//------------------------------// // I: March to the Scaffold // Story: March to the Scaffold // by Foxy Kimchi //------------------------------// Thump. Thump. Thump. On the outskirts of Canterlot, the sound of marching hoofbeats and rattling armor echoed in the early morning air. Thump. Thump. Thump. The Royal Equestrian Army was marching back from battle towards Canterlot, their home. Their latest endeavor against the changelings was a success, as they had defeated the enemy and, most importantly, captured their leader, Queen Chrysalis. The soldiers of the Royal Equestrian Army were escorting her back to Canterlot so that she could be brought to trial for her crimes against Equestria. Although some were bloodied and bruised, all were elated to be coming home as war heroes and to be embraced by their loved ones. With their heads held high, they marched with vigor. The younger bachelor soldiers were ready to show off their war wounds to any mare they could find—or colt, if they were into that. Thump. Thump. Thump. Queen Chrysalis, on the other hoof, was in no mood to celebrate. Her hooves bound, her mouth muzzled, and her magic restrained, she could only wait in her cage as she was carried to the enemy's capital and her former invasion target, Canterlot. The rocking of the wagon and the cadence of marching hoofbeats did nothing to ease her growing anxiety. Left solely with her thoughts, she could only imagine her inevitable fate at the hooves of her captors. Oh, how she regretted her failed invasion. She had only wanted to take a small amount of love, just enough to survive and feed her changelings, but after tasting the love of Shining Armor and Equestria, she had become intoxicated—she had wanted everything Equestria had to offer. In order to satisfy her cavernous hunger, she had decided to invade Canterlot, and after her conquest, she would then taken over Equestria so that she could feed to her heart's content. Chrysalis had thought her plan was foolproof, but in the end, her overconfidence was her weakness. Thump. Thump. Thump. The marching became slightly faster and more erratic as the soldiers became more excited; the offbeat of the monotonous tempo awakening Chrysalis from her previous thoughts. She looked up and ahead to see the drawbridge to Canterlot open. She gulped in anxiety. This is it, Chrysalis thought to herself. Her parade through Canterlot, the crescendo of the beginning of the end. Her march to the scaffold. In the early morning, the streets of Canterlot were relatively empty. Only a few ponies were up at this hour, beginning to prepare for whatever the day would bring. It was the sight and marching of the Royal Equestrian Army that began to rouse the citizens from their early morning stupor. Upon looking at them—and, more importantly, what they were escorting—they began to cheer. A few citizens ran ahead to spread the good news and prepare a hero's welcome. As the soldiers marched on, the cheering and celebrations began to increase as more ponies came out to celebrate. The effects of the celebrations and fanfare were most evident among the younger soldiers, puffing out their chests, raising their chins, and shifting wings or pieces of armor to show off their battle injuries as their pride swelled. Chrysalis, however, could only feel the cold, hard glares from the crowd that were directed at her. Luckily they were short lived, as the citizens of Canterlot were more focused on the safe return of their loved ones. She was thankful that they were not throwing any garbage at her. The soldiers continued to march, slowing slightly in order to savor the citizens’ welcome, the intensity of the cheers increasing. The celebrations and fanfare reached their climax at the town square, the entire city now well aware of the Royal Equestrian Army's triumph. The square and surrounding streets were packed with celebrating ponies, cheering on the soldiers and shooting the occasional glare at Chrysalis. Marefriends and wives broke through the crowd, hugging and kissing their returning lovers. As the Chrysalis entourage made their way out of the town square, they began to enter the upper terrace of Canterlot, home of the elites and nobles. Chrysalis instantly sensed a dramatic change in the atmosphere. The Canterlot elite and nobility were cheering not for the soldiers’ safe return but for her blood. Even the soldiers themselves began to feel uneasy among the bloodthirsty crowd, neither expecting nor wanting such a welcome. This was not what it meant to be in the Royal Equestrian Army. The soldiers began to quicken their pace towards the castle entrance, eager to leave such an unruly crowd. Chrysalis cringed slightly, the atmosphere and shouting unnerving her, but that moment was short lived. She steadied herself—she would not look weak in her final moments. As short as her tenancy in Canterlot had been, she had already come to despise its nobility. The love she could feel from the nobles was not only small in amount but also tainted and foul—she could tell they were more interested in selfish gain and indulgence than love. In addition, she hated how they carried themselves—the nobility and elite always thought they were above the "common" worker pony. They viewed the lower classes as uncivilized, always turning their noses away from them, and yet here they were, a barbaric mob calling for her blood. To her, they were just a food source like anypony else, nothing special about them. She sneered at them. Chrysalis had always hated the idea of nobility—during her rule, she had treated her changelings as equals, no individual above or below the rest. Chrysalis looked ahead, trying to tune out the unruly mob around her. As Canterlot Castle drew closer and closer, gleaming white like the face of death, so too could she feel the final act of her life approaching its finale. As the castle doors opened and she was taken inside, Chrysalis turned around, taking what might be her final opportunity to behold the light of day. SLAM! Chrysalis winced as the castle doors slammed shut. She could hear the celebration outside continue as they lauded her coming fate.