Chapter two – Being Replaced
After checking up on all the preparations with her future sister in law, Twilight had found that she was really happy for the first time in a long time. Like the time when she was accepted into her school, or when she had been selected to be Celestia’s protégé.
She needed to tell a certain some pony about this. Not Cadance or Shinning, they knew how happy she was; her mother and father where busy with helping out Shining Armour so they were out of the question. No she needed to tell the only pony that knew of her mane’s true colour.
She walked into the cemetery as the sun began to set over the horizon. Walking past the many the many tomb stones she found one in particular. Set in what appeared to be purple and gray crystal was her cutie mark above the name.
Evening Star, this was where they had held the ceremony after she had been declared dead after 4 months of searching. She let her mane return to its orange colour. She rarely came here, but when she was capable, she altered the headstone to look like it does today.
“Guess what Evening, bro’s getting married!” Twilight began. She talked for over an hour when she was interrupted by an elderly mare coughing to get her attention. “How long have you been there?”
“Little under 10 minutes, I apologise for the interruption but I wish to speak with you about Evening Star” the mare said.
“What about her?” Twilight asked. “She has been dead for...”
“Over 20 years I know Twilight. I was there when it happened” she said.
“Wait, but there was no witnesses” Twilight said
“None that came forward about the truth, I was scared, but I wish not to dwell on it for my time it drawing near. Evening star was not a normal pony. Neither of you were”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked. The mare looked around briefly before sighing.
“It wasn’t a break in or stolen child. Celestia was the one who tried to kill her because she was a Changeling larva” the mare stated. Twilight’s expression changed to confusion, “I can see that you are confused my dear. Though not as prevalent as they were a few years ago, Changeling Larva, are unique in how they reproduce for their queens”
“How do you know all this?” Twilight asked. The mare chuckled.
“I was there at your birth of you and Evening Star. I went to check up on you and was forced to hide from Celestia and the Doctor when hey entered shortly after myself. I watched as she attempted to kill Evening but it was you who stopped her. With magic I could scarcely believe. She then placed some kind of enchantment on you” she said. Twilight tried to speak but found it odd that she didn’t. “Now I have told you, we will not meet again. Goodbye Twilight Sparkle”
Twilight remained motionless, unable to move but hear everything. Her form stiff thanks to a pair of light green needle like spines jutting out of her back legs. She tried to move but found herself unable to. She heard clopping come from her blind side.
“All too easy Twilight Sparkle. Though hearing that tale was interesting enough as is” he own voice said from her side. A complete replica of her walked into her vision this included her orange mane. Her eyes narrowed at the imposter, “Oh come now orange suits you I think. Well it will once I'm done. Not that I care really, Canterlot will become a hive once my queen is done with it”
Green flames licked around twilights hooves as a ring of it appeared and began to engulf her in a pure green dome. She tried to escape, but it was to no avail thanks to the toxin in her system. She felt the ground give way as she sunk into it to the imposter smirking and waving cheekily at her.
“Twilight, what the hay you doing out here girl?” a Familiar voice of Applejack asked. ‘Twilight’ looked over.
“Just going for a walk” she replied. Hoping that she would buy it, “You know, late night walk in the cemetery. The usual”
“Usual; That aint usual girl, that’s borderline crazy. You sure you okay and what happened to your mane?” Applejack asked walking up, “Ah didn’t know you dyed your mane purple”
“Oh right. Sorry” she said. Her horn flashed green and changed it back to purple. “Better?”
“Much. So you came out here to do your mane?” Applejack asked. The imposter nodded in agreement, “Why didn’t you say so earlier girl. Rarity would have been able to help you out with that. Come on, we got a dinner to get to”
“Coming” ‘Twilight’ said walking up to her friend. In her mind she could feel the love stemming from the mare.
Deep down though. Something stirred in her, something that was being repressed. It was trying to break free. Evening Star wouldn’t let Amaryllis win so easily.
~-~-~
It was during the practice that ‘Twilight’ walked in calm and collected, the love in the room feeding her ever increasing hunger. She noted that it was Celestia that was most concerned looks towards her, as she was positioned next to Shining Armour.
After the practice it was Cadance that had spoken up to Celestia. Chrysalis walked out, waited for every pony to leave and took on the guise of a maid and began to clean up to overhear the conversation.
“Something is seriously wrong Celestia. I know it; she was all perky yesterday, now she is quiet and broody. It’s not like her”
“Cadance; I know you are concerned. She is my student I know this. But these things happen. She might be contemplating finding someone of her own” Celestia said as she began to leave Cadance in the main hall.
“Celestia, I know who sent that warning. It was Evening Star” she said. Celestia seemed to stiffen at the name. “If she is alive, then we need to find her. I believe that would break her out of this stupor”
“Cadance, Evening Star is long dead. The Changeling was killed. I made sure of it” Celestia said. Cadance’s eye twitched at the coldness of her aunt’s comment. Deep down inside of Chrysalis, Evening star rejoiced that they knew about her.
“I don’t care about that right now. You and I both know she wasn’t a true changeling” Cadance said, “You just tell yourself that to make you feel better about the fact that you attempted to murder her”
“Enough. One more word and I will ensure you will not speak again” Celestia bellowed. Cadance recomposed herself and nodded. “Good. Now then, let us not speak of this to anypony”
Chrysalis grinned, a perfect target to take in. She followed the pink princess to her quarters. “Princess, did you require anything?”
“No thank you” she replied gloomily. Chrysalis looked at her. “Is something the matter?”
“No, I-” Chrysalises said, her face twitched as something was trying to take hold of her mind. “-I have other duties to attend to. Sorry for interrupting princess. I wish you all the best for the wedding” In a flash of green the mare disappeared leaving a confused Cadance to stand there.
The mare wasn't even a unicorn, so how did she teleport away?
~0~0~
The real Twilight found her in a very odd situation. She was hanging about 6 inches off the floor, by her forehooves upright in a large pillar like spike of light green hardened goo. Her whole lower body was encased and her forehooves at right angles, spread eagle, holding her upright in the goo.
The inside of the column was actually more akin to Jelly than goo, but she could hardly move anyway thanks to the hardened parts. She hung her head down, she was trapped and with a cold Iron ring on her horn, teleportation was out of the question.
“Given up have we?” a Soft voice said walking in on her. Twilight looked up and Gasped at the sight before her. A Changeling Queen flanked by a pair of smaller changelings.
“What are you?” Twilight asked. The Queen chuckled, “answer me!”
“You are in no place to make such demands, Twilight Sparkle” she replied, “But because you showed more backbone that Chrysalis, I will tell you. I am Queen Amaryllis, ruler of the changeling empire. And these two are changelings my dear” the queen ran her hoof down twilights face, “you are more beautiful than I had first imagined. The orange mane suits your fiery personality”
“And you’re disgusting” Twilight retorted. She got a hoof across the face, leaving a red mark on her cheek.
“ I'm likening you more and more I listen to you speak. If only Chrysalis was as impulsive. She would have been better off” she stated. A quick flash of green flames appeared behind the Queen as a second one appeared, and staggered around for a few steps. “Speaking of the devil, Princess Chrysalis welcome back”
“Mother, we may have a problem. Cadance knows of Twilights apparent lack of motivation” Chrysalis said. The queen rolled her eyes.
“And whose fault was that?” She retorted. Chrysalis looked away before noticing Twilight hanging up. Walking up to her she looked her over. “You’re more than welcome to feed off her. I’ve been doing it since she arrived”
“So you’re the one who captured me” Twilight said. Chrysalis nodded quietly and aimed her horn at Twilight.
Sucking love out of a pony is much like taking blood, the initial sting fades, but you feel woozy after. Twilight felt a particular love being drawn out of her; The Love for her dead sister, Evening Star. The result was spectacular even by magic standards. Chrysalis was sent flying into a crystal formation with orange goo running over her horn. she began to cough and splutter in pain. she attempted to get up with use of the formation that she had just slammed into.
“What did you do!” Amaryllis demanded. Chrysalis staggered around for a few steps before the crown on her head fell to the floor and green fire engulfed her. She continued to do so before screaming out in pain of having the crown removed forcibly.
Twilight watched in amazement as Chrysalis shrank to her size and almost looked exactly like her, aside from the holes in her hooves or the mane that was unkempt.
“Oh, that’s a new problem” she said picking up the crown; it seemed to wriggle then stop as though it was a living thing dying. “I must admit, that’s a new one. No changeling has ever been able to shake one of those crowns off. Oh well; I have the perfect guise now that you are indisposed of”
Twilight watched as herself appeared before her were the queen once stood. Azure flames licking around the creature before disappearing into nothingness. She did a few test stretches in her new form before walking up to Twilight and running her hoof over her chest.
“Nice form Twilight. Abet missing the athletic ability I so enjoy” she said using Twilights own voice. She looked over at the mess that was Chrysalis “String this mess up next to Twilight. I don’t care how rough you are with her. She is no daughter of mine anymore”
The changeling drones nodded before pulling her up by the forehooves and held her aloft at the same height of Twilight. Another ten appeared from the woodwork and began to construct another pillar like spike to hang her up. Twilight watched in amazement as the process took less than ten minutes the spike was complete and the new mare, chrysalis, was in a pose much like herself. Another five minutes passed and the whole outer crystallised and became hard as rock.
She watched as they then covered the deformed horn in goo as well and waited for it to harden. Sure enough, it did leaving the mare to hang, head drooped and horn covered in hardened goo.
“Oh Twilight what mess have you gotten into” she muttered to herself.