Solar Eclipse approached her ritual site in the mines beneath Canterlot. The ground was littered with the bodies of five dead ponies, and stained with their blood. Tonight, it would be six. Her horn glowed brightly, the same symbol as her rune appearing on the floor as it summoned her victim to her. A pegasus, scared and alone, an easy target for her, but not a very rewarding one.
"Do not fear, my child." Daybreaker began, drawing the dagger, now discolored and rusting from abuse. "You shall join me, and become something greater than yourself!" She lunged at the pegasus, stabbing downward with force.
The pegasus grinned at her, their body being enveloped in a flash as the dagger struck them. Now laying below Solar Eclipse was the current leader of changelings, Thorax; her ceremonial dagger broken off on his chest.
"To quote your better self: 'Gotcha.'"
The alicorn roared in anger, her horn lighting up and blasting the changeling with flames as she lept back to her feet. "How dare you, you mutant freak!" she shouted, beginning to beat him as he coughed and groaned, "How dare you try to fool me! You stupid, useless husk!"
"For someone useless, I didn't have much trouble beating you. And I'm willing to guess you can't risk ruining your ritual by killing me tonight." The changeling's confident smirk refused to diminish, even as he continued to be beaten.
Solar Eclipse growled. He was right, she needed the will of ponies. Killing Thorax here would be of no use, and his sacrifice would ruin everything she'd worked for so far. "No, you're right. I can't kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead." Her eyes began to glow, tendrils of darkness coming from them. "Tell me changeling... Do you feel fear?"
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Thorax woke up, Chrysalis standing over him. He was no longer in the mines, but he was still underground. This place felt familiar. "T-The hive?" He asked wearily, beginning to sit up. He felt his arms being held back, restrained. Turning he saw his arms held to the floor by green slime, his black arms. "N-No... He looked at himself, seeing black chitin covering him, his bright colors long gone. "No! This isn't possible! I can't be-"
"What? Back to normal?" Chrysalis interrupted, looking him over as if she was inspecting him like merchandise. "Back where you belong, among the rank and file? What's not to believe? It's your natural place in the world, isn't it? And aren't you relieved, not having to worry, or think, or feel? You were a fool to think I'd let you get away with taking everything from me. Now, I have everything back, and just to be sure, I'll make an example out of you. You'll be left here to rot, a warning to never resist my rule." She laughed cruelly, turning to leave.
Thorax could feel his heart breaking. Chrysalis had trusted him, hadn't she? Why would she turn on him? Wait, had she trusted him? It was so hard to remember. Like a dream, any memory of it slowly slipping out of reach. A dream...
"Wait!" Thorax called out. Chrysalis paused, her face twisting into a frustrated scowl.
"What could you possibly have to say to me? You've lost."
"If this is to be my fate, then why would you have told me everything you did in the garden? Why share that genuine sorrow and regret? I could feel it, taste the bitterness and sadness in every word." Thorax could feel himself becoming stronger as he spoke, his bindings beginning to weaken. "Why would you confess what you knew, unless you needed me too?"
The world seemed to shatter in front of Thorax's eyes, disappearing into a fog of black and green. He felt pain, collapsing on his side in anguish. The fog was dissipating, slowly revealing his surroundings. He was back in the mines. Solar Eclipse was nowhere to be seen.
"It was a dream. An illusion." Thorax looked at himself. He was once again, colorful and tall, but now covered in wounds. "She just wanted me still so she could use me as stress relief." He slowly climbed to his feet, feeling the world spin again. He had to get to Chrysalis. She needed to know what was going on. She needed to stop this.
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Twilight was met by Chrysalis at the entrance to the castle. She was naked, and pacing impatiently. "I got here as fast I could." Twilight explained, before being silenced by Chrysalis raising a hand.
"There's not enough time to explain in detail, but I know who's behind all the recent disappearances." Chrysalis said as the two changelings from earlier arrived.
"You do? How? Who?"
Chrysalis closed her eyes, summoning all her confidence with a breath. "I, Chrysalis, disgraced queen of changelings, am behind every disappearance." She braced, expecting a blow or a blast of magic, or possibly something more fatal. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes. Twilight looked horrified and betrayed, but not angry.
"But why wo-"
"Chrysalis!"
Twilight was interrupted by a voice of someone approaching. Those gathered all looked up. A badly wounded changeling was approaching.
"Thorax, you're back, thank the stars." Chrysalis said with a sigh, moving to aid him. He shook his head, pushing her hands away. "There's no time. Solar Eclipse took a new sacrifice. They're going into the mines now. I would've been caught again if I hadn't taken a moment to hide."
"Sacrifice? You mean..." Chrysalis looked down, sighing. "I suppose it was too much to hope that they were still alive..."
"Go to the deepest chamber in the mines, you remember it."
Chrysalis nodded, motioning for Twilight to come to her.
"This is going to be dangerous Twilight, it will be just yourself and I against everything Solar Eclipse can throw at us. ...I don't expect to live, but I helped start this. I have to help end it. If I do though, I'll confess everything, I swear it."
Twilight nodded in response. "I don't understand everything, but... If you're coming to me for help, it must be bad. I'll trust you." With that, the two vanished, teleporting themselves deep within the mines.