//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Tales of Equestria: Changing into Love // by Noratcat //------------------------------// Footsteps echoed throughout the halls of the Hive. The hive itself was ever-changing, entrances and exits disappearing. From birth, Changelings were taught how to traverse its pathways. One needed to do so to survive. That was the Changeling way. A changeling that couldn't adapt was considered a weak link. And all weak links needed to be severed. That was the decree given by the Changeling Queen since days long past. The current queen, one by the name of Cocoon walked through the halls with only her footsteps to keep her company. The queen herself was a tall lanky thing, her hair long and sickly green. All Changeling Queens held a similar shape and appearance, barring different shades of hair and ever faintest colors of their skin. She was no longer a lush beautiful thing, however. By changeling standards, she was considered old. Her former filled-out features had sunken in, giving a bony appearance. Though age did nothing to deter her. She was still as strong and powerful as she was in her younger days. Age mattered nothing to a Changeling queen. So long as they had power they were in command. Their rule was absolute, their command unquestionable. It had been that way since the Changelings crawled out of the primordial goo. But even queens had a time limit, and Cocoon knew her time was nearing its end. "Your Majesty!" A buzzing of wings signified the arrival of a drone. A lone thing that looked very much like the rest of the drones that populated the hive. "Yes? What is it?" Cocoon asked, her voice showing the faintest traces of annoyance. The drone hovered then landed just at his queen's feet, "My queen, it's time!" Cocoon's eyes widened and she immediately took to the air, flying through the many shifting holes. She traversed through the pathways, knowing the proper path, before landing within her throne room. Her throne lay solitary, a magical artifact that canceled out all other forms of magic. It was a royal treasure she was quite proud to inherit. So much that when she found a drone sitting upon it, she had them executed. She noticed several drones gathered near it. Briskly she trotted over to it. "Move fools! Out of the way!" She ordered, pushing some of her subjects aside. Standing before her was a pedestal, laying solitary, recently placed there for a precious purpose. And the moment she arrived, she heard the cracking. A single egg lay nestled, shaking and cracking as something emerged. Soon the egg shattered and a great wailing rang out. A single tiny larva wriggled with freedom, its fat body and stubby legs flaying as it tasted the open air. The larva opened their eyes as they surveyed all around it. "It's a girl, my queen," Another drone assured as if Cocoon needed reassurance her heir was the proper gender. Cocoon gleamed down with eager eyes, "Indeed she is." The small princess looked up at her mother, showing a small flinch of fear. This prompted a frown from Cocoon. No matter, she would make certain her heir would possess no sign of weakness. "We shall announce my daughter's birth tomorrow," Cocoon ordered, "No need to overwhelm her all at once." "Of course my queen. But what is her name?" A random drone asked. Cocoon thought hard. Her child needed the perfect name, one that would strike fear into their victims. Then it hit her, "Chrysalis." The drones looked at one another but said nothing. Not that they disproved of the name, but they knew how temperamental their queen could be. A stray odd comment could provoke her wrath, and her wrath usually entailed punishments. "Look upon her my subjects!" Cocoon hissed, "You have just witnessed the birth of the future of our hive!" Yes, Cocoon knew her daughter had much in store. Though she would need the proper training, she knew in her heart (or what little there was of one), that her daughter would lead the hive to glory. As the drones murmured among themselves in approval, while Cocoon smiled. All the while, young Chrysalis looked up in confusion. The young one held no idea of what was going on. But she would grow, she would gain an understanding, and in time, she would be queen. Yes, the future of the hive was bright. XXX Years Later… Chrysalis felt cold. A great chill spread throughout her body reaching down to the bone. For a moment, she attempted to recall what had happened. The memories slowly played back as she remembered in that instant. The last thing she could recall was the beam of lighting shooting down upon her and her allies. She, Tirek, and Cozy Glow had essentially won. After stealing Discord's power, they were unstoppable. They had spread disharmony among the inhabitants of Equestria, preventing them from fighting back. It would have been so easy if not for that accursed Twilight Sparkle and her friends. The future ruler of Equestria had banded them altogether. In no time, their stolen power was returned and they were cast in a stone prison. She tried to remember her time as a statue, but nothing came to her. She wasn't sure if she had been conscious for the entirety of it, only remembering faint feelings. But that raised the bigger question: Why was she free? Chrysalis opened her eyes with a start and a gasp. Immediately her hooves felt the sensation of soft grass. She attempted to rise only for her legs to falter and stumble. The coldness remained but was accompanied by a damp blanket. It was raining. She felt the droplets drip off her horn and flow into her mane of hair. Gazing about she could see she was out in the open. Panicking, she attempted to flap her wings to get into the air, but found something unusual: her wings weren't working. She tried again, and again, but they continued to fail her. Looking behind, she noticed something peculiar: her wings were gone! "What?!" She exclaimed. Staring down at her hooves, she noticed something else: the black color was gone, instead replaced with a monotone gray. Panic entrapping her, she faltered, stumbling around as she tried to gain some kind of understanding of what was happening. Suddenly she heard a splash. Looking down she could see she had stepped into a puddle. When she looked at her reflection though, she found no trace of her changeling self staring back at her. The creature before her held a gray coat, with a long green mane. A single horn spiraled upward, slightly bent in shape with two smaller horns gracing beside it. Her eyes were a lighter shade of green than she was used to, but overall she could see she was no longer a changeling. She was a unicorn pony. A vast plethora of emotions swirled within the former changeling queen. So much that only one word could symbolize her feelings. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" Her cries rang out throughout Equestria. She was free, but now in a new kind of prison.