How dare they! How DARE they!
The angry thoughts filled Chrysalis’s head as she ran, her holed legs pounding against the bleak, parched soil of the Badlands. Her heart boiled with inherent dislike for ponies and her former Hive.
Everything had been going just fine: the element bearers, the Royal Pony Sisters, Shining Armour, Cadence and their alicorn filly had been imprisoned; along with most of the little rescue patrol. And then Starlight Glimmer and that – that little, insolent, backstabbing traitor called Thorax had the nerve to show the Hive that there was another way of getting love … through friendship.
“HA!” She spat out loud. They were wrong, oh so very wrong. Friendship was just like love, only fit to be eaten. Anyway, since when did ponies care for my kind? They think that we’re freaks, mutants and monsters … think that I’m …? She shook her head furiously. No sense in bringing it up now. I’ve got to find some place to live now that my kind don’t want me anymore. She gritted her teeth again. Well if they want to live in that delusional state, then they can do. I don’t need anyone! They’ve made that perfectly clear to me.
She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Breathing hard, she turned and looked back at the place where her Hive was. For a few moments, she said nothing. A small tear rolled down her cheek, but she swiped at it angrily and turned around again.
Summoning her magic, she thought of Equestria and chose a random place. A circle of green fire flashed into being around her, and then it and the changeling slowly sank into the ground and vanished. A chill wind blew over the ground, slowly obliterating the hoofprints of the former Changeling Queen.
Starlight Glimmer flopped onto her bed and sighed. It had been one long exhausting day. Going to the Changeling Kingdom, breaking Queen Chrysalis’s throne, and rescuing her friends had really tired her out. So had the Sunset Festival, back at her old village. Trixie had been right to tell her to let go of her past. Twilight was right too, though Starlight wished that she could have come along with her and Trixie. The thought of Twilight and Spike being ambushed in the castle with nopony coming to their aid was more than she could bear.
Anyway, the danger was over now. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were back in Canterlot, Shining Amour with his wife and daughter were in the Crystal Empire … and her kidnapped best friends were back in Ponyville where they belonged.
There was just one thing that bothered her. When Chrysalis refused her offer of friendship, Starlight had looked deeply into her eyes. There had been anger, there had also been hatred, desperation … and loneliness. The last had been a bit of a surprise, given Chrysalis’s usually-seen attitude … but there was still something else. Something hidden, something secret. The pink unicorn wondered what it was. Maybe it’s regret? I don’t know. I was sad when she refused my offer of friendship … but maybe she’ll change her mind in the future?
Starlight remembered feeling a bit disappointed and down when Chrysalis ran off. Is this what Twilight felt when she made the friendship offer to me when we first saw each other?
Remembering the look of rage on Chrysalis’s face, Starlight shivered. I hope that she doesn’t come back to seek revenge. Revenge can go horribly wrong. She thought about how she nearly caused Equestria to be destroyed through her jealousy, frustration and anger. Twilight said that everything that we do has a consequence … and she was right.
A sudden knock on the door dispelled her dark thoughts, and she said: “Come in.”
Spike came into the room, holding two cups of hot chocolate; with marshmallows floating in them. He grinned at Starlight.
“Twilight says that we can have a special treat tonight because of what just happened with the second changeling attack. The rest of the girls are staying here for the night. With being ambushed and imprisoned in pods, Fluttershy and Rarity are feeling understandably nervous and edgy. The rest of them probably feel the same way too, even though they won’t admit it.”
Starlight chuckled a little. “Oh, I can’t blame them. The whole experience was a bit nerve-wracking for me too. I’m just relieved that total catastrophe was averted … again.” Her smile dropped a bit. “I just wish that I could have done more.”
“Are you kidding? You practically helped to save the day, get our friends, Shining Armour and the Princesses back, and showed the Changelings that they could be more than love-sucking insect ponies!” Spike said.
The pink unicorn sighed again. “Almost all of them”, she said, thinking of a pair of slitted, double-irised eyes.
Spike could probably tell what or rather who she was thinking about, but he said nothing about it. Instead he fixed a smile onto his face, and held out one of the cups of hot chocolate to Starlight, who took it.
“Let’s join the others, Spike”, she said. Starlight opened the door with her magic, and then she and Spike went through.
Several meadows and a few thickets away from Ponyville, green fire flashed in a big circle; lighting up the place like a Nightmare Night lantern. A few rabbits rose up to have a look … but minutes later, bolted away once they saw the hunched holey shape of Chrysalis in the middle of the circle.
The green magic died down as the tall changeling straightened up, breathing a bit too quickly. Chrysalis was surprised by that. Normally, I don’t get out of breath when doing magic … must have been that shockwave of love that destroyed my throne. Why, oh why do these things keep happening to me? She took a look around.
Hmmm … it’s nowhere that I know. Right, now to make a plan. Chrysalis began to list possibilities and potential strategies in her mind in an orderly fashion. She might not be the Changeling Leader anymore but she was still a master strategist.
Suddenly, she felt woozy. Her legs felt weak and she realised that she was terribly exhausted, and hungry. She made a few steps forward, and then collapsed where she’d been standing. Have to – to rest … Her eyes closed, and there was nothing but darkness.