Scootaloo kept a close eye on the changeling queen and her guards during the trip back to Zecora’s hut. She didn’t want to doubt Apple Bloom, but it was hard not to after all the stories she’d heard in the Nest. “You seem a little nervous,” Chrysalis observed.

“Me? Nervous?” Scootaloo repeated.

“I feed on emotions, my friend,” the queen continued. “Don’t think you can hide your feelings from me.”

An involuntary shiver shook Scootaloo’s body. “Well, I haven’t heard a lot of positive things about you or your kind,” she said. The drones buzzed their wings, and Scootaloo hoped they weren’t offended.

“Understandable,” said the changeling queen. Her drones seemed to relax a little. “My people certainly haven’t earned a good name for ourselves. Still—Scootaloo, was it?—you must understand that we have never borne ill will towards any race of this world. We simply do what we must to survive.”

“But feeding on others’ emotions?” Scootaloo asked. “That just seems so…creepy.”

“Is it?” Chrysalis replied. “Rabbits and birds must kill plants to survive, just as you ponies do. Manticores and hydras eat other animals. Dragons eat gemstones.”

“But emotions?” Scootaloo said. “How does that even work?”

“Emotions are among the most powerful forces in our world, Scootaloo,” Chrysalis answered. “Think about it. The stories you’ve heard about me and my kind are causing you to feel large amounts of fear in my presence. This fear makes you want to run away from me and doubt my intentions, though in reality, you know very little about me.”

Scootaloo held her tongue, but she couldn’t deny that she had just been thinking about making a break for it through the jungle. Only the thought of getting hopelessly lost kept her near the changeling queen.

“In a way, Scootaloo, every race—zebras, ponies, griffons—is just as consumed by emotion as we are,” Chrysalis continued. “It was Nightmare Moon’s jealousy and anger that started all this a thousand years ago. When one cannot control her emotions, too often her emotions will control her.”

“So what makes us ponies so special?” Scootaloo asked. “What made you come to Equestria?”

Chrysalis sent her a smile, a smile that seemed less sinister than the ones Scootaloo had seen from her before. “As I said, Equestria was the most loving nation we changelings had ever come across. There were problems, but on the whole, you ponies tended to be happier than the griffons and less reserved about it than the zebras. Speaking of which…” Chrysalis stopped and sniffed the air. The drones halted around her. “We’re almost there. I sense something…odd.”

“Odd?”

“Well, there’s Zecora, of course, tranquil as always,” Chrysalis said. “Then there’s the white unicorn—she may be the angriest, most volatile pony I’ve ever met.” Scootaloo wanted to jump to Sweetie Belle’s defense, but she didn’t want to risk making the queen angry. “It’s the third one that seems off,” Chrysalis muttered. “She seems tense, like she’s worried about something. I don’t think I’ve felt emotions quite like this since we scouted griffon territory.”

“It must be Gilda,” Scootaloo explained. “She came from the Nest with me to get the potion.”

“Really? I thought Apple Bloom said she’d only invited you.”

Scootaloo suddenly remembered the note on the knife back at the Nest. “Why did Apple Bloom want me to come to Zebrica?”

“All in due time,” the queen replied. “The potion’s effects are wearing off, but I don’t think I’ll be able to maintain a disguise for long. Tell me, Scootaloo, how do you think Gilda will react to seeing a changeling queen?”

“About as well as she usually reacts,” Scootaloo answered. “Maybe you should let me talk to her first. She can be… aggressive.”

“I believe it,” Chrysalis said with a nod. “Very well. I will wait for you here.”

Scootaloo didn’t know what to expect when the door to Zecora’s hut opened, but a sudden tackle hug wasn’t it. “Scoots! You’re all right!”

“Gilda?” Scootaloo wasn’t sure which shocked her more, the mild blunt force trauma or the fact that Gilda was actually hugging her. “Yeah, I’m fine. Um, you?”

Gilda released her and let out a loud cough. “W-What were you thinking, soldier?” she barked. “Y-You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

Scootaloo grinned. “Missed you too, captain.”

“Yeah, w-whatever.” Gilda brushed some invisible dust off her feathers and coughed again. “So, um, where’ve you been?”

“Kind of a long story,” Scootaloo replied. She looked towards the hut and saw Sweetie Belle and Zecora walking towards her. “You’re awake!”

Sweetie Belle smiled. “You’re alive.”

“Of course I’m alive,” Scootaloo said. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“We have worried for you, my dear,” said Zecora. “This jungle is filled with danger and fear.”

“Apparently, Zecora has some kind of weird sixth sense or something that lets her know when there’s trouble,” Gilda explained.

“Why must you be oh so dense?” Zecora huffed. “Magic spells are no sixth sense. I have spells set all around that let me know when beasts abound.”

“Whatever. The point is, she sensed something with really strong magic coming this way and thought you might be in trouble,” Gilda finished.

Scootaloo glanced back at the jungle, where she knew the changelings were waiting. “Have any of you seen Apple Bloom?” she asked. “She went to get her cousin from town.”

“Right here.” Scootaloo turned and saw Apple Bloom and Braeburn walking towards them. “Wow, you got here pretty fast,” the yellow pony remarked.

“You too,” Scootaloo answered.

“Well, I’m no pegasus, but I can move when I need to.” Apple Bloom looked around. “Where’s the queen?”

“Queen?” Gilda repeated, giving Scootaloo a frown. “What queen?”

“I was just getting to that,” Scootaloo replied. “Long story short, the potion is ready, and Apple Bloom found some…one willing to help us take down Nightmare Moon.”

“Best news I’ve heard in years,” Braeburn said. He had bags under his eyes, but he seemed excited. “Who is it? Apple Bloom here said I had to meet her right away.”

“And you will,” Scootaloo said, “but you have to promise something first. You have to promise to stay calm.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Braeburn said. “How can I be calm at a time like this? With the potion finally ready, we might have a chance at taking back our home!”

“Well… she’s not exactly the type of… ally you’d expect.”

“You’re talking about attacking Nightmare Moon,” Gilda grumbled. “What kind of ally would you expect?”

“Will you just promise to stay calm?” Scootaloo shouted. Gilda rolled her eyes and nodded. “Good. Okay. Our ally is… well…”

“She’s a changeling queen,” Apple Bloom finished.

Braeburn let out a short laugh. “Come on, cuz. Quit foolin’ around.”

“I ain’t foolin’ around,” Apple Bloom snapped. “Her name is Chrysalis. She’s been livin’ in the jungle with her hive ever since—”

“You’re serious?” Gilda asked. “There are changelings here, and you’re asking them for help?”

“You have a better idea?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Sure. How about you wipe out the parasitic shapeshifters before they wipe you out?”

“It’s not like that,” Scootaloo said. “They don’t want to hurt us.”

“They use us for food!” Gilda cried. “It’s what they’ve always done!”

“Is this true, Apple Bloom?” Braeburn asked. “Are you really saying we should ask changelings for help?”

“It’s the best chance we have, Braeburn,” Apple Bloom answered. “I know it sounds crazy, but you have to trust me on this.”

“I dunno,” Braeburn said. “I trust you, cuz, but these are changelings we’re talkin’ about.”

“Then allow me to speak for myself.” Scootaloo turned once again to see Queen Chrysalis herself bowing her head towards Braeburn. Her drones followed suit. “I am Queen Chrysalis, leader of the changeling hive that lives in these swamps. We offer you our assistance.”