The palace was totally different from any other changeling’s building I ever saw. It was very dark and the lamps shimmered blue or green, but these were the only commonalities. On the walls hung huge portraits of a tall, female changeling, Queen Chrysalis for sure. The doors were actually made of wood, not this bizarre black stone like in all the other buildings I’ve been so far. Left and right were three big doors each, and a huge silk carpet covered the bottom from the entrance of the castle to a huge double door opposite to it. Rubies and sapphires were on the sides of the carped and a big crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. There wasn’t any place to hide or any shadows I could stay in, but I didn’t had to, the entire hall was empty, nobody was around here. Carefully I stepped inside and headed the double door in front of me. That had to be the throne hall. I hold one ear at the huge wooden doors and eavesdropped.
“… is here, I know it! I can feel her magic, we have to find her!”
“Patience, Sunset. Why should we look for her? You said she wants you, so she’ll get here anyway. We don’t have to spend our energy to find this pathetic unicorn. We just stay here, and wait for her.” That had to bee Queen Chrysalis. Her voice went right through my bones.
I’ll enjoy killing you and clean your parasite breed from this land.
I was blinded with rage, but I knew I shouldn’t just walk into the hall like I was visiting an old friend. I needed a plan…
“Hey, what are you doing here?” a changeling guard came out of one of the other doors and was about attack me.
That had to happen ,right? At least one bug less to find after I end their queen’s life.
The guard came running towards me, just to be smashed by the chandelier I ripped off the ceiling and threw at him.
Maybe that was a little too loud…
“What is going on out there? Don’t just stand there, do your damn job and defend the castle!”
After Chrysalis’ order a dozen more guards came out of the throne hall. One of them immediately turned back and ran inside to give report to his queen, but this wasn’t my biggest problem right now. I grabbed some parts of the chandelier to throw them at the guards, killing four of them in not even a second. The seven remaining stopped for a second, and I could see the fear in their eyes. Good.
“Do you really want to give your life for a queen that allied with a pony? She is the only one I want, hand her out and you’ll not be harmed!” I lied right in their faces, but the end justifies the means, doesn’t it?
Like if they couldn’t hear me, they charged towards me. All right then, ladies… A few seconds of loud noises and seven short screams of pure pain were followed by deadly silence. After one minute, the doors opened again, and Queen Chrysalis and Sunset Shimmer entered the hall.
Sunset was in her human form, of course. What reason had she to take a pony form? Chrysalis looked different from the other changelings; she was about as tall as Princess Celestia, had a big twisted horn on her forehead and dark blue mane. She smirked and revealed a pair of sharp teethes. Two wings stuck out of her back, they looked like a flies wings and had several holes and cracks.
“Lyra, Lyra, Lyra. Did you really think, were you really naive enough to believe it would be this easy? You have no idea of the power we have. After we’re finished with you, there will be nothing left except a few green hair and a big pool of your blood.”
“I am more powerful than you think, Sunset. You learned that first hand last time.”
“Ah, that was just a little setback. Necessary to show me that I still have allies in Equestria.”
“You mean that bug? I slew so much of you parasites, I lost survey somewhere around 50. You won’t be any threat to me.”
Chrysalis mustered me and filled with anger when I noted her dead children. “You’ll pay for every single kid of mine you killed out there. Be aware that I have more power than any changeling could ever imagine! I will destroy you, and afterwards we’ll take Canterlot. I still have an open bill with that Twilight Sparkle…”
“Lyra, do you remember how I parted you from your human half? You have no idea how helpful she was! Even she had true feelings for Bon Bon”
I don’t like that voice she says that with…
“And did you know, that changelings can feed off anything that has love in it, even from a shadow of a pony? Chrysalis gained so much power from your better half, even Celestia couldn’t harm her! But, you see, I’m a lavish person. Surrender and follow us, and we can rule Equestria together, you and I, two humans! Imagine you could be Princess Lyra Heartstrings! We’d have no conflicts with the changelings anymore, once we deliver Twilight to Queen Chrysalis, and if the gryphon make any problems we don’t even need an army to defeat them, it would be enough if one of us goes there to erase their whole military! We could be immortal!”
“I’m sure, at least one of us will never be immortal.”
I threw a fireball towards Sunset but she duck away. Suddenly, she was totally filled with anger and prepared to attack me. Her hands began to glow and she formed a ball of pure energy, ready to throw it at my. Chrysalis flew above me and tried to grip me, but I rolled away, just in time to dodge Sunset’s spell that crashed into the wall behind me. I threw some more spells at Sunset and kicked Chrysalis when she tried to smack me from behind.
Several minutes passed and nothing seemed to happen. It was just a dance act between Sunset, Chrysalis and me. They threw some things or dark, pulsing balls at me, I dodged them just to answer with some of my light green lightnings. The hall was soon totally damaged, but nobody was hurt so far. Then, suddenly, Chrysalis managed to get out of my sight and kicked my leg from behind when I was just about to send some more spells at Sunset. I fell down on one knee and saw that Sunset prepared a deadly wave to end this fight. Though I could roll over, she hit my left shoulder. The pain was unimaginable. I flew across the room, crashed into the wall and hit on the floor.
It’s over. Again, I failed. Forgive me, Bons…
“The great and powerful Lyra! Defeated, waiting for her slaughter. Should I show mercy? You decide. This is the last time I offer you to join our wings. Be with us, or be doomed. What’s your answer?”
“I’d rather be dead than helping you monster!” I spat in her face.
“You have made an.. unwise.. decision. It’s time to get rid of you and start our siege of Canterlot. Actually, I shouldn’t kill you. I should let you see what I will do with your beloved Equestria, but… I have to finish what I began in the Everfree Forest.”
She raised her hands and formed a ball of dark blue energy.
So this is how I end? Defenseless lying to Sunset’s feet?
She lowered her hand and released the sphere in my direction.