//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Starving Masses // Story: Darkness Awakens 2: Chrysalis’ Duty // by Tyler-the-Brony //------------------------------// Chrysalis feared her subjects. True, she alone was stronger than any one Changeling, or even a single large group of the creatures. Faced against her entire race though, Chrysalis knew she could not win. And her fear of that occurrence grew stronger each and every day. The Changelings were starving. Not a single area of them or a select type of Changeling either. The race as a whole was suffering from the lack of their preferred nourishment; love. The Changelings had long since abandoned Dragons as a viable source for love, and the homeland of the Zebras, Zebrika, had fared no better for them. Chrysalis too felt the hunger, but she also felt its collective hold on her soldiers, her race, and her family. If Chrysalis could not save the Changelings from starving soon, they would become beasts like no other. They could no longer be called Changelings at that point. They would become shadowy creatures which stalked the lands far and wide, looking for anything to stop their now un-removable hunger, until their bodies would move no more, and their spirits would ascend from them. Chrysalis had heard these legends from the Changelings previous leader, her father, Cocoon, shortly before he decayed and left the throne to her. She had thought then that such a thing could never occur under her reign. How narrow minded she had been back then. At this moment in her thoughts, Chrysalis keeled over forward, her legs no longer able to support her after so long without rest or a meal. It was also at this moment that Chrysalis began to cry. She screamed all around her; above, below, and even at herself, begging for an answer that could save her race. Just as Chrysalis conceded defeat to her godly pleading, a voice whispered about her. “I can help you Chrysalis.” The voice whispered, as comforting as snide to the Changeling Queen before him. “What? Who’s there?” Chrysalis panicked, fear blotting out the voice’s exact words for a moment. “I am the one who will tell you of a place where you and your Changelings may live forever in gluttony.” The voice tantalized Chrysalis, certain he was but moments away from gaining her for his needs. “Can such a wonderous place truly exist?” Chrysalis blindly beseeched the voice, tears and admiration both glistening in her eyes. Though unable to be seen by Chrysalis, the being to whom the voice belonged smiled at her words. “Yes it can Chrysalis, Greatest Queen of the mighty and fearsome Changelings. Far away from your land lies a land where love abounds as easily as air.” The voice answered Chrysalis, knowing he must weave his words with great care now. “What is this land called? Where exactly is it? How may I get there?” Chrysalis excitedly begged the voice for answers now, all doubt in its words gone forever from her mind for the moment. “The land’s name….is Equestria.” The voice paused momentarily so a deeper grin could abound on its user. “As for its exact location and such related details, I shall pass those to you directly now.” Chrysalis heard a single heavy exhale from the voice, and suddenly darkness enveloped her eyes for a moment as she breathed in, gaining all necessary knowledge of Equestria in the process. Chrysalis lay breathing heavily for a few moments afterwards, but when she rose to her hooves again, a new dark gleam lay deep inside her eyes, and new power filled her body as she prepared to inform her subjects of her new discovery, and of her new plan to get them their necessary nutrition, and more. ** “Are you certain of this my Queen? It all seems so sudden, I can’t help but suspect an element of foul play ahoof.” Gremiar, one of the Changelings top tacticians and personal advisor to Chrysalis, questioned Chrysalis as she readied herself to lead her troops out of their home, Farana, and towards the land known as Equestria. “We have no choice but to take this chance Gremiar. Our race is dying. If we cannot find nourishment soon, we’ll be no more. I have confidence in my knowledge, and faith in the one who gave it to me, though I can’t seem to remember many details about that.” Chrysalis pondered for a moment, only mildly suspicious of her hazy memories of who exactly had told her about Equestria and how to infiltrate it. “That there seems suspicious as well. I trust you entirely, but I fear the holder of the original knowledge may not be so deserving of my trust.” Hajk, second of Chrysalis’ three advisors and tacticians spoke up, hoof on his chin. “In any case, I was told that merely being in the vicinity of Equestria will allow us to live better, and we must find a way to improve our health, no matter how temporary the initial boost in it may be.” Chrysalis interjected, eager to be done with these arguments. “Very well then my Queen. I shall follow you, and so shall the Changelings below. But how are we to infiltrate Equestria so thoroughly for our plan of conquest to be successful?” Praid, last of the Changeling advisors, spoke as he stood up upon his hooves. Chrysalis’ eyes flashed deathly green for a moment as a smile spread across her face at Praid’s question. Though mostly un-noticed by those before her, the odd change in her demeanour made the advisors worry mildly about their Queen’s personal health. “Allow me to take care of the details. The less the majority of our forces are involved at the beginning of this all, the far better our chances of succeeding fare.” Chrysalis smiled as she adjusted the last strap on her saddlebags, which contained many bits, the currency of Equestria, a map of the area about and of Equestria, a picture of the upcoming Alicorn bride to be, and a list of the ponies to avoid at all costs. Chrysalis took to the air a moment later, and flew out and above her subjects below her in the Hive, her advisors only a short distance behind. Chrysalis smiled anew as she led her race towards what could be their greatest victory.