I want to stay with you (Patreon)

Three sharp knocks on Chrysalis's office door redirected some of the queen's attention away from the bank statement she was reading in my Royal Equestria Security Forces (RESF) dreamscape. The changeling looked up at the door and spoke.

     "Yes. Who is it?" From the other side of the door she heard 749 who acted as her major domo in her close entourage speak. The drone had served her for many years now and was for the most part unflappable when it came to his personality. So hearing the drone speak in an obviously exasperated voice caused the queen to raise an eyebrow.

     "Your Majesty! Sigh. Sorry to interrupt your work, bbbbuuuutttt, Golden Beech wishes to speak with you. Now. Aaannndd she's most insistent in the matter!" The last part was delivered with the unspoken tone of. This was her idea. Not mine.

     Chrysalis pursed her lips. Golden Beech was the of oldest foals the Queen of the Changelings had recently liberated from a truly wretched situation a week ago. Currently the queen was discreetly working with several individuals to find the foals a more permanent and safe homes. As the most senior of the foals Golden Beech had ended up being the de facto spokespony for the foals when they had any questions or requests. Of all of the foals the light palomino filly was the one that Chrysalis felt she knew the best.

     The changeling's horn glowed as she dropped the wards on the room and unlocked the door. Then she spoke.

     "Let her in 749."

     749 opened the door and with a practiced sweep of his hand the drone gestured for the filly to enter. Then 749 followed her into the room. The earth pony was wearing wearing a rather adorable skirt and blouse combo, and with her curly mane and tail she had at first glance the appearance of having just stepped out of the pages of some foal's clothing catalog. However one good look in her eyes told a different story. Link

     Chrysalis still didn't know everything that monster Broken Jaw and her crew had done to the filly, but after having a recent private face-to-face conversation with the filly the queen had hastily acquired a home pregnancy kit. Fortunately the results had been negative, but an innocence had been taken and the damage was irreversible.

     The filly was nervous but she stepped into the room and stood up straight as she waited for the queen to address her. Chrysalis made a something of a spectacle out of slowly placing the cap back on her pen before speaking. She looked the filly in the eyes and to her credit Golden Beech looked right back. Finally the queen spoke.

     "Well Golden Beech. Apparently you had something you wished to speak to me about that required my immediate attention?"

     Not breaking her eye contact Golden Beech took a deep breath and then spoke. "Your Majesty." The filly had picked up the etiquette and protocol of the household the fastest which had contributed to her being the foals representative. "I've heard that we will soon be sent off to our new homes?"

     Chrysalis smiled and nodded her head. She was curious how the filly had learned this, but for the moment she set that question aside. "Yes. with any luck by next week we'll have all of you in new homes and–"

     "I want to stay with you." The filly interrupted the queen. "I don't want to be sent away to some foster home or orphanage. I want to live here and serve you your Majesty. I want you to be my legal guardian."

     749 stared in shock at the filly, and her statement even raised the eyebrows of the queen. Chrysalis looked over at the drone. "749. Would please leave us and close the door behind you as you leave."

     "Of course your Majesty." The drone gave the filly a What in Tartarus the are you doing? look as he left and closed the door. Golden Beech remained standing where she was as if she was in the principal's office. Chrysalis gestured to an unoccupied chair in front of her desk.

     "Sit." The queen commanded. The filly sat herself down and once again looked the changeling in the eyes. Chrysalis leaned back in her chair as she raised hands and steepled her fingers together. She peered over them for a moment before sighing. "I am afraid I have to deny your petition to remain here."

     "Why?" The filly said bluntly. The comment wasn't the plaintively whining of foal deprived something they wanted. It was spoken like an adult seeking clarification. Chrysalis slowly closed the binder she'd been looking at before speaking again.

     "Golden Beech. I am responsible for releasing you from your bondage to that miserable example of a pony and her crew, but this household is not healthy place for a filly to grow up in."

     To her credit the filly kept her composure as she rebutted the queen's statement. "With all due respect your Majesty I disagree. Your household seems to offer a healthy, well run, structured place for a filly to grow up in."

     The queen slowly shook her head. "No it's not. Dear, understand that less than a month before you arrived here I had to shoot an kill an assassin in my own bedroom." She casually pointed to right wall. "It happened just 3 doors down. Link  You're bright filly. You've undoubtedly noticed that all of my staff are armed at all times." Chrysalis slowly opened the right side of her business jacket. Underneath and tucked under her right armpit in a shoulder holster was a 9mm pistol. "Even in my own home I rarely go about unarmed. This is a dangerous place for a filly."

     Golden Beech scowled a little, but pressed on with her argument. "Your Majesty. How can your home be anymore dangerous than that sweaty, basement I was trapped in for...."

     "Because that rotten basement was also no place for a foal to be." Chrysalis countered. "Golden understand you need to finish your proper education and be around other ponies. Especially other ponies your age. You have much that you still need to learn. Those are things that I cannot provide you here."

     The filly's breath slowly grew more ragged and she closed her eyes. Chrysalis remain silent. She knew exactly the torment that this filly had gone through. The earth pony clenched her teeth as she spoke. "Yyyour Majesty. I, I think I've learned all I need to learn from ponies. I,I, have learned cruelty and betrayal. I have experienced abandonment, humiliation, pain, and disgrace." Tears began to trickle from her closed eyes. "I, I, have no desire to learn anymore of those lessons!"

     Chrysalis gaze remained locked on the filly as she spoke. "But you know those are not the only lessons you've learned from ponies. Those lessons you listed are not sum total of your experience with other ponies is it? You yourself said you had a very happy home until recently–"

     "And I was then betrayed! My, my so-called Loving Parents let those creep take me away! And then they took!" The filly started crying. "I HATE THEM! I HATE THEM SO MUCH!" She screamed. "HOW CAN I EVER TRUST ANYPONY AGAIN! NO PONY LOOKED FOR ME WHEN THEY TOOK ME! THE ONLY ONE WHO SAVED ME...."

     Golden Beech opened her hazel brown eyes and looked the queen in the eyes. Softly she said "Is, is, is you your Majesty. You saved me from that, and I can never repay for it. I, I love you."

     Chrysalis felt a wave of raw emotion wash over. As a changeling she was connoisseur when it came to the various types love an individual could express. There was a primal fear in the filly's eyes. Fear of being cast out into a world that had abused her so much, but underneath that was the kind of love one found in a fanatical follower. The kind of follower the queen could so easily bend and mold to her needs. The kind that with very little effort she could hand a pistol to and then whisper.

     Kill me that pony. And Golden Beech would do it. Even if it cost the filly her life.

     The queen stiffened in her chair. This was dangerous temptation for her. Some types of love were perilous to accept. Like a highly addictive narcotic they could result in a changeling craving it more or more. Leading to highly destructive behavior as the changeling chased ever greater examples of it.

     Slowly the queen rose from her seat and came around the desk. Coming to a stop in front of the seated filly she looked down at her with an unblinking stare. After a second she said.

     "Stand up." The strong image the filly had put up when she'd stepped in the office began to crumble. Trembling the filly rose from her seat and looked up in the changeling's green eyes. The queen placed a hand on each of the filly's shoulders. Then with a slow deliberate voice spoke.

     "Golden Beech listen to me. Remember when I said you were precious and I saw great potential in you? I still do, but you cannot achieve that potential here. To achieve that you need to leave this place and grow into the individual I know you can be. Then and only then will you be able truly serve me, but until then you're just a liability. It's because I care about you so much that I must send you on your way. Because I know it's the right thing to do."

     Then the queen pulled the filly into a hug as the earth pony started to cry again.