Chapter 1
Queen Chrysalis, in all of her infinite wisdom, really hated what she was doing. She hated this plan with an absolute passion, and really, who could blame her? The Queen was getting ready to send her own sister into a place where their kind were not welcome. She would be considered a monster if she didn’t like this idea, and despite what Outsiders thought, she was not a monster. Honestly though, she had no choice. This was a necessary evil that just had to be done. Plain and simple. Her presence was required with the Swarm, to keep things running smoothly, and to prepare. Princess Jade was the only one Chrysalis could trust. She needed eyes and ears within Equestrian society, and there was no changeling better suited to the task than her own flesh and blood.
In due course, the Queen found herself outside the Pod Chamber. There were two guards on duty before the entrance, carefully keeping an eye on the nurses and doctors that bustled to and fro. The Pods were oft considered the peak of changeling technology, and were always protected. Chrysalis swept by the guards with nary a glance, only concerned with what lay within the room beyond. She threaded her way carefully through numerous Pods, largely ignoring the subjects who bowed before her before retreating to a safe distance. Normally she never treated her own changelings like this, but at the moment, she had much more upon her mind. At the very center of the chamber rested a much larger Pod, black wreathed in purple. It was here Chrysalis headed, and here where she came to a stop.
“How is she?” Chrysalis demanded of a nearby doctor. This Pod was special, and had three guards stationed around it and two doctors at all times.
“She seems to be normal, Your Highness,” the doctor said, his voice the echoing triple layer of a drone changeling. “Her vital signs are healthy. Her magic is as strong as ever, maybe more so. As far as I can tell, Princess Jade is taking to the transformation quite well.”
“Good,” Chrysalis said shortly. “I came because I have another task for you. I want you to find five others.”
“Five… others, my Queen?”
“Yes, five, you fool. I’m not sending my sister into potentially hostile territory alone. I want five of the most worthy changelings you can find in additional conversion Pods immediately.”
The doctor shuffled his hooves nervously. “Forgive me for saying, Your Majesty, but unless you are wanting five Utstött to accompany Princess Jade on this mission, I’m afraid there aren’t any changelings worthy of this task.”
“Then find some Utstött! I’ll offer full citizen rights to any outcasts who are willing to take up this task.”
The doctor gulped, but decided to press his luck. “Are you sure it is wise to entrust our Princess to a couple of Utstött?”
Chrysalis fixed her subject with a stare that would melt stone. “An Utstött who is promised full rights is more likely to protect Jade with their life than any other changeling we might find. I don’t care what it takes, I want you to find my sister some guardians!”
The doctor bowed low. He was not about to argue with his liege any longer. “Yes, my Queen. It shall be as you say.”
Chrysalis turned from him, already lost in her own thoughts. Unbidden, the memory of the last words she spoke with her sister resurfaced.
Two Days Ago
Princess Jade trotted next to her sister as they headed to the Pod Chamber. Changelings bowed and saluted as the siblings strode down the corridor. Ever the more approachable of the pair, Jade nodded and offered small smiles to her subjects as she passed. Her shoulder length dark blue, pink, and lavender toned mane was tucked behind her right ear, and her soulful violet eyes sparked gently. The younger changeling leader was almost skipping, completely carefree. Her older sister shook her head at the sight. She wasn’t sure what was worse; the fact that Jade was still so carefree after all these years, or that Jade resembled an Utstött, an outcast. Most changelings looked identical: Black chitin, green or ice blue eyes, and occasionally a green mane. But every so often, a break in the normal was born: A changeling who simply looked nothing like the others. They would have different eye and mane colors, different chitin colors, and even acted differently than their brothers and sisters. As such, despite Chrysalis’ and Jade’s efforts, such changelings were labeled as outcasts, and were rarely accepted into changeling society.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Jade?” Chrysalis asked softly.
Princess Jade paused to cast a slightly amused look her over her shoulder. “You worry too much, Chrissy. I’ll be fine, and I can certainly look out for myself.”
Chrysalis frowned slightly. “It’s my job to worry, though. Expert disguise or not, sending you so far into potentially hostile territory is dangerous. You know how the ponies of Equestria treats us. And the rest of the world doesn’t treat us much better.”
Princess Jade dropped her carefree manner for a moment, nuzzling up against her older sibling. “That’s why I have to do this, Chrysalis. You and I both know what is coming. The changelings have made some mistakes in the past, and now we are paying for it. The world sees us as enemies. As parasites.” Jade spat the last word.
“Which is why we should just abandon this plan and find another way!”
Jade laughed, high and sweet. “You were the one who first designed this grand scheme of ours, Chrissy. If not me, then who? If not this plan, then what? I’m our best shot right now. I need to be in a position of power outside the Swarm before it hits. Like we were against Discord thousands of years ago, the changeling nation will be the first to stand and the last to fall. Like we were against the Titans even before Discord, the changelings will be the first to warn of the impending danger. I’m not about to trust any other changeling with this.” By the time Princess Jade had finished speaking, the duo had reached the Pod chamber and traversed to the Pod Jade was about to enter.
“Tell me how this one is going to work, sister, so that I might know what to expect.”
Chrysalis, realizing that she was not about to change the mind of her sibling, began to explain. “This Pod is different than our others. Rather than converting a pony into a changeling, it does almost the opposite.”
“You mean… it’s going to change me into a pony?” Instead of sounding disgusted, Jade sounded fascinated.
“Yes and no.” Chrysalis moved around the Pod. “The first thing the Pod is going to do is age you backwards. It will change you back into a foal. Once that process is done, it will temporarily convert you into a pony. For all intents and purposes, you will be an ordinary pony until you receive your cutie mark.”
“But changelings don’t get cutie marks.” Now Jade simply sounded puzzled. She knew that Pods were capable of a great many things, fueled by love as they were, but this was something entirely new.
“You will once this Pod has done its work. Once you have your cutie mark, your mind will slowly start reconnecting itself to the Mind. You’ll start being able to communicate with the rest of us, bit by bit. Your body will remember that it is a changeling, and you’ll have to take care to ensure your disguise will not falter. The last bit is the most important warning I can give you. You can’t let your disguise fall. You’ll have to learn to use your formidable willpower to keep yourself calm. You know what happens if a changeling is startled or panicked.”
“Our disguise will be no more. Right. Anything else I should know?”
Chrysalis hesitated for a moment. “There might be some confusion once you began to transition back into the Mind. The “pony” part of you won’t want to believe you are a changeling. I’ll help you when or if I can, but I can’t guarantee my aid. Understand?”
“I do. I am ready.”
The last thing Chrysalis saw of her beloved sister was the Pod sealing shut behind Jade.
Present Time
It’s been three days. Three long, grueling days of worrying. There were a myriad of things that could go horribly wrong. Chrysalis would have tested the capability of this Pod on some willing subject before entrusting her sister to it, but Jade had been adamant. Time was of the essence, and it was the one thing everyone was running out of. All Chrysalis could really do was hope that everything went well. It took a great deal of her willpower to remain still, and not to pace. Connected to the Mind as all changelings were, they could sense her distress, her worry. But showing her agitation would serve naught to make matters worse than they already were. So Chrysalis stood there stoically, until the same doctor came trotting back up to her.
“I believe I’ve found some suitable changelings, your Highness.”
Chrysalis turned to him thoughtfully. That didn’t take nearly as long as she had expected. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, my Queen. Do you wish to see them?”
“At once.” The Queen followed her subject as he led her a short distance away, where five Utstött changelings stood. Rather than the slightly cowed stature Chrysalis normally felt around her outcast subjects, these ones stood proudly. They seemed to have accepted their lot in life, but didn’t let that detract from their actions and bearing. The first Chrysalis noticed was an odd cyan blue changeling with a bright chromatic mane and maroon eyes. This one half-glared at Chrysalis in defiance, almost as if daring the Queen to condemn her. The second was a sturdy orange changeling, with bottle green eyes and a blond mane. She was a hard worker, Chrysalis could tell, strong and reliable. The third was a changeling so white she could have been an albino, save for the dark sapphire eyes and rather elegant, yet a bit scraggly, mane. The fourth, a ridiculously pink changeling with a matching mane and baby blue eyes. The last of the group was far more meek than her counterparts, but still held an air of quiet serenity. She was buttercup yellow, with a light pink mane and pretty teal eyes. All five of these changelings screamed Utstött with every letter of the word.
The cyan one spoke first, catching Chrysalis slightly off guard. “I hear you’re looking for changelings to act as personal bodyguards to Princess Jade, Queen.” The entire sentence made it clear just which of the two leaders this changeling preferred. A nearby guard moved as though to discipline the mare, but Chrysalis waved him off impatiently.
“That’s right. And you are…?” The question was a formality only, really. Chrysalis knew who this changeling was, through the Mind.
“Sapphire. Probably the swiftest flying changeling you’ll ever find. Or, I would be if your guards weren’t afraid to lose to an Utstött.” Chrysalis could hear the smirk in her voice.
Chrysalis could only arc an eyebrow, but all she said was, “I see. Well, yes, Sapphire, you heard right. I’m seeking changelings like you five to safeguard our Princess. She volunteered to be sent into pony society on a dangerous mission.”
“A mission that will attempt to warn our other neighbors that darkness is coming to the world again, yes?” The white changeling added. When Chrysalis looked slightly surprised, she snorted. “Give us some credit, Chrysalis. We’re Utstött, remember? Us outcasts are known for thinking outside the box, and ‘normal’ changelings love to gossip. We hear things because they forget we’re there. But I’m more interested in what we’re going to get out of it. I’ll gladly do anything for Princess Jade. We all will. She’s the only one who actually treats us like we’re no different than her other subjects. But why should we do anything for you?”
Chrysalis regarded the white changeling before her. The changeling did not back down, and Chrysalis came to the realization that the Utstött wasn’t afraid of her. None of them were. They weren’t used to bowing and scraping before royalty, like so many of her subjects were. It was a tad refreshing, to be stood up to like this. Chrysalis decided that she could come to really enjoy the company of these outcasts. “I can promise you full citizen rights should you succeed in your tasking.”
Even Sapphire looked surprised at that, and naturally, it was her who spoke first. “Princess Jade has been trying for as long as anyone can remember to get outcasts to be accepted. Why would your efforts be met with any more success than hers?”
“Because I am the current Queen. If need be I can Decree that into a law, and changelings will be forced to follow it. I’ve struggled just as much as my sister has to get rid of this bit of racism within my Swarm. If I have to I will force changelings to accept it.”
All five of them visibly considered Chrysalis’ response. Finally, the yellow one spoke, for the first time. “Not just us. All Utstött, past, present, and future. Promise us this, and we’ll follow Princess Jade to Tartarus and back.”
“Done,” Chrysalis said without hesitation. That caught them off guard.
“Seriously? Just like that?” Sapphire sounded doubtful.
“Just like that. You have the oath of a royal. I’ll do it. Princess Jade is the only changeling I’ve ever let into my heart. I’ll do anything to ensure she comes back to me safe and sound.”
All five of the soon-to-be guardians regarded the Queen with interest. They had never seen Chrysalis so determined or emotional before. One by one they formed a half circle around the changeling leader, their minds made up. “Tell us what we need to do, Chrysalis.” The orange changeling said.
“I’ll need to put you into Pods. When you are in there, the process will begin. You will recall nothing of the Swarm until each of you receive your cutie marks. Once you are fully integrated to the Mind again, I shall direct you on your next task. Above all else, Princess Jade cannot know that you are her bodyguards. She insisted on going alone, but I’m her elder sister. I deem that she needs protection, so protection she shall have. But if she knows that she has five others trailing her, she might blow her cover. You may become her friends, you may become her enemies, but she cannot know your true calling. Understood?”
The Utstött nodded once. They were ready, as ready as they would ever be. With barely a thought, Chrysalis sent doctors descending down upon the outcasts, bustling them each towards Pods. Once the last one was safely ensconced in a Pod, Chrysalis reached deep into the Swarm, where the most potent of magic resided: Love. It was sweet and pure, like nothing else Chrysalis had ever tasted nor felt. It filled her with an all consuming joy, burning through her limbs like liquid wildfire. Turning her attention to the five newly occupied Pods, Chrysalis then direction the Love to change the very makeup of the Pods. Like she had done with Jade’s container before these two, Chrysalis wove the magic she required. Her magic shone with a brilliant emerald green instead of the sickly seaweed coloration the doctors and nurses could be seen using. With a last loving caress, Chrysalis completed her task and let go of the Love.
The Queen took a step back and surveyed her work. Five brand new Pods stood before her in all of their colored glory. They were all black, like Jade’s, but also like hers they were wreathed in the colors of the changelings they held. With a final determined nod, Chrysalis then turned and exited the chamber. There were still preparations that needed to be completed. First and foremost were the families. Each one of the six disguised changelings were going to need to be implemented into families. Had she more time, Chrysalis would have spent months attempting to find the perfect families. She would have found mothers experiencing difficulties with their pregnancy, and then slipped the changeling foal in as a sort of ‘miracle’ birth. But that was simply out of the question. The best Chrysalis could hope to do was to simply drop her charges off at suitable doorsteps, with a note sparsely explaining a few things. Luckily such things were not entirely unheard of, or this would be a lot harder.
Next came the waiting game, a game Chrysalis was all too familiar with, even if she did not like playing it. She had to wait until each of the infiltrators reached roughly twelve years of age, the age where most young ponies discovered that special talent that set them apart from others. Once at that stage came the eventual rehabilitation into the Mind, and then Chrysalis would finally be needed again. She had to help as much as possible when this time arrived, or her plan would end in shambles before it began. As soon as this stage was completed Chrysalis could focus on preparing the Swarm for the coming darkness. There wouldn’t be much she could do to influence the ponies on her own, so she simply had to trust that her six changelings would be enough to at least get some important pony to listen. Once the Outside races were prepared to at least listen to changelings again, then Chrysalis could make her move. After that, there was no real plan. Things would happen as they did, and with a little bit of luck, everyone will still be around for a couple more generations.
The Queen finally came to a halt in her own personal chambers. Casting out her presence, she connected herself to the Harvesters she had in Equestria. She sent images of the six changelings to each Harvester, directing them to find pony families with similar colorations. She then terminated the links, not bothering with any sort of pleasantries. Such things could wait until her tasks were complete. However, Chrysalis had barely begun to leave her chamber again when one of her Harvesters contacted her mentally. Slightly surprised, Chrysalis answered the mental link.
Do you have suitable candidates?
Yes, my Queen. These are ponies I’ve absorbed love from before. They practically radiate it, negating the need for me to take it by force.
Well, what are you waiting for? Send me images of them, so that I may decide for myself!
The first mental image to enter Chrysalis’ mind were earth ponies. One of them, a red giant, had the very appearance of a draft pony. He looked strong enough to knock down entire trees. The second earth pony was definitely older, all wrinkled and green. But even this didn’t decrease the sense of pride emanating from her. The colors weren’t entirely ideal, but colors didn’t matter nearly as much with earth ponies. The orange outcast would go well there, working on a farm. The second mental image were again earth ponies. The all four were colored rather drably, and it looked like they lived on a rock farm, of all things. Chrysalis hesitated for a moment. A bright pink infiltrator might cause attention. But… They were rock farmers. Undoubtedly stranger things had happened to them already.
The third set of ponies were pegasi, as was the fourth. The male pegasi of the first set had the same chromatic mane and tail as Sapphire, and had a slightly lighter coat color. The mare was a slightly brighter pink color, with a slightly fiery mane. Sapphire would fit in well here. The second set of pegasi were both yellow colored. The stallion was slightly darker than the mare, more of a mustard yellow with a dull red mane. The mare was tall and willowy, almost breathtakingly so, and a really pale yellow. Her mane was bubblegum pink. Chrysalis smiled slightly. This one would be perfect for that meek little Utstött. The fifth set of ponies were unicorns. The mare was a gentle pink with a ridiculous bunned purple mane, and the stallion was an off white color with a ratty straw hat upon his head. The little bit of his mane that could be seen was a muddy brown.
But the last set of ponies is what really caught Chrysalis’ attention. These ponies, without a doubt, were some sort of nobility. There was no denying it. The stallion carried himself proudly, a rather handsome light blue color with a matching styled dark blue mane. The mare had an air of gentle refinement. She was colored a breathtaking grey with a two tone white and lilac mane. Their younger son was a lightly scrawny thing, pure white with a two tone electric and dark blue mane. This family… This family would be absolutely perfect for Princess Jade. Chrysalis had never imagined herself thinking along those lines, but Chrysalis knew this family would treat her sister right. And if they really were some form of nobility, then placing her sister in their care would make things easier to come. The Queen sent her sincerest thanks to the Harvester. It was time to plan the infiltration.
~~~
~~~
Night Light cast one last glance around the empty living room. Tonight was like any other night in the Sparkle household. Dinner dishes had already been done. Shining Armor had already retreated into his room for the night, courtesy of his own strict schedule. That young stallion was determined to get into the Solar Guard, and he took everything seriously: His schedules, his eating habits, all of it. Night Light couldn’t have been more proud of his son. Now, if only he and Twilight Velvet could have a daughter… everything would be perfect. Night Light shook that thought from his head. There was nothing that could be done about it right now. Night Light strode up to the front door, making sure it was locked. Canterlot had a lower crime rate that most other big cities, being the home of Princess Celestia and all, but there were still some ponies who thought they could get away with stealing.
Just as Night Light turned away from the locked door, there came a swift three knocks upon the portal. Night Light’s head snapped back around, ears pricked. The knocks did not repeat, but a faint scuffling could be heard from the doorstep. Now thoroughly curious, Night Light approached the door, unlocked it, and threw it open. There, resting upon the steps, was a small basket bundle. The basket was nothing overly special, but the blanket was a pretty lavender embroidered with stars. Bending down to inspect the bundle carefully, Night Light discovered that the bundle was breathing. Snapping upright in shock, the stallion lifted the bundle in a flare of golden magic. He gently lifted away the wrappings and nearly dropped it in shock. Nestled inside, tiny purple eyes opening sleepily, was a baby filly.
A noise behind the stallion alerted Night Light to the fact that his wife had just come down the stairs. “Who was it, Nighty Light?”
In answer, the still stunned Night Light turned to his wife. Twilight Velvet let out a piercing shriek and rushed to her husband. Inspecting the open blankets like Night Light had done the basket, Velvet discovered a tiny note embedded in its folds. She unfurled it and read:
To whomever this may concern:
Please take care of this young filly. She will be much better off in your caring hooves than in mine. I do not have much time left for this world, and so it is in good graces that I trust you will treat this filly as your own. Do not attempt to find me. May Celestia guide you in your endeavors.
Sincerely,
--C
P.S. Her name is Twilight Sparkle.
Chrysalis watched from the shadows as the new parents of her sister took the filly into the warmth, exclaiming over her all the while. Princess Jade was the last one she needed to drop off, and she was correct in her assumption these two ponies were looking for a daughter. Princess Jade would be in good hooves. Her job was complete.