//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 Interlude with the Empress // Story: My Daughter Chrysalis // by Scarheart //------------------------------// She comes. The dead have returned to the realm of the living. My heart is glad. There are few things in this world I cherish more than my daughters and their subjects. They are the only ones who truly appreciate the love I have for them. They alone give me reason to seek for them a proper place in the world. Under my guidance, my precious changelings have remained hidden within the shadows, watching and waiting. She comes. A child once lost is found and is returning home. I shall welcome her and give her my Blessing. All of my daughters are Blessed, for were they not born from my womb? My child, my child, how I mourned your loss! How I sat unmoving in the darkness, raging in fury and sorrow. My daughters again number twelve, and once again there will be a dozen hives. She comes. With her comes a creature responsible for giving her love and sustenance so she might one day reclaim her place at my side. Oh, how his race captivates the imagination! A thinking race, capable of understanding things far too complex for those ponies and their pampered princesses. My plans must not be interrupted by her ministrations. My faithful daughter has the way prepared. Celestia will learn how distrustful humans truly are to those who do not appear as they do. She comes. The most powerful of my children, the one who sought to surpass she who birthed her. A mere nymph now, untested and raw. A chance to remake her, to learn from her mistakes. She will be taught what it means to be a changeling. She will have her hive and she will again lead, but as a docile, obedient daughter. Those who conspired with her against me hide from me still. If they discover her, I fear they will end her second life. This must not happen. Shrouded in darkness, the scraping of quill to parchment paused as the lone candle in the shadows flickered at her breath. Her harlequin eyes flickered and beheld the tiny flame, the light more than enough for her to see what she was doing. The aura of her magic was slight from her crooked horn as her equally glowing quill hovered at the ready as her thoughts to her journal fled her for a moment. Ancient as the earth, she had witnessed a great deal in the aeon of her life. Empires had risen and fallen, the land shattered and remade. Chaos had reigned and it had nearly cost her life. She rose from the ashes of her own supposed destruction and found the remnants of a race struggling on the brink of extinction. Chaos had all but ruined them, these pathetic little things mewling for love. They came to her, magical beings given form and tended to her wounds even as she used her own magic to explore their usefulness to her. They looked to her with hope and she accepted them, having decided to discard her old life. She even altered herself as she healed to be as them. She had not been disappointed. They had abandoned her. They did not bother to search. They had left her for dead. They had forgotten her sacrifice so they might have victory against an impossible foe. She had offered up herself to him while they prepared to use the Forgotten Magic. Ah, memories… “Foolishness,” she scoffed, taking her eyes off the candle. Hovering the quill at the ready, she dipped it in a crude inkwell without looking. Considering what to write down next, her eyes flickered as she sat tall in her seat. Her mane undulated as a massed tangle of living, writhing contentment as she suffered a smile and resumed her journal. I await eagerly the return of my Chrysalis. My daughter is...was the greatest of them all. No other hive has loved their queen as her changelings loved her. I suppose I should be angry with my counterparts in keeping her from me, but I am pleased they have seen to reason and have not immediately set about to punishing an unmarked soul. Celestia has always been one to avoid rash judgements and for that, I am grateful. When has my queens become so unloving towards each other? Have I gone so far into seclusion they have mistaken my desire to have them strengthen their changelings by openly warring upon each other? Must they scheme, sister against sister? At what point did Chrysalis decide to move upon Canterlot and why did she take some of her sisters with her? I did not sanction this war, nor did I do anything to prevent it. My queens rule their hives as they see fit. It has always been this way. If they choose to reveal themselves to other races, then they must not reveal the other hives. Only the fit are suitable to survive. Do as they must to strengthen their hives. I have called my daughters to the sanctuary of home so they may greet Chrysalis and welcome her back to the family. Amnesty has been offered to those who conspired against me. I love my daughters and would be distraught if I had to do harm to them. I must do as I must. I seek answers. The Equestrians know only as much as I allow them. It shall stay that way. There is a danger of the plan being discovered. The Convergence looms within the next decade or two. We are not ready. Felu has kept me informed. The humans are dangerous, unpredictable. Chrysalis has lived among them, raised from her nymph stage to a sub adult. I hear she has developed into a beautiful mare with a quick tongue. Strange words I do not understand come from them. My agents tell me Chrysalis has been...Americanized… Such a strange term. Apparently the humans have spent their years apart from our world developing under circumstances devoid of access to magic. They are territorial, Felu informs me. Nothing surprising there. I remember what they once were. Annoyances, in the beginning, before the Great Rifting. Chaos still owes me a great deal. There will be a— There was a knock to her chamber door, polite and almost hesitant. “Come,” she bade without looking up from her work. The language of the changelings consisted of layers of chirps in song-like tones. It was almost musical to her ears. Her breath cascaded gently down upon the ink even as the door swung inward. A gray form, lithe in its chitin and exoskeleton ghosted in, with eyes of twin glowing ambers. It was a headling servant, a mare known very well to the keeper of the journal. She was a Gray, a changeling who had not chosen a hive to join and followed no queen. Those who directly served the Empress were all Grays. No aligned changeling was allowed to serve the Empress. The changeling bowed deeply, her woven mane in intricate braids of snowy white laced with silver swishing over the cold stone floor. “Headling Sirra,” greeted the ancient to the newcomer. Her tone was as neutral, hiding her displeasure at having what little personal time for herself interrupted. “Eternal Mother, Queen Felu has brought her daughter to the Shadow Throne, as you requested,” chirped Sirra. She kept her muzzle pressed to the floor. The Empress nodded, still not having suffered even a glance at the servant. Sirra knew her Lady’s tendencies. “It should be good to see the nymph, I should think,” the Empress mused quietly. “How is the child in your eyes, Sirra?” This was a permission to look up. Sirra did so, but kept her eyes averted respectfully at her pitted hooves. “Queen Felu does not display her and keeps her hidden from unwanted eyes.” Everyling knew the reason why. It was a horribly kept secret best unspoken of if a changeling knew what was good for them. The queens Tappis and Tappaz were ruthless when it came to protecting their sister’s privacy. “Ah.” A touch of disappointment echoed in the word. Sirra knew Queen Felu still held her mother responsible for ruining...something. As a lowly servant of the drone caste, it was not her place to ask such personal questions. She had four nymphs of her own, soon to be shedding their final husks before being considered foals. They were adorable and the center of the changeling mare’s world, along with her smaller mate. “How are your children?” The sudden question was casually given as the Empress finally turned in the shadows until her glowing eyes settled upon Sirra. No one knew what she looked like. The Empress of Shadows lived up to her name. Only her daughters knew how she truly appeared, and such a thing was assumed. The candle could not penetrate the darkness around her, though it was a mere foot away from her face. There were faint outlines teasing at her features. “...Fine, Eternal Mother! Th-th-they are w-w-well and will h-h-have their final molt s-s-soon!” Sirra was surprised such an interest would be taken in her family. It threw her for a loop. “I understand your mate is still undecided in joining a hive. He has had thirteen months to decide. Does he wish to remain a Gray?” A tendril of what might have been a part of the Empress’ mane came up under the mare’s chin and gently lifted Sirra’s face until her eyes locked into twin pools of eternity. It was impossible to say. “I believe so, Majesty!” cried Sirra fearfully. The Empress sighed and released her subject. “Be at ease, child. I am only a monster to my enemies. There is no need for courage in my presence.” She glanced at her pedestal where her communication sphere lay. Less than an hour ago, she had spoken to her renewed Chrysalis and peered into the eyes of the human who had raised her. “The Equestrains are coming,” she said simply. “Pass the word to the staff.” The Empress had already notified Tappis and Tappaz through her telepathy. “I want my home spotless pending the arrival of the Diarchy of Equestria.” The gray changeling paled. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are coming here?” she squeaked, her eyes going wide. “Begging your pardon, Majesty, I will need more staff.” “Are there not Grays in the city proper in need of employment? Write a proclaimation promising extra rations of love to those who accept temporary work within my house.” She never called the massive castle anything more than her ‘house’. Its walls, turrets, and redoubts were formidable and always altering with the times. The granite used in its construction was of the hardest sort and had taken thousands of changelings dozens of years to complete. Within the unbreakable barrier lay a simple and functional keep lined with narrow, open windows. A single tower rose majestically from one side of the keep and bore a balcony from which the Empress could survey her city. Though the design was simple, changelings had proven quite creative in making the Empress a home very pleasing to the changeling eye. Her magic and her sheer will melded the completed structure and mortar into a single, solid piece. Nowhere else in the world could a ruler claim to have a home seemingly hewn from one stone at first glance. The squared keep bore reliefs within it bearing the likeness of the twelve changeling queens and the names of their hives in the odd lines of the changeling language. “Yes, Eternal Mother,” Sirra said obediently. “It will be done.” The Empress went back to her journal, taking up her quill again and poising it over the inkwell. “That will be all,” she dismissed the Gray, already ignoring her. Felu, my daughter, are you still upset with me? Sirra had bowed and left, closing the door behind her and leaving the Empress alone with her single candle flickering weakly in her shadows. No answer was forthcoming immediately. She gave a small frown, tilting her head to one side as she regarded her writings with a flick of her forked tongue. Her wings buzzed in the slightest of irritation, more from having to adjust to a more comfortable position than actual annoyance at her rebelling child. Come, child. I do what is necessary to protect what is mine. As expected, Felu responded carefully, yet with poorly veiled anger. I am upset with you, Mother. I had everything under control before you recalled my hive. Everything was going along perfectly. Why did you replace my children with Grays? They won’t be as efficient without a hive mind. She picked up where she left off, dipping her quill first before setting about resuming her journal. The Empress might have been mistaken for a statue if not for the slight movement of her eyes as she wrote. Ignoring the question, she had something more important on her mind. I wish to see my granddaughter. There was a dreadful pause. It was followed by a chilled response. You would take her from me as well? If the Empress was annoyed with her daughter’s petulance, she did not display it. Nor did she reflect upon Felu’s tone. I am merely a grandmother seeking to feast my eyes upon my grandchild. Would you deny me this? You would take her. Felu accused. Such a notion! I did what I did because I must protect you from something not meant for you. Enough talk of this. You will present my granddaughter to me. Or shall I send your sisters to fetch you to me? The Empress read over her writing to make sure she was satisfied with what was penned. Resignation filtered between the two minds. I will come, Mother. Excellent. Know I will never take a child from one of my daughters. All we changelings have is each other, my child. You are the youngest of my children. She omitted mention of the return of Chrysalis. Felu had not been a part of the Canterlot debacle, but she had been competitive with her in regards to the affections of their mother. They had met few times and had been among the few sisters who regularly corresponded with each other. Still, Queen Druanae was the only one who knew. It was a secret in need of keeping until Chrysalis could be properly presented before her Empress. Yes, mother. I will bring her to you now? Not at the present. Within the hour when I resume court. I shall weigh her possibility of becoming a queen when she is of age. Profound shock echoed in her mind. You...you think she is capable? Perhaps. Now, I shall see you in an hour? Yes, mother. Good. The Empress was left alone with her thoughts, dipping her quill again and resuming her musings on leafy page. There was complete silence, safe for the scraping lightly playing at her relaxed ears. She kept the Overmind tuned out and in the back of her mind, having long ago learned to control it with next to no effort. Within it were tens of thousands of voices capable of speaking all at once at any given time. The Overmind touched the Hive Minds of the individual queens where their own changelings nestled. They were massive families, where a changeling did not need to be of a bloodline to be part of a hive. It was not uncommon for changeling families to switch hives if they, for example were moving from one place to another due to jobs or opportunities. She doted over all of them when she could spare the time. Soon there would again be twelve hives, twelve queens. The Empress could not bear another queen within her. The chances of the egg hatching was too small to risk and the magic required to nurture it would be immeasurable. A changeling queen was a costly investment and required copious amounts of love. The Empress could not bear the pain of losing another daughter. Now she had neither the time nor the resources to spare. Not with the other world on course to merge with this one. There are those who would not wish this mating of our world with the other. Humans do not understand magic, yet my Chrysalis lived among them and grew and prospered. If a queen can survive among humans, through her growing stages… She paused, reading her words. Frowning slightly, she lined out words, not bothering to use her magic. It took from the authenticity of her work. Thousands of tomes filled with her thoughts were set neatly in the darkness beyond her. The only magic she used was to preserve her journals for all of eternity. Even her corrections were precious, every bit of ink a meaning. This human who raised her. He survived. Remarkable. Perhaps becoming linked to my daughter preserved his mind enough to leave it tattered, but unbroken. I have seen into it and find it is somewhat healed and far from whole. The scars are deep and the hurt is great. The experiment remains a partial success. Discord has done the unexpected. He gave my child a second chance and rescued her from the brink of madness. I am still unsure as to what to make of him. He is Chaos. He cannot be trusted. He must never be trusted. It was he who broke the old world in half. It was he who broke me and cast me down. Still, this may yet be a boon to my changelings. Perhaps they can finally emerge on equal footing with the ponies. However, they are not my only concern. Humanity is powerful even without magic. They are dangerous. They can be unpredictable. They can be tamed. They can feed multitudes of my changelings. Soon the way between worlds will be easily traversed by even the weakest of foals by means of not more than a short stroll. Celestia and Luna must not be allowed to ally with the humans. “No,” she whispered, dipping her quill. She lined out the last sentence and gave her words a speculative study. “There are simply too many of them. There are as of yet too many uncertainties. Not all will join them, nor is there a guarantee our worlds will meet peaceably.” The human question always gave her a headache. Their potential as a source of food for changelings boggled her mind, but there was also their problematic need to resort to violence in the face of the unknown. As powerful as she was, even her magic would offer little protection to her changelings. Nor could she simply gather them beneath her wings as it would be impractical and impossible to do so. Her approach was similar to Celestia’s; study the humans, learn from them, influence in subtle ways. However, the Empress took her incursion one step further. She sent a queen and her entire hive to Earth. There, they learned to live and act as humans. They brought back to the Eternal Mother wondrous things. Disturbing revelations. Celestia had a centuries long head start, but the changelings were proving to be quite adaptable in a world blind to magic. They even had a foothold in the form of a country. Grays now had it, having replaced Felu’s hive. The transition had gone more or less smoothly, but it was far too dangerous to give one queen so much access to so much power. Had it been a year already? Her thoughts shifted to the passage of time between two worlds. Thirteen years on Earth was thirteen months on Equus. When the two would become one, even she was not sure as to how it would happen. Eventually both timelines will become one. What magic would come of it? What force would be behind it? It was beyond her grasp, beyond even the alicorns. She needed Celestia and Luna to find out what this meant for their world. Would both prosper? Would only one survive? Would both cease to exist? To act rashly might doom her precious changelings and her daughters who lead them. If worse came to worse, she was determined her children and their charges would prevail at any cost. Even if it meant eliminating the Royal Sisters. Again, the quill scratched neatly at the parchment. Perhaps I must move. My beloved daughters who turned against me must not be allowed access to the portal. I cannot follow them to Earth. My power wanes if I cannot be with my world. My greatest weakness is I cannot leave this world. I am too connected to even consider the possibility. There was another polite knock at her door. It was a familiar rapping. Ah, lunch must be here. “Come.” Noling could use the Overmind to contact the Empress. She controlled it and decided when she wanted to access it. She preferred vocal and physical communication when it came to her subjects. It felt more involved than simply speaking through their minds. Looking up from her small desk, she noted two Grays pushing in a cart bearing a trussed up earth pony stallion. His eyes were glazed over and he lay folded neatly on his stomach as if in a state of rest. It was a white and gray painted coat with a black and gray mane which caught her eye. Rather salt and pepper, the Empress mused as the servants bowed quickly to her and left. She rose to her hooves, feeling a hunger welling deep from within. Unable to help herself, she ran her long, forked tongue over her fangs. The stallion looked to where his peripheral vision caught her movement and started. His nostrils flared. Fear drifted into her nostrils. The Empress drank it in, delighting in fresh terror. “You’re a young one, aren’t you?” She glided effortlessly, the shadows shifting with her every movement. Only her eyes were easily discernable. “So young. Germane? Yes. I can taste your aura. Most definitely Germane.” The stallion whimpered, struggling against his bonds. As the monstrous thing approached, he began to see great fangs glistening in the weak candle light. Pleading eyes begged for mercy. “But I must feed,” she replied to his stare, flashing her maw. With a sudden blur of movement, she was in his face, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent deeply. “I must be satisfied. You won’t be much of a meal, but you should tie me over until dinner.” Emerald orbs opened to sultry slits, bathing the stallion’s face with their allure. “You will love me, my lovely meal. You will love me and feed me.” “Love...you,” he whispered, completely enthralled. “Yes...and feed me,” she commanded huskily. “Feed..?” The stallion blinked, the word not registering. The Empress kissed her meal lightly on the lips, adjusting herself for a better angle. “I will show you, little stallion. I will show you how to love me and you shall sleep forever, knowing nothing but happiness.” “Yes...by your will,” he rasped. “Indeed.” The darkness about her surged forward, around, encompassing both as she bent in, a terrible and insatiable hunger trembling through her body. The sound of a startled gasp became a weak whinny, followed by a throaty chuckle and a hiss.