//------------------------------//
// Six Nights Later.... 
// Story: Honey Cupcakes 
// by Someguy458 
//------------------------------//

Chrysalis was on a boat floating in a vast, endless ocean, which sparkled like the night sky despite it appearing to be day. Her eggs were there, too, but they'd sprouted legs, and were now acting as her crew.

"All systems good, My Captain," said one, in both every voice and no voice at all.

"Excellent, Lieutenant," she commended. "I'll put in a good word with your Commander."

"Thank you, My Captain." With that, the nameless egg left to continue its work.

Suddenly, a large wave rocked the boat. Chrysalis grabbed onto the railing to steady herself, helpless as she watched her entire crew tumble off the port side. She looked around angrily for the source of the wave, then gasped.

A titanic unicorn stallion was wading knee-deep in the ocean, looming over the ship with a cold look in its arctic blue eyes and a glimmering amber mane. The wind was picking up, and Chrysalis gritted her teeth from the effort of hanging on, but to no avail; she slipped, and fell through the water as though it weren't even there.

She didn't know how long she fell for, but she eventually landed on an arid hillside just outside the Hive. A storm was brewing in the distance, the scarce bushes nearby were withering one by one in front of her eyes, and the moon seemed to have a mane of flowing stars.

"After them! Don't let them escape!"

Chrysalis turned her head to see a group of Changelings, led by Mothra, charging towards a group of ponies that were running away from them. Their hiking clothes and large saddlebags gave the impression that they were explorers. What they were doing here, Chrysalis had no idea, but they'd wandered too close to the Hive, so now they had to capture them to retain their secrecy.

And smack dab in the middle of them was that unicorn stallion with the amber mane.

Mothra and her troops dashed towards the fleeing ponies, gaining ground quickly. Some of the earth ponies bucked rocks backwards to try and slow them down, and they got a few of the drones, but there were simply too many of them. Chrysalis began to run forward, a cold sense of dread creeping down her spine.

Then Mothra began to encroach on the ponies.

The unicorn turned his head, horn aglow.

"Mothra, look out!"

She never stood a chance.





Chrysalis jerked awake, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. Her carapace was lathered in sweat, and her breathing was heavy. Regardless, she kept her head held against the ground for a moment as she processed the first clear dream she'd had since she landed in the Everfree.

Then she sat up, made sure her eggs were secured on her back, and teleported away to find some answers.





The scratching of quill on parchment was the only sound Twilight could hear as she worked late into the night. She was currently writing a letter to Princess Celestia, updating her on things in Ponyville.

Then someone knocked quietly on the front door. Twilight wouldn't have even noticed if she hadn't placed an enchantment on the door. Twilight, curious as to who could be visiting at this late hour, set down her quill, walked into the foyer, and opened the door.

"Hello, Twilight."

The unicorn blinked at the familiar face. It'd been almost a week since she'd last seen it, but she recognized it all the same. "Oh, Chrysalis! Uh, come on in!"

Chrysalis did so, sitting down at the table in the center of the room and setting her eggs on one of the chairs. Now that the Queen was in the candlelight, Twilight noticed that she was in rough shape. She had bags under her eyes, her mane was unkempt, she seemed drenched in sweat, and was an overall mess - even more so than usual. "Are you alright?" Twilight asked.

"Depends on how you answer this question," she stated coolly. "Was there a white unicorn stallion with amber hair at the wedding?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Wha?"

"White unicorn stallion, blue eyes, amber hair." She hesitated for a moment, before transforming her head into a copy of the stallion's.

Twilight blinked. "Prince Blueblood? No, he was in Fillydelphia that week."

Chrysalis reverted to her natural form, her own emotionally fried expression retaking her face. "...he was?"

Twilight nodded, confused.

The changeling stood stock still for several seconds, eye twitching.

Then she started to laugh. "Well, isn't that just terrific!"

"What is?" Twilight was getting a bit disconcerted. "And how do you even know Blueblood?"

"The ONE pony that I ACTUALLY wanted revenge on," she cackled a little crazily, "and he wasn't even AT the Invasion!"

Then she slammed her head on the table so hard that the wood cracked a little, her laughs falling silent. "What is wrong with me?"

"Chrysalis," Twilight asked a bit more forcefully, "could you please tell me what's going on, and what you meant by all of that?"

Without even lifting her head off the table, Chrysalis recounted her dream. Twilight listened at first with curiosity, then with horror as she realized what it meant.

"Chrysalis, that's...." the unicorn had absolutely no idea how to respond. She went to stand up, paused, sat back down, shuffled a bit in her seat, tried to find something for her eyes to focus on, and finally hit her hoof against the table in frustration. "That's just... I really don't know what to say... how are you, um, feeling?"

"How do you think?" Chrysalis rolled her head so that one eye could glare at Twilight.

Twilight blinked. "Yeah, that was a pretty dumb question. But, um, are you going to be okay?"

Chrysalis lifted her head, thinking over her feelings. "Well, I can remember how mad I was, and I'm certainly not that mad anymore...."

"If there's anything I can do to help—"

Chrysalis turned on Twilight. "Why are you so eager to help?? Judging from what you told me, you should be the one asking what I can do for you! I attacked your kingdom in a fit of blind rage; why are you so damn forgiving?!"

"Because that's what friends do."

Chrysalis blinked, her anger falling short.

"We are friends now, aren't we?" Twilight smiled hopefully, not even missing a beat.

The Changeling looked away. "I've never had friends before. Servants, yes. Neighbors, occasionally. But a friend?" She fell silent at that.

"Then would you allow me the honor of being your first?"

Chrysalis hesitated for the longest moment.

Then she allowed herself a little smile. "I suppose I wouldn't mind."

Twilight's smile grew in return. "So, what can I do to help?"