//------------------------------//
// Chapter 0 (Prologue): One last trick 
// Story: To Raise a Hive 
// by NovaShoxx 
//------------------------------//

For Queen Chrysalis, there was never such a thing as a defeat. Course that was mainly because she never really registered the word, never thought to give it much thought cause if one where to even think of the word defeat, then it was probably because they had already suffered from it at some point in time.

But not Queen Chrysalis. No, for where the mindless and spineless gave in to the word defeat, Queen Chrysalis only ever used the word "setback." Because that is what all those failu- setbacks  were, just simple setbacks. Like that whole royal wedding fiasco...a minor setback. The time she lost her first hive to those vile ponies, traitors, and that horrid Starlight Glimmer... a slightly-significant setback. And those several other failed attempts of rebuilding a hive, raising an army, sending that army across the corners of Equestria, and then having the listen to how her commanders failed her when they were quickly routed and defeated? Setbacks all the same. 

Course, there were some moments when she had managed to be one step ahead of the ponies. Like that one time when her third hive had taken over most of Manehattan for a week. Or that time when she had won a battle against her traitorous hive with her fifth hive's army. And nopony could ever forget that time when she used her seventh hive's army to completely destroy the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. Though the ponies were able to rebuild it a day later, It was still a victory in her books. Accursed clouds. 

But as any logically-thinking leader would know, for every victory, there would be defeat. And despite Chrysalis's belief that she had learned every trick that the ponies or the princesses would ever pull, the steadily-growing streak of defeats to follow proved otherwise. 

From the battle of Los Pegasus, to the assault of Appleloosa, to the second battle over Hooves Dam, the number of defeats that the changelings faced seemed never-ending. For with each defeat, the losses were just as tough on the troops as they were for the queen. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of changelings were thought to be lost over the course of Chrysalis's campaign for revenge. Brought under hoof in battle or swayed by promises of prosperity by the enemy, Chrysalis was almost powerless to stop her army of once thousands to slowly bleed out to just a mere few dozen. Not enough. To lose so much of her children, to constantly having to pack up and run with her transparent tail between her legs was a hell that no queen should have to deal with, her especially. But the other changelings knew it, they always did. Whether they were survivors of her previous hives or just decently informed, they knew that all this fighting and running was slowly killing her. Not in the literal sense mind you, but for all they knew what with her constantly having to prioritize the feeding of the newly hatched grubs over herself, it could very well have been. 

So with such an fate considered by her troops, it was no wonder that many of them were secretly hoping for the day when all of this fighting would be over, and with current events at play-

BOOOM

...Maybe it would come sooner than later.

---

"How goes the preparations?" 

"We are nearly complete, my queen. The workers have sealed off most of the entry tunnels and are now waiting in the chamber for further orders."

"And the soldiers?" 

"The ones who can still fight are currently holding off the invaders, while the ones who have been wounded have been sent to the chamber as well."

"Have all our troops fall back to the chamber now." 

"What? But, my queen. Many of them have said that they'll stay and fi-"

Queen Chrysalis halted in her march to the chamber to regard the commander to her left, though it really only took a glare over her shoulder to get the message through the changeling commander's helmeted head as he quickly stopped, bowed, and dashed off in the opposite direction.

Watching him disappear around a corner, the queen of the changelings waited a few moments before she sighed and proceeded down the dimly lit tunnel. Overhead, small bits of rock and dust would come undone by the distant sounds of battle, bouncing harmlessly off her black chitin, but still reminding her of how far she had truly fallen as a queen. For as she continued through the hastily-dug tunnels, sometimes having to duck or step over various chunks of uncut earth, she briefly wondered how it had come to this, for her and her kind to be brought to the brink of utter defeat. How had all of this happen? Was she to blame for the suffering of her children? No, of course not. But, could she? No, no it was something else, somepony else to be blamed for. The ponies. Yes, it was their fault that she and her kind were nearly on the verge of starvation, not hers. and if anypony was to be especially blamed, then all of it would go to those retched six, the princesses, that traitorous Thorax, and Starlight Glimmer. Ooo, she was very much at blame for all of this, that the queen was sure of.

Coming out of her thoughts, Queen Chrysalis looked up to see the entrance of a large chamber come into view. Quickening her pace, she passed through the stony threshold of the entrance and stepped into the glowing green light of the interior. Standing alone, Chrysalis took in the large appearance of the chamber, a large and open cavern where the majority of, if not all of her subjects were now residing in. Dozens of holes dotted the walls of the cavern, many of which still in the process of being sealed off either by green goo or rock by the worker drones buzzing about. Up above, hundreds of glowing green cocoons were stuck to the ceiling, many of which currently occupied and bathing the room in a soft green tint. 

And passed all of that were the dozens of her children, present and wandering about as they awaited their queen to arrive. And arrive she had. Resuming her stroll, chrysalis adorned a look of grace and dignity as she passed by her children, who at the sight of her approach, quickly bowed their heads in subservience of. All gave her their attention, even the medics who paused in their care for the wounded who also tried their best to bow despite some physically straining to do so. Still, points for trying.

Continuing forward, Chrysalis did not stop until she had made it to the center of the large room where a large circle had be cut into the stone floor itself. But that wasn't all, for as she stood at its cut edge, she was able to make out a number of carvings and symbols within the circle, each one curving and swirling along a string of intelligible runes and characters that appeared to be drawn with the utmost care. 

"Ah! My queen! It is wonderful to see you!" 

Turning her head, Chrysalis set her sights on a changeling shorter than the rest and definitely unique to most others. With a transparent mane and eyes both a ruby red, she was certainly the odd one out of the rest of her kin, approaching and stopping before her queen while dressed in a crimson-colored robe. A pair of rounded glasses were pushed up her snoot as the changeling raised her head to her superior. 

"Ruby. Has the circle been completed yet?" Chrysalis asked, to which the scribe-looking changeling nodded once at.

"Oh yes, my queen! Just double-checking that the symbols have been correctly written and that their are no errors in the incantation's translation." The robed changeling then smiled toothily. "And I can wholeheartedly say that we are golden in both!" 

Nodding at the researcher, Chrysalis's eyes wandered about the rest of the room. 

"And the rest?" 

Ruby tilted her head at that before realization struck.

"Oh yes! You'll be happy to know that we managed to get twelve cocoons fully filled with love. They've already been put onto the wagons over there."

Following her raised hoof, Chrysalis was filled with the slightest sense of relief as she saw two wagons, each loaded with six of the green egg-shaped containers of visibly condensed love, parked nearby and guarded by a few of her armored subjects. Not wanting to show her true emotion, Chrysalis coughed into a holed hoof before she turned back to Ruby and nodded shortly. 

"G-Good. See to it that the love and any other supplies is brought to the circle's center before we leave."

Smiling, the changeling nodded before hurrying off to another end of the circle, checking this and that while also conversing with a few of her own crimson-colored-robed subordinates. Watching her go, Chrysalis was, for a moment, reminded of a certain and insufferable purple alicorn, but quickly and vigorously stomped away that image as soon as it arrived.

"That Twilight Sparkle has nothing on my Ruby." She quietly said to herself. Truth be told, with the great deal of incompetence that Chrysalis has had to deal with during her rule, it was nice to have at least one or two servants that were almost as intelligent as she, key word almost. And in regards to having more than one...

"My queen?" 

Pausing from her musings, Chrysalis's attention was once again commandeered as she turned to face the new changeling standing beside her. 

This changeling was another unique one, taller than the average drone and somewhat eye-level to the queen, if not a foot or so shorter. He was also decked in a bulkier set of dark blue armor that dwarfed in comparison the sets that her soldiers and lower ranking officers wore, complete with full-body protection save for holes for the tail and wings, pointy-bits galore, and menacing helmet that included a set of metal fangs that could snap alongside the ling's already razor-sharp fangs. 

Taking a moment to gander at her UNIT of a servant, Chrysalis was left blinking owlishly as the changeling coughed into his armored hoof. 

"My queen?" The drone asked once again, this time with a hint of worry in his deep, echoey tone.

Blinking once more, the queen snapped herself back to reality as she addressed him.

"Commander Brute? Report."

Now being properly addressed, her highest ranking commander and longest living officer under her, Commander Brute, bowed his head.

"Yes my queen." He then raised his head. "I have been told that the last of our troops are withdrawing from the battling above and will be here within minutes."

The queen nodded.

"Good, we will need them for the journey to come. Is that all?"

The armored bug pony hesitated before bowing his head and adding.

"I was also told that one of the princesses as well as the elements of harmony are also leading the attack."

This particular bit of news did not bode well with Chrysalis as she hissed in agitation. 

"Of coursssse they are! Those insssssufferable ponies would be leading an all-out attack on my hive." Eyeing the changeling commander shaking ever-so slightly in his armor, the changeling queen ever-so slightly flinched as she brought down her temper, choosing instead to sigh tiredly. "Thank you for informing me though, Commander Brute." She then looked away from him. "S-See to it that the rest of our troops arrive here in time for our departure. And that all other supplies and changelings are brought to the center of the circle. That is all." 

Looking up, Brute could not really understand why his queen had suddenly become so subdued. But still registering that he had been given his orders, he quickly saluted and headed off, quick to forget the smaller things as he ordered the others around. 

Chrysalis meanwhile, saw the commander off, watching him go before shaking her head. He was a good drone after all, maybe even one of the best she had ever seen. He never disobeyed her orders, always kept the other grunts and officers in line, and was probably the only ling she ever even remotely considered as close as a son to her. He was also one of the few changelings to still remain loyal to her since she left her original hive and beyond. Hive after hive, he still remained beside her and because of that, not only was he given the highest rank she could consider, but he was even trusted by her to carry out his own strategies as well as rule over the hives while she was away, an action that proved just how valuable he was to her and just how much she cared for him, even if he didn't know it. 

"Soon we'll be rid of this world. Then nopony will stand in the way. Maybe then I can tell him th-"

There suddenly came a great commotion from behind her, and as Chrysalis turned, all eyes including her own were focused on the chamber's entrance.

Rushing in, a dozen or so changeling soldiers poured into the chamber, many of whom holding their comrades to their sides or thrown over their backs, all the while the few who were still in relatively decent shape were firing off beams of magic behind their retreating forces. Once the majority of them had made it into the chamber, a drone had yelled for the entry to be sealed and in no time did a group of drones answer him as they began to push a large boulder over the chamber entrance's threshold, straining to and stopping somewhat when a array of colorful beams of magic glanced off the rock's corners and hitting one or two fleeing changelings before it completely covered the entrance with a loud thud. With rock in place, the drones then coated the edges of the entryway in a thick green goop, effectively sealing off the last entrance into the chamber.

With obstacle thoroughly in place, the soldier drones all breathed a sigh of relief before they were interrupted by Brute.

"Soldiers report. Is this all of you?"

One of the drones, a soldier missing his helmet and adorned with a plethora of scratches and scorch marks across his armor rose slowly before he limped over to his commander and threw up a salute. 

"Yes sir. Were all that's left of the exterior defense force, the rest..." He grimaced before continuing. "The rest are all gone sir."

Looking from the drone to his fifteen battered and bruised comrades, Commander Brute sighed before he placed a hoof onto the changeling's shoulder.

"You did all that you could. Good work buying time for the rest of us."

Having been given such praise from his superior, the drone smiled toothily and nodded at him. 

"Thank you Commander Brute, sir!"

Nodding as well, Commander Brute then looked to the others.

"Same goes for the rest of you. Now get yourselves and your wounded into the circle."

With salutes and nods all around, the drones picked up their hurt buddies and began to make for the circle when there suddenly came a strange hissing noise. Stopping, they as well as all other changelings present looked about for the source when one of the drones suddenly yelled, and after the others looked at him, he was pointing to the blocked entrance where, to the shock of all in attendance, a glowing flower of flaming red sparkled appeared near the base of the boulder, melting the green goo as it slowly cut around the boulder. 

"The enemy's cutting through!" 

"That rock won't hold for long."

"We're so boned."

Seeing and hearing her changelings in peril, Chrysalis almost wanted to join them, but not right now. Not when they were so close. 

"Ruby!"

Answering the call, the changeling was beside her queen in an instant. 

"Yes, my queen?"

"Is the circle ready?"

"Just about, my queen."

"Good, prepare to activate it now."

"Yes, My queen!" 

And with that the mare dashed off, calling to her subordinates as Chrysalis then turned to-

"My queen?" Brute asked, already one step ahead of her.

"Commander Brute, see to it that all changelings and supplies are brought to the circle immediately."

"Yes, my queen." 

Snapping his head to the others, he then yelled. 

"You heard your queen, get to the circle now!"

Without needing to be told twice, the changelings were quick to act, helping with moving the wounded onto the circle and pushing forward a number of carts filled with boxes and sacks or various items. One such cart was apparently filled with stolen books and was being hastily moved by a number of changelings adorned in ruby-red robes. As the drones were buzzing about, Chrysalis simply stood in place and watched the heated line of pure magical energy pass the topmost point of its arch before it slowly began to come down on the other side.

Watching its progress, Chrysalis felt the heat within herself burn just as bright as the rock-cutting light she stared at. Or did until a certain someling's voice broke her from her smoldering stupor.

"My queen, we must go." Brute said, glancing from the entrance to her.

After a moment more of staring, Chrysalis huffed before she nodded and turned around, making her way to the circle just as the last of her changelings were stepping into it. Once she was in, Chrysalis looked around for Ruby, and after a moment of searching, found the short one busying herself with frantically flipping through the pages of a black book floating in her magical grasp. 

"Ruby!" She called, momentarily drawing her attention. "Is the spell ready?" 

She nodded. 

"Yes, my queen! I just need a moment to-"

Before she could finish that, Ruby was sadly and rather rudely interrupted by the near-deafening roar of the entrance exploding, sending bits of rock flying as dust billowed about the room. 

"Obstacle eliminated! All units move in! GO! GO! GO!"

Coughing slightly from the dust, Chrysalis peered into the cloud ahead as the familiar sound of clanking armor and galloping hooves signaled the arrival of her enemies. Slowly, as the dust settled, She could make out the silhouettes of her assailants, and a moment later, she now found herself facing off a veritable swarm of royal guards, with the earth ponies brandishing an assortment of blades and spears while the unicorns powered up their horns, ready to unleash magical hellfire at a moments notice. 

There was no more than ten feet that separated both groups, with the changelings all huddled in their circle while the royal guard remained posed menacingly in a semi-circle, effectively cutting off the changeling's only means of escape. Or at least that's what they thought.

Glares were met with hisses as the two opposing forces faced one another. And as the last bits of dust settled, a moment of silence was left unopposed before one of the royal guards, identical in appearance as the others that flanked him, yelled out. 

"Queen Chrysalis, we have you surrounded! Surrender now or face the might of the Equestrian Army!"

His proclamation was met with a collection of whoops and hollers from his fellow guards, and maybe earned a whimper from one or two changelings that may have felt threatened. Queen Chrysalis however, merely scoffed. 

"Oh really?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Do you honestly believe that I'd be swayed by such an inferior as you?"

The guard flinched at that, but still remained as stoic as could be.

"Y-Yes you should! Face it Queen Chrysalis, we have you and your rogue changelings outnumbered five to one!"

Hoping that that little fact would get to her, the guard was shaken somewhat when she giggled instead. 

"Is that so?" She said, smirking at the now slightly-shaking stallion. "Hardly seems like fair fight then...for you that is."

Blinking stupidly at her, the guard quickly shook his golden helmeted head before glaring at the joking queen.

"That's it!" The guard yelled, turning to his comrades. "Come on guys! Let's show this bug bitch how the Solar Guard gets things done!" Seeing and hearing his fellow soldiers raring to go, the guard turned back to the queen and, with a wave of his hoof, he yelled. "FOR EQUESTRIA! CHARGE!"

And at his command, the soldiers rushed forward as one, ready to deliver a four-hoofed, gold-plated ass-blasting of shear awe-

"STOP!" 

Or they were before there came a sudden eardrum-bursting call which sent just about every guard literally tumbling over one another as they all came to a screeching halt. 

Seeing the guards heel so quickly and hearing that banshee of a royal Canterlot voice, Chrysalis could only think of one pony, or rather, of one alicorn. And low and behold...

"Celestia." She quietly hissed to herself as the co-ruler of Equestria and physical embodiment of that eye-burner in the sky, slowly made her approach.

Princess Celestia, literal textbook definition of everything regal, put one hoof after the other as she made her way to the front of the line, her little ponies parting to clear her a path as they each lowered their heads in a respectful bow. Knowing that they had done their best to find the queen and her flock, she was quick to give a motherly smile or acknowledging nod to a guard or two before she raised her head to meet the disinterested eyes of one Queen Chrysalis. Nonetheless, the princess remained calm and cool as she stopped, now standing before the one who had brought so much stress and disorder to her and her little ponies for the past few years. To say that she was relieved was an understatement.

For a moment, the two rulers faced one another, staring, thinking, planning. 

For Princess Celestia, she was thinking back to every incident that the queen of the changelings had orchestrated, thinking back to all the times they had fought one another, all the damage she had caused, and all the pain and sorrow she had inflicted on her little ponies. Yup, she was certainly pissed about that.

For Queen Chrysalis however, she was busy formulating several plans at once, one for attack, one for deceit, and one for retreat. But after running the numbers and drawing up more than a few conclusions as to how they might all end, she decided on just sticking with one plan and would add to it as she went. Hey, a half-assed plan was still a flawless plan as long as one didn't believe in the flaws. 

In the fraction of a second, Chrysalis dove into the hive mind and quickly established a mental link between her, Ruby and Brute. 

'Ruby.'

'Yes, my queen?'

'How long will it take for you to activate the spell.'

'At least a few minutes or so, my queen. It's a long incantation.'

'Alright. See to it now.' 

'Yes, my queen.'

'And Brute.'

'Yes, my queen?' 

'See to it that the drones don't get in my way.'

'I will, my queen. But what will you do?' 

She mentally chuckled.

'Me? I'll just be entertaining myself.'

And with that being though, the link was cut and Chrysalis returned to reality. Still in her stare-off with the princess, she was the first to metaphorically blink as she closed her eyes. Then after a moment, she opened them and, to the princess's slight surprise, smiled wickedly.

"Well well well. If it isn't Miss Sunbutt herself." She said, chortling a bit before she looked to the princess. "To what do I owe the displeasure of our little meeting?" 

Blinking, Princess Celestia shook her head before she addressed the changeling queen.

"Chrysalis, I-" 

"Queen Chrysalis." She smartly corrected, much to the alicorn's slight annoyance.

"Sigh, Queen Chrysalis. I've come to ask for your surrender and to be tried for your crimes against Equestria."

"Oh?" She said, feigning ignorance. "And what exactly have I done? That is, besides providing for my children as any loving mother would?"

"You know what you've done, Chrysalis!" Celestia said, huffing through her nose. "The attacks, the damages, AND the countless number of abductions all ordered by you and you alone." 

Chrysalis simply raised a brow. 

"Oh, is that all?" She asked innocently, much to the shock and anger of the guards and their ruler.

"Why you-" 

"Well if I may ask, Princess Celestia. What do you intend to do if I don't come quietly?"

"Then I'll just deal with you myself." Celestia said, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh really?" Chrysalis coed, baring her fangs in a smile. "And just how will you accomplish such a feat in your current state?"

"What are you talking about?" Celestia asked confusedly.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Princess Celestia." A devilish smile suddenly appeared on her face. "Or should I say...Princess Celesti-ass?"

"E-Excuse me?!" Celestia all but yelled, her composure vanishing in an instant as she took a step back in blushing shock.

"Oh yes princess, I do wonder how you'll be able to defeat me with such extra baggage weighing you down. It would be rather unfair, wouldn't it?"

"What?! No-Now you just wait one minute, I-"

"Of course, Now I understand why your little guards gave you such a wide birth earlier. Obviously it was because they didn't want to get knocked over, am I right?"

"Wh-Wha-You-!"

"Still. While it must be quite the inconvenience for you, being so idiotically robust as you are, at least it's convenient for others that the thunderclap of those flank cheeks of yours can give them proper warning."

"Chrysalis!"

"Princess!" 

Smirk level increasing, Queen Chrysalis watched as the oh so lovable elements of harmony came scampering into view, joined by one accursed Starlight Glimmer and lead by none other than-

"Twilight Sparkle. And others. How detestable it is to see all of you once again."

Coming to a stop beside her old teacher, the princess of friendship was quick on the draw. 

"Chrysalis! We've come to bring you to justice!"

"Justice? Oh please Sparkle, Everypony should know that I'm not the one who needs to be brought to justice here." Seeing Twilight and company put on their own looks of confusion, she continued. "Why if anything, taking away Celestia's cake privileges would certainly be doing Equestria justice, or at the very least, to chairs and cushions everywhere."

Now, to say such a thing as that, and to say it as casual as she did, Chrysalis wasn't surprised by the looks of utter shock from all present. Chrysalis would also be lying if she wasn't especially amused by the looks that Twilight or Celestia were giving her.

"What?! Ho-why would you say something like that?!" Twilight yelled, her blush face paling in comparison to Celestia's as the white alicorn was now spinning about in an effort to assess just how big her ass actually was. 

Looking at the young alicorn, Chrysalis once again smirked. 

"Oh really Twilight." She said, sounding as though she were a disappointed mother. "Did you really think that after everything I've done, I would simply stop there?" When Twilight failed to answer right away, she continued. 

"Do you honestly believe that after everything that has happened up until this point, that I would be persuaded by you and your friends, or even PMD (Plot of Mass Destruction) over there?" She said, pointing to a frantic Celestia who, at the moment, was busying herself by asking as many guards as she could, "is it really that big?" of which the majority of were either too embarrassed to answer or were rendered unconscious when she'd accidentally slam her plot into their face when she spun about. "Yeah I don't think so."

"We-Well I thought that-."

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Oh you poor, naive little filly. And here I thought that Princess Celestia already told you about everything else."

Hearing that, Twilight looked up at Chrysalis, tilting her head. 

"Wait. Everything else?"

At the utterance of that, Celestia paused in her apologizing to turn swiftly back to the changeling queen. unknowingly knocking down a guard she had just been apologizing to. 

"Chrysalis."

"Oh yes. I was under the impression that dear Celestia told you all about how she ordered all my changelings to be hunted like animals."

"Chrysalis."

"That once they were captured, she would starve them of emotion for days."

"Chrysalis."

"Then when they were begging for the tiniest bit of love from her." She quietly said, circling the mare until she stopped right beside her ear and whispered, just loud enough for all to hear. She would have them accompany her to her chambers for a night of hot. Sweaty. Love-crazed se-"

"CHRYSALIS!"

Giggling to herself, Chrysalis ignored the fuming solar princess as she stared into the eyes of one heavily breathing, heavily blushing princess of friendship. "After all. How else did she learn of this place I wonder?"

Once she had managed to finally steady her beating heart and cease her insistent panting, Twilight turned to her friends, whom all had taken the news with mixed reactions, ranging from pure disbelief, to hunched-over laughing, to simply fainting where they stood. Turning to her old teacher also didn't relieve her either as the white alicorn was trying and failing to form coherent words. 

"Princess. I-Is that true?!" 

Insert random flustered horse noises. 

"I-Well uhm, you see-, the thing about that is-"

Chrysalis watched in glorious amusement and satisfaction as Princess Celestia, considered to be ever the unbreakable mare, was reduced to a stuttering ruin as she vainly tried to dig herself out of the pleasure pit she had unknowingly fallen into. But before the changeling queen could offer another quip regarding the princess's ass, the weight of said ass, or her love for foreplay and any of the many kinks she preferred, she suddenly received a call through the hive mind, and seeing as how she allowed only a select few such a privilege, she was quick to answer. 

'Ruby?'

'Yes my queen. I'm just about to finish the incantation. Just wanted to inform you since you love to always have the last word.'

Smiling at that, she mentally nodded. 

'Excellent. Thank you Ruby.'

'It's my pleasure, my queen."

With the mind-messaging done and Princess Celestia still trying to piece together even the most basic of a response, Chrysalis knew that now was the best time for what was about to happen next. So with little to no effort, she threw her head back and let loose the most villainy laugh she could muster.

"MWAHAHAHAHA!"

Hearing such a villain laugh as that, Twilight was of course the first to respond.

"Chrysalis what are you- ah!"

But before she could ask, she was suddenly sent stumbling back several steps as a sudden gust of wind pushed passed. And once it had subsided, Twilight could only look back in utter shock at the sight of the largest spell-casting circle she had ever seen, the circle itself and its many alien symbols glowing a bright green below the hooves of the changelings and their grinning queen.

"Chrysalis!" Twilight heard Celestia yell from beside her. "What in Equestria is that?!"

She simply laughed again.

"Oh this?" She cutely asked, tapping at the glowing lines below her. "Why its merely a circle used for teleportation." She then giggled before adding. "And to where, you may ask? Well..I guess you'll just have to ask the stars!" 

...

What?

Blinking, Twilight, as well as everypony else, stared at the queen in confusion as she simply stood smug as could be. 

"Ask the stars?" Twilight repeated, the statement confusing her immensely. "Princess Celestia, what does she me-"

Looking to the princess, Twilight did a double take as the solar princess stood as still as a statue, her paled features portraying a realization so horrified that even her eternally-flowing mane and tail froze in place. 

"No. Chrysalis. You don't mean-"

"Oh but I do, dear princess!" Chrysalis said, smiling from ear to ear.

"But, to teleport through space is-"

"Impossible?" She said, raising a brow. "Hehe. Just because some old bearded coot said that ponies couldn't do it doesn't mean that changelings can't!"

"But the risks-"

"Oh? You mean the chance that such a spell could tear apart the very fabric of reality itself?" She shook her head. "So what?! Anything's better than spending another measly second here!" 

As Chrysalis continued, a faint humming began to echo throughout the chamber, slowly growing in volume alongside the ever-increasing glow of the circle's light. 

"And If I can't rule over this world, then I'll simply go to another one instead AHAHAHA!" 

"As if I'll let you!" 

Suddenly bursting forth from the group, Rainbow Dash, element of loyalty and chad of the main six, quickly took to the air before rocketing towards the changeling queen, but just as she swung herself around to deliver a fierce flying kick, she suddenly slammed into something midair and was sent bouncing back to the others in a cursing heap. From where she recovered, Dash and the others were now met with a transparent wall of green that encompassed the magical circle that shielded the ones within. 

Seeing a new obstacle in their way however, the guards were quick to respond, calling onto their magic users to barrage the magic field's surface while the earth ponies charged in, stabbing and jabbing this place and that, hoping to weaken the barrier even in the slightest. 

Not wanting to be outdone, the rest of the elements charged in, offering what aid they could to combat their transparent target. Yet as they kicked, stabbed, blasted and punched with all their strength, there efforts only seemed to backfire on them as ponies dropped one by one from fatigue while the shield remained undamaged even in the slightest. 

Seeing their efforts wasted for nothing, Chrysalis was quick to pour on the salt. 

"BWAHAHAHA! YOU FOOOOOLLLS! Did you really think that you could stop me? Why don't you all just spare yourselves the embarrassment and give up?" 

Watching the changeling queen proceed to laugh some more, Twilight looked amongst her panting friends as well as the dozens of fallen guards before she turned to the only other pony still standing. 

"Celestia!" Twilight said, turning to the alicorn. "What do we do?"

Looking from the younger alicorn to the queen of the changelings, still laughing by the way, Princess Celestia was silent for a moment before she narrowed her eyes and slowly stepped forward. 

"Do not worry, my faithful student, I will take care of this." 

Still laughing, Chrysalis paused to take a breath so that she continue laughing manically before she noticed the white alicorn approaching her.

"Oh? What's this?" She asked, raising a brow with a grin to match. "Instead of sitting still on that plump plot of yours, you wish to fail alongside your little ponies too?"

"I won't let your actions stand any longer, Chrysalis." 

"Oh? Then by all means! Try as much as you like!" 

Coming to a full stop, Celestia took up a wide stance, her breath slowing to a near halt as her horn was enveloped by a golden glow. Closing her eyes, she then reached from deep within herself, searching for that great power down below before finding it and beginning to slowly draw from it. Soon enough, the glow from her horn began to grow brighter as she channeled her magic. Seeing this, both the guards and girls were quick to pick themselves up and beat a hasty retreat until they were safely on the other side of the room and not on the other end of that horn. A horn which now seemed to take on a pure white glow as the magic gathering there was then condensed and focused to the highest degree ever thought possible. Then, when it seemed as if she had reached her peak, Celestia's eyes suddenly flew open, and with the flaring of her wings and a great wave of her head. she sent a solid beam of pure white light rocketing towards the barrier. The result from contact was, in a word, awesome. 

Upon making contact, the beam exploded, seemingly tearing apart the air itself as a wave of heat and sound sent all lesser beings tumbling backwards. And this would last for several long seconds as Celestia poured more and more magic into her horn, cracking the very stone beneath her hooves while simultaneously deafening all with a roar that would put even the mightiest of dragons or most violent of volcanoes to shame. But once those several long seconds had ceased, so too did the roaring and the near-blinding light show as well. And several seconds after that, only silence. 

For a moment at least. For once the might of the sun had been fully extinguished and the princess had fallen to the floor in a groaning heap, Chrysalis, who had actually been hiding behind a drone the whole time, slowly opened her eyes and looked first at the fallen princess, then at the undamaged barrier, then finally at the other drones around her, before bursting forth into another fit of villain-level laughter. 

"Heh. Hehe. Hehehe. AHAHAHAAAAAAA!" 

She then stood up and walked around the shaking drone as Twilight was the first to recover and come to Celestia's aid. 

"Do you see now, Celestia? Do you see how utterly useless your efforts were?" 

She then continued to laugh some more as Twilight lifted up the worn-out ruler.

"That much magical energy." She quietly said, glancing at the circle's still unbroken barrier. "Princess, what can we do now?"

Raising her head, an action that in itself was a challenge, Celestia was slow to respond. 

"Huff. Huff. Huff. I-" She slowly looked over to the cackling changeling before looking back to her old student. "I...I don't know, Twilight."

With a shared look of utter defeat, the two alicorns turned to face the changeling queen, who upon seeing their looks despair, smiled triumphantly as she shook her head.

"You poor, foolish ponies. If such a level of magic didn't work, then nothing else will." She then giggled like a mad mare before narrowing her eyes at them. "Face it. You. Have. Failed. And I have finally wo-

Pop

...

...

Blinking, both Twilight and Celestia stood in silent astonishment as the changeling queen, who had just been gloating before them not a second ago was gone in the blink of an eye, her changelings also nowhere to be seen as the very stone they had all stood atop of was also gone, leaving only a circular hole in the ground where the circle had been previously drawn. 

"They're...gone." Twilight finally said after staring at the hole for a few more seconds. 

"Y-Yes." Celestia said, her brain still trying to process this sudden turn of events. "So it seems." 

"What...happens now princess?" 

"I-" 

Before she could say anything else, there came the sudden rumbling of earth as bits of rock and rubble fell around the two alicorns, starting with the smallest of pebbles before larger chunks of the ceiling began to rain down. 

"I think we should leave for now." She then turned to the nearest guard. "Get everypony to the surface at once!" 

Quickly saluting, the guard then turned to his fellow guardsponies, and with shouting and hurried hooves, the princess, her troops, and the elements of harmony left both the collapsing chamber behind and the investigation into the fate of the changelings and their queen to be had another day as they made their break for the surface.