//------------------------------// // Into the Belly of the Beast // Story: Legend of the Burning Snow // by Phoenix Frost //------------------------------// The thought haunted Rainbow Dash. She knew it was princess' orders, but to abandon her friend to go on some unknown quest to face more unknown danger? That wasn't what she had expected to see come out of this little adventure. She was growing sick of Celestia's arbitrary rules. The five friends found themselves a chariot outside the main gates. They gathered in the back of the golden car, none showing any concern for Twilight, save for the prismatic-maned pegasus, at least not identifiably from their expressions. For Dash, she couldn't hold back her feelings enough to keep the despise for Celestia off her face. The rest of her friends gave their best efforts not to aggravate her and let Rainbow have some space. The chariot pullers ran forward and gradually lifted themselves and the cart up into the sky. The blue pegasus slumped over the right side with her face buried in her crossed hooves, watching Canterlot leave their sight through the clouds. She exhaled heavily out her nose and turned back to her friends, leaning her back up against the railing with her hooves resting across it. "So we're just gonna let this happen?" Her friends weren't eager to respond. They just acted like they didn't hear anything. Dash looked at them distastefully. "I guess that's a 'no' then." She stood back on all fours again. "That's great, girls. Just great." Applejack subtly turned an eye to the irritated pegasus, and brought her attention back to the mountainous terrain around them just as quickly. "You do realize she might not come back right? We don't even know where she's going, and we're just supposed to trust Princess Celestia to steer her right? After she just proved her plans to ultimately fail just hours ago?" "Yeah, we are supposed to believe that!" A.J. snapped. She turned around to meet Rainbow's eyes. "What do ya think, we're not worried too?" She leaned over the unmoved pegasus. "You got a real funny way of showing it!" Dash said, now leaning over the apple farmer. Applejack loomed over her again in frustration. "Well maybe I gotta point somethin' out to ya. You know that pony we just brought back that wants to freeze us to death? Well soon enough, he'll be makin' his way to Ponyville. You know who lives in Ponyville?" She paused and waited for Rainbow Dash to give an answer. She never got one. "My family. Ya know, those three other ponies I work hard to make a living with. The ponies who I bust my rump for because I love them. If we don't stop Frostborn, then what's gonna happen to them?" Dash's face was full of guilt. She retreated so far back that her hind legs were scrunched up against the floor of the chariot and her tail and up against the side. Applejack backed off and let her get a good look of the ponies standing behind her. "I ain't the only worried one, here. What about Rarity? She's got a little sister that's worried sick, hanging onto the few friends she's got, taking a train to Canterlot and praying that everypony comes out safe." She grabbed Rainbow's chest and hoisted her back up to her hooves and shoved her face back into hers. "You need ta get yer head outta the gutter, and focus on what we gotta do right now. Otherwise, he'll get to Canterlot, and there won't be nothin' there to stop him." She pulled away from Rainbow and turned back around towards the front of the chariot, Dash sitting quietly in the corner. The rest of the ride was silent. Applejack wrapped up any conversation that would spark in all six ponies with that one speech. Sure enough Rainbow Dash wasn't about to make her any angrier. They reached their destination in good time. They landed on a flat cliff on a small mountain range, just outside a peculiar cave. The walls were lined with some mysterious lime green substance. It was some slimy collection of unknown material in large bumpy formations covering nearly every surface inside the cave entrance. It was impossible to tell just how much was in there, as the darkness covered anything less than two meters from the outside. The five friends exited the chariot and took a good look at the cave. The hole wasn't very big. It maybe could fit two or three ponies at a time, but no more. "What do y'all think is in there?" Applejack asked, trembling. "Only one way to find out, I guess." Rainbow replied. Pinkie Pie started trotting towards it, and the other four directed their attention to her. The pink pony leaned in on one of the green bulbs of slime and stuck her tongue out curiously. "Pinkie, no!" shouted a quartet of voices behind her. She immediately paused and sucked her tongue back in. "What?" Pinkie complained. "Only one way to know what it tastes like." She continued into the darkness on her own. Applejack covered her eyes with her hat, Fluttershy shook her head, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, and Rarity just followed her with a disappointed expression on her face. The other three followed them closely. The cave was pitch black. No one could even make out each others' positions without them talking. They tried their best to walk single-file, but they would swerve away from the line every so often and get back into formation. "Can't believe we haven't bumped into anything yet," Dash whispered. "Changelings musta really spent a lot a time hollowin' the place out," A.J. added. "I don't trust this," said Rarity. "There's no possible way there isn't a swarm of changelings waiting for us somewhere." "Princess Celestia gave us orders, we can't refuse them," replied the apple farmer. "If we don't get their help, Frostborn wins." "Girls, it'll be fine," Pinkie assured them. "We'll be done here before you can say 'fuzzle-squidly-doo-da-day." She hopped dead into a hard surface before her. She rubbed her head in pain, and felt Rarity bump into her a few seconds later, followed by a chain of three from her friends running into each other. "Why'd you stop?" Rainbow asked the party pony impatiently, still squished between Applejack and Fluttershy. "It's not my fault! This rock here was in my way." She turned to the boulder she just ran into. "I'm sorry Mr. Rock. I didn't see you there. Say what name do you like more, Rocky or Tom?" "PINKIE!" Rarity yelled, her voice echoing off the cave walls. "What? Rock needs a name." She paused at the sudden sound of mysterious buzzing circling around them. The five friends panicked at the sound of a thousand tiny wins flapping rapidly from all directions. Except Pinkie Pie, she wasn't too phased. "Ooh, ooh! I knew we'd find the changelings!" The screaming suddenly came to a halt, and Pinkie could feel the four pairs of eyes staring at her through the darkness. "See girls, I told you this would be quick." One by one, the five watched hundreds of teal eyes pierce through the inky blackness of the cave. Their green underbellies glowed faintly in the dark like dim lanterns. The buzzing grew louder, and the eyes larger. The changelings were moving in on the five friends with increasing speed. A half second went by with a hiss from all sides, and suddenly the world went black again. They hadn't known how long they had been out, but the five friends knew their situation was bad. They awoke dazed with dulled senses. Their vision was blurry and a couple of their appendages were numb. It took each of them a second to realize the sticky, green, transparent substance holding them all together, much like the stuff on the cave entrance. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity were lined up nicely, but Pinkie was less fortunate and was glued on her back above the other ponies' heads. "Wha-? Where are we?" Dash yawned. She and her friends were suddenly startled by a hissing choir of laughter from the ceiling above them. "You know plenty well where you are, foolish filly," said a feminine, toxic voice in front of the trapped ponies. A vast collection of the green substance started glowing around the room, including the ooze holding the friends down. The dim lighting was enough was to make out a chiseled ramp a few feet before them. The raspy laughter continued, and they looked up to see at least a hundred changelings clinging to the roof of the cave. They snarled at their petrified captives joyfully, just as the poisonous voice voice continued to taunt the friends. "And it was quite the poor choice to come here." The five directed their attention to the source of the voice, which came from atop the ramp. They looked higher, and took notice to what looked like it was intended to be a throne, but was little more than a pile of rocks shaped into a chair and held together by the green changeling goo. Oh, and it was empty. "Boo," said the voice right behind the captured ponies. They jumped in terror, ans the voice laughed behind them. The five turned their heads back to see the changeling queen towering over them. She stopped laughing when they turned. "Miss me?" "Hardly," Rarity replied distastefully. "Aw, so the feeling isn't mutual, then. I felt it was too long a wait to see my subjects toy with you after you made an attempt on my life." "The Elements of Harmony never killed anyone," Rainbow Dash argued. Chrysalis spoke calmly, "No, but they have banished to form of a jealous moon princess and turned a draconequus to stone. What would become of a being that is naturally 'evil-natured' is beyond me." She took a closer look at the band of captives. "However I do recall the Elements of Harmony requiring a representative of each element this time around, and it would appear that you five are short a pony. Where's that Twilight Sparkle? I was anticipating to see her with you." "She ain't here," Applejack answered. "She's on a super secret mission doing super secrety things for princess Celestia," Pinkie added. "In a secret way." "Ugh," Chrysalis grunted. "The one I despise the most is out running errands for the princess. I have the worst of luck." "Oh, then you'll be happy to hear that she's no longer Princess Celestia's protege," Rarity teased. "She's an official princess herself, now." The queen gritted her teeth and growled. "Yeah, and she's got a big, shiny castle now," Fluttershy said. "Made of crystals and has a special round table for all of her dearest friends." "That little wretch!" Chrysalis bellowed. "Here I am, taking care of hundreds of my subjects in a cave, while Twilight Sparkle is out reading books and being granted godlike powers by that witch, Celestia!" She looked to the dark corner of the room behind her throne and her horn started to glow. She grunted and flung her head back towards her prisoners, and a rock came flying out of the darkness over their heads. Pinkie quickly tucked her hooves and head into her torso as the rock passed over her head. She heard the stone crash on the cave wall behind her and extended her limbs back out. "Oh things I could do to that princess' first line of defense. I could cripple her ability to counter my army, and send her down here to the caves where we've been stuck for this long time. Oh that sounds wonderful." Her voice dripped with hate and resentment. Rarity leaned in on Applejack to her right. "Something tells me she hates Princess Celestia," she whispered. "With good reason," Chrysalis snarled. "Sentencing my entire race to these dark, wet caverns beneath the surface while she sits merrily on her throne alongside her sister. It's sickening." "Then maybe you shouldn't have invaded Canterlot," Rainbow Dash reminded her. "That wasn't when it happened, runt. I mean in the beginning. The world was empty when she and Luna ruled over it, so they tested their hooves at creating life. Their imaginations soared with potential for what creatures they could conjure, millions of possibilities. Oh but how could they just narrow down their ideas to just one? They just had to get all their ideas out into the world as soon as their impatient minds could. Oh I'll make them pay for that. I want watch them grovel for that!" "Hey, Chrysalis," Dash interrupted. "We're not mind readers. If you got something you wanna share with us, then we need more than that." She turned intriguingly towards the prismatic-maned pegasus. "You want to hear a story? Is that what I'm getting from this?" "Um, I don't think we're going anywhere," Dash said, trying to pull her hoof free from the green ooze unsuccessfully. "So, I think we got time." The queen smiled and lifted herself up on her torn wings, hovering up to her throne and taking a seat. "Well I'm not one to pass up an opportunity. I'll warn you, though, I'm a bit rusty, so as for how vivid my explanation is, just know I'm doing my best." She lifted her right hoof to her chin and looked deeply into space above her. "Now where to start? Oh, I know!" "It's beautiful, sister," Princess Luna applauded Celestia. Celestia smiled sweetly down to her new-found sibling. "I'm glad I listened to you. It amazes me that we were able to build a city this magnificent." The two looked over their project from the tallest tower balcony of Canterlot castle. The sunset reflected brilliantly off the refined stone streets and golden rooftops on the spires, giving the city a serene, orange coloring. The warm summer's breeze blew across the sisters' faces, relaxing their bodies and clearing their minds for a minute. All their hard work had paid off in the end. "It feels empty, don't you think?" Luna questioned, not taking her attention off the gorgeous scenery. Celestia smiled down on her sister with a chuckle. "And how are we going to fill this space?" The moon princess stared back at her elder sister with confidence. "We're ready, sister. It's time to start a new world." Celestia stared back out to the golden-tinted Canterlot, Luna following her gaze seconds after. "If you say so." The princesses took their leave back inside the castle. Walking through the halls, Celestia understood what she meant by empty. She envisioned ponies just like them roaming freely around the streets, but even her own quarters would be open to some company. The warm summer breezes that met their faces just seconds before had turned to a slightly chilling draft. It was a big castle, of course, but the amount of space that was locked up inside it was unsettling. Despite Luna being right there by her side, Celestia still felt that feeling of emptiness creeping up to her. It was quite intriguing to her. She was born into a world where everything around her moved so fiercely and with such energy, now her whole world was cold and static. She had expected this from the caves, but the surface was like nothing she's ever seen. "It is eerie, sister," Luna broke the silence. "I find no controversy there." They continued walking, but Celestia glanced down to the dark-blue alicorn. "How did you know what I was thinking?" "I have the ability to explore one's dreams. Daydreams are close enough, I suppose." The two continued through the purple corridors of the castle, making their way to the under-works. This was where they had started their project. The castle had a clear connection to the caves which they had resided in for those many millennia. The stone walls were polished, giving them a blue shine that reflected off a few dozen gemstones buried halfway into the rock. Celestia charged her large horn, giving off a yellow light to reveal the caverns beyond what little sunlight remained outside could illuminate. The jewels in the walls glistened in the magic glow, carrying the light all the way down to the end of the tunnel, which lead into another dark section of the caves. They casually made their way into the bowls of the mountain. Once they reached the end of the tunnel, the light spread to a new array of gems decorating the caverns, reflecting beautifully around a circular chamber. The cave formation was all natural, carved by the Father himself like a path to the gorgeous world below the surface. The only unnatural thing about the cave was the round stone table placed in the center of it. It wasn't the most eligant of tables, being only a single boulder cut down into a cylinder and placed in a nice location on the ground. The sisters split up, each going to another side of the table. Celestia's magic that illuminated the caverns separated from her horn, and gradually it made it's way to the space above the table, where it hovered in midair like a little magic lantern. The shifting light bounced around the room, and as the orb of light moved into place, it reflected across the gems lining the walls, and each jewel focused it towards the table before the two sisters like a hundred spotlights for their work area. Celestia and Luna gazed in awe at the spectacle of light around them. "It feels as if it were only yesterday we were still trapped here," Celestia stated. "And the same chill exists here, too." "We don't have to stay for long," Luna said. "This is our age, now. One for prosperity and harmony to reflect across all the land. It starts here, sister." "Are you sure we can perform the spell? We've never been taught to create life like our predecessors." Luna hushed Celestia with her hoof. "Do not doubt, but believe." Her horn glowed dark blue, and she shut her eyes. A beam of magic shot from the tip into the glowing ball of light above. Celestia mimicked her sister, and her yellow magic fed into her light orb. The light started glowing more and more brightly, sending of a pulse of blue magic, then yellow, then blue again. The pattern continued for a few seconds, the frequency increasing with every pulse. The sisters remained calm, still feeding their magic into the orb. The pulsing kept speeding up, faster, and faster, until the bursts of magic caught up to each other, and the light created a small magical explosion. The blast quickly faded, and the ball was a pure white color. Ever so suddenly, the light cast a magical beam down onto the magical table, a spiral of the yellow and blue magic, forcing itself into the rock. Celestia an Luna's eyes clenched tightly. They put all their energy into the spell, and it was reflected into the beam which was growing in size with every passing second. The gems on the walls started shaking, and the light reflecting off them and shining in all sections of the room. Small clumps of dirt and debris crumbled away at the ceiling, but the sisters tried to keep focused. The entire cave was shaking, but they were almost done. Suddenly the spiraling beam coming from the light cut off, and the orb slid a bolt of magic down the beams of both sisters. The shock from the bolts cut off their magic, leaving them with a small headache. The both of them kept their eyes closed and rubbed their heads as the pain subsided. Celestia was the first to open her eyes and look at the table. "Luna," she asked. "Ugh, wha-" she struggled, still rubbing her head. She stopped and opened her eyes, and her gasp echoed through the caverns. "What is that?" The two sisters gazed upon the strange creature sleeping on the table. It was a pony, at least it looked like one, but it looked incomplete. It's hooves were covered in holes, and it's wings were like an insect's and tattered beyond comprehensible use. It had a long mane and tale for an infant, but it was a sickly green that stuck out over it's black coat and crooked horn extruding from it's head. It lay there curled up in a little ball, snoring peacefully in a soft, delicate pitch. It's eyes fluttered open, but only stayed halfway open. "Shh, it's waking up," Celestia told Luna. The baby's eyes were the same green as her mane, and at the sight of her new mothers pried them wide open, and she smiled. Her teeth had already come in, well at least a pair of fangs did on either jaw. The baby sat up and held out her two front hooves toward Celestia like she wanted her to pick her up. "It's quite smaller than I had envisioned," Luna stated, just watching the baby almost fall over reaching for her mother. Celestia lifted it with her magic and held it up on her right shoulder, supporting it with her right hoof. The baby was giggling the whole time, and it lightly tapped it's hooves on Celestia's back. The white alicorn smiled at how playful it was. "It's quite cute, you must admit." Luna watched the baby continue to play on her mother's back, and she snickered. "Yes, I suppose it is admirable." "What should we name her?" Celestia smiled over her shoulder. Luna held her hoof to her chin. "I never thought about that." She thought to herself for a minute. "Well, she is the transition to a new age, I suppose. So, let us name her Chrysalis." "Yes," Celestia agreed. She nuzzled up to her daughter. "My little Chrysalis." "Unfortunately their affection did not last forever," Queen Chrysalis continued her tale. "Perhaps a decade at most." Chrysalis had been growing up nicely. She had reached the size of a school-filly. Her mane drooped down so far that it dragged on the floor not far behind her tail. All her teeth had come in, so those vicious fangs in her mouth weren't the only things in there. The holes in her legs didn't go away, in fact as her legs grew longer, the holes became bigger. Celestia and Luna watched her run around the what-will-be throne room, once they had gotten enough citizens to fill up Canterlot. Celestia enjoyed watching Chrysalis play. Just seeing the filly brought a smile to her face. Every-so-often. Celestia would tour her around the caves. The way the gems in the walls shimmered in the light that she had always brought with them had always fascinated the young filly, but Celestia found more entertainment in the twinkle of Chrysalis' eyes. She was happy every time her daughter would smile in amazement at the glorious world around her. Luna did not share these feelings. This was not what she had imagined would fill up the city that she and her sister had built. This thing's legs appeared as if the slightest pressure would cause them to break. Luna didn't want a bunch of weak, sickly colored ponies running around in her city. She wanted colorful, strong ponies that worked with backs as strong as steel. Not this, abomination. Now the carefree filly was running around with one mother who loved her unconditionally, and another who despised it's very existence. "Celestia, can I speak with you for a moment?" Luna asked. Celestia merrily turned to her sister. "Yes, Luna?" Chrysalis stopped playing and skipped over to her mothers. "What are you talking about?" the filly asked. She was so hyper that she couldn't refrain from flapping her wings to the point of them buzzing. "Um, perhaps you should wait outside, Dear," Luna advised, rubbing Chrysalis' head. "Go play in the halls." The filly's head sank. "Oh, ok," she sighed. Her wings stopped vibrating, and she slowly walked out the open door. Celestia turned back to her sister. "Why did you send her away? You've saddened her." "Celestia, I'm not sure I want Chrysalis around anymore," Luna whispered. Outside the doorway, Chrysalis was still in earshot of the two alicorns. She stood up straight and quietly inched her way back over to behind the doors. "What?" Celestia asked. "Why, she's a lovely girl." Chrysalis leaned in closer to get a better understanding of the conversation. "She could be better, Celestia." "How could she be better? She smiles at the simplest of things and runs around freely wherever she goes. She's very sweet that way. What's not to like?" "Sister, last week she turned into an identical copy of you. Even her mane was flowing the same way. She's a freak, and you know it." Chrysalis' heart sank. Tears started forming at the back of her clenched eyes. She ran off down the hall, her mothers unknowing. She left them as the the shadow of Celestia started looming over Luna's. Chrysalis ran back to her own room and lied down to cry in her porous hooves on her stone-framed bed with a green blanket. She stayed there for hours until Celestia walked in on her. "Sweetie, can we talk?" Celestia asked gently. Chrysalis grunted and pulled the blanket over her face. Celestia reached a hoof out to support her daughter, but the filly just complained and shifted around until she lifted her hoof away. The alicorn knelt down beside the filly's bed. "Did you hear?" she asked sadly. Chrysalis turned away. "Chrysie, I'm sorry." A tear rolled down Celestia's cheek. "Why does Luna hate me?" Chrysalis mumbled. Celestia retracted. "What? Chrysie, Luna doesn't hate you." "Don't lie to me!" Chrysalis snapped. "Luna says I'm a freak! I heard her myself!" "Sweetheart, I'm here-" "And I didn't hear you doing anything about it!" "Chrysalis, that's enough. I love you very much and you know that." The changeling stared her mother dead square in the eyes, not even taking the time to blink. "Then prove it." Celestia didn't hesitate to nuzzle up to her child. She rubbed her head against Chrysalis' cheek gently. The filly took a few seconds to accept it, but she eventually snuggled back. Celestia pulled back and looked back into her daughter's eyes. "Does that prove it?" Chrysalis nodded and shared a smile with Celestia, but the alicorn's expression quickly turned sorrowful. "You won't be thinking that for much longer." The young one looked up in confusion. "Mommy, what's wrong?" she asked nervously. Celestia didn't answer. She only sobbed and shed countless tears that rolled down her cheek. "Mommy?" "Sweetie, you have to go," Celestia blurted out. She immediately jumped to hug her distraught child. "What?" Chrysie asked. "Chrysie, I love you," she stammered through the crying. "But you have to go." Chrysalis started to cry herself. She held her mother tight, but Celestia decided to pull away. She was greeted by the sobbing, runny-nosed filly reaching out to her that only made her heart ache more. "Mommy, no. Please!" "My mind's made up, Chrysie. It's for the best." The changeling wiped her eyes of tears and snot. Her sorrowful eyes turned hateful, but the tears kept on rolling. "Fine, I'll go!" Charged for the door, Celestia reaching a hoof out for her daughter, but she had to hold herself back. Despite the pain she felt, there was something still urging her to go through with it. Chrysie stopped in the doorway and turned her head back into the room. "I'm glad to see where your love lies, Celestia." She ran out of the room and down the halls, still hearing her mother's sobs behind her. She didn't let it get to her. She just kept running. "I found my way here after that," the queen continued. "These caves would be my home from then on, and I was not the only one." She pointed to the ceiling of hissing changelings above. "One by one, another failure would be sent to my caves. Those incompetent princesses took years to finally perfect their life spell. And what do they do then? The ponies they got right are practically pampered. They're given all this land, this wealth, and their own individual lives to live out, while my entire race of rejects is banished and forgotten. Why, they were even given the power to control the sun and moon! Can you believe that?! Celestia and Luna just look out over these remakes and let them take over the day and night, making their special talents meaningless! Oh the sacrificial, generous princesses! They're frauds! I can't begin to describe my excitement when I shot down that wretch Celestia when we invaded." The five friends sat in silence. Most were too dumbfounded by the news that they couldn't find time to choose their side, much less find their words. Most of them did. "Give us one good reason why we should trust you," Rainbow Dash demanded. "Why would I lie about this?" Chrysalis sobbed. "My life was thrown away that day. Me and my people are stuck here! Forever! We endured the pain of being forgotten, only to undergo the torture of being scorned by all those living outside our domain. Now the one who sent us here is sitting high and mighty on a throne of her own. You couldn't begin to comprehend the pain that comes with such betrayal. When you, yourself, are cast away like trash and replaced like you never even existed, then you have my permission to speak up." Dash piped down. She now sat with the others in deep thought. It was impossible to believe now, who they could trust. Even the grand pony who lights up the world with her glorious sun had a history that sentenced an entire race to lives of misery and poverty. And they witnesses the effects of it firsthand. "Maybe Princess Celestia didn't come out on top," said a high-pitched voice, breaking the silence. Chrysalis along with the other four friends directed their attention to the source of the disturbance. "She's not as much better than you as you think," Pinkie said. "Pfft," the queen mocked. "And how is that?" "You were the one who took over Canterlot with the help of the changelings, silly. You got this great big, scary army that can make themselves look like anypony they want." She tried to spread out her arms towards the roof covered in the insect-like creatures that covered the ceiling. "I just saw one at Lyra Heartstring's birthday party last week. You up there, Chuck?!" she called. The changelings above all turned their heads to one embarrassed soul in the center of the mob. "She makes good punch," Chuck said with a shrug. "I suppose you're right," Chrysalis mumbled. She stood from her throne and started making her way down the ramp before her. "Celestia is strong, but the exile has made me stronger. Perhaps there was a silver lining after all." She stopped in front of the trapped quintet with her head held low. She murmured, "However, we are still doomed to rot in these caverns, forever shunned by the outside world." The friends exchanged glances with slick smiled on their faces. "I think I know how we can fix that," Rainbow told the queen, who held up her head in a blend of hope and curiosity. "You see before you kidnapped us and trapped us in this mess of green slime," Rarity began. Before she could continue, Applejack gave her a nudge with her elbow. "Oh, fine," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Before you generously invited us into the most private sections of your humble home, we came seeking help with a slight problem we've stirred up." "Have ya ever heard of some fella named Frostborn?" A.J. asked. The changelings hanging from the ceiling began to hiss violently as soon as the farmer pony finished saying the name. "What?!" Chrysalis asked in rage. She turned away from the captives and held her head in worry, her eyes darting back and forth. "No. It can't be. He can't be back, can he?" Her eyes stopped moving, Chrysalis' vision was set straight forward and her irises shrunk down once the realization had sunk in. She faced the ponies again. "Why would you release him?" she growled. "The Master of Ice froze the world over once, and her will do so again." "Princess Celestia told us too," Pinkie Pie answered with a smile. Her friends looked up at her disappointingly as Chrysalis turned around and casually walked back up the ramp. "I'm sorry to say that I will not be of any assistance, in that case." "If you help, you'll get the changelings the respect you want for them so much," Rainbow Dash reminded her. Chrysalis stopped in her tracks, but said nothing. "And I don't think the caves will save you for as long as you think. You don't have any sun magic to keep you warm." Chrysalis took a deep a breath and lowered her head as she exhaled. "You're lucky I'm desperate." She raised her head again. "Very well, allow me to rally my troops and we will make our way to Canterlot immediately. She faced the quintet in their slimy trap and charged her horn in her bright green magic. She shot a beam in between Rainbow Dash and Applejack at the ooze holding them together, and it disintegrated on impact. The four on the bottom fell back, failing to retain their balance, and Pinkie stayed airborne long enough to land on their faces when they all collapsed. The queen payed them no mind, and looked to the ceiling full of her subjects. She held her hoof up to her face and found a hole in it on a corner. She put the two prongs of flesh in her mouth and blew hard. The whistle echoed off the cave walls in deafening volume. The now freed ponies held their ears in pain until the ringing subsided. The changelings above detached from the ceiling and hovered in the air around their queen who stood tall atop the ramp leading to her throne. "Shall we?" she asked. "Lead the way," Dash answered. The five friends rose to their hooves and followed Chrysalis around a few corners to the cave entrance. Sadly, when they arrived, the view wasn't the same as when they had first arrived. Now the small corridor gave way to a massive snowstorm raging just outside. The rocky exit was filled to the knees with piles of snow, making the ability to leave impossible without a lot of digging. The clouds above were grey and covered the sky a short distance away, but the mountain on which Canterlot was built had clear skies above. The storm was closing in on it slowly, but eventually the blizzard would reach the city, along with a certain someone eager to coat it in ice. "I thought I felt a draft," Pinkie said as her friends held their heads in worry. "The caves," Chrysalis said. Everypony looked up at her like she was crazy. "The caves here connect to the ones beneath Canterlot. If we follow them, we can reach the city safely." "Are you sure they'll take us where we want to go?" Dash questioned insecurely. "Of course I do. It's how I came here." She lead them to a dark tunnel to the right of the snow-covered exit. It was a tight squeeze, as fitting an army single-file down a narrow passageway was a lot harder than it sounded, but they made it work. They had too. If they didn't get back before the storm hit Canterlot... They wouldn't be the only ones paying for it.