The New Monarchy

"Fluttershy? Fluttershy, can you hear me?" Fluttershy's eyes slowly open, straining to cope with the dark and dim blue light. She feels chains on her two fore hooves, and a surface under her. She is tied and being held captive. "Fluttershy."

"Hello? Who's there?" Fluttershy asks the darkness, hoping for some good news.

"It's me, Twilight. Am I glad to see you, I-"

"Get away from me!" Fluttershy yells, scared of Twilight now. She tries to break free of her chains, but winds up unsuccessful.

"Fluttershy, listen, it's me. I know you've been dealing with me above ground but trust me, this is the real me. That was a changeling." Her heart stops.

"A-a changeling? As in, Chrysalis changeling?"

"Exactly. She's back." It all makes sense to her in that moment, as if the pieces were put together like a puzzle. "She formulated a plan to-"

"I know, overthrow Celestia. And I helped." Fluttershy feels a pain in her chest, she just brought her rule to an end all by herself.

"It's not your fault, you didn't know."

"Twilight, it is my fault. If I hadn't told every pony the 'change is coming', then they wouldn't have been so willing to surrendering. They would have been caught by surprise and fought them off, but instead the fear kept building and they put down their hooves before a single pony got hurt. I just began the end." She feels tears welling up, but tries to hold them back.

"But you don't know that Fluttershy, maybe they didn't surrender and instead did fight. But even if they did surrender there is no proof that they wouldn't have done the same without your warning." Silence engulfs the air.

"By the way, where are you?"

"I'm to your left, but it's too dark to see. I'd do a spell but there are creatures surrounding us form the Everfree. If I show any light they'll attack, we're kind of stuck." More silence.

Fluttershy stares into the dark abyss as she is lost in thought, scared of, well, everything right now. "Twilight? What will happen if they take over Canterlot?"

Twilight sighs. "Honestly, I don't know. I'd hate to imagine it but I'd have to guess an, an oppressed Equestria. No freedom, no hope, no nothing. Just, an endless fog over Equestria." Twilight shakes her head. "But that won't happen, because we're getting out of here."

"What? How? I thought you said-"

"Yes, there are creatures around us. And by creatures, I mean animals. Animals that you can communicate with."

"Oh, Twilight, I don't know if I can get through to them. Not all animals are always willing to listen." Twilight's horn slowly grows a light.

"I'm going to cast the light spell. When I do, you're going too convince them to not attack. I know you're reluctant to but it's either that, or we stay down here forever." It's Fluttershy's turn to sigh.

"Alright, I'll try. I'm ready when you are."

"Ok, in three, two, one." A light shows the creatures' eyes, not what they are. Their red eyes stare at the two ponies. They don't move, don't make a sound, just stare.

"Wait, they attacked last time I did this spell. Whatever, it doesn't matter, Fluttershy, do your work." Fluttershy swallows every last bit of courage and talks.

"H-hi little buddies, I'm sure you're really loyal to Chrysalis, but you look like nice friends. Me and my friend would really appreciate it if you were to go and play with each other and uh, you know, be happy somewhere away from here." She smiles but doubts it helps at all. The red eyes go from triangles to circles as a happy panting is heard. They disappear while the sound of running is heard to their far right.

"Perfect Fluttershy, perfect. I'll get us out of here." Twilight casts a spell that undoes her chains and does so to Fluttershy's as well.

"So what do you say we go save Equestria?"