Bug story

>A peace summit.
>They spread the rumor to draw her in.
>They would never find her, by her own merits, but they could blanket the communities with the gossip of negotiations.
>"They're trying to get the Queen to talk?! But why?! She's the worst of them all!"
>Fools.
>Ignorant fools.
>They know nothing of the truth.
>These months have been difficult but not impossible.
>Time to brood.
>Time to plan.
>This opportunity could prove useful.
>Chryssalis would make an appearance at this peace summit.
>Infiltration would be nigh impossible to the Crystal Empire with Shining Armor's barriers and wards.
>This would need to be a direct approach.
>Something nopony would ever expect, from the Hive Mother.
>Two days before the summit.
>A note arrives for Princess Cadance.
>"South entrance. No guards. No disguises."
>With a stamp of green and an insectoid seal.
>The entire security force was in complete chaos.
>"You're just going to meet her?!"
>"It said no guards. It didn't say you couldn't be there. You're my husband first, Shiny."
>It didn't sit well with Celestia or Luna.
>Nor the rest of the summit leaders.
>Everyone feared a trap.
>Once a deceiver, always so, as it were.
>Shining Armor and Cadance awaited at the southern entrance to the city, having dismissed the guards at the gate.
>The Royal Sisters and Twilight stood at the ready, along with King Thorax at the back of the group.
>Tensions mounted as a figure came into view of the gates.
>There she was.
>'Queen' Chryssalis.
>Alone. Naked. Or rather, undisguised.
>Everyone paused as she stopped at the gate.
>"You all look ridiculous."
>Her tone held some amusement to it, as if mocking them gave her some security or heightened self importance.
>"I suppose you wouldn't be so naive as to trust my -genuine- interest in your little meeting, in a civil manner."
>She passed Shining Armor and Cadance, walking toward the palace without so much as an awkward glance toward the traitor's presence.
>"I... Suppose we can begin...?"
>The cadre of royalty looked at one another, hopelessly confused.
>The group made their way to the council chambers to discuss the future of Equestria...

>Celestia and Luna seemed to soften and announced the agenda for the meeting with enthusiasm.
>Optimism floated in the air despite the Queen's neutral expression.
>Ideas and words bounced around for actual claims of peace between the nations and mutual goals.
>Indeed, optimism.
>These pathetic fools and their hope.
>Chryssalis tapped her hoof to speak, standing from her seat.
>"There will NEVER. Be peace with the changelings."
>Everyone froze.
>"You simple minded ponies... You do not know what true loss is."
>Her eyes fell upon the new King.
>"To have your children torn from you by a pretender. By a vile cancerous mutation."
>"Everything I worked for. My hive of starving children. Slaves to our nature. A living parasite."
>"Can you even fathom what that is. To understand what the existence of a changeling suffers?"
>The shocked glanced and murmured whispers were reflected around the room.
>Guards flanked the doorways at the ready.
>"Had you no inkling of how my hive survived with no love..."
>"I was that love. My love. For all of my children. Be they a means to an end or happily satiated drones, they were my children."
>"And now they are all gone. Replaced and transformed into abominations."
>"They are NOT changelings."
>"I am the last of the changelings."
>"And so long as I may draw breath, there is nothing in this world or the next that will ever stop me from seeing all that you have built, all that you love..."
>"Wither. And. Die."
>"When you share the depths of my pain and loss. To see your children ripped from your bosom. Your heart destroyed and your efforts scorned..."
>"That is when I will accept your desires for peace."

>Chryssalis turned from the table, casting only a sideways glance at the group of stunned royalty.
>"Either kill me now, or forever stay your hoof. Complete the genocide of the Changeling race while you have the chance, and live knowing your precious morals of love, tolerance and acceptance eradicated an entire race from the face of Equestria, or remain in fear that I am out there. And I will always be out there. I could be in your towns or cities, teaching your children. Your rolling meadows constructing a new fortress under your very noses. You would never know if I stole your children and replaced them, or if I took their mother and nurtured them like my own."
>The room was frozen, silent.
>"Or perhaps it is all a ploy. You can never trust a changeling."

>No one can move, let alone speak.
>Several minutes pass.
>"So be it."
>Though the guards move to cross their spears hesitantly to forbid her from leaving, her horn ignites and buffets them away in a concussive burst.
>"Tell your subjects what you wish. You'll understand my disbelief that you will share with them the truth of what was said here."
>Chryssalis stepped out of the chambers and followed her path out of city, flanked on all sides by guards.
>Her figure disappeared into the icy wastes as gently as she had arrived.
>The room remained silent.
>"What do we do?"
>"What should we say?"


>Days later

>"We would like to take this moment to welcome King Thorax and his fellow New Changlings into our midst. Formally recognizing their reform and wonderful acceptance of love and friendship will do wonders to move forward. The New Changelings are not to be feared. They will do you no harm."
>Celestia's calming voice makes for a glorious oratory and moving speech.
>"Regrettably, we could not, however, reach an acceptable agreement with the former leader of the Changelings. Even with offerings of amnesty and assistance, former Queen Chryssalis would not be reasoned with. Where she has gone, we do not know. But we only know that she is out there and will not give up her evil ways."
>"Do not live in fear, my little ponies. She is one lone Changeling. The last of the evil hive that Thorax has helped reform and shape into a great kingdom of love and prosperity. Together, we can all find peace and harmony as one. If Chryssalis chooses to reject our friendship, we cannot force her to join us. We are not like her."

>Weeks later
>Everfree Forest
>A hovel by royal standards but it should suffice.
>The dilapidated castle formerly used by Celestia and Luna.
>It's no changeling hive but it would be more than effective to use as a base of operations.
>There was an odd residual aura of emotion here.
>Like an echo suspended eternally.
>Love, regret, sorrow, a veritable buffet of feelings to sate her own personal needs.
>She had plenty of anger, so she gave that a miss.
>Chryssalis used her magic to force the pair of thrones together and removed a portion of each side to form a much larger, grandiose throne.
>A splash of Changeling ichor and her new throne was born.

>Chryssalis sat in the silence of the abandoned castle.

>It was more alone than she had felt in some time.


>MEANWHILE, AT THE HALL OF JUSTICE

>TS: "What are we even supposed to do with this?"
>PC: "That was a lot to take in..."
>SA: "We should have just captured her and held her prisoner... Thrown her in the caves like she did to Cadance."
>KT: "Those caverns... They had enough love in there to survive, if only just..."
>C: "...I should have ended her."
>A choir of gasps as Celestia lowers her head.
>L: "Sister! You cannot be serious! Have you truly given up on her? Would you have given up so easily on me?"
>C: "Chryssalis has threatened us before. And time and time again... And she has always won, save for the intervention of unforeseen individuals."
>Celestia turned her eyes to the council.
>C: "When she took Cadance, it was Twilight who saw through the deception with that silly dance."
>TS: "It wasn't that silly..."
>C: "Chryssalis was stopped by Starlight and Thorax, a pony and former subject she believed not to be a threat. Miscalculation and dumb luck was what caused her to fail..."
>The group contemplated this for a moment.
>C: "We know she is patient. She can wait for years to scheme and plan..."
>TS: "Do you think we'll be safe?"
>KT: "I'm not sure how strong she is alone. Or without her throne to give her extra magic."
>C: "We can't be sure. But we can't let everyone panic. She's still out there, and she will remain a serious threat... But until we know more, we should keep everypony calm."
>L: "So. Ignorance is bliss?"
>C: "For now... I don't like it anymore than you do. But we stand to lose far more by letting her threat get to us. If the ponies panic, it will be far more difficult to fight back."
>C: "If everyone is suspect of one another, if no pony feels safe... She wins."
>For now she must plan.
>Chryssalis took this moment to rest her head on her forelegs and sleep.
>Her mind was quiet.
>There was no feeding of external drones into her consciousness.
>No thoughts or whispers of intrepid agents on search of political intrigue for later coups.
>She dreamed fitfully in an light slumber.
>A vast barren landscape.
>There was nothing here.
>Unlike the changeling lands, this was simply a vast wasteland of nothing.
>She should want it.
>But this was not her empire.
>This was the scorched earth remnants she wished to see the world decay into, but she felt empty.
>"I could be the last creature alive. Queen of all I survey... And ruler of nothing."
>Why she was questioning this path now was a distressing notion.
>A wavering glimmer of pale light descended down from the darkened moon.
>L: "This is a most strange turn of events."

>QC: "Princess Luna. What a nice surprise."
>L: "We are not pleased to be here. We should have forsaken the door to your dream without a second thought, but We still hold onto hope that-"
>QC: "That I'll become another one of your reformed former adversaries? That'll accept your principles as my own?"
>L: "That you would reconsider your desires for revenge."
>QC: "Feh. Revenge, you call it. Isn't that the negative word for justice?"
>L: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, Chrysalis! Is this what you want? What you wish to see happen?"
>QC: "...No. My vision of what should be is not this barren waste."
>L: "Then let us -help- you! We are here for a reason. And that should be enough to show our genuine interest in assuring you are not ostracized or outcast from the world we all share."
>QC: "Save your redemption talk for-"
>L: "We do not hold our breath to await your acceptance of punishment for your crimes."
>QC: "Good, because that opportunity has presented itself and passed."
>L: "But we can understand a different perspective."
>This gave Chrysalis pause to her rebuke.
>L: "If you were given back your kingdom, and your Changelings were not constrained to theft and brutality to extract the love you subsist on. What then? What would your world be with your hive restored and healthy, never wanting for anything."
>QC: "...Are you trying to trick me into accepting that mutant as 'what I really want' for my children?"
>L: "We want to understand."
>QC: "I thought you weren't holding your breath. You will NEVER understand."

>L: "We can never understand your kind of loss. We want to know what can repair some of the damage. Not all scars heal with time. We know this more than anyone."
>Chrysalis let out a sigh as her eyes drifted shut. The dreamscape faded from the barren wasteland and returned to the appearance of the desert hive.
>Drones buzzed around, but not in defensive manners. They were carrying supplies, and the hive was growing.
>Deep inside, Chrysalis' army consisted of a rather ceremonial cadre of guards in elegant armor.
>Regulars marched in droves, but the sheer insignificance of her standing forces vastly contrasted her invasion fleets of years long passed.
>Standing at her throne, she gazed down at her loyal subjects with pride.
>A royal messenger pegasus flew in, flanked by escorts to deliver something.
>All the while she could feel Luna's presence behind her.
>QC: "My utopia for my children... Where they defend themselves, but need no reason to attack."
>A pause.
>QC: "Love of one another and love of the larger whole; A hive mind without one."
>L: "And how is that any different from the transformation undertaken by King-"
>Chrysalis let out a hiss.
>QC: "They have no loyalties! No principles! They so brazenly cast off their lifetime of belief, and for what? To 'ascend' to that abominable form of colorful excrement? Who is to say they will not just as easily turn turncoat on you and your alliances as well?"
>Luna stepped back.
>QC: "You all lived by those words, did you not? 'Never trust a Changeling.' And you trust him now? He may be an incompetent fool, so easily manipulated and lead along your leash..."
>QC: "But fear those individuals that YOU have helped create. The mavericks, the rogues, the renegades. They will be the ones to lead the others down far darker roads than I dared travel."

>Days later.
>A few communities have begun accepting changelings into their folds without disguises, but many choose to wear them merely for convenience.
>Ponyville welcomed at least a dozen. Maybe more.
>You could never tell, really.
>Occasionally the disguised changelings would bump into their host form, causing a fright and some confusion, but always with a smile.
>Disgusting.
>Bide her time. That would be the key.
>Chrysalis must not act hastily.
>Discovery would undo any progress she may be making, however small.
>...Or would it?
>She watched a small group for several days.
>Tracking patterns and schedules.
>Mannerisms.
>Quirks and hobbies.
>Three days of stalking revealed one of the Changelings to her, and she made her ploy.
>Deliberately, she bumped into the drone, wearing her disguise of a mint colored unicorn.
>At first the drone laughed and apologized to Lyra, but paused as he heard her laugh go from comical to maniacal.
>Her eyes flashed green.
>In a panic the drone sprinted away, calling for help.
>Chrysalis made her escape and disappeared back into the forest before anypony could notice.
>Sew the seeds of discontent and reap the chaos that grows.
>Everypony was soon frantically looking for Lyra, only to find her at Sugarcube Corner with Bon Bon sharing some pie.
>Numerous questions followed, accusations and rebukes against her.
>So panicked were they over the chance that already Chrysalis had returned that they started a small witch hunt.
>Perfect.

>Ponyville was the first phase.
>Just three citings.
>It was enough to make Twilight step in and curb the panicked ponies from turning on one another.
>The changelings were slowly removed from the community, much to the shame of Twilight.
>The Royal Princesses convened for another meeting as word of Chrysalis sightings popped up in Canterlot.
>TS: "This is terrible... Everypony is pointing hoofs at the Changelings because of Chrysalis!"
>C: "I know, Twilight."
>KT: "We shouldn't force them to accept us. We can return to the hive and let them adjust. It's still a shock to everypony.
>PC: "But this shouldn't be happening! She's by herself! How can she cause this much trouble!"
>L: "We were able to do much with our mere presence at Nightmare Night. Perhaps it is her legacy of terror that serves to be such an effective motivator for the fears of our subjects."
>C: "We need to reassure everypony that Equestria is safe. That's all we can do. If we give in to her fearmongering... We don't know what lengths our scared citizens may go to to find her..."
>A one Queen guerilla campaign of mere laughing in the faces of her former subjects.
>Truly, the grandest scale of terror tactics.

>Three weeks.
>Over the last month there were over a dozen sightings of the fallen Queen.
>The new Changelings had all but reclused to their hive, despite the protests of Twilight and the other Royalty.
>King Thorax was discouraged, but held onto hope that it was a passing phase.
>The ponies were warned to share secret phrases with one another to try and catch deception in the act.
>But no more sightings occurred.
>A day passed.
>And then a week.
>Once the changelings had returned to their hive, the sightings stopped.
>It did little to ease the fears of the ponies, but life started to otherwise resume its natural course.
>Elsewhere, Chrysalis brooded.
>The castle had slowly begun to take the form and shape of a more insectoid lair, even without randomly changing passages.
>Deep below, she had spent weeks coating the dungeons in ichor and jelly.
>Soon she would have her nesting ground, but she would need several hosts.
>A plan had already been formed for these hosts to be captured.
>The plucky little trio of fillies would be perfect.


>Cheerilee pointed out the agenda for the coming week.
>"Alright, students! Is everyone clear on the assignment?"
>A choir of "Yes, Ms. Cheerilee!" echoed back.
>"Good! And remember, the most adventurous team will get bonus credit! So get out there and do your best!"
>The crowd of schoolfoals dispersed from the hall, with the Crusaders floating ideas on what to do.
>They didn't expect inspiration to come from Zecora.
>The zebra was carrying a full pack and chatting cordially in her rhyming tone.
>AB: "Hey, maybe we could do a project on something with Zecora!"
>Chicken: "Yeah! No other group would be brave enough to find something cool in Everfree Forest!"
>SB: "Is that really the best idea...?"
>Z: "A-ha-ha, ho-ho, hehe! Brave are you wee little three. But worry not, if solace you seek. You can remain with me for the week."
>The trio mulled it over.
>Z: "Just be sure to pack for a stay! It would be a shame to camp only one day! Be careful and if need you help, don't be afraid to call with a yelp."
>After some bickering, they agreed that Everfree would be a great project.
>Zecora agreed to wait for them to gather their things, settling down at the edge of the road leading from Ponyville to the forest.
>Soon, she mused.

>Soon.

>The trio met with Zecora with their little packs.
>Chit chatting along about what they could find that no other group would do a report about.
>Zecora paused outside of her hut.
>"That's quite enough of this."
>The Crusaders paused, looking at the zebra.
>Chicken: "Did... Zecora just NOT make a rhyme?"
>The zebra's form shimmered and dispersed into the figure of Chrysalis.
>[Loud Screaming]
>QC: "QUIET!"
>Fillies frozen in terror.
>QC: "Don't be so silly. It isn't like I'm going to eat you or something."
>AB: "W-Whadda you want with us?"
>QC: "I need your help."
>SB: "Why would we help you! You've been scaring everypony and got the good changelings kicked out!"
>Chrysalis fought to neither grin at the success not scowl at the calling of those abominations as Changelings.
>QC: "Because if you help me, you will help them, too. You think me evil because everypony says I'm evil. You never thought of my side to the story?"
>The trio of fillies looked to one another.
>QC: "I only wanted to feed my hungry children... And my plans would have given them enough food for them to never starve again."
>AB: "But now they don't have to take no love from anypony! They can-"
>QC: "Be forever suspect of ulterior motives because you ponies will NEVER trust the Changelings, completely."
>SB: "Then why would we trust you?"
>QC: "Because if you go back and tattle tale that you found me in Everfree Forest, who knows how many ponies could get hurt searching for me here? And for what? To drive me elsewhere to be somepony else's problem?"
>The crusaders again turned to one another.
>QC: "I require you to merely think of your families and loved ones, briefly. Residual love for sustenance and that is all I ask. My little mischief takes an enormous toll when I do not have any source to sustain myself."
>Chrysalis allowed her gaunt form to shake and weakly stand on her wobbly legs.
>The Crusaders discussed about the right and wrong choices, helping the hungry bug or not.

>Chrysalis could always count on the goodie goods to 'do the right thing'.
>AB: "Alright, but jus' enough to help..."
>SB: "So we just think about our sisters?"
>QC: "Just relax and focus on your family... Happy thoughts and warm memories."
>The two crusaders sat and closed their eyes, drawing up some happy, silly times with their older siblings.
>Scootaloo sat there, a mild frown.
>Chrysalis could feel the growing aura of love, but not from the small pegasus.
>QC: "Are you not interested in helping?"
>Chicken: "I... Apple Bloom and Sweetir Belle are my family."
>The queen felt a stab of pain into her heart as she realized the true scope of the filly's words.
>Her leg eased out, wrapping around her and pulling her close to her body.
>QC: "You poor dear..."
>Though skittish, Scootaloo didn't think it a good idea to openly resist.
>The bug stroked a good through her mane, doting on the filly with a sigh.
>QC: "You're lucky to have such... Caring friends, to call them family."
>Scootaloo let herself relax and press her head against Chrysalis's chitinous body.
>She felt something different now.
>As she passively absorbed the love from the other two, she felt her own maternal instinct taking over.
>A portion drifted from her to Scootaloo much like how she had previously supplied her hive or injured drones.
>Her form began to shimmer.

>It was not a transition like the new King had undergone.
>Instead her form cracked and split, fragments of her body falling away.
>It was a kind of molting that she had experienced before, but not with such sudden onset.
>She eased Scootaloo away from her, standing up and taking a few steps back.
>QC: "This is... Unexpected..."
>Large pieces of her form fell away with a soft blue and green glow shining out of the gaps in her body.
>Her form stood upright, as if posing with pride as a mild shockwave dispersed from her, breaking free of the remaining molt.
>As the magical discharge subsided, the Queen stood renewed, her colors more vibrant, her wings full and bright.
>It was not the randomly generated hex value color pallet vomitted onto her former children, but a simple invigoration of new life and energy.
>Her mane and wings had none of the tattered appearance of her previous molt.
>The holes in her limbs were fewer, but not eliminated.
>The Crusaders stepped back in awe.
>QC: "...Perhaps there is a way."

>QC: "My body molts when it absorbs and distributes more love than can be sustained... A kind of evolution."
>She stretched her cooling, hardening body.
>QC: "With your help I've achieved a new level... And have an idea."
>Scootaloo looked up to her.
>Sc: "An idea for what...? Are you gonna let us go now?"
>QC: "Unfortunately, no. I will need more of your assistance... Especially you- ... What is your name, deary? You were the most necessary one, for this to happen. I shall not abide by calling you 'little pegasus."
>AB: "Don't tell 'er nothin', Scootaloo!"
>Sweetie Belle covered her face with her hoof.
>QC: "...Adorable. But, you three will accompany me to my lair and assist me there. Perhaps I was too hasty, or perhaps this is a fools gambit. But I may have a new way to take back what is mine and protect you all from that treasonous Thorax."
>SB: "But he's a good guy! You're the-"
>QC: "However long he remains good and content to sit in -my- castle is anypony's guess. Ambition is a dangerous thing and he has all the experience of a soda cracker for leadership."
>AB: "And how would we help you? Why should we trust you, now!"
>QC: "Because my plan has not changed in overall scope. Merely a different strategy. And it doesn't involve keeping you hostage, anymore."
>Sc: "Anymore?! So you were lying all along!"
>QC: "Of course I was. I'm the big bad evil Queen Chrysalis. All I do is lie and try to steal the love from Equestria."
>The sarcasm was not a good fit.
>QC: "...About that, yes. But things have changed. And it could be better for everypony. But you will need to cooperate with me."