“Note: turns out that subjects haven’t stolen the skin of ponies to disguise themselves. Instead, they’re some kind of insectoid pony that uses magic to disguise themselves. Regardless, bodies have been examined along with samples being collected,” Moonlit stated as she looked at a pair of the insect ponies she was talking about. The duo was tied up and gagged, in the corner, their faces bearing expressions of great suffering. Though Moonlit did observe that the duo was making a great effort to avoid moving their rears.
“Your contributions to science will be remembered, but now it's time for me to find my primary subject,” Moonlit stayed as she climbed up the train car door to look out its window. Noticing that there was a group of guards in the next train car, Moonlit hopped off the door, returning to the end of the train car before letting herself out. Looking to her side to take note of how fast the train was moving, Moonlit took out her suction cup boots, putting them on before going up the back of the train car. Getting to the top of the car, Moonlit counted that there was a total of five train cars, not counting the train’s engine car. “This shouldn’t take too long.”
Augh... why did my head hu-Foggy! Sapphire thought to herself as she was returning to the waking world, only to find herself immersed in some kind of slimy substance. Glancing about, Sapphire found herself floating in some kind of transparent container, which was flanked by what looked like two insects that had taken pony form somehow. At the sight, Sapphire was about to let out a yelp of surprise only to gag when the slime surged into her mouth the moment she opened it. Closing her mouth while enduring the horrid taste of slime, Sapphire looked at the bug ponies, observing the black chitin bodies with the turquoise green backs and eyes that were completely blue. Squinting to see better in the goo that obscured her vision, Sapphire could see the pointy horn on their heads, the transparent insect wings on their backs, alongside the holes that were in their legs.
With the sound of a train car closing, Sapphire turned her head to see Foggy walking down towards her pod with another one of the bug ponies walking beside her. Approaching the pod, she paid a hoof on it before bursting into flames, revealing herself to be another bug pony, one that was twice the height of the others. Baring a turquoise green mane with spotted green pupils for her eyes, along with some kind of black crown tiled with what looked like turquoise pearls.
“The princesses have been too lax with their security; first with that niece of theirs, and now this new princess. Taking Canterlot would be far easier than originally believed,” the tall bug pony stated, not observing the fact that Sapphire was looking at her.
Meanwhile, Sapphire tried to lit her horn with her magic, only to find that it wasn’t reacting. This goo must be suppressing m
The other bug pony however noticed Sapphire looking at them in shock, prompting it to say, “My Queen, the pri-“
“Do not interrupt me when I’m enjoying the moment,” the tall bug pony growled out as she placed her head against the bug pony’s such that they were staring into each others’ eyes.
“S-Sorry my queen!” the bug pony chirped in a shrill voice before backing away, its rear legs shivering in fright.
“Good,” the tall bug pony said as she lifted her head up. “Now, you will be impersonating the princess as we resume our operations. She shouldn’t be too hard to mimic since reports indicate that she’s recovering her memories. So try to subtly fish for information from the ponies she knows, then make up some memories that would align with what they know of her. Also, how much of a big eater are you?”
“My queen?” the bug pony responded at it gave a bewildered look to the queen.
Sighing, the queen said, “This pony is known for consuming unrealistic amounts of food. So to fit her image you'll have to do the same thing. I don’t care how you do it, visit some pony bathroom to empty out your stomach, but that is a key part of her habits. Just play nice with the ponies and keep your head down. I’ll extract more information from her to give to your replacement so they can fully mimic her,” the queen stated before looking at the pod. Upon seeing Sapphire, the queen then said, “Oh, you’re awake. Whether your heard my plans or not doesn’t matter though, since there is no chance of you escaping. But for now, let’s take a peek inside that empty head of yours,” before she lit her horn up with a fiery green aura.
As her eyes widen, Sapphire tried to swim to the other side to no avail as the queen shot a beam of green light that struck Sapphire between her eyes, sending the world into darkness once more.
”So... this is... an utter mess,” said the changeling queen as she looked about in Sapphire’s memory hall. Kicking aside the broken shards, the queen stomped down the hallway as she muttered, “Why must Equestrian princesses be such a hassle.”
Turning to look into one of the partly assembled mirrors, the queen watched as a fragmented memory played until a voice said, “Yet another feeble intruder...” its tone deep and masculine.
Jerking her head up, the queen lit her horn alight with her green aura as she said, “Who goes there? Who dares to oppose me?”
“Who dares? Says the one that is intruding upon another,” said the voice once more as mirrors appeared around the queen, reflecting her appearance.
“Answer me, or you will face the wrath of Queen Chrysalis, the queen of the changelings!” Chrysalis roared, her horn lighting up as she glared at the mirrors around her, as the walls of the hall seem to disappear, an endless void taking their place.
“Queen? You call yourself a queen? You’re nothing more than an insect, deserving to be crushed underfoot.”
“How dare you mock me, vermin!” Chrysalis cried out as she lit her horn, only for a cloud of what appeared to be the night sky to come before her, taking the outline form of an alicorn as it stretched its forelegs out to block her.
"Whoa whoa, no firing off spells here, or any ma—who the buck are you?" Veritas said, tilting her head in confusion.
Growling, Chrysalis replied, “I am Queen Chrysalis, and I demand you cease these mind games and submit. I have broken many a pony’s minds, and some memory or figment of her imagination will not stop me now!” as she stomped the ground, shaking the mirrors.
Waving her hooves in a placating fashion, Veritas said, “Look, you shouldn’t be here, you’re meddling in things you do—“ until Chrysalis shoot a beam at magic at her, dispersing here into stars that winked out of existence.
“Enough of these games!” Chrysalis roared as she fired wildly at the mirrors with her magic, sending green energy bolts that shattered the mirrors one by one until the mirrors parted before her, revealing behind them an orb that seemed to be made of mirrors. Upon impact, the orb would crack before emitting a pulse of energy that scattered the mirrors as well as Chrysalis. Screaming in rage as she felt herself leaving the mind of her prey, Chrysalis would hear the voice mocking her with its final words.
“Thank you.”
“Curse that mare! She will pay for that mental failsafe!” Chrysalis yelled as she was rubbing her temples, her back turned to Sapphire’s pod as her guards were by her side.
“My Queen, what happened?” one guard asked, only to back away when Chrysalis gave a withering look in reply.
"What happened doesn't matter, drone. What matters now is that I will break this princess's mind and learn her se—" Chrysalis said until they heard the pod cracking open. Jerking her head towards the pod, Chrysalis saw that the alicorn had just punched a hole into the side of the chamber and was now pulling it open, causing the pod to pour its greenish slime onto the floor of the train car. "Just what I need, more setbacks," Chrysalis declared with a roll of her eyes as her guards got in front of her.
"My Queen, let us handle the alicorn!" one of the guards stated as they both lit their horns Sapphire fell out of the pod, crashing to the ground as she was heaving out the slime.
Rolling her eyes, Chrysalis said, "Please, the venom is still in effect, she wo—"
"Would what... fulfill your... expectations?" Sapphire said, struggling to get onto her hooves.
Smirking, Chrysalis said, "Trying to show some fight? Please, I can troun—"
"Enough, I'm sick and tired of ponies always expecting me to conform to whatever they think. Oh, I got wings now, so I have to be a princess, please. Everypony, even you, just see me as some pawn in their schemes. No more!" Sapphire declared as she glared at Chrysalis.
Rolling her eyes, Chrysalis replied, "And now you're showing a... backbone..." her words drifting off when she saw that Sapphire's pupils have turned into slits.
"Backbone? No, you know what, I'm not here for anypony to judge me. For anypony to determine my fate. I'm not going to let you push me around, nor will Celestia. My destiny is my own, and it's high time I finally take back the reins of it!" Sapphire roared, her coat darkening as her teeth started to sharpen, her wings expanding as her legs grew longer.
"My queen, alicorns can transform too?" the guard on Chrysalis's left asked.
Frowning, Chrysalis said, "No, this is an ability that only we changelings have. This must be some illusion to try to throw us off. Nice try princess, but this show isn't going to impress a true master of disguise," before her muzzle shifted to a leering grin. "So how about you be a good princess and return to your pod. You're in no condition for a fight, but I wouldn't say no to teaching you a lesson about challenging your superiors."
"You think this is a bluff? You may think that Sapphire Rain is weak, but no more. I'm done being timid and subservient. Both you and Celestia will have a reckoning, and I, Tsunami, am going to be one to deliver it," the now renamed Tsunami declared as she stood to her full height.
As the changeling guards lit their horns to prepare to block any spell casting from the corrupt alicorn, Chrysalis chuckled as she observed that 'Tsunami' was just barely the height of Luna. "Emulating that so-called princess of the night? Is she the one that you're going to fol—" Chrysalis taunted until Tsunami charged forward, bowling over her surprised guards as she slammed her shoulder into Chrysalis, her momentum carrying the both of them into the wall of the train car.
As the sudden impact caused the train to shook from the sheer force, Tsunami said, "I'm nothing like those two peace-loving alicorns," as she raised a hoof and slammed it into Chrysalis's face.