//------------------------------//
// Part I, Chapter VI - Attempting to Communicate 
// Story: A Queen & You 
// by Lord of Nothing 
//------------------------------//

You make sure to leave the room so as to give Chrysalis a moment to finish her bowl. After all, you did not like being caught in the act any more than anyone else would, and you figured that she was a special case, especially right now.

You return to your bedroom. Flicking the lights on, you are greeted with the familiar sight of a perpetually messy room. Clothes laid around more or less in the hamper. The sheets are strewn about, both from your own rather restless night, as well as Chrysalis’ brief residence. As far as you are concerned, it is not anything too far out of the ordinary, present circumstances notwithstanding. Still, despite being at a relative loss for what to with your houseguest, you still have basic manners, so you set out to start tidying up… at least a little bit.

The bed is easy enough to set straight. You choose not to go all out and completely remake it, instead simply pulling sheets to meet corners before tucking the upper portions underneath your pillows. Next was helping the clothes make it all the way into the hamper - another quite simple task. You pick up any other random bits and bobs you happen across on the floor and place them on your small bedside table, not worrying too much about finding a more permanent residence for them just yet.

You take a final quick glance around the smaller room. Feeling pleased with how it looks, you nod your head once in an act of self-assurance over how clean things look, then turn to head back into the living room area.

Though you should have been more focused on your Changeling guest, instead it was her bowl of cereal that you were more interested in, or rather, the lack of a bowl. Surprisingly, the countertop was cleared of all evidence that any kind of food had been eaten.

Chrysalis had been sitting in front of the couch, keeping as neutral an expression as possible. While she was still hesitant to do anything with you in any capacity, she could not deny being just a little intrigued by what could possibly be holding your attention more than her. However, when she looked back to find that it was just empty counter space, she would have admitted to being somewhat frustrated. She clears her throat.

You glance towards Chrysalis at the sound.

Oh yeah.

You can not help but notice that, even when sitting, Chrysalis was almost as tall as you were, with your eyes meeting at about the same level. It is a tad bit difficult to weigh any options about how to get most comfortable whilst having your upcoming discussion, as you have no idea how long such a talk will carry on for, but you know for a fact that you would like to at least be on the same level while doing so.

You think of a way to word your request, then press on.

“Would you mind laying down? Like, on your stomach maybe?”

You can see Chrysalis processing the question, indicated by the way she almost squints her eyes at you. After a moment or so, though, she does, but not after quickly rolling her eyes. The Changeling Queen gently lowers her front half to the ground and folds one leg over the other, signifying her wait for your own next move.

“Thank you,” you say. You mean it, too, and wonder if she can tell.

You take a couple of steps over to a wall across from where Chrysalis currently lie, press your back against it, then slid down until your rump met the ground. You criss-cross your legs, resting one arm casually on each knee. It does not seem wise to be on the offense or defense, so appearing somewhat relaxed is the next best thing, you think.

The tension in the room as both of you wait for someone to speak first could almost be cut with a knife. Or, even more apt, you think, would be if someone were to light a match, the whole apartment might go up in flames.

Would it even be a smart move to talk first? Would that be considered “too dominant”? You know you want to appear at least somewhat dominant, as this is your home - not to mention, your world - but maybe it will be better to let someone as high and mighty as Chrysalis get the first words out there.

“Who are you?”

Before you can even talk yourself out of it, the words have left your mouth. Chrysalis, too, seems more than a little taken aback by your forwardness but keeps the bulk of her reaction in check. She takes a deep breath, then begins.

“I,” she says, closing her eyes and prodding a hoof lightly against her chest, “am Queen Chrysalis of the Hive Mephisto.”

For as wishy-washy as she has been, that was, no doubt, the most confident, almost triumphant, statement she has made since arriving. Still though...

Hive Mephisto? That is not something you remember from any story. Maybe it was in one of those comics you neglected to ever pick up. Either way, you feel you might be able to get her to explain it later if needed.

While you think, she lowers the holed hoof back to where it sat atop the other and redirects her own attention to you. Then, in a considerably more quiet voice than that of just a few short moments ago, she continues with her own line of questioning.

“And, Creature, what might you be?”

You take your own short time preparing an answer, trying to think of a way to sound as important as she just did. Normally, it would not be anywhere near this hard to just announce yourself, but she is different, in more ways than one.

You say it loudly enough - who you are and where you are from - in an exact mimic of how she presented herself. Chrysalis notices and actually seems a little pleased by the display, at least if the slight smile on the left side of her mouth is anything to go by. You honestly cannot tell if you just made a mistake or not, but roll with it anyway. Anything is better than nothing, you think.

“And what exactly are you, Chrysalis?”

As if it was not already alien enough having a living, breathing fictional character laying mere feet from yourself, it almost felt more foreign to actually address her by her name. To compare, it is almost like giving an evil a definitive name, though how evil this Queen herself will prove to be is still unknown.

“I am a Changeling,” she informs, giving a quick flap of her insect-like wings, almost as if for emphasis - which, truthfully, it probably was.

“And what does it mean to be one?”

“Oh, poor fool, if you only knew.”

With that ominous statement, a sudden flash burst out from where Chrysalis lay, temporarily blinding you. When you regain your sight, however, what you see staring back at you may be even worse than the Changeling Queen.

Twilight Sparkle, in all her purple and violet glory, stands exactly where the Queen stood, looking just as confused as you currently did. You shake your head, immediately remembering exactly what it is that a Changeling can do. Chrysalis, however, does not seem to be too amused by your apparent lack of surprise at her action.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like me like this?” Celestia’s star pupil coos.

With that, another bright flash, and then there sat Applejack. Again, though, you are not the least bit surprised, and, again, Chrysalis seems unamused.

“C’mon, pardner, ain’t ya wantin’ t’ go buck a tree or sumthin’?”

If anything, you find the degree to which she emphasizes the cowgirl’s accent to be actually pretty funny. A smile works itself across her face. This, however, does not go over well with your guest.

A third flash floods the room with its light. Instead of another new character’s presence, though, you are instead greeted once again by Chrysalis’ natural form. The Changeling glares at you, almost as if she was sizing you up, though for what you can not guess. Her ears pin flat against her head and she cranes her neck forward.

“Are you not amazed, Creature?”

Truth be told, you are not. Of course, the fact that something like this is really happening before your eyes is rather amazing, but this was not the first time you had been witness to the Queen’s true powers. Again, granted, those were stories and animation, but you feel there is little to no difference for the time being. That answer would not work, however, for multiple reasons. Instead, you decide to try and fake it, at least for a little while.

Doing your best to find a tone that sounds even a little truly mesmerized, you quickly widen your eyes in surprise and throw your hands out in front of yourself.

“Are you kidding me? That was incredible.”

You are supposed to be excited, yes, but not too loud. After all, you do still have neighbors, even if they do not have their own Chrysalis, too.

She continues to glare, which starts to worry you ever so slightly, but the feeling quickly passes. The Changeling pulls her head back, returning to a more relaxed position. The silence that follows is short-lived.

“And what manner of beast are you?”

“I am a Human.”

“A ‘Human’?” she asks quizzically.

“Yes, a Human. We are not like you Changelings, but we still manage to get by alright.”

Chrysalis briefly looks you up and down, not appearing to stop in any specific area for too long.

“What can you do?”

That is a tough one. Sure, you cannot fly or cast magic spells or change physical appearances - at least, not like she can - but there is still a bunch of other useful things a human can do.

“Well, we’ve built structures that reach to the skies and cultivated countless lands and reached out to touch the stars. I guess there’s a lot.”

She takes your words and contemplates them for a moment. You wish that you could see into her head, if only for a moment - not just in regards to yourself, but all of this as a whole. How is she feeling? Is she worried about anything? Does she even know what it is to worry?

The Changeling makes a sound of approval, accepting your answer.

Yet again, a silence falls over both of you. You have so many questions, but figure she more than likely has many more, so you sit there against your wall trying to game whether or not she will actually ask them. Luckily, you do not have to wait too long.

“Where has your Queen found herself anyhow?”

You weigh the options of whether or not it would be easier to tell a lie or the truth. Fortunately for you, the rational side of your brain has the reigns of today.

“You are currently in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Your Highness.”

She nods once.

“And I assume this is not Equestria?”

You nod before you even fully know what it is you are planning to do. To this, a low growl forms in her throat.

“Damn her!” she snarls, her wings spreading to their maximum length. “Damn that tyrannical Sun whore!”

If you were not already pressed as far back against the wall as possible, you would have tried to push even further away. The outburst most definitely startles you, one of the first things to truly do so since the Queen’s arrival. You cannot let that fear control you though. You need to reel Chrysalis back in.

“Hey, I don’t know who this Sun thing is, but it’s okay.”

She stands up, all four long black limbs extending as far as they possibly could. Whatever you just did was absolutely wrong, and if having an angry Changeling tower over you did not get the message across well enough, the fury she directs at you certainly will.

“You speak of matters that you know nothing about! How dare you presume to even start to believe that such a disgusting creature as yourself could ever comprehend the true evils at work against me!”

You do not say anything, which is probably for the best. She breathes deep, heavy, rhythmic breaths which almost seem to fill the entire apartment. You would be lying if you said you were not at least a little bit scared, but also… fascinated? Sure, maybe you are not the most quizzical person - something happens, you may or may not question it - but to see this creature that, quite frankly, should not exist, has you quite intrigued.

Chrysalis’ thin, jet-black coat looks like it could very well be suede like a horse should be, but something about the way the light hits her makes it almost look more akin to some kind of leather. Her near-translucent wings, which have caught your attention several times before, draw your eyes to them once more. Knowing how ragged they are, and noting the several holes that litter each just like her legs, you wonder how she is possibly able to achieve and maintain any kind of flight, sustained or otherwise.

The Queen’s long, flowing mane looked more like a normal head of hair that another human being might have had, were it not for the odd, naturally occurring shade of blue, and the fact that it had several distinct holes throughout. In fact, you think you might be beginning to notice a pattern with how she is built - take whatever looks normal and punch a couple of holes in it.

Finally, the thing that has held more of your attention than anything else about her appearance is her piercing green eyes. They were all too familiar, yet still distinctly unfamiliar, like if you were to gaze into the eyes of a longtime childhood friend you had not seen in a while. Were they perhaps even just a little cat-like, too? And are they even bigger in real life, or did the show just over-exaggerate?

It is in the middle of these thoughts, of course, that you realize you are staring. And, as if you were not fast enough to notice it, Chrysalis picks up on it, too. Her wings return to their resting position, folding up against her body, and her already-large eyes widen even more in a suspecting manner.

“What do you think you see, Creature?” she practically hisses. “Trying to size me up?”

Your plan is backfiring. Things are only getting worse with each passing second. You need to think of something quick to reel her back in and cool the whole situation off, but what? What do you possibly have to use as ammunition? What could Chrysalis possibly care more about than… herself...

And, just like that, you have it - your last thought as to how to win the Queen over for good. If it would not have been so suspicious to do so, you would have rubbed your hands together.

“No, Your Majesty, I’m not trying to do anything of the sort!” you say, throwing your hands out in front of yourself.

“Then quit your idiotic staring and start telling me what is going on! Your Queen demands answers!”

“And you’ll get them! I’m just trying to figure it out.”

“Figure what out?”

You smile, making sure to show some teeth, but not too many.

“Figure out how any of those who oppose you could even think to do so.”

She appears legitimately surprised by your answer. Her eyes widen ever so slightly, and her ears perk forward. Something tenses somewhere along her body, though what you do not know for sure. Cautiously, she takes a breath and replies.

“What are you getting at now?”

“I am only trying to say, Queen Chrysalis, that you are what we refer to here as, a ‘specimen’, meaning - “

“I know what a specimen is, Creature. Get to the point.”

“Of course,” you say sheepishly, rubbing a hand against the back of your head. “All I am trying to say is, look at you - a near-perfect example of what an excellent leader should be.”

The Changeling now seems more interested in where you are going with your spiel than anything else. Her eyes narrow and focus hard on your own. You do your best to steel yourself and try to stare back with just as much intensity. Admittedly, you do not know just what will happen next, but you can feel in your gut that it has the chance to alter the course of all things to come.

Finally, a smile appears on Chrysalis’ face, and with it, a small, rather feminine chuckle.

“I’m so glad that even such a primitive being like yourself can respect pure authority when they see it. It is… refreshing, to say the least.”

Your own smile returns.

“But of course, Queen Chrysalis. It would be foolish not to.”

She lets out a low hum of approval, closing her eyes for a moment. You take the opportunity to have your own moment to reflect. Granted, things are now going away from where you initially wished, but at least Chrysalis has calmed back down. Now what you need to do is start walking the line between keeping up your current activity and getting things back into your own control. Before you can start really formulating how to do that, however, you see Chrysalis’ eyes open back up.

“Where again did you say we are, Creature?”

“Colorado Springs,” you reply almost instantaneously.

She emits a low hum, probably mulling over the information you have again presented her with.

“And how much of these Springs do you rule?”

You frown just a little bit. Hopefully, not all of her questions will be along these lines.

“Well, your Highness, I do not own hardly any of it. Really just what you see in here is mine.”

Chrysalis nods, then looks around the living room, taking in each piece of furniture and every knick-knack. Her head swivels back to glance towards the kitchen, which she seems more interested in than the room she currently sits in. She looks back towards you. Her gaze lingers on you for a moment - though on what you do not know - before continuing to peek just beyond yourself, back towards the front door. She flashes a grin and lets out a little snort before returning her attention to you.

“Is this really all?”

Even though she is a cartoon character, the sting from her comment is real as ever. You do not know why it hit you so hard, as you have always been rather pleased with everything you have managed to acquire, but the fact that anybody can feel good making you feel so small for all of it hurts. However, you guess that if there is anybody who can do all of that and fail to ever even see why doing so would be a problem, it would no doubt be Chrysalis. Still, you steel yourself and march on.

“Yes, this is all of it.”

She laughs again, a little harder this time. The Queen takes a moment, then composes herself and continues.

“I suppose it will do.”

“It will what?”

“It. Will. Do.,” she repeats, more forceful this time.

“And what exactly are your plans? This is still my home.”

“Wrong again, Creature. This is our home now.”

You shake your head. This is, once again, going too far for your liking. You take a step forward, but immediately find you can not advance any further, as you are somehow frozen in place. The cause is not mysterious for long, however.

Chrysalis’ mangled horn now glows a vicious dark green. She winces, but it quickly turns into a snarl as she stares you down like the predator she is.

“I truly hope you won’t have any objections to this. I think you will make a valuable asset yet.”

After a brief moment of no resistance, she releases her magical hold on you, letting out a sigh as well.

“Good. Now, where to begin…”