Whatever was controlling Chrysalis had no knowledge of her Hive. She crashed through several tunnel corridors, but fortunately managed to avoid her startled changelings. Somehow, every impact felt barely stronger than a nudge as her new suit dragged her towards the Hive’s entrance, the buzz of general alarm faintly sounding in the background.
As soon as she was out in the open air, Chrysalis soared skyward. She burst through several puffy clouds before they became a distant sea below her, higher than her wings had ever taken her before. Then the sky curved, and overhead was nothing but blackness.
Chrysalis looked around wide-eyed at the view: the planet far below her, the blackness of space looming over her. Her breathing was hard, but at least she felt she could still breathe.
“Escape velocity test, successful. Re-entering.”
“Wha-aaaaaahhh!” Chrysalis screamed as she plummeted down.
The thrusters that had held her aloft had gone silent. The suit was growing considerably hotter, like the sun on a hot summer day, and the glow of heat was visible to Chrysalis inside.
Bursting through more clouds, her eyes widened as the suit’s target became clear: a large lake in the middle of green grasslands, far from her Hive.
And she was approaching it rapidly.
“Wait!” Stop!” she cried. “Stop!” Chrysalis screwed her eyes shut tightly.
And abruptly, her wings spread without her will and she jerked to a halt.
Chrysalis cautiously opened her eyes. Through the strange overlay, she could see her rippling reflection—and how this new suit that had kidnapped her looked like to others. Her entire body was covered in a black material, with layers of blue armor over top of it. Orange ovals, like compound eyes, covered her own eyes. Her extended wings were covered in a blue, membrane-like material that glowed with energy, and even her horn was covered—straight like a saber with two glowing bands of angled blue. A pair of insect-like legs protruded from her shoulders.
“What is this thing?” she asked herself aloud. She looked down as she lifted her forelegs, examining the strange, somehow sentient armor.
“Re-entry successful. Commencing maneuverability test.”
“Maneuverability test—” Chrysalis yelped as the thrusters kicked back in and she rocketed across the surface of the lake.
Unfortunately, she had drooped too low, and bounced like a skipping stone across the lake’s surface. The thrusters persisted, and soon she found herself clear of the water—and with dense forest dead ahead.
She braced her forelegs in front of her face, the little control she seemed to have on this wild ride. Ferns and underbrush smacked against her, and she briefly felt the snag of tangling cines as the suit weaved her between trees. The only forest she’d ever seen this thick was the Everfree—she could only hope the suit was up to the forest’s unpredictability.
Looking ahead, Chrysalis gawked as trees and rocks seemingly popped up from out of nowhere in front of her. Her wings and the suit’s thrusters rolled her this way and that out of harm’s way. Chrysalis was unused to such speeds, and felt her stomach rumble and protest the suit’s joyride.
Finally, after an eternity of greens and browns zipping past, Chrysalis was free from the Everfree Forest and back over open pastures. She breathed a sigh of relief, but it quickly turned into a frown of annoyance.
“Take me back to the Hive this instant!” she demanded.
“Complying.”
The suit abruptly jerked to the right, and before long, the desolate lands around the Hive came into view. Chrysalis had never been happier to see the bleak, hole-ridden mountain that was her Hive, but it quickly turned to wide-eyed horror when she realized she wasn’t slowing down.
The suit smashed straight through the Hive’s exterior, making a new tunnel straight through several pre-existing ones before skidding to a halt on her stomach in the throne room. Several changelings poked their heads into the new tunnel to see what had caused it, gawking in shock.
“Your Majesty!” Chrysalis heard one of her guards shout as her head span. As the throne came back into focus, red filled her vision as she jerked to her hooves. She tore at the armor, but found no purchase with her forehooves.
“GET OFF OF ME!” she roared at a volume to rival the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“Complying.”
She felt the black material and armor melt away, starting from her posterior and heading to her chest. She breathed in a gulp of the Hive’s stagnant air as the suit’s helmet disintegrated like it had applied itself in the first place.
Once she felt free from the suit, she realized how shaken the joyride had made her. Her legs wobbled and gave way as she slipped into unconsciousness, surrounded by the buzz of her anxious subjects.
“WHERE IS IT?!”
The volcanoes of the Dragon Lands rumbled as one of the many caves at their bases shook, dislodging rocks. A dark blue dragon with massive dark gray wings stormed out of the cave, smoke flaring from his nostrils.
He glared around with wild eyes until he spotted a trio of dragons lounging in a lava pool. Marching over to the group, he grabbed one of the smaller dragons by the throat and breathed smoke into his face.
“Where’s my treasure?!” the larger dragon roared.
“We didn’t take any of your treasure, Korg, honest!” the dragon in his grasp wheezed.
“Put ‘em down, Korg,” one of the other dragons in the pool grunted. “He’s tellin’ the truth. None of us has been in your cave.”
With a snarl, Korg tossed the dragon back into the pool, splashing a good deal of lava out. The smaller dragon grumbled as he resurfaced and blew lava from his nose.
“Then who did?” Korg demanded. “Someone’s been in my cave. They stole my jeweled bug, you know the one?”
“That little beetle?” the second dragon remarked, scratching his chin with a claw. “Yeah, I remember you talking about it. I think I know who took it, too.”
“Who?!” A jet of flame sparked from Korg’s mouth.
“Changelings,” the third dragon grumbled. “Stupid little bugs come into the hoards and steal gold and gems. I’ve seen them. Must’ve taken a liking to your bug.”
“Changelings?” Korg remarked. “Where are they?”
“They got a nest about twenty miles thataway.” The third dragon jerked a claw over his shoulder.
“Thanks.” Korg growled, his wings flaring open. “I’ve had that bug a long time, like brimstone I’m letting them keep it!”
And with a mighty flap of his wings, he took flight, angling towards the Changeling Hive.
The sweet taste of love crossed Chrysalis’s muzzle, causing her to blink awake slowly. She found herself surrounded by recuperating amber, locked away in a translucent green cocoon. The glowing eyes of dozens of changelings shifted on the other side of the casing.
With a grunt, Chrysalis extended to her full height, tearing through the cocoon with ease and stepping from it.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Pharynx asked, accompanied by Thorax and a penitent Antenna.
“I am fine, Pharynx,” she growled, eyes glaring daggers down at Antenna. “Explain yourself! Where did you get this thing?”
Antenna gulped. “I-I found it in the dragon’s cave. The o-one I was sent too, honest! It was sitting on this pedestal. I-It didn’t do anything when I found it!”
Chrysalis frowned in thought. “And if it’s been in that dragon’s den, it didn’t do anything to him either. So why…” She trailed off when she looked down and jumped back in shock.
The scarab was still there, embedded into the chitin of her chest. The blue of its elytra glowed softly.
The changelings jumped back as Chrysalis transformed into a massive bugbear in a flash of green flame. “Ger off me!” she roared, clawing at her chest.
“Your Majesty, please—” The changeling healer was cut off as Chrysalis transformed again, into a pony. Still, the scarab was stuck in her chest.
Chrysalis transformed again and again, into a myriad of twisting and towering forms, but the scarab stuck to her chest like a tick no matter what form she took on.
“I have taken the liberty to adjust to your magical abilities.” The voice came again in Chrysalis’s head.
“What are you?” Chrysalis snarled, transforming back into her true form.
“Your Majesty?” Thorax asked, stepping forward.
“This… thing. It’s speaking to me in my mind!” Chrysalis growled. “Now, what are you?!”
“I am the Scarab. My main purpose is to protect my host. You seem to have sustained some lasting injuries to your horn and legs. I can mend them for you.”
“Don’t you dare heal me! I don’t need your protecting!” Chrysalis yelled. “I want you to get. Off. Of. Me!”
A changeling guard burst into the room, quickly saluting his queen. “Queen Chrysalis! The outer guards have spotted a dragon flying towards the Hive! Dark blue in color, dark gray wings.”
“Oh no…” Antenna whispered.
Chrysalis grunted. “Everyone, stay in the Hive. I’ll meet with this dragon myself,” she ordered, before marching out of the room.
To Be Continued…