Part 2
Down With The Queen
___________________________________________________________
Chrysalis leered down as she fired the spell that would end Zecora once and for all, only to be blinded by a flash of blue light at the same time.
As she blinked the dots from her eyes, she heard the zebra speak.
“Why are you still here? If you remain it could become severe!”
“I’m not leaving you to die! Nopony will die today! Nopony!”
Her eyesight finally returned, Chrysalis turned her head in the direction of the voices within the commotion of battle, before she paused, her mind locking in confusion.
Standing alongside the zebra, her eyes filled with anger and hate, was a mare as tall as herself, with a black coat, a star-like filed for a mane and tail, wings, a horn and blue eyes with pupils shaped like dangers, similar to her own.
Her mind locked as she tried to process what she was seeing. The mare looked like what the pony princess, Luna, had turned into a thousand years ago, Nightmare Moon.
But, it couldn’t be Nightmare Moon. A quick check through the Hivemind told her Luna was still in a pod alongside her sister.
But, this mare looked so much like her and she clearly was not one of her Changelings in disguise.
For a second, she pondered if it was one of the other hives who, for whatever stupid reason after the invasion, had turned against her and sided with what was left of the ponies.
Of course, with her power so strong from the love she and her hive had gorged on, they far outclassed the other hives, so it couldn’t be one of them.
But, if not another Changeling pretending to be Nightmare Moon and not Luna having taken that form again, how could Nightmare Moon be standing before her with such hate in her eyes.
Her shock and confusion were so strong, it was leaking into the hive, causing her Changelings fighting to falter in confusion themselves, which was giving the ponies a bit of an edge.
“Stellar, what are you doing?!” Chrysalis was temporarily brought out of her stupor, only to enter another as a purple Alicorn mare a little taller than Zecora flew over and landed near the black Alicorn, glaring up at her. "I almost cast the spell without you! If Spike hadn't notice you weren't with us as I pulled out the scroll, we'd have left you behind and you'd be stuck here!"
“Like before, Twilight, I’m doing what I must for our kingdom, our friends” the mare replied, before turning her draconic, teal eyes onto the Changeling Queen again. “This. Ends. Now, Changeling!”
Before Chrysalis could even recover from the confusion spiraling through her mind at the sight of not only a pony that seemed to somehow be Nightmare Moon and another Alicorn that she’d never heard of, not even after sifting through both Pony Sisters’ memories, the black Alicorn turned into a field of stars and shot forward.
Chrysalis managed to charge her horn, but the world went dark around her.
___________________________________________________________
When Chrysalis was able to think again, she was standing in what was seemed to be a void of blackness.
At once, she realized something that froze her blood. She couldn’t sense the Hivemind. She couldn’t even feel it, no matter how hard she reached out.
There was just... nothing.
Yeah, you’re not gonna be able to call your Changelings to save you, here.
She whirled around, only to blink in confusion. A filly version of the pony that looked like Nightmare Moon was standing there, looking coldly and smugly up at her.
Confusing, isn’t it?
She glanced over her shoulder at the familiar voice and her eyes widened. Nightmare Moon was standing behind her, wearing the same expression as the filly.
She glanced between the filly and the mare, her brain unable to understand what was going on.
Shall I explain it to her, or do you want to do the honour, Stellar? Nightmare Moon, looking passed the Changeling Queen.
The filly chuckled. Gladly, Nightmare. You see, Chrysalis, she spat the name, we’ve trapped you within... what was it called again?
A sub-demesion, the Nightmare replied to the filly.
Ah. Yes, you are in one of those. Or, at least, that’s how others might see it.
But you are merely inside your own head, where we have trapped you, Nightmare said as she and the filly began circling her. You see, we don’t take kindly to what you’ve done to Equestria.
Not kindly at all, the filly snarled.
What...? What are you going to do? Chrysalis snarled, trying not to show her fear. Not hearing the Hivemind was horrifying. What is going on outside? What are you doing to my Changelings if I cannot contact them?
I promise, we haven’t done a thing to them, the filly replied.
Our subjects, however? Nightmare smirked. Well, after what they’ve been through at your hooves, it’s not like we can stop them, even if we tried.
Chrysalis felt her blood boil and she bared her fangs, looking from the filly to Nightmare Moon.
The filly scoffed. Don’t act all wrong done by, Changeling. You’ve done far worse. Then the filly’s smirk returned as she looked at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare, how goes the freeing of everypony?
What? Freeing? How in Equestria could they free all the ponies she’d captured? There was no way they could do that.
Nightmare Moon chuckled. Like you need to ask? You know our minds are connected right now, Stellar. You can see everything I do right now.
The filly giggles. Yeah, but it was a nice little illusion I wanted to paint for her. She then sneered at the Queen. All our ponies are now being freed, by your own Changelings.
Her eyes widened. What? How? That doesn’t make sense!
You’re talking to a pony who is far better mastered in mind manipulation, Changeling, Nightmare said, looking a bit bored. True, I only ever did it to Luna, but, just looking at how this Hivemind of yours works, it’s foal’s play compared to what I had to do to manipulate Luna.
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at the confirmation that this was indeed the same Nightmare Moon, but they widened as what else had been said sunk in.
The Hivemind? Nightmare Moon was somehow controlling the Hivemind?!
Nightmare Moon and the filly laughed together. It’s funny, Nightmare, isn’t it? Seeing all those Changelings helping ponies.
It is certainly making it easier for the other resistances, Nightmare Moon smirked. And, look, Stellar. Cadance is being saved and taken back into the castle to recover. I wonder, how does that sting, Changeling, knowing we’re using your own kind to save the pony you forced down there?
Chrysalis roared and charged at Nightmare moon, only to phase through the pony, causing her to laugh.
Should we let her know just how much time is really passing? the filly giggled. Or do you want to toy with her a bit more. I’m actually finding this fun. Must be because she's evil.
Nightmare Moon smirked, before turning to face the Queen. Despite the time you feel has passed, Changeling, it has been many hours since we started this little chat.
Her eyes widened. Hours? How? What was happening now?
It’s slow, the filly said, walking over to stand next to Nightmare Moon. Mama and Auntie Tia are still recovering a bit, but they’re doing well. Oh, and you’ve lost what control over the sun and moon you had thanks to draining them so often. She scowled. I should really hurt you for hurting my Mama.
Chrysalis was struggling to understand. Since she’d lost contact with the Hive, nothing made sense anymore.
The filly glanced to her right, before looking to the larger version of herself. Twilight’s calling. Seems things are somewhat in order. We can let her go now.
Nightmare Moon nodded, before leering. What you’re feeling won’t change, Changeling. You have no more link to your hive. The other Changelings have already dealt with them.
Chrysalis’ eyes widened and she rushed forward to attack, but the world keeled to its side and the two ponies and her senses left her.
___________________________________________________________
“I wish you would stay,” Cadance said as we stood around the map.
Only a small number were here with the three of us, including Cadance, Mama, Auntie Tia, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Zecora and a few other ponies from the village, including Miss Cheerilee.
After Nightmare and I had released Chrysalis’ mind, several Changelings, a blue and red one, had taken her away to be dealt with by her follow Changelings.
It turns out Chrysalis and her hive weren’t the only Changeling Hive in the world. Their kind have lived among other species for longer than Mama and Auntie have been around, never drawing attention to themselves, only taking what they needed to survive.
However, what Chrysalis had done, invading Equestria and taking control of it, forcing ponies into pods to feed her hive and then trying to further her reach, was against the most ancient of Changeling Laws.
As such, Chrysalis had been branded a traitor among her own kind, which had led to the other Hives joining the fight against her, though, thanks to all the love she and her hive were consuming from the ponies, the other hives hadn’t stood a chance.
Once Chrysalis’ hive had stopped fighting though, thanks to Nightmare and myself taking it away from her, the fight had quickly turned and us making her hive help out hadn’t made matters any worse for the now Rogue Queen.
Whilst it’s only late afternoon, a lot of control the Changelings had over Equestria has gone. The other hives are going to help Equestria take down the overgrowth of forest that had grown due to Chrysalis’ Changelings and would help until Equestria could stand on its own hooves again.
It wasn’t all good news, though. Shining Armour had died weeks after the invasion, drained of all his love for Cadance, leaving him a hollow husk.
I shake my head, before looking to Twilight. “We need to return to the past and stop Starlight Glimmer. I don’t want her doing something like this again.”
Mama nods, before signing, her eyes misty. “In your world, you’re really my daughter?”
I nod, giving a sad smile. “Sorry I can’t stay, Mama. But, our duties must come first, right?”
A few tears well in her eyes and she nods.
I look to Twilight, who nods.
We step up onto the map and she casts the spell, the Time Portal opening and pulling us in as we wave to everypony, myself hoping things will work out in the end for them.