Chapter 2
"Why are we going into the library?" complained 'Green Cloud' as they paced through the palace corridors.
"To find a solution to our problem, did you forget already?" answered Cadence slightly annoyed.
"I know why we're doing this, I mean why don't we simply ask to that egghead of our sister-in-law?"
"Twilight isn't- ok, maybe a bit, but I'd like to keep this story from spreading further, and moreover she's perfecting the spell to unmask the changelings... Do you really want her around?"
"You make a point," sighed the pegasus as they reached their destination.
The castle private library was huge, nothing comparable to the public one or the Canterlot one, but still impressive. At the very center of the bookshelves-filled room stood a tall statue of an armor clad unicorn with an evil grin and a fierce look.
A smilingly infinite quantity of books covered in dust was sitting on the bookshelves. Chrysalis felt a bit of discomfort while looking around.
"You can remove the disguise, if you want: nopony comes around here apart from me and my husband," explained Cadence in a sad tone.
"Why? Crystal ponies don't like to read?" joked 'Green Cloud' before being engulfed by green flames.
The alicorn pointed towards the statue and said: "That's king Sombra, previous ruler of the Empire, one of the worst beings in the whole Equestrian history and a tyrant; it's no wonder they feel unnerved around that ugly thing."
The changeling noticed that he was standing on a square base sustained by a great number of small ponies, most barely standing but some completely crushed.
"Why don't you simply destroy that thing?" she asked.
"He was a sly fox: many of those books are linked by magic to that statue, so that they have to be close by... And that they share the same fate." said Cadence with a sigh.
They reached the law section and started searching for useful information.
"Say, how is it that the air is filled with love in this city?" asked Chrysalis while staring a black horn-shaped tablet.
This was known as the slate of king Amur Habir, great great grandfather of king Sombra, first to write down the laws in the Empire history; those are surprisingly impartial, punishing very harshly every crime and everypony following the principle of 'an eye for an eye'.
"The crystal heart, which projects the huge barrier that keeps the Empire safe, works using love infused magic. It's also the reason why everything around here sparkles."
"You're telling me that your main defense is pouring out love? That's incredible! How do I get one of those? This could easily solve every problem of my kingdom!" exclaimed Chrysalis as happy as a little filly on Heart Warming Day.
"I fear it wont help: it's also powered by the love every crystal pony give it on the Crystal Fair Day," explained Cadence in a very sad tone "I'm sorry."
"Well, I guess hoping it was an unlimited love generator was a bit too much," sighed the other hanging her head.
They resumed the search, occasionally pointing out a useful edict or a bizarre law, like the one preventing mares in the Empire from having intimate relationships with hedgehogs.
Eventually, around lunch time, they left the dusty library without having accomplished anything.
---
The room, like the rest of the hive, had black walls made of chitin with holes oozing green liquid every couple of meters; it was round in shape, with a range of five meters, with one light blue orb in the middle, pouring it's gleam over the darkened room.
"Your predecessor has gone missing, so we made you in order to give our kind a proper substitute. Do you understand your task?" asked an emotionless male voice coming from the orb.
"Yes father," said the changeling filly sitting in front of it.
She looked like a mini-Chrysalis, but all the green parts were colored like cinder, while her voice was less raspy and more high pitched than the changeling queen's.
"You are born perfected to lead the changelings as their new queen, and you will do better than your predecessor. We shall name you Ashley, because every queen has a name."
"Thank you father," answered the filly with another bow.
"Then, queen Ashley, what will be your first decree?"
"I summon the council and the generals, now!" ordered her with a scowl.
"They are coming here. Why do you need them?"
"Chrysalis was weak. I'll show the changelings that they can rely on their queen by giving them the one thing they want and need: love! We cannot expect the equestrians to love us, not after the mess that foal made at the wedding, we have to get it by force!"
Part of the wall opened in front of her, letting a small number of changelings enter. They bowed in respect.
"You summoned us, father of our kind?" asked one of them.
"Yes my children. This filly here is your new queen, her name is Ashley," droned the orb "She needs your help to give our kind its due."
"We're born to serve your will, queen Ashley," the group said in unison, bowing again.
"Excellent" said her with a triumphant grin while buzzing her little wings.
---
The lunch, in the alicorn's plan, should have been a moment to relax and replenish the energies they spent searching the library, but she had forgotten a certain particular. They were still walking down the corridor towards the dining room, when a voice diverted their attention from the chat they were having.
"Cadence!" shouted an overjoyed lavender mare trotting towards her, ending the charge with a tight hug.
"T-Twilight?" asked Cadence in confusion.
"Aren't you happy to see me?" asked the unicorn, her eyes starting to water.
"Of course I am, Twi, I simply didn't expect to see you here this soon again," replied the pink mare hugging her back and preventing the waterworks.
"Don't you remember the letter, sweetheart?" asked Shining Armor, who had been sitting nearby the entire time; a trace of tension lingered in his voice.
"Which one? We read an awful lot every evening!" lamented Cadence, before asking Twilight "Wait, you're here for the statue in the library right? Aunt Celestia said something about sending a expert... Who, of course, would be you, my magical filly."
"You promised never to call me this again!" protested a blushing Twilight.
They laughed together.
When the giggles subsided, the lavender unicorn noticed the pegasus, who had remained silent for the whole time, fixing her glaze on the one mare that ruined her plan.
"Oh, I didn't notice you, I'm so sorry."
"Don't sweat it, dear. My name is Green Cloud and I'm an old friend of Cadence" said Chrysalis forcing a smile that resulted quite convincing "And you must be Twilight Sparkle, I presume. I heard a lot about you..."
Twilight blushed again.
"I see you girls are enjoying yourselves and I hate to butt in, but lunch is ready," stated Shining Armor with a grin and a mocking tone.
The four of them reached the dining room where Spike was already sitting.
It was a long room with three high windows on one side and three big tapestries presenting scenes of the Hearth Warming Day legend. They sat at a long table made of white crystal, dressed with a red tablecloth and surrounded by red velvety cushions.
After the due introductions, they started eating their meal, which ended about an hour later without any other event worthy of notice.
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I really don't know why some writers put themselves on a timetable. All it does is set the stage for disappointment when they don't deliver on time. I'm in a pessimistic mood today....
Anyway good job. And the statue.... I guess Sombra wanted to ensure they'd never forget him I assume?
1920800
Well, the timetable is just to give to you all a bit of insurance that you don't need to wait a month o more for the next chapter...
About the statue, yes, the purpose was exactly this one, kudos to you
Yay! I love Kudos, they're so tasty!
Faved, upvoted; hoping to see moar. Great start.
1923331
Oh, thank you
like the story but one Q? Why Ashly and like Queen Vespa or web or mantiss or some other insect like name like Crisalys had?
1937563
The motivation, as stupid as it could be, is that I couldn't choose a more fitting name: in my mind I found that the other insectile name (some of which you suggested) didn't bear the same nice ring...
I hope this statifies you somehow
1937582I
In trooth no Queen ashly sound rather bad.... i mean for a changeling queen or a queen in genral it has a vary bad sound. no offance ment but it dose. other ones i heard for chanling queens are Hunnycumbe, Sting, Pincer,Venum, beedrile (realy i saw on named that), Honet, Jirugoma (a tipe of japanese demon spider) i meany useing a human name for any mlp caricter is never good idea unles its a dragon or grifin...
1937626
Truth to be told I shared and still share your feeling...
If you like it more as explanation, Ashley's name is due to her colors being black and gray, like cinder, and the fact that Cinder and Cinderella sounded even worse to me.
1937646If thats the base for the name how about Queen Scarub, the black egiption bettle that eat the dead and in mummmy movies the living too. Or may be a nother dark black evile insect like the Bisan a demon wasp that could in asian myth take the form of a lovely maidon, Queen Bisan sound more royal.
1937717
Oh, I didn't knew about those godlike being... THank you for the suggestions
But I have to decline their use for a simple matter: Ashley, as Chrysalis and the changelings in general, isn't strictly evil, more along the line of willing to go to any extent for saving her children... I guess this is more of a filosophic matter...
I'll consider both names if another queen rises or if I decide her to be more evil, thenks again
1937796
Based on your view i say Queen Spidermoth (ntsure i spelled moth right) Spidermothes pearlise spiders and lay there eggs in the so there young can feed on it from the inside alive. the are also black body with red and ornge wings.... thats more fiting only others i can think of that match how you see the queens are scropians witch carry there young on there back and the mantiss or widow that eat there mate so they have the strangth to lay egggs and lastly the masketo with the female sucks blood fore the need protines to lay eggs.
1937955
I'll have to ponder on this...
Probably I'll use one of your suggestions for another story, if I don't find a better use in this one
Anyway, thank you for your many suggestions
1938010NP IAlway Figured the changlings had difrent hives each with there oun queen so i pundered the names for 100s of hives
1938030 you pun-pondered?
Random bizarre law out of nowhere seemingly affecting nothing, and then comes the movie years afterwards, and...
(I know, still likely doesn't apply given that those two most likely don't have that sort of relationship, but hard to pass up mentioning the coincidence anyways...
)
11016524
That is actually a real law from somewhere in the States, or at least it has been at some point in history. It waa weird and I decided to quote it.
It would have been fun to actually fish it nack for the sequel but I never got around to actually writing it
Ashley no!
Aaaawkward...
Poor Sonic.
Wtf?
; by another side, that only means that somepony just slepped with an hedgehog, without reason?
Bender: That filly make me proud! *burp*
Sombra:
*Inhale*
I’ve come to make an announcement, Shadow the Hedgehog is a bitchass mother fucker. He pissed on my fucking wife. That’s right, he took his hedgehog little quilly dick out and he pissed on my fucking wife, and he said his dick was THIS BIG. And I said “that’s disgusting!” So I’m making a callout post on my twitter. com. Shadow the Hedgehog, you got a small dick, it’s the size of this walnut except WAY smaller. And guess what, here’s what my dong looks like: PFFFFFFFFGJT. That’s right baby. All point, no quills, no pillows, look at that it looks like two balls and a bong. He fucked my wife so guess what, I’m gonna FUCK THE EARTH. THATS RIGHT THIS IS WHAT YOU GET, MY SUPER LAZER PISS. Except I’m not gonna piss on the earth, I’m gonna go higher. I’m pissing on the MOOOOOON! How do you like that Celestia? I PISSED ON THE MOON YOU IDIOT! You have twenty three hours before the piss droplets hit the fucking Earth! Now get out of my fucking sight before I piss on you too!