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// Feeding On Ones Questions 
// Story: "From Whence I Once Came" 
// by Fabella 
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	It had been a tiresome two weeks after Cadance spent time in the library. Two special and very important events were to come into place all in a single day and week, the Crystal Flaire and the sappiest of all holiday's, Hearts and Hooves. Both events drained the poor princess of her power. 

With the help of Twilight, she managed to get everything organized between the meetings of the royals and nobles of Saddle Arabia, Germaneigh and even Prance and still be able to setup the festivities for the two demanding holidays.

But while the hard work was off of her back, Cadance was force to deal with the long conversations about politics and foreign arrangements and alliances between the empire and said royal's nations.

Such things took up her time and Shinning could offer absolutely no help. He was in charge of the entire crystal guard and his efforts, focus and energy was put into managing, training and supervising soldiers who were to serve and protect not just him and his wife but the entire kingdom.

But one thing bothered her during those long conversations, that same question would pop up:

Just what was the flutterponies?

Cadance tried to make sense of why such a thing disturbed her. She typically would leave such things alone. She wasn't like her sister-in-law who fed into her curiosity until every single book, manuscript and archive was searched and analyzed til there was not a bit of information left to obtain.

As per Shining's recommendation, she went back to the library while she was free. Searching book after book for more information on said ponies but it bought her to no avail. She even spoke to the librarian who was well versed on a range of topics within the giant collection but when she was questioned by the Crystal princess on information regarding the lost race of ponies the mare merely shook her head:

"I am sorry princess. I only know so much that this library or life itself contain. Perhaps you'll do better going to another?"

And so she did, going to the second largest library in Equestria which was in Canterlot. She spent an entire day, searching through it's records til dusk called her back home. But before she left, she later inquired one of the two sisters about her suspicions:

"The flutterponies?" Celestia looked slightly surprised. "Indeed me and my sister know them well. They have existed but unfortunately, my memory is funny of them. I only remember faintly an incident regarding my mother and their queen. It was a rather nasty incident but I'm afraid that is all I can tell you my dear. You can ask my sister but in truth she'll only say the same. I do apologize." 

Even the most studious pony she knew could offer her little:

"Flutterponies? Well to be honest I myself carried a small obsession about them for a little while. After all, I do have a thing for history. As for the flutterponies though, I could find very little information on them myself. From what I can remember there a race of ponies who lived during the reign of the alicorns but fell victim to the Great War. Their kingdom was completely wiped from the map and along with them in one whole night. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you which I'm sure is nothing new. But I did stumble across something interesting while looking them up. Apparently, the earliest record of the changelings doesn't appear far after their disappearance."

And that was when it hit her.

Cadance flew with desperate speed as the last drop of sunlight drew near. She knew what she was doing and she was conflicted on weather or not it was wrong. She wanted an answer and her last resort may just put her in danger. She knew that if she told Shining of her plans he would explicitly forbid it and the others would only worry for her greatly and side with him. She had to take the chance. She understood their worry but her desire for an answer ran stronger.

The last words of Twilight echoed in her head as she pieced the situations together.

Cadance ended her flight and landed on arid soil. The badlands was a rugged place where the sun of Celestia showed no mercy onto the dry landscape. Heatwaves shook the vision of those who dared to dwell in it but with the setting sun, Cadance was spared from it's radiating heat. 

In front of the crystal princess laid a grotesque castle. Black without detail and filled with holes, it laid covered on the outside with a sticky green slime. It stood as the tallest and seemingly only structure in the badlands.

Cadance looked around her and took a deep breath and walked in through a hole. It closed behind her unexpectedly and she was reminded on how the openings and exits of the building where not fixed. She sighed knowing it was going to be some time before she would be able to navigate the passageways to her designated area. In truth, she had no idea where to go only that she needed to see it's ruler. Cadance sighed again.

She was practically playing one big guessing game.

The caverns of the castle was covered in a sickly, sticky green substance. As she transverse the ragged caves she noticed the absence of changelings. Nothing hissed, nothing alarmed, and nothing sounded as she walked. The only thing she could hear was the sounding of her hooves against the ground and the occasional dripping noises of leaking water.

She went through one hole and swore up and down that when she did, she entered a cave straight from hell. The ceiling was not high up and the passage was almost circular in shape. Green, sickly looking orbs laid present around her. Covering sections of the walls and floor almost completely.

Where those eggs? she thought to herself.

She lifted a hoof in disgust and was undecided on how to move on. When she gazed into the distance and saw that a path could be made for her to go through, she progressed forward. The orbs were...empty. Not filled with any sort of substance. They were not bright but instead of a mix match of different shades of green. Many of which were not symmetrical in shape. They looked like eggs gone bad where the yolk had spilled in on itself.

Cadance peered into once curiously but what she could see made her repulse. Inside laid a changeling larvae but it looked deformed and small like a fetus. Its joints were twisted in on each other and some it's body did not look completely developed as some of its limbs were abnormally small in it's suspected age of development.

She wanted to hurl and turn back but having made it this far she refused. No more holes opened and closed for her here in the part of the castle and so she was trapped either way. She continued, paying careful mind not to defile her hooves with the slime like debris.

Til' finally she entered into the throne room of the Queen herself.

Cadance looked about the place and saw that it was the same as the passage. Covered in green orbs and sticky green slime but the area around the throne was mostly clear. Being limited to the surrounding walls. She looked towards the large throne that sat at the top. Her magic was useless here because of the black stone that made up Chrysalis's royal chair. Absorbing any and every kind of magic to protect the hive and her young.

Cadance was all to aware of this fact before hoof but that did not stop her from coming here. She approached the throne as her footsteps resounded through the very large area.

"Who goes there?"

Cadance stopped. She recognized the voice but it sounded filled with congestion.

She swallowed. "I-its is me...Princess Cadance."

Silence filled for awhile until she saw a figure turn on the bed like throne. Looking at her with eyes surrounded with green and yellowish crust. Her body was abnormally thin and her mane and tail was matted. Her wings, crinkled and bent, surely unable to do its job of flying.

"Cadance." Chrysalis hissed. "Why is it that you are here?"

Cadance was silent. Not as to be rude but because she was unsure of how to respond.

"Answer me!" Chrysalis snapped.

The princess did. "I came here because I wanted to ask you something."

Chrysalis grinned. "Ask me something? Why didn't you just ask your colorful friends? I don't have time to entertain ones like you."

Cadance furrowed her eyes and ignored the rest of the queen's indignation. "Because they couldn't provide me an answer. Perhaps it was God or something that compelled me but whatever it was drove me to continue searching for an answer. And it led me to you."

The bug queen busted a laugh. "Please. Such things are a-"

She coughed and wheezed. Nearly choking on her breath.

The crystal princess didn't speak a word.

"Out with it. You want an answer correct? To what?" she asked with venom.

"Flutterponies. Do you know about them?"

Chrysalis's eyes narrowed. "And why are you insisting to know about them?"

"Because..." Cadance sighed. "Well, I'll start with the beginning.  I was searching through books on information regarding some of the Crystal Empire's beliefs and practices. Mostly their traditions and culture."

"And why would the Crystal Empire Empress be doing that?"

"Because I didn't know."

Chrysalis let out a laugh but coughed as she did. "To think..."  she wheezed as she tried to speak. "...that the very ruler knows nothing about her people!"

"Like I was saying..." Cadance spoke with annoyance. "As I was flipping through, they had an interesting passage regarding a lost kingdom and race of ponies known as flutterponies. I wanted to know more as there was nearly no information on them but I obtained nothing. I even tried talking to Celestia but all she could do was confirmed that the kingdom existed. Celestia did mention something about her earliest memory being that the queen attacked her mother but that was it."

Chrysalis stood silent for a while as Cadance merely looked at her.

"She said that?"

"...yes."

"I would have thought she had forgotten such an incident. Memory sure is a strong one is it not? Even after being alive for a millennium."

Cadance looked at her confused but acknowledged her anyway. "...I would assume so. Since they couldn't get me an answer I decided to come to you."

"And why is that?"

"Because the flutterponies as I was reading were referenced as to being insect pegasi. As I thought about it, I noticed that the creatures that fit that description closest ....are the changelings."

"So you came to me on your own accord?"

"Yes."

"Not very wise are you? The princess of the Crystal Empire comes to me without protection in an area where her magic is rendered useless to meet alone the very ponywho stole her identity and tried to not only take her husband but the entire country of Equestria. Come now Cadance what are you truly here for? Surely there is not more important matters to discuss then some old, ancient pony foal's tale is there not?"

Cadance frowned at her and stared into her eyes. She refused to speak and silence overcame them both as the other waited for a response. But when Chrysalis saw that she was serious she gave in.

"Sure enough your husband wouldn't allow for this meeting to happen wouldn't he?"

Cadance stood her ground. "He wouldn't, which is why I didn't tell him."

The Hive Queen gave a grin. "Perhaps not wise but surely is bold."

"Enough Chrysalis. Answer my question, who or what were the flutterponies?"