By LittleStrongheartNyx
The badlands, a land of barren desert. Though not as humid as an actual desert, it still has it's weather. It was in the south most region of this area that there was a all-green structure built to, quite possibly, rival Canterlot castle and Night Stone Castle as the tallest building in Equestria. The place, however wasn't a building. It was made of a organic sticky material that one could probably guesses was saliva mixed with different fibers to create a special goo that was used in rather peculiar ways.
The place was shaped different too. It was more oval shaped than having all the bells and whistles of a castle. Only a few openings were seen, used as windows or balconies, one providing an entrance to the place.
One good look made it all clear. It was a Changeling Hive.
This particular hive was the home of the swam that attacked Canterlot and the one who imprisoned and impersonated the crystal princess.
This was the home of Queen Chrysalis and her swarm.
Over two full years had passed since their last assault. The swarm was near full recovery. All the drones had regrouped. The only dilemma was where they would start their 2nd attempt at an invasion.
They knew two ponies together would sent them scattering like last time, six mares together would try to use the most powerful magic in the land to either seal them in stone or send them out of this world, they knew it would take a huge amount of love to overthrow the sisters, but where would they go?
The black skinned Queen with greasy night blue hair was still wrapped up in her thoughts as she made her way into one of the hive's many chambers. It was filled close to capacity with drones, training and preparing for their green dragon eyed Queen's order to attack, though the had no idea where they would go and who they would terrorize or feed emotions off of. They quickly stood to attention and bowed before their tall and slender Queen when they noticed her. Chrysalis strolled down the path that was cleared for her until she came to her general, dressed in full night blue armor, helmet, chest plate and back plate.
"General Cocoon!" She called.
"Yes, your majesty?"
"How goes the training?"
"Most of our drone solders are fit for your next assault." The general reported
"Most of them?"
"There's one last group of twelve drones that still need to finish their training. Our drones that have completed their work are trying their hardest to help them."
Chrysalis groaned. "At this rate, we'll be lucky to attack before the fall season is out!" She thought.
She sighed. "Thank you for your report. I'm still trying to figure out where we will strike. I will return when I have determined our starting point."
"Yes, your majesty."
The Queen's green back plate glistened in the light the came from Luna's full moon, as she walked through the barren desert land. She had decided to take a moonlit stroll to think about their first assault. It had been a struggling two years, both were full of regrouping and training. The blast had scattered them across Equestria, she and about a few dozen of them had landed in the badlands. The rest had to travel home, unnoticed to those horrible ponies. Whatever they got to survive on was achieved if their risks to take on the appearance of a pony that the location they were near to had never seen before.
Chrysalis was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the rumble of thunder in the distance, a sure sign that a storm was coming. She did, however, notice the moonlight fade quickly, like something had blocked it, casting a huge shadow across the land. She turned to the sky, her jagged horn swishing a bit in the air, and took notice of the dark clouds rolling in, the badlands' first late summer storm.
Chrysalis sighed as rain began to patter down, splashing on her back plate. She a feeling that, if the storm went thought the next day, she'd have to postpone the attack, if had decided where to attack by tomorrow. She trembled a bit as she felt the cold weather coming in. Due to being independent and not counting on anyone else, the changelings had to suffer any weather, yet survive via whatever they could find.
Chrysalis looked to the dark and stormy sky, her mind running through a plethora of thoughts. The attack on Canterlot, the regrouping and training, the hearing that they were a major threat...
Her thoughts stopped there and she screeched into the night. She had secretly hated all this since the beginning of her impersonating the sisters' niece. She had controlled it for a while, but now, the hate was too much. Her rage was more directed at herself, she was beginning to wish she had approached more quietly rather than follow the rules of nature.
In her rage, her small crown fell from her head and splashed into the mud that had developed while she was lost in thought and screaming. Her temper went from lifting her head high with her face looking at the sky to her body giving out completely. She fell to her chest and stomach, her hole clad legs spread out, her body almost forming a quadruple transversal. She screeched and cried, so tired of being the threat and still angry at how the Canterlot assault went.
Oh, how she wished all that happened with her didn't.
After what seemed like an eon, Chrysalis slowly opened her eyes. Something shiny caught her attention and turned towards it. It looked like a sparkle off something. She placed a hoof over it and, out of curiosity, brushed against it. And that's when she saw it, it wasn't a diamond or a crystal, it wasn't even anything of great value in wealth, it was a book.
As she pulled it out of the ground, the metallic gold lettering sparkled in the moonlight that managed to peak through the dark clouds, making the title easily visible.
"The Holy Bible."
Curiosity got the best of the changeling queen, and she shifted herself into a sitting position. Horn aglow, she levitated the book and opened it to the first page.
She began to read: "In the beginning, a goddess known as 'The Faust' created the pony heavens and the land that would be known as 'Equestria.' Now the land was..."
"...grace of the Fausticorn be with the Faust's children. Amen."
The Holy Bible was amazing. Chrysalis had especially enjoyed the story of the Fausticorn and never realized the she was the mother of the royal sisters, let alone she was technically the Faust's daughter.
This put her back in thought. What would her heavenly mother think of her? She had done wrong, and was about to do more! Now, here she was, outside of her home, reading her heavenly mother's book!
Tears started to form in her emerald eyes, but, before she could break down sobbing, she found herself bathed in light. It seemed to come from the sky, from the heavens, and it surrounded her.
She looked up, only to meet a face that matched what the bible described. A coat of vanilla white, with a maroon mane that was similar in style to a certain purple unicorn. The figure's pegasus wings were unfurled and her unicorn horn was long and high, she appeared to have the same stature as a certain sun princess. The alicorn's eyes, however, were a deep aqua, like a lake, and not matching the figure's daughters.
Awestruck for the first time in a while, Chrysalis looked upon her heavenly mother not as a pony she could easy crush. No! This one she looked upon as a goddess. One she would respect for life. One she would never rebel against.
After a few moments in awe, Chrysalis bowed, tears in her eyes.
"I-I'm s-sorry." was all she managed to whisper.
"There is no need for that." The Fausticorn's voice had a similar tone to Celestia's and was soft, soothing and kind. "What you did was the best of your intentions. It was natural, and so was you fillyhood dream. But between those times would have been the best time to decide better. Now is not the time for you to wish you never made the wrong choices. You may have converted, and want better intentions, but now, you must work to gain a treaty, for them to build your trust. You must show them what you are now, not what you were and what they expect you to be. Do you understand?"
"Yes, heavenly mother."
"And how do plan to fix your life?"
The changeling queen smiled.
Chrysalis felt good as she made her way to her solders chamber. She felt like she had found a new home and a new life after the previous night. She had dreamed of how things would go, and through the early mourning she finished up her plans. She'd send two scouts to a village several miles north that she had heard about from one of the groups that returned, they would ask a certain white unicorn to create something special, then they would return with their goods, and then she would explain the rest.
It was a perfect plan, one that would outdo and be even better than her Canterlot assault. A plan that would glorify her heavenly mother, and show those ponies that she was a monster no more.
A plan for a better life that she would never turn her back on.
She soon arrived in the army chambers, grinning from ear to ear. Her drones stood to attention and bowed as she made her way to General Cocoon, who was on the opposite side of the entryway. The general was still bowing as his queen came up to him.
"Please rise, general." She ordered.
"Have you decided where our assault shall commence, my queen?"
"Yes, but I wish to take assessment of the location. If there is anything that can ruin this plan, it will have to be dealt with before we can begin our second form of invasion. I'd like two of your best scouts to come to my chambers."
"As you wish, my queen."
Ponyville, a very important place, for it is the home of the ones who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord. And it was the home of two ponies who felt like outcasts. Every one of them had friends to help them in their lives, and they all felt like one big happy family.
Two particular earth ponies were making their way through the streets. One, a mare, was vanilla coated, with a deep red mane, blue eyes and a cutie mark of two bits. The other, a stallion, was orange coated, with a deep blue mane, deep red eyes and a cutie mark of a serving tray with a wine glass.
They made their way down a street from a jewelry shop to a building that appeared almost as tall as the town hall but had no balconies. The color was different too and there were two pony shaped statues on the thin columns surrounding the walls of the upper room.
This was their destination, The Carousel Boutique.
The two ponies made their way inside, the bell above the door jingling as they entered the shop. After a few moments looking at the dresses on display, they found it. A costume of sorts that was in full purple, complete with a mask, hat, cape and a full body suit with boots.
"Fabulous outfit, isn't it?"
The two nearly jumped at the sound of that. The voice was that of the most generous pony in Equestria. The pony was also Ponyville born, but Canterlot at heart. She was one of the best fashion designers in the land.
The voice, dignified but friendly, was Rarity's.
The 2 earth ponies turned towards the white unicorn with purple curly hair. She was smiling the smile she would use whenever she greeted her customers.
"Uh, y-yes. It is." The mare managed to say.
"Did I frighten you two?"
"Just a bit." the stallion spoke up.
"Good. I honestly don't wish to frighten any of my customers as much as my dear friend Fluttershy, if she is taken by surprise."
"No harm done." The stallion said. "I'm Serving Platter and this is my lovely wife Heaven Cart. We were hoping of purchasing one of those."
"A Mare-Do-Well suit? There's a request I don't get very often!"
"We were also hoping on purchasing a full grown alicorn sized suit, with a few differences, as well as a few of those display models you use." Heaven Cart added.
"Now that is a tall order, but since you two are..."
"Visiting." Serving Platter stated.
"Ok then, and I'm guessing the large suit is for a friend of yours, I guess I can whip up something for you, free of change."
"Thank you, it means a lot to us that you've given us so many." Heaven replied
It had taken an hour for Rarity to work her magic into creating both suits. After she finished the first one, Serving Platter and Heaven Cart explained what differences they wanted in the second one as she worked. The final result was similar to a normal Mare-Do-Well suit, but the "M" on the chest was replaced by a cross with a yellow diamond shape at each end. The cape, mask, hat band and boots were yellow instead of deep blue or blue-gray, with the eyeholes purple instead of light blue. When everything was prepared, Rarity loaded the goods into a rental wagon.
"That should do it." She said after loading the second of the two display models.
"Thank you." Serving said.
"Our gratitude will never cease." Heaven added.
"Take care." Rarity called as they departed.
The two earth ponies nodded as they trotted away. They headed south towards the Everfree Forrest and nodded to all the ponies they passed. Once in the cover of the Everfree, and when they were sure no one was looking, green flames surrounded both of their bodies. Their fur charred away into dark gray exoskeleton, their eyes burned into blue-gray where the whites should be and white pupils without irises, insect wings emerged and so did small horns, the large tails became small grey ones and deep aqua back plates were now visible.
There was no doubt about it, Rarity had not known she was being fooled, in a good way, by two changeling drones.
These were the scouts that Queen Chrysalis sent to Ponyville with special instructions. Now that they got their goods, their queen would be pleased, and be able to explain her plan. Once clear of the Everfree, the fluttered their wings and took flight.
The throne room in Chrysalis' hive was similar to any other, the only difference was it being made of the organic material used for the entire hive. A green throne, green floor, wall and ceiling and green, if any, columns. Also, the room wasn't very wide as much as it was long, but it had enough capacity to hold all the solder drones.
General Cocoon and his solders watched as their queen flew to her throne. Landing in front of her seat, Chrysalis' horn lit up. The spell she'd cast would raise her voice so every drone would hear.
"General Cocoon and fellow solders, thank you all for you presence. Last night, I read a most remarkable book. Do not question this, I have ordered copies printed to be distributed throughout the hive. Study it! Learn it as you learned of our history! But if you insist, pay close attention to these words. 'In the beginning, a goddess known as 'The Faust' created the pony heavens and the land that would be known as 'Equestria.' Now the land was...' "
In her bedchamber, the queen relaxed. It had been a perfect afternoon. Cocoon and the solders had listened well, as she read the bible. They now had a firm grasp of their queen's new plans, and knew what the tasks they called strange was about. They had even perfected their changeling magic so they could all have "Mare-Do-Well" suits on. She had also done well in her part. The suit, both of which were fitted to the models, was able to go on well, a perfect fit
Now, with faith in her heavenly mother and an unlimited supply of love for her hive, she and her changelings would fight evil in the name of "The Fausticorn".
And right then and there, A new team of heroes was born: Biblemare and the Mare-Do-Wells!