//------------------------------// // Prologue - The Grand Queen // Story: Fallen Stars // by Zachurra //------------------------------// Chrysalis groaned as she attempted to open her eyes. What happened? What had gone wrong? All she could remember was those two stupid unicorns touching their horns together and then a bright light. The changeling queen strained to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. Lifting her head proved to be even more useless. Nevertheless, she commanded her body to respond. She rolled onto her stomach and made another attempt to crane her neck up. Satisfied that she could, and that she was beginning to get some feeling back, she made an effort to stand on all fours. She smirked to herself, Those foolish ponies. They think they have seen the last of me? When I return, I shall… wait, where am I exactly? Her eyes darted all around. For miles, all she could see was snow. Being able to say she was able to see for miles was a generous term as well, as there was a heavy blizzard swirling around her. That explained the numbness in her body at least. Chrysalis began to move forward. She knew she would not survive long in a blizzard like this, and who knows how long she had been unconscious. Amongst the snow and ice were many black clusters. Upon closer inspection, Chrysalis saw that these were her changelings. Most were no longer breathing. The ones that she could sense still had life in them were a lost cause. There was no way they could survive much longer, whether she helped them or not. She felt a flurry of emotions. Anger, fury, frustration… guilt. This was the last chance for the Changelings to survive. And now, most either dead or dying, and in some unknown barren wasteland, Chrysalis faced two options: lie down and face extinction, or try and find a way home. Putting on a face of determination, Chrysalis knew that the former was unacceptable. She forced her hooves forward, beginning her journey into this land that the sun has never seen. ------------- The cold beat against her like daggers. The blizzard had intensified in its magnitude in the hour she had been walking alone. She felt like she had been walking in a straight line, but the wind twisted her movements around so much that she often found herself back to the mass grave site of her people. This only continued to fuel her frustration, but exhaustion refused to let her be angry. She moved to make another step, only to find herself slumped over in the snow. Her eyelids began to feel heavy once more, but willpower alone kept them open. It did not last long, however, as they slowly began to close. “Stay… open…” she ordered herself, but it was no use. She put one hoof down and made another effort to stand. Her leg shook weakly as the Changeling queen tried to straighten herself up. “I… will not…” Her legs gave out. She tried to move them again, but they would not budge. Soon she lost feeling in most of her body. Her eyes began to drift shut. Amongst the flurry and commotion that swirled around her dying body, she could just barely make out what looked like a black silhouette rummaging amongst her fallen people. She tried to speak out, to demand they leave them alone, but almost no sound came out. One of them heard her soft cries and came for closer inspection. She heard the muffled sound of hoofsteps before finally falling back into unconsciousness. ------------- Chrysalis found herself back in Canterlot, in the hall where it had all ended. “You will never succeed.” Shining Armor said. Princess Cadence stood beside him, smiling fiendishly, “You will be but a memory.” “No! I will not allow such to happen!” Chrysalis charged at them, but they only smiled and touched their horns together. A familiar bright light shined, and Chrysalis soon found herself soaring through the air once more. She straightened herself out and flapped her wings to stabilize herself. She turned back towards Canterlot, but was met by the glare of Celestia, who floated not far from her. “Out of my way!” she ordered. Celestia’s glare only intensified. Chrysalis began to feel weak before her, as if the sun goddesses eyes were looking into her very soul. “No. You have brought harm to my subjects, and for that, you will never see the light of the sun again.” Everything then fell into darkness. ------------ Chrysalis’ eyes shot open. She was breathing heavy and her heart felt like it was beating so hard it would soon burst. She looked around, expecting to see herself in a never ending void of darkness, or banished to the moon, or something. Instead, she found herself in a large room. Vines spread out and covered the stone walls and ceilings. A small but invitingly warm fire crackled by her side. She inched herself closer, wanting to get as warm as possible. She was too distracted by the fire to realize that she was being watched. “So, this is what you have become.” Chrysalis’ body tensed all at once. Her eyes opened completely and she was soon filled with fear. That dark, commanding voice. That voice that has criticized every decision she has ever made. That voice that had haunted her for years innumerable. She turned towards where the voice had come from to see a large changeling laying upon a bed, its head tilted high and piercing eyes glaring down at her. “M-mother?” Chrysalis’ mother, Madora, was a being of legend. The mere sound of her name put more fear into most ponies than even that of Nightmare Moon. Although most had forgotten her, those who studied the past, or were old enough to remember it, knew the name of Madora all too well. She was the grand queen of the Changelings. Madora raised to her hooves and walked towards Chrysalis until they were within a foot of one another. Madora’s glare never faltered, and Chrysalis, despite her resolve, found herself looking around for a way to escape as she shrank down. Madora stood in silence before her daughter. A small, unnoticeable smile flickered on her face. She was glad to know she could still invoke fear into her. The smile quickly disappeared, “I trusted you with overseeing the Everfree hive… and yet you are here, in the northern arctic mountains.” “A minor set back, mother, I assure you—“ Madora’s eyes narrowed, “What happened.” She wasn’t asking, she was demanding an answer. Chrysalis sighed and began telling her mother of what had happened. A few times, she almost seemed to see a glimmer of respect when she mentioned her plan for taking over Canterlot and when she had overpowered Celestia. But it all faded away when she started telling of her failure. Chrysalis almost couldn’t finish her tale because of the gravity of her mother’s stare. “And then I woke up here, before you.” Chrysalis sighed, “I fear that the Everfree hive is now gone, except for me…” She flinched, expecting her mother to begin shouting. But nothing came. She opened one eye and saw Madora silently walking away. She gestured for her daughter to follow. She did so reluctantly, and watched as Madora used her magic to spread some of the vines open to reveal a doorway to a balcony. The mother and daughter came to the edge to behold the sight it overlooked. Chrysalis’ jaw dropped at the sight of a massive hive. It must have been ten times over the size of Canterlot. Madora smiled at her daughter’s reaction, “As you can see, my daughter, the Changelings are far from extinct.” She turned and came back to her bed. Lying down, she said with a sinister smile, “I believe it is time that the Scourge of the North returns, don’t you agree? And you will see that up here, we do things much differently.”