A little zebra ran through the savanna region, a single ring around her neck reflecting the scorching sunlight. She eventually left the tall grasses and entered the overgrowth, beginning to prowl as to not alert predators… or was it not to alert her prey? It wouldn’t take long before she would stop, listening to a voice, one speaking words that couldn’t be made out. But she knew them, it was her quarry. She continued to advance, slowly but steadily moving as to not garner its attention. She finally poked her head out and met her target.
Sitting on the edge of the cliff was another zebra, much older; his mohawk reaching a great length, green mask with yellow features covering most of the upper face, around the neck he wore a neckless made from beads and fangs belonging to beasts, his frontal legs adorned in trappings made of red feathers, carrying a large pouch on his back, and on his flank, the image of a tree was imprinted. And nestled on his shoulders was a curved staff.
The little zebra prowled closer since she’s never seen him like this. He sat in the middle of a circle drawn with white chalk, several of them centered around where he sat, but five of them were spread evenly on the outside… with something inside them. One of the circles contained some burnt kindling, another a bowl of water, and the third… strange white stuff she’s never seen before. She approached it to inspect it up close, and it was cold to the touch. She looked to the rest and the other two circles didn’t have anything inside them. What was he doing with all this?
She then saw it: as the time moved and the sun traveled above, the shadow from one of the nearby rocks slowly entered one of the empty circles. The elder zebra’s chanting became louder, and then hit the bottom of his staff against the ground. Out of the blue, a thunderbolt struck the second empty circle and she shrieked in fright.
But the other zebra didn’t move. Instead, the surrounding circles lit up, their energy slowly merging at the very center until he himself was completely enveloped by it. His eyes shot open in blue light, and a magical radiance burst out in a wave, spreading across his surroundings and the lands below the cliff.
Finally, the silence fell on the scene and his eyes stopped glowing.
“Zecora, young steed,” he spoke, “why did you not take heed?”
The little zebra shivered. “Fada, I… I swear I was just looking.”
“Be grateful I felt you about, careless moves would have left you fried like a trout.” He stood up and started packing the reagents back into his saddlebag.
“Fada, what was that?“ she questioned. “There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but lightning rained anyway.”
“One who communes with the element will in time receive their testament.”
“If you’re so strong that you can command lightning to rain, why are you not one of The Three Kings of Farasi, fada?” she questioned.
The elder zebra smiled. “Power and control are not the same: Abraxas may keep the lightning tame, while Amun of abadas can hear the wind’s name, and Watami of kelpie fame can usher the rivers to a flame. Hence, the kingdoms were theirs to claim. Power however is not in my making, nor do I see it for the taking; I borrow, no more than needed, and labor with it until the morrow.”
“But what for, fada?” the curious child asked.
The older zebra pointed in a direction over the cliff. In the far distance, a lush valley opened, flowing rivers and greenery, nothing like the savanna grasslands. And in the middle of it all, a great baobab tree stood, and while everything aground was blooming, the tree was old and shriveled; it didn’t look at all like it was alive.
“Fada, this place is beautiful. Why does our tribe stand so far away?” the child questioned.
“Whatever beauty is shown does not reflect the truth known,” he warned. “Even when the sun shines above, making a pretty sight, it will always mask shadows on the inside. A dark and foul essence stands beneath our presence. Those before our time knew well this rhyme. And because of our abilities, we have responsibilities, to keep the shadows at bay, while we let others play.”
He stuck the staff on his saddlebag. “Do not approach this place, unless my burden you’re ready to embrace.”
She pondered for a moment. “Will I have to learn to speak in rhyme like you… something, something… morning dew?”
The older zebra laughed, and as they walked off he finished. “Enchantment and rhyme are connected. Over the years, I trust you’ll have perfected.”
“Zecora!” a voice called out to her. “ZECORA!”
Twilight sat next to the zebra she just freed from the changeling cocoon, and she finally started to regain consciousness.
She let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank Celestia you’re alright, Zecora.”
She finally got up, rubbing her head. “I wish by my name, I could say the same.”
“Zecora, what happened? Did a renegade changeling do this to you?”
“A changeling or two I could have dispatched, but against their queen, I was grossly outmatched.”
“Their que- WAIT! QUEEN CHRYSALIS DID THIS?!” Twilight exploded. “B-b-but that’s impossible! Chrysalis is gone! Yesterday when Canterlot got invaded by rock elementals, one of them fell on top of her statue and crushed her to bits!”
“Our situation at present is most dire, for whatever came to transpire, the queen who seeks the Alicorn Amulet has caused a great quagmire.”
Twilight thought for a moment before finally facing her again. “I completely forgot about that… After the battle with Trixie, I’ve never given it much of a thought and just figured the case was closed.”
“Only I knew the amulet lay, somepony must have shown her the way.”
“She was told about the amulet and where it was? But… why would she need it? I mean, the Alicorn Amulet is powerful, but even Chrysalis is probably aware its power can’t compare to anything close to what she once wielded. So why would she desire it?”
“I’m uncertain what fate holds in store, but the amulet’s holder could cause trouble… and more."
Twilight reached for the tipped-over empty chest and examined it. Her horn flashed and a strange purple vapor cloud appeared inside. “The Alicorn Amulet had a specific magical residue about. With a right spell, I can make the residue visible to the naked eye, so I can track it down.”
She traipsed over to the door and spotted the magical residue floating in the air, into the woods. A rummaging sound came from back inside and Twilight spotted Zecora digging through turned-over shelves and pantries, picking whatever potions and reagents weren’t destroyed.
“Zecora, what are you doing? You should wait here and recuperate.” She tried to convince her to stay.
“My house, my work, all of it was trashed, whoever did this deserves to get bashed,” she said as she put on the saddlebag and stuck her staff on it. “I was caught off guard but not again, so do not expect me to abstain.”
There would be no point in arguing; the zebra was determined to have justice for what was done, yet at the same time Twilight feared nothing good would come of her trying to face a creature as powerful as Chrysalis, her life would be in peril and she couldn’t have her take that risk, but words would clearly not deter her. Something would need to be done. Twilight simply nodded and they ran after the residue trail.
“Come on, everypony! Move those flanks!” a familiar high-pitched voice rang through the street where the bakery contest was supposed to take place. “We got less than an hour to get everything ready before the princess arrives!”
Pinkie Pie held a list, making sure that everything was up to the highest quality entertainment standards. And for her, it and baking went together hand-in-hand. She was perfect for the job. And while she did accept the job as the event organizer because she loved doing it, she also had an ulterior motive in this.
She thought to herself. “Twilight has no idea who the main organizer for the occasion is. Won’t she be surprised when she arrives and discovers that the one who did it was me the whole time!”
She squealed on the inside from the excitement; she absolutely loved to see everybody’s reaction of joy from surprises. Returning to surroundings around her, she noticed some things were still lacking, and ordered more balloons in the stalls. As she dug her face back in the list and traipsed across the street, a sudden force swiped her front legs, causing her to fall on her face.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” she yelled.
“Ow… sorry.”
She froze, recognizing that voice. Looking behind, she saw a small ball of purple scales and green spines sitting on the ground.
“SPIKE!?” She shut her mouth immediately, unfurling the whole event managerial list, and used it as a cover to conceal her appearance.
“Wait… Pinkie?” The little dragon turned, knowing fully well to whom that voice belonged.
“Pinkie who?” she desperately tried to make a denial. “I’m… errr… Listhoof Mcscribbles, YEAH! I’m just… checking the checklist for the event I’m organizing.”
He frowned. “Pinkie, you’re not fooling anyone.”
Rustling through the pile of wrapped paper, a single eye finally popped out. “Awww… was I that obvious?”
“Well, that. And the fact that I can see your party wagon from here.” He pointed to a big wagon standing by the side with Pinkie’s name on the side.
“Spike, can you please not spill the beans to Twilight?” she pleaded to him. “I was hoping to make it a surprise.”
“Sure, but I need to get to her first. You see, she-“ he tried to explain, but the pink pony put a hoof in his mouth.
“No no no, wait, let me guess.” She inhaled. “Twilight’s been running a busy schedule all day, but she has a sleeping problem that no doctor in Canterlot can cure, so she got Zecora to help her, but she needed something for the cure, so she ordered a bottle of weather from Cloudsdale, but the wrong package was delivered, so somepony just brought it to you while she already went away and now you’re trying to catch up to her so she can get back before the bakery contest starts.”
There’s was a moment of Spike agape at the mouth trying to register the specific details that he just heard coming from Pinkie Pie. “Okay… I don’t know how you do this but… YES! That’s precisely what’s happened!”
Raindrops fell again, this time hitting both the dragon and the pink pony.
“Emmm… Spike, is the Weather Factory leaking?” she questioned.
“I’ve been wondering that myself. Rainbow Dash said she’d check on it,” he said, then redirected back to the original point. “Anyway, I’d catch up to Twilight but… my wing is still in a bad shape from yesterday, and I can’t manage it on my own.”
A smile appeared on Pinkie’s face. “Well, somepony could use some help then.”
“Next stop, Canterlot!” the conductor yelled.
The train had just stopped at the city’s station, arriving from Manehatten. That railway had been one of the busiest in the land as it connected two of the most influential cities in the kingdom, transporting important people, from dignitaries to business owners traveling back and forth, and of course, that also included those responsible for agriculture. So, it wasn’t a surprise that a certain country pony from a little town also took part in the business travels.
“Alright, got 'bout fifteen minutes before the train departs. Best Ah go and stretch my legs from that hours-long ride,” Applejack said as she traipsed off the train for Ponyville.
She trotted across the platform and just as she was about the go around the corner, Rarity was approaching, carrying a load of bags from her boutique.
“PINKIE!!!” Spike yelled.
The pink pony saddled the dragon on her back and galloped off towards the entrance of the city. Unfortunately, in her haste she was still partly wrapped in her lengthly checklist scroll, covering most of her face.
“Pinkie! Stop! At least untangle yourself before you crash into something!”
“Relax, Spike!” she calmed him. “I know the streets of Canterlot like the back of my right hoof. I could navigate it blindfolded.”
As she said that, they were fast approaching the train station with Rarity in-sight, when one of the scrolls tangled itself in Pinkie’s front legs and both her and Spike tumbled forward like a yarn ball at a great speed, causing a chain reaction where they crashed into Rarity, who got pushed forward along with all her baggage, crashing into Applejack just as she got around the corner.
As the dust settled, Spike finally climbed out of the mess, shaking his head. “Well, blindfolded yes, but not with both hooves tied behind your back apparently.”
Finally, the white and orange pony rose from baggage and yelled in unison on top of their voices. “HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GO-!” then stopped when they saw one another.
“Rarity…?”
“Applejack…?
“PINKIE PIE!” the pink pony yelled as she popped up from the pile.
All of them looked at her before she finally replied. “Oh, hey girls! What are you both doing here?”
“Well, Ah just wanted to stretch a bit before the train sets home after I spent the whole day in Manehatten helping the Oranges in building a conglomerate,” the orange pony said as she dusted off her hat.
“And I was just going back to Ponyville after checking up on my boutique. Now, do you mind explaining what’s gotten into you?” Rarity picked up her baggage.
“Well, we were trying to catch up to Twilight but we got… tangled up.” Pinkie snorted.
“Wait, Twilight’s out here?” the country pony asked.
“Look, there’s no time to explain. I need to get this bottle to Zecora before Twilight…” Spike’s words trailed away as he felt something cold landing on his head.
A single snowdrop landed on him that soon melted away. Then another. And another. The whole gang suddenly turned to the sky and noticed that there was a very light snowfall.
“What in tarnation…? It’s spring, what's with the snow?” Applejack said as she shifted her head about.
It didn't take long before the unicorn jumped in. “You’d think something was wrong over at Cloudsdale...”
“I told you it was leaking!” reiterated Pinkie.
A cracking sound echoed in the air as they all saw a rainbow trail racing across the sky in their direction at high speed, looking as if it’s going to crash right into them, then making a precise stop a few feet from the group, causing them to cover for a moment.
“Listen, I don’t want to hear a single one of you say that Weather Factory is leaking, got that?” the blue pegasus fumed.
They all looked at each other with an awkward smile and she frowned after noticing it. “You just did, didn’t you?”
“Rainbow, what’s going on then? If this snow isn’t coming from Cloudsdale, where is it coming from?” Spike asked.
The expression on her face changed from frustration to worry all of a sudden. “That’s the thing… It’s enchanted wind. A few minutes ago, it was still at Cloudsdale and it already passed by now, but it seems it’s making its way here.”
There was a sense of unease in the air. In a not too distant past, something alike already happened once, but the circumstances were far different. Just as in old tales, when hatred spread amongst ponykind, it would draw in those who would feed on it: ancient magical spirits that brought cold and ice with them, and the more they gorged themselves on hate, the worse the storm became.
“You… you don’t think it’s… windigos?” Rarity asked.
“But… but that don’ make a lick a sense. Everypony’s been living in peace and harmony for years now. What possible reason would there be for them to appear now?”
“Maybe…” the whole group looked at the dragon as he spoke. “Maybe Twilight might know something about this. And even if not, we have to warn her immediately about what’s happening.”
“Well, what are we just standing around for then?!” the pink pony yelled as she zoomed off.
Applejack picked up Spike and the rest of the group galloped off, Rarity falling behind as she still carried all her baggage.
“Rarity, just leave it!” Rainbow Dash scolded her as she zoomed back for a moment and with great reluctance, she tossed them to the side. She was right, this was too important than some clothes.
Through the dark dank forest, they trotted. Twilight and her zebra companion followed the visible line left behind by the magical residue of the Alicorn Amulet for a while now. And the closer they seemed to have gotten, the darker their surroundings became, the dread permeated the air.
They finally arrived at their destination. The trail lead into a cavern and just peering into it made it obvious that they were about to descend into darkness. The alicorn princess walked through the entrance first, then quickened her pace. The zebra followed her soon, yet when she was about to pass the threshold of the entrance, she hit her face against a purple energy shield. Twilight erected a barrier to block her from entering.
“Twilight Sparkle, cease your spell! It’s clear you’re not well!”
“I’m sorry Zecora, but I can’t let you go through this. I know you want to help, but Chrysalis is too strong. I’m the only one who can stop her,” she said.
“Fool! Towards peril you walk alone, you can’t overcome this on your own!”
“You’ve every right to be angry, Zecora, but as the princess, this duty falls solely on my shoulder.” She traipsed away, following the residue trail. “I just hope you can forgive me one day for being selfish.”
Zecora bucked the force field in anger. No matter the difference in strength, what Twilight did just now was the level of absolute foolishness, allowing her pride to get ahead of her. She would not allow that to stop her, however, even if she would have to dig out a side entrance.
Twilight walked through the dark labyrinth, the magic trail from the amulet leading the way, there was no way she could’ve been able to find the way through the twisting corridors on her own. She finally saw a dim green light at the end of the tunnel and braced herself for whatever came next.
As she entered the cavern, her breath was taken away after seeing a great ghastly tree growing in the middle of a green lake. She slowly approached, trying to not cause too much noise; whoever was here likely hasn’t noticed her yet, so she continued to follow the trail. However, she realized something: the essence trail just ended. This didn’t make sense; by all accounts, the Alicorn Amulet should’ve been at the end of the trail, so where was it?
She banged her hoof against something; something metal. She picked it up and after finally seeing through the dim, let out a loud gasp of shock. The trail DID bring her to the Alicorn Amulet… or at least what was left of it. Twilight held aloft the remnants of the broken frame that used to resemble a winged horned equine. Who did this? How?
Sinister laughter echoed through the cavern and the princess looked around to spot its location.
“Well, well, well,” the voice finally followed, “Princess Twilight Sparkle graces my humble home with her presence.”
“Chrysalis? Is that you? I thought you were crushed to bits.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that, princess. I managed to survive without as much as a scratch. Same as the other two did.”
She sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. I was really afraid my decisions have ended up… ending all of you.”
“Excuse me? Is the princess of Equestria saying she was worried about MY safety? I do not need your pity!” the voice quickly changed its tune.
“Chrysalis we don’t have to fight. Just come out peacefully. I won’t be afraid to use force otherwise, and I’ve grown stronger than I was three years ago,” Twilight tried to reason with her.
“Three years… Oh my, such a long time that I’ve absent from the world… seems I have a lot of catching up to do then.”
And before the princess could say anything, a silhouette of a head popped up from behind the ghastly tree and a shot of green magic was fired at her. She dodged.
“Fine! You brought this on yourself, Chrysalis!” Twilight said as she took flight.
She flew around the tree, her horn charging up to shoot at the location where the changeling was hiding. For a split second she saw a shadow leap across the magical pool, she took an immediate shot at her. She missed. Spotting the changeling queen in the cavern turned out to be a difficult task, as the dim light helped her meld into the background, but if she’s hiding it must mean she’s weak. Using her magic, she created a temporary flare to illuminate the cavern and then scanned for movement. She saw something moving in the distance and instinctively shot a blast in its direction.
A green bolt shot out from the moving location, colliding with the purple blast, creating a shockwave that pushed the princess off her balance for a moment. Then came loud buzzing, fast approaching her, so she created an energy shield in front of her at the last minute; the puncturing sound echoed throughout the cavern as a black horn covered in green spots put a hole into the shield and a pair of green teal eyes opened. A sudden sense of dread washed over Twilight, and in the moment of it, the black horn pulled itself out and a bucking force sent the princess flying along with her shield to the ground.
She reeled and coughed, trying to put herself together; this wasn’t right. That couldn’t be Chrysalis. She was never THIS strong. The loud buzzing sound came around, coming from the direction of the giant tree, stopping, and then replaced by the sound of hooves traipsing over the wood and an evil cackle.
“You’ve greatly underestimated me, Princess Twilight,” she heard as she saw a shadowy figure saunter over to the front of the tree. “You see, I had gone through a growth spurt myself.”
As Queen Chrysalis stepped to the edge of the growth, the glowing radiance of the magical pool illuminated her features, and Twilight Sparkle in full confusion finally beheld the changeling queen, in a form that was alien to her: the protrusions on her body were no longer visible, green spots now covering their place, her mane and tail that previously resembled roughed up moss was now more elegant and flowing, her crown, previously a stem with the color of her black body with bulbs at the end of it, was now in full bloom, dark green blossoms decorating it. And finally, her eyes; while pupils retained the sickly green color, sclera had a more pronounced teal color.
One look at the princess and she already knew what thoughts were going through her head, a smug wicked smile curled up on her face, exposing her sharp teeth. “What’s the matter, Princess Twilight? Has my new elegance dazzled you so much?”
“Chrysalis… what have you done to yourself?”
“Me? Oh no, you’re greatly mistaken, princess of Equestria. You see, my current state is all thanks to my benefactor, to whom I’ve delivered a much-coveted possession it would not have been able to obtain otherwise.”
Twilight looked to the side, remembering the empty frame. “But if you took the Alicorn Amulet, why destroy it?”
“Oh, power can be so fickle when it has to go through a filter, so I decided to do a little “liberating”. And as thanks for my hard work I’ve not felt this complete since YOUR STUDENT CORRUPTED MY SWARM AND HIVE!” changeling queen’s shrilling cry echoed through the cavern, before finally falling silent and her angry demeanor instantly changed back to mellow. “So now, I’m building myself a new hive to replace the one that betrayed me.”
The princess was unsure what she’s getting at. She can’t just make a hive with herself…
And then she noticed it: resting on the borders of the bank of the lake was a giant cluster of changeling eggs; big, thanks to the infusion of magical energy from the pool and slowly pulsating. The loud buzzing sound began again as the Queen of Changelings flew from the tree and over them.
“My precious brood will soon emerge and they will require nourishment to become big and strong for what the future brings.” She gently caressed the unhatched eggs, her sight slowly peering into Twilight. “And after I’m through with you, whatever remains will provide more than enough sustenance for them.”
“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasped as she saw the devastation from outside of Zecora’s hovel.
The shy yellow pegasus had just gone to Everfree Forest on another errand for her animal sanctuary, needing help from the zebra to gather some local flora for environmental improvement. That didn’t go as planned, as she arrived at her home only to find it trashed and there was a strange magical trail hanging in the air. She didn’t know what to do; either go and follow the trail in hopes of finding the house’s owner but risking getting herself in trouble, or go find somebody for assistance, but by that time something horrible might happen to Zecora.
Suddenly she felt the ground tremors; they kept growing stronger, while accompanied by the sound of a mass of stampeding hooves drawing ever closer. She turned in the direction it was coming from and braced herself for the worst.
“STOOOOOOP!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, as a herd of ponies emerged from the forest running at high speed, and soon after noticing the yellow pegasus, they all grind through the dirt as they tried to stop on the spot, the little dragon flying off his steed and landing straight into her face, knocking her down.
Her vision finally returned after blurring for a moment, the sight of the other four ponies gathered around her.
“Fluttershy, darling, are you alright?” the fashionista asked.
“I… I think so.” She tried to get up but felt a weight pulling down on her pink mane, only to discover that Spike got himself tangled in it. “A little help, please?”
Rarity pulled her mane apart to untangle the dragon.
“Fluttershy, what are you doing out here at Zecora’s?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“I was just going to ask her to help me gather some natural material for my animal sanctuary, but by the time I got here… it was left like this.”
Pinkie Pie popped her head into the hovel. “Did Zecora invite the yaks over? Because if she did something that wasn’t perfect for them, it would explain why her place got trashed.”
“But what about Twilight? Where is she?” Applejack looked about.
“Wait, Twilight?” Fluttershy looked confused. “She’s supposed to be here?”
Rainbow Dash quickly caught her up to speed. “Long story short, Fluttershy: she’s having sleeping problems, so she needed an alternative help, so we came because there was a slight mistake on the delivery for something she asked for her… that, and something strange is happening back at Canterlot.”
“Maybe she hasn’t arrived here yet?” Rarity wondered.
“No,” the dragon said as he stood by the door and looking at the empty soup bowl and the bottle filled with a rain cloud. “These were the items she took when she departed, so she must’ve left them here before she took off again.”
Orange pony still pondered. “Ye, but where did she go?”
“Emm… maybe we should follow this magic trail?” The shy pegasus pointed to the magical trail in the air.
The rest of the gang gathered around, seeing the magical essence floating off into the distant woods, and looked at one another before Applejack opened her mouth. “Ya think she left it?”
“Well, we got nothing else to go on,” Spike responded.
“Then let’s go, everypony! Follow the purple cloud trail!” Pinkie yelled and she hopped off, the rest of the gang galloping after her.
Unpassable. Zecora struggled to try and dig a side passage to bypass Twilight Sparkle’s magical shield blocking the entrance into the underground tunnel, but the nearest proximity where she’d be able to squeeze through was surrounded by bedrock, and trying to go further would just take too much time; who knows what’s happened to the princess of Equestria in the meantime. Should she instead use one of her potions to nullify the barrier? It’s unsure which one would work against alicorn magic. A rumble with rustling in the bushes followed. A beast possibly? No; not just one, numerous. Zecora pulled out her staff and prepared to defend herself. Needless to say, her worries were for naught, as a familiar group of ponies just burst through.
“ZECORA!” they all yelled in unison as they saw her.
She sighed in relief. “Ponies, you gave me a fright. I was all ready for a fight.”
Spike jumped off Applejack and approached her. “Zecora, where’s Twilight? We got to your hut and it was devastated so we followed the trail here, to bring you this.”
He offered the zebra a bolt of lightning in a bottle. She observed it for a moment before taking it off the dragon’s hands and put it in her pouch.
“You desire help, I appreciate, but that will all have to wait. Since asked about your princess, all I can say, when I tried to help, she blocked me away.”
She pointed to the purple barrier blocking the cave entrance, Rarity approached it, tapping it with her hooves. “She just blocked you out? Why? What could it possibly drove her to do that?”
“Her sentiment I can comprehend, but without any of us it will badly end, because even if she may think herself supreme, she may still have a hard time with the Changeling Queen.”
“Changeling Queen? What a dang minute! Are you saying Chrysalis escaped from her stone prison?!” the orange pony put it all together.
“If you’ve seen the state of my home, you can blame her alone,” Zecora confirmed.
“What about the rest?” Fluttershy asked.
At that moment, the pink pony interjected. “Yeah, Cozy Glow and Tirek; what about them?”
“I do not know the whole tale, but you must go and help her prevail; but as long as this barrier holds, however, I’m not sure we can…” her rhyme came to a stop.
Before their eyes, the purple barrier began to flicker until it suddenly disappeared. They all peered into the dark tunnel.
“Yes! Problem solved itself,” the blue pegasus cheered.
Rarity on the other hand was of a different opinion. “Rainbow Dash… I don’t think this spells anything good.”
“Rarity, it’s true, I am concerned too. If the shield was tied to her magic, then what may have just happened to her could be tragic. “
The gang looked at one another and grimaced.
“Well let’s not wait then!” Applejack announced. “Everypony, follow that trail, quick!”
Just before the ponies descended into the darkness, Zecora gave them one final push. “Go ponies, you’ve got your princess to meet, while I prepare to cover our retreat.”
They all dashed inside, while the zebra remained behind, took off her saddlebag, and started rummaging through the potions. Just as she was about to open one of them, she felt something land on her nose; it was cold to the touch but it melted away quickly. She then looked to the sky and noticed snowdrops lightly falling, followed by foreboding neigh sounds echoing above.
What in the world was happening?
Meanwhile, inside the cave, a clash took place between the Princess of Equestria and the Queen of Changelings. As they flew throughout the cavern, bolts of magic were being shot left and right, tearing holes into the walls, emanating a shockwave whenever the two forces collided. Yet despite being visually at an impasse, they were both aware in whose favor the battle was progressing. Twilight Sparkle, despite her power growing much in the last few years, was slowly but surely starting to tire from both physical and magical exertion; Chrysalis on the other hand has not only somehow grown stronger, but the more the battle was prolonged, her power only grew in turn.
“What’s the matter, Princess Twilight? You still think yourself strong enough to face me alone?”
Of course not; she was no fool to think otherwise. The only way to turn the tide of battle now was to prolong it for as long as possible and hopefully, somebody would start questioning where the princess disappeared and Spike would lead them to the logical conclusion. But as it was, this also turned into a double-edged sword while going against somebody who only grew stronger as time passed, she needed to conserve her strength. She landed on the ground, without a moment to rest as another blast came right at her and as it hit, it kicked up a dust cloud. The Changeling Queen landed, but as the air cleared, her quarry was gone. Twilight teleported and hid behind the sinister tree, but it wouldn’t take long before she was found; she needed a distraction to keep the monster from her location. Her horn lit up and enchantments were placed on the far walls of the cavern.
Her voice resonated. “Queen Chrysalis, please stop! You said you’re finally feeling fulfilled. There’s no point in holding on to revenge for something that’s in the past!”
A cackle echoed through the cavern. “Oh Princess, you got it all wrong. All those times you defeated me, the loss of my hive… I’m not mad about that anymore.”
“Y… you’re not?” she was confused by what she was hearing.
“No,” changeling’s voice continued. “Do you know what really drives me? The experience. I remember what it felt like; the emptiness… the loneliness… the feeling of futility, that there is an all-consuming gaping hole inside that can never be blocked off. I remember it all; and for all that I have endured, all the pain and misery, I’m going to have you experience it ten-fold for making me feel this way in the first place!”
“But that’s just revenge for the sake of revenge alone, Chrysalis! There is nothing to gain from it!” Twilight pleaded.
“That’s what hatred is, Princess Twilight; it is cold, cruel, and merciless… blinding, absolutely… but it feels oh, so righteous… And now it’s coursing through my veins, giving me power greater than I could’ve ever imagined!”
Twilight shivered as she felt the conviction in the tone of her voice; she was so sure in her words. Before she could conjure a response however she felt a tap on her head, and a green substance oozed down her face.
“I have become…” the voice rang as Twilight looked up and noticed a pair of green-teal eyes light up above her, slithering down the tree, “The Pillar of Hatred!”
The princess reacted, bouncing off the tree trunk to face Chrysalis and opening a shot at her, but the Changeling Queen grabbed her with her magic and tossed her upward, into the air, having her hit the tree’s branches in the process until she hit the ceiling. She recovered, but at the moment the Changeling Queen dashed up to her with full speed, she raised a shield; yet just like the first time Chrysalis’ horn penetrated it, further than before and it hit Twilight in the chest, her chest crest being the only thing that protected her. She backed off, but only had time to put up a barrier again as Chrysalis started channeling a magical beam at her. As it kept going, doubt begun to settle in; she just saw how strong the Queen of Changelings is and just keeps getting more powerful, so by the end what if Spike may not be able to get to her in time? What if even his, or anybody else’s help won’t be enough to stop her? What will happen to Equestria if she alone is not able to stop her now?
Queen Chrysalis grinned gleefully, her sight saw what her opponent couldn’t. Hatred was making her stronger, yes, but her adversary was also getting weaker thanks to the whispers of a little weaselly form that hung around her head. Now the princess’ fate was sealed. She stopped channeling the beam and shot a bolt at her feet, the ground heaved and Twilight was sent flying against the wall. Princess slid down the wall, hurt and mentally exhausted, her shield finally faded away, but wouldn’t receive a moment of reprieve as the Pillar of Hatred used magic to drag her over to her side and lifted her to eye-level.
“How pathetic,” she smugly said. “You’re supposed to embody the power that surpasses even Princesses Celestia and Luna. The most powerful magic in the world! So where is it? Where is your magic of friendship now?”
The queen swiped her hoof over her head, knocking Twilight’s crown off, having it fall in the dirt. “Hatred has made me stronger than your friendship has ever done for you. Now, you’re going to meet your end very slowly, and after my children have had their fill, my swarm will darken the skies of Equestria again! The Queen of Changelings will rule supe- !”
In a moment of pride, Chrysalis didn’t notice that one of the rocks started to move, launched itself, and hitting her in the face, causing her to recoil and drop Twilight to the ground. She looked around to see where it came from, then out of the tunnel a giant burst of flame erupted and she immediately flew away to not get burnt. She saw them then: five ponies and a dragon charged out into the cavern, to their princess’ side.
Doubt’s whispers deafened and blinded Twilight to the world around her. But soon she could hear mumbling sound slowly overpowering it, and as the sound slowly became clear, she could recognize these familiar voices; but it shouldn’t be possible, they couldn’t be here, not all of them at once. The mist cleared from her eyes and she beheld the full picture; seeing her best friends and her most loyal companion together at her side. The mist might have cleared from her eyes, but they were soon replaced by tears of pure joy, as she brought them together in an embrace.
“Twilight, you okay?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“We’re so sorry we couldn’t get here sooner,” Fluttershy apologized.
“Don’t be…” Twilight sniffed. “For a moment I started doubting myself… To believe I’d never see you guys again…”
“We’re here for you now, Twi,” Applejack reassured her.
Rarity snuggled up to her. “How could we call ourselves the Council of Friendship if we were unable to protect the one who brought us together in the first place, dear?
“Without us you wouldn’t be able to laugh in the face of danger, silly,” Pinkie Pie giggled.
Finally, Spike hugged Twilight, not saying a word; none were needed.
Queen Chrysalis still flew above them, expression of disgust forming on her face, but also a disappointment, as she saw Doubt slither away from the group; it would appear that it wasn’t as powerful as it appeared to be. Not that it mattered.
She landed, her horn charging up. “A minor inconvenience; in the end, you will all serve as nourishment for my brood!”
She fired a bolt at them and before she could score a hit, an energy shield appeared, blocking the attack. Gritting her teeth, she charged up and started channeling a beam at them. It hit the barrier and slowly pushed it back… until Twilight finally stood back up. The barrier began to push in the opposite direction, as she slowly marched forward, her friends standing at her side, accompanying her. Desperation began to set into Chrysalis; no matter how hard she pushed herself, no matter how much effort she put into channeling her beam, her opponent could not be deterred.
“You’ve made a grave mistake, Chrysalis,” Twilight proclaimed as she continued to approach the changeling queen. “You were so sure, so confident in believing that your own spite was enough to stand against the magic of friendship, but look now where you stand; you wield all that power, all alone, while I and my friends are sharing it. That’s what makes me truly strong, that’s what makes ALL OF US strong. Even if you knock one of us down, by leaning on one another we will keep rising over and over again.”
“NOOOOOOO!” the Queen of Changelings screamed in defiance. “I won’t let you take everything from me! Not again!”
“Face it, Chrysalis. Our magic of friendship is, and always will be stronger than hate.”
Their opponent was pushed all the way back to the edge of the magical lake, all her effort no longer amounted to anything. But just as it seemed that the changeling’s defeat was certain, it came…
“Broodmother…” the harrowed voice echoed throughout the cavern.
Twilight and the gang stopped in their tracks. That voice; every single one of them heard it, not just Queen Chrysalis, who stopped channeling her beam and turned towards the tree.
“We want to meet them face to face…”
“But... in your current state you’re- “ her voice was soon overshadowed.
“The storms of hatred come…” the voice said with finality.
They all heard it. A sinister neighing cry echoed from the tunnel behind them; the gang turned and tried to peer into the blackness, but their expressions were soon changed to terror, for with a burst of cold wind, the equine specters of ice and snow emerged, beginning to circle above the tree in the middle of the lake, their bestial voice echoing all around.
“Y… y’all seeing what I’m seeing right now, right?” country pony asked.
“Windigos… b-but how?!” Twilight questioned, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. “Windigos only appear when a great concentration of hatred and lack of love is being amassed, so why are they…”
Twilight’s voice trailed off as she looked forward and saw the look on Changeling Queen change; the desperation in her expression was gone, replaced with brimming confidence. Something was not right.
“You’ve issued a challenge, Princess Twilight,” she bragged. “Now we’ll see how much weight your words hold when you meet my benefactor in person!”
The windigos neighed as they circled the tree one more time and then nosedived into the magical pool below.
Silence fell, followed by the bubbling sound coming from the pool. Black shadowy mass began to rise from the bubbling area; dark substance twisting and turning as it grew in size, accompanied by the sound of windigos within it, a pair of giant scrawny arms sprouted from the ever-shifting form, as the giant towering creature’s body begun to solidify.
“Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Queen Chrysalis announced in a boisterous tone. “The physical manifestation of Hatred itself!!!”
And with those final words, a pair of giant teal eyes opened on the black mass; they peered into the group of ponies below, and its gaping maw opened, letting out a shrilling cry accompanied by icy cold spray.