//------------------------------// // 1: Desperate Times // Story: Equestrian Idol // by Ultimate Punch //------------------------------// Equestrian Idol Chapter 1: Desperate Times She stood alone, half concealed in shadow on the dimly lit stage. Her soft humming was easy for the audience behind her to hear, due in part to the amplification of her voice through magical means, but mostly because of its unlikeness to anything the ponies had ever heard. And she was watching herself on the impossibly large screen in front of her, a projection of herself expanded for even the audience members in the back of the field to see. It felt strange seeing herself perform for her prey. There she was, tall, beautiful, graceful, passionate, and alicorn-esque with the way her mane billowed in the artificial wind; the epitome of beauty in beautiful Equestria. Her coat was blacker than the night sky, and the moon paled, or seemed paler, when compared to her flawless, silver hair. The original constellation emblazoned on her flank shone brightly, and her rhythmic sways only drew more attention to the dazzling cutie mark. This exotic façade was her only means now of extracting the essence of love from the stricken ponies, and it was all she needed. Nopony expected that the most loved and celebrated star in all of Equestria was the enemy—after all, what sort of changeling would have the gall to purposefully advertise themselves? Only the Queen. She turned around suddenly and dramatically, hair whipping against her face and spilling down her long, slender neck. A seductively coy smile, met by screams of excitement. Stella, every pony called, desperate for the star’s attention. She glanced through them, impassive to their pleas, and her coldness only left them wanting more. The sea of ponies obeyed her. They waved to her vibrato, cried to her falsetto, stepped to her staccato and the beat, and imitated—very loosely—her elaborate choreography. They were uncaring of whether she meant the lyrics she sang or not, so long as it was her singing them. It mattered little to her; she was getting paid big bits, and the love they showered her with, though shallow, was enough to feed her and her vast family. She sang passionately. We don't have to be luxurious Don’t need bits, no jewelry And you know I'd follow you through Tartarus, babe As long as you stay by me, yeah She didn’t mean any of it. The words were tools that she used, like her voice and pulchritude, to bring home the bread, so to speak. It was hard to take in, that only a few months ago she was living in a shanty outside of Canterlot with a few of her kin when they had devised the plan. Though her talent and beauty gained her popularity, it was the networking of those that were able to reintegrate into pony society that ultimately granted Chrysalis this chance for survival, redemption, and some much needed income into their treasury. Equestria’s desire for a new star birthed her persona, and their love gave her the desire to be reborn. “You’re kidding, right?” Chrysalis asked dryly, stirring a ladle through the ancient pot hanging low above the flames of the makeshift furnace. There was a certain method to it, one that required a significant amount of concentration. She had to be quick so that the gruel wouldn’t get burnt onto the rusting metal, but also careful in order to avoid any spillage through the big crack on the side. They needed a new pot. “No, your Highness,” a portly changeling said in his bubbly voice. “The auditions are tomorrow noon, and there are only a few slots left. If you wish to participate, I can go ahead and sign up for you.” With a ragged breath, Chrysalis conjured what little magic she had left in her reserves and heaved the cauldron onto the decrepit wooden table. She then served dinner, a chunky soup that consisted of whatever edible mushrooms and small critters the foraging team was able to find. The changelings gathered around the dining room, one of the two only rooms in their hut, chittered in anticipation as they watched her distribute their portions. A shadow of a smile appeared briefly on the fallen monarch’s weary face. Her experience as a griffon cook was serving well, but she sorely missed having royal chefs cater to her, and since she was the only one present with any culinary experience, it ultimately fell upon her, Queen of Changelings, to take up kitchen duties. This infuriated her at first, but over time Chrysalis came to know a certain pleasure in feeding her children with her own hooves. With all of the covert operations and careful scheming that had taken place much before and around the time of the Royal Wedding, she had almost forgotten what it was like to be a proper mother. If only she could provide them with love—not the useless emotion, but the magical properties of it that changelings fed off of, and that every other living creature seemed to overproduce. Then, perhaps, her broad family wouldn’t be struggling. A violent cough startled Chrysalis out of her brooding. She turned her head to its source, a gangly changeling at the end of the table. It was young Pupa, barely in his teens. He quickly raised a hoof to his muzzle and wheezed into it, struggling to hold back a coughing fit, and flakes of chitin fell off of his sickly, withering shell with each suppressed convulsion. He caught Chrysalis’s worried glance and offered her a strained, reassuring smile. Chrysalis frowned. “Mm, not bad, your highness.” She shifted her glance from the child back to her scout. He was cheerfully munching on his mouthful, but immediately swallowed when Chrysalis gave him an expectant look. “Ahem, excuse me,” he stammered, licking his lips. “I have not eaten since morning and—” “It’s fine. Just continue,” Chrysalis said impatiently, taking her seat at the head of the table. He nodded meekly. “Yes, my Queen. As I was saying earlier, Sapphire Shores’s retirement has left Equestria’s pop culture in a musical drought, since she held somewhat of a monopoly in their music industry. But I think that if you tried, you could be the next big thing. If things went well, you would be able to harvest enough love to feed the whole colony, easily.” “There are many issues regarding your plan, Eurosta,” Chrysalis said with a dismissive wave of her jagged hoof. “The biggest one being that we would need to hire an agent, and we lack the funds for that.” Eurosta blinked. “…I was Sapphire Shores’s agent, your majesty,” he deadpanned. “…Yes. I knew that.” It was difficult to remember the names of every single changeling, impossible to memorize all of their disguised and constantly changing occupations. “Well, she’s retired now,” Eurosta said, raising another spoonful towards his drooling mouth, but thinking better of it and setting it back into the bowl. “And so I’ve been scouting for some new talent. As I mentioned earlier, my colleagues in Equestrian pop society and I have organized a set of auditions in order to locate a pony, or ponies, with enough talent for us to invest in and promote to stardom.” He looked to Chrysalis hopefully. “And I believe that you are more than qualified, my Queen.” Chrysalis regarded the stew in front of her with mild interest. After a moment of considering, she pushed the bowl away. “There are still too many high risks, but I am intrigued. What exactly are you looking for?” she asked, her full attention now on Eurosta. “I have a few specific characteristics in mind.” He smiled. “I’m looking for somepony beautiful.” “I’m that,” Chrysalis replied curtly. “Somepony with a personality.” She snorted. “Everyone has one. Easy.” “And somepony who could really sing.” “I…” Chrysalis bit her lip. Singing wasn’t something she liked to do—at least not in public. The few who were blessed to hear her true singing voice always wore the same enamored expression. It was as if they were genuinely intrigued with the passion with which she sang, the one thing about her that wasn’t fabricated, and that made her feel uneasy. “I only sing when I’m in a good mood, or if it’s someone’s birthday,” she answered with some honesty. Eurosta tilted his head. “Which is… every other day, your majesty.” Her shoulders slumped. “Right.” “And I would like to add that we all enjoy your singing very much.” Chrysalis perked up at the compliment. “Everyone does. My voice is beautiful,” she responded matter-of-factly, snout in the air. “Indeed, which is why I have so much faith in you.” A giddy smile spread across his face. “Just think about it: millions of ponies will be listening to you several times a day. They will idolize you, worship you, and shower you with their love and bits! All you would have to do is become a celebrity, which won’t be difficult for you, and you wouldn’t be alone in your endeavors; I and several other changelings are prepared to help you every step of the way! So what do you say?” He finished standing on the tip of his hooves, wings fluttering excitedly. Chrysalis hummed thoughtfully. On the one hoof, they were already making a steady, albeit slow recovery from the failed attack during the Royal Wedding, but on the other, the changelings back at home were near starving, waiting for their Queen to return with a much needed supply of love magic, which she was struggling to obtain. Then there were the few brave ones that stayed behind to aid her in Equestria. There was Eurosta, for example, who was one of the few changelings that were able to sneak back into Equestrian society. He ate well physically, but magically he was drained. He tried to be subtle about it, especially in her presence, but Chrysalis knew that the cause of his degrading health was his insistent sacrificing of his love portions to his needier brothers and sisters. His kindness had gravely affected his being, paling his once lustrous shell and sapping the youthfulness and color out of his bulbous cerulean eyes. In just a few years, he had gone through drastic changes, and it looked as if he had aged significantly in such short a time. There were more like him, and none of them ever questioned their Queen, nor resented her for her many failures. The changelings on the dining table were all staring at her now. They gave her mixed responses of concern and excitement, encouragements and warnings. Even sick, little Pupa looked at her certainly, his expression void of any doubt to her success. She winced at the hopeful expressions on their famished faces. Their unwavering faith only made her more desperate. “Alright,” she finally said, through a weary sigh. “I will become Equestria’s most celebrated pony, and I will end our plight.” The changelings cheered weakly. Their voices were barely above monotone, but their sincerity was audible. Eurosta clopped his hooves on the floor. “Excellent! Then I will enter you into the auditions, first thing tomorrow.” He bowed low. “Do not worry, just leave everything to me,” he added from his near-prostrated position, then got up slowly. “I will,” said Chrysalis, pulling her now lukewarm meal back. “You are dismissed.” “Goodnight, my Queen.” Eurosta nodded humbly. Then, with an about face, he made for the door. Chrysalis ignored her food again and instead watched Eurosta trudge into the pod room. The languished image of her once proud and able scout made for a good representation for the rest of her colony: they had fallen low. It wasn’t always like this, not a few centuries ago. Not when the previous Queen was still alive… She shook her head. That was long ago, and she was the only one left who remembered. It would be best for the colony if she ignored such distractions. She had to stay vigilant and endure, just as she always had, and someday, things would surely get better. And with Eurosta's new idea of her fronting as a celebrity, their future was not looking so bleak. There was hope. She leaned down and lapped a piece of stewed rodent into her mouth.