//------------------------------// // SHE'S YOUR WHAT!? // Story: Starlight Glimmer: Subject Stealing, Undeserving, Soon To Be Destroyed, Queen of MY Changelings // by Dr Atlas //------------------------------// Chrysalis couldn’t hold in her smile once she looked deep into the dark cave, knowing full well what was inside. “So...this is it…” She stepped closer as a figure shrouded by a hood came up beside her. The queen noticed and turned to her. “I have to thank you again. Without you, it would’ve taken me many more months to find them.” A smile spread across the figures face. “Although your chances for finding them were bleak, you never seemed to give up on which you seek.” Chrysalis raised an eye, still not understanding half the things this hooded woman was saying to her. “Uh...yes, I...didn’t?” The mare chuckled and pointed behind Chrysalis. “For this cave, last time I checked, have the children you will never forget.” The queen nodded. “Yes, for such a long time I have tried finding them, going through town after town, city after city, forest through forest, but seeing them here...so close next to where I landed...” She put her hoof over her eyes. “I feel so foolish.” The hooded mare behind her laughed. “They say the most foolish of mice would hide behind the cats ear, but only the wisest of cats would think to look so near.” Chrysalis laughed at this. “Well, my subjects are known to be just as, if not more, foolish, but I still can’t understand why they haven’t found me first…” The mare rubbed her chin. “A bug coming out of the cave, I rarely see. Perhaps they stayed inside, thinking hiding is key.” “That wouldn’t be the first time they decided to just laze about while I was away…” The mare smiled. “Quite the children, I must say.” Chrysalis tilted her head, still confused by this lady’s language. “Um...right.” The figure chuckled. “I must go, dear Chrysalis, for I have business that I cannot miss.” She started walking, but was stopped once Chrysalis stood in front of her. “Wait, before you go, I need to ask.” Chrysalis tried looking at her face, but all of it was shrouded by her hood, only seeing a black and white striped muzzle and yellow glowing eyes. “Why did you help me? In fact, why was it that the first time I met you, you weren’t even phased by my...well, look?” The lady laughed again. “One shouldn’t judge a book by their cover, for, being called a monster, is something I once discovered.” Chrysalis crossed her arms. “Let me guess, was it ponies who did that?” The mare nodded, but continued smiling. “I figured. Those creatures are always like that, always laying around in their own society of their own kind while we’re forced to be on our own.” The mare noticed her expression and frowned. “Ponies may be quick to judge, but I rarely see them hold a grudge.” She stepped closer, seeing that Chrysalis was still mad. “But if anger is the way you want to go, there is something more you should know.” Chrysalis pushed her away and started walking to the cave. “The only thing I needed to know was where my children were, and thanks to you, I have, but I can handle it from here. So, run along and...do whatever it was you were wanting to do.” The hooded woman sighed. “Very well, continue on with your day, but don’t forget the things I say.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes as she walked away into the forest. “Zebras are very strange creatures…” She chuckled and made her way into the cave. “Then again, this is coming from a creature who changes into ponies and feed on love...heh.” She looked around the area, seeing that she was alone. “I really need to stop talking to myself…” The changeling queen took her first step inside the cave. “I hope the subjects will be happy to see me...I wonder if they’re preparing for me right now.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “I got five pair, you?” “Four of a kind, hatchling.” The changeling at the far end of the table gritted his teeth and threw his cards in the middle. “And to think the flop had such high hopes…” “Yeah….’had’.” The winning changeling said, raking in his chips. As for the other changelings, Stan, Marvin, Twig, Carson, Shawn, and Henry, they stared at Addison in annoyance. Every other changeling was either chatting to each other about their soon to be peace, flying around, or just laying back and waiting for their new ruler to return. “Oh, you’re winnin’ now,” Carson pointed at the bug’s poker chips. “but all those chips are gonna be mine.” Addison snickered as the next dealer, Twig, dealt out the next game. “Maybe if ya had better skill, you would’ve beaten me by now. Stan rolled his eyes and looked at his cards, a slight twitch in his eye. “Hey, some of us have skill!” Carson yelled as he pointed at Henry. “Look at Henry. He’s not even sayin’ much, and his poker face is the straightest I’ve ever seen.” Henry nodded and looked at his cards, not showing any type of expression once he stopped. Twig watched in amazement. “Whoa...so hardco-” “When do you think they’ll be back?” Marvin asked. “It’s been, like, what, six games now?” Stan rolled his eyes while Shawn glared at his cards. “Things like this take time, Marvin. You really think discussing peace will take a shorter time span?” Addison looked at his cards and scratched his ear stem. “You’re one to talk, Stan.” Stan stood up. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Twig raised his hoof. “Oh, I know. He’s saying that you can do it in under a time span of half a day! I’m sure if you can do that, Phil can do it even better!” Stan sat back down, doing the first call. “Uh...what?” Shawn chuckled and folded. “I think what Twig’s saying is that’s how it usually goes. Ya make friends with one pony who has connections to royalty and, before ya know it, we’ll be hanging out with ponies, goin’ to sport events, dressin’ up like them.” He sighed. “I can almost see it now…” Carson shook his head and raised. “Yeah, you keep tellin’ yourself that.” Addison laughed and decided to raise as well. “A bit for every time I see that!” Stan raised an eye. “How much do you see it, Addison?” Addison shifted his eyes while Henry called. “Uh...n-not much.” “ALL IN!” Twig yelled, pushing all his chips, which was the size of Addison’s raise, into the pile. Marvin folded. “Twig, trust me, if you keep doing that, you’re gonna lose.” Twig tilted his head. “But isn’t this game about fun?” Stan shrugged and called the raise. “Eh, depends on how hard you play, I bet that some at this table can’t-” Carson slammed his cards on the table, showing that he folded. “Why do you ALWAYS raise my raise!? It’s called poker, not no-limits-flank hole!” Addison laughed as Twig dealt the first three cards on the table, called a flop. “Maybe if you weren’t such a wuss, you would win. For all you know, I could be bluffin’.” Carson grumbled to himself and put his hooves on the table, resting his head on them. Stan smiled at this and checked. “Chilax. Soon we’re gonna be playin’ poker with ponies, and I’m sure they’re even worse at it.” Addison bet and sat back in his seat. “I’m sure most of them don’t even know how to play this game.” He pointed at Twig as Henry called. “Twig here probably knows more about this game than them. Twig smiled. “Yeah! And I didn’t even see my cards!” Stan sighed and folded. “Well, I’m sure they’ll be other stuff we could do with ponies.” Carson snickered and Twig dealt the next card by the flop, called the turn. Stan noticed Carson’s immature laugh and smacked the back of his head. “Grow up, Carson!” Carson rubbed his head. “I’ll have you know my age has gone up over the past month.” Stan shook his head as Twig checked, even though he didn’t need to. “Uh, sure…” Stan, and the others, then noticed Henry going all in, pushing all his chips in the middle of the table, his face as straight as ever. “Daaaaang…” Shawn looked at all the chips in the center of the table, known as the pot. “Look a that pot.” Addison laughed and went all in as well. “Like he can beat these cards.” Shawn and the other two changelings showed their cards. Addison stood up. “HA! Pair of queens! Beat that Hen...ry…” Addison then noticed Henry’s two pair, his face still blank. “Ah...I see.” Addison sunk back in his seat. “W-Well, there’s still the river!” Twig held his tongue out and dealt the last card next to the other four, the river. “Whoa, another queen!” Addison raised his hooves in the air as Henry pushed his cards in the table, knowing he lost. “Yeah! In your faces! You guys should’ve-” “Uh, Addison.” Marvin looked at Twigs cards, his jaw dropping. “I-I think Twig beat ya.” “I did?” Twig went crossed eyed and looked at his cards, which was a two and a seven of the same suit. Shawn raised his eye and looked at the cards in the middle of the table and Twig’s. “A flush, impressive. He beat ya with the second worst hoof possible.” Addison slowly lowered his arms as Twig smiled. “Wooo! I won!” Twig grabbed all the chips and set them next to his two cards. “Hey, can I keep these cards next round!” Addison continued staring in disbelief, looking at his pair of queens. “B-But...3 queens…” “Maybe if ours were here, you would’ve won.” Carson looked at the other’s hoping they understood his joke. “Cause, ya know, there’d be four then.” Everyone had straight faces, besides Henry’s, who was looking down in shame at how he lost as well. “Ha Ha.” Stan said sarcastically as Marvin dealt the next hoof. “Dark jokes, ya gotta love em’” “I was talking about our new one, Stan! Not our old one.” Stan laughed. “Yeah, like we’ll ever see her agai-” “Greetings, my loyal subjects!” All chattering came to a halt and every changeling turned to the entrance, their eyes went wide and their jaws dropped to the floor. After some silence, one brave bug broke it. “Ch...C-Ch...Chyr...Chrysalis!?” Chrysalis smiled and stood tall. “In the carapace.” She started walking in the room while her children were still trying to comprehend what they were seeing, some rubbed their eyes to get a better look, others continued having hanging jaws, and some hid behind others in fear as to what she would say. “B-Bu..But..but how!?” One asked. “W-We thought that...th-that you...y-ya know...went away." “And what’s with your voice?" Another asked. "Sounds...kinda different.” Chrysalis nodded. “I know, child, I know. You thought I had perished, that I was was gone, that I would never be found again, but I assure you that I never stopped looking for all of you, for I knew my children would be doing the same, correct?” Blank faces started appearing on every changeling, one brave bug stood up. “U-Uh...w-we didn’t...I-I mean, w-we tried...or...w-we...y-ya know…” Chrysalis sighed, knowing about their laziness. “It’s fine, child, I know having no ruler makes it very difficult for you to make decisions, but you could’ve at least sent a search party out once in awhile to look for me.” “But we weren’t looking for you.” Shawn immediately shoved a hoof in Twigs mouth, hoping the queen ignored that, but her raised eye and her face now facing them made those hopes vanish in an instant. “Not looking for me?” She stepped closer to the poker table. Shawn started thinking fast. “U-Uh...w-what he meant to say is that...um...w-we were also looking for...love! H-Heh..eh…” “Looking for food?” Chrysalis rubbed her chin. “Really? That’s all you did?” Shawn pulled his hoof away from Twig and laughed very nervously. “Uh...w-well, w-we looked for love...uh, s-sat in the cave...w-waited for...stuff to happen-” “What ‘stuff’?” The queen asked. “Uh...s-stuff stuff.” One bug answered. Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Listen, children, you’re going to have to be more descriptive on that, there’s no way you all just looked for food, what else were you looking for?” Twig raised his arm in the air. “A que-” Carson tackled Twig to the floor. “Will you shut up!” He whispered. “A queen?” Chrysalis was starting to become very confused. “What do you mean by that?” Every changeling started thinking of excuses. “U-Uh…” “I-It means t-that…” “U-Uh...w-we were.” “W-We...um…” “I-It...It was…” “Just tell me already!” Their past queen shouted. Panic was starting to spread among them. They knew it was only a matter of time until they would have to tell her. Luckily for them, one bug, who had answered so many questions before, decided to answer one more. “It means that we found a new queen to rule over us since you’ve been gone.” Twig said, Carson trying his best to strangle him, and failing. The queen stayed silent for some time, her face had an expression so blank that she could win at poker. After what felt like hours of silence. Chrysalis chuckled; a chuckle that made her children shiver. “Heh...what?” She asked, a smirk on her face. Carson stopped trying to shut Twig up and gulped. “U-Uh...h-he said that...w-well, w-who cares! i-It’s Twig...h-he’s not-” Chrysalis shook her head and walked up to the table. “No, no...I want this to be clear.” Without warning, she slammed her right hoof on the table, making the sound echoing through the cave and the tower of chips next to Twig fall. Despite the sudden movement, she kept a smiling face. “Because I could’ve sworn he said something that...heh, that makes a queen rather...upset.” “O-Okay...uh…” Shawn looked at his fellow siblings for help, but some of them did the same, except for Twig, who was currently smiling. One bug even started scooting away from the table, but stopped once the queen used her magic to push him back. “Well, go on child.” She leaned closer, Shawn seeing his own scared expression in her eyes. “Tell your queen what happened while she was gone, because I am very curious to know.” Shawn could feel the sweat dripping from his forehead. He thought that, at any moment, she would blast him on the spot. “W-Well...a-as you know...w-we did...a-a lot of stuff over...a year.” “Mhh hmm.” The queen nodded. “Go on…” Shawn couldn’t tear his blue eyes away from her’s. “A-And uh...w-we followed protocol...l-like you sai-” “Protocol?” Chrysalis raised an eye, still smiling. “Strange, if you followed protocol, you probably would’ve found me by now.” She closed her eyes and hung her head. “Because, if I remember correctly, protocol is when you look for your queen, not-” She grabbed the table and flunk it across the room, the chips and cards flying everywhere while the table smashed to pieces after making contact with the cave wall. “Not a...new queen.” Twig raised his eyes. “Ohhh...so that was protocol.” Chrysalis smile went away, now blank with half closed eyes. “Yes, finding your one and only queen is what all of you should’ve done.” She leaned down to the nearest bug. “And I take it you didn’t do that, did you?” Chrysalis didn’t wait for an answer, wanting to hear a more important one with her next question. “So, who’s the new ruler?” Stan gulped. “Wh-What?” Chrysalis quickly cocked her head to the right, making it crack. “‘What’ is not an answer, child! so I suggest you give me one...NOW!” Shawn looked at the corkboard in the back, knowing it will explain things quicker. “W-Well, w-we tried finding...others…” He slowly stepped back from his past queen and went over to the board. “U-Uh...h-here’s some that-” He was interrupted by the queen pulling the board over with her magic, the side showing all the candidates facing her. “Huh...rather strange choices. A goat, a centaur-” Her eyes went wide. “S-Sombra?” Carson stepped closer. “Uh...y-yeah, we had some weird choices, d-didn't’ we?” Chrysalis flashed a glare at him, forcing the bug to drop to the floor in fear. She looked back at the picture of the king. “I don’t know how that big horned freak got out of that prison…” She flipped the board over. “But he sure isn’t a ruler I'd-” Her face went blank again, the only part of her that was moving were her eyes traveling across the board. Some changelings were almost too afraid to ask. “U-Um...q-queen?” Chrysalis stared intently at the board, looking at the many pictures of sketches that were hanging. “You made your new queen a PONY!?” She turned to the nearest bug, her eyes flashing red for a brief moment. Many sunk down to the floor and started whimpering. “U-Uh…” The bug gulped. “Y-Yeah...s-she’s...uh...s-s-she’s pretty evil...b-b-but not as evil as y-” “Flattery is getting you nowhere, child.” Chrysalis looked back at the board. “Who is this mare?” Knowing the situation would get worse if they didn’t give her an answer, one bug raised his hoof. “H-Her name’s Starlight...S-Starlight Glimmer.” Chrysalis put on a look of disgust. “Why must everypony’s name sound so disgusting.” She took of a picture of the mare off the board and studied it closely. “Looks disgusting as well…” Shawn laughed nervously. “H-Heh...w-well, t-those ponies sure are-” “Where is she right now?” The queen said harshly. One changeling stood up. “S-She’s going to go talk t-to someone in Ponyville with Phil, our ambassador.” Chrysalis looked rather surprised. “What happened to our other one?” Shawn started fidgeting. “Speaker went away, and...uh, no one’s seen him or his band of siblings ever since.” Chrysalis didn’t seem to care. “And tell me, why is it that our ambassador and her are going to that town?” It was at this moment the changelings knew she would lose it. “U-Uh...t-to...uh...y-ya know...” One bug shrugged innocently. “T-to make...make...uh...peace.” “PEACE!” Chrysalis screamed, her eyes flashing red again. “You bugs, not only abandon your queen, but now make it so our entire race can look weak to those...those-” She stomped the cave floor, causing a slight crack. “Those monsters!” Every changeling was too afraid to respond, knowing no matter what they say will make her happy. Her eyes traveled all around them, filled with hate. “I have never been so disappointed in you children. Making a mare like her your new ruler, only to make it so she’ll lead you out to a life worse than death!” A brave bug flew in the air. “B-But being at peace with ponies might be a good thing.” All it took was a menacing glare from Chrysalis to make him hit the ground floor. “I’ve heard ENOUGH!” She used her magic to fling the board across the room, papers flying everywhere as it smashed into a wall, the only thing now in her magic grip was the picture of Starlight, her eyes staring at it with as much hatred as she could. “It’s time I pay this mare a visit.” “W-What are you gonna do to her?” Chrysalis continued staying silent as she turned around and started walking to the exit. The bugs raised their heads. “Q-Queen?” “You really want to know?” Chrysalis held up the photo, it erupted in green flames within seconds with it’s ashes hitting the floor. “I’ll give you a hint…” She stomped on the ashes. “That picture of her doesn’t even come close to what I’ll do.” Without another word, she turned back to the exit and mater her way out. Once she stormed off, some of the changelings that cowered in fear before started standing and looking at each other, wondering what would happen now. After some silence, Twig said something that made the whole cave glare at him. “Chrysalis’s mad.”