Chrysalis: The Journey Of A Queenby Foalfree PressChaptersProlougeSickness and CelebrationDeparture Journey to RecoveryProlougeHot and musty air flowed through the canyons. A large and jagged structure stood tall in the blistering sky, it's obsidian-black color shining bright in the hot sun. Inside, thousands of jet black bodies swarmed, their insect-like wings buzzing loudly. A large female with a sea green cape, and a large crown adorned with crystals stood at the center of the stage. The blues and greens of the crystals shined upon the crowd. The crowd's attention was directed at the center of the stage. A large blue-green sphere was gently rolling back and fourth. A hush fell over the crowd as the pod gave one last violent shake and split open. A wave of excitement washed over the crowd as the small bundle flopped out of the pod. A soft glow wrapped around the bundle, and a blanket of soft woven fibers wrapped around her like a blanket. The large female held the smaller female in her jagged arms. She raised the bundle for the crowd to see, and spoke in a strong, yet gentile voice."Chrysalis"The crowd cheered as their new princess became a part of their hive. Sickness and CelebrationChrysalis buzzed through the air. Today was her 10th birthday. Her mother, Queen Obsidian, had requested to see her. She didn't know why her mother wanted to see her, but she knew it would be for a good reason. It was her birthday after all! Her mind raced with ideas. Maybe it was a surprise party, or maybe it was a cake baked with love! She was at her mother's throne room fairly quickly. She burst into the room, forgetting to knock. Her mother was standing on her throne of dark, volcanic glass. Her royal adviser,Garnet , was standing by her side. Chrysalis looked around the room. There were no cakes, no ribbons, no streamers, no presents, and none of her friends were here. Chrysalis began to grow apprehensive about why she was here. She looked at her mother, who was looking at her with a pained, yet gentle expression. Her mother began to speak. " Chrysalis, I need to talk to you. I know you are only 10 years old, but I need you to learn about being a queen early." Chrysalis stared at her mother with confusion. Why did she need to learn to be a queen early? Why can't she be a normal filly for a bit longer? Chrysalis was snapped out of her thoughts when Doctor Onyx entered the room. She looked at Chrysalis, and walked to her. She looked sad, like she held terrible news. Obsidian looked at Onyx, and began to speak. " Chrysalis, my brave filly." Her voice cracked as she said these words. "I know you enjoy your life in the hive, laughing and playing as any normal filly would. But you will be ruler of this hive one day, and you have responsibilities." Chrysalis looked at her mother in confusion. Responsibilities? "Chrysalis, I am sick. One day, the sun will set on my time as ruler, and rise on yours. I want you to be prepared. Please forgive me for what I am about to do." There was a thick silence in the room that broke as Obsidian spoke again. "I have arranged for Garnet to take you to a remote part of the Badlands to train you on being a queen. You will pack your things and leave tomorrow." Her words were broken by a fit of coughing. Onyx rushed to Obsidian's side. Chrysalis stared in disbelief. Her mother was sick?! She had to be trained by Garnet?! Worst of all, she had to leave the hive? Chrysalis would have fainted if there hadn't been love flowing off of her mother to her.She knew her mom was scared too, even if she wasn't showing it. Chrysalis knew that if she didn't look scared, than maybe her mom wouldn't be scared anymore. The little filly tried her best to act be brave. After the shock had worn off of Chrysalis's face, Obsidian looked upon her only daughter. "I do have some good news though", she began, "meet me in the ballroom in an hour, alright? I have a surprise for you." Chrysalis smiled at her mother, trying to act excited. Her belly was in a knot, and her mind scrambled with thoughts. She trotted back to her room, trying to absorb what just happened. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chrysalis paced in her room, looking for her favorite dress. It's strap and top layer was a deep, cobalt blue. The next layer was a sea green color. The last layer was a light teal color. The straps were adorned chunks of obsidian, a very valuable gem to the Changelings. The center piece was a large, diamond-cut obsidian. It shone brilliantly in the desert sun. Chrysalis slowly opened the door to her room. Her favorite guard was standing outside of her door. Since Chrysalis was a princess, and a filly always getting into trouble, she needed to have a guard outside of her door at all times. This guard's name was Emerald. He loved to play with the little princess, and she loved to play with him. Chrysalis tried to sneak up on Emerald, but she couldn't contain her giggling. Emerald could hear her sneaking up on him. Emerald decided to play a trick on her. He looked around. "Hm. Now where is that little princess? I guess I'll just have to go and get her!" Chrysalis's giggles showed that she was getting close. Chrysalis jumped, and Emerald turned around. He lunged on the little filly, tickling her. "No! Stop!" she squealed, "I am the princess! Stop!" Chrysalis wiped tears from her eyes after her fit of laughing. She smiled at Emerald, who was smiling back at him. " Can you walk with me to my party?" she asked. "Yes, I can", he answered her. They started their walk to the ballroom. The sound of music echoed through the hallway, and the smell of cake filled the air. Bits of confetti littered the area in front of the door. As they entered the large room, Chrysalis's friends raced to see her. "I have to go tell your mother that we are here. Take care Chrys, and have fun!" Emerald turned away to go find Queen Obsidian. "Happy birthday, Chrys!!" Chrysalis's first friend said. She was a rather small changeling, but she had a big attitude. Her name was Coral. "Nice dress, Chrysalis!" said Chrysalis's second friend. She was a year older than Chrysalis. Her name was Ember. She was named after her unusual fire-red eyes. "Sunstone and Dusk are over by the snacks. Better catch them before they eat all of the cookies!" Ember said playfully. Chrysalis raced to find her friends. Sunstone was a large male changeling, and like Ember, he had unusual fiery eyes. Dusk was Chrysalis's other male friend. Dusk had been named after the time he was born; right at dusk. Her friends were busy stuffing themselves with cookies shaped like hearts. The tiny pink and black sprinkles rolled onto the floor as the cookies were bitten with a crunch. Chrysalis decided to sneak up on her two friends. She crept up behind them, and yelled in her loudest voice. "SAVE SOME FOR ME!!" Dusk froze, and after swallowing his mouth full of cookie, slowly turned around to see where the shouting came from. Sunstone whipped around instantly, his mouth still covered with frosting and bits of sprinkles. Both changelings looked at her guiltily, but Chrysalis smiled. "You aren't in trouble, but you should leave some for the other changelings, alright?" They nodded. Sunstone trotted up to Chrysalis. "Sorry about the cookies, Chrys", he apologized, "but happy birthday!" Coral and Ember walked over to Chrysalis, Sunstone, and Dusk. The changelings partied and played for hours. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Queen Obsidian looked over the party. She brought fourth a mighty voice and yelled, "Cake time!" Chrysalis raced over to the table with the cake. It was heart shaped, decorated with blue, black, and green frosting. Tiny black sprinkles lined the outside. Obsidian came down to stand next to her daughter. After the birthday song was sang, Obsidian cut the cake. It had a gooey filling, and it was Chrysalis's favorite flavor! Every changeling loved the taste of love. The cake was sweet, and by the time Chrysalis was done, she had frosting smeared on her face. The next thing to do was open presents. Ember gave Chrysalis her first gift. Chrysalis was bursting with excitement ask she unwrapped the package. Crinkly wrapping paper was strewn on the floor, to be discarded of later. Inside the package was a small telescope and a compass. "It's so you will never get lost when you have one of your adventures!" Ember said cheerfully. Chrysalis looked at her friend. These were wonderful gifts. Her next present was from Sunstone. It was a canteen, a map of Equestria, and a guide to easy changeling magic. Coral gave the next present. It was an explorers bag and four cute little shoes. "Do you like the shoes? I thought they were perfect for you!!" Coral said. Chrysalis looked at her friend and smiled. They were plain black shoes with a tiny emerald in each. Black was a very popular changeling color. The shoes were perfect. The gift giving continued. Chrysalis got changeling stuffed toy and an adventure's journal from Dusk. Emerald gave her a science kit where you could grow your own crystals. "I have been messing with crystal growing for a while. I got my formula just right to grow beautiful amethyst crystals. I hope you like it!" Chrysalis hugged her favorite guard for the gift. Finally it was time for Obsidian to give Chrysalis her gift. It was a small package, about the size of a jewelry box. It was wrapped in simple brown paper, and it Chrysalis wondered what could be in the small box. She gently opened the box. Inside was a brilliantly shining stone. It was a deep black color, with tawny gold marks in it in the shape of a star. It had a lustrous gleam, catching the eye of everyone around it. Chrysalis's eyes lit up when she examined the gem. "Wow! This is the most beautiful gem I have ever seen!" Obsidian warmly smiled at her daughter. Her horn glowed as a soft green light enveloped the small gem. It levitated slightly in the air. Obsidian's horn glowed stronger, and the gem started to glow. It shimmered in a soft brown light, with black fringing the outermost glow. A magical aura of energy seemed to emanate throughout the room, filling each changeling with a feeling of warmth and new found energy. Chrysalis watched in awe at the small gem. "This gem has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a mana battery. It takes magic from love, and stores it for when you need it. The small gem seemed to glitter in response to her words. Obsidian's magic dimmed as she slowly set the gem back into it's case. She handed the box to Chrysalis. "Take good care of this now. I hope that it will one day benefit you. Happy birthday, my darling." Departure Departure Early morning sunlight fluttered through the window above Chrysalis's bed. She groggily sat up and let out a large yawn. She had to fight every instinct to just curl up under her covers and pretend today wasn't happening. Today was the day she had to leave with Garnet. She slowly pulled off her covers. She was still tired from the night before. After presents, the party ran late into the night. Everyone laughed, smiled, and had a great time. Well, the more time in bed, the less time to pack. Chrysalis thought to herself as she walked to the stack of presents from the previous night. She grabbed her adventure bag, and began to fill them with items she wanted to have with her. "Let's see here, what do I want?" she said to herself. "The family jewel is defiantly going in there. Hm, a compass too. I might need that if i get lost." She continued to ramble as she filled her adventure bag. By the time she was done, she had: the family gem, a compass, a telescope(travel size), a canteen, and an adventures journal. Her mother had explained fully about where she would be staying the previous night. She said food and lodging would be provided, but it would be simple. One quality of a princess is her humbleness. A knock on Chrysalis's door snapped her out of her thoughts. A voice sounded from behind the door. "Chrysalis, it's time for breakfast. The chefs worked extra hard to make it a feast, just for you!" It was the voice of Emerald, her personal guard. Chrysalis grudgingly walked up to her door and opened it. She walked to the dining hall with Emerald, looking around the castle one last time. The smell of fresh food wafted from the large room and into the hall. The doors of the room swung open, and a large spread met Chrysalis. Her mother was at the end of the table, and a seat was left open next to her. She trotted up to the seat next to her mother. A plate enveloped in soft green magic floated twords her. Chrysalis ate her breakfast in silence, the weight of what was to come bearing down upon her. Obsidian grew concerned at the look of her only daughter. It hurt her to send her only daughter away, but it was the only way. Obsidian knew she would be gone by the time her daughter came back. Choking back tears, Obsidian composed herself and spoke to her daughter. "Chrysalis, I want you to come to my chambers after, okay? I need to talk to you." The only thing that met her were a pair of dead eyes. A few minutes later, the breakfast was finished. The chef drones came around to clean up, and Chrysalis followed her mother to her chambers. She walked numbly next to the Queen, her wings drooping more than usual. As they reached the large doors, the guards following them took their positions outside of the room. The doors were swung open by the magic of the guards, and the pair entered. The room was rather large, with a black bed in the center. It's emerald quilted blanket was arranged neatly on top, and decorative throw pillows as black as night were arranged in a lovely fashion. Rows of book shelves lined one wall, bursting with ancient tomes and scrolls. On the other side of the room was a large window overlooking the kingdom below. Near the back of the room was a writing desk strewn with paper, and a large vanity mirror. Chrysalis and her mother walked to the bed, and sat down on it, facing each other. There was a pained look in Obsidian's eyes, but a forced smile on her face. There was silence in the room, until Obsidian willed herself to speak. "Chrysalis, I'm sure I don't have to remind you that your princess training starts today. Garnet will take you to the cabin, where your sessions shall begin. Before you go, dear daughter, I just want to say that I love you," She was on the verge of tears at this point, but she continued talking. No. I must be strong. For Chrysalis! "I love you with all my heart. We shall always be together even when apart. Go, little princess. Go be amazing. Be the mare I know you can be. Goodbye, dear Chrysalis. We shall see each other again soon. Now, grab your things and follow me, little one." Chrysalis's eyes were glossy as she stared at her mother. She lunged forward, wrapping her tiny hooves around her mother in a tight embrace. Her mother simply smiled. Their embrace was interrupted by a fit of coughing from Queen Obsidian. Chrysalis wore a look of confusion, but it soon turned to a look of concern. Obsidian stood up, and motioned for her daughter to follow. The pair walked out of the room, flanked by two guards. They reached the end of the corridor that led to the main entrance of the castle. Garnet was waiting at the entrance, a fake smile of eagerness plastered on his face. Chrysalis felt a mixture of fear and anger well in her stomach. She hated Garnet, and was not looking forward to spending all her time with him until her training was completed. "Hello my Queen!" Garnet said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "And hello to you princess." Chrysalis just rolled her eyes. Her mother looked to Garnet, giving a slight nod of recognition. "I will escort you two to the outskirts of the city. You must then travel to the training grounds yourself." Obsidian finished her statement, and walked out of the palace. Garnet and Chrysalis followed, Chrysalis lagging in the rear of the group. It was not long until they reached the outskirts of town. The vast desert stretched before the trio, a dense forest outline visible in the far horizon. "Here is where I must leave you. We will meet again someday, I promise. Goodbye." Obsidian could not bear to look at her daughter. With these parting words, she teleported away. Chrysalis turned to face the journey ahead. It had begun. Author's Note I just wanted to say sorry for how long its been between chapters, but I hope you were not disappointed! Journey to RecoveryA vast red sea of sand stretched out before the two. Heat waves rolled off the surface, as a hot blast of wind blew across the sand, creating small sand vortexes. The sun above burned with a fierce heat, as it baked the desert below. And there, in the very center of this burning void, were two changelings. "Are we almost to the training grounds yet?" The smaller one asked. "Its so hot, Garnet!" "Shut up, Chrysalis!" The older one snapped angrily. "Its at the edge of the Hayseed Swamps. Now keep walking." Garnet stopped suddenly, turning to the young princess. "Well, actually," Garnet said with a malicious smile on his face, "Why keep walking, when we can rest here?" Chrysalis felt a cold ball of fear form in the pit of her stomach. Before she could think another thought, she was shot in the face with a ball of emerald magic. Chrysalis was thrown back, smacking into the scorched ground. Her head was throbbing madly, but she forced herself back up. She jumped out of the way right as another ball of magic was thrown at her. Her muscles burned as she dodged left and right, and she knew she could not do this forever. Her attempts to dodge the attack was cut short as a solid beam of magic as shot at her chest. She fell, heaving with pain as she looked at Garnet, who was now above Chrysalis. "Goodnight, little princess." He sneered, a demonic glare in his eyes. The last thing Chrysalis saw was a raised hoof come down upon her, before her vision went black. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Burning. Burning was all she could feel. Chrysalis groggily opened her eyes, only to close them again when the bright sunlight shone directly in her face. There was a pounding in her head as she tried to determine her location. It was hot, no doubt. What was she doing here? Her vision faded as she, once again, passed out. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Is she alive?! I-I don't know. Oh, she has to be, Tia! Wake her up! Luna, hush. I shall try. The gentle sound of voices rang in Chrysalis' ears. She felt a gentle prod in her side, prompting her to open her eyes. She slowly opened her eyes, but she realized that he sun was no longer in her eyes. It was sunset, and there appeared to be a form standing over her. Chrysalis slowly opened her eyes fully, revealing that there were two creatures, not one. Her eyes shot open as she realized that were not changelings. There was a large white creature with feathered wings and a straight horn. It had a pink mane, flowing in an invisible wind. The smaller one was of similar build, but had an azure mane and a navy blue coat. A fierceness burned in the younger one's eyes, while the older one's were wise, and brimming with concern. "Wh-where am I?" Crysalis managed to choke out. "Who are you? Where am I? What are you? Why am I here?" "Woah there," The blue one spoke,"What doth thou mean, what are we? We should be asking you the same question." "We can discuss this later," The white one interrupted. "You are hurt. Thou can not stay out in the badlands at night. Tis' not safe! We were just making our way to the Hayseed Swamps for the night. You shall come with us, where we shall do much explaining. Come." Chrysalis was too tired to protest. She could not remember anything from earlier, and still did not know where she was, so it was probably better to go with these beings for now. Chrysalis was enveloped in a soft golden light before being lifted from the ground. It felt good to get off the hot, hard surface. The feel of the magic was comforting, like she was being wrapped in warm rays of the sun. Wrapped in this comfort, she soon fell asleep. _________________________________________________________________________________________ It was dark when Chrysalis awoke. She was in a cave of some sorts, and was resting on a soft bed of lichen and moss. There was the flicker of shadows across the walls, while the lively flames of a camp fire burned in the center of the cave. "So, thou es awake. How doth thee fare?" It was the blue one speaking. Chrysalis just looked at her. "Let us start with introductions! My name is Celestia." The larger one announced. She turned to the smaller one. Taking this as her cue, she announced herself to be Luna. Apparently, the two were sisters, both traveling the land. They were currently on their way home to their dwelling in some place called the "Everfree Forest". "So, what es thou's name?" Luna asked. "M-my name?" Chrysalis stammered. Luna rolled her eyes. "My name is Chrysalis." Luna's annoyance turned to bemusement. "Chrysalis? Thou certainly hath a strange name. Where art thou from? It does not look like thou es from around here. Chrysalis was started by this. Where had she come from? She couldn't remember a thing. "I-I don't know where I came from. I can't remember a thing before you finding me." Chrysalis hung her head in shame. "Oh, no." Celestia said, concern in her voice. "It must have been because of that bump on thou's head. Tis' going to leave a nasty bruise, and may have made you temporarily forget thy memories. Surely they will come back, with due time. Until then, you are welcome to stay with us, right Luna?" Luna looked at Chrysalis, then at Celestia. She gave a small nod of approval. "Now," Luna said, "We have never seen a creature such as thou. What art thou?" Luna asked inquisitively. Chrysalis did not know what she was, but she could remember one word. Changeling. It seemed like a good name to her. "I'm a Changeling," she began. She was going to say more, but realized that she knew nothing about what a 'Changeling' was. It was simply what she was. "Changeling? How peculiar," Said Celestia. "But, if it is what you are, we shall not judge. Now, it is time that you know what we are. We art allicorns, the only of our kind." "The only ones?" Chrysalis asked in surprise. Am I the only one of my kind? She did not know. Celestia interrupted her train of thought. "Okay, it is time that we rest. We have a lot of walking to do tomorrow, and we need our strength. Goodnight, eveypony." _________________________________________________________________________________________ Chrysalis tossed and turned in her bed. Her mind was full of thoughts, keeping her awake. Who was she? Where was she from? Why was she in the desert? She could remember nothing. She looked to the strange bag she was previously carrying. She realized that she didn't know what was in her bag, she picked it up with her hooves. A jolt went through Chrysalis as she touched it. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Her vision came into view in a strange place. There were large black structures, each looking jagged and beautiful in their own way. Everything was fuzzy, but she could make out small, black figures. They seem to be...scared. An assult of sound hit her ear drums as she heard the buzzing. It grew ever louder, and the figures began to move. There was a scream, a flash of green, and darkness.
ProlougeHot and musty air flowed through the canyons. A large and jagged structure stood tall in the blistering sky, it's obsidian-black color shining bright in the hot sun. Inside, thousands of jet black bodies swarmed, their insect-like wings buzzing loudly. A large female with a sea green cape, and a large crown adorned with crystals stood at the center of the stage. The blues and greens of the crystals shined upon the crowd. The crowd's attention was directed at the center of the stage. A large blue-green sphere was gently rolling back and fourth. A hush fell over the crowd as the pod gave one last violent shake and split open. A wave of excitement washed over the crowd as the small bundle flopped out of the pod. A soft glow wrapped around the bundle, and a blanket of soft woven fibers wrapped around her like a blanket. The large female held the smaller female in her jagged arms. She raised the bundle for the crowd to see, and spoke in a strong, yet gentile voice."Chrysalis"The crowd cheered as their new princess became a part of their hive.
Sickness and CelebrationChrysalis buzzed through the air. Today was her 10th birthday. Her mother, Queen Obsidian, had requested to see her. She didn't know why her mother wanted to see her, but she knew it would be for a good reason. It was her birthday after all! Her mind raced with ideas. Maybe it was a surprise party, or maybe it was a cake baked with love! She was at her mother's throne room fairly quickly. She burst into the room, forgetting to knock. Her mother was standing on her throne of dark, volcanic glass. Her royal adviser,Garnet , was standing by her side. Chrysalis looked around the room. There were no cakes, no ribbons, no streamers, no presents, and none of her friends were here. Chrysalis began to grow apprehensive about why she was here. She looked at her mother, who was looking at her with a pained, yet gentle expression. Her mother began to speak. " Chrysalis, I need to talk to you. I know you are only 10 years old, but I need you to learn about being a queen early." Chrysalis stared at her mother with confusion. Why did she need to learn to be a queen early? Why can't she be a normal filly for a bit longer? Chrysalis was snapped out of her thoughts when Doctor Onyx entered the room. She looked at Chrysalis, and walked to her. She looked sad, like she held terrible news. Obsidian looked at Onyx, and began to speak. " Chrysalis, my brave filly." Her voice cracked as she said these words. "I know you enjoy your life in the hive, laughing and playing as any normal filly would. But you will be ruler of this hive one day, and you have responsibilities." Chrysalis looked at her mother in confusion. Responsibilities? "Chrysalis, I am sick. One day, the sun will set on my time as ruler, and rise on yours. I want you to be prepared. Please forgive me for what I am about to do." There was a thick silence in the room that broke as Obsidian spoke again. "I have arranged for Garnet to take you to a remote part of the Badlands to train you on being a queen. You will pack your things and leave tomorrow." Her words were broken by a fit of coughing. Onyx rushed to Obsidian's side. Chrysalis stared in disbelief. Her mother was sick?! She had to be trained by Garnet?! Worst of all, she had to leave the hive? Chrysalis would have fainted if there hadn't been love flowing off of her mother to her.She knew her mom was scared too, even if she wasn't showing it. Chrysalis knew that if she didn't look scared, than maybe her mom wouldn't be scared anymore. The little filly tried her best to act be brave. After the shock had worn off of Chrysalis's face, Obsidian looked upon her only daughter. "I do have some good news though", she began, "meet me in the ballroom in an hour, alright? I have a surprise for you." Chrysalis smiled at her mother, trying to act excited. Her belly was in a knot, and her mind scrambled with thoughts. She trotted back to her room, trying to absorb what just happened. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chrysalis paced in her room, looking for her favorite dress. It's strap and top layer was a deep, cobalt blue. The next layer was a sea green color. The last layer was a light teal color. The straps were adorned chunks of obsidian, a very valuable gem to the Changelings. The center piece was a large, diamond-cut obsidian. It shone brilliantly in the desert sun. Chrysalis slowly opened the door to her room. Her favorite guard was standing outside of her door. Since Chrysalis was a princess, and a filly always getting into trouble, she needed to have a guard outside of her door at all times. This guard's name was Emerald. He loved to play with the little princess, and she loved to play with him. Chrysalis tried to sneak up on Emerald, but she couldn't contain her giggling. Emerald could hear her sneaking up on him. Emerald decided to play a trick on her. He looked around. "Hm. Now where is that little princess? I guess I'll just have to go and get her!" Chrysalis's giggles showed that she was getting close. Chrysalis jumped, and Emerald turned around. He lunged on the little filly, tickling her. "No! Stop!" she squealed, "I am the princess! Stop!" Chrysalis wiped tears from her eyes after her fit of laughing. She smiled at Emerald, who was smiling back at him. " Can you walk with me to my party?" she asked. "Yes, I can", he answered her. They started their walk to the ballroom. The sound of music echoed through the hallway, and the smell of cake filled the air. Bits of confetti littered the area in front of the door. As they entered the large room, Chrysalis's friends raced to see her. "I have to go tell your mother that we are here. Take care Chrys, and have fun!" Emerald turned away to go find Queen Obsidian. "Happy birthday, Chrys!!" Chrysalis's first friend said. She was a rather small changeling, but she had a big attitude. Her name was Coral. "Nice dress, Chrysalis!" said Chrysalis's second friend. She was a year older than Chrysalis. Her name was Ember. She was named after her unusual fire-red eyes. "Sunstone and Dusk are over by the snacks. Better catch them before they eat all of the cookies!" Ember said playfully. Chrysalis raced to find her friends. Sunstone was a large male changeling, and like Ember, he had unusual fiery eyes. Dusk was Chrysalis's other male friend. Dusk had been named after the time he was born; right at dusk. Her friends were busy stuffing themselves with cookies shaped like hearts. The tiny pink and black sprinkles rolled onto the floor as the cookies were bitten with a crunch. Chrysalis decided to sneak up on her two friends. She crept up behind them, and yelled in her loudest voice. "SAVE SOME FOR ME!!" Dusk froze, and after swallowing his mouth full of cookie, slowly turned around to see where the shouting came from. Sunstone whipped around instantly, his mouth still covered with frosting and bits of sprinkles. Both changelings looked at her guiltily, but Chrysalis smiled. "You aren't in trouble, but you should leave some for the other changelings, alright?" They nodded. Sunstone trotted up to Chrysalis. "Sorry about the cookies, Chrys", he apologized, "but happy birthday!" Coral and Ember walked over to Chrysalis, Sunstone, and Dusk. The changelings partied and played for hours. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Queen Obsidian looked over the party. She brought fourth a mighty voice and yelled, "Cake time!" Chrysalis raced over to the table with the cake. It was heart shaped, decorated with blue, black, and green frosting. Tiny black sprinkles lined the outside. Obsidian came down to stand next to her daughter. After the birthday song was sang, Obsidian cut the cake. It had a gooey filling, and it was Chrysalis's favorite flavor! Every changeling loved the taste of love. The cake was sweet, and by the time Chrysalis was done, she had frosting smeared on her face. The next thing to do was open presents. Ember gave Chrysalis her first gift. Chrysalis was bursting with excitement ask she unwrapped the package. Crinkly wrapping paper was strewn on the floor, to be discarded of later. Inside the package was a small telescope and a compass. "It's so you will never get lost when you have one of your adventures!" Ember said cheerfully. Chrysalis looked at her friend. These were wonderful gifts. Her next present was from Sunstone. It was a canteen, a map of Equestria, and a guide to easy changeling magic. Coral gave the next present. It was an explorers bag and four cute little shoes. "Do you like the shoes? I thought they were perfect for you!!" Coral said. Chrysalis looked at her friend and smiled. They were plain black shoes with a tiny emerald in each. Black was a very popular changeling color. The shoes were perfect. The gift giving continued. Chrysalis got changeling stuffed toy and an adventure's journal from Dusk. Emerald gave her a science kit where you could grow your own crystals. "I have been messing with crystal growing for a while. I got my formula just right to grow beautiful amethyst crystals. I hope you like it!" Chrysalis hugged her favorite guard for the gift. Finally it was time for Obsidian to give Chrysalis her gift. It was a small package, about the size of a jewelry box. It was wrapped in simple brown paper, and it Chrysalis wondered what could be in the small box. She gently opened the box. Inside was a brilliantly shining stone. It was a deep black color, with tawny gold marks in it in the shape of a star. It had a lustrous gleam, catching the eye of everyone around it. Chrysalis's eyes lit up when she examined the gem. "Wow! This is the most beautiful gem I have ever seen!" Obsidian warmly smiled at her daughter. Her horn glowed as a soft green light enveloped the small gem. It levitated slightly in the air. Obsidian's horn glowed stronger, and the gem started to glow. It shimmered in a soft brown light, with black fringing the outermost glow. A magical aura of energy seemed to emanate throughout the room, filling each changeling with a feeling of warmth and new found energy. Chrysalis watched in awe at the small gem. "This gem has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a mana battery. It takes magic from love, and stores it for when you need it. The small gem seemed to glitter in response to her words. Obsidian's magic dimmed as she slowly set the gem back into it's case. She handed the box to Chrysalis. "Take good care of this now. I hope that it will one day benefit you. Happy birthday, my darling."
Departure Departure Early morning sunlight fluttered through the window above Chrysalis's bed. She groggily sat up and let out a large yawn. She had to fight every instinct to just curl up under her covers and pretend today wasn't happening. Today was the day she had to leave with Garnet. She slowly pulled off her covers. She was still tired from the night before. After presents, the party ran late into the night. Everyone laughed, smiled, and had a great time. Well, the more time in bed, the less time to pack. Chrysalis thought to herself as she walked to the stack of presents from the previous night. She grabbed her adventure bag, and began to fill them with items she wanted to have with her. "Let's see here, what do I want?" she said to herself. "The family jewel is defiantly going in there. Hm, a compass too. I might need that if i get lost." She continued to ramble as she filled her adventure bag. By the time she was done, she had: the family gem, a compass, a telescope(travel size), a canteen, and an adventures journal. Her mother had explained fully about where she would be staying the previous night. She said food and lodging would be provided, but it would be simple. One quality of a princess is her humbleness. A knock on Chrysalis's door snapped her out of her thoughts. A voice sounded from behind the door. "Chrysalis, it's time for breakfast. The chefs worked extra hard to make it a feast, just for you!" It was the voice of Emerald, her personal guard. Chrysalis grudgingly walked up to her door and opened it. She walked to the dining hall with Emerald, looking around the castle one last time. The smell of fresh food wafted from the large room and into the hall. The doors of the room swung open, and a large spread met Chrysalis. Her mother was at the end of the table, and a seat was left open next to her. She trotted up to the seat next to her mother. A plate enveloped in soft green magic floated twords her. Chrysalis ate her breakfast in silence, the weight of what was to come bearing down upon her. Obsidian grew concerned at the look of her only daughter. It hurt her to send her only daughter away, but it was the only way. Obsidian knew she would be gone by the time her daughter came back. Choking back tears, Obsidian composed herself and spoke to her daughter. "Chrysalis, I want you to come to my chambers after, okay? I need to talk to you." The only thing that met her were a pair of dead eyes. A few minutes later, the breakfast was finished. The chef drones came around to clean up, and Chrysalis followed her mother to her chambers. She walked numbly next to the Queen, her wings drooping more than usual. As they reached the large doors, the guards following them took their positions outside of the room. The doors were swung open by the magic of the guards, and the pair entered. The room was rather large, with a black bed in the center. It's emerald quilted blanket was arranged neatly on top, and decorative throw pillows as black as night were arranged in a lovely fashion. Rows of book shelves lined one wall, bursting with ancient tomes and scrolls. On the other side of the room was a large window overlooking the kingdom below. Near the back of the room was a writing desk strewn with paper, and a large vanity mirror. Chrysalis and her mother walked to the bed, and sat down on it, facing each other. There was a pained look in Obsidian's eyes, but a forced smile on her face. There was silence in the room, until Obsidian willed herself to speak. "Chrysalis, I'm sure I don't have to remind you that your princess training starts today. Garnet will take you to the cabin, where your sessions shall begin. Before you go, dear daughter, I just want to say that I love you," She was on the verge of tears at this point, but she continued talking. No. I must be strong. For Chrysalis! "I love you with all my heart. We shall always be together even when apart. Go, little princess. Go be amazing. Be the mare I know you can be. Goodbye, dear Chrysalis. We shall see each other again soon. Now, grab your things and follow me, little one." Chrysalis's eyes were glossy as she stared at her mother. She lunged forward, wrapping her tiny hooves around her mother in a tight embrace. Her mother simply smiled. Their embrace was interrupted by a fit of coughing from Queen Obsidian. Chrysalis wore a look of confusion, but it soon turned to a look of concern. Obsidian stood up, and motioned for her daughter to follow. The pair walked out of the room, flanked by two guards. They reached the end of the corridor that led to the main entrance of the castle. Garnet was waiting at the entrance, a fake smile of eagerness plastered on his face. Chrysalis felt a mixture of fear and anger well in her stomach. She hated Garnet, and was not looking forward to spending all her time with him until her training was completed. "Hello my Queen!" Garnet said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "And hello to you princess." Chrysalis just rolled her eyes. Her mother looked to Garnet, giving a slight nod of recognition. "I will escort you two to the outskirts of the city. You must then travel to the training grounds yourself." Obsidian finished her statement, and walked out of the palace. Garnet and Chrysalis followed, Chrysalis lagging in the rear of the group. It was not long until they reached the outskirts of town. The vast desert stretched before the trio, a dense forest outline visible in the far horizon. "Here is where I must leave you. We will meet again someday, I promise. Goodbye." Obsidian could not bear to look at her daughter. With these parting words, she teleported away. Chrysalis turned to face the journey ahead. It had begun. Author's Note I just wanted to say sorry for how long its been between chapters, but I hope you were not disappointed!
Journey to RecoveryA vast red sea of sand stretched out before the two. Heat waves rolled off the surface, as a hot blast of wind blew across the sand, creating small sand vortexes. The sun above burned with a fierce heat, as it baked the desert below. And there, in the very center of this burning void, were two changelings. "Are we almost to the training grounds yet?" The smaller one asked. "Its so hot, Garnet!" "Shut up, Chrysalis!" The older one snapped angrily. "Its at the edge of the Hayseed Swamps. Now keep walking." Garnet stopped suddenly, turning to the young princess. "Well, actually," Garnet said with a malicious smile on his face, "Why keep walking, when we can rest here?" Chrysalis felt a cold ball of fear form in the pit of her stomach. Before she could think another thought, she was shot in the face with a ball of emerald magic. Chrysalis was thrown back, smacking into the scorched ground. Her head was throbbing madly, but she forced herself back up. She jumped out of the way right as another ball of magic was thrown at her. Her muscles burned as she dodged left and right, and she knew she could not do this forever. Her attempts to dodge the attack was cut short as a solid beam of magic as shot at her chest. She fell, heaving with pain as she looked at Garnet, who was now above Chrysalis. "Goodnight, little princess." He sneered, a demonic glare in his eyes. The last thing Chrysalis saw was a raised hoof come down upon her, before her vision went black. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Burning. Burning was all she could feel. Chrysalis groggily opened her eyes, only to close them again when the bright sunlight shone directly in her face. There was a pounding in her head as she tried to determine her location. It was hot, no doubt. What was she doing here? Her vision faded as she, once again, passed out. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Is she alive?! I-I don't know. Oh, she has to be, Tia! Wake her up! Luna, hush. I shall try. The gentle sound of voices rang in Chrysalis' ears. She felt a gentle prod in her side, prompting her to open her eyes. She slowly opened her eyes, but she realized that he sun was no longer in her eyes. It was sunset, and there appeared to be a form standing over her. Chrysalis slowly opened her eyes fully, revealing that there were two creatures, not one. Her eyes shot open as she realized that were not changelings. There was a large white creature with feathered wings and a straight horn. It had a pink mane, flowing in an invisible wind. The smaller one was of similar build, but had an azure mane and a navy blue coat. A fierceness burned in the younger one's eyes, while the older one's were wise, and brimming with concern. "Wh-where am I?" Crysalis managed to choke out. "Who are you? Where am I? What are you? Why am I here?" "Woah there," The blue one spoke,"What doth thou mean, what are we? We should be asking you the same question." "We can discuss this later," The white one interrupted. "You are hurt. Thou can not stay out in the badlands at night. Tis' not safe! We were just making our way to the Hayseed Swamps for the night. You shall come with us, where we shall do much explaining. Come." Chrysalis was too tired to protest. She could not remember anything from earlier, and still did not know where she was, so it was probably better to go with these beings for now. Chrysalis was enveloped in a soft golden light before being lifted from the ground. It felt good to get off the hot, hard surface. The feel of the magic was comforting, like she was being wrapped in warm rays of the sun. Wrapped in this comfort, she soon fell asleep. _________________________________________________________________________________________ It was dark when Chrysalis awoke. She was in a cave of some sorts, and was resting on a soft bed of lichen and moss. There was the flicker of shadows across the walls, while the lively flames of a camp fire burned in the center of the cave. "So, thou es awake. How doth thee fare?" It was the blue one speaking. Chrysalis just looked at her. "Let us start with introductions! My name is Celestia." The larger one announced. She turned to the smaller one. Taking this as her cue, she announced herself to be Luna. Apparently, the two were sisters, both traveling the land. They were currently on their way home to their dwelling in some place called the "Everfree Forest". "So, what es thou's name?" Luna asked. "M-my name?" Chrysalis stammered. Luna rolled her eyes. "My name is Chrysalis." Luna's annoyance turned to bemusement. "Chrysalis? Thou certainly hath a strange name. Where art thou from? It does not look like thou es from around here. Chrysalis was started by this. Where had she come from? She couldn't remember a thing. "I-I don't know where I came from. I can't remember a thing before you finding me." Chrysalis hung her head in shame. "Oh, no." Celestia said, concern in her voice. "It must have been because of that bump on thou's head. Tis' going to leave a nasty bruise, and may have made you temporarily forget thy memories. Surely they will come back, with due time. Until then, you are welcome to stay with us, right Luna?" Luna looked at Chrysalis, then at Celestia. She gave a small nod of approval. "Now," Luna said, "We have never seen a creature such as thou. What art thou?" Luna asked inquisitively. Chrysalis did not know what she was, but she could remember one word. Changeling. It seemed like a good name to her. "I'm a Changeling," she began. She was going to say more, but realized that she knew nothing about what a 'Changeling' was. It was simply what she was. "Changeling? How peculiar," Said Celestia. "But, if it is what you are, we shall not judge. Now, it is time that you know what we are. We art allicorns, the only of our kind." "The only ones?" Chrysalis asked in surprise. Am I the only one of my kind? She did not know. Celestia interrupted her train of thought. "Okay, it is time that we rest. We have a lot of walking to do tomorrow, and we need our strength. Goodnight, eveypony." _________________________________________________________________________________________ Chrysalis tossed and turned in her bed. Her mind was full of thoughts, keeping her awake. Who was she? Where was she from? Why was she in the desert? She could remember nothing. She looked to the strange bag she was previously carrying. She realized that she didn't know what was in her bag, she picked it up with her hooves. A jolt went through Chrysalis as she touched it. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Her vision came into view in a strange place. There were large black structures, each looking jagged and beautiful in their own way. Everything was fuzzy, but she could make out small, black figures. They seem to be...scared. An assult of sound hit her ear drums as she heard the buzzing. It grew ever louder, and the figures began to move. There was a scream, a flash of green, and darkness.
