flew a few meters in the air, then dive-bombed her, and hit her right in her side, taking the air out of her. I put my horn on her side, in a threatening manner.

“Go on… Kill me…” Chrysalis spoke weakly, her green life-blood pouring from her wounds, “I’m going to die anyway… so just finish the job!”

I made my horn glow, but I did not have the courage to kill her… She was my mother after all. My heart said don’t do it, my head said do it… On one hoof, she abandoned me, and possibly killed my friends, but on the other hoof, she cared enough to send me away…

My head was a mess of questions, but one stuck out.

“Why did you abandon me?” I asked finally.

Chrysalis looked up at me with surprise, “I… I abandoned you… Because… Because… I couldn’t let you see what horrors we did… I was afraid you’d be ashamed of us…”

Tears rose in my eyes as she spoke. I heard sniffling from behind, and I glanced back to see the ponies crying too.

“Oh mother…” I sobbed, “How can I be ashamed of my own mother…”

I laid my head down on her side, and my tears trickled down and hit her side. I felt Chrysalis’s hoof stroke my mane, then after a few moments, stopped. I felt Chrysalis’s breathing slowly stop, and her heartbeat stop.

“M-mother…” I spoke, my blood running cold, “Mother? No! Mother!”

I slipped my forelegs under Chrysalis’s corpse and cried out.

“MOTHER!!”

The thing that really cracked me was… She died because of me. If I didn’t attack her, she would still be standing right now.

“Mother… wake up…” I said hopelessly, nudging her leg, “Wake up mother… please…”

Tears ran down my face and landed on my mother’s corpse. I slipped my hoofs out from underneath the cold corpse. I turned around and walked back to Sugar Cube Corner. The tearful faces of the ponies turned and faced me as I trotted past.

“I’m sorry…” Lyra spoke quietly.

“It’s my entire fault…” I sobbed, “It’s my fault she died… I’m so pathetic… I wish I died in the rainbow factory if it meant I didn’t have to face this!”

Lyra put her left foreleg over my shoulders and more tears fell from my crimson eyes. I shrugged off Lyra’s foreleg ad lay in my bed. I murmured softly to myself, and soon my bed was soaking wet from tears.

“Come on Blackfire…” Lyra spoke quietly, giving me a hug, “It’s not so bad…”

“Your right…” Ii spoke quietly, getting Lyra’s hopes up, “It’s worse…”

I buried my face into my pillow, and it took me a few hours just to roll over. I must have fallen asleep, as I met Chrysalis in my dream.

“Do not give up hope my child…” Chrysalis spoke quietly, “Take my crown… Prove to Equestria that some changelings really aren’t monsters…”

A small deep crimson crown floated between Chrysalis, and I. Chrysalis walked up to me, and took the crown.

“Today…” Chrysalis spoke nobly, placing the crown on my head, “We have a new Queen of changelings. A much more selfless and caring changeling, not like I. My daughter, Blackfire, shall now be crowned. All hail Queen Blackfire!”

Chrysalis bowed low, and some other changelings appeared, and bowed low as well.

A flash of light happened, and so much happened. I changed. I become every bit as tall as Celestia, and my horn was just as long. My wings became much longer, and were shaped like Celestia’s as well, but transparent. My fangs were now much longer and sharper, not that I’d be using them for their actual use, but they were there for if I need them. My magic was also majorly increased, and I can cast spells that I couldn’t before. But best of all, my heart was more open. I was more able to forgive and forget, and make friends more easily.

“Thank you…” I spoke, quietly, “Thank you for everything…”

Suddenly, everything faded, and I awoke. I still had my changes, and my crown. I stumbled out of my bed, trying to get used to my much longer legs. Once I got the hang of them, I went downstairs. Everypony gasped at my new changes. Lyra herself was ever staring in awe.

“Um…” I spoke shyly, as there awe-filled stares did not decrease.

“Wow…” Lyra was the first to talk, “How did this… happen?”

I asked them all to sit down and I told them about everything. The dream, the crowning, and the crown itself. Once I said everything I had to say, Lyra smiled radiantly.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” called Lyra, “Let’s go find the ponies!”

As we went outside, my heart split in half. Chrysalis’s corpse was still lying there, motionless.

“We should bury her…” I spoke sadly.

Once Lyra and the others agreed, we began to fix a grave for her. While they were doing that, I went to find a stone I could carve into a gravestone for her. Once I found a sufficiently big boulder, I lifted it up, and levitated it away. I spotted something in the hole I pulled the boulder out of, and I looked down. I expected to see like, a stray paraspright or two, but no. I saw a small group of ponies. Ii gasped, and called the others over. Once they arrived, I got them to help fix a small ladder to help them up. Once we got them up, we got them safely to Sugar Cube Corner to rest with Pinkie. I realised, that the small hole, was instead a secret passage way. All of the ponies must have hidden there.

I looked over all the ponies about 100 times, but I found no sign of Bon-Bon.

“Lyra, I can’t find Bon-Bon!” I called to my mint friend.

Lyra remained silent.

“What's wrong?” I called finally and rushed over to her.

“Bon-Bon…” choked Lyra, “Is a changeling…”

Lyra shifted, to show the body of half Bon-Bon half changeling.

My mouth dropped open, and I looked at Lyra’s face. She was locked with despair. My heart broke for her.

“Look on the bright side, Lyra!” I spoke as cheerily as I could, “Bon-Bon’s still alive.”

I knew I was helping nothing, so I went over to my mother’s grave, with the newly carved gravestone. My horn sparked with new magic, and I wrote text on it.

‘R.I.P

Here lies Queen Chrysalis, ruler of changelings.

She may have attacked Canterlot, but her heart was in the right place.

Celestia help her soul.

1930 – 2013’

I closed my eyes and turned away. Suddenly, I was faced with a crowd of ponies. They cheered my name very loudly that faint echoes could be heard in Canterlot.

“Blackfire! Blackfire! Blackfire!”

I finally proved it.

After all these days.

I proved.

Not all of us are Monsters.