Hope is Never Lost.

-Queen Chrysalis-

“Stop!” a voice echoed through the room, causing everyponies head to turn to the doors to see Twilight Sparkle standing there. Cadence sighed.

“Ugh!, why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?” growled Cadence with annoyance, causing Celestia to recoil at her statement. Realizing how negative that sounded she fakely weeped “Why does she have to ruin my special day?” and then cried to add effect.

“Because!, its not your special day!” a voice announced, a very familiar voice that caused Cadence’s jaw to fall slack. Oh...well that is not good she thought before looking over her hoof to see the real Princess Cadence enter the room. “Its mine!” declared Cadence, earning gasps from all the wedding guests.

“What? but how did you escape my bridesmaids?” the fake Cadence asked, gaining a grin and a self-satisfied look between Twilight Sparkle and Cadence before the two explained the simple plan.

The fake Cadence growled with annoyance, her entire plan now beginning to collapse. I should have known better than to assign ponies to those useless roles. “Hm clever, but you’re still too late” stated the fake Cadence.

“A-ah don’t understand how can thar be two of em?” Applejack wondered.

“She’s a Changeling, she takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off the love you feel for them” Cadence declared before the fake Cadence’s eyes glowed green. Green flames sprouted from the ground, encircling the fake Cadence before enveloping her. When the flames cleared what was left was not a copy of Cadence but the changeling Queen, Queen Chrysalis.

“Hahahaha, right you are princess, and as Queen of the changelings it is up to me to find food for my subjects” stated Chrysalis, proceeding down the stairs and across the red carpet towards Cadence. “Equestria has more love than any place I’ve ever encountered, my fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!” said Chrysalis enthusiastically.

“They’ll never get the chance!” began Cadence, leaning closer to the terrifying changeling Queen before her. “Shining Armor’s protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!” Cadence replied, emphasizing her point by raising her hoof up to Chrysalis who leaned her head back. This brought a dark smile from the changeling queen before quickly being followed by a giggle.

Thats what you think Chrysalis thought.

“Oh I doubt that, isn’t that right ‘dear’?” Chrysalis wondered, turning her gaze back to shining armor with her horn illuminated and receiving a nod from her hypnotized slave. Cadence realizing this felt a stab of pain in her heart; this creature before her had been feeding on the most precious emotion to all species as if it were nothing but dirt and now she even had her fiance brainwashed. Cadence began to gallop towards her fiance but was stopped by Chrysalis slamming her hoof down in her way. “mmm mmm mmm!” Chrysalis spoke before proceeding once more towards Cadence who began backing away. “Don’t want to go back to the caves now do we?” Chrysalis questioned, her horn illuminated with a green aura, her reply kept Cadence back.

That's what I thought

“Ever since I took your place I’ve been feeding off Shining Armor’s love for you. Every moment he grows weaker and so does his spell, even while we speak my minions are chipping away at it!” declared Chrysalis, looking up at her subjects now visibly smashing into the barrier. The sight caused a few ponies in the crowd to gasp silently while Chrysalis began to laugh once more. “He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now!” explained Chrysalis, gaining gasps from both Twilight Sparkle and Cadence. I thought they knew that already.

“...and I’m sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as Captain of the Royal Guard!” snarled Chrysalis.

“Not my Shining Armor!” Cadence pleaded to no one in particular, her plead falling on deaf ears and not heard by the Changeling Queen.

“Soon, my changeling army will break through, first we take Canterlot then, ALL OF EQUESTRIA!” announced Chrysalis, flying into the air with her hoof raised to the sky, a dark grin forming on her muzzle.

“No!” an authoritative voice spoke, causing Chrysalis to turn her head to see Celestia approaching. “You wont” Celestia declared, stopping halfway to Chrysalis before the changeling queen returned to the ground. I forgot about you for a moment.....

“You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to perform his spell, but now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self...” began Celestia before charging forward towards Chrysalis, causing the changeling Queen’s nature to kick in and she charged as well. The two clashed horns, both pushing with all their strength against the other. “...I can protect my subjects!... from you!” finished Celestia, jumping back and flying up into the air, a glowing ray of light forming on her horn before jetting down towards the changeling Queen. Chrysalis reacted just in time, sending a swirling laser of energy at Celestia. The rays collided, causing the two to begin channeling as much power as they could into their rays, seeing who could out power the other one.

Four years later.....

Chrysalis chuckled softly as she gazed out the window to the ruined streets of Canterlot below. “You know.... I remember when our civilization was starving, the stress I had when I took my rightful place as Queen of the changelings. I had insomnia, I thought I was failing my subjects.... I even thought I would be smitten by our god for my failure..... though I did it, many believed we could not, but we have” Chrysalis spoke, her voice calmed by the warmth from the fireplace in the room.

“Yes and a nice bit of chaos on the side” Discord pointed out, lounged on a couch floating in mid air. “The skies gloomy all the time, you’ve corrupted hundreds, you even have made it rain almost every day here drive your slaves moral down to the ground, its.... beautiful” Discord said, wiping a tear from his face while he gazed out the same window as his changeling friend. A flash of magic caught Chrysalis’ attention and upon turning her head she found the draconequus biting into a silver platter. “I never liked Celestia, but I do love her taste in silverware.... hehe, get it?” Discord asked, making a pun. Deciding to ignore it Chrysalis continued with their previous conversation.

“Yes, though I see it in a different aspect” Chrysalis responded, not caring to look at her friend. With the entire continent being thrown into a chaotic nature for a period of 2 years and with Celestia’s magical influence on his imprisonment nonexistent Discord had once again escaped from his stone imprisonment and had quickly become friends with Chrysalis.

“There is however one issue that remains” Discord reminded, bringing a small growl from the changeling queen but it didn’t last long due to her fatigue from a long day.

“I know....” Chrysalis responded, annoyance beginning to show in her tone. Princess Luna Chrysalis thought bitterly, the name bringing with it hate and stress. For the past four years Chrysalis had tried multiple times to catch the last Princess and the last two elements of harmony. After Celestia’s defeat the six ponies had attempted to escape with only 2 managing it; the suspicious one known as Twilight Sparkle and a rainbow maned one that Chrysalis had forgotten the name of over the years. The other four and the baby dragon serve a much better purpose at least. The thought made Chrysalis smile before her other thoughts returned. My original ‘search every cave and forest’ plan didn’t work so well, come to think of it 6 changelings were eaten by things in the everfree forest....the wanted posters for her haven’t shown any progress either.

“Out of curiosity, are the ponies citizens of your empire that are fed on or simply food?” Discord wondered, folding the silver platter in half and beginning to eat it like a sub-sandwich. Chrysalis chuckled at that question.

“Of course not!, they are our cattle, citizenship is only for changelings, though with those like you, I make an exception” Chrysalis responded, receiving a shrug from Discord.

“I’m flattered” Discord expressed, rolling his eyes to show his sarcasm.

“I’m glad” Chrysalis growled with annoyance before an idea came to mind.

-Ponies of Canterlot-

A noise similar to that of a beehive became clearly audible in the ruins of Canterlot, causing everypony that heard it too panic for it was the changelings. Whenever a swarm like this was heard the ponies knew it was feeding time. Some hid, some ran in the opposite direction while others just stood there, accepting the hell they all had come to know as daily life; however the changelings flew by with no hesitation, not paying any attention to the ponies they passed. Ponies stopped running and gazed curiously over to the changelings who were now dividing into multiple groups ranging from three to five changelings. The changelings then proceeded to apply a green gel like substance to the exterior of the buildings, then followed by pasting a poster.

The changelings turned and flew into the sky, back towards Canterlot castle where they had originated. When the ponies were comfortable and convinced they were safe they proceeded to the posters, curious what information or orders they had. “What do you think this is about?” a mare asked.

“Can never be sure with them” a stallion responded.

What the poster said had not been expected by anypony.

Note from the Queen

Any hints or information that lead to the arrest of Princess Luna will be rewarded. The ponies who provide this information will be given citizenship and a pardon in the Changeling Empire. By pardon this will place you one level above all other ponies in Equestria. You will be given food monthly and will not be fed upon by any changeling. This pardon is eternal and effects all of your family, therefore protecting those who share your blood from the required feedings forever. Along with this reward you will be promoted to a certain level of nobility normally unobtainable by other ponies; however it should be noted that you will not possess nearly as many rights as a changeling, you will simply be free from the daily feedings and allowed to move across Equestria. It is understandable that you will be hesitant to give up your previous monarch to me but where has your Princess been all these years? While you all have been suffering from our influence your protector has been hiding away like a coward. A true leader would not abandon their people so tell me, which is more important, your family or your loyalty?

-Queen Chrysalis

The ponies of Canterlot were shocked, some had to reread what it said while others simply pondered it. “Thats...” a stallion began, his mind racing with hundreds of possibilities.

“Preposterous is what it is!” stated another, adjusting a cracked monocle he still wore with his magic.

“W-well you have to admit.... its not like we can keep up with this....” spoke a mare.

“Are you saying we should simply betray Princess Luna? One of the two who freed our ancestors and have protected us for more than a millennium?! How can you even call yourself a pony?!” demanded the monocle wearing stallion, anger clear in his voice.

“She may have protected us in the past but what good is she to us when all she does is raise the moon and the sun these days?! When was the last time she was even seen? A year? Two years ago? We are running out of options!” shouted another stallion.

“There are always and will always be alternatives! We cannot give our only hope up to this menace of which controls us! We have lost one princess and we cannot lose the other!”

“I have a family to worry about!”

“What family is that? The one that has forsaken Equestria and has so pathetically surrendered to the changelings?”

“Why you pompous!...”

The fighting continued among the ponies, some viewing the situation one way while others viewed it the opposite. What was true however is that there was always hope and that there would always be hope. Luna had not forsaken her subjects, her sister nor the Elements of Harmony but nopony could know that.

-Princess Luna-

“Princess” General Lance a Pegasus General spoke, gaining the princess of the night’s attention. “We have not heard back from our scouts”

Luna sighed silently, turning her head away from her General so she gazed north, towards the crystal empire where the scouts had gone. “We must leave” Luna whispered, her general only hearing her due to the dead silence of the snow fall. If it was as it were four years ago it would be peaceful, she most likely would be with her sister and for a joke she would throw a snowball at her; sadly this was not four years ago, and this calm snowfall had nothing peaceful about it. Four miles north was the Crystal Empire, ruled by King Sombra and protected by his army of crystal soldiers.

“They might still....”

“They are dead” Luna said softly, interrupting his sentence. “I am sorry for bringing us here” Luna apologized sadly, her gaze fallen.

“Its not your fault Princess”

“I sometimes disagree...”

That statement caused General Lance to pause. “You are all we have left Princess, we need you to stay strong”

“I am not weakening, I am just..... depressed”

“.... what are our orders?”

“We need to go south, Sombra will be sending soldiers to look for us”

“Understood, when we return south what should we tell the scouts?”

“Look for Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, the other four may be imprisoned or worse, but the remaining elements still can help” Luna explained before General Lance removed himself from her presence to tell the small amount of remaining troops to pack up.