A Time to Act

by The Sonic Mage

Rating: teen
Tags: Queen Chrysalis, Adventure, Shining Armor, Violence, Thorax, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Dark, Drama, Original Character
Length: 12773

Dangerous things can happen when you want something. Especially if it's revenge.

Having fled the new Changeling Hive, Chrysalis contemplates her life and those that have truly brought her misery. Fortunately, she's about to meet someone who understands her and, even better, wants to "help".

With the vehement disagreements over Chrysalis between Thorax and the Crystal monarchs, tensions are sure to be high everywhere. The royal brothers must now deal with the fallout of the situation. But something just doesn't feel right about the whole situation.

All the while, the race to find the former Changeling Queen is on.

The long anticipated sequel to A Time to Think. I do hope you enjoy it! Up-vote and Fave the story. Leave any comments, questions, and constructive criticism down below. But most importantly: ENJOY😁

P.S. Extra character tags include Pharynx, minor appearances by the mane 6 and the Royal Sisters, and a host of others that I won't list here for story purposes.

Published 2020-04-15 00:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2022-10-04 16:00:50 UTC

Chapter 1: Run, Girl, Run

Author's Note

And so the journey begins...

I really hope you all enjoy this chapter and what I have in store for the future. The levels of support received by A Time to Think was overwhelming. I can't thank you enough. I encourage you to show this story and my others the same amount of love. With all that being said: Enjoy the first chapter of A Time to Act .

Chapter 1: Run, Girl, Run

Running. That’s all she could think of doing. That’s all she can remember doing. Running away from problems, from solutions, from everything…and from everyone.

But that didn’t matter at the moment. All that mattered to Chrysalis in that moment, was getting away from the soldiers on her trail.

Hooves pounded upon the forest floor, trampling branch, leaf, vine, and saplings. Somewhere in her mind, she felt that Proboscis would have her head for crushing all this plant life.

The sound of armored boots echoed in her ears, and she could spot the gleam of golden chest plates in her peripheral vision. They were still after her. Her eyes darted about her surroundings, desperately looking for a place where she could lose them. A cave system, a waterfall, a dense thicket, anything.

‘Come on,’ Chrysalis pleaded, ‘I spent months wandering through these woods! How do I not recognize anything?’

Chrysalis zigged and zagged through the brush, trying to lose them.

Then, she heard something. The pounding of more armored boots reached her ears. Chrysalis allowed herself to look back. The sight was somewhat unexpected. A pair of Changeling troopers had joined in the chase.

Were they working with the pony guards? Were they not? She couldn’t tell.

The four Royal Guards raced through the thicket, each respective duo trying to outpace the other.

Chrysalis kept running, wincing as she scraped past every tree and bush in her path. Stray leaves and bits of bark and branches gathered on her body as she went.

She saw a particularly thick patch of bushes, trees, and other plants ahead. It gave her an idea.

‘If I can get through that fast enough, I can dash off in some direction and lose them for a while. I could even double-back half way through while they think I’ve gone through it.’ If Chrysalis had the time and focus to spend on a smile, she would’ve done so at that moment.

Into the thicket she ran, the crunch and shaking of leaves accompanying her entrance. The guards soon followed.

After rustling about in the bushes for a moment, Chrysalis feel silent and still. Her ears swiveled in several directions, listening to the crunching steps of the guards sweeping the bushes. She couldn’t hide there forever, she needed some kind of distraction. Looking at the forest floor around her she noticed a sizable stone by her hoof. An idea came to her.

Quietly, she parted the branches around her enough to see the clearing on the other side of the bushes. Taking the stone in her magic, she aimed at one of the far bushes on the far side of the clearing.

The stone made quite a bit of noise when it hit the bushes. So much so that the guards turned and ran towards the sound.

“She went that way!” One of them called as they took off.

Chrysalis stayed low in the thicket until she couldn’t hear the thundering boots of the guards anymore.

Once she was sure they were gone, she let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. Slowly, she rose to her hooves and headed off to the left of where the guards had run.

Chrysalis walked for what felt like ages. Her head felt heavy, hooves were sore, belly grumbled. Her eyes drifted from side to side scanning her surroundings, looking for anything, shelter, water, food.

‘Oh, some food would be so good right now.’ She thought as she continued walking. Sadly, at the moment, there was nothing in sight.

Her stomach continued to complain.

“Oh curses, I’ve got to find something!” Chrysalis grumbled.

There was a small rustling in a nearby bush.

Chrysalis froze, her gaze slowly moving to the shrubbery. Was it a guard? A trap? Timberwolf? Hydra?

A small squirrel hopped out of the bush.

The squirrel stared at Chrysalis. Chrysalis stared at the squirrel.

Chrysalis twitched for a second. That squirrel meant something in the moment: food. She could grab it, drain its love and get some relief from the hunger. All she had to do was…

‘...Grab it.’

But she couldn’t move. She just kept staring at the squirrel, maintaining eye contact with it. She felt hypnotized by it. Or was it paralyzed?

Before Chrysalis could commit to any action, the squirrel abruptly scurried off to her left and vanished up a tree.

Chrysalis could only sigh, and resumed walking through the forest.

Somewhere along the way, Chrysalis had the fortune of coming across a small pond, where she was able to get some fresh water. She also managed to nab a few small fish as well. It didn’t satisfy her hunger but it did quell the grumbles of her stomach for a while.

With that business settled for the time being, the next step was for her to find a place where she could safely rest.

Chrysalis walked for about ten minutes. A thunderstorm rumbled behind her in the distance.

Another five minutes of walking and the sky had begun to turn grey, with a faint drizzle to accompany it. The Ex-Queen picked up her pace.

Another ten minutes and the rain was in full swing. The black sky was pouring buckets down on the forest below. The wind made everything rattle and shake viciously, making Chrysalis’s trek through the woods all the more difficult.

The weather was unbearable. Cold, windy, and wet was the worst combination of factors when it came to precipitation. Chrysalis needed to find shelter and fast.

After trudging through the wind, rain, and mud for what felt like an hour, something finally came into view. It was a cave. There wasn’t anything particularly special about it, but when one is in search of cover, it would look like a divine blessing.

Chrysalis turns towards the cave. The wind slammed against the broad side of her body, trying to knock her over. The slippery leaves and mud attempted to make her trip over her own hooves.

Slowly, Chrysalis managed to make it into the cave. The sound of the wind echoed in the cave, and blew in the entrance occasionally. Rain blew in, soaking the first few steps inside. The stone was uncomfortable and the whole place was dark and.

Still, it was dryer.

Which was something that the former Queen couldn’t say for herself. Chrysalis’s hair was a wet, muddy, disheveled mess, with sticks and leaves sticking out. Her wings were useless until they dried, and her hooves were painted with mud. She needed to rest.

Laying her head on the coziest looking rock she could find, she finally had the time to ask herself, ‘How exactly did I end up like this?’

She lay there watching the rainfall, listening to the thunder.

Eventually, as she began to finally drift off to sleep, she came to an answer for her question.

‘Damn Ponies.’

Chapter 3: Diplomacy Without Tea Isn’t Very Fun to Watch

Celestia had kindly, but cautiously, suggested a few times that she and her subjects all be sent back to Canterlot, and that she could take care of Shining Armor and Cadence.

The King always gave the same answer: “No.” His friendly conversational tone was gone, replaced by a cold, focused voice that she was all too familiar with. She shuddered to remember the dark ages of her career as Princess.

All of them spent quite a while in the treatment area. Some just got a check up, others got bandages and limb supports.

Everypony stayed mostly silent, not saying much to one another and mostly just answering the questions from their doctors and thanking them.

Nopony discussed what had just happened. Some because they didn’t want to at the moment, others just didn’t know what to say.

In a separate room Cadence and Shining Armor were extensively treated for their burns, bruises, and fractures. They lay in silence as well interacting little with the doctors treating them. Large parts of their bodies were wrapped in either regular or enchanted bandages meant to ease the pain and speed up recovery.

Cadence’s wings and barrel were completely encased. Her magic exhaustion was severe and had to receive treatment potions from a dripping IV, as to not throw her body into shock.

Shining Armor’s barrel was also wrapped in bandages, along with his left back leg, which required a limb support. There was also a spinal support under the bandages.

After many hours of treatment, four Changeling guards came to Shining and Cadence.

“His Majesty is requesting your presence.” One of the guards said.

The Royal couple wordlessly complied, helped out of their beds by the nurses.

They had no idea what kind of argument they were about to get into.

Dr. Cloverfield listened to his stethoscope intently, focused on the rhythmic drumming of Celestia’s heart.

*Lub-Dub, Lub-Dub, Lub-Dub*

The doctor removed the stethoscope’s receiver from Celestia’s chest and unplugged his ears.

“Seems to be in good order.”

“Thank you, Doctor Cloverfield.” The solar Princess said graciously.

“That should clear everyone. You all should still take it easy for a week or so. Especially you three,” the doctor said, pointing his pen at the three Princesses in the room, “We can’t have any of you developing heart conditions.”

“Of course, doctor.” Luna said.

“Pardon me asking, Dr. Cloverfield, but where are Shining and Cadence?” Twilight queried.

“They were placed in a separate treatment room since their wounds were more severe. I cleared them for basic assisted mobility about an hour ago.”

“Can we see them?” Twilight asked.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Why?”

Cloverfield looked to the young princess.

“I believe Thorax called them to have a word with them.”

The walk to the Throne Room felt like it took forever. Silence always makes moments last longer, for better or for worse. It seemed that an hour had passed by the time they had reached the doors of the Throne Room, when it had really only been 3 minutes. The four troopers that escorted them gave a nod to the two guards at the doors. They wordlessly opened the doors, preserving the silence that had followed the small group all the way from the medical wing of The Hive.

Upon entering the Throne Room, there was a noticeable shift in its mood from earlier in the day. The setting sun cast shadows across the room. Shadows that added a good deal of emphasis to Thorax’s disapproving expression.

The young Changeling King sat up straight on the throne, any air of his usual friendliness and approachability was absent from his posture and the room itself. The royal couple made eye contact with the royal Changeling. Not even Thorax’s eyes held any comforting warmth. The bandages around his barrel, shell, and lower legs, as well the three bruises still visible on his face did little to help.

The young King motioned for the guards to leave the room. With concern evident in their walk, the guards left, standing just outside the door should they be needed. It was now just the three royals now, sitting in the throne room, with a tense, fragile silence between them. Thorax felt a slight wave of deja-vu come over him. It was only a brief distraction. All he could truly focus on were the two unfortunately familiar faces in front of him.

“What happened back there?” Thorax was the first to break the silence. His tone was “cold and professional” as his brother would say.

Shining Armor narrowed his eyes at Thorax. “...What?” He asked, as if he hadn’t heard him the first time.

Thorax resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The low boil anger in the air around the Crystal Prince made it clear that he heard him just fine.

“What. Happened. Back there?” Thorax repeated, punctuating his speech to make his question clear.

“We could ask you the same thing.” Cadance said.

Shining spoke up, “What were you thinking, keeping Chrysalis here-”

“Why is that any of your business?” Thorax interrupted, “Am I not allowed to have guests without your expressed permission?”

“Your guest?” Cadance said with alarm and simmering anger, “How could you call her your guest?”

“Because that is exactly what she was,” Thorax responded, “My guest.”

“What does that…wait, were you trying to reform her?” Shining called, clearly displeased with the idea.

“Yes, I was.”

“After everything she’s done, to you and everyone else in Equestria, you decide to invite her in?” Shining asked with as much anger as confusion.

“That is hardly a good reason for her not being allowed to be kept in The Hive.”

“How is that not a good reason?” Cadance asked, her tone and anger rising.

“Because my other friends include a unicorn who destroyed history, a showpony who used an artifact to enslave a village, and the embodiment of chaos itself,” Thorax countered, “All three of which have done things just as bad as, or worse than Chrysalis, and yet we’re all more than happy to give them a second chance without trashing an entire floor of a castle.”

The royal couple seemed to stumble on their response for a moment.

“That’s…That’s not the same thing.” Shining rebuked.

“Unless you can convince me that she’s as unforgivable as the centaur who absorbed the magic of almost every creature in Equestria and turned a large patch of land a burnt waste, I don’t see how Chrysalis is any different from most of Equestria’s rogues gallery.” Thorax countered.

“Because what she did is different from the rest of them!” Cadance shot back.

“How is it different?” Thorax raised his voice. It wasn’t a shout, but it was loud enough to be a clear demand for an answer. How was what Chrysalis had done different from Starlight or Discord? What logic was the royal couple trying to use to justify their claims? All these questions were up in the air, as Thorax looked Cadance directly in the eyes…

…and then he saw it…then it clicked…

As an empath, it’s easy to tell how others are feeling and understand why, at least to an extent. It comes naturally, like a form of second sight, and Thorax could see it all right there. Cadance had a slight far-away look in her eyes. Like her mind wasn’t completely living in the present, but rather somewhere else…

…Somewhere like the catacombs under Canterlot.

It all was starting to make a little more sense now. Why they were so against giving Chrysalis a second chance. The couple never truly got over the invasion during their wedding. It was a far more personal affair than any of the other villains. Thorax’s firm demeanor almost melted into sympathy, as an empath he completely understood why they felt the way they did.

That being said, understanding does not equal forgiveness, and the couple’s destructive response to Chrysalis’s presence was not forgiven.

“*sigh*, Cadance, Shining, I know that her actions affected you very personally, but that doesn’t give you the right to deny her a chance to make up for what she has done.”

Cadance took a step forward. The adrenaline coursing through her as a result of her rising anger allowed her to ignore the pain in her leg.

“Are you saying that you forgive her for everything she’s done?!”

“No!” Thorax now stood on the throne, his frustration with the couple bringing him to his hooves, “I don’t completely forgive her. But I wanted her to have an opportunity to see that not only was this metamorphosis good for us Changelings, but that she could also be good. I wanted to give her what I was given: a chance!”

Shining moved to stand next to his wife. “You were-”

“Different? Is that what you were going to say?” Thorax finished the Prince’s sentence, “I could have been lying to all of you, Shining. It could have all been an elaborate ruse. You were willing to take a hefty gamble on me. I felt it was only fair that I take a gamble on Chrysalis.”

“I can’t believe you’re defending that monster!” Cadance shouted, her anger surrounded her like a sickly red mist. “She is a threat to Equestria, to my family! You expect us to like this?”

“You never had to like it, Cadance. You not liking me giving her a chance does not give you the right to come in here and try to hurt her!”

“Is it wrong of me to want her to face justice?”

“You two didn’t want justice,” Thorax countered, “You wanted revenge.”

“I wanted her to face retribution-!”

“I don’t care what you wanted!!!” Thorax finally snapped, for better or for worse, “You aren't in charge here, and I don’t answer to you, I answer to my people! I don’t care if you and the rest of Equestria decide to paint me as some kind of monster apologist. I am the king of this Hive, and I will stand by my decision, regardless of what you say!”

A brief silence came over the room. Thorax resumed sitting on the throne, and, after a moment, retired to the cold, firm tone of voice he had started the argument with.

“You and the others will be sent back home on the next train as soon as possible, travel accommodations are already being made…That’s all.”

Thorax accessed the hive mind and the guards that had left earlier entered the room.

“Take them back to the medical department and make sure they are treated and prepped for the train ride back to the Crystal Empire.

With a simple nod, the guards aided the couple out of the Throne Room.

Before he left however, Shining turned back to Thorax.
“I’m taking the recruits back to the Empire.”

Thorax resisted the urge to let his jaw slack a little. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am serious, and until this gets resolved, don’t expect much of a welcome mat at the Empire.”

“You barely have any free time running the Empire, how do you expect to oversee the training of those troops?”

“...That’s none of your concern.” Shining then followed the Changeling guards out of the Throne Room.

Silence returned to the room. The feeling of deja-vu returned. Thorax simply let his head hang and sighed. He stood up from the throne and walked to his private quarters.

When Thorax got there, he locked the door, walked over to the vanity in his room, and stared at his reflection. He thought about everything that had led to this point. All the struggling, and trial and error, and mistakes…and the argument he just had. An argument with two of the first few ponies that ever truly cared about him. He couldn’t help but feel frustrated, angry even. The deja-vu didn’t help either.

Thorax felt his eyes beginning to water. It was tempting to just let them run, to just lay down on the bed and cry into the pillows.

But he didn’t.

He wiped his eyes, let out a sniffle, and put on a brave face. Now was not a time for tears.

Now was a time to act.

Chapter 4: Scouting your Surroundings

When Chrysalis awoke, it was almost nightfall, and the rain had mostly subsided, but it was still coming down. The former monarch slowly lifted her head from the floor of the cave. The damp smell of the air did not help her initial grogginess. She looked around to see if anything had changed from when she had dozed off. Aside from the loss of light, there was nothing else different about the space. Rising to her hole-filled hooves, she walked to the mouth of the cave. She watched as the rain came down, driving birds and squirrels to the safety of the more sheltered tree branches. It seemed all the creatures of the woods were not keen on the idea of spending any amount of time in the rain. Chrysalis would certainly include herself in that group. She made her way back to the rock she had been resting on earlier. The smartest thing to do would be to wait out the rainstorm afterall. Though, the fact that it had been raining the entire time she had been asleep was rather annoying.

“If it rains any longer, I might start thinking it’s a sign from the heavens,” Chrysalis mumbled to herself.

Settling herself onto the smooth stone, the ex-Queen began to let herself drift off into sleep.

She was just about to shut down for the next few hours, until a sound jarred her awake. Her head shot up looking around for where the sound had originated. However, there wasn’t a single living creature around her.

After a few more seconds of letting the sound of the rainfall settle into her ears, Chrysalis cautiously laid her head back down on the stone, and closed her eyes. Once again, the calming white-noise was interrupted by a distant low sound, echoing inside the cave.

This time Chrysalis was able to look directly to where the sound came from. Worryingly, it did not come from the wet outdoors. It came from the deeper, shadowy depths of the cave.

Chrysalis quickly stood as the sound came echoing through again. It was like the growl of a great beast, and she was in no position to come face to face with one. ‘I can tolerate a little rain,’ she thought as she quickly made her way to the mouth of the cave. She was about to cross the threshold, when the sound came again.

For some reason, she stopped. The sound seemed to have gone from a growl to a strange ethereal whisper. A whisper that tugged at one of the worst aspects of her mind, regardless of how small it was: her curiosity.

The sound made her curious, perhaps even a little hypnotized. She should run. She should sprint through the rain and woods until she finds another cave or dry spot under a tree. That’s what she should’ve done. But instead, against her better judgment, she looked back at the cave and the shadows that held a potentially unknown number of secrets.

One look. That’s all it took for the curiosity to take full hold in her mind. As the sound came again, Chrysalis decided that she had to determine what that sound was, If for no other purpose than getting it over with so she could leave. So she made her way deeper into the dark cavern.

‘Surely, it won’t take that long.’

The investigative task was taking longer than Chrysalis had expected, which was longer than she would’ve liked. The light projected from the tip of her horn did a good job of illuminating the cave, but the unfortunate fact was that there was nothing to see. There were several times where she decided to head back, only for that infernal whispering to drive her to continue.

“I swear, this is intentional,” Chrysalis grumbled.

The former queen continued to make her way deeper into the dark cave, as water dripped from the stalactites above her. She was just about to turn around and not look back, when she saw something.

Just at the edge of her light, on the right wall of the cave, was the beginning of a black line. Chrysalis continued forward slowly, her curiosity renewed. As she continued, the line led into a drawing. A crude image of what looked to be a group of ponies standing on a flat plane of land. Is this what she was being led to? Cave drawings? Chrysalis continued on. Drawings such as the ones before her often told a story.

‘So, what story are you trying to tell?’

As far as she could tell, the story of the drawings went something like this:

Sometime in the past, most likely hundreds of years ago, there was a great dispute between ponies. This most likely referred to the time when the three tribes fought contatanly. Eventually, the many ponies came together in peace, warding of what was probably the artist’s depiction of the Wendigo. However, many years later, the ponies came under attack from a creature made of fire, bones, and chains. This new creature laid waste to many villages and caught many ponies in its clutches. After a long period of fighting, the creature was defeated and sealed away, deep underground.

Chrysalis felt a tad perplexed. She had never heard about such an event in pony history. Not in any books or paintings or anywhere. ‘Why is that?’

Unfortunately Chrysalis was not given the time to find an answer to her own question, as the ground beneath her started to crack. Before she could run for more solid ground, the floor crumbled under her hooves. So she fell into the darkness below.

Chapter 5: This is no Time For Coffee

Pharynx watched from a balcony as the pony trainees that had been assigned to him walked away towards the train station beyond the tree line. All those soldiers, so full of potential and promise, were now being returned to The Crystal Empire. To a Prince that did not have the time to personally teach them what they needed to defend their homeland. The Changeling General felt disappointed, both in Shining Armor and himself. His mind wandered, thinking about what he could have done better, what he could have said. There was no real use in focusing on “what if’s”, but sometimes it couldn’t be helped. Eventually, the trainees were beyond the tree line, and Phynrax turned back into The Hive.

“Of all the foolish things for him to do,” Pharynx muttered on his way to check on his brother, “This isn’t going to be good for those troops or Shining Armor.” He made it to Thorax’s quarters, taking a deep breath in preparation for the mess that no doubt awaited him on the other side.

“Thorax,” Pharynx called as he knocked on the door, “It’s your brother. Are you there?” Oddly, there was no reply. “Thorax?” Pharynx called again. There was no way that he wasn’t in his room with teary eyes after the argument that he definitely had with the Crystal Couple. The General’s hoof moved to the door handle, expecting the door to be locked. He felt a degree of surprise when he turned the knob and found it to be un-locked.

Pharynx took a step back as the door creaked open a bit, slightly surprised. The lights were on but there was hardly any sound coming from within.

“Thorax?” Pharynx’s ear twitched as he listened for anything. ‘Shuffling papers...Muttering?’ Then a scent reached his nose. ‘Wait...is that…?’ Pharynx took a sniff of the air, detecting the distinct smell of…

‘Caffeine?...Oh No.’ The realization hit Pharynx like a ton of bricks. He quickly stepped inside his brother’s room and saw the last thing he wanted to see.

All around the room, there were stacks of letters, documents, and government papers on every table surface. Opened envelopes covered the top of the bed with a few strays laying on the floor. Crumpled-up papers overflowed from a waste bin. Occasionally, papers would float across the room from one stack to the other. And at the center of the “organized” mess was his younger brother, Thorax, eyes glued to the papers he placed in front of himself, a pen held in his magic.

Thorax and Pharynx always tackled government paperwork and mail together to make it more manageable. So seeing his little brother trying to work on as many documents as there were on his own was definitely concerning.

The final piece that brought the whole unfortunate scene in front of Pharynx together was the steaming cup of coffee sitting on the desk next to his brother.

Thorax liked to drink many things. Coffee was most certainly not one of those things. No matter what was mixed into the stuff, he just couldn’t get past the grainy taste of the hot liquid. The only times that Pharynx had ever seen Thorax drink coffee was in times of crippling stress, where his little brother’s need for caffeine overrode his taste buds.

Combine that with his brother’s clear attempt to organize his work and the relentless muttering, writing, and reading that his brother was doing, and it was immediately clear that Thorax was not calm.

Pharynx carefully stepped over the stacks and scraps on the floor, trying to get closer to his brother, who seemed to be writing some kind of letter, muttering the words he printed.

“Thorax?”

“To whom...it may...concern…” Thorax muttered as he wrote.

“Thorax.”

“I...King Thorax...of the reformed Changeling Hive-”

“Thorax!” Pharynx shouted.

The young Changeling King came out of his stupor with a jolt, dropping his pen and causing the table to shake slightly.

The two brothers stared at each other for a moment in silence.

“Is there something wrong, Pharynx?” the young king asked innocently.

“I don’t know, Thorax,” Pharynx responded with some amount of sarcasm, “You’re held up here in your room, surrounded by piles of semi-organized documents, crumpled drafts, opened envelopes, and post-it notes, while you sit there writing letter upon letter, drinking coffee. You tell me…”

The brothers silently stared at each other for another moment, before Thorax looked around at the stacks that surrounded him.

“Could you pass me the three papers on the top of that stack by the vanity?” Thorax asked as if that was what his older brother was driving at.

Pharynx sighed, slowly making his way over to the stack his brother had pointed out. He could use his magic to do it, but honestly, he didn’t feel like it. He handed the three papers to Thorax who took them into his hooves.

“Thank you,” Thorax said, looking over the documents while using his magic to take a sip of his coffee.

Pharynx, unamused by this, turned his attention to the stack of letters and paper in what he guessed was Thorax’s “Done pile.” He took a few papers off the top and began to skim them, not expecting to find many answers. His expression shifted from unamused to scrutinizing as he read over the words in front of him.

“Thorax,” the General began, “Why are you writing trade appeal and stance defense letters directed to regional governors across Equestria?”

“I am writing these,” said the young King, “Because when the news of Chrysalis’s stay here gets out—and it will get out eventually—I’m gonna need to give the ponies we trade with good reasons to not cut all ties with us.”

Thorax finished another segment of the letter that was currently in front of him, punctuating the paragraph with a touch of flare. “Unless you don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said without looking up from his work.

“I wasn’t going to say that it was a bad idea, Thorax,” remarked the older Changeling, “But I would say that doing all this entirely on your own is not the wisest choice.”

“I’m perfectly capable of doing this.”

“I never said that you weren’t,” said Pharynx, “But just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.”

“So I shouldn’t be trying to make sure we don’t get dragged into isolation with no hope of escape?”

“I didn’t say that either.”

“Then what are you saying, Pharynx?”

I’m saying that this is a monumental task, and you don’t have to do it alone!”

“I told you, I’m perfectly capable of-”

“‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown,’ Thorax,” The Changeling General countered. “The task of running a kingdom is too much for anyone creature to take on by themselves. Which is why it’s my job, and the job of several others, to try and make the weight of that crown more manageable.”

“I didn’t ask for-”

“I don’t care if you didn’t ask!” snapped Pharynx. “This isn’t about what you want, this is about what you need! And I know for a fact that you don’t just need the help, you want it too!

“I know you want the help because I know that you’re stressed. I know that because I’m your brother and I’m always going to be able to tell, no matter how much you try to hide it. So will you please just get what’s bothering you off your chest so that I can help you?”

A tense silence formed between them.

Thorax set his pen down gently before speaking.

“I just…I feel like such a failure because of what happened with Chrysalis and Shining and Cadence. I feel like there was so much I could have done to prevent this. Some part of me even wishes I had turned her away or given her over to Celestia so that I wouldn’t have to deal with all this and I feel bad for even thinking that! I just…I just don’t want to feel like a screw-up anymore.”

Pharynx stepped over the papers to his brother, putting a hoof on his back.

“Thorax,” the older Changeling began, “You’re right. You did mess up. Pretty badly if I’m honest.”

“Wow, I feel so much better-”

“But there’s a few things that you need to realize. For starters: everyone makes mistakes, and the more power you have the bigger your mistakes are going to be. There is no way around it. Just get up, learn from it, smarten up and keep going. Second: not every bit of this is your fault.

“Third: there is no point in wondering what could have been, especially in situations like this. The past is the past, the present is here, and the future waits for no-creature. We’ve got enough to worry about now in the present, there’s no time for ‘what if’.

“And finally: overloading on work and burning yourself out is not going to make you feel better, and it’s not going to solve any problems. If anything, you’ll feel worse and it’ll create more problems. You’re not proving a point, you’re killing yourself! So for the love of all things under the sun and moon, could you please ask some-ling for help when this happens? It doesn’t even have to be me, just some-ling that’s at least qualified!”

Pharynx took a moment to gather his breath, before looking back to his little brother to try and gauge what he was thinking.

Thorax’s gaze held on the unfinished letter in front of him. He lifted his head looking around the room filled with high stacks of papers and filled waste bins as if he was seeing it all for the first time. Then his eyes went to the half-empty coffee mug sitting off to the side on his desk. He looked down into it, scrutinizing his reflection as if it was the key to some grand realization.

When Thorax looked back up at his brother, he looked like he was about to cry. In fact, that’s exactly what he started doing. He wrapped his front hooves around Pharynx, crying into his chest and knocking over a stack of papers in the process.

Pharynx just patted his brother’s head. “There we go. Let it all out.”

“I just-*sniffle*-keep messing up…”

“Yes, you do. Not as often as you think, but you do mess up sometimes,” said Pharynx, “But you also keep getting back up. You sometimes need help, but you do keep getting up and keep trying to do the right thing. That’s all anyone can do really.”

Thorax managed to pull himself together after a bit more time. He stopped squeezing his brother’s torso and cleaned his face up, drying his eyes and blowing his nose.

“Feel better?” asked the Changeling General.

“Y-Yeah,” said the young King.

“Feel really to ask for some help?” Pharynx posited.

“Yeah,” said Thorax.

An odd silence formed between them as Pharynx’s eyes held on his brother with an expectant look.

“…What?” asked Thorax.

“Well?” Pharynx said, “I’m waiting…”

Thorax sighed, knowing exactly what his brother was driving at.

“Pharynx,” he said, sounding somewhat exhausted, “Will you help me take care of all this?” gesturing towards the many stacks of papers around the room.

Pharynx gave a dragged-out “Hmmmm” and paused dramatically.

Thorax couldn’t help but sigh again in slight agitation at the sight of his brother milking the moment for everything it was worth. ‘I suppose I somewhat deserve it.’

“Why I’d be more than happy to help you,” said Phynrax with much exaggeration,“Dear brother.”

Pharynx laughed as Thorax rolled his eyes.

“In all seriousness, yes, I’ll help you. And I’ll call on a few other capable Changelings as well,” the Changeling General said after he’d had his fun.

Thorax smiled, and gave his brother another hug, simply saying: “Thank you, Pharynx.”

“You’re welcome, Thorax.”

Pharynx let his little brother hug him for a little longer, before gently pushing Thorax off him.

“Right,” the General said, “Enough fluff. Time to get to work.”

Thorax nodded and moved to gather up the fallen papers, while Pharynx got rid of the crumpled scraps.

The young King’s happy expression fell slightly as a question crossed his mind.

“Hey, Pharynx?”

“Yeah?”

“Do…Do you think…Chrysalis will be okay?” Thorax inquired.

Pharynx took a moment to consider the question and the best way to answer it.

“Broadly speaking, I don’t think Chrysalis has ever really been ‘okay’, so-to-speak,” Pharynx said, being honest with his brother. “That said, considering what she’s capable of…I think she’ll be alright.

Chapter 6: Exploration

The last thing Chrysalis expected to do was wake up. Especially after falling as far as she had. Even more surprising was the fact that she was relatively unharmed. She fully expected to be very dead, never mind grievously injured. Nevertheless, she was alive and awake.

‘For better or for worse,’ the ex-Queen thought.

Alive and awake in a very strange place now that she thought about it. The entire space was large, dark, and cold with a foggy mist that hung in the stale air.

As Chrysalis came to her hooves with a groan, she noticed other odd things about her surroundings. The ground felt dusty and grainy. The outlines of jagged, twisted shapes and structures rested all around her and in the distance. And most importantly, there was no sound.

The former Queen liked to think that her ears were pretty sharp. At this moment, however, there was nothing. Not the dripping of water, not the chitter of bugs and critters. Not a creek. Not a groan. Not a single sign of life.

This did not bode well for her.

Chrysalis looked up and tried to cast a light spell and spot her point of entry, but haze in the air didn’t let the light reach. She tried to strengthen the beam but she started to feel how low her reserves were.

With that in mind, Chrysalis went with option two: scope out the area and see if there is anything useful.

The ex-Queen then began to stroll about the messy space. The light she could afford to project made it clearer what was around her. There were jagged rocks and piles of twisted scrap metal about. Some she recognized as pieces of armor. There were what looked to be the dilapidated remains of houses, the wood showing signs of buns and rot. Some other odd-looking structures could be made out as well. As she made her way to the rim of the chamber, she could make out engravings on the wall. Still no way out though.

It all looked very old. The bits of recognizable armor gave that away quite clearly. None of it looked like the standard Royal Guard outfits. It is more like platting from before the reign of the Alicorn sisters.

‘Where did all this come from?’ The ex-Queen pondered, ‘And how long has it been here?’

The one recurring sight in her exploration, and one that irked her, was a great many chains about the space. They seemed to be wrapped around almost every standing post and pile of scrap around like ivy vines, or just dangling or laying on the ground. Chrysalis avoided touching them out of fear that disturbing them or anything else in the chamber might awaken something.

Chrysalis wondered where they all came from and if she could use them to escape. That train of thought was interrupted when she suddenly lost her footing and tripped.

Her anger flared up as she looked for what had interrupted her stride. Her eyes came to rest on an odd sight. A piece of black crystal-like rock that oddly resembled a root.

Chrysalis looked closer tapping the odd substance a few times, odd pulses visible underneath each time she touched it.

‘That’s...quite odd. Where do you come from?’ The former Queen brought her face closer to the strange substance giving it a sniff. There wasn’t anything she could make out about it, the only other smell being that of the stale air that filled the entire chamber. Despite this, she knew there was something special about this small piece of rock, something...magical.

‘I could try and appraise it,’ Chrysalis thought to herself, ‘But I don’t think I’ll have much magic leftover if I do.’

So, Chrysalis did the only thing she could do: she raised her head to look for any more of the stuff. If this rock was magical in nature, and if there was any more of it, she just might be able to use it to get out of this chamber.

She looked around for several more minutes until she came across another small vein of the strange rock. It was certainly larger than the first one she had found, but not by a whole lot. Still, it was another piece, and there was a slightly more prominent smell of magic coming from it, which meant that there was more to be found and that there was more potential magic to use to find the exit and escape. Granted, what she could detect didn’t seem like any magic she had come across before, but at this point magic was magic.

‘I’ll worry about the particulars later.’ thought Chrysalis, as she carried on with her hunt.

As Chrysalis came across increasingly bigger veins in greater numbers and closer to each other, she began to notice a few things. Firstly, she seemed to be heading towards the center of the chamber. Second, the ground was gently sloping upward as she continued forward. Third, the ground was becoming increasingly dominated by the rocks as well as the odd magic they gave off. Fourth, the terrane was getting increasingly unfriendly as it was taken over by the crystal-like rocks she had been following. Their harsh, pointed edges made them awkward to walk across like she was standing on pure darkness that was poking the bottom of her hooves.

“As if I don’t have enough holes in my legs already.” the ex-Queen grumbled as she carried on. The only assurance she had that she wasn't walking on nothing was the fact that every step she took caused a small, faint ripple under the surface of the crystals. The crystals seemed to flare up in shape in areas, like a smooth spiked wave or the shattered shape of some figure. That was also concerning. Which brought her to the final thing that she noticed that concerned her on top of everything else as she climbed the small crystalline hill. As she neared the top, not only did the smell of magic increase slightly, but also the temperature of the air. It wasn’t becoming blisteringly hot by any means, but the rising temperature was still noticeable.

Chrysalis knew that she should probably turn back, or at least stop and do what she could to take what she could get. But curiosity was something that she had always had in spades, especially when it came to magical powers. So she continued on, carefully stepping around the molded waves and brutal spikes.

As she carried on, she began to notice something about the magic coming off the crystals she trod upon. The smell was still strange, but a part of it seemed awfully close to…

“Empathic magic?” Chrysalis said with much surprise. She took a good long sniff of the air. She was right. It was empathic magic. A very odd kind of empathic magic for sure, but still. ‘That’s a magic I can almost certainly harness!’ she thought. She picked up her pace, her excitement temporarily overshadowing her caution as she weaved between the obstacles blocking her path, eventually reaching the top of the mound, and the center point of the chamber.

What she saw was...odd to say the least. It was hard to describe with words. It seemed to be a crystal-rock structure that was an even odder shape than what she was standing on. Some parts had flat sides and corners; others were swirled and smooth; some parts lashed outwards like branches or slashes of water; others looked more inwardly directed. More importantly, some sections faintly resemble body parts. There were the beginnings of a hoof at the base of the structure, the tips of a clawed...paw? Hand? Whatever words the bipeds of Equis used to describe the ends of their arms.

Chrysalis took a few steps forward to analyze further. Visually, that was difficult since the light spell she was using reflected off the surface slightly. Magically, there was no doubt that this was where the magic was strongest. All she had to do was find a way to take it from inside this odd crystal and harness it herself. Luckily, she was a Changeling...an old Changeling anyway...and she still knew how to drain things of their magic. Magical objects were always the easiest since they didn’t require any...convincing.

Chrysalis shuddered as she did her best to push those dreadful memories aside, and focussed on the task at hand.

Chrysalis closed her eyes and focussed in on the strange magical energy that the crystal structure in front of her (and technically, all around her) was giving off. She reached out to it, gently calling it to her. She sensed a thread, a dark orange, wispy trail of the strange magic coming out to her. With great patience, she delicately took hold of the thread and pulled it toward herself, careful not to break the line. The magic felt as strange in her grip as it smelled on her nose. It felt like tar or oil. Slimy and slippery, but sticky at the same time. No matter, this was going to be her ticket out of here. She had come this far, she couldn’t stop now. She slowly reeled the strange magic in, preparing herself to consume it.

After what felt like an eternity of meticulous movement, Chrysalis opened her mouth and slowly let the magic flow into her system. She cringed slightly as it washed over her tongue. Its taste was as odd and off-putting as its smell and texture. It had a somewhat bitter and tart taste to it, with the consistency of syrup or molasses. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t love energy.

‘The sooner I get what I need, the sooner I can leave and forget about this stuff.’ Chrysalis thought. She just had to take the amount she needed. A task that would be easier to accomplish if it weren't for the fact the magic tasted so off, and that she had to go slowly. She had managed to go a little faster now that the connection had been established, but didn’t make the taste any better.

As Chrysalis consumed the magic, she felt something. It started as a slight discomfort in her stomach. She tried to ignore it, chalking it up to her body having a hard time processing what she was ingesting.

‘I’ll take a stomach ache over being trapped down here for the rest of my life.’ the ex-Queen thought. At least, that’s what she thought at first.

The aches and pains grew worse, and the magic was becoming increasingly distasteful, to the point of sickness. Still, Chrysalis fought to stomach the vile stuff, needing only a little more before she could get out.

Then things took a turn…

As Chrysalis neared her limit in terms of capacity and tolerance, an odd feeling of warmth was added to the magic’s repulsive taste. That warmth then became a more noticeable heat. A heat that started drowning out the awful taste of the magic and the ache of her insides. That heat then grew uncomfortably hot. Chrysalis groaned. Hotter. She began to sweat. Hotter. Until a terrible, fiery, burning sensation suddenly filled Chrysalis’s mouth. Which then spread to her stomach and then moved throughout her entire body.

At that moment, the pain quickly became too much for Chrysalis. Her eyes shot open as her mouth clamped shut, severing the connection. It did little to quell the pain. The former Queen stumbled backward. Her eyes screwed shut, tears beginning to gather and spill, as the fiery pain filled her head. She grabbed her temples and stumbled aimlessly, desperately wishing for the pain to go away. Her entire body, inside and out, felt like it was burning in a bonfire, from the tip of her horn to the bottoms of their hooves.

Chrysalis couldn’t help but begin to cough and wheeze as the urge came over her. The wretched orange bile came up, coating and dripping from her mouth accompanied, unbeknownst to Chrysalis, by embers and black smoke. She cried out in terrible anguish. Her thoughts became fragmented and disjointed. There were hardly any words to describe it, it was just pain. Pure, all-encompassing, agonizing pain. Her mind became overtaken by one thought, one feeling: Anger. A seemingly impossible amount of hatred.

What was she even angry at? Why? Those questions didn’t matter. All she knew was that she had the overwhelming desire to punch something. Hard. As Chrysalis’s vision was colored red, she let out a wrath-filled roar as she swung and kicked at the crystals surrounding her. Breaking off the tips of spikes, putting deep cracks in the floor with incredible strength. She swung and screamed all around her. Winding her right hoof back, took a hard swing at another crystal surface. This time, the impact echoed throughout the entire chamber.

Finally, the pain began to steadily fade. Chrysalis breathed hard, keeping her hoof right where it was, leaning on it as her senses slowly came back to her. She felt drained. More so than when she had first woken up in the chamber. The sudden strength, pain, and rage all seemed to have faded away.

“What...W-What in the name of Tartarus was that?” She said hoarsely.

Her question was interrupted by a glow that caught her eye. An orange glow, coming from inside the central crystal structure. The very same one that she was leaning against. The one that she had punched a crack into with her resting hoof.

And the glow was getting brighter.

Chapter 7: Awakening

The growing orange glow within the central crystal was more than just concerning. It was disturbing. The glow felt sickly, giving off the same energy as before, only stronger. Chrysalis slowly pulled her hoof away from the crack she made in the central crystal, as she started to feel the heat coming from it. She took a few steps back from it, her eyes transfixed on the slowly increasing glow.

The trance was broken when a cracking sound reached the ex-Queen’s ears. Her eyes snapped to the source of the sound. The crack that she had punched into the crystal was now getting bigger, spidering its way across its surface…and out to the rest of the crystal surfaces.

Chrysalis’ eyes widened with shock. The cracks continued to spread in tandem with the glow which grew in intensity. The temperature in the air was also beginning to rise. Chrysalis took several more steps back as the cracks crept outward towards her. The glow shone through the cracks with blinding intensity. The ex-Queen ducked as a beam of light almost took her head off.

One beam shot out and hit the ceiling.

…and from there, things only got more dangerous.

The entire chamber began to shake, dust and loose rocks fell from above. The cracks in the crystal masses became bigger, the glow brighter, and the heat even more intense.

Chrysalis finally managed to find her feet and flee from the heart of the chaos. Where she would go, she didn’t know.

‘Just anywhere but here!’ She thought in panic. She moved as fast as her hooves would allow her to over the terrain. The crystal beneath her hooves was cracking and crumbling like thin ice on a lake, and the burning orange light was close behind, filling the gaps like water.

More beams of light reached the ceiling, and the rumbling seemingly intensified in response. The strong shake threw Chrysalis off balance. She slipped and tumbled down the incline until she reached dirt ground.

‘Get up…must…get up!’ The ex-Queen mentally ordered, trying to reorient herself after tumbling.

It was then that she noticed that the engravings, runes actually, that covered the walls of the chamber had begun to glow as well. This glow was different, however. The engravings were giving off a light blue glow, as opposed to the dark orange of the shattering crystal mass.

Chrysalis could sense the cold air coming off of the walls as she tried to keep moving away from the center. As the air grew hotter, Chrysalis’ new goal became clear: get as close to the walls as possible.

Chrysalis rose to her hooves and started galloping towards the chamber walls as quickly as she could, side-stepping everything in her way. Rocks, scrap piles, rotten wood. She didn’t register the particulars of her surroundings. All that she could focus on was the building heat behind her and the pleasant cold in front of her.

The ex-Queen’s sprint was suddenly interrupted when something caught her back-left hoof, tripping her. It only got worse when Chrysalis suddenly found herself being dragged back. Away from the walls and towards the center again.

Frantically, Chrysalis tried to stop this involuntary pull back, dragging her front hooves along the ground. Looking back, she saw the problem: a chain had looped around her back-left hoof and was dragging her back to the center.

Not one to be held down, Chrysalis kicked at the loop around her leg, trying to slide it down inch by inch. The sense of heat was returning as she was pulled away from the cooling runes. Chrysalis took in her altered surroundings with horror. All the lengthy links of chains scattered across the chamber rattled, clinked, and clacked as they all were reeled in towards the burning mass of orange light at the center of the chamber. Said mass flared in heat and brightness as another beam shot out, hitting the walls and sending another tremor through the chamber.

Chrysalis kicked at her bindings with renewed vigor, as the chains slowly began to adopt the temperature of their destination. With desperate tears beginning to form in her eyes, Chrysalis managed to free her leg with a *clack*, the strand of linked metal moving along without her, thankfully.

Once again, being more mindful of the ground this time, the ex-Queen made a b-line for the rune-covered chamber walls. The cracking floor and slithering chains made the task difficult, however. Her hooves, mane, and, occasionally, her horn would all catch on chains, debris, and uneven ground. Despite the stumbling, tripping, cracks, and bruises, however, Chrysalis kept going. Racing towards the cooling runes.

A cracking sound and a *boom* sounded behind her. Daring a glance, Chrysalis saw another, noticeably bigger, beam of orange light erupt from the central mass. As it hit the ceiling, a rumble echoed throughout the chamber and the light of the runes flickered for a moment.

A greater sense of urgency took hold, driving the ex-Queen to try and move even faster. Recovering as best she could from the hooks catching on the holes in her legs, the slippery scrap iron, and the rotten wood cracking under her hooves.

Her goal was in sight, within reach. She could feel the cooling air surrounding her as she reached out to touch the runes.

Then, just as she was about to make contact, the mother of all quakes rocked the chamber as the burning mass of crystal in the center fired off the largest beam of burning light it had released throughout the chaotic affair. The beam hit the ceiling with a mighty *crash*, causing the chamber to shake and chunks of ceiling to fall. A wave of heat rolled across the chamber, kicking up dust, dirt, and debris. Most importantly, the blue runes on the wall flickered, their glow weakening, along with the relief they provided.

Chrysalis looked upon the scene with horror and desperation, not knowing what she could do aside from silently pleading for the runes to hold up against the apparent damage they were taking.

Her prayers were not answered.

Another, stronger, brighter wave of heat blasted out from the center, slamming into the chamber walls. The energy that it carried crackled against the runes, seeping into them as they flickered.

The light of the runes faded. The cold air soon followed.

Chrysalis was left with a loss for words as the sauna-grade heat quickly surrounded her. She dropped to her haunches, having watched her only hope for survival literally fade before her eyes. She was without magic, without a plan, without hope.

The former Queen’s mind slowly began to fill with intrusive thoughts about how she might now die in this stone prison. Perhaps she would pass out and die of dehydration. Maybe she would catch fire and be burned to cinders.

However it came about, it didn’t matter. Not now anyway.

‘This is it,’ Chrysalis thought to herself. ‘This is the end…my end.’

Chrysalis slowly moved to lean her back against the chamber wall that was her salvation not a few moments ago.

She sat back down and closed her eyes not wanting to have to look at the orange light that was spelling her doom at the time.

The ex-Queen’s mind then wandered again. This time, it pondered how she ended up here. In this place, at this moment, having this experience.

‘Perhaps if I had been a better ruler, I wouldn’t be dying like this,’ she considered, allowing herself a humorless chuckle at the thought.

Here she was: Powerless, alone, lost…and about to be air-boiled alive by a giant, glowing, orange, tree-like crystal in the heart of a mountain somewhere in the Everfree Forest.

‘Honestly,’ Chrysalis thought, ‘…Not the worst way I could imagine going out.’

Chrysalis let herself get as comfortable as one could under such circumstances, and waited for the boiling air to drive her to unconscious…

…

…and then she felt the heat start to reseed.

Chrysalis felt confused by the sensation, but she dismissed it as merely her body’s senses going haywire from the intense temperature…

…the feeling didn’t leave.

Chrysalis felt tempted to open her eyes, but she refused. Every time she looked to the center crystal, things had become noticeably worse.

‘But there has to be a reason…’ said a small, curious, inquisitive, and dangerous voice in her head.

‘No!’ Chrysalis scolded, as she briefly wrestled with the idea. ‘No good will come of it. I refuse to stare into that Faust-forsaken crystal!’

‘So you refuse to stare into the face of your own demise, and confront it?’ Posed another authoritative, prideful, and equally dangerous voice.

‘…’

‘…Perhaps one last look.’

Chrysalis slowly and begrudgingly opened her eyes.

She then immediately took a moment to rub them when confronted by the sight before her.

The orange light that had spread throughout every inch of crystal was now reseeding back towards the middle, the burning heat following it. The last of the chains clattered their way across the ground, catching up with their fellows.

Chrysalis had thought she couldn’t be surprised anymore today, and yet here she was, surprised again. The force that she was sure would be her doom was retreating back to its point of origin. She didn’t know why or how this was happening, only that it was in fact happening.

‘Is this a sign?’ Chrysalis wondered. ‘Is this just luck? What is even happening today?’

As the light and heat continued to pull back, Chrysalis allowed herself a moment to breathe, releasing a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Despite everything that had just transpired, she was still alive. That meant that there was still a chance for her to get out of there. There was still—

A chance for her to learn to stop listening to herself.

The light continued to shrink into itself. Into the middle area, into the central crystal, into the trunk, into a single point at the heart of the crystal. Then, all at once, that singular point of condensed light and energy…erupted.

*BOOM*

The orange light flared and the center crystal sanctum was blasted into shards. A shockwave ripped through the air, as a thick column of fire shot straight up into the ceiling, throwing Chrysalis back against the wall. A layer of dirt and dust was lifted off the floor. Pieces of armor, rock, and house were flung through the air by the blast. How the whole chamber hadn’t collapsed at that point was a mystery.

Shards of crystal flew outward from the explosion. But rather than become embedded in the walls (or Chrysalis’s rib cage), they suddenly stopped mid-flight, suspended in mid-air. The same odd rules applied to many of the other pieces of shrapnel and stone kicked up by the blast. They all simply floated in the air, gently turning. It was a fairly calming sight in comparison to the raging, swirling column of fire that dominated Chrysalis’s vision.

The shards, scrap metal, and stones then started to swirl inward, towards the column of fire, as hooked chains flew out of the flames, further reeling them in.

Chrysalis found herself unable to continue watching, as she tried to move from the wall to someplace that would provide cover from the scorching hot light and flying debris. The swirling wind didn’t help her already shaky legs as she stumbled. Her vision was blurry as her eyes teared up from the dust and heat, compounded by her need to squint due to the light. She found some shelter behind a large rock that had managed to remain in the ground.

As the stones, shrapnel, and shards swirled into the fire, the column started to thin. Chrysalis remained behind the cover of the large rock, not witnessing the change. Even if she did peek from her hiding place, her blurred vision would’ve prevented her from seeing it all clearly. Prevented her from clearly seeing that there seemed to be something emerging, taking shape, as the outer layers of the fire column fell away. It was something big, something that still burned, now with additional darker colors. A blurry, burning, something.

A big, dark, blurry, fiery, burning something, that proceeded to let out the most monstrous, haunting, bone-rattling, and chilling call she had ever heard in her life.

“RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA—AAAAAAAALLLLOOOOOOO!!!!”

It was a sound that Chrysalis never heard before. No living creature in the entirety of Equis that she was aware of had a call like that.

It was a howl filled with pain, agony, and wrath. It was the cry of some in-equine monster.

Chrysalis covered her ears trying to lessen the ache the noise caused for her drums. It didn’t block the sound out completely, but it did make it less painful to listen to.

And then, slowly, the howling failed out.

For a moment, the air was deathly still and tensely quiet. Quiet enough that Chrysalis slowly uncovered her ears, allowing them to swivel about, in search of sensory input.

Once again, absolute silence reigned over the chamber.

Chrysalis cautiously began to stand back up. Only to swiftly return to keeping her back against the rock, when the sound of equally in-equine growling, scrapping, and shifting stones broke the golden silence. Whatever had made that howl was starting to move.

The air was now a different kind of tense. One fueled by fear rather than anticipation. Said fear kept The ex-Queen rooted to her hiding spot.

Chrysalis could make out the light of a fiery glow cast upon the walls. The sound of growling and heavy steps reached her ears. The light cast on the wall became stronger. The growling and stepping sounds were slowly growling nearer. The air was becoming drier.

Chrysalis felt realization fill her mind, while dread crawled up her spine.

Whatever had made all those sounds wasn’t just moving. It was moving towards her.

Chapter 8: Hide

For the vast majority of her life, Chrysalis had been on top of the food chain. At the very least, she had been high up on it. She had been the predator, skillfully stalking her prey from the shadows, watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She had been the one luring helpless, foolish ponies into her trap, getting them in close. All the while her chosen targets would be shaking with fear or be none the wiser. She had been the hunter.

It was only recently that Chrysalis had been made familiar with the sensation of being towards the bottom of the food chain, of being the hunted instead.

Suffice it to say, Chrysalis did not like the feeling.

It made her feel small, helpless, and powerless. Like her life could be snuffed out at any minute.

Which is exactly how she felt at this very moment, as some kind of horrendous beast, that she had yet to lay eyes on, crept towards her hiding place.

The sounds the creature made as it moved were grotesque. It sounded like creaking wood mixed with the cracking of stiff joints.

And the heat it gave off, the insufferable, creeping heat just made the matter worse.

She had to move. Chrysalis simply had to move. If she stayed where she was she would be certainly done for. If she managed to slip away, there would be a chance for survival. She looked around trying to find a good spot to move to.

The creature was getting closer. Time was of the essence.

She spotted it. Over on her right. The remains of a two-story house. Not ideal but it would do.

The sounds of deep, hollow breathing dominated her hearing. The crawling shadow cast by the light of the beast made clear that time was of the essence.

If she was going to move to the house, she was going to need a distraction. Taking hold of a small stone within her reach, Chrysalis threw it as far as she could in the opposite direction of her chosen destination.

To the Changeling’s relief, the stone caused a clattering sound when it landed. The creature she was hiding from made a low growling sound, before the groaning, creaking sounds of its body moved towards the spot where the stone landed.

Seizing the opportunity, Chrysalis quickly, but quietly made her way to the old shattered house.

She dared not look back at the monster that had been stalking her, focusing only on reaching her chosen hiding spot.

Chrysalis had made it about two-thirds of the way to the remains of the house.

‘Once I get there I can make a plan to get out of here. Just need to make as little noise as possible getting in–’

*SNAP*

Naturally, the Ex-Queen had jinxed herself in the most typical way possible. Looking down with dread, she saw her hoof resting atop a freshly crushed wooden rod.

*GRRRRRRRRRRRR*

Chrysalis’s pupils became pin-pricks, as one word returned to her mind.

‘RUN’

So she did just that.

‘Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Do NOT look BACK!’ That was all that played in Chrysalis’s head as she bolted for the door of the shattered house. The thunderous steps of the creature behind her were great motivation to keep moving.

Steps that were getting closer, louder, bringing with them a heat that felt like it could burn away her wings and mane if she let it get too close.

With rapid breath and great effort, The Ex-Queen leaped for the ruined building’s front door, spreading her wings, hoping to get a little more distance out of her jump.

To her fortune, she made the distance. Even more fortunate, the door was unlocked. To her detriment, however, all hopes of using the structure as a quiet holdout had been dashed.

Closing the door behind her and pushing the toppled remains of a cabinet in front of it, Chrysalis’s mind raced as she tried to think of some kind of plan.

The rattling of the haphazard barricade she’d made, derailed any detailed thoughts she was forming. As her eyes darted about the space, she focused on the rickety stairs leading to the second floor. With no other clear options and a monster on her tail, she followed her instincts, racing up the rotten steps as the beast began to crack to barricade.

Ducking into the first open room she could see, she found herself almost falling back down to the first floor, as the room lacked one of its own.

*WHAM*

The door wasn’t going to hold much longer.

Regaining her bearings, Chrysalis rushed into the next room. She found it bare, lacking anything other than rubble from the ceiling.

‘There’s no chance of me hiding in–’

*CRASH*

The sound of the barricade shattering signaled she was out of both time and options.

Reflexively, and regrettably, Chrysalis wheeled around, looking back towards the source of the sound. Her instincts were rewarded with the sight of a flaming mass quickly clawing its way up the stairs.

The Ex-Queen stumbled back from the sight into the room behind her.

She was cornered. Literally. Stuck between a wall and a flaming monster. A monster that was making its way over to her. Groaning, creaking, and crackling with every movement. A large, skeletal, clawed hand reached through the doorway, the rest of the beast soon to follow.

Despite the fear that filled every fiber of her being, Chrysalis forced herself to not look away. If this was her end, then she was going to face it. That was difficult to do, however, as the burning beast pulled itself through the doorway. The heat and light emanating from it forced Chrysalis to squint her eyes to the point of them being practically closed, unable to make out her assailant. It felt like she was going to fry right then and there.

No magic, no weapons, no options, no time. The monstrosity must have gotten right up to her face at this point. All she could do was wait for it all to cut to black.

Then the heat faded. The light dropped. Silence reigned.

‘…Is this it?… Am I dead?’

Chrysalis wondered for a moment if the beast had left, but even with her eyes practically closed she could still feel a presence in the room with her.

Then a low, reverberating voice reached her ears.

“Who…Are…You?”

Chapter 9: Introductions

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Chapter 2: Damage Control

To say that the Changeling Hive, particularly one specific floor, was in a state of chaos, would be a slight understatement. Apart from the fact that an entire stretch of hallway was filled with craters, scorch marks, and partly blacked to a crisp, several ponies and Changelings lay exhausted or beaten.

The Royal Sisters and mane-6 slowly followed the path of destruction, coming across three worn-out Changeling soldiers with trails of smoke wafting off their armor. Following the trail even further they found Cadence, slowly limping down the hall towards a turn. She looked weary, streaked with sweat, her mane disheveled, coat burned, wings missing feathers.

“Cadence!” Twilight called out. Cadence did not respond nor slow her limp. It was like she didn’t hear her.

Twilight sprinted ahead to catch up with her former babysitter. “Cadence, wait!”

She put a hoof on Cadence’s shoulder. The alicorn of love whipped her head around to look behind her.

Twilight was unsettled by her gaze. Cadence’s eyes were not filled with the compassion and understanding that they usually possessed. All that was there was anger. Hatred. It felt…so unnatural.

“C-Cadence…”

Before Twilight could continue, Cadence turned away from her and resumed making her way towards…wherever it was she was trying to go.

“W-Wait!” Twilight continued to go after her. The other ponies rushed forward to see what was happening.

“Cadence,” Celestia said, “Can you hear me?”

Before anypony could get any further with each other, the sound of swords came from behind them.

All were scared to look, but they had to.

Thorax was not a very good fighter. He had picked up a thing or two from his brother Phynrax, but he could not hold his own for a long period of time. Under normal circumstances, Shining Armor would be mopping the floor with him, and Thorax would have lost a while ago

However, considering how wounded and exhausted he was, Shining Armor really couldn’t effectively put all that military training to work.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t throw a punch, it was just easier to survive. The two wrestled each other, trying to keep the other down. Their bodies were bruised and sore, adrenaline rushes wearing off.

Shining practically lunged at Thorax, who was able to slide out of the way before getting stomped on. With what strength he could summon, Thorax brought his two front hooves down on Shining’s back.

The impact made Shining wince and grit his teeth. There was a sore spot there that hadn’t healed completely yet. He still had enough to back-hoof Thorax’s face, making him fall to the ground.

Shining limped over to Thorax to give him another slug. But before he could do that an arrow flew right under his chin, into the wall next to him.

Shining looked to the door, and was greeted by the sight of a large number of Changeling troopers. The leader of the unit was supporting the beaten and battered Pharynx.

Pharynx has called for Kraft, one of his higher officers, and his unit to gather everyone and get the situation under control.

Shining simply stepped back from Thorax, who was helped to his hooves by two soldiers.

“Let me see!”

Twilight pushed her way through the crowd of soldiers. She had to see what had happened, what her brother had done.

Her eyes locked onto the Changeling King, and she froze.

He was bruised in several places. His left eye was blacked and looked a bit swollen. His wing covers were cracked and resting at his sides, leaving his bent, torn wings exposed. His chitin was scratched and a blue liquid (which turned out to be his blood) slowly dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Twilight slowly approached the battered king as the troopers got him balanced.

“...T-Thorax…” Twilight didn’t know what to say.

Celestia and Luna shared the same looks of absolute shock at the sight before them. Parts of them wanted to shout, berate the young Royal couple for what they had done, but they couldn’t. It was all too shocking.

“M-Maybe we should g-go?” Fluttershy said meekly.

Pharynx opened his mouth to speak, but Thorax beat him to it.

“NO!” The Changeling King said through labored breaths. His stern voice grabbed everyone’s attention.

“No,” he said again, “No one is going anywhere.”

The Changeling King looked to the unit commander. “Kraft, gather up the wounded, all the wounded, and have one of your soldiers run a message to Dr. Cloverfield and his staff. Tell him he’s got patients to tend to.”

There was a moment of hesitation, but Kraft nodded, directing one of his troopers to go and tell the doctor.

It was going to be another very. Long. Day.