Queen Chrysalis, abandoned by her changeling hive, is exiled. No other changelings will accept her, and she is forced to flee to Canterlot!
After the failed assault on Canterlot, Chrysalis's changelings abandon her. She knows the other changeling hives won't accept her, not after her pride. She is forced to go to Canterlot, where a certain Mare of the Night finds her.
Luna is depressed. Celestia insensitively brings up Nightmare Moon while Cadence leaves for the Crystal Empire. When she encounters a new bug-like mare, she confronts her sister, encouraged by her new bug friend.
This is a tale of the Moon, of Bugs and of the Sun. But most importantly it's about family, friendship and love. It's a tale Of Insects and Moons.
It was a quaint night in Canterlot, Luna's brilliant moon was shining, the stars gleamed. But for one pony, it was not so.
"Horrible ingrates! After I fed them, cared for them and they banish me!" Queen Chrysalis grumbled, her cerulean mane matted down with dirt and grime. After the failed assault on Canterlot, Queen Miasma proposed her exile. Vain snobbish brat! Queen Lacera was correct, she was a brat. At first, Queen Myxine objected. Queen Chrysalis remembered that fateful evening.
Flashback
In flat plain near a mountain, laid a circular raised platform of stone. Fluorescent Moss dusted the ground, lighting it up. The tree’s that dot it creaked somewhat. The wind howled. Rain was common, pounding on the ground fiercely with thunder and lightning accompanying it. A collection of changelings, exceptional ones, were at the circular platform, each in their own unique throne.
"You failed us, Chrysalis! We were supposed to have enough Love to feed us for centuries to come! YET YOU FAILED!" Miasma shouted, fiercely, before blushing at her outburst. Her tufts of purple hair falling in a mess as she snarled. Miasma was extremely vain and snobby, she tried way too much to seem regal, proud and collected when she wasn’t. She was hot-tempered, vain and selfish.
"Hold your tongue, Miasma or I may just have to cut it out." Calliphora said, calmly. No surprise there, that Calliphora was defending Chrysalis. She always adored Chrysalis, acting as if she were a Goddess. Her two puffs of white hair elegantly curling, her red eyes humming. Calliphora is, unsettling. Even other changelings avoid her and her hive. Calliphora, when she talks is calm, collected and patient. She is very solemn and serious, most of the time. When in danger, or if her hive is, Calliphora becomes a vicious foe.
"I'd like to see you try, Vampira!" Miasma retorted, as she flared her power, causing the docile Ambrosia to wake from her nap. Ambrosia was docile. With hair like honey, she was playful and curious. Despite her silliness, she would protect her hive without hesitation.
"A vote?" Queen Myxine suggested, trying to defuse the situation. Myxine, Queen of the Hagfish Hive, was seafaring. Much like the Sirens of the deep Sea’s, her hair was stuck together, soft, silky, and like a fin. Queen Myxine herself was intimidating, she was fair, kind to some, but also stubborn and cruel to her enemies. Chrysalis just coldly watched this display of events.
"Whom suggest Chrysalis be removed from all power?" Miasma asked, raising her hoof.
"Who suggests Chrysalis remain in power?" Calliphora asked, raising her own hoof. Another hoof was raised, belonging to a withered and elderly Changeling; the long thought deceased Queen Lacera. Lacera was tyrannical. She would not hesitate to kill even a Nymph to assert her power. She was jealous, power-hungry and cruel. Her white-ish lilac hair strands fell around her.
"You supposed to be dead!" Miasma hissed at seeing the sight of her mother.
"Nope, I'm still alive you brat!" Lacera said to her daughter, her vote shocking Chrysalis. In older times, Lacera was a strong opposer of Chrysalis.
"Ambrosia, you cannot abstain." Myxine said softly to her ally. Out of all the changelings queens, Ambrosia was the most vulnerable, and Myxine protected her. Unknown to all, Myxine thought of Ambrosia as a sibling, as she reminded Myxine of her deceased younger sister. She growled at the thought of her horrible father. ‘I couldn’t protect Pupa...I’ll protect Ambrosia!’ She thought sadly.
"I don't know what I wanna do, Myxy...Chryssy is funny...Mia is rude. She woke me up and always calls me names." Ambrosia sniffed.
"You sniveling whelp! Have you no shame, you selfish, pathetic, ugly excuse of a Changeling?!" Miasma roared at the docile changeling. ‘Such childish nature, why is she even a Queen?!” Miasma thought, angrily.
"But Phora is funny. I like her eyelids...Laci scares me.." Ambrosia murmured, tears pricking her eyes, overwhelmed at the situation.
"Answer the vote, you horrible excuse!" Miasma sneered, before a magical blast of energy hit her, from Myxine.
"We come up with our own vote. Chrysalis be removed entirely and banished." Myxine said. Miasma paused, joining that vote instead.
"Queen Ambrosia, you are the deciding factor as I am not allowed to participate in said vote." Chrysalis said, murmuring something about the dumb ditzy blonde choosing.
"I choose...I choose..." Ambrosia sniffled at Chrysalis's hurtful words. "Former Queen Chrysalis of the Chrysalis Hive, you are hereby banished." Ambrosia declared.
"What?! You sniveling worm! I saved you!" Chrysalis shouted.
"You manipulated me!" Ambrosia shouted back.
"We hereby exile you." Calliphora said softly, not wishing it had come to this. Her horn flared with white energy. Miasma grinned as her horn flared with a purple-lavender aura. Lacera's horn hummed with a whiteish lilac color. Myxine's horn flared with a small orb of blue on the secondary prong, as the first prong glowed with a bigger, blue aura. Finally, Ambrosia's golden honey aura enveloped her horn, as Chrysalis was banished. With an explosion, she was flung from the Meeting Grounds, banished and stripped of her power.
And so Chrysalis lay, in Canterlot, broken, drunk and alone. She didn't even hear the flap of wings, as she wallowed in her self pity.
"WHY ART THOU SADDENED?" A voice boomed. Chrysalis looked up to see a mare with a dark blue coat, blue, starry mane, ethereal. Like Celestia's, it was floaty and shifted, as if the actual stars were in it. She had two large wings and a horn. Chrysalis's eyes widened, as she recognized who it was. Princess Luna, Princess of the Moon and Night, formerly Nightmare Moon. Often mistaken for her cousin Queen Selene or Lady Artemis.
She gulped. "Do you not know who I am?" Chrysalis questioned, somewhat offended at being so easily forgotten. She paused, falling over.
"HATH I MET THOU BEFORE?" Luna asked, before coughing. "I mean, um, have I met you before?" She tried.
Chrysalis was now deeply offended. "I am Queen Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings!" Seeing the blank face on Luna, she shrugged. "I'm sad because my," Chrysalis paused, thinking on how to explain it. "Family, disowned me for failing something that was very important. What are you doing out on the streets, Princess?" Chrysalis said smoothly, even though drunk.
"I am also distressed. My sister was being rather rude..." Luna said, pouting.
Chrysalis smiled. "What was she rude about?" She snickered softly.
Luna sighed. "We got into an argument about which court, Day Court or Night Court, was more stressful and then she had proclaimed "Well while you were Nightmare Moon and imprisoned I had to juggle both so I win!" In an immature manner. She does not understand the level of guilt I feel for my actions."
Chrysalis hummed. "Yes, that is quite rude." She noted. "Let's go tell your sister how you feel!" Chrysalis shouted with a grin.
"Yes! Let us!" Luna shouted, before grabbing the intoxicated Chrysalis and flying to Canterlot Castle.
Luna swung the doors open, startling Celestia. Following her was a bug like mare, as Celestia gasped, flaring her power. Luna snarled at her sister. "Don't touch Chryssi!" She boomed, flaring her own power. "She's, um, what was the word you used, Chryssi?"
The changeling sighed. "I said that I was no longer a Queen and that I had been exiled. I'm on my one at this point." She said, shaking her head as her cerulean mane flopped around.
The Princess of the Sun settled down, somewhat reluctantly. "So, Luna, what are you and, 'Chryssi' doing here?" She asked calmly. The Princess of the Moon grinned.
"I'm here to tell you how I FEEL!!" She shouted, ending up using the Canterlot Royal Voice. "And Chryssi here will be with me." Chryssi nodded, leaning over to wrap a holed hoof around the other mare.
"Yup." Was the insectoid response. Celestia could tell this would be a long night.
Twilight looked at her mentor, uncertain. "Um, Princess Celestia, you may want to slow down. You've ingested enough Alcohol that would kill twenty mortals.."
"Twilight, I'm not even tipsy yet." Celestia replied, before chugging more beer. The princess of the night looked at her sister, grinning like a fool, drunken silly.
"Chryssi, c'mere!" The Mare of the Night said, pulling the bug mare in for a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Lipstick was smeared on it, as the Royal Guards, drunk, began cat-calling at the two mares. "I LIKE BIG PLOTS AND I CANNOT LIE! OTHER MARES TRY TO DENY! BUT WHEN A MARE WALKS UP WITH A BIG BIG PLOT-" Luna screeched, before Chrysalis stuffed a cupcake in her mouth.
"Sweetie, shut up." Chrysalis said, stuffing the Mare of the Night up with cupcakes to get her to stop her drunken singing.
Twilight face-hoofed. Her friends had already passed out, even poor Fluttershy. She thinks on how it even got to this point.
Twilight sighed, relaxing at the Spa with the girls. "You know, darling, this is so lovely, I do wish we did this more often." Rarity pointed out.
"Yeah, it's super duper fun!" Pinkie Pie said, grinning. The others gave their input, Rainbow Dash didn't seem to favor it. "I wish they had cupcakes! If they had cupcakes this could be a cupcake spa!" She grinned again. "Also, YJF, I am not a cupcake obsessed pony. I do have other parts of my personality. You had best show that in later chapters." Pinkie Pie said, a glare on her face as she briefly deflated.
Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie uncertainly, nervously laughing. She jumped when the door opened, as Spike ran in, panting and holding a scroll. "Twilight! Princess Celestia needs you!" Spike panted.
"Spike, what happened?" Twilight asked quickly, worried.
"Okay, so I was taking a nap-er um I mean I was dusting like you told me to! Then Princess Celestia sent me a message to get you to go to Canterlot, to bring the others and the Elements of Harmony."
"Spike, what did she say?" Twilight said softly. Spike coughed, before opening the scroll. "Twilight, my faithful student," Spike said in his best Celestia voice. "you must come to Canterlot as soon as you can. It is of grave importance you bring the Elements of Harmony as well as your friends."
"Well, girls, we best be going!" Twilight said. Rarity pouted.
"But my hooficure!" Rarity whined. Twilight sighed. "Now, Rarity." Rarity began mumbling.
As the girls were on their way to to Canterlot, Celestia was getting a headache. "So, you found Chrysalis, you got mad at me for mentioning Nightmare Moon, and so you two have decided to team-up?" She asked, her eye twitching.
"Yup." Luna said, chipper. Celestia face-hoofed. "Luna..you could've asked me to not...ugh!" The Solar Matriarch used her magic to grab some wine, before chugging it.
"Have some wine, my little ponies!" Celestia offered.
How did the conversation go from my feelings to politics?
Celestia looked at Chrysalis reluctantly. "So, let me get this straight, you got evicted from the rest of the Changelings by the other queens, it turns out they are all over Equestria and can adapt?" Celestia facehoofed. "So, who would be the most dangerous Queens?" She asked.
Chrysalis hummed. "Dangerous in general, or dangerous to you?" She asked.
"Both." Celestia replied, curious.
Chrysalis nodded, thinking. "All of us are dangerous, at least, the ones that evicted me. But Myxine is very dangerous. She has the ability to turn herself into water, and the secondary barb on her horn is capable of secreting a paralyzing poison. Myxine is practical, she won't attack like I did. The most docile of us would be Ambrosia, in actuality." Chrysalis shrugged. "Each Queen has several special abilities, making it hard to classify them. For example, I am much more potent in terms of magic than the others, and I can also teleport others to a prison of my choosing. Ambrosia can affect someone's mind by a simple glance, not even magic, through what I call the "Enthrallment of the Siren.", she's also capable of speaking to any animal." Chrysalis paused to take a breath.
"Calliphora can use blood as a secondary life-force and can manipulate light and shadow to her will. Miasma can secrete acidic saliva or healing saliva, and she's also extremely swift. The last queen, Lacera, is perhaps the most dangerous because she has three special abilities. Lacera can not only turn intangible and invisible, but she can also shoot energy orbs, not magical orbs, out of her horn." Chrysais finished. "The Changeling Queens have adapted to this for reasons."
"Myxine's hive lives near the sea, so turning into water is useful, and the poison would be good for prey. Heaven knows those Eels are slippery. Ambrosia's hive lives in the jungles, making her animal speak useful, as is her enthrallment of the siren, as it lets her control them. Calliphora's hive live near cemeteries, thus the blood, light and shadow are useful. Miasma actually just manifested her powers, I'm not sure why. Lacera however lived near where if you were easily found, you were easily captured. The predators were immune to most Magic, meaning she had to adapt."
Celestia looked at Chrysalis, fascination gleaming. "This is very interesting, Chrysalis, but can all of the changelings from those hives do that?"
"That's complicated. The full ability is unique to each individual queen. For example, Ambrosia is the only one in her hive that can do the Enthrallement of the Siren and the animal speak. No other queen can, and neither can any of her hive, at least not a real Enthrallment or Animal Speak. However, these traits are slightly manifested within their hive, so that's why Ambrosia's hive prefers to seduce, because the Enthrallment of the Siren does something similar. Calliphora's hive have her abilities but to a far less extent, making even gallons of blood worth the same as a quart to Calliphora, similar things apply to the others."
The Matriarch of the Sun nodded. "So, the real question is Chrysalis, why should I allow you into Equestria? The crimes you've commited.."
"Were for the good of the changelings. We were starving. When you are in the badlands, you tend to forget your manners." Chrysalis snarled back, her old venom in her voice back. Luna squirmed, uncomfortable.
"How did the conversation go from my feelings to politics?" Luna murmured, disgruntled, kind of irked at her sister. She came to talk about her feelings, which Celestia always encourages, yet it turned into a political discussion.
Ambrosia, needless to say, was confused. "Myxy, what just happened?" She murmured, nuzzling the other changeling in sisterly affection. "Nothing, Ambrosia." Myxine said, grimly staring at Miasma.
"Now that we have exiled Chrysalis." Miasma began. "I nomina-" Miasma began, only to be cut off by Myxine.
"No." Was the firm voice of Myxine. "Nobody is taking over the Chrysalis Hive. We will leave them to their own tasks, and let them elect their own leader, to become a queen." Miasma snarled, in her thoughts.
Chrysalis is gone, yes she is indeed!
Call it arrogant, call it callous, I call it opportunistic
Whatever might have been, is no longer here
Now is the time, to usurp and truly shine! She internally sung, melodiously so.
Miasma pondered. Now would be the perfect time to overthrow. But she knew she had too many enemies. of course because she was too beautiful! Jealousy was indeed a curse. Alas, so was beauty which she possessed.
Lacera hissed. "The Lacera Hive has been amassing resources, we are fully stable." She commented.
"Impossible! I wiped you out, how are you alive?!" Miasma questioned, fiercely.
"Pfft, really Miasma? I am your mother. I know much more than you ever would, or will. I am older than Chrysalis, older than even Celestia and Luna themselves! I was one of the first Changelings, I battled against King Spatios and Queen Tempora! I killed Lord Astrum, Lunaria and even Solaris!" Lacera boasted. "I am ancient. I am powerful, daughter dearest."
"None of you can ever hope to be as powerful as I." Lacera finished.
"I rendered you blind. I killed you!" Miasma retorted. Lacera haughtily ignored her.
"You think you killed me." A deep voice boomed, as an Alicorn with a dark, navy blue skin, and a mane seemingly made out of plasma, aka, stars.
"Astrum." Lacera hissed, baring her fangs.
"Hello, Changeling Lacera, Ambrosia, Myxine, Calliphora and Miasma." He hummed, greeting them all. "I am Lord Astrum, Monarch of the Stars. My sister, Lunaria, is the Matriarch of the Moon, while Solaris rules the Sun."
"Isn't that Luna and Celestia?" Ambrosia questioned, naively so.
"No. Luna and Celestia can move their respective celestial objects. But us? We are able to harness their power. Lunaria can create beams of pure moonlight, inflict lunacy and affect the Tides of Poseidon's domain. Solaris, as Patriarch of the Sun, is able to bring about comforting light or blind his foes in his wrath. We sit upon the Celestial Council along with Luna, Celestia, Poseidon and the lesser deities."
"Why were we not included?" Miasma roared.
"Changelings have a long way to go. You have not ascended. Your kind are pitifully devolved. You queens, you think yourself a title, but you are a different class. Pitiful. Your kind has many myths, what deities were once worshiped?" Astrum questioned.
"We used to worship the Changeling Gods. The Greco-Roman pantheon were our gods. Athena and Minerva, Venus and Aphrodite. Ares and Mars. Hades and Pluto. Vesta and Hestia." Myxine replied, unsure of where Astrum was going with this.
"They are not myths. They are real. They sit upon the Mythic Council and Celestial Council. I was once friends with Lady Nyx and her consort, Lord Erebos." Astrum replied.
"Lies, they are not real!" Miasma snarled.
"They are all too real." Astrum replied. "I came with a warning, little Changelings. You must take what the Mistress of the Night has gifted you, and learn to utilize it."
"What?" Lacera asked.
"She didn't even tell you?!" Astrum groaned, upset. "The Queen of Shadow has blessed your kind. That is why you can devour emotions as you do. You must explore the myths." Astrum cautioned, as wind swept around him. "My time is short. Ouranos, Zeus and Kronos are all displeased with me coming here. We were supposed to not reveal such information. Goodbye, Changelings. Find your counterparts, explore, travel! Find the Gateway, the Key of Fate! The Crystal Nexus!" He warned, as he disappeared in a vortex of energy.
The changelings exchanged glances, before a deep voice echoed.
Ambrosia let out a shrill screech and jumped up, her orange hued wings fluttering.
Standing in the place of Astrum was a tall, regal mare with a coat of obsidian. Her hair fell down in stylized locks, the red, orange, black and streaks of yellow melding together. Her tail also held such a coloration. Her eyes were narrowed, the golden eyes gazing at the Changelings. Her horn curved upwards, much like King Sombra's, except instead of red it was a more reddish-orange hue. Her wings were curled up, the tips being a blood red hue.
Ambrosia blushed. She was stunningly beautiful, she must admit. Even Miasma, begrudgingly thought it as well.
"Do you know who I am?" She questioned, her silky voice smooth like velvet, yet hard like metal, a light metallic undertone beneath it, her eyes gazed, the golden orbs filled with acceptance, pride and a dash of motherly affection.
"Who are you?" Ambrosia questioned.
"Why, dear Ambrosia, I will give you a hint. I am one of the most feared, yet respected, of your deities."
"Tartarus? I thought he was a boy...and a Dragon..." She grunted. The otherworldly mare chuckled.
"No, but I do reside with my brother."
Calliphora tilted her head. "Nyx, Matriarch of the Night. Consort to Lord Erebus, Ancient Goddess."
"Smart one." She praised. "I am more Nox than Nyx right now. I was worshiped as primarily a deity of the Night, yet I was also worshiped as a Goddess of Tartarus, long before Celestia and Luna took over my brother's home. I am a Goddess of Fire, albeit hellfire, yet flames nonetheless." The ethereal mare replied, nodding gracefully to Calliphora.
"Astrum." Nyx/Nox, commented, heaving a sigh of distaste. "He always was theatrical. Now, my dears. I am, unlike Astrum, allowed to come to this earthly plane. When Nightmare Moon returned, she brought along the first Catalyst. With Discord awakening, he brought my second Catalyst, and the first Catalyst for Eris. With your invasion of Canterlot."
"Chrysalis's, invasion." Lacera sneered.
"Yes, yes, whatever. That also gave me the third Catalyst. When Sombra invaded, my fourth Catalyst returned to me. Those pesky Plunder-seeds reformed my fifth Catalyst, which Tirek's rampage brought back to me. My sixth and seventh Catalysts were brought to me during the events of The Sirens and Starlight Glimmer affecting time. My Catalysts are what give me permission to come here."
"Why are you here, though, Lady Nox?" Myxine questioned.
"Ah, a roman Changeling. I am here to help my greatest creations thrive. You changelings. Hemera, Mistress of Day, has sworn war against me. She is going to rally the creatures of Light. The creatures of Shadow and Dark must prepare."
