Mgunh1
Not an AI, honest!
- Location
- Northern Luna Base, Module 5, Sublevel 15
Ah, got it. She moves north and becomes the Crystal Empire's urban renewal and city planner.
Chronicles of a Young Woman's Love Life
- Thread starter Optimal Robotics
- Start date
huh. I wonder how much difference the lack of holes--just the one in her hoof-- will make in how people think about her. What with how so many other odd appearances made by dark power, poison joke, and so on, they might think she's an uncorrupted or only partially corrupted version of the species, as opposed to Chrysalis, after the shock wears off. Particularly if they know the actual origin story of the species-- a magic plant in a corrupted pool with the remains of various creatures.... an egg or similar in that mess would obviously get corrupted...
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SadisticAvocado
Speaks for the Snakes
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I hope Yearling will chase Tanya down, at least to get some answers! For all that Tanya's a bit of a lizard, being able to feel the genuine love her partners have for her has to mean something, right? They seemed cute together so I hope they'll be able to patch things back together at least a little, even if things might not be the same.
- Location
- Russia
I has finally read the latest update and had gain some Insight
Remember in canon episode about Daring Do? How her house was unkempt and sat hollow for a while, judging by all the dust? How Daring Do A.K. Yearling have "I work alone" attitude? How despite all the love and enthusiasm Rainbow Dash demonstrated for her, Daring Do didn't wanted even be near her?
Now it is all explained!
Daring Do still suffered from perceived betrayal and everything Raonbow Dash did in that episode stand as painful reminder of Golden Tuft
Such drama!
Remember in canon episode about Daring Do? How her house was unkempt and sat hollow for a while, judging by all the dust? How Daring Do A.K. Yearling have "I work alone" attitude? How despite all the love and enthusiasm Rainbow Dash demonstrated for her, Daring Do didn't wanted even be near her?
Now it is all explained!
Daring Do still suffered from perceived betrayal and everything Raonbow Dash did in that episode stand as painful reminder of Golden Tuft
Such drama!
Chapter 5: Unconditional Surrender
This shockwave has us going stupidly fast. So fast I'd say the only reason we aren't dead is because it's powered by love. Pathetic. I would turn around and devour it right now if I knew that wouldn't kill us all. Though certain lings dying off might not be all that bad for me. I look to the side with my windswept eyeballs. I never knew there were any other Changeling Queens. I destroyed the tree me and my original hive were birthed from. I suppose there could've been more before me, but then why didn't they destroy it? Pah! No matter. She's stuck herself in a cube shaped shield for the duration of our ridiculous flight.
Once we land I take in the casualties. Almost all of us landed unharmed. We're in the badlands to the south not too far from our hive. What fortune! Though I do need to take care of our guest. I walk up to the other Changeling Queen. She is incredibly angry right now. Not quite the fury I'm feeling. It's too ordered and calculating for that. Almost like a Dragon or Hydra in mindset. I should be fine. Both of those species are quite risk averse, comparatively. That she hasn't attacked me already is an excellent sign too. Us Changeling Queens aren't really known for our patience.
"It's good we weren't separated. Now we can plan our revenge together." She slowly turns her head towards me.
"Our revenge. Quite. Tell me whoever you are, what in the everloving fractal horse manure happened back there?"
"Oh that is quite embarrassing. I had captured the last of Celestia's champions. They freed Cadance, and she was able to power the shield spell that expelled us. Honestly, who knew that love could power spells like that?" She slowly blinks at me.
"So how did they escape their bonds?"
"Oh I didn't have them restrained. I wanted to gloat before I put them in the love collection pods." Her eye almost imperceptibly twitches. "So what say you? Do you want to work together to get revenge on Cadance?" She thinks for a couple seconds.
"I think I will get my revenge, yes." Her words resonate with truth and love somehow. Nice party trick. "I'll be hunting down the Alicorn responsible, and kill her personally. Whether hoof, telekinesis, transformed fang, or bombardment magic," bombardment magic? "One of us will kill the other." And she does a little pony salute over her heart. I smile evilly towards her. I won't even have to risk myself personally!
"Excell-" I'm interrupted by a sharp pain in my throat.
*Thud*
Wait what? Why can't I speak? Why can't I breathe!? Oh. Oh, that's my headless body over there. How did this happen! You can't fake any kind of truth magic, even I know that much...
She still thinks all Alicorns are Changeling Queens doesn't she. Horseapples.
"Does anybody here have a problem with what I just did?" They're all scrambling and cowering away from me. I walk up to one trying to hide as a rock. Creative use of shape shifting.
"So am I going to have to worry about a bunch of shape shifting idiots coming to assassinate me, or something equally stupid?" He continues to cower. What even is my life? I'm talking to a rock. If I didn't see him transform I would think I'm going crazy here.
Then something bites me in my right hoof. Straight past my exoskeleton. It's a jungle viper. Not native to the desert. I look over to Chrysalis's corpse. Her head is missing. I pull her off and put my love to work healing myself and flushing out the venom.
"Hiss!!"
"Very impressive. You exactly matched the emotional signature of an affronted snake. Now die." I start feeding off her with the intent to drain her dry. I don't do this very often. Feels wrong. Like murder, but far more personal. She squirmed, writhed, and transformed in my telekinetic grasp, but her grasp of the basics are woefully inadequate. I actually feel kind of bad. Pretty sure she's a newborn judging by how many holes she has in her. Then developed some bad habits that made her condition worse. How do you even get holes in your hair? Doesn't stop her from being an existential threat to my well-being though, and it won't stop me from killing her for it.
I drop her lifeless de-transformed head to the ground. "So are you going to face me or am I going to have to get creative here?" He immediately transforms back and starts groveling.
"P-p-please don't eat me your majesty." Hmm, am I the Queen of a hive now? I always knew my species was insectoid. I'll have to implement another method of succession other than regicide if it turns out I'm immortal. I don't want that shoe on the other foot.
"I'm not going to eat you. What was your leader's plan for the governance of Equestria?"
"G-governance?"
"Yes. The plan for after you conquered it." His face brightens up.
"We were going to enslave all the ponies and harvest the love from them forever!" My eye and neck twitch in quick succession. Now he's groveling again. It's such a shame the only thing I've seen one of these guys express enthusiasm for is so mind bogglingly stupid.
A few more minutes has him leading me back to the hive. I'd say it's a coincidence we're so close, but I know better. Harmonic spell catalysts tend towards mercy and reconciliation in their long term effects. Or so many treatises and my own experiences have professed. A wave of fear sweeps through the hive as I enter it. Always a terrible sign. Let's see how easily the children fall in line.
"Gather up the hive. Is there a central audience chamber?" A few minutes later I'm seated on a throne with about four hundred changelings assembled before me. More than I hoped, less than I feared.
"Chrysalis is dead." A hush falls over the room. "She died for the crime of losing a war, and bucking up my retirement beyond any repair. Not only did she start her diplomatic relations with Equestria with an unprovoked war, she started them with a loss. This simultaneously shattered any possible amicable relations, showed them that we are weak enough to be beaten, and revealed my presence to the immortal Alicorns that rule Equestria." I look over the juveniles to make sure they understand the gravity of the situation.
"We will surrender immediately." Slight murmuring breaks out, then immediately hushes up.
"We will have friendly relations with the ponies." As I infuse my voice with the truth. "Once it becomes clear that the new leadership means them no harm we can openly visit. I forsee a future where all the races of the world will welcome us with open arms. We have unique skills to offer. I plan to have everypony at each other's throats competing for the honor of having a Changeling mediator, Changeling psychiatrist, or a Changeling matchmaker exercising our empathy to assist them. They will glut us of their own free will and thank us for the experience."
"Now I can sense doubts amongst you all. Who wouldn't? You were raised by an imbecile. Of course she would have poisoned your minds with her stupidity. So here is but a taste of the bounty you can expect when you utilize my methods." This next part is going to suck. I'm basically going to be throwing up in their 'mouths' with my love. I dredge up a tenth of my total reserves to divide equally between them all, using my magic to aim. They are surprisingly well behaved throughout it all. Once I'm done they're looking much better. Few less holes in every single one of them. Some are zonked out, some are actually smiling at the end of it. All of them are feeling a whole lot less on edge.
"Now to bribe Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."
I knock on the door.
"Yes love?" I feel myself smile. She always knows if it's me somehow. I open it.
"A changeling was at the castle gates this morning." She freezes in place.
"What happened? Who did it hurt?"
"Nopony. It brought us a wedding gift. Said it was from the new queen and then flew out of the city as a sparrow." As I levitate it in. It's a fairly large rectangular wooden box. "Our security and diviners were able to tell that it was crafted with love magic and was safe to open but not anything else. Interference from how densely the love permeates it. Couldn't open the thing either."
"New queen. Could it be the one that supposedly kept a number of nobles safe throughout the fighting?" An old argument by now. Cadance thinks she was just saving them for herself. I think otherwise.
"Maybe. I brought it here because you are the closest love magic expert, as well as the intended recipient."
"Hmm, give it over. This is... This is the love letter spell. They're... No that doesn't make any sense. They're surrendering! And giving me tribute. The new queen is under the impression I'm the true ruler of Equestria."
"Love letter spell?"
"Yes, it's part of a series of spells made by Archmage Shimmering Heart. Just about the only class I paid attention to. In fact with her accomplishments in the field it's a wonder she isn't the Alicorn of love right now. Her cutie mark was a broken heart though, so the requirements were probably different for her."
"But what does it do?"
"It enchants a letter in the language of love. Anybody can understand it, but you can't lie in it. I just don't understand how somepony could be so wrong about so many things so obvious!"
"Can you open it?"
"Easily. You just have to- SWEET BUCKING HARMONY!!" As my love fumbles the container in between us. A brightly glowing pink crystal lands between us.
Along with the severed head of Queen Chrysalis.
Still fresh.
AN: slight edits
Once we land I take in the casualties. Almost all of us landed unharmed. We're in the badlands to the south not too far from our hive. What fortune! Though I do need to take care of our guest. I walk up to the other Changeling Queen. She is incredibly angry right now. Not quite the fury I'm feeling. It's too ordered and calculating for that. Almost like a Dragon or Hydra in mindset. I should be fine. Both of those species are quite risk averse, comparatively. That she hasn't attacked me already is an excellent sign too. Us Changeling Queens aren't really known for our patience.
"It's good we weren't separated. Now we can plan our revenge together." She slowly turns her head towards me.
"Our revenge. Quite. Tell me whoever you are, what in the everloving fractal horse manure happened back there?"
"Oh that is quite embarrassing. I had captured the last of Celestia's champions. They freed Cadance, and she was able to power the shield spell that expelled us. Honestly, who knew that love could power spells like that?" She slowly blinks at me.
"So how did they escape their bonds?"
"Oh I didn't have them restrained. I wanted to gloat before I put them in the love collection pods." Her eye almost imperceptibly twitches. "So what say you? Do you want to work together to get revenge on Cadance?" She thinks for a couple seconds.
"I think I will get my revenge, yes." Her words resonate with truth and love somehow. Nice party trick. "I'll be hunting down the Alicorn responsible, and kill her personally. Whether hoof, telekinesis, transformed fang, or bombardment magic," bombardment magic? "One of us will kill the other." And she does a little pony salute over her heart. I smile evilly towards her. I won't even have to risk myself personally!
"Excell-" I'm interrupted by a sharp pain in my throat.
*Thud*
Wait what? Why can't I speak? Why can't I breathe!? Oh. Oh, that's my headless body over there. How did this happen! You can't fake any kind of truth magic, even I know that much...
She still thinks all Alicorns are Changeling Queens doesn't she. Horseapples.
Tanya
"Does anybody here have a problem with what I just did?" They're all scrambling and cowering away from me. I walk up to one trying to hide as a rock. Creative use of shape shifting.
"So am I going to have to worry about a bunch of shape shifting idiots coming to assassinate me, or something equally stupid?" He continues to cower. What even is my life? I'm talking to a rock. If I didn't see him transform I would think I'm going crazy here.
Then something bites me in my right hoof. Straight past my exoskeleton. It's a jungle viper. Not native to the desert. I look over to Chrysalis's corpse. Her head is missing. I pull her off and put my love to work healing myself and flushing out the venom.
"Hiss!!"
"Very impressive. You exactly matched the emotional signature of an affronted snake. Now die." I start feeding off her with the intent to drain her dry. I don't do this very often. Feels wrong. Like murder, but far more personal. She squirmed, writhed, and transformed in my telekinetic grasp, but her grasp of the basics are woefully inadequate. I actually feel kind of bad. Pretty sure she's a newborn judging by how many holes she has in her. Then developed some bad habits that made her condition worse. How do you even get holes in your hair? Doesn't stop her from being an existential threat to my well-being though, and it won't stop me from killing her for it.
I drop her lifeless de-transformed head to the ground. "So are you going to face me or am I going to have to get creative here?" He immediately transforms back and starts groveling.
"P-p-please don't eat me your majesty." Hmm, am I the Queen of a hive now? I always knew my species was insectoid. I'll have to implement another method of succession other than regicide if it turns out I'm immortal. I don't want that shoe on the other foot.
"I'm not going to eat you. What was your leader's plan for the governance of Equestria?"
"G-governance?"
"Yes. The plan for after you conquered it." His face brightens up.
"We were going to enslave all the ponies and harvest the love from them forever!" My eye and neck twitch in quick succession. Now he's groveling again. It's such a shame the only thing I've seen one of these guys express enthusiasm for is so mind bogglingly stupid.
A few more minutes has him leading me back to the hive. I'd say it's a coincidence we're so close, but I know better. Harmonic spell catalysts tend towards mercy and reconciliation in their long term effects. Or so many treatises and my own experiences have professed. A wave of fear sweeps through the hive as I enter it. Always a terrible sign. Let's see how easily the children fall in line.
"Gather up the hive. Is there a central audience chamber?" A few minutes later I'm seated on a throne with about four hundred changelings assembled before me. More than I hoped, less than I feared.
"Chrysalis is dead." A hush falls over the room. "She died for the crime of losing a war, and bucking up my retirement beyond any repair. Not only did she start her diplomatic relations with Equestria with an unprovoked war, she started them with a loss. This simultaneously shattered any possible amicable relations, showed them that we are weak enough to be beaten, and revealed my presence to the immortal Alicorns that rule Equestria." I look over the juveniles to make sure they understand the gravity of the situation.
"We will surrender immediately." Slight murmuring breaks out, then immediately hushes up.
"We will have friendly relations with the ponies." As I infuse my voice with the truth. "Once it becomes clear that the new leadership means them no harm we can openly visit. I forsee a future where all the races of the world will welcome us with open arms. We have unique skills to offer. I plan to have everypony at each other's throats competing for the honor of having a Changeling mediator, Changeling psychiatrist, or a Changeling matchmaker exercising our empathy to assist them. They will glut us of their own free will and thank us for the experience."
"Now I can sense doubts amongst you all. Who wouldn't? You were raised by an imbecile. Of course she would have poisoned your minds with her stupidity. So here is but a taste of the bounty you can expect when you utilize my methods." This next part is going to suck. I'm basically going to be throwing up in their 'mouths' with my love. I dredge up a tenth of my total reserves to divide equally between them all, using my magic to aim. They are surprisingly well behaved throughout it all. Once I'm done they're looking much better. Few less holes in every single one of them. Some are zonked out, some are actually smiling at the end of it. All of them are feeling a whole lot less on edge.
"Now to bribe Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."
Shining armor
I knock on the door.
"Yes love?" I feel myself smile. She always knows if it's me somehow. I open it.
"A changeling was at the castle gates this morning." She freezes in place.
"What happened? Who did it hurt?"
"Nopony. It brought us a wedding gift. Said it was from the new queen and then flew out of the city as a sparrow." As I levitate it in. It's a fairly large rectangular wooden box. "Our security and diviners were able to tell that it was crafted with love magic and was safe to open but not anything else. Interference from how densely the love permeates it. Couldn't open the thing either."
"New queen. Could it be the one that supposedly kept a number of nobles safe throughout the fighting?" An old argument by now. Cadance thinks she was just saving them for herself. I think otherwise.
"Maybe. I brought it here because you are the closest love magic expert, as well as the intended recipient."
"Hmm, give it over. This is... This is the love letter spell. They're... No that doesn't make any sense. They're surrendering! And giving me tribute. The new queen is under the impression I'm the true ruler of Equestria."
"Love letter spell?"
"Yes, it's part of a series of spells made by Archmage Shimmering Heart. Just about the only class I paid attention to. In fact with her accomplishments in the field it's a wonder she isn't the Alicorn of love right now. Her cutie mark was a broken heart though, so the requirements were probably different for her."
"But what does it do?"
"It enchants a letter in the language of love. Anybody can understand it, but you can't lie in it. I just don't understand how somepony could be so wrong about so many things so obvious!"
"Can you open it?"
"Easily. You just have to- SWEET BUCKING HARMONY!!" As my love fumbles the container in between us. A brightly glowing pink crystal lands between us.
Along with the severed head of Queen Chrysalis.
Still fresh.
AN: slight edits
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Classy. I mean, not for ponies, but I'm sure griffons would appreciate this kind of complete surrender
- Location
- Russia
Queen is dead, long live the Queen!
So, given that Tanya didn't turn into that multicolored mess from sharing love, it means that it is not canon for this fic?
Anyway, am i glad to have found this fic! This is wild. Cant wait for what will happen next.
So, given that Tanya didn't turn into that multicolored mess from sharing love, it means that it is not canon for this fic?
Anyway, am i glad to have found this fic! This is wild. Cant wait for what will happen next.
Perhaps colourful changelings will happen the next time she moults?
Archmage of love is Tuesday for Tanya, presumably because it didn't involve any mortal peril.
Is Daring Doo going to visit the Badlands, I wonder?
Archmage of love is Tuesday for Tanya, presumably because it didn't involve any mortal peril.
Is Daring Doo going to visit the Badlands, I wonder?
It's interesting that Tanya mentions therapy, matchmaking, and mediation, but not spying. Maybe she assumes that her changeling faction would never be let in on something as important as spying, as naturally that role would be reserved for the hives of the current ruling changeling queens of Equestria, and her faction just burned a lot of bridges?
Edit: Spelling
Edit: Spelling
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Because she didn't make headmaster actually. Salaryman has an inferiority complex.
She doesn't mention spying because it doesn't get you love in any amount or kind.
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Pandora
Gotta say, blood IS as tasty as I make it look~
- Location
- Brazil
Poor Chryssie... too dumb to live and too stupid to surrender after being decapitated...
Actually, now that I think about it, it really was for the best that Chryssie bit the dust! No way Tanya could have a peaceful retirement as the ruler of her own hive with such an imbecile running around!!
Actually, now that I think about it, it really was for the best that Chryssie bit the dust! No way Tanya could have a peaceful retirement as the ruler of her own hive with such an imbecile running around!!
I absolutely love this. It's perfect. Discord is a jerk. "Still better than the last guy." Nation ruled by an immortal being that promotes peace and harmony. "Very logical Alicorn Changeling behavior" I love this kind of Tanya and several hundred years of the quiet life is exactly what I'd imagine she'd do if given the chance.
Wow I love a good Tanya story and I'm really interested in her being in MLP as a changeling queen that just did a hostile takeover of the hive
Btw will Tanya try to get back her wife? Lol
Edit: Just realized, does Tanya still think the Alicorns are Changeling Queens
Btw will Tanya try to get back her wife? Lol
Edit: Just realized, does Tanya still think the Alicorns are Changeling Queens
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I'm kinda hoping Daring Do goes on an epic quest to find what the changeling had done with her precious wife. Only for the quest to end with her confronting the evil Queen but Tanya flips the script by sharing memories of private moments spanning the entirety of their relationship. Convincing her that had Tanya replaced a pony, it was before their meeting in the Everfree.
The image of Tanya I imagine would have written their relationship off, but goes to such lengths to prevent being unfairly given the reputation of a pony napper. Thus she is surprised that after Daring is convinced it has been her the whole time, she wants to give their relationship another shot.
I feel like even though Tanya is now openly a changeling queen, she'd still be openly affectionate (nuzzling and cuddling) considering it's what she did over the course of lifetimes
Will the other changelings think of her as the queen of cuddles? Lol
- Location
- Russia
I was watching Max0r review if Baldur's Gate 3 (its awesome btw) and his words about shape-shifting woman bringed my thoughts back here to this story
To Shinig Armor. Because I was surprised he have no animosity to Changelings. And I suspect what he can quote Max0r about shape-shifting woman playing Amogus with him: "I am kinda into that."
And later I was reading a Star Wars fic, so now I imagine Daring Do reacting to declaration of "No, Daring Do, I am your wife." from Tanya with "Nooooooo!" in certain meme manner
To Shinig Armor. Because I was surprised he have no animosity to Changelings. And I suspect what he can quote Max0r about shape-shifting woman playing Amogus with him: "I am kinda into that."
And later I was reading a Star Wars fic, so now I imagine Daring Do reacting to declaration of "No, Daring Do, I am your wife." from Tanya with "Nooooooo!" in certain meme manner
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- Location
- Under a Rock
Nothing really says sorry like the severed head of the person responsible for the transgression.
Sending a severed head with love(in crystalized form).
Pandora
Gotta say, blood IS as tasty as I make it look~
- Location
- Brazil
I'm guessing that Armor isn't as angry with the Changelings as the princess of food is because he was mind wammied for the whole thing!
Meanwhile, Food Princess was kept as a prisioner, not even being able to enjoy a shapeshifted Armor flank for herself!!!
You know, I kind of wonder how the Changelings will internalize this. Tanya isn't teaching them that war or enslavement or conquest or violence is wrong. She's teaching them that failure is the crime. And of course she's teaching them not to screw with her retirement, as that is grounds for immediate execution.
The kind of culture that will create once Tanya can retire again could be fascinating. Changelings that want to spread love and want to make people happy and want to be valued and want to be loved... And the only things they (or most of them at least) see as wrong is failing or bothering Tanya the Great, the Teacher of the True Changeling Way, She Who Must Not Be Bothered.
Chapter 6: Who Is Changeling Queen Degurechaff?
I go over the transcribed letter in front of me again.
To Princess Mi Amore Cadenza
I am the new leader of the changelings: Queen Degurechaff. I have been living in Equestria for quite some time now. I am afraid I will have to temporarily rescind my application to serve as an Alicorn. I recently killed Queen Crysalis and adopted all of her descendants. I am currently in the process of educating them how to be something other than a band of ravenous marauders.
To that end I am offering you our formal surrender. I know my presence at the wedding probably muddied the waters, but you have my word I was only there for the ambient love. Weddings are wonderful events to witness. To this end I have enclosed 10% of all the love I have collected while residing in your country, along with a special gift I am sure any woman in your position would appreciate. I sadly cannot offer you any love tax from the children. They have been kept on a starving diet all their lives and I know better than to try and squeeze blood out of a stone.
Please give your response to the changeling delivering your gift. In the case of his wandering off I apologize and will make other arrangements. They are all surprisingly skittish for a people that aspired to conquer a nation.
I put it down and look to the other item on the table. No, not the severed head. We buried Chrysalis once we made sure she wasn't faking it. The bauble in question is a diamond with an impossible amount of love magic infused into it. And I do mean an impossible amount. Diamonds may be the best crystal for storing love magic, but by all reasonable metrics this one should have exploded, or more realistically for love, just stopped storing it after a certain point. Even looking at it makes my head hurt. Whatever enchanting method she used here is a minor cognitohazard.
"How did she do it?"
"How impressive is this Cadance?" I look over to Princess Luna. All three of us plus my husband are in a meeting regarding what to do about the new changeling queen.
"Very. If this energy were in any other form than love it would be enough to destroy the castle. At a rough estimate this is the amount of love a typical pony could output over the course of a hundred years. If she was telling the truth about her tribute, and feeding continuously she could have been in Equestria for almost our entire history."
"Troubling." Says Princess Celestia. "We never found out where the changelings came from. They just appeared one day and started ravaging cities. We couldn't use the elements of Harmony on them because we didn't know who they were. We didn't have anypony on our side that had your talent Shining Armor, and the day ended in tragedy. We were forced to abandon our then capitol and seal it away with the changelings still inside." My blood chills at the thought. An entire city gone to changelings, just like that. "It was fortunate Queen Chrysalis returned weaker, more foolhardy, and with a less numerous army. I know not what she was trying to accomplish with the marriage to Shining Armor, but it doubtlessly would have been bad for all of us."
The door slams open.
"I found it guys!" Yells out Twilight Sparkle. "It was in a drawer in the room Chrysalis was waiting for the ceremony to begin." She gives it over to Celestia. It takes a few minutes for her to skim. She's almost at the end before her frown disappears and she starts giggling in a thoroughly undignified manner.
"What's so funny sister?" She plants her face into the table and shoves it over to Luna
"Snrkt!!" As she holds back her laughter.
"What is it?" I ask.
"She thinks all Alicorns are just Changeling Queens in disguise. It's probably why she didn't think it would be an insult to offer up herself to impersonate an Alicorn." One of the royal guards just outside turns his head at that. Right before Twilight Sparkle shuts the door again.
"What? That's... Well I guess it's why she paid tribute in love, but why does she think I'm the strongest while you're right here Celestia?"
"Because she thinks we're changelings. We could just switch up our public personas when a new one was found. In fact she even mentions not wanting to participate in that, just wanting to be a finance minister of some kind. She probably thinks I switched to you because love is the source of all changeling power. Nopony but the strongest would be allowed that title."
"This would also mean you would need to be our ambassador." Pipes in Luna.
"What? No! No no no! She sent me a severed head in the mail thinking I would enjoy it. I refuse to be in the same room as that psychopath. Surely we have better options than me."
"Not really no." Luna shakes her head. "Many times when we were setting up Equestria's borders we needed to entreat with foreign nations. Many times we had to send either myself or my sister depending on who would be more respected at the negotiating table. This was often unpleasant for us, but it was the least we could do to keep our little ponies safe."
"It needs to be an Alicorn as well Cadance." Interjects Celestia. "That way she will believe she is speaking to a fellow changeling and feel safe enough to speak candidly."
"You want me to perpetuate this farce?!" Celestia raises her eyebrows at me.
"Would you rather she see you as a convenient unlimited food source?"
"Celestia I have concerns about this plan."
"Yes! Thank you Twilight. It's good to have somepony see sense here. Shining Armor tell them what a security nightmare this would be."
"I don't see a problem with it my love." I glare at him. He continues on. "Together we beat them at our lowest point as their prisoners. With us fresh and prepared, they won't stand a chance if they try anything."
"Won't they get angry when they find out we've been lying to them?" Asks Twilight.
"Lying to them?" Asks Celestia. "They've been living in Equestria for centuries. She surely knows the story of how me and Luna became Alicorns. She came up with this idiot conspiracy despite that, and I don't see the value of wasting my breath trying to convince her otherwise. Twilight!" She does a little salute. "I need you to pull the records for Master Artificer Subtle Polish, Archmage Small Biguns, and Archmage Shimmering Heart from the royal college."
"Why are you having her look up Shimmering Heart?" I ask.
"Because these are the identities she is citing as giving her the experience necessary for Alicornhood." Twilight gallops off to retrieve the documents.
"...Give that over here, I want to see this for myself." As I'm reading through it Luna speaks up.
"There is another danger that the severed head could represent. We could be looking at an ill-advised attempt to woo your heart."
I stare at her disbelievingly.
"It could be." She defends. "In the early days we had to deal with many similar attempts from various Griffon and Primate tribes. It wasn't until certain advances in communication magic came about that we were able to completely stop it."
This, of course, started an argument that lasted until Twilight got back. Me and Shining Armor desperately arguing against it while Celestia and Luna maddeningly mixed facts and anecdotal evidence up in response.
To sum up the information we got from Twilight, Small Biguns was a shape shifting specialist. Her cutie mark was just straight up changeling flame. Accomplishments include transforming into a dragon and writing a treatise on juvenile Dragon behavior. After that was Subtle Polish. An earth pony identity made to test city pony racism according to Degurechaff. Cutie mark of a knife. Attempted to certify as a combat specialist Archmage. From what we were able to tell she technically qualified on merit, but was denied anyways for unspecified reasons. This actually made Celestia visibly angry. Later went down the artificing series of classes and qualifications. Twilight actually found a couple enchanting techniques claimed by Degurechaff that later unicorns took credit for. Probably more that were buried if the diamond in front of us is anything to go by. Lastly was Shimmering Heart. This one I know the most about. Codified a few scores of love spells. Showed decent combat aptitude. Pushed for every school in Equestria to have a mandatory love magic primer. Celestia remembered a particular habit she had while tenured when she visited at the time. She professed to be looking for a wife and encouraged all the young mares to fire off her love beam spell at her to impress. When they inevitably didn't make the cut, she played matchmaker to minimize hurt feelings. Clever girl.
In the end I decided to put my big girl horseshoes on and agreed to meet with the new queen. Shining Armor is right. With him by my side I have nothing to fear from the changelings.
Time to practice my confidence in a mirror.
I nervously look to the changeling in front of me. I didn't have much warning before she dragged me off to the side. Alleyway muggings like this never end well for ponies, to say nothing of changelings.
"Tell me about our new queen."
"Huh? You don't want my love?"
"Not today cutie." She winks.
"Oh. Hey what's your name?"
"Nunya."
"...Well then." She rolls her eyes.
"Infiltrator Nunya. Our queen. Talk. You were with her when she came to the hive. You have to know something."
"Well..."
"...I wasn't all that surprised when she shape shifted her head. You see most living things can survive a minute or two as a severed head. Most people just can't really do anything about it as their blood leaves their brain and their vision fades to black as the their brains die. I was more surprised she could fight through the fear to do anything."
"..."
"Oh sweet Harmony I got some of her in my hair. Eugh! Reminds me of the time I accidentally eviscerated an enemy mage above me. I was scrubbing the stench of his rotten guts out of my hair for a week."
"...she's scary. Unbelievably so. But weirdly nice? I accidently gave her bad news to her first question and she didn't hit me or anything!"
"Hmm, that matches what we know. We have an operative that specializes in killing intent. She's personally killed more than twice the amount of people Chrysalis has, but without any fear of death. We all know what she plans for the hive, her truth spell speaks for itself. Is there anything at all that we should be aware of?" I think about it.
"She thinks all Alicorns are other Changeling Queens."
"...Is that it?"
"Well I haven't spent that much time around her. And everything I heard about her from other lings is just weird money talk."
"Then we'll just keep any information that conflicts with that away from her." I narrow my eyes at her.
"Is this wise?" My rebuttal draws a hiss out of her.
"Listen you little grunt, I heard what she wants for the hive just as well as everyling here. And I want that. I want it more than words can describe. There is nothing I wouldn't do to secure that future for us."
"But-"
"And you weren't the one responsible for preparing Chrysalis for infiltration. She was a nightmare, didn't listen to a Harmony damned thing we said when it came to what she was doing wrong. It wasted so much time. Time that would've been so much better spent anywhere else. I will not go through that again with this one do you hear!! Spread the word!"
Well okay then.
AN: Chrysalis set a low bar.
To Princess Mi Amore Cadenza
I am the new leader of the changelings: Queen Degurechaff. I have been living in Equestria for quite some time now. I am afraid I will have to temporarily rescind my application to serve as an Alicorn. I recently killed Queen Crysalis and adopted all of her descendants. I am currently in the process of educating them how to be something other than a band of ravenous marauders.
To that end I am offering you our formal surrender. I know my presence at the wedding probably muddied the waters, but you have my word I was only there for the ambient love. Weddings are wonderful events to witness. To this end I have enclosed 10% of all the love I have collected while residing in your country, along with a special gift I am sure any woman in your position would appreciate. I sadly cannot offer you any love tax from the children. They have been kept on a starving diet all their lives and I know better than to try and squeeze blood out of a stone.
Please give your response to the changeling delivering your gift. In the case of his wandering off I apologize and will make other arrangements. They are all surprisingly skittish for a people that aspired to conquer a nation.
I put it down and look to the other item on the table. No, not the severed head. We buried Chrysalis once we made sure she wasn't faking it. The bauble in question is a diamond with an impossible amount of love magic infused into it. And I do mean an impossible amount. Diamonds may be the best crystal for storing love magic, but by all reasonable metrics this one should have exploded, or more realistically for love, just stopped storing it after a certain point. Even looking at it makes my head hurt. Whatever enchanting method she used here is a minor cognitohazard.
"How did she do it?"
"How impressive is this Cadance?" I look over to Princess Luna. All three of us plus my husband are in a meeting regarding what to do about the new changeling queen.
"Very. If this energy were in any other form than love it would be enough to destroy the castle. At a rough estimate this is the amount of love a typical pony could output over the course of a hundred years. If she was telling the truth about her tribute, and feeding continuously she could have been in Equestria for almost our entire history."
"Troubling." Says Princess Celestia. "We never found out where the changelings came from. They just appeared one day and started ravaging cities. We couldn't use the elements of Harmony on them because we didn't know who they were. We didn't have anypony on our side that had your talent Shining Armor, and the day ended in tragedy. We were forced to abandon our then capitol and seal it away with the changelings still inside." My blood chills at the thought. An entire city gone to changelings, just like that. "It was fortunate Queen Chrysalis returned weaker, more foolhardy, and with a less numerous army. I know not what she was trying to accomplish with the marriage to Shining Armor, but it doubtlessly would have been bad for all of us."
The door slams open.
"I found it guys!" Yells out Twilight Sparkle. "It was in a drawer in the room Chrysalis was waiting for the ceremony to begin." She gives it over to Celestia. It takes a few minutes for her to skim. She's almost at the end before her frown disappears and she starts giggling in a thoroughly undignified manner.
"What's so funny sister?" She plants her face into the table and shoves it over to Luna
"Snrkt!!" As she holds back her laughter.
"What is it?" I ask.
"She thinks all Alicorns are just Changeling Queens in disguise. It's probably why she didn't think it would be an insult to offer up herself to impersonate an Alicorn." One of the royal guards just outside turns his head at that. Right before Twilight Sparkle shuts the door again.
"What? That's... Well I guess it's why she paid tribute in love, but why does she think I'm the strongest while you're right here Celestia?"
"Because she thinks we're changelings. We could just switch up our public personas when a new one was found. In fact she even mentions not wanting to participate in that, just wanting to be a finance minister of some kind. She probably thinks I switched to you because love is the source of all changeling power. Nopony but the strongest would be allowed that title."
"This would also mean you would need to be our ambassador." Pipes in Luna.
"What? No! No no no! She sent me a severed head in the mail thinking I would enjoy it. I refuse to be in the same room as that psychopath. Surely we have better options than me."
"Not really no." Luna shakes her head. "Many times when we were setting up Equestria's borders we needed to entreat with foreign nations. Many times we had to send either myself or my sister depending on who would be more respected at the negotiating table. This was often unpleasant for us, but it was the least we could do to keep our little ponies safe."
"It needs to be an Alicorn as well Cadance." Interjects Celestia. "That way she will believe she is speaking to a fellow changeling and feel safe enough to speak candidly."
"You want me to perpetuate this farce?!" Celestia raises her eyebrows at me.
"Would you rather she see you as a convenient unlimited food source?"
"Celestia I have concerns about this plan."
"Yes! Thank you Twilight. It's good to have somepony see sense here. Shining Armor tell them what a security nightmare this would be."
"I don't see a problem with it my love." I glare at him. He continues on. "Together we beat them at our lowest point as their prisoners. With us fresh and prepared, they won't stand a chance if they try anything."
"Won't they get angry when they find out we've been lying to them?" Asks Twilight.
"Lying to them?" Asks Celestia. "They've been living in Equestria for centuries. She surely knows the story of how me and Luna became Alicorns. She came up with this idiot conspiracy despite that, and I don't see the value of wasting my breath trying to convince her otherwise. Twilight!" She does a little salute. "I need you to pull the records for Master Artificer Subtle Polish, Archmage Small Biguns, and Archmage Shimmering Heart from the royal college."
"Why are you having her look up Shimmering Heart?" I ask.
"Because these are the identities she is citing as giving her the experience necessary for Alicornhood." Twilight gallops off to retrieve the documents.
"...Give that over here, I want to see this for myself." As I'm reading through it Luna speaks up.
"There is another danger that the severed head could represent. We could be looking at an ill-advised attempt to woo your heart."
I stare at her disbelievingly.
"It could be." She defends. "In the early days we had to deal with many similar attempts from various Griffon and Primate tribes. It wasn't until certain advances in communication magic came about that we were able to completely stop it."
This, of course, started an argument that lasted until Twilight got back. Me and Shining Armor desperately arguing against it while Celestia and Luna maddeningly mixed facts and anecdotal evidence up in response.
To sum up the information we got from Twilight, Small Biguns was a shape shifting specialist. Her cutie mark was just straight up changeling flame. Accomplishments include transforming into a dragon and writing a treatise on juvenile Dragon behavior. After that was Subtle Polish. An earth pony identity made to test city pony racism according to Degurechaff. Cutie mark of a knife. Attempted to certify as a combat specialist Archmage. From what we were able to tell she technically qualified on merit, but was denied anyways for unspecified reasons. This actually made Celestia visibly angry. Later went down the artificing series of classes and qualifications. Twilight actually found a couple enchanting techniques claimed by Degurechaff that later unicorns took credit for. Probably more that were buried if the diamond in front of us is anything to go by. Lastly was Shimmering Heart. This one I know the most about. Codified a few scores of love spells. Showed decent combat aptitude. Pushed for every school in Equestria to have a mandatory love magic primer. Celestia remembered a particular habit she had while tenured when she visited at the time. She professed to be looking for a wife and encouraged all the young mares to fire off her love beam spell at her to impress. When they inevitably didn't make the cut, she played matchmaker to minimize hurt feelings. Clever girl.
In the end I decided to put my big girl horseshoes on and agreed to meet with the new queen. Shining Armor is right. With him by my side I have nothing to fear from the changelings.
Time to practice my confidence in a mirror.
Changeling Beeswax.
I nervously look to the changeling in front of me. I didn't have much warning before she dragged me off to the side. Alleyway muggings like this never end well for ponies, to say nothing of changelings.
"Tell me about our new queen."
"Huh? You don't want my love?"
"Not today cutie." She winks.
"Oh. Hey what's your name?"
"Nunya."
"...Well then." She rolls her eyes.
"Infiltrator Nunya. Our queen. Talk. You were with her when she came to the hive. You have to know something."
"Well..."
Changeling Beeswax: Walking towards the hive with Queen Degurechaff.
"...I wasn't all that surprised when she shape shifted her head. You see most living things can survive a minute or two as a severed head. Most people just can't really do anything about it as their blood leaves their brain and their vision fades to black as the their brains die. I was more surprised she could fight through the fear to do anything."
"..."
"Oh sweet Harmony I got some of her in my hair. Eugh! Reminds me of the time I accidentally eviscerated an enemy mage above me. I was scrubbing the stench of his rotten guts out of my hair for a week."
Changeling Beeswax: Now
"...she's scary. Unbelievably so. But weirdly nice? I accidently gave her bad news to her first question and she didn't hit me or anything!"
"Hmm, that matches what we know. We have an operative that specializes in killing intent. She's personally killed more than twice the amount of people Chrysalis has, but without any fear of death. We all know what she plans for the hive, her truth spell speaks for itself. Is there anything at all that we should be aware of?" I think about it.
"She thinks all Alicorns are other Changeling Queens."
"...Is that it?"
"Well I haven't spent that much time around her. And everything I heard about her from other lings is just weird money talk."
"Then we'll just keep any information that conflicts with that away from her." I narrow my eyes at her.
"Is this wise?" My rebuttal draws a hiss out of her.
"Listen you little grunt, I heard what she wants for the hive just as well as everyling here. And I want that. I want it more than words can describe. There is nothing I wouldn't do to secure that future for us."
"But-"
"And you weren't the one responsible for preparing Chrysalis for infiltration. She was a nightmare, didn't listen to a Harmony damned thing we said when it came to what she was doing wrong. It wasted so much time. Time that would've been so much better spent anywhere else. I will not go through that again with this one do you hear!! Spread the word!"
Well okay then.
AN: Chrysalis set a low bar.
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