//------------------------------// // Return of a Chieftain // Story: A Chieftain's Rising // by Pen Dragon //------------------------------// Return of a Chieftain Clouds surrounded the sky as the former Changeling Queen, Chrysalis ran through the Everfree Forest with rage as she escaped from her pursuers. After her defeat against Starlight Glimmer and her friends she had lost everything. Her title, her home, her kingdom, and her armies, now every last one of them followed the newest Changeling King, Thorax and she hated every moment of it. ‘I swear I shall have my revenge on those pitiful ponies and those traitors, but the question is how?’ She thought to herself as she wandered aimlessly through the Everfree Forest, trying to find shelter from the cold. Chrysalis could only growl as the wind blew through her mane, causing her to shiver as she pressed on. The former queen would have never thought that she would sink so low. “I almost had Equestria within my hoof, but now I’m left with nothing! I promise you Starlight Glimmer I’ll get my revenge on you-” Before she could finish her monologue, Chrysalis tripped and fell down a ledge, tumbling down until she hit the solid ground on her back, crushing her wing. “Grrr… Damn it! How much worse could this possible get?!” She groaned, only for the sounds of thunder to ring through out the air, rain soon began to pour down on the changeling as if she was asking for it. She began to look at her surroundings and noticed a cave not too far from where she was at and at this point she was fine with anything if it meant she could escape the rain. ‘It’s not much, but it’ll have to do until I find a more suitable lair for my new hive.’ Without any hesitation she entered the cave and shook her mane and tail dry from the rain. It was dark, but with a simple flicker of her horn, a green aura formed around it as it illuminated the darkness around her, revealing an unusually large grey metallic container of some kind. To Chrysalis it was completely new to her, almost alien. She cautiously approached the capsule before wiping away the dust. Peering inside was a strange bipedal creature, almost resembling an ape, but was holding a mallet of some kind. ‘Even if it’s just a mindless beast… Surely I can handle taking that weapon from it with ease or perhaps make it into a personal servant. Who knows?’ Chrysalis had made up her mind as a bright green beam of magic shot from her horn, cutting through the metal capsule with ease before a large piece of it fell to the ground with a loud thud. THUD! Before long the large beast’s eyes opened, groggily stepping out with the large hammer in hands, before roaring out into the air. “GRR… Where am I?” “You are in Equestria and what the Heck are you?!” She asked, baring her fangs, but the brute did not seemed faze by her outburst. “I am Tartarus… Chieftain of the Brutes and servant of the noble Prophet, Discord.” He said, earning a baffled look from the changeling. “You served Discord? There haven’t been any mentioning of him having servants.” Chrysalis explained to the brute who shook his head in response. “Of course he has servant! Me and my clan have served him faithfully for years and helped conquer Equestria and helped obtain great power under the great covenant!” He stated, placing his fist against his chest and Chrysalis couldn’t help but smirk at this opportunity to hear what this stranger had to say. “Oh, do go on… Surely this covenant of yours must have been powerful if they aided Discord a thousand years ago?” She asked with a slur in her voice as she approached the beast with a devious grin. “If it weren’t for us… Prophet Discord wouldn’t have gained control of Equestria! Surely our covenant has grown drastically over the years under his rule… Right?” He said, turning towards the changeling who only laughed in response. “Discord is nothing but a two timing backstabber! If he truly did care for your people than he’d still be in control to this very day! He imprisoned you and claimed all the glory for himself!” Before she could go on, Tartarus growled in anger before blasting a wave of energy from his hammer at the changeling, sending the former queen crashing to the wall with incredible force. “LIES! What you say is heresy! My people surely are ruling these lands under his rule!” Tartarus shouted as he approached the changeling in rage, aiming his hammer at her. “N-no I’m not lying to you… If your kind was truly in control than I would at least know of your existence… Discord works with those wretched princesses now like a mindless puppet for those ponies! He was even responsible for dethroning me from my own kingdom!” The Jiralhanae lowered his weapon, giving the changeling a curious look before growling. “And why should I believe you?” He asked. “Because I can show you with a projection of your so called ‘Prophets’ loyalty to you and your race!” She spat as her horn glowed, showing a projection above them of Discord hugging a yellow pegasus with long Pink mane and him with the ponies. What she was showing him was true as the Chrysalis took flight, leaving her former kingdom, vowing revenge upon them. “Grrrr… THAT HERETIC!! He had deceived us!” He roared out, swinging his hammer at the wall, breaking a massive hole in the wall. “The truth hurts doesn't? But I can promise you that you’ll have your revenge… Only if you serve me faithfully and I can promise you that your kind and my race shall rule all of Equestria for 1000 years!” She declared with smirk as her horn glowed once again, manipulating the beast’s mind with her magic. She didn’t need to control him like she did the others, all she needed was persuade the Jiralhanae with images of the two ruling the lands with an iron hoof. “I shall serve you faithfully my queen… but before we can even think of taking Equestria we must find where that slithering snake is hiding my clan and ship!” He said, before exiting the cave with the changeling grinning in response. “And where do we start looking? Shouldn’t we be heading back to my empire to conquer it?!” Chrysalis said, growling at the brute. “I promise you my queen that we’ll reclaim your empire, but we alone can’t defeat your enemies if they outnumber us. My clan is large enough to conquer entire country in a matter of weeks and if Discord is truly working with those ponies than we’ll need time to plan due to his chaotic powers.” Tartarus explained as he headed off into the wood. “Do you even know where your clan is?” She asked. “There is only one place I know of that Discord could have hidden my ship and my clan and that is all the way in whitetail woods a three days trip! Hopefully we can find them there or at the very least find some clues there.” In hindsight it made sense to the former queen as she followed the brute into the wood. All she knew was that it was going to be a long journey ahead of them.