One hoof in front of the other. He could do this. He knew he could do this. He had to do this. There was no other choice now. Not after the stunt he had pulled at the castle. Not after the careful months of planning, the steeled resolve, and the bottle of cider he drank to help get that resolve. The coins that greased hoofs that got him this far had already been spent, and the silent seconds of victory were fleeting and empty. Still- he trudged forwards.
The guards didn't bother him. The creatures didn't even take the time to glance at him as they continued their work; burrowing and digging, expanding the hive. Changelings. He shuddered. At first they'd been hostile, attacking him on sight when he approached the hive. Negotiations arose at spear point, and after some begging, he'd managed to collect an audience with the queen herself. All he needed was a clear head, a smooth tongue, and a cool demeanor. Not to mention his ace in the hole- the reason he left Equestria anyway.
The layout was a twisted, turning, confusing maze of tunnels and hallways, but the main path (Path? Road? Hall?) was well marked with the paved hooffalls of thousands of creatures each day. He managed to find is way to the throne room without a single detour and all to suddenly, he found himself standing in her presence. He'd been in throne rooms before- surely, he thought, this would be no different. But now that he was here, it was all very different. Instead of the warm inviting environment of Canterlot Castle, this place was dark and foreboding. Cold. That was it, it was very, very cold. And in the middle of the room? Sitting on an throne of ebony? There she was.
She sat quietly, like a predator waiting to strike, eyes scanning over him; precise and judgmental. He stared up at her, his mouth had gone dry, and his carefully rehearsed speech was gone in an instant. He gulped. She glared.
"Speak. You are trying what little patience I have for your kind, pony."
"I....I....have c-come seeking refuge...s-sanctuary."
"You wish sanctuary from me? Do you know who I am?"
"Yes."
"Speak."
"You are Chrysalis. Q-queen of the changelings."
"And you. You are a little pony. With squinty eyes and a brown colored coat. A pegasus. You have a black mane, and a cutie mark of a snake wrapped around a heart. And yet...all I see when I look upon you- is food. "
"Please, I-"
"You are nothing. A no named little morsel. A late night snack, at best. But you intrigue me. What do you fear more than me? What follows you?"
He stood up straighter. Swallowed. Swallowed again. Drew in a breath and let it out. What he had done was more real than ever now- it was finally settling in. Where he was and how he had gotten to this place, like some terrible dream turning into some terrible reality.
"Celestia."
"Your precious princess drives you to me? And why would she do this?"
"I've worked many years in the castle, a slave to her whims. Why must I be forgotten in time, while she is remembered for eternity. I work, I slave, but -
"You are food. " A grim reminder where he was. He pursed his lips.
"I have taken her crown."
"You possess Celestia's crown and would offer it to me for sanctuary from your own kind? Amusing. Truly, you ponies are remarkable. What else?"
The question caught him off guard. What else? Was Princess Celestia's crown not enough?! A symbol of her monarchy of all Equestria? He stammered. He had not thought this an option; that the crown would not sway her in his favor. What to do? Think. Think!
"As I said, I worked for the princess for m-many years, and I know of many secret things. The castle is a home to-"
"Feh. We care not for the pitiful secrets of ponies. My hive is in your castle and your towns. We infiltrate and feed. Your secrets are our secrets. You come here, seeking asylum from your country, with nothing more to offer us than a trinket? A silly piece of jewelery Celestia will replace within the hour? Is this your hope, little pony? Your desperate gamble? That we would be so impressed with your deed, that we would protect you from your own kind? You misjudge our priorities. I am a queen like no other. I desire no baubles or trinkets. What use would a crown have to us down here in the hive? We desire food, little pony. We eat to grow, and grow to become powerful. We are a virus, spreading from town to town to town. What do you bring to us, that would help us grow, pony? What do you offer us to sate our ravenous hunger. We cannot eat Celestia's crown, nor wear it, our magics incompatible. Celestia doesn't even know she's at war and she will not until it's far to late. I will not reveal my hand, brandishing her crown as if a flag of victory. Do you now see your error, pony? You are food. Our food." She hissed. He wet himself. He couldn't help it. The words rang through the hollow halls and drained into an all consuming silence. She moved forward. Slowly. One regal step at a time, ushering him gently towards his own demise.
"Wait, wait there is something else! Her weakness! Her student! Twilight Sparkle! Celestia can be demoralized! She can be defeated without throwing a single blow!" He screamed. She glared, lips peeling back into a horrible, terrifying smile.
"Do you think we do not study Twilight Sparkle? Or her dragon assistant, Spike? Her friends, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy? Do you think we don't know about the elements of harmony? The power they wield? We are everywhere- monsters waiting in the dark. You have not impressed me, but I WILL do you the honor of being our meal. "She hissed. He fell back on his rump, wildly kicking away from the black, terrible creature in front of him. There was something about her hungry stare- the way her eyes gleamed as she crept forward. He couldn't move. He wanted to flee- jump up and scream, but he remained silent and frozen to the spot. When she reached him, she smiled- that terrible, wide, fang filled smile, and leaned down to nuzzle at his neck.
"Adorable. We are amused. So much so, that we shall grant you a second boon. Five, whole, seconds. If you can reach the entrance of my hive, you win a prize. A glorious prize of sunlight and air. Do you understand?" She asked. All he could do was nod- a wide eyed, barely visible, trembling nod. She took a single step backwards, and peered at him with those terrible glowing green eyes of hers. The starting flag was invisible and instant. Not a shot, or a shout or a command. It was one single, whispered word. Barely audible, but powerful all the same: Run.
He was off like a shot, the spell broken, his legs were underneath him, tearing through the hive as fast as possible. The changelings had all stopped working- all of them watching stoically with their terrible gaze. Green segmented, compound eyes made up the walls and the ceilings. The floor was dirt and the air was stifling, as if the hive itself were trying to bar him escape. He didn't know where he was running, but his legs seemed to choose wherever he was going. Down one hallway, and then another. The Changelings didn't move- but there was a buzz of activity. They watched him- stared at him, peered at his every action and reaction, all of them like some giant living organism, and yet not one of them moved to stop him.
There!! Yes, there! That was it! The main door where he'd entered!! His legs kicked into overdrive. His lungs burned and his back screamed at him, but it didn't matter. He'd made it! He was safe as soon as he set foot outside, and suddenly; a white hot light! The sun was beaming down onto his face. He'd made it. He'd burst through the dirty iron double doors and crawled from the ground like a corpse in a bad movie, tired, sweaty and dirty. But he'd made it. He collapsed onto the sweet earth just outside of his sanctuary-turned-tartarus and thanked the lucky stars above that watched him.
But now what? He escaped the queen of the damned, and returned to a life of haunted nothing. The princess would no doubt have his head, but perhaps she could be reasoned with? The desperate act of a desperate pony at the end of his wits. She was merciful, and if he returned the crown, clearly sh-
His breath was suddenly choked from him and his thoughts were turned into a strangled yelp of surprise. Something had pounced him- the double doors of the hive behind him springing open and darkness wrapped around his hind legs, dragging him down into the chambers below. The last thing he heard, as the darkness of the hive swallowed him, was a low feminine chuckle that rang in his ears.
"You've won your prize; the air and the sun. But I never said your freedom was part of the deal. "
He only had a moment to scream.