Genocide
Twilight managed to keep her breathing steady even as she felt like her eyes might fall from her head. She watched with wrapped attention as both guards turned and left through a perfectly disguised door behind the throne.
Chrysalis hadn't moved either. The anger that had been sustaining her for longer than she cared to remember at this point seemed to have finally burned itself out. With eyes still closed she spoke the calmest words she had throughout the exchange.
"Changelings feed on love, so we have empathic tendencies by nature. So no matter how hard you try to hide it I know you are moments away from a full blown panic attack. If it gets this over with faster I wholeheartedly encourage you to proceed."
Twilight seemed to remember her situation. She did her best to relax her posture as she turned back to the queen.
Her fellow queen.
"This, is real... isn't it." She didn't need Chrysalis to answer the question, something the changeling seemed to understand.
"You have no idea what it feels like for the first words I've heard from my children outside of regularly scheduled reports from the hivemind in months, was addressed to a pony." She still didn't move or even open her eyes.
"I... I'm sorry. I can't imagine how you feel ab..."
"I neither need nor want your pity you..." She finally made a move, her face scrunching in discontent as she turned away from Twilight. "Ponies, ponies are so infuriating. Why do they not understand that they are just prey." She finally opened her eyes, looking to Twilight with a much more relaxed posture as her multifaceted voice seemed much more in tune as she spoke now. "My extermination is imminent, this I know. But before you breed me to death I only ask that you take on your responsibility as a queen. If you do not support m... my....."
Twilight felt herself hold her breath. She definitely heard one of Chrysalis's teeth crack as her jaw clenched harder. The Queen took a few heaving breaths before speaking again. "....You're hive, then changelings are doomed as a species."
Twilight took a few moments. She was certain now that this was real, so she knew what she said next would carry a lot of weight. She channeled her considerable intellect into what she hoped would be a meaningful response. "Chrysalis, the way you've been speaking... Are you bound by your biology as well?"
Chrysalis growled in her alien voice before responding. "As a queen I possess more autonomy, but in many ways changeling biology is even more ingrained in me than in any drone."
"So, have you been fighting your own body against the urge to insult or even attack me this whole time?"
Chrysalis's face tightened as if she smelled something awful. Her eyes clenched shut and her face turned away as if she was attempting to address anyone other than Twilight. "A Changeling of lower rank may never speak or act against the will of their superior. That is the way of the hive, all is done by the will of the queen."
Twilight took another moment, deeply considering her next action. She decided. "Chrysalis." The Changeling actually looked to the pony, showing some interest in what she might be thinking. "My order... is that you may speak to me as an equal."
Chrysalis didn't manage to keep the look of shock off of her face. Genuine confusion overtook her features, but only for a brief moment. Her scowl returned as she shouted. "Equal, a pathetic pony like you thinks they are my equal. If I had my way..."
"No shouting please."
Chrysalis paused only briefly, taking another angry breath before continuing more quietly. "If I had my way, you'd be in a pod. You and the rest of your friends. Ponies are food, and one such as you has no hope of properly running my hive. So before you do what you must do, I must do what I must do and try to secure the future of my race."
Twilight stared at Chrysalis for several moments causing some confusion from the changeling. She glared back until Twilight finally spoke. "Is there any way I can fully trust what you're saying?"
Chrysalis growled before once again her multifaceted voice filled the room as much as she could without shouting. "Previously if I were lying to you you'd never know it. I am a master of stealth and deception. But I have no way of defying you at this point. If you want the truth, you only need to ask for it. How do you not understand this yet you frustrating..."
Twilight raised her hoof, causing Chrysalis to stop abruptly despite how much further she seemed to want to go. Realizing what she was doing Twilight dropped her hoof. The burden of the hush seemed to drop from Chrysalis, but she seemed more content to glare.
"Sorry, you can still talk to me as an equal. And freely if you'd like." Chrysalis glared harder. "Just try to keep it civil."
"It matters not, princess," the queen nearly spat the word. "My loyalty is not my own to give. I will defy you as much as I can if you do not do right by the changeling race. But you bested me, so you may do as you wish."
"That's good to hear." Chrysalis glared harder. Twilight waved a hoof to clear her last words. "Not like that. The compelled loyalty thing I have to address at some point, but I'm honestly happy to hear what a devoted leader you are."
"And why is that?" Chrysalis asked this through a clenched jaw.
For the first time since coming on this trip Twilight felt a sense of relief. A smile broke onto her face. "Because that's plenty to work with."
Chrysalis was somehow caught off guard as the mare she regarded as an enemy suddenly lunged forward. However, unlike any attack she might have seen coming, she suddenly felt the overly soft feel of pony fur wrapping around her shoulders.
The moment Chrysalis realized she was being hugged she jolted in shock. She couldn't force Twilight away, but she slipped from her grasp well enough. She backed away quickly, assuming a low stance and hissing.
"What are you playing at, pony?" Chrysalis demanded. Instinctively she tried to reach out to her hive for support, but winced from her defensive position as she felt an all too familiar feeling. She hissed again as the pony princesses sudden shock was replaced almost instantly by another smile.
"It's ok Chrysalis. We don't have to be friends yet."
"If you think you'll get me into your friendship cult I'll tell you right now, I'd rather be dead." She screeched the words, several tones of her voice breaking slightly.
"Chrysalis, you have nothing to fear. Your changelings are going to be just fine. You have my word as a Princess of Equestria that neither you or your hive will come to any harm."
Chrysalis straightened from her defensive position to once again glare at Twilight. "I already know at least part of that is a lie. But I will accept it if you will take the steps necessary to save m...my changelings."
Twilight smiled at the apparent concession of the fellow queen. "I'm going to head back to Canterlot to make preparations. If everything goes as I hope it will, I'll be back within a few weeks."
Twilight was surprised at the reaction that caused in Chrysalis. All the anger she'd been showing this whole time seemed to vanish as the normally proud changeling queen seemed to let a long held breath escape her. She then gently allowed her legs to relax and take a comfortable seat on the ground where she was. "And just as I'd assumed, both parts of your presumed promise were a lie."
Despite the number of times Chrysalis had nearly attacked her since she'd entered this room, this was the first thing to truly make her concerned. Chrysalis, looked defeated. "What... what's wrong Chrysalis? I'm not trying to do anything to hurt you."
"You won't be hurting me, your Highness. What you're doing is genocide." She didn't betray any emotion at the statement.
".....Chrysalis!!!! What are you talking about?"
"I told you already, pony. If I had any other alternative I would have never stooped so low as to beg for your help. I've done all I can to preserve m.. my changelings as long as I can. If you leave this hive today without doing something for m...my..... Your changelings, then you will return to a dead hive full of empty husks.
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I am curious how this played out after the Changeling invasion.
First off, intelligent species shouldn't kill, manipulate, or do cruel things to other intelligent species. Second off, what? Third off, she can't do that. And even if she could she wouldn't.
Mmmmmm. Judging by what Chrysalis has been saying, a few weeks will kill all Changelings. That explains the chapter title.
So Twilight has no choice but to stay.
Congratulations Twilight, your the Princess of Friendship, ruler of Equestria, and now Queen and ruler of all Changelings. This will play out interestingly.
I've seen very few stories where Twilight is both ruler of Equestria and Queen of Changelings but I enjoy every story I've read so far on the concept.
Going out on a limb to guess they are running on fumes at this point. Or the emotional equivalent anyway. Also you use pray instead of prey in the neither want nor need pity remark.
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I had to look that up to know what you were even talking about. Nice catch, you are right
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I might look into that more in later chapters.
Yeah.... yeah. Intelligent species shouldn't want to kill each other ......
Second between weird stuff assumed of Alicorn and the potential of changelings, who knows what they could do.
Third, Twilight is a changeling queen now. She just might have to, you never know.
Last two. Yeah, Twilight is in it for the long haul. Whether she likes it or not.
great chapter
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Thank you
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i do wish they were longer but like i said great chapter
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Don't tell anyone, but the next chapter just might be over twice as long
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Yay
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Now to tell the press
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So because changelings can’t help having some biologically hardwired instincts that run counter to what ponies would reflexively expect of each other, Twilight is now stuck as their queen at least until someone else defeats her in turn. Yeah, that’s going to take a while to sort out...and since Twi simply isn’t the sort to just “breed Chrysalis to death and be done with her”(*), the latter will also hang around for a good while longer than she may expect just yet.
(*) However that would work out between two females, although I guess that in regular changeling succession the new queen also gets control of all the viable males and can then sic them on the old.
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Magic makes a lot of things possible. And besides that, changelings seem to have a very adaptive biology. Who knows what could be possible.
"That's my secret, Chrysalis, I'm always moments away from a full blown panic attack."
Gee,think you could've started with that part?
'You have no idea what it feels like for the first words I've heard from my children outside of regularly scheduled reports from the hivemind in months, was addressed to a pony' - 'in months to be addressed' or something similar, plural mixed with singular, originally tried to provide more correction options, but the page wouldn't let me post them for some reason.
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second mcu reference this story has gotten. Love it.
It probably isn't grammatical correct, but it is a rambling chain of thought moment. I'm not sure how to write it to show her frustration without it being a bit of a word salad. I am up for suggestions though.