In the canon used in my Changeling-centered HiE fic, Wandering, the emotions the changelings feed off are a form of astral energy, with various applications depending on what type it is. The key thing is that combat magic is powered by anger, pride, lust for power and other self-centered emotions. Changelings can make use of all forms of astral energy, and their own needs are much like the needs of our own metabolism - except theirs is magic-based - but love can essentially be transmuted into all the forms of energy they need. Thus, it is their primary foodsource.

The thing with Chrysalis being as she were during the invasion is due to the way their energy levels govern their emotional state. Naturally, if Chrysalis is fully combat-ready - charged up with several days' worth of love transmuted into energy forms usable in combat, i.e. self-centered emotions - she is bound to act on those emotions as well. Similarly, when she gets a very sudden and very potent burst of love energy into her system, she becomes a bit of an emotionally oversensitive wreck.

I've tried my best to be rather impartial as far as the demonizing of either races go. Naturally, since the story is told entirely - so far at least - in the perspective of a human stuck with a changeling swarm lost in the wilderness, the view on ponies is going to be somewhat negatively angled. There are, however, reasons for this negativity in the background story - centuries of conflict between the two races and so on - and besides, when he eventually does run into the ponies there'll be facts to count.

941731 Well, you see... /||\.:////\|/..:___\\\////|||\\/...::::::|-\|/

942241 Perhaps. But does that mean there is no point to write from a sympathetic point of view?
Or would that be heretical?

Bah. I guess we should label the changelings as xenophobic Nazis on four legs and put a bullet in each of their pathetic skulls. Exterminate and purge the Heretics for the God Emperor!

.... Shit.. I just read the rest of your comment and I feel like an idiot...
Oh well. Posting the comment unaltered. Perhaps some of you lads will get a kick out of it.

943582
I got a kick out of it and I have labeled the changelings thus, but then again, that's what I've done. I don't like changeling redemption stories so I don't read them, my opinion on how I think changelings should be portrayed will never leave this thread because it's just my opinion.

943595 Meh. Maybe it could be both? Who says that Chrysalis is the only one?
Just because the Nazi party was in power, not all of the Wermacht agreed with their policies.
Correct me if I am wrong, but there were many cases where some soldiers outright refused to execute prisoners, which ended up bringing specific SS Blackboot units to execute prisoners.

Hell, and then there is Rommel's Afrika Korps.
As far as I know, they are by far the most distinguished Axis fighting unit in the entire war. As far as history is concerned, their history is a clean slate.

Perhaps Chrysalis is only just one villainous hive that jumped the gun?

943606
there is that possibility, and Nazi comparison is freakishly close.

941792 Yeah, but when you get down to it, it’s not really a case of them being afraid of something they don’t understand or the Changelings being misunderstood. The being seen as “creepy green eyed, fang sporting little monsters that are going to get them” is pretty much what the Changelings are. If it wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t really be bashing these kind of fics because they would have some a genuine justification. The Changelings, I’m afraid, ARE the aggressors.

I can perfectly understand the ponies being bitter and resentful towards the Changelings, but that is completely justified, but if we’re talking about the kind of Nazi-level hatred and wickedness some authors try to force on ponies and basically anything so that Changelings look better in comparison, I personally just cannot stomach it.

What you said about WHY the Changelings are chosen in these kind of fics is pretty spot on. I suppose it is an expected result in this postmodern world to consistently want to take the concept of the beautiful-looking good guys and the ugly-looking bad guys and swap it around. Though even that is becoming a cliché now.

941801 Well, sure, I can completely understand the other side of that and yeah, I imagine there is bad blood between the two nations, but even so, i can't imagine it ever being taken to the almost Nazi extent some fanfics come to. The most i can see it is as ponies wanting to keep the Changelings out of Equestria, but that's probably it.

941765 941853 You know, I think you two may have nailed it pretty much on the head.

942251 Well, actually, none of the hive/bee stuff has really been confirmed to be canon, it's mostly fandom speculation.

947895 OMG!
People the cannon for the Changelings is going to flip!
While looking for the back story Hasbro just approved for Princess Cadence, I found a second story for Queen Chrysalis!!!!

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #2
written by Andy Price and Katie Cook

This is ligit. I found it on my Nook. And apprently Chrysalis reappears and captures some of the Mane 6 and Princess Celestia is missing.
This is not a joke!