Chrysalis followed her mother, a towering changeling queen, down the hive's extensive tunnels. She shivered slightly; it may be her home but she never felt at ease, especially around her mother. The queen almost seemed to detest the shy filly who cared more about making daisy chains on the surface meadows than ruling the underground hive which she was supposed to inherit.

After all Chrysalis was a sweet and gentle creature who loved to learn new things, even if she was rather timid.

Her mother didn't like this at all, from the moment she had held the grub, eight years ago she had known something wasn't right: her daughter was as honest as a pony! There wasn't a deceptive bone in her body.

The current queen turned around. "Hurry up!" she barked at Chrysalis, who had ducked away from a particularly frightening shadow and hurried towards her mother.

Her daughter swallowed and nodded, scurrying after her aloof and mysterious mother. She had forgotten where they were going and in a soft, mild voice spoke: "Mommy, where are we going again? I-I-I forgot, I'm sorry."

Of course you did, thought the queen. "We're heading to the throne room, dear."

"Okay, thanks for reminding me, mother. I'll be sure to remember next time!" Chrysalis beamed, excited at the thought of any sort of importance, even if the throne room was sort of boring. Her soft, mint-green mane waved with delight.

Her mother smiled.

Every morning Majesty rose with the Princess who raised and lowered the sun each day and night in Canterlot. Majesty didn't live anywhere near Canterlot. Instead she resided in a small apartment in Manehatten with her foster parents.

If she were to look out the window, she'd be able to see that the dawn was a soft pink today, like that of her coat. But she couldn't look out the window, at least not yet.

When Majesty managed to get up and fit her crippled leg into her brace she hauled herself over to the vanity which she loved so dearly. Her eyes avoided the mirror until she found what she was looking for: a silver half-mask, like they wore in the theaters on Bridleway. It was very pretty, with red chrysanthemum flowers and twirling green ivy all over it. However, unlike most masks the eye's hole was only a black spot painted on.

Majesty's lime green aura sparkled as she lifted the mask up and put it over the 'scarred' half of her face, the one that scared the children. Underneath this mask was a creeping black chitin, ever since she could remember, seventeen-year old Majesty had been plagued by a strange pestilence that puzzled every doctor, when she still allowed them near her, that was. The chitin started replacing her soft pink coat eight years ago, it covered parts of her chest, digging in as painfully as possible, as well as most of her lower half. Not only was she unable to see any cutie mark she might have, but she was horribly crippled as well, unable to fit into the bustle dresses that were the latest fashion for young mares like herself. Worst of all was its effect on her face: the entire right side, including the ear, was covered. It changed her eye as well, no longer was it a soft brown like her left but a green demon's eye.

She glanced in the mirror once the mask was in place. Majesty frowned. There was the slightest bit of new chitin creeping out from under it, with rough edges that dug into her flesh. The mask she wore everyday had belonged to her late mother, who died in a carriage accident three years ago on her way home from work. Majesty had never known her father, but that never worried her, what did was the state of her mask. Her 'parents' would start wondering if they should get her a new one, followed by another heartfelt speech about how beautiful their 'daughter' was on the inside as well as another round of 'Oh, why isn't there anypony talented enough to help her?'

Majesty smiled coyly at her reflection, revealing the fangs this dreaded disease had given her. If only they knew what their 'beloved' daughter did when they weren't around. How Majesty used her magic to manipulate those who hurt her with words into hurting themselves in ways that were much more physical while she looked on with foalish delight. Majesty believed, no, knew that as her name suggested true beauty was on the outside. Appearance was everything!

She fluffed her thick, straight mane and tail of blue-green, hoping to make it look less limp, and blew on the one strand that was forever in her face before fixing the rest of it so it hid her mask a bit more.

After this she decided to put on the cosmetics she was practically obsessed with, hoping a dark purple eye shadow would distract other ponies from the new chitin.

Soon, Majesty had finished her morning routine, grabbing a crutch before heading off to do her Saturday window shopping.

It started with the note pasted to the front door. It was addressed to her of all ponies telling her to catch a long distance carriage ride for a job offer. Majesty, not being a very obedient daughter decided to go. What job could possibly offered to a pony such as herself? It didn't matter if her guardians became worried since Majesty was much more intrigued by the thrill, and fished enough bits out of the savings jar for fare. It was early enough, and she'd be home in time for supper so nopony would be worried about her.

Majesty left a note saying she went to a splurge her allowance on Bridleway plays. It didn't matter that it was a lie, that was one of Majesty's specialties.

Majesty was the sort who could be easily irritated by annoying traits and other inconveniences, like having to walk long distances in her state.

After silently seething with all the complaints she was going to give to whatever pony was crazy enough to lead her to the middle of a meadow four hours away from the bustling hive of a city she loved (and hated just as equally).

Except... the pony who sent for me isn't a pony at all, thought Majesty.

With her uncovered eye she stared at the creature before her, it looked a little like a pony but why was he...er, it...so insectoid?

The creature pointed a holey leg at a an empty space in the air.

"What are you pointing at?"

Majesty drew back in shock as it drew back her mask. "What nerve!"

She was about to smack its hole ridden hoof away when she saw something that hadn't been there before: the space wasn't as empty as it seemed, it shimmered slightly and disappeared altogether if she stared at it with her left eye but the demon eye...it could see this.

Majesty followed the black insect pony, and once inside the strange doorway, she refitted her mask.

Chrysalis and her mother sat in a large cavern that served as the throne room. The throne itself was a dangerous looking cluster of eerie greenish rock spires all clustered together, although they thankfully managed to form a decent seat for the queen and the shadow of a princess next to her.

"Today is an important day for our hive," the queen stated coolly, her steely gaze not even close to meeting her daughter's wide-eyed and curious one.

"Why, Mommy?"

"My dear, I know you don't wish to rule, in fact I knew it when I first held you-"

"How, Mommy?"

"Call it a mother's intuition," she said, still not looking anywhere except one of the many different entries in the deserted throne room. "As I was saying, I know that you aren't capable of taking the throne, so a long time-eight years-ago I picked out another pony to be the Queen."

"A pony? But mama, we're changelings! How can a pony rule us? They don't have the senses, right Mommy?"

The queen smiled slyly. "There is a spell we changelings can perform, it is called the Change of Heart and it works on normal ponies by slowly changing them into a queen from the time they are very young."

"Really? Does that mean I'll have a sister to play with?! Until she becomes queen that is..."

"No worries, this mare, as they are called, will be very important to us both, her arrival will release you from your duties."

"Hello...?" A third voice said, both royals turned to look at a 'mare' limping in as she was lead by a drone, who was quickly dismissed by a nod from the queen who rose from the throne and eyed Majesty with a distant politeness.

"Come with me," she said simply.

Majesty followed the queen out of the throne room, ignoring a friendly wave from the young grub. The queen lead Majesty through many dimly lit twisting tunnels, all unfamiliar to the guest.

"Do you know why you are here?" The queen asked.

Majesty shook her head.

"Eight years ago I saw a pony-grub with the power to bend minds, and she used them for deceit, to fuel lies and take love for her own gain."

"...That was me, wasn't it?"

"Yes, when I saw that pony-grub, I knew she was the daughter I had lost, a ruthless soul, just like myself. Other hives may scorn my more malicious methods but they are nothing compared to me. I cast a spell on you-"

Majesty gestured to her mask. "You mean all this?" The last word was emphasized but not with the hate one would expect, rather a morbid curiosity.

"Yes, because I know what you love."

Majesty blinked. "...and that is?"

"Power. Attention. You love lies and sheer maliciousness, whatever it takes to get you what you want."

"Are all change-beings-"

"Changelings," the queen corrected.

"Are all changelings, like this?"

"No, unfortunately."

For a moment there wasn't a single sound uttered, then Majesty spoke. "What is it you want from me? How do I-"

"Become my heir? Have me complete the spell? Take my daughter's name?"

Majesty nodded, running her tongue over her fangs in greedy anticipation. Her, a princess and one day a queen!

"Tell me, please!"

The queen dislodged an object from between two intersecting stone walls and passed something to Majesty, who only smiled.

Chrysalis stared at the floor in front of her. She was trying to figure out the best way to balance along the part of the ground where she could see cracks in the stone floor.

A lock of pale green mane fell in her face, escaping her bow, the only adornment she wore other than a wiry crown.

"What are you doing, sweetie?" a happy voice cooed.

Chrysalis turned around to see the stranger, her new sister. "Hi," she said smiling, hoping to make a good first impression. "I was just keeping out of Mommy's way, especially now that I don't have to do princessy stuff any more, which sounds like tons of fun!"

"That's right," her sister said with a smile. "I'm here to release you from your duties."

Chrysalis was wondering how this worked, she had never heard of this happening before. She decided to sit on the floor so she could devote her full attention to her big sis. "How? Can we play afterwards?"

She watched as the pink unicorn's straight horn glowed with a bright green, unlike Chrysalis' pale spring aura. She saw the magic, which was especially sparkly compared to what she was used to, pull off the pretty mask and toss it to the ground, hitting the stone and releasing one sharp note.

The half-mare smiled even wider than before, and held something else so fast Chrysalis almost couldn't see it: a long knife bearing a wicked edge.

"Close your eyes."

Author's Notes:

Solving the mystery makes me happy.