//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Change Of Heart // by No Pony //------------------------------// Prologue "Curse them! Damn insufferable ponies think they're better than me!? I'll show them who is superior!" Changelings scurried out of the way as their ruler stomped through the "streets" of their kingdom. To call it a kingdom was generous, being little more than swamp surrounded by old, decaying trees whose rotted roots formed pathways from one tree to the next. Those that were smart seated themselves upon the branches or even clung to bark that threatened to peel off under the weight of the equine creatures at any moment, anything so long as they could avoid the fury of Queen Chrysalis as she ranted and marched to her "castle". The unlucky or stupid ones waited too long and were kicked out of the way into the murk of the swamp, struggling to get free. "M-My lady." one bold Changeling said just above a whisper as he flew up to his queen's side, getting caught in Chrysalis' glare. "P-Perhaps it is best you settle down a b-bit. Your wounds have n-not yet healed from the... the last invasion attempt and we c-can't risk you injuring yourself further." the Changeling advised, motioning a hoof to her form. Chrysalis glanced to the waters lining the root she was currently on, hardly getting a reflection due to the canopy above blocking most light and the thick murk of the water, but she saw what he was referring to. Her already bent and misshapen horn had been gnarled so that it was pointing far more to her left, while the holes that littered her wings and limbs had grown so that each step had an uneasy tremble like her legs would go out on her and her wings were tattered to the point of being impossible to fly for the time being. Snorting in irritation, Chrysalis corrected her walk so that she wasn't endangering herself, an action that brought relief to the brave Changeling that had shown concern for his liege. Unfortunately, if she could not stamp her hooves into the root beneath her, Chrysalis would need a new outlet for her rage. With a green glow of her horn, the Changeling who had spoken up found himself unable to move under his own will, crying in panic before he was flung into a tree with a crunch. Sighing, Chrysalis put on a slight smile, some of the rage drained from her eyes. "That's better." she muttered to herself as she fast approached her "castle", a tree that was larger than the others by a significant amount and covered in vines that hung from it like tapestry. Like Golden Oak Library, it had been hollowed out so that the queen could have some refuge from the rest of her kingdom. Inside the hollow tree was... very little. With only a swamp as her kingdom at this time, she had but a couple of knick-knacks, either crafted from the swamp and its creatures or something stolen from the borders of her domain. She was particularly proud of a couple of Wonderbolts' banners that had made their way into possession, hung from the ceiling as though they were marks of royalty, given their time in the swamp had left them covered in grime and darkened, but it gave them a rustic touch she enjoyed. Shaking her head, Chrysalis ignored her meager decoration, making her way down a flight of stairs to the basement, an area that was basically just under the tree, the dirt moved aside so that she could have more space to store what little she had, roots hanging from the "ceiling" like support beams. The room was dirtier than the roots she walked on outside, unable to provide any form of construction to keep her from walking on the muddy soil that lay beneath, but she put up with it, for this was where she kept her prized trophy. Situated atop one of the tree's roots that had been cut off from the rest of the vegetation, sticking up from the ground but with no purpose than to serve as a pedestal, was a beautiful, transparent crystal that was perfectly rounded so that it seemed more like a giant pearl. It was a powerful, magic enhancing crystal that she had stolen during her sure tenure as Princess Cadence. She had hoped that her invasion of Canterlot would be a success and that the theft would merely be her being too concerned with the possibility of failure, but in the end it served as the new keystone to any chance she had at getting back at the Princess of Love. Once more, Chrysalis' distorted horn emitted a green glow that engulfed the crystal orb, filling it with images of far off lands. Such a powerful object it was, but its powers were limited based on the magic of the one using it. With her body so weak and deprived of love at this time, all she could do was seek out another pony to sate her hunger. Something of a vicious cycle, seeing as if she were to retrieve the proper amount of love in the first place, she wouldn't need the orb to amplify her powers. But at this point, it would do its job. She began cycling through various ponies that would be able to potentially pique her appetite. There was an earth pony colt off in Baltimare with some sort of poetry cutie mark, pining over a young filly if the number of poems dedicated to a Lenore Nevermore were any indicators. Cute, and young love was always a delicacy, but she didn't care to shapeshift into such a small form. Green clouds formed in the orb, changing the images to reveal a new pony. A strong pegasus, a stallion in his prime. He was a Wonderbolt hopeful with a major crush on Fleetfoot it seemed. Oh how she'd enjoy such a fine young stallion's love, he was quite the looker after all and very devoted, caring more about his crush than the Wonderbolts itself. But to imitate a Wonderbolt would require a degree of aerial expertise that Chrysalis just didn't have, even when her wings were in good condition. Besides, she had a slight fondness for the Wonderbolts, which meant she would prefer not screwing up their routines. Another change of scenery within the orb brought forth a unicorn mare somewhere in Saddle Arabia who was desperately in love with a prince. This one wouldn't do either. While she could practically taste the sweet flavor of the mare's love, it just wasn't her... thing. She would transform into the mare of the relationship and feed on the stallion's love, being the stallion feeding on the mare's love wasn't her preference, even if she had the ability to replicate them down to the... finer details. Besides, Saddle Arabia was far off, and while she could use a break from Equestria accursed royalty ruining her plans, it was too much effort... and too hot in general. Shaking her head, Chrysalis continued to shift through different images of ponies whose love would be able to fill her desire, but didn't match her palate. Any pony in love could provide sustenance for sure, but only certain qualities of love would suffice for her taste. It was why she was so desperate to keep her hooves on Shining Armor, whose love for Princess Cadence was so pure and loyal that she could compare it to the richest and sweetest of cakes. Just the thought of that love had made her involuntarily drool a little, only to wipe it away as she put her focus back on the crystal ball. None of the ponies that came into view were acceptable. Some were too shallow, some were simply unrequited, some were familial love, it was disappointing. Sure, in the past, she would have been a little less picky, but once she had a taste of the good stuff, it was hard to go back to the simpler affections. She spent well over an hour standing before the orb, viewing the various residents of Equestria that were in love and shooting them all down, it was getting tiring. The anger and rage she had before had turned into sheer annoyance and irritation over being unable to progress any further. Nopony stood out. She was considering throwing in the towel and seeking a better opportunity the next day... then, something showed up that caught her eye. A white unicorn with a purple mane. By all means, the mare was fetching, but Chrysalis had seen many beautiful ponies before. Oh no, this one stood out because she had seen her before, with her own eyes. It was one of those meddling ponies from Ponyville, the one who had been working on dresses for her wedding... Rarity! The sight of her stirred up her anger again, fury directed at those who had ruined her plans in the first place. She would be sitting pretty on the throne of Canterlot right now, ruling with an iron hoof, if only those ponies hadn't gotten in her way. Oh how she'd love to go ahead and tear that pony's life apart by tricking her, pretending to be her lover, but as already stated Chrysalis was not one to play the stallion. However, before she could will the crystal orb to change to another pony, the image shifted its focus. Rarity was not the pony whose love had been drawn forth by the crystal orb. Rather, it was... not a pony at all. Gasping slightly, Chrysalis was taken back a bit as she viewed a baby dragon with purple scales and green spikes running along his spine and head. She had seen this seen this creature before, along with the ponies that had interrupted her ascension in Canterlot, but he did not stand out at that time. But this time... it was a unique sensation she got. The crystal orb could only allow her the slightest sample of love, a taste for her to know if it was to her liking, and this... this was an astonishing flavor. She could taste young love, ever so sweet that it sent a chill up her spine, but it was also... savory. A sense of maturity that one would not expect in a baby that made even the sample have a lasting effect on the Changeling Queen. And even now, she could tell that despite his maturity, the love itself was not ripe yet. Could it have something to do with the fact he was a dragon who had yet to truly engage in the emotions he felt for this pony? She couldn't place it, which would very well have to do with the fact that in all of her life, no Changeling had ever feasted upon the love of a dragon before. They were brutish creatures whose only true love seemed to be for their hoard, it was impossible to feed off of. But in this case, she could clearly tell there was a love for more than himself and his possessions. A sly, sinister smile snaked its way across Chrysalis' face, her tongue flicking over her lips as she stared at the enamored dragon in the orb. He was but a baby, a bit younger than she'd prefer personally, but... that meant he had many years to give. More than a lifetime for the average pony. Hell, he had numerous lifetimes in comparison. And with such a peculiar, yet divine taste that hadn't even reached its peak... Chrysalis turned her back on the orb, heading back up the flight of stairs, aiming for her room. She had to sleep. She had to replenish what strength she had left. She had to plan her next move. But more importantly, she had to have him.