//------------------------------//
// A Little Taste of Heaven 
// Story: A Touch of Chaos 
// by Written Out 
//------------------------------//

“Mmm, home sweet home. Can’t you just smell that evening freshness?”

Last Breath casually hopped down from the charred remnants of the Friendship Express, the changeling’s hooves striking softly against the cobblestones of the Canterlot train station. Grinning broadly, he glanced back at the burnt-out train. Really, it astounded him that it had managed to carry him and Innocent Sin all the way to Canterlot as damaged as it was. Whoever had designed it had been good. Pity it had been all pink and frilly. Were they trying to appeal to young fillies or something? he thought, slightly amused. A sun motif would have been way better.

Not that it would have really mattered. A look at the roof of the train showed him a tiny emerald flame still merrily flickering away as it continued to consume whatever fuel it could. The flame had resisted all of the two changelings’ attempts to fight it, instead growing hotter and brighter in cheerful defiance of their best attempts. Dragonflame was scary stuff, even when it came from a baby. Last Breath shuddered at the idea of meeting that dragon when it was fully grown.

“Smells like pony,” a grumbling voice echoed of from the dark recesses of the train. “I still can’t believe you convinced me to let them go.” Innocent Sin climbed out of the train behind Last Breath, his slightly larger frame nudging the smaller changeling aside. “We could have held those foals hostage, or used them to lure the Bearers into a trap, or-” 

“We wouldn’t have been able to hold them,” Last Breath interrupted with a roll of his eyes. “As soon as that dragon showed up, there was nothing we could have done.” He gestured at the side of the train, charred black from the flames that had been roaring across it not long ago. “You know that.”

Innocent Sin grunted, conceding the point as they began walking towards the castle. Dragons were one of the few species higher on the food chain than changelings, and even a baby could be dangerous if provoked. With scales like steel, flames hotter than any natural fire, and a body shape that changelings couldn’t hope to replicate, they were virtually the changeling’s natural enemy.

 The city had changed greatly since the changeling occupation had begun. The streets, which once had been filled with ponies of all walks of life from all over Equestria, were now nearly barren and empty. The few ponies that still walked the cobbled paths stumbled around drunkenly, either smelling heavily of alcohol and salt, or stared blankly into space, apparently unaware of the world around them as they retreated into the recesses of their minds.

Most of the citizens had locked themselves away within their own homes, only letting their closest friends and families inside. Others had chosen to open their doors to the ponies from outside Canterlot, who were left without a place to stay since Queen Chrysalis had decided that no one was allowed to leave the city.

In the back of their minds, there was one thing that every pony feared. No matter whether they allowed strangers into their homes of tried to keep the world at bay, anypony could be a changeling in disguise. From the youngest foal to the eldest mare, anypony could be a spy for the new regime. No one was safe, not even somepony they had known for years could be trusted anymore.

Heightening the tensions, changelings were openly posted on every street corner, their cold unblinking eyes staring down on the streets from the roofs of nearby buildings. They stood untransformed in the broad daylight, letting themselves be seen and serving as a continuous reminder of the changes the city had experienced.

Canterlot was a city gripped by paranoia and fear.

Smiling half-heartedly to himself, Last Breath’s tongue rubbed absently against his short fangs, feeling the sharp edges as his looked up at one of the houses at the outskirts of the plaza. The entire second story of the building had been demolished, vaporised by a redirected attack of Queen Chrysalis’ from when she had fought that Prince. Such power the Queen had obtained. It was truly… Magnificent. 

Distracted as he was, he failed to notice when a shadow detached itself from a nearby dark alleyway, charging at him. Hearing a battle cry of “For the Princess!” he leapt to the side, barely managing to dodge the tip of a swiping sword that nearly took his head off. His wings buzzing as he flew out of range of the creature that had just tried to kill him, he smirked sarcastically as he got a good look at it.

A white unicorn stallion, decked in the golden colours of Celestia’s royal guard, or the Solar Guard, glared up at the changeling past the sword clutched in his teeth. The stallion had clearly seen better days, his coat and armour scratched and covered in dirt and grime. Impressive, considering the occupation had begun only a day or so ago. Even from where Last Breath buzzed above the stallion’s head, he could easily smell the alcohol that seemed to roll off the stallion in waves.

“Git down here,” the stallion slurred, spraying spittle everywhere. Despite the difficulty the stallion was having talking, his voice still had a hint of an accent to it. His eyes were having a hard time focusing on the changeling, and one pupil was slightly larger than the other. “I’ll… I’ll kill you. You monsters! Yer a blight on Celestia’s own land! I’ll-” Exactly what he was going to do was left unsaid as tripped over a cobblestone and landed squarely on his face, luckily avoiding impaling himself.

Last Breath remained motionless in the air, watching the stallion with a slightly bemused expression on his face. He wasn’t sure if he should finish the mysterious pony off, go and get him some help, or just laugh at him. Instead, he only watched as the stallion uneasily got back to his hooves. The stallion cast his eyes around on the ground, looking for his sword. Finding it, he bent down and picked it up in his teeth, possibly forgetting that he could grab it with magic. “Mmph mumble mmph mmph mmph!” he said past the sword hilt in his mouth.

“Pardon? You’ll have to repeat that.” Deciding to have fun with the poor ex-soldier, Last Breath cupped one of his forehooves to his ear. “I don’t speak mumblese.”

The stallion spat out the sword, gripping it between his hooves. “I said I’m going to tear dem shtupid wings of yer back, then I’m ripping dem off yer back and shoving dem down yer filt’y throat.”

“Not my wings!” Last Breath gasped mockingly, clutching his chest in fake horror. “They’re my best feature. How will I attract mares without them?” After a moment’s thought, he shrugged as if it didn’t really matter. “Well, at least I’ll have better luck than you.”

“Git down here!”

“You’ve certainly got a one-track mind. But if it’s a fight you want, I’ll give you one.” His wings ceasing their buzzing, Last Breath dropped to the ground. A smirk spread across his face as he locked eyes with the sword-wielding stallion, pawing at the dirt.

The pair were nearly perfectly still as they stared each other down, neither so much as blinking. The stallion’s ear twitched wildly as he gritted the hilt of his sword in his mouth. His eyes blazing blood red in the evening sunlight, the stallion stepped forwards… and vanished in a cloud of dust.

Last Breath remained still as the dust settled, revealing what had happened. The stallion lay prone on the street, buried under a pile of blank-eyed changelings. A small trail of drool oozed from the stallion’s partially opened mouth, cutting a trail of slime through the grime on his chin. One changeling stepped free of the pile and stepped in front of Last Breath.

“SSzzaw you were in trouble, sszzir,” it buzzed, bowing low before him. Last Breath blinked in amazement, his annoyance at the interruption to the fight completely forgotten. If a simple drone like this was already starting to recover speech, then the changelings were incorporating the ambient love far faster than even the Queen had hoped for.

Changelings, once they ran out of love energy, became what were collectively known as “Lost Ones”. Their pupils would vanish behind a soulless sea of crystalline blue, any defining features would disappear, and they would even lose their ability to think. They were lost to the swarm, mere monsters of instinct and emotion. Only the presence of their King or Queen would prevent them from lashing out indiscriminately at the living creatures around them for love and life energy. If they were not near the ruler, they would vanish into the curse.

To be lost to the swarm was to have one hoof in the grave.

Last Breath dispelled his dark thoughts. With Canterlot firmly under changeling control, it was only a matter of time before every changeling was restored from all the ambient love in the air. Nearly every changeling had been lost to the swarm during the escape from the Gryphon territories, including Last Breath. While the gryphons might not formally have a country, they had still nearly found out about the existence of the changelings living among them. The changelings had been forced to flee to Equestria, and every changeling except the Queen had become lost to the swarm because of a lack of areas to obtain more love.

It was only by the narrowest of margins that any of them had managed to survive at all.

Many of them hadn’t.

“Pleasszze take care, sszzir,” the drone changeling said, cutting into Last Breath’s thoughts. Turning, the nameless changeling assisted the others with carrying the unknown stallion away. He would be incarcerated in the dungeons underneath Canterlot Castle, like all the others who had opposed the Queen. Wonder how many of the cells are full already?

After watching the group vanish around a corner, Last Breath turned his gaze up into the sky. His eyes closed as he inhaled the crisp evening air, he felt the weak warmth of the faded sunlight against his exoskeleton. This was what he wanted, right? This was what was best for the changelings, and that was all that mattered. Of course it was! He was a changeling! He consumed emotions, he wasn’t ruled by them!

So why couldn’t he convince himself of that?





Innocent Sin strode confidently through the glorious hallways of Canterlot Castle. A large pair of sunglasses “requisitioned” from a shop in the city rested upon his muzzle, protecting his eyes from the sun’s harsh rays. How that flighty changeling Last Breath could enjoy such harsh light confused Innocent Sin to no end. The sound of his hooves striking the smooth stone floors echoed mournfully through the empty hallway. It was a satisfying reminder of the brief moment of solitude. Just for now he could enjoy the peace and quiet emptiness without the presence of that insubordinate creature.

A growl seemed to emanate from the walls as Innocent Sin thought about his former travelling companion, and it took him a moment to realise it was coming from his own throat. The way Last Breath acted was just an insult to everything that was right. Every living being had its own proper place in the world. That was just the way things were. Neat. Clean. Organized.

The brooding changeling’s steps gradually led him to his destination; the throne room. He would need to report his failure in Ponyville. Reaching the large ornate doors leading into the throne room, he was greeted by a welcome sight. Instead of the pair of garish white-and-yellow stallions that had been so prevalent under former Princess Celestia, a single intelligent-eyed changeling sat before the grand archway. The changeling was leaning against the wall beside the doorway, bouncing a rubber ball against the opposite wall with a bored expression on her face. The changeling looked up as Innocent Sin approached it, cheerfully abandoning the little toy as she greeted the latest distraction.

“Hey Innocence,” it said in a sultry feminine voice. There was only a faint hint of a buzz in her voice, so faint that one would have to focus to hear it. Her body was polished and shiny, brilliantly reflecting the weak sunlight off of her smooth carapace. Her wings and belly were a pale lime green, and her wings were a little smaller than those belonging to the average changeling. Finally, her curving horn bent right at the end, twisted so that the tip pointed directly at the floor in front of her.

“Hello Fallen Roses,” he greeted her in return with a smile. He had long since given up trying to correct her on the pronunciation of his name. At least she wasn’t calling him “Inno” anymore. The smile widened as she wrapped her forelegs around his neck, her simpering face only inches away from his own.

“Aw, Innocence,” she cooed, large compound eyes gazing into his as she fluttered her eyelids flirtatiously. “Don’t be so cold. When we’re alone, you call me Rose, mkay?” Fallen Roses began to the nurturer class of changelings; a rank outside of the hierarchy of the other ranks. They answered only to the Queen herself, and were in charge in raising the young changeling grubs. Her unusual rank made her one of the few beings that Innocent Sin felt free to look upon as an equal. 

“Alright then, Rose,” he said, putting special emphasis on her name as he fondly patted her head. He might not be able to give her any love, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care for her anyway. Changelings were thankfully unable to feed off of one another, which prevented them from attacking each other even when they were lost to the hive. Only the Queen was able to give her own love energy to other changelings.

“Ooh, you know what I like,” she teased, reaching up to nibble his ear. “Maybe we can even have a little… fun.” She breathed the last word as she nibbled his ear with her fangs, careful not to puncture the tender skin.

Innocent Sin chuckled at the nurturer’s antics as he unwrapped her hooves from around his neck and let her drop gracefully to the floor. She might tease and provoke, but he knew she would be offended if he tried to take her up on her offer. “Sorry Rose, not today.” Pointing with his nose, he gestured at the large double doors leading to the throne room. “Is Her Majesty in? I have something I need to report to her.”

Rolling her eyes, she walked directly in front of the giant door. Gesturing for him to be quiet, she cautiously cracked opened one of the doors. A wall of sound seemed to explode out of the crack, throwing the male changeling back against the wall.

“Wha-what was that?” he asked frantically after she had shut the door and silence filled the hallway once more. The doors must have been enchanted to prevent any sound from passing through them. He rubbed his hooves against the side of his head as he tried to still the ringing in his skull.

Fallen Roses giggled, obviously amused by his distress. “Pony nobles. Her Majesty’s holding court, like Celestia used to. If the nobles aren’t at least pretending to follow orders, holding Canterlot is going to become a lot harder.”

“I don’t see why we can’t just force them into line,” Innocent Sin grumbled.

“Oh, you soldier types,” Fallen Roses teased, “always thinking with your muscles. The country depends on the nobles, and would probably grind to a halt without them.” She snickered, raising one hoof to cover her mouth. “Bet you that’s the only reason Celestia kept them around.”

“What do pony problems matter to us?” he asked her, his wings starting to buzz with his aggravation. “They are powerless. They don’t matter.”

“Aww,” she cooed at him, poking his cheek affectionately. “Your naiveté is just so adorable. Makes me want to gobble you up. Oh!” she exclaimed in excitement, spotting something black coming down the hallway towards them. “Hold that thought. I spy with my little eye, something yummy.”

“Innocent Sin!”  the newcomer, instantly recognizable as Last Breath, shouted. “You curséd roach! You ditched me!”

“I figured you could handle one crazy stallion,” Innocent Sin said flatly to the wall without turning around. “If you hadn’t, well, I’m sure it would have been a very nice funeral.”

“Breathy!” Fallen Roses squealed, pouncing on the new arrival and knocking him to the ground. Pinning him on his back, she straddled him and licked at the side of his face in greeting. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Hey Rose,” Last Breath smiled up at her, unaffected by the sudden invasion of his personal space. “Innocent turned you down again, huh?”

The female-identified changeling pouted down at him, fluttering her eyelids playfully. “Don’t be like that, sweetie. I’m over him. He’s far too grumpy for me. You’re the only one for me.”

“I’m right here, you know,” a dry voice interjected from behind the both of them, but was promptly ignored.

“I’m sorry, my dear,” Last Breath said, deciding to play along. Reaching up with a hoof, he gently caressed the side of her face. “But the boundaries of rank must ever keep us apart, for someone such as you could do far better than a mere collector. Also,” he added, dropping the dramatic tone but keeping his voice playful, “since you raised me, I’m afraid that you’re just too old for my tastes.”

With a malevolent grin revealing her sharp fangs, she crouched down until her mouth was next to his neck, pressing her chest against her own. “Well, if that’s your only issue…” With those ominous words, she vanished in a blaze of bright green, the light forcing Last Breath to cover his eyes.

When he could see again, he opened his eyes to see a large pair of emerald eyes staring into his own. Instead of the amorous female changeling, a tiny magenta filly rested on his chest. Her miniscule pegasus wings were pressed firmly against her sides, doing nothing to hide her youthful flanks. Her sapphire mane was swept forwards, partially covering half of her face. “…that can be easily… remedied,” she said, practically purring out the last word.

“Hoookay,” Last Breath said, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the hacking laughter coming from Innocent Sin. “That’s enough of that. Up. Up!” Rolling to his stomach, he dislodged the filly, knocking her to the ground. She only smiled at him before reverting back to her original form. “What are you doing here, anyway?” he asked her. “Shouldn’t you be guarding the Princess?”

Fallen Roses rolled her eyes as she pointed at the large double doorway before them. “She’s in there. Honestly, I don’t know what Her Majesty was thinking. First it’s all ‘Guard Princess Cadence for me, don’t let her escape’ and then she won’t let the little Princess out of her sight. I’m boooooooored out here.”

“Life for the Princess isn’t as glamorous as she’s used to?” Last Breath cut himself off, cocking his head and his ears twitching as muffled shouting leaked through the large doorway to the throne room. “What’s that sound?”

Before any of the changelings could react, the large doorways were thrown open, a well dressed pony flying through them and hitting the far wall with a meaty thud. As the trio of changelings watched, the pony staggered to his hooves and stumbled away down the hallway, giving the doorway one final terrified look before disappearing around a corner. A slight tremor in the ground was all the warning the changelings had before the doors burst open again, disgorging a literal stampede of well-dressed ponies into the hallway.

Instinctively taking to the air, the three were able to avoid being trampled under the hooves of the fleeing ponies. Giving the hint to what they were fleeing from, Queen Chrysalis’ voice pursued them from the throne room. “Out! All of you! Out of my sight!”

As the last pony vanished around the corner, the three changelings slowly descended to the smooth marble floor. The large doorway stood open, the fancy ornate door swinging unchecked. “Well,” Fallen Roses said with a nervous laugh, licking her lips, “I believe Her Majesty is ready to see us now.” 

Carefully stepping around the detritus that had been left behind in the stamped of well-dressed ponies, the three changelings entered the throne room of Canterlot, the location of the country’s very seat of power. The throne room itself was magnificently designed, and possibly the largest room in the building. The ornate decorated ceiling was almost three stories above them, covered in a mural of the three tribes of ponies standing side by side. A trio of giant stained glass windows stretched from floor to ceiling let in a beautiful spectrum of hues ranging from purple to red, casting the room with all the colours of the rainbow. The windows were a masterwork of architecture and on a normal day, the light would dance along the smooth polished marble bringing light and life to the residents within. Tapestries adorned the wall opposite the window, showing ponies of all types living and frolicking together in peace, harmony, and friendship. A pair of giant alicorn statues stood behind the throne, craning their necks so they appeared to be looking down at the throne itself. It was a room carefully crafted to bring the warmth of the outside world into the peaceful throne room.

As one, the attention of the changelings was drawn to the centerpoint of the room; the throne itself. With a thin red carpet leading directly from the doorway to the foot of the throne, the seat demanded attention. Elevated a few steps above the rest of the room, the throne was where the ruler of Equestria would sit and listen to her citizen’s requests and petitions. Carved out of the same white marble that composed the rest of the room, an image of a dawning sun emblazoned on the peak of the seat back, it had stood for centuries as a symbol of Princess Celestia and of stability for Equestria.

Queen Chrysalis lay slouched out across the throne, her rear hooves and head dangling across the throne’s armrests. A tiny amount of green slime oozed from the gaping hole in her throat, where Shining Armor had managed to shove a spear all the way through her neck. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, one of her forehooves idly stroking at a chain bolted to the front of the throne. The chain was clearly a recent addition, cracks spreading through the marble out from where it had been hastily implanted. Princess Cadance sat lashed at the end of the chain by a heavy iron ring around her neck. Her eyes refused to yield, and she glared defiance at the three changelings as they walked up to the throne.

“Quite a mess those fancy-pants ponies left behind,” Last Breath said flippantly, stepping over an abandoned gem-encrusted necklace. “You must have really scared them.” Despite his frivolous tone, he bowed as low as the other two did when they reached the steps leading up to the throne.

“My Queen,” Innocent Sin said, nearly prostrating himself before his monarch. “Forgive me. I have failed you. The town of Ponyville had refused to hand over the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and we were unable to take them into custody. I can only offer my apologies, and beg for your forgiveness.” He bowed so low that his horn scraped against the floor, its twisted tip scratching an imperceptible groove in the smooth stone.

“Ha!” Cadance proclaimed, a grim smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Her mane may be messy and unkempt, dark bags may ring her eyes, and her coat may be dirty and faded, but a fierce light lit her eyes from within. And so long as she would not give up hope, that light would not be extinguished. “I told you! Twilight and her friends are going to stop you!”

Chrysalis yanked at the chain, the unexpected force pulling Cadance to the floor. Sitting up straight in her throne, Chrysalis frowned down at the captive Princess. “If they think they can stop me, just let them try. I’ve come too far to be defeated now. Before I’m finished, all of Equestria will be under my total control!” Stepping off the throne, she stood over Cadance. “And you are going to watch it all. Helpless to do anything about it.” She giggled girlishly, the feminine sound at odds with the malicious tone in her words. “Just like before. Only this time, I’m not going to underestimate you.” Her hoof slammed against Cadance’s shoulder, pinning the Princess to the ground. “Maybe I should send you back to those caverns again. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Cadance glared defiance up at the Queen. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, her expression was unfazed at the reminder of her previous imprisonment. The last time the two had met, the Queen had imprisoned Cadance in the Crystal Catacombs deep beneath Canterlot. The only reason Cadance had been able to break out was because Chrysalis had also tried to imprison Twilight Sparkle in the same place, and the two had managed to escape together. “You won’t win! We’ve beaten you before and we’ll do it a-aagh.” She shouted in pain as the hoof on her shoulder pressed down even harder, and the three watching changelings winced at the sound of grinding bone.

“Yes, yes,” Chrysalis replied as she increased the pressure, the bored tone in her voice matched by the expression on her face. “Goodness will prevail, love and harmony will conquer all, cheaters never prosper, and always brush your teeth. Honestly, it’s like you ponies can only parrot the same ridiculous lines over and over again. Well, let me give you something to think about, Princess.” Instead of saying anything, her head shock forward, lashing at Cadance with all the speed of a serpent striking at its prey. Chrysalis’ mouth latched onto Cadance’s horn before the Princess could react, the changeling’s fangs digging deep into the base of the alicorn’s horn.

Cadance screamed in horrified agony as she felt her essence, her very being, drawn out through her horn and into the insatiable creature standing above her. Her wordless shriek echoed in the mighty chamber, her howl of soul-rending despair reaching higher and higher in pitch as her fear and anguish reached an overwhelming crescendo. “Aaa-aaaaaauuuuaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!” Succumbing to the unbearable pain, her screams eventual died out as her eyes crossed and she collapsed into unconsciousness’ blissful embrace. 

Chrysalis, heedless of her victim’s insentient state, continued to slowly drain the life and love out of Cadance, draining the Princess dry. Sucking like a leech, she drew out and absorbed almost every piece of Princess Cadance. Eventually satiated, she released her hold around Cadance’s horn and took a step back, her tongue rubbing at one of her fangs. “Thanks for the meal,” she said mockingly to the prone Princess. 

“Whoa.” Fallen Roses mouthed soundlessly, her compound eyes staring at the pair on the dais. The sheer amount of power she had just felt her Queen drain – it was unlike anything she had ever felt before. That much raw, unbridled energy would be enough to revive the hive a hundred times over. Hearing Chrysalis suddenly speak her name, she stiffened, standing up straight to await Chrysalis’ regard.

“Take her,” Chrysalis prodded the unconscious Princess with a forehoof, “to her own room. Do everything you can to see that she recovers.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Fallen Roses’ horn lit up, levitating the pink alicorn and gently depositing her on the changeling’s back. Through her exoskeleton she felt Cadance’s sides heaving weakly as the Princess struggled to breathe, and a rapid pulsating signifying her heart fluttering wildly. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Cadance’s eyes were closed and she a pained expression spread across her face, all while the raspy sound of her breath was reminiscent of rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together. Getting her to recover is going to be a little tricky. Maybe I should… nah, I’ll wait a bit first. That could be fun, though.

As Fallen Roses left the throne room with her unconscious passenger, several dozen blank-eyed changelings flew in through the main doorway. Their blank blue eyes stared at the Queen as they flew before her, buzzing around loosely in no sense of order or discipline. Chrysalis turned to look at Innocent Sin and Last Breath, throwing her head back and tossing her mane out of her eyes. “Here are your new orders. Innocent Sin, you are in command. You and your troops,” she gestured at the small swarm of changelings, “are to find the Bearers of the Elements and negate them as a threat. Bring them here if you can.”

“I live to obey,” Innocent Sin murmured, bowing low. Turning, he strode proudly out of the throne room, the platoon of changelings following in his wake.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Last Breath said, having remained behind when all the others had left. “Wouldn’t it be easier to remove the Elements themselves? We have them here in the castle, and we could easy separate them and send them all across Equestria.”

Chrysalis frowned slightly, her diaphanous wings buzzing as she flew in front of one of the massive stained glass windows. Gazing up at the masterwork of design, she stared up at the carefully crafted imagery. One on the end showed Princess Celestia, proudly raising the sun into the sky. The one on the far end portrayed Princess Luna, serenely lowering the moon behind the horizon. But it was the one in the middle that had Chrysalis’ attention. Both Princesses stood together, surrounded by the six Elements of Harmony, the adoring subjects prostrating themselves before the rulers.

“That certainly would be easier,” Chrysalis agreed, gazing up at the larger-than-life representations of her enemies. “It’s regretful, but Celestia sealed the Elements behind a doorway that I am unable to open. Even with all my power, the lock is far too intricate for me.”  She laughed faintly, the faintest hint of self-depreciation present in her chuckle. “I guess living hundreds of years isn’t just for show.”

Catching something in her tone, Last Breath gave her an odd look. “…You admire her, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Chrysalis sighed, gazing up at the stained glass depiction of Celestia. “I do. All my life, I’ve wanted to be like her. I’ve wanted everything she had. And now I have it.” Landing on the ground, she kicked one of her forehooves across the marble floor. “And it still isn’t enough! What am I missing?”

“Maybe you just want the same thing everything else wants,” Last Breath suggested after an uncomfortable pause. “Love.”

Chrysalis grunted. “I have the love of my changelings. I don’t need anything else.” Turning away from the mighty windows, she turned her gaze upon Last Breath. “You think I’m going about this all wrong, don’t you?”

“Honestly?” Last Breath stood up straight, abandoning his deferential bow. His eyes staring directly into his Queen’s, he stated his honest opinion. “Yes. I do.”

The two changelings locked gazes, neither backing downing in the slightest. The seconds slowly ticked by, until the corners of Chrysalis’ mouth suddenly twitched upwards in a quirk of a twisted smile that quickly faded. “Ha! Somehow, I just knew you’d say that.” Dropping her head, her mane fell forward, completely covering her face. “And I completely agree.”

Last Breath walked up to her, brushing at her sides with his wings in an attempt to comfort her. “It’s not too late. We can still fix this.”

“How?” Chrysalis said bitterly, her face shrouded in darkness. “We’ve already gone too far.” She shrugged her shoulders, knocking his wing away. A determined expression appeared on her face as she raised her head, her mane falling back behind her head. “Last Breath, your orders remain the same.”

Last Breath bowed, not even trying to hide his disappointment at his monarch’s decision. “As you command. What about the Bearers?”

“I’ll leave that to you,” Chrysalis stated calmly, walking over to the throne and settling herself comfortably down upon it. She giggled, darkly amused. “One of you two will likely be my successor someday. Now’s your chance to prove it.”





“And up we go.” With a heave, Fallen Roses tossed the limp body of Princess Cadance up on to the Princess’ own bed. Being somewhere familiar would help her recovery process, and get her up to full form again soon. And then the Queen will drain her again. Her horn surrounded by a faint green glow, Fallen Roses tucked Cadance under the covers, fluffing them so the Princess would be as comfortable as possible while she rested.

Since the Princess would probably be unconscious for the next half day or so, Fallen Roses was left with some free time on her hooves. She’d need to get something to feed the Princess when she awoke, but other than that, her day was now wide open. A shout from outside the window drew her attention, and Fallen Roses walked past the four poster bed to peek her head out the window.

“In line, maggots!” On the ground three stories down, Innocent Sin was hollering at a swarm of over fifty changelings. As Fallen Roses watched, the blue-eyed changelings slowly got into formation. Innocent Sin frowned at the before sharply nodding his head once. “Good. Remember this formation. I expect each and every one of you worthless scum to be in the same position as we fly, so don’t forget it!”

“Keeping them in line, Innocency?” Fallen Roses shouted down, hanging her forehooves out of the window.

Innocent Sin craned his neck back, looking up at the one who had just shouted at him. “I’ve been ordered to negate the Elements or Harmony as a threat. We’re going to capture them so they can’t use the Elements.”

“Really?” Fallen Roses cocked an eyebrow, leaning against the side of the window frame. “The Queen certainly seems to be obsessed about those mares.”  She spotted a figure crossing the courtyard towards the gathering of changelings. “It looks like you have a visitor.”

Looking in the direction she indicated, Innocent Sin saw Last Breath heading towards him. “Oh no,” he grumbled, the expression behind his sunglasses somewhat annoyed. “What do you want?”

Rubbing at the back of his head, Last Breath released a sigh. “Nothing, really. But the Queen said as punishment, I had to work under you for this mission. Think I said something to annoy her.” Snapping to attention, Last Breath saluted his new superior officer. “Ready to serve… I guess.”

“Is the punishment yours or mine?” 

Last Breath flashed a cheeky grin, revealing his short fangs as he stepped into line behind some of the changeling soldiers. “She didn’t say.”

After an annoyed frown at the smaller changeling, Innocent Sin turned to address the soldiers gathered before him.  Punching a hoof into the air above his head, he let out a battle cry as he took to the sky, his soldiers following him in tight formation. “For the swarm!”

“For the swarm!” the changelings behind him buzzed as one.

Watching as they flew out of sight Fallen Roses gave a fond wave in their direction. “Good luck, boys. Now…” Dropping off the windowsill, she turned her attention to Princess Cadance. “What am I going to do with you?”