Day 1: White Death
"This is it, soldiers, this is how we die" Chrysalis managed to get out between shivers. She looked out at her Changelings, the majority of them were on the verge of death some of them even welcomed the sweet warmth it would bring.
Chrysalis knew this had to have been part of Celestia's plan and now she was going to freeze to death in a wasteland of snow and ic-
"What are you doing?" Celestia asked as she watched the Changeling Queen flail about in a little under and inch of snow.
"The traitor has come to mock us" Chrysalis hissed "She sent us to our deaths, but she had to get one final taunt in"
"I sent you to get Egg Nog" Celestia responded a hint of annoyance in her voice
"You sent us into the harsh frozen winds of Equestria and brought the white death upon us."
"Oh for the love of the sun, it's about 2 degrees below freezing and we all warned you about the scheduled snow yesterday.... at least three times in fact."
"Could you have not sent someone better equipped for these hostile conditions" Chrysalis forced a cough as she rolled to face the sun. "Could you have not spared us this pain and this suffering."
"You finish the nog, you get more nog" Celestia stated flatly
"I barely had any!" The Queen hissed
"You drank like nine cartons" the Alicorn answered
"Twelve cartons" came the shout of a random Changeling Soldier
Chrysalis gave a forced groan "You even have my own Changelings betray me, what will it take for you to end our suffering"
"Nog" Celestia answered flatly "Bring us the nog and wipe away the debt"
"Very well" Chrysalis coughed once more as she shakily stood back up. "Bring forth the nog"
There was an awkward silence as they Changeling Queen and the Sun Alicorn stared at each other silently both waiting for something to happen.
"I said, Bring forth the Nog" Chrysalis repeated, once again being left in a scene of awkward silence. "Which one of you was carrying the Egg Nog" she asked as she shifted her glare from one Changeling to another most of them just shrugged unsure of who was carrying the precious cargo.
"Wait a second" Chrysalis muttered as she began a head count. "Five, Six, Seven... Seven" she gave a sigh as she rubbed her forehead with a hoof. "Where is Thorax?" she asked with a second sigh
Back at one of Canterlot's largest malls, a lone Changeling was trying desperately to find the rest of his Hive. He had circled the large structure several times, visited countless story and gathered many knick·knack but no matter how hard he looked his Queen was nowhere to be found, but, at least, he was warm.
Day 6: Losing Hope
"Day 452" Chrysalis began as she spoke to nobody in particular "Nog reserves are running low once more, one of us will have to sacrifice themselves so that the others can continue to have Nog" Chrysalis paused for a second as she cast her glance towards the four Changelings playing Jenga next to a comforting fireplace. "I have selected Mandible for this task."
"Yeah! Thorax lives another day!" one of the Changelings shouted excitedly causing himself to knock over the Jenga tower in a horrifying tragedy of small wooden blocks earning him some annoyed looks from his fellow drones.
"The snow has fallen for six days and nights and I fear it may never stop. Mandible will surely freeze out there, I will send Thorax to loot whatever Egg Nog survives."
"Aw" Thorax groaned in disappointment, looked like he was dying after all.
"Chrysalis, we get that you don't like winter, but I think you're being a little over dramatic" Nightmare spoke from her own cushion next to the Fireplace. "Surely you could just bundle up in some nice winter clothing"
"Clothes will not save us, nothing can survive out there," Chrysalis spoke in exaggerated tone "Any creature out there would be frozen solid in seconds."
"Your son is out there making snow ponies." Nightmare retorted with a raised brow
"Nibbles doesn't count, he could survive in any temperature. He could survive on the surface of the sun... in fact, he HAS survived on the surface of the sun and he just came back angry AND on fire." Chrysalis finished as she gestured to the small burn mark on the back of her exoskeleton
"What about Sombra? Or all the Ponies, Griffins and even Diamond Dogs currently enjoying the winter fun?"
"Nightmare... Moony" Chrysalis began as she pulled herself off the fancy couch she had been laying and walked over to her drones that had just finished building their Jenga tower back up. "Moony, I'm going to tell you a secret, in fact, I'm going to tell you the greatest secret the Changeling Empire has."
"And that is?" the black Alicorn asked with a smirk
"We don't do well in the cold." the Changeling Queen spoke with feigned shame
"Shocking" Nightmare retorted with a fake gasp "I will remember to invade you during winter." she quickly added with a laugh
"Winter is a time of sleep for Changelings, normally we would go dormant in our Hive till the snow melts and warmth returns to the land. Now with an actual Alliance between Ponies and Changelings. I assume there would be suspicion as to what we were doing down in our Hives, so we will adapt as we have always done though it may take some time." The Queen spoke but this time, there was no hint of joking or insincerity.
"Huh" Nightmare began "With all that happens here, I sometimes forget you actually rule a Kingdom. I wasn't joking when I suggested some winter clothing." the Alicorn gave a sly grin as she had an idea "Let me pull a few favors and see if I can't get you and your little friends out there frolicking in that snow." She finished with a light-hearted laugh as she stood up and made her way out of the room. Leaving Chrysalis and her Changelings alone to the warm lighting of the fire.
"Who wants to play Monopoly" One of the Changelings asked as she held up the cardboard box.
"Dibs on the Racecar!" Chrysalis shouted happily
"Aww" came the collective sighs of disappointment from the Drones.
Day 7: Iron Man
Chrysalis and her Changelings donned their suits of warmth as they stood at the threshold between the warmth of the castle and the frozen wasteland outside. "One of two things would happen when the doors were flung open, the mighty Changeling Queen would be able to withstand the frozen winds and brave out in the wasteland of snow and ice or herself and her people would fall, never to rise again."
"Chrysalis you're monologuing out loud again." Celestia spoke with a raised brow. "Besides, it's one of the warmer days planned for this week."
"Sorry" Chrysalis answered awkwardly as she looked at the group around her. Nightmare and Celestia had finished their work for the day and had met up in time to join Chrysalis and her Changelings on their winter adventure. "I must say Nightmare, these outfits are quite wonderful. How exactly did you convince Sparkles friend to make them for us?" She asked with some confusion.
"Rarity owed me a favor" Nightmare smirked "She needed someone to model her latest night themed dresses, so I volunteered"
"You made that poor girls week a living hell." Celestia chastised the night Alicorn
"I helped her when nobody else could" Nightmare retorted trying to hide her grin
"You used magic to change your height each time you showed up. When she finally finished a week later you told her you would call on her for a favor"
"Favor for a favor, it's all reasonable"
"You convinced the poor pony you would have her help you take over Equestria!" Celestia shouted
"I'm evil, what do you want me to do?" Nightmare asked with a shrug "I could go back to plotting your murder and me taking the throne again if you like"
The bickering Alicorns were cut off by one of the Changelings that had made his way over to the large door while the arguing had been going on and everyone was distracted.
"I think everyone here needs to CHILL out" Thorax spoke with a devious grin as he threw open the door. "I regret nothing" he added as he bolted outside.
"Gods no!" Chrysalis shouted as she was blasted with cold air that surprisingly... wasn't all that cold. "It's working!" the Changeling Queen cackled as the winter clothing did a marvelous job of keeping the cold out and the warmth in.
"Permission to engage rogue Changeling," one of the Drones asked in a muffled voice through her scarf.
"Permission granted" Chrysalis grinned "Bring him down!" she shouted as she lead the charge out into the Canterlot Gardens. Almost immediately the Queen regretted her actions as she was pelted with snowball after snowball. "I've been hit she shouted" as she brushed snow from her face and tried to spot where the attacks were coming from.
"Target acquired" she shouted as she pointed towards the rather impressive snow fort in the center of the garden. Discord and Luna hastily created snowballs while the two traitors known as Sombra and Nibbles rapidly fired them towards the Changeling Queen and her troops. "Begin the counter attack!" she shouted as she began her charge towards the fort narrowly dodging snowy projectiles again and again.
"She knows she's supposed to throw snow in a snowball fight right?" Discord asked Luna with a rather concerned tone
"I'm sure she'll figure it ou-" Luna was cut off as the Changeling Queen slammed through the side of the snow fort sending Nibbles and Sombra crashing from their perches and plummeting down on top of the Alicorn and Draconequus.
"Ignore what I was saying" Luna groaned as she pulled herself out from beneath Sombra and Nibbles struggling to breathe
"I have defeated you in snow based combat. Swear fealty to my new snow Empire and I may let you live." The Queen demanded
"Never!" Luna shouted as she angrily shook a hoof towards the Queen as she was almost finished freeing herself.
"Sure," Discord said as he brushed the snow from his face. "Luna had me making snowballs all day, it's probably way more interesting on this side."
"Discord, you're on snowball duty." Chrysalis said with a cruel smirk "The rest of you, convince the dear Princess to join our cause." she finished as she pointed towards the now freed Alicorn. "You two might want to get out of the way." she added as she cast a glance toward Sombra and Nibbles.
"No wait I've changed my min-" Luna was once again cut off but this time by a barrage of snowballs fired by both Changelings and her former allies "I surrender! I surrender!" the Alicorn continued to desperately shout.
"Cease fire" Chrysalis stated, "Somebody get her cleaned up, the rest of you fix that breach."
"What are you up to?" Discord asked as he watched the Changeling Drones rapidly repair the Queen sized hole in the snow fort
"Isn't it obvious, we will be at war in a few moments and we must prepare." the Queen answered with a devious grin.
Five minutes later the entire garden was a warzone. Both Changelings and Ponies were counted among the causalities of Equestria's bloodiest snowball fight... well that wasn't accurate, the bloodiest snowball fight was that one time Celestia threw a snow covered boulder at Discord, there was a lot of blood that time.
"Hammer why?" Thorax wheezed as he laid on the cold ground, flakes of snow covering him.
"I'm sorry my friend" the young guard spoke with a forced tear. "In a snowball fight, we have to make hard choices."
"No, I understand that" the Changeling coughed "Why the gut shot"
"Oh" Hammer began losing the joking tone "That was an accident"
"I forgive you" Thorax said feigning a weakened tone as he forced a gasp and let his head fall back to the ground.
Back at the Changeling snow fort, Chrysalis watched as the battle continued to unfold she had lost three changelings but had gained two pony defectors. "The war is going perfectl-" the Changeling Queen was caught off guard by a fast ball that managed to peg her in the side of the head. "Oh sweet Hive below, I've been hit." she cried out as she fell from her perch at the top of the snow fort landing only a few feet from Luna.
"Ha, I didn't get crushed again!" the Alicorn stated triumphantly as she calmly trotted towards the fallen Queen "How you doing Bugbutt, you gonna make it?"
"Ah, Luna, my least hated enemy. Tell my Changelings I fought valiantly to the very end." Chrysalis coughed
"Oh here we go again" the night Alicorn sighed
"Raise the white flag, spare the remaining Changelings from the horrors of war." the Queen spoke weakly as she placed a hoof on Luna's cheek
"Chrysalis says she surrenders!" Luna shouted towards the other snow fort "She also says she's a huge nerd"
"At my weakest you strike?" Chrysalis asked a single fake tear rolling down her cheek "Oh Luna, I'm going cold."
"That's because your earmuffs fell off" the Alicorn spoke as she levitated the blue earmuffs back onto the Changeling Queens head
"Did I hit her!" Nightmare shouted as she burst through the snow walls sending two unaware Changelings plummeting down on top of Luna.
"Yes" Luna groaned "You got her."
"I'm both disappointed and amazed" Celestia spoke as she climbed in through the newly created entrance. "30 bits as promised" the Alicorn spoke as she conjured a small pouch. "It was quite the shot."
"You bet on my demise?" Chrysalis forced a cough "I trusted you." she gasped as she feigned death
"Well," Celestia began as she levitated the two fallen Changeling back to their hooves, freeing Luna in the process. "Who wants some hot chocolate?"
In an instant, all the fallen Ponies and Changelings quickly climbed to their hooves and bolted for the entrance back into the castle.
"What about you Chrysalis?" Celestia asked as she stared down at the still Changelings. After several seconds without a response, she spoke again. "Well, I guess I'll just have to drink yours." she finished with a sly grin.
"No wait I'm fine!" the Queen shouted as she sprung to her hooves and galloped off inside the castle.
Back in the castle, Chrysalis and her Changeling's were warming up by the comforting light of the stone fireplace. Today had been rather perfect she thought to herself quietly, she had managed to survive the cold and even got some fancy clothes.
"Thank you Nightmare" Chrysalis yawned as she rested her head on her hooves and closed her eyes.
"Don't mention it Bugbutt" Nightmare said with a smile
"That was all rather nice of you" Celestia spoke in a hushed voice trying not to disturb the sleeping Changelings "Wait what are you doing." the Alicorn whispered as she watched Nightmare levitate a small yellow sticky-note and carefully place it on Chrysalis's side. "Poke me" Celestia silently read before carefully removing the note.
"Evil" Nightmare whispered as she backed out of the room quietly