Chapter 4
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Twilight sighed. She couldn’t sleep. It had been almost two weeks since she’d first woken in the infirmary and had lost it with her friends, Spike and Celestia.
While she’d felt bad about it the day after and had apologized to them for it, the reason why she’d blown up was still true and it still hurt.
They’d all apologized too, saying how they’d never ignore her and be sure to listen from now on, but that they also understood why she’d acted the way she did to them and said they felt they all deserved it.
As much as she wanted to disagree with them about that... she didn’t disagree. Despite her conscience telling her she shouldn’t feel that way, she was glad they understood the pain they’d put her through. She didn’t feel she should have held back.
Even after that, she hadn’t been able to really look at them all for a while.
She’d had several other visitors during that time. Minuette, Lyra Heartstrings, and Twinkleshine, ponies Twilight had known a bit at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Lyra and Twinkleshine had even moved to Ponyville shortly after she’d arrived there herself.
All three had apologized for not realizing Chrysalis was pretending to be Cadance and allowed themselves to lower their guard enough that they’d been taken control of, they Twilight and Cadance told them they didn’t have to apologize, since they couldn’t have known and were too excited to be bridesmaids.
It was this same reason why Twilight had felt so guilty after she lashed out at her friends. They’d been no different. They’d been tricked, just like Minuette, Lyra, and Twinkleshine.
Her parents had also visited her, both not pleased when they learned how Shining had abandoned his sister. They learned this from Cadance, who’d listened to Twilight during that time after Celestia and the others had left after Twilight had blown up at them.
What kind of a friend am I? I should have been able to forgive them. They’re my friends, mentor and... Spike’s like my own child. A few tears slid from her closed eyes. But I didn’t. I lashed out at them. I... I...
She sniffled, opened her eyes and sat up in her bed.
She frowned. There was a blue bubble around her bed. She couldn’t hear anything and realized that it was a silence spell. Had somepony cast it? Why?
She glanced to where Cadance had been every time she’d woken up and noticed her seat was empty. Well, that explained the bubble... Wait. Why would Cadance cast a silencing spell over her bed?
A few seconds later it disappeared and Cadance walked around from the curtain she’d learned Shining Armour was behind. She looked... disheartened.
Twilight waited for Cadance to sit down before she asked, “Um, Cadance?”
Cadance looked to her, giving a weak smile. “Yes?”
“What were you doing with Shining Armour?” Twilight asked, tilting her head slightly. “And why did you cast a silencing spell around my bed while you were over there?”
Cadance hesitated, then sighed. “I was having a... talk with your brother.”
“Oh,” Twilight looked down at her forehooves, before glancing back at her. “What...? What about?”
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Cadance watched Twilight as she slept. She couldn’t help but be remained of when Twilight was a filly. She looked so peaceful, so sweet, so...
Cadance frowned. Along with thinking back to then she thought Twilight was... cute. And not the cute like a filly kind of cute. It was like...
“That can’t be right,” she whispered. “It’s like... like when I first noticed Shining Armour. But... that can’t be right at all.”
She tried to rationalize the thoughts playing throughout her mind, to figure out if she was just confused, worry for Twilight’s well being being mistaken for something it couldn’t be.
But, it was real, she couldn’t deny that. It was there, even though she had no idea how or when or even why, it was there.
She shook her head. No. No, I can’t possibly be thinking I’m starting to feel something for Twilight. I looked after her as a filly. It’s probably just something like how worried I’ve been.
She sighed. Why did she even have this idea in the first place? It was just so out of the blue that...
A groan came from the other side of the curtain, a groan she’d become familiar with whenever he’d gotten drunk on cider and she’d had to take him home.
Her first thought was to see how he was doing, before she remembered holding Twilight as she cried into her. Twilight and her friends, Celestia and Spike had each told her how hurt Twilight had been after Shining had left her behind.
Cadance got up and walked around the curtains separating the two beds, pausing to cast a silencing spell over Twilight’s bed, not wanting to wake her and walked to the side of the bed and waited for Shining Armour to open his eyes.
A few seconds later, his big blue eyes slowly opened and he looked to her, a weak and goofy smile on his face. “Hey.”
For a second, Cadance was relieved, though she realized it wasn’t as much as she’d expected. It was relief, but not in the way she’d knew she should feel. She didn’t feel relief that her coltfriend-soon-to-be-husband was finally awake... she was relieved that Twilight’s brother was awake, not her husband-to-be.
Shining looked around, as if confused by something. “Why am I here?”
Cadance smiled. “If not for Twilight, you’d be far worse.”
Shining Armour frowned. “What are you talking about? She was accusing you of being evil.”
At once, Cadance felt her compassion for Shining disperse and glared at him.
He gulped. Having been dating as long as they had, he knew that look. It was the “You really messed up this time and I’m pissed” look Cadance wore whenever he did or said something that insulted or embarrassed her beyond simple coltfriend embarrassing marefriend embarrassed.
“The pony she accused of being evil wasn’t me, it was the Changeling Queen disguised as me,” she said flatly.
Shining Armour’s eyes went wide. “Changeling? I learned about those back when I was a colt in school. You mean one of them actually got to us?”
Cadance nodded. “If not for Twilight, I’d probably still be down in the caverns, trapped, while all Equestria became a feeding ground for them.”
Shining Armour paled, not easy to do when you’ve already got an alabaster coat. “I... Wow.” He tried to sit up. “I need to speak with her—”
Cadance put a hoof on his shoulder, holding him down. He tried to push away, but a firm shake of her head made him stop and sink back down.
“No, Shining. For one, you’re still weak from having so much of your energy drained by Chryslais. You could really hurt yourself if you try too much too soon. Also,” she closed her eyes, a sad look on her face, “I don’t Twilight will want to talk with you right now.”
Shining Armour frowned. “And why wouldn’t she want to talk to her own brother, the only pony she was really friends with before she left for Ponyville?”
Cadance sighed, opening her eyes. “For that very reason.”
Shining cocked his head. “Huh?”
Cadance shook her head, that look returning. “Shining, I realize you did it was because you’d been stressed and drained of so much, but you abandoned her. She’s devastated, Shining.”
His ears drooped, his face melting into shame. “She... she is.”
Cadance nodded. “And after you abandoned her, her friends and Spike did and then Celestia. Do you realize how much that hurt her?! Even after she forgave them, she can’t even bear to look at any of them. Imagine how she’ll feel when she sees you. She’s been crying in her sleep every night.”
The shame just grew deeper on the stallion’s face. “Really?”
Cadance nodded. “She felt completely abandoned, Shining. I’m surprised she was able to forgive them so soon, even if it was after she gave them all a verbal lashing I think they all deserved.”
Shining sank deeper into his covers. “And... me?”
Cadance snorted. “While her giving you a lash would be deserved, I don’t think she will. She just won’t be able to look you in the eye for a long time.”
Shining sighed. “I really messed up, didn’t I?”
She sat down, closing her eyes. They stayed silent for a few moments, before Cadance asked something, something that had been bugging her.
“Shining?” he looked to her. “Have you... what would you say if I told you... something’s strange when I look at Twilight?”
Shining raised an eyebrow. “Strange how?”
Cadance frowned, opening her eyes. “I’m not sure. It’s just... she saved my life, down in the caverns—”
“What do you mean?” Shining asked, a nervousness entering his voice.
Cadance explained to him what had happened. Her blasting the crystal wall, the spike falling, her pushing Twilight out the way and becoming impaled herself, Twilight saving her with some special healing spell and the strange feelings she’d been getting whenever she looked or thought about Twilight since then.
When Shining next spoke, his question threw her off-guard. “How’s the Changeling Queen doing?”
Cadance frowned. “I don’t know. She’s been in prison ever since we stopped her from taking over. I’ve been in here the whole time, watching over Twilight.”
Shining frowned. “Just Twilight?”
“Well, yeah, I...” Cadance trailed off, now confusion playing across her face. “I... don’t understand it, Shining. Whenever I worried about you, it wasn’t the way I expected. I’ve only been worried for you for Twilight’s sake. I...” she looked down, shame on her face. “I’m sorry, Shining. I didn’t think about it but... I’ve not been worrying about you like I should.” She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “Is there something wrong with me?”
Shining shook his head. “Nothing could be wrong with you, Cadance.” He smiled. “We’re probably just confused because of everything that’s happened. I’m sure we’ll feel better and everything will be normal again in no time.”
Cadance sighed. “I hope you’re right, Shining.”
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Cadance sighed, slumping in her chair. “It almost feels like... like something’s different between us, you know?” She shook her head. “He was probably right. I’m probably just confused after everything that’s happened.”
Twilight nodded, but looked away so the worry in her eyes wasn’t noticeable. Had Celestia maybe been right? Had she switch Cadance’s Soulbound to her, thus leaving Shining’s? She didn’t want to believe it, but if Cadance felt something was missing between her and Shining, that seemed like a possibility.
I hope I’m wrong, she thought miserably. I don’t want to have broken up Shining and Cadance’s marriage.
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Celestia sighed glaring down at all her paperwork. It had been flooding in for the last few days, more than 90% of it being from those wishing her to punish Chrysalis, half of them being from Blueblood.
She rubbed her temples. This had become so complicated and the constant demands to punish Chrysalis when she’d been through a lot already. She’d failed her plans, been abandoned by her own kind, stripped of her title and was now stuck in the dungeons. What more could she really do?
A knock from the door caused her to look up. “Enter.”
The door opened and four guards, two pegasi and two unicorns walked in and bowed.
“Pardon the interruption, Your Majesty,” the unicorn on the right said, straightening up. “However, there are several individuals that wish to speak with you about the Changeling Queen.”
Celestia’s face deadpanned. “Are they here to ask how I plan on punishing her?”
One of the pegasi shook his head. “They are worried for her.”
Celestia blinked. This was unexpected. “Tell them I will be there shortly.”
“At once, princess,” they bowed and left.
Half an hour later, Celestia was sitting on her throne, looking down at a group of thirty ponies. What was interesting was that they looked like ponies she saw on a regular basis whenever she went out into Canterlot. Some were fillies and colts, while others were the parents and the rest just random ponies. Some were pegasi, some Earth Ponies and other unicorns.
She leaned back. “Why is it you wish to know the current condition of the Changeling Queen, my little ponies?” she asked in a very stoic voice.
One of the ponies, an Earth Pony mare with a brown coat, blonde mane and tail, yellow eyes and an apple cart Cutie Mark, who’s Pegasus filly, with a red coat, blue mane and tail, brown eyes and no Cutie Mark hid behind her, looking up at Celestia with worry.
“We... we wish to be with her,” the mare replied.
Celestia blinked, confusion filling her mind. “Um, might I ask why?”
At once, every single pony burst into green flames. When they faded, the thirty ponies had been replaced with thirty Changelings.
The Changeling that had been the mare looked down, closing her eyes. “We do not wish to return to the hive,” she said in a voice that oddly was not distorted like the former Queen's had been “It is why we did not leave with the rest of our kind and remained hidden within your city until we could ascertain what had happened to Chrysalis.”
Celestia held up a hoof and several Royal Guards surrounded the Changelings. “Do you swear on your Queen’s name not to use your magic against us, or to free her?”
The Changelings all scowled, the first speaking. “We will swear on Chrysalis’ name, not the Queen’s.”
Celestia blinked again. That she had not expected. However, she returned to her stoic self and looked to the Changeling she’d been speaking to. “And why do you not wish to return to your hive, if I may ask?”
The scowls vanished, replaced with fear.
The nymph that had been the Pegasus filly clutched who was clearly her mother’s leg as the mother spoke. “Chrysalis is our true Queen. She came to Equestria with the goal of feeding our hive, our children. She has always thought about our survival beyond anything else.”
A shiver ran throughout all the Changelings.
“Her sister, however...” the Changeling gulped. “Chitan is cruel and malicious. If you even step a hoof out of line, she’ll fry you to a cinder.” Her nymph tightened her grip. “She, unlike Chrysalis, would sacrifice anything, even the nymphs, the future of our kind, to gain more power, without a care as to whether any Changelings would be around to enjoy the end results. Chrysalis, however, only cared to feed us and keep our hive alive, so,” she looked up to Celestia and put a hole-pocked hoof to her carapace, “on Chrysalis, our true Queen’s name, we promise not to resist or try to free her.”
Celestia was rather surprised. She had not expected such loyalty to be given to the Chrysalis. It did, however, touch her heart that not all Changelings were so heartless that abandoned one of the their own and leave her to the fate of others.
The Alicorn stood and nodded. “Very well. Guards, escort these Changeling’s to Chrysalis’ cell. Do not harm them or place any restraints on them. I believe we can trust them to keep their word.”
The guards looked hesitant, but nodded and escorted the large group of Changelings out of the throne room and down the hall, several staff pausing, their mouths hanging open in shock as they watched the creatures walking calmly down their halls, though a few maids couldn’t help but smile at the nymphs. Even monster children could still be cute, in their own way.
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Chrysalis sighed as she lay on her bed in her cell. She was amazed the ponies were being so kind to her, considering what she’d done and tried to do to them all.
She still wondered why she couldn’t stop thinking about Shining Armour. She’d asked a few of the guards from time to time and a small amount of them had been kind enough to answer her with more than a grunt. Shining Armour was finally awake and he seemed to be fine.
Chrysalis could not explain how much it had eased her to know that he was finally awake and that there didn’t seem to be any lasting damage from what she’d done to him.
She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt something, something she thought she’d never feel again. The presence of other Changelings.
She sat up, letting her mind reach out to them. It was different from before. Back then, she had been completely attuned to each and every thought her Changelings had, but, this wasn’t the same. She could feel their presence, taste their anticipation in the air, but she could not hear their thoughts, see into their minds.
At first, the anticipation scared her, thoughts of assassins being sent by her sister to eliminate her filling her mind, before she realized it wasn’t that type of anticipation. It was... joyous.
The sound of voices echoed throughout the dungeons until she saw several guards approach her cell door. Behind them she could see at least thirty pairs of eyes from adult and nymph Changelings, all looking at her with joy.
She could taste their happiness on the air. They were glad she was alright, happy to see her alive.
The door was opened and the Changelings all filed into the large cell, which was big enough for twice as many of them. Once the last nymph had scampered inside, the door closed and locked and the guards went away.
The Changelings all bowed.
“Our Queen,” one of them, a female said, smiling up at her, “we are all overjoyed to see you are alright.”
Chrysalis looked away, ashamed. “I’m not the Queen, not anymore.” She didn't bother having the distortion in her voice anymore. Fear tactic she had tried, that was in the end pointless, to make her sound more intimidating when she would take over.
“Not to us, Your Highness,” the Changeling replied, caused Chrysalis to pause. “We remain loyal to you, a Queen who wished only to aid her subjects. We will always be loyal to you.”
Chrysalis blinked and looked to each Changeling and saw no sign of falsehoods in any of them. They had all come here, to her cell, only to serve their Queen.
She smiled and looked to the Changeling who had spoken. “What is your name, my Changeling?”
“Carapace, my Queen,” she replied, then motioned to the nymph at her side. “And this is my daughter, Aphid.”
Chrysalis nodded, then looked to them all. “Have you come to free me?”
Carapace shook her head. “We cannot, Your Highness. For to do so would be to spit on your name.”
Chrysalis cocked the foreskin where an eyebrow would be if Changeling’s had eyebrows. “I... don’t understand.”
“F-fow us to see you, Y-youw Majesty,” young Aphid squeaked, a little scared, Chrysalis could taste it, “we had to s-sweaw on youw name that we would n-not twy to fwee you if awwowed to come widout hindwance.”
Chrysalis smiled and leaned down and nuzzled the small nymph. “No need to be scared, little one. I am humbled that you would all do such a thing.”
The nymph relaxed and smiled. “Y-you’we welcome, Youw Highness.”
“Also,” Carapace said, nodding to the others, “as we wish not to associate ourselves with the new hive, we offer to serve you under a new form.”
Before Chrysalis could ask what she meant, all the Changelings burst into bright blue flames. When they faded, they looked more like ponies than Changelings.
They still had their black carapaces and the colours of their manes and tails hadn’t changed, but so much more had. The holes in their hooves and wings were gone, making them look rather beautiful, if Chrysalis was perfectly honest and their horns were no longer gnarled and looked like normal unicorn horns, if a little sharper and their eyes were now like hers.
They all bowed to her, saying in unison, “We will serve as your new Changelings, Chrysalis, true Queen of the Changelings.”
Chrysalis couldn’t help but smile at the loyalty of these Changelings, the few of her children that had not abandoned her.
The nymph stepped forward, her horn glowing with cyan aura and Chrysalis felt her restraints, the collar and wing ones, fall away.
The old part of her, the part that hadn’t worried about Shining Armour’s safety, told her to blast a hole through the wall and lead her small group of Changeling away, to prepare for revenge.
However, that old part of her was but a whisper these days, as the part of her that did care for Shining Armour’s safety, told her to stay, not just for him, but for those of her children who had remained loyal to her, those who could not return to the hive on bane of death.
There was a flash of blue fire that surrounded the Changeling. When it faded, she looked like her subjects, only with her crown on her head.
“So, Queen Chwysalis,” Aphid asked cautiously, “How come you didn’t fight youw way out?”
Chrysalis thought about why she hadn’t left. She could not fully explain it, but she supposed she could try her best to explain the strange things that had happened since the failed invasion at the wedding.
She sat down, indicating for them all to do so, which they did at once and she began explaining everything that had happened at the wedding since she’d felt strange and seen that strange green thread surrounded by green stars, only for the stars to vanish and be replaced by a blue thread. After all, maybe one of them might know what had happened.