Chrysalis’ Revenge
Chapter Three
By Coco Candy
In the Changeling Kingdom
Moonlight moaned lightly, rubbing her head with her hoof. "Woah.. what? What happened?" she whispered. Moonlight looked around, letting her eyes adjust to the dark room. She studied the room around them and saw that she was in a small cage, the bars made of green spiderwebs. The walls around her, she noticed, were moving. Looking closer, she saw that the walls itself weren't moving, the walls were shifting and changing every second. As she was looking around, she remembered what had happened hours earlier. She looked around, curiosity shifting into worry and horror in a few seconds.
"Illusion? Illusion, are you there? Where are you?!"
"Moon?" someone murmured sleepily from Moonlight's left "Why are you being so loud?"
“Ilusion, don’t panic but…” Moonlight bit her tongue, trying to find a good way to explain it, “I think we just got foalnapped.”
“WHAT?!” Illusion yelled out. Alright, so that didn’t work out too well. Illusion started to panic, her breathing becoming fast and shallow.
“Hey, hey! What did I say?” Moon said exasperatedly “I literally just said not to panic.”
“The prisoners are awake, my queen.” A voice said out of nowhere with a slight buzz to the end of each word.
“Who’s there?!” Illusion called out, trying to see past the bars of her cage.
“Good. Thank you, general” another voice said, but this one was female and didn’t have a buzz like the other one.
There was a buzz of wings and a bug-like pony came into view. “Well, well, well.” she said, buzzing back and forth between the two cages.
“Who are you?” Moonlight said defensively, standing up in her cage so that she was at the same level as this strange pony. The creature looked offended.
“Have your parents not told stories about me?” she looked at their confused faces “No? Well, I am Queen Chrysalis. And you two are my prisoners.”
Moonlight looked closer at the appearance of this ‘queen chrysalis’. ‘She looks alot like dad…’ she thought to herself, her mind spinning. Chrysalis flew closer to Moonlight’s cage and looked at her with the same interest.
“Huh, I thought my granddaughter would inherit my looks.” she scoffed “I guess not.”
“Granddaughter?” Illusion gasped. Chrysalis chuckled darkly.
“Yes. You see, Mothball is my son.” she rolled her eyes “Well, used to be. He’s just a traitor now.”
“No he’s not!” Moon said defiantly, sitting down and glaring at Chrysalis “Daddy is a good pony!”
“Changeling.” Illusion corrected.
“Whatever!” Moonlight said, shaking her head “Either way, I do not what a grandmother that foalnapps her own grandchildren.”
Chrysalis shrugged and replied,“Oh, don’t take it personally. This is mainly to get back at your fathers-” she stopped and tapped her chin in thought then added “-again.”
Both Moonlight and Illusion thought about this. What did she mean by ‘again’? “General Mantis!” Chrysalis barked suddenly, startling both of the girls.
“Yes, my queen?” the male voice from before replied. Moon watched as Chrysalis flew down to the ground and landed next to another changeling, but this one was smaller than her and had different features all along his bug-like body.
“Make sure these two stay put.” Chrysalis ordered then left the room. Moonlight waited until she was out of earshot till talking.
“Ugh,” she groaned “Why can’t I just have a normal grandmother?”
“I dunno, bad luck?” Illusion suggested. She tried to use her powers to get out of her cage but nothing happened. “Wait, Moon? My magic it’s..”
“Not working?” General Mantis asked, flying up to them “Yeah, the queen’s throne stops any outside magic from working.” Moon heard a jingling sound and saw that he brought the keys to the cages with him.
“Why do you-” Moonlight started to ask but stopped when he opened the cages. Moon and Illusion quickly got out but were confused.
“Uh, General Mantis, is it?” Illusion asked. He nodded so she continued. “Why are you helping us?”
He sighed quietly “Because her majesty has hurt your families too many times.” He turned his back to them and added under his breath “and because I want to prove that not all changelings are heartless.”
Moonlight guessed he didn't want her to hear that last bit but she did anyway. He turned back to them “Come on, you can get lost in this maze of a palace if you aren’t a changeling.” They walked through the many holes and walls of the changeling kingdom but soon enough, Moonlight, Illusion, and Mantis found the way out into the dry, barren land surrounding the kingdom. Illusion was about to teleport her and Moon home but Moonlight stopped her.
“Wait, Mantis? Won’t you get in trouble?” she asked him.
He nodded without hesitation “Severely.” he added grimly.
Illusion saw where she was going with this so she offered him to come with them. “I’m sure daddy will understand.” Moonlight added. After a moment of hesitation, Mantis accepted and they left the changeling kingdom behind.