by Level Dasher
“We can’t trust her! Not after what happened at the Royal Wedding!”
“She’s a menace! Ponyville would have been next!”
“Everypony, please listen to me!” Twilight attempted to make herself heard over the din. When word of Twilight and Chrysalis’ relationship became public, it was as good a time as any to hold a meeting at the town hall to discuss the possibility of diplomatic relations. Twilight would have called in Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but she thought it would be wise to start small. “Queen Chrysalis has changed! I can assure you! No harm will come to anypony, not here, not Canterlot, not anywhere else!”
“How can you be so sure? Maybe you’ve seen a change in her, Princess; maybe you see a reason to trust her, but—”
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“We must witness this for ourselves!”
“The ponies attacked us when they knew we were in dire need of sustenance! Why should we trust them?”
“My children, you must see it from their point of view! It was, after all, an invasion!” Chrysalis’ headache was turning into a migraine over the roar of the Hive Mind. “In hindsight, it was not the wisest idea to request their love by attempting to conquer them…”
“Why not?”
“Because we need them to trust us if they are going to agree to sustain us! We could potentially receive the greatest love they have to offer!” Chrysalis shouted to the crowd. “If they trust us enough, then they will offer their greatest love, but we must trust them in return or they will not be willing to do so! The greatest love they have to give will satisfy our hunger without harming them in our feeding process! I have seen how sustaining their love can be…”
“And you do not share it with us?”
“What kind of queen are you to refuse your Hive the sustenance it so desperately needs?”
“It is not that simple!” Chrysalis cried. “I experienced the love from one pony at a single point in time! If I could share it, I would! But that is my point! If we can cooperate with the ponies in such a way that will convince them all to share their greatest love, then we will be supplied with sustenance for generations! What is it—”
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“—that you don’t understand?”
“What’s to not understand? They’re simply not trustworthy! Besides, what do we get in return for our emotions?”
“What do we get in return?” Twilight repeated. “The continuation of an entire race! Isn’t that enough? The invasion was due to a need for sustenance! The Changelings will not survive!”
“Who needs ‘em? They’re a danger to Ponykind!”
Twilight put her head in her hooves. There seemed to be no way of convincing them. “Oh Chrysalis, I hope—”
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“—you’re having an easier time than I am.” The Changeling Queen shook her head.
“It’s not worth it! How can we trust they will keep up their end of the bargain?”
“Mutual trust is key! If we give them reason to trust us, then they shall, and there will be no need to doubt them!” Chrysalis tried screaming over the roars of the Hive. She was having no luck with her drones. The majority of the Hive mind seemed to be against their queen’s good intentions.
“Well…”
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“…we tried.”