Lost in the Abyss
Up in the Northern borders of Equestria, the frozen tundras that surrounded the Crystal Empire carried countless miles of unforgivingly cold and white snow. In the middle of the day, ponies would need to wear eye protection due to how violently bright sunlight would reflect from the ice. But when the sun went down, and the temperatures went far into the negatives under Luna’s night, any unlucky pony caught in the Frozen North wouldn’t be able to look past their hoof in the neverending darkness. Even with the moon and stars shining vibrantly in the sky, any lone soul would have to be insane to contemplate trekking through the wintery hellscape on their own.
Unfortunately, for one particular stallion who was drudging his way through miles of unrelenting snow on his own, insanity would’ve been the easier explanation to justify his current predicament.
The pony was wearing multiple layers of thick, heavy clothing to help shield himself from the cold; unfortunately, he had also been out in the dead of night long enough to feel that stinging chill creeping down to his pristine white fur. Heavy boots adorned his muscular flanks to help him stomp through the thick tufts of snow, but his hooves still felt worriedly numb after walking for miles on end. And over his head was a thick, military-grade shield helmet to conceal his face from the unforgiving temperatures; the only feature of his that protruded from the helmet was the tip of his horn, which was sticking out through the hole at the top to illuminate himself with a distinct pinkish hue.
Back when he first began his mindless journey into the unknown, the stallion made sure to keep himself unseen as he snuck out of the Crystal Empire’s defenses. Although, his discretion was less to do with what he was planning, and more in regards to who he was. Back within the safe confines of that Oasis of a revived city, the stallion was regarded as their leader alongside his wife, Princess Cadance. But now, as he struggled to see ahead of the limited range of his magic’s illumination, Shining Armor could barely think about anything aside from the destination he hoped was close ahead.
Just a few hours prior to his escape from the Crystal Empire, Shining could recall going over some paperwork in his office late at night. Cadance had left with their daughter to visit Twilight Sparkle for the weekend, which left him alone to tend to the Empire’s more basic duties. Of course, considering how most of the tasks were already covered prior to her leave, Shining figured he wouldn’t have much to do until she returned with Flurry Heart. However, that all changed the instant he found that mysterious letter tucked at the very bottom of his papers.
In retrospect, Shining couldn’t honestly say he remembered many specifics regarding the contents of that letter. In fact, all that the Prince could recall was how… distinct the hoofwriting looked as he scanned that page studiously. But even with that small issue barely registering in his mind -- mostly due to how hard he was keeping focus on his illuminated horn -- he knew just how significant it was for him to pursue the letter’s origins. Even if his thoughts were growing muddled from the blistering cold, and the constant lighting of his horn was causing a massive headache, Shining knew exactly who was trying to contact him; and with that, the stallion knew he couldn’t sit idly by and let that… fiend get away again.
If Shining Armor was in a clearer state of mind, he likely would’ve waited for reinforcements before venturing off into the frozen tundras on his own. Heck, he probably should’ve at least told somepony that he was going to be gone, just so the Crystal Empire wouldn’t go into a panic when they realize he wasn’t still cooped up in his office. But after all the heartache and paranoia he had to go through over the years because of her, Shining would’ve been damned if he didn’t take the chance to take her down himself. If Chrysalis was close enough to the Crystal Empire to have that letter sent to him personally, then the Prince wanted to make sure she wouldn’t escape his reach again.
Unfortunately, by the time the stallion was able to reach the outside of what looked to be the entrance to a cave, Shining had been walking too long to realize just how obvious the lure had gotten him. He should’ve realized just from retrospect how irrational he had become to venture out into the Frozen North alone, and to make sure he wasn’t seen while doing it. And considering how quickly that letter prompted him to leave his post while he was the only active leader in the Crystal Empire, the fact that he couldn’t remember much of the letter’s actual details should’ve raised several red flags. But alas, despite the noble intentions he may have had when he left the safety of his Empire, only the briefest recollections were running through his clouded mind as he trotted inside the dark and mysterious cavern.
As Shining descended deep into the cave, his horn stayed brightly lit to help guide himself through the rocky crevices. By the time the exit of the cave disappeared from his line of sight, the Prince was able to feel the temperature raise significantly the further he traversed. He started to undo various articles of his clothing through his magic as he walked, making sure to place them in his saddlebags for his journey back home. And by the time he reached what looked to be a hollowed-out expansion of the cave, Shining didn’t need to light his horn as he saw the countless hues of eerily-bright green ahead of him.
Just as he was about to enter the unknown region, Shining Armor took off his helmet to place on the ground. His expression carried a look of stern determination, and a bitter scowl that showed he was ready to attack if needed. Unfortunately, his demeanor wasn’t nearly as intimidating as he may have hoped when it came to his eyes. He may have not been able to notice it just yet, but it would’ve been clear to anypony else who could’ve been with him, and possibly point out how those light sources ahead were white.
All of those ghastly shades of green Shining saw weren’t from the caverns itself, but from the familiar glow that now illuminated his blank eyes.
Nevertheless, Shining was completely unaware of what was transpiring when he walked into the open space, and took a breath to shout out in intimidation. “CHRYSALIS!!!” he roared with a surprising level of force and anger, clearly intent on confronting the former Queen physically. “COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF!!”
Much to Shining’s surprise, the Changeling didn’t try to wait in anticipation or theatrics. Instead, the bug-like creature swooped down from the white lights above, and landed directly in front of the stallion with a thundering stomp of her hooves. The Prince faltered for a split-second, but still remained in combative stance as he narrowed his eyes on the fiend vehemently. But due to the stallion’s visibly compromised state, all that Chrysalis gave in response was a wide and leering grin that exposed her glistening fangs.
“Why hellloooooo… Prince Shining Armor~” she purred while narrowing her piercing eyes, and making her reptilian pupils thin sharply. Shining didn’t pull back from the creature’s menacing smile, and just gritted his teeth while glaring up at her. But from Chrysalis’ perspective, the sight of the stallion’s filtered eyes prompted her to only tilt her head curiously. “Oh, you don’t have to act so defensive, Shining… As long as you don’t throw the first punch, I’ll refrain from doing the same~”
Even though his vengeful snarl showed that he was seriously contemplating that decision, a few seconds passed before it was made clear that Shining wasn’t going to raise his hoof towards her. Instead, the Prince just maintained his icy glare while Chrysalis smirked in satisfaction. “That’s what I thought~” she snapped confidently, despite seeing just how unnerved the stallion was getting. But as the illumination stemming from his eyes glowed even brighter, all that Shining could do was wince from the intensifying pain and confusion. Meanwhile, multiple pairs of ghastly green eyes opened within the heavy veil of darkness around the two; Chrysalis may have lost her Hive, but that didn’t mean she lost all of her loyal soldiers.
While Shining’s attention briefly skewed outward to scan what seemed to be a dozen different Changelings around them, Chrysalis walked past the stallion while speaking in a more professional-sounding tone. “Now then… Considering that you managed to find my letter, and felt the need to confront me yourself, I’m willing to guess you have some very strong feelings regarding my… past indiscretions. And before you say anything about my previous endeavors, I want you to know first and foremost… That I am not planning on invading the Crystal Empire.”
That last statement caught the muddled Prince off guard, and he turned back towards her with a befuddled look on his face. Meanwhile, Chrysalis kept her face pointed away from him, mostly to keep him from seeing her faint smirk that indicated she was secretly thinking the word, “Yet” following that decree. Of course, considering how far gone Shining had already become from that letter’s effects, the former Queen had a feeling she could describe her true plans to him right now without much resistance. But alas, considering how much was on the line for her plan, she knew better than to act too careless just yet; if Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer could slip through her cracks, then she couldn’t doubt Shining could either.
“W… W-Wait, you…” Shining paused with a pained groan as he pinched the bridge of his snout with a hoof, unable to ascertain why his headache was growing so intense. Despite having the ability to remember just how familiar this all felt, the stallion couldn’t seem to put the pieces together. Instead, he let out a sharp exhale before trying to shake his head clear, which did nothing to dim the glowing from his half-lidded eyes. “... S-So you’re not planning to attack the Crystal Empire?”
“Pssh~ Of course not,” she replied with a roll of her eyes, and a cheeky glance back at Shining to show her sincerity. “I mean, considering how effective your sister is with her Element friends, I’m fully aware of my limitations at the moment, Shining. Even with the few remaining soldiers I have at my disposal, it would be borderline suicidal for me to try such a careless act of terrorism. Don’t you agree?~”
Shining may have been effectively incapacitated by Chrysalis’ magic, but he didn’t need to be to catch the honesty in her answer. Due to her past discretions, he and everypony else knew just how effective she could be with the right resources at her disposal. But right now, with her homeland changed and her presence minimal at best, he doubted that a creature as meticulous as her would try to lie about her shortcomings. He couldn’t recall exactly why he came out here to confront her by himself, but he was somewhat relieved to hear some agreeable logic from her perspective.
“Besides,” continued the Changeling as she walked past the Prince again, her smile widening as she saw how wobbly Shining’s legs were becoming while standing still. “Considering how poorly I’ve treated you and your loved ones in the past, I… felt it was only fair to apologize to you personally.”
That remark got Shining even more confused, which was fairly understandable since he was having a hard time thinking coherently. “Y-You…” Shining paused once more as he blinked a couple times, struggling to get his eyes to stay in focus while peering up at her. “... you wrote me that letter... so I could come out here for that?”
Despite the stallion’s brainwashing, Chrysalis couldn’t blame him for having some difficulty processing that weak excuse. But alas, the Ex-Queen shrugged her shoulders before saying in response, “Welllll… It was one of my reasons, I’ll truthfully admit. I even waited until your wife and daughter were at your sister’s castle so I could confront you alone, Prince Shining. I didn’t want any hostility between us, so I figured this was the best means to avoid any unnecessary confrontation.”
Due to how hazy his thoughts were growing with each passing moment, Shining was too groggy to really notice any red flags with everything that was transpiring. But even with that thick fog of green clouding his senses, he was able to catch enough of Chrysalis’ statement to nod his head weakly. “Well… W-Well, I… I suppose that makes sense…”
“Doesn’t it?~” she asked with a coyer tone that matched her widening grin. However, Chrysalis then breathed out sharply enough to add in a more ‘sincere’ tone of voice, “And before anything else is said, I am sorry for my previous actions, Shining Armor. I know I was wrong to brainwash you, and to kidnap you and your loved ones during my previous takeover. I was only doing what I saw was best for my Kingdom. I hope you can understand that.”
Despite the lightest nod of his head (which Chrysalis wasn’t completely sure was intentional due to Shining’s grogginess), the Prince didn’t say anything in response to Chrysalis’ apology. After a couple seconds of silence, the Changeling leaned in close beside the stallion before saying with a more devilish grin, “In fact… If you’ll allow me, Prince Shining… I want to make it up to you with a little offer~”
Chrysalis backed away when she saw Shining raise a hoof up, and groan more tiredly as he rubbed his glowing eyes. The changeling doubted he would object, but she stayed cautious for the sake of her starving drones waiting in the darkness. The Prince finally asked after taking a moment to process her words, “Wh… What kind of offer?”
“Oh, Shining~” she purred while her grin grew toothier, and her brows raised with a look of faux surprise. “Did you not remember what I wrote to you about in that letter? Considering how… detailed I tried to write about that one night we spent while I posed as Cadance, I… sorta figured you came to see me because of it~”
Shining winced and lowered his head with his eyes clenched shut. By now, his head was throbbing in pain from how strong Chrysalis’ influence was grasping his train of thought. Even though the Changeling figured he would be more proficiently trained in brain-washing counterspells following his encounters with her and Lord Tirek, she was impressed he lasted this long without fully succumbing to the letter’s effects. But given how bad he was looking, she knew it wouldn’t be much longer after she leaned in close to his twitching ear.
“Come ooooonnnnnnn, Shining~” she whispered in a warm and sultry hiss that made the Prince’s fur across his back stand on end for a moment. “You remember what I’m talking about, right?~ It was that night when you were laying in bed… And I asked to be on top~”
Shining’s head shot up as he gasped loudly with his eyes wide-open. Chrysalis jolted back in surprise, but her satisfied smile couldn’t have looked bigger when she saw how brightly the stallion’s eyes were glowing. Meanwhile, the Prince was frozen in utter shock as part of that fog slipped away from his subconscious, and gave him an oddly-detailed recollection of what Chrysalis was talking about…
“Oh… Oh, Goddess…” Shining closed his eyes as he tried not to cringe from the memory hitting his senses like a freight-train, almost as if it was being projected into his head from an other-worldly force. His body quivered as he recalled every detail from that night before his wedding, right down to how soft Cadance's satin sheets felt across his chest while laying face-down on the bed. He could remember the scent of that expensive perfume the fake Cadance was wearing while straddling him from behind, and how gently her hooves graced his rear as it was raised up from the mattress. The whole night was such a wild blur of lustful inhibition and taboo, and it was shocking that Shining never thought back to it until just then. Although, given what actually occurred that night, the stallion was sure he probably blocked it from his mind so the real Cadance would never learn what he did with her impostor.
“Mmmmm…” Chrysalis leered in close to the trembling stallion’s side, and waited until he took a few breaths to ask teasingly, “You remember it now, don’t you?~”
Prince Shining couldn’t say anything more than a brief grunt, since his face was too contorted in overwhelming thoughts to give a clear answer. Nevertheless, Chrysalis could still see clear as day that the thought she implanted was growing like a seed in his mind. As the seconds passed, Shining shivered while his eyes remained closed, and his head continued relaying every detail that was making his nerves tingle endlessly. Whether it was the immense warmth he felt from the imposter’s touch, the newfound feelings he experienced for the first time that night, or just how badly it rocked his world by the time it was complete, the stallion couldn’t stop the memories from flooding his thoughts and making his cheeks grow a heavy blush.
Chrysalis softly graced her chitin-esque hoof across the back of Shining’s neck, and continued to whisper softly into his ear. “Yeeeesssss… You’re remembering that night well, aren’t you? And to think… even with alllll the things you told your superiors following the brainwashing you endured, you never seemed to mention that you did that for me, did you?~”
Shining shuddered with a mixture of guilt and anticipation while his blush grew deeper. “I-I… I, ummmm…”
“It’s okay, Shining,” she cooed as she leaned in closer beside him, and continued to whisper sweetly while rubbing his back. “I completely understand why you never told her about that particular night. It was such a… newfound experience for both of us, that I don’t blame you for feeling embarrassed after your mind cleared. But still… something tells me it wasn’t just because of embarrassment that you never told Cadance about it, right?~”
Shining could barely think coherently, but his head still gave a firm shake without even realizing it. His muzzle then opened on its own, with the Prince replying in a weakly-worded whisper, “I… I was embarrassed, Chrysalis… B… B-But…”
Chrysalis grinned evilly while holding the Prince close in anticipation. “But what, you naughty little Prince?~”
Despite knowing how inappropriately worded that question sounded, Shining couldn’t help giggling faintly while his face grew hotter. His eyes began to veer away from each other, and he needed another moment to collect his thoughts before speaking mindlessly. “But… But I, uhhh… I also didn’t want her to… to know how…”
Chrysalis wanted to speak up and keep him speaking, but took her time when she saw how close the Prince was to breaking. The random twitches of Shining’s hooves were a clear sign of the slightest resistance, but that seemed to be the only sign while he grew a dopey-looking smile. As the recollection grew more vivid in the stallion’s mind, the remainder of his answer towards Chrysalis came out like a drunken confession. “How… How much I… H-How much I liked it… Hehehehehe...”
Several chittery giggles could be heard from the drones waiting out of sight, but that didn’t seem to alarm the brainwashed Prince in the slightest. Chrysalis didn’t mind either, and just licked her lips as she took a deep breath in anticipation. “Mmmmm… You liked it, huh?~”
Shining took one last deep breath through his nostrils, and let out a long and lingering sigh as he let the magic overwhelm his frayed system. His smile looked just as blank and aimless as his glossed-over eyes, giving him an expression eerily similar to the Ex-Queen’s first brainwashing on him. He may have been unable to think critically, but he felt absolutely weightless as he let that odd warmth cascade across his formerly stressed limbs. Even though he should’ve known better than to sink into Chrysalis’ clutches again, there was nothing that could be done for him when the Changeling leaned in and spoke dominantly. “Tell me what you like, Shining~”
Shining Armor breathed out softly while his glowing eyes remained as blissfully blank as his smile. “I… I like helping you feel better, Queen Chrysalis…”
“Mmmmmm…” Despite knowing she already had him, the former Queen couldn’t resist reaffirming his thoughts for her own pleasure. “And just how did you help me that night, hmmm?~”
Since that memory was the only thing coursing through his mind, Shining only waited a couple seconds before saying with his eyes closed. “I… I helped you by… by holding…”
After another aimless pause, one of Shining’s hooves went down to rub his stomach. His smile grew warmer as he recalled just what he had felt in those recollections, and the thought made him happy enough to shiver in delight. “... B-By holding your eggs, Queen Chrysalis~”
“That’s right~” she purred with a wickedly-wide smile across her muzzle, and her eyes narrowing on him with a sinister look. “And that’s why you came out here to see me, remember?~ Because I wrote to you about giving you that feeling again…”
Shining shuddered as he nodded firmly to her clarification, even though it wasn’t true in the slightest. In fact, that “letter” the Prince read was nothing but a mishmash of gibberish Chrysalis scrawled down, while laying her influence spells on every inch of the paper to grab his mind like before. It was a risky move on her part, but it proved to be more than effective as she heard him mutter fondly, “Yes… Yes, you… you wanted to make me fee… f-feel full again…”
“Mmmhmm~” Chrysalis leaned in to give Shining a small, innocent peck on the cheek. Even though she never had any strong feelings for the stallion -- including now -- she felt it was only fair to show some form of sensuality while his mind was under her thrall. However, her menacing plans still remained at the forefront as she said with a sadistic gleam in her smile, “Well, my lovely Prince… All that you have to do… is say what you want~”
Shining Armor’s smile was as content as it was empty, and that last sigh he let out showed just how far he had succumbed to the Changeling’s influences. While Chrysalis stood before him with a maniacally wide smile, Shining’s was disturbingly innocent as he looked up at her with his eyes glowing vibrantly. Any thoughts regarding Cadance or Flurry Heart were completely blocked from his conscience, and the only thing he could really feel was the thundering of his heart in his chest. Because of that, the Prince felt no hesitation as he spoke with a dreamily hopeful tone of voice.
“I… I want your eggs again, Queen Chrysalis~ I… I want you to make me your… Y-Your Brood-Stallion~”
The inside of that massive cavern echoed with the near-deafening yips and chirps from Chrysalis’ drones, whose wings fluttered excitedly from the Prince’s “consensual” request. Fortunately, Shining was too lost within her grip to register their noises, and kept his sights solely towards the Ex-Queen before him. Meanwhile, Chrysalis took a moment to breathe in deeply, and savor this moment as she exhaled with a truly content grin. “Mmmmmm… Oh, Shining… I never thought you would ask~”
Chrysalis’ eyes then narrowed intensely on the stallion’s blank expression, which made her smile appear much more sinister as she spoke firmly. “Present yourself to me, Shining~”
The Prince didn’t need to be told twice, and he turned himself around in an alarmingly quick response to his Queen. As his hind-legs trembled antsily, Shining couldn’t keep a weak moan from escaping his muzzle when he bent himself over. With each passing moment spent within her influences, Shining’s “recollection” of Chrysalis’ methods rang clearer in his head, and made his nerves tingle from the immense details he could envision happening for him. Even though he was a married father, and a Prince Consort with so much to lose, the Changeling’s brainwashing proved to be too much for Shining to ignore as he lifted his tail obediently for her.
“Thaaaaaaaat’s a good boy~” growled Chrysalis with a sadistic gleam within her Cheshire grin. As the chittering praises of her drones continued to echo throughout the dimly-illuminated cavern, the Ex-Queen walked up towards that presented rear with a flauntingly confident stride in her steps. “But you know it won’t just be me who you’ll be servicing this weekend, right?~”
“R… R-Really?” asked Shining as he glanced back at her with a look of tired confusion within his compromised eyes. But despite questioning his Queen while under so much of her magic, the pony remained in position for her without moving an inch.
“Why, of course not~” said the Changeling with a more matter-of-fact tone in her pleased-sounding voice. “Your Queen’s eggs can’t be fertilized on love alone, you know~ I only have about a dozen drones left within my servitude, so I need to make many… many more to ensure I can grow a new hive. So because of that…”
She leaned in close to the stallion’s blank expression, and kept her leering grin as gave him her offer. “... If you promise to remain in the position you’re in now for allllllll of my little children, then I promise I’ll fill you to the brim with my eggs~”
Shining let out a shaky exhale as soon as she said that last part, and his intoxicated smile looked as wide as it did concerning. “I, uhhh… I wasn’t expecting that, b-but… But if that’s what you need, then… Th-Then I promise, Queen Chrysalis~”
“Wonderful~” She gave the broken unicorn a calming kiss at the tip of his horn, which caused it to spurt out some random pink sparks while Shining shivered from the sensation. Chrysalis didn’t seem to mind, and didn’t even flinch from that reaction before pulling back. “Now, I want you to brace yourself for this, my hungry little Prince~ You remember how intense it was last time, don’t you?”
Shining Armor quickly nodded in response, and then turned his head back forward before laying with his chin firmly against the ground. With the overwhelmingly vivid thoughts of being filled and used by her playing so vibrantly in his head, Shining had to close his eyes and take a few calming breaths in eager wait. As he laid in total submission while his tailhole was completely exposed, his ears twitched upon hearing the countless chitinous hoofsteps echoing from all around him. The dozen or so Changelings left under Chrysalis’ thrall began to appear at the limits of his horn’s luminescent range, revealing that they still had their love-starved forms from before King Thorax’s reclamation. But for the fallen Prince who was kneeling for his sworn enemy, the only thing he could focus on was the grinning Queen who was standing above his raised backside.
Chrysalis shivered with a satisfied hiss as she quickly mounted herself atop the stallion, and heard him moan shakily from her manageable weight. Between the Changeling’s legs, her chitinesque slit was already beginning to spread open, which revealed the sensitive and luminescent blue flesh pulsating inside. The edges of that opening began to drip a thick and clear type of viscous fluid, that slowly started to trail down the insides of her legs. The Ex-Queen’s slit opened wider with each passing second, until what looked to be a bulb of her throbbing flesh began to seep out of the opening. Slowly, that exotic appendage slipped out of her slit to reveal an oddly phallic-looking extension of her biological form; it may have looked like a bright blue penis at first glance, but it clearly wasn’t when the pointed head started to bloom outward.
Shining Armor didn’t look back at that ovipositor, or even open his eyes to catch the slightest glimpse of his Queen’s appengage. But as he remained in his position with Chrysalis firmly mounting him, his nostrils flared as he caught that… oddly minty scent of her unwavering arousal. That intense sensation made him writhe strongly under her weight, and he moaned out direly while his tailhole puckered in anticipation. Even though Chrysalis wasn’t ready just yet, that small spasm caught her off-guard enough to make her muzzle purse in annoyance.
“DRONES!” she bellowed out as she raised her head up to call for her remaining followers. “I need at least two of you to hold Shining’s legs!”
Despite her order, the Queen watched as four identical-looking Changelings scurried out from the darkness to help hold Shining Armor in place. The Prince continued to squirm and moan from his growing arousal and neediness, but he didn’t seem to mind as he felt a couple pairs of chitinous hooves pinning his shoulders down to the ground. As those two Changelings held down Shining’s front while grinning wickedly, another two went to the back to hold his hind-legs firmly in place. Even though none of them were planning to play with their brood-stallion just yet, they could clearly see how quickly his stallionhood was slipping from his sheath.
Shining Armor began to blush even heavier as he processed feeling Chrysalis’ weight and warmth atop of him like this. Despite having never remembered doing this for her before he entered this cave, now all he could do was moan out in desperation for her to do it again. With each needy puckering his tailhole made for that still-expanding ovipositor, his cock twitched hard enough underneath him to repeatedly smack against the bottom of his barrel. The scent of his growing arousal was making all of Chrysalis’ drones flutter and writhe in rapture, savoring the long-craved taste that they were eager to devour from the stallion’s prone form. But for the former Queen herself, her self-control proved to be much stronger as she felt her appendage finally expand out.
“Mmmmnnnghhhh~” As the Changeling’s ovipositor grew erect, that pointed head fully blossomed outward in three separate segments. The opening looked like an odd mixture of a Venus Flytrap, and some alien-like extremity as it dripped copious amounts of her clear fluids. While the separate petals oozed thick strings of the unknown substance, the appendage itself inched ever so closer to Shining’s waiting tailhole as Chrysalis repositioned her hips. “Here we go, my obedient little pet~”
Shining could barely register what Chrysalis called him, and just gasped with a lingering moan the instant he felt those warm petals touching his sensitive flesh. The moist bulbs of that ovipositor rested gently around Shining’s exposed hole, and covered the entirety of his ring to ensure nothing could slip out. The thick fluids protruding from that head slathered all over the Prince’s backside, and coated his entrance with the sticky substance like a natural lubricant. A heavy string of Chrysalis’ fluids hung obscenely from the dock of Shining’s raised tail, which made one of the Changelings holding his legs whimper upon noticing it. But despite how tempting it would’ve been to aid in the pony’s arousal by sucking on that meaty dock, the drone’s focus soon went to the semi-transparent appendage their Queen possessed.
Deep within Chrysalis’ insides, a brightly illuminated egg began to come into view as it was pushed into sight through the base of the ovipositor’s pulsating shaft. The item itself was rather large in comparison to most normal eggs, and boasted a size that looked to be equal to a softball. But judging by how shaky Shining’s moans were getting while he squirmed helplessly underneath the Changelings pinning him down, it was doubtful he would object to something that thick being inserted inside of him. Of course, as soon as that first egg began to travel up the length of Chrysalis’ ovipositor, many more could be seen slipping through the shaft to follow. It was unclear how many eggs the Ex-Queen had burrowed inside of her, but the eggs kept coming consistently by the time that first one prodded the outside of Shining’s hole.
“Aaaaahhhh!!~” Shining moaned out deeply the instant he felt that smooth, warm egg pressing hard against his waiting entrance. The slimy fluids coating his hole would’ve made it rather easy for Chrysalis’ egg to slip in without much resistance. But in the brief moment that egg remained at the tip of her ovipositor, Shining’s hips tried to buck forward from how badly his cock was throbbing from the sensation. “Mnnnghhh!!~ I… I feel it, Queen Chrysalis!~ I can… I-I can feel your egg!~”
“Ooooohhhhh, you want it badly, don’t you?~” cooed Chrysalis with an evilly-wide smile that was glistening from the limited light within the cavern. One of her hooves came down to gently caress Shining’s cutie mark, and she asked with a sickly teasing voice, “Does my little brood-stallion need a filling?~”
“Y-Y-YES!!~” Shining wasn’t sure how long he was going to last, and struggled hard within the Changelings’ restraints while his eyes glowed brightly. “P… P-Please, Queen Chrysalis!!~ P… P-Please push your eggs in!!~”
Seeing how desperate the stallion was getting, Chrysalis couldn’t help grinning as she said wickedly, “Call me your rightful Queen, and I will~”
Chrysalis’ drones were all grinning just as wide as their sinister ruler, but Shining didn’t care at all while he quivered badly and kept his eyes closed. Due to his brainwashing, he only needed to take a deep breath before bellowing out, “Y… You’re my rightful Queen, Chrysalis!!~ I… I’ll pledge my allegiance to you if I have to! I promise I’ll do whatever you say, just... just PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR EGGS, MY QUEEN!!!~”
Chrysalis waited only another second or two as she cackled in delight, and then licked her lips before saying devilishly, “Ooooohhhhh… Oh, Shining… I’m going to hold you to that promise~”
With that, the Changeling Queen groaned with a domineering sneer as she began to push. That first egg only needed the slightest push forward, and opened up the Prince’s hungry tailhole just enough to slip inside of him with a wet pop. Despite how thick that egg was, the stallion’s strained groan was soon followed by a blissful moan in pure elation. The stallion’s head was pinned to the cold ground as he squirmed under the Changelings’ hooves, but it was doubtful he would resist his Queen any time soon. The egg’s shell was tremendously warm, and made the stallion’s inner flesh tingle like crazy as it slid into his deepest depths. Shining could’ve sworn he felt that first egg vibrating a little inside of him, but he wasn’t sure if it was because of the egg itself or his own quivering body. Whichever it was, the Prince knew there were many more eggs from his Queen to burrow inside of him and satisfy his growing hunger; and because of that, he couldn’t hold back his pleasure as he felt another egg pressing against his waiting hole.
“Aaaaahhhh!!~” Shining’s fur was standing on end while enduring Chrysalis’ breeding, and it didn’t look like a single hint of regret was on his deeply blushed face. Regardless of the Ex-Queen’s deplorable past, it seemed that she had the Prince wrapped around her hooves once more. She grunted with a bitten lip as she pushed out more of her eggs through her ovipositor, and felt just how strongly the stallion underneath her quivered from her second egg slipping through his tailhole. “MmmmMMMMmmmnnnghhh!!~ Ohhhh… Oh, Goddess I needed this!!~”
“Thaaaaaaaat’s right~” purred Chrysalis as she shuddered from the tantalizing feelings she could sense from Shining’s compromised state. She could taste his growing lust for her as it coursed through her veins, and made her hooves tingle from the newfound energy she needed for so long. Her plan may have not come to full fruition just yet, but the sense of power she felt from her prey left her unable to control her sadistic glee. “Keep praising me for this gift, my sweet little Prince~ It must’ve been so hard to keep from crawling back to me, hasn’t it?~”
Another rumbling moan escaped the Prince’s open muzzle, and his cock throbbed intensely as he felt a third egg popping through his puckering hole. The warmth and pressure inside of him was beginning to grow more immense, but he couldn’t deny how badly he needed more of her eggs inside of him. His mind was completely blank of everything but his undying hunger, and the only resistance he felt from speaking were the hearty moans he had to take between breaths. “Aaaaahhhh!~ Y… Y-Yes, my Queen! I… I wanted your eggs inside of me for so long! I… I never thought I would be your Brood-Stallion again!~ NNNNPHHH!!~”
Chrysalis made an especially hard push with Shining’s last elated cry, which caused several of her eggs to bunch around the tip of her ovipositor. The stallion writhed powerfully as he felt three Changeling eggs pop into him back-to-back, repeatedly stretching out his hole and leaving him moaning for more. Chrysalis couldn’t see it herself while she was above the broken Prince, but she was certain her eggs were already beginning to leave the faintest bulges beneath his torso. But considering how many she still had for Shining, and how eager she made him to carry them all, she didn’t mind filling him to the absolute brim before seeing her handiwork.
Luckily for her drones who were keeping the brood-stallion in place, they were able to get a prime view of the action while their Queen continued to fill his body one egg at a time. Shining couldn’t stop convulsing as he groaned and cried out in arousal, but his weakened state made it disturbingly easy for the love-starved Changelings to hold his legs firmly. Meanwhile, Chrysalis’ glowing eggs continued to travel through the shaft of her ovipositor, and slip inside of the waiting stallion for proper fertilization. With each muffled pop that could be heard beneath the ovipositor’s thick and drooling petals, Chrysalis’ drones grinned antsily as they saw the underside of Shining’s stomach beginning to swell outward.
“AAAHHHH!!! OH, YESSSS!!!~” Shining had to clench his eyes tightly while enduring Chrysalis’ treatment, but the glow of her magic could still be seen shining through his closed lids. The stallion’s cock continued to twitch and spasm wildly as her eggs kept cramming inside of him, rubbing against his prostate and flooding him with endorphins most ponies couldn’t even fathom. With each hard throb of his stallionhood, the smacks it made against his barrel grew softer as that point of contact lessened in distance. His belly grew larger with every egg Chrysalis was depositing deep within his insides, and the bulges from those glowing shells could be seen poking out all across that swollen orb to make it appear lumpy. As his gut hung heavier underneath his weight and sank closer to the ground, it wasn’t long before smears of his precum started to mat the fur across his stomach because of his cock repeatedly smacking against it.
Chrysalis still had several eggs left to slip into the moaning Prince, but that didn’t keep her from grinning in victory already. “Mmmmm… You love being my egg-carrier, don’t you my sweet?~”
Shining let out a strained wheeze as he tried to nod his head pinned against the ground. He wanted to moan out more enthusiastically, but he was finding it hard to breathe as those eggs started to cram in against his more vital organs. “Y… Y-Yes, my Queen~” he groaned out with shameless sincerity, even though his mind was pretty much turned off by that point. “I… I love serving you like this~”
Many of the Changelings around Shining and Chrysalis fluttered and chirped greedily, tasting just how potent his arousal and adoration were growing within him. Chrysalis continued to push the last of her eggs through Shining’s hole, but she was growing antsy herself while grinning like a maniac. “That’s very good to hear,” she said with a teasing cackle. “Because I really don’t want you leave just yet~ The weather is getting veeerrrrrry bad outside, and we all need you to keep my eggs nice and warm~”
The Prince’s obligations back at the Crystal Empire were completely vacant from his now warped mind, and he didn’t hesitate a second to moan out, “Oh, YES!! P… Please, my Queen!~ Please let me stay!~”
“Oh, how can I say no to a request like that?~” After making that sickly-sweet assurance down to the squirming stallion, Chrysalis grunted hard as she pushed the last of her eggs through her ovipositor. Shining let out a dire squeal as he felt his hole conversing rapidly with each thick egg pushing through his entrance. The pressure of her dozens of eggs bunching up within every inch of his body set his heart ablaze in pleasure. He could feel just how heavy his belly had gotten while it was swollen out, and hung only a few inches from the cold ground. Even though the sensation of being so filled with his Queen’s eggs felt absolutely amazing, Shining groaned through his teeth as he tried to think on his own. Unfortunately, the only desire coursing through his clouded mind was to get a mirror, just to see how massively pregnant he looked in that moment.
As for Chrysalis, her hiss of relief was long and deep while sighing in contentment above her claimed Prince. Even though she knew her process was only partially complete, her smile couldn’t have been wider as she detached the petals of her ovipositor from Shining’s hole. Heavy ropes of her clear fluids connected the two as the appendage pulled back, revealing just how stretched-out and glazed the stallion’s rectum had become following that endeavour. As soon as she dropped back onto her hooves, Chrysalis grinned upon seeing the completion of her work. Shining’s hole continued to wink and yawn instinctively, but it was obvious the Prince had his fill when the final egg’s shell could be seen peeking through that swollen ring.
Even though he wanted to get up and feel just how stuffed his Queen made him with her brood, Shining couldn’t get up while her drones continued to pin him down. Of course, considering how heavy his pregnant belly had become from all of Chrysalis’ eggs stuffing it to the seams, it was doubtful he could walk too far on his own without falling over in exhaustion. So after taking a moment to breathe deeply, the Prince settled into his fate as he sighed in utter contentment. Meanwhile, the pregnant pony didn’t seem to notice when Chrysalis walked back towards his front-end, even as her hooves loudly clacked against the ground with each domineering step.
“Ohhhhhh, Shining… You have no idea how long it’s been since I wanted you like this~ Kneeled before me like a common slave, and carrying my patronage that’ll take over your puny Empire…”
Chrysalis’ evil demeanor may have resurfaced without any subtlety, but Shining’s smile remained ignorantly wide while laying in a blank state. When he groggily reopened his glowing eyes to peer up towards his Queen, he didn’t even flinch when she bent in close with her fanged smile and said, “And the best part is… you’re so entrapped in my magic that you don’t even care, do you? I just impregnated you, and I bet you’d still worship me regardless of what I do next~”
Shining Armor’s empty expression didn’t change a bit, but his head gave a faint nod as he let her magic guide his response. “Yes, my Queen… I swear my allegiance to you, and I… I’ll do whatever you say...”
While the Prince remained in his presented stance with his tailhole still exposed, the rest of Chrysalis’ drones leered in closer like a pack of vultures eyeing their feast. Meanwhile, Chrysalis chuckled in a low and venomous tone as she put her hoof out in front of Shining’s face. “Kiss it~”
Shining Armor closed his eyes as he bent his head in, and shamelessly planted his lips against the bottom of Chrysalis’ chitinous hoof. The former Queen cackled in delight, wishing more than anything that she had a camera to preserve such a victorious moment. But with her pack of love-hungry Changelings circling around her brood-stallion like a piece of meat, she was content with savoring what she had by memory alone. As soon as Shining’s lips parted from her chitin with a soft “smootch,” his Queen narrowed her eyes down on him and asked, “What do you say, my little slave?~”
“Th… Thank you, my Queen~” replied the stallion while smiling blankly back at her.
“You’re welcome,” she said while trying not to laugh too maniacally. “And now, since I gifted you with my brood, you need to remain in place for all of my drones~ Do you understand?”
Shining nodded his head again, and kept his tail flagged up high while taking a cautious breath. “If… If that’s what my Queen asks of me, then so be it~”
Chrysalis then looked back up towards the Changelings holding him down, and said in a stern tone of voice, “Keep him held down for the entirety of his insemination. As soon as the others finish using him, you each may have two rounds as a reward~”
“Thank you, Queen Chrysalis!!~” shouted all four of her drones at the same time. Even though they were just as starving for love as their brethren (especially after smelling his intense arousal up-close), that offer was too tempting to negotiate against. So while the ruined Prince remained obediently in place, the Changelings held him down firmly while one of the drones zoomed up towards his rear.
Chrysalis watched with a maniacal grin as the first of her children mounted Shining Armor, which elicited a slight groan from the incapacitated pony. Even though the Changeling was a male, he still had a similar slit to his Queen’s between his legs. But as that slit began to quickly open to reveal a bright blue appendage, it was obviously not the same as Chrysalis’ ovipositor. It may have been hard to distinguish it as a cock, but the pointed head and ribbed shaft were slightly similar to what a dragon would have. As that luminescent member grew hard while pointed straight at that stuffed tailhole, it was hard to tell if the Changeling’s cock was drooling more than his fanged muzzle. Nevertheless, Shining Armor didn’t seem the least bit perturbed while laying underneath the creature, even when he felt some unknown fluids dripping down his once pristine fur.
Without warning, the Changeling gripped the stallion’s flanks tightly enough to make him gasp, and rammed his ribbed cock against Shining’s puckering hole. The Prince tried to let out a strained moan, but another Changeling decided to make use of that open mouth the instant it became available. Much to Chrysalis’ surprise, one of her drones scurried out of the darkness without hesitation to grab hold of Shining Armor’s mane. Even though the Ex-Queen wasn’t too pleased with such a blatant form of disobedience, she couldn’t necessarily blame the Changeling for feeling too pent-up to refrain from shoving his cock inside of Shining’s mouth; not to mention, the sight of a once-respected Prince being double-teamed by her Changelings was rather gratifying.
“I-I-I promise my sperm will make it to your eggs, my Queen!” shouted the drone in a shaky groan, but he had his eyes closed as he pulled Shining’s head upward so he could properly thrust between those inviting lips. The pony may have not expected his mouth to be in use for his Queen, but he was too far gone to really notice. Instead, Shining’s body took over as he closed his eyes slowly, and hummed with a heavy blush while suckling on that glowing cock. The Changeling panted rapidly as he shuddered from that long-forgotten titillation, but he wasn’t the only one as the other drone rapidly pounded the Prince’s overstuffed hole.
Shining groaned hard around the Changeling gripping his mane, and writhed strongly against his restraints as he felt the Changeling behind him thrusting so primally. The drone pumped his hips in a desperately fast pace, and panted heavily as his wings buzzed like crazy upon his back. With each motion the bug made into Shining’s tailhole, his cock brushed along the countless smooth eggshells, tantalizing his shaft in a surprisingly good way and making his legs buckle. Fortunately, it seemed to have rocked Shining rather hard as well. The Prince spasmed wildly from that last thrust of the Changeling’s, just because of how wonderfully hard some of those alien eggs hit his prostate and stimulated his nerves.
Despite how badly those thrusts into his eggsack made him want to moan, Shining could only whimper blissfully between his suckles on the Changeling cock rutting his mouth. His stallionhood was left throbbing helplessly as it repeatedly slapped against the underside of his swollen stomach, but none of the Changelings around him didn’t even try to reach down and assist in his orgasm just yet. Of course, given how harshly both Changelings were pounding him from both ends, and how much precum was spurting from his cock to leave smeared strings all over his matted fur, it was doubtful the pregnant stallion would need too much coaxing to reach climax.
Shining’s legs were bucking uncontrollably while he laid between those two horny creatures, and tried his hardest to stay upright for the sake of his Queen’s precious eggs. But despite how strong the other Changelings’ grips may have been, it was surprising that the stallion didn’t fall over while those ribbed cocks speared him so mercilessly. The taste of that Changeling cock in his mouth was starting to numb his tongue, although it was unclear whether that was due to the taste, or just because of how hard the drone was thrusting into his muzzle. Either way, his blank state of mind made him completely complacent as he endured both of the primally eager bugs, and took quick breaths between his poundings to swallow whatever precum was pooling in his drooling maw.
“Nnnnghhh!!” The Changeling pounding Shining’s stuffed hole writhed strongly as he pumped his hips as quickly as he could, and took full advantage of the Prince’s lingering lust to fuel his own pent-up state. Even though it’s been far too long since the creature last had a physical encounter with a pony, it wasn’t easy for him to savor the moment while his brethren were all buzzing in wait for their next turn. Not to mention, the countless eggs caressing the Changeling’s shaft, combined with the pony’s slutty moans through his fellow drone’s cock, prompted him to bury himself as deep into that eggsack as he could while shooting his load. The bug’s head reeled back as he groaned animalistically, and shivered in elation from his luminescent cum unloading into that sac to latch onto any eggs his sperm could reach.
“Mmmmmm~” Chrysalis grinned wide as she watched the deplorable scene unfolding before her very eyes. Despite how large and overstuffed the Prince’s stomach may have been with her eggs, the Changeling’s cum could still be seen faintly through his fur from the subtle glowing of her drone’s multiple strands. Like a dose of concentrated radiation being injected through a bloodstream, the Changeling’s seed quickly diverted into multiple branches that could be seen through Shining Armor’s torso. While the rest of the Changelings watched eagerly, Shining tried not to convulse too hard as he felt several of his Queen’s eggs growing hotter inside of him. He may have been too engrossed in the moment to think about anything but his own pleasure, but the husband of the Princess of Love just became a host to a new line of fertilized eggs meant to run their enemy’s newest army.
And worst of all, Shining Armor wasn’t even close to being finished for the night.
Before the first Changeling could try and catch his breath and pull out, he gasped with a strained hiss when he felt just how hard Shining’s tailhole clenched around his cock. The Prince whimpered direly while the other drone fucked his mouth, and clenched his eyes shut while succumbing to his own orgasm. The warmth of that Changeling’s cum combined with the sensation of those eggs burrowing inside of him, finally pressed that button hard enough to make Shining unload a strong volley of his own cum without needing to be touched. While Chrysalis watched with perverted delight, that stallionhood spasmed wildly as rope after rope of his thick cum spurted uncontrollably across the floor and his pregnant belly. The warm, vibrating eggs inside of his body intensified every sensitive nerve in his body, and made each throb of his cock feel more enhanced and detailed than any climax he reached with his own wife. Even if the Prince were to make it back to his Empire unharmed, it was doubtful he would ever attain a feeling of euphoria as immense, or as wonderful as that orgasm he achieved as Chrysalis’ Brood-Stallion.
“MmmmmMMMMMmmm!!~” Shining Armor’s strong, lingering groan in response to that orgasm reverberated hard against the Changeling cock in his mouth. The drone gasped while his hips writhed against the Prince’s face, since those titillating vibrations came just as he got a strong hit of Shining’s overwhelming arousal following his climax. Such a strong, concentrated taste of the pony’s love set the Changeling over the edge, and he ended up grabbing Shining’s mane tightly while shoving his cock as deeply as he could inside of that mouth. It may have not been as direct of a method to fertilize Chrysalis’ untouched eggs, but the Queen didn’t seem to mind in the slightest as she watched those first few loads glowing down Shining’s gullet.
The Changeling let out a deafeningly shrill cry, and reeled his head back while his wings buzzed uncontrollably. Meanwhile, string after string of his hefty load shot directly down Shining Armor’s throat for him to swallow, and could be seen leaving a luminescent trail outside his claimed body. Chrysalis could see just how quickly her drone’s seed traveled throughout the unicorn’s digestive system, steadily inching itself closer to the already glowing eggs seen in his bloated stomach. Despite knowing that it would take much longer for the Changeling’s sperm to reach its intended targets, the Queen appeared quite delighted as she heard how obediently her stallion swallowed the remainder of that first mouthful.
As for the first Changeling to cum inside of him, the drone quickly pulled out to reveal that stretched-out and creamed hole he left behind. Considering how important their task really was, none of the other Changelings didn’t seem to mind following after their brethren to continue the process. Another Changeling with near-identical features pounced on top of that swollen body, not even giving Shining enough time to get that other cock out of his mouth and breathe. But given how loudly the pony moaned the instant that second cock was shoved into his sloppily-used hole, it didn’t seem like he wanted any of them to go gently. Because of that, the drone who began thrusting needily into the Prince wasn’t the only one who continued the action rather intensely. As soon as the other Changeling pulled out of Shining’s mouth, another bug scurried in to shove his cock in before Shining could even give any praise to his Queen.
Before his mind was intensely warped to Chrysalis’ twisted whim, Shining wouldn’t have considered himself to be a pony who liked stallions over mares. But in that moment, the pony couldn’t have felt more in place as he endured the poundings from two new Changeling cocks, and was held firmly in place by more of those love-hungry bugs. Even after having one of the most intense orgasms of his life, Shining’s cock was quickly regrowing as soon as the action resumed. And with each heavy thrust into his mouth and his egg-stuffed hole, his sense of preferences grew more skewed as his body grew hotter in titillation; despite his genuine love for Princess Cadance, his compromised mind couldn’t imagine her (or any mare for that matter) giving him a sexual experience even a fraction as profound as this.
“Thaaaaaaat’s rightttttt…” Chrysalis couldn’t have felt more pleased as she watched how roughly her rival was being used by her children, and could only shiver in delight while giving a fanged smile that reached both of her ears. “You shall be making me maaaaaaany more eggs to come, my pet~ And with time, you’ll come to serve me without the need of my brainwashing. You’ll be under my thrall without even questioning it, and by the time you go back to your puny Crystal Empire…”
Despite how clearly Chrysalis spoke her foreboding words of doom regarding Equestria’s fate, her claimed Prince could barely give any attention towards her while being used by her lustrous drones. But alas, while Shining was being given another double-dosage of Changeling cum to further impregnate his Queen’s brood, Chrysalis narrowed her eyes on him with maniacal glee as she said in a remorseless hiss:
“... Your wife won’t even realize you’re mine until it’s too late~”
“SHINING! Oh my gosh, Shining is that you!?”
Despite breaking many rules of protocol, Lieutenant Guard Flash Sentry rushed out from the magical shield encasing the Crystal Empire to wade through the harsh tundras. Since the sun was shining brightly in the sky once more, the orange pegasus was able to catch sight of his Superior drudging through the snow on his own. Flash was panting heavily by the time he got within sight of the Prince, and was shivering badly due to the Frozen North’s unforgiving temperatures. But as for Shining Armor himself, who had been unseen by anypony all weekend, he looked fairly comfortable in his thick winter clothing and helmet.
By the time the two reached the Empire’s limits, Shining ended up carrying Flash through the magic shielding due to how intense the weather was outside. Fortunately for the Prince, Flash didn’t seem to notice that oddity when they were back in safety. Instead, he continued to pant heavily while Shining took off his layers of clothing. “Shining, wha… What the buck happened?! I went to check on you in the office yes… yesterday, and I… I couldn’t find you anywhere!”
As soon as he removed his helmet, Shining sighed harshly and rubbed his head with a hoof. His eyes were no longer glowing, and he looked fairly winded-out while standing slightly bow-legged. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, the Prince put down his hoof while carrying a remorseful expression. “I-I’m sorry for leaving you like that, Flash. I just… S-Something came up…”
Flash Sentry tilted his head while staring at Shining with a befuddled look. “Something came up!? What do you mean by that?! Do you know how close I was to sounding the alarms and reporting you as missing?!?”
“I know! I know!” barked Shining annoyedly with a wave of his hoof, which was just enough to get Flash to briefly pause. “And I’m sorry for that, okay?! I know I should’ve contacted you guys to let you know what’s up, but…”
Shining’s frustrated expression soon melted into an upset-looking pout, and he had to turn his head away from Flash’s line of sight for a moment. Meanwhile, his soldier waited with a raised hoof, hoping to hear more than that from his previously missing Prince. “Well?!” he shouted impatiently, making it clear he wasn’t too worried about his rank when it came to Shining’s safety. “What happened out there, Shining?! You can’t just say you went out into the tundras alone for no reason!”
Shining didn’t say anything at first, and just lit his horn to illuminate the saddlebag still on his back. His pink aura floated out several bright green, semi-luminescent shards for Flash to see. The Lieutenant gasped upon seeing those, immediately realizing just what his Superior found out in the Frozen North of all places. “Is… Is that what I think it is?!”
“Yes, they are!” Shining floated the Changeling egg fragments back into his bag, and turned himself back towards Flash while giving a stern look. “Now listen,” he said as he narrowed his eyes on the soldier and spoke in a firm whisper. “I know how bad this looks, alright? But right now, I do not want this knowledge going out to the public. After all of that Thorax stuff, we can’t risk another Changeling-fueled freakout to spread throughout the city, understood?”
Flash Sentry looked terrified to say the least, but he was quick to nod his head in agreement to Shining’s point. “Y-Yeah,” he said rather meekly while keeping his eyes locked on the Prince’s unwavering expression. “Yeah, I… I get it, Shining. I just… I didn’t think any unreformed Changelings would be up here.”
“Neither did I,” said Shining as he took a breath and looked around, making sure that he and Flash were the only ponies within earshot. “And I really think I should relay this information to Sunburst as soon as I can. He was the one who told me he saw some Changelings the other night, which was why I went out to investigate. Hopefully with his tracking spells, I can use these egg shells to better triangulate their movements.”
Even though that story seemed legit, Flash still had to blink a couple times to process just what happened with his Commander. He could’ve asked why the Prince decided to go out on his own, or why he didn’t inform him of what may have been going on in case something went wrong. Or better yet, Flash could’ve questioned how Shining managed to find those eggs in the first place, and get back to the Crystal Empire unscathed in any way. Unfortunately, due to how overwhelmed the pegasus felt emotionally and physically, all he could do was shake his head lightly and sigh in exasperation. “Okay, uhhhh… Well… At least you didn’t get hurt out there. Or, ummm… caught.”
Both Flash and Shining shuddered hard from that last word, with the Prince needing to bite his bottom lip for a brief second. The unicorn then breathed out in a sharp huff and said, “Me too, Flash. Me too… But right now, we need to keep this intel strictly confidential until further notice. We don’t know how close these Changelings might be, so I can’t have you or anypony else talking about it. Not even to Cadance -- I’ll tell her of this in private. Got it?”
Flash nodded again as his demeanor turned more serious. “S-Sir, yes Sir!” He then stood back to give Shining a proper salute in confirmation, which the Prince returned just as quickly. After their hooves went back down, Flash looked around more worriedly and said, “Alright, ummm… I’ll be sure to keep an eye out around the Empire. You know… just in case any of them got inside.”
“The magic barriers around the city should be enough to keep them out,” Shining assured the soldier. “Just make sure to cover for me if anypony asks where I’ve been.”
“Absolutely!” said Flash with his hoof raised in sincerity. “Don’t worry, Shining. If any other ponies knew you were gone, the alarms would already be going off. And I won’t say anything on the matter, I promise.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” After giving Flash a grateful smile and a nudge with his hoof, Shining began to make his leave while floating all his winter clothes into his saddlebag. “Now if you excuse me, I have to take care of some things.”
“S-Sure thing, Shining!” Flash didn’t even try to follow, and just stood idly by while his Commander trotted off towards the Crystal Empire’s castle. Even though he was confident that Shining was doing the right thing, he couldn’t help feeling worried while biting his lip in contemplation. “Oh man,” he muttered under his breath, “I reallllly hope he tells Twilight about this…”
While the soldier tried to continue on his rounds without thinking of the imminent threat looming over the city, Shining was unseen by anypony after slipping into a nearby alleyway. The stallion closed his eyes as he tried to control his breathing, and a sly smile crept across his muzzle. Considering how many holes he had in his story, it was shocking he managed to get away with a lie that poorly-weaved. But alas, with that pegasus none the wiser of the truth, there was nothing to hold back Shining’s sinister grin as he reopened his newly-glowing eyes.
Shining Armor indeed had many plans to accomplish, but none of them were from his own accord. With Chrysalis’ magic tightly encased around his mind and conscious like a mummy’s wrap, there was no way the Prince would’ve been able to ignore what she commanded him to do. However, with his own magic being used to conceal his Queen’s control, and his heart thundering in desire to repeat what he committed outside the Empire’s borders, it seemed that the pony didn’t mind following his chitinesque Master towards her future instead of his own.
Shining brought a hoof down to rub his stomach, which was back to its slender form after laying every single egg for his generous Queen. With a smile of pure longing plastered across his enamored face, his glowing eyes looked down at himself as he whispered sweetly, “Soon… Soon, I’ll carry your eggs again, my Queen…”
He then took a deep breath as he savored that welcoming thought, and grew an even wider grin as he added devilishly, “... and so shall the others~”