Dinky groaned as she began slowly lifting her eyelids. “What’s going on? Where am I?” She asked, her mind in a haze. Suddenly, she gasped as she shot to her feet. “Mom!” She exclaimed just before falling back to the floor on her wobbly legs. “Where’s mom?” She asked, looking around her room. “In fact, where am I?” She asked. The room she was in looked to be large enough for herself and at least five other ponies. However, there was no furniture to speak of aside from a raised portion of the floor in the middle of the room and the green flame lit torches and glowing green crystals along the walls.
Dinky tried again more slowly to get to her feet, and she was rewarded with the ability to stay upright. “Hello?” Dinky called. “Is anypony there? Please, where am I?” She asked, looking desperately for a door and finding nothing of the sort. The walls seemed to be made with a strange, spongy type of rock that absorbed and retained a sort of gooey moisture that stuck to Dinky’s hooves when she touched it. “Ew!” She exclaimed as she dragged her hoof along the ground to get the gunk off of it.
“What’s the matter?” A changeling voice asked. “Is your room not nice enough for you?”
“Where are you?” Dinky asked. “And what have you done to my momma?”
“Dinky, what are you talking about?” Derpy asked as she walked up behind Dinky.
“Mom?” Dinky asked as she turned around. “Mommy!” She yelled as she jumped up and hugged Derpy. “Mom, I’m so sorry I followed you. I was just so worried about you!”
“It’s okay, Dinky.” Derpy said, hugging her daughter back. “You don’t need to be sorry. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“But…” Dinky said. “How do we get out of here?”
“Shh, it’ll all be okay.” Derpy said, stroking her daughter’s mane. “Everything will work out. You’ll see.” She said with a smile.
“Release her, you foolish drone!” A loud, feminine voice boomed through the room.
“Q- Queen Chrysalis!” Derpy exclaimed, letting go of Dinky and stepping back. “What’s the matter, my Queen?” She asked as she bowed toward the opposite wall.
“I’ll not have you feed on this foal, or anyone else without my express permission!” Queen Chrysalis said as she stepped through an opening in the structure. The wall itself seemed to be stepping aside for her as she walked, never slowing in her approach. “We have two more guests on the way, and I expect to be the first to speak with each of them. Do I make myself clear?”
“Mom?” Dinky asked as she stepped away from Queen Chrysalis. “What are you doing?” She asked as Derpy turned to look at her.
“Silly filly.” Derpy said as her eyes turned a solid blue color. “Your mother is not here yet.” The changeling said as it shed its disguise. “What’s the matter? Are you surprised?” The changeling asked as it bared its fangs and hissed.
“Enough!” Chrysalis yelled, stomping a hole-ridden hoof. “I’m here to speak with a prisoner! Not to terrify a child! Be gone from here before I remove you myself!”
“Yes, my Queen! Sorry, my Queen.” The changeling said with a bow before buzzing his wings and flying out of the room, a hole opening in the ceiling for him and closing once he was through.
“My apologies for his behavior.” Queen Chrysalis said as she took another few steps toward Dinky, causing the little filly to back away farther, pushing herself back against the wall. “Oh I wouldn’t press too hard against that, my dear.” Chrysalis said. “You’ll make quite the mess of your coat.”
“What do you want?” Dinky asked, ignoring the Queen’s advice and pressing up harder against the gooey wall. “Why did you take me here? Where’s my real mom?” She asked, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
“Your mother is on her way.” Chrysalis said, walking closer and kneeling to be at eye level with the little unicorn. “You’ll be able to see her very soon.”
“Really?” Dinky asked, the tears threatening to pour down her cheeks at any moment. “You promise?”
“Of course, my little pony.” Chrysalis said, wiping one of Dinky’s eyes with a hoof. “I would never take such a sweet child away from the mother she loves so dearly.” She said, cradling Dinky’s chin briefly. “I just want to make sure you feel welcome here at the hive.” She said, turning and walking away. “Since you’ll be staying here for quite some time.” She said quietly as the wall opened up for her to exit the room.
“Oh, mom.” Dinky sighed as she watched the wall close behind the changeling Queen. “I’m so sorry.” She said as she stepped away from the wall, not caring that her back was covered in some of the viscous substance from the wall.
“You there.” Queen Chrysalis said, turning to face the changeling standing outside the containment chamber.
“Yes, my Queen!” The guard said, bowing deeply.
“Make sure she doesn’t receive any unplanned visitors.” She said. “The foal is to be left alone until I say otherwise. Understood?”
“Yes, my Queen. No visitors to the foal.” He said, rising from his bow to full attention.
“She has a lot of love to share with the hive.” Chrysalis said. “I just need to go about extracting it properly.” She said as she continued down the hall. “Ah!” Chrysalis said as she noticed two changelings arriving with green cocoon-like structures on their backs. “It seems the rest of our guests have arrived. Bring them to separate holding areas. I want to deal with them both myself with no interruptions.” Chrysalis said, smiling wickedly to herself as her subjects carried their captives in opposite directions.
“Oh… My head.” Shining Armor groaned as he rubbed his head and stood up. “What happened yesterday?” He asked himself as he looked around and realized that he was in his own bedroom in the Crystal Palace.
“Oh, Shining Armor!” Princess Cadence shouted as she walked into the room. “Good morning.” She said as she wrapped her hooves around him. “I was worried when I heard you groaning. I thought the headaches might have started back up.”
“Cadence?” Shining asked. “What’s going on? What about Derpy? And the changelings?”
“Shining, did you have that dream again?” Cadence asked as she felt his forehead with a hoof. “Are you feeling okay? Do you want some water?”
“No, I’m fine.” Shining said. “But what happened?”
“Oh, the delivery went fine.” Cadence said. “And not soon after, you led the guard and rooted out the changelings. Turns out peace wasn’t very high on their list of priorities when you stormed their hive.”
“I’m not surprised.” Shining sighed. “But why don’t I remember any of it?”
“I’m not sure.” Cadence said with a shake of her head. “You’ve been acting strangely ever since the fight ended.”
“I have?” Shining asked.
“Yes. You’ve busied yourself with hunting down the remaining changelings, and I barely see you anymore.” She said, looking down and sighing.
“I’m sorry.” Shining said. “I’m not sure what happened, but I’ll try to make more time for you. I’m sure there isn’t much left of the changelings anyways if we’ve taken out the hive.” He said, smiling and looking deeply into his wife’s eyes.
“Oh, I’m lucky to have such a loving husband.” Cadence said, leaning forward to kiss Shining Armor.
“Wait a second.” Shining said, stopping Cadence gently with a hoof.
“What’s the matter, dear?” Cadence asked, looking very confused.
“Something doesn’t seem right here.” Shining said. “What happened to Derpy? And what about Drill Bit and the others?”
“Oh, they’re fine.” Cadence said. “Now come on. I’ve missed you while you were out fighting those changelings.”
“No.” Shining said, pushing her away. “This isn’t right. There’s too much missing here.” He said, hardening his gaze.
Cadence sighed and rolled her eyes. “I figured it wouldn’t work a second time.” She said as she walked away. “Still, I find this particular form to be so much fun that I just can’t help myself sometimes.” She giggled as her eyes turned green.
“You!” Shining shouted as he scuffed the ground with a hoof and prepared to charge. “What are you up to this time?”
“Up to?” Cadence asked as she turned around, green fire enveloping her body. The fire dissipated a few seconds later, and Shining Armor was faced with Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings. “What in Equestria would make you think that I would be up to something?” She said with a fanged smirk.
“I know your kind!” Shining said. “You’re always up to something!”
“You presume to know how we operate?” Chrysalis asked, trotting a bit closer. “You assume that you know everything about my race based upon one confrontation.”
“You kidnapped my wife and tried to ruin our wedding!” Shining shouted. “Forgive me if I don’t exactly have the best opinion of your people.” He said, concentrating energy into his horn.
“You aren’t trying to cast any spells, are you?” Chrysalis asked, chuckling a bit. “I’ve covered my bases this time. I’m sure you’ll find your magic quite subdued this time around.”
“We’ll see about that!” Shining said as he willed all of his energy to his horn. “Come on!” He growled as the spell he was preparing fizzled out, causing a couple of pathetic purple sparks to shoot from the tip of his horn and dissipate in midair.
“Is that the best you can do?” Chrysalis asked, laughing as if having seen the single funniest thing in her life. “Please. I’ve seen hatchlings do better while they slept! Though I suppose I really have you and your precious kingdom to thank for that.”
“Explain yourself!” Shining said just before being shoved to the ground under Chrysalis’s hoof.
“Do not presume to command me!” Chrysalis hissed. “You are in my world now!” She said as the pristine crystal walls began to melt, revealing the hard black surface underneath. “You need to learn your place, little prince. And I will be more than happy to put you there!” Chrysalis boomed as she levitated Shining Armor within a green field of magic and flung him against the wall. When she did, green slime oozed out of the wall and enveloped the stallion, suspending him in place and leaving only his face uncovered.
“This is an act of war!” Shining Armor shouted.
“No. No it is not.” Chrysalis said, buzzing her wings as she hovered up to be eye to eye with Shining Armor. “Sending your hunting squads into the Badlands to flush us out for extermination. That is an act of war.” Chrysalis said, forcing Shining to look up at her by putting a hoof roughly under his chin. “I am simply doing what’s best for my subjects. And what’s best for my subjects right now, is making sure that you won’t cause us any more trouble.” She said, flying back down to the floor. “I’m sure that I can find a suitable replacement for you soon enough that you won’t be missed. And if absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t mind taking your dear bride’s place one more time.” She said, looking back and watching Shining Armor struggle against his bonds out of the corner of her eye.
“You won’t get away with this, you monster!” Shining shouted, gritting his teeth as he thrashed in his gooey prison.
“On the contrary.” Queen Chrysalis said. “I already have.” She said as she left Shining to his struggle. “Make sure he stays right where he is.” Queen Chrysalis said to the guard outside Shining Armor’s chamber as the wall closed behind her. “I’ll be sending more guards to assist you. I want you to keep an especially close eye on him. Not watching him is what fouled everything up last time, and I refuse to be made the fool a second time.”
“Yes, my Queen!” The guard said with a bow. “The militant prince will go nowhere on my watch.”
“Excellent.” Chrysalis said as she walked towards her final captive.
“Huh? Where am I?” Derpy asked as she looked around. “Why do I feel all sticky and…” She began before noticing that she was encased hoof to neck in a green cocoon. “Oh. That’s why.” She said as she heard a strange noise behind her. “What was that?” Derpy asked, trying to turn her head around and succeeding only in making herself uncomfortable.
“Please, don’t strain your neck like that.” A soft voice said from behind Derpy. “You might hurt yourself.” The voice said, growing closer.
“Who are you?” Derpy asked, looking forward again. “Where am I?”
“My name is Chrysalis. Queen of the changelings.” Queen Chrysalis said as she walked around to see Derpy from the front. “And you are now safely within my hive. Something not many ponies can say.”
“The Queen?” Derpy asked. “Hold on! Where’s my daughter? Where’s Dinky?”
“Oh, I assure you that your daughter is quite alright.” Queen Chrysalis said. “But that isn’t what I’m interested in talking about at the moment. What I want to know is exactly why you are looking for me in the first place.”
“Oh. Well…” Derpy said, shifting in her cocoon a little bit. “I actually have a message for you. But I can’t seem to… Reach it.” She said as she kept trying to reach her mailbag.
“I wouldn’t worry about that right now.” Chrysalis said, turning to look straight at Derpy. “I suspect there’s more to your mission than a simple delivery. Despite what you may think, I don’t believe for a moment that your precious princess wants some sort of truce after what I did to her niece. So tell me. What did Celestia really send you for?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Derpy said, shrugging her shoulders as best as she could, imprisoned as she was. “She just wanted me to deliver a scroll. That’s all I know.”
“That’s really it?” Chrysalis asked. “Let me be sure.” She said with a smirk as her horn and eyes glowed with a bright green aura. Chrysalis looked as deeply into Derpy’s eyes as she could, briefly confused by the fact that they never looked in the same direction. However, Queen Chrysalis knew that her spell was working when Derpy’s irises changed from yellow to green. “Now, you will tell me everything. Do you understand?”
“Y- yes. My Queen.” Derpy said, her mouth hanging open slightly.
“Perfect.” Chrysalis said with a smile as she released Derpy from her cocoon. “Leave your things here.” She said. “Let’s walk and talk. And while we’re at it, I’ll get that wing patched up for you.” She said as the wall behind Derpy opened up.
“Thank you, my Queen.” Derpy said with a bow shortly before dropping her mailbag and following Queen Chrysalis out of the containment cell.
“You still want to see your daughter, correct?” Chrysalis asked.
“Yes, my Queen. I would like that a lot!” Derpy exclaimed, happily cantering beside her ruler.
“Well then, far be it from me to keep you away from her. As I’m sure you know, she does love you so very much.” She said with a smirk as they neared Dinky’s cell.