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// Pillars by TheMusicalBoy93 (Sweet) 
// Story: Tainted Love: A Twysalis Prompt Tag Collab 
// by Foals Errand 
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by TheMusicalBoy93

I never had anyling in my life who believed in me. My hive respected me, as one would expect. Some even feared me an, though I’m loath to admit it, not without good reason. I was not the most forgiving queen; a fact I deeply regret, and hope to someday redeem myself for in the eyes of my hive. The vast majority of my drones and workers tell me they forgive me for my brutish behaviour in the past, but I have my doubts.

The invasion I led against the ponies at the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and, now Emperor, Shining Armour was an act of desperation. Yes, I’ll confess that I was desperate. My hive was starving; love is very sparse in our homelands.

We travelled thousands of miles in search of creatures that could provide us with love. We travelled to the Badlands, but the dragons were waging a civil war, and love was non-existent. We travelled to the Northern Kingdom, but the griffins are a militant race, so the closest emotion they have to “love” is “respect”. And respect is not enough to feed a changeling.

But then, we found Equestria. And the ponies that lived there were positively bristling with love. Particularly when it came to the love that surrounded, and radiated from, Princess Celestia. When Cadance and Shining Armour announced they were to be married at Canterlot Castle, I jumped at the chance to harvest the love of the Equestrian populace. It took months of preparation; secreting my hive into pony society, gathering information and earning their trust, and their love as I strode around, underneath their noses, as Princess Cadance.

But, in my desperation and greed, I became cocky. I celebrated too soon, expected the ponies to surrender as soon as Celestia was trapped in my cocoon. It was a bitter irony that love, the very emotion that fuels my kind, was the very thing that defeated us.

Weeks after the invasion failed, I found myself captured by Celestia’s guards. But, instead of being thrown in a dungeon, or banished from Equestria like I’d expected, the Princess of the Sun offered me a chance to redeem myself. Naturally, being the proud changeling royal I was, I refused, outright. But once Celestia started talking about an alliance with the changelings, where the ponies would willingly feed us, in return for defence, I was desperate enough to accept.

It was a difficult task; earning the trust of the ponies I had sought to imprison and drain of all their magic. I can’t possibly understand why (!) Happily, I was not alone in this venture. Celestia had entrusted Twilight Sparkle, the newest Princess of Equestria, with the task of my “reformation”. At first, of course, I was insulted and cold toward her. But, over time, I came to enjoy her company. Then I grew to respect the purple princess. Then, I grew to love her. And now, we are lovers. Twilight Sparkle is my pillar.
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I used to think that friendship was just a waste of time, and a distraction to my studies.  I never went out to meet other ponies, or go to anypony’s parties when I was living in Canterlot. I cared a great deal about Spike, but he was more of a little brother and, don’t tell him I said this, a son to me, in later life. There was my BBBFF, Shining Armour, but he’s my brother. Of course he was the closest thing to friend I had at home. Him and Cadance, but I always thought of her as above me, with her being a princess and all.

So when I was charged with the task of chaperoning Chrysalis, I was glad that I wouldn’t be alone in this venture. My friends were always at my side – Rainbow Dash taking it a little on the literal side, making sure that Chryssy didn’t try any funny stuff. At first, Chryssy was completely unable to grasp anything about pony culture. She kept making comparisons to changeling culture, which wouldn’t have been so bad, if she didn’t keep saying that changeling society was “far superior in every way”. Over time, however, she learned to fit in with the ponies of Ponyville, and even helped out in the various shops and businesses. After a couple of months, she even found herself going out on the odd date or two.

But I never would’ve expected that she and I would fall in love with each other. It turns out that Chrysalis is like a walking encyclopaedia; she soaks up knowledge like a sponge, and she has over a hundred years’ worth of knowledge knocking around in her adorable, chitin skull. She would snuggle up in her bed, right beside mine, and tell about all the things she learned on her travels through Equestria, with maybe a teensy tiny little bit of nagging and begging on my part. As time went on, I started feeling like Chryssy and I were perfect company for each other. She was a knowledgeable, courageous leader, and I was a well-read group organiser. It just made so much sense.

Since the start of our relationship, I haven’t been feeling half as stressed as I used to. I no longer feel like the weight of the world is pressing down against my withers, or that I’m the only pony who can fix every little problem my friends encounter. Because I know that, no matter what obstacle may get in my way, my beautiful workerfriend, Queen Chrysalis Bladequeen, will always be there to lend me a helping hoof. She taught me everything she knew about politics, and how to handle the mountains of paperwork I receive day-in, day-out. She helped me in my court sessions, sorting through all the requests I got from the ponies in Ponyville, and what causes were just. Chrysalis is my pillar.