Hard Shell

by Lyra_H_Strings

1 Chrysalis is an Evil Bug Queen

Chrysalis had finally done it. She had conquered Equestria- and, what was this? An entirely new world with more creatures to harvest love from? And its inhabitants had no magic? It was almost laughably easy to take control of them.

“My Queen?” a drone asked with the utmost respect, bringing Chrysalis out of her thoughts as she sat up on what was previously Celestia’s throne.

“What is it?” she snapped. The changeling flinched.

“I’ve brought the ponies you asked for. They’re outside.”

“Bring them in.” she ordered, standing up and adopting a smug smirk on her face.

---

Twilight Sparkle was not having a good day. First, her alarm clock had broken and she had woken up late. Then, Chrysalis had conquered Equestria. Or— no, that had happened a few Saturdays ago. Time since the Invasion had been… difficult to recall. Now, she, and her friends, were being brought before the Queen.

The chains around her hooves were starting to chafe, too. At least the girls were there to keep her company. She stared up at Chrysalis as she sauntered down the steps leading to the throne, coming to rest a few levels above the group of ponies.

We’re shorter than you, anyways, we look pitiful in your presence, and you still feel the need to elevate yourself. Twilight thought with disgust.

“My, my, my, what do we have here?” Chrysalis mused. “The lilac nerd and her friends, in chains. I’m sure you’ve dreamt up a plan by now, but I can guarantee you that it won’t work. I’ve taken countless measures to ensure that you would be unable to even think about attempting something.”

Twilight halted her already formulating plan to break out of the chains, buck Chrysalis in the face, and finally get that cup of tea that she’s been wanting since that morning 3 Saturdays ago to shoot a glare at Chrysalis.

“So, what happens now? Are you going to torture us some more? Shove splinters in our hooves? Drip water on our foreheads until we go insane?” Rainbow spat out.

Chrysalis chuckled. “No, no, not now. That comes later. No, now, I have a surprise for you.”

“I’m sure it’s something terribly villainous, isn’t it?” Rarity sighed.

Ignoring the comment, Chrysalis started trotting around the group of six ponies.

“I took interest in some research you were doing Twilight, and I have to say, I was intrigued. Parallel universes? Other dimensions?” Twilight’s ears pressed back against her head and her eyes snapped up to Chrysalis while her friends glanced at her with questions in their eyes.

“Such things were surely not possible within the meager talents of my drones. However, thanks to you, I have discovered a new civilization to harvest…”

Twilight gasped. “No… you wouldn’t.”

“Ah, but I would, could, and have, ‘my little pony.’” Chrysalis turned to signal to a suddenly very alert changeling, who quickly stood at attention and yanked on a rope, drawing a curtain to reveal a spacious chamber.

It was full of flashing images, and this constant drone that wormed its way into the ponies’ ears, it was already causing them some discomfort. All of this only an accompaniment, a side dish, to the main focus of this sinister theatre.

Humans, looking very odd to those present who hadn’t seen them before, restrained and being led by Changeling guards to either small chambers that were embedded in a wall, or to be chained together and made to watch the images that were being projected. Over it all, that incessant tone, never halting, even for a second.

Chrysalis let their eyes linger for a few seconds longer, before slowly drawing the curtain shut with her magic. Chrysalis circled the ponies, sneering. “How does it feel, Twilight Sparkle, to be responsible for the suffering of thousands, even millions of creatures?” Chrysalis paused, allowing for the thoughts to flow through Twilight’s mind.

Good. Chrysalis thought. Yes… think about all those helpless humans. Suffering… here we go, tears. Pitiful.

“I have more than a hundred camps, just like this one, some that are more… ‘efficient’ than the last, and do you know what I plan to do with all of these humans?” Chrysalis paused, giving the illusion that Twilight had the option to answer.

She whispered into her ear, getting very close, “I’m going to suck them dry, suck them dry of every ounce of their love, and it’s all. Thanks. To. You.” Chrysalis paused, an idea alighting on her face.

“I suppose that I should thank you, Twilight Sparkle. What you did, or, rather, what you didn’t do allowed me to take what I needed.” She pulled back, allowing Twilight to consider her words before continuing.

“You couldn’t even help your princesses when they needed you. You sacrificed the entire nation, just for a few extra hours of sleep… your alarm clock didn’t break, Twilight. You turned it off.”

Twilight fell to her knees after the verbal barrage, the world in slow motion as she reeled. She was responsible for everything that Chrysalis had done. The taking over of Equestria, the… unknown fate of Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. Well, not Cadence. Twilight knew what Chrysalis had done to her… she was still trying to forget. And above all, the decimation of the human world.

She never thought that her casual research would lead to… lead to this! She had never considered her responsibilities, she just ignored them. Like she ignored her alarm clock that morning.

She was a bad pony, Twilight realized. No— not bad, just… ignorant, right? Negligent. A one time mistake… then I’ll make a second; a third. How long until I destroy the world by going down the wrong path? She supposed that she already had. Not just one, but two, a morbid joke with the only punchline being death.

“Don’t listen to your inner monologue and that evil-weevil bug queen, Twilight! You’re not a bad pony. It’s not your fault, you couldn’t possibly have known!” Pinkie Pie said. No, she didn’t just say that. There was a slight waver of uncertainty in her voice.

Applejack spoke up, softly, with something that sounded like disbelief in her words. “Is it… true, sugarcube? Did you know?”

“No, Pinkie, Applejack, you don’t understand. If I had just… been better! Woken up! Decided not to stick my nose in otherworldly research where it didn’t belong! I never thought anything would happen… oh, Celestia… what have I done…” Twilight ceased to form comprehensible sentences and instead resorted to sobbing quietly.

While her friends just tried to be there for her, Chrysalis merely viewed the scene with a smirk, glad to see that insufferable little meddler reduced to a snivelling mess. She waved a hoof dismissively at the group of ponies. “Take that away. Pity is… unappetizing.” ordered Chrysalis to a nearby guard. She turned around to look out the glass windows behind the throne, viewing her spoils.

Sometimes, she couldn’t believe that she had done it. The princesses dealt with, her only other possible threat taken care of, and, now, she held all the cards, and it was a full house. At least, she thought it was. She had never played cards before, it was unbecoming of a Queen.
After checking to make sure the throne room had been emptied, she threw her head back in a great, evil laugh, the laugh of someling who knew she had won, and that there would be nobody to stop her.

Her mother would have been proud.

Author's Note:

Wow, thanks for reading the first chapter! I hope you like evil Chryssy, because that’s what you’re getting in this story.
She’ll have some redeeming/cute moments, don’t worry. I may decide to reform her at the end, but my attitude may change.
Any constructive criticisms are welcome! This is my second shot at semi-original content. You’ll probably never see attempt #1.

Comments

[keybounce]

Wait, no meddling kids? She did get away with it?

[Lyra_H_Strings]

9536045
Totally and completely! At least, for now.