//------------------------------//
// This Hearthswarming's Going To Be Perfect 
// Story: Alternate Chrysalises 
// by Diamond Sparkle 
//------------------------------//

Queen Chrysalis stood in front of her subjects with a maniacal grin on her face and Ninshubar, her aide-de-camp and one of her closest advisors by her side.

"Are the troops ready?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"The water pistols?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"The dolls, horns, toy trains, and every other toy and gift?"

"Yes your Majesty."

Chrysalis sang a little happy song to herself.

"This Hearthswarming's Going To Be Perfect
It'll be the one of which I dreamed since I was small
Every stallion mare and foal
Will get proper gifts, not coal
And the love that it brings in will feed us all."


Around her the drones were forming up into teams of ten, and then nine would hitch up to a sleigh wiliest the tenth sat in it. Each sleigh was filled with sacks containing almost every kind of toy, sweet and gift. When all was ready there would be hundreds of sleighs, enough to deliver to all of Equestria within a single night. Operation Hearthswarming was doing well.


"My fellow lings, we have spent almost a year preparing for this on short rations, but it will be worth it. Nopony is loved more then Santa Hooves, after all, and by taking his shape, we are going to take a lot of that love for ourselves. We could easily end up with enough love for the rest of next year, and noone will need to go hungry again. It was this or invade Equestria, which would have brought down the wrath of the Council of Queens for breaking the Masquerade and making it harder for every Hive to feed itself. Now, it's time for a change." One by one, the changelings in the sleighs took the shape of the jolly reindeer Santa Hooves, whilst the ones pulling the sleighs took the shape of pegusai with present-related cutie marks.


Then it was time for them to take off. Up, up into the sky and back down over sleeping towns and cities. Creeping into houses down the chimney or through the use of changeling magic, stuffing stocking and pillowcases with gifts-and taking some of the love of Hearthswarming from each sleeping pony. It was a warm, tasty, chewy sort of love and there was a lot of it so they could feed without injuring or waking up anypony. All that previous planning was now bearing fruit. Only the very best drones, with Chrysalis leading them disguised as Santa Hooves, were able to breach the security of Canterlot Castle to deliver gifts to the beds of the Royal Sisters.

There were a few  times when they were seen on the rooftops-but this was not bad as it would strengthen the belief of the ponies in Santa Hooves. There were also a few times when they were nearly seen inside houses and had to change shape just in time to avoid this. As Princess Celestia stepped out onto her royal balcony to raise the sun, the changelings were already heading back to the Hive. There a feast of love awaited them-the sweet chewy love of ponies, the chocolate-tasting love of yaks, the savoury love of the buffalo, the fruit-like love of the griffin and the refreshing love of the zebra, saved until this special day of Hearthswarming, as well as plenty of presents of their own for each drone.

Things had worked out well after all.