Avenging is Friendship

by Boltstrike58

The Gathering II

Equis, Manehattan

Manehattan at night was a rather sharp contrast to the city during the day. Where the streets would normally be packed with ponies rushing here and there, now they were practically abandoned. The occasional drifter wandered across the sidewalk, and taxis remained in operation to shuttle tourists across the town, but for the most part, the streets were quiet. At the entrance to an apartment, two ponies, one a blue pegasus stallion with a four leaf clover Cutie Mark, and one a pale orange earth pony mare with an umbrella Mark, were currently wrapped in an affectionate embrace, though one seemed to be enjoying it a great deal more.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry you have to rush back out for the rest of your business trip!" Lucky Day moaned, as he hugged his wife. "And when you just got back into town, too! Such a shame!"

"Yes dear," grunted Rain Shower, squirming in his grip. "I really must be off, though..."

"Oh, just a bit longer!" protested Lucky Day. "Promise you'll keep writing to me, my beloved! Every moment we are apart is like Nightmare Moon ravaging my soul!"

"Yes, yes, I promise," answered his wife, finally wriggling her way out of her husband's grip. "I'll be back in a couple days, don't worry." She hailed a taxi. "I love you, dear."

"I love you too, my darling!" Lucky Day shouted after the retreating taxi.

Once her 'husband' was out of sight, Rain Shower's expression instantly shifted from an exaggerated smile to an annoyed frown. The pony pulling her taxi attempted to make conversation a few times, but a sharp glare from the mare silenced him. Pulling up at the Manehattan train station, Rain Shower paid for her ride and disembarked. But she made no move to board any train.

Instead, Rain Shower scurried behind the station building, a place where she was sure to be alone. With a sigh of relief, she relaxed the illusion spell, as her eyes turned from blue orbs to shocking green, with snake-like slit pupils. Her orange coat faded to black exoskeleton. Her legs doubled in length, with numerous holes appearing around the bottom near her hooves. A pair of fly-like, membranous wings extended from her back, and a jagged, spiraling horn erupted from her skull. Her teeth sharpened into long fangs, and her mane stretched into long blue hair.

Her transformation complete, Queen Chrysalis took off into the night.

"Who'd have thought one such as I would one day be reduced to this?" she grumbled to herself as she flew. "Impersonating the partners of lovesick ponies just to feed on that sweet but insipid affection they secrete? How could it have come to this?"

She knew exactly how this situation had come about, of course. She just hated to acknowledge it. It was all because of those infernal ponies, who'd thwarted her plans time and again. First, her impersonation of the Princess of Love shortly before her wedding had even fooled Celestia, but not that pest Twilight Sparkle. Even with that purple eyesore and her friends defeated, Cadence and Shining Armor's love had proven just too much for her and her changelings to take, sending them miles away from Canterlot.

Chrysalis, wiser from her previous defeat, had waited in the shadows, biding her time, until she'd figured out the weaknesses of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. And the plan had succeeded so gloriously, capturing Twilight, her friends, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor! Everything was perfect, and ultimate victory was in Chrysalis' grasp!

And then Starlight Glimmer had come along. That foolish unicorn Chrysalis had dismissed as inconsequential had allied with that traitor Thorax, and had completely decimated the hive. Thorax and the rest of the changelings were now 'sharing' love (the very thought of it made Chrysalis sick), instead of acting like warriors and claiming it for themselves. They'd rejected her leadership, and she had not one soldier to her name.

Even Chrysalis' latest plan had ended in failure. By utilize dark, forbidden magics, she'd created copies of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, intending to have them replace their doppelgangers and destroy Starlight Glimmer. Upon learning of the ponies' precious Tree of Harmony, Chrysalis had allowed herself to believe she'd finally won. But not only had her clones proven themselves uncontrollable imbeciles, they'd been disintegrated by the Tree of Harmony, and Chrysalis knew the same fate could easily befall her if she tried to attack it alone. She'd fled, and had been fleeing ever since.

Chrysalis soon found her brooding interrupted by a massive shadow crossing over the moon behind her. She swung her head around, discovering a gigantic, quadrupedal, winged beast flying above her, the details hidden by the shadows, but she could see for certain that its legs ended in massive, furry paws, not hooves. This creature was no pony.

Chrysalis screeched in a combination of fear and rage, igniting her horn and launching several bolts of sickly green magic towards the creature. She dived down towards the ground, aiming for a nearby clearing, without even bothering to make sure she'd scored a hit. She scurried behind a tree, taking a cautionary glance behind her. There was no sign of the beast, but the massive thump to the side told Chrysalis that she hadn't completely evaded it.

The changeling queen slowly turned her head, finally discovering the true identity of her stalker. The beast was gigantic, with the paws and lower body of a lion, covered with a thick layer of reddish-purple fur. A pair of massive eagle wings stretched out from its sides, but the head was that of a pony mare. She wore a thick headpiece with bits of golden jewelry added. The eyes had similar slits to Chrysalis herself, but they were a deep yellow. Chrysalis gulped as she recognized the beast from legends she'd heard in the village of Somnambula. It was the immortal Sphinx.

"Found you," growled the Spinx, lowering her head down to Chrysalis' level. Her sharp fangs glistened in the moonlight, and the changeling could tell she'd be swallowed whole if the monster were so inclined.

"What do you want from me?" Chrysalis spat at the Sphinx, crouched into a defensive position, her horn still glowing with power. "I don't even know you..."

"Nor I you," replied the Sphinx. "But I know someone who's very interested in you, insect." Sphinx reached towards her neck, revealing a necklace with a strange, oval-shaped stone on it. She tapped the stone with one paw, which glowed with a brilliant blue light. Chrysalis had to shut her eyes to block it out.

Suddenly, a swirl of sparks appeared in the air next to Sphinx, as the air itself seemed to contort. Within the circle of yellow sparks, a hole, or perhaps a portal of some kind, formed out of nothing. Chrysalis didn't get a chance to look at what was on the other side before a strange, bipedal creature stepped through. It had metallic, silver-colored skin--no, that was just a suit of armor--covering its entire body, and the face was a grimacing mask of determination. It wore a green cloak, complete with a hood, over the shoulders and head.

"Queen Chrysalis of the changeling hive," said the creature. "Now queen of nothing."

Chrysalis hissed in fury. "Who are you, that you would dare to speak to me so?!" she snarled, baring her fangs. "What manner of beast are you?!"

"My name is Victor von Doom," said the armored being. "You may refer to me as Dr. Doom. I come to offer you a position. Working for me."

"Serve you? HA!" Chrysalis threw back her head and laughed. "I may be an exile from the changeling hive, but I am no servant! Certainly not to the likes of you!" With a grunt, she powered up her horn, and fired, aiming for Doom's head.

Sphinx moved, as if to protect the doctor, but Doom raised his hand, signaling her not to interfere. With his other hand, he summoned a transparent shield of green energy, blocking Chrysalis' blast completely. The changeling queen screeched again, recklessly diving forward to try and impale Doom with her horn. More sparks of eldritch magic flowed from Doom's fingertips, and they gathered together to form a massive black hand in midair. The disembodied limb slapped Chrysalis away, and with a snap of his fingers, Doom summoned green bands of light that seized Chrysalis by all four legs, as well as her horn, forcing her into a crucifixion position in midair. The changeling struggled for a few seconds, until Doom made a sign in the air,making the bands tighten to a painful point.

"As you can plainly see, your powers are no match for mine," Doom stated calmly, even as the changeling struggled in the binding he'd created. "Now, will you listen to my words, or shall I dispose of you?"

Chrysalis tested the bounds holding her, finding she couldn't even slightly budge them. Whatever magic they were composed of, they seemed to shut off her own, as she couldn't ignite her horn to blast them off. Even shapeshifting didn't work in her current predicament. She sighed quietly to herself. What more did she have to lose?

"...yes," she grudgingly replied.

"Excellent," replied Doom. "Now, I come from a world very far away from your own. I have been scouting out your planet Equis for a large amount of time, attempting to gain as much knowledge as possible for my own objectives. I met Sphinx here some time ago, and she has entered my employment, giving me vital information."

"Anything to get a chance at revenge on that vile Somnambula," hissed the Sphinx.

"Now," Doom continued, "I have a plan to utilize with magics of this world for a grand purpose. However, after discovering that this world has its own over-zealous defenders, in the form of the foolish princesses, and those Elements of Harmony, I find myself requiring more assistance in order to deal with them. I believe you would fit the profile quite well, Queen Chrysalis."

"What's in it for me?" Chrysalis spat, angry again.

"Oh, come now, Chrysalis," laughed Doom. "A chance at revenge on those who previously ended your ambitions? You hate Twilight Sparkle, don't you? You hate Starlight Glimmer? You hate...Thorax? What more could you want?"

Chrysalis' teeth tightened at the mere mention of those names. Sparkle, who'd been the only one who realized something was amiss while she was disguised at Princess Cadence. Glimmer, the one who'd managed to escape capture through a stroke of sheer luck. Thorax, who'd betrayed the hive out of some misguided and idiotic affection for ponies, who'd stolen her hive and her army from her. Yes, she hated them. She'd give anything for a chance to make them suffer, to inflict the same agony she'd felt on them. She didn't even care if she gained nothing from her revenge, she just wanted to punish them.

"Yes," she finally answered. "I hate them. I DESPISE them."

"Good," replied Doom. "Then I believe you will take joy in my offer. Work for me, aid me in my goals, and obey all of my commands and I personally guarantee that you get your chance at vengeance. You will regain your control over the changeling hive, and I will give you all the love you require to feast upon. Deal?"

Chrysalis thought it over. On the surface, it seemed almost too good to be true. The chance to exact revenge on every single creature that she loathed, the opportunity to regain her status, and all she had to do was submit to the authority of this Doom? What did that even cost?

Her answer came rather quickly: her pride. Chrysalis hated being subservient to another. The thought of submitting to Dr. Doom, following his every order, was sickening to her stomach. On the other hoof, she was being promised the return of her autonomy once the affair was over with. Was her pride really worth holding onto if it cost her this golden opportunity?

"Agreed," she answered, after about a minute of internal debate.

Beneath his metal mask, Doom smiled maliciously, snapping his fingers again. Chrysalis was released from her bonds, dropping her onto the ground. He extended a hand towards the changeling.

"I look forward to doing business with you," he said, his deep brown eyes boring into hers.

Chrysalis put her hoof in his palm. She hoped she was making the right decision.

Comments

[Bumblebee16]

awesome

[harts fire]

i feel so bade fro Queen Chrysalis she has just stepped in to a meat grinder.

[aline1]

Ah Doctor Doom, why I am not surprised, after all if he's willing to plot against superman and try to use him as part of one of his grand plots to take over the world then I can certainly imagine he wouldn't hesitate to plot against equestrian if he learned about it.

[Liger1985]

Nice