It was an average day in the Changeling Kingdom. The people were tending to their gardens, enjoying lunch, and making friendly conversation with one another. When a tall, slender female Changeling walked through the kingdom, she attracted everyone's attention. The other Changelings had never seen somepony so beautiful.
A young Changeling stared as the mare walked past him and said to himself as he blushed, "She's beautiful..."
Two others were actually getting into a slight argument at which one of them she winked at.
One Changeling mare asked her friend, "She's drawing a lot of attention. But... don't you get the feeling we've seen her somewhere before?"
The other Changeling sipped her cup of nectar tea and said, "I do feel like I've seen her somewhere before. Maybe from one of those fashion magazines?"
All around as the mare walked past, Changelings stood and marveled at her beauty and some were a little unsettled by the burning question in their mind, "Had they seen her before?"
Meanwhile, Thorax was busy attending to some political matters regarding their relationship with the ponies. His brother came into the room and said, "Thorax, do you have a moment?"
Thorax looked up from his work and said, "Did you find something unsettling on one of your patrols?"
Pharynx shook his head and said, "Word has it there's a beautiful mare attracting a lot of attention in town. We don't get to spend enough time together anymore, so I was wondering if you'd like to go meet her with me?"
Thorax chuckled lightly and said, "I suppose I can indulge myself for a little while." The two brothers headed out of the castle and towards town.
The unknown mare smiled lightly to herself and said quietly, "So far, it doesn't seem they know who I am... I hope it stays that way until I've proved myself."
As Thorax and Pharynx made their way into town, Pharynx made a light purring sound when he saw the mare and said, "I'd sure like to have a mare like that at my side, what about you Thorax?" only to look to his side and see his brother had started to head back to the castle. He followed his brother and playfully teased him saying, "Getting cold hooves seeing her?"
Thorax took a serious expression and said, "Brother, while she is beautiful, her beauty is causing everyone, including you, to be completely oblivious to her true identity."
Pharynx raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you talking about? We've never seen her before."
Thorax shook his head and said, "Not like this at least. But I'm certain... it's her... Chrysalis."
Pharynx stepped back from his brother, quivering from what he had just said. He said to his brother, "No... That's not possible! The barrier should have stopped her from coming back!"
Thorax continued on and said, "The barrier would have, if she had not transformed like we have."
Recently, in fear of Chrysalis forming a new hive and returning, the Changelings set up a barrier that would prevent sapient creatures with malicious thoughts from entering the kingdom. Pharynx scoffed and said, "That's impossible! A person like Chrysalis? Do you honestly believe she could change?"
Thorax sighed and said, "I don't know brother. You rejected the new ways at first, but you came to accept them. What's to stop Chrysalis from accepting them, even if it is only to return to her place as queen?"
Meanwhile, Chrysalis was still walking through town, although she had noticed Thorax and Pharynx seeing her and immediately leaving. She gulped to herself and said, "They know, there's no other reason they'd walk away without a second glance."
As Thorax returned to the Changeling Castle, he started writing a letter to Spike, "Spike, you are my closest and dearest friend. This is why I ask for your assistance. A new Changeling has arrived in our kingdom. Despite this being the first time I've seen her, I have no doubt that it is none other than Chrysalis. She seems to have metamorphized like the rest of us, and she was able to get past our barrier. I have my concerns about her, and I ask that you come to the Kingdom to assist me. I hope to see you soon."
Meanwhile in Ponyville...
Spike had just finished his lunch when he felt a letter coming through. He burped up green fire and when the scroll appeared in his claws, he took it to Twilight, "Twilight, there's a new letter!"
Twilight levitated the letter onto her desk and opened it before realizing, "Spike, this letter is for you, it's from Thorax."
Spike read the letter and his eyes widened when he finished, "Thorax says Chrysalis has metamorphized like the others and she's in the kingdom!"
Twilight's eyes widened as well, "What!? But that's impossible! We helped set up that barrier to keep her out! How could she have possibly gotten past it!? Meet me at the train station while I get the girls ready to go."
Spike nodded before flying out the window towards the train station. When Twilight and the others arrived, the others were in a panic, not understanding how an evil person like Chrysalis could ever have reformed. Spike settled them down, "Think about it, we reformed Discord, didn't we? What's to say that Chrysalis isn't capable of reforming?"
Twilight nodded, "Spike does have a point, none of us thought Discord would ever reform, and we were still able to do it. Let's go, Thorax is waiting for us."
As the train went off from Ponyville, Spike thought about what Chrysalis looked like after her metamorphosis. He knew she was one of the most evil creatures in Equestria, but he still gave her the benefit of the doubt, mainly because they had managed to reform Discord, but still, he believed that everyone, no matter how evil, had a sliver of good in their heart. It was just his good-hearted nature.
As the train pulled into the Changeling Kingdom's train station, Thorax was there to meet Spike and the girls, "Spike! I'm so glad you came. It's nice to see you and the girls. Let's take this conversation to the castle." before getting in a chariot, followed by Spike and the girls and being taken to the castle. As he showed them to their rooms, he told Spike, "Spike, I'd like to show you what Chrysalis looks like now." he brought Spike to a balcony overlooking a large flower garden where the mare who he assumed to be Chrysalis was watering them.
Spike's eyes widened when he saw the mare, despite her beauty, he could tell it was Chrysalis from a single look, and asked Thorax, "Does anyone besides us know the truth?"
Thorax shook his head, "The only ones who know are me and my brother, the rest of the kingdom does feel like they've seen her before, but they haven't been able to put two and two together yet."
Spike sighed in relief, "Good, if the whole kingdom knew, there's no doubt it would cause panic. I like to see the good in people, but I'm still a bit skeptical."
Thorax nodded, "That's why you're my best friend, you showed me that there can be good in even the most evil people, but I do have my worries. Let's talk about this in the morning, you must be tired from the long train ride from Ponyville."
Spike yawned, confirming Thorax's assumption, "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll see you in the morning." before heading back to the room Thorax had set aside for him.
As Thorax looked out from the balcony at the metamorphized Chrysalis, he thought, "Such untamed beauty... but why do I have so much doubt?"