Twilight sighed, snuggling a little deeper into the hooves of her lover, Chrysalis’ hard chitin surprisingly comfortable when pressed against the soft fur of an alicorn. The two creatures lay on a large couch bathed in the mid afternoon sun, the bay window illuminating their private dungeons and dragons room was rather ironically, not in the dungeon but instead, on the third floor. The alicorn was a little more distracted than her lover, having all but abandoned her third edition rule book in favor of cuddling into Chrysalis’ stomach while the changeling queen was still reading her own book intently.
Twilight frowned and rolled her eyes. “You know I don't think I’ve ever seen anyone read a monster manual so seriously before.”
The queen snorted. “It is only natural that I prepare before our next game.”
“And it's definitely not because in said game, my character is a princess who falls in love with a changeling.” Twilight deadpanned.
Chrysalis huffed. “I will admit that may have been what made me want to run this adventure more seriously..”
“Uh huh.” Twilight muttered. “So, what monster are your reading about. You seem a little tense. More so than usual nyway.”
“In the description of the changeling monster there is a story about a Queen named Metamorphosis who reveals her true form to princess Platinum.” The queen explained.
“Oh?” Twilight peeked over her lover’s hole riddled limb and noticed that was indeed what was happening. “Aww that's adorable. I almost wish it had happened like that with us.”
The queen blinked, looking down at the alicorn nestled in her forelegs. “But I haven't shown you my true form yet.”
“What? Your in it right now though.” Twilight explained, turning around and looking up at the changeling. “I mean, you are in your true form, right?”
Chrysalis shook her head. “This shape simply takes a minor action to keep up, and due to being a legendary monster I have three of them per round.”
The alicorn blinked. “Uh, so what is your true form then?”
The queen winced. “Trust me when I say that's not something you want to see.”
“But Chrysalis, I thought we were being honest with each other from now on.” Twilight began, gripping the changeling’s hoof. “You promised no more lies after that time you convinced Rainbow Dash you were her father.”
“I did, but look.” The queen sighed, grabbing Twilight’s right forehoof in her both of her own, squeezing it gently. “You don't want to know. It's as simple as that Twilight. The true form a changeling queen is repugnant to the eyes of a pony. Just seeing me in my true form does 1d6 psychic damage per round.” She sighed, looking away. “Trust me, I know how this is going to end.”
“Oh my gosh you have done this with another pony!” Twilight gasped. “What was her name… or his name? It was Celestia wasn't it? That tramp.”
“What? No.” Chrysalis dropped the mare’s hoof. “They don't matter though, what does matter is what happened in the end. They left, disgusted, breaking off our engagement and leaving me alone. I don't want that to happen to us. No, I can't let that happen to us, I don't know if I could take it.”
The alicorn’s jaw fell open, clutching tight the necklace bearing a single pure emerald d20 at the centre that rested around her neck. “I would never do that to you Chrysalis! We made a promise after falling in love during that tomb of annihilation run we did.”
The changeling queen looked away. “That's what they said as well.”
For a moment the two beings merely lay there, with the queen looking off into the darkness, her features downcast. All while Twilight chewed nervously on her lip, unsure of what to do or what to say. She wanted to assure the queen that she would still be here no matter what, but she wasn't sure how to put that into words without sounding cliche or admittedly, even reassuring at all. When the queen’s growing sadness became too much to bear Twilight set her jaw and grabbed the changeling’s hoof in her own, pressing the limb against her chest, just above the alicorn’s heart.
“Chrysalis, I swear to you that no matter what your true form is, I will always, always love you.” Twilight stated in as confident a tone as she could muster.
“She said-” Chrysalis began, only for Twilight to grip the queen’s hoof tighter.
“No, they did not say these words, they did not feel the confidence I feel. I promise you.” The alicorn exclaimed.
“I… are you sure? What if I am something truly repulsive? Like I don't know, Luna after she just wakes up? Or Blue Blood?”
The alicorn stifled a giggle that threatened to escape past her lips. “Well I don't think that would be too bad. Though it is a little mean to put Luna in the same category as that monster.”
The queen chuckled mirthlessly. “Are you sure though? Because I want you to imagine the most disgusting thing you can think of, then forget that thing and think of something ten times worse. That's the real me.”
The alicorn’s face screwed up in concentration only for Twilight to shake her head a few seconds later. “Sorry, all I can think of is Luna but with the personality and speech of Blue Blood and I literally cannot imagine anything more disgusting then that.”
“That is fair, but trust me when I say that the ‘real’ me, is worse than anything you can imagine.” Chrysalis replied, adding air quotes around the word real.
“So how bad are we talking about here? Cus I kinda like the fangs, and the sharp horn and the…” The alicorn shuddered, running her hoof down the queen’s hard, hard exterior lovingly. “Everything else, even that thing with the eggs and the-”
“Way worse.” Chrysalis interrupted, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “There is nothing in the slightest bit attractive about what a changeling queen truly looks like.” The queen sighed. “To think that we could look like anything, while our true forms are the most repugnant manifestations of flesh this side of Tartarus. Celestia is truly cruel for having created us.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn't hear that second part, we’ll deal with that later.” Twilight remarked before shaking her head. “Anyway. At this point I think you've hyped up your own hideousness to the point that I don't even think it's possible for you to be truly that ugly.”
“Oh you would be surprised.”
“Try me.” Twilight demanded, standing up from the large couch and gesturing to the empty space next to her. “Come over here and show me this terrible, hideous truly disgusting mass of monstrous flesh that you seem to believe you are.”
“Look Twilight I know we said no lies but this is something that should stay a lie. The last pony that saw me, exploded.” Chrysalis raised a hoof, cutting off Twilight’s remark before it could leave her mouth. “Like into confetti.”
“At this point either show me, or just admit it's not that bad and this is all a joke.” Twilight demanded.
“I’m not getting out of this unscathed am I?” Chrysalis asked.
“Nope.”
“Fine. But when you are dry heaving on the floor I will change back and tell you I told you so.”
“Wait, how am I going to know that this even is your true form and your not just messing me by turning into some long extinct monster or something?”
“When a changeling queen dons their disguise a wreath of green fire briefly hides them while we change, but when that disguise is dropped that fire is blue.” Chrysalis began. “Drones don't have though.”
“Okay.” Twilight frowned. “I’m really starting to think that this is all a joke at my expense. I mean you have to admit this does all sound a little far fetched.”
“I do admit it does sound strange, but please believe me.” Chrysalis pleaded. “Do you really think I’m lying to you about something this important?”
Twilight peered into the green orbs of her changeling lover for several long seconds before sighing. “I suppose not.”
“Now take a step back please, I will need a little more room.” Chrysalis remarked, shooing the alicorn away.
“Err okay.” Twilight muttered, giving the queen the space she wanted.
Now with a good fifteen feet of empty space to herself, the queen lit her horn, her expression suddenly filling with an uncharacteristic amount of indecision. “Are you sure your ready for this Twilight? Because one way or another our relationship will be changed forever, and maybe even the world.”
“Just get on with already.” Twilight exclaimed. “Honestly, at this point the hype is killing me.”
The queen shrugged. “Alright, but don't tell me I didn't warn you.”
Twilight watched closely as the changeling went through the usual motions that came with donning a disguise, only this time there seemed to be an extra step or two, with the queen setting her stance wide as she brung far more power to bear then normal. A second later and that power exploded from her horn, blinding the alicorn and causing her to reel back in shock, her eyes shutting instinctively to try and save her retinas from damage.
“Stars above Chrysalis.” Twilight grouched, her hooves pressed against her eyes. “I swear if this is just another excuse to blind me while you cover my hooves in peanut butter I’m going to be so pissed.”
Twilight frowned, only now realizing that there was no audible response, and indeed the only thing she could hear what sounded like the soft padded foot steps of some nameless entity that was where Chrysalis had just been. The alicorn pursed her lips and pulled back her hooves, blinking rapidly to clear her vision of the spots that swam before her. Slowly but surely she began to see, and what she saw was truly unlike anything she had ever imagined in all her years of life.
Before her stood the most horrifying creature Twilight had ever imagined. The thing resembled the dinosaurs of the distant past, sharing some passing similarities with what Twilight remembered as a T Rex. Its short stubby arms and long tail were where those similarities ended however. It stood on two legs and was distinctly bipedal, its tiny arms only sporting two disgustingly large fingers. Its body was bulbous in the extreme and seemed to be covered from head to foot in short hairs that seemed unnatural. Its stomach was mostly a soft green while the rest of the creature was the ugliest shade of purple Twilight had ever even seen. Most disturbing of all was the creature’s head.
Where Twilight assumed there would be rows of sharp, pointed teeth, there was a single flat row of pearly white incisors, which was somehow far more terrifying than the teeth of a killer dinosaur. Its eyes were tiny, and glazed over as if they contained no heart, no soul, truly they were the eyes of the most evil being known to pony kind. Their pitch black pupils stared into Twilight’s eyes so cruelly that the alicorn twisted under their otherworldly gaze.
“What the fudge?” Twilight muttered, jaw hanging open.
The creatures short, two fingered hands fell to its sides, the beast’s sadness unable to be represented in its murderous eyes.
Twilight’s nostrils flared, her mind only now seemingly realizing that the scent she was smelling was truly alien. The closest she could think of was liquid sadness mixed with crayons and sin.
The creature’s enormous mouth opened and began to emit what sounded like the sad, mournful wail of the damned. “I love you, you love me. Were a happy family, with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Wont you say you love me too?”
Twilight’s mouth opened and closed weakly, unable to muster a response.
After what felt like forever, the alicorn slammed her jaw shut, sadness, hung in the air, and despite the fact that the grotesque beast born of the darkest nightmares of pony kind had no facial expressions that resembled anything close to what Twilight recognized, the alicorn could tell exactly what Chrysalis was feeling.
Unable to hold back anymore, Twilight muttered the first thing that came to mind when she had seen the unimaginable horror standing before her. “Screw this I’m out.”
And with that, the alicorn teleported herself to Canterlot, passed through the mirror, and then utterly destroyed it, ensuring the beast could never follow her.