The Sixth Alicorn

by ShadeNightingale

Chapter One

THE SIXTH ALICORN

By Shade Nightingale

Chapter One

It was the witching hour.

The skies above Equestria were dark and overcast. Thunder rumbled in the distance. But the storm had not arrived.

These were not ideal conditions for flying. And yet that was what a score of winged ponies were doing, soaring swiftly above the clouds. The Pegasus stallions had white coats and blue manes, with marks on their flanks resembling shields. They wore gilded barding, which did not slow them down at all as they raced to keep up with their leader.

This was a tall, white mare. Only one word could truly describe her: radiant! Her flowing mane of pastel colors glowed even in the dark of night. On her flank there was a mark like the sun; around her neck was a golden peytral; and on her forehead, just behind a long horn, sat a golden tiara with a purple gem in its center.

She was Princess Celestia, co-ruler of all Equestria!

Celestia surveyed the dark forest below, her violet eyes narrowed in concentration as she soared on mighty wings. The Everfree Forest was a foreboding place even under the best conditions; in this weather it resembled a tempest, its canopies billowing like waves on the ocean.

Please be alright, Celestia thought desperately. I can’t lose you! Not like this!

A beam of blue energy shot skyward.

“There!” Celestia shouted. She banked towards the energy burst, her guards following behind closely. They arrived above a clearing by a pond. And in that clearing was the strangest gathering Celestia had ever seen.

Several scores of ponies stood in a circle, all wearing black cloaks. Each pony had glowing cyan eyes with slits for pupils. Most of them were unicorns, and each one was focusing their magic on curious lines painted onto the ground. In the center of the lines sat a wooden bowl upon a metal pedestal, from which black smoke was rising. Whatever kind of spell these ponies were casting, it was extremely powerful; Celestia could feel the reverberations even in the air. Some sort of blob was forming in the wooden bowl.

Celestia caught sight of a unicorn nearest the pedestal and inhaled sharply. In addition to the glowing slit-eyes, the unicorn was pitch black, and wore silvery-blue barding. The peytral had a crescent-moon insignia on it. Why, that pony looked like--!

But no, Celestia knew it was not her. This pony was not tall enough, and did not have wings. But the resemblance was clearly intentional.

Celestia noticed a pony lying in the midst of the circle. It was a lavender unicorn mare, whose dark-blue mane bore pink and violet highlights. There was a magic restrainer around her neck, and her head was stuffed inside a brown canvas bag. She was shaking.

Anger tore through Celestia. Power charged in her horn. Lightning shot from it and descended upon the metal pedestal. The electricity tore through it and the bowl, destroying both.

“It’s Celestia!” cried a male voice. It was the black unicorn.

The gathering broke up in a panic. Celestia’s guards rushed in, the captain declaring the participants under arrest. To their surprise, some of the Cultists charged the guards. A skirmish resulted. Celestia saw some of the Cultists sneak up on the guards from the rear. She landed in their midst with such force that the Cultists were knocked down. Several sprang back up and tried to charge her, but Celestia picked them up with her magic and threw them to the ground. They did not rise up again.

Seeing this, the remaining Cultists turned and fled in multiple directions. There was no sign of the black unicorn.

“C’mon, boys! Let’s get after them!” shouted the Captain, as he and half the guards pursued the Cultists. The rest stayed behind, corralling the defeated into a tight circle. No-pony had died.

Celestia rushed to the lavender unicorn’s side. There was a long cut across her right foreleg, and a large bruise on her stomach. But she was alive, so Celestia pulled the bag off her head. Twilight Sparkle screamed.

“NO! NO! DON’T HURT ME! PLEASE!”

“I am not going to hurt you,” Celestia said gently. Her voice was like a warm, sunny day.

“P-Princess Celestia,” Twilight whispered.

“Yes, Twilight. It’s alright, no pony will hurt you now. I’m here.”

Celestia lay down on the grass and pulled Twilight close with her wings. Twilight started crying.

“I-I’m so sorry! They took me by surprise! I let you down! I—”

Celestia nuzzled her. “Twilight, you don’t have to be sorry for anything. You were the one who was harmed here, but no-pony shall hurt you now.”

Her horn glowed. Golden magic covered Twilight’s cut and bruise, healing them instantly. Celestia then held up Twilight’s chin with her wing, so that the mares could look into each other’s eyes.

“You have not let me down.” Celestia’s voice was firm yet warm and gentle. “You have been very brave, and I am very proud of you. None of this is your fault at all, and I will see to it that these ponies meet justice for this crime against you.”

Twilight sniffed and shuddered, but managed a shaky smile.

“Thank you, Princess!”

They embraced.

Then Twilight remembered something.

“Princess Celestia! They were trying to bring back Nightmare Moon!”

Celestia blinked. She had suspected as much, but receiving confirmation was startling nonetheless.

Twilight trembled. “Princess Celestia? What’s happening?”

What’s happening? Now there was a question Celestia would have liked an answer to! Over the last couple of years, things had taken a turn for the dangerous in Equestria.

First, there had been the return of Nightmare Moon, a return that had been foreseen a long time ago. Celestia had dreaded the coming of that day, but to her surprise, it all worked out better than she had hoped. Twilight had befriended five other mares from Ponyville, and together they had used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon. To Celestia’s great joy, the Elements simply removed the dark magic that constituted Nightmare Moon, leaving behind Celestia’s sister Princess Luna.

After a thousand years, Celestia had her sister back!

As for the darkness that had corrupted Luna, there had been little left of it aside from some scraps of armor. These had given off a strong magical aura, so Celestia transferred them to Spell Nexus, the head of her school, for further study.

But the scraps had been stolen recently. Nexus had been assaulted in his own home, and the scraps taken by parties unknown. This attack had bewildered Celestia. Who would want the scraps of Nightmare Moon so badly, and why? It looked like she knew now.

And then Discord awoke. Once again, it had come down to Twilight and her friends to stop the Spirit of Disharmony from plunging the entire world into chaos. Though Celestia had noticed that Discord was not as vicious as she had remembered. Aside from tricking the Element Bearer’s into acting opposite their virtue, all he did was make it rain chocolate and act a nuisance. Discord seemed less like a threatening villain and more like a spoiled child that had refused to grow up.

Or maybe he seemed that way when compared to the other major villain to plague Equestria: Queen Chrysalis. Now, that witch was nasty. Celestia had fought against the Changeling Queen and her army many times, the latest battle occurring only a couple of months back. On that occasion, Chrysalis had taken the form of Celestia’s adopted niece, Cadance: the third alicorn in Equestria. She then brainwashed Cadance’s fiancé Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard. Her plan was to use their wedding as part of a plot to take over Canterlot. The plan ultimately failed, thanks yet again to Twilight, who also happened to be Shining Armor’s sister. But not before Chrysalis had managed to trick the entire wedding party into temporarily disowning Twilight after she had pointed out how strangely “Cadence” was acting. Including Princess Celestia.

Celestia still felt bad about that.

And then there had been the return of the Crystal Empire, and an attack by the evil unicorn warlord King Sombra. Twilight, Spike, and Princess Cadence were able to stop him, and Cadence and Shining became the new rulers of the Crystal Empire.

That had been two weeks ago. And now this had happened. What was going on with Equestria?

Celestia looked Twilight in the eyes. “I don’t know, Twilight. Perhaps the leaders of this cult can provide us with some answers. My guards are returning now.”

Celestia’s guards became visible among the trees, marching some of the black-clad ponies in front of them. They were corralled in with the other Cultists.

Celestia stood up. Twilight also stood up, staying close to Celestia’s hind legs. “Is this all of them, Captain?”

The Captain’s ears wilted. “I apologize, your Highness, but no. Half of them managed to escape into the woods.” Twilight’s eyes became very wide.

Celestia sighed. “Did you manage to capture the black unicorn?” The Captain’s ears wilted even further. Celestia frowned, but nodded. “I see. We shall have to make do with the ones we have.”

The Captain looked crestfallen. Celestia smiled warmly at him and lifted his chin up with her hoof. “You did your best, Captain. You got half of them, and we shall soon find out where the rest are from those you have captured.” The Captain was still abashed, but his ears picked back up a little. She turned away from him and approached the host of assembled cultists.

She surveyed them contemptuously. She did not smile at them. And when she spoke after a moment of silence, it was as if the sun itself had gone out.

“I am very disappointed with every single pony here. I expect better from the ponies of Equestria.”

Not a single cultist looked ashamed. Rather, they stared back at her with looks of deep loathing. Celestia could not recall any of her little ponies ever looking at her with such hatred. At the very least, their eyes were back to normal. The cyan slitted-eyes must have been a cosmetic spell.

“Well? Does any pony have anything to say for themselves? You can talk to me. You can always talk to me. I don’t know what has made you try to resurrect Nightmare Moon, but it was not necessary. If you are in some kind of trouble, you could have come to me or my sister. You do not need guidance from a ghoul.

“Instead, you chose to participate in the kidnapping and assault of a unicorn mare who had never harmed you. You chose to come to these woods, and participate in an illegal necromantic ritual to resurrect an enemy of Equestria. And if those scraps are what I think they are, then you also chose to burglarize the home of Spell Nexus and beat him.”

A few of the ponies made a movement when she mentioned Spell Nexus. Celestia nodded internally. So, it was them after all.

“Now, these are very serious charges, and you will spend a lot of time in prison on account of them. But I am lenient. I am willing to be less severe if you will tell me the name of your leader. The black unicorn who posed as Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia waited. The Cultists said nothing.

“I want his name now.”

They stayed silent.

“I’m waiting.”

Nothing.

Celestia turned to the Captain.

“Captain, take these ponies straight to the dungeons in Canterlot! I shall deal with them later. Leave a few guards behind to watch this site, in case any more decide to return.”

The guard saluted. “Yes, your Highness. And what about you?”

Celestia turned her attention to Twilight, and wrapped her wing around the young mare. “I shall be taking my student back to the library in Ponyville. She’s had a rough night, and sleep will do her some good.”

All Twilight could do was nod. Celestia lifted Twilight up in her magic and placed the unicorn upon her back. She nodded at two guards nearest her. “You two. With me, please. You will be posted at the doors of the library. I don’t know if any of the Cultists will try anything more tonight, but I shan’t take that chance!”

The guards nodded and took flight. Celestia spread her own wings, but then paused. She surveyed the scene one more time. She felt like there was something she was missing. But she saw nothing else unusual, and launched herself into the air. Twilight was too shaken to even yelp. Higher and higher they went, until the ponies below looked like little ants. The trip to Ponyville would be quick.

But as she flew over the Everfree Forest, Celestia had an uneasy feeling. She was certain she had missed something, but she could not place her hoof on what…

*

It was several hours later.

Only five guards remained on duty. Thunder pealed in the distance, louder than before. The guards were arguing.

“Look,” said one. “We haven’t heard from the Captain in a while, and that storms looks like it will be a doozy! I say we regroup with the main unit.”

“The Princess and the Captain said to stay here,” said a second. “We need to guard the crime scene and capture any Cultists should they return.”

“None of ‘em are comin’ back, I reckon,” a third guard replied. He looked skyward. “That’ll be a right nasty storm, sure ‘nough.”

“That’s what I mean!” said the first. “We aren’t prepped for a storm! We should just go before the storm gets here. They’ll understand. Besides,” he added slyly. “We should check on the caravan. Make sure they get to Canterlot alright, you know?”

The other guards assented at once, save for the second guard, a new recruit named Event Horizon.

“Orders are orders,” said Event Horizon, firmly. The other guards grinned at each other.

“Alright, Event Horizon, have it your way! You can stay here all alone in the cold, dark, spooky forest during a thunderstorm!”

“Yeah,” laughed another. “Looking forward to your amazing stories when you get back!”

“Wait!” cried Event Horizon.

“Naw, its fine; we’ll remind the uppers you’re still here.” The guards extended their wings.

“Not that! I thought I heard something!” The other guards tensed.

“What did you hear?” asked the first guard nervously.

Event Horizon looked around. “I could swear I heard a foal crying.”

“A foal? In the Everfree?” a fourth guard said skeptically. “Are you sure?”

“I have a foal of my own,” said Event Horizon. “I know what one sounds like!”

The guards milled about, listening. For a few tense moments, no-pony said a word as they searched. Finally, they gave up.

“You must be hearing things!”

“Yeah!” said the first guard, winking. “You should come with us, you need some shut eye!”

But Event Horizon stood firm. “Orders are orders!”

The other guards laughed. “Suit yourself, mate!”

And with that, the four guards took off. Event Horizon watched them become smaller and smaller in the distance. When they were no longer visible, he turned to patrol the area. Idiots! They would be de-merited!

But not Event Horizon! Oh no, he would stay right where his Princess had stationed him! His Princess would know he was diligent!

His Princesses. He was still adjusting to that concept. He wondered why Luna had not been invited along to save Twilight Sparkle. Night was her time to rule, after all.

It must be the Nightmare Moon angle, he reasoned. Celestia probably did not want her near this one.

He passed by the occult runes left on the ground. Event Horizon could not fathom why any pony would want to raise Nightmare Moon. Princess Luna did essentially the same thing, minus the evil. She could even chase bad dreams away! Contrariwise, Nightmare Moon supposedly gobbled up foals on Nightmare Night. Pretty stupid, now that he thought about it. He had attended to Princess Luna at mealtimes, and she was as vegan as any-pony else!

How did such an asinine story start, anyway?

Event Horizon heard another peal of thunder—that storm must be drawing closer. He shivered in the cold breeze. Orders were orders, but he did hope some pony would relieve him soon. As mad as he was at the other guards for leaving, he could not blame them completely…

There! He had heard a child sobbing, he was sure now! He turned around, listening attentively. The child sounded afraid. Event Horizon had been a proud father for over a year, and so could tell what a child felt by its cry.

As he listened for more sobbing, he could not help but think about his own family. His son was a healthy colt—he was going to grow big and strong, just like his father! And his wife was beautiful, loving, and kind—he could not ask for a better helpmeet! And just the other day, she had told him that she was expecting again. Their future together seemed bright! His heart filled with the love he had for his family.

And that was when his head started to hurt. Bad. He closed his eyes in pain. A migraine? Now? That was odd…his pain would have to wait though…there was a scared child to find…

Event Horizon opened his eyes.

And looked into a monstrous face. It was greenish-black with a pair of glowing eyes, green and hungry, with pupils like a cat. The mane was greenish-blue, and the horn was crooked. A three-pronged black tiara sat in front of the horn. The creature’s body was tall and covered in a hard carapace, with a green mid-section and wings like a dragonfly. These wings, and the creature’s body, had holes that allowed him to see all the way through to the foliage behind it. The stallion was so startled that it was a moment before he was able to react, and by then he was paralyzed.

“Shhh, that’s a good boy,” said Queen Chrysalis, her voice low-pitched and smooth. Her crooked horn glowed green, energy flowing out from the stallions’ head and into it. The guard could only utter a few sporadic syllables in response, his body growing thinner, wrinkles appearing under his eyes. Chrysalis grinned wickedly. “Mm, that’s good. Feed your Queen!”

Again, the stallion could only offer a few incomprehensible words as his body became weaker and weaker, and Chrysalis became stronger and stronger. The green flow of energy increased its intensity. Finally, with a sound like a cross between a vacuum and a flying arrow, the energy stream came to an end. The stallion collapsed. Queen Chrysalis stood over him.

“That was excellent, dear. Tell me, was it good for you? I certainly enjoyed it!” She cackled nastily. Her horn glowed again. The stallion was dragged back to standing. Chrysalis reached over with her right hoof and rested it on his cheek.

“Dear, you don’t look so good. Are you all right?” She put her face very close to his. “Let me guess, it feels like all of your love has been dragged out of you, doesn’t it? Tell me, what’s it like, being a sad little husk? To know that you have loved, and have been loved, but can’t remember why or to who? Hurts, doesn’t it?” She placed her left hoof on his other cheek and narrowed her eyes. “I said, “Doesn’t it?”” The green magic flared briefly, and the stallion said “um-hum” against his will.

“I know it does,” Chrysalis said soothingly. “Would you like me to make that better for you?”

“Um-hum.”

From a distance, the two ponies seemed like lovers, the tall Changeling mare appearing as if she was about to kiss him, with her hooves on both his cheeks and her lips so close to his…

Chrysalis twisted his head around with a crack.

The stallion’s body fell to the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut. Chrysalis stood over the corpse, her glowing eyes dancing madly.

“Pharynx. Thorax.”

Two creatures appeared next to her. They were also Changelings like Chrysalis, but smaller and with more insectoid characteristics, such as compound eyes. Thorax had blue eyes while Pharynx had purple eyes. They stuck their tongues out and hissed at her, which is the proper way to greet a Queen.

“I have taken a kill,” said Chrysalis, her voice cold and imperious.

“It is good!” exclaimed Pharynx.

“It is good,” said Thorax, evenly.

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at Thorax. “You will take the meat back to our colony,” she continued, her draconic eyes boring into Thorax’s. “I expect this meat to be butchered and made into a pot pie. We haven’t had pony pot pie in such a long while, now have we?”

“No,” said the two drones. “Not for a while. It shall be a great feast!”

Chrysalis studied them. Pharynx seemed enthused about the prospective meal, but Thorax seemed…what? Put off? Disgusted? Was he…sorry?

Sorry for that stallion?

Chrysalis was unsure about Thorax. She had taken note of his intelligence, which was a little higher than those of his peers. Thorax had a good memory too, recalling almost word for word speeches Chrysalis had made to his class when he was small. And his transformations were top notch, right down to precisely mimicking the cadences of his targets. Quite impressive.

And yet there was something about Thorax that rubbed her the wrong way. The Changelings were at war constantly—they had no use for mercy! Yet Thorax seemed a little too sympathetic to other races.

Perhaps she would need to cull him. She had a pair of hedge-clippers for that purpose. However, Chrysalis thought that step might be too drastic at this stage; after all, her subjects were becoming increasingly obtuse. Perhaps she should could still breed him, if only to allow her subjects a little more intelligence?

His empathy was something that needed to be addressed.

“I’m glad you agree, my little Changelings. Especially you, Thorax! I think that pony will make for a very fine pie. Don’t you agree, dear?” She smiled at him. Thorax stiffened, fear flashing across his face.

“Of course, your majesty,” Thorax said nervously. “A mighty fine pie! Best pie ever, without doubt!”

“Mm, without doubt,” agreed Chrysalis. “Since you will be the one to make it.”

Something like horror flickered across Thorax’s face, before it settled into bewilderment. “Me, my Queen?” he asked anxiously.

“That is correct. You will be the one to prepare the meat. You shall butcher it, cook it, and then you will serve it to me.” Thorax looked mortified. Chrysalis hardened her gaze. “Unless…you have a problem with that?”

Thorax recovered fast. “N-no my Queen! No problem!”

Chrysalis leaned in a little closer. “I do hope so. It should be a simple enough task for you. I have already done the difficult job—I slaughtered it!” She laughed, her voice deep and guttural. Pharynx also laughed, joyfully. Thorax laughed along, but his laughter was more subdued.

“Now buzz along, my subjects. You have meat to take back to the colony, and I have a magical disturbance to investigate!”

“You want us to leave you here alone?” Thorax asked, confused.

“Yes,” said Chrysalis sharply. She hated being questioned.

“You said this was a major magical disturbance. What if a garrison appears? What if they bring mages? What if,” he swallowed. “Celestia appears?”

“I can hold my own,” Chrysalis replied flatly. “Now, do as you’re told and take the carcass out of here!”

The two Changelings trotted forward, and picked up the corpse with their magic. Taking flight together, the drones lifted the corpse into the air and were off with it.

Chrysalis watched them go, her eyes fixed mostly on Thorax as he became smaller and smaller. As she had suspected, there did appear to be concerning levels of empathy in him. On the other hoof, the questions he asked, simple though they were, were the right sort. Chrysalis had noted Pharynx’s face throughout the proceedings, and saw at once that it had never occurred to him to ask such questions.

A lot of her subjects did not think to ask such questions.

She would need to work to remove that empathetic streak, but once Thorax’s compassion was eliminated, he would no doubt make for a fine captain.

Chrysalis took her mind off these matters and began to focus on the task at hoof. Her horn glowed green as she surveyed the clearing in the woods.

Mighty magic had been wrought here—that much was certain! She could feel the strength of the spell all over her body, a cool tingling that ran down the length of her spine. Power like this both delighted and infuriated Chrysalis; she loved being near it but hated being without it. She had seen the blue energy blast from miles off, and had come to investigate.

She could see a metal pedestal in the middle of the clearing, broken apart from some sort of blast. Here and there she could find splinters of burnt wood, probably from a vessel of some sort. Had the spell needed some kind of potion? What were the unicorns cooking up? And why was a guard posted here?

Perhaps the Princesses were up to something. No doubt they were casting a spell to give themselves more power. Chrysalis believed that the alicorns would do anything to become stronger.

But what was the end result? Aside from the magical harmonics, the broken artifacts and those peculiar patterns on the ground, nothing seemed to be out of place here.

Thunder pealed. Chrysalis gazed at the sky. That storm sounded close. She would have to leave soon. Well, there did not seem to be much else here…she should take her leave…

She saw something in some bushes. Coming closer, Chrysalis saw a brown saddlebag under the eaves. She picked it up in her magic and held it aloft in front of her. She could make out words: Property of Twilight Sparkle.

Chrysalis grinned. So, Miss Perfect left her bag behind! She must have been helping Celestia with this little project. Chrysalis was sure Twilight Sparkle would be missing this bag. She opened the it and looked inside. She saw three old books, all of which seemed to be spell books of some sort. What a nice present. Perhaps she could determine what spell had been cast here by examining these more closely. Chrysalis closed the bag and put it onto her back. She turned to leave.

And then she heard it. Sobbing.

She looked around. Was there some pony hiding nearby? She hoped so; she could let her Hive drain this one.

Chrysalis listened carefully. She had very acute hearing. She followed the sporadic sobs until at last she arrived at a hawthorn bush.

She listened again. The crying sounded like that of a small foal. Even better! Chrysalis loved foals; they tasted much sweeter than adult ponies. Perhaps she would have some dessert to go with her pie tonight.

“Ready or not,” Chrysalis snickered, while pulling back the branches with her magic. “Here I com—”

Chrysalis stared. She stared with her green serpentine eyes. And cyan serpentine eyes stared back at her.

The eyes belonged to a filly, tangled up in the branches of the hawthorn bush. Her coat was a very deep midnight blue, almost black; her mane was violet, dirty and tangled up in the branches. But what was truly unusual was that this pony had wings and a horn.

The Queen’s brain buzzed. An alicorn filly? Here? How was this even possible? Alicorns were not born, they were elevated. Even the Sisters had been unicorns before they discovered their celestial abilities. The youngest alicorn was Princess Cadence, and she had elevated as a teen. Yet this was clearly a young child.

And why did she resemble Nightmare Moon? Chrysalis knew all about Luna’s alter ego. The Changeling Queen had been very amused to hear that Celestia had sealed her own dear little sister in the moon.

Was this actually Nightmare Moon? If so, why had the ponies resurrected her? The last Chrysalis had heard, the ponies feared Nightmare Moon to the point that they sacrificed candy to her on Nightmare Night.

Power. That was it. The ponies must have wanted to use her power. For what? Conquest, perhaps? Or did the last Changeling invasion have the ponies so on edge, that they decided to conjure an alicorn who could do some real damage?

Chrysalis accepted this last explanation. Celestia must have become afraid of the power of Queen Chrysalis. So afraid that she gathered powerful mages, including Twilight Sparkle, to resurrect Nightmare Moon. Something went wrong, they gave it up as a bad job, and left a guard behind to keep unwanted eyes away. Mustn’t let any pony think their precious Sun Princess would do anything unseemly! And somehow, they missed what they had actually created.

Well, finders-keepers! The ponies would regret trying to raise up a power against the Changelings. Chrysalis would see to it that they trembled in fear when their intended weapon swooped down to devastate them!

All of these thoughts marched through her mind at a brisk tempo; to any observer she only stared at the filly for a mere moment before smiling at her.

“Hello there, little one,” Chrysalis said, in a warm voice.

The filly shrank back, frightened. She flinched as the thorns cut into her.

“There’s no need to be afraid of me,” said Chrysalis. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Y-You’re not?” asked the filly. Her voice reminded Chrysalis of resonating glasses. “You aren’t going to help the bush hurt me?”

She thought the bush was deliberately hurting her? Chrysalis doubted a great monarch like Nightmare Moon would even think to say something as absurd as that. She decided to play along.

“No, sweetie. Here, let me help you out of those thorns.”

It took some doing. Chrysalis had to be very careful pulling the thorns apart, lest it cut the filly further. After a few minutes, the bushes were de-tangled enough for Chrysalis to lift the filly out and set her on the grass.

Thunder boomed. Instinctively, the filly bolted for Chrysalis, hiding under her hind legs. It was the first time Chrysalis could ever remember a pony seeking safety with her. She smiled to herself. This was a good start. But she thought of something to further the child’s trust.

“See? I told you I’d help you get out of those nasty thorns. Now,” she added slyly. “That bush was mean, hurting you like that. I think we should teach that bush a lesson, don’t you?”

The filly peered wide-eyed at Chrysalis, who smiled and charged her horn. The bush burst into green flames. The filly yelped and jumped back from Chrysalis as the heat washed over her. She gaped at the spot where the hawthorn bush had stood. Now, there stood naught but cinders.

She looked impressed.

Chrysalis smiled at her again. “There we are! We showed that bush a thing or two, now didn’t we? Come over here!”

The filly came, albeit with some trepidation. Chrysalis took a moment to look the filly over. She was dirty, covered in cuts and bruises, with a couple of twigs tangled in her mane. She seemed unconcerned about any of that though, instead looking at Chrysalis with wide-eyed admiration. Chrysalis noticed the filly did not have a cutie-mark.

“Let’s come a bit closer, sweetie. That’s it. Now,” she said, looking into the filly’s eyes. “Do you know how you ended up in that nasty bush?”

The filly shook her head.

“Do you know where you come from?”

She shook her head again.

“What is your name?”

The filly’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know!” she sniveled.

“There, none of that!” said Chrysalis. She hated criers. “Well, you might remember it eventually. If not, we can just come up with a name for you! Does that sound alright?”

The filly sniffed. “Thank you, Miss…” She looked thoughtfully at Chrysalis. “Dragon lady?” she asked.

Chrysalis smirked.

“I am a Changeling, sweetie. I am Queen Chrysalis, ruler of all the Changelings!” she announced her name with a dramatic flourish.

The filly looked impressed. “Thank you, Queen Chrysalis!”

“That’s “Your Majesty”,” replied Chrysalis sternly. An idea had formed in her head, one that would secure the alicorn’s loyalty forever. But she would need to build the child up to it first.

And get her Hive on board. This new plan would require their cooperation.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” the filly said, her ears drooping slightly.

Chrysalis lifted the filly’s chin up. “It is quite alright, my dear. You only need to be sure you show me the proper respect. I’m a very special mare!”

But before the filly could respond, there was a crack of thunder. The filly jumped. Chrysalis also jumped and looked up, rain falling onto her face. The thunder continued as lightning flashed and the wind picked up sharply. The storm had arrived.

Chrysalis cast a shield over herself and the filly.

“Goodness, the weather certainly got nasty, didn’t it? Why don’t you come along with me? I live with my colony in a very big castle. You will be welcome there amongst us. We shall feed you and give you a place to sleep. Does that sound alright to you?”

The filly nodded.

“Okay, then,” said Chrysalis. “We are going to fly there.” She pointed at the filly’s own wings. “I don’t think your wings are quite up to a lengthy trip yet, so I will let you ride on my back.”

The child glanced at her own wings, as if now noticing she had them. Chrysalis picked up the filly and set her by the saddlebag. She cast a securing charm on the child. “That’s so you won’t fall off,” she explained. “I’m going to fly very high, but since you have wings, I think you’ll enjoy being up there.”

The child did not answer, but looked at Chrysalis appreciatively. The promise of food and shelter was more than enough to secure her cooperation. Chrysalis expected a smooth flight--once she rose above the storm clouds.

She looked around the area one last time. Seeing nothing else of value, she launched herself into the sky with her prizes.

*

They arrived at the Changeling Fortress several hours later. This was a foreboding place, its muted gray-green coloration inspiring dread in all who beheld it; its organic, twisted and alien architecture reflecting the twisted psyche of this Pandemonium’s mistress.

Chrysalis thought it was gorgeous.

She landed on a balcony. At once, she was surrounded by guards, with Pharynx in the lead.

“My Queen,” he said. “We were getting worried! I had prepared a search party, and—”

“That obviously won’t be necessary,” Chrysalis cut in. “I want you to gather the Hive together in the throne room. I have an announcement to make!”

She looked at the filly, who had fallen asleep during the journey. “Wake up, little one,” Chrysalis said softly, poking the filly’s forehead with her hoof.

“Isn’t that a pony?” asked Pharynx, puzzled. The other guards craned their necks for a better look. “Is she to be food? Does she have information? Or—” He stopped, his purple eyes widening in surprise.

The filly had opened her eyes, bathing the area immediately around her in a cyan luminescence. She caught sight of Pharynx, who found himself staring into glowing draconic eyes like his Queen’s.

Chrysalis smirked at her subject’s astonishment, before turning her attention back to the filly. She looked frightened.

“It’s quite alright,” Chrysalis said soothingly. “These are some of my subjects. They will not harm you.” She gave the guards a quick glance. Pharynx was glaring suspiciously at the filly, but snapped to attention when he noticed Chrysalis frowning at him.

“Naw, wouldn’t dream of it,” said Pharynx quickly. The other guards quickly gave their assent.

The filly calmed down. Chrysalis set her on the floor. Some of the guards inched closer for a better look.

And hissed.

The little filly shrank back against Chrysalis’ right foreleg.

“No need to be so alarmed, sweetie,” Chrysalis said. She sounded amused. “That’s just how they say hello! Why don’t you be a sport and hiss right back?”

The guards smirked at each other. The filly looked up at Chrysalis nervously.

“It’s all right. Just relax and give it a try.”

The little filly seemed to steel herself. She inhaled deeply, and hissed.

It was enough. The guards stepped back, astonished. Chrysalis stopped smiling; her eyes widened. Did she see what she thought she had seen?

“That was a good attempt,” Chrysalis said, gazing at the filly intently.

“Erm, yes, very good,” Pharynx said nervously.

“Let’s do it one more time. Just spread your lips a little wider.” Chrysalis bent closer. “Make sure we can see your teeth.”

The filly cocked her head, but obeyed. She hissed again, and this time it was more convincing. It helped that they could see the little pony’s sharp fangs clearly. They were like the teeth of a wildcat, the four incisors much longer and sharper.

The guards looked at each other, dumbfounded. Even Chrysalis was taken aback. What sort of creature had she brought to her colony? Chrysalis could understand creating a new alicorn. They had powerful magic. And Nightmare Moon had been nearly unstoppable. But why provide her with fangs? To look scary? To match up with the old stories?

The filly sensed something was wrong. She looked anxiously at Chrysalis, who regarded her with a brief calculating look before smiling.

“That was a wonderful hiss, sweetie,” she said smoothly.

“Um, yes. Very good,” said Pharynx. “That was a good try for a uni—”

He stopped again. Pharynx’s insectoid eyes widened, looking from the horn on the filly’s forehead to the wings on her back.

“For an alicorn,” he finished.

An idea suddenly popped into Chrysalis’s head.

“Pharynx! I want you to send a message to your dear brother Thorax—I think he’s still in the kitchens? I’d like to sample that pie now.” She grinned wickedly. “Make sure he brings a portion for our guest as well! I’m sure she’s famished!”

At the mention of food, the little filly perked up. Pharynx, who well understood what kind of pie Thorax had made, arched a brow but said nothing. The Queen was always right.

“It shall be done, my Queen.” He turned and walked into the fortress.

Chrysalis turned to the other guards. “The rest of you! Carry out my first order and gather the Hive in the throne room! I want every-ling to meet our guest. Wait!” She removed the saddlebag and handed it to the guard nearest her. “Take that to my chamber. I shall peruse it at my leisure. Then go and help the others alert our Hive. Dismissed!” All of the guards bowed, and left the foyer. Chrysalis smiled down at the filly.

“Well, come on then,” she said warmly. “Let me take you into my home.”

The filly did not need to be told twice.

The corridors were dark and narrow, winding around the fortress like a labyrinth. Any trespasser foalish enough to break into the fortress would lose themselves in the catacombs. But Chrysalis knew the fortress like a spider knows its web, and could see in the darkness even with out the luminescent stones set into the walls. All of her changelings could see in the dark.

And so too could this filly. She walked the whole way down with Chrysalis and did not stumble once, even when the two moved through unlit passages darker than night. Chrysalis noticed the filly’s shoulders tended to rise and fall as she walked, something like a cat.

At last they came to the Atrium. This was a wide chamber with a high ceiling, lit by luminescent crystals around the room. The walls were covered with tunnels of various shapes and sizes, like capillaries from a stone heart. Changelings were spilling out of these tunnels like blood out of arteries. The chamber was nearly full already, the crowd gathering around a circular dais, on which sat a black chair.

The throne of Queen Chrysalis!

Pharynx, who had returned from the kitchens, stepped forward.

“Presenting our majestic monarch, Chrysalis! Queen of Changelings!”

The chamber buzzed appreciatively. Members of the crowd stepped back so their Queen could make her way through with her little guest. The filly hung close to Chrysalis, anxious. Chrysalis kept her head held high, her expression demure and her presence regal. She took note of her subjects’ reactions. Most of them were staring at the filly with great interest, but very few were surprised to see her.

Chrysalis was fascinated. How quickly her Hive exchanged information with itself! Her little Lings were such efficient gossips.

Chrysalis and the filly arrived at the dais. Chrysalis turned to her and pointed to a spot on the bottom step.

“Stay there.” The filly obeyed.

Chrysalis made her way to the top of the dais. She sat on her throne.

“Greetings, my faithful subjects!” she said, her low voice filling the chamber. “Your Queen has returned to you!”

The Changelings buzzed happily. That had been a very obvious thing to say, but her subjects always responded positively to statements like it.

“Your Queen has been abroad,” she continued. “And whilst I was abroad, I found a very special little guest…”

All eyes turned to the filly. She shrank back, her eyes darting around as if to find a place to hide. The Hive whispered among themselves, many staring hungrily at the child. Chrysalis went on.

“I decided to invite her along as my guest here, where she will be safe and unharmed.

No Changeling missed the emphasis. Any attempt to drain their new guest without their Queen’s approval would be met with harsh penalties. And Chrysalis could be very creative when it came to harsh penalties…

Chrysalis looked down at the filly.

“Well, don’t be shy sweetie,” she cooed. “Stand up and say hello!”

The filly looked at Chrysalis, and then turned to the hundreds of curious eyes studying her in the darkness. She stared back at them for a long moment.

Suddenly, the filly did something that took every-ling by surprise. She bared her tiny fangs—and hissed at the entire Hive!

The Changelings were momentarily taken aback. Then, the entire hive snarled and hissed in response. The filly stiffened, but did not shrink back or try to hide. Instead, she just turned and looked up at Chrysalis, as if for assurance. Chrysalis grinned back at her. What nerve! This child was made of sterner stuff than she had thought!

“That was very good, sweetie. We are most pleased! But now,” she added, with a gleam in her eye. “I think you must be famished! I have asked for some pot pies to be brought out for supper. Interested?”

The filly perked up at once. Well, now was the time for a little experiment! The child had sharp teeth. It was entirely possible that they were only cosmetic, and that the pies would only make her ill like any other pony.

If so, her response would be very entertaining!

Chrysalis stood up.

“Bring in the pies!” she demanded.

Thorax came into the chamber pushing an old cart with mismatched wheels, a silver covered-dish sitting atop it. Chrysalis could smell the sweet aromas of the pies even through the lid. So did the filly, whose little nose sniffed the air fervently. The other changelings watched the cart hungrily. Every-ling would have loved a slice of pony pot pie.

Though Thorax looked ill.

He stopped at the foot of the dais. Thorax glanced at the filly curiously, but did not let his gaze linger on her for too long.

“My most royal Majesty, I submit these pies for your consideration,” he said, quietly.

“We accept them,” said Chrysalis. “Place the table on this dais”

Thorax muttered his thanks and lifted a tray table from under the cart with his magic. Keeping his head down, and avoiding the Queen’s eye, he set the table close to the throne. Next, he took a large plate, silverware, and some napkins out and set them on the table.

“Good,” said Chrysalis. “Now, let us see these pies!”

Thorax lifted off the lid. Chrysalis saw two steaming pies, a larger pie for herself and a smaller one for the filly. The crusts were golden brown, with green gravy seeping out from the centers.

It looked delicious. Perhaps Thorax was a decent cook?

Chrysalis picked up the larger pie and set it on the tray table, before picking up the smaller pie and setting it before the filly.

“There you are, sweetie!” said Chrysalis, a wicked gleam in her eye. “Eat up!”

The filly looked delighted. Chrysalis settled back into her throne to enjoy the show. Watching a pony eat pony meat should make for an amusing spectacle. Equestrian ponies could not stomach red meat, and hated the taste of it. She imagined the filly would spit the food out in disgust. The Hive would have a good laugh, and then Chrysalis would order some proper produce brought in for the filly.

She could even blame Thorax for it! Stupid fool, giving the filly Changeling food. It was not as though anyone would call her out on it…

The filly took a bite.

Chrysalis waited. But the filly did not spit the pie back out. She did not vomit or turn green. Instead, her eyes brightened. She made an “mmm” sound and swallowed down the food. Then she took another bite. And another.

The chamber had gone very quiet, aside from the sounds the filly made as she ate. The Hive members looked at each other. Thorax stared agape. And Chrysalis gazed down upon the filly, her mind buzzing.

At length the filly finished her pie. She looked up at Chrysalis expectantly, who smiled at her.

“Care for some more, sweetie?”

The filly nodded, hesitantly. She seemed to be aware of the strange looks every-ling was giving her. Some were even whispering to each other.

Chrysalis pulled up a slice of pie from her own dish, and set it on the filly’s dish with her magic. “There you are, sweetie. There’s plenty.” The child looked at her second helping, then at the larger pie, and suddenly looked guilty.

Chrysalis smiled. “It’s fine.”

Some of the changelings had to stifle a gasp. They had never seen the Queen share before!

But that seemed to placate the filly, who tore into the second helping with gusto.

Chrysalis watched her for a moment or two longer, before she turned her attention to her own pie. She could see there was indeed pony meat it. The meat had been undercooked, as Chrysalis preferred, and the dark-green gravy was thick and creamy. She could see carrots, celery, turnips, mild red peppers, peas, and onions inside the pie as well.

She tasted it. The crust was hot and crispy. The gravy was rich and mildly tart, complementing the natural sweetness of the pony meat and vegetables; the peppers balanced out the sweet taste with some spice; and Chrysalis could detect a pinch of salt. It was delicious!

“It is…satisfactory,” said Chrysalis evenly, looking down on Thorax from her throne. “I have no criticism. At this time.” Thorax’s ears dipped slightly. “You shall stand by for further instructions.” Thorax bowed, and hung by the steps, looking straight at the floor. Chrysalis resumed eating, making sure not to look as though she were enjoying the pie.

A flash of light caught her attention. The filly, having observed Chrysalis use a fork, was now making an attempt to lift her own fork with magic. Her horn sputtered and flashed indigo, before puttering out completely.

Chrysalis nodded internally. Good to know her throne still worked.

“Having trouble with your magic, sweetie? No need to fret! It’s my throne; it has the ability to suppress magic. That way, none of our enemies can hurt us! But for you, I shall make an exception.”

Chrysalis lit her horn. “You will need to light your horn up as well for this to work.”

The filly’s horn sputtered indigo again. Chrysalis released a spell upon her throne. The throne was briefly surrounded by green energy, which quickly turned indigo. The filly’s horn glowed steadily.

Chrysalis could hear more whispers. Some of the Changelings sounded offended. Pharynx looked furious.

Chrysalis ignored them. “There you are. Now you’re keyed in to my throne, so you may use your magic in its vicinity. Why don’t you try to lift the fork again?”

The filly lit her horn. Indigo magic surrounded the fork.

Which then shot out at a tremendous speed. Some of the Changelings gasped aloud as the projectile flew in their direction. Chrysalis’ own horn glowed green and she grabbed the fork out of the air.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” wailed the filly. “I didn’t mean for that to happen! I didn’t!”

Chrysalis smirked at her. “That’s quite alright dear. Common mistake, could happen to any-pony! Especially,” she added, “One with as great a magical gift as you!”

Chrysalis held the fork aloft in front of the filly.

“Take it. You don’t need to use all your magic to bear on it! Just focus on what you want to do with it. Your magic should do the rest.”

The filly’s horn glowed again as she took the fork. This time, she succeeded in just keeping the fork aloft. This accomplished, the filly turned her attention back to the pie and tried again. She succeeded in spearing a piece of meat, but missed several times getting the food to her mouth. She succeeded finally, and licked the gravy stains off her face. Her successive attempts were more successful.

Chrysalis watched her with fascination. This child clearly had great magical ability, but it was raw and unfocused, like un-tempered iron. She would need to be carefully instructed in order to bring out her true potential. But once that potential was forged into true fighting steel, the Changelings would have a truly mighty ally on their side!

Chrysalis wondered why the meat was not affecting the filly. Even buried under the gravy and vegetables, the meat should have made her quite ill by now. And yet she was sifting through the vegetables with her fork and spearing any chunks of meat she could find. There was no doubt she enjoyed the flavor.

The filly eventually slowed before at last placing her fork down on the plate.

“Did you get enough?” Chrysalis asked her pleasantly.

“Um, yes. Thank you, it was delicious,” the filly said. “Um, miss Chrysalis?”

“Queen Chrysalis,” Chrysalis replied, her smile faltering a little. Chrysalis hated it when she was not addressed by her title.

“I’m sorry, Queen Chrysalis,” said the filly quickly. “But I was just wondering. What’s a Changeling?”

The Hive snickered. Chrysalis let them go on for a few moments before answering the question. She was amused.

“Why, a Changeling is what we are! We are a very special sort of magical creature! We have the ability to change into anything we like! Allow me to demonstrate.”

Green flames ran down her body before dissipating, and where had stood the Changeling Queen now stood an exact copy of the filly. The Hive applauded.

“Well?” asked the doppelganger. “What do you think?”

“That is amazing!” said the filly, awed. The Hive snickered. Some of them even transformed into their own copies of the filly.

“I’m glad you think so, little one,” said Chrysalis, changing back to normal. “It is our most famous ability! In fact, we’re renowned for it!”

“Wow!” exclaimed the filly. “Can I try?”

The Atrium rang with peals of laughter. Even Chrysalis could not suppress a chuckle. “I guess you can try.”

The filly’s nose crunched up in concentration.

“But I should warn you. Transforming is innate for our kind, but for you it will be very difficult in…what?” Chrysalis trailed off, transfixed. The filly’s hair had changed to a bluish mist. Her eyes glowed with a bright white light. Chrysalis could feel a great surge of power. The other Changelings had stopped snickering.

The filly’s horn glowed indigo, and for a moment she was covered in indigo flames. When the flames dissipated, where had stood the alicorn filly now stood a copy of the Changeling Queen.

Or to be more precise, a filly Chrysalis; and one with cyan eyes instead of green. Her wings and limbs also lacked holes.

The filly looked up at Chrysalis.

“O! I do not think that came out right!” she exclaimed. Her voice was still her own.

“That is…good enough to begin with,” said Chrysalis, dazed. The Atrium had gone silent.

How very interesting that the child took the form of a filly Chrysalis. Perhaps she could only turn into other children. She would need to work on that. And work on that she would indeed! That pulse during the transformation, the power she displayed…she had amazing potential! She would be a potent addition to the Hive!

But would the Hive itself go for it? They had never adopted a new member before. And what Chrysalis planned to do with this child was certainly more ambitious than simply adding her to their nursery!

If the Hive were smart, they would.

Chrysalis laughed.

“Well, doesn’t that just beat all?” she chortled. “Not only can she eat our food, but she can change like us as well! Isn’t that interesting?” She looked knowingly around the room. “I think she should join our colony. She would fit right in!” She leaned back into her throne. “Don’t you think so?”

The Atrium remained silent. And then some-ling shouted:

“Are you kidding?”

Astonished, Chrysalis searched the room. Who dared?

It was Pharynx.

“She isn’t one of us!” he snarled. “She’s a pony! They are our prey! We can’t just add her to our Hive! It would be obscene! Only Changelings can be part of the Hive!”

The Atrium erupted into chaos. Chrysalis could hear arguments breaking out all around her. Many changelings sounded to be of similar mind to Pharynx, and others sounded unsure. Only a few seemed to consider the idea.

Chrysalis was furious. Idiots! Did they not understand how valuable an alicorn would be to them? This was not some random nag! They had a demi-Goddess who could one day become powerful enough to control the skies above! She looked down at the filly, who had returned to her normal form. She had shrunk back against the steps, trembling.

“Silence!” Chrysalis bellowed. The Atrium went quiet. Chrysalis looked angry enough to kill. But before Chrysalis could say anything more, the filly cried out:

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she wailed. “I did not mean to upset every-pony! I will go in the morning so you won’t be upset anymore!”

Chrysalis seethed. Now the child wanted to leave. All that effort to court her ruined. She would need to do something to persuade the filly to stay and the Hive to accept her.

An idea occurred to Chrysalis. She stood up from her throne.

“Come with me,” instructed Chrysalis. She descended the dais, the filly following in her wake. The Hive hurried to move out of her way, some of them bowing up and down repeatedly, lest they receive some of their Queen’s wrath. Even Pharynx tried to look as small as possible. Chrysalis had not forgotten him; she would deal with him later.

Chrysalis and the filly walked across the Atrium. They came to a halt in front of a large green crystal. Chrysalis could see herself reflected inside it. This should do, even if the reflections were a little dark.

“Take a look at my reflection in this crystal.”

The filly looked at the reflection carefully, and then back at the real Chrysalis.

“That rock makes you look backward!” she exclaimed.

Chrysalis could not suppress a grin. Behind her, several Changelings snickered.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Chrysalis chortled. “Now, why don’t you turn around and have a look at yourself?”

The filly looked at herself in the crystal. Her eyes became very wide. She then closed and re-opened them, and stared directly into those of her reflection. Then she looked Chrysalis in the eyes.

“I…have eyes. Like you. But blue?” she asked hesitantly.

“What, like mine?” Chrysalis asked innocently. She batted her eyelashes comically. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

The filly giggled. “Yes! They are!”

Chrysalis grinned—wide enough for her fangs to show. The filly became alarmed.

“What? Don’t you think I have a beautiful smile?” Chrysalis asked pleasantly.

The filly backed away. “Uh, they’re nice?”

“I’m glad you think so sweetie. Go back to that crystal. Let me see you give it a nice, wide grin!”

Reluctantly, the filly did as she was told. Arriving at the crystal, she smiled wide enough to show her teeth. She gasped.

“I have sharp teeth!” she exclaimed. She looked up at Chrysalis. “Just like you!”

Chrysalis flashed a winning smile. “Why, you do, don’t you? How about that. Do you see anything else interesting?”

The filly looked between the crystal and Chrysalis several times.

“We are both…black?”

“Indeed,” said Chrysalis encouragingly. Actually, the filly was a midnight blue, but now was not the time to be pedantic.

“And we both have horns?”

“Of course, dear! We both know magic, after all."

The filly looked at her back. “And we both have wings!”

“Naturally!”

The filly looked between her back and the back of Chrysalis. “But my wings are different. And…you have holes?”

“Nonetheless, we both have wings,” Chrysalis said quickly. “We have an awful lot in common, don’t we?”

“I look like you!” said the filly, awed.

Chrysalis beamed. “You do.”

“But what does it mean?”

“What it means, little one, is that you belong here with us.” Chrysalis reached out a hoof and pulled the filly close.

“The ponies would not want you among them. Why, with your dragon eyes and sharp teeth, they would think that you were too scary!”

The filly’s ears drooped, but Chrysalis held her chin up.

“But I think you are beautiful! We think you are beautiful.” Her eyes darted quickly around the Atrium. No-ling corrected her.

“And you can transform like us! You may not be perfect at it yet, but you will get there. I shall teach you. I can teach you many things. Including,” she added, with a gleam in her eye. “How to hunt!”

The filly looked bewildered. “Hunt?” Then her eyes widened. “Your Majesty? Was that—was there—was there meat in that pie?”

Chrysalis nodded. “Yes, sweetie. There was meat in that pie.”

Tears formed in the filly’s eyes once more. “I didn’t mean to! I was just really hungry! And, and…”

Chrysalis wiped away the filly’s tears.

“I know, I know. But that meat was clearly good for you! It did not make you sick at all. In fact, I think I see some color in your cheeks. That tells me that you are like us—a predator!”

“The ponies won’t want a meat eater among them. They will fear you because you are a predator. But my Changelings and I, we are predators too! We need love to survive. You will need meat to survive. We are all in the same club here!” She leaned in a little closer. “We understand you. You belong amongst us, not among ponies. And do not let any neigh-sayers tell you otherwise!” She shot Pharynx a dirty look. He looked away and stared at the floor.

She went on. “Think of us as your family. All of my subjects will be like your brothers and sisters. And I,” she added, “I shall be your mother!”

An audible gasp came from the Hive. Chrysalis ignored it. Her decision had been made.

The filly looked amazed.

“Mother?” she asked. “Do you really want to be my mommy?”

“Of course!” Chrysalis said. “I…would be honored to call you my daughter! I am the Queen of the Changelings; you shall be our Princess!” She glanced at her subjects. “And we shall all be very glad to have you, isn’t that right?”

She gave her subjects a look. Every single Changeling in that room knew that she was not to be questioned on this. For many, the events of this night were bewildering. But the Queen clearly had some plan in mind, and every-ling knew better that to question it.

It was Thorax who stepped forward.

“Of course, we are! We welcome you to our hive, your Highness!”

His welcome woke the Hive from its stupor. The Atrium erupted into calls of welcome for the Hive’s newest addition. Many of them worked to make it as convincing as possible.

“You see? We all want you here among us!” Chrysalis said proudly.

The filly was in tears again, but this time they were tears of joy.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you! I—I would love you to be my mommy!” The filly embraced Chrysalis, who embraced her in turn. She did not see the wicked smile play across the Queen’s face.

They parted.

“Well, well, that’s that! Let us cheer our new princess! Princess—” Chrysalis paused. She looked back at the filly. “You know, I still don’t know—what is your name?”

The filly’s smile faded. “My name?”

“Yes, do you remember they call you now?”

The filly was mortified. “I don’t know! I can’t—I can’t remember!” She looked like she might cry again.

Chrysalis intercepted. “Now, my daughter, there is no need to be upset. If you do not have a name, we shall give you one instead. I am your mother now, so I shall have the pleasure of naming you!” Chrysalis put a hoof to her chin. “Now what shall I call you?”

“Perhaps we should go with Black Beauty? No, that’s stupid. Maybe we should go with Nyx? A brave name. It has an X in it. But no, that’s from a little kiddy book…I think ponies name their dogs that sometimes. It shan’t do for you!”

Of course, Chrysalis had already decided on a name. There was only one name the ponies would scream when Chrysalis unleashed her greatest weapon upon them.

“How does the name “Nightmare Moon” sound to you?”

The filly cocked her head. “Nightmare…Moon?”

“Why yes! Nightmare Moon was a very brave and powerful warrior, who fought against Celestia long ago.” Chrysalis looked hard at the filly, as if she had just seen her for the first time. “You know,” she said thoughtfully. “You do resemble her a little.”

“I do?” asked the filly, impressed.

“Uh-hum. Only a little, mind,” Chrysalis replied, smirking.

A Changeling spoke up. “Hey, you’re right! She does look like Nightmare Moon!”

“Dead ringer,” said another.

“Uncanny!”

Chrysalis shut her eyes in annoyance. Why did she have such idiots for subjects?

“Did she win?” asked the filly.

“Huh?” replied Chrysalis.

“Nightmare Moon. Did she win? Did she beat”—she fumbled for the name— “Celestia?”

“No, she was defeated. Twice. But,” Chrysalis added quickly, “She tried! Celestia had an unbeatable weapon called The Elements of Harmony. She beat Nightmare Moon with them because Celestia was too weak and cowardly to fight fair!”

“That was mean of her!” the filly exclaimed angrily.

“I know, right?” Chrysalis replied sourly, as if it was she who had been banished to the moon. “But even though Celestia had those weapons, Nightmare Moon battled her anyway! Even though the odds were entirely against her, she still fought on!”

“Wow!” squealed the filly. “She sounds really brave!” Her eyes were shining. “I would be happy to have her name!”

Chrysalis smiled. “Then that shall be your name henceforth. Every-ling! Welcome our newest member: Princess Nightmare Moon!”

The whole Atrium erupted into cheers and shouts of praise. Chrysalis noted the calls from the mares sounded more sincere than the calls from the stallions. Even among the hordes of Queen Chrysalis, mares loved little princesses.

The filly, now christened Nightmare Moon, beamed bright as the sun. Chrysalis was pleased. It had been a struggle, but now she had Nightmare Moon firmly on her side. All Chrysalis needed to do now was guide her new charge until she was ready. Then, with Nightmare Moon as her knight, Chrysalis would become Queen of Equestria!

But that was for the future. Chrysalis beckoned for silence.

“The time has come for your Queen (and your Princess) to retire. If any-ling wants pie, there is more in the kitchens—first come, first served. Dismissed!”

The Hive made a bee-line for the kitchen tunnels. Several broodmares stepped forward and bowed.

“Your Majesty, shall we escort her Highness to the nursery? She must be very tired.”

“What?” asked Chrysalis blankly. She forgot Nightmare Moon would need to sleep someplace. “Oh, right. No. No, she shall room with me. For tonight.”

The broodmares exchanged glances, grinning.

“Naturally, your Majesty. Your little daughter should stay by your side!”

“Naturally,” Chrysalis snapped. “Now head to the Nursery and keep our grubs safe!”

The broodmares rose and made for the nursery tunnels. Chrysalis could hear them giggling. She huffed. Her drones were idiots, and her mares were school-fillys. What was a Queen to do with subjects like these?

Chrysalis noticed two specific Changelings heading for the tunnels.

“Pharynx. Thorax.”

Both Changelings froze.

“Your Queen and your Princess wish to retire to our chambers. You two shall escort us.”

“Yes, my Queen,” replied both stallions evenly.

Chrysalis turned to Nightmare Moon.

“Well, Nightmare, you look quite a sight,” she said, in a warmer voice. “I shall have to get you cleaned up before bed. How does that sound?”

“Great!” Nightmare Moon squealed happily.

“Good to hear! Follow me.”

They left for the tunnels.

*

The corridor leading to the private chambers of Queen Chrysalis was more opulent relative to the rest of the fortress. Here, the walls were less jagged, the lighting was better, and an honest attempt at something resembling architecture had been made. Her chambers even had a door!

Chrysalis opened it.

“Well, here we are! Go on in, Nightmare. Wait for me on the futon—Mommy will be along in just a moment!”

Nightmare Moon beamed at Chrysalis before stepping inside.

Chrysalis closed the door and locked it before casting an enchantment on it. Pharynx only realized it was a silencing charm just before he felt the blow fall across his face.

Pharynx went down instantly. He grabbed his nose, the pain throbbing and blood pouring from his nostrils. Thorax shrank against the wall, trying to be as small as possible.

“How dare you,” snarled Chrysalis. She kicked Pharynx in the gut. “How dare you!”

Pharynx was in agony. He knew she was going to take some time between blows, to make sure her new blows would hurt as much as the old. It would be seen as cowardly to cry out in pain, and would likely enrage the Queen even more. And Chrysalis could be sadistically cruel when she was angry.

Chrysalis lifted Pharynx into the air with her magic, shook him, and slammed him against the wall. He slid down it, the breath knocked out of him, before he felt a tightness around his throat as Chrysalis threw him back against the wall with her own hooves. She was in his face, nose to nose.

“Don’t you ever, ever contradict me like that again!” Her voice had dropped down to a low, throaty whisper. “I am the Queen! I. Will. Not. Be. Questioned.” She pointed to the door. “That child is too important an asset for us to ignore! She’s an alicorn! I should not have to explain to you the potential her powers offer this hive! I will not have some mealworm mess this up! AM I UNDERSTOOD?”

“Yes, my Queen,” Pharynx choked. “I’m sorry!”

“Yes. Yes, you are.” Chrysalis replied coldly. She released her grip. Pharynx collapsed, coughing hard and gasping for air. Chrysalis waited haughtily for his coughing to subside, looming over Pharynx like an imperious Titan. When the worst of his coughing had subsided, she reached out with her forehooves and held his head between them. She smiled.

“Oh, Pharynx, whatever am I to do with you?”

Her voice was sugary sweet. Pharynx was terrified.

Chrysalis continued. “You are one of my best warriors. You have great promise! It would be a pity to lose you.”

She pressed her hooves into Pharynx’s head. His head throbbed violently, and he could not suppress a gasp this time. Chrysalis held for a long moment before she relaxed the pressure.

She giggled.

“Why must you make me so angry with you? I wouldn’t have to discipline you otherwise.”

She released her hold completely. Pharynx fell to the ground, sputtering. He crawled toward Chrysalis, who held out her right forehoof to him. He took it and kissed it repeatedly.

“Forgive me, my Queen! I shall never speak out against you! Ever!”

Chrysalis smirked triumphantly.

“See that your loyalty never wavers. You are forgiven.”

She noticed Thorax.

“Thorax! Why don’t you step out from that corner? I should like to have a word with you.”

Thorax approached tentatively. Chrysalis said nothing to him at first, leering down upon him in as queenly a manner as possible. Finally, she spoke.

“Your pie was excellent.”

Thorax was taken aback. A compliment? He had not expected that!

“T-thank you, my Queen!”

“I am also pleased by your efforts to make our new Princess feel at home. Unlike many others who shan’t be mentioned, you seem to grasp the reason why we need her in our Hive.”

“Yes, my Queen. She will be a great ally to have in battle! When she’s older, and—”

Chrysalis leaned closer. “When she’s older?” she asked threateningly.

Thorax swallowed. “Yes? No? I mean…she isn’t trained and ready to go yet, right?”

Chrysalis stared at him impassively. Then she smirked.

“No, not yet. She has a lot to learn right now. But when she is ready, she shall decimate all who stand in our way! You are a very clever little Changeling by far, aren’t you?”

Queen Chrysalis was paying him compliments? There was a shoe to fall somewhere, surely?

“With brains like yours, I don’t feel it would be remiss to promote you to captain. One day.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Of course, there are a few kinks you should work out first…”

Yup, there it was. Thorax braced himself.

Chrysalis pressed her face so close to Thorax that they were practically nose-to-nose.

“…namely, the fact that you are a disgusting little coward!”

Thorax wilted at once. Chrysalis went on, her voice having lost any trace of kindness.

“You do not fool me for a second! I have seen how timid you are, how reluctant you are to participate in any of our doings! Your heart is not in our glorious cause! And do you know what our cause is? Say it!”

“To feed the colony,” said Thorax. He was close to tears and his voice cracked.

“I didn’t hear that,” hissed Chrysalis.

“To feed the colony!”

“Better! Yes, to make sure no-ling hungers! Every-ling must see our cause to the end, lest we all starve. Or is that what you want? Do you, Thorax, want to see your brothers and sisters die of starvation?”

“No,” said Thorax. He was trying hard not to cry.

“I don’t believe you.”

“No!” cried Thorax.

“That’s a bit better.” Chrysalis stood to her full height. “I am not going to punish you today, Thorax. You are timid, cowardly and weak, but you followed my orders. And you have brains, no question. But I expect my drones to be assertive, bold, and strong. You will have to work very hard to become the Changeling I expect to see in our Hive. And you will work. Otherwise,” she added threateningly, “I shall have to bring out the hedge clippers.”

Thorax’s eyes widened.

“No, you don’t want to make me bring those out, do you? Then get to it!”

Chrysalis went to the door. Upon reaching the threshold, she glanced back at the two drones behind her. “Tomorrow, the two of you shall do drills. An awful lot of drills. Be glad that is all. For now, you may go back to your barracks. You will need plenty of rest for to-morrow.”

And without another word, Chrysalis went into her chambers and slammed the door.

*

The private chambers of Queen Chrysalis were bizarrely furnished, consisting of items plundered over many years. No piece matched any other piece, but all of these items were of very fine quality. The centerpiece was a large futon, which Chrysalis used as her bed. Its cushions had once been red, but many years of use had faded the color to a cream-peach. Next to the futon stood a cylindrical pedestal, upon which sat a great crystal ball. And on top of the futon, gazing at a display of a large stuffed spider, sat Nightmare Moon. She looked up when she heard the door slam. She frowned and tilted her head.

“Are you angry?”

“What?” answered Chrysalis. She caught her reflection in the vanity mirror. Her mane was tussled, she was breathing heavily, and her pupil slits were thin.

“No, no, I was…in a hurry. To come in.”

Nightmare Moon looked at Chrysalis. Draconic eye met draconic eye. Chrysalis suddenly felt like she was being X-rayed.

“I was mad at one of my guards,” Chrysalis said, surprised by her own honesty.

“I thought so,” said Nightmare Moon. “Was it the purple one?”

Chrysalis gaped at her. This child was more intelligent than she had thought! Was she being played? Was the filly about to transform into her true adult form and reveal her master plan?

But the filly only looked at Chrysalis, who dismissed the thought. If this was the real Nightmare Moon, she would have slipped up by now. No-pony was this good of an actress. But she was precocious. Chrysalis would need to be careful how she treated this filly.

“Yes, it was,” answered Chrysalis. “I was mad at him because he didn’t want you to be our princess. But I want you here with us.”

The filly smiled. “That is good. I want to stay here with you. I think you are very nice.” She pointed at the stuffed spider. “You have a lot of them. Do you like spiders?”

It was true. The room had reliefs of spiders all over the walls, and nick-knacks of sorts with spider decals. Chrysalis also had several items that were mantis themed, including a clock with the mantis forearms as clock hands.

There was also a pair of red-handled hedge-clippers on the wall.

Chrysalis smiled. “I admire spiders very much. I slew that creature about a year ago and then had it stuffed and mounted.”

“Wow! You must be really strong!” said the filly, awed.

“Of course! But now let’s get you cleaned up. This way, Nightmare.”

Nightmare jumped off the futon, and followed Chrysalis through a door.

The bathroom of Queen Chrysalis was very much like her bedroom, in that its furnishings clearly belonged to different suites. The ceramic tub had been stained a very light blue, the sink was bright pink and sat on a cabinet of cherry. The toilet, which sat inside its own closet, was silver.

The bathtub had a golden tap and a silver one. Chrysalis turned on the golden knob for hot and waited a moment. The fortress had plumbing, but the Changelings would not win any contractor jobs with their skills. It took a few moments for water to make its way through the labyrinth of mis-matched pipes, most of which were stolen.

Water eventually came out of the faucet. The filly’s eyes widened as she saw the water pour forth. Chrysalis smirked. Wait until she saw how the toilet worked!

After the tub reached a comfortably warm temperature, Chrysalis stopped the drain. She allowed the tub to fill until the water level was several inches high, then switched the water off.

“Go ahead and get in,” said Chrysalis. Nightmare climbed into the tub. While she was doing that, Chrysalis picked up a green ceramic jar. Unlike practically everything else in the bathroom, this item was truly of the Changelings. The jar had been fired by the Queen’s own potters, out of Badland clay. Inside the jar was an indigo-colored gel that smelled of lavender. It was a shampoo of Chrysalis’ own creation.

Normally, Chrysalis would bathe with a small contingent of changeling hoof maids. If she ordered it, some could come right now and bathe the filly for her; but on this occasion, Chrysalis wanted to clean the filly herself. Nightmare Moon was starting to imprint on her, and so it behooved Chrysalis to bond with her as much as possible during this phase.

Besides, what mother didn’t bathe her own foal?

She took a dab of the indigo-colored gel and rubbed it between her own hooves. She then applied it to the little filly, spreading the bodywash all over Nightmare before washing it off by siphoning water with her magic. Chrysalis then washed out Nightmare’s hair, removing the twigs and leaves from it. Nightmare flinched as the twigs were removed, but otherwise gave no protest.

When Nightmare Moon was finally cleaned to the satisfaction of Chrysalis, she picked her up from the tub and set her on a rug. She then pulled out a comfortable towel from a cupboard and dried Nightmare with it. The filly now looked cleaner, but she still had a lot of cuts and bruises all over her body.

“It looks like some-ling has some nasty scratches. I have just the thing.”

She opened the medicine cabinet over the sink and pulled out a red ceramic jar. She opened it to reveal a crimson paste. “Now this may sting. Be brave.” She applied the paste to Nightmare’s injuries, who sucked in her breath when the paste met her skin. But she did not cry out, nor did any tears well in her eyes.

After the paste was placed on every scratch, cut and bruise that Chrysalis could find, she used her magic. The crimson paste glowed brilliantly and vanished into the alicorn’s coat, taking all of the injuries with it. Nightmare Moon looked like she had never been cut up at all.

“Wow,” said Nightmare Moon. “That’s amazing!”

“I know a lot of things, my daughter. One day I shall teach you about that potion. But right now, I think it is time we went to sleep. I think we both could use some rest, right?”

The filly yawned. “I guess so.”

Chrysalis led her back into the bedroom. She settled down upon the futon and pointed at a spot by her side. “Go ahead, hop on up.” The filly obeyed. Chrysalis smiled at her.

“There we are now. Don’t you feel better without all those nasty scrapes?”

The filly looked up at the Queen. She was very happy; her eyes were filled with adoration. She snuggled close.

This was a strange experience for Chrysalis. She had cuddled with other creatures before, but she had always done so disguised. She had never derived enjoyment from that, even as she whispered sweet nothings to her targets. The enjoyment came from their looks of fear when she revealed herself, and they fell by her hooves…

But little Nightmare Moon knew Chrysalis’s true form and felt quite safe. Chrysalis draped a wing over the child before turning her attention to the books in the saddlebags, which had been left by the futon. Now was the time to see about her other goodies!

She opened the bags, and pulled out three volumes. They were clearly magical texts. Chrysalis gazed at them hungrily. While a capable enchantress, Chrysalis belonged to no school of magical thought. Her spells were either natural for her kind, or her own invention; she knew some spells only because she had read about them. Or forced it out of others.

Chrysalis was a skilled reader. If it was in a subject that interested her, she could memorize volumes of works, and never forget them.

And then she would set them on fire, so no-pony else could use them against her.

Chrysalis held up the first book. It was titled The Magic Shapes: Geometric Magic for Advanced Students, by Pi Thyforrest. This was a geomancy book. She recalled the patterns back in the forest clearing. Clearly, powerful magic could be had with the right shapes. She would find this book useful.

She opened the book. On the inside cover was an ornate sticker: Property of the Canterlot Royal Library.

Oh ho! Some pony was going to be in big trouble! Thinking of Twilight Sparkle explaining to Princess Celestia how she had lost these books filled Chrysalis with joy!

She took up the second book. Terribly Trying Transfiguration, by Star Swirl the Bearded. Transfiguration. Well, that was a subject near and dear! And a Star Swirl too! Now, those were hard to come by! Chrysalis giggled. She hoped Celestia tortured Twilight Sparkle good for this; if any of her drones had lost something this valuable, she would have had him flayed alive!

The last book was not written in the Equestrian language. Chrysalis recognized it as Mareñol, the primary language of Maredrid. La historia de la magia, by Alfonzo Levy. Oh, a history of magic. Chrysalis approved of history, provided it approved of her. She turned to the table of contents; a quick look and she came away disappointed. There was an entire section about Celestia’s powers, but no mention of the Queen of Changelings! There was not even a mention of the Changeling species!

But Luna was mentioned. The little brat had an entire chapter about her stupid dream walker ability.

Chrysalis fumed. She felt slighted, and also disappointed. None of these works looked like they were directly linked to the resurrection spell. Now that was magic with real power. Chrysalis wanted magic like that dearly. She could have an entire army of dark alicorns at her disposal! No pony could stop her!

But it looked like she would have to settle for just one. She glanced down at the filly by her side, and was surprised to see that Nightmare Moon was still awake, and regarding the last book with interest. “Why does the book make you angry, Mommy?”

Chrysalis decided to vent a little. “This book doesn’t talk about my—our kind.”

“How come?” Chrysalis noted she sounded a little affronted. Good.

“Because the writer of this book doesn’t think our kind matters! Ponies always think their magic is so much more important than ours!”

“Why do they think that?”

Chrysalis bent her head lower. In a conspiratorial voice, as if she were revealing some great secret, she said:

“Because they control the sun and moon! Their power is greater than that of Changelings, and they control knowledge of that power. Remember this, and remember it well: the stronger always control the weaker! It is the stronger that decide what is useful, what is moral, and what is not!”

“Does that mean the ponies control the Changelings?”

Chrysalis arched a brow. What an interesting extrapolation! That had not been what Chrysalis had meant, but she liked that concept. More and more, the Changeling Queen found she approved of the way this child’s mind worked.

“That is a very good question, Nightmare. And you know what? That’s almost correct! You see, we Changelings need love to survive! And the ponies have lots of love that they hoard among themselves!”

“That’s selfish of them!” growled Nightmare. Chrysalis thought Nightmare Moon’s bell-like voice sounded better with a growl.

“And because of that,” Chrysalis continued, “Every-ling in this Hive starves. So, we are forced to disguise ourselves as their loved ones just to survive!”

Nightmare’s face softened. “Is that why everypo-ling have holes?”

“That is exactly why! And if we were to present ourselves in our natural form, they would surely kill us!”

“Oh, that’s terrible,” sniffled Nightmare Moon. She buried her face into her “mother’s” side. Chrysalis turned and pulled her into her forehooves and embraced her. The filly did not see Chrysalis’s eyes dance gleefully.

Nightmare Moon pulled away. She looked livid now.

“Why?” she demanded. “Why would they want to do that to you?

“Because we look different from them. To their eyes we are ugly and disgustful. So, they reject us. Then we have no choice but to disguise ourselves.”

“That’s terrible! I think you look really pretty!”

“You think?” asked Chrysalis incredulously. She was immensely vain, but it was odd to hear such compliments coming from a pony.

“Yeah! I think you’re wonderful! I’m really happy to call you my mommy!”

She gave Chrysalis a tight hug. Chrysalis was pleased. Nightmare Moon had now fully accepted Chrysalis as her mother! This would make influencing her very easy from now on.

But any further considerations were diverted when Chrysalis realized she was having trouble breathing.

“Ach! Can’t breathe. Can’t breathe!” Chrysalis sputtered.

The filly relaxed her grip. “O! I’m sorry Mommy! I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

“It’s fine,” gasped Chrysalis. She was astonished. Such strength! It took a lot to make Chrysalis hurt!

Nightmare’s eyes welled up with tears. “I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry!”

Chrysalis pulled Nightmare Moon into another hug.

“It’s fine. Just make sure you mind your own strength from now on. You are much stronger than you realize.”

“I am sorry I made you hurt, Mommy,” Nightmare Moon said again.

“There is no need to apologize, sweetie! You have great power. But I can teach you how to use it. I can teach you to learn how much strength to apply, and when it is an appropriate time to use it.”

“Thanks!” said Nightmare Moon brightly. “Do you think you could show me what the letters mean too?”

Teach her to read? Chrysalis considered. She did not let any of her own subjects read. It gave them ideas. But then, why not teach her? Princess Celestia had her own personal student. Why should Queen Chrysalis not have a student of her own?

Besides, she had named Nightmare Moon the Princess of the Changelings! It simply would not do for the Queen’s daughter to be ignorant. She would teach her what being a ruler was all about! None of that ridiculous rubbish about peace and harmony; she would teach her how to wage war and destroy her enemies! She would show her what life was truly about!

She would also teach her about magic, about mathematics, and how to read. In multiple languages, that would be the thing. It could prove useful.

She glanced at her clock, and saw that it was close to dawn. Her eyes felt a little sore. Sleep was in order. She turned back to her young charge, and kissed the child’s forehead.

“I will be more than happy to teach you what the letters mean! But some-ling has had a very big day, haven’t they? Let’s get some rest, and I will start teaching you how to read this afternoon! And some other things too.”

The filly, whose own eyes were droopy, nodded. She curled up and rested her head on Chrysalis’s forehoof. She fell asleep almost instantly.

Chrysalis rested her head on the arm of the futon, while draping a wing over Nightmare again. Yes, she would have a lot to teach this filly. But she would do it, and her daughter would become infinitely more powerful than Twilight Sparkle! More powerful than Celestia!

She would teach the filly the most important lesson of all: how to think like her mother!

There was a peal of thunder from outside. The filly snapped awake, looking around anxiously, but Chrysalis leaned over and nuzzled her.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Mommy’s here.”