Patrilineality: Making Up For Time We Lost

by Melody Song


Chapter 11: A Royal Bug's Life

Metamorphosis sighed. “I do know the story of Chrysalis’ past. It is not a good tale.”

Celestia nodded. “Whether or not it is grim is not as important as knowing her story.”

Metamorphosis sighed, and nodded. Thorax and Pharynx leaned in to hear, Ocellus pressing against Thorax for comfort. The other leaders and students also leaned closer. Metamorphosis took a deep breath, closed his violet-blue eyes, and prepared his heart to tell a storm of a story.

“When I was Chrysalis' advisor, and we were newly in love… she took me aside to her chambers.” Metamorphosis began

“Is that when…” Cadence nodded to Thorax and Pharynx. The brothers and their father all blushed.

“N-No, that came much later.” Metamorphosis responded hurriedly.

“Heh, apologies. Please, continue.” Cadence said, wisely choosing  to ignore the giggling from the kids.

Metamorphosis continued. “Chrysalis brought me there to tell me about her past. I listened to every word, similar to how you are now. The tale she spoke was burned into my memories, it’s no easy one to tell.”

Celestia nodded in encouragement. Metamorphosis sighed.

“The story begins in a kingdom far away from ours, in a place known as Honeydew Meadow. But you all know it as the Badlands now.”

“The Badlands? Where the Hive is?” Ocellus whispered. Metamorphosis gave a nod of aknowledgment.

“Yes Ocellus, the very same. The Badlands were not always called by that name, nor were they the barren, empty plains they became. They were lush, green meadows, and the Honeydew Meadow specifically was populated by a strange breed of ponies. These ponies all had insect like wings, with bright colored chitin and carapace instead of fur-”

“You mean… changelings?!” Twilight exclaimed, and in an instant a roll of parchment and quill had appeared. “Oh, where’s Spike when I need him…”

“Yes Twilight, changelings, in a sense.” Metamorphosis sighed. “That’s not what they were called, though. They were known as Faelings.”

“Fascinating… go on…” Twilight urged

“The Faelings populated the Honeydew Meadows. The rest of today’s Badlands were known collectively as… well, I’m sure two of you know it quite well.” Metamorphosis looked up, locking eyes with Celestia and Luna.

“Alicornia.” Celestia breathed

“Home…” Luna murmured. Twilight gasped and her frantic scribbling resumed. Metamorphosis went on.

“The land of Alicornia included the Honeydew Meadows, as well as other kingdoms, some populated by other pony tribes, but most commonly, natural-born alicorns. And in Alicornia, was one kingdom that ruled them all. The Kingdom of Day and Night.”

At this, everyone looked at the royal sisters. Celestia shook her head slightly, and their attention went back to Metamorphosis.

“This kingdom was governed by two reigning alicorns. A married couple, Rising Dawn, Queen of the Skies, and Nightshade, King of the Cosmos.” Metamorphosis explained, surprising some of the group. “You see, this story may be about Chrysalis, but this information will be necessary.”

“So… what happened to these ‘Honeydew Meadows’ for them to end up like… that?” Smolder asked, pointing a claw at a map on the wall, which included the Badlands.

“That is also tied to Chrysalis. For the fall of the Honeydew Meadows… was also her own downfall.” Metamorphosis said. “You see, in the Honeydew Meadows, the Faelings lived peacefully. They were under the care of a kind and generous matriarch ruler.”

“Who? Like, Chrysalis’ sister or som-” Gallus was cut off.

“Queen Chrysalis.”

“What?!” Twilight nearly fell out of her chair. “Chrysalis?! Kind and generous?! I mean, no offense, Metamorphosis, you probably saw her as more than a villain, but-”

“It’s quite alright. As in love with her as I was at the time, I was aware that she was hardly a ruler to be described with those attributes. But yes, the ruler of the Faelings was the very same Chrysalis as the one you know. And this is the story of her downfall.”

“Proceed.” Queen Novo spoke. Metamorphosis obliged.

“Chrysalis lived in a castle that resembled honeycomb. She also did not look like she does now. She described her appearance to me; an alicorn with a mottled gray and white coat, modest soft green and teal eyes, and a mane that flowed and dripped like ever-moving honey. She was, in every sense of the word, gorgeous. All who saw her were instantly in awe of her beauty. However, every rose has its thorns.”

“Huh?” Gallus asked, and Sandbar laid a hoof on his claw.

“It’s a metaphor, Gal. He’s saying that even though she was beautiful, she had bad parts to her personality.”

“Oh.”

“Indeed.” Metamorphosis nodded. “You see, Chrysalis was not just beautiful, she was intelligent. And a master at potion brewing. She would use this knowledge to keep herself beautiful, but also to create one of the most powerful elixirs. One she used many times on visiting nobles.”

“Which was…?” Cadence prompted.

“...Chrysalis created False Love.” Metamorphosis paused to observe the widening eyes, the small gasp from Thorax and nearly inaudible swear from Pharynx. “And by spiking a visitor’s drink with it, and her own with a diluted version, Chrysalis would pull secrets from even the most tight-lipped of nobles.”

“And when she removed the effects…?” Twilight asked

“The nobles would remember nothing. This is the important part of the story. In a nearby city-state, there was a Prince, a unicorn whose name Chrysalis refused to speak. He was infatuated with Chrysalis, and yearned for her to invite him to her palace. Unfortunately for him, his ‘kingdom’ was too small to be of much interest to her. So he tried another way. Sneaking in.”

“And that went badly, I assume?” Pharynx asked

“Not just yet, my son.” Metamorphosis said “You see, he was able to enter the kingdom without trouble, as the Faelings were very kind and gentle, not unlike the reformed changelings today. This allowed the unicorn prince to reach the castle. Once there, he found that a new noble was waiting for an audience with Chrysalis. He also saw that there was a side door that was for the servants. He entered through this door, and found himself in the kitchens.”

“Ah, so he used this to his advantage.” Pharynx said

“Precisely. He donned a chef’s uniform and used this to sneak out to the dining room. From there, he witnessed it all. Chrysalis spiking the drinks with something, her and the noble being instantly attracted to each other, exchanging sweet words between the noble giving her diplomatic secrets. And he held on to this knowledge.”

“So what happened then?” Ocellus asked softly

“He stayed behind after the noble had left, and Chrysalis had ordered all the servants out. It was then that he discovered the entrance to her potions room, through a trapdoor under the table. He saw her enter, then leave a few moments later. Chrysalis explained to me that she had been preparing the next batch of False Love. The unicorn waited until she had gone, then ducked into the room before it was sealed again. Within there, he, a novice at such things, attempted to make the False Love.”

“Oh no!” Silverstream exclaimed

“Oh no is correct. He incorrectly brewed the potion, adding extra ingredients to make it look like normal orange juice. Worse of all, the next day, he managed to bring Chrysalis a full glass of it, himself with only a small dose. Chrysalis did not suspect a thing… until she had already drank the potion.”

“This seems familiar…” Twilight murmured to herself, as Metamorphosis continued, aware of his son’s intent gazes.

“Chrysalis was unable to reverse the potion before it took effect, and as the unicorn prince had taken some as well, soon enough, they were lost in each other’s eyes. At the worst timing possible. For Queen Rising Dawn had just arrived, with an urgent message for Chrysalis.”

“What message?” Thorax asked

“You’ll see.” Metamorphosis paused, unsure just how much he should reveal. “Rising Dawn was forced to wait, as the prince tried to convince Chrysalis they should attend to her. His potion was diluted, giving him a bit more of a clearer head. But Chrysalis believed he was trying to leave her, and downed many of her potions in an attempt to ‘look more beautiful’ for him. He got her to stop, but her coat was looking duller and her mane now showed some teal, limp hairs.”

“Like her form now.” Ember realized

“Yes. The prince and Chrysalis made their way to Rising Dawn. She had brought with her some foals, who she was looking after. She tried to explain to Chrysalis that there was an invading army on the way, of beings who called themselves Chaos Bringers. Dragon-like beasts that sought to transform Alicornia into what they willed. Chrysalis dismissed Rising Dawn with anger, claiming that she was disturbing her time with her prince. Rising Dawn was forced to leave, taking the two foals with her and warning Chrysalis one last time. Again, Chrysalis ignored her.”

“Chaos Bringers... like Discord?” Sandbar asked

“Somewhat. Chrysalis told me that Discord does in fact belong to the race of the Chaos Bringers. He's actually much younger than her, however, and was most likely not a part of the invasion. But what his kind did is why she never had much trust in him.” Metamorphosis explained

“This can’t be good.” Thorax mumbled, and Metamorphosis shook his head.

“It wasn’t. The prince and Chrysalis stayed with each other, then, the invasion started. The Chaos Bringers swept through the land, and the unicorn prince could hear screams of terror from the Faelings below. He again stood, and Chrysalis again grew upset. She screamed that he didn’t love her, and inhaled more potions, trying to make herself beautiful. Her luscious coat fell off, her feathers dropped from her wings, her mane became limp and teal. Holes emerged in her now black and skeletal hooves, her wings were curled and blue, also hole ridden.”

“She transformed into what she is now.” Twilight realized

“Yes. The prince ran, terrified of what she had become. Chrysalis was left alone in the palace, still under the effects of the potion and unable to help her subjects. Eventually, the potion wore off. But still, she stayed in the palace, afraid to go outside and see what had become of her kingdom.”

“I know now.” Twilight closed her eyes. “A love potion that led to the downfall of a kingdom… it’s the story that they say started Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“Perhaps that is so.” Metamorphosis nodded. “After all, the prince did escape the Meadows. It is possible he spread this to the survivors, and when Equestria learned of it, it became Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“Yes… sorry, please go on.” Twilight said

“Well… soon enough, she was found. Not by a subject, but a Chaos Bringer. The beast was draconic in appearance, and upon discovering her, commented on how far she’d fallen. He then decided, rather than killing her, to help her, in a way.”

“What changeling mean by that?” Rutherford asked.

“The Chaos Bringer used his magic to grant her power. The power to find food in emotion, and in order to gather said food, the ability to shift and morph, to adapt to new environments and change at will. With a few waves of his claws, the Faelings outside were changed too. Most of the survivors, particularly her servants that were still alive, matched Chrysalis in appearance. Others were shrunken down and given fragile wings, their punishment being the need to rely on others to aid them as they moved.”

“Breezies.” Twilight said “You mean that Breezies are related to changelings… astonishing.”

“Then what?” Cadence asked, and Metamorphosis frowned.

“I’m afraid that is the end. The Chaos Bringer left, and Chrysalis could do nothing but look around at her remaining subjects, and gather them all to her. Those who were now tiny, she sent on their way, the insanity and cruelness she had displayed while under the love potion always having been within her. She called those that looked like her by the dragon-like creature’s name for them. No longer the Faelings, but the Changelings.

"Chrysalis took them into the remnants of her once beautiful palace, the honeycomb having been burnt and scorched by the war, turning into a rocky, blackened surface, with many holes that were now moving thanks to the Chaos Bringer’s magic. Here, Chrysalis stayed with her remaining subjects, intent on rebuilding what she had lost.”

The room sat in silence for a moment, as they processed all this new information. Finally, Celestia spoke.

“Thank you Metamorphosis. This was obviously not easy to tell, and I commend your resolve. I believe this meeting should be over for the day. We will continue tomorrow.”

As the leaders all nodded in understanding and stood to leave, Metamorphosis noticed Princess Luna was making her way out. He glanced at Thorax, and saw him busy exchanging words with Ember, while Pharynx spoke to Ocellus. They would not notice his absence. So, he quietly stole after Luna.