Queen Chrysalis was grouchy. Her head hurt, she felt dizzy and anxious; or in other words, she was hungry. The trick she pulled in the Pegasusdrome the other day had cost her almost all of her energy reserves, but there was no way she was going to let herself be beaten by that pegasus named Rainbow Dash, her lack of respect couldn't go without answer. Sadly the love she was able to extract from her pet turtle by petting it, once back at the cloud house, was barely enough to allow her to maintain the appearances.
So hungry was she that that day she walked slowly and heavily through the streets of Ponyville, not even aware of the ponies around her, only emotions that she couldn't clearly distinguish, they were not love, so they may not even exist for her at that moment; all her attention occupied, consumed, by her hunger, while the pegasus moved, flying lazily a few inches above her.
She had not felt this hungry since her fight with the Princess of Friendship in the caves of that mysterious island. If it had not been for her need for a source of emotions from which to feed, she would never have agreed to anything the pony proposed and flown away the moment she left the mine. In a truth that she will never reveal, that love Twilight felt for her family and friends after the landslide was most likely the only reason why both were able to survive and leave that place alive.
There was no other reason, she thought, trying to convince herself of this. Fate had simply dropped the pieces that way, both for her misfortune... and for my fortune. That last thought put a smile on the Queen's mouth, but the growling of her stomach turned her smile into a frown almost immediately.
Unlike Twilight, who fed her with her love for books, and Fluttershy who fed her with her love for the animals that she took care of, Rainbow Dash wasn't giving her anything.
Oh, Rainbow Dash was oozing an emotion, just not one she could properly feed off healthily. It was frustration. Why or to whom? Chrysalis couldn't say, that wasn't how her ability to sense emotions worked, she could only guess. That was a job for her hypnotic powers, but that went against the rules she had agreed to, and even if she didn't care to follow them anymore, again, she was to low on energy to do so.
The obvious answer would be that the origin of her frustration must be because she had lost the race in that gym for pegasi, but this frustration was not against her, if that were the case she would feel it more intensely as it was directed towards her; but it had to be with something related to her, she had started to feel this frustration emanating from Rainbow Dash from the moment she opened the door, and it only intensified when they saw each other again today.
Between the hunger and the annoyance of not receiving the emotion she needed to live, being bombarded by an unhealthy emotion and all that accompanied by the annoying curiosity to know where it came from, Chrysalis needed to do something.
"What's your problem, Dash? Does it bother you that much to realize that your beloved Wonderbolts weren't always an admirable bunch?" Chrysalis asked, fishing for the truth.
"What? No! It's not that," Rainbow Dash responded, slightly insulted.
"So you're just upset because you can't tolerate the fact that you lost to someone better than you?" the Queen pressed, her annoyance at not getting an answer rising.
"I guess you're the expert on how it feels to lose to someone better than you, right?" snipe back the pegasus.
For a second Chrysalis forgot about her hunger, anger taking complete control over her.
Turning to look directly at the pegasus, the changeling growled, like the growl of a true wild animal. So fierce and loud that all creatures who heard it stopped all activity to pay attention to the scene that was being presented in front of them.
Rainbow Dash didn't back down and met Chrysalis' furious gaze with one of pure determination, almost as if daring the changeling to jump on her and start a fight.
But between blinks, Rainbow Dash looked around and saw all the civilians who would surely be involved in the conflict between them, and she gave in.
"I apologize," leaving behind the aggressive features, and raising her front hooves in a disarming manner, Rainbow Dash offered.
The Queen abandoned her combat stance, taking a neutral pose. The only reason she didn't attack Rainbow Dash and turn her into an emotionless shell in those moments, was because she genuinely felt surprised by that unexpected action of the pegasus. Unexpected and genuine, if the guilt emanating from her was meant to be trusted.
Seeing that the feeling of aggression between the changeling and the pegasus had dissipated, the rest of the inhabitants of Ponyville returned to their daily activities.
"I shouldn't have said that," Rainbow Dash continued. "No, I'm not upset that you 'technically' won the race -but you and I know that if I hadn't stopped at the end, I would have been the winner- it has nothing to do with that. Look, it's something which you don't have to worry about, okay?" she concluded defensive and dismissively, crossing her front hooves and looking away.
Chrysalis accepted her apology and her response, even if she never truly answered the question, deciding not to press further. Her anger and her hunger giving way a little to these more positive sentiments directed at her.
"Well, here we are," Rainbow Dash said after a few minutes of walking, stopping in front of her next destination.
Chrysalis looked at the building with mild interest. It looked extravagant, but not in the gaudy and exaggerated way like the house of the pegasus. From the outside it had a cylindrical shape, with decorative pillars and pony sculptures lining the lower and upper exterior. And as she later found out, the house, which was also a business, lived up to its name by looking like a fairground carousel.
"This is where Rarity lives," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "Oh... and... well... she is... you know..." she stumbles at speaking, having trouble with what to say and how to say goodbye. "Just be cool, okay!" and with that, the pegasus flies away at high speed, leaving a rainbow trail on her path, back to her home in the clouds.
Seeing an 'Open' sign hanging on the door, she opens it without knocking, immediately being greeted by the sound of a bell.
"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!", sing-song Rarity coming out from behind some curtains.
"Why, hello, hello! I was expecting you much sooner." Rarity says the moment she opens her eyes and sees that it is the Changeling Queen. "Please, come in and do not forget to brush your hooves before you enter."
Struck by this odd and unexpected behavior, the Queen does as she was told, wiping her hooves on the mat before entering the business house.
"Please, your highness, follow me and step over there," says the white unicorn, not allowing Chrysalis to have a word in the conversation, directing her to a display area.
The Queen, still stunned, stands on a platform surrounded by three large oval mirrors. A few seconds later, Rarity reappears with glasses on her face, a pencil, a notebook, and a measuring stick floating around her, all held by her magical aura.
After a few minutes of writing, doodling, and uncomfortable takes of measurements for the changeling, and being covered by multiple pieces of various fabrics, Chrysalis finally realizes that she is Queen, and begins to act as such.
"What is the meaning of all this?" Chrysalis ask, freeing her sight from a heavy piece of salmon pink velvet fabric and shaking her right front leg, trying to remove a red ribbon that somehow managed to get tangled between her holes.
"Hoof down and stand still, please," Rarity says without bothering to look at Chrysalis, still focused on her notebook and the notes she made in it.
Chrysalis lower her hoof and rize her head, and after the two or three seconds it took her to realise she had just follow a command, a pony's command no less, without a second thought her face contorted into an angry scowl with just a taint of shame on her.
"Are you testing my patience, pony!?" Chrysalis exclaims, this time shaking her entire body, throwing all traces of fabric from her body.
Rarity finally stops her scribbling to look over her glasses at the Queen, unamused, the years of dealing with unruly customers showing themself in the form of her calm.
"Why, of course, darling! This is all to see if you're capable of working in a modern society with all its ups and downs without becoming a criminal. And remember, this is for your own good," she replies smiling and animated, then added: "Besides, although this is a test, this behavior I am having with you is exactly the same that I have with all my clients and friends."
"Also, my name is Rarity, and I would much appreciate if her highness refer to me as such," Rarity concluded, with a little bit more of sharp in her tone to make that point cross.
"Fine, Rarity," concide the Queen, almost growling the name. "I repeat: What is the meaning of all this? And this time I would much appreciate for an answer," the Queen responds back, showing that she could also wield a bit of a sharp on her words to make her point cross. For good measure, she also show the sharp she wield on her teeths.
For a second there, Chrysalis could see that Rarity's brave mare mask had fallen off, showing a bit of fear by taking an uncertain step back. But as quickly as it fell, the business mare mask returned to its place, and so does the hoof.
"Well, if you must know, I'm working on a dress for a client, but since this client is royalty, and there aren't many mannequins of her measurements and proportions that I can use, you are the perfect model for this job."
"You could just tell me who your client is and I could transform in it, if I ever met him or her", said Chrysalis in a more sedate tone.
"You can do that," Rarity said in a sotto voice, more to herself than to her guest, half a statement half a question.
Chrysalis began to feel a lot of conflicting emotions emanating from the unicorn. Ideas were being born, gears moving at incredible speed, her eyes moving from the Queen to the privacy of her mind to weigh the viability of said ideas.
For a second Chrysalis felt in danger, afraid that this mare would jump on her and keep her locked in her basement or dug a hole to trap her in, forcing her to do unspeakable things in exchange for enough love to keep her alive.
But before Chrysalis could run and jump out the window, Rarity let out a nervous and dismissive laugh, reining once again over her emotions, as if she had finally discarded all those ideas born from realizing how beneficial it would be for her to have someone with the transformation abilities of the Changelings, or at the very least, file them to return to them later.
"No, dear, I could never ask you for something like that. Besides, I hold my clients' privacy in high regard."
Chrysalis held a sigh. Not only because the sense of danger had disappeared, but because she wasn't sure she could sustain a transformation for a prolonged amount of time, not with her current low energy levels, and she didn't want to look weak or needy in front of anyone, much less one of her enemies.
But her mistake wasn't offering her help to rush whatever the fashionista was working on, no; her mistake was thinking about how hungry she was, for that was what her stomach needed to make itself heard in the form of a loud gurgle.
"What was that?" Rarity asked at a blushing Chrysalis.
"I assume Twilight has shared my dietary needs with all of you, correct?" Chrysalis asked.
Rarity responded with a nod.
"Well, your friend Rainbow Dash has not been the most loving of hosts," the Changeling Queen responded, a tinge of anger towards the pegasus in her words.
"That I can believe."
"Well, that won't do," Rarity said after a moment of consideration, removing her glasses and putting away her sewing tools in a nearby drawer. "Follow me."
"Where we'll be going?"
"I can't work having you all hungry, can I? We will go outside to have a snack."
The Changeling Queen was confused by what the unicorn had just said. She was sure Rarity wasn't going to take her to cocoon a pony and feed off it’s emotions, but after what had transpire less than a minute before, she would not put it past her to do so now. Intrigued, Chrysalis followed her out of the store, back in to Ponyville.
"Welcome to 'The Kiss of the Rose', may I take your order?" Finally a waitress approached with a nervous smile, having lost a game of 'Hoof, Wing, Horn' to see who would serve that table.
"I'll have a carrot a la crêpe and a camellia tea to drink for both! And for my company, tell Pandion to prepare his best dish number '8', which has to be fit for a queen," Rarity said masterfully and without pause, demonstrating how frequent her visits to this establishment were.
Rarity hadn't lied when she said they were going out for a snack. 'The Kiss of the Rose' turned out to be quite a romantic restaurant for couples in love to visit, even with the wide girth of space that the rest of the couples were giving them, Chrysalis could taste, savor and enjoy the love that permeated the atmosphere.
"I'm quite happy that you're enjoying the establishment, but you might want to use a napkin there, you're salivating, and a lady, and especially a queen, never salivates in public.
"Can you blame me?" Chrysalis said taking the offered napkin, wiping and hiding her mouth with it, still savoring the love. "No offense, but the love you feel for your dresses, the love your friend Dash feels for herself, the love Twilight feels for her books, and even the love Shy feels for her animals can't be compared to this kind of love. It doesn't help that I haven't tasted a similar love in months."
"That is understandable, but please, don't overdo it, I wouldn't want to start hearing couples fighting around us for lack of love."
After a few minutes of waiting, the waitress returns, balancing a tray with their orders on her back, skillfully placing it on the table, and arranging the orders in front of them.
A plate with a carrot crepe for Rarity and a mysterious plate, as it was hidden under a cloche, for Chrysalis. The waitress nervously placed the plate in front of the imposing Changeling Queen. Usually this behavior would annoy her, but in those moments she was almost drunk with love and, feeling generous, she didn't give it any importance. She was so content that she wouldn't mind eating pony food.
And it was for that very reason that when she raised the bell she was quite surprised that accompanying some slices of orange, tomato, onion, lettuce leaves and so on, there was a roasted fish, in fact, the fish was the centerpiece of the dish.
"How?"
"Twilight." Rarity responded, beginning to eat, using her magic to levitate her cutlery. "Since she arrived in this town, many things have changed. We haven't been in conflict with the griffons for a long time, but seeing one was a very rare sighting. Now? Ponyville is a glamorous tourist spot that attracts many of the creatures that inhabit the rest of the world, not just Equestria. And since not all of them are strictly vegetarian, some alternatives had to be implemented.
"Pandion is a griffon who loves to make dishes and was hired to satisfy the carnivorous needs of all creatures that wish to taste meat here. Of course, as a predominantly Pony town, we are still apprehensive about these dishes, which is why they do not appear on the menu, so as not to scare away what is still the majority of the commensals."
Chrysalis listened carefully to what Rarity was telling her, she also using her magic to levitate her cutlery and eat her fish. It didn't have the taste and potency that only love can have, but the taste of properly prepared meat was a pleasantly welcome experience.
Sitting comfortably, satisfying both of her hungers, listening to all the information related to the rest of the Elements of Harmony and what had happened to them in the last few months that Rarity was sharing with her, reminded Chrysalis of those occasions when her Scouts and Infiltrators returned to the Hive and reported anything of interest and importance that happened in the world, that's how she had found out about the royal wedding. In truth, prior to the invasion of Canterlot, she had not left the hive for years, if not centuries. Her duties as Queen had prevented her from doing so. This was pleasant.
Suddenly something came to her senses, caughting her attention.
"...Did you roll in sugar? Because you are so sweet..."
*snickers*
"...And your hair is brighter than Celestia's sun..."
*Chuckles*
"Did I say something funny?" Rarity stop her talk and confused asked, seeing that Chrysalis was about to burst into guffaws.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just..." Chrysalis apologized to Rarity, then turned in her seat, in the direction of one of the couples surrounding her... "Hey, girl! I hope you're not falling in love with those nymph-level sliminess, because the only thing that colt wants from you is a one-night stand, if all the lust he's emanating is any indication of his intentions."
The couple first looked worried at the tall black figure who called them; when they finished hearing her words, the mare looked at her confused. The stallion, If it had been another stallion or a nosy mare who had said those words, would have stood up and demanded an apology, but because the one who had spoken was a Changeling Queen, giving her an angry look would have to suffice.
The stallion returned his gaze to his date, ready to offer to continue the date elsewhere, but the stern look he received, demanding to know if what Chrysalis had said was true, made him blush and hang his head in shame.
The mare wiped her lips with the napkin and then tossed it on top of the rest of the food, and left with her head held high and her dignity intact. The stallion, feeling the many eyes on him, dropped some coins on the table and ran in the opposite direction.
"You can know that?" Rarity asked her once the scene was over.
"It's called 'Eros', my dear; lust, heat, the carnal love that every creature experiences unless it wants to become extinct. And yes, we Changelings can tell when someone is feeling frisky!"
Given this admission, an uncomfortable silence fell over all the tables of 'The Kiss of the Rose'; glances avoiding glances and many blushes found home among the cheeks of everyone present, Rarity included.
"Stop that!" Chrysalis said to Rarity.
"Stop what?" Rarity asked, taken by surprise by the Queen's sudden exclamation.
"You're starting to have thoughts. Thoughts I don't like."
"Am I doing it? Are you reading my mind?" Rarity asks back, masking her accusation with a playful smile.
"I don't need to read your mind. You have your untoward intentions written all over your face."
"Oh, okay, I'm doing it! But you have to understand, you possess a particular set of impressive and useful skills that many would very much love to have at their disposal."
"And abuse of them," Chrysalis declare.
"As you have done," Rarity punctuate.
"For the survival of my species, not for my amusement," Chrysalis defend herself back.
Rarity only smirked and raised an eyebrow, resting her head on one of her hooves, looking around at the remains of the scene caused by Chrysalis with one of said skills.
"Ok, fine. From time to time I do things for my enjoyment. Is that a crime in pony society?"
"As long as you don't go around causing broken hearts between couples, I'd say it's fine."
"As a love devourer, I tell you that I would never do anything so despicable," the Changeling Queen swore... and then added through her teeth and as a wisper: "...without a good reason."
Rarity stared at her, with an unamused expression, but after a few seconds she smiled.
"We're done here," she said, calling for the waitress to bring the bill and pay for the food.
"Follow me, there is still a place I want us to visit before we return to the boutique," leaving a generous tip, Rarity and Queen Chrysalis left 'The Kiss of the Rose'.
"I must say, dear, you're handling the heat a lot better than I expected," Rarity complimented Chrysalis, seeing how unaffected the Queen was by the hotness around them.
"Oh, this is far from a volcano. And besides, we Changelings prefer and handle high temperatures better, so this is most pleasant," Chrysalis responded.
Both were resting on wooden benches in a sauna room, within the Ponyville Spa facilities. Rarity was wearing her personal, customized robe and a towel covering her mane. Not having a queen-sized robe, Chrysalis was wearing three towels, one around her neck and two over her barrel.
From time to time a blue earth pony bathed with water a pile of stones that were heated inside a stove, filling the space with steam.
"Oh, but forgive my interruption. Please do continue. What were you telling me about him?"
"I was telling you that his 'marefriend' was a Changeling," Chrysalis says.
"I can't believe it!" Rarity exclaims at what the Changeling Queen was gossiping about to her.
"Mhmm," Chrysalis nodded, reaffirming what she had said.
"But all this time, all those photos in which he kissed her and the interviews in which he confirmed how much he loved her; the supposed child they were expecting!?"
"All a ruse."
"Did he know?"
"He knew he was a male, that's how they met, but he never knew he was a Changeling."
"That's horrible!" Rarity said, appalled by that revelation, and... wait! "'Male'?" Rarity asks, her mouth dry.
"Yes! Male... and that's how he wanted it. But his record label and his manager forbid it, bad for business when a star becomes publicly unattainable for the demographic that makes up the majority of those who attend concerts and buy the merchandise. Luckily for him, Changeling! A couple of seconds behind a closed door and Instant Marefriend! for when you have to appear in public. And when the lights go out, the curtains close and a few more seconds of waiting in your private residence, back to colt."
"¿Was this common among changelings?" ask Rarity, completely enraptured by curiosity.
"Sometimes a trooper has to do what a trooper has to do to bring love to the hive."
Rarity go flustered, and not because of the heat of the sauna, but because of the thoughts and detailed images that ran through her mind.
"Oh, yes, that's it! Good and spicy," Rarity overhears Chrysalis, watching her enjoy the lus 'Eros' she was emanating, snapping her out of those thoughts, pushing herself to think about new ones.
"Tell me, dear, speaking of forbidden loves... can you fall in love?" Rarity asked with a sly grin, once Lotus dropped another spoonful of water onto the hot stones and left them alone in the room.
"Of course we Changelings can fall in love. Families also exist in the hive," Chrysalis answers, surprised by that question that seemed silly and insulting.
"That's fascinating, dear Queen, but it seems you misunderstood me. When I said ‘you’, I specifically meant you. Have you ever fallen in love with someone?"
Now was the turn for Chrysalis to be taken aback, raising her head and blinking a few times, thinking.
"Are you coming onto me, pony?" ask back the Changeling Queen with a sassy smile to challenge Rarity's one.
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Rarity in good nature. "While it's true that I already bought you dinner, I think we're still a little bit far from that," she jest back.
Rarity could have pressed for an answer, but she wouldn't be a good socialite if she didn't pick up social clues easily, and what Chrysalis had said was meant to say that she didn't want to answer that question; and so, Rarity did not ask further and remained silent, enjoying the moment.
With that question left behind, Chrysalis also realized that she too was enjoying the moment. This particular day she had had quite positive experiences that she didn't remember having or being a part of...ever? Whatever it may be, she thought she wouldn't mind sharing these lovely experiences again... Wait, 'sharing', 'love'?! At that thought a pang of fear an adrenaline rush over the Queen, but she manage to not show it. As calmly and nonchalant as she could fake it, Chrysalis lifted one of her front legs, and looked at it as if she were appreciating a polished hoof.
It was still as black as ever, and all her holes were still in place.
Suppressing another sigh of relief, Chrysalis rested her leg once again on the surface of the wooden bench as if nothing had happened, as if her heart wasn't pounding as fast and hard as it was doing so in that instant.
She couldn't be careless. She had to be mindful of her emotions and feelings now that she was aware that, if she did not keep them in check, they could betray her, and push her into 'reformation'.
She shuddered at that thought.
And yet, if all that was needed to keep enjoying such pleasant experiences was to reform... Would it be so bad for me to do so?
For the first time since she could remember, the Queen felt unsure.