She looked at her nest. The outer hull was beyond repair now, the last winter’s storm had seen to that. The ice had opened cracks down to the egg-chambers. Water had found it’s way in, and the larvae withered. Without much fuss one after the other life had winked out before it had even started. Realizing they were not needed anymore the nursing and building workers were next. One morning they were all gone, but the hive’s emergency reserves were slightly higher.
She inspected her army. Once it was clear that the nest was lost, all other workers turned into soldiers. She finally realized the difference between knowing something and knowing something. Her mother had told her that the hive took no orders. Now she understood: the hive only took directions. She gave the direction to swarm.
She gazed at Canterlot, her target. So much of … everything. She didn’t envy the ponies, of course. Envy meant that someone else had something you didn’t. Those ponies had nothing against her. They would hide and pick up just the scraps, and her nest would be glorious again.
She grinned at her reflection, a pink pony princess. Never in her life had she felt so sated, so completely satisfied. Forget about the scraps. With such an amount of energy she would raise another few queens like herself and finally be no longer alone. The changelings would be great again.
She marveled at her power. She had taken on the mightiest being in all the realms and come out on top. The one reason her mother had never attempted this hung in a cocoon in her throne room, the fabled artifacts of harmony were useless with their bearers contained and the rumors about the return of the other princess were obviously exaggerated.
She looked at the landscape rushing by below. There is something funny about falling to your doom. You can only scream for so long, and after the first few seconds a certain … lightheadedness takes your mind to strange places. Nothing really matters anymore at terminal velocity because, well, it’s called terminal for a reason. As the ground rushed ever closer she realized she was almost free now. Her nest was in ruins, the swarm scattered, her target lost, all illusions dispelled, her power nullified. The last thing Chrysalis had was her life, and in a few moments she’d have—