After so many adventures across Equestria, Applejack figured she’d be a bit more used to walking through the Everfree Forest no matter what time of day. However, the slightest rustling of leaves was still rattling her more than she liked to admit. It wasn’t like she wanted to be fearless like an idiot, but she at least wanted to be more comfortable with the idea. Despite having the two of the toughest mares she knew at her side, she was still spooked more than a hen in a fox den.
“Knew I shoulda grabbed a couple pans or something,” the skittish farmer complained. She’d already seized up several times in the presence of the seasoned forest dwellers who had kept their heads on tighter than her. Now it was getting a touch embarrassing.
“I understand your want for protection,
But further sound would risk detection.
Timberwolves might hate sharp and piercing sounds,
But there are other, fiercer things around.”
“Zecora’s right, Applejack,” the guard assured. “I read plenty of reports on the things living out here that we know of, and half of them are bigger than a house.”
“I know that! Been out here long enough to see most everything the Everfree has to offer. Just a lil’ jumpy’s all.”
“Worry not, my apple farming friend,
In our combined strength, you can depend.
With my love's magic telling us where to go,
I can stay back and enjoy a lovely show,”
Zecora said to her with a wink.
While the zebra kept walking calmly, AJ couldn't help but chuckle to herself after noticing Fleur's ears flush red. The captain's embarrassment was short-lived, as she quickly ducked down into the underbrush. Raising a hoof to silence the other two, she signaled them to join her side.
Fleur pointed her spear at her marks: two timberwolves standing a short distance away in front of a small clearing. Zecora readied her staff for a surprise attack, but the guard pushed her marefriend back down, shook her head, and pointed again.
Applejack narrowed her eyes, trying to make out what Fleur was spying. Following the tip of the spear, all she could see was more dark woods beyond. A shuffle of one of the timberwolves’ paws made her notice the piles of wooden debris nearby in front of them. It looked like wolf remains, but they weren’t reassembling themselves like usual.
After a few more silent signals between the seasoned soldier and her stalwart marefriend, both nodded and readied their weapons. Zecora reached into her satchel and withdrew two small, clay balls. Passing them to Fleur, the guard took them in her magic and shot them straight into the wolves’ sides. The monsters looked around for the cause of the disturbance, only to notice their paws glowing with emerald light. Distracted by the curious reaction, the mares made their move.
They leapt into the fray, lancing and bashing them into bits in seconds. Having missed the cue, Applejack charged out of the underbrush and got ready to offer a buck or two, but the other mares were already putting their weapons away. Turning her attention towards the wolves, their eldritch magic flickered out, turning to a softer, vibrant green before diving into the soil.
“The construct is only as strong as its spiritual wood.
Once its magic’s been drained, the timberwolf is gone for good.
Instead of allowing their wild magic to collect and rebound,
My potion has sent the forest’s energy back into the ground.”
Applejack kicked one of the collapsed heads, reducing it to wood shavings and splinters. “Well, that don’t explain what happened to the others.”
“Something sapped their life force,” Fleur noted as she scanned the ruined wolves. “Pretty rough job too. From the looks of it, we might be dealing with something that preys on wild geomancy.”
“Alright. That’s all well and good, but the question's if Classy went this way or not. If whatever’s out there did this to a pack of timberwolves…” Applejack bit her lip.
Fleur nodded and fired up her horn again.
“I’m still detecting metal signatures this way.”
“Then let’s find this canine without further delay!”
Zecora implored. With the troubling evidence of an apex predator around, the trio set off once again to find Classy.
They cantered quietly through the forest, hoping that the trail would end in a fur-filled reunion with the missing collie. Fleur’s horn began glowing brighter as they got closer to the source. All around them were signs of a nearby timberwolf den: chewed up trees, small animal bones, paw prints, and the like. The only thing out of place was the numerous piles of brittle wood. Whatever had torn through here had ripped apart every timberwolf in its path.
They came upon a rocky outcropping with a narrow opening leading down into the earth. A timberwolf couldn’t ask for a better nesting spot except for one glaring detail. Metal objects dangled on vines from the cave's ceiling, forming the strangest set of wind chimes the farmer had ever seen. It wasn’t just the town’s stolen cookware, but trashed tin cans, metal tubes, old chains, and just about anything that'd make a sharp noise one could find in a junkyard or an abandoned Everfree ruin.
“Well, I’ve heard of cave paintings, but this is something else,” Applejack remarked. “At least I see Granny’s saucepan over there next to that rustbucket of a helmet.
Not one for cookware, Fleur’s focus drifted to the old guard helmet suspended next to it. “That’s from the Castle of the Two Sisters. Who in their right mind would bother lugging all of this to a timberwolf cave when the abandoned castle is still habitable?”
“The sisterly ruins are sprawling and full of gaps,
Whereas caves like this are smaller with far fewer traps.
If one prefers laying roots in timberwolf dens,
A noisy barrier might stave off unwelcome friends”
Applejack couldn’t argue that. There didn’t appear to be much of a way to get inside without going through a wall of clangs. It might not make too much racket if a creature went slow, but they were tied with enough give to cause more than a nuisance. Whatever had done this wanted the place to themselves.
AJ approached the entrance and brushed a can, causing a small commotion of sharp clinks. “Well, Discord said she’s a stray, but by the looks of it, somepony’s gotta be around to string up these things like Hearth’s Warming lights.”
“Discord lied. Why am I not surprised?” Fleur complained while peering down the entrance to the cave. “Knowing him, this junked modern art project is the first step of a wild goose chase through the Everfree.”
Keen on sating her curiosity, Fleur cast a mote of light into the cave. She pushed carefully through the metal curtain, but as the pots, pans, and cans rolled off her back, they collided in a cacophony of clashes. Zecora withdrew an orb woven of vines and gently blew into it, rousing the fireflies within. She hooked the natural lantern to the end of her staff before motioning for Applejack to go in as she kept an eye out behind them.
The three swam through the sea of sound, suffering an ocean of ear-splitting metallurgy as they went. The metals all clanged, crumpled, and pinged about like a manticore rolling around a marching band's brass section. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to breach the surface and come out the other side to sweet silence.
The path continued descending deeper underground. After a few tight turns, the cave opened up to a larger, dome room. Foliage dipped from the ceiling lit softly by bioluminescent mushrooms and glowing roots around the room. Despite the work done at the cave entrance, there didn’t seem to be any sign of life beyond the subterranean plants and skittering bugs. The mares split up across the room to search for the missing stray.
Applejack followed along the walls, stepping over large roots and feeling the sides for an opening. The cluttering greenery scattered what little light they had with them. “See anything, y’all?”
“Negative,” Fleur answered. “Just rocks, dirt, and more rocks.”
“I’ve found rare reagents, and right next to that,
There’s more evidence of a large monster attack.
But as far as signs of our missing mark,
I see nothing in this consuming dark.”
Applejack kept brushing the wall hoping to find some small space where Classy could be hiding, but she could barely see her hoof in front of her face with all the draping vegetation. As she swept her hoof, it caught on something jutting from the wall. It felt different: smooth and hard.
“Can one of y’all bring a light closer? I think I found something.”
“That would be my leg,” a terrible dual-toned voice answered.
Applejack looked up to see she was muzzle to muzzle with a pair of glowing green eyes staring daggers back at her. Before she could react, it hissed, spitting a green, gooey webbing that bound all four of her hooves in a dark green mess.
“Chrysalis!” Applejack gasped as the fiend descended from the wall.
“What an unpleasant surprise,” the villain cooed as she tilted AJ’s head up by the chin. “I wasn’t expecting company this late.” The changeling leered at the other two as they readied to strike. She lowered her horn and pulsed it with a sickly green aura. “Ah, ah, ah, put those things away. We wouldn’t want Applejack getting hurt, now, would we?”
Zecora flipped her staff around, stowing the orb on her satchel and readying a strike in a single, fluid motion.
“Release her at once, you filthy coward!
With the three of us here, you’re overpowered!”
“Impressive, but I think not, Zecora. One more move and I can’t guarantee there will be three for long.”
The farmer struggled with her bindings, but she couldn’t get any leverage without a free hoof. “What’re you doing all the way out here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Chrysalis’ eyes flared with fury. “I’m planning my revenge on you. All of you!”
“Of course your reasoning is petty revenge.
Are there no depths that you won’t descend?”
Zecora chastised as she readied herself for battle.
“Keep pushing, and we’ll see how deep I can really go! You took everything away from me!”
Fleur looked between her marefriend and Chrysalis, communicating silently with their eyes. “If you think you can stage an attack by yourself on the Castle of Friendship, you’re sorely mistaken!”
The queen scoffed. “Who says I plan on attacking directly? There are other ways to sneak into such places. I’ve already done some scouting, and you’ll never find the way that I did.”
Chrysalis’ eyes flickered back to the zebra, noticing the subtle slump in her stance as she reached for her bag. “And don’t you dare think about using that filthy cream on me, Zecora!” The zebra’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh yes, I figured out your little secret anti-changeling substance. Stop trying to push your luck, zebra, or I’ll make you wish you never left your homeland!”
“What have you done with my dog?” AJ yelled.
Chrysalis flashed her fangs in a smug grin. “Your dog? Don’t you have bigger problems to worry about than that little Classy mongrel of yours?”
“She might be a pot thieving rascal, but she’s just a pup!” the farmer argued.
The changeling’s smile widened with predatory delight. “Don’t worry, your little friend is safe with me, for the moment. That mangey collie wandered a little too close, so I had to… put her away for a bit.”
“Let her go, Chrysalis!”
“That’s Queen Chrysalis to you, vermin!” she spat. “And no. I think I’ll keep her.” The queen laid her front hooves on Applejack’s shoulders and leaned into her ear. “They say dogs are a pony’s best friend, right? They love unconditionally. Perhaps I’ll put it to the test and see just how much I can take from her!”
Applejack burned with righteous anger as she tried to desperately pull her hooves out of the goo. Why the hay did Chrysalis of all creatures have to be out here in the middle of nowhere? “You’re a monster!”
“Aww, you’re such a ‘sweetheart’ to notice, ‘sugarcube,’” she teased with a dark and mocking chuckle. “We’ll see how much that starving stray of yours can love me before I destroy it!” Chrysalis tilted her head back to savor the discordant melody of her maniacal laughter.
Applejack pulled at her bindings furiously to no avail. She should’ve been more worried about herself, but all she could think about was how she should’ve leashed that dog when she had the chance. The poor, hungry sweetheart was… wait.
“Now hold on just a dang minute! How the hay do you know so much about Classy?”
Chrysalis’ laughter died on a breathy intake. She slowly lowered her head back to her prey in contempt for interrupting her moment of gloating. “What?”
“How’d you know all of that about Classy?” Applejack asked with irritation.
“She’s a stupid stray dog. What’s to know?”
“Yeah, but how’d you know she was a hungry stray? Come to think of it, nopony even said her name.”
Chrysalis blinked owlishly. “Yes you did. You said it just now.”
“Not before you did.”
Chrysalis looked away. “Fine! You caught me. I've been spying on you all day. Imagine that, a shapeshifter shifting shape to fool you.”
“Who'd ya replace?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have known. I’m a master of disguise. All my changeli—” Chrysalis stopped herself abruptly as she bit back her words in fuming frustration. “Well, I’m a master of disguise, anyway,” she groused.
“Fair enough,” Applejack agreed warily. Something about the situation was stickling at something in her head. The queen was lying, but it wasn’t matching up with anything she’d said so far. “So, what’s with the metal decorations outside? You hang all that junk yourself?”
“Yes?” Chrysalis replied flatly. “Now, if I could get back to threatening you—”
“Why'd you do it?”
“Of all the inane—You know why! Clanging keeps the timberwolves out! Now would you shut up?” The changeling was shaking with contempt, her eye twitching from the simmering temper roiling underneath.
Applejack narrowed her eyes as the gears started to turn in her head. “And how did you know that?”
“Because that infernal clanging is how you chased them off in the first place!” Chrysalis brought her hoof to her forehead in exasperation at the farmer's inquisition.
That didn’t make any sense. The only other pony she’d told today about the clanging besides Zecora and Fleur was Starlight. Nothing seemed off about the unicorn, though she did set Classy off for no particular reason. The collie had finally relented to the mare’s attention, but she hadn’t been happy about it. That dog’s eye had been twitching like crazy when Starlight was petting her, kind of like the emerald eyes bearing down on her now.
“Now, unless you’re really wanting to test my limited patience with all of these pointless questions—”
“Were you Classy the entire time?” AJ asked in a huff.
The cave fell absolutely silent. Even Fleur and Zecora were thrown off by the question. Chrysalis’ jaw dropped from the sudden accusation, but she quickly caught herself and snapped it shut in contemptible fury as she stormed closer to the impudent laypony. “Of all the insolent—Why would I, a beautiful changeling queen, lower myself to a common housepet?”
“I dunno, but the way I figure, that’s the only nonsense that makes any lick of sense.” Applejack furrowed her brow. “How else would you wind up with all the metal Classy stole unless you were the one stealing it in the first place?”
“Maybe I cornered the mutt and took her treasures for myself!”
“How are old helmets, teapots, and saucepans treasures?” Recalling the metal Zecora was missing brought up another question. “Wait, didn’t you get the drop on Zecora already? You could’ve just replaced her instead of hiding out here in a cave. For peat’s sake, you could've replaced me!”
“I don’t need to replace any of you for my plans! And, I am not hiding! I’m plotting your downfall as we speak! I will ruin your lives just like you ruined mine!”
“Are ya though? How is running around pretending to be a half-starved dog—”
“Enough!”
Chrysalis’ horn flared to life as flames encircled both of them. The world blazed green in a blinding column of emerald fire. She heard Zecora and Fleur yell something, but their voices were drowned out by the consuming blaze. After the heat dispersed, Applejack felt a cool rush of wind as she started falling from an unknown height.
"Woah nelly!" AJ yelped, just barely managing to land upright on some stone flooring below her.
Getting her bearings, she saw that she was outdoors. The moon shone brightly above, casting the area in striking, white light. Seeing the familiar ruins towering around her, she realized she was standing in the Elemental chamber of the Castle of the Two Sisters.
Unfortunately, a black and green silhouette eclipsed the light as it descended from on high, casting a long shadow over the lone pony. Chrysalis landed atop the old stone tree sculpture that bore the elements for over a thousand years, her eyes burning green with a malice that’d last a millennium. This time, it was just a farmer against a queen.
“Perhaps I should just drain all your love right now and be done with you!”
Applejack leaned down, ready for the fight of her life. Luckily, the magic had burned the webbing away and her hooves weren’t bound any longer.
“I’m surprised you didn’t run,” Chrysalis taunted and leaned over the sculpture as her eyes looked past her prey.
Briefly looking over her shoulder, AJ had landed right in front of the door leading into the forest after the teleport. With escape just a gallop away, she could hoof it back to Ponyville for help.
But, no. This had to be a trick. Applejack could feel something was off. It was almost as if the changeling wanted her to run. She might be alone, but she wasn’t about to let this two, three or whatever-faced liar get away from her if the fiend was bent on getting revenge.
"Oh? How unexpected. If it’s a fight you want, then I’m happy to oblige, Applejack.” Chrysalis leapt from the sculpture, landing with an unsteady stomp. “It’s quite an honor to be destroyed by me personally.”
Applejack's clenched jaw loosened in shock as she got a better view of her foe. She hadn’t been able to tell in the dark, but now that she was lit up by the moon, she could plainly see something wasn’t right with the fiend across the way from her.
The queen was still a frightful terror, sure, but compared to the last time in the Changeling Kingdom, she was definitely worse for wear. Chrysalis' fluorescent green underbelly was faded and flickering unsteadily. Her face was gaunt and ragged, making her narrowed glare seem more fatigued than rage-filled. The changeling looked more tuckered out than the time Big Mac had broken his leg and AJ had tried to harvest the entire orchard herself like a dang fool.
“Sure you don’t want to run? I’ll give you a head start. After all, you don’t stand a chance against a queen like me!” Chrysalis pulsed her horn with a flash of power and she grinned viciously.
With the girl in such a sorry state, Applejack was having a hard time buying what she was selling. “Reckon we’re about to put that to the test, your highness.”
The changeling roared in rage and charged with her sickly horn to spear Applejack through the heart. AJ rolled out of the way and pulled her hardy hind legs back to deliver a buck strong enough to split an apple tree. Shooting her hooves out like cannons, she met surprisingly little resistance as the changeling grunted from the blow and went sailing into a nearby wall. With a sharp scream, Chrysalis bounced off of the stonework and crumpled to the floor.
With a dizzy groan, the queen slowly pulled herself up and shot an energy beam at Applejack. The farm pony tried to duck under it, but the bolt was aimed low and caught her in the side of her neck. The pain stung with the prick of a bee sting, a far cry from the overwhelming, princess-downing blast from the wedding. With little more than a sharp draw of breath, the mare shrugged it off and stood back up.
“Why did you have to find me?” The changeling growled as she stumbled to her hooves. “I wasn’t ready yet!”
“Ready for what?”
The queen flashed her bitter eyes and screamed through labored breaths, “My master plan to get back at all of you!”
Applejack paused. That was a lie. Why would that be a lie? This was Chrysalis, the mastermind behind several attempts that almost took over Equestria. She had to have a plan!
… Right?
“How does pretending to be a stray help you with that?”
“I told you already! I wasn’t Classy!”
Another lie. “Then where is she?”
Instead of answering, Chrysalis fired another series of beams from her horn while scrambling towards Applejack. The farm pony managed to slide out of the way of most of it, but the last one caught her flank, or at least she thought it did. Either her farmwork was making her invulnerable to magic, or Chrysalis was firing blanks.
She got her answer when the changeling’s uneven gait tripped her, sending the queen to the floor. Chrysalis' glowing barrel was flickering like a bulb on the fritz as she tried to channel more magic into her horn. Struggling to her hoove, she glared icily at Applejack mustering every ounce of ire she could.
“Chrysalis? Are you okay?”
“Why would you care?” she barked back. “I’m trying to kill you!”
“I thought you were, but now I’m not so sure. Why’dya teleport us outside if you were wanting to kill me? Would’ve been easier to slice me up in the cave when I couldn’t move, right?”
“Stop talking!” Chrysalis heaved as she tried to stand back up, but her hind legs wouldn’t allow it.
Applejack’s heart clenched at the sorry sight. “Listen, you don’t have to do this. Thorax and the others—”
With a flare of green magic, the changeling stabilized her hind legs, hissing in pain from the exertion. “Don’t you dare mention that traitor’s name to me!” she forced herself to say.
“But it’s true! Thorax figured out how. There’s a better way, Chrysalis!”
“I’m a queen! There is no other way!” she cried in desperation.
“You lost that title the moment they changed for the better!”
Chrysalis stomped her hooves in a tantrum. “Shut up-Shut up-Shut up! I am a Queen, and I will be again!”
“How?” Applejack asked genuinely. “You think they’d want to change back into love-hungry monsters like you?”
The enraged queen leapt at her prey with her fangs bared, moving as fast as AJ had expected the first time. She knocked Applejack over and placed her hoof as firmly as she could on the farmer’s chest, but there was shockingly little strength behind it.
“Ha. See?” she bragged between labored breaths. “I always come out on top.”
“Fine! Then do it already.” Applejack held firm, staring back at Chrysalis and challenging the royal’s conviction.
The changeling chuckled darkly, leaning closer to the pinned mare. “What? Not going to struggle? That’s part of the fun of this for me, you know. It makes the draining so much sweeter.”
“You’ve been lying this entire time. Why should I believe you now?”
“Don’t push it, pony! I am the predator, you’re the prey! I will feast on your love!”
Applejack suppressed an eyeroll. If she wanted to free herself, she could probably buck the frail queen off easily. She was more curious at how the changeling had gone oddly quiet.
Chrysalis caught her breath and better positioned herself on Applejack, darting back between AJ’s eyes and her chest. After a brief scan with her unstable magic, the predator's sharp gaze went wide as she tapped the target within. She moved her hoof over the pony’s heart with a deep, hungry longing filling her eyes.
“Did you know it tastes like apples? Love always takes the flavor of a pony’s favorite food,” Chrysalis muttered, with a strange hollowness in her voice. Catching herself, she sneered back at AJ with pride. “And I’m going to drain every last ounce of love from you until you’re nothing but an emotionless husk!”
“Then take it, Chrysalis.”
The changeling scoffed as her magic sparked in her horn. A discomforting aura slowly clenched Applejack’s heart like a tightening noose. She’d never had her love stolen from her before, but figured by the name that it wasn’t going to be pleasant. She felt a crawling tug, like a millipede scurrying about inside her chest with cold feet. Applejack winced from the unsettling discomfort. What was stranger than the sensation was watching Chrysalis herself.
The queen slumped over, her eyes locked onto Applejack’s heart with drool dripping from her quavering maw. The changeling’s horn was glowing brightly, almost joyously, as if she hadn’t seen water in a month. Her breathing quickened at the anticipation of a meal as a small, relieving smile crept across her face. Applejack should've been terrified, but instead, she couldn't help feeling sympathy for the clearly suffering changeling. It was weird, pitying a lonely critter that was about to devour you.
But then, the stray noticed.
The creeping vice around AJ's heart quickly spread throughout her body as Chrysalis tossed her meal away from her with both her magic and her hooves. The queen barely caught herself on her wobbly front legs. She peered through a hole in her disheveled mane at her prey with crazed malevolence.
“Don’t look at me like that! I don’t need your pity! I don’t need your love!”
Applejack shook off the impact and rolled back up to face her foe. If all of that was true, why was Chrysalis looking drier than a potted plant in a basement?
“I’m not weaker than them! I’m not lesser than my drones! I don’t need you, them, or anyone!” Chrysalis lied and willed herself to her unstable hooves. With perfect poise, the monarch stared down her nose at the inferior peasant. “I am powerful! I am beautiful! I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Cha—AUGH!”
Chrysalis collapsed, writhing in agony as she tried to control her breathing. Her wings flared out at different angles and started buzzing uselessly as she tried to regain control of her body.
As a farmer, Applejack was familiar with pests from the Everfree Forest trying to ruin her crops. One of the bigger ones was the pesky stagnant beetles. They were nasty bugs that would chomp through a tree’s bark to stop the flow of water from the roots and feed off the nutrients. The buggers were armored pretty well, so the only way to get them off without hurting the tree was to light a fire under their bellies and burn them. They either gave up and flew back into the Everfree or died from the heat.
Sometimes, they’d wait a little too long to let go and tumble onto their backs. They’d start shaking back and forth, trying to rock themselves upright, but after a while, they’d stop moving. Her daddy had always said that a twitching bug was in their death throes and wasn’t long for this world.
And Chrysalis was twitching up one heck of a storm right now.
“Sweet Celestia, Chrysalis! If you’re hungry, just take—”
“S-silence! I-I pro-pro-provide food for my subjects-s-s. They s-steal l-love for me. I don’t steal f-from them-m-m,” the fallen ruler wheezed from the floor.
Applejack rushed to the changeling’s side and knelt down. Chrysalis looked bad. Real bad. Her barrel was barely glowing at all. Almost all the light was gone. She knew that the bad changelings needed to steal love, but she just thought it was more like pony magic. If they lacked love, they’d just be exhausted and sluggish like everypony was after Tirek’s attack. This was different. Without any love, Chrysalis was starving to death.
“Stay… away… from me…” she whispered between struggling breaths. Chrysalis craned her neck and bit Applejack’s fetlock, but for how vicious the queen’s maw was, the farmer barely felt a thing. The poor viper couldn’t muster a lick of strength behind her bite.
“When’s the last time you had any love, girl?”
Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to ask as the bite intensified just enough for Chrysalis’ front fangs to draw a drop of blood. Applejack wasn’t deterred. She’d dealt with all sorts of ornery critters before. After all, even if they were a bit more intelligent, she and Chrysalis were critters too.
“Was it when I was petting you as Classy?” Applejack asked softly. The queen growled unsteadily, trying desperately to strike fear into her prey. Unfortunately for the predator, her food was feeling too sorry for her to pull away.
To test the waters, Applejack reached for Chrysalis’ mane. There had always been a small part of her that wondered what it felt like. It seemed like a proper mane, but it was somehow filled with holes like the changeling’s legs. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen her in months, but all the holes in her looked bigger. The poor girl was wasting away.
Placing a hoof and running down the length of the mane, she couldn’t help but feel a mite jealous of how soft it was. The queen’s Classy disguise was amazingly fluffy, but the exquisite smoothness of Chrysalis’ natural, gossamer mane was criminally smooth.
“You know, a good collie’s fur’s pretty nice and all, but royal silk sheets are a step above the rest.” Chrysalis’ barrel matched the rhythm of Applejack’s touch. It glowed in and out with her long strokes in response to the affection.
Then, it all clicked together.
The shapeshifter could’ve stolen anypony’s identity, but she went with an adorable dog.
The monster could’ve drained a pony in secret, but she begged for adoration.
The villain could’ve killed Applejack, but she gave her a chance to run away so they wouldn't have to fight.
Chrysalis wasn’t taking love, she was trying to receive it. Was she even evil anymore?
“It’s okay, girl. You can take some love if you need it.”
“Rather… die…”
Well, she wasn’t exactly neighborly, but that wasn’t something the love-sucking villain would’ve said before either. AJ couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but that didn’t matter much at the moment. The poor girl needed help.
“Now I don’t believe that for a second. You’re too proud to die from being a dang fool.”
Chrysalis glared and tried to light her horn to fire another energy beam, but it fizzled out before it could do anything.
“Oh for the love of—” AJ reached down and pulled the woozy changeling off her hoof and righted the starving stray to her flank. She was expecting far more weight, but the fragile husk of a fiend felt lighter than an empty water bottle in the middle of the San Palomino sun. “Quit being so dang stubborn and take some from me already!”
Chrysalis’ blank stare shifted subtly side to side as she mustered enough strength to slowly shake her head in exhausted defiance.
“Fine, ya varmint! Iff’n ya ain’t gonna take it, then I’m just gonna have to give ya some, whether you like it or not!”
Ranking up there with one of the worst decisions she’d ever made, Applejack pulled Chrysalis, the former changeling queen and enemy of all Equestria, into a warm embrace. She leaned the jittering bug over her shoulder and pressed the side of her face into the changeling’s long neck. As an added bonus for herself, she caressed the queen’s soft, silky mane with her hooves. If she was gonna do this, then she was gonna get something out of it too.
There was a pull at her heart, but it wasn’t unpleasant. An invigorating warmth flowed through her limbs and fed into the queen. Chrysalis wasn’t taking love, Applejack was giving it freely.
“Hoo wee, this feels a mite different for sure,” AJ remarked as she fed Chrysalis.
“Stop.”
Applejack chuckled at the changeling’s feeble whine. “Gonna have to try harder than that, sugarcube.”
“Please. I can’t stop.”
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. I ain’t too keen on just sitting idle and watching someone starve right in front of me. I grow food for a living, y’know. Darn proud of it too.”
Applejack held strong, but Chrysalis didn’t return the gesture at all. She simply slumped down over the farmer’s side, but Applejack knew the former queen wasn’t dying any longer. The girl’s abdomen was already glowing steadily as she gained some of her weight back.
“Hey, you said my love tastes like apples, right? Guess this is just a different kind of bushel barrel for ya, huh?” The farmer patted her unique customer on the withers.
Chrysalis said nothing.
After a moment, AJ started to feel a nagging irritation. The pressure built up like Discord had pulled her into an hour long prank session with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. She shut off the flow and sighed after a job well done. “I think that’s just about all I can give you right now. Ain’t the Crystal Heart over here. How’re you holding up?”
Applejack pushed Chrysalis off her shoulder to get a better look at the former queen. Part of her figured the changeling should’ve transformed like the others by now. Usually there was a harrowing adventure, a lesson learned, and then friendship swooped in to set things right. She might’ve not been summoned by the Cutie Map, but it certainly felt like this should’ve been a problem solved.
“I’m so tired…” Chrysalis mumbled, still hanging limply in AJ’s hooves.
“Then stop fighting it, girl. You saw what the rest of your kin did. Just open up your heart and share your love instead of siphoning it all for yourself like Starlight said.”
Chrysalis’ face sank further as her mane drooped over her face. “But I’m Queen of the Changelings…”
“Ain't one right now, but maybe you can be again. You may be a lying, shapeshifting snake in the grass, but underneath all that—whatever this shell stuffs called—I know there’s a sweetheart swimming somewhere around in there. Just gotta let her out is all.”
“I’m a queen.”
“Yeah, I got that the first time you said it. What I’m asking is why don’cha just change like the rest of them? Seems to me that it’d be a bit easier than sneaking around the woods like a dog.”
The changeling’s fangs dug into her lip causing pinpricks of green blood to peek out. The honest mare could tell that burning underneath all the hatred, anger, confusion, self-loathing, and disappointment, Chrysalis was trying to muster the courage to tell the truth. It took every bit of her remaining willpower to admit it as bitter, humiliated tears filled the broken predator's eyes.
“I. Can’t.”