It was with a loud, cracking sound that Chrysalis hit the rock wall of the mountain. The force of impact was so strong that she even slid up the steep angle for a few meters.
Then gravity remembered her and she begun her journey downwards. In desperation she once more tried to use her wings to catch herself but she did not even need to move them to know it was fruitless. One of the wings, her right, was ruined from the rock that was slipping beneath her.
Still she tried as one wing buzzed to life she tried to stop, but to no avail. Seconds later she hit a tree on her way down, and the buzzing stopped as she was finally knocked out.
It was a cough that woke Chrysalis back up. For a second it was as if she did not know where it had come from, as if it had been someone else who coughed.
Then a violent fit of coughing hit her. It felt as if she was not only violently coughing but gagging at the same time. It was as if she was having a seizure and she would not have been surprised if she had coughed up her own lungs, or at least blood.
When it finally died down she took a few, slow breaths to fill her body with oxygen and to try and sharpen her mind.
She opened her eyes the world was simultaneously dark and blurry as well as bright and sharp. A shake of the head didn't help the matter at all. Rather it made everything worse as her head continued to spin even a few moments after she stopped.
After a moment she closed her left eye, and the world turned even darker. Even with the sun high in the sky she could barely see any more than if it had been during the night. What she could see was blurry and out of focus, things barely possible to recognize for what they were.
The opened her left eye again, and instead closed her right. The world was bright. Above her lay the mountain she had hit, a trail of damage from the point of impact to where she now lay on the slope. Beneath her was only gnarled, twisted trees and sand.
It was that moment she realized she was alone.
She got to her hooves in an instant, her head turned from side to side as she tried to not only spot any of her children but also to compensate for her damaged eye.
This turned out to be a mistake as she almost instantly fell back down as searing pain shot up her right-side limbs, accompanied by a shot of dizziness from turning her head so quickly.
To her credit she did not try again, or at least not right away. Instead she turned her attention to herself, too see what had happened to her. What she saw was not encouraging.
Aside from her ruined eye large cracks covered the right side of her carapace, from her body and down her legs. The side of her chest almost seemed to have caved in somewhat and dry, dark liquid seeped through the cracks and coated not only her side but the ground she had rested on.
With care she tried to lift each of her legs. Those on her left side seemed unharmed, only sending small spikes of pain when her muscles tensed on the wrong side of her body.
Her forward right leg could barely move. The cracked carapace had shifted and splinters now dug into her flesh whenever she tried to lift it. As for the hind leg it sent small spikes of pain, but it might still be able to support her weight.
It was good enough. No matter the wounds to her she needed to find her children.
After taking a deep breath to steel herself the queen pushed herself up to standing - and almost fell back down screaming. It felt as if sharp knives were rending the flesh into shreds and she could see a small wave of black blood break through the cracks along her leg.
But she managed to remain on her hooves and only wobbled slightly.
The limping walk away from the stone cliff was painful as her useless limb was more dragged along the ground than lifted for a step. Every time a rock or a hole made it shift even further the pain made Chrysalis see stars.
But she persisted, moving step by step forward. She cast the Voice of her mind in all directions, a scream without sound that only her kin could hear.
It took nearly an hour before she heard the first Voice return her shout, and another two before she reached the origin.
Before her lay clutch-twins Xin and Zin, drones hatched from the same group of eggs. They were almost identical, even to the changelings of the hive. Same tastes, same looks, almost identical Voice... It was even rumored that the two were a pair of lovers.
Now Xin, or possibly Zin, lay dead. A gnarled branch, thick as a changeling's leg, had pierced her from one side to the other. The protective chitin armor had torn up and the insides lay bare to the world.
The other of the pair lay curled around the corpse, and over the soundless Voice she whispered a her feelings. But there was no tears, no screams, and no anger. There was only the whispers.
Chrysalis leaned down and gave what she now saw was Xin the only comfort she could offer. The twisted horn of the queen briefly touched on the horn of her child, sharing some comfort.
It was not before another ten minutes had passed that another pair of changelings arrived. Thankfully they had been so very lucky, for neither of them had been hurt in body.
Chrysalis straightened up from where she had been holding Xin comforting company and moved to greet them and to provide her instructions.
Even though she would prefer them to stay, the presence of her children strengthened her Voice, she could not afford to hold them there.
Instead their instructions were to take to the air and to search the area for more of her children as well as a better place to hide. Any changeling they found were to be guided, or carried if so needed, back to their queen where they could be taken care of.
The living would go before the dead, and with so few scouts they were to ignore any corpses. They could be gathered and buried when the hive could afford it.
They understood, and they left.
The night soon followed.
By morning the gathered hive had grown and it had moved. Another seventy-three changelings had made their way to what protection she could offer.
Half of them had been seriously wounded, and more than half of those tethered on the brink of death.
She shared her love with them all. The love she had gathered from that stallion Shining Armor still filled her, and but each wounded was given fair share so that they might heal. Even the most greviously wounded was given some as a last meal or aid to heal, depending on if they would survive.
They had all moved to beneath a large outcrop of a cliff, so large it almost formed a cave. It provided some protection from wind and weather, and from the prying eyes of enemies.
And protection was crucial now when so little remained of her hive. All changelings able of flight were searching in larger and larger circles around this point, trying to locate more survivors.
But each time they returned with one they also brought tales of horror, of corpses outnumbering the living five to one. So far it seemed the dead had died almost instantly from impacts with rock and wood but there was only a matter of time before those who were wounded succumbed to their injuries.
And despite all of this Chrysalis herself could not lead the search. Had she been able to choose she would been at the very front to find her missing children.
But she could not fly with her damaged wing and she could not run with her legs. She was trapped on the ground and where they were.
But she would not be still and despite a few little protests from the healer-inclined drones she walked among the wounded. Morale was low and so they needed to see her standing and strong - not to mention she could not stand the thought of watching them suffer while she did nothing.
Not that it was all that she did. She called for the others with her Voice, given more strength to do so by those around her. With luck they would hear and they would come.
And yet more hours passed.
Two days had passed since the defeat. For each hour of those two days everything had gotten worse.
The hive had once numbered in many thousands, but those that had gathered were only a few hundred. A part of Chrysalis wished she could pretend it was only because the others were lost.
But it was growing increasingly certain that the dead outnumbered the living by up to as many as eight bodies for every living changeling. And that number increased continuously.
Not only had the chill of the night culled the weakest and most wounded, even within the shelter. But those wounded were bleeding out, those who could not help themselves left this life.
They found fewer and fewer survivors now, and the scouting teams had begun to bring back bodies when they found no survivors. It was a lot of bodies.
They were placed along the cliff to wait as a few changelings used their magic to dig the graves for their rest. Grave after grave after grave.
Others searched the area for things to improve their shelter with while the wounded and sleeping huddled together for the warmth.
It was only her duty to her children that kept Chrysalis standing. The love she had taken was almost gone, as was the feeling in her wounded leg.
She had relented to the requests of one of the drones and, at least temporarily, had allowed them to look her over properly. What they had to say was hardly encouraging.
Her eye was damaged beyond repair and, if their guesses were right, would only get worse. As if the reactions of those that looked into her eye did not already tell her how bad it was now, even from the outside view. For her it was already a loss as the sight had degraded so to the point she could barely tell the difference between noon and midnight.
She could only hope that it would not be infected, a hope that did not seem to be holding up for her smashed leg. The drones had wanted to amputate had it not been for the lack of tools.
Then came the cries of triumph over the Voice. It was not the sounds of another survivor being rescued but that of a hunting-party returning with prey. A sound that promised love to feed on.
The change in atmosphere was nearly instant as they all heard it, causing their spirits to lift and a sudden hunger rise in the air.
She hobbled halfway out from the semi-cave and looked towards the sky until she spotted it. Four small black dots grouped tightly around a more colorful dot.
She waited as it grew larger, until details were finally possible to see. Four changelings were grouped around a mare of a deep-red color. They held on to a leg each as they carried her while the mare herself just hung there with her head and tail dangling, seemingly unconscious.
Soon the changelings came so close that they could drop the prey just a couple of meters in front of her. They then landed a little bit closer, bowing their heads in respect. One of them, Gral, opened her mouth and spoke.
"We found some food, my Queen. Would you want the first taste?"
Chrysalis stepped forward, past her subjects, and inspected what had been offered. The first thing she noticed was that the mare was breathing rapidly and the eye facing the queen was wide opened and focused on her. Paralysed, not unconscious.
The mare herself was clearly in good health and visibly strong, not a surprise as it was a Earth pony.
A part of Chrysalis wanted nothing more than to make this pony pay for the actions of the rest of her kind. Drain her of her love and emotions until her mind was torn to shreds and then toss the as-good-as-dead remains on the scrap heap.
But as satisfying as that would be it would only give that: satisfaction. Her hive would only gain marginal benefits from it, if even that. But they needed every benefit they could get, and the way this thing could give them even more of a benefit was to keep the pony alive.
She turned to the successful hunters, giving them a fanged smile. Or at least as much of a smile as she could give.
"Excellent. Bring it inside. Those who need it the most can feed - but not too much. Keep it alive"
The Gral seemed surprised at this; perhaps she had expected them all to follow Chrysalis' first urge to tear the brittle pony mind apart.
"My Queen? If we take all of it now..."
Chrysalis looked down on the changeling, interrupting her.
"If we take all today we will have nothing for tomorrow. It can last us for years if we are careful. Bring it inside and make sure it survives"
Gral looked back up at her for a few moments before she finally nodded in agreement of the Queen's words.
"Yes, my Queen. Immediately"
Chrysalis gave another smile and nodded her head as her words echoed from both her mouth and over the Voice.
"You have all made me proud"
With this words Chrysalis made her way back inside, putting as little weight as possible on the crippled leg. She could use it a little now as she had lost nearly all feeling in it - including that of pain. The four changelings used their combined magic to lift the pony - who seemed to have entered a state of panic after the conversation it had heard - and brought it inside.
It was finally some good news.
The good news remained for another three days as another four ponies were successfully captured and brought home. It was not enough to feed the hive in its entirety but it gave them more time to settle in and lick their wounds.
It seemed that they had now found most, if not all, of the survivors. In half a day none of the scouts had found a living changeling, despite the massive area they had now managed to search through.
What was brought back now was just more bodies for the graves. There had even been talk among some of the changelings to just dig one large pit and dump the corpses there due to the overwhelming amount, but Chrysalis would have none of it. Each of them deserved respect even in death. While they could not perform the proper rituals for the dead - they had neither the resources nor time - she would not have them dumped into a pit like garbage. That was how one treated ponies.
But the graves made Chrysalis stomach sink. There was just so many of them. Child after child after child after child now lay for their final sleep, all because of her failure and hubris.
But she could not let that show, neither in body nor Voice. She had to be a cliff in this storm, steady and supportive for the young. But hidden behind the veil she was afraid and filled with grief.
Then came the shout over the Voice, a warning she had dreaded but not expected so soon.
They were coming. The ponies were coming.
The hive panicked. The sound of over a hundred pair of wings buzzed in the air and over the Voice came words of terror and fury. Some wished to run, many wished to fight.
Chrysalis allowed it for a second or two to assess before she used her own Voice. Stronger than any other she gave them one command to obey. Silence.
They obeyed almost instantly, both the Voice and the physical hive becoming far more quiet.
With the changelings focused on her she gave the directions. Wounded in the back where they could be protected. The ones able to fly at the roof for attacks from above. The rest spread out behind rocks and wherever else they could hide from magical attacks. The scouts, the ones that were already out flying, were to hurry home and prepare for infiltration and attacks from within.
But above all she made one thing clear. None were to attack without her express command to do so.
They obeyed.
Chrysalis made her way to the front of the place they called a cave and found a place half hidden behind the rock to stay at. Then she waited.
A mere three hours later she saw them and her heart dropped. Row after row after row of metal armor gleamed in the sun. Hundreds of spears pointed towards the sky and far above was the lines of the flying soldiers. And behind them were the untrained militia - a disturbingly large amount. It seemed that Chrysalis' visit had made almost everyone eager to join up against her.
For a moment she hoped that the pony army actually didn't know that the changelings were there an that they would somehow miss the graves and just keep marching. But of course that did not happen. That'd been far too good.
No the soldiers did not leave but rather started to line up around the opening with the points of their spears pointing inwards. Behind them she could see unicorns with spells ready to fire swirling around their horns. They were trapped.
But they did not instantly attack but held at a distance. The milita behind the actual soliders were less disciplined, moving around and clearly eager to move in, but also they held back.
Then the ranks of ponies parted in the middle, just wide enough for the three Alicorns to march past them. A handful of, presumably, elite guards and advisors followed them out in the open between Hive and Army.
They walked almost halfway over before they stopped. Chrysalis needed no help to see it for what it was, an invitation to negotiate - and surrender.
Thoughts swarmed through Chrysalis mind for a moment before pushed away to a corner for later. She had had plenty of time these last few days to think of what she would do if this happened and she had formed a plan. A costly, dangerous plan, but a plan nonetheless.
She rose up from where she had hid and walked towards the three. Three changelings tried to move with her but she ordered them back over the Voice almost instantly. She would walk alone.
As she made her way towards the princesses Chrysalis suspected she made for a much less impressive sight than she had last time they met.
Her right eye was ruined and dark to her, and she could only imagine how it looked to others. Cracks covered almost every part of her natural armor, from the hairline ones on her head to the disturbing gaps in her body and leg.
The leg no longer responded to her will and it had gained a strange, almost sweet stench around it. The liquid that sometimes dripped through the holes and the cracks was no longer the black color of blood but rather gave the impression of something sick and dying.
Most likely it was already rotten and diseased. But she ignored this as she made her way to the metaphorical table in no-mans-land, more dragging than lifting the useless limb.
When she came close enough she could see Celestia, the pale one, to look her over with a look that infuriated Chrysalis to no end.
It was not the look of someone that would be gloating for their victory, it was not even the apraising look of someone who had done a good job in a battle. It was compassion.
This stuck-up, self-righteous pony princess dared to feel sorry for the Queen of the Changelings as if she was nothing more than a wounded child.
Had it not been for the lives of her own children that hung on the outcome of whatever would be said Chrysalis would have willingly died if she could bring Celestia with her. Or even if she could just have wounded the pony.
The only emotion ponies had the right to show when looking on a changeling was fear or fury, not compassion.
On the right side of the sun-pony was the dark shape of the princess of the night. Her expression was neutral and her thoughts hidden behind a mask.
On the far right side of the group was the pink form Chrysalis herself had worn earlier, Cadanse. There was the anger Chrysalis had expected from all of the ponies, but it was dampened and held in check. Two steps behind the princess of love was her husband, armored from head to hoof and ready to provide assistance - be it physical or emotional.
On the far left, beside Celestia, was a purple unicorn. The same unicorn that had been the undoing of Chrysalis' plans. Also she seemed angry, though she also had the aura of being worried about her own anger.
The Queen met the princesses, stopping two meters out of their range. A grin was on her face, a grin born from acting ability rather than any true amusement.
"Well well Well, did you come to me so quickly? I'm surprised"
Chrysalis laughed quietly, knowing full well the unsettling qualities of her echoing voice had on ponies. Most of them seemed unbothered though, only the unicorn advisor seemed to be put off by it.
The dark princess was the first one to speak, her voice sharp and controlled.
"We are not here for laughing matters, but for-"
She got no further before Chrysalis interrupted, the grin already gone.
"My surrender? You will allow us to bury our dead, and you will feed and take care of my children. These are our conditions"
Chrysalis didn't bother to drag it out further. They would not play along and she no longer had any hidden cards to play.
Silenced followed the words of the Queen. It was clear that none of them had expected her to accept surrender so easily, or at all.
The silence lasted another moment before the pink one spoke up with distrust heavily in her voice.
"Are you trying to threaten us?"
Chrysalis turned her working eye on the crystal princess as she answered.
"No"
She bit back what she almost had followed it up with; 'You stupid little pony'
"These are the terms of our surrender"
More silence followed though it did not last nearly as long.
The dark one was the first one to speak, addressing her words to the pale one.
"We think this is acceptable, do we not, sister?"
Celestia nodded in reply, then moved her attention to the purple unicorn.
"I believe so. Unless you have something else to add, my faithful student?"
As the unicorn was addressed the pink one turned her attention to the guard-captain at her side. It was clear she looked for an opinion from him, one she got by the way of a court nod.
Still she hesitated to think herself for another few moments before she finally agreed with it.
"Yes, that seems good"
That left but the answer of the unicorn, who seemed to be thinking hard. Perhaps a bit too hard, as if she expected there to be traps in the statement. A wise angle of approatch.
But before many moments had passed also the Unicorn nodded. It seemed they had already put up what they would accept in a surrender and Chrysalis' offer had been close enough to be accepted.
"Yes. But what about Her?"
She nodded towards the Queen, though something in her movements she wasn't sure if to treat Chrysalis as a prisoner or a royal or something in-between.
"Will she... will you just surrender yourself too?"
The unicorn changed the direction of her words from her mentor to the changeling, something that both annoyed and pleased the Queen.
"Yes. If my subjects are to surrender, then so will I"
The pink one watched her for a second before she spoke, her words needing no tone to the voice to carry her feelings.
"And if we would execute you for your crimes?"
There was a second of silence as the other four turned their heads and stared at Cadance with obvious shock. They had not expected the Princess of Love, or anyone, to even come up with the idea.
Chrysalis didn't share that look, she chuckled darkly. It amused her that just a few days beaten and imprisoned had brought such dark thoughts to the heart of the princess.
"Then I will be executed. Anything else or can I see to my subjects?"
Celestia was the one to answer that, shaking her head towards Chrysalis before sending the pink one a worrysome look.
"No, you can tell them then come back for imprisonment. Our guards will take you to your cell. And see to your leg"
The last bit sounded almost soft, once more making a surge of rage course through the veins of Chrysalis. Oh how she wished she could crush that 'kind' pony underhoof. But no, she could not.
Without another word the Queen turns to prepare her hive for surrender.
The burial of the Changelings took three more weeks. When the last guard left the ground in front of the cave was covered by thousands of small mounds and crude memorial stones. On each was the name of a changeling that had fallen that fateful day.
Chrysalis and her Changelings were herded to age-old cells beneath Canterlot, cells that had been all but forgotten for a thousand years.
The hive was tense and aggressive, but the solid point of their Queen tempered their emotions. Sharpened them into a blade for what was to come one day.
They were fed, if it could be called that. Given enough energy to survive but certainly not to thrive. Not that anyone had expected different.
As for Chrysalis she found herself with one leg missing, the rotting limb severed at her shoulder and removed permanently. Her eye followed suit.
She refused any of the pony-made replacements, leaving herself with a dark, open hole where the decaying eyeball had been. A reminder to herself for her mistakes and perhaps even a source of fear to her enemies.
The Hive waited.
Author's Note
comments are, of course, welcome.
Enjoy the read.