The two changelings and one increasingly-close-to-a-changeling couldn't believe what they were seeing. By all accounts, the unconscious being before them appeared to be Queen Chrysalis! But she couldn't be - Chrysalis was back at the hive, preparing to enact Switcher's plans!
Clone, Trixie and Leech stood in silence for a few moments, glancing at each other and then back to the black shape slumped on the ground. Clone eventually broke the silence.
"If this really is Chrysalis, she's in trouble!" he said at last, crouching down to examine the fallen ruler's comatose body. "She's severely depowered. Whatever that thing was, it was constantly draining her powers and her life force. Leech, come over here - I need your help again." he said briskly, as he beckoned Leech.
Leech stepped forward and asked what he could do. Clone simply motioned to his broken horn, and the prone Chrysalis' horn. Leech rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.
"Leech izz zzsick of being magic jumper cable!" he complained, but complied anyway.
He placed his hoof on Clone's head, and touched his horn with Chrysalis'. Clone released some of his considerable power, making it flow through Leech's body, out through his horn, and into the horn of his Queen. Chrysalis remained unresponsive. Clone attempted the procedure another five times, his concern and desperation growing with each successive try. As he began to mourn the loss of his Queen, he noticed Chrysalis' eyes open into tiny slits.
Encouraged, he let out a seventh, far more intense blast which seemed to bring Chrysalis around... although he failed to warn Leech. The sudden burst of power running through him caused the little drone to leap into the air and hit his head on the cavern ceiling. Trixie, forgetting her own problems, ran over to where he landed to check he was alright - fortunately, he was.
"Leech hazz thick zzskull!" he beamed proudly, being closer to the truth than he realized.
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Clone attempted to aid Chrysalis in getting to her hooves. She was still very weak, and surprisingly heavy given her slim stature and the number of holes in her legs. Trixie trotted back over and helped lift the limp-limbed leader into a sitting position with her magic. Trixie noted that her magic was becoming harder to control, and her usual mauve aura was beginning to take on a sickly green tint. She had some trouble keeping the tears at bay as Chrysalis began to speak.
"How... long... have I been gone?" Chrysalis whispered between short, shallow breaths.
"That depends, my Queen." Clone answered gently. "What is the most recent thing you remember?"
"Let me see... I... I remember now. We'd failed in our invasion attempt of Canterlot. I was injured and my power was low. I had been thrown all the way to the far side of the Badlands, and was making my way back to our hive when..." Chrysalis paused as her brow furrowed in anger. "When... those two treacherous pieces of slime ambushed me! I couldn't fight back in my weakened state."
"Who?" asked Clone angrily. "Who attacked you?"
"General Switcher, and Aurora!" snarled Chrysalis, the very thought of the two turncoat changelings enraging her. "They imprisoned me within this monolith, which Aurora had constructed. It siphoned my power away as fast as it could regenerate, and sent it directly to her, that worthless, backstabbing hatchling!"
"Aurora!" breathed Clone. "I thought she was ancient history!"
"Who izz Aurora?" asked Leech, confused.
"Aurora was one of my top Generals, many years ago, long before you were hatched 1017. She was excellent at her job, but despite her privileged position within the swarm, coveted more. Specifically, she wanted the throne, but lacked the power to overthrow me." explained Chrysalis breathlessly. "To further her own ends, she began studying dark arts and non-regulation magics to enhance her powers..."
Trixie, who was listening to the conversation, thought these arts must have been pretty dark if changelings considered them to be dark! After all, they considered stealing a pony's place and feeding on love to be normal routine!
"She mastered a forbidden spell - the power to take the form of other changelings. This ordinarily isn't supposed to be possible... not anymore, at least. I had no choice but to exile her from the swarm permanently for this. " Chrysalis continued to explain. "Long ago, this magic was common among our kind as a method of confusing enemies further during battles. It was later forbidden due to it being open to abuse, and was thought to have died out."
"Like zzsynthetic changelingzz?" asked Leech.
"Yes, much like..." began Chrysalis, "...wait a minute, 1017 - synthetic changelings were deemed unethical even by our standards long before you existed. How in Tartarus do you know about them? They haven't existed for years!"
Clone, Leech and Trixie exchanged worried glances. Clone spoke up first.
"My Queen, do you want the bad news... or the worse news..?"
Chrysalis raised a questioning eyebrow at the High General, as the latter continued to speak.
"The bad news is, from what you've said, you've been trapped within that siphon monolith for around four months." he said, causing Chrysalis' eyes to widen in shock.
She hadn't expected it to have been that long!
"The worse news is..." he began, with a pained expression on his face.
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With this, both he and Leech explained that Aurora had seemingly taken Chrysalis' form, and taken command of the swarm. Using their unquestioning loyalty and the powers she took from Chrysalis, she had been able to persuade them to set up a plan that she and Switcher had been concocting. They told her of the experiments into synthetic changelings that Switcher had been doing right under Chrysalis' nose, months before the Canterlot invasion. They also explained the massive increase in Necrosia production, and how the selection criteria had extended far beyond the dead and dying. By the time they'd gotten to the part about Vek and the second Canterlot invasion plan, Chrysalis was agape. Tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes.
"My swarm..." she quietly sobbed. "What have they done..? Or worse yet, what have they done in my name? And more to the point, what are they ABOUT to do?!"
"What I don't get," Trixie said, adding to the discussion for the first time, "Is what Switcher is getting from all this?"
Chrysalis turned to look at the slowly-metamorphosing hybrid - she hadn't really paid her much attention until now.
"Switcher never liked the way I ruled." she started. "He always believed that changelings should be creatures of conquest, as we once were. Whilst I admit our methods are questionable at times, and we sometimes unnecessarily toy with our targets, our general motivation is sustenance. Switcher was never interested in any of that, he'd often suggest more aggressive strategies for the swarm's spread and expansion. He was ignored, of course - so I assume he's teamed up with Aurora because she too has a war-like spirit."
Trixie nodded. This made sense - although none of it was going to help her present condition. She felt her teeth with her tongue - she could feel two at the front beginning to take on fang-like points. Chrysalis looked at her again and, with some effort, got up onto her hooves and approached the fearful former unicorn. Chrysalis looked down at Trixie, and spoke in an unusually gentle tone.
"Your fear is quite understandable, my little pony. However... although it's not a quick or especially pleasant process, synthetic changeling metamorphosis is reversible." she said, causing Trixie's increasingly ragged-looking ears to prick up.
"Really? Are you serious? Can Trixie be Great and Powerful once more?" she asked, desperation permeating her voice.
Chrysalis gave a surprisingly warm chuckle.
"I don't know about Great and Powerful, but yes - I can return you to your previous form. And I will, along with the other ponies that Switcher has twisted to his will. However, I can't do it at the present moment." she replied.
Trixie's heart sank a little at this news. Noticing her crestfallen face, Chrysalis explained further.
"I am still severely depowered - I need to return to the hive to renew my strength." she said. "Plus, it's not as simple as using my powers alone - I need another component to change you back, and there's none in this place."
Trixie forgot to be distressed about her condition. She stood up straight, and turned to Leech and Clone.
"Gentlecolts... we have a hive to reclaim!" she said, a determined smile appearing across her face, showing her newly-protruding fangs. "No metamorphosis is enough to keep the Great and Powerful Trixie out of action!"
All present in the cave were immediately cheered by Trixie's newfound confidence, especially Leech. He buzzed to the entrance of the cave and hovered, looking back at the others.
"Let'zz go kick zzsome flank!" he shouted, intent blazing in his eyes.
After checking that Chrysalis was well enough to fly, Clone grabbed Trixie in his front hooves and all four of them left the cave. They quickly took to the skies, heading straight for the hive. Chrysalis assumed it would be easy enough, even in her depowered state, to out Aurora as a fake - she just needed to get within range of the scheming exile.
----------
However, this wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded.
Back in the hive, Queen Chrysalis - or rather, Aurora - was pacing nervously about the Royal Chamber, with Switcher and his squad watching. Finally, Switcher could take no more.
"What in Equestria is wrong with you?!" he asked, at the end of his wits.
"Chrysalis' powers... I'm no longer receiving them. If I don't start receiving them again soon, I won't be able to mask my identity to the drones - they'll be able to sense that I'm not who I look like. Something's happened to the siphon, I just know it." she said, her voice becoming shaky.
"Then there's nothing else for it, Queen Aurora." said Switcher firmly. "We'll have to stage the invasion now. The sooner we can get more synthetic changelings on our side, the better our chances will be if the swarm does turn against us."
Aurora tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. If Chrysalis really was free, it would only be a matter of time before she arrived at the hive. Despite her massively-enhanced power, Aurora still secretly feared Chrysalis as an opponent in a one-on-one battle. Aurora decided she'd rather not be present at the hive if Chrysalis did indeed show up!
"Very well." she decreed. "Summon a battalion of Solider drones, and get them to carry the Necrosia pods to our destination. We'll take all of it, just to be on the safe side. Alert me when we are ready for departure."
Switcher saluted his twisted Queen, and quickly darted off to make arrangements. Within minutes, three dozen Soldier drones had been scrambled, and all were busily gathering Necrosia pods from the storage caves. Using a secretion to adhere a Necrosia pod to each of their sides, much like a hideous set of saddlebags, they lined up outside the front of the hive. Switcher, his Sentries and Vek were waiting for 'Chrysalis' to finish addressing the remaining changelings.
"You will all remain here whilst I lead the first wave in our attack." she commanded, addressing all the Generals and drones who were to stay behind. "You will be summoned as, if and when you are needed."
With this, she strode outside the hive to the waiting Switcher.
"Let us go, for the glory of the Swarm! For the glory of the hive! For the glory of me, Queen Chrysalis!" she bellowed, her rallying cry being greeted by cheers and salutes from the gathered Soldiers.
The invasion party then took off for Canterlot, their combined buzzing making a deep roar that seemed to shake the very atmosphere.
As the real Chrysalis, Leech, Trixie and Clone approached the hive, they could see the invasion party heading away.
"We're too late!" cried Clone.
"No." said Chrysalis. "You three follow them, attempt to delay their invasion by any means necessary. I will return to the hive and regain command of the remaining swarm. With their help, I shall restore my powers, after which I will join you in the battle. All you have to do is stay alive long enough for me to regain my strength." she finished, making it sound much easier than it was going to be.
None of the would-be invasion crashers were sure of this plan, but in the absence of anything better they dutifully set off in pursuit of Aurora and Switcher whilst Chrysalis landed at a hive entrance. Taking a deep breath and steeling her gaze, she forcefully strode inside - her Generals were in for the verbal punishment of their lives!
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After around an hour of flying, the invaders set down in a wooded area a mile outside of Canterlot's city walls. Their plan was not a direct assault initially, instead allowing Vek to administer the Necrosia to the unsuspecting ponies inside. When enough of them were transformed, Aurora and the rest of the invasion party would storm the city in order to secure the remaining ponies. The unusually overcast evening sky contrasted with Canterlot's gleaming white buildings and golden spires. A hint of rain was in the air, but it did nothing to dampen the spirits of Aurora or Switcher.
Many months of planning were about to come to fruition - the changelings were about to retake their place as the dominant force in Equestria's hierarchy!
As Switcher briefed the Soldiers, Vek had his barb jammed into a Necrosia pod, and was greedily sucking up the foul substance, ready for 'distribution' to the ponies of Canterlot. Aurora, still in her Chrysalis disguise, gazed towards the waiting and unaware city. Her attention was drawn by a buzzing sound coming from behind her - she whirled around to see three shapes flying towards them.
Aurora rolled her eyes as Leech landed before her, and Clone set Trixie down before landing himself. Trixie's entire coat was now a dark slate color rather than its usual blue, but she didn't care at this point. She was determined to foil their plan and get herself cured.
"You again?" asked Aurora, wearily.
Noticing the commotion, Switcher, the Sentries and the Soldiers had walked over and were now gathered behind her, all their eyes fixed on the three invasion crashers. Leech leapt into the air and hovered over the crowd of blissfully ignorant Soliders.
"WAIT!" he implored. "Don't follow Queen'zz orderzz!"
"Why?" asked one Solider from the back of the mob.
"BECAUZZE QUEEN IZZ A CHANGELING!" he yelled, with a completely straight face.
All of the invasion party stood in a stunned silence. A cricket seemingly crawled out from nowhere and began to chirp. Everyone was just staring at Leech, seemingly unable to comprehend his justification for not invading. Leech looked behind him - even Trixie and Clone were facehoofing in unison. Finally, the silence was shattered by uproarious laughter from the Soldiers.
"Of course she's a changeling, you idiot! We're all changelings!" shouted one Solider before returning to his hysterics. Even Aurora let out a chuckle.
"And in other news, grass is green and the sky is blue." she mocked.
Switcher had been less than amused, and stood stony-faced as the others around him finally managed to stifle their giggles. He boldly stepped forward, and stood at Aurora's side.
"Well, well, well." he said flatly. "The half-breed, the traitor and the fool. A persistent fool, but a fool nonetheless. We have no further time to play games with any of you."
He motioned to the Sentries and Soldiers that stood behind.
"Crush them."