Fueled by a burning need for revenge, Queen Chrysalis stormed through dusty paths and gentle fields of green, the intense darkness in her heart dulling the bright colors of the world as she passed by. The Queen’s Jewel, the tool for which Chrysalis was to use for her evil plot for world domination, had been stolen from her, first by her untrustworthy traveling companion, Violet, then by the corrupt mayor, and was now in the possession of another unicorn, Cellestrous, who Chrysalis happened to know, by the coincidence of them both being in the business of trying to overthrow Celestia from her gold-plated throne.
A few yards behind Chrysalis, Violet was struggling to keep up. Having been forced to carry Twilight Sparkle’s carriage all the way up into the mountains, and then drag Chrysalis all the way down, she was reaching the maximum amount of physical exertion her body could take.
“Can you slow down a little?” Violet asked, between her exasperated panting. Chrysalis sighed and slowed down her quick strides, letting Violet catch up.
Chrysalis hoped to reach Cellestrous while she was still on the road, ambush her, and reclaim the jewel. Though, Chrysalis knew that Cellestrous was powerful and may pose a threat, especially with the help of her guards, who had completely ravaged the town they had come from. Chrysalis agreed to let Violet tag along with her, believing that together they would be able to defeat Cellestrous and her envoy with ease. Naturally, she didn’t doubt that she could put them all on herself, but it was better to be safe than sorry. And in addition to the practicality of having an ally, Chrysalis had found herself developing a new, strange feeling when in Violet’s company, as if she actually liked having somepony around.
Chrysalis wasn’t quite sure what to make of Violet. There was a perseverance in her, that Chrysalis also saw in herself, and to that degree she respected the pony. But still, all ponies were the same. Weak. Emotional. All the things that Chrysalis despised. To Chrysalis, friendship was a trick, a scheme meant to keep everypony happy and situated in the world that Celestia controlled. Chrysalis would make them see the world for all the evil it truly possessed, whether they wanted to be a part of it or not.
“So uh...this whole ruling Equestria thing,” Violet began, catching Chrysalis off guard, “Let’s say you get that jewel….then what? You’re just going to march up to Canterlot and demand a surrender?” Violet asked. She was skeptical of Chrysalis’ intention, which she found to be rather childish in its grandeur.
“What does it matter to you?” Chrysalis spat back, seeing no value in the conversation.
“Well I just think it’s a bit silly, is all.”
“Oh, is that what you think?” Chrysalis said, annoyed with ponies underestimating her.
“Yeah. I feel like you’re going about this all the wrong way, really. Even if you did manage to get that jewel, imprison Celestia and all those other princesses, and defeat every army Equestria could raise up, it wouldn’t matter, because nopony will ever willingly submit to you. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but you don’t exactly have a good public image.”
“It won’t matter whether they want me or not. They will bend to my will, or I will destroy them.”
“Maybe, but there’ll be rebellion after rebellion. You’ll never be able to take a break, you’ll be fighting non stop. And by yourself too, since nopony will fight for you. You’ll become miserable, and eventually you’ll start giving into ponies’ demands, and once you start doing that, things begin to restabilize, power will shift back into ponies’ hooves, and you’ve lost what control you once had.”
“But I’ll still be at the top. And what do you know of anything? I once had an army of changelings, loyal to me above all else, until that insufferable Starlight Glimmer turned them against me...Once I remind them that power is greater than love, they’ll come crawling back….And all those ponies who ever dared defy me, Celestia, Cadance, Twilight Sparkle, and especially Starlight, I will make them suffer without end. And Equestria will know there is only one true ruler in this land, me.”
“Alright, you do that then,” Violet said, rolling her eyes.
Despite her conviction, Chrysalis was beginning to wonder whether it was worth it to rule Equestria as a tyrant, if her once-loyal changeling hive would really come back to her, and whether she even stood a chance fighting off the entire fighting force of Equestria. However, her brief spout of uncertainty didn’t last long. She had spent so much time as an outcast from society, shunned, ridiculed, and humiliated. She would show them all, when she would force every pony who ever defied her to their knees.
What was supposed to be an ordinary train ride had turned into a life-threatening journey, or so it was for the crowd of pony passengers, who were returning to the train tracks after being led away by Spice. They were all exhausted from the endless walking, overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, and worst of all, consumed with dread of another disastrous near-death experience. But the likeness of Princess Twilight Sparkle, however, managed to ease their desperate, fearful hearts.
She was immaculate, standing in front of the five ponies who had stayed behind to hold off the thunderous army of raiders, who had all fled the scene as soon as Twilight arrived. The crowd encircled her, relieved to be rescued and excited to be in the presence of a princess. Spice, who had missed Crestfall’s attempt at a last stand, was still unaware of what all the excitement was about. She shoved past the crowd, and then her jaw dropped, falling to her knees alongside the other royal guards.
“You don’t have to kneel,” Twilight said softly, embarrassed, to the four guards. Crestfall, who was right in front of her, rose to his hooves, nervously, as the others all did the same. Dust Bunny and Elodea stood too, hoping that Twilight wasn’t going to try and kill them as Luna had.
“Where’s Starlight?” Twilight asked them, “And what happened here?”
“Um, Pr-Princess Twilight,” Dust began, struggling to speak, afraid of accidentally saying something to anger her. Before she could get anywhere, Crestfall quickly interrupted her, concerned she would mess up the story.
“Princess, we were just leading these ponies here to Canterlot, see, and-”
“You be quiet,” Twilight said, annoyed with him interrupting Dust. She turned back to Dust, who felt slightly vindicated by Twilight’s defense. Crestfall shut his mouth, regretful of having said anything.
“What’s your name?” Twilight asked her.
“I’m Dust Bunny, I’m a friend of Starlight’s. She’s not here. It’s a long story,” Dust explained.
Before Twilight could ask any more questions, the sound of a train’s horn came bellowing in the distance, and everypony turned their head to see a train fast approaching. The crowd broke into cheers, hugging each other and throwing their belongings in the air exuberantly.
“That’s the rescue party,” Twilight said, glad that she got here in time to save the ponies from certain doom.
“If you’re a friend of Starlight, then you’re a friend of mine...Come on, we’ll get on that train, and we’ll go to Celestia, and you can tell us everything,” Twilight said to Dust, who was relieved that not every princess was as close-minded as Luna.
The train, which was capable of moving in the reverse direction, was filled with a company of twenty soldiers, who were all surprised to find Twilight Sparkle among the stranded crowd of ponies. Everypony boarded the train, and some even took the time to thank Crestfall and the other guards for doing their best to protect them. Twilight found the whole situation very odd, and was very intrigued to learn the entire story. Starlight’s whereabouts and happenings for the past few months had all been a mystery to her, and now these ponies seemed to have all the answers she was craving.
After the train had begun driving backwards towards Canterlot, Lance, Elodea, and Dust all sat down together, while Twilight talked with some of the soldiers up front and made sure all of the passenger ponies were doing alright.
“That was lucky…” Lance said, relaxing in the booth, feeling as though things were finally going his way for a change.
“I don’t think she likes you,” Elodea said, smirking.
“That’s not true, she just hasn’t gotten to know me yet, is all…” Lance said, defensively.
“Did you hear what she said? We’re going to see Celestia...I can’t handle this anymore…” Dust said, succumbing to her anxiety.
“It’ll be fine, Dust, we’ll be there.”
“Sure, we’ll be there. If they haven’t got me strung up by the neck for treason and haven’t got you behind bars for whatever array of crimes you’ve committed,” Crestfall said, hoping that his grave forecast didn’t come true.
“Can’t they look past that? I’m a changed leaf now, aren’t I?”
“Let’s all hope they think so,” Crestfall said, leaning his head against the cushion of the booth and trying to get some rest.
When the train returned to the Canterlot station, there was a grand fanfare, ponies from all over the city coming to celebrate the safe arrival of its passengers, after a tumultuous journey. Dust exited after Lance and Elodea, and couldn’t quite believe her eyes as she realized where she was. Canterlot was just as glorious as everypony back home had told her, with glamorous white stone buildings, flashing colors, light and merriment all over. After so many bad experiences in cities, the spectacle of Canterlot was just what Dust needed.
Twilight was received by her friends, relieved to find her safe and unharmed.
“Twilight!” Pinkie exclaimed, being the first to notice the princess step out the train door.
“Hey!” Twilight said, smiling, happier now than any of her friends had seen her in months.
“We’ve got to go see Celestia, right now…”
“Did you find Starlight?” Rainbow asked, searching for Starlight in the crowd of ponies.
“No, but we’re getting closer to finding her,” Twilight said, thankful to find the first ponies that could actually help her prove Starlight’s innocence.
Twilight located Crestfall, Elodea, and Dust, who was smiling ear to ear in amazement, seemingly in a daze.
“This is Dust, Elodea, and…”
“Lance,” he said, annoyed that Twilight had forgotten his name after asking them each during the train ride.
“Lance, sorry. They’re friends of Starlight. And this is Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy,” Twilight said, introducing them all to each other.
Escorted by the company of soldiers that had made up the rescue party, the group trotted through the winding streets of Canterlot, passing by cosmopolitan shops, exceptional features of culture and beauty, and ponies of all sorts. Dust was in awe the whole time, and Elodea found it to be charmingly adorable, while Twilight and her friends were a bit confused.
“She’s never been here before,” Elodea explained. Twilight understood, as still to this day Canterlot amazed her with its beauty.
The group finally arrived at the palace, Twilight leading the way up slippery marble staircases to the shiny grand gates to Celestia and Luna’s throne room.
“Um, Princess? I’m nervous…” Dust said, dreading the possibility of having to face Luna again, and worrying whether Celestia would be any more forgiving than her sister.
“Princess Celestia is very patient, and kind, and wonderful...You have nothing to worry about,” Twilight, said gently, as she magically opened the doors to the throne room.
“Seize them!”
Celestia’s voice was booming through the entire room, rattling the glass windows and shaking dust from the ceiling. She was sitting on her throne, while her sister Luna was standing nearby, an angry expression on her face, equal to that of Celestia’s.
“Shit,” Crestfall muttered, glancing at Elodea, who was equally shocked by the trap they had just walked into.
Twilight shook her back and forth in disbelief, backing up as a wall of soldiers approached her, spears raised up and pointed in their direction.
Dust felt like fainting, her worst fears being realized as the soldiers who had been escorting them quickly turned against them, with the exception of Slick, Pink, and Spice, who had no clue what was happening. Rainbow took flight and prepared for a fight, her loyalties lying with Twilight and her friends above all else.
They were surrounded by the tips of spears, trapped with their backs pressed against each other. Crestfall glanced at Elodea, nodding at each other, as they both drew their weapons out, deciding not to go down without a fight.
“Princess Celestia! Wait!” Twilight called out, desperately trying to avoid conflict, and confused as to what was going on.
“Twilight, step away from those ponies! They are dangerous criminals!” Celestia ordered. Luna's eyes narrowed and her horn began to glow, as she recognized Dust and Elodea, who she had encountered back at Saddleopolis when confronting Starlight.
“No, you don’t understand, these ponies aren’t-” Twilight began.
“Twilight, I’m not arguing with you. I’m telling you to step out of the way,” Celestia said, her powerful, commanding tone making Twilight back down a bit, afraid of aggravating the sun princess.
The surrounding guards took a step closer against the group, except for the ones in front of Twilight, who weren’t sure it was just to threaten a princess.
Crestfall gritted his teeth, his heart pounding with rage. Just when he thought they were in the clear, everything had to come falling apart.
“We already know everything, Twilight. Commander Stride here was kind enough to make the journey here from Vanhoover, just to warn us of a trick like this,” Celestia said.”
Crestfall froze at the mention of his former commander’s name, and lowered his guards to turn and see none other than Gallant Stride’s smug face waltzing it way around a corner, standing triumphantly right beside Luna.
“You son of a bitch,” Crestfall muttered. Stride laughed heartily, as Crestfall boiled with rage.
“I do apologize, Sergeant,” Stride said, smirking.
Crestfall had nothing to say to the old stallion, keeping his guard up, praying that at the very least, his death here would be quick.
“Private Spice. Sleeve, Mist. You three all drop your weapons and step over here, or I will assume you are accomplices,” Stride threatened.
Slick immediately dropped his sword and walked past through the crowd, wasting no time in abandoning Crestfall to fend for himself. Crestfall felt a new pain, one of betrayal, that bled on top of his already wounded heart. Pink dropped her spear, and left him as well, after some mild hesitation. Spice remained longer than Lance had expected, though she too eventually gave in to the pressure-filled glare of Stride, and dropped her spear.
Twilight remained standing in front of the trio, defensively, not wanting anypony to get hurt for any unnecessary reasons.
One of the soldiers reached for Elodea, who immediately slashed him across the arm. He hollered in pain, which incentivized the guards to all come crashing towards her. She managed to shove some away, though she was outnumbered. One of the guards landed a critical blow with a spear to her back left leg. She cried out in pain and dropped the knife, catching the attention of Crestfall, who was caught in a standoff with the other soldiers. He turned around in surprise at the sound of Elodea in pain, rushing over and punching the soldier who had stabbed her, right in the face. The guards stopped paying attention to Elodea, and all went to tackle Crestfall, who fought back with all his strength. He fully expected to be killed, but if he was to go down fighting, he would be content.
Elodea raised her head from the floor, grunting in pain as she held her wounded leg, and saw Crestfall taking a relentless beating from at least fifteen other soldiers, beating him to no end. She reached out a shaky hoof towards him, desperate to prevent his death.
“Enough!” Twilight yelled, after Crestfall’s rage-filled grunts had died down, replaced by a dull moan. Her friends had been exempted from the soldiers’ rush, as they weren’t the targets. Crestfall was half-unconscious, that or half-dead, lying in a bloody heap on the floor. Stride smiled in amusement from the opposite side of the room, unable to stop himself from laughing at Crestfall’s defeat. Dust stayed close beside Twilight, until she noticed Elodea on the floor, and quickly went over to help her.
“Princess! Please, you must listen to me! These ponies aren’t the ones responsible for everything you say they are!”
“I don’t know about those two, but I know about that knight, right there. Guards! Take him away!” Celestia yelled.
Without hesitation, the guards grabbed a hold of Crestfall by his hooves, dragging him out of the room. Elodea and Dust could only watch, as they were kept at spearpoint by the remaining guards.
Twilight was powerless to stop them as Crestfall was taken out of the throne room, still struggling and fighting back, despite all of the injuries he had sustained.
“Cowards! You sons of bitches! Let go of me!” he bellowed, as the guards dragged him out of the room.
“I know those two, they were in Saddleopolis, with Starlight Glimmer,” Luna said, viciously, “They’re working with her! Arrest them as well!”
“Just hear me out, please! They can tell you what happened to Starlight! Just listen!” Twilight said, prodding a terrified Dust to speak up. Dust glanced at Elodea, who gave her a look that begged her to be brave, for both of their sakes.
“I...I met Starlight a few months ago, back in the town I lived in,” Dust started.
“And where is that?” Luna inquired, skeptical of the validity of Dust’s story.
“North. Very far north. Starlight, she was just some random unicorn to me, but I had only ever met a few unicorns before, so I still thought she was kind of cool. She was quiet when I first got to know her, and she had this really bad scar on her eye, it healed a bit as time went on. She never wanted to talk about it, so I never asked. I met in a bar, I was with my other friend, Jackpot. He liked her, so we started to hang around each other. And that was it for like, six months. She worked at the library.”
Twilight couldn’t help but smile, delighted to finally have confirmation that her pupil wasn’t a mass murdering psychopath. Celestia and Luna were listening, but didn’t really expect to find much value in whatever Dust had to say.
“Then one day she was all worked up about something, and she told me and Jackpot this crazy story, which involved you, Twilight...and that changeling too, Chrysalis, and she said she had to leave. Then these ponies showed up, and they attacked us, we barely got away. There was a red unicorn, she was their leader...We went to Saddleopolis, and found my friend here, Elodea,”
“Hi,” Elodea said, subtly waving her hoof.
“And then Luna showed up, and tried to kill her!” Dust said, briefly forgetting to control her anger towards Luna. She resumed her focus, while Luna wondered if she had been right to confront Starlight with such ferocity.
“Me and Jackpot took her to Vanhoover, but those ponies were waiting for us, that red unicorn was with them...and they...Jackpot didn’t make it. Starlight got away, I didn’t…”
“I found her,” Elodea said, taking over the narration, “and me and her start planning a rescue, then soldier boy, the one you just arrested, he decides to join up with us. He, and me, and Starlight went and tried to save Dust here, but Starlight got stuck behind. She was on that train ride, and we were trying to save her, but then those assholes had to intervene,” Elodea said, pointing at Spice, Slick, and Pink, “And now they got away. She’s gone, they’ve got her,” Elodea said.
“And you have no idea where they’re going?” Celestia asked.
“Here, Canterlot, I guess. That’s where the train was headed,” Dust replied.
“I’m sorry about your friend,” Twilight said, having noticed Dust begin to get teary eyed at having to relive that experience. Dust smiled, appreciating Twilight’s sympathy.
“Those ponies that have Starlight, and that red unicorn, Ruby Heart,” Dust continued, “They’re dangerous. When I was with them, she talked to me, and she said that her and the group she’s with, they’re planning something terrible against Equestria...A lot of ponies are in danger! And now they’ve got Starlight, and they’re going to use her, and you’ve got to do something about it!”
Celestia and Luna shared a mutual look of doubt, before Celestia took a deep breath to respond.
“I do apologize for whatever circumstances claimed the life of your friend. But whatever you’re trying to claim, about these ponies planning some kind of plot...I have a very hard time believing that. What more could we-” Celestia began.
“Princess, I was on that train, there were some ponies that very well fit the story she was saying, I think-” Spice interjected, though soon regretted it.
“You be silent! I did not ask you to speak!” Celestia yelled, annoyed with being interrupted.
“What you are suggesting, is a large-scale uprising?” Luna asked Dust Bunny.
“Something of that sort, yes,” Dust said, worried it sounded too unbelievable.
“So you’re saying that there are ponies who have been planning a rebellion against the crown, who have been operating right under our very noses all this time?” Celestia asked, unimpressed.
“It’s not as ridiculous as you think, please! This is real! They killed my friend! They crushed his head open, and they made me watch! Then they took me, and-and they all took turns on me! I’m telling you the truth!” Dust cried, choking up as she realized the princesses didn’t seem too eager to believe her story at all, and that her and all of her friends were likely going to end up dead or imprisoned.
Twilight had to admit that she was only inclined to believe Dust because her story satisfied the narrative that Starlight was innocent, but after hearing some of the more gruesome details of her experience, she was well-convinced, and wondered why Celestia and Luna were so disposed to be doubtful.
“What you are describing is likely some local Vanhoover thugs, propping themselves as something larger than what they are, to scare you,” Gallant Stride proposed. Dust and Elodea both began to understand why Crestfall hated that pony so much. He was lying, though it seemed to only be obvious to them.
“What’s important for you to consider, Princess, is that this proves that it is Chrysalis we’re after, not Starlight, just I told you all before. Cadance can attest to that as well,” Twilight said, trying to distract Celestia before she became too unhinged.
“And where is Cadance? Why have you returned, but she has not?” Celestia asked.
“Cadance suggested that I return back to tell you that Starlight is innocent of the crimes we’ve labeled against her, and to find the truth of what happened to her. And I’ve done both. Cadance is still pursuing Chrysalis, in the mountains down south, near the Badlands.”
Celestia stayed quiet for a few moments, deep in thought.
“You encountered Chrysalis?”
“Yes.”
“In her true form?”
“Er-no...But she made it known who she was.”
Celestia shook her head, still discontent with the evidence put before her.
“Might it be possible that you’re rationalizing, Twilight? Unable to accept the reality?” Luna asked.
“This pony’s testament, and Cadance’s, and my own, should be enough to convince you!” Twilight stammered.
Celestia sighed, expecting better from Twilight.
“Those two, and you and your friends, Twilight, are not to leave this city or your side until this is all sorted out. And the knight will remain in custody, to be executed, for high treason,” Celestia said, her decision now final and absolute.
Elodea was horrified to hear this, and Twilight too was a bit flustered by the extremity of the sentence, though made no show of resistance.
“And what of these ponies? Equestria is in danger, as long as they continue to be active,” Twilight said, as she had become deeply concerned with the barbarically violent ponies Dust had described, who now also had possession of Starlight.
“Twilight, you know I care about you, deeply. But I do believe you have become weary, with your support for these conspiracy theories and unfounded accusations. If such a terrible threat has grown under our very noses, as you’ve said, we would know about it by now,” Celestia said.
Twilight sighed, seeing the futility in trying to reason with Celestia and Luna, when they were incapable of admitting any sort of fault in foresight.
“If that is all you have, then you are dismissed,” Celestia said, her words like venom in Twilight’s face. Twilight turned away, bitterly, her friends following suit, and Elodea and Dust hesitantly trailing close behind.
Twilight was fuming as she stormed down a hallway of the palace, her friends trotting behind her, equally baffled by Celestia and Luna’s refusal to give Dust’s story any ground.
“Twilight...What do we do?” Rarity asked, terrified over the revelation of a new threat to Equestria.
“They may be unwilling to do anything, but I won’t stand by and let this happen. We have to get back to Ponyville, and make sure we’re properly defended,” Twilight said.
“But Celestia said to stay,” Applejack reminded her.
Twilight stared at Applejack, unflinchingly, clearly not a fan of Celestia’s lackluster course of action.
“Right. Ponyville it is then,” Applejack said, hoping Celestia wouldn’t be angry with them for disobeying an order.
“You two come too,” Twilight said, to Dust and Elodea, who were now her only source of information regarding this mysterious organization.
“Um, Princess, I have to stay,” Elodea said.
“I know what Celestia said, but-”
“It’s not that, it’s Crestfall, they’re going to kill him! I...I have to stay…” Elodea said. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to save him from the executioner's axe, but she at least wanted to be with him when it happened.
Twilight had forgotten about that, what with the threat of an imminent attack at their gates distracting her.
“That won’t happen, don’t worry. You can stay. Dust Bunny?”
“I’ll come,” Dust said.
“Thanks for doing all that, I know that must’ve been hard,” Twilight said, moving in for an unexpected hug, which Dust gladly accepted. Twilight stepped back and took a good look at her friends, now Equestria’s last hope against this new terror.
Starlight Glimmer, after having been in a drug-fueled comatose state for the past few days, finally awoke, the world beginning as a blur. She wiped some drool from her mouth and tried to keep her eyes open, though the power of the drugs coursing through her veins made that difficult. Her hooves were bound in metal cuffs, and her horn was restrained with a dense, tight ring. She was in some sort of prison cell, dimly lit by a nearby lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. There were other cells on the other side of her, hidden in the darkness.
“Wakey wakey.”
Starlight jumped, realizing there was somepony looking in on her from outside the bars of her prison.
The pony flipped a switch, and another light came on, illuminating her face. The pony was Ruby Heart, smirking victoriously down at a defeated Starlight.
“Look how the mighty have fallen...You remember me, right?” Ruby Heart asked, smirking with glee, aware that Starlight’s mind was still frazzled.
“Yes,” Starlight muttered. Despite her fuzzy memory from the drugs, her burning hatred for this pony resonated regardless.
“Where am I?” Starlight asked.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Starlight...Soon you won’t have to worry about a thing ever again, in fact...Where are we? Far away from your friends, is all you need to know. The ponies I work for, see, they’re very interested in you. And I’m going to be rewarded, quite handsomely, for bringing you in. For all they said about you, I didn’t find you quite as impressive as I’d imagined,” Ruby said, though Starlight hardly cared what the red unicorn thought of her.
“Still, I respect you, Starlight, I do. And it pains me, to see a pony of your talents, locked in this dingy cell, helpless and hopeless.”
Starlight sighed, already having grown exhausted with listening to her enemy’s gloating.
“So I thought I’d give you a way out. I’ll still be rewarded, and you can spare yourself some more pain…” Ruby said, revealing a see-through bag of some large white pills. She tossed the bag to Starlight, who didn’t touch it, afraid of what it was.
“It’s no trick. They’ll do the job, and relatively painlessly. A pony of your caliber doesn’t deserve to die serving the bastards I work for...I encourage you to take this route instead, for your own sake.”
Starlight recoiled at the very thought of swallowing those pills and taking her own life. Not only did she find it repulsively dishonorable and cowardly, but she was far from finished yet, no matter how hopeless Ruby made her situation out to be.
“Or don’t. I don’t care, really. Just thought I’d leave you one last professional courtesy…”
Ruby sighed, deciding it was worth a try, before walking out of the prison block, shutting and locking the door. Starlight sighed and let her head fall back down to the floor. The thought of suicide seemed desirable every now and then, as it had when she had felt her worst. She had attempted it once, though Twilight had caught her and stopped her. In that moment, her self-deprecation and belief that she was loathed by everypony had become too much to bear. But now, in the most hopeless of situations, she saw how futile taking her own life would be. It would solve no problems, simply providing her with a quick, simple escape, to avoid all of the responsibilities she had, including to protect the ponies she cared about. Despite how horrible things were looking for her, hope was not lost.
After two days of travel, Chrysalis and Violet reached a city for the first time since they had left the crooked mayor’s town. Chrysalis recognized the town, a small collection of homes and stores, the standout feature being a large crystalline castle keeping watch towards the north. This was Ponyville, standing in dangerous proximity to Canterlot, looming above the nighttime clouds on the mountain face. Chrysalis cursed herself in her head, as she had wanted to catch Cellestrous before she made it to the cover of civilization. From the outskirts of town on a high-raised hill, the duo gazed down at the city, which was cast in darkness underneath the star-studded night sky.
“What do those ponies want with that jewel?” Violet asked.
“Probably the same thing I want. Only they’ll go about it all wrong. My hope is that our old alliance could be restored,” Chrysalis thought aloud.
“And where do I fit into that?” Violet asked.
“No where. They’ll kill you on sight. You let me handle this alone,” Chrysalis said, coldly.
“There’s no way in hell I’m passing up on a chance to get that-” Violet began, before Chrysalis zapped her unconscious with a simple spell, ending the argument instantly.
Chrysalis chuckled to herself at her good timing, and then went about hiding Violet’s body in some nearby shrubbery.
Now, the jewel was all hers for the taking.
Chrysalis assumed the form of a typical pony, and cautiously crept her way into the city. She wasn’t sure where Cellestrous was, or where she had stashed the jewel. Ponyville was small though, so it wouldn’t take long to find out where. Her only fear was that Twilight Sparkle or her pesky friends would be around, as this did happen to be their place of residence.
Chrysalis wandered through the streets, searching for anything out of the ordinary that may reveal Cellestrous’ presence. The city was asleep, and the streets were empty. Save for two ponies, walking down a lamplit commercial street. They were brutish looking stallions, with crooked jaws and sagging faces. Chrysalis hid behind a corner and observed them, as they made their way down a street, muttering a discreet conversation.
Once they rounded a corner and disappeared out of sight, Chrysalis snuck across the street, deciding those ponies had the potential to lead her to Cellestrous.
She watched as they stopped in front of a storefront, one of them knocking on the front door. After a few minutes, the door swung open, and, after checking their backs to make sure they weren’t being followed, the two stallions entered, and the streets were rendered silent again.
Chrysalis subtly trotted down the street towards the faded red-colored storefront. Strangely, the windows were boarded up, and the entire place seemed to be abandoned. Still, she had a feeling this was leading to something.
She snuck around an alley that sat beside the building, and stood atop some stacked boxes to peek into a high-seated window that led inside.
Inside, she was beside herself, recognizing several villainous fiends of whom she had worked with in the past, all gathered together, laughing and drinking with each other. Now she was certain this was where the jewel was. Still, taking on all of these ponies alone was a mighty feat, and she began to regret ditching Violet. She didn’t trust Violet enough to bet her life on it, however she also didn’t want to risk Violet’s own life.
Chrysalis backed away from the window before she could be spotted, and scanned the area for any other possible entrance points, other than the obviously unusable front door.
She found what she was looking for in the form of a backdoor, though after some quiet jostling, she found it to be locked. Focusing on keeping things to a minimum volume level, Chrysalis fired a concentrated blast of heated magic at the door handle, melting it and prying the door loose.
She slowly pushed it open, and was relieved to find the room she was entering seemingly empty.
The room was darker than the streets outside, save for a lone swinging lightbulb that was dangling from the ceiling.
Chrysalis stepped inside, horn at the ready for any kind of trap that Cellestrous or her goons had set for her.
The room seemed to be half a storage facility and half a prison, a series of rusty metal cages built on the left side. Chrysalis squinted into the darkness, where she believed to see the outline of the pony. She jumped back in surprise when she realized who it was.
Starlight Glimmer had nothing to say to this strange pony who had just broken in through the backdoor. She didn’t recognize her, and was frankly too tired to make any sort of dramatic resistance against her captors.
“Starlight Glimmer.”
Starlight sat up straight away, immediately recognizing the vile, heinous voice of a certain changeling queen, as the pony in front of her phased out of her disguise, to reveal her hideous, insect-like form.
“It can’t be…” Starlight whispered to herself. Just when she thought things couldn’t have gotten worse.
“You’re the one behind all of this?!” Starlight stammered, shocked.
“Oh no, I had no idea I would find you here...As of now these ponies are as much my enemies as they are yours, it seems...You look terrible.”
“I hate you, so, so much,” Starlight said, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief. Of all the horrible faces, it was hers.
Chrysalis smiled, giggling to herself from outside Starlight’s prison bars.
“Starlight, my dear, you’re certainly bolder than you were when I last saw you...Why are you here?”
“They captured me, they were practically hunting me down. They want me for something,” Starlight said, bitterly, “Why are you here?”
“These ponies are in a possession of a weapon of great power...Aside from you, that is...with it, they may be able to conquer Equestria.”
“Let me guess. You want it?”
“They stole it from me! It was mine to begin with.”
“You’re hopeless, Chrysalis. You’re never going to win.”
“Whoever has that jewel, Starlight, is who’s going to win.”
Right before Starlight could retort, they heard voices approaching from outside the door. Chrysalis turned back to Starlight, realizing that she was in danger of being caught.
“If you say anything, I’ll rip you apart limb from limb,” Chrysalis threatened, hiding behind some boxes in the darkness. Starlight gulped, deciding to pretend as if she hadn’t seen anything.
The door swung open, and in walked two earth ponies, drunk and barely aware of what they were doing. One went right up to Starlight’s cell, opened it, and grabbed a hold of her, while the other one continued telling a joke that the other didn’t understand.
Starlight made eye contact with Chrysalis from the darkness, wondering whether the changeling would ever learn that her selfish pursuits of power would forever be fruitless.
After the door had closed again and Starlight was gone, Chrysalis slowly trailed behind, careful to avoid making her presence known.
Exiting the makeshift prison block, Chrysalis crept through a hallway to get a look at the main area, which housed about fifty ponies, all seated in a crowded circle. Chrysalis could make out Starlight, being dragged into the open space in the middle of the crowd.
Starlight grunted as she was thrown to the ground, the crowd of ponies jeering and throwing things at her. The crowd then grew quiet, while Starlight writhed in her chains on the floor, as Cellestrous, an aging, pale red unicorn with narrow eyes and a pointed chin, raised a hoof.
“Ladies...Gentlecolts... I present to you, Starlight Glimmer.”
The crowd resumed their ferocious, hate-filled rampage, some chucking whatever they had in their hooves at her. She tried her best to protect her face from the incoming objects, a few glass cups shattering over her, embedding small flakes of sharp glass in her skin. Again, the crowd was silenced by Cellestrous’ hoof.
“What a wonderful gift that’s been brought to us by our dear Aluminon’s
protégé, Ruby Heart. Come up here, dear,” Cellestrous said, like a proud mother, as Ruby Heart trotted out from the crowd, who exploded into a ebullient spout of cheer and celebration. Ruby Heart smirked down at Starlight, who was still lying on the ground, focusing on her breathing.
“Congratulations, Ruby. We’re all very proud of you. Years of work has finally paid off, and now the future of Equestria belongs to us,” Cellestrous said, triumphantly, as she was met by thunderous applause.
“Too long have we been swept to the side, relegated to the shadows to dwell in ours own misery...Our time has come...No alicorn, or army, or brat unicorn,” Cellestrous said, grabbing Starlight by her mane and pulling her up into the air, forcefully, “can stop us!”
The crowd cheered again, while Starlight groaned in agony as Cellestrous held her up by her mane.
“Starlight Glimmer…who took down the changeling kingdom, and nearly brought about the ruin of all Equestria, is now one of us! Permanently!” Cellestrous yelled.
While the crowd continued cheering, Starlight was struck by fear, unsure what she meant by ‘one of us,’ and ‘permanently.’
It didn’t sound good.
“And all thanks to one very special individual, who has unfortunately fallen into ruin as of late...you all know of whom I speak of...Queen Chrysalis,”
The crowd groaned, half in mourning and half in ill-regard.
Chrysalis, who was still hiding from around the corner, rolled her eyes at the crowd’s conflicted opinion of her.
“Yes, Chrysalis has brought about our victory, in the form of one advantage, the ultimate advantage…” Cellestrous said, nodding to a pony in the crowd, who rushed over to present her with a spectacular green gemstone. Starlight figured Chrysalis hadn’t been lying about this weapon of mass destruction, which meant that Equestria was in even more danger than she had thought.
“The Queen’s Jewel….Searched for endlessly by Equestria’s greatest explorers...nopony had been able to find it, except for Chrysalis...And for this, we owe her that...But this is not Chrysalis’ hour, this is our hour! Bring me the staff!”
Another young pony scrambled out of the crowd to present Cellestrous with a large black rod with a fixture at the end, seemingly meant to contain something.
Chrysalis was distressed to see that Cellestrous was already in possession of a device that could contain the jewel’s power. She had hoped she would have some time before the jewel’s power could be unleashed, but it seemed she would have to improvise a little bit.
Cellestrous giddily pawed at the jewel before fixing it inside the staff, where it fit snugly. A blast of light radiated from the jewel, after which everypony’s eyes were drawn to it, even Starlight, who was terrified of what it would be used for.
“Well Starlight Glimmer, I’m afraid your luck has finally run out. Henceforth, you will be a tool, to facilitate the doom of the Equestria, the annihilation of the ponies you cared for, who you failed to protect, and the utter subjugation of every stallion, mare, and foal.”
Starlight stared up at the green jewel which wide, horrified eyes, as it began to glow brighter.
“Goodbye, Starlight Glimmer,” Cellestrous said, before her horn, and the jewel as well, both glowed bright green, a ray of energy jetting out from the rod straight into Starlight’s forehead.
Chrysalis was paying rigorous attention, eager to see how the jewel really functioned. Nopony had ever used the weapon since its creators had sealed it away after all.
Starlight buckled in her restraints as the green energy poured into her mind. Her eyes rolled back, and she began to groan in agony as every part of her body was consumed by the green magic.
Until, the jewel faded, and Starlight collapsed in a smoking heap.
Cellestrous wiped her forehead of some sweat and peered down at Starlight, unsure if the unicorn prisoner had survived, or if she had cast the spell correctly.
“Starlight?”
Starlight immediately sat up, her eyes now bright green, her mouth hanging open, her mind completely consumed by the jewel’s magic. Cellestrous zapped off the chains around Starlight’s hooves, and removed the metal ring around her horn.
“Stand.”
Starlight stood up, staring into the distance at nothing at all. There was no memory of anything other than the most recent commands given to her by Cellestrous, who had cast a spell to make Starlight completely and utterly helpless to whatever order was given to her by any of the ponies in the organization.
“Look at that. An unthinking, obedient, superpowered pony. The perfect weapon,” Cellestrous said, smiling at her new triumph. The crowd burst into roaring cheers, while Chrysalis stared on, impressed with the efficiency of the jewel. A spell like that would normally take days of preparation and a lot of time to pull off, but with the jewel, it only took a matter of moments.
“Soon we will have an army of these ponies, slaves to our will. Well will bring the end of Celestia’ reign!” Cellestrous yelled, trying to invigorate her subordinates, who were losing their minds over their excitement.
“Very cute.”
Cellestrous’ triumphant expression fell, at the sound of a smooth slithering, voice calling out to her over the crowd, which began to die down as Queen Chrysalis stepped out from the corner and made her way through the crowd. Most ponies had assumed Chrysalis was dead already. Chrysalis strutted to the center of the circle, to face down Cellestrous.
“It’s a pity you couldn’t invite me to your little gathering, I would’ve much liked to be the one to mute that repugnant little pig myself,” Chrysalis said, nodding towards Starlight, who made no response, her personality now completely erased She was still conscious of the world around her, but was unable to interact with it, locked within her own mind, viewing the world from a distance.
“But you’ve had your fun with it. I do believe I’m entitled to have it back now,” Chrysalis said.
Cellestrous was unsure what to make of this unexpected intrusion. The crowd began to break into a dulled chuckling, laughing at the very idea of trusting Chrysalis again.
“Chrysalis...When will you learn to knock...I’m afraid we’re not interested in forming an alliance with the likes of you.”
Chrysalis’ confident smirk dropped, and she began to realize she was surrounded by hostile ponies who wouldn’t mind seeing her dead.
“You’re reckless, and far too selfish to commit to the organization we’ve built here. Don’t you see how close we are? We have operatives across all branches of government, in every militia across Equestria, subverting the system, ready to usher in a new era of change. Our change, not yours.”
“That artifact belongs to me, not you. If you’re so confident in your little organization, then why not hand it over?”
Cellestrous laughed, cocking her head back.
“You’re relentless, Chrysalis...I pity the day you lost touch with the world around you, you would’ve made such a good member. Seize her,”
Chrysalis scowled, taking flight just as several of the ponies in the crowd made a move to either zap her with a beam of magic or tackle her to the floor. She buzzed through the air, back around the corner and down the hallway where she had come. Nearly everypony in the room followed her in hot pursuit.
Chrysalis flew back into the prison block and towards the exit door, until a pony zapped her in the wing from behind, causing her to stumble to the ground. Right before her pursuers could catch up and grab her, however, a blast of magic came blowing through the back door, frying at least eight of the pursuing ponies to a crisp. They collapsed the the floor in a desert of ash, Violet Heirloom pushing the back door open, which now had a large, scalding hot hole burned right through it. Before more ponies could enter the prison block, Violet slammed the door close and locked it with her magic. She bent down besides a wounded Chrysalis and helped her to her hooves.
“Look who needed me after all,” Violet muttered, as Violet helped Chrysalis out the door to make their escape.