How Chrysalis Got Her Groove Back I

>Mirrors are wondrous things
>The material that they are made of is one of the harder minerals known to civilized creatures
>It is only through an exacting process, both industrial and magical, that one is able to create one
>One may see themselves in a river or stream, but the picture is easily and constantly warped
>They may also see it in some metals, but the picture is often distorted
>Only with a mirror can one see oneself clearly, and with every little detail
>Out of any object, none are more so used in magic than a mirror
>Whether it be to peer into the future, travel to other lands, or communicate with undead spirits, the mirror is a steadfast tool for all spellcasters and magi
>The greatest magical minds known have, in some way, at some point of their lives, dabbled with magical mirrors
>Many, desensitized by the the luxuries of the modern era, cannot comprehend the significance of a mirror
>The significance of seeing oneself as they are plainly
>But, while mirrors are wonderful and --sometimes-- magical things, the effect that they have on a creature might not always be positive
>There is no lying or cheating a mirror unless one is made for that sole purpose
>For a plain, run-of-the-mill mirror, cannot fabricate the image that it shows you
>Every imperfection, every bump, wrinkle, and wart will be shown to you as clear as day, no matter how many mirrors you use or how much you beg and plea
"No, no, no, no, no, no..."
>Mirrors stood on all sides of Queen Chrysalis, First of her Name, Lady of a Thousand Faces, and Leader of the Southernmost Hive
>They were of different sizes, shapes, models, and makes
>Some were tinted, some had frames of gold leaf and seemed to glow in the low light, some were even chipped and cracked and warped
>These mirrors had come from all over the world, collected by the centuries-old queen for some reason or another
>There must have been a dozen in all surrounding her, reflecting every inch of her form

>But something was amiss
>The face that stared back at her was not her own
>The body that she gazed upon was foreign
>No matter what mirror she looked into, no matter what direction she moved in or how close she stood, the ling staring back at her was not her
>The face was rounder and smoother
>The fangs seemed duller, smaller, less threatening
>The eyes seemed rounder-- and while they still held the gaze of a predator it was far less intense than it had been
>Whenever she turned her head she could see no holes in her mane
>The hair was a lighter green, and felt softer against her thickened neck
>Her entire body looked thicker, fuller, healthier
>She stood taller, straighter
>The chitin that covered her body from nuzzle to hoof felt smoother, softer; more like leather than the hardened armor that it was supposed to be
>The queen brought a hoof to her face and touched her cheek
>Her legs were thicker as well, and the holes that had adorned them since she had hatched had shrunk to nothingness
>Even her horn, the pride of a changeling queen, looked thicker and straighter, with barely a hole in it
>This was not the form of a ruthless, powerful, indomitable queen
>This body was too soft, to gentle
>Feeling faint, the queen spread her wings
>Not a hole in them could be seen
>In fact, they now looked like wings that belonged on the back of some butterfly
>This was not her
>She did not look like this
>This was... something else
>Something so different yet with just a hint of familiarity
>It was her but not her
>Chrysalis, First of her Name, Lady of a Thousand Faces, and the Leader of the Southernmost Hive, stared back at her reflection in both fascination and horror, touching every part of her body that she could, as she had been doing for hours
"Something happened while I was molting," she muttered to herself. "I did not look like this... THING before."
>Her mind raced
>What could have done this?
>WHO could have done this?
>Was it the work of some rival hive?

>Perhaps it was the doing of some Zebrican witch doctor whose husband that she had taken A lifetime ago?
>The queen gritted her teeth and, for a moment, the softness in her eyes and face disappeared
"I swear to the thousand-faced god that I will come to know who did this to be," she growled. "I will know them and I shall do EVERYTHING in my power to destroy them."
>Chrysalis, still baring her fangs, began to pace back and forth like a lioness
>Her image followed her, mocking her with its strangeness
>She noticed that her gait was different now
>It was smoother, more open, more graceful; nothing like the sly, guarded, fox-like stride that she had spent her whole life mastering
>She growled under her breath as rage warmed her belly
"I will have their businesses destroyed, I will have their friends and family taken, I will take everything from them until they are nothing but a shriveled husk of--"
>The Queen of the Changelings froze as the door to her personal chambers began to open
>Eyes blazing, she picked her head up and bared her fangs
"Who DARES enter--"
>The moment the door cracked open, a warmth filled the room
>Warmer than any fire, more wholesome and nourishing than any food that she had ever known
>It was love; pure, unyielding, powerful love
>The queen's anger drained from her as this love filled the room and washed over her like a wave
>She took a step back , her mouth partially opened and her eyes becoming half-lidded
>"Chrysalis? Are you in there hon?" a voice called
>It was a lovely voice; soft yet strong, with a baritone that seemed to ring in one's ears long after the words were spoken
>Though she didn't notice, a smile came to Chrysalis' face
>It was the voice of an angel
>It was the voice of her king
"I am here, my love," she called back
>The door swung open, revealing an odd figure
>At first glance, he didn't appear like all that much

>He had a mousey or bookish air about him, though, upon closer inspection, one might have noticed an almost noble quality to the way that he carried himself
>Tall and thin, the figure wore a thick sweater, a durable pair of khakis, and a pair of thick, fuzzy slippers
>His hands were large and thick, his face broad
>The beginnings of a beard could be seen on his chin and cheeks
>His was an honest face, one full of joy and merriment and love
>Chrysalis looked over this strange creature-- looked over every inch of him-- until her gaze settled upon his right hand
>There, on the finger second to last finger, was a ring
>It was a simple thing; a thin band of plain metal
>But, as she looked at it, a warmth filled her
>Sitting upon her horn was a ring very much like it
>Standing before her wasn't just any creature
>He was the one that had saved both her and her children
>He was the one that had tempered her rage, anger, and desire to rule all
>He was the one that so saturated the room with love
>This being, this creature, was none other than her husband, the light of her life, the one who made her whole
>Her angel
>Her knight
>Her love
>Her king
>"...What in the Sam hill is going on in here?"
>Anon Y. Mous, Third of his Name, Lord of a Quiet Sunday and a Good Book, and King of the Changelings, looked around the bedroom in confusion
>Though their chambers were never the neatest of places, today it looked particularly bad
>The sheets on their bed looked like they had been torn
>The nightstand sitting next to their bed had been broken into a million pieces
>He could see broken glass on the floor and bits of glass lodged in the wall
>The young king tapped the book that he was holding against his side as he continued to look around
>His brow furrowed, and his lips became a thin line
>Chrysalis looked around the room, feeling her stomach drop when she finally noticed the state that it was in

>Worry began to mix with the love in the air, making her loudly gulp
>"...Chrysalis."
>Chrysalis, the mighty Queen of the Changelings, found the floor suddenly interesting as her husband stepped into the room
>She could hear his footsteps as he navigated around the broken glass and bits of broken wood
>Like always, his footsteps were slow, careful, and measured
>She expected him to start yelling, to start demanding what she had done, but to her surprise he said nothing
>If not for his footsteps, his breathing, and the love in the room, she would have thought that he had left
>She opened her mouth to say something, to explain herself, but found that the words would not come
>Her king came ever closer, his slippers patting against the brick-colored rug that covered their stone floor
>She began to squirm, her wings buzzing
>She wanted him to say something, anything
>This silence was going to--
>She gasped as she felt his hands on her cheeks
>Soft and warm, they carried with them all of the tenderness of a stallion's touch
>She found herself sighing, nuzzling into those hands as her love crouched down until the two were eye level
>"Chrysalis, honey, what's wrong?" he asked, picking her head up so that she was looking up into his face
>He looked beautiful up close, so much so that he nearly took her breath away
>Her wings buzzed yet again, both in nervousness and affection
"I... it's nothing, my king," she found herself saying, drowning in those green pools that were his eyes
>A ghost of a smile came to Anonymous' face
>"If this is nothing then I don't want to see what our room would look like if something was wrong," he said
>Though there was a hint of amusement in his voice, Chrysalis flinched
"I... I forgot myself for a few moments, my king, nothing more," she said, her eyes drifting back to the floor. "I will have some of the lings come in to clean our chambers."
>Her husband tsked, shaking his head

>"I could care less about the room, love," he said. "You're the one that I'm worried about."
>The way that he said it, the honesty, the genuine concern, the love in his voice, made her heart ache
>It made her want to wrap her hooves around his neck and hold him close until the sun grew dim and the stars died
>Anonymous leaned forward until his forehead was touching hers
>Those green eyes were all she could see now, and they were all that she wanted to see
>With each breath she took she could smell old paper, ink, flowers, dirt
>His smell
>A frightened, frustrated, and confused sound escaped her throat as she leaned forward, pressing herself into him
>Anonymous wrapped his hands around her neck, pulling her against him, smothering her in his scent and warmth and love
>Chrysalis sighed contently, feeling the tension in her body draining away
>Here, alone with her love, she didn't need to be the all-powerful, terrible queen
>She didn't need to be the pinnacle of might and power amongst the Changelings
>She could just be Chrysalis, the ling that needed to feel her husband's warmth against her chitin
"Hmm..."
>For a long while neither of them said a thing
>They rocked back and forth amongst the mirrors and the broken glass in the silence of the room
>Finally, though she was hesitant to do so, the Changeling queen pulled away from her king
"I..."
>She gestured down to herself
"Something has happened to my form, beloved. I am no longer the ling that took you to the alter..."
>Anonymous raised an eyebrow
>"I recall you being a yellow earth pony with a pink mane and green tail on our wedding day, so I suppose that you're right."
>Chrysalis opened her mouth to say something but immediately closed it
>Her expression grew confused, then thoughtful, before she frowned
>Nose scrunching up, she glared up at him
"Don't you twist my words!" she growled, stomping a hoof

>"My lady, I don't recall twisting any words of any kind," Anonymous cheekily replied. "I remember specifically there being a yellow earth pony standing at the altar right next to that one-eyed jenny with the buck--"
"I was referring to MY form!" Chrysalis interrupted, gesturing to herself
>Blinking, Anonymous leaned back and took a good look at her
>A small frown began to worm its way onto his face the longer that he looked
>"What? You don't seem all that different," he murmured, scratching his chin. "Actually, now that I look at you, you seem a little... fuller perhaps?"
>The queen gawked at him
"FULLER?! Look at my mane! Look at me tail! LOOK AT MY--"
>Anonymous raised an eyebrow as her voice grew louder and louder
>A ripple ran through the love in the air, one so small and insignificant that most lings wouldn't have even noticed it
>But Chrysalis did, and because of it her rant died in her throat
"You know how I feel about yelling, hon," Anonymous said calmly
>What could have been a sound of protest escaped the queen's throat but, wisely, she closed her mouth
"...Sorry dear."
>Her husband stared at her for a few moments before his smile came back to his face
>"I don't know what you're getting so worked up for," he said, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. "You said that you always end up looking a little different after a molt."
"No, this is different, my love," the queen insisted with a shake of her head. "At most I'm supposed to get a little bit bigger when I molt. The changes aren't supposed to be anywhere near this drastic."
>She looked down at herself, a twinge of disgust on her face
"I barely look like a ling anymore..."
>"Oh don't be like that hon, you look cute!"
>Chrysalis reeled back as if she had been struck
"Cute?! A changeling queen isn't supposed to be CUTE! We're supposed to strike awe in all that behold us. We're supposed to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies!"

>She stomped a hoof again, and the sound echoed off the stone walls
"We're not supposed to look like some damned hybrid between a ling and some weakling pony!"
>She looked away from her husband and at the mirrors
>A dozen not-her's looked back, their eyes angry and their teeth bared
>She growled under her breath
"How are we of the Southernmost Hive supposed to garner the respect that we deserve if I look like THIS?"
>"The better question is why you would care what the other ling queens think about you and yours," Anonymous said eveningly
"If we are to thrive--"
"Our hive is the biggest this side of the world. Our people are happy and their bellies are full, and everyday the hive only grows."
>Anonymous traced Chrysalis' jawline with his middle and ring finger
>As he did that she could feel his wedding ring brush against her chitin
>A purr escaped her throat, and her wings buzzed

>"I might not be the sharpest knife in the kitchen, but I think we're doing fine. Very fine."
>The sinking feeling in Chrysalis' gut grew as her husband smiled
>He was right of course
>For nearly two years they had been growing and expanding
>The only hive that came close to her's in size was in the west, and she still had double their number
>And not only that but they were WELL FED
>Not a single drone or worker or soldier went to bed hungry
>Her husband was an endless well of emotion; with him they would have more than enough love for a very, very long time
>They didn't need to kidnap ponies or gryphons or donkeys
>She didn't need to send extraction teams on dangerous missions so that the hive wouldn't starve or be too weak to defend themselves
>She didn't need to invade neighboring kingdoms
>She didn't have to gather intel or send out spies or kidnap princes
>Her Changelings no longer needed to be parasites, thieves, or murderers
>The hive was entirely self-sufficient
>For the first time in her long, long life, Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changelings, could love in peace with her neighbors
>She didn't need to be the bad guy
>She didn't need to be the monster that everyone knew her as
>A sigh escaped her throat
"You're right, my love," she said, weakly smiling. "Forgive me, I was being foolish."
>Leaning up, she placed a kiss on her husband's lips and turned away
"I'm sure that you're also right about my molting. This new form must simply be another stage that we queen lings go through."
>Anonymous frowned as his wife sat down in the middle of the mirrors, her head down and her tail curled around her body
>"Chrysii..."
"Could you please check to see if four-five-six and two-seven-four have completed their work on the turbines?"
>The tip of her horn glowed
>All around her, bits of broken glass and wood were levitated into the air
"I shall clean our chambers before joining you."
>Anonymous opened his mouth to say something, but just as quickly closed it

>He bit his lip, looking at his wife in concern
>"...You know that I'll always be here if you want to talk about anything, dear," he said
>Through the mirror, he could see her smiling, even though she still refused to look at him
"I know love. Thank you."
>Anonymous stared at his wife for a few moments as she began to clean the mess that she had made
>Shaking his head, he made his way to the door, careful not to step on any glass or broken wood
>He said nothing as he stepped through his bedroom door and closed it, but there was a frown on his face and his brow was furrowed contemplatively
>As always, there were a pair of guards standing on either side of the door
>These were the personal guard of the queen and king; Changelings who had been specifically bred to be the toughest, strongest, and most resilient among their kind
>As Anonymous exited the room, these lings snapped to attention, their hooves clicking and their spears tapping against the ground
>This caused Anonymous to turn to them
>The King of the Changelings stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at these soldiers, his brow still furrowed
>"Eight-six-two, Seven-nine-zero?"
>The Changelings stood up a little straighter
>"Yes, lord?" they both said in unison
>Anonymous looked back at his door, his frown deepening
>"Methinks that our dear queen fancies herself a soldier without a battle to fight," he said, stroking his stubble as best as he could. "She thinks herself useless-- that there is no more purpose to her existence, even though she has done more for her people without a sword than she ever could with one..."
>The lings looked at each other
>"...Sir?" one of them said
>"Momma misses being a bad guy now that she doesn't need to be one," the king clarified, reaching over and patting the one of the guards on his helmeted-head
>Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed across his face
>"And you know what? I think I might have an idea how to get her out of this funk!"

>Now smiling, he crouched down and placed his hands on Eight-six-two's withers
>"There's no time to waste, my boy. I need you to find me a messenger, along with some paper and a quill."
>The ling guard's brow furrowed
>"But my lord, I have to--"
>"Your brother will be more than capable of watching this door for an hour or two," he said, looking over to Seven-nine-zero. "Isn't that right, my little ling?"
>"I will guard our queen with my life, my king," he said, tapping his spear against the ground
>"Excellent!" the king cried
>There was a smile on his face as he turned back to the other ling
>"Now off with you, my boy," he said, giving him a little push. "If you're quick I'll have it sent out within the day."
>Eight-six-two's head cocked to the side
>"Have what sent out, my lord?"
>The king's smile turned into a grin
>"Why, a letter of course."