A/N: Because reasons that's why.
Exploring the concept of where the Unknown Alicorn Skyla came from, because Flurry Heart came along and the fandom was like "wut" (Not hating, just confused and mildly annoyed)
This is also a gift for my buddy Anna, AKA Pon3Splash on DA (She took me to MidWest Brony Fest this year and I spent way more money than I should have and have fifty business cards from people and SEMPAI AHHH (He noticed me~))
(Clears throat, smiles)
So, here you go!
The Origins of Skyla
.0.
Queen Chrysalis stared down at the young Larva with sharp, assessing green eyes. Her freshly hatched sister was the milky-gray of a Queen Larva, her horn already holding the beginning indents of her identifying gouges, and large eyes bright pink as they stared up at the young Queen, pupils slit and bright. The Larva made a low, trilling coo, blinking up at the Queen, and Chrysalis hummed.
"Imago," she decided, eyeing her Sister coolly. "You're name is Imago." Nodding, she turned and stalked from the Egg Chamber, flicking her tail at a nearby Drone. "Bring her," she ordered without glancing, knowing her orders would be followed without hesitance. Indeed, the Drone, one of the Hive's Yellow-Backs, the gold chitin one his back marking him as one of her new Royal Guards. She gave him no further consideration, of course. He was simply a Drone, and it was his duty to live and die on her wishes.
It was simple as that.
Imago trilled wordlessly from the secure hold of the Drone's magic, a most unbecoming sound from a Princess, but Chrysalis supposed she could be excused, for the moment. She was just a mere Larva, after all. However, when it came for her first pupation, when she would hatch into a youngling, then she would make sure that her Sister was properly trained. Stopping at the entryway of the Brood-Frame that would be Imago's new nest and future cocoon, the young Queen shot the Larva a sharp look, acid green locking onto bright pink.
"You will sleep here," she told the Larva firmly. "This Drone is now your Guard. He will make sure you are fed and that you are protected, or he will be sacrificed for his negligence. Should you expire, than my own Larva will eventually come into being to replace you. Do you understand, Imago?" The Larva trilled, a bubble of spit popping at the corner of her mouth, making Chrysalis grimace, ears pinning back into her dark cerulean mane.
This was why she had no wish to attempt reproducing. Larva were disgusting. However, the continuation and growth of the Hive was Paramount and, as Chrysalis had killed and eaten her mother to become Queens, as her mother did before her and her's before that, she knew that she would have to make Imago strong or risk the Hive one day being Queenless.
A Hive without a Queen was a Doomed Hive.
"You have your orders, Drone," she stated firmly, glancing at the Yellow-Back, who saluted sharply even as he efficiently settled his new Charge directly into her Brood-Frame, the walls of the Frame seeping with resin and the jellified enzymes of love that the Builder Drones had laced it with, so that the Larva would receive the proper amount of feeding in order to develop right.
"Do not disappoint me, Drone," Chrysalis ordered, casting one last disgusted glance at her Sister before stalking away. As she left, the Drone stepped directly in front of the entry to the Brood-Frame, staring straight ahead with his eerie white eyes, his gold-tinged, whole wings, so different from most of his kind, flared out to shade the newly hatched Larva's bed.
Princess Imago yawned, pink eyes blinking slowly, before she finally drifted into sleep, instinctively gnawing on the oozing jell that cushioned her form.
It would be a year before she would be able to Pupate into a young Changeling. Until then, she would spend the entire time curled up in her Brood-Frame, sleeping and eating and trilling at her unmoving Drone Guard.
Chrysalis did not visit again.
She had a Kingdom to run, after all.
.1.
She had only hatched from her First Pupation the day before when Her Sister came into her new chamber. The Yellow-Back who had been her Guard since Hatching, Pincer, saluted as he stood beside one of his brethren at the door. Imago peered up at the sharp-eyed expression of her Sister. Chrysalis had acid-green eyes and a long, hole-dotted mane of dark cerulean that matched the chitin on her back.
Confused, Imago tilted her head to examine herself in comparison. Her own mane had fewer holes in it, and was a dark magenta, her back chitin a shade darker and more metallic looking than that. Her eyes were an acid-bright pink, pupils slit just like her Sister's, but otherwise, they were different looking as could be.
"You take after Our Mother, Imago," Chrysalis informed her bluntly, slowly stalking around the small hatchling, who turned her head to follow. "I take after Her first chosen Mate, a simple worker Drone who she devoured after conception was confirmed. Your own Sire was a Scouting Drone who was killed by a group of Ponies," she spat in disgust, a low, rattling hiss escaping her; Imago pinned her unusually hole-free ears back. Chrysalis scoffed and came to a stop directly in front of the smaller female, who now appeared like a young foal.
"Come with me," the young Queen ordered. "We have work to do." Knowing better than to disobey the Queen, Sister or not, Imago obeyed, trotting swiftly after Chrysalis as she stalked away.
So began her lessons on the History and Inner Workings of the Hive.
.2.
There was something strange wandering in the forest just beyond the Hive's Territory. Imago wouldn't have found It, if she hadn't snuck out of the Hive for the second time in her short life. She wasn't supposed to, it wasn't safe and it was her Duty as a Princess to always put the Hive first but...
But sometimes... She just felt closed in.
Caged.
So, she snuck out and, because of this, she found the Strange Creature.
It was like nothing she had seen before. It was shaped similar to a Changeling, but it had no holes, no chitin, no fangs or insectoid wings or eyes. It's Shell was a pale green, it's horn short and whole with a light spiral-form. It's mane was long and curled oddly and was made up of dark mauve and pale salmon. It's eyes had a weird, round pupil and showed more white around the dark blue iris than Imago's or her Sister's did.
It was just...
Weird.
"Princesssss," A familiar voice hissed behind the young Princess, making her wince, ears pinning back as she sheepishly peered over her shoulder. Pincer stood there, frowning in disapproval.
"Pincer, what's that?" She asked quickly, hoping to distract the Yellow-Back. Pincer hissed in annoyance, fluttering over with a quiet buzz to peer through the bush the young Princess was using to hide. The Guard eyed the Creature with distaste, baring his fangs in a cold sneer.
"Pony," he hissed in disgust, wings buzzing angrily. "That, Princess, is a Pony, a Unicorn to be precise." Imago stared with startled fascination at the Creature, the 'Unicorn' as it used its Magic to levitate what appeared to be a basket filled with the bright blue flowers that littered the area.
"Come, Princessss," Pincer ordered sternly, one of his forelegs curling around Imago's shoulders and urging her away. "You have lessssonsss thisss evening with the Queen." Imago sighed but obeyed her pale, pink wings buzzing as she followed her Guard into the air, glancing over her shoulder at the strange Pony who was still collecting the blue flowers.
She wondered what a Pony Hive looked like.
.3.
"My Loyal Subjects!" Chrysalis called into the Hive Chamber, the thrumming, buzzing noise from thousands of flapping wings making the hard resin beneath Imago's hooves vibrate from where she'd standing directly beside her Sister, her newly presented black crown a constant presence on her head, the trio of pale pink orbs gleaming in the light of the Hive's Natural Magic.
"Our Scouts have brought news that one of the precious Pony Princesses is to be married within the next few weeks. This particular Pony is also known as the Princess of Love," she sneered; hisses rose from the crowd but silence fell under a sharp look from the Queen. "This is our chance at glory, My Hive! No more shall Changelings suffer and starve while the Ponies wallow in their love and happiness," she hissed. "We shall infiltrate the very center of their Power, Canterlot itself! I will take this pathetic Pony's place, and defeat their defenses from the inside. Imago and three of the Yellow-Backs shall join me within the shield that is to go up a few days before the Wedding. We will be victorious in this, my dear Hive, and we will flourish in the emotion-rich environment. We will feed!" The crowd screeched in glee and determination, and preparations began immediately, Chrysalis laughing wildly along with the cries of the Drones.
Imago was silent, uncertain of the feelings she was having on the matter.
"What is bothering you, Sister?" Chrysalis asked as she lead the younger Changeling with her to oversee the preparations.
"I was just wondering... What will happen to the Princess?" Imago asked cautiously; Chrysalis shrugged absently, eyes uncaring as they glanced over a group of Worker Drones who were building a new wall of Brood-Frames for future Drones.
"She will be imprisoned until we are Victorious," Chrysalis told her easily; Imago hesitated.
"But... She won't be killed, will she?" Chrysalis paused and stared down at her young Sister, a cold smirk curling her muzzle.
"Oh? Are you concerned about the precious little pony, Sister?" Chrysalis cooed, leaning down from her impressive height to stare into the Hatchling's pink eyes. Imago looked away, ears pinning back uncomfortably.
"I, I am just curious, Sister," she tried to dismiss. "It isn't important."
"Hmm," was all the Queen said, eyeing the youngling with a cold smirk. "Good. Remember your place, Imago. And your Duty." Imago nodded slowly as Chrysalis returned to full-height.
"I am the Future Queen of the Hive," Imago quoted dutifully. "The Hive comes before all. I will devour all enemies and weaklings of the Hive, for the betterment of the Hive, for that is the Duty of the Queen. One Day, when I have Pupated into a full adult, I shall join in the Rite of all Queens Before me, and we shall fight to the death, the winnner gaining Her Title from the Flesh of the Loser. There is no Sentiment within the Hive, for Sentiment is Weak, and Weakness is meant to Nourish the Strong." Chrysalis nodded, smugly pleases as she lead her younger Sister through the halls of the Hive.
"Remember that, Imago, and you shall thrive."
"Yes, Sister."
.4.
The Princess, Cadance, was... Odd. Her outer shell or "coat" was pink, and her mane had three colors (very clear streaks of violet, rose, and gold). She had both a horn and wings, although her wings were made of feathers and set at odd angles. Pincer told her that the Princess was an 'Alicorn', a Pony made of the combined strengths of the three Pony Breeds. Imago likened it to what a Changeling would look like, if a Yellow-Back, Worker, and Scout combined.
It was a bizarre thing, but interesting.
The Princess was also constantly doing something Pincer informed her was called crying. Her eyes (a clear, light purple) leaked 'tears' as she tried to escape the crystal-walled Hive-Chamber she'd been trapped in by Chrysalis. It wasn't actually a Hive-Chamber, but it had a similar appearance and Imago didn't know the name of it. She was one Guard Duty, in a way, because she didn't have enough experience to Transform into a Pony yet. She needed references in order to practice, which was why she was watching the Princess closely.
After all, she, herself, would one day be a Queen, and that meant that she would need to be able to mimic their Prey-Enemies well enough to infiltrate them in the future, should her Sister's plan fail (She would never say it out loud, however. Treason towards the Queen was Death, and she had no desire to be eaten by her Sister before the Rite of Queens).
So, she watched the Princess, watched her grow weaker as she struggled to escape, watched her weep and grow more and more exhausted. Listened as she begged for Chrysalis to let her go, to let her return to the Mate that waited for her, the male by the name of Shining Armor.
She listened and watched and she grew sad for the Pony.
Against her Sister's wishes, she slipped out of the Crystal Hive-Chamber and stole a few of the strange, sweet cakes that the very pink pony and the orange pony had been making the last day, and waited until she was sure that the Princess wasn't watching. Quickly, quietly, Imago set the plate of Pony Treats on the ground and skittered away, just in time as the Princess whirled around, frightened.
"Who's there?!" She demanded, looking around fearfully, before glaring. "Chrysalis, you fiend! Come out! It's not like you to hide, you wretch!" Imago winced and pinned her ears back.
"You shouldn't call her that, you know," she called back, staying hidden as the Pony whirled again, looking startled as she tried to find the hidden Changeling. "She's only doing what's best for the Hive. All Queens must work for the betterment of the Hive. It's our Duty."
"Who... Who are you?" The Princess Pony asked, voice softer, not as hoarse or desperate as before. "Please... Please come out?" Imago hesitated, staying quiet. The Pony smiled hesitantly, peering around. "Are you the one who brought these cupcakes?" Imago hesitated again.
"You should eat," she called out cautiously. "My Guard says Ponies have to eat things like this to live, like we survive on Emotions. Your Shell is growing dull, so you must be hungry." The Pony looked confused, slowly making her way to the plate of apple-decorated cupcakes.
"My Shell?" Imago winced at her mistake.
"I meant your coat... We don't have those, so I get a little mixed up with the differences." The Pony slowly sat down and continued to try and peer into the darkness.
"How old are you?" She asked, voice softer, tone gentler as she looked around. "You sound like a young filly." Imago frowned, peering through the warped surface of the crystal.
"I am past my First Pupation Stage, and am a Hatchling," she answered simply. "I have two more Pupations before I am an Adult, and will be able to Challenge my Sister to the Rite of Queens." She frowned again. "Pincer, my Guard, says I am of the age of a school-year Filly in your measurements. I think he said I would be... Seven? Close to that, at least." She nodded firmly, remembering the impromptu lessons her reluctant Guard had given her after she had pestered him with dozens of questions.
"Is that why you're down here?" The Pony asked. "Because you're so young?" Imago nodded, though the Pony couldn't see her.
"I cannot hold a Transformation yet, and, as a Princess and the only other Female in our Hive, I must be kept safe in the unlikely case of my Sister falling." The Pony smiled gently, encouragingly, and Imago shifted uncomfortably at the look.
"Please come out?" She called gently. "I could really use a friendly face, and maybe some company while I eat. It is very lonely down here without anyone else." Imago didn't know if she should but...
But she had already broken the rules once. She could do it again.
Besides, she wasn't going to let the Pony go or anything.
.5.
Cadance was honestly relieved when she saw the small Changeling Princess creep out from the crystals. If she hadn't been so exhausted, the Alicorn would have cooed, because the little Changeling was looking at her with huge, nervous pink eyes, her pink mane hiding her pinned ears and a tiny black crown on her head. Her body was a deep, dark charcoal color, with a dark, metallic pink back shell and pale pink insect wings with small holes in them that were currently fluttering nervously. Her tail was loose and long, with only a single hole in it, the tip just brushing the top of her hooves as she eyed Cadance with her bright eyes.
"My name is Cadance," the Princess offered gently. "What's your name?" The little Changeling eyed her, an adorably confused expression making one of her tiny fangs poke out, like a lost puppy and Cadance couldn't stop her smile.
"I am Princess Imago of the Changelings," the little filly answered softly, fidgeting in place as her eyes darted to the side, ears perking up to listen, only to relax again after a moment. "Are you going to eat? They're food from the wedding preparations so I thought, well," she looked away, uncomfortable, and Cadance felt herself just melt at the cute, shy little filly. Changeling or not, enemy or not, this was a nervous filly trying to do something kind, and it had Cadance blinking back tears as she smiled.
"Thank you, Imago," she said warmly, smiling as a very obvious pink blush lit the filly's cheeks as her wings buzzed rapidly. Cadance ate her cupcakes slowly, enjoying the delicious apple flavoring and carefully coaxing the little filly into a few stilted conversations, readily answering her awkward, tentative questions about Ponies and even asking her own about Changelings.
These meetings would be the only highlight in her captivity, until the day Twilight was dropped into her prison, and Imago was ordered to hide within the castle and wait for the signal.
.6.
"That silly foal, thinking she could warn the others about me," Chrysalis, in the form of Cadance, scoffed as she prepared for the Wedding. A cold smirk curled the usually kind face that Imago had grown so attached to, and the young Changeling resisted the urge to flinch, knowing her Sister would spot it immediately and begin to watch her closely. "Still, it all worked for my benefit in the end, so, no need to think on it." Purple eyes flitted from her reflection towards the waiting Imago, and the Princess straightened at the considering look. "I want to to hide in the rafters of the Chapel, Imago, and, once the wedding is over, and our Army has destroyed the pathetic shield my dear Shining Armor has been holding up, you will assist in the restraint and capture of the Ponies in the room, understand?" Imago nodded firmly.
"Yes, Sister," she agreed.
"And be sure to try and keep you sentiment to yourself, understand?" She added with feigned disinterest, making Imago freeze, eyes huge. "Oh, yes, I am well aware of your little chats with Cadance. I allowed them to continue only because you are still training on how to transform, and knowing as much about Ponies as possible is far from a hindrance. However," she turned and with a flare of her acid-green magic, flung Imago into the nearby wall with a soft cry of pain. The Hatchling cringed, eyes watering as she struggled to her feet, hissing in pain as she found one of her wings bent painfully. A shadow covered her and she froze, looking up at her coldly smiling sister, her green eyes gleaming out of Cadance's face.
"Should you persist on this disgustingly weak road, I will end you before your time. You are not needed, Sister. I can replace you with any of my own future Larvae should the need arise. Remember this, next time you decide to disobey my orders because you were curious." She used one of her shoe-clad hooves and, mockingly gentle, lifted the Hatchlings chin. "Understood?" Imago swallowed, ears pinned back and blinking rapidly to rid her eyes of the tears that burned.
"Y-yes, Sister," she whispered; Chrysalis dropped her face without another word and returned to primping. Slowly, limping, Imago slipped from the room and, with the assistance of a blank-faced Drone, hide herself in the rafters above the Wedding Room, biting back a sniffle as she tried to straighten her wing. She wasn't crippled, thankfully, but a Wing Bend would take a few days to mend.
She just hoped she wouldn't need it.
Huddling on the rafter, she swiped away the treacherous tear that slid down her face, sniffling.
Princesses couldn't show weakness.
She wouldn't be eaten.
.7.
The lavender Unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, had helped Cadance escape the Hive-Chamber, and Chrysalis was exposed. Imago had followed orders, she and the Drones had captured all the Ponies in the room that they could, and now she sat guard a few feet away from the alter, not meeting Cadance's eyes as she watched her Sister hiss in pleasure while watching the Hive attack the Ponies. Celestia had been cocooned, Love being slowly siphoned out of her, along with power, to later feed the Larvae back at the Hive.
"You won't get away with this!" Cadance declared, her hooves glued to the ground by a Worker-Drone's building resin. "Twilight and her friends will–" At that moment, the door opened, and a group of Drones pointedly escorted the 'Elements of Harmony' into the Hall. Imago had no idea what an Element of Harmony was, but Chrysalis thought it was dangerous enough to guard heavily.
"You were saying?" Chrysalis mocked, stalking across the room towards her. "Did you know? The Reception is over," she told the Drones with a laugh. "Go! Feed!" The Drones that weren't needed hissed in delight and obeyed, making her Sister laugh again and Imago winced slightly; Chrysalis glanced at her. "Oh, don't worry, Little Sister. You'll get your chance later."
"Sister?!" The 'Elements' and other Ponies gasped, staring at Imago with shocked eyes. The Changeling shifted, uncomfortable, and turned away, unintentionally exposing her bent wing, making Cadance gasp.
"Imago! What happened?!" She asked, concerned, and Imago flinched and glanced at her Sister, who laughed cruelly as she stalked over to mockingly stroke a hoof down the Hatchling's mane.
"Does it upset you, Cadance, to see yet another of those you care for at my mercy?" She cooed, laughing. "Sentiment has no place in a Hive," she added, voice hard as she abruptly pulled away from Imago, who kept her eyes at the ground. "Better she learn now, than later, when the weakness would see her disposed of."
"You monster," the Princess spat tearfully, and Chrysalis chuckled coldly, smirking.
"Indeed," she mocked back, chuckling. "It's funny, really. Twilight here was suspicious of my behavior all along," she reminded the room, lifting the Unicorns face with a mocking hoof. Twilight jerked her face away with distaste, and Chrysalis fluttered back up onto the alter steps to the restrained forms of Cadance and Shining Armor. "Too bad the rest of you were too caught up in your 'wedding planing' to realize those suspicions were correct!" She laughed again, and Imago watched the orange Pony slink towards the Unicorn apologetically.
Sorry, Twi," the Pony said softly. "We should'a listened to you."
"It's not your fault," the Unicorn replied gently, glaring at Chrysalis. "She fooled everypony."
"Hmm, I did, didn't I?" Chrysalis agreed, pleased, as she wandered over to the window again, chuckling as she began to croon sweetly.
"This day has been just perfect
The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small
Everypony I'll soon control
Every stallion, mare, and foal
Who says a girl can't really have it all?"
She trailed off into self-satisfied laughter and Imago turned her attention to Twilight, who was trying to creep towards Cadance. Imago slipped forward and pointedly stepped between the Unicorn and Cadance, staring at the Pony who went still and offered a sheepish smile. Imago shook her head gently.
"Please don'r," she told the Unicorn quietly. "I don't want to have to fight you on this."
"Fight?" The white Unicorn with the oddly pretty mane blurted from off to the side, looking scandalized. "Why, you're just a little filly! Why would you have to fight anypony?!" Imago straightened, trying to stand strong as Chrysalis looked over uncaringly.
"A Queen must work for the betterment of the Hive noe matter what, and, as a potentional Future Queen, it is my Duty to do the same," she told them, and settled into a more aggressive stance, hissing at Twilight Sparkle as she hesitated, wide-eyed.
"You don't have to do that, Imago!" Cadance urged earnestly. "There's another way! There's always another way! You don't have to fight at all!" Imago's ears pinned back, and her eyes flicked to the side.
"Oh, let the Unicorn pass to her precious friend, Imago," Chrysalis called with a chuckle. "I am too strong for her to even dream of defeating now!" Imago relaxed, honestly relieved, and slowly stepped out of the way. She watched as Twilight used her magic to vanish the resin holding Cadance in place, and the Alicorn moved immediately to Shining Armor's side. Teary-eyed, she tried to wake the Unicorn from his trance. Desperate, she threw her hooves around the Pony, and her horn lit with sparks before a bright, glowing heart shot from the point and swirled around the two and smacked Shining Armor in the face, making Imago blink as the power pulsed firmly through the Unicorn and woke him instantly from his trance.
"Wha? Whe? Huh?" he asked as Cadance stepped back, hopefully smiling. "I-is the wedding over?" Cadance's face lit up but, before she could speak, Chrysalis launched herself across the room to slam into the ground dramatically.
"It's all over," she told him with cruel pleasure.
"You're spell," Twilight urged from the other side of the room, where she'd returned while Cadance and Shining had their moment. "Use your spell!" Imago slowly backed away, something in the back of her head hissing that something bad was going to happen.
Chrysalis launched into the air with mocking laughter, drawing the room's attention. Imago quickly slipped under a heavy, covered table as she mocking the two. Peering through the tablecloth, she watched as Shining Armor attempted to do the very same shield spell the Drones had broken through. The spell fizzled away and died, however, and Imago wondered if she'd hidden prematurely.
"My power is useless now," he announced dejectedly, exhaustion lacing his form. "I don't have the strength to repel them." Cadance stepped closer, face earnest and sincere.
"My love will give you strength," she told him passionately; Chrysalis laughed, sounding genuinely amused.
"What a lovely but absolutely ridiculous statement," she mused, landing to once more watch the Drones work from the window. Cadance and Shining Armor embraced, the Unicorn glaring at Chrysalis in disapproval before once more trying to perform his spell. This time, Cadance added her magic, their horn tips beginning to glow brightly. That hissing at the back of Imago's mind grew louder and she promptly stopped watching in order to huddle under the table and cover her head with her hooves, closing her eyes tightly as the feeling of Magic and Love made her shell tingle weirdly.
A bright light was her only warning before she was smashed against the wall with force, grunting as she distantly heard the scream of furious denial from her Sister getting further and further away. Her bent wing hurting worse than before and her body aching along side it, Imago struggled to blink heart-shaped spots from her eyes, huddling fearfully under the table as the Ponies celebrated.
Suddenly, for the first time in her life, she was alone, and she knew that, despite what kindness was between herself and Cadance, she was an enemy.
She shivered and huddled down tighter , trying not to cry.
She was a Princess, and she would not cry.
.8.
It was Celestia who noticed the hiding Changeling first, the faintest sounds of fluttering wings giving it away. However, she also knew just what to do.
Stepping towards the all but glowing couple, she smiled gently and leaned down.
"I think, perhaps, there is one more Pony who could use a helping hoof, dear Niece," she murmured, looking pointedly at the table and, confused, Cadance slowly walked towards it, until she, too, could hear the sounds of frightened insect wings. Slowly, she knelt down and, in a gentle flare of blue magic, lifted the table cloth, to be faced with a frightened, battered looking Imago, who instinctively hissed at her in warning.
"Oh, Imago," she said, reaching under the table to pull the weakly struggling filly into her arms. "Shh, shh, it's alright. You don't need to fight anymore," she murmured, gently rocking the frightened filly until she finally went limp, beginning to sniffle.
"Are you going to eat me now?" She warbled out, and the ponies that heard looked confused and then horrified as Celestia informed them of the Changeling tradition of devouring the weak and injured.
"Never, sweetling," Cadance murmured, cuddling her close. "Stick with me, and no pony will ever eat you, no matter what." Imago stilled, teary pink eye going wide as she slowly looked up at Cadance, staring into her eyes as something began to warm in her thorax.
"P-promise?" she whispered; Cadance looked startled, before her whole face softened and she leaned forward to nuzzle Imago's forehead, placing a gentle kiss the and using a gentle flare of magic to straighten her lopsided crown.
"Promise," she told the filly softly, gently smoothing her disheveled mane. Imago let her tears fall and threw her forelegs around Cadance, sobbing into her neck as her magic flared for the first time, covering her body in bright pink flames as she Transformed for the first time.
When the light cleared away, cradled in Cadance's hold wasn't the pink-maned Changeling filly from before, a pale pink Alicorn filly sat, her mane and tail curling into a more childish version of Cadance's, made up of pale gold and the same shade of pink as her previous mane. Eye the exact same shade of blue as Shining Armors blinked tearfully out of an uncertainly smiling face as Cadance stared down at her, utterly touched as Imago sniffled, before the adult Alicorn cooed lovingly and hugged her again.
"I think it is safe to say, that young Imago's life has changed for the better," Celestia told Shining Armor and the watching Elements gently, smiling. The Unicorn nodded slowly, before he cautiously approached the two hugging on the floor and gently introduced himself, running a hoof through the mane of the crying filly and already melting under that shy smile.
It would also be safe to say, that Cadance and Shining Armor's lives were also changed for the better.
.9.
The real Wedding went off without a hitch, Imago getting used to her new form and trying not to get in the way. She was also gleefully accepting every ounce of affection her new 'parents' were showering her with, feeling full and satiated for the first time in her existence. She giggled and danced with the small purple and green dragon as well as the other foals who were at the wedding, feeling free.
It wasn't something she'd ever felt, but then again, this time amongst the Ponies was filled with firsts.
"Imago, are you coming, sweetling?" Cadance called; the Changeling turned, feathered wings flaring in embarrassed surprise before she fluttered over happily. Cadance and Shining Armor smiled lovingly down at her as she settled between them, and she beamed right back.
"Have you thought of a name you'd like this form to be called?" Shining Armor asked; she hesitated, peering up at them, before nodding. "Well? What is it?" He asked, the two adults smiling encouragingly. She looked down shyly.
"Skyla," she murmured, peering up at them with her new, bright blue eyes. "I like the name Skyla."
"Skyla, huh?" Shining mused, before, with a grin, he scooped her up and tossed her in the air, laughing as he caught her again and Cadance laughed softly into her hoof as the filly giggled wildly. "I like it!" Beaming as her new parents carried her with them to the carriage, the newly named Skyla allowed herself to fully and completely relax.
She may never be the Queen her Sister raised her to be, but, then again, she was much happier as a Princess anyways.
A/N: Ta-da!
If I write any more, it will take place starting with the Crystal Empire and such, and Imago dealing with her various insecurities, some identity issues, and trying to mesh her Changeling side with her Pony side.
Angst and miscommunication and emotions and fluff abound!
Also:
Imago: Another word for Chrysalis (Narcissism at its finest, yes?)
To Pupate is to Grow from Larva to Adult Insect
Please Review!