When I Rule The World, I’ll Plant Flowers
Chrysalis was starving. The changeling queen had not eaten well. Not had a good, filling meal ever since the wedding in Canterlot. That was the last time she had truly feasted. The adoration of that “Shining Armor” unicorn and Princess Cadence’s subjects had filled her with life. She had never felt that way, so full of love. It was intoxicating. Perhaps she had grown overconfident in her indulgence.
How could she have known that there were ponies even more powerful than the princesses? It was those blasted elements of harmony, the six of them together more powerful than any of them alone. She would have never expected anypony to beat her, especially ones that weren’t alicorns.
If she could only destroy one of them… Any single one of them…
As she was stewing in her thoughts, pacing around a boulder in the Everfree Forest, she could smell something approaching. She stood still, listening to the gentle taps of hoofsteps on the grass. She considered hiding, but knew that transforming was her best bet. She could become a manticore, and scare away any ponyfolk or whatever else might be lurking in this accursed forest.
Then her body ached, and she remembered she was starving. She needed love. Perhaps if she turned into something more endearing…
It was a risk, but she was desperate for even a taste. If she was right, and this was a pony, hopefully they would take pity on a poor little creature. They could even start to love it. Her mouth watered at the mere idea.
She moved behind the boulder, then enveloped herself in green magic, shrinking in size as she took on the guise of a kestrel; a bird small enough to be adorable and unassuming to a pony, but still large enough to be noticed. She feigned an injured wing and walked around the boulder, loudly trilling in distress as she plopped down on the ground, “injured” wing splayed out.
As her tiny head swiveled back and forth, flapping the “non-injured” wing to draw more attention, she nearly stopped moving altogether once she saw who was approaching. It was a pale yellow pegasus, with a rosy pink mane. She had come to the bird’s call for help almost immediately, galloping over and kneeling down on her forelegs to get a better look at the critter.
“Oh my… you poor dear,” her soothing voice said, nearly a whisper. Though it could have just been her regular volume.
“How did this happen?”
Chrysalis went quiet, trills verberating in her throat as a hum. She considered the scene before her: Fluttershy — the element of kindness — was gazing down at the kestrel, sea-green eyes shining with compassion.
At first, the queen thought this was the last thing she wanted. The pegasus’s face made her boil with anger inside. Then, an idea formed.
This was perfect. an element of harmony, right at her hooftips. What’s more, she had fallen for the facade. It was almost too easy. Chrysalis could feel the unquestioning love seeping from Fluttershy, leaking out of her heart and spilling from her large eyes. It was delectable, and she couldn’t help herself from tasting it, then staring back — her own eyes greedily draining it from her.
Fluttershy slowly blinked, shaking her head as she pulled away from the bird.
“I’m sorry, little one. I suddenly feel so…” her quiet voice trailed off, as she stumbled, her back legs giving out. She gave a soft humph as her body hit the ground. She shook her head once more, then fixated her shaky gaze on the kestrel.
“Wait… you’re not a bird at all,” her voice was still dazed, but with a much different tone. Chrysalis felt the love waning. No, no. She shrieked in her shrill notes and flailed her wings — completely forgetting the “injury” — a predator denied its conquest.
“You aren’t hurt, either!” She sounded particularly annoyed, which was something Chrysalis hadn’t expected from the meek pegasus.
“You’re Queen Chrysalis, aren’t you,” Fluttershy said, the strength coming back to her voice as her eyes narrowed toward the kestrel, her love completely dissipating. It took the changeling off her guard to hear the pegasus call her out so confidently. Wasn’t this mare the weak one? Also, how could she have possibly known?
Chrysalis sighed. It was no use hiding now. She was too ravenous in her efforts to weaken the pegasus, and had been discovered before she could do anything substantial. The changeling was enveloped in magic once again, transforming back into her natural state. A buglike mare with holes eating away at her dark form. Her grimace was only strengthened by her cold emerald eyes that glared. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise as her suspicions were confirmed.
“Well found, little pony,” the words were polite, but Chrysalis’s voice oozed with venom.
“How did you find me? I demand to know!” Her voice roared out as the pegasus began to lower to the ground. The changeling queen stood tall, glowering down.
“Eep!” Fluttershy whimpered. She shuddered for a moment, her eyes closed. Then she took a deep breath, and cleared her throat. “I was just in the Everfree Forest to do my usual rounds, checking for creatures that needed help… and some of them mentioned seeing an ‘evil’ changeling in the forest. Since all of the reformed changelings are in their kingdom, I knew it had to be you.”
“Why seek me out, kindness? Risk your life instead of gathering your annoying little friends and turning me to stone?” Chrysalis hissed, baring her needle-sharp teeth at the quaking pegasus.
Again, Fluttershy tried to regain her composure. She stood firmly, and turned her face up toward the queen’s. Eyes closed. She couldn’t bring herself to open them just yet.
“I wanted to help you, Chrysalis!” She said with a determined tone. It sounded like a practiced line. It was enough to stun the changeling into bewilderment. Only for a second. Then she started hissing in laughter.
“Ha! Ha ha ha! Hahahaha!” Chrysalis couldn’t remember the last time she laughed this hard. “What a joke. If you want to help me, then perish. You and your friends!”
Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed in frustration again. “That’s an awful thing to say to somepony who’s trying to lend you a helping hoof.”
Chrysalis scoffed again, but before she could speak, the pegasus interrupted, stamping her hoof loud enough to thump the ground.
“You may have tried to take over Equestria several times, and you may have tried to hurt me and my friends,” she took a breath and her face softened, “but I am still sworn to my duty, to protect every creature in need of some help. You’re all alone out here. You’re the only changeling that hasn’t changed her ways.”
Chrysalis rolled her eyes, how sentimental. Typical for these ponies and their soft hearts.
“You must be starving,” Fluttershy said, while Chrysalis glared. “I don’t know if I can help, I don’t feel love for any pony who tries to hurt my friends, but if there’s a way you don’t have to hunt anypony… it would be better for everypony. Even you.”
The changeling was a bit surprised to hear such a bitter tone from the shy pony. She was quite different from what Chrysalis remembered. It was almost impressive, if it wasn’t such a pathetic attempt.
“How about this… I use my magic to drain your strength. Without the element of kindness, I won’t have to worry about the other elements getting in my way when I take my place as the ruler of Equestria. Then those traitors will see the error of their ways, as they will be too soft-hearted to defeat me!” The changeling declared, punctuating her speech with a triumphant maniacal laugh. She watched Fluttershy’s expression throughout the whole monologue, but the pegasus’s face barely changed.
“You may say that, but I’ve been learning about changelings, in case I ever ran into you. You’re weak when you don’t feed regularly. Your magic is, too.”
“Who told you this?”
“Thorax did. I’ve been visiting the Changeling Kingdom with Twilight,” her smile was bright and proud. It made Chrysalis groan.
The pegasus was right, unfortunately. Chrysalis could still do simple transformations, those were no trouble. If she really wanted to drain Fluttershy’s life force, or trap her in a cocoon, she would need to feed on much more love. She growled at the pegasus, which turned into a shout.
“Ah!”
Fluttershy flinched, but then opened one eye. Chrysalis wasn’t about to lunge on her, like she expected. The changeling just stood there, her snout inches from the pony’s. Fangs still bared. Mouth dripping saliva from her thoughts of a meal that could have been.
“What could you possibly offer to satiate my hunger?”
“I know the berries and veggies that I gather for my critters wouldn’t feed you. But perhaps…” Fluttershy’s face twisted in thought.
“Perhaps…?”
“Their love could fill you.”
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. The pegasus spoke again.
“If you only take a little from each of them, and take care of them, they won’t stop loving you. Because when animals love, they never stop. But you can’t weaken them too much, or I will get the girls to turn you to stone.”
The intensity of Fluttershy’s voice gave Chrysalis a chill. She knew the pegasus meant it with every bit of her soul.
“What keeps them from trying? How do I know you won’t simply lead me into a trap?”
“You’ll have to trust me, Chrysalis. I’m trusting you, after all,” her voice was firm, but still kind.
The changeling looked into the pegasus’s eyes. She felt no love from her. Yet her eyes still exposed that soft heart.
“Fine, kindness. You win this battle.”
Fluttershy did not trust Queen Chrysalis to be in her sanctuary, so she brought the changeling straight to her cottage. The animals had left as soon as they heard about the queen’s approach. Only Angel Bunny and a few other stubborn creatures still remained, though they did not appreciate the changeling’s presence in their home. Most remained a large distance from her, and told Fluttershy about their reservations. She understood, but told them to be patient. If they were truly uncomfortable, then they could go to the Sanctuary. Some of the animals took that offer and didn’t stray into the pegasus’s cottage as long as the changeling was around.
It was awkward. Fluttershy certainly had enough space to accommodate Chrysalis. She was used to housing multiple critters inside if the need ever arose, some of which were much bigger than her. However, Chrysalis was not fond of the concept of sleeping on an animal bed. So the pegasus offered the loveseat instead. Chrysalis agreed that it would work, for now.
It was also quite a shock, the first time Fluttershy woke up in the middle of the night, hearing cracking and groaning, worrying that some poor creature had been injured… only to realize that a certain changeling was making herself comfortable on the narrow space of the couch, contorting her skeletal limbs in ways that made the pegasus’s mind run wild with terror. She was reminded that this was not just a sick creature in her care, but a dangerous being. Still, she knew not to judge others based on appearances. So she said nothing about it, and went back to bed. After the next few nights, she got used to the sound.
During the day, Chrysalis would most often spend the time sleeping on that loveseat, or on the rug if she needed to stretch out. Fluttershy recognized it as a symptom of a hungry animal. If there was no food, then a creature would have no energy. However, it wasn’t long before some of the creatures got used to the sleepy changeling, she would often wake up to a few birds perched on her legs, or a mouse snuggled into her neck. She would snap awake and they would run, but eventually she stopped caring so much, once she felt their love. Chrysalis tried to follow Fluttershy’s words, and only took a little bit, while the animals slept, and then she started helping the pegasus with feeding, and cleaning. Angel Bunny was the only creature stubborn enough to not eat from her hoof after a while. The animals began to like her more, and would even go up to her willingly. She started forgetting the feeling of hunger, surrounded by so much unconditional love.
At one point, Discord visited Fluttershy. Once he saw the changeling queen in his beloved pegasus’s cottage, he nearly zapped her to another dimension. It took Fluttershy a while to explain and abate Discord’s concerns, while Chrysalis clung to the lamp like a puffed-up cat. He did manage to leave without turning the changeling into a piñata, but not without some choice threats. It didn’t seem to faze the queen once he was gone, she returned to her slumber pretty soon after the interaction was over. Though the pegasus had noticed her expression when Discord said those things.
As time went on, he still frequented the cottage to keep an eye on things (sometimes literally, because she would see a single yellow eye looking at her from the walls). At the very least, he acted more cordially when the three were all together. It was likely for Fluttershy’s sake, but even when he found Chrysalis alone and took her aside for a private chat, he stopped spewing threats. Once, he even thanked her.
Chrysalis guessed that the thanks was for her taking care of the animals. It had given the pegasus a bit more free time, and Discord would only be nice to somepony who helped his Fluttershy.
The changeling and pegasus had been settling into more of a routine. While Fluttershy was out on the Sanctuary or helping Dr. Fauna, Chrysalis would set about the cottage. She learned the layout of the place, inside and out. Sometimes she would look out the window, or grab a few more blankets to her “bed.” Fluttershy even started giving her some chores to do. It started with cleaning a few things, which the changeling gripped about at first, but realized that simple telekinetic magic meant she didn’t have to move or touch anything. It didn’t stop it from feeling like drone work.
As the animals became more used to her presence, Chrysalis realized that Fluttershy was right. Their love was quite potent once they stopped being scared. But it took a while, and the changeling found it hard to hold back.
She found her solace in a daily routine, to keep her mind off the remaining hunger. The chores she did and the animals she cared for reminded her of when she was a queen, and had others to take care of. It fulfilled her, more than a meal ever could.
She was most surprised by how much she enjoyed taking care of the plants around the cottage. Though she didn’t feel any love emanating from them in return, it didn’t matter. She took care of anything that relied on her.
Fluttershy caught onto this little habit in the changeling, and tried her best to not fret over the houseguest, which made the changeling feel more self-reliant. It was easy to keep her distance, she didn’t enjoy being around Chrysalis too much. The memories of the old Changeling Kingdom, the Hive, the Canterlot Wedding, it was all too horrible.
She squeaked in shock when she came back from Dr. Fauna’s one day to find Chrysalis standing just in front of the open door.
“Chrysalis? What are you—”
“I want to go outside.”
Fluttershy wasn’t sure if bringing Queen Chrysalis into her sanctuary was a good idea. It had been several weeks since the changeling started living in her home, and the pegasus had seen unmistakable improvement in her attitude. She had even been helping out around the cottage, mostly of her own accord. Fluttershy hadn’t told her to water the plants, but Chrysalis had done it anyway. It seemed to make her happy. The pegasus enjoyed catching the changeling smiling as she sniffed the flowers, or saw a passing bee. Fluttershy was used to ponies that flinched or swatted at bugs, but Chrysalis seemed to enjoy their presence.
So Fluttershy had an idea; rather than just helping with the animals in the Sanctuary, which would take some time for bonds to form, Chrysalis could work on a garden. The pegasus had been wanting to grow some fruits, vegetables, and flowers inside the Sanctuary, and while the landscaping work had included some vegetation, she knew the animals would appreciate a wider variety. She had her hooves full with feeding and medical care, but with the extra helper, it could be done.
The changeling had already shown an interest in pollinators and flora, even if she wouldn’t admit it. So Fluttershy was not too surprised when she agreed to the idea, though with a flimsy excuse that it would pass the time.
The two spent a day laying down tarps in a flat field, to prepare the soil for new plants. Fluttershy gave the changeling some seeds, and left her to it.
Chrysalis could not wait for the ground to be ready for planting, and the next few days left her impatient and anxious to plant the seeds. Once the tarps were removed, she was surprised by the excitement she felt. She specifically enjoyed planting the flowers. It was easy to see their progress and take care of them. The vines that sprouted fruits and vegetables, ones that had to be staked and tended to, were a little trickier. They needed their leaves clipped and she kept pests from devouring them. She also fenced off the plants that were newly sprouted, else the herbivorous creatures would take them for themselves and ruin the spoils for everyone else. Though it was more intensive work, she found herself enjoying having something to do in her free time.
The blooming buds with vibrant petals were not necessarily her favorite part. The most rewarding were the pollinators. They couldn’t get enough of the wildflowers. A symphony of buzzing and humming surrounded her, and she loved being among them, the littlest creatures that were often the most overlooked.
She couldn’t help but sometimes sit among the flowers, feeling the bugs crawling and flying around her. It reminded her of home.
“She’s working in your Sanctuary?”
The dismayed voice of Starlight Glimmer carried from the entrance of Twilight’s castle to Fluttershy’s ears. The pegasus had come to discuss changeling magic with Twilight, to understand it better and to know how much she should worry about Chrysalis gaining more love. It was clear now that the unicorn had been eavesdropping on the conversation. This was likely a grievance she’d been wanting to air for some time.
“Starlight, I thought you were—” The alicorn began, but Starlight interrupted.
“She tried to kill us. She manipulated you all!”
“She’s weak,” Fluttershy said, holding her head as high as she could muster. “She needs help, and I’m meant to care for the needy.”
“Animals, Fluttershy. Needy animals. She’s a changeling. She’s plotted to take over Equestria so many times!”
“You’re right. She’s still the same. She’s still Queen Chrysalis, no shapeshifting can change that. But she can’t help needing to eat. I don’t blame leeches for drinking blood, they need to do it to survive.”
“Leeches don’t take over Equestria, though.”
“We could never understand what she needs,” Twilight offered, standing between the mares. Neutral.
“Yeah, and we’ll never know what she really wants to do. You really think she’s going to stop tricking ponies? Encasing them in cocoons? Draining their love?” Starlight practically ignored the alicorn, still facing the pegasus.
“She couldn’t even if she wanted to.”
“What happens when you nurse her back to health, Fluttershy? What will she do then?”
Chrysalis tended the seeds planted in the soil patches just as gently as she handled the already-bloomed flowers. It was time-consuming work, and did not yield results immediately, but she was used to that kind of feeling. Her plans were often like that, they took time and effort to coordinate.
This was even more useless work, she was getting nothing out of these flowers. But it calmed her mind, and she enjoyed seeing the pollinating bugs that populated the sanctuary and feasted on her efforts. She was providing for them, at the least.
It also helped the other animals get more used to her presence. She would simply go about her own way, and they stayed out of it. When they did interact with her, she was calm and collected. It was not easy, exactly. She wanted to gorge herself on the love that surrounded her, maybe turn into a critter herself to gather more attention and adoration… but she knew better. Fluttershy would never let her hear the end of it.
Plus, she had seen the effects of the pony’s infamous stare. When she got mad, it was truly terrifying. That was something that Chrysalis admired. She would not get on the pegasus’s bad side, so she tried her best to appease the pegasus.
When the seeds were finally sprouting from the ground, Chrysalis was quite proud of herself. She wanted to show it off.
“Kindness,” she called out to the pegasus, who was across the field checking on a family of birds, returning their nest to its tree. It was always slightly odd to see Fluttershy flying. It wasn’t abnormal for her to do so, but it seemed like she much preferred walking on the ground. Chrysalis understood that. She barely used her own wings. She already stood tall enough on her own, she didn’t need to be any higher.
“What is it?” Fluttershy asked, once she was close enough for her soft voice to carry to the changeling’s ears.
“Look,” The queen’s hoof stamped near the patch of sprouts.
“Wow, so soon! We should get some autumn foods planted soon as we can, now that we know the ground is healthy enough.”
Chrysalis listened to Fluttershy ramble on about her plans for the sanctuary. It reminded her of herself, back when she had first founded the Changeling Kingdom. So many plans, so much ambition. So much passion. Fluttershy’s face unmistakably lit up whenever she got the opportunity to talk about her creatures. Chrysalis had little to talk about, so she had mostly become a listener.
The changeling focused on the pegasus’s eyes, but still felt nothing from them.
“I agree with Starlight, Fluttershy.”
The pegasus frowned at the orange earth pony before her. She had come to Sweet Apple Acres to get some seeds for the fruits she wanted to plant in the sanctuary. Somehow, even this conversation spun in a negative direction.
“I understand, AJ.”
“I just don’t understand how you could let a monster like her into your own home.”
Fluttershy’s nose crinkled. “Discord was called a monster, too. But he’s turned a new leaf. He may be a little… different, but his intentions are good now.” The farm pony’s expression hardened in response.
“How do you know Chrysalis has good intentions?”
It was a cold, foggy day. It was perfect for shopping. Fluttershy preferred to go out on days like this, because the animals were snoozing in hidden warm places, and the other ponies were cozying up inside. She preferred the lack of crowds.
In the past, she had tried sending Discord to do her errands. He was all too happy to help, but his results were… mixed. She couldn’t feed her animals kibbles that danced away from them, with top hats and canes that she couldn’t snatch away. She learned her lesson, and went on her trips alone after that. She felt bad about turning down Discord’s offers to help, but he understood how much she cared about her animals, and that she knew what was best for them.
As she trotted through downtown Ponyville, she was glad to see the streets mostly empty. It made her feel at ease. The crows that didn’t mind the chill air said their greetings to her as they looked for grubs.
In the rural store, she looked for some bird seed bags, carefully examining the ingredients of each bag so she knew which ones were fresh, and which would be favored less. She knew they didn’t care about colors and shapes as much as the packages suggested, they knew what they liked and didn’t mind the simplicity of it.
She was distracted by a sound, her ears turning to parse out what exactly she heard. It sounded like hoofsteps, and she assumed it was the cashier. But then there was a loud ringing, the bell above the door had been rung. She turned to see the door opened, by an earth pony. She had dark blue fur, and a green mane. The mare was one that Fluttershy hadn’t seen around town before, but she wasn’t particularly familiar with the townsfolk, so she wouldn’t be surprised by a new face.
What had caught her eye was the gait of the mare. She didn’t walk like an earth pony. At least, not one from around here. Her head was held high, quite haughty despite her plain appearance. Perhaps she was from Canterlot? But the way her mane was styled — or rather, completely unstyled, hanging down nearly to her hooves — was unlike the fancy, overstyled manes that Canterlot ponies preferred. Even the earth pony’s emerald green eyes seemed strangely familiar.
Fluttershy kept her eye on the stranger, feeling an odd déjà vu come over her with every step that she took, every glance the mare took at the shelves. Finally, the pony found a small package of pumpkin seeds among the farming section. She seemed to hesitate before picking it up with her teeth. Very unlike an earth pony to be so repulsed by such a common act.
It struck her, once the mare started cantering back to the entrance, pulling some bits out of her unassuming brown saddlebag. The cashier didn’t seem to notice any of these behaviors as odd, simply took the bits in her own mouth and put them in the register, while the strange mare took the seeds into her bag. The bag which had an outline on the side, barely visible if not for the stitching left behind… the pattern of a butterfly.
It was Fluttershy’s saddlebag. She was so shocked she was silent as she watched the mare leave… knowing it wasn’t a stranger, but Chrysalis, shapeshifted. The bits were from Fluttershy’s own home, and her insignia had been taken off of the bag.
The pegasus was reminded of Starlight’s words from those weeks ago. And Applejack’s words as well. Could they have been right? They also weren’t the only ponies who told her to be wary of Chrysalis. The pegasus thought she had everything under control, but now that the changeling had been filling up on love from her critters, it was slightly concerning to see her among other ponies, and under a disguise.
Still, the pegasus hadn’t expected to see Chrysalis only here to shop for seeds. The changeling hadn’t even tried to steal some love from the cashier, and the town was quite empty. She could only have been there to get something for the garden.
She knew why the changeling wouldn’t want to tell her about it, she knew that she never would have allowed it. Not without her being with the changeling. Though she was sure that Discord would be all-too-happy to keep an eye on Chrysalis and keep her out of trouble.
Though she was stung by the dishonesty of the changeling, she couldn’t help but understand all of it. The pegasus recognized the desire to be alone, and to keep some things secret. Like how she preferred to sing when she wasn’t around other ponies. Perhaps, her gardening had become a similar hobby. She continued looking at the seed bags, and decided to meet the changeling back at the cottage.
When Fluttershy arrived back at the cottage, Chrysalis could not keep her ears from perking up at the sound of hoofsteps coming through the door. She had come to recognize that sound very well. Her mouth involuntarily crept into a smile.
She shook her head, hiding the expression behind her long mane. What an embarrassing thing to admit; Fluttershy brightening her day. But as time had gone on, she more often looked forward to the pegasus coming back to the cottage or the Sanctuary. It, at the very least, made the days less boring. She found herself quite stagnated when the only ones to talk to were things that didn’t talk back.
“Ahem,” the changeling cleared her throat. “I see you’re back, Kindness.” She tried her best to keep an edge to her tone.
Fluttershy had a small, genuine smile on her face as she responded to the changeling. The nickname had become a bit of an inside term of endearment from the changeling. Though Chrysalis tried to say it with the same bitterness that she afforded everypony, it was clear to the pegasus that there was a subtle difference whenever Chrysalis talked to her.
Fluttershy’s smile then faded and her eyes focused more intensely on the changeling.
“Chrysalis… are you feeling okay?”
The queen was taken aback by this question. It wasn’t the first time Fluttershy had asked her, she was always concerned with the well-being of others, but it was the first time she sounded so confused when she said it.
“Hungry, but no more than usual,” Chrysalis replied, raising an eyebrow at the pegasus.
“Well you look… different?” Fluttershy said with a nervous smile.
“How do you mean?”
“Your legs.”
The changeling’s expression shifted once she lifted up her front left leg. She was so used to her appearance. Even as a shapeshifter, she took pride in her natural form. She took note of each part of her. Each imperfection. She never tried to change it, even slightly. Other than small cosmetic things, like makeup, or her crown. Both of which she utilized much less often while in the cottage. After all, there were no subjects around for her to keep her image up.
So, when she noticed there was a hole missing on her leg, one that was usually right above her hoof, she blinked several times. It must have been a trick of the eye. But when she opened them, it was still gone. She never thought the loss of her holes would surprise her so much. Likely because she never expected them to go away. The closer she looked, the more imperfections she noticed. Some of her other dents were smaller than usual, almost gone. As if they had been filled in with flesh and cuticles. When she looked at her right leg, she gasped. There were barely any holes left on it. After a few seconds of checking her other limbs, she looked back at her left hoof. How did she not notice any of this before? She hardly looked in mirrors, Fluttershy had very few, because the reflections would agitate the animals.
“How is this possible?” The changeling shouted.
“I didn’t want to alarm you, Chrissy…” The nickname Fluttershy uttered made Chrysalis pause in her frantic movements. It was something that she had started calling the changeling, and though the queen was at first opposed to it, she found herself enjoying it, though she would never admit it. She told Fluttershy that the nickname wouldn’t be used around others. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.
“How did I not notice this before?”
“I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy. I didn’t notice it until just now.”
“It is fine, Flutters.”
Chrysalis paused as she realized what she had said.
“Is that alright?” The queen asked, her voice quiet and her eyes to the floor. When she finally looked up, she saw Fluttershy’s gentle smile, and soft eyes meeting hers.
“Yes, it is. I’m glad you found something to call me other than Kindness.”
Chrysalis smiled back, unable to hold it back. She completely forgot about her body.
“Well, I still might call you Kindness from time to time.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind you saying it. But… Flutters is nice too.”
“And no creature has ever called me Chrissy before. It may be odd, but I enjoy it coming from you… Flutters.”
“Fluttershy, darling! I’ve been ever so worried.”
The white unicorn Rarity piped up as Fluttershy entered the boutique. She wanted to put in an order for the winter. Some of her animals would need extra help staying warm, and she also had a hunch that Chrysalis would be freezing once the winter came. Best be prepared.
“Hi Rarity, I was hoping I could ask you for some winter clothes.”
“Fluttershy, you couldn’t possibly mean for yourself? If I remember right, you’re all stocked up already, and you don’t need that much fur coverage anyways, your mane is long enough to keep you warm.”
Fluttershy’s mouth teased at a nervous grin. “No, it’s not for me. It’s for, uh…”
“No, you don’t mean… the changeling?”
“She has no fur, Rarity. In a couple of months, she’ll need something for the cold weather. She won’t want to stay cooped up anymore.”
“Darling, you’re talking about her as if she’s a stray kitten. You can’t truly believe that you can trust her for that long, that you’ll keep her around?”
“You girls are all saying that you don’t trust her. Why don’t you come by to visit sometime and see for yourself?”
Without waiting for another comment to come from the unicorn, the pegasus slammed the door behind her, harder than she intended. She squeaked, surprising herself with the loud noise. She whimpered.
“Eek! Sorry.”
There was a knock at the door the next day. Fluttershy looked up from her kneeling position, where she was placing some fresh carrots in Angel Bunny’s food bowl. She expected it to be one of the girls. Instead, she opened the door to find a tall, colorful, buglike pony. With violet eyes, orange antlers, and a light green exoskeleton.
“Thorax?” Fluttershy said in surprise. “Oh, it’s good to see you!”
“I’m happy to see you too, Fluttershy!”
“What are you doing in Ponyville?”
“I heard about your new… roommate,” he spoke the last word more quietly, as if she could hear them. Fluttershy’s smile faded a bit. She knew Chrysalis was out in the yard, tending to the flowers in her pots.
“I hope you understand why I took her in, Thorax.”
“I can see why you did. I’m not sure I would have done the same,” As Fluttershy gestured for Thorax to come inside, he did so, continuing to talk. “I left the hive in my youth because of her. She almost destroyed me before I metamorphosed.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually…”
Chrysalis could hear the muffled noises coming from inside. Her senses were sharper now that she was well-fed. She strained to listen in, and wondered if she should turn into an animal that could enter through the window. It used to be like second nature to her, but lately she stayed in her usual form. Especially since Fluttershy’s animals were used to her.
She suppressed the urge to eavesdrop. It was probably one of the other ponies, perhaps it was even Starlight. She did not want to see that unicorn again, not anytime soon. Instead, she moved further into the backyard, hiding in the shade of the trees as the ants gathered near her hooves, and she watched them crawl up her legs, weaving in and out of her holes and dents. Their crawling reminded her of when her babies would hatch out of their eggs.
She was lost in her thoughts and the movements of the ants when Fluttershy walked up to her. Chrysalis saw the yellow pegasus standing in front of her. It was hard to miss her soft face looking up to the changeling. However, instead of her sweet smile, she wore a look of concern.
“What is it?” The changeling asked, keeping her voice down so the visitor wouldn’t hear their conversation.
“You have a visitor.”
Chrysalis’s eyes widened. “Whom?”
“Prince Thorax.”
Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed. Fluttershy responded almost immediately after noticing this expression.
“Please, Chrissy,” The changeling’s stomach churned as she heard her nickname. It made this even harder to be angry. “I’m worried about you, and I don’t know anything about changelings. You don’t have to do anything he says. Do it for me, my peace of mind.”
Chrysalis sighed, and said nothing, but walked toward the cottage.
“Thank you,” The pegasus’s meek voice carried to the changeling’s sensitive ears.
“Asking for help is not in my nature. But I don’t want you to waste your time fretting about my well-being, Flutters.”
With that, the queen entered the abode through the backdoor, and saw the so-called changeling prince sitting on the couch. She narrowed her brows. That was her sleeping arrangement. She wouldn’t dare admit it, though. She entered the room, head high. She took a seat in the armchair, as if it were a throne.
“Finally visiting your mother, traitorous slug?”
Thorax seemed to glean some sort of amusement from her words.
“You haven’t changed much, I see,” the prince said with a chuckle.
“I’m only doing this to appease the element of kindness, so she can leave me alone.”
“If you wanted to be alone so much, then why did you leave the Everfree Forest to be with her?”
“Did Flutters tell you about that?” The queen asked, snapping at him.
“Flutters?”
She sputtered, realizing she let the nickname slip. She had become so used to only talking with the pegasus that she didn’t even consider how used she was to saying it.
“Just say what you’re here to say and then leave, Thorax,” she said, waving her hoof dismissively.
The prince’s head pointed down at her leg, and his eyes seemed to be observing the holes that had lately become even smaller and less noticeable. Even the ones on her hair and wings were starting to fill themselves in. If it weren’t for her crooked horn and buglike wings, she could almost be mistaken for a tall mare. He looked confused, a similar expression to the one Fluttershy had when she first noticed.
“Hm, that’s odd. I don’t think I’ve seen any changelings go through this kind of change. Usually the transformation happens all at once.”
“Transformation? You can’t possibly mean—”
“I’m not sure, but it could be.”
“How?”
“Well, the metamorphosis happened to the other changelings and I when we realized that we could feel love, and didn’t need to feed on it anymore.”
“Changelings don’t have hearts, we can’t feel love.”
“When I realized that Spike wasn’t my only friend, I realized I wanted to protect Starlight and the others. I had to change, even if I was scared to. Maybe that’s happening to you… just not so suddenly?”
“You don’t sound very sure of that.”
“I know even untransformed changelings are capable of love. My brother, for example. He hasn’t metamorphosed yet, but I know he still cares about me. Is there anypony that you care about?” He stressed the word pony, which made the queen’s brow furrow.
“I don’t follow what you’re implying, Thorax.”
“You’re the one who called her ‘Flutters’, and your body shows clear signs of feeling love, even without needing to feed on others’. Have you been hunting often?”
Chrysalis thought about it. The more she considered it, the more she realized that she hadn’t fed on love in a while, even from the pegasus’s animals.
“No, I haven’t,” the queen sighed. “What would it matter anyway? It’s not as if…”
“As if…?”
“As if it’s reciprocated. There is no love to feed on, I’ve had to satiate my hunger with the love of her animals, once they stopped fearing me. I have never felt anything from her. Even if she did care about me, this love will fade.”
“Perhaps,” was his short response. Chrysalis barely heard it, she was still spiraling, her thoughts spilling out before she could shut her own mouth.
“Perhaps, indeed. I am a queen, it is not befitting of me to care for such a lowly pony. I have never needed an equal before, and I certainly do not now. I have no heart, and she deserves a pony that can love her as well as she loves them.
“That’s why I can’t love her, that’s why I don’t want her to love me back!”
There were tears in the queen’s eyes.
“What is this…?” She asked quietly, as she felt the hot streams running down her cheeks.
“I’ve never — this hasn’t —” She sputtered until she growled and cleared her throat. “Changelings don’t cry!”
“They do. I remember when I first cried, it was a bit shocking.”
“Don’t compare me to you, Thorax.”
“You are changing, Chrysalis. You have to.”
“For her,” Chrysalis said, taking a deep breath and trying to force it out of her mouth. The word was one she never said genuinely, and it felt like bile coming from her. She was barely able to whisper it without choking. Tears formed in her eyes.
“Because I love her.”
It had been a lazy day at the sanctuary. The late summertime was always a bit lazy, since the animals could take good care of themselves in the warm weather and the swaths of vegetation barely needed tending.
Still, Fluttershy saw Chrysalis at her usual patch, watering and tending to the soil. Her legs were almost completely filled in now, barely a trace of any holes in her legs, hair, or wings. Even her exoskeleton was a slightly brighter shade, thanks to her time in the sun. Without her crown, she could nearly be mistaken for a pony.
But there were still remnants of the changeling queen that lingered in her behavior, in the way she held herself. She never slouched, and she always walked with purpose. She sometimes found ways to crawl over things if it was easier. Whenever she stretched in the morning, her limbs would contort a bit and her joints made crackling sounds. She would shapeshift like it was second nature, and rarely seemed awkward in different bodies. Even when she ventured into the rest of Ponyville, under the disguise of a random earth pony that blended into the background, she couldn’t hide those traits.
She hadn’t brought it up to Chrissy, since she wanted the queen to not feel scrutinized. Fluttershy made sure her friends did not know about the changeling’s outings. She was fine with it, at this point she trusted Chrysalis to not feed off of ponies, especially considering her earth pony disguise was so unassuming and did not resemble anyone from town. Whenever the pegasus went out to the busier downtown, usually into a pet shop to buy some food for Angel and the others, she could recognize, in an unassuming earth pony, a strut that only Chrysalis walked. It made her smile. The changeling was only using the pegasus’s bits to buy some more seeds.
The two had become so accustomed to each other that Fluttershy hadn’t even realized that she was adapting to the changeling’s idiosyncrasies. Whenever she went out to the sanctuary, she made sure to be careful around the garden and the wildflowers. She made sure to be quiet when she got up at the break of dawn, to not wake the queen up, since Chrissy enjoyed sleeping in and staying up late.
So Fluttershy knew, when she saw this behavior from the changeling, that there was something wrong. She was used to seeing Chrysalis tend to the plants with intense, focused care. But this wasn’t like that. She was distracted, she kept moving soil back and forth with her hooves, and her eyes were unfocused. Her ears kept flicking as her unkempt mane fell in front of her eyes, but she barely made an effort to manage it.
Fluttershy finished checking up on the frog eggs and talking to the proud parents (everything seemed to be in good, webbed hands). Then she slowly walked over to the changeling, her head hanging low. She often got the queen’s attention this way, because she was already so much shorter than her, and it allowed her to approach Chrysalis without startling her.
“Your flowers are looking happy,” she observed.
“Thank you, Flutters,” Chrysalis said. Then there was an awkward silence. Clearly, neither of them were very good at small talk.
“Is there anything wrong?”
“My mane, for one. I’m not used to it being so… full.”
Fluttershy giggled, and motioned with her wing for the changeling to follow her. The two cantered down a rolling hill, and settled in a valley next to the pond. Fluttershy gestured for Chrysalis to lay down, and the changeling was surprised how well she understood that small motion. The pegasus laid next to her, Fluttershy’s head next to Chrysalis’s neck. The chattering of birds and small mammals surrounded them, but luckily, they were left alone.
The pegasus took the changeling’s mane in her hooves, then took a piece of her mane in her teeth.
“What are you—”
“Shh. Don’t move,” Fluttershy said through her teeth. Chrysalis found herself chuckling at the sound of her already meek voice being muffled further.
So, the changeling queen laid there as the pegasus started to braid the mane, pulling it away from Chrysalis’s eyes and carefully, slowly, bringing the pieces together. It was not tight and fitting, but loose and comfortable. It made sense for somepony like Fluttershy.
“It’s a nice day.”
“Mhm.”
A moment passed, and the silence was a bit more comfortable, as Chrysalis focused on the feeling of Fluttershy’s hooves on her neck. She didn’t even realize that her own hooves were moving to Fluttershy’s mane, which was sprawled on the grass, until she felt them make contact. Fluttershy’s movements paused as she looked down, and noticed it.
“It’s okay,” Flutters said, trying to smile through the mouthful of mane.
Chrysalis barely reacted, not sure what to say. Thanks?
Instead, she put her hooves to work, gently moving the mane closer to her. It was long enough to do so, and then she started pulling blades of grass and leaves from it. A while of quiet passed between the two as they both focused on each other, until Fluttershy took the bit of mane that was in her mouth and put it in her hoof, then said something.
“Can I ask you something, please?”
“Of course,” the changeling responded almost immediately. With a reassuring tone. She was used to giving verbal affirmations to the shy pegasus, so she felt comfortable opening up.
“I know Thorax told you that you’re changing because you’re metamorphosing, but did he ever say why? I understand it was a hard conversation, considering the history between you two, and I didn’t want to pry. But I want to know if you’re okay. It seems like you’re changing quite slowly compared to them. Oh… I’m rambling, aren’t I? Sorry,” the last word was barely a squeak, and she put the piece of mane back in her mouth.
“I don’t mind. I usually talk enough for both of us,” Chrysalis crookedly grinned.
“But you’re quiet today,” Flutters mumbled.
“Yes, I am,” she sighed, and the pegasus gave her time to gather her words.
“Flutters, I still don’t understand why you took me in. I know you still don’t love me. I only ever hurt you, your friends, and your animals.”
“No—”
“Let me finish. I may not understand it, but I’m ever grateful. As the queen of a hive, it took me a while to get used to having somepony else take care of me. I still wanted to be self-reliant, even when I needed to sleep on your couch,” that mention, at least, made the pegasus laugh a bit. Chrysalis ran out of leaves to pick out of the rose-pink mane, so she just ran her hooves through it, brushing it.
“I never knew you were such a queen, yourself,” she continued. “The way you manage so many different animals, I don’t think I could ever manage such chaos. Perhaps that’s why Discord listens to you so much.
“Well, what I’m actually trying to say is… I found something here, thanks to you. I spent my time trying to help, instead of taking. I expressed love, without needing to feed on it.”
“Are you saying—” Fluttershy started, but the changeling quickly interrupted her.
“You are my only friend, Fluttershy. Thanks to your care, I’m ready to go out as myself, and perhaps find others who accept me the way you do. Perhaps I will find love in return, and that will make me fully transform. But I do not wish to stay here, when I know what I feel for you will never be reciprocated.”
“Chrissy!” Fluttershy shouted as loud as she was capable of. “Oh, sorry. That was loud.”
Chrysalis stopped and looked over to the pegasus, who had finished the braid by using the leftover hair as a tie. It was a bit half-finished, but still enough to be out of the queen’s way. That wasn’t what she was focused on, though. She was looking right into Fluttershy’s sea-green eyes.
“You’re wrong,” the pegasus continued, quieter. “I do love you. I thought that was clear.”
“But…” Chrysalis sputtered, utterly confused. “As a friend, right? I’ve never felt any romantic love from you. I even feel love coming from your animals, but not you.”
“Well, you’re right. I didn’t love you when I found you in the Everfree. I still felt bitter and angry about what you almost did to Thorax, and Discord, and my friends. I was still upset about Twilight’s brother’s wedding, what you almost did to the princesses. I don’t know if I can ever forgive that Chrysalis. But you’re different. You’re Chrissy,” Fluttershy leaned into the changeling’s neck, nuzzling it.
“I think why you don’t feel my love,” she continued, “is because I don’t really feel it either. I just felt myself liking you more each day. I don’t think I knew I loved you, until I saw how much you changed. Like when you go into town, just to buy strawberry seeds. I’ve never really fallen into love. It takes some time. You’re used to jumping into more intense feelings, have you ever been in real, lasting relationships?”
“Don’t bring that up again…” Chrissy groaned at the mention of the lack of her love life, and Fluttershy laughed.
“So, I think I do love you. Though I still want you to explore relationships with others. I don’t think I could be the only pony in your life if we were together.”
“That makes sense…” Chrissy tried to hide how fast she was breathing. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She still felt like she was dreaming when the yellow pegasus put her hoof on the changeling’s, and then looked up at her.
“That’s okay,” she said, mirroring the soft reassurance that Fluttershy had used before.
“Is ‘okay’ good?”
“Flutters,” She took her other hoof from the pegasus’s mane and pressed it against her face. She felt the pegasus lean into it. Then she said as she rested her head atop Fluttershy’s…
“‘Okay’ is wonderful.”
Chrysalis watched Fluttershy fluff the pillows on the couch, her hooves working furiously to work out knots in the fabric that weren’t even there. The birds were busying themselves by clearing the room of pests, and the rodents were filling the vases with flowers. Even Angel was helping, albeit reluctantly. He was sweeping the floor, though every pile he made ended up being pushed underneath the rugs.
The changeling queen approached the mare, and put her hoof on Fluttershy’s arm.
“Dear, you’re anxious.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t think I don’t recognize your little panic spells. I know what it feels like to want things to stay in control, even when you can’t really control everything.”
Flutters sighed. “You’re right, Chrissy.”
The pegasus let go of the pillow and put it back on the couch, and wandered over to the table, where a fruit tray was laid out. She shooed away a few chipmunks that were trying to sneak some of the strawberries away.
“I just,” she took a breath and sighed heavily. “I want them to see you and me, and not think I’m brainwashed, or in danger. I can’t blame them, I was wary of you from the beginning.”
“Then you hid it well.”
Flutters nudged her head against Chrissy’s shoulder. “Chrissy, I’m really worried about what they might do. I don’t think there’s any way this could go well.”
“You can’t change them, Flutters. You couldn’t even change me. If I hadn’t fallen for you, I don’t think anything would have been different. It was my choices each day that changed me, not yours. Your friends will have to make their own choices, too.”
“We haven’t been together long, maybe it’s too soon. Maybe I should have helped you make friends that don’t have so much history with you…”
“It’s okay, Flutters. They’re your friends, you should tell them. We don’t have to be perfect. We aren’t, and our relationship isn’t either. I used to only strive for perfection, and it’s exhausting and impossible. Don’t let yourself get caught up in it.”
Fluttershy saw the intense sincerity in Chrissy’s eyes, and moved her head up to kiss the changeling. The two held that position for a second, as they both felt their worries melt away for a moment.
“You know that’s not how changelings consume love, right?” Chrysalis simpered.
“I know. But it’s the way ponies share love.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The two were about to kiss again, when a knock rang out from the door. They looked at each other with understanding, smiled, and Flutters walked over, with Chrissy not far behind.
The door swung open, and the couple was met with the faces of Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and even Starlight. They all seemed shocked once they saw the changeling queen, with her light exoskeleton, nearly glowing, and her blue mane, in Fluttershy’s signature loose braid. She even found herself smiling to see them, though it faded a bit when she noticed Starlight’s scowl. Though the unicorn softened her expression when she looked back to the yellow pegasus, who was grinning, her timid head held high, and her wing around the changeling’s back.
“Girls, I want you to meet Chrissy, my marefriend.”