//------------------------------//
// Adressing the issue 
// Story: The Changeling King 
// by th3l0stch1ld 
//------------------------------//

	"Sir, what are your orders?"  A single changeling soldier stood straight up, addressing his superior.  "Sir?"  The king broke from his thoughts.  He almost forgot the soldier was still in the room. 
"Hmm?  Oh!  Sorry, what were we talking about?"  
"We need to select the next area to launch an attack upon.  The hive has grown hungry, and we need food soon."  
Amor, king of the changeling hive, looked over his map of equestria.  He was a larger changeling, taller and slightly thinner than the rest of his subjects.  His dark teal mane, longer than most soldiers but still kept tighty for a changeling, hung halfway down his neck.  He had green eyes and thin black pupils, which was a rare occurence in changelings, who normally had solid blue eyes with no whites or pupils.  Even his fangs were longer, so long that they rested overtop of his bottom lip and arched down, almost touching his chin.  But there was one distinguishing factor about him that set him apart from the rest of the hive.  You see, all ponies, even changelings, gain their cutie marks at some point in there lives.  The only difference is that a changeling's will only appear briefly, before faiding as black as their heart.  But for some reason, Amor's still stayed.  A mended heart, broken in two and stiched back together.
"I see.  But where can we strike?  The hive is weak, so our options are limited."  
"What about Canterlot?" asked the soldier.  "No, no, no.  Canterlot, while being plentiful in love, is too powerful a force for us at the moment."  
"Ponyville?"  
"Our spies have reported large magical blasts from Ponyville, sugesting that at least one powerful unicorn is in the town.  What worries me most is one report in specific.  One of our spies reported a blast of magic that almost sent him flying."  
"Are you certain, sir?" asked the soldier.  
"I was skeptical at first, yes.  The man came back babbling about chocolate rain and cotton candy clouds.  I thought he suffered a head injury, but all the troops in the area reported the same thing.  Some time later was when the blast was recorded.  The last time a blast of that power was recorded was over one thousand years ago, and was the result of the Elements of Harmony.  I'm not sure, but the elements may have returned and the weilders may be residence there."  
"What about Cloudsdale?"  "I haven't completly ruled it out, but those pegasi can fight back.  What they lack in magic they make up for with brute strength."  
"We could always try for Manehattan or Fillydelphia."  
"Maybe, but I would rather wait until we can get spies up there and see if it is safe."
The soldier, though smaller than the king, looked at him aggresively and spoke in a deep and unprofessional tone.  "We can't afford to wait!  That is all you want to do is wait!  Look at your people and tell me, can they wait any longer?  Within a week we will be in a famine, in months, there may not be anyone left to serve you!"  Amor,  filled with stress and exaustion, did not even notice the small soldier raise his voice.  He looked up from his map and walked to the chair in the corner of the room.
"I know, I know, but what else can we do?  We are weak and we continue to grow weaker."  
A feminine voice awnsered his question.  "So we attack while we are strong."
Both Amor and the soldier looked towards the doorway with surprise.  "My Queen!" they both exclaimed as they bowed before her.  Amor may be the king of the hive, but he still was of lower rank than his queen.  Chrysalis stepped forward and put her hoof on the back of the soldier, pushing him to the ground with all her might.  
"I heard that little outbreak.  Your king may not care, but loyalty is still to be enforced."  
"My queen,  I...I'm sorry.  Please... forgive me."  
Amor rose up and put a gentle hoof on the queen's shoulder.  "That's enough, my queen.  He has done nothing wrong and is pleading for forgiveness.  Let him go."  
Chrysalis lifted her hoof and spoke to the soldier in a low, threatening voice.  "Begone with you."  "Yes my queen." awnsered the soldier as he practically crawled out of the room.
Once he was gone, Chrysalis spoke again.  "Amor."  Her voice was a sweeter, much more calming tone.  "Why must you be so giving to those who hold there loyalty so loosly?"  Amor looked down.  He was taller than the queen, but not by much.  
"My queen, he did nothing wrong.  He had every right to yell.  We grow hungrier, and that hunger is driving them mad.  But nowhere is safe for us to feed in our condition.  And the longer we wait, the weaker we become."  
"So again, I say we attack now, while we are still strong enough to fight."  Amor hugged Chrysalis and looked into her eyes.  
"If it were only so simple."  
Chrysalis stared back.  She could see that it has been days since Amor has gotten any sleep.  He had bags under his eyes and his eyelids hung half closed.  Lately, he has been spacey.  He has stopped wearing his crown, he goes into deep thoughts, and he practically lets his underlings trample all over him.  It's been like this for weeks and she is starting to become worried.  
"Come," she said, "It is late.  Let us sleep."
Amor followed Chrysalis to their chamber, where they shared a bed.  Chrysalis removed her crown and placed it on the nightstand, next to where Amor's has sat for days.  She gently lied down in the bed and Amor followed.  He started to go into another one of his deep thoughts.  What am I going to do?, He tought.  I need to find food for our people, or else I will be to blame for what may be the mass extinction of our race!  Chrysalis looked at him and could immediatley tell that he was in another one of his trances.  She hated seeing him like this.  She put her hoof on his shoulder.  
"Amor?  Amor!"  He blinked twice and came back to reality.  "You are not going through this alone.  I will help you in any way I can."  
"I know," he said in a low and depressed voice, "but all I can think about is our people.  It is up to me to find us food.  What if I can't?  What if I fail?"  She cut him off before he could continue.  
"No.  It is not up to you, it is up to us.  We will find food and we will  survive.  All you need to do is stop thinking, and rest."  With a kiss Chrysalis layed Amor down and lied down beside him.