Author's Note: This is set in a 'parallel universe' before Season Three of MLP:FiM where Trixie doesn't work at the rock farm, nor uses the Alicorn Amulet to get revenge on Twilight.
Fireworks in the Night Sky
by FragmentedFrost
The changeling woke up, dazed on the edge of a forest covered in shadow. A few of her subjects lay around her groaning in pain, some with torn wings, broken limbs and injuries too gruesome for her to observe. She attempted to stand up, only to collapse again, letting out her own gasp of agony. Carefully checking for any injuries, she noted that one of her wings was torn and that she had a large gash on the left foreleg. She fell from her dizziness back into unconsciousness…
Hearing a voice in the distance, she started swimming back into consciousness, struggling, like a drowning filly trying to burst back to shore. “Queen, Queen Chrysalis!” the worried voice continued calling, and she snapped suddenly back into awareness, finally breaking out from the water. “Are you alright?” The voice was masculine and polite with a slight gravelly tone to it, one of her guards. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, clearing away the last tendrils of sleep. She addressed the concerned guard next to her, assuring him of her well-being. “Yes, Frizagon, do not worry. I have only some minor injuries.” Her eyes flickered gingerly towards her cut – so clearly lying to one of her most faithful guard wasn’t the wisest choice, but it had to be taken to stop her subjects from being so anxious. “You should go and tend to the others.” The minion curtly nodded, obviously noticing the Queen’s large wound, and with a “Yes, your highness,” slowly wandering off to check on the few other changelings around the forest.
She stumbled up feeling like a drunk after a night out, leaning against a nearby tree, her leg being considerably sore. Blood was just starting to clot, but she knew that it would never heal unless it was properly tended to. Ignoring her wound for the time being, Chrysalis took in her surroundings in more detail. She was on the outskirts of a forest that was draped in a veil of darkness, with thickly laced trees soaring towards the clouds in jagged lines across the skyline. The wind from within was strong, and she could feel it even so far away from the centre of what seemed like an infinite mass of vegetation. Faint, wolf-like growls mixed with ear-piercing squawks could be heard from within the woodland, a sign of life that shouldn’t be meddled with. Especially not in their condition.
Chrysalis wracked her mind trying to think of where she had landed. She’d memorised the whole map of Equestria in preparation of its conquer, but since they were defeated by - pfft - the “power of love”, the changelings were now probably strewn all around the nation. They would certainly be worried, especially about losing her, their Queen. But she couldn’t worry about those elsewhere now. Ah! They were outside the Everfree Forest, one of the most feared places in Equestria, and she could see why those ponies would be so afraid. What has happened to me? Chrysalis sharply thought with a sigh, I’ve come from being feared by the land, and now I’m afraid of it? Attempting to reason with herself, she muttered that it was about being so hungry. Hungry. Hungry? She was famished, and she assumed that her changelings were also suffering. Being a good queen meant that she should feed her subjects first, even if that meant her starving.
But there was certainly no love around here. And the changelings – even herself – were in no condition to transform.
She would leave her minions around the Everfree and go elsewhere to search for ‘food’, doing anything else would be extremely dangerous and risk the lives of many, something the kingdom couldn’t afford. She called Frizagon, who was not far away tending to the injuries of a soldier by binding his lacerated wings with cobwebs, and explained her plan. “But, Your Highness, what if we lose you, even after days, weeks or months? What will we become? I’ve already counted at least twenty dead out of around thirty. Not to be pessimistic, ma’am, but I’m certain the numbers will rise, and maybe we’ll be left with none. You’ve already expressed your concerns of the loss of life, but we’ll lose soldiers no matter what.”
The Queen closed her eyes for a second and let out a saddened sigh. “Well then we’ve got nothing to lose then.”
“Queen Chr-”
“There is no choice,” Frizagon protested but was abruptly cut off by his ruler, “we either die here, or die trying. I’ll leave at twilight.”
Leaving the changelings with orders to stay put, she limped off and wandered around the forest, looking for shelter, and more importantly, a source of energy. The scenery - if you could even call it “scenery” - remained the same all around the forest, and it was getting dark, the forest seeping into a state even more tenebrous than before, like dark chocolate slowly being drizzled over a strawberry. It soon became pitch black, and Chrysalis had to resort to using her magic to illuminate the area, further draining her strength. She discovered a small cave, suitable for shelter, but no doubt too cramped for any more than three soldier changelings. Peering into the cave, she noticed that there were the remnants of a small fire that had probably been made last night, and a pile of leaves that had been formed into a makeshift mattress. It was highly unlikely that it was a woodland beast; they wouldn’t need extra warmth, nor bedding, but rather a pony… That couldn’t be too dangerous, could it? Ponies had proved their strength, blasting all the changelings with their magic, leaving them in this tattered condition. Despite the risk, Chrysalis was too exhausted to venture out again and settled on the leaf-bed for the night, drifting off to sleep for the second time that day.
Her dreams were dusty and murky, a pond which you couldn’t see the bottom of. Blurred images of her kingdom, which she was so far away from, were mixed with montages of being defeated by the force field conjured by Shining Armour and Princess Cadance. Oh, they were so easy to fool, and yet... More pictures passed, those of thunder, lightning, and her kingdom sinking, drowning in a walloping whirlpool, her changelings panic-stricken, looking up at her with a pleading eyes while she watched them helplessly. When the last changeling, her most faithful guard, Frizagon, flailed into the spinning terror, Chrysalis woke with a start, flinging up, wrenching her neck muscles and scattering the bed all over the cave floor.
A pony sitting next to her fell back in shock, the cave must’ve been where she lived. She was a unicorn with a scuffed azure coat and a cutie mark of a magical wand. Her striped cornflower mane was unkempt, although it looked like it had once been beautiful and shining. “What are you doing in the Great and Powerful Trixie’s cave?” She spoke with an exuberant and booming, yet purring voice, her dusk-purple eyes blazing with annoyance. “She is not very pleased with your trespassing!” Chrysalis reacted to her hostility, returning a sharp remark, “I am the queen of changelings, and we almost conquered all of Equestria. What makes you think that your measly little cave is of any importance?”
“Almost? Ha! You do not deserve the Great and Powerful Trixie’s admiration. What defeated you, cheesy?”
The Queen was gutted; maybe her remark wasn’t as ‘sharp’ as she thought. Her dream of being trounced rushed back in like waves crashing onto the sharp rocks of the shore, and childhood memories of being bullied cut her heart, like the sharp rocks of the shore slashing the waves that eagerly rushed towards them. “Twilight Sparkle,” she mustered, with as much dignity as she could. Trixie’s expression immediately softened, morphing into one of recognition and... shock? “T-Twilight Sparkle? The lavender unicorn?” Her tone had also entirely changed, becoming curious with a slight hint of fear. Chrysalis nodded slowly, confused and slightly suspicious. “Yes and her friends… Why?”
Trixie let out a sigh, ignoring the question and instead turning to the changeling queen’s injuries, “This gash will never heal if you don’t bind it.” Surprised by the sudden hospitality, the queen stammered, and replied with a simple, “I know.”
“Here, let me help you.” Trixie exited the cave and returned shortly with bandages and some berries, sitting down next to Chrysalis, who was now starting to struggle up, but upon seeing the pony, she slumped back down. While offering her the berries to eat, the blue unicorn gently wrapped the thin strips of cloth over the injury on the changeling’s leg using her magic, her aura matching the violet of her eyes.
Chrysalis felt her energy levels rising, her soul filling up with warmth that glowed and tingled delightfully, as it flowed through her body like heavy rainfall trickling through a riverbed that had been dry for months. By caring for her, Trixie was giving her love, and hence the ‘food’ which Chrysalis needed so badly. It didn’t seem like Trixie knew about what changelings required for nourishment, and Chrysalis didn’t want Trixie to think that she was using her, so she simply ate the berries and didn’t tell her about what her kind fed on. Her face must’ve shown some worry, as Trixie asked, still securing the bandage, “Are you alright?” Conjuring a story that was actually true, she replied with, “My changelings… they’re around the forest and I need to take care of them.” Trixie had finished binding the wound and Chrysalis hastily got up, swaying a bit, “I have to go,” she said as she pivoted towards the cave mouth.
“Wait!” Chrysalis froze, whipping around to face Trixie who exclaimed with a hint of desperation, “They can come here, I can help them. I know some more caves around here, and I also have supplies. Just please, don’t leave me.” The last sentence was a mere whisper, so hushed that Chrysalis didn’t it pick up.
Surprised by the anxiety in Trixie’s voice, Chrysalis said nothing but, “I’ll… be back.”
When Chrysalis was treaded back to where she left the changelings, she discovered that two of the remaining changelings had passed away in the day that she had been gone. “One died of excessive blood loss from a wound in his flank, and the other died of starvation. There are only seven other soldiers around here that are alive. If we don’t find assistance soon, we’re sure to all perish.” Blood dripped from Frizagon's belly as he spoke, and only then had the Queen noticed that he had a wound much worse than even those who had died.
“And I’ve found somepony who could give us such assistance. She’s waiting for us in the forest. It’ll take us a while, but we’ll get there safe and sound, I promise.” Chrysalis didn’t know if she could keep her empty promise though, the walk took a few hours and some of the changelings looked like they couldn’t walk for more than three minutes without collapsing.
The journey to Trixie’s cave with the soldiers tagging along was much more sluggish than it was when Chrysalis was on her own. Overgrown roots and sprawling vines caused many of the changelings to trip and stumble, slowing and further injuring them. At least it was earlier in the day than when Chrysalis went alone, and the sky was a few shades lighter than before, and thin shards of sunlight pierced through the foliage like spears penetrating flesh. The growls were softer, but strange creaks and squeaks could be heard all around them. At one point, a large bat the colour of night swooped down, almost taking out one of the changelings. By the time they arrived at the cave, night had fallen and Chrysalis resorted to using her magic to light up the path. “Here we are,” Chrysalis huffed out, exhausted. The soldiers all slumped down, like puppets that a puppeteer had dropped on stage, as if her words were a cue.
Upon hearing voices, an anticipating Trixie dashed out of the cave mouth and straight towards Chrysalis. “Soldiers, this is Trixie, the pony who I said would look after us,” Chrysalis introduced, stepping towards the mare.
“Greetings,” Trixie said, with a slight boasting tone. Turning to the queen, she quietly exclaimed, so that only Chrysalis could hear, “Trixie was so worried, she thought that you’d never return!” Chrysalis replied with nothing but a soft nudge.
Over the next few evenings, the changelings stayed in the caves that Trixie had mentioned, with Chrysalis and Trixie sharing the same cave in which they'd met. Every night, the unicorn and changeling queen grew closer, moving on from sleeping on opposite sides of the cave to sleeping back to back. One night was particularly chilly, the howls of the wind merging with those from the wolves, and cold breezes swirled into the caves, making Trixie's teeth chatter and her bones feel like they were wrapped in layers of frost, consuming her and turning her into ice. Changelings, had no problem with the cold, their species had adapted to survive extreme temperatures. Sensing Trixie’s body shiver next to her own, Chrysalis turned around, shifting some of the leaves that made the bed, and wrapped her arms around the trembling mare. Trixie let out a sigh of relief and snuggled closer as Chrysalis shared her warmth, unfolding her holey wings which were surprisingly warm, and covering Trixie with them like a blanket, both of them embracing each other and with falling asleep with a content smile.
The next morning was warmer than the night, with the sun breaking through more holes in the foliage that the wind had previously blown out. Trixie woke, her eyes fluttering open to see the changeling queen begin to stir, her wings slowly curling away from Trixie's body. They both smiled at each other, and there was some unexplainable magic in the air, making them lean closer... They suddenly and simultaneously snapped out of their dreamy state, pulling back and getting up, the enchantment just lingering slightly. They both had their jobs to do around the forest and Trixie trotted out of their shelter to collect 'food' for them, glancing blissfully back at Chrysalis, and the changeling blinking back warmly, her body filling with warmth, and her energy levels rising, feeding on Trixie's love. Rubbing her eyes, she stepped out of the cave and headed to give orders to her changelings, most of which have already awoken.
As Chrysalis was getting ready to sleep, an angry Trixie stormed into the cave, electricity seeming to bounce around the room. "You... used me!" she shrieked, "I can't believe it! Trixie trusted you! She thought that..." Her voice cracked as she cut off, choking back angry sobs. "She thought that she could trust you... That she had something special with you!"
Chrysalis' heart shattered, like a fire ruby that had been dropped, her chest physically in pain like the shards of her heart were jabbing her lungs. Trixie had found out about how the changelings fed, Chrysalis' biggest fear. The queen opened her mouth to reply, plead and cry, her jaw trembling, but she was interrupted by a shout coming from one of her changelings. "Queen, Queen, you must come over at once! It's Frizagon, I-I think he's... in... a lot of pain!" Chrysalis rushed over to her guard's cave, Trixie, still seeking answers, followed closely behind.
Frizagon's stomach wound seemed like it was healing well, especially with the help of the unicorn. But it had split again and looked even worse than ever with pus around the sides of the gash and blood pouring out, creating a scarlet river. He let out a gruelling cry of pain, causing all the equine in the cave to wince. Chrysalis knelt down quickly beside him, observing his wound, hanging her head and making the conclusion that there would be no hope anymore, even with urgent aid. Tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping quickly onto the cave floor, making faint tapping noises in the cave that was entirely silent apart from the sounds of quiet sobbing. Frizagon was a high-ranked guard, greatly respected and loved by all changelings. His death would create a small ripple in the kingdom, and lots of grief. Chrysalis looked up at him, his face clenched with pain. "Take... care... your Highness..." His face relaxed, pupils fully dilating, throat relaxing and his muscles spasmed and then fell loose. The queen curled up next to him and fell asleep beside him, drowning everything else out.
She woke with a start, her body jerking sharply, to find Trixie standing above her, in a similar fashion to when they first met. Her expression was sympathetic, yet questioning, obviously replaying all the events that had happened last night. Casting a sorrowful glance at the late Frizagon, she got up and faced Trixie.
Author's Note
As I've mentioned before, this is my first fanfic and I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd leave some constructive criticism (make sure you point out any typos! And did I use too many cliches?) as well as your thoughts on this fic (:
Big thanks to Kie for helping me write this, and all those who pre-read it (including Night, Laser and Catriona) and made sure it was interesting enough, love ya guys! Even bigger thanks to YOU, dear reader, for clicking on this fic and reading it. You guys are what makes writing this worthwhile (:
