//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Death’s Fourth Prophecy. // Story: Ghosting // by Lucy_Marigold //------------------------------// ~ Chapter 6 - Death’s Fourth Prophecy.~ 11:59 PM, September 1st, 2 S.E. The Everfree Hive. Chrysalis stirred from her sleep, shifting to her side. A pair of hooves were wrapped around her barrel and her gaze wandered downwards. Twilight Sparkle clung to her, muttering things in her sleep. A half-opened book sat among the sheets, a small ink mark on Twilight’s cheek. “You have come far, Chrysalis.” “Who’s there?” Chrysalis whispered, eyes darting around the room. A pair of eyes blinked into existence at the edge of the bed.  “I am Death, a creature of prophet. I have given many prophecies but there have been only three so far that have been as dire as the one I am about to tell you.” A toothy muzzle emerged. “Darkness lurks where sadness grows. Beware the world behind the glass, for misguided love will fracture it, leaving little behind.” “What do you mean?” “I mean what I mean, Queen Chrysalis. That is for you to find out, not me. This place has been plagued by me for centuries. The most recent, the bloodshed you caused.” Death glanced around the room as tiny bulbs flickered to life, bathing the room in a cool light.  Chrysalis turned away, a frown on her face. “It was something I regretted, and continue to regret, for years. You have not appeared to my kind for centuries, not since the first civil war according to the documents we’ve gathered. Why?” “I come when death lingers, when hatred, rage and spite are engraved in the land. I come when changelings need me the most. I come before the others can come.” Death, illuminated by the light, folded her great wings. There was an ethereal beauty about her, the way her mane waved and flowed. “The others? Who are the others?” Death shook her head. “I cannot tell you, Chrysalis. I must go now but do not tell Twilight Sparkle of my prophecy, for if she knew, it would worsen it.”  And then Death was gone. 03:59 PM, September 5th, 2 C.E. The Enigma Hive. Chrysalis eased the door open with a hand, slowly glancing inside. Twilight was pacing back and forth, muttering to herself before staring out the foggy resin and into the hive. Her saddlebags lay, scattered, on a nearby ottoman. The rest of the room was untouched. “No. I can’t. That would be too difficult to pull off.” She paused. “No, no. You’re right. It would be the easiest option but how?”  Mentally, Chrysalis tried to reach out, her mind snaking towards Twilight’s. But she bounced off like a rubber ball. Physically recoiling, she gripped onto the door to hold herself steady.  “No. Chrissy can’t be involved.” Another pause. “Why? Because she’s with child. I thought you knew that.” The lavender queen sighed.  The cold feeling of dread doused her as she heard Twilight mutter her next words “I know she can’t lose that nymph, why do you think I don’t want her involved, Obscurum.” Panicked, Chrysalis shut the door as quietly as possible. She held a palm against her raging chest as she slowed her breathing. Her hand shook as she slowly sat down on the floor. Obscurum, a name she had not heard since her nymph hood. A name never to be uttered. A being never to be associated with.  And Twilight was speaking its name. 04:04 PM, September 5th, 2 C.E. The Enigma Hive. “Twilight. The plan is simple. Wait until the Fall Formal, and simply steal the crown. What don’t you understand about it?” The voice whispered. Twilight lowered herself onto the nearby ottoman, head leaning against her palms. “It’s too much of a risk. I can’t. How can I even trust you?” “It is a risk you must take.”  She sat there, silently pondering. “You didn’t answer my question, Obscurum.” “Because I know you better than anyone else, Twilight.” “Are you going to elaborate?”  “I have no need to. You already know I’m right. I just want to help you, Twilight. Nothing more.” “Why do you even want to help me?!” Twilight suddenly snapped, hand flying towards her nearby saddlebag. It toppled over, books and parchment slipping out. A faded and worn journal fell to the floor with a loud thunk. It clattered open, a pressed flower adorning the page. Idly, she picked it up, tracing a finger along the dried petals as her eyes grazed the paper. Her mother’s most inner thoughts stared back at her through the page. “We’ll talk about this later. I don’t want to think about it right now.”  “Twilight-” “I said no, Obscurum. Not now. I need to go speak with Chrysalis.” She snapped, jolting upwards as she moved towards the door. “It was her fault, remember. Be careful around her, Twilight.” “Yeah, okay.” She sighed, leaving the room. 04:11 PM, September 5th, 2 C.E. The Enigma Hive. “Ah, Miss Dawn, are you alright?” A voice snagged Chrysalis’s attention, a figure tapping her lightly on the shoulder. She turned to see Twilight’s counterpart. “You seem rather distracted.” “I’m fine. There’s just some things on my mind.” “Oh. Well. Um.” Twilight tapped her fingers together, coughing before speaking again. “Mother said I had to check to see if you wanted to join us for dinner.” “Of course.” “I was also wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your hive?” She withdrew a small clipboard, a pen grasped between her fingers.  Sighing, Chrysalis spoke. “Go ahead.” “What’s life like in your hive?” “Rather boring actually.” She smirked, walking down the hallway as Twilight’s counterpart tried to match her pace. “Nothing much to do anymore since Dusk got involved.” “Oh. Was she not always in the hive?”  “Uh. No. Mother sent her away from the hive for some time to attend school before she began her growth into a queen.” It was a complete and utter lie but lies weren’t new to Chrysalis.  They rolled out of her as naturally as speech.  But lies wouldn’t prevent that prophecy. Not when Chrysalis already knew darkness was lurking around them. “May I ask you something?” “Sure.” The small lavender one shifted her glasses.  Leaning towards the younger one, Chrissy grabbed a hold of the other’s shoulders, whispering. “We lost something rather important at Canterlot High. Something we need to recover quickly. The Fall Formal crown was switched with Dusk’s crown and we desperately need it back. That’s why we’re really here.” “Oh.” Was all she responded with. “Mother-” “You cannot tell Odonata. Not at all. She must not have a hand in this at all.” “Why?” Silence. Chrysalis turned away, raising a hand to her chin. “I cannot tell you. Too risky. I said I wouldn’t tell.” “I promise, I won’t tell. I swear it.” Twilight firmly stated, a look of determination on her face.  More silence and a single glance back at the younger one, Chrysalis finally spoke. “We aren’t who we said we were. My true name is Queen Chrysalis, former ruler of the Xencina changelings and current co-ruler of the Everfree Hive. And that,” She pointed a finger at the door to her Twilight’s room a little bit down the hall.  “Is Queen Twilight Sparkle, the last surviving Enigma Queen, a former Princess of Equestria, co-ruler of the Everfree Hive. And she is you.”