Frozen North; Crystal Empire; 9:30am

After finishing with shopping for supplies and gear for the trip to Mount Everhoof, Chrysalis decided to explore the empire, she has a hobby for architecture and the cultures of different regions… to bad she couldn’t focus on such things due to her plans for conquest and expansion.

Busy within her own mind, Chrysalis reminisced her past, the events before and after the Canterlot Wedding, prior to the past two weeks before her plans to replace all of Equestria’s heroes, royalty, and to rule Equestria and then the entire world… only to be defeated by Starlight, her friends, and that traitor Thorax.

That humiliating defeat by that unicorn and that traitor, they dare use my own subjects against me with something as simple as to share love with one another, they changed centuries of a way of living, to abandon our ways since the time of my great-great-great grandmother.

While a lot has changed in just a few days, Chrysalis felt a sense of relief from this entire situation. The only upside to all of this was that her people won’t starve forever anymore and that they won’t be under any prejudice from the other races anymore.

It would be possible for her accept this new change… if it weren’t for her ego; the monarchy of the changelings has always been led by a queen – a female changelings – not once has a king ever ruled or has there ever been a single account of a male ruler for the changelings. Plans to take back her throne swirled in her mind, but the hope that her subjects can still live peacefully with the rest of the world was in the top of her list too.

Ending up in the empire’s park, she notices several families enjoying their time in the park, there was also a flock of ewes grazing by. One of the ewes had wandered up to her, nuzzling her leg, ever since she met Ouros her sensitivity to the emotions of all living things have increased. Is Ouros correct, is my kind actually… emphatic, but I haven’t felt or been emphatic before in my entire life… well… there was that one time when I was young.

Her emotions and senses go overdrive from these new sensations she’s feeling, that’s when a familiar emotion she’s very close with comes to her. Anger, hate… a hint of fear… Now this is something I am deeply close with.

Picking up where these emotions are coming from, she spots from a distance a small group of Crystal Guardsponies, with them is Shining Armor wearing his royal crystal guard armor, alongside him is the General of the Crystal Guard – General Glacier. Seeing them approach, Chrysalis leaves, but not realizing earlier, she was petting the baby ewe on the head, her affectionate side unnoticed by her.

I need to get out of here fast, just where in the heck is Ouros anyway?

Elsewhere – Frozen North; Location: Unknown; Time: Unknown

Ouros opened his eyes and find himself in some strange gray-scale version of the world above, the grass, trees, sky, water, even the rocks – though it didn’t look like the rocks changed at all – were all variations of gray.

Hmmm, this place needs an artist’s touch.

Exploring this strange place, Ouros wanders further in until he encounters what he assumes is one of the locals. The creature looked like a pony, but smaller with characteristics to that of a fairy… but he could feel a faint energy shrouding this creature… a familiar one.

“Hello friend, welcome to our home, my name is Rabia and I like to invite you to our village, please follow me,” said Rabia.

Ouros followed Rabia until they ended up back at the village, more of her people could be seen everywhere, welcoming Ouros, but while they seemed welcoming, there was a sense of foreboding around them. They warily watched him, skeptic on how somebody managed to get into their world… there was also something familiar about him… something ancient.

“By the way how did you manage to get here, only friends of ours can come in and out at will?”

Gazing at Rabia with a smile, he speaks, but the words that come out is that of an ancient tongue not spoken in millennia.

“Svool orggov lmv, rg szh yvvm vlmh hrmxv R'ev hvvm blfi prmw. Blf nfhg mlg ivnvnyvi dsl R zn, yfg R pmld blfi prmw szhm'g ulitlggvm gsv zmxrvmg ozmtfztv lu Xszlh, mld szh rg.”

Rabia froze, the language was an ancient language spoken by her kind and various creatures that were created by a being who’s name has been forgotten. Hearing this being speak in their ancient tongue meant two things, he was either a descendant of one of the ancient races... or...

“Are you the one who we been waiting for?” asked Rabia.

Ouros grins in response and speaks again. “Rmwvvw nb xsrow, prm lu Hszwld, Uzgsvi lu Mrtsgnzivh,” said Ouros, smiling.

Soon afterwards, Rabia dropped her disguised state to show her true form, a skinny starving shadowy equine, her eyes sunken in from being trapped in this alternate plane for centuries. After she revealed her true form, the rest of her kind appeared in their true forms too, having heard the ancient language and their guest.

“I have heard tales of the ancient past, in which our creator alongside others of similar power followed being of immense power. If you are truly that being... do you plan on ruling this world once more?”

“Hmmmmm, I don’t plan to, but I will bring change to the current era of this world. Much has changed and with it, many have both risen... and fallen... so tell me,” said Ouros, approaching Rabia with a glint in his eye. “What has occurred for your kind to fall in such a state?”

Rabia retold everything she knows and that previous elders of the Umbrum have passed down since they’ve been trapped down here to before. She speaks of legends of the Ancients, the Equine Goddess Faust, and of the beasts and monsters that once roamed the world before the main races existed.

“This knowledge with each generation of the Umbrum, due to our strange abilities and biology, an Umbrum can live for countless centuries, possibly longer. Our memories are sharp, though knowledge can only reach a certain point, the last thing our kind can recollect is of a unique-type of beast.”

“These creatures were known as Chaos Beasts, gifted with powers and as harbingers of the one who gifted said powers. Roaming Equus before the Ancients appeared, they were made of various shapes, sizes, and ideologies, but the ones to stand above them who held a unique trait gifted by their creator.”

“And so, they were dubbed, the Chaotic Ones – Chaos Beasts imbued with powers from seven weapons that were wielded and created by an ancient being of immense power... which is you, the Father of Sin.”

Ouros bows flamboyantly, with a grin he summons his right gauntlet, as flames spew forth from it; the gauntlet only forms so the flames don’t spread like they did last time. “Ding ding ding! We have ourselves a winner, though... it appears your numbers and physical states have changed, to imagine this what remains of the great Shadow Empire, ruled by the Father of Nightmares.”

Rabia was saddened by both the name of her old home and the title of her creator, once they were held with great pride for her kind... now it was long forgotten past that brought shame to both failing their master and their race. The Umbrum were known as creatures that dwell in the shadows and roamed the realm of dreams; they ate from the negative thoughts and emotions of various creatures, this resulted in said entities having a positive energy around them... but times change and back then the world soon found of their existence and instead of feeding off their negativity and giving them positive energies, through a symbiotic relationship... they were feared and soon the Umbrum’s physical and mental states became warped as other races morphed their kind through dreams... now they are the current Umbrum, creatures that both feed and spread fear toward all races.

While the Umbrum did terrorize the other races, they only did so as a form of self-defense and against those that hunted them down due to their own reasons. Umbrum are attracted to negative energy but never spread said energy, as a balance had to been kept… it was something deeply ingrained in all Chaos Beasts since the day they were first manifested.

The Umbrum soon lost everything and were limited to feed off the ponies, as the other races became too battle-hardened, so most negative energy was drenched in the blood-lust of war and battle. Those that didn’t participate in constant warfare had other methods to keep their kind away.

“The position we once held among the races has dwindled with time, we don’t regret the choices we made, but hope to return the glory out empire once had… Whether your arrival is a miracle or not can be up for debate later, but I do know you are here for something… and that something is an object that has been entrusted to us from our late master.”

Rabia summons one of her fellow umbrum that bring forth an ornate box, several dark jewels are embedded upon the wooden case, the symbol of a snake eating its own tail in a loop. Opening the case, inside is an ebony key, the key is untouched yet it gives of an ethereal glow, an ancient power oozing out from it.

We held this key for a long time, before we came to Equestria, but there was no purpose or goal whether this key was to be guarded or given to anyone in particular… I wonder what will this being give to us in exchange for the key?

“We held this key in secret against those that may want for themselves… so what will you give in turn for it? Riches? Power? Our freedom? Your answer – if satisfying – will decide what should be done with you,” said Rabia.

Ouros seemed to pause yet continued smiling, the air around him stilled for a moment, but continued to flow after his smile widened. Clicking his nails against his gauntlet he came to a response for the Umbrum; chuckling to himself, before meeting Chrysalis and after exiting Tartarus, Ouros felt several interesting energy signatures, he wasn’t certain what or who they were, but he knew that a particular one might come in handy in the future… and the future was now.

“Throughout my journey so far on this land… I have encountered or rather felt an energy reminiscent to the Nightmare Lord, I am not certain what it is, but if what I find is what I think it is… I can… I am certain that I’ll grant your kind not only freedom and a second chance, but someone to lead your kind once more – a new Nightmare Lord, a descendant of what remains of your master’s bloodline.”

A descendant… there is little chance of there being one who has the blood of our lord alive… but, there has been wisps of those with his power… maybe…

Looking at his fellow Umbrum, they too agree with this proposal, whether it were to come to fruition or not, gazing back at Ouros, Rabia nods at his proposal. “We accept, we bestow upon you the ‘key’, remember that whether you do bring a descendant to rule us… The crystal ponies of the Crystal Empire and the rest of the world won’t easily accept this change,” said Rabia.

As Ouros accepted the case, he readied to depart, but before he left he said his final farewell. “Change? All I’m doing is bringing the rightful balance to this world, I’ve been here before any of this creatures first figured out to walk and stand on their own legs,” said Ouros. “Now, I must make my leave and meet up with my traveling companion… although, there is some things I like to know.”

Ouros takes a seat on a random stone outcropping, with his gauntlet, he summons several flame orbs to float around, brightening the area with their glow. “Having been wandering and sealed here, you must know current events for the past thousand years, my first question – why are the ponies being led by an alicorn?”

Rabia smiled in turn, sitting opposite of him, the rest of the Umbrum sat down to listen or went back their original business. “To explain that, I should retell the pre-founding and slow rise of the pony nation called Equestria.”

Frozen North; Crystal Empire, Crystal Empire Train Station; 10:00am

Chrysalis makes her way to the train station, but she wasn’t planning to leave the empire by train, as the station was the closest building to the edge of the barrier that protects the empire from the endless frost storms that surround the Frozen North. Once I get close, I’ll quickly run to the outside of the plains and find somewhere to hide, Ouros should head back to our rendezvous-point sometime soon.

Heading near the station, she’s suddenly stopped by three Royal Guardponies, the same guards who came from Canterlot with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. “Excuse me miss, but we like to ask you a few questions,” said one of the guards.

The three guards were all unicorns, Chrysalis also noticed that the train station was suspiciously empty, especially at this hour for some reason. Don’t tell me…

One of the unicorns’ horn lights up and without warning a ball of magic flies straight at Chrysalis, out of instinct she dodged but the magic explodes outward. Covered in the magic’s effects, her disguise suddenly starts to fall apart, revealing her true form. “A disillusion spell!”

“ITS HER! SURROUND HER!” Out of nowhere, several more guards from the Crystal Guard appear out of nowhere, their spears point outward toward her, some have swords and other weapons. Pegasi fly up to cover the skies above her, crossbows aimed right toward her.

“SURRENDER OR WE WILL UNLEASH OUR WEAPONS UPON YOU!”

“You think that simple warning is enough to dissuade me!?” shouted Chrysalis, her horn glowing. “Think again!”

Not wanting to fight a battle of attrition, she unleashes a circular wall of flame around her, but quickly teleporting to safety afterwards. A distance away Chrysalis ran to the edge of the empire, but she could here the distant shouts and trampling of hooves approaching, she would abandon the supplies she was carrying on her to lighten her load… but…

I’m not going to let up what supplies I gathered to the hooves of those bastards!

Skidding to a halt, Chrysalis the horde of guards, her horn blazing with emerald flames that were ready to scorch anything within their reach. The guards halted and took position to surround her, with her back to the barrier and faced with the fighting force of the Crystal Guard and their allies.

Approaching from the rear, stepping aside, Chrysalis saw Shining Armor wearing a special set of crystal armor made by the blacksmiths of the empire, specifically for him; Shining has a saber sheathed to his side, the only thing visible on him is his mane, tail, and eyes.

Shining Armor steps forward while the rest of his guard watch with bated breath. “If you’re here Chrysalis, then the Father of Sin must be with you, where is he?”

“Heh, what makes you think that I’ll easily saw where his location is… also, its nice to see you again Armor, from ruler to ruler, do you think its smart to fight against me alone?”

“I may face you alone, but I am not alone, you however don’t have the privilege for backup… but I won’t be needing the help of my guard to face against you. Surrender now or I’ll bring you down, here and now!”

Chrysalis smirked, her horn glowing brighter with each passing second. “Ohhhh, seems you’ve grown from the last time… let’s see how much you’ve improved so far!” With a flick of her horn, Chrysalis fired a beam of intense magic, expecting this however, Shining erected a barrier, but unlike his spherical barriers, this one is reminiscent of a hexagon on all six sides of the barrier. Shockingly, the beam from Chrysalis deflect off the surface of the barrier, firing right back at Chrysalis, surprised from her attack being flung back, the attack makes a direct hit with her.

After the smoke manages to clear up, Chrysalis’s mane and tail are slightly singe and the saddlebags she was carrying was safely tossed to the side. A grimace was on her snout, but her deflected attack did little damage on her, with a snarl, flames began erupting around her.

With little to no words, Chrysalis roared as she charged right toward Shining, firing his own beams of magic, the two fight in close-quarters, Shining with his now unsheathed sword and Chrysalis with her horn. Ever since the Canterlot Invasion, I’ve been training day and night, waiting for my chance to avenge me and Cadance and bring you down myself!

“HRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAH!”

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Clashing with steel against chitin, magic against magic, flesh against flesh, both sides were on equal terms of Chrysalis raw power, Shining Armor’s barrier technique, and their equal willpower.

Chrysalis fired off several fireballs which Shining deflected skyward or back at her, dodging in turn, Shining fired his own spells of crystal shards, that embedded in the ground or barely scraped against Chrysalis. The fight wasn’t nearing any end in sight, both sides were nearing their supply of magic, but Chrysalis knew that wouldn’t matter with the company of guards watching from afar.

Any longer and either they will come to assist their so called prince, or I’m going to run outta spells against his barriers… there is that, but…

Chrysalis seeing no other choice, quickly summons something from the saddlebags, erecting several flame walls up, both impeding and blocking Shining’s sight, Chrysalis opens the same book she used to summon Ouros.

Flipping through several pages, she finds the spell she saw earlier when she was reading through various notes, spells, blueprints, and journal pages written down in this ancient book. Finally finding the needed page, she takes a deep breath and begins the lengthy spell; taking a bite of her lip, droplets of emerald blood spill out, using them to create an exact copy of the symbol drawn on the book.

This is my one chance… no mistakes.

“Yolxp zmw mvtovxg, hvzo gsrmv slow lm lmv’h ulv’h kldvi, yirmt uligs z yziirvi lu mvtzgrev vmvitb zmw mvtzgrev vnlgrlmh! Zmgr-Nztrx Yziirvi!”

Chaotic energy spew forth from the symbol made of Chrysalis’s blood and seep into her, with a soundless scream, an intense blast of magic comes out of her horn and toward the sky. Soon a barrier of sickly green energy cover both Shining Armor and his guard company; the green barrier is soon covered with black symbols, a sudden weight comes upon both Shining and the other guards as they’re barely able to stand or stay conscious.

Some fall down due to this sudden fatigue while Shining watches as Chrysalis takes her belongings makes her escape beyond the empire’s barrier. What is this magic… its unlike anything I’ve felt before? Trying to use his magic, nothing happens but a weak flicker of his magical energy coming out of his horn. An anti-magic barrier! Magic like that hasn’t been seen before the founding of Equestria!? How could she know or use magic like that!

Sometime later, the barrier vanishes, but it has done its affect as Chrysalis has escaped further beyond into the snowstorm. Shining stands beside the lead guard that came with the Royal Guards, also a worried look on him. “Should we follow her, sir?”

“...No, whether she’ll make through that storm isn’t the problem, my advisers say the storm this week will be harsher than other storms, so not only will it be a hindrance to her, but to us too… Return to Canterlot and report what you know to Princess Celestia… she needs to know that Chrysalis and the Father of Sin are here… and they’re looking for something,” said Shining, a determined look in his eyes.

“What makes you say they’re here for something?”

Shining doesn’t answer, but the guard nods and makes his way to the rest of his team to depart for Canterlot. There’s nothing here but snow, ice, and frost-covered mountains… but the lands beyond north are unknown to the known kingdoms… for all we know there is something there and the only one who would know that would be the Father of Sin.

Gazing at the coming storm in the far horizon, Shining’s grimace gets worse as thoughts of unknown horrors could be seen in the far distance – and far future. “Just what are you looking for here of all places?”

Frozen North; Frozen Wastes; 11:00am

After running outside the empire’s barrier, she’s struck by the sudden approach of a snowstorm, the storm hits harsher without the coat that was given to her by Ouros before. Only wearing the scarf she has around her neck, she tucks it in tighter and trots through the blindingly white frost.

Wandering through the snow with what supplies she has, she thinks back to what she had to go through since she met Ouros… whether it was worth it all. No, no doubt, especially here of all places, the moment I even think of leaving this asinine place of his, I’m dead… I need to find shelter.

Chrysalis can feel the chill of the storm seep deep into her chitin, while not as cold, the feeling of isolated within a treacherous storm like this… brings a sensation of loneliness. “I’m truly alone, no hive, no changelings to rule over… nothing… I’m… nothing,” said Chrysalis, her voice coated in sadness.

Chrysalis continues to wander the storm, alone and cold, forever wandering these frozen wastes.

Author's Note

A trade, a deal, an agreement, much is progressing but some plans don't go as planned.

Chrysalis alone in cold frozen wasteland will soon learn both her past, present, and future - of both herself and her race - will she stand tall before these trials... or fall once more into the pits of misery, like many before.

Life is like chance, sometimes you have to take risks, others you have to pass by... others... require, loss and sacrifice in order to make a decisive move.

Thoughts/Narration/Dialogue:
Chrysalis
Ouroboros
Rabia
Shining Armor