Chrysalis sat on the hill while she looked down at the Ponyville below. She smiled at the occasional flashes of emerald flames whenever they appeared. It was too dark for even the acute senses of a changeling to make out any real details what was going on, but she could hear the screams in the wind.
This was the part she enjoyed the most, being able to see her efforts finally bearing fruit. By morning, Ponyville would be a ghost town. With the railroad broken, it would take some time before anypony would come here.
Chrysalis felt a shiver go down her spine as she imagined the expressions of those first ponies to arrive. News would spread quickly of the abandoned town. The mystery would breed speculation and rumors. Nopony would feel safe.
She licked her her lips as she imagined how Celestia and Luna would feel knowing that their subjects could be snatched away from them so easily.
Her original plan was to kidnap every single princess in Equestria and their closest allies at the same time so she could replace them with her own drones. Unfortunately, discovering Fluttershy had forced her to accelerate her schedule.
It couldn’t be helped, the existence of another changeling queen was simply too much of a risk to leave alone. A great deal of her authority rested on the fact that there were no alternatives to her rule.
Oh well, the girl couldn’t always have all she wanted. Maybe she didn’t get the grand victory she originally intended, at least not yet. Seeing Twilight’s expression when Fluttershy drained her dry and turned the alicorn princess into a lifeless husk was going to be a reasonable consolation prize.
Chrysalis saw the changeling captain in charge of the invasion force walking up the hill to her. The changeling queen took a deep breath and sighed, mentally preparing herself for what she knew was coming.
“Pharynx, how many ponies did we miss because of that horn?” Chrysalis said, not turning her head from the scene below them.
“My queen,” the changeling captain saluted, “many ponies managed to make it to the castle before we could get to them. We have rounded up the rest, but the castle itself is resistant to our magic. Forcing our way in won't be easy.”
Chrysalis didn’t bother to even ponder how all ponies knew to run to the castle in case of an emergency, she already knew the answer. It was just like Twilight to have a detailed plan about what to do in an occasion like this. Chrysalis was certain that the purple alicorn had bored the inhabitants of the town to death with more than one town hall meeting detailing out what to do in case of a monster attack or some other similar event.
“Are there problems anywhere else?” Chrysalis asked while wrinkling her nose at the castle in the distance.
“The only other place where we are still meeting resistance is the apple farm. I sent in three more squads, I’m certain that ponies there will be contained soon,” Pharynx said in a clipped tone, not moving a muscle during his report.
“You should probably go there yourself, just in case,” Chrysalis said as she rose up to stand. “Twilight’s allies should not be underestimated.”
Pharynx saluted again but didn’t move to leave, his forehead puckered in a frown.
“What about the castle? With my form-shift, I could maybe smash down the doors of the castle before morning,” the changeling captain said.
Chrysalis waved her hoof dismissively.
“Perhaps you would, but it would still take too much time. That large insect form of yours has brute force, but that won’t work for us in here. Go demolish that annoying farm instead,” the changeling queen said, her wings buzzing as she jumped up and started to fly towards the distant castle.
“I will deal with Twilight. Contrary to what my naive niece insists, kindness is a weakness, not an asset. Princess of Friendship won’t have any choice in this whatsoever,” Chrysalis said with her mouth curved into a smile.
First Captain stared at Rainbow Dash slack-mouthed, completely stunned by what he was looking at. Rainbow Dash held Fluttershy’s limp form in a tight embrace and held their lips locked together.
Since the blue pegasus also kept her eyes closed, the changeling captain turned around to properly look at the two.
Somehow, he still didn’t really believe what he saw. Somepony attempting to give their love voluntarily to a changeling was something that simply didn’t happen. Ponies loved the disguise changelings wore, the pony they impersonated. Not the changeling itself. He had never heard anypony doing this before!
First Captain followed with his gaze how something that looked like rose-colored mist started flowing from Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy. He didn’t need to get any closer to understanding what it was. He could feel the powerful emotions moving in the air.
The changeling captain had enough time to see the young changeling queen’s eyes to snap wide open before a brilliant flash of light blinded him as it enveloped the entire room.
Seconds later, First Captain lowered his hooves from covering his eyes, blinking rapidly to clear the black spots from his vision. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what he was seeing in the midst of the fading light.
Rainbow Dash was still sitting there with her wings spread open, taking deep breaths.
Fluttershy was now awake with her wings faintly buzzing as she stared at Rainbow Dash with her mouth wide open, still held by the pegasus.
As the final vestiges of the light disappeared, First Captain momentarily saw a thin silhouette over the young changeling queen. A tall, majestic form covered in brilliant colors with wings that reflected light in beautiful and radiant tones.
He blinked and the silhouette was gone, leaving the young changeling queen there looking just like she did before. He wasn’t even sure was the other shape just his imagination.
Well, not that it mattered right now. There were more important things to think about.
The changeling captain closed his eyes and shook his head to clear his vision before walking closer to the two.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy still stared at each other, both looking equally surprised.
The pegasus recovered first, letting go of Fluttershy and stepping back with her face red and flustered.
“Th-there,” Rainbow Dash said with a nervous gulp, folding her wings with a bashful look on her face. “All better, right?”
Fluttershy’s face was somehow even redder and it took a moment before she blinked and gave a weak nod.
“Y… yes. Th-thank you,” the young changeling queen murmured while staring at the ground.
“Don’t worry about it!” Rainbow Dash said, giving embarrassingly forced chuckle while she waved her hoof dismissively. “Needed to get you back on your wings again. You had me worried there for a moment. You looked like, the opposite of awesome.”
First Captain followed the exchange, raising an eyebrow. He felt like there was something going on that he didn’t see, but wasn't sure what. But, he quickly abandoned that train of thought as well.
The only thing that mattered was that Fluttershy was well.
“My queen...” he started, but stopped immediately when the young changeling queen turned to look at him.
First Captain suddenly found himself on his knees and his words stuck in his throat under Fluttershy’s stare. It was like there was invisible pressure in the air pushing him down. Just moments earlier the young changeling queen had looked like she was about to crumble to dust.
Now, it felt like Fluttershy was somehow more real than her surroundings. First Captain tried to drag his gaze away, but couldn’t. The young changeling queen radiated power that rivaled that of Chrysalis herself.
First Captain managed to glance at Rainbow Dash who just looked back at him with a puzzled expression. How could she not feel that?
“What is it?” Fluttershy asked and as she blinked, the spell was broken. The pressure was still there behind her eyes, but no longer directed at him.
“I…” First Captain stuttered out as he rose up and took a deep breath, “thank the hive you are alright. How do you feel?” the changeling captain asked.
“How I feel?” Fluttershy repeated, more to herself than to First Captain. She looked at her own hooves, her brows knitted in a frown.
“I feel… strong,” the young changeling queen said, still staring at her hooves. “Like I could do anything. This must be how...”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she raised her head up to look at the both of them.
“Chrysalis! We must stop her!” she yelled while rising on her hooves.
Rainbow Dash’s expression quickly changed from lingering embarrassment into a confident smile and she slammed her hooves together.
“That’s what I like to hear! Time to kick some changeling flank!” the cyan pegasus said, already flying towards the doorway.
“No!” First Captain shouted before he could stop himself. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both turned to look at him, the former with annoyance written plainly on her face and the latter with a sad frown.
“Why?” Fluttershy asked as she turned to look at First Captain again.
First Captain opened his mouth to speak. He knew what he was about to say. He had brought Fluttershy here in the first place to make her feed on love. It was the duty of the hive to protect its queen or queens. He was doing something no changeling could disagree with.
Going directly against Chrysalis was a completely different thing. It was treason! All changelings worked together for the good of all, doing their own part. Questioning your role or the role of others invited discord and anarchy which weakened the hive as a whole.
Yet, First Captain didn’t say any of that. Somehow all those arguments felt empty now.
The changeling captain raised his gaze from the floor to Fluttershy. The young changeling queen stared at him with a frown that wasn’t angry or disapproving, simply concerned. It wordlessly expressed that whatever it was that bothered him, she was willing to listen and help.
A small voice in the back of his mind asked when was the last time Chrysalis had ever watched him or anypony else in the hive with genuine worry about others written plainly on her face.
Hearing no counter-argument, the voice continued by saying that the hive could have only one queen. Which one would he really prefer following if push came to shove? Was following Chrysalis really what was the best for the hive?
“I…. I don’t know,” the changeling captain finally said, wracked by indecision.
“Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash spat out angrily and was about to charge at the changeling captain, only stopping because Fluttershy raised her hoof.
The young changeling queen looked at First Captain for a moment. Then, she looked down at the ground before breathing out a deep sigh and nodding to herself.
“Dash,” the young changeling queen said while taking another deep breath, “I’m going to talk to all changelings here before we leave.”
“What?” Rainbow Dash said with a puzzled frown. “We don’t have time for that! Twilight needs our help!”
“And this way we are going to help her more than we would with the two of us charging at Chrysalis and her army,” Fluttershy said in a determined tone that brooked no argument.
Rainbow Dash and First Captain looked at each other as Fluttershy calmly walked past them. Then, they both nodded to each other and turned to follow her out of the room.
Fluttershy gulped when she stepped into the large cave with Rainbow Dash. First Captain had left to gather all changelings in the hive. Dozens of them were here already and more walked in every second.
Fluttershy didn’t know how she thought she could do this. A few minutes ago back in the room where Rainbow Dash was imprisoned, she had felt like nothing was impossible.
Now, she thought about talking aloud in front of over hundred changelings and her hooves trembled. She hated crowds! Being the center of attention of one was so much worse.
But, she needed to do this. If she ever wanted to prove that changelings could change, she needed to convince changelings themselves about it before she could do the same for ponies.
First Captain walked in with the final group of changelings and nodded to Fluttershy to signal that everypony was here.
Rainbow Dash was flying in circles above them, the pegasus clearly anxious to leave already. She eyed suspiciously at the large crowd of the changelings, and a few changelings who had either one of their wings or hooves wrapped in bandages, staring back at the pegasus with an equal amount of suspicion.
Fluttershy took yet another deep breath, trying to calm herself with the breathing exercises Twilight had once taught her.
Finally, last of the changelings sat down and all eyes turned on Fluttershy. The young changeling queen gulped but straightened herself and walked to a large rock at the center of the room that acted as an improvised speaker pedestal.
For a moment, Fluttershy imagined how Chrysalis would do this. She would start with an arrogant laugh and dominate the space with her utter self-confidence. The older changeling queen would remind all changelings in the room that she was both the strongest and smartest of them all, ruling with both the might and the right to do so.
Fluttershy felt something in the back of her head telling her that she could do the same. She was born to rule just like other changelings were born to follow the likes of her. It was the natural way of things.
Fluttershy grit her teeth and silenced the voice that was starting to sound more and more like Chrysalis.
“You all know who I am,” she said while running her gaze across every changeling in the room, “or at least what I’m supposed to be.”
Knowing that trying to find any kind of reaction from the expressionless faces of changelings was futile, she quickly continued:
“And if you have pretended to be ponies in Ponyville for all this time, I’m sure that at least some of you know me personally. Others maybe saw me with my friends during the wedding in Canterlot.”
There was still no response from the crowd, but Fluttershy could see how Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth above her.
“Chrysalis is attacking Ponyville as we speak so I don’t have much time. I need to go to help my friends,” she said as she turned to look at the crowd as a whole.
“In short,” she said with a nervous gulp, “I want all of you to come with me and help me protect Ponyville.”
This time there was a reaction. The cave was suddenly filled with the chatter of the crowd as the changelings turned around to argue among themselves.
Fluttershy tried to speak, but the noise drowned out her words. She tried to speak again, unable to shout loudly enough.
“SHUT UP!”
The shout almost knocked over changelings closest to Rainbow Dash as the pegasus yelled out the words. The room was suddenly silent again as the echo of Rainbow Dash’s voice reverberated around them in the cave.
The pegasus nodded approvingly at the stunned silence and saluted to Fluttershy with a wink.
Smiling to her friend, Fluttershy started to speak again:
“It’s not an order,” the young changeling queen said, “I have never wanted to rule over anypony. I’m not going to make you do what I want because I have told you to do so. Instead, I just want you to think.”
Fluttershy raised her hooves on her chest, taking another deep breath.
“I have lived all my life with ponies. I have never stolen love or pretended to be somepony else. I’m one of the Elements of Harmony,” Fluttershy said, pointing her hooves towards the crowd. She had never before tried to point out her position to prove something, but this was an exception.
“I have friends who trust me despite knowing that I’m a changeling!” Fluttershy pointed her hoof at Rainbow Dash, “Friends whose love is everything I need!”
Fluttershy ignored the rapid beating in her chest and rose to stand.
“Changelings and ponies don’t need to fight! They can coexist! If I can do it, so can anypony else!” she shouted.
This time there was no chatter or disbelieving shouting. Instead, changelings just turned to look at each other uncertainly.
“You don’t need to steal love from others! All you need to do is to make them give it to you on their own! Not by pretending to be somepony else, but by being yourselves!” she said, reaching her hooves out imploringly.
“I’m going to go now and prove that to everypony. All those who want to live in Ponyville instead of hiding in a cave next to it, come with me!” Fluttershy shouted the last words and slammed her forehooves on the ground.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Fluttershy gulped, feeling her hooves trembling, the silence becoming almost too much for her to bear.
Then, a single changeling stepped forward, one who was smaller than the others around him. Fluttershy blinked when she recognized the young changeling from her first trip to this hive what felt like years ago.
“I will come. I don’t want to fight ponies anymore!” Chitin said. The young changeling stood there staying firm despite everypony in the entire cave suddenly turning to look at him.
“I will go as well. I believe Fluttershy’s way is the best for the hive,” First Captain said and also stepped forward.
Slowly, the atmosphere in the cave changed.
Another changeling stepped forward, then another and another.
And so it continued until every single changeling in the cave was standing ready.
Rainbow Dash shook her head and rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile.
“Gah, that was so eggheaded that Twilight would be proud,” she said to nopony in particular.