Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

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The door slid closed with a thud, and the key turned in the lock with a click. Glancing around to ensure the windows were shut, the changeling stepped forward and undid her disguise. On the other side of the room, trapped inside a shiny green pod, the orange mare whose likeness she'd been wearing stared back at her with empty, adoring eyes.

Chrysalis made her way closer towards her. As much as she would have loved to drain the pony for every last bit of love inside her, she couldn't afford to given her situation. In fact, she couldn't afford to keep the pony there much longer, nor to keep impersonating her. She would need to move in a couple of days at most, find another prey to replace.

She needed to lay low, as much as she hated the fact. And she needed to stay inside towns. The wilderness wasn't safe for her yet, not until she'd recovered enough energy. Not with all the things running around that shouldn't have been there. Staying with ponies meant she risked being found, but at least she was safe. She estimated it would take just a couple more victims before she was fed enough.

It wasn't the first time she'd done something like that. Find a target living alone, possibly with low levels of social interaction. Use her powers to control them, then keep them as a source of food for a couple of days. Pretend to be them when inside or near their house, claiming poor health conditions as an excuse for not being seen outside. Spend most of the day disguised as a different pony, gathering information. And when it all was over, clean up, make the target forget everything, and leave them with just a migraine.

It had worked well so far. She'd been careful enough in picking ponies to avoid anyone noticing a pattern. But she was still on edge. Her powers had turned out to be far more weakened than she would have thought after she'd awakened, and being forced into hiding from the ponies she'd been so close to ruling over made her seethe with anger like nothing else.

If anything, she could at least make some of them remember their place. Walking up to the pod, she opened her mouth, siphoning a bit more love out of the half-conscious unicorn. She'd been rather easy to take control of, thinking about it. Perhaps it had to be expected from a relatively old pony like her, especially one who lived on her own. She did appear to have a daughter, at least going by the old pictures of a blue filly, but there was no trace of a father or husband in the house.

Chrysalis's musings were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. She turned towards it, and mimicking the captive mare's voice she asked, "Yes? Who is it?"

No answer came, but something thin and white was slipped beneath the door. Curious, Chrysalis picked it up in her magic. It turned out to be a folded sheet of paper, with text on the inside. Just a couple of sentences, elegantly written, with no signatures.

I know the look of a creature who's trying to stay hidden. How have you been, Chrysalis?

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

She did appear to have a daughter, at least going by the old pictures of a blue filly, but there was no trace of a father or husband in the house.

Impersonating Trixie's mother? Oh, that's low. (Also, visit your Caring and Affectionate Mother, Trixie. She misses you.)

And someone's certainly spotted Chrysalis, but who? My first guess is Starlight; goodness knows she has experience with lying low. But I doubt she'd go for the note. This could be so, so much worse than reaching out with another offer to embrace a better way...

[Saix]

After thinking about it for a while, I have no idea who the note sender could be.