//------------------------------// // Epilogue: The First Contestant // Story: Discord's Villain Reform Program // by shinigamisparda //------------------------------// “FOOL! DO YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO REPORT!?” “I-I’m afraid not, my Queen.” “ARHG!” The Changeling Queen slammed both her front hooves into the black stone of her throne room, cracking it. It had been the same story for more than a year now, failed attempt after failed attempt to garner successful amounts of love for the hive. Due to the invasion of Canterlot the ponies had learned many methods to tell when one of her subjects had replaced a pony. They usually escaped, although there had been several reports of changelings failing to report back, likely being captured after being found out. “Leave me and return to your duties,” Chrysalis commanded. “Y-Yes, my Queen,” the drone stuttered. He bowed before exiting her chambers, leaving only the Queen and her personal guard. The Changeling Queen rested on her throne, lost in her thoughts and her anger. Even more than a whole year later the events of the failed invasion were swimming in her thoughts. To have been so close, to have bested Princess Celestia herself, to have Princess Mi Amore Cadenza at her mercy and Shining Armor under her control. And yet it had all come crashing down. She tried to think back to that day, to understand what went wrong, but all she could think of was the force of the new barrier that sent her and her subjects scattering to the winds. It had taken months to get them back to the hive, and it seemed that some had already been captured by the ponies by then. She growled involuntarily. “Curse you, Cadence,” she muttered. She had to distract herself, she was getting too angry for her own good. She instead turned her thoughts to revenge, more specifically what it would be like when it was complete. An evil smirk crept onto her face as she imagined Celestia kept inside another cocoon, helpless to do anything but watch her kingdom fall around her. Of course she wouldn’t be alone, her sister Luna would be right next to her. Where the “Princess of the Night” had been during the invasion she didn’t know, but she would make sure not to overlook her and give her a chance to foil her plans. And then there was their latest princess, Twilight Sparkle who had exposed her and had put her disguise in jeopardy numerous times beforehoof. She would not escape her wrath either. And finally Cadence and Shining Armor, she would take exceptional pleasure in humiliating those two. Her grin widened further when she realized that having them at her mercy would mean she would’ve had to successfully conquer the mythical Crystal Empire. To have that land under her control would surely make her legendary. “Heh. In time,” she muttered to herself. “In time.” As she chuckled to herself she was suddenly blinded by a flash that appeared from nowhere in front of her. As her eyes adjusted she was stunned to find some sort of incomprehensible creature in front of her. The creature smiled before grabbing her horn with its paw. “Queenwho’sgoingtolearnaboutloveandfriendshipsayswhat?” it said. “W-What?” Chrysalis stuttered. “Good answer!” And with a flash the Changeling Queen and the mysterious creature disappeared. The two royal guards who had watched the whole thing simply stared at each other. “What just happened?” Within half an hour the entire Changeling Hive had been thrown into a panic.