Chapter 0: The End of Mortality
The blackness subsided, and my vision began to clear. My brain, however, didn’t clear up as quickly. I saw two hole-ridden hooves, and a rocky cliffside with colored horses on the crest. A cliffside? Horses?
“The walls will fall! Chrysalis, we have to leave!”
I turned to see an insectual creature that I couldn’t begin to describe. And it spoke to me, treating me almost as head of command. Who was Chrysalis? Is that me?
Wordlessly getting up, I glanced down to find two more hooves at my disposal. Moth-like wings flared out at my sides. I turned, and a thin, green mane flowed around the back of my head and across part of my face. A similarly-colored tail caught my eye, and—
“Chrysalis!”
Right, those things.
“Let’s go!” I called, in an unfamiliar tongue. I whipped back to see two of these creatures, who appeared to look similar to me. Is that what I sound like now?
Instinct took over as we flew out of the bottom of the cave. My wings lifted up and flapped on their own. I was still in shock. Where was I? What was I?
“This way!” the same creature called. It took the lead, diving down and to the right. I followed, but took a glance back at the receding cliffside. I could make out a couple colorful shapes up there — actually, a lot of them. They were watching us leave, making no effort to stop us but at the same time—
“My Queen!”
I slammed into the other insect thing, which crashed both of us into the ground. We rolled for a few seconds before coming to rest near an alcove. Wait, did it just say Queen?
The two other creatures marched by, sneering.
“So much for coordination,” the one on the left muttered.
I got up shakily, glaring at the one I ran into. I felt bad for it, but might as well keep up the commander aura while I can. I turned my head and headed into the alcove, slumping against one of the stone walls. The others seemed preoccupied with something, maybe planning another escape flight. I didn’t even know what we were running from. I didn't even know what we were!
My breathing escalated as I tried to take inventory. We were in a desert, or a quarry of some sort — somewhere rocky and dry. They called me queen. Was I a woman now? Well, not human at least.
I looked down at my front appendages, which were shaking slightly and somewhat resembled hooves. They were covered in holes — gaping holes that pierced through my black exterior. Was I some sort of horse?
“My Queen? What should we do now?”
I jerked up, focusing on the creature in front of me. It had teal eyes, with sharp, spiky ears and an elongated horn that jutted out from the top of its skull. Two knife-sharp fangs dropped from its muzzle, following into an angular body that had thin, blue wings. It was smaller than me.
“I…” I took gasping breaths. What now? “I-I’m not sure.”
I raised my head up, assuming a regal posture. “R-recount the past hour.” Ugh, with that shaky voice? They’ll definitely believe you now….
“Well, “ Its eyes narrowed for a moment, and its head tilted slightly in confusion. “We were just banished from our own kingdom.”
Kingdom?
“By Starlight and her friends, no less!” A sniveling voice cut in. The second thing approached us. It had a scar on the right side of its face, which pushed its right eye slightly closed.
It spit on the ground. “Those ponies didn’t even do anything except drag that traitor in. He was the one who dragged our colony into a pastel colored nightmare!”
“Look at us.” The third muttered from the entrance. “Wallowing around, running from the fight.”
Calm. Calm, stay calm. Breathe. In, out. In out.
The scar-faced creature whipped around. “Would you like to go fight four princesses, the Elements of Harmony, and our entire colony? I don’t think so.”
Princesses? Four of them? And what are Elements of Harmony?
“Element… elements, o-of harmony?”
The first creature looked at me quizzically. “Are you ok, my Queen?”
I stared incredulously at it. None of them can know. “I-I am just a bit exhausted. Worried for the future of…” Of what? Th-the, uh, “the colony. Our kingdom. Our home!” That should be good enough.
“You can see our home. It’s over there — “ the outside creature waved a hoof near the direction of the cliffside we came from. “Or at least, was over there.”
One home to the next, torn from every place I go to. Even if I’m not in my own body.
My heartbeat increased. What are we going to do now? Travel as bandits, from one outpost to the next? Pillage and steal like pirates? We need our home back. We need what was ours!
I stood up on wobbly legs. “What are four princesses to a queen?”
The two things in front of me glanced up fearfully. “I-I don’t think that’s such a—”
I thrust my head down, baring my fangs. “Do you dare question me?”
It bowed its head. “N-no my queen.”
I nodded. “Good.” My legs brought me to the front of the alcove, and I crouched down, ready to spring into action.
I turned back and stared at the three creatures. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
With that, my wings folded out and I pushed off from the ground. The wind caught under each wing and propelled me upwards and forwards, fishing me out of the rocky area we hid in towards the cliffside where we came from. Where I had come from.
After a moment, I faltered. I wasn’t used to flying, and focusing on it only made it worse. Damn wings, just work! They caught on, still keeping me aloft, but the closer I got to the looming cliffside, the lighter my head began to feel. What would I say? What would I do? Why wouldn’t they just blast me out of the sky?
I froze up. My muscles stiffened, sinking me down like a rock until my wings caught an updraft. I gasped in pain — my thin wings didn’t like that much strain. Neither did the rest of me, for that matter. I was pushed to the breaking point. Those others might be killed if I didn’t — no, no. I’d be killed.
They’re going to kill me. They’re going to kill me.
I couldn’t breathe. My eyes were blurring, my head was spinning. My hooves sagged downward as my wings started to give up. One moment after another, the landscape was wavering more and more, until I didn’t know which way was up. Up, to where they were. Up, to where they all were. Waiting. For me, for anything — for an attack, for a siege, for some sense of a responsible action, for pain, for glory, for —
I pulled up sharply, thinking I was going to hit the ground.
The last thing I could remember was a sharp snapping sound. And pain.
Lots of pain.