Volume 3: Friendship is Forever

The afterlife was usually a busy place, filled with the souls of the departed doing many of the same things that they had in life. The only exception to the rule was a jail-like building located in the heart of Ponyville, where all the bad souls went. Criminals from thieves to ponies like Sombra were housed here, stripped of the powers that had hurt so many ponies in life.

Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings, sat in her cell and stared distastefully down at the ponies below. A grey unicorn stallion with a brown mane and tail with a blue fez perched on his head passed by, and she snarled. “Murderer,” she chittered, in the language of the changelings. “I would not be in this wretched place if it hadn’t been for you.”

“Thou knowest that is not so,” said a voice. Chrysalis turned and found Princess Luna standing right in her cell, by the bed. “Tis thy actions in life that landed thee in a cell, not those of our friend Orion, a pony from whom thou couldst learn much.”

“A little late for that, isn’t it, Princess?” Chrysalis spat. “I’m dead, and so is he. And you haven’t let me out even once since I arrived. He has nothing to teach me!”

“He might not,” Luna said, “But we know someone who may.” She sighs. “We come to thee with a proposition: if thou choose to accept it, thou shalt be given a second lease upon life, literally, but only if thou does thy best to earn it.”

“What’s the catch?”

“Thou shan’t be reincarnated in Equestria, for obvious reasons. ‘Twould be a grave mistake to send thee back to thy former world with all thy powers intact. Instead, thou shalt be sent to another world, one where Equestrian magic is not quite so common.”

Chrysalis stares, before wrinkling her muzzle in fury. “I always knew you were a lunatic, but I didn’t think it was this bad! If you honestly believe I’ll accept a life without my powers, you have another thing coming! And tell that fez-wearing donkey friend of yours that he can go shove his hat right up his-“

“SPEAK NOT OF OUR DEAR ONE IN THOSE TERMS, FOUL WENCH!” Luna yelled, unable to control herself. She took several deep breaths and spoke again, calmer. “Thou hast a choice: stay here for the rest of eternity or possible redemption. You have 24 hours, choose wisely." She turned and left as suddenly as she had come, leaving Chrysalis to her thoughts.

Chrysalis didn't sleep that night. She spent the evening trotting back and forth in her cell, debating the pros and cons of Luna's offer while studiously ignoring the protests of the ponies on either side of her. As the sun came up with the morning however, she had come to a decision. 

Princess Luna returned to Chrysalis' cell later that day. looking expectant. "Well? What is thy choice?" she asked, somewhat impatiently.

"I'll take you up on your offer," Chrysalis replied, biting back the harsh rebuke she wanted to deal out. "I want to live again, even if I'm completely powerless, as you say I will be."

Luna nodded approvingly, "We knew thou wouldst see it our way." She touched her horn to Chrysalis' own, and said "Repeat after us... this spell requires both our efforts." Then she focused and began to speak in an ancient, forgotten tongue: "Nox spiritus, damnati patitur animam suam ut revertantur in terram viventium. Venti sentire permisit crines super faciem suam in solem, et lunam, et videbitis viam accendit. Induite novum in corpore, ita ut semel poenitentiam praeteriti scelerum."

Chrysalis repeated the words, then she saw a flash of bright white light, and knew no more.

Chrysalis awoke to the feeling of warm air on her face. In the distance she could hear birds, and the low rumble of traffic, though she didn’t know what was causing it. A ladybug flew past her nose. After what seemed like an age, she opened her eyes and tried to stand, when she froze.

Where there should have been a hoof, there was… Chrysalis wasn’t quite sure. It was flat and resembled a griffon’s claw, though much softer. Whatever was covering it was also soft, much softer than the chitin she knew, but not as silky as she knew pony fur could be. It was also somewhat lighter than her chitin. Puzzled, Chrysalis looked around for the nearest reflective surface and found it in a window. Crawling over, she got a look at her new appearance. 

Her skin was a dark grey, and her hair was the same shade of dark cerulean it always was. Her eyes remained the same too, green with the pupils of a cat. Feeling around the inside of her mouth with her tongue, she thought she still had fangs. 

But that wasn’t all Chrysalis noticed. She was wearing strange articles that she never had cause to wear in Equestria before: a leather jacket with straps and clasps, a short black mini skirt, dark leggings with holes toward the bottom that mimicked the holes in her forelegs, thigh-high black boots (also with straps and buckles) adorned her feet, and there was a studded belt, and a green top that reminded her of her carapace. But, as Luna had promised, there was no horn on her head, nor could she see any sign of wings.

Chrysalis sighed. Ah well… it’s not the first time I’ve been without either one of those… Her thoughts were broken by a loud ringing noise coming from somewhere nearby, and the sound of doors opening. A stream of strange creatures with the colors of ponies but bodies similar to hers came through the doors. While most of these were fairly unremarkable, there was one she took notice of: a girl with light grey skin, brown hair, and green eyes. 

Chrysalis felt her blood boil. The gender might be all wrong, but there was no mistaking that face… her mind flashed back to the terrible day so very long ago, when he had tried to protect his loved ones, then stood over her, watching her die. Snarling with rage, Chrysalis got to her feet and leapt on the familiar-looking girl. “At last, I can have my revenge!” she shouted, concentrating all her power, until she realized that there was no power to concentrate, and she had no idea how to fight with this body.

The fight went out of her as she realized all of this, but that wasn’t all. She had been grabbed and tugged on by two other females, one of whom strongly resembled her murderer’s wife, and the other… well, she didn’t recognize the amber-skinned one with the red and yellow hair, but that didn’t bother her so much. 

Her quarry meanwhile had gotten to her feet and was pointing a grey and copper tube at Chrysalis’ chest, it held a green diode at one end, which was glowing and making a buzzing noise. She switched the device off, stared at it, and said “These readings say you’re Equestrian… but that’s about it.” She pocketed the device. “Who are you? Why are you here? Why did you attack me and yell about revenge?”

“SILENCE, female!” Chrysalis shouted, as if ordering a particularly insolent drone around. “I will ask the questions here. My name is Chrysalis, and I am… or was, the queen of the changelings. I am here because your twin murdered me, and I am supposed to “seek my penance.” She made air-quotes with her fingers. “As for revenge… well, what was I supposed to do? You may as well be my murderer’s double, you look so much like him.”

There was a very long pause as the gathered eight girls (one of whom, Chrysalis realized, looked just like that unicorn whose foal sitter she had once kidnapped) digested this information. Finally, the grey one (who seemed to be the leader) spoke again. “When you say murderer, do you mean Sir Orion? But how can that be? When Sunset and I met him, he seemed like a perfectly polite pony!”

Chrysalis scoffed. “Then you are as stupid as you look. This ‘Sir Orion’ you speak so fondly of is nothing more than a criminal with good publicity! He has my blood at his hooves, not to mention the blood of countless changelings!”

The purple one nudged the grey one.  "Gem, perhaps we should get her somewhere quieter ... out of the main courtyard, perhaps ... "  She nodded toward the students gathering around, attracted by Chrysalis's sudden outburst.

The grey one, whose name was apparently Gem, nodded, “Sounds like a good idea to me, Raven… you, Aria, Sonata, Twilight, and Emerald go wait by my car. Sunset, write a note to Twilight. Adagio…” She removed the hairband she wore and gave it to the yellow-skinned girl with the goofy hair, “Use this to keep her hands tied up, we’ll take her back to my place.” Everyone nodded and went off to do their assigned activities.

Chrysalis found herself not struggling as Adagio tied her up. She simply glared balefully at Gem, fangs bared. “You’re exactly like him,” she spat. “I can tell. Your speech patterns, your attitude, your facial expressions… you see me as a threat to your pretty little way of life. Well, I’ll give you that… that’s exactly what I am. Make no mistake, Gem, or whatever your name is. When I’m done with you, you’re going to wish you never met me. Got it?”

Gem simply scowled. “That’s Gemini to you, Chrysalis. Only friends get to call me Gem. And you’re not my friend.” Turning sharply on her heel, she marched off toward the car, with Adagio dragging Chrysalis along. The gathered crowd parted for them and moved off, disappointed at the lack of further spectacle.

Since there were so many of them, the group had to take three cars. Gem, Adagio, and Chrysalis took Gem's car, Sunset, Raven, and Sonata took Sunset's, while Aria, Emerald, and Twilight took Adagio's.

"I really don't like the look of this Chrysalis girl," Raven was saying as they headed toward Gem's house. 

"Neither do I," Sunset agreed. "I remember studying changelings back in Equestria, but I don't think I met one personally until Gem and I visited Orion... His assistant was one."

"Was he anything like the new girl?" Sonata asked.

Sunset shook her head, "Steno was just like ours... Nice as can be, and a real sweetheart. Orion said he used to work for Chrysalis back in the day."

Raven's eyes widened. "Sheesh! That girl's a witch with a capital B, who'd work for her?"

Sunset shrugged. "It's not like he had a choice... According to him, he was the best scribe the hive had ever seen, so off to the royal chambers he went."

"I'm glad Orion got to him when he did," Raven said. "Our Steno would never let anyone push him around like that."

The atmosphere in Gem's car was tense. Gem, of course, was driving while Adagio sat beside her. Chrysalis was in the back, finally coming to terms with her new form, which apparently meant taking off half her clothes and poking at various appendages.

"At least she's not freaking out," Adagio commented. "Then again, she's probably taken lots of other forms, knowing changelings. I just don't understand why she's here, especially if she's dead."

"My heart is beating, you know," said Chrysalis dryly.

Gem sighed, Chrysalis was trying her patience. "Yes, I'm aware. Unfortunately."

Adagio placed a hand on Gem's shoulder to calm her. "Easy there, little sister. I know you don't trust her, but there's no need to return her rudeness with some of your own."

Gem nodded, looking to Chrysalis via the rear-view mirror and saying, "I apologise, Chrysalis. Sincerely."

Chrysalis' eyes widened in surprise. That had never happened before. After a few moments, she finally nodded and said, "Acknowledged and accepted, Gemini."

Without further ado, the three cars pulled into Gem's sizeable driveway. Adagio helped Chrysalis put her tops back on and got out of the car, and the group of nine all trooped into the house.

Steno Pad, who was busy finishing up some maintenance, looked on in shock at the sight of Chrysalis. "...P-P-Principal Chrysalis?! What... What are you doing here?"

Chrysalis turned and glared at Steno, the only other creature here who seemed to share her skin tone, and noted how similar he sounded to her former court scribe. "On your knees, drone!" she barked. "You will bow before your queen!"

Steno shook his head and stood defiantly. "I bow to nobody. You look like my old principal, but it's becoming clear you don't recognise me at all, so you must not be her." 

"And you look like my old court scribe," Chrysalis said. "Why is this?! I demand to know at once!"

Sunset stepped forward. "I believe I can answer that, your... Uh, majesty," she said. "This world is parallel to Equestria. It has its own versions of ponies you may have known there, like Twilight," she gestured to the scientist girl, "or Gem. It also has immigrants, such as myself, and these three," she gestured to the Dazzlings. "I'm Sunset Shimmer, and this is Gemini Shadow, Raven Sable, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Twilight Sparkle, and Emerald Wave." Each of the indicated girls all waved.

"I suppose it's nice to meet you," Chrysalis said. "I can honestly say this wasn't what I had in mind when Luna made her offer, but-" She stopped. "What is that vibrating sound?"

Sunset's eyes went wide, "The book!" She dove into her backpack and flipped to the page she'd written on earlier. Twilight's reply was already there. She read it aloud for the others to hear: 

"Dear Sunset Shimmer:

Princess Luna has informed me that Queen Chrysalis of the changelings, or a reincarnated version of the same, has been introduced into your world, apparently on purpose. Luna says that this is the only chance she has at being redeemed. Ill-advised as I feel this plan is, I am certain that you and your friends will be more than up to the task. Please remember to be careful however, powerless as she may be, she still has over a thousand years of experience at her fingertips. Stay on your guard and contact me if you need any assistance. 

Your friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Chrysalis' eyes seemed to glow in fury. "I should have known she was involved in this!" she hissed. "It's just like her! First Discord, now this?! Unbelievable. She's a tyrant if there ever was one!”

Sunset grabbed Chrysalis and started dragging her toward the front door, “Alright, that’s it. I’m taking you to live with me, you can sleep in the basement. Dagi, Ari, Sona, let’s go.” The three Dazzlings followed the pair out, keeping an eye on Chrysalis as they did so.

As they left, Gem seemed to calm down. Raven went over and rubbed her girlfriend’s shoulders. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Irritated, invaded, other words beginning with I…” Gem said finally. “I don’t know what it is about her, but she gets under my skin like nothing else ever has… and now we’re supposed to redeem her? How are we going to do that?”

“I haven’t the foggiest idea,” said Twilight, as she and Emerald got up to give Gem a hug, “But don’t worry, I’m sure we can think of something. It’ll just take a little work, that’s all.”

“I hope you’re right,” Gem said, as she hugged them back.

Sunset’s car pulled into the driveway of her house, and she, the Dazzlings, and Chrysalis all got out at once, leading the latter inside. 

“Sonata, you wouldn’t mind whipping up some food for us, would you?” Sunset asked as they walked in through the front door and hung up their jackets.

Sonata grinned. “Not at all, Sunny!” She produced a chef’s hat and an apron which read “Kiss the Cook” in big letters, then went into the kitchen.

Sunset gave Chrysalis a smile, “I hope you’re hungry, Chrysalis. Sonata makes enough to feed the whole town! Mexican food is her specialty.”

Chrysalis simply raised an eyebrow. “I suppose I shall try it… I don’t think I can feed off love anymore, anyway.” She huffed. “Anyway, I wanted to know… why did Sparkle choose all of you, anyway?” She squints at Adagio. “I’ve been around a while… and you look vaguely familiar.”

“You might know me best as a siren,” said Adagio, shrugging. “Over a thousand years ago, my sisters and I were banished here by Starswirl the Bearded.”

Chrysalis snapped her fingers. “That’s why I thought you looked familiar! I remember seeing you! Yes… I had just led my changelings into a small settlement in the Smokey Mountains, disguised them all as locals of course, when three hippocampi emerged from a nearby lake… and they looked just like you three. For some reason I was feeling especially vindictive that day… it must have been you three causing it!”

Adagio nodded as the memories came flooding back, “It was a feeding day for us, too… back when we still had our powers.”

Chrysalis smirked. “I always admired your tactics. We could work together, if you wanted. Take this world for ourselves. You could rule by my side! What do you think? None of this cutesy-wutesy, goody-four-hooves ‘harmony’ nonsense, but true power the likes of which you haven’t seen in eons. These pitiful creatures could be my- I mean, our slaves!”

Adagio frowned and shook her head once. “No, Chrysalis. My sisters and I have already spent untold centuries gathering power, and right when we were on the cusp of victory, she,” she pointed to Sunset, “defeated us with the power of harmony.”

Chrysalis snarled. “Euurgh, you’re just as weak and spineless as the rest of them, then!” She glared at Sunset, “I suppose you’re just like Sparkle, aren’t you? Always preaching about the power of friendship?”

“I am now,” Sunset said, “But when I first came here after abandoning Princess Celestia, I was just as cruel as you are now. All I wanted was power, and for a time, I got it. But it transformed me into a monster, and I was only rescued because Princess Twilight, Gemini, and Raven were brave enough to try. If it wasn’t for them, I’d probably be locked up in Tartarus right now.”

“Maybe you should be!” Chrysalis shouted, jabbing Sunset in the chest with a finger. “Because it’s quickly becoming apparent that the only creature capable of crushing this world is me!” She turned on her heel and stalked downstairs without a word, slamming the basement door behind her.

Sunset sighed heavily. “I have a feeling reforming Chrysalis is going to be a lot harder than reforming you three ever was,” she said to Adagio and Aria.

Aria nodded in agreement, “She makes me look well-behaved. I’d say she’s the worst.”

“Me too!” Sonata piped up. 

“Oh look, my idiots finally agree on something,” Adagio said dryly, looking unimpressed. She held the expression for a few seconds, then finally burst out laughing, as did the other three girls.

Chrysalis didn't come to dinner that evening. Sonata was kind enough however to leave out a plate for her, with a taco and some french fries resting beside it. As the other girls got ready for bed, Chrysalis finally came upstairs. Seeing the taco, she took a bite and chewed experimentally. Finding it not to her liking, she tossed the whole lot into the trash. 

Not tired, Chrysalis looked around the upper level of the house for the first time since she had arrived. It had an open floorplan, the living area, dining area, and kitchen were all basically one room. There were two staircases, one leading downstairs and the other leading upstairs, where all the bedrooms and bathrooms were. The living room had a couch and a couple chairs, with a TV sitting in a corner and a coffee table littered with objects.

Among those objects was a black rectangle that had the letters IQ in a circle on the top. Wondering what it could be, she picked it up and carried it downstairs, placing it on her lap once she sat down on the futon.

Lifting the lid of the device with her fingertips, the screen and keyboard lit up. On the screen was a picture of Sunset and her friends, the same girls Chrysalis had met earlier, with icons dotted here and there across the picture. Below the keyboard was a blank square. Chrysalis moved the pad of her right forefinger around on it, and the movement of her finger corresponded with the movement of a white arrow on the screen. Pressing down produced a clicking noise, and the icon (which was hovering over a picture of an arctic wolf surveying the world) turned blue. Clicking again opened a browser window.

The next few hours were spent in this way as Chrysalis used Sunset's computer to look up some information. Her brain was already whirring with possibilities of the schemes she could put into place, even without her powers. By the time the sun rose the next morning, she had fallen asleep. On the screen was a picture of a man with a toothbrush mustache wearing a brown jacket with a red armband on one arm. Needless to say, Sunset couldn't help but get a sinking feeling when she came downstairs to check on her guest and saw that.

The day started like pretty much every other day at Canterlot High. Longhaul picked up Gem and the other Rubies on his bus and took them to school, and the girls all attended their respective morning classes, most of which were very dull.

But as ever, lunchtime was when things started to get strange. As the girls gathered to talk about what they might to regarding Chrysalis, the cafeteria doors banged open, and in stepped Chrysalis herself, today wearing a dark green jacket that matched her hair, a black tie, and a dark grey skirt with matching boots. On her right arm was a black and green armband with a white circle in the middle, and a strange symbol within that circle. 

Holding a megaphone, she jumped onto a nearby table and spoke into it, pacing back and forth along the table as she did. "Good morning, humans," she said, smiling darkly. Her fangs glinted in the florescent lighting. "My name is Chrysalis. I come from a world called Equestria, where I ruled a swarm of changelings, creatures who can shapeshift and survive off love. And while I haven't been here very long, I already know a few things." She jumped off the table. "I order you to kneel before me!"

No one moved.

Chrysalis' face warped into a snarl, and her eyes glowed again. "I said, KNEEL!" 

Everyone kneeled, except for a group of eight near the back.

Chrysalis ignored them and smirked, looking around. "Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It is the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

"Not to someone like you," shouted Longhaul, who stood up from where he had been sitting.

Chrysalis simply smirked again, looking hungry. "There is no one like me."

"There are always folks like you!" Longhaul shouted back.

Chrysalis snarled and grabbed Longhaul by the throat, choking him. "Look to your elder, humans! Let him be an example!"

The crowd rose as one and began to throw whatever they could at the would-be conquerer, then circled together and surrounded them like an angry mob. Somebody managed to rescue Longhaul from Chrysalis' chokehold, and as he recovered, a few other people decided it would be a good idea to jump on the queen and attack her physically. Chrysalis screamed and lashed out as best she could, biting whoever came within reach. 

As the lunch hour descended into chaos, Gem fought her way through the crowd. Pony ears had sprouted on her head, and her hair had lengthened to give the appearance of a tail. She locked eyes with Chrysalis and reached out with one hand. "Come with me," she intoned, using her magic to create a bubble shield around herself and Chrysalis. Inside the bubble, time froze. The students remained in place, as if they were statues.

"Why should I?" Chrysalis hissed. "You're only going to kill me. If you're this world's version of Orion, then I'm going to die, again, by your hand!"

"I'm not going to kill you!" Gem shouted back. "But they might!" She gestured with her other hand to the angry students on the other side of the bubble. "They've seen other people try to rule them, you know. Sunset was first, then the Dazzlings, then me. And they're tired of it. They're angry. All they want is a normal school year, just for once." 

Gem looked into Chrysalis' eyes again, pleading with her. "Please, take my hand. I'm sorry for what Orion did to you, but you need to understand... that's in the past now. You can't change it. But more importantly? You need to understand that even though we may look alike, I'm not Orion. He's a powerful unicorn, and though I can use Equestrian magic, I'm still just a girl. An ordinary human girl, just like Sunset and the Dazzlings are now, just like you are now. When you came to our world, you changed. Maybe, someday, you can go back to Equestria... but that day isn't today. Today you're a human, not a changeling. And if you take my hand, I'll show you what being human is all about."

Chrysalis, for once in her life, said nothing. She didn't move, or fight, or protest. She simply stood there and thought. Part of her wanted to refuse, to continue doing what she had always done, what she had been raised to do, ever since her sister Calyx grew up and went to rule her own hive. But another part of her said no. Don't fight back. Don't try to rule. Being like this was what got you killed in the first place, it wasn't Orion's fault. Besides, you have no power here. You can't transform, you can't hypnotise, you can't do anything.

Chrysalis looked at her would-be saviour, who was standing there expectantly. She kept waiting for the other horseshoe to drop, for the trick to be revealed, but nothing happened. She just stood there. This girl, this strange girl who could use pony magic despite not being a pony, was offering to save her life. A life she shouldn't be having. A life she had by chance. Maybe, Chrysalis thought, this is my chance to start over.

So, with that in mind, Chrysalis reached out and placed her hand in Gem's own. The light grey fingers wrapped around the much darker ones. Time unfroze, the bubble popped, and even though they were surrounded, in that moment, there was only the two of them.

Some time later that day, Chrysalis and Gem were sitting at the group's normal table at Canterlot Cafe. Chrysalis was wearing the outfit she had arrived in, while Gem was wearing a navy blue dress with matching nail polish and eyeshadow, as she had been earlier. Her pony ears were gone now.

"Why did you want to save my life?" Chrysalis asked, getting straight to the point. "And don't tell me it was so you could reform me."

"It was the right thing to do," Gem answered. "You were in trouble, and I saved you."

"But I attacked you," Chrysalis said. "When we met I jumped on you and shouted about revenge. I accused you of plotting murder."

"Yes, but I still chose to save you," Gem said simply. "It was the right thing to do. Besides... I watched your face. I knew I'd gotten through to you seconds before you took my hand, which meant my guess was right. So... why did you listen to me?"

Chrysalis blinked. Somehow, the conversation had been turned around. She decided to be honest. "Because... I have nothing here. No magic, no drones to do my bidding, no hive... just me. I'm a thousand-year old insect queen stuffed into a body she doesn't understand in a world she can't entirely grasp. But equally, there's nothing for me on the other side. Even..." She paused. "Even if I could go back... I wouldn't. Equestria doesn't need me causing any more trouble. So I might as well stay here."

Gem nodded, as if she'd heard this before. "You're not the first," she said. "Sunset and the Dazzlings all came to the same conclusion you have, for basically the same reason: there was nothing for them in Equestria." A server came and furnished them with snacks: tea and a scone for Gem, and a sausage, egg, and cheddar breakfast sandwich for Chrysalis. Gem took a sip of her tea and asked, "What were you like as a filly, Chrysalis?"

"Nymph," Chrysalis corrected. "Young changelings are called nymphs. We're a naturally androgynous race, at least after we hatch. Around the time ponies earn cutie marks, we choose our genders. But getting back to your question..."

Two changeling females sat together in a dank, dreary room in the underground hive they'd always lived in. One of them had dark, blue-green hair and eyes, while the other had deep, rich purple. This was Chrysalis' older sister, Calyx. And they were the first changelings in over a century to have both been born as queens.

"Cal, what do you think being a queen will be like?" Chryssi asked, lying on the floor with her forehooves supporting her head. 

Calyx, who was busy practicing her magic by throwing a ball against the wall and catching it, shrugged. "I have no idea, Chryssi... Ruling all those changelings, having a hundred thousand drones in your head all chittering at once... it makes me nervous."

"And getting food for them all," Chryssi said. "That'll be the hardest part."

Cal nodded in agreement. "Yeah... we can't make love on our own, you know. So we steal it from the ponies." She stopped bouncing her ball. "I'm tired of stealing, Chryssi. I'm tired of lying and being somepony... someling, that I'm not."

"But we have to!" Chryssi exclaimed, getting up. "Mom said so!"

"I know what Mom said," Cal responded. "But I don't... I don't think it's right. When I'm queen, I'm gonna do things differently. I'm gonna be honest about who and what I am, an' I'll make my drones do the same!"

"You're crazy, Cal," Chryssi said, rolling her eyes. "The ponies are scared of us, everyling knows that! They think we're monsters. We're half horse, half bug for crying out loud! No pony's gonna love a changeling for being a changeling. That's why we transform, so they don't have to."

"That's not why I transform," Cal said. "I do it for fun!" To demonstrate, she transforms into what Princess Luna looked like as a filly and back.

Chryssi sighed, and waved a hoof dismissively. "Whatever, Cal... but when you get magicuted by a bug lamp, don't come cryin' to me!"

"From a young age, Calyx and I were focused on our destinies as queens," Chrysalis said, in between bites of her sandwich. "And like I just told you, she was going to be a very different queen to what our mother was like... and what I would be like. When she grew up, she flew away and I never saw her again... but that was how it was meant to be. Two queens cannot rule the same hive, for they would have to kill the other. And I couldn't kill my only sister, and my best friend. So she flew off, leaving me to rule the hive my mother had left behind.”

She continued to eat, growing more distraught as she talked. “And I ruled them well, or so I thought… my changelings were gathering love, and I had enough to feed them all… but then, suddenly, I didn’t anymore. My army had grown too large. Seeking food and an end to the starvation, we attacked Canterlot. The plan had been going so smoothly… if it hadn’t been for Sparkle, we would’ve had enough love to last us decades, but we were beaten. A year later we tried again in Ponyville, and… well, you now know how that ended up.” She put down her sandwich, staring into Gem’s eyes. “And that is why I listened to you, Gemini. You’re the only hope I’ve got.”

Gem put down her scone and wrapped her arms around Chrysalis, hugging her. “You can call me Gem now,” she said softly. 

“And you can call me Chryssi.”

In the days that followed, everyone noticed how a great change had come over Chrysalis. She was less argumentative, less angry. She spoke calmly, laughed more, and smiled more warmly. Her fangs, while still present, somehow became less frightening. That said, some traces of her old self still remained. She was just as sarcastic and dry, and occasionally cynical, as she had always been. 

But despite the obvious shift in personality, she still dressed like a so-called bad girl. So one Saturday, it was decided that she would be taken to the mall to go shopping for a new outfit, and Sunset volunteered to escort her.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Chryssi, but you remind me a bit of myself,” Sunset said as the two drove through town toward the mall. “I kept wearing the same basic outfit that I always did after my fall from grace, even when I was trying to improve myself. It wasn’t until long after the Dazzlings had become our friends that I finally got around to changing my looks!”

“How did you do it?” Chryssi asked, tilting her head to the side.

Sunset gestured with a hand to her current outfit: a leather jacket with yellow stripes on the sleeves, a pale green blouse with a semi-transparent yellow undershirt, jeans, and boots that matched her jacket. “Gem gave this to me when we went to the mall together once,” she said, smiling. “It’s probably my favorite outfit. I may not have as good an eye for clothes as her or Coco Pommel, but I think I know what’ll work for you!”

In no time at all, the two were browsing the racks of the very same clothing store Gem had gone to for her first clothes-buying expedition, Vintage Midnight. “I think we’re going to want to stick with green,” Sunset was saying as they went along. “To match your hair and eyes. You could wear just about anything though, with that skin tone of yours! Gem is the same way. I must admit, I’m a little jealous of her sometimes. Grey doesn’t clash with anything!”

Chryssi laughed, and held up her choice: a two-tone green short-sleeved shirt with a silk skirt in similar colors. Over her shoulder was a pair of green leggings with holes cut in the fabric, starting around the knee. “Hoe about these?”

Sunset grinned, “Perfect! Go try them on!” She sat down on a bench to wait.

Chryssi headed into the women’s fitting room and began to strip down, hanging her old clothes on a hook. She was wearing a pale blue bra and panties borrowed from Sonata, since it turned out they shared a cup size. Running a hand along her belly, she thought of her chitin. This is better, she decided. Much better. She put on the new clothes and stepped out, keeping her old boots.

Sunset’s hand cupped her chin as she looked Chrysalis over. “It’s a good start,” she said finally. “But you need new boots. These ones don’t work as well. And maybe a hat and decorative glasses? I’m rambling.” She blushed.

Chrysalis chuckled and smiled, “That’s okay, I think it’s adorable.” Laughing at the surprised look on Sunset’s face, she sashayed her way toward the shoe section, surveying the options. After a time, she picked out a pair of green boots that exactly matched the leggings, and a pair of green glasses. Last of all was a dark teal beret.

Sunset beamed and clapped her hands, “I think we have a winner! How do you feel?”

“Amazing,” Chrysalis said, turning around and around. 

Sunset nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that! Go change and they’ll bag it all up for us.”

Chrysalis nodded and went to do just that.

“It really is a marvel what a change of clothes can do for someone,” Gem was saying, as Chrysalis and Sunset rejoined the others at the cafe. “You look positively radiant, Chryssi!”

Chrysalis blushed a little and smiled. “It wasn’t all me,” she said, taking Sunset’s hand. “She helped.”

The other eight girls noted this. “Ooooh!” gushed Sonata, her hands flying to her cheeks, “Are you two in loooooove?”

Sunset blushed now, “I guess so… we had a very long talk about it in the car on the way back. Somehow, turning into a teenage girl from an immortal insect queen changes the body and the mind.”

“I think you two look adorable,” Emerald chimed in, from where she was sitting with Twilight. “Hey Sparks, that makes me think: if we’re all half pony, what about Chryssi? Is she half bug?”

Twilight shrugged, and crossed her legs as she considered this. “It’s a possibility,” she said, “But we won’t know for sure until, or even if, she ponies up as we do.”

Chrysalis blinked. “Ponies up?”

Raven explained, “It’s what we call it when we grow pony ears and stuff. Sunny here says that it happens when we show off the truest part of ourselves, or when we just need to channel a whole ton of magic, instead of just the casual stuff that we always do.” She snapped her fingers and turned Emerald’s soda into a salami sandwich.

Emerald glared. “Hey! I was gonna drink that, bird girl!”

Raven smirked, “Oh relax, wolfy. I was gonna change it back!” She snaps her fingers and does so.

“But how did it happen?” Chrysalis asked. “I thought humans weren’t capable of casting magic.”

“We can because of Sunset,” Adagio explained. “She came here with Princess Twilight’s Element of Magic. She used it to gain power, then Princess Twilight, Gem, and Raven used the power of friendship magic to defeat her, and ever since then, magic has been floating around in the air since.”

“Then why can’t the other humans use it too?” Chrysalis pointed out.

“They are not as attuned to it as we are,” Twilight says. “Furthermore, having magic has changed our DNA, meaning that any children any of us have may be able to use magic too, just like we can.”

Chrysalis nodded. “I see… do you suppose it’s possible for me to gain access to this power you all wield?”

The other eight girls looked at each other. Had this been a few weeks ago, they would’ve been very suspicious. Finally, Twilight spoke. “It might be, now that you have allowed friendship into your heart, courtesy of Gem… try closing your eyes and think about how friendship makes you feel.”

Chrysalis nodded, and closed her eyes as requested. She thought of the friends she'd made in the short time she had been in this world. Of how they helped her transform from the vindictive queen of the past into... into what? What was she? She thought about Sunset and the Dazzlings. They, like her, were immigrants from Equestria. They had lost their previous selves, and were reborn... Reborn as humans, Gem had said. And like it or not, the same was happening to her.

It struck her then how little she had been thinking about her past life in these last few weeks. Her old life had been filled with the need to rule, to be a royal. But then she came here, and all that had been taken away. She no longer needed to rule anyone, or conquer her enemies. She had been so focused on living up to her role as queen, that she had forgotten herself. But being here had changed that.

She considered her body. It resembled her old one, but it was so different... But she found she liked it, even preferred it. And in that moment, Chrysalis understood. She was not a changeling anymore, but a human. In body, mind, and heart. And all because of the eight girls who were gathered around her now.

One of those girls spoke. "Chrysalis? You can open your eyes now," Gem said. Someone placed a mirror near her hand. Chrysalis opened her eyes and looked into the mirror.

What she saw made her gasp. Instead of skin, she had chitin once more, she could tell by the way it felt when she ran her fingers down her arm. There was her old horn, as long as she remembered, and her old wings. Her legs and arms, starting around the knee and elbow respectively, had holes in them. Changeling ears poked through her hair, which was much longer now. She touched her cheek, unable to believe it. "What... What happened?" she asked, in the same soft buzzing voice she had used back in Equestria.

"You ponied up," said Sunset, shrugging. "Or bugged up, in your case. You rose into the air, you were glowing, there was a burst of fire, and you came out the other side looking like that."

Chrysalis hovered above the rest of the group, putting her old flight instincts back into practice. Her wings buzzed loudly behind her, and she giggled. "Is it permanent?" she asked.

Twilight shook her head. "It usually wears off after a few hours for us, so the same is probably true for you. Try using your magic as you normally would."

Nodding, Chrysalis concentrated on a form she wanted to take. With a burst of green fire, every part of her body began to change. Her wings and horn disappeared, her chitin became grey skin, her hair turned brown, and her eyes turned bright green, with round pupils. As the fire dispersed, a perfect clone of Gem stood before them.

Gem stepped forward, amazed, and ran a hand down her clone’s body. “It’s perfect… in every detail…” she said in an awed voice.

Chrys-Gem smirked, her eyes flaring briefly to show Chrysalis’ real ones. “So nice to meet me,” she said, in a perfect duplication of Gem’s voice. “I must say, you are looking positively radiant.”

Emerald grinned wolfishly. “Oh, this is how it all ends. Gem flirting with herself. True love at last.” She looked across the room at Raven. “Oh, sorry, Raven.”

“Absolutely no problem at all,” murmured Raven, who was watching the two Gems with a glazed expression on her face.

“I can taste that, you know,” said Chrysalis, still in Gem’s voice. “And oh my, it tastes even better than I remember…” She grins, licking her lips and showing her fangs as she wrapped her arms around the true Gem and Raven both. “Say girls, why don’t we go upstairs and play? Now that I’ve unlocked my powers?”

Gem blushed fire-engine red. “Later!” she said hastily, waving her arms around. “When we don’t have guests!”

Chrysalis and Raven awww’d, but nodded. Chrysalis released her hold on Gem’s form and smiled happily, “Oooh, that felt good… I was afraid I’d never get to do that again!” She buzzed her wings and flew around in a little circle.

Gem cleared her throat. “Anyway! Now that we have established that Chryssi can, in fact, use her magic again, how about we move on to the business at hand?”

Sunset nodded, “Oh yes, living arrangements… we talked it over on the drive back, and it was decided that we can’t really accommodate 5 people at my house… so while we know Chryssi is going to have to move out, we just don’t know where she could go next.”

“I have a suggestion!” Sonata raised her hand exuberantly, and Gem called on her. “Yes Sonata?”

“Longhaul’s house!” Sonata grinned.

Chrysalis blinked. “Who is this Longhaul? The only Longhaul I remember was…” She stopped, remembering the pony who had spied for Celestia during her attempted invasion of Ponyville.

“Longhaul is the kind bus driver who took us in after the Battle,” Adagio explained. “He’s been a tremendous help to each of us, and we’re sure he’d like to help you too, once he’s met you that is.”

Chrysalis nodded, looking unsure. “Are you sure that’s such a great idea?” she asked.

Gem placed a calming hand on Chrysalis’ shoulder and smiled. “Don’t fret, Chryssi. The Dazzlings will introduce you, and it will all go well. Trust me, you’re in good hands with him.”

“I suppose we can give it a try,” Chrysalis said with a nod. “What have I got to lose?”

“Aw, c'mon, Longhaul, she said she was sorry!” Sonata pleaded. “Besides, she's reformed now! She's not evil anymore, and she really needs a place to stay! C'mon, you've been so nice to us when we were like this, and she promises she won't try to kill you in your sleep, right Chryssi?” Chrysalis just nodded, looking at the bus driver who had a look of suspicion and hatred in his eyes. 

“You gave us a chance, and we didn't betray you, did we? We wouldn't ask if we thought she as any danger to you or that we couldn't trust her,” Adagio added. 

“Seriously, dude, if you could put up with me, I know you can handle her,” Aria said. 

“You say she's harmless, and I know you haven't steered me wrong before,” Longhaul said slowly, “but I still have bruises on my neck that suggest otherwise.” Chrysalis looked down at the floor. “At least with you three, all I had to worry about was becoming enslaved by your strange magics. Not sure I wanna be sleeping with a baseball bat by my side, which I will do if I have to.” He stressed the final words while glaring hard at Chrysalis. 

“Mister Longhaul,” Chrysalis said in a soft voice, “I know what I did was wrong. I've changed a lot since that day, honest I have. Gem and the others have shown me that there's more to life than revenge and world domination. I've lives so long under that cloud it was tough for me to shake it when I was sent here, but I have made myself a better bug. Or person, if you prefer. All I ask is that you give me a chance.” 

“Please, Longhaul? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?” Sonata gazed at Longhaul with her patented killer cute eyes. Aria and Adagio soon joined in. 

Longhaul sighed. “Okay, you win, turn it off.” He sighed, and put a wry smile on his face. “Welcome to Longhaul's Halfway House for Wayward Magical Beings Intent On Dominating This Puny Little World. I will make you the same deal I made Sonata and her sisters, violation of which results in instant eviction. Are you willing to accept the terms I am about to lay forth?” 

Chrysalis nodded while Sonata did a little victory dance. Aria elbowed her lightly, which started Sonata and Aria shoving each other until Adagio grabbed them both by the collars and gave them a stern look. Sonata and Aria flashed sheepish grins at Longhaul while Adagio rolled her eyes. 

“Okay. All I ask of my guests is that they pick up after themselves. I am not the maid, nor am I the butler. Any mess you make is to be cleaned up immediately. I will be glad to cook dinners for you, and if there are any special dietary needs or restrictions, tell me about them. If you want, you can help me clean the rest of the house as well. Nothing fancy, just dusting shelves and wiping down tables, maybe vacuuming if you're up for it. That's purely voluntary. I will show you your room downstairs, and provide you with a key to the front door once I feel I can trust you enough with it. In the meantime, curfew is at 10:30 pm every night, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. If you're not back by curfew, make other arrangements for sleeping that night. Three strikes and you'll need a new place to live.” He extended his hand. “If you still agree, we'll shake on it and I'll give you the grand tour.” 

Chrysalis eyed Longhaul's outstretched hand, and glanced at the sirens. All three were nodding, and Adagio made a 'go-ahead' motion with her hands. “I agree,” Chrysalis said, taking Longhaul's hand in hers. “I promise I will not let you down.” 

Longhaul's stern countenance softened a bit. “Very well then. Let's start by showing you around and getting you settled into your room.” As he led Chrysalis to the basement stairs, he flashed a worried look to the Dazzlings, who nodded and smiled reassuringly. Longhaul nodded slowly, and headed down the stairs with Chrysalis. 

Chrysalis settled in quickly to her life with Longhaul. As requested, she was home by curfew every night, without fail. She spent most of her time continuing to experience what this world had to offer, starting with her new job at a taco place. She bought a laptop with her monthly paychecks, and even started planning out what she might do with the rest of her new life. As time passed, she grew so adept at being human it was hard to believe she had ever been anything else.

The last day of school wasn’t just a goodbye for Gem and her friends, but for Chrysalis too. She met with them a couple days before graduation at their usual table in the cafe.

“So, what’s going on Chryssi?” Sunset asked as the other eight girls settled down. “You’ve been even more mysterious than usual!”

Chrysalis smiled. “I’m leaving Canterlot and moving to Las Pegasus,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the time I’ve spent here with you girls and Longhaul, but… my future lies westward. I can reinvent myself there in ways I never could here.”

“We support you in whatever you decide to do, Chryssi,” Gem said, giving her a hug. “We’re all very proud of you!” On cue, everyone else joined in the hug.

Once the hug was broken, Sunset had a thought. “What about… you know, us? Are we still dating?”

Chrysalis squeezed Sunset’s hand warmly with her own. “Only if you want to,” she says. “I understand if you want to find someone else.”

Sunset shook her head and kissed the ex-changeling passionately, “There’s nobody else I can see myself with… I’m moving to Manehattan for college, but after I graduate, we could look into moving in together, if you wanted…”

Chrysalis nodded, “I would like nothing more, Sunny. You’ve made me very, very happy.”

Sunset smiled in relief, “That’s excellent news! When are you moving out?”

“The day after you all graduate,” Chrysalis replied. “I have an apartment waiting, and a job too.”

“What a relief!” Sonata said brightly. “We can have a real goodbye party!”

A year had passed since Chrysalis had first turned up on the front lawn of CHS. Her former life was a distant memory now, she had a much better career as a therapist. Thanks to her proximity to Applewood, a lot of her clients tended to be rich and famous. She saw everybody from movie and TV stars to musicians and authors, and much more besides. She also kept in regular contact with Sunset via the magic of video chat, and was informed that she and the other girls were all doing well since they’d last seen each other, during their cross-country road trip. It was after one of these video-chat sessions that a knock came on the door. 

“Coming!” Chrysalis called, walking from her kitchen table to the front door and opening it. 

On the other side stood two women of about her age. One had lavender skin and dark blue hair streaked with purple and pink, and wore a blue blouse with a purple skirt, and black and purple boots. The other woman had dark blue skin and wore a flowy blue dress scattered with stars. They smiled, “Sunset told us you lived here now, so we decided to check in on you,” Twilight said.

Chrysalis smiled and moved aside to let them in. “Come on in! Can I get you anything to drink?”

“We require cherry limeade!” proclaimed Luna, gesturing grandly.

Twilight giggled behind a hand, “It’s her favorite drink,” she explains. “You should have seen her when we first arrived!”

As Princesses Twilight and Luna fell through the portal into the human world, Twilight quickly got up and helped Luna to her own feet. “Doing okay, Luna?” she asked. “Don’t freak out, that’s what I did the first time, and-“ 

She stopped in mid-sentence. Luna was busy removing all her clothes and feeling herself, running her hands along her skin and marveling, “Tis the same shade as our noble fur coat! What trickery is this?! And these digits!” She wiggled her fingers. “They must be excellent for manipulating objects!”

Twilight very quickly stuffed Luna back into her dress and dragged her toward the cafe, “Come on, I’ll get you some cherry limeade…”

“Tis a true warrior’s drink!” Luna shouted, throwing a fist in the air.

Back in Chrysalis’ apartment, Luna sat on the couch and sulked. “We didst not act so barbarically, Twilight Sparkle,” she grumbled.

“Did too,” Twilight said, sticking her tongue out. 

Chrysalis came back with three glasses of cherry limeade each and placed them down before the two princesses, chuckling. “So as you can see, this is my place! Do you like it?”

Twilight nodded, “It’s a lovely little home, Chrysalis. We’re both very proud of how far you’ve come.”

“I am too,” Chrysalis said with a smile. “I feel so much happier now that I don’t have a swarm full of drones to rule over and feed… I don’t even consider myself a true changeling, anymore.”

Twilight and Luna looked at one another in shock. “Truly?!” Luna gasped. 

Chrysalis nodded. “My friends have shown me not only friendship, but what it means to be human… and I find I am much better off as a human than a changeling.”

“So you won’t be coming back with us, then?” Twilight asked. 

Chrysalis shook her head. “Not at all. The changelings are better off without me, I think. Besides… I have a job I love, a girlfriend, and pure happiness. What more do I need?”

Twilight smiled again, “Nothing else, Chrysalis. Nothing else.”

“Not quite, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna interrupted. “There is one thing Chrysalis still needs.” Without further explanation, Luna rose and departed quickly.

When she returned some time later, a new figure was with her. The new woman was dark-skinned and tall, about Principal Celestia’s height, and she had long purple hair that fell in waves to her shoulders. Her eyes resembled Chrysalis’, though they too were purple. She quickly headed over to Chrysalis and embraced her tight, running her hands through her hair. “Sister…” whispered the newcomer. “How I missed you…”

Chrysalis returned the hug, smiling up at the other woman. “I missed you too, Cal… and I’m sorry for betraying you like I did… you were always a wiser ruler than I was… if I hadn’t betrayed you, I might still be alive.”

“But you are alive,” Calyx said with a small smile. “Reborn as something new. But you will always be my baby sister, no matter what else happens.” She looked to the two Equestrian princesses. “Thank you for allowing me to visit her, your majesties.”

Luna smiled warmly. “We are quite familiar with the importance of reconciliation with one’s siblings, Queen Calyx. Thou art most welcome.” 

Calyx nodded, and together the four royals resumed their conversation, catching each other up on what had changed in the intervening decades.