”My fellow changelings…” I began to get the attention of the crowd below with my magically-amplified voice. When I was sure all was silent, I began again. “… I know times have been difficult, and many of us did not return from Canterlot.” I paused to look at the group gathered beneath my balcony. There wasn’t a single soul that stayed behind when we invaded. As I looked back down at the crowd of those who returned, a cold realization hit me.
There were a lot less faces than before.
“I understand there have been murmurs of discontent, and distrust,” Whispers echoed from the throng below. “I need each and every one of you to trust your queen, trust in me when I say the changelings will rise once more! She has a plan to bring us out of this decrepit position we find ourselves.” I paused once more to gauge the reactions below. Some had hope in their eyes, other scowled… and some could not even look at me.
“For the next day there shall be no work, for any of you.” That certainly got their attention. “Take tomorrow to properly mourn those claimed to the wilds, and pray for your brothers and sisters who have not yet returned,” I could feel the grief in the air as I brought up that particular topic. Were it not for the love I had stored in my energy reserves, none of us would have made it back to the hive.
“Please, return to your homes now. Announcements will be made in two days’ time. Until then, please stay warm...”
<><><><><><><><><><>
That was many months ago, and little had changed in that time.
The winter months would soon be upon us, and with the temperature of the southern mountains already dangerously low… I feared we would not last another season, let alone a whole year.
Changelings did not live in swamps or forests as most ponies assumed, well… not anymore since we were driven from our natural homes over the centuries. Now we were forced to live in the southern arctic wastes and build our homes into the very mountains themselves. It was normal to see a changeling wearing clothes to protect their fragile bodies from the extreme cold, even as we lived hundreds of feet beneath the surface and dwelled inside massive caverns.
Even then, inside my own bedchambers I wore heavy garments in an attempt to stay warm. We do not have the natural coats or high blood circulation of ponies. Changelings were never intended for the arctic. If our chitins got cold enough, they would literally crack open, leaving us vulnerable to infection. I shivered and pulled my robes tighter with my forelegs.
Using magic had been advised against for day-to-day activities that could be handled by one’s wings or hooves. It is a common belief our magic stems from love, which is only half the fact. Our magic fuels our life force, and our magic comes from love. Changelings cannot feed off the love of another; even two citizens who have gone through the rituals of matrimony will not thrive off the others love. My father once called it ‘one of the many weaknesses of our strange species’.
I looked out my balcony to the entrance of the cavern once more as I paced my room. Off in the distance I saw a small gathering as the gates opened. The weekly arrival of our undercover ‘love thieves’ were returning to the hive to replenish our energy reserves. It was common practice to send a minor into the world as a maturation ritual and have them return only when they had filled their bodies with as much love magic as they could.
But that was back when we thrived, back when it was only a rite of passage.
Now, every changeling that was healthy enough to leave was given the duty of a love thief. Do you remember when I said a changeling could not feed off the love of another? That is partially true at least. We can’t feed off their love, but we can transfer our magic—which fuels our life forces—to others. It is a bleak life and even with every hive member contributing, our numbers are still too low for anything long-term.
I felt a small surge of energy as the returning agents spread their love throughout the hive. It wasn’t much, but it would leave us feeling not so ill for a day at least. The next squad of changelings would be leaving any moment now, venturing to the closest of the southern pony cities to acquire love. With any luck, most of them will survive the frigid journey and eventually return to the hive. Were it not for the agents and my own contributions to the hive, we’d have all ‘starved’ months ago.
I steeled myself away from the window. I lifted myself up with my wings and went over to my large bed and climbed in, ready to retire for the ‘night.’ As I set down on the covers I heard a sickening cracking noise before a gut-wrenching snap.
The chitin above my right foreleg, just below the elbow had cracked and broken away. A hole the size of a grapefruit now showed my sensitive skin underneath. I lied down and cradled my appendage with silent tears. I must have looked like a foal crying over a bruised leg or scraped hoof. But in all reality, what pained me most was knowing there was no way to hide the injury from my subjects, and they were all too-willing to do anything to make sure their queen was alright.
Even if it meant sacrificing their own magic to sustain me.
<><><><><><><><><><>
I heard a knock at my chamber doors from behind me.
“Enter,” I commanded flatly without even turning from my balcony. The door creaked open as the familiar sound of changeling hooves on stone reached my ears.
“It is time for dinner, Your Highness.” The familiar voice of my personal servant, Skeer said. He was one of the uncommon changelings that had green eyes instead of the majority blue. “I had a hunch you would not be dining in the hall tonight, so I took the liberty of bringing your meal to you, Your Highness.” I turned my head around and saw Skeer holding a large platter of various, steaming foods on his back and supporting them with his wings. He also wore a dark, robe-like garment to combat the ever-present cold.
I allowed myself the slightest smile at the gesture. My people never lost faith in me, and would even give their own lives to see me safe. I remembered what happened the previous week when I forgot to hide my injury, and one of my subjects saw it. Without hesitation, she gave me the rest of her magic to heal myself... too much magic. I mentally shook the image of the drained changeling from my mind and met Skeer’s emerald eyes.
“Thank you for being so considerate, but your queen is not hungry tonight,” I lied, much to the disappointment of my shrunken stomach.
“My queen, forgive the insubordination on my part... but we are all hungry,” Skeer carefully, quietly countered. He was right though.
I had to choose my words carefully at that moment. If I lied and pretended to be ill, he too would have given himself up for my own health... something I—nor the general population—could afford.
“I already ate tonight.” I lied again, now fully turning to face him to—hopefully—give my words the extra strength they would need to convince him. “I left before you got here and ate early.” I said in a simple tone, hoping he would buy it. Skeer titled his head and narrowed his eyes at me for a few tense moments.
“Understood, my queen.” He nodded and turned to leave. “I will make sure this is promptly thrown-out and—”
“No!” A part of me shouted before I even realized it. Skeer jumped slightly and turned to me with a bewildered, skeptical look. Food was understandably difficult to find in the mountainous tundra, that went double for hot food. “Don’t... don’t throw it away. Share it with those close to you,” I closed the distance and placed a hoof on his shoulder to reinforce my words. “Such a feast should not be wasted.” I nodded to the steaming platter still on his back.
“I—I, yes, Your highness!” Skeer stuttered before recomposing himself and giving me a curt nod. I withdrew my hoof and saw what could have been a tear in his eyes, but it might not have been. Without any further conversation, he left my chambers with my dinner; now his to share with whom he wished.
My stomach had then chosen to voice its objection at my selfless act. I ignored it and returned to my thoughts. I shut the doors to my small balcony and decided to get into bed so as to keep myself warm, and avoid further cracking. I used my hooves to pull the thick blankets over me and stared at the ceiling in deep thought.
Not even a year prior, I would not have been so generous, so conscious of my subject’s lives and feelings. I was young and fell into the all-too easy trap of being a power hungry ruler. I silently berated myself once more for our failure—my failure at the Canterlot invasion.
I wanted so badly to blame the ponies for my plan being ruined, the princesses, I even tried to silently blame my own people, even though they had performed admirably. In the end... it was my own fault it failed, my own fault half of our population had disappeared in less than a year. The guilt I felt at all the lives lost because of my foolishness is something I still feel to this day. Many times I contemplated suicide to escape what I had done.
I wiped away a tear and pushed the covers away slightly, revealing the precious regalia around my neck. It was a blue, crystal heart set into a golden necklace my mother had left to me in her will. I never discovered the origins, it was always a mystery. My parents never told me where it came from, only that they ‘retrieved’ it from a far away land. I hadn’t known of its peculiar properties for many years. When I discovered it was a storage device for magical energy, I sought a way to use this to further the changeling empire.
Without consulting my subjects or advisors, I used the energy inside of my parent’s gift to increase my own powers to a degree I never dreamed of. I had grown physically, and magically into something never before seen by changeling society. In less than a month the entire population had been moved to the outskirts of Canterlot, awaiting my signal. The power I had from that crystal made me feel strong, invincible as I infiltrated the city. It also made me arrogant, which was my ultimate downfall.
In the end, something that could have pulled our species from its bleak, shunned existence had been wasted at the cost of literally hundreds of lives... along with the only other changeling that could have qualified as my mate...
...and it was all my fault.
For what felt like the thousandth time since our return, I pulled my blanket over my head and cried myself to sleep.
<><><><><><><><><><>
He was late. He was never later, and that made a knot form in the bottom of my gut.
I sat in my throne and waited impatiently for Skeer to give the daily report of the “city,” if a cavernous hive could be called that. Winter had officially started two weeks ago, and the temperature was already dropping rapidly. I’d ordered the majority of the hive into hibernation to reduce the needs for our already low supplies of food and magic. Only the most essential changelings remained awake, to gather food and love.
The city was eerily quiet, and my cavern castle felt empty and dead with most of my staff hibernating. The only sounds in my throne room was the occasional drip of water from an overhead stalactite. I’d been wearing my warmest coat with my blue crystal draped around my neck. I’m not sure why I’d taken to wearing it everywhere, maybe as a reminder of what I’d done.
I was broken from my thoughts by the telltale sound of changeling chitin on stone. I composed myself and waited for him to come closer.
“My queen, I have brought the pre-winter census report,” Skeer bowed before my makeshift throne. He silently reached under one of his wings and passed me a light, tidy stack of papers.
“Why are these late?” I asked with an impatient tone I immediately regretted.
“ My sincerest apologies, Queen Chrysalis.” Skeer took a step back and bowed deeply. “ However, there were.... there were some...”
“Out with it already!” I snapped at him and my wings flared fully. It was late in the day and I was eager to be in my warm bed with a belly full of food. Add my recent stresses, and I was not a happy queen.
“There were some complications,” Skeer squeaked out just loud enough for me to hear. He was almost to the floor now, cowered in fear. At that, I pulled myself back and felt my face drop.
“What.... what kind of complications?” I asked hesitantly. Bad news usually never reached my ears unless it was serious anymore, and that only meant something new had gone wrong. Skeer slowly looked up to me and regained his composure and confidence.
“My queen... the last large group of love thieves haven’t returned yet...” Skeer paused to rub a foreleg over another. “And they’re a week late...” If words alone could stop a heart, it would have been those.
“Are you absolutely sure they weren’t simply lost in a blizzard and missed the hive?” I asked with my voice full of hope, but deep down I knew it was pointless to ask. I bit my lip as he waited to answer.
“I’m positive, my queen. We dispatched a search party who found their tracks,” Skeer stopped and looked down with a look I couldn’t see. Perhaps he had family or friends out there. “The search party found their tracks leading off into the unexplored arctic. They were forced to give up after their leader was... after she was taken by a rogue dragon.” I could feel the sadness around him; he definitely lost somebody dear to him.
“I see.” Was all I managed to say as the news sunk in. I took a step back and flopped onto my throne, defeated. I rubbed my temples as I played the situation over in my mind, the papers from Skeer still in my other hoof. With the initial group gone, and another from the search party, I was down another eleven changelings. I took a moment to look over the census report, but it was all incoherent and incomprehensible to me at the time.
“Skeer, you’ve always been good with math and been my advisor and servant for a decade now. Tell me, how bad is the situation with the latest events?” I asked whilst setting the papers down beside my throne for later. I knew the answer from him wouldn’t be good, but that didn’t help any.
“My queen,” He paused to find his words. Eventually he reclined on the rocky floor and cleared his throat. His emerald eyes looked straight into mine, a rarity for him. “We have been through many hardships and always managed to scrape by, but I’m afraid with these eleven agents as good as gone... we can’t even meet the minimum survival requirements.”
I let my head fall in my hooves for some silent moments, trying to will this away or wake up from a bad dream and be in my real home. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I forced them back.
“How much longer do we have?” I slowly whispered without looking up.
“We’ll run out food and energy just as spring rolls around... right as the rest of the hive wakes up from their hibernation,” Skeer informed. “After that, it will be a week, two at the most before we all starve.”
“So... it has come to this.” I breathed, defeated and suddenly feeling very tired. I looked down to my crystal necklace and fiddled with it in my hooves, trying to think of a solution.
“Your highness, I had an idea, if I may...” Skeer took a slight step forward and waited for my reply.
“Go ahead.” I waved a hoof to him without looking up from the marvelous blue crystal.
“I believe it is time we abandoned our long-standing reputation as stubborn loners who refuse aid, and seeked assistance from the other species.” He said quickly and held up a hoof in defense, perhaps thinking I would lash out at him. I looked up to him with a blank face before calmly unfastening my necklace and laying it in my hooves.
“I believe that would be a wise course of action.” My voice had gone flat as I toyed with the crystal heart in my hooves, peering into its depths as if it had placed a spell on me. I mentally slapped myself back into reality and looked Skeer straight in his eyes. “Bring the best stationary we have to my quarters, and find our fastest, healthiest worker. Wake one from hibernation if you have to. We’re going to need these letters delivered as soon as possible.”
Skeer had the largest grin I’d ever seen on him as he snapped to attention and gave me a surprising salute. My agreement must’ve surprised him greatly.
“Right away, Your Highness!” And with that, he turned and stormed out of my sight.
Alone once more, I relaxed and fell deeper into my throne. The crystal heart was still in my hooves as I gave it a few more inspecting glares.
“You’re going to make a great queen one day, Chrysy...”
“You’ll make us proud, I know it.”
My parents’ words echoed in my mind. They had so much faith in me before they passed. They gave me everything I needed to rule over our homeland—now a deserted wasteland, and even the surprise of a city’s worth of energy stored in this mysterious, heart-shaped crystal.
And I wasted it all.
My glare intensified at the crystal.
“Mother, Father, you were wrong!” I yelled and threw the precious stone with all my might at the closest wall. Without bothering to even look at it, I stormed off to my room.
I had letters to write, and a civilization’s worth of pride to swallow.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Six rejection letters were spread out on my desk. Six letters... each from a different species refusing our plea for aid. The dragons, zebras, gryphons, saddle-arabians, donkeys, and even the remote buffalo tribes all left us to fend for ourselves. I shuffled through all of them one more time before sighing and tossing them into the fire. At least their cruel words would keep me warm for a few minutes.
Dragons and changelings had been mortal enemies since the ancient times, so their reply was hardly surprising. But to be given such harsh words from the more peaceful and understanding species was surprising. It was likely the news of Canterlot’s invasion had reached them, so the situation was hopeless.
Maybe not entirely hopeless... A rogue thought creeped to the front of my mind. ... there is still one species you have not asked for aid yet.
“No. They would sooner watch us writhe like worms before they even speak to us, let alone me personally.” I whispered to myself and pulled my coat tighter as I adjusted myself in the desk’s crude chair. I looked down to the necklace I had gone back later and retrieved. There was now a large chip in the center, and a large crack running up the middle.
You don’t know until you try. You don’t have enough subjects for an invasion. You don’t have any other choice. The voice spoke up again. You’ve already swallowed more pride than you thought possible... why not go a little further?
I looked over to my inkwell, quill, and a final, blank letter I hadn’t needed at the time. I stared at it for a few long, hard minutes before I eventually sighed to myself.
“What have I got to lose...” I sniffled and slowly reached my hooves out for my quill and shuffled the paper over to me. With trembling hooves, I dipped my quill into the inkwell, and began to write.
I stared down into the main cavern from my bedroom window, bored, tired, hungry... but most importantly I was scared. Scared for the lives of my remaining subjects in the ‘city’ below.
It had been two weeks to the day when I sent my letter of distress to the pony princesses. Two weeks to sit, wait, and worry. I could feel spring approaching with each passing minute, and when the rest of the hive woke up from hibernation, our stores of magic and food would be exhausted in no time.
My robes pulled tighter as I tried to hold in what little warmth there was. Changelings were not made for cold environments, and the interior of an arctic mountain in the dead of winter was no exception. I slowed my breathing, trying to keep as much precious warm air inside me as possible.
It wasn’t the simple arrival of a reply letter that worried me, but the contents of it. If they refused my plea for aid and forgiveness, we would surely be extinct by next year’s winter.
I can’t say I would blame the royal sisters for declining me. Any sentient race would think twice before aiding somebody who had attacked them not even a year prior. The lights down in the city where the remaining changelings slept were as faint and dim as my odds of being forgiven, I thought to myself.
When the hive was in hibernation there was not much I could do around the palace. With my most loyal servants tending to the minor tasks, most of my time was spent just thinking, and that was slowly killing me.
I pulled myself away from the window and paced around my room, once more feeling the crushing boredom that had been plaguing me.
I decided to turn in early that night. It was cold, and there simply wasn’t anything for me to do other than pass the time the quickest way I knew how. I slid under my fur beddings with a quiet moan of pure bliss. My momentary happiness was once more halted by my nervous thoughts.
“What will I do if they refuse me?” I asked myself. “What will become of my people?” I already knew the answer to that one.
A knock at my bedchambers stopped all of my thoughts as I snapped my head around.
Nobody was supposed to disturb me today, unless it was very important.
I flew out from under my bed with a flitter of my wings and landed in front of the door. I could hear somebody clearing their throat on the other side.
“Permission to ent—”
“Granted.” I interrupted and threw my door open before they could even finish. On the other side of the entryway was my trusted advisor and most loyal servant, Skeer.
He stood momentarily stunned, surely not expecting me to be so energetic.
“Y—Your Highness!” Skeer quickly bowed. He reached inside his cloak, rummaging for something. “This came for you today, I’m sure you already know what it is,” He brought out a small envelope. Even from my distance from him I could feel the sealing magic that was cast on it.
“Thank you, Skeer.” I took the letter from him and examined it. It was addressed directly to me, not the alias I sent it under. It had no return address. “Where did this come from?”
I knew a letter with the changeling queen’s name on it would raise some questions, and likely not reach its destination, especially with royal seals all over it.
“It appeared at the entrance to the tunnels, Your Highness.” Skeer quickly replied. “Somebody reported a strange flash to me, and this was there when I went to investigate.” He stated as I went over to my desk to examine it further.
“If I may... is this the reply we’ve been waiting for?” Skeer asked from the doorway.
“It most certainly is.” I answered as I stared at the envelope. I was just as equally excited as I was nervous to open it.
“I had better get back to my duties, but before I go...” Skeer hesitated. I looked over to see what had stopped him. He rubbed one of his forelegs over the other, nervous. “Whatever happens, it has been an honor to serve you, my queen.” Skeer gave me a quick salute before bowing and excusing himself.
I thought it was odd of him to say something like that, but dismissed it. He was likely as scared as I was about the hive’s future.
I turned my attention to the envelope. Such a curious thing, able to carry so much weight in such a small package.
There was a magical seal on it that wouldn’t open for anybody but the recipient. As I peeled the back flap of the envelope open I could feel the spell release itself and dissipate into the air, granting me access to the treasure within.
Inside appeared to be what I expected, a lengthy reply from Princess Celestia.
I steeled myself and began to read.
Queen Chrysalis,
Allow me to begin this letter by expressing my surprise at receiving a letter from you. More so, you are asking for assistance from us even after invading our capital with the intent of taking it from our control.
I winced at that, feeling like it would be just like the others. I bit my lip and continued onward.
We would be more than content to let you pay for your heinous mistake of attacking us, but we will not hold your subjects responsible for your decisions, Chrysalis.
We shall assist your changelings, but only under our strict conditions shall we do so.
Firstly, you and you alone will arrive in Canterlot under a pre-determined disguise and make your way to the castle. On the 1st of the upcoming month, you will use your magic to don the appearance of a pink pegasus mare and ask for an audience with the royal sisters. You will find a guard captain and tell them you have an appointment with us. The guards will grant you access, and you will be led to us for a private discussion far from the public.
Second, you will remain under our watch in a location of our choosing for the entire duration of your stay while negotiations are made. If at any time we feel you have not come alone or wish to deceive us, you will be forcefully removed without hesitation, and you shall have to fend for yourself once more.
Lastly, you will remain inside the castle at all times and only travel to heavily-guarded areas we deem accessible to for you. Breaking this condition will void negotiations, no exception.
If you approach us at the pre-determined date, then we shall assume these terms and conditions have been accepted.
A reminder, Chrysalis. This is not for you, but for your subjects.
We await your arrival
-Princess Luna
I could hardly believe what I had just read. They had actually accepted my plea for assistance, instead of spitting in my face like the other species.
The only thing that troubled me was Princess Luna replied, but it was to Princess Celestia I had written my letter to. That could prove problematic down the line, but I was too elated to care. Even if Celestia spat at me and hated me for the rest of time, at least my species would get what it needs to survive.
I allowed myself a laugh to release my nervous energy that had been building up over the weeks. To know I was essentially going to be their prisoner was hardly a concern to me. I did not expect to be there long, only until I got what we needed.
’On the 1st of the upcoming month...’ that line repeated in my head. It took me a few moments to realize how soon that date actually was.
I quickly stood up from my desk and went into the corridor outside my room. If I was going to be leaving the hive, there were preparations to be made, and quickly if I was going to be there on time.
My pace down the corridor quickened the closer I came to my destination, which was only down a couple of short turns.
I didn’t stop as I pushed the door open and went inside the little room, into Skeer’s quarters.
Skeer was understandably alarmed and fell out of his bed on the opposite wall. I was glad his quarters were so close to mine, and he was not yet sleeping. Time was of the essence.
“Your Highness!” He said as he gathered himself at my intrusion. “Is... what can I do for you?”
“Fetch me my travelling gear, and gather my other advisors.” I ordered. “I’m leaving in the morning.”
“Y—yes my queen!” Skeer gathered his cloak and quickly readied himself to leave. “If I may, Your Highness... where are you going in such a hurry? What’s so important that you must leave the safety of our home?”
I smiled to him as I felt the realization of the moment sink in further.
“I’m securing our future. Now go get my things, there is not much time.”
