If there was anything that had come to Twilight’s attentions in the time she had spent as Chrysalis’ consort, it was the strange sort of tranquility that had permeated across their individual relationships. The reasons behind such a thing had yet to reveal itself, yet the analytical mind that was her own tended to have a few hypotheses that could explain this pleasant revelation. After all, the hierarchy of the Changeling horde possessed some similarities to an insect colony; the ability to communicate and work in relative harmony seemed to permeate the place. It wasn’t impossible for such traits to have an effect on those who were around it, to take some sort of hold themselves and have influence.

It was somewhat strange to find herself this way; she’d never felt so close to the other girls before, so naturally in tune with their thoughts and desires. Perhaps it was the level of intimacy they shared that helped? But still, it wasn’t enough of an explanation, since even their arguments were rarely all that fiery; there was humor and love within them now, turning what had once been heated into something softer- and oftentimes, something amusing to witness.

“Oh, do be still, Applejack,” Rarity said, atop her splendidly dressed friend in the hopes of forcing acquiescence. “One would think I was poking you with needles, the way you’re squirming. All I want is for you to look the part!”

Applejack gave a noise that suggested discomfort, trying to avoid her love’s eyes as the beautiful fashionista’s trinkets dangled above her. It wasn’t the first time they’d had this sort of discussion, though definitely not in the same scenario. “I just don’t like it, that’s all,” Applejack said, trying to hold her ground in the matter. “I know you like getting all gussied up, but it’s just not my thing.”

Twilight tried to suppress a smirk as she watched her two girlfriends continue their debate, bound together atop the luxurious king-size bed. They’d all been requested to return for a pronouncement and had been asked to dress for the occasion; Twilight, being a chief executor in the coming decision, had arrived two days prior. Now they only waited on Rainbow’s return before they could begin- her return, and the assent of a still-nervous farmgirl.

“You let me design your dress for you,” Rarity pouted. “All I want to do is add a little glamour.”

“And then you’ll go overboard.”

“No, I most certainly will not,” the seamstress countered. “Darling, you hardly need anything at all in the first place- all I want to do is… accentuate a few things! A bit here and there to make you really sparkle.”

The farmgirl, dressed resplendently in a black dress of her own, was clearly wavering in her spot on the fence. “Just a little?”

“Just a little glamour,” Rarity promised, a kiss on the lips for emphasis. “See? Sealed, like a lady’s promise. Please, Applejack, you’ll look so lovely.”

Applejack eyed Rarity apprehensively for a time further before turning to Twilight. “Don’t let her make me look all frou-frou,” she pleaded.

Twilight smiled, happily taking in the beautiful form of her girlfriend. The detail Rarity had put into her attire was marvelous, the dark gown perfectly fitting the farmgirl’s form and giving her a more natural beauty rather than one of fine elegance. It was similar to Fluttershy, but without the touch of sexuality that the first of them had been graced with; to look at Applejack in that black dress was to see something unaltered, deliberately left untouched so as to be beautiful on its own. Her bust was lovely, revealed only slightly so as to let the freckles upon them shimmer like flecks of gold on her skin, held tight by a fine fabric that caused her bright blonde hair to glow-

“Uh, Twilight? You alright?” The words were genuine, and without a hint of irony. Though a willing member of their happy harem, Applejack had yet to full naturalize to the desires the others had come to hold so dearly. She hadn’t realized Twilight had become distracted.

“Oh, sorry,” Twilight replied, not abashed in the slightest. “I was just admiring you and got distracted, that’s all. You really are pretty.”

“She most certainly is,” Rarity assented, her added words bringing the farmgirl to embarrassment. “Goodness, that lovely skin, that beautiful hair, and not a single ounce of product. I can’t imagine how she does it!”

“Because she’s perfect?”

“In every conceivable manner,” Rarity added, leaning back down to add a few more kisses to Applejack’s lips. The first was swift and fierce, the second a slower and gentler thing; as the third came down and found its pair, Applejack found herself unable to resist and met the fashionista’s fervor with some of her own, the two parting slowly and finding themselves eager for a little more. “Oh, now you have a little lipstick on you- why don’t I just add some more and make it complete?”

Applejack debated it for only a little longer. “Can you and Twi make it up to me tonight?”

“In spades, darling,” Rarity said, a wink in the bookish princess’ direction at the tantalizing offer. “Now, hold still. I won’t be long.”

Twilight rested there in peace, watching as the two beauties began their effort of beautification. She’d never imagined that she’d know them so intimately- much less any of the others! Now they were all so deeply connected, wondrously intertwined by fierce bonds of love and faith in one another. There was preferences and desires between them that perhaps only one could offer, but they always found a way back to the beating heart of a marvelous queen that made their center. In her, and through her, they had come together in harmony. It was better than any of them could have imagined- and more exciting than any fantasy could have dared to hope.

The doors to their quarters were thrust open and in strode Chrysalis, the personification of dark beauty as the magnificent dress she wore seemed to flourish with every step. “Rainbow has arrived at last,” she declared to them, coming to a halt beside Twilight as she offered her brilliant beloved a tender kiss. “Fluttershy offered to help her get prepared, do you have any objections, Rarity?”

“Not at all, darling,” Rarity said, not even a glance in the queen’s direction as she continued her polishing of Applejack. “Fluttershy knows dear Rainbow even better than I do, I’m sure she’ll do a wonderful job.”

“Excellent. What say you three- be ready for the announcement in thirty minutes?”

“Hmm… make it forty-five just to be safe, I think.”

“Very well,” Chrysalis said. An offered hand and Twilight rose to find a place at her side, the two now needing to be elsewhere. “We will be in the lounge when you’re both ready.”

“Be there as quick as we can. Love you, Chrissy!”

Chrysalis beamed as she and Twilight departed from Rarity’s presence, buoyed by the affirmation she received from such a glamorous woman. “She loves me,” the beautiful royal said delightedly. “Ooh, just the sound of it…”

“Does it sound nice?” Twilight asked pleasantly.

“It sounds perfect,” Chrysalis said. “Just as it does from any of you.”

Twilight grinned, happy to let her hand remain in this splendid creature’s grasp. “I hope that’s not flattery. You might make someone feel jealous.”

“As in you, Twilight?” Chrysalis crowed. “Why, if you’d like a little love before we begin…”

As the bright-minded princess threw her arms about the dark queen’s neck in a romantic embrace, it seemed the answer was quite clear. They still had plenty of time.

It was the first time that the entirety of the horde had been summoned since they had first stepped into the darkened halls and floors of their hidden nest. Never had they all been in one singular space, their numbers too great for such a thing to be easily accomplished. They would find themselves spread across the levels and deep into the darkened places for rest, away from the halls and workspaces above where duty would eventually call. But this had been a summons from their queen, their mother who had bade them come forth and hear her words. From the members of the Ravens to the Commanders to even the lowliest of drones, all of them could sense there was something new in the air. Their mother, their ruler, was not as she had once been- and neither were they. That unspoken transition into something else was nearing its last evolution, though what exactly that was remained something they could not name.

As they crept from hiding places and sleeping quarters to the stage where they had been called, every Changeling knew this was to be something momentous. A real change was coming.

The stage that had been made for performance and the slaking of hunger had been temporarily renovated, the rotating poles that had known the touch of a frizzy-haired beauty taken aside and replaced with a series of thrones, a looming seat in the center that was the color of venom. Though they knew that this was the call of their Queen, the horde could not understand who else was to be there before them. Seven in all, they counted- but why were her Ladies to address them also?

“It is the call for battle,” murmured one to her companion, face wrought with nerves at the thought. “We will invade after all. She finally got everything she wanted.”

“It couldn’t be. Not now, with her Ladies at her side,” replied another. “They’d be attacking their own homeland, surely not.”

“And one of them is royalty,” added one more, a slender figure of a woman who seemed little more than wisp. “One known for her loyalty to her people.”

“Yet they have bound themselves to Her Majesty,” came the objection. “Surely that means something.”

“You hear her say it often now- all of them do,” was the reply of the younger woman. “That they love one another. You can feel it in the air, like a flame by your face.”

“So what does that mean for now?” The words rang empty in the great crowd of Changelings as they awaited the arrival of their mother, unanswered and allowing the tension to continue. For the first time in the history of the horde, the Changelings found themselves fearing a coming conflict; life here had become so good, did it have to come to an end?

The atmosphere of the room changed in an instant at the arrival of the Commanders, each of the three taking their place at the edge of the stage, wardens and final barrier between the world and their ruler. The call of entry rang forth from their lips, bidding their siblings to give praise to their queen as Chrysalis strode from the back and towards the darkened throne that awaited her. To the great horde of warriors and deceivers, their queen was more glorious and beautiful than they had ever seen; dark hair shone in the light, smooth as strands of silk that adorned her perfect skin and reaching down to an elegant black dress that was befitting of a ruler. She was their goddess, their beautiful lady, somehow softer and mightier than ever before.

“My children,” Chrysalis called out in a ringing voice, “give praise to my Ladies.”

With the cue given, out from the stage tunnel came a group of six, adorned in the same colors of black as their beloved, perfectly dressed in finery unlike any royalty the horde had witnessed before. Taking to their assigned thrones and coming to a rest, the awestruck crowd could only bring forth their praises in honor of them; these were the infinite wellsprings to their strength, the source of life that had made their mother great. They were to be adored, to be cherished, protected with their very lives. It would be impossible to do anything but love them, and each soul there knew it.

Chrysalis motioned for silence, letting the crowd become calm before turning to regard her cherished companions. There at the corner of the stage, closest to danger and most capable of safeguarding them all sat Rainbow, beautiful and proud in a demure dress that so properly clashed with her strong features, turning a warrior princess into an innocent girl. At her opposite was Applejack, beautified by the Lady of the House in a way that only she could manage, blonde hair become like water underneath the stagelights and shone perfectly against the darkness of the fabric. To the farmgirl’s left sat the maestro behind her makeup, an aura of perfect grace and royalty about Rarity as she took her place. To Chrysalis’ left and happily caught in between two of her favorite people was Pinkie Pie, a skin-tight black dress leaving little to the imagination and highlighting the cheery girl’s sexual frivolity. At the left hand of their queen sat a tranquil princess, Twilight’s shadowy ballgown making her fair skin glow like pale, beautiful starlight. And there at Chrysalis’ right hand sat the progenitor of it all, Fluttershy happily in the midst of her many loves and adorned in that very first gift her beloved queen had graced upon her. To Chrysalis, it was a sight of wondrous beauty.

The Changeling horde looked upon their queen and her Ladies with reverence and love, this newfound feeling having consumed them in fullness. Whatever words that would come from their lips would be bound on their hearts and demand to be met; they would follow whatever orders that came next without question.

“We have come far,” Chrysalis began, addressing her horde with a softness of expression that had never known its place before. This was their queen, yes- but she spoke to them now as a parent to their child, that fire and fury not at all present. “Is there any among you who can claim to still remain unchanged? Are we even a shadow of our former selves?”

The crowd shuffled, unsure of how to answer. Was it for good or ill that these changes had come?

“Look upon me,” Chrysalis commanded, and all eyes turned to lavish their praise. “Am I not stronger, more beautiful than I ever was? Do my Ladies not grant me their love and I in return? This bond we share has made me strong. I am more myself than ever before.”

The crowd waited on bated breath, tense and waiting for the hammer to fall. They knew what came next when their queen spoke of strength. Battle was to begin brewing, that was why the Commanders had taken their place…

“And I now see that what I once set out to achieve is little more than folly,” Chrysalis continued. “Our fight against this kingdom offers us nothing that we did not find here. Because of love we have grown strong and healthy. We are at peace, content with our lot. Our days of theft, of conquering… are to come to an end.” She nodded in emphasis as the crowd let a hushed gasp rippled through them in a wave. “The invasion shall never come to pass. We shall not wage war against this place ever again.”

The crowd of Changelings shuffled amongst themselves, some of the bolder souls willing to show their relief and gratitude. The love that permeated the air because of their mother’s Ladies had been delectable, perfect to their palate. What sort of offering could riches hope to bring that could even begin to compare? Here, at least, they had their fill.

“Some of you have heard the rumors,” their queen said, “the Ravens have indeed traveled across this country. I hoped for new nests, more shelter and safety for you all. We are numerous, and the space we take leaves little relief; new abodes that would shelter many of you is necessary even still.”

“But you do not need to have a nest amongst us all anymore,” Twilight added, cue given to add her words to the mix. “Because you could have a new life instead. No nest, no deceptions, no hiding away for fear of discovery. You could be free.”

Those who heard her were left shocked, fearful of this possible new reality. They had not actually heard such a thing, had they? These ways were ancient, from time before even their queen had come to reign. Surely the time for their abandonment had not come yet…

“I offer this to you willingly,” Chrysalis said. “Gladly. You would be able to know love yourself, to feel it hold tight within you- and return it freely. What love I have for myself has made me mighty. Would you not be willing to seek out such a love for yourself?”

The Changelings spoke amongst themselves for a time, perhaps both tempted and wary of such an offer. They were creatures of subterfuge and theft, bent for the darkness and shadowy places; the normal world was a foreign thing to them, operated in solely to find a way to feed. To be offered a chance to actually be part of it, for the first time in their lives…

The crowd shuffled as one of them came forth to the stage, an older Changeling who had seen the horde through many a struggle. Dark-faced and lovely, a maternal look about her as one of the caretakers of various egg clutches and infants. Chrysalis and the others regarded her with curiosity, wondering at what perhaps she intended to do.

“Your Majesty,” the woman said hesitantly, “we are not you. We are mere Changelings, we do not possess your might or strength. We steal, we deceive, we hide- all because it is what kept us alive and well-fed. How could we hope to achieve what you have without deceit? Who could… who would wish to love us?”

Chrysalis felt her heart turn as she saw the fear in her child’s eyes; dread of failure and starvation that would come if they did not achieve success. It would be a deception no longer but instead their life, something that was no temporary measure. It was asking so much- all of themselves, really. Of course they were afraid.

“Then look upon my Ladies,” Chrysalis said to her, gesturing to her left and right at the beautiful faces she loved. “Their love for me shall be there for you. From them you shall learn, to grow and become yourself. They will gift you with skills and knowledge of all kinds, from them you shall learn to be whole. You shall go into the towns and the cities, you shall spread far and wide at your own whims- not as conquerors and spies, but as people! If you wish to remain here at my side, I grant you the freedom to do so. But to all of you, I say this: this land can be your home, if you wish it! You will carry your own name, your own life, your own love! Is that not all for which we have longed? We need not wage war for love any longer. I beseech you all, learn to love and you shall never know hunger again!”

The Changelings were being swayed, but that cloud of fear still remained on them, small spurts here and there among the crowd of many faces. They had known war and carnage, they had endured trial and journeys through endless dark. They had no faces, no names, no life other than that of the horde. They were being asked to become people, individuals with thoughts and feelings of their own welfare. For a creature of hive-minded thought, to be their own person was a horrifyingly daunting task.

Fluttershy could see it in their faces still, she having spent the greatest length of time in their presence. Her time as Chrysalis’ beloved had adapted her to knowing their worries, their fears; she could easily guess what was going through their minds now. “It won’t be easy. Especially when you first start to try and love someone yourself,” she said softly. “I know it’s scary because so many people probably won’t love you like that. But you’ll have friends. And you’ll be able to keep learning how you love someone- how you specifically love someone. And I know that there’s someone out there who will be very happy to hold your love in their heart, just so you can hold theirs in your own.”

The matronly woman who had come to Chrysalis presence bit her lip so as to fight away the tears. All around them was the feeling and memory and sense of their queen’s new life, the desires and loves that had so powerfully overtaken her. They were being offered a chance to have a love of their own- theirs alone, no need to share with anyone. They were being offered a chance to love wildly, freely, and be made strong by what was given just as willingly back. Little nests of their own, little kingdoms and hordes of their own; it was all too tempting an offer for them to do anything but yield.

Chrysalis smiled, knowing the chaos that would soon overtake them in the coming days. “Very well,” she declared. “Choose your face- choose your next step, you new life. Let my Ladies teach you to be whole and free, and cherish from them all you can. From this day forth, we shall be Changelings no more and instead learn to bear a new name.”

Not since their days of war and conquest had the nest been so rife with activity. For the old and experienced among them, this new path forward was more daunting than any siege wall upon which they had broken, a change so dramatic that adaptation was a total overhaul of themselves. For the younger souls that so numerously marked Chrysalis’ children, this offer of their own freedom was tantalizing, exciting. Those who wished to remain in the nest would be free to do so, safe and secure in the shadow of their old ways; but those who wished to explore, dream, and discover now had been given the reigns to their own futures. Drones they would be no more, if that was what they willed. They would have little empires of their own, little loves and lives that belonged to none but whom they gave it. The prospect was both wondrous and terrifying to those who had once been nameless specters of the shadows.

They hadn’t realized that even getting to Step One would be something of a challenge.

Chrysalis’ children had learned mimicry well; they could become someone else, know their mannerisms down to the smallest twitch of an eye. Such things rarely meant learning a task for its own sake, much less how to perform it well. As their mother’s Ladies took them under their wing, granted them the finest tutelage they had known, more than a few found themselves overwhelmed; there was more to the world than they had once presumed.

Much to Twilight’s chagrin –and Chrysalis’ humor- the issue of favoritism soon revealed itself as the weeks went on. The breadth of knowledge they were given was monumental, and certainly some possessed a more focus scope than others. To the surprise of none of them, Pinkie’s tutelage of culinary and social skills became a popular lesson across the nest, her verve and sweetness easy for the already-adoring to learn and to follow. To something of a shock, Applejack’s own lessons of agriculture were not far behind; more than one of them was found gifted with something of a green thumb, a love of the solitude and tranquility that came with farming. The greenery within the nest grew rapidly, tenderly cared for by enthusiastic students who relished this act of nurturing fragile life.

Twilight, possessing the greatest breadth of knowledge, tried her best to maintain a calm demeanor in regards to her own lessons. What she covered was a great expanse, a large scope of information that was only to be their entry into the world of higher learning. For soldiers and caretakers, the sheer scale of what they learned was difficult to grasp; their brilliant princess was happy to teach them, but such things came to them slowly. It was difficult for Twilight to not be a little disappointed at the slow progress.

“You ask more of them than the others,” Chrysalis counseled her one evening, taking note of her dear beloved’s despondence. “It is not because of you that they progress slowly.”

“I know. And honestly, they’re doing really well,” Twilight had replied. “There’s just… so much to cover. And it’s all preliminary! If I could be more specialized and not just be focused on entry level education, maybe it’d be easier. I mean, look at Applejack, or Fluttershy. It’s so easy to understand because it’s just one subject.”

“And here you are, teaching them a multitude of things with ease,” Chrysalis said. Sitting beside Twilight as they looked over their work, she shifted herself closer and let her hand slither its way up the bookish woman’s thigh. “You’re making my children become brilliant. Doesn’t a good teacher deserve a reward?”

Twilight allowed herself a grin, leaning over to find Chrysalis’ luscious lips for a slow embrace. “I’d like some helping looking over this paperwork… a kiss for every correct mark?”

“Oh, I can do better than a kiss…”

Time passed. The nest that housed her children seemed to shrink as the activity within it continued to grow ever further, more and more of her children willing to venture beyond their hidden domain and into the open world. Though some progressed more speedily than others, the end goal was beginning to come into sight for more than a spare few. The time for a permanent departure was coming soon.

“The commune is half a day’s travel east of Vanhoover,” Saniya reported to Chrysalis, delivering a report of the Ravens’ latest venture into the wilds. “Their population is not large, but they appear capable of adding to their numbers. A group of new faces will be noticed, but not be something to fear.”

The first group of her children were soon to be ready; approved by both Applejack and Pinkie together, these were some of her eldest line that still remained within the nest. Those that had once been caretakers of the nurseries below would now become matrons and nannies, cooks and farmhands. Possessing perhaps the most docile natures of their number had been what had allowed them this approval, a greater willingness to listen and to adapt.

Chrysalis pondered her Commander’s words, wondering if this would be one of the last times they spoke together. Saniya had requested the chance to depart alongside her siblings, watch over this first tentative group as Chrysalis cared for her hive. It was a unique scenario they had not encountered before. “Identification,” she said. “What papers go with them?”

“Their visas have been crafted. Set to expire in four months,” Saniya replied. “Not long enough for any potential flaws to become noticed, and soon to be replaced. When they sign for new visas themselves, they will be hidden without a trace. No trail left to follow.”

“And their backgrounds?”

“Lady Twilight is reviewing all potential stories now. When she gives her approval, those departing will be made to memorize them.”

It was all she could ask for. Chrysalis nodded her approval and waved for Saniya’s dismissal. A strange sort of melancholy had come upon her as they had spoken, a gloom of spirit that was unfamiliar. Finding herself alone, the darkened queen looked about her study: cramped, quiet, and not at all peaceful any longer. It was a strange paradox.

“Enough of this,” Chrysalis muttered, leaving her empty space behind and trying to fill her mind with the sounds of noise that would distract her from the dejection that plagued her. She had no reason to find herself despairing; her children were to be safe, able to find little loves and lives of their own. Was that not a cause for jubilation instead?

A trip to her private lounge was in order. Her Ladies would only be with her until the weekend passed them by, and it was her hope that their company would see her blue mood dissipate. At least, that was the hope; it was a strange sensation that she felt now; she craved them so often, yet found herself not longing for the carnal pleasures at the moment. Perhaps she’d only need a little incentive…

Before she could find her way inside, the door to her lounge opened of its own accord, a trio of giggling women striding through the threshold as the sounds of physical delight pealed through the open doorway behind them. Chrysalis swiftly took a step back to get out of the way-

“Oh jeez! Sorry, Chrys, didn’t mean to do that!” Rainbow pulled herself aside, Twilight and Rarity tugged along with her. The two seemed to have been left amused by something, and perhaps a little excited also.

“Is something the matter?” Chrysalis asked.

Rarity forced herself to cease her laughter, a hand to her lips as her gaze flickered back to the lounge. “I believe Pinkie Pie was a little eager tonight,” she said pleasantly. “And since she thought Applejack wasn’t yet comfortable with the idea of… you know, sharing- that she might as well make an effort herself.”

Chrysalis smirked, looking beyond her trio of lovelies and into the lounge beyond them; there on the couch lay Pinkie and her darling apple farmer, the two so thoroughly tangled together that it was difficult to tell which hands belonged to who. Their makeout session had already become a steamy, passionate affair, the sapphic sounds and pleasure they now experienced more than a little lively. Whether it be by Pinkie’s efforts or not, Applejack certainly seemed to be enjoying herself, and quite eager to let her lusts run wild.

“We figured they could use a little privacy for a bit,” Twilight remarked lightly. “But after watching them for a bit…” the book-minded princess gave a small blush and a sheepish grin. “Rainbow thought she needed Rarity and me for an evening.”

“Feel like eating Twilight’s ass with me?” Rainbow asked, her usual brusque manner receiving a roll of eyes from the far more tactful women that stood beside her. “Come on, look at it! Just so plush-” the warrior girl gave Twilight’s butt a swift spank to hammer the point home, a gesture that came as a welcome surprise; the dark-haired now eyed Rainbow with no small measure of hunger, perhaps eager for another.

Even with the prospect of a luscious feeding there before her, Chrysalis still found herself to have no heart for it- a mindset she had never once thought would ever come to pass. “Enjoy yourselves for me tonight,” Chrysalis said to them.

Rarity regarded the regal beauty for a moment, perhaps sensing the melancholia that had settled upon her heart. “If you change your mind, darling, we’ll be in the bedchambers,” she said, finding herself tugged down the hall by her eager girlfriends. “Night, my love!”

Chrysalis smiled as the bittersweet cloud billowed across her mind. She loved to see them like this; eager, wild, and so utterly content. They loved her, loved one another, and the strength of it radiated across the nest and made her children strong. They had never been so well-fed before, never before so strong and at peace. They’d been so thoroughly changed by their mere presence alone, and now even more so as their knowledge and talents had been shared for her children to emulate.

And now her children were leaving. For the first time in the history of her people, the horde would disperse and be a horde no longer. She was going to say goodbye to so many of her children- and perhaps forever. Chrysalis felt a lump in her throat as the thought came into clarity, the source of her coming despair now realized. They would be beyond her reach, beyond the safety and security she had gladly given them. Whatever choices they made once the day finally came, they would be truly their own- and whatever consequences came next…

“Chrissy? Is everything alright?” the gentle voice that so perfectly matched the hand that now slid into her grasp was unmistakable; Fluttershy looked up at her beloved with a sweet smile, all her concerns now focused on the beautiful woman beside her.

“A mother’s grief,” Chrysalis whispered to her, stroking a stray strand of hair that had fallen across those soft eyes. “Pay it no mind, my love. It is nothing.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Chrysalis nodded, the smile she now bore a more genuine thing, marred by that strange sadness that was so deeply entwined with pride. “My children are to leave me to seek their fortunes,” she said. “I am glad for them, and yet…”

“You’ll miss them, too,” Fluttershy murmured. Wrapping her arms about her love’s waist, the demure woman had ensnared her and allowed no means of escape from her warm comfort. Chrysalis knew better than to resist, instead glad for the sweet maiden’s comfort against her own strange sorrow. “Are you scared for them all?”

“More than I knew I could be.”

“They’ll make mistakes. But they’ll learn from them,” Fluttershy replied. “And they’ll be alright, I’m sure of it. After all, the girls have done a wonderful job of teaching them everything they’ll need to know.”

“As well as you,” Chrysalis said, her voice a gentle thing as she leaned in to hold Fluttershy close. “Oh my darling butterfly, what would I have ever done without you?”

Fluttershy giggled, leaving a kiss on Chrysalis’ cheek to break the spell. “I didn’t do anything, Chrissy. I’m just glad to be here with you. And Rarity, and Twilight, and- all of you. I never would have dreamed I’d be with my friends like this.”

“Does it bother you?” Chrysalis asked. Fluttershy surely would have said something by now, but she couldn’t help feel a twinge of concern.

The beautiful maiden shook her head. “No, of course not,” she answered. “It’s been lovely, and I love you all very much. I just hope that you don’t forget me, now that there’s so many of us!”

“My dear, darling Fluttershy,” Chrysalis whispered softly. “You are the one who makes me strong; how could I hope to ever forget you?”

And as the two embraced, their kiss was a quiet thing in the midst of a wild and changing world. Fluttershy melted at her lover’s touch, her lips joyously taken captive by her dark queen’s tender caress. They knew one another so deeply, knew how to touch and to entice, had become so intimately familiar with the desires and passions of the other- yet still neither overcome the thrill that came with each new kiss, that delectable sensation of love and affection that only could be found between them. Chrysalis could only sigh in happiness as Fluttershy leaned in ever deeper, allowing her tongue to find the beautiful queen’s own pink muscle and lather it with sensuous praise. What more could she hope to ask for now?

The besotted couple stood there together, bound my flesh and love as their passionate embrace continued to deepen-

Unaware that they were under watch.

This wasn't originally intended, but the chapters are getting too long for my tastes. Consider it necessary...

With a little bonus!

Keep reading, I guess.