The snow powdered mountains stood strong against the icy wind beating it’s way on them. Snow rained down onto mountain tops frequently causing snow to collapse and fall down the mountain in large piles, often taking a few frail pine trees with them. This snow storm was one of the harshest of the year. Of course, it was always right before Hearth’s Warming’s Eve, a warm and fuzzy holiday, matched with cruel Northern winds carried South.
The wind howled as the storm continued in the blackness of night. No light was to be seen, except a small glow, a green glow from a changeling’s horn. The Queen of the changeling’s horn made the snow glow as she trudged through the piles of snow. Her head was down, her teeth were grit, her joints were stiff, and her tail felt like a weighted down icicle yet Chrysalis continued up the mountain. She shook her mane letting the loose snow and ice fall to the ground. She looked up for only a moment to only see the swirling snow storm of white blinding everything.
Chrysalis huffed and tried to brighten the glow from her horn. “I can’t even see. I’m going to fall off a freaking cliff before I even get the chance to freeze to death!”
The wind continued to beat down on the changeling with all of it’s might. Snow and ice began to pile against Chrysalis’ side, continually having to shake it off as she climbed higher.
Chrysalis suddenly felt her right fore leg give out from under her. She landed face first in the snow thanks to a patch of snow that had hardened. She lifted herself out of the snow, then blew the snow out of her face and sighed. These mountains are not only steep but slippery. I better watch my footing from now on.
Chrysalis pointed her horn towards the path in front of her as a makeshift lantern and slowly but surely kept going. Her body aching but not as much as her hooves, which had carried her all the way from the Everfree Forest to these mountains as an act more so of pride than shame. No Changeling would dare cross the barrier between the North and South during these conditions. That means, for now, she was safe. At least, from the changelings.
I wonder how the hive is doing without me…
Chrysalis grunted at the thought. “Whatever. Who needs a bunch of weaklings anyway?”
She thought back to her servants and her soldiers. Ready to do whatever she she command whenever she may command it. A whole army at her command.
Gone.
Although her heart was heavy her anger took control. Her hooves stomped through the snow drifts. Finally, her hooves becoming completely numb after being engulfed in snow for so long. Chrysalis furrowed her eyebrows and mumbled. “Stupid hooves.”
Chrysalis stopped for a moment and sat in the snow, the wind causing her mane and tail to fly towards the blackened, white speckled sky. She raised her hooves to her face and stared. “If I can’t even make it this far how will I ever regain my hive?” She closed her eyes and pounded her front hooves in the snow repeatedly. “Huh? How? How am I?”
The only answer was the howling of the wind as it continued to beat on the mountain side with it’s icy blasts. She could finally feel the aching of her body in the icy cold. Everything hurt, most of her body felt as if it was already made of ice. Chrysalis opened her eyes and looked down at the white snow below her. “I can’t do this.”
She laid down in the cold snow her horn beginning to grow dim. “I can’t make it.”
Chrysalis closed her tired eyes, the snow slowly beginning to build a cold blanket of ice of her. The cold’s sting slowly began to fade as she felt her body became numb to the building frost. She thought back to how she had gotten here in the first place. The trudge back to the hive council, the decision, the banishment. She had barely escaped the last changeling patrol at Neighagra Falls. It was obvious there was no other choice but to head North, into the icy mountains.
Why do I even miss those imbeciles anyway? She huffed. I mean, I guess they were always there to wait on me and do my bidding but still, they chased me out.
Chrysalis’ ears fell flat against her head and her brow furrowed. They chased me out…
Maybe, I wasn’t meant to be a Queen. I wasn’t meant to lead an army or anypony. Maybe, all I’m good for is failing.
She thought back to her past. The failed reconnaissance missions, failed food collection, and failed main object, to take Canterlot to use as a changeling base to bring Equestria to it’s knees. She sighed. I Failed. Everything, I failed at it all.
She coughed, her lungs filled with icy air. So what if I failed? Somepony has to still care right?
The changelings that were once hers turning against her in front of her own eyes. Chasing her from the very place she had ruled for so many ages.
She sighed. No, I suppose not.
Chrysalis laid there, continent with nature’s cruel fate that was soon to come. How she wished she had been born a normal pony. One who could laugh and play with the others, not having to worry about such idle things such as missions or secrets. Nopony would cringe at her appearance or scream and run away. Nopony would call her a ‘Monster’ or a ‘Ugly Creature.’
They would treat her the same as they treated everypony else.
Chrysalis squeezed her eyes shut tighter at the thought of all the ponies in Canterlot. How they had adored her when she was the Princess, how they were at her side every step of the way. She was rough on them, of course, changelings are supposed to be rough but if she learned to be softer….
She grimaced. No. I mustn't think like that. What would mother think?
Chrysalis thought back to what her mother always said to her when she expressed her thoughts on wanting to be ‘different’ back when she was a filly. Her mother would sit on the throne, back straight, and lean down stare straight into Chrysalis’ eyes and say, “Chrysalis, don’t let them in, don’t let them see, be the good changeling you were always have to be. Conceal, don't feel. Don't let them know.”
She sniffled. She never knew the real me. Nopony does.
Chrysalis opened her eyes. That’s it.
She felt her leg twitch and she hissed. “No, not like this.” She grunted and began to stretch her limbs. “Not today.”
Chrysalis lifted herself out of the snow and shake off the frost. She stared at the snow beating down on her and smirked. “My own kind chased me out and you know what?”
The wind continue to howl.
Chrysalis laughed at the wind. “Who cares!”
Chrysalis felt her body morph her black shell turning into black fur, her mane and tail turning into a soft blue color, her horn straightened, and her wings became lined with black feathers. “If I can not live with my own kind I will live with the ponies.”
She climbed further, the storm determined to bring her to her knees but never fully succeeding. Now, Chrysalis, had something to keep going for, something small, yes, but at least it was something. Hope.
Chrysalis grabbed the side of the cliff and began to climb up the mountain side. Hope of a new life.
She climbed higher as the air became colder. Hope of new sights.
Chrysalis felt her hoof reach a soft surface and she pulled her body up as she stood on the top of the mountain overlooking the northern mountainside. Hope of, perhaps, a friend.
She kicked the snow off the side of the mountain and yelled as the wind tried to knock her off. “Let the storm rage on!”
Chrysalis felt her horn’s light grow as her body began to tingle. The ice around her had began to melt, not only on the outside but the inside as well. She raised her horn to the sky and shot a green bolt straight into the storm. The storm slowly began to die down as the harsh wind was reduced to almost nothing and the stinging ice was nothing but soft snowflakes.
Chrysalis slumped into the soft snow, her fur collecting small snowflakes, and looked out across into the distance as the sun slowly began to rise from it’s slumber. Chrysalis smiled as she felt the cold start to melt away. She stared at the sunrise. The rising sun caused the sky to go from black to purple to blue with bits of orange and pink in between.
She thought about places she could go such as Canterlot or Ponyville but then the thoughts of Changeling guard patrols flashed across her mind and she shivered. There’s no way I’m strong enough to go back now.
She thought for a moment and pondered what she could do. I could always attempt going towards the Crystal Empire…
Chrysalis shrugged. I suppose it doesn’t matter. She smiled, she now had something nopony could take away from her. She had the hope of finally being able to fit in. Not some monster everypony took her as but as a real, living, breathing pony.
She stared at the ground as fresh snowflakes merged with the snow. “I could stay here awhile, until I am strong enough to return. I won’t need to feed at least for another month, that should be enough time to try and accomplish acting like a normal pony.”
For a moment Chrysalis thought back to her old hive but then shook her head and spoke almost as confirming something within herself. “The past is in the past.”
Chrysalis sat up and stared up at the sky. “I suppose this is my kingdom for now. A kingdom of isolation.”
She shrugged. “I suppose that’s alright. Besides...”
Chrysalis felt a snowflake land on her nose and smirked. “The cold never bothered me anyway.”
Author's Note
An old story I wrote for Christmas. Close enough? Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the story!
