4128590 No worries.

Here is Wrong Lever, it might be too wordy....

Prompt: Wrong Lever
Doors were originally constructed from wood, simple construction that did little to barricade truly valuable things. So the concept of heavy doors made of metal was truly a prized thought. These doors were meant for secure protection of whatever was behind it however at the same time these doors were not meant to be shoved open with as much force as one could muster to the point that the door slammed open warping the sturdy frame and cracking the thicker stone wall behind it.

Across the threshold came Twilight and closely behind her was Chrysalis who was quickly overtaking the Alicorn.

“So remind me again why we came down here in the first place?” Chrysalis yelled as charged ahead.

“We came for some key items such as rare ingredients and artifacts, I needed them for some spells,” answered Twilight as she tried to keep pace with the Changeling Queen.

A series of loud roars came from behind them as the things chasing them were stalled by the size of the metal door which their greater size could not go through.

“We really need to seal off this old lab!” called out Chrysalis.

“Later! Escape first, I pretty sure I that I now know what had happened and that is when this lab got pushed down by the growing roots of the Crystal Oaks it made everything especially the wards unstable which then led to this mess.”

What happened earlier that day….
“That was horrific,” said Chrysalis as tried to calm her breathing down. She tried to place a forehoof before herself to help her stand, but she had troubles finding the floor.

“It was not as bad as it could have been,” Twilight commented as she moved over to help the stumbling Chrysalis.

“Not as bad?” Chrysalis asked as she rested tried to soothe her headache with a forehoof. “We came through a series of backdoors, switchbacks, and the odd sinkhole just to get here. What other surprises could be worse than that mad trip you subjected me through just to get down here?”

“Many things, I have been experimenting with potions, alchemy, wards, glyphs, quite a long list,” Twilight said as walked over to the tables. “Although thankfully with the wards the damage should be contained and then absorbed and dissipated and then all we would have is a large mess to clean.”

“Why is your lab so far down?” Chrysalis asked as she joined Twilight in browsing through the stuff and poking and prodding at whatever was down here.

Twilight paused and sighed deeply as her shoulder drooped, “Tirek. This lab was the basement of Golden Oaks and the only part to survive. The sudden growth of Crystal Oaks pushed it further down into the earth which is why I had to construct a convoluted means to get down as the wards prevent teleportation, warping, portals, and generally all transportation magic. Well except for one place in the lab that lets me teleport out.”

Chrysalis wrapped a leg around the Alicorn who return the gesture with a nuzzle and a smile. “Thanks,” Twilight said.

Chrysalis moved off and continued to poke through the lab and as she looked through the odds and ends that she could not decipher their use including strangely some preserved food called a Deep Fried Doorstop. Seeing some of the odds and ends gave her an idea and she turned to Twilight with a smirk across her face as she asked, “Oh Twilight you mentioned a lot of what’s down here, but what else? Is there a means by which I could lead a grand conquest, perhaps a conquest of one of Equestria’s neighbours maybe?”

Twilight softly nudged Chrysalis, “I see that smirk and I know what you have in mind. For sure this time I will not help you in any way, shape, or form in constructing something that you could use for conquest. Besides we don’t need you conquering a nearby nation. Your near conquest of a nearby county was bad enough; we don’t need that chaos in our lives.”

“Oh? I guess you have that mismatched creature for that,” Chrysalis commented.

Twilight ignored her comment as she pushed past to find their intended destination. Chrysalis trailing behind could now see that they were before a large vault and off to one wall were a few containment wards holding a few alchemical creations.

Twilight began moving parts here and there and getting the lock opened up. “Chrysalis could you please put your hoof on the glyph over there,” Twilight said pointed off to the wall opposite of the wall with the containment wards.

Chrysalis nodded. “That sounds simple enough,” Chrysalis said as she walked over to push the glyph.

Twilight pulled ahead and veered towards one of the walls. “Some of these precautions should still work.”

“I hope so,” Chrysalis yelled as she heard a louder roar behind her.

The escaped alchemical creations had by either the mad forces that conspired against them or by whatever they were created from had merged into a large thing that looked vaguely like a crocodile and had barged through the thick stone wall.

Twilight slammed her hoof on various wards inscribed on the wall with each ward lightning up as she did, “Hit the glyph over there!”

Chrysalis looked to see a pair of glyphs that she could not figure out. She was about to ask when she could hear the monsters’ roar even more loudly than earlier. She took a chance and hit one of them and it looked like nothing happened. “What was supposed to happen?”

“The barriers should have gone up.”

Before either of them knew it the alchemical crocodile was over their heads and about to bite down. Before they could defend themselves they both felt the warmth of the sun and Twilight quickly realized they were outside in a field just beyond Ponyville and above them was the alchemical monster.

“Wrong glyph!” Twilight shouted as she turned to glare at Chrysalis.

“You need to label those things better!” Chrysalis shouted with a glare of her own.

However a loud roar distracted both of them and they look to see the alchemical thing lumbering off towards the town.

“Oh right, that thing was with us,” Chrysalis commented.

Twilight facehoofed, “Oh wonderful, we have managed to unleash a giant terror on Ponyville…. again.”

New Prompt: Mad Science

4128665 Yikes, Mad-Scientist-Twilight.

“Oh wonderful, we have managed to unleash a giant terror on Ponyville…. again.”

Time to pull out the Tirek-Level-Response.

4128665 Oy vay. Creating chaos that has to be taken care of again. Slick, Twilight.
I'll update the list (and will continue to do so accordingly when I see it needs to be done).

4128759
Tirek level? Will the town/lands remain standing?

4128810
Sometimes I wonder if Chaos has cursed her or if she is supposed to be the Alicorn of Chaos or something.

4128836

or if she is supposed to be the Alicorn of Chaos or something.

Discord: No Twilight, I am your father!

THRONE IS MINE! I HEREBY LAY CLAIM TO IT!

4130566 You're lucky I didn't claim it before. XD

4131030 Lol I got it

Hey guys, question: I have to admit, I really liked the bit I did for Telephone. Since it's not going to be up for a while, would anyone mind if I publish it as a separate story on my own page? I don't remember if there's a rule-of-thumb against that...
I'm going to wait for three 'yay's or 'neigh's (har har) before I make that decision.

4135655

4135655
Go for it ^^

4135733 Thanks for the yays
4135796 ...And thank you, my queen!
Hopefully people get a laugh out of that one and will have forgotten about it by the time it comes around in the collab. Now I just need to get some cover art...

Update!: You may have already seen, but That's Not What I Said... made it into the Popular Box! That's a first for me! Thanks to those of you who helped get it there!

4135796 I...I did a thing...I'm pretty sure it's way past the T-rating though...

Oh God, I did a thing.

4137419 Show it. At the very least the version that goes up will be modified.

This took WAY too long and I have no excuse, but here is the last of the Icicle series, Icicle 5. Please leave a comment.

The simmering green light around Chryssy's horn faded, and her glowing eyes dimmed back to their normal double-irises. The cotton in Twilight's head dissipated and she shook herself off. Standing from where she laid in the changeling's grasp, Twilight raised a hoof to her chest and breathed heavily.

"Alright, that's enough for today," the queen said. "Let's get you back to Ponyville."

Twilight nodded, looking around the queen's private, underground chambers. She climbed out of the cocoon-bed and stretched her legs, feeling the last remnants of the hypnosis therapy's buzz fade away. The hive of the Unified Changeling Swarm was dark and oppressive, but after Sombra's defeat Twilight had never been unwelcome there, and Chrysalis's chambers were well-stocked and furnished by the changelings' utilitarian standards. Every weekend for the past few months, she came to the queen's private chambers for hypnosis therapy, and then she returned back to her life as Ponyville's library.

Chrysalis came to stand by her and placed a hole-riddled foreleg over her withers, and lit up her horn. Twilight didn't even flinch when bright green fire appeared in a circle around her, nor when her stomach dropped out as she and Chrysalis began to sink into the ground. The stone floor rose up before her vision...

... and then was replaced by the ceiling of Golden Oaks Library. Twilight flailed for a moment as she started to fall, but before she needed to levitate herself Queen Chrysalis grabbed her in her forelegs and, buzzing her insect wings, lowered her to the floor.

The changeling nodded. "Alright Twilight, I'll see you next - "

"Wait!" Twilight said, causing the queen's building magic to fizzle out. "Chrysalis, do you want to, maybe stay a while after the next time? Head out into town?"

Chrysalis smirked, showing off her fangs. "I think I'd like that, Twi. It's a date." Twilight flustered, but despite that Chrysalis frowned and stepped over, placing a hoof over her withes again. "Be well, Twilight." She lit up her long, crooked horn again and sank into another fire portal, leaving Twilight in the library.

She walked over to a window and looked outside. The weather team had brought in snow while she was gone, and Ponyville was blanketed. Foals played in sleds and with snowballs, adults huddled for warmth and either wore scarves or had let their fur grow shaggy. Roofs were covered with precariously high snowbanks. Beneath the window Twilight looked out of, icicles hung.

They didn't scare her.

I create the prompt Winter Wonderland.

Oh hi. I haven't written anything for here in ages. I'm gonna take Siren and do it when I get up in the morning, if that's alright?

Claiming Mad Science.

Hey Everyling.
Just a quick request: I'm up-to-date at the moment, but from now on (at least while I'm updating the list), if you're claiming (or relinquishing) one of the prompts, could you respond to my comment with the list up at the top of the page? I can update faster that way. Thanks.

I'm gonna rescind Siren. I had an idea for it but I can't remember what it was and it's too difficult and annoying trying to come up with something which ties into the prompt properly.

Here is Mad Science.

"Hooahahahaha, AAAAHAHAHAhahahaha!" Twilight cackled, looking down at the changeling queen she had at her mercy. Chrysalis laid on her back on a smooth metal table, all her limbs stretched out and tied down with binds that slipped through the holes. A plethora of high-grade magic suppressors clung to her crooked horn and the queen had tucked her wings away beneath her shell to keep them safe.

"N-Now Twilight," Queen Chrysalis stammered, squirming helplessly. "Let's think about this. Don't you think this is a bit much?"

Twilight grinned a bit too wide and lit up her horn, pulling a massive apparatus from her castle's basement over the changeling queen. It rose up like a cobra and ended in a cone, with rings of thaumatic conductors around it. She aimed it right at the changeling's head.

"Come on, Twilight!" she begged. "This is ridiculous! Stop it!"

"I'm sorry," she said, grinning manically. "I can't hear you over how much I won the bet!" Though being forced to engage in the dominance games Chrysalis liked in bed probably wouldn't have been so bad. She teleported over to the console and tapped several buttons with a forehoof, ending with the 'Activate' button.

The machine began whirling, drawing on electric power from the nearby hydroelectric dam. It began to crackle with energy, moving down the 'cone' pointing at the writhing changeling. "Wait wait wait! Twilight this isn't necessary, isn't there some other way you can get a - " The machine releases a narrow, pale blue beam at Chrysalis's neck, wrapping around it like ribbons. "Ahahaha! Wait, wait Twilight, pleassssaahahaha! No, noooaaahahahaAHAHAHA!" she begged between laughs. Twilight watched intently as a tiny green stream of energy began flowing up the beam and into the apparatus, flooding the terminal besides her with magical data.

"AHAHAHA! TWWILAAHAHA! STOP IT, STOP IT PLEASAAHAHAHA! I CAN'T, I CAAHAHAHAHA!" her workerfriend pleaded, thrashing around with her eyes closed and tears streaming from them. Not that it would help; the bonds were so strong that no amount of imitation earth pony magic would help Chrysalis.

As the minutes passed and Chryssy writhed around, the machine analyzed her changeling magic and produced a readout comparing it to the three tribes' magic. Once it was done, Twilight shut down the analyzer. Chrysalis kept laughing long after the effect stopped, slowly calming down and controlling her gasping breaths. Once she was down to giggles, Twilight stepped up to her and began undoing her bindings.

"Thanks love," Twilight said, reaching up to stroke Chrysalis's belly, where her green shell wrapped around her underbelly. "This'll really help my paper." She took off the magic inhibitors from her horn and stored them in a nearby drawer.

Still giggling, the changeling sat up on the table and rolled off onto all fours. "Hehe, well I have to own up to my mista-ha-hakes. That'll teach me to think I can beat you in a math bee."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you were thinking when you made that bet."

"Well..." Chrysalis rubbed one of her forelegs over the other. "... I really wanted to see you tied up."

Twilight shook her head and smiled. That was Chrysalis, always with sex on the brain. Species considered, it probably wasn't that big a surprise. "Alright. How about for your hatching day, hmm?"

The queen smiled and leaned down to nuzzle into Twilight's mane. "Thank you, petal."

Ding!

Twilight whipped her head over to the magical apparatus and teleported over to it. The machine was busy printing out sheets of paper, filled with various scribbles describing Chrysalis's magic. She grinned, and began to read over it.

This information would help her so much...

I create the prompt... well, there's a Hearthstone add right below this so Pyroblast.

I claim Cider.

4152875 THRONE

I...I did a thing...

For longer than Twilight could remember, she had been approaching her mistress with a single request. The routine was always the same: she would climb up to the black throne, bow as was expected and repeat the words: “Let me go.”

And for longer than Twilight could remember, the answer had been: “Never.”

Queen Chrysalis. Her captor. Her tormentor. The changeling that had taken her from her bright world and bought her down here, away from the sun, away from her friends and family, away from even her magic. Her horn was bound, her wings were wrapped in that changeling goo, the dignity and pride that should have come with her Alicorn status was long gone, all thanks to Her. Twilight wanted to hate her so much, wanted to just hate the mare who had enslaved her, but something in that forlorn look the queen got every night when she asked…

Shaking her head to clear it, Twilight returned her attention to the task at hoof. For the past couple weeks, she had been picking at the lock at the collar around her neck, and now she thought she finally had it. It was only logical: the only time she was left alone was for sleep periods, during which she was left chained up in a small bedroom, a padded metal collar locked around her neck. This, of course, would be her chance to escape. It was the only time she was left actually unobserved by the changeling guards, if she could just…

One more twist of the hairclip in her hooves, and the collar suddenly popped open and clattered to the ground, the long, twisted length of attached chain clanking with it. Twilight sighed with relief and rubbed at her neck, grateful to finally be free. At least that part had gone well. She had stolen the clip nearly a week ago while she was being led through the barracks, down to the mines where she spent her days. The work wasn’t nearly as hard as she’d thought it would be, and better yet, it cleared her head, giving her a chance to think while the meager magic she was allowed worked on clearing rocks for another group of changelings to begin work on the next tunnel.

Twilight didn’t know what the changelings were working on that required so many tunnels. Perhaps another route into Canterlot? Another way to conquer the city? Either way, she knew she couldn’t keep on like this; whatever the changelings were working on, Princess Celestia would have to be warned!

Escape while she was working would seem the obvious choice: it was the only time she was allowed any magic, albeit just a tiny bit. She’d been quick to dismiss that possibility, though. Any attempts to free up more of her magic would undoubtedly shoot up an alert to Chrysalis herself, and she was constantly surrounded by guards while she worked. A small army of them, in fact. If, by some miracle, she did manage to free her magic, she could never defeat the sheer amount of guards surrounding her before reinforcements arrived, and she was in no shape to take on the changeling army. So, a stealthy escape it would have to be, but even that would be terribly complicated.

The only time she was left alone for any length of time was right now, during what she could only assume was nighttime. Even though her magic was restrained the entire night and she was forced to wear the collar that kept her leashed to the wall, like some kind of pet, she knew it would have to do. Well, she had just taken care of the collar, but what now?

Tip-hoofing quietly, she slunk to the door, still aware that her magic was completely restrained. She could do nothing except crack it open and peek, praying she wouldn’t be noticed. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned the door handle, surprised when it clicked open. Well, okay then. At least she wouldn’t have to put her newfound lockpicking skills to the test. She cracked the door open and peeked through, grimacing at the pair of changeling guards standing just outside. It may have only been two, but they could probably still call for help before she managed to defeat them. This would have to be quick, which meant being less gentle than she would usually care to be.

Yanking the door open, Twilight sprang at the guard nearest her like a coiled cobra. She struck him against the back of his head, knocking him out cold. The guard next to him proved to be a slight problem, but she easily back-flipped off that first stallion and landed on his back, only to discover that he was actually a her.

Blinking away her own surprise at her sudden gymnastic ability, Twilight remained focused on the changeling mare beneath her, clamping a hoof over the changeling’s muzzle and pinning her to the ground.

“P-please,” the mare quivered, but Twilight didn’t even give her an opportunity to finish the sentence before knocking her out with a hoof to the back of the head. With both changelings unconscious, she dragged them back into her room and bound them with her chain, locking it in place with the very same collar that had been used to contain her for weeks. The irony was not lost on her.

Returning to the door, Twilight crept into the hallway, her wing bindings actually working for her to keep her wings covered and inconspicuous. Again, irony. She easily navigated the halls into the large network of tunnels she was familiar with. Once there, she knew just one direction: up. She had to keep going up. She approached the first tunnel she’d ever noticed that led up, away from this level, which was the highest she’d been allowed to travel since being captured and enslaved by the changelings. She crept up the tunnel, mindful of any other changelings she might come across, and…

It was so exciting: a portal to another dimension! Something like that just appearing right in their own backyards, what were the odds? More importantly, what was beyond it? Oh, if only they could see…

Twilight blinked. What…what was that? A memory? Why had it just come to her now, out of the blue!? It had seemed pretty recent, which only made sense. She knew there was a gap in her memory from when the changelings had kidnapped her. All she remembered was going to sleep in her own palace one night, and waking up in this awful place. But just how big was that gap in her memory?

Twilight grimaced, her eyes burning with determination. Whatever spell the changelings had placed to lock up her memories, a little of it had come undone by ascending up these steps. Maybe whatever kept the spell in place was further on, deeper into the Hive, and the further from it she got the more of her memory would come unlocked? Either way, she knew she absolutely had to get out. Equestria was probably still in danger, and whatever was locked away in her memory might hold the key to saving it!

A few more minutes passed unhindered. Again, she blessed the bindings around her wings. She might have been tempted to take flight if the option hadn’t been taken from her. This way might have been slower, but it was certainly quieter. Besides, now she had time to slow down and think before the next memory got called…

They had learned so much! That portal’s mere presence had thrown Equestria’s understanding of magic ahead by centuries! And now, the readings coming off it must have meant something was coming through, something new…

She shook her head again. Seriously, what were these memories? They all centered around some portal popping up in Equestria…why? What was so special about a portal? Perhaps it was some strange, naturally-occurring one unlike any detailed in the Canterlot Archives? Or perhaps…

Her head swimming with questions, Twilight didn’t notice the changeling laborer trundling along with a couple buckets of gems until she was practically muzzle-to-muzzle with him, staring right into his eyes. The changeling blinked. She blinked back, a hoof still pressed to her chin in thought.

“Escape!” He screamed, turning to run. “The Princess has gotten…”

Once again, she didn’t give the changeling time to finish his sentence, bounding off the wall and coming down on his back as hard as she could, pressing him to the ground. Too late. She could hear shouts further on down the cavern, the clanking of armor, the stomp of hooves. Just great. Now, she wished for her wings to be unbound. Twilight took off at a dead gallop, shooting through the tunnels, praying for the strength to make it to the surface. At the very least, let her see the sun with her own two eyes before being dragged into the darkness again.

“Where is she!?” A voice cried faintly behind her.

“I can feel her emotions…she went this way!” Came a reply.

“Oh gods…if the Queen finds out we let her get this far…oh gods!”

Twilight focused all her might into galloping. She had never been much for physical activity, and now she regretted every day she’d spent ignoring her physical well-being in favor of her mental. Sure, a sharp mind had been her saving grace on more than one occasion, but fast hooves never hurt either. Oh, how she wished Rainbow or Applejack were here!

As she ran, she kept an ear out for the voices and hoofsteps thundering behind her. She had to know if the changelings were getting close. What’s more, she had to know if Chrysalis was joining the chase. She didn’t know what she’d do then, but it would have to be rather drastic. Much like this entire escape. But most of all, she had to ignore the snippets of unclear memory flashing before her eyes. There was no time to stop and piece them together, she would just have to wait to be out in the sunlight before trying to work it all out in her head. Though what she did have time to pick up wasn’t all that encouraging.

Lost…all hope…lost…

Rarity, just run! I’ll hold ‘em off, just…NO!

Kill me…oh Celestia and Luna please, kill me…

That last one almost made her pause in her step, despite knowing that would be the end of her escape. The changelings were almost on top of her now. Even the smallest trip-up would be enough for her to fall into captivity, inexplicable kung-fu powers or not. But she stayed on her hooves anyway. There seemed nothing else she could do.

Finally, a light appeared! At last! Ignoring the cries behind her, Twilight poured on whatever speed she had left in her body, ignoring the aches in her knees and the sweat matting her coat. All that mattered now was the light, feeling her mentor’s sun on her face again would set everything to rights, she just knew it would! Whatever was really going on, as long as she could feel that sun again, she would be able to piece it all together.

Oh Celestia, what is that thing!?

Breached! The castle walls have been breached! Oh Luna above, help us!

KILL ME! PLEAAASSSSEEE! JUST…

“Twilight! Stop!” Chrysalis’s voice! Ohnononono…this was bad! She was so close! She just had to…

Using whatever will she had left, Twilight summoned every scrap of magic the goo permitted. It turned out to be no more than was allotted during her hours toiling in the mines, but that was enough. If it could open up a cavern, it could close one up too. Twisting in place, she unleashed a single burst of magic at a spot of roof between herself and the changeling horde. There was a quick roar, then a crack, then the entire section of tunnel collapsed, creating a perfect blockade that would take the changelings hours to get through.

Oh Celestia, this is the end…they’re dead, the princesses are really dead…

Gritting her teeth, Twilight turned to the light. Whatever was going on, it would all be clear in a short while. All she had to do was take a few steps, and she would be in the sun again. Then everything would make sense, she felt it. So she ignored the twist of anxiety deep in her gut and the pleading voices on the other side of the barrier, begging her not to leave, probably out of desperation to keep her as a trophy. Fat chance of that.

Twilight trotted off, shaking her head with each new memory as it bombarded her skull.

Hell. It’s hell on the other side of that portal.

Celestia and Luna above…are you all seeing this? What is that thing!? WHAT IN…

She stumbled, losing her balance and slumping against the cave wall, dirtying her coat even more. Streaks of mud and dust clung to her, and for some reason, tears were soaking her cheeks. But she wouldn’t stop, she couldn’t because…

Because…

Dead. They’re all dead. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie…all gone…what’s left?

“Nuh-no…” she mumbled, taking off for the light at top speed, desperately reaching for it, needing to drink in Celestia’s sun and gaze out over the green pastures of her homeland, because the alternative…the alternative…it couldn’t be true, it couldn’t be…

This is Princess Twilight Sparkle broadcasting on all magical frequencies: Equestria has fallen. I repeat, Equestria has fallen. To anypony left alive, listen to me. Don’t fight. You can’t fight them. Just run. Pick a direction and run. Doesn’t matter where. The Minotaur lands, hell, even the changeling Badlands would be decent. Maybe they’ll have better luck fighting these things than we have, and a lifetime in a pod is a better choice than what THEY have in store for you.

One last thing: if THEY are about to capture you, kill yourself. That would be better too. That is all. Goodbye…oh Celestia and Luna, no…get off me, please…no! NO! LET GO OF ME NO PLEASE…

Twilight looked out from the top of the changeling hive, perched on a charred, scraggly remnant of rock. Her chest heaved, her cheeks soaked with tears. A scorched hellscape stretched out in every direction. Twisted remnants of trees barely poked out of the tortured land next to the dried mud patches that had once been lakes and rivers. At the base of the mountain stood what had to be the ruins of Sugarcube Corner, the patched-together, shaky wooden structure the only thing recognizable. Celestia only knew where her old library, her palace, and her friend’s houses would be.

All at once, Twilight Sparkle sank to her haunches, weeping openly as it all came to her.

The portal had opened up just outside Canterlot last summer. Celestia knows why. Perhaps it was a weird twist in the interdimensional magics, or perhaps it was created by someone…or more accurately, something…on the other side. Either way, the initial reaction had been of mixed curiosity and wariness. The thing had the potential to throw understanding of teleportation magic ahead by decades, if not centuries, even if nopony could say what might have created it.

Then it actually opened, and all hell came pouring through. Leather-winged things with razor-sharp talons and eyes as black as night, tentacle-covered things that oozed acid from every pore, creatures with eight arms clenching a sword each, fat-blanketed things the size of villages with mouths like caverns, lined with razor-sharp teeth.

Fluttershy was the first to go. Despite the things’ horrifying appearances, she’d had a reputation as a tamer of beasts to uphold. The winged demons ripped her to shreds and spread her bits all across the countryside, as if in warning. After that, the guard had gotten involved, as had her friends. They’d all been torn apart, the “battles” with the demons nothing short of massacres. Any attempt to stand and fight with sword, magic, or weather control had become a bloodbath. The very next day, Canterlot fell. Twilight wished the Princesses had merely been killed, but no, they had to be made an example of…there had been things done to them, horrible things that exploited every hole in their bodies with precision that suggested practice, and it only got worse when the demons had realized how durable the pair were…

Oh Lulu…kill me. Please, just kill me…

One by one, her friends had stood. One by one, they each had fallen, each death longer and more drawn-out than the last. It seemed as though the demons learned with each life they took, figuring out how much pain a pony could take and still live.

The Elements did nothing, even with what magic they could summon without Fluttershy. In the end, it had just been Twilight making one final transmission from the basement of her ruined palace, a transmission that led the things outside straight to her. Oh, if only the pain had ended there…

What followed was weeks of torture and imprisonment, right in the Canterlot dungeons. Her horn was snapped off at the base when she’d first been captured, and even that horrible pain had been nothing compared to the weeks she’d spent bound in barbed wire, kept alive on a steady diet of blood and raw flesh forced down her throat, dreading every night when her tormenters would randomly visit with tortures that were brilliant in their ability to break her both mentally and physically…

Twilight looked out over the edge of the cliff. Straight drop to the twisted rocks below. Okay, that was good. With her magic and wings still restrained, there’d be no backing out. Somewhere in another world, she heard something break, a crash, a dozen voices screaming her name. Didn’t matter. That was someplace else now. Someplace that didn’t matter.

Twilight just dropped. She simply leaned forward and went over the edge, dropping away. She anticipated the rocks far below with a tiny smile, the tears peeling away from her face from the wind now. She fell, and the last memory before her mind was suppressed reappeared in her mind’s eye:

The day she’d heard voices up above was the day it all ended. It could have been a year, it could have been a century after she’d been imprisoned, she’d never cared to keep track. After losing her friends, why would she? Then came footsteps on the stairs. She’d risen to her hooves, as instructed whenever the things upstairs wanted their fun, and a changeling had appeared before her instead.

The drop continued. Gossamer wings rustled overhead.

”Holy hell, we found one!” The changeling gasped, turning back upwards. “Everyone! We found one! Somepony’s alive down here!”

“What?” Then, Chrysalis herself appeared before her, looking over Twilight as if she were a bipedal, talking monkey. “Dearest Maker above, it’s Twilight Sparkle.”

“H-how? How is she still alive? Oh sweet chitin, look at her wings…look what they did to her wings…”

“I…I don’t know, my little drone…Sparkle? Sparkle, are you…”

The rocks approached. Twilight closed her eyes.

”…and, there!” The nurse minotaur took a step back. “That should be the last of the barbed wire.”

“Ye gods,” the diamond dog next to her shook his big, shaggy head. “Didn’t think the ugly-ones left any of the royals alive.”

“This is good,” the griffon joining them said, her head lifting in hope while she stroked her silken feathers. “If she’s royal, she’s strong. She can help take back the city.”

The ground shook, and the small group looked up towards the ceiling with wary glances. “It’s as good an idea as any, so long as it spares more of my changelings from dying at the hands of these abominations,” Chrysalis said, and the others nodded their agreement. Twilight took note of the scuffs and dents in Chrysalis’s chitin, the bags under the minotaur female’s eyes, the loose feathers covering the griffon’s coat. This was a group that had been through a long, hard war.

But Twilight had been through hell. She was done fighting.

“Okay Sparkle, look, I know we’ve had our differences, but now’s the time to put them aside,” Chrysalis said, reaching to one of her guards and retrieving a crossbow. “It’s the final push, and then we’ll be rid of these monstrosities and finally be able to rebuild, but we could use your help. Your horn still looks damaged, but do you think you could use this?”

Twilight took the crossbow when it was offered. Her thousand-yard-stare rolled down to it, then back up to the changeling. She nodded, her jaw still hanging agape.

“Good,” Chrysalis nodded, then turned back to confide with the others. “We still need to drive for the palace, once we have that the city’s ours.”

“It’ll be a damned slaughter,” the griffon pointed out. “The Unholy occupy every structure along every street we could use, they’ll be pouring fire onto us the entire way.”

“This whole damned war has been a slaughter!” The diamond dog shouted, thundering his huge fist against a table. “The sooner we end it, the more lives we’ll save!”

“What’s the point though, if…”

Twilight was only half-listening. Her attention was focused on the crossbow. What little was left of her sanity knew what had to happen. Some deep, part of her gasped at the mention of this, flooding her with disgust, but she ignored it. She cocked the weapon.

The dog’s ear twitched. He turned, his eyes widening.

Twilight’s eyes opened to slits. The rocks were close now. It would be any moment.

The dog gasped as Twilight lifted the crossbow, pressing the tip of the bolt against the fleshy patch of skin beneath her own chin.

“TWILIGHT!” A voice cried somewhere behind her.

Oh no, not her. Not again.

”TWILIGHT!” That same voice cried as the group realized what was happening. Chrysalis lunged. Twilight raised a hoof to the trigger.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, both now and then. “I just can’t. Not without them. I’m not strong enough.”

She increased the pressure on the trigger, feeling it start to give. It was stiffer than she’d thought it would be, but then she’d never been interested in triggered weapons such as this.

She leaned forward, hastening her fall. This was taking longer than she’d thought, or perhaps that was just in her head?

Whatever…

…it would…

…all be over…

…soon. Twilight leaned forward, and felt…

…something was blocking the trigger….

…something snatched her out of mid-air. Twilight opened her eyes. Chrysalis stood over her, pinning her against the rock, her breath coming out in rapid gasps.

“Twilight, please,” she whispered. “Please, just stop. We need you back. We all need you back.”

Twilight regarded Chrysalis with that thousand-yard stare.

“Twilight, please!” In a flash of green flame, Chrysalis transformed into a carbon copy of Celestia. “We’re changelings! We can be anypony you want! We’ll do anything you want! But we need you to bring back Equestria, we need you to help rebuild, please!”

Sniffling, Celestia’s form vanished in a burst of green fire. Chrysalis pressed herself against Twilight. “Please, just tell me what you want. Please, I need you.”

Slowly, Twilight wrapped her hooves around the Queen. “Let me go,” she whispered.

Sniffling, the Queen pressed a kiss to the fallen Princess’s forehead and nuzzled her cheek. “Never,” she whispered back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For longer than Twilight could remember, she had been approaching her mistress with a single request. The routine was always the same: she would climb up to the black throne, bow as was expected and repeat the words: “Let me go.”

And for longer than Twilight could remember, the answer had been: “Never.”

Queen Chrysalis. Her captor. Her tormentor. The changeling that had taken her from her bright world and bought her down here, away from the sun, away from her friends and family, away from even her magic. Her horn was bound, her wings were wrapped in that changeling goo, the dignity and pride that should have come with her Alicorn status was long gone, all thanks to Her. Twilight wanted to hate her so much, wanted to just hate the mare who had enslaved her, but something in that forlorn look the queen got every night when she asked…

Please, just tell me what you want. Please, I need you.

Shaking her head to clear it, Twilight returned her attention to the task at hoof. For the past couple weeks, she had been picking at the lock at the collar around her neck, and now she thought she finally had it. It was only logical: the only time she was left alone was for sleep periods, during which she was left chained up in a small bedroom, a padded metal collar locked around her neck. This, of course, would be her chance to escape. It was the only time she was left actually unobserved by the changeling guards, if she could just…

I did a thing *sobs* I did a thing...
4135796

4158293

got every

got "her" every night? Uhmmm wait why do you start with the same description that you begun. I don't exactly get it.

In any case this was nice. Any new prompts?

4158293 ... whoa. That was a journey. The slow revelation of precisely what happened, poor Twilight's memory returning, Chrysalis saving her, and the reveal of 'every night when she asked', hinting that this has been going on for a long time, the meaning of 'let me go', and it's not her first escape attempt...

Damn it man. That was incredible. Take all my upvotes.

4158453 It means the cycle is beginning again, exactly as it started.

4158509 Aww :)

As for new prompt..."Ten years later"

4158604 There there *pat pat*

4158610

4158633 *hugs* I'll write something nice just to make your feel better.

4158645

Still got Cider but motherfucker it's so hot here!

Claiming: Makahadoma

Prompt: Makahadoma

One of the perks of being a Queen was that you learned to savor the emotions others simply let radiate off themselves. You could stretch out your enjoyment of it for as long as you wished. Sitting across the table from the Sun Princess herself had at first seemed like a barren affair, the damned Alicorn gave not even the barest hints to her emotions. I'd sworn I’d gotten more from the ambient feelings that had seeped into the Hives walls through the millennia than I did in the two hours I’d spent with her.

It was then the ancestors sent me a gift. Her young Apprentice, that little purple unicorn I’d found so insignificant at the Wedding. She’d hardly changed in the year between then and now, the same gleaming intelligence in her eyes, and a flank you could bounce a quarter off of. The first thing I noticed was the sheer amount of curiosity wafting off of her was overpowering, sure it was chased with hints of anger, and apprehension, but she was nearly beside herself with the chance to question me.

I closed my eyes savoring the supple raspberry lemonade taste of her emotions. I let the time slow as I felt it and shivered dissecting the different emotions, the subtle heat of her anger, and strangely a slight hint of resentment. I blinked allowing myself back into the moment and then I bowed my head

“It is nice to meet you on proper terms Twilight Sparkle”

It would be fun to find the reason behind each and every taste.

New Prompt: Centurion

4182597 Interesting... say how did you link the prompt with the text might i say?

4183635

You mean this?

or how did I come up with the story using that Prompt?

4183737 The latter yes.

4183772 The explanation I found for the word was an anime attack to slow down time, so I just thought of how Chrysalis would use it. She'd slow down her own perception to savor the taste of emotions, if you notice she seems to be tuning most of what Celestia is saying out.

4183800 The meaning of the word however comes from the cold hells of religion. But eh that's one way to do it.

4183804 Blame Google!

4183815 HERP DERP!

4183804
4183815
Well, I guess I can take that one off the list, then. Finally, a new update!

Unfortunately none of the current prompts actually fit the idea I have in mind.

4182597 Nice, interesting take on the addage of time slowing down when deep in thought.

4183953 lol, got bored trying to work on my actual story, realized I'd never done a prompt here

4183962 Thanks, I might continue it later on

I present Cider! Please do leave a comment, everyling.

Drunk ponies were hilarious.

No, scratch that, the idea of 'drunk' was hilarious!

Really, it was! Ponies would voluntarily make their drinks filled with microorganisms, microorganisms whose only purpose was to take in the drink and replace some of it with poison. Then the ponies would go and sell that poison, and willingly gather to celebrate occasions by drinking poison, have fun by drinking poison, or try to make themselves feel better by drinking poison! An example of the second was resting on her shell right that second as she brought her back to the library.

"And... and nopony ever seems to get it!" the unicorn ranted. "They always... always go on about how nopony can ever daaaare move the sun and moon besides the Princesses, and, and nopony knows how but they never ever seem to consider that, hey, maybe we should go to the Canterlot public libraaary. It's not like, like the Princesses published books on what spells they use to... to get around the sun and moon's incredible mass. Bunch of... bunch of ostriches. Heads in the sand."

Having visited the ostrich nation before, Chrysalis could confirm that Twilight's prejudice was entirely accurate.

"And they're... they're always so skiiitish about you! I mean, so what if you, if you invaded the capitol's nation, overpowered a goddess, and intended to turn Equestria into land of the pod ponies?" Thanks for the flattery, she thought humorously. "You're soooo nice when you're not, like, ordering changelings around and... and threatening executions." Chrysalis still didn't get why that was so frowned upon.

"Thanks, love," she said as they neared the library. "Let's get you into bed."

"Nooooo," she wailed, flailing her hooves around on the queen's back. "Don't wanna sleep. So much to dooooo. Life's too short for sleep."

Chrysalis winced at that. Unlike Twilight, she was immortal. At least, she was so long as she kept enough power that she could overwhelm Celestia. Twilight mentioning life was too short... at least the pony probably wouldn't remember that in the morning.

By that time, they'd gotten inside the library, and Chrysalis was clip-clopping her way up the stairs to the unicorn's bedroom. She reached the top and opened the door with her magic, taking care so as not to put so much strength in her magic that she tore it off its hinges... again. Then she walked inside and levitated Twilight off her back - I'm a pegasus! - and deposited her on her bed.

"Mmm, Chryssy, you know I love you, right?" Twilight slurred.

"Of course I do, love." She moved Twilight around so that, if she threw up, she wouldn't suffocate herself. "I love you too."

The pony giggled. "You're my liiiittle lovebug. You can, can, be my snugglebug tonight too."

Chrysalis shook her head. "Not tonight petal, why don't you get some sleep?" She lit up her horn again and did two things; first she put Twilight to sleep, second she conjured slime around Twilight's body to keep her from rolling out of the safe position she was in; the pony could teleport out of it in the morning.

... speaking of the morning, Twilight would be hungover after Applejack's birthday party, so Chrysalis would need to come by with water.

She sighed and shook her head. Ponies were such high maintenance. A queen's work was never done...

A lot of prompts, so I claim Gaseous.

4192305 That's hilarious.
A lot of prompts there may be, but do you have one to add? 'Tis customary, after all.

4192635 Hmm... Insanity.

4192642 Sounds good.
Time for a new page!

Current prompts (Up-to-date as of 5/3):

Crash Landing (palaikai)
First Contact (bobbananaville)
Five
Gaseous (Europa)
Insanity
Peppermint (TheMusicalBoy93)
Pounds
Pyroblast
Queen Twilight
Quotation
Stepford
Tasty Murder (Foals Errand)
Ten Years Later
Tobacco
Whiskey
Winter Wonderland

4192647
I'm claiming "Centurion".

4192958 Interested to see what you'll do with it!