How Chrysalis Got Her Groove Back VIII

>"Are you positive that I need to wear this?"
"Yes, my love."
>"But don't you think it's a little... much? I'm all for making a good impression, but when one tries too hard it usually shows."
"We are the King and Queen of the Changelings, beloved. We cannot simply go to her wearing nothing but smiles! There is a protocol to observe."
>The king grunted as Chrysalis tightened the straps on his armor before taking a step away from him
"Besides, I have no idea what you mean about your outfit being too much," she said with a smile. "You look positively stunning."
>Anonymous looked down at himself as best as he could
>"...I suppose I DO look quite the threatening champ now, don't I?" he admitted, with a wiggle
"You look like a warrior king," Chrysalid replied without a second thought
>It had been a long time since her husband had worn his kingly armor, and to the queen's delight it still fit
>It fit AND it looked TERRIFYING
>It had been made out of the finest ore that could be mined, colored and colored again until it seemed to drink in light
>Made by her finest ling smiths, the steel was forged in such a way that it nearly looked like a second skin
>As finely crafted as it was though, the armor was rather plain
>It had no golden outlays, no frills or gems
>All that was on it was the sigil of the hive on the chest
>The helmet however, that was a very different story
>As with the chest plate, legs guards, and all of the arm protection, the helmet was made of the same deep black steel, but unlike everything else the armorers had had a little fun with its design
>The helmet was tall and sloped with a pair of spiral horns sticking out of the top
>The visor was left open at the eyes all the way down to the cheeks
>This area had been enchanted so that only darkness could be seen through the holes
>There was no opening for the mouth or nose, so that each breath that her husband took was amplified and distorted

>Around the edges of the helm were pieces of the deepest emerald, which seemed to glow in the dimmest of lights
>Runes of power, fear, and intimidation were carved throughout the helmet, so any that looked upon it would know nothing but despair
>Chrysalis's horn glowed, and with a spell she secured a long, flowing cape around her husband's shoulders
>What stood before her was no longer the love of her life; the man that spent his days reading books and playing with their children
>No, the creature that stood before her was darkness
>He was fear, death, terror, the unknowable and undefeatable
>One who would hold this world in his iron fi--
>The king attempted to take a step forward, only to trip on their rug
>An "omph" escaped his throat, his armor rattling as he desperately tried to righten himself
>He might have fell helmet-first into one of the many mirrors around them, had the queen not plucked him into the air with a spell
>Chrysalis shook her head--though there was a smile on her face-- as she levitated her lord over and set him CAREFULLY down next to her
"Are you alright, my love?"
>A huff escaped Anonymous's helm as he looked down at himself
>"I do not care for this armor very much," he confessed, adjusting his left vambrace as he looked back over at her. "Are you sure that I cannot intimidate Ms. Sparkle in a sweater and some slippers?"
>With another spell, Chrysalis adjusted his cape so that he wouldn't end up entangling himself with the thing
"Yes, I am positive."
>"Are you sure? I would be happy to wear the one with the googly eyes and the frowny face. I'm sure THAT would get her blood pumping."
>Chrysalis flinched as if struck
"DON'T WEA-- I mean, I would very much prefer that you didn't wear that, dear."
>"But--"

"I would very, VERY much prefer if you wore your armor. Please."
>The queen's outfit, though no less awe-inspiring than her king's, took far less time to put on
>A simple breastplate, a long, flowing cape, and a crown forged from the breath of a dragon completed her persona of the mighty and powerful ling queen
>The queen that looked back at her in the mirror might not have looked much like a ling anymore--the holes in her legs continued to shrink and her fangs continued to become smaller and more rounded, and her eyes were looking rounder and softer by the day--but even so she was a sight to behold
>Powerful, mighty, terrifying to all that would call her foe
>Smiling, she looked up at her husband
"Is there anything else that you need before we go, love?"
>"...No, I should be alright," Anonymous mumbled, looking down at himself
>Chrysalis wasn't fooled one bit
"Are you positive? You know how long it takes to get you out of the armor."
>Again, Anon shook his head
>"...No, I should be fine as long as we do not bother the princess for the whole day."
"Very well, we shall--"
>"But what about the kids? Did you check to see if they polished their armor like I told them too?"
"They did, so--"
>"Then go and make them go to the bathroom before we go down there."
>Chrysalis let out an exasperated sigh
"My king, we're not even leaving the hive," she pointed out
>Anonymous, the runes on his helmet glowing, just shook his head
>"It doesn't matter. I don't want us to be halfway to the dungeons and hear them saying some nonsense about needing to go to the bathroom."
"I--"
>"Nah, I don't want to hear it," the King of the Changelings said, pointed an armored finger toward the door. "You go outside and MAKE them use the bathroom. And while you're at it you go as well."
>Though she couldn't see the king's expression, she could nonetheless FEEL it
>Sighing, she looked down at the ground
>Defeated
"...Yes dear."

>After a quick trip to the bathroom-and some fussing with armor and slightly dirty chitin-- the king and queen were off
>A small group of guards accompanied them
>These lings were the biggest, toughest, and strongest amongst their brothers
>Their armor and arms were of the finest make, and they bore them proudly
>There was also a retainer amongst the group, who stood behind the king to make sure that he kept his footing
>As they made their way through the halls, lings stopped what they were doing and stared, bowing low when the royals passed them
>Chrysalis, her strides purposeful and elegant, kept her head held high
>Today was going to be the first step on their path of greatness
>When lings of the future looked back, they'd know that this was the day where she lifted her people from nothingness and elevated them to their true purpose
>For the rest of time she wouldn't just be known as a ling queen
>She would be known as THE ling queen
>A small smile worked its way onto her face at the thought
"This day is going to be PERFECT... The kind of day that I've dreamed of since I was young..."

~_~_~_~_~

>"Your highness, the king and queen are coming. I'd suggest that you ready yourself."
>Twilight smiled at the saluting soldier on the other side of her cell
>Her prison was once again bare
>The bed, blanket, and book that she had requested had been taken away that morning
>The room was cold and dark
>Everything was nearly silent
>It was a very special day for Twilight Sparkle
>Today was the day where it would begin
>Today would be the day where she taught Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, the power of friendship
>And sweet Celestia on a pogo stick was she both nervous and EXCITED about it
>But nopony needed to know about that
"Thank you very much for telling me. I'll get ready right away," she said politely
>The ling soldier nodded, tapping his hooves together before he took a step away from the cell and turned

>He was just about to walk away when he stopped and looked at her
>"My lady... please help the queen."
>Twilight, crawling to her hooves, nodded
"I don't worry, you can count on me," she said with a flap of her wings. "They don't call me the Princess of Friendship for nothing!"
>The guard stared at her for a few moments before a small, hopeful smile came to his face
>"Good luck," he said, before he was gone
>Twilight let out a huff of air
"I won't need luck," she muttered. "Hopefully..."
>For the next few minutes, the purple princess walked around her small cell, readying herself for this... meeting
>Though she had been told about it this morning, she had no idea what it was going to consist of
>Did the queen just want to gloat?
>Was she coming down here to intimidate her?
>Was she going to try to--Celestia forbid-- tear into her mind to find anything useful or, worse yet, try to turn her into a mindless thrall?
>...Was she going to lay EGGES in her?!
>Twilight shook her head
>No, nothing like that would happen
>King Anonymous was going to be here
>He'd make sure that nothing happened to her
>Everything would be fine and dandy and great and swell
>If she was lucky, she might never get a proper room!
>Twilight stopped her pacing as she heard something in the distance
>Her eyes widened and her ears perked up
>It was the sound of hoofsteps
>Many hoofsteps
>They were coming
"Alright, Twilight. This is it! You're about to forge a friendship of both ponies and changelings that will last forever!" the mare murmured to herself, sitting in the middle of the room. "Don't you DARE mess this up!"

>The hoofsteps came closer
>Twilight could hear each step echo on the stone walls
>She focused on the sound, ruffling her feathers
>Her mind raced
>What should she say first?
>Should she be friendly and say hello?
>No, that could be bad...
>Maybe she should maybe listen to what the queen said first and gauge her mood before saying anything?
>Maybe...
>But what would the queen say first?
>She could walk up to her cell and throw her against the wall for all she knew!
>"Princess...~"
>Twilight shivered as a voice rang out, seemingly coming from all directions
>"I DO hope that your accommodations are to your liking..."
>She could hear the predatory delight in those words, the coldness and the cruelty
>The hoofsteps came ever closer
>A giggle filled the air
>Twilight found herself shivering again
>"Oh? Are you cold, PRINCESS?" the voice cooed. "Or perhaps the reason you shiver isn't from the chill~ Perhaps it's--"
>"DAMNIT!"
>At the end of the hall, a thunderous crash could be heard, followed by some very colorful swearing
>"Lordship!"
>"My king!"
>"Sufferin' Succotash!"
>"My king, are you alright?"
>"Of course I'm not alright! Blasted armor!"
>"Wait but a moment, sire. We shall assist you."
>"Assist me by freeing me from this metal deathtrap, Forty!"
>The alicorn jumped at the sudden commotion, which, oddly enough, was followed by a rather distraught sigh
"Is, um... Is everything alright out there?" she asked hesitantly, resisting the urge to walk over and poke her head through the bars to see what was happening

>For a minute or two, there was nothing but silence
>Then, out of the blue, something flew past her cell
>Twilight jumped again at the clang that it made as it hit the floor down the hall
>"Anon! Don't throw that!"
>"I told you that wearing all of this was silly!"
>"It's NOT silly. It's supposed to make you look regal and terrifying!"
>"We BOTH know that I'm not terrifying. In fact, I could name a thousand different things that are scarier than me!"
>"It doesn't matter if you're terrifying or not, we just need for you to look like it!"
>Something else flew past her cell and hit the ground with a bang
>"STOP. THAT!"
>"Hon, you know that you're a lot better at this than me. Can't I just take this mess off and let you be scary enough for the both of us?"
>"If you'd TRY to take this seriously for FIVE SECONDS--"
>"HEY! We can't all be naturally good at everything like some miss ling! It's not my fault that I'm not as regal, intimidating, or powerful as you!"
>"THAT... that's not true..."
>"Don't you GIVE me that, Chryssi. If this was the first time that I saw you I'd be shaking in my boots right now."
>"Hon..."
>"Don't you give me that look! I'm trying! It's just a little hard to be scary around the scariest, baddest, and most evil creature this side of Hades!"
>From down the hall, Twilight could hear Changelings aw
>There was silence again, before someone sighed once again
>"...I'm sorry for yelling at you, beloved."
>"...No, I'm sorry about falling over."
>"That wasn't your fault--"
>"Yes it was. I would have been watching where I was going."
>"I should have at least let you walk around in the armor a bit before making you come down all of those stairs."
>"I didn't fall down the stairs, now did I? I--"
>"Um... your highnesses? The Equestrian is just down the hall..."
>The hallway once again became very quiet
>If Twilight strained her ears she could hear whispering and the sounds of armor being removed

>After about five minutes of this, evil laughter once again filled the air
>"Ahem, as I was saying... Perhaps the reason that you're shaking is not from the cold, but from FEAR, you worthless, meager, tiny alicorn."
>The light in both of the cell and hallway began to grow dimmer and the air itself became noticeably colder
>"You SHOULD feel that cold numbness, that terror, in your heart, you pitiful creature," the voice continued, growing in volume and malice. "Because your doom could very well just be around the corner~"
>Laughter echoed throughout the halls, dark and venomous
>The green flame of the torch next to her cell shot up to the ceiling
>The shadows in her cell began to dance
>Voices began whispering all around her
>But the atmosphere was ruined
>Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, sat there not in fear but with a big--almost pleased--smile on her face
>That brief exchange of words, that little argument that any married couple could have, reassured her more than any of King Anonymous's promises
>The mare that had just apologized to her husband wasn't the same one that had been at the wedding
>And that knowledge was all she needed to know to know what she was doing was the right thing
"Is whoever fell alright?" Twilight asked, even as her cell began to grow darker and darker
>"Oh, I'm alright," someone immediately answered. "The armor soaked up most of the dama--"
>"Dear! Don't talk to the enemy!"
>"What? She was just asking if I was alright. She might be our enemy, but at least that shows that she has some manners."
>"You don't-- I you can't-- URGH!"
>From right outside her cell, Twilight could hear someone charging up spell
>A moment later, the darkness surrounding her cell dissipated
>Queen Chrysalis, dressed in finery that would have made half of the court in Canterlot green in envy, stared at her in exasperation and irritation, her eyes narrowed and her muzzle scrunched

>Standing beside her was King Anonymous, who looked far less regal, with bits of armor either missing or hanging loosely from his body
>Standing around the royals were four exasperated-looking guards and a much smaller Changeling wearing a vest who looked like he was about to have a panic attack
>It was a very hard thing, but Twilight managed to keep a smile from her face
"Good morning, your majesties," she said, bowing her head
>The king smiled pleasantly
>"Good morning to you as--"
>Chrysalis, not looking away from Twilight, kicked her husband's shin
>There was a clang, and the ling queen had to grit her teeth to keep from swearing
>"As I was SAYING," she growled, shaking out her back leg. "Today is going to be a very important day for you, Twilight Sparkle."
>Standing up, Twilight took a step forward
"And why is that?"
>King Anonymous opened his mouth
>Chrysalis gave him a dirty look, which prompted from to close his mouth
>She then glared at the other lings, causing them to look as scary as possible
>"Your fellow weaklings are coming to my kingdom to beg for your release," she continued
>Her horn glowed, and with a click the door to Twilight's cell was unlocked
>The queen's horn glowed again and the door swung open
>Growling, Chrysalis stepped into the cell and quickly closed it behind her
>"I have been told that they will be here before the nightfall. While I'm SURE that that is a load of hogwash, my spies haven't reported seeing any unusual movement around the Badlands, so I have a very hours at the very least to... SPEAK with you."
>As the queen came closer, Twilight couldn't help but notice how DIFFERENT she looked now that she got a good look at her
>She looked bigger, fuller
>Her horn seemed longer and straighter and her chitin seemed... different
>Even her holes were nearly gone
>This wasn't just a different Chrysalis mentally, but physically as well

>She looked nothing like the half-starved, long-fanged monster that she had fought against not too long ago
>Chrysalis, her green eyes glowing in the dim light, stalked toward the young princess
>Twilight, not keeping her eyes off the queen, stood her ground even as Chrysalis came uncomfortably close
>"You will tell me EVERYTHING about the other alicorns and the state of their soldiers," Chrysalis said, baring her teeth. "You will tell me everything that I need to know and more. If you do NOT I will--"
"Okay."
>Halfway through her threat, Chrysalis's mouth snapped shut
>The queen took a half-step away from Twilight, her eyes narrowing suspiciously
>Twilight just smiled back
>"...I hope you know that I WILL know if you're lying," the ling said. "And if you lie to me I will RIP out whatever I need from within your very mind."
>Twilight nodded
"I understand," she said confidently. "You can ask me whatever you want and I'll do my best to answer!"
>Twilight snuck a look past the queen toward King Anonymous, who smiled back at her
>Both Twilight and the king knew that she didn't know anything of worth
>She had no dealings with the princesses guards, and her old teacher hadn't showed her any of her old tricks
>In fact, she practically knew nothing of the royal dealings that went on in Canterlot
>She was ignorant
>In the dark
>Uninformed
>This was why she had been picked to be "kidnapped"
>Chrysalis rolled her jaw, giving the purple princess a long, hard glare
>Her tail flicked angrily and she growled under her breath
>She had not been expecting the little princess to be so... cooperative
>She expected her to be fearful, defiant, angry
>Not just sit there looking at her calmly!
>For a moment, the queen thought about lashing out
>Maybe throwing the BRAVE little alicorn against the wall until her bones cracked would change her attitude a bit
>She huffed, just about to cast the spell, when she remembered that her husband was standing right behind her, watching her

>Snorting, she looked away from the princess, outrage and anger draining from her body
>"My king, could you please fetch one of the servants and ask them to bring us a pair of chairs and some..."
>She looked over toward Twilight Sparkle, who appeared to have a small smile on her face
>Her wings buzzed against her sides as she resisted the urge to strike the mare
>"Refreshments?"
>The king, for some reason or another, had a very pleased smile on his face
>"Right away, my love," he said with a bow. "Right away."