Queen Chrysalis limped painfully through the empty passages of her once bustling hive. Her hoofsteps echoing dully into the empty alcoves. She paused a moment to gaze sadly into the now vacant cells, a bitter reminder of how badly she had blundered.
Fully half of her hive had been lost during her disastrous attempt to take control of Canterlot. And many of the survivors had been badly injured in the final blast that had expelled them all from the pony lands. Chrysalis herself was badly injured and could no longer fly for long distances, and was walking with a noticeable limp.
“I never wanted this,” she muttered bitterly. “I never wanted any of this.” She says, as she moves slowly over to a long unused alcove.
She sits on the edge, which has been worn smooth with long usage in the past. This is where she comes to think. The place where it all began for her. The place where she was born.
“Unacceptable!” The first word she ever remembered hearing. Changeling drones emerge fully cognizant and aware. And young Chrysalis had just emerged prior to the declamation. The next few words she heard were little better than the first.
“This will not do!” The voice declaimed once more. “All of the drones I have seen so far are completely unacceptable. Time grows short 76142, I thought you more capable than your predecessor!”
The drone in question visibly flinches, all too aware of the fate of the queen's previous adjutant.
“My queen, please understand,” He pleads. “None of us were aware of your… condition,” he says struggling to ignore the implications of his own words. “There was no time to find more suitable candidates, this last clutch are the only ones still young enough to undergo the full indoctrination. None of the older ones would fully mature. Please your majesty, surely one of them will be found suitable?”
“For your sake, as well as for the future of this hive, I pray you are correct.” The queen says disdainfully, as she slowly makes her way past each alcove that lines the wall of the nursery. “Fah, no… no… no… none of them are suitable. Our hive is doomed 76142, with my passing there shall be no further queens, the drones will wither and die, and none shall know of- wait… what is this?” The queen says, pausing in front of the alcove of young Chrysalis.
The young drone instinctively abases itself before the queen of its hive. A complex dialog of scents and pheromones is exchanged, and after a few moments the queen lifts the drone out of the alcove, and holds it above her head.
“Behold 76142! Our salvation, and our future. Behold our future queen!”
Below the newly aware drone, the surprised 76142 bows low. The first of many drones to bow before Queen Chrysalis.
“I never asked to be queen.” Chrysalis, says looking around her birthplace. “I was taken, and fed royal jelly by Queen Beatrix herself. I was taught 'The Way and the Duty'. Prey on the weak, feed the hive, preserve our race. Day after day, year after year, always 'The Way and the Duty'.
I never questioned it. Not once. And this is where it has led me. Half of my hive destroyed. The other half starve. I am too damaged, and we are too weak to attempt another invasion.
All I wanted was to feed my hive. To preserve our race. Beatrix was a fool! And I was a fool, for blindly following in her hoofsteps. I should have found my own 'Way'.” She says bitterly. “Bah! What does it matter now. Without love, we cannot recover. And unless we recover, we cannot find love. We are as doomed today as we were the day Beatrix first entered this room.”
Chrysalis tucks her hooves to her chest, and begins to lie down in her old alcove. But her movements are stopped as her head makes contact with something unfamiliar.
“What is this?” She says sitting up and turning to the object in question.
Resting where her head had nearly lain is a small brightly colored box, adorned with ribbons and a bow. Looking closely several small holes have been punctured in the lid. From the inside comes the faintest smells of… love?”
“What IS this? How did it come to be here of all places?” Chrysalis asks the empty room. Her eyes alight on a tag, partiality obscured by the bow on top. Taking it in her hooves, she reads, “To Queen Chrysalis, to know Love, you must first FEEL love. Happy Hearths Warming!”
“Hearths Warming? The pony holiday?” She says in confusion.
Suddenly the box moves in her hooves. Another small whiff of love, wafts from it.
Eyeing the box warily, Queen Chrysalis removes the bow and ribbon, and carefully lifts the lid. From inside, two tiny eyes stare back at her, wide and filled with wonder. The love Chrysalis had smelled before suddenly explodes from the box in her hooves.
The lid falls away completely to reveal the form of a small young kitten, who is still staring intently at the queen. It's soft pink fur was so thick and long, it was impossible for the queen to tell just how much was kitten underneath.
Suddenly, with a small gasp, the kitten launches itself at the surprised Chrysalis, climbing up onto her shoulder, and then begins to rub itself against her neck emitting a long purring sound.
Chrysalis immediately drops the box, and reaches for the soft squirming mass that seems to have attached itself to her neck like a leech.
Finally prying it free, Chrysalis holds it up before her. “Cease thy attack small creature! How dare you assault the body of a Queen! For such an affront I shall feed you to the least of my hive. I shall delight in watching as… watching as...”
Chrysalis trails off as she looks at the kitten in her hooves. It was just so... so fluffy. Fluffy and PINK! And those eyes, those pouty little eyes… and that noise it makes, some sort of {pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt}. All of these factors, so disturbing by themselves, and yet put them all together, and somehow… somehow… “By the Broodmother! You are just the cutest, most adorable creature in all of existence!” She says, hugging the kitten to her chest.
As the purring of the tiny beast increases, Chrysalis's eyes go wide. Something is happening. Something is happening inside of her.
“What is this strange sensation?” She begins, then stops. She knows this feeling, she does! “I feel… I feel… love?!?” She says in wonder. “I'm feeling love!” she says again, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “This has been what we feed on? But this... This is so much stronger! Is this possible? Is this real?”
Suddenly pouring into the nursery from both entrances, come the remaining drones of her hive.
“I'm telling you Twenty-Four, there is love pouring out of this room. I know love when I smell it, and-” Twenty-One falls silent as he beholds his Queen, sitting in a birthing alcove holding a small pink bundle to her chest, rocking it gently, as tears stream from her cheeks.
“M-my Queen,” he stammers in awe. “You are… you are radiating love! So much love! It's like looking into the sun! My queen, you have saved us, you have saved us all!”
As one, all of the changelings bow before their queen, and her new royal adviser... Mr. Fluffykins.
Far away in the Crystal Empire, three ponies finally tear their gazes away from the viewing crystal.
“See Cadence, aren't you glad you decided to help her?” Pinkie Pie says smugly.
“You have no idea, how hard that was for me.” Cadence replies.
“Oh Cady, you can't be stingy with your love.” Pinkie says, bopping her on the nose. “After all the more you share your love, the more you get in return.”
“Yes, well,” Cadence says, her cheeks reddening.
“And besides,” Fluttershy interjects, “even if they did attack us, they were only trying to feed themselves. You wouldn't want to see them all destroyed just for that?”
“Well, no. I guess not.” Cadence admits.
“And see, now they will never have to attack anyone ever again, since Chrysalis can feed them all herself. Everypony wins!” Pinkie exclaims happily.
“And now that they no longer need to feed off of us, maybe we could even become friends with the changelings. Um, that is, if you think you are ready.” Fluttershy adds.
{Sigh}, “Well perhaps a diplomatic convoy could be arranged after the end of the Hearth's Warming festivities. I'll draft a letter to Twilight for when you return to Ponyville. I suppose we could at least try. In the spirit of love and friendship.” Cadence says, as she gazes into the crystal once more.
“Just one question Fluttershy. I've learned not to question Pinkie's intuition when it comes to gifts, but I've never seen a species of kitten quite like that before. Wherever did you find it?” Cadence inquires.
“Oh. Well, it was left on my doorstep less than a week ago. I'm so glad Pinkie was able to find it a good home. I must admit I was a little worried at first, but like you I've learned to trust her instincts. As for the breed, I looked it up in the library in Twilight's castle. Apparently it is quite rare. It is known as Felis Fluffis Puffis.”
“Fluffis Puffis, eh?” Cadence says looking at the small kitten in the crystal.
“Aww, don't they look so cute together?” Pinkie says. “But we can't stop now, there are still more on my list, and I think we are going to need a little help with the next one...”