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// What One Believes 
// Story: That Which was Lost 
// by LadyRFC 
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   “Princess-” Twilight began, panicked and desperate to control the situation.
“-Lilly” the alicorn supplied with a shy smile.
“Princess Lilly,” Twilight ran between her and Chrysalis, “we have to retrieve Silverline and leave immediately!”
She heard a snort from behind her, likely from the changling queen. 
The princess only looked concerned. “Oh, but,” she bit her lip and looked over towards Silverline's unconscious form, “he's not well enough. The queen hasn't finished healing him yet.”
“Healing?” Twilight looked as if she'd turned a page in a book too fast and had forgotten the last sentence she'd read. “No, no, princess you don't understand. These creatures don't heal anyone. They-”
“Enjoy wrapping ponies up like mummies?” Discord supplied joyously, poking the prone Silverline, whose front leg and one wing was half wrapped. “How fun!”
Twilight bit her own lip. “Uh... well...” 
The princess walked towards Twilight slowly, a motherly look on her face. “It's alright, they don't mean harm. Really.”
Twilight's eye twitched. Discord's shoulders hunched and he muttered a small “uh oh,” under his breath.
“No harm? They mean no harm?” The alicorn's voice began to rise. “They attacked Canterlot! Destroyed its shield, wrecked my brother's wedding, put his wife-to-be in the underground catacombs and tried to eat everypony! How is that not meaning any harm?!”
The princess' face had a mixture of confusion and slight amusement. “Oh, but they don't eat ponies, you know. They only feed off of love. That's all.”
“That's all?!” Twilight's screech echoed off the cavern walls.
“Well,” the princess smiled shyly. “Yes. It doesn't even hurt. See,” she stood straight, “I'm just fine, aren't I, Miss-”
“Twilight,” the alicorn muttered, lost in racing thoughts within her mind. “Twilight Sparkle. From Equestria....” Forget turning pages. She was in an entirely different book.
A loud sigh echoed from behind her. She turned to see Chrysalis standing from her sitting position, a small shadow darting about at her hooves. It was a very young changling, not much more than a baby. “It was not my hunger I was focused on, Twilight Sparkle,” the queen began, picking the child up carefully in her mouth and walking a few paces towards the alicorn. She gently set the small changling down.  Rising to her full height, her glare proud, she stated firmly, “I am their queen.”
Twilight's eyes shifted down. The tiny form looked up at Twilight from the cold ground, its large eyes shinning. It waddled closer to her and nuzzled her leg. Twilight's whole body tensed, afraid of the creature's tiny fangs, yet unsure how to get away without hitting the small thing. But there was no prick. No biting. Only a soft, slightly tingling feeling. The small changling gave a soft giggle, perked up and began to prance around her hooves playfully. 
“It...” Twilight's voice was slow and felt far away. “It didn't hurt. Just... tingled.”
Chrysalis nodded. “You are an alicorn now. Perhaps you are more sensitive. Most ponies feel nothing at all.”
The princess giggled. “It kinda tickled when one first fed from me.”
“Oh, how cute!” Discord exclaimed loudly, drawing all eyes towards him. He had successfully scooped up two other changlings, another baby and the one who had apparently been binding Silverline's wounds, a bit of wrapping still hanging from its mouth. The baby cooed happily and the older changling looked a bit surprised, the wrapping dropping from its now open mouth. Discord let out a laugh at Chrysalis' worried look and turned towards Twilight. 
“Why, Twilight!” He exclaimed with glee. “It does tickle!” He then let the two changling down from his arms, the baby bouncing up and down quite happily. The older changling rushed over towards its queen. 
“Your highness! It's so strange! His love is sour and sweet all at once.”
The queen relaxed and gave the draconiquuis a bemused smile. “Really? Interesting.”
“Care to try, your highness?” Discord offered, his arms open comically in her direction. 
“I am fine. Thank you,” Chrysalis declined with a slight nod.
“Hasn't it been awhile,” the princess asked carefully, “since you last fed, your highness?”
Chrysalis blinked slowly, watching over the small shadow dancing around Discord, the one that had been near Twilight joining its kin. “The little ones need it more. I can last longer than they.” She looked over at the princess. “Besides, you have grown tired. Your smile is slower to arrive.”
The princess blinked, mouth open. “No, I...” Seeing Chrysalis' firm expression, she bowed her head slightly. “Perhaps a little.”
Chrysalis turned towards Twilight. “That, Princess Twilight, is the only ill effect we give. A drowsiness and perhaps a melancholy feeling. Of course, one would need to feed a great many before that were to happen. And I'm afraid Princess Lilly has been our only source for some days now.”
“If that was all,” Twilight started slowly, eyes full of confusion as they gazed over at the small creatures weaving between Discord's legs, “why didn't you just talk to us? Why did you hurt Cadence? Deceive my brother? Why-”
“Belief,” Chrysalis cut her off sharply. Her shoulders lowering as if in resignation, she explained, “So many times have I tried that path. So many decades since we were listened to. But our form,” she held up a leg, holes specked throughout, “leads many to believe ill of us far before our mouths utter a single word.” 
She glanced over at Twilight and gave a toothy grin, her sharp fangs glinting sharply. “What would you believe of us, from our looks, Princess?”
Twilight dropped her eyes. “But,” she could not get rid of her anger. Twilight still felt keenly the smart and the pain caused by the changling queen. The lost look on Cadence's face, her brother drained of his magic. “But it's just as unfair for you to assume I'd judge you before giving me a chance.” She rose her face, eyes firm. “You should have given me a chance. You should.”
Chrysalis eyed Twilight for some time before nodding and turning away. “I too wonder what might have been, Princess. But a wonder cannot change the past.”
A changling came in, likely in its teen years from its height. “Your highness! More ponies have shown up. They are at our doorstep.”
Chrysalis turned her eyes from the messenger to Twilight.
“Allow me to see them,” Twilight asked. She then added softly, “your highness.”
“I should,” Chrysalis gave a small smile, “shouldn't I?”