Queen Chrysalis returns to the Changeling Kingdom, but as a metamorphized Changeling. Very few others recognize her, but Thorax recognizes her immediately. While he gives her the chance to prove herself, his brother Pharynx is not convinced...
Many years after her dethronement, Chrysalis has returned to her kingdom, but not in the way her people had secretly feared. Chrysalis appears to have changed the same way the others have, although some believe she is using her shapeshifting powers to do so, something that is believed impossible. While Thorax is willing to give her a chance to prove she's changed, Pharynx is not convinced of her reform. The King of Changelings calls his closest friend Spike in order to aid him, but will that be enough? And has Chrysalis truly reformed?
It was an average day in the Changeling Kingdom. The people were tending to their gardens, enjoying lunch, and making friendly conversation with one another. When a tall, slender female Changeling walked through the kingdom, she attracted everyone's attention. The other Changelings had never seen somepony so beautiful.
A young Changeling stared as the mare walked past him and said to himself as he blushed, "She's beautiful..."
Two others were actually getting into a slight argument at which one of them she winked at.
One Changeling mare asked her friend, "She's drawing a lot of attention. But... don't you get the feeling we've seen her somewhere before?"
The other Changeling sipped her cup of nectar tea and said, "I do feel like I've seen her somewhere before. Maybe from one of those fashion magazines?"
All around as the mare walked past, Changelings stood and marveled at her beauty and some were a little unsettled by the burning question in their mind, "Had they seen her before?"
Meanwhile, Thorax was busy attending to some political matters regarding their relationship with the ponies. His brother came into the room and said, "Thorax, do you have a moment?"
Thorax looked up from his work and said, "Did you find something unsettling on one of your patrols?"
Pharynx shook his head and said, "Word has it there's a beautiful mare attracting a lot of attention in town. We don't get to spend enough time together anymore, so I was wondering if you'd like to go meet her with me?"
Thorax chuckled lightly and said, "I suppose I can indulge myself for a little while." The two brothers headed out of the castle and towards town.
The unknown mare smiled lightly to herself and said quietly, "So far, it doesn't seem they know who I am... I hope it stays that way until I've proved myself."
As Thorax and Pharynx made their way into town, Pharynx made a light purring sound when he saw the mare and said, "I'd sure like to have a mare like that at my side, what about you Thorax?" only to look to his side and see his brother had started to head back to the castle. He followed his brother and playfully teased him saying, "Getting cold hooves seeing her?"
Thorax took a serious expression and said, "Brother, while she is beautiful, her beauty is causing everyone, including you, to be completely oblivious to her true identity."
Pharynx raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you talking about? We've never seen her before."
Thorax shook his head and said, "Not like this at least. But I'm certain... it's her... Chrysalis."
Pharynx stepped back from his brother, quivering from what he had just said. He said to his brother, "No... That's not possible! The barrier should have stopped her from coming back!"
Thorax continued on and said, "The barrier would have, if she had not transformed like we have."
Recently, in fear of Chrysalis forming a new hive and returning, the Changelings set up a barrier that would prevent sapient creatures with malicious thoughts from entering the kingdom. Pharynx scoffed and said, "That's impossible! A person like Chrysalis? Do you honestly believe she could change?"
Thorax sighed and said, "I don't know brother. You rejected the new ways at first, but you came to accept them. What's to stop Chrysalis from accepting them, even if it is only to return to her place as queen?"
Meanwhile, Chrysalis was still walking through town, although she had noticed Thorax and Pharynx seeing her and immediately leaving. She gulped to herself and said, "They know, there's no other reason they'd walk away without a second glance."
As Thorax returned to the Changeling Castle, he started writing a letter to Spike, "Spike, you are my closest and dearest friend. This is why I ask for your assistance. A new Changeling has arrived in our kingdom. Despite this being the first time I've seen her, I have no doubt that it is none other than Chrysalis. She seems to have metamorphized like the rest of us, and she was able to get past our barrier. I have my concerns about her, and I ask that you come to the Kingdom to assist me. I hope to see you soon."
Meanwhile in Ponyville...
Spike had just finished his lunch when he felt a letter coming through. He burped up green fire and when the scroll appeared in his claws, he took it to Twilight, "Twilight, there's a new letter!"
Twilight levitated the letter onto her desk and opened it before realizing, "Spike, this letter is for you, it's from Thorax."
Spike read the letter and his eyes widened when he finished, "Thorax says Chrysalis has metamorphized like the others and she's in the kingdom!"
Twilight's eyes widened as well, "What!? But that's impossible! We helped set up that barrier to keep her out! How could she have possibly gotten past it!? Meet me at the train station while I get the girls ready to go."
Spike nodded before flying out the window towards the train station. When Twilight and the others arrived, the others were in a panic, not understanding how an evil person like Chrysalis could ever have reformed. Spike settled them down, "Think about it, we reformed Discord, didn't we? What's to say that Chrysalis isn't capable of reforming?"
Twilight nodded, "Spike does have a point, none of us thought Discord would ever reform, and we were still able to do it. Let's go, Thorax is waiting for us."
As the train went off from Ponyville, Spike thought about what Chrysalis looked like after her metamorphosis. He knew she was one of the most evil creatures in Equestria, but he still gave her the benefit of the doubt, mainly because they had managed to reform Discord, but still, he believed that everyone, no matter how evil, had a sliver of good in their heart. It was just his good-hearted nature.
As the train pulled into the Changeling Kingdom's train station, Thorax was there to meet Spike and the girls, "Spike! I'm so glad you came. It's nice to see you and the girls. Let's take this conversation to the castle." before getting in a chariot, followed by Spike and the girls and being taken to the castle. As he showed them to their rooms, he told Spike, "Spike, I'd like to show you what Chrysalis looks like now." he brought Spike to a balcony overlooking a large flower garden where the mare who he assumed to be Chrysalis was watering them.
Spike's eyes widened when he saw the mare, despite her beauty, he could tell it was Chrysalis from a single look, and asked Thorax, "Does anyone besides us know the truth?"
Thorax shook his head, "The only ones who know are me and my brother, the rest of the kingdom does feel like they've seen her before, but they haven't been able to put two and two together yet."
Spike sighed in relief, "Good, if the whole kingdom knew, there's no doubt it would cause panic. I like to see the good in people, but I'm still a bit skeptical."
Thorax nodded, "That's why you're my best friend, you showed me that there can be good in even the most evil people, but I do have my worries. Let's talk about this in the morning, you must be tired from the long train ride from Ponyville."
Spike yawned, confirming Thorax's assumption, "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll see you in the morning." before heading back to the room Thorax had set aside for him.
As Thorax looked out from the balcony at the metamorphized Chrysalis, he thought, "Such untamed beauty... but why do I have so much doubt?"
As Spike and the girls had woken up, they went to meet with Thorax. Spike asked his friend, "So, what do we do now? I mean, it's not like we can up and ask her if she's really Chrysalis."
Thorax nodded, "That is true... Perhaps we should just keep an eye on her for now."
Pharynx growled, "I still think this is just a farce. There's no way Chrysalis could get past the barrier."
Thorax sighed, "Pharynx, you were able to reform, and so were Starlight Glimmer and Discord. I understand it's hard to believe, but maybe, just maybe Chrysalis really has changed."
Pharynx rolled his eyes but nodded, "If you say so. But I'm still going to be on my hooves, just in case."
After meeting with Thorax, Spike went out into town to see if he could find Chrysalis. He saw her walking out of an inn and walked over to her, greeting her, "Hello! You're a new face around here. My name's Spike!"
Chrysalis smiled lightly, "Spike... you don't have to pretend you don't know me. I'm not foolish as I used to be. I know Thorax knows who I am, but I want to prove myself to him."
Spike chuckled nervously, "Ok, yeah... But how did you metamorphize?"
Chrysalis sighed, "That's a story full of pain. I traveled past the Crystal Kingdom, deep into the ice. That's where I found something that I thought only exists in my worst nightmares. A relic called the Jamba Heart. It spreads hatred to anyone who is influenced by its power. At the time, I was still plotting to form a new hive, so I saw it as a threat to that plan. I studied it for a long time, but I could never find a way to destroy it. I started to lose hope, knowing that if the Jamba Heart was still around, I'd never be able to form a new hive."
Spike raised an eyebrow, "So what changed?"
Chrysalis continued, "One day, when my shelter had been destroyed by a blizzard, a young Crystal Pony helped me get to safety. He showed compassion to someone as evil as me. Something in my heart changed that day. I realized that love isn't a one way street, to earn love, you have to give love. That's when I metamorphized. I'm grateful to that young colt, he helped me despite all the problems I've caused. I'm also thankful to have met you Spike."
Spike was confused, and asked, "Me? What did I have to do with it?"
Chrysalis explained, "You showed Thorax the true meaning of love, and you also taught it to me. It just took me longer to understand what love truly is. If you'd like, would you like to be my friend?"
Spike smiled, "Of course! I truly believe you've changed, although others may not. I'll gladly be your friend."
Chrysalis smiled and nuzzled Spike, "Thank you Spike. If you see Thorax again, tell him I'm truly sorry for all the pain and chaos I've caused. Also, can you apologize to the girls for the whole wedding fiasco?"
Spike smiled and nodded, "Of course, no problem." He headed back to the castle and explained what happened.
Pharynx scoffed, "Her, understanding the true meaning of love? Doubtful, I still think she's just playing us like a game of chess."
Thorax sighed, "While I don't like admitting it, Pharynx has a point. Chrysalis is extremely manipulative. That's what makes her so dangerous. I find her story about a Crystal Pony helping her get to safety a bit odd. Perhaps contacting Princess Cadence would be a good idea, just to confirm her story."
Rarity pointed out, "Chrysalis did tell Spike to apologize to us for the chaos she caused at Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding, that at least proves it is Chrysalis. Most of the Changelings here weren't around for that incident."
Twilight nodded, "Thorax, I'll get in contact with my sister in-law, you just take care of your kingdom. If Chrysalis truly is scheming to reclaim the throne by force, you're going to need to be prepared for that."
Pharynx smiled, "Right! I'll get the troops to train double-time!"
Thorax sighed, sometimes he thought his brother took his job as the General of the Changeling Brigade a little too seriously, but nodded at Twilight, "Thank you Twilight, that's very appreciated." Thorax walked back to his room with Spike at his side.
Spike felt as if Thorax was hiding something, "Thorax, is something wrong? You seem a bit distracted."
Thorax paused before saying, "Don't tell my brother but... I think I might be in love with Chrysalis. It's a nightmare right now. I actually had a pretty bad nightmare last night with me and Chrysalis. I'd rather leave that sort of thing to my shrink though."
Spike raised an eyebrow, "You see a shrink?"
Thorax nodded, "Sometimes the stress of being king gets to me."
Spike could understand that, the Friendship Academy had put a lot of pressure on Twilight, especially after the incident with Cozy Glow. "Ok, I get that, Twilight's had the same kind of problems."
Thorax chuckled, "I'd be surprised otherwise."
As Thorax walked into his room, he went out to his balcony to see Chrysalis watering the flower gardens again. He sighed dreamily, "I know I'm in love with her... but I can't let my emotions get in the way of this. If I do... it'll ruin me." before laying down in his bed.
Meanwhile...
Pharynx was spying on Chrysalis as she watered the flower gardens. He had to admit, her body was gorgeous, but he still didn't trust her. "What kind of dark magic is at work here?"
Chrysalis sighed, "Pharynx, I know you're there. You don't have to hide."
Pharynx was shocked that Chrysalis knew he was watching her, but then he noticed his wings were buzzing and growling at his wings, "You betrayed me!"
Chrysalis giggled lightly at Pharynx getting angry at his own body, but then got serious, "Pharynx, I know I've done a lot of bad things, some of which I can't even forgive myself for. But you didn't agree with the new ways at first, but your brother put so much trust in you to protect the kingdom, you were able to change. Give me a chance at least."
Pharynx grumbled lightly and said, "Fine, but know one thing. Play with my brother's emotions, and even the author won't be able to fix what I'll do to you."
Chrysalis looked confused when Pharynx said something about an author, but nodded anyway, "I'd never toy with Thorax's emotions. But thank you. I should get back to the inn." before leaving the flower gardens and heading back to her room at the inn.
As Twilight woke up in the room she had been staying in at Thorax's castle, Spike told her, "Hey, Cadence just sent a letter. She confirmed Chrysalis was telling the truth about a Crystal pony helping her out when her shelter collapsed in a blizzard. The colt finally came out of the closet and admitted to helping her."
Twilight thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps she really has reformed... well, you should go let Thorax know that she's not lying."
Spike nodded, "I already tried to find him, but he must have gone into town. You don't think he's going to confront her, do you?"
Twilight shook her head, "No, that would raise too much attention. He might have gone to talk to her, but I don't think he'll try to confront her."
Meanwhile in town...
Thorax walked into the café to see Chrysalis drinking a cup of tea and sat in the seat across the table from her. He asked her, "So, why exactly are you back? I heard Spike's story, and while Pharynx doesn't believe it, I'm hopeful it's true."
Chrysalis nodded, "I understand why Pharynx is unsettled. I already know there are things I've done that even I can't forgive. But I'm trying to change. This new form is a first step, isn't it?"
Thorax smiled, "Yes, it is. And I must say, the form suits you."
Chrysalis blushed lightly, but said, "Thank you Thorax, that's very sweet of you." before finishing her tea and saying, "I must be going, I don't stay at the inn for free, I still need to make money."
Thorax thought about giving her some money to help pay for her inn room, but if he did, people would suspect he was in a relationship with her. Not that he didn't want to pursue a relationship, but it wasn't the right time while he was still somewhat unsure of her intentions. "I suppose I'll see you around some time." before heading back to his castle
When he arrived, Spike told him, "Hey Thorax, I just got a letter from Cadence. Chrysalis was telling the truth about that colt helping her. The colt even admitted he helped her."
Thorax smiled lightly, "Good, that's a start. It seems she's staying at the inn for now. I'd like to invite her here, but that would just raise questions from guards and the other town's-ponies."
Spike nodded, "Yeah, good point. How should we act for now?"
Thorax thought for a moment, "If she's sincere about her change, she might try making new friends. We'll see how that works out, if other Changelings want to be her friend, she really could be trying to change."
As Chrysalis got to her new job at a book store and net café, her boss asked her, "Hey, I never learned your name by the way. I am your boss, so it would be helpful to know your name."
Chrysalis gulped, she couldn't tell him her real name, it could cause panic, before thinking of a name, "My name is Anteni. I'm sorry I didn't tell you my name sooner."
Her boss said, "No worries, we've been busy, so I forgot to ask. Well, we're about to open the store, so get ready." before turning the closed sign on the door to open. "Good luck on your first day Anteni." before going into his office.
Chrysalis sighed in relief when her boss went to his office and believed her fake name. As a customer came in, she smiled and said, "Welcome to Metamorphic Café! How many hours would you like?"
The customer told her, "I'm just here to see if the newest Power Pony comic is in stock."
Chrysalis checked the computer and said, "Yes, we just stocked up on them. Comic section, row six, section I."
The customer thanked her before going to get the comic and purchasing it.
Throughout the day, Chrysalis had made a few friends who shared a few of her interests, and she was actually feeling happy. When her boss came out of his office, he told her, "Why don't you take your lunch break?"
Chrysalis smiled, "Thank you sir. I'll be back in an hour." before leaving to get lunch, when she was invited to share lunch with one of the friends she had made during her shift. As she sat down with her friend, she asked her, "So, which Warriors book did you buy? I'm a new fan, so I'm still on Into the Wild, so please, no spoilers."
Her friend smiled, "Don't worry, I won't spoil anything. I just started reading Forest of Secrets, the third book in the original series. So far it's very good."
Chrysalis smiled, "Sounds like I'll enjoy reading it. I'm already hooked onto Warriors, and I'm actually thinking of getting a cat and naming it Firepaw."
Her friend giggled, "That's adorable! A bit silly, but still adorable."
As Chrysalis's lunch break ended, she headed back to her job until her shift ended. He boss told her, "Good job today Anteni. I'll see you tomorrow." before the two of them left.
Chrysalis hummed a tune to herself on her way back to the inn, "I've finally made some friends. It feels good to have someone who likes me for myself instead of fearing my position."
