A grave in the middle of Nowhere
Laying on her back, Chrysalis watched the sky above her. It was the brightest the sky ever looked to her. In the badlands, one cannot walk outside of the hive without keeping both eyes on the ground. Their lives are spent with their heads hung low as they try and prepare for any ambushes. Even while flying, one cannot take their eye off the ground. The creatures of the Badlands could hurl stones and cacti at any airborne creatures they came across.
It was a harsh environment, and it had hardened her resolve and the will to survive. She had sought out to create a better life. Something grander for herself and the hive. She had her sights set on Equestria. And after multiple failed attempts, Chrysalis had learned the value of careful planning and deception. Years of careful planning made her prepared for that day. All pieces had fallen into place one by one, and all that was left was the coup de grace. One kiss and the final feeding would make her stronger than any other creature in Equos. The threats to her plan were all but neutralized.
The princess of Love? Captured.
The Princess' pupil? Neutralized and untrusted by her peers.
The captain of the Guard? Hypnotized, tired, and drained of love.
The Guard? All of their eyes turned in the wrong direction.
The Princesses'? Just as easily fooled by a piece of parchment and a single threat.
The foolishness of ponies had no bounds. Her intellect had shown its superiority before the mighty Equestria. So, how could it be that things ended up like that? How could she have been defeated by the power of her food? How could it be that one pony managed to tip the scales and disrupt her plans? Could it be that fate never wanted her to win? It had to be. The chances of Twilight finding Cadance in the mines and escaping were close to zero if they weren't null, to begin with.
Could it be a message from destiny? Was this their way of telling her she was never meant to win? Was this their letter of goodbye? A slap to the face after careful planning and flawless execution? Fate and its weaver were cruel. But that wasn't the part that bothered her the most. No, what caused Chrysalis the most pain, the most painful realization she could have now was the idea that she couldn't stop thinking of the days she spent as Cadance.
The caring and loving nature of ponies. Their kind devotion and warm smiles towards one another, and towards Cadance. Never before had Chrysalis experienced such a thing. Never before had Chrysalis spent that long with her eyes focused on the faces and eyes of others. Ponies carried such carefree lives. Their heads held high as each of them pursued their dreams and ambitions. Their worries with the ground were merely trivial things.
Was it wrong for her to want that? Is that what the final message was? That she wasn't meant to have a life like that? That holding her head high and seeking out dreams and desires beyond survival was beyond a lowly creature like her? Her changelings were fated to lose. And now, she was fated to die alone. The connection to her little ones was lost. Not a single voice could be heard in their Nexus. Not even the faintest of cries for help made itself known.
Could it be that her ambition is what made things turn out that way? Or was it her species? What was the cause of such a cruel fate? An ending that denied her the last shred of hope for someone to have survived and to be listening to her. A finale where there was no one there to show at least a bit of empathy or pity for the broken creature plastered on the dirt in the middle of nowhere. An epilogue where she wanted to be like the creatures that defeated her.
How pathetic can I be? Chrysalis pondered while feeling a tear run down her face. Reaching for it, Chrysalis felt a sting from the droplet's salt touching her wounded hand. Forgot I had these.
Suddenly, Chrysalis heard the sound of steps coming from her side. She doesn't try to struggle or turn to face the newcomer. They appear in her field of view without much reverence. Their face is hidden behind pieces of cloth, but their species is given away by the horn sticking out of their forehead. Wearing a turban, dirty clothes, and carrying a walking stick, the figure kneels by her side and pokes her with their finger.
"You're alive," They say without any hesitation.
"Not for long," Chrysalis replies without any emotion. Her eyes wander away from the stranger and stare into the sky.
"Why? Your wounds aren't that severe. You should be able to live if you tend to them," The pony replies while looking at her battered body.
"I'll starve in half a day," Chrysalis answered while staring at the lonely cloud floating above her.
"I have food I can spare," The pony replied while looking back at her face. He then looked back at the rest of the bodies around them. "Did you get attacked?"
"Yes. But we were the ones to attack first," Chrysalis answered without much thought. At that point, there was little to no reason for deceit. To rebuild a hive, she would need so much energy, something much bigger than one pony could accomplish. And to keep all the disguises and thefts going while Equestria was on high alert would be pointless. "It was a failed war. I was utterly defeated," She added with a sigh.
"Do you want me to bury them?" The pony asked while looking around them. "They look like you, did you know them?"
"I gave birth to all of them," Chrysalis answered while closing her eyes.
Why am I telling them all of this? I'm about to die. What do I gain from doing this? Is this some remaining will to live? Am I aiming for them to pity me and lower their guard? Chrysalis pondered while hearing the sound of magic and something being piled somewhere close by.
"Building all the graves will take a long time. Do you mind if I burn them? Like, a funeral pyre?" The pony offered while poking her cheek with their hand.
"What?" Chrysalis grumbled while opening her eyes to see a large pile of bodies resting a few feet away from them. "Why are you doing this? Giving them a funeral, I mean. The only kingdom near this place is the kingdom of Equestria. And I just said we attacked and lost. How can you be helping? We attacked your kind," Chrysalis argued while bearing her fangs.
"Even still, leaving them to rot out here, sounds cruel," The pony replied without missing a beat. "And all of you look so thin, why did you even attack?"
"Hatred!" Snarled Chrysalis as the pony's display of kindness began to crawl under her skin.
"Hatred is often caused by something else. It has a cause since hatred is the effect. So, what caused you to hate us?" The pony asked while taking a seat by her side.
What is this? Is this the final step in my punishment? Meeting a pony that didn't run away when they found us? A pony is willing to offer us kindness in a moment of need, even after we attacked their kind. Chrysalis mused while feeling more tears filling up her eyes. Putting on a smile, Chrysalis closed her eyes before letting out a burst of desperate laughter.
"Am I just a joke? Is this what I'm supposed to be to the world?!" Chrysalis questioned no one while feeling her chest hurt from the laughter and the suppressed sobs.
"A joke? I hardly think that. If you are just a joke, someone has bad taste. Putting you through this sounds like spite if you ask me. Why don't you come with me? You could try to get another chance." The pony proposed while scratching its head.
"Another chance?" Chrysalis asked in exasperation. "I attacked the capital. I caused severe damage to Canterlot. The princesses were wounded and battered by my troops. What makes you think I can even attempt that?" She added with a hint of poison.
"I doubt anyone would look for you if they found this pile of bodies," The pony replied while resting their head on their hand.
"Why are you doing this?" Chrysalis asked while turning to face this strange pony. "Why are you giving me options? Why are you trying to get me to live? What do you gain from it? Do you want to turn me in alive so you would get a reward?"
"A dead pony can't do much with rewards," The unicorn argued while tapping their finger against their cheek. "Besides, I'm not a monster to turn you in like that," He added while scratching their neck.
"What about my food? Do you even know what I eat?" Chrysalis asked with a smirk. That would certainly throw the pony off. The stranger shook their head in response as Chrysalis' grin widened. "I devour love. My victims turn into husks once I'm through with them," She explained with glee while waiting for the pony to back away.
"Oh, like a kiss of sorts?" The pony replied while pulling their turban's mask down. There was a jarring scar down the pony's neck to their lower jaw and the left side of their face. Their coat was thin and didn't look like it was growing back. The fur that had managed to grow was of a different color and looked rough and prickly.
How did you survive a wound like that? Chrysalis pondered with a frown while looking at the pony.
"I know it isn't pleasant. But, if you want, you can take as much as you need. I don't care if I die here if it means someone gets to live," The pony said while leaning closer to Chrysalis. "So, what will it be?"
"Do you even listen to what you just said? I would be hunted for this!" Chrysalis replied with a growl. "And why are you throwing your life away!?"
"Why not? Someone threw theirs for mine. But it was out of spite, rather than caring. So, why not do so but for someone that wants to live?" The pony answered bluntly.
Chrysalis' eyes widened at the response. I have already thrown the towel. I can't still be trying to stay alive, can I? Do I want to live?
"The choice is yours. You're breathing. Your body is trying to keep itself together. You're not on the other side yet. So, it's up to you what happens now. Do you want to keep on living?" The pony asked while offering his hand.
Guided by a smoke pillar, several guards from the royal guard landed on what looked like a warzone. Several points of impact and craters with scorch marks were scattered around. A pile of burning bodies filled the air with a disgusting stench as the bodies slowly turned into ashes. A few feet away from the corpses, a pony seemed to be digging a hole on the ground. A large sack seemed to rest by their side as they continue with their task.
"You there! Identify yourself!" Ordered the soldier while drawing their blade. The bodies were that of changelings. And given their shapeshifting abilities, the working pony could very well be a changeling in disguise. The pony turned around while displaying their unsettling scar without a shred of hesitation. The guard and his companion winced at the visage.
"Good day to you two," Greeted the pony while wiping the sweat off their forehead. "Star Helm at your service. What can I do for you?"
"What happened here?" The guard inquired while doing their best to not stare into the scar.
"Oh, I found these bodies here. They were roughed up badly. I thought it would be best to burn them. Keep the desert clean, you know?" Star replied while pointing at the pile of bodies.
"And that one?" The guard inquired while pointing at the bag by Star's hole.
"Oh, I found her still alive. But she died a few minutes ago. I had already started the fire, so, I decided to bury her. She was crying a lot because she was about to die alone. So, I thought of making a grave, in case anyone that does know her comes to grieve. No one deserves to die alone," Star said while going to the sack and opening it.
A partially burnt corpse with a few strands of green mane sticking out of the scalp lay inside it. Its crooked horn cracked and fell the moment Star manipulated the head to face the guards. The guards seemed to suppress an urge to vomit before gesturing for Star to cover the body back up.
"Anything else I can help with?" They asked while taking notice of a small camp behind Star. There wasn't much there, aside from a small tent that couldn't house more than a pony.
"Stand still for a moment," They said while pointing a strange hand-mirror-shaped thing at Star. A few seconds passed before the object emitted a single beep and the guards stored it away. "No, we thank you for your cooperation. Just so you know, these were the creatures that assaulted our capital earlier today. So, you might want to leave them be."
"Oh, so that's what that pink flash on the horizon was!" Star commented while holding their chin. "I could see it from over here. And, I'll just bury her either way. That way, Equestria knows the resting place of its attackers. It could be a memorial of a defeated villain," Star added while resuming his task.
"Do as you wish," the guards huffed before taking flight once more.
It took a few minutes for the guards to disappear on the horizon. Once they were gone, Star inquired in a loud voice.
"What would she do now? The dead queen I mean. What would be her next step if she had lived through?" Star asked while finishing to cover the grave and carving the name Chrysalis on it.
"I don't know. Try and rebuild her hive, maybe? Honestly, I don't care much for what she would do now. I know I want to see more places," Replied a mint-colored mare with a bluish mane as she exited the tent while stretching her arms.
"Good, I'll take you to the nearest town, Gleam Shade. From there, things should be easy for you to handle," Star said while getting up from the grave. "Rest in Peace, Queen Chrysalis."
"Rest in peace," Gleam added with a sad tone.
"Welp, you got your life to live. I have a little left of mine. Let's be partners for a little while, deal?" Star said while offering his hand to Gleam.
"That seems acceptable," Gleam agreed while taking his hand, her eyes emitting a faint green gleam before they disappeared.
I got my wish. Gleam mused while turning back to the camp.
The grave in the middle of nowhere was the starting point of Gleam's life.