Safe Haven

by Riku006

1st: Strained Sanctuary

“Don’t let her get away!”

“Get back here, witch!”

“This is for Canterlot!”

The bitter taste of the pursuers’ anger nearly made Chrysalis gag, yet she pushed through as she leapt down the hill and continued at a gallop. A quick glance back revealed her hunters – an earth pony, unicorn and two pegasi – were still gaining ground on her inch by inch. One of the pegasi had either conjured or acquired a large tuft of cloud, one that grew darker the closer it got. Turning her gaze back to the path ahead, Chrysalis had to dive to the side to avoid an oncoming tree.

Knowing that it would give the ponies more of a chance at capturing her, she mustered what magic she could and lobbed a ball of green energy at them. The two pegasi flew clear of the blast while the smoke cleared to reveal the unicorn had protected himself and the earth pony with a lavender shield. Chrysalis turned to run once more, only for one of the pegasi to ram into her from the left, knocking her to the ground.

“Got you now, bug!” He yelled as an ivory hoof rocketed towards the queen’s face. Instinct took hold as Chrysalis caught it with her teeth and threw the stallion to the side, making sure to siphon what little emotion other than hatred she could gather. The momentary boost was enough to get her back on her hooves and running at least. A flash and a burst of sound, light and heat made her jump as she looked over her shoulder to see the other pegasus attempting to strike her down with lightning from the now fully-developed storm cloud.

As fear began to regain its foothold in her mental processes, her destination was in sight; Whitetail Wood. Though nowhere as infamous as the Everfree Forest, the woods were still a dangerous place for ponies the further one ventured inside. At present, the woods represented a huge risk for Chrysalis. But considering the alternative, she knew which choice to take. As another bolt of lightning missed her by a hoof’s length, the changeling gave it all she had and flew low to the ground, gaining territory as she zoomed into the trees lining the woods.

The sound of rustling leaves as she past them and the rapid beating of her heart filled her ears as she ducked and weaved through the branches. After what felt like hours, Chrysalis finally landed, her legs nearly buckling beneath her out of exhaustion. Still breathing heavily, she looked back to see her pursuers had long since let her go. Sighing, she slowly moved to the nearest tree trunk and sat back against it, finally letting her tired muscles rest.

For the first time in what seemed like weeks she had a moment to reflect upon her situation without the threat of immediate danger. A frown formed as she closed her eyes and her mind cast its gaze back to the cause of her plight; her failed coup at the royal wedding in Canterlot. Thanks to the power of Princess Cadence and Shining Armour, she and the rest of her hive had been separated, scattered seemingly to the four corners of the world. It had been a struggle to avoid getting caught in the following months, but even more so when trying to find a satisfying emotional meal. Sure, she could’ve sustained herself for a small while on basic food, but a changeling requires a meal of strong emotions to survive. Chrysalis had finally secured one such meal, luring in a love-struck filly, when those ponies had discovered her. She had barely started siphoning the love the filly felt before being chased out of town.

It’s all the fault of that accursed Twilight Sparkle! Chrysalis’ thoughts roared as the setting sun pierced the leafy canopy to shine upon her face. Opening her eyes, the changeling queen looked to the heavens despondently. Ancestors… How? How could this happen...?

Surprise, as well as a touch of fear, ran through her veins when she received an answer in the form of a growl.

Chrysalis was quick to her hooves, eyes widening to find three Timberwolves encircling her. Cursing her continued bad luck, she took on a wide defensive stance, wings spread and horn lowered. She bared her fangs as the three halted mere metres away. Their foul breath was beginning to make her eyes water, yet she refused to let any of them out of her sight. Their advance had her pinned to against the tree, and in her weakened state she wasn’t sure if she could outrun them. She knew there was no chance she could outfight the beasts, and her magic was still too weak for combat. With her options dwindling and the wolves testing her by advancing slowly, Chrysalis’ wings buzzed to life as she took flight.

Only for a Timberwolf hidden in the branches above her to pounce.

The beast knocked her to the ground, briefly winding the queen. With ravenous barks of hunger, the others advanced to join in the slaughter. With no choice left, Chrysalis alighted her horn and concentrated. Seconds away from the jaws of her predators, a flash of green light left the wolves snapping at open air.

A few metres away, Chrysalis reappeared, panting as she started running away. Howls of anger and furious wooden claws against the soil sounded out behind her as the beasts gave chase. It infuriated her she couldn’t stand her ground and reduce these snarling beasts to twigs. But with her magic so dependent on the amount of emotion she consumed, Chrysalis had little choice but to swallow her pride and run. After leaping a fallen tree, she dared a glance back to find the Timberwolves no more than a few metres behind and gaining.

That’s when her vision turned upside down.

Her hoof catching an exposed root Chrysalis fell forward into a small slope, tumbling until hitting the wall of earth at the foot of a large ditch. Her head felt like she was swimming and she could feel bruises beginning to form all over her exhausted body. Struggling, she raised her head to see the wooden menaces looking down on her from the top of the slope. Their eyes narrowed, and if they could Chrysalis imagined the Timberwolves were wearing smug grins.

Not without effort or protest from her body, Chrysalis struggled to her hooves, spreading her wings and lowering her horn at the beasts in one last act of defiance.

“You…” She gasped, each breath laboured. “…You… will not… be my end. I… am… Chrysalis. Queen… of all changelings.” Against her better judgement and despite the pain it created, she lit her horn once more. “Come… if you wish… for death!”

With a howl of hunger and delight, the wolves charged down the slope. One leapt down, aiming to pounce and end it in one decisive blow. Chrysalis locked onto it and fired a blast of magic with a pained roar. The bolt of green magic shot through the air, turning the lunging beast into splinters. The spell sent another wave of incredible pain rippling throughout her head. She pushed through it, but came back to receive a claw from a Timberwolf from her left as another lunged at her from the right. Ignoring the blood now flowing from her cheek, Chrysalis ducked the airborne canine and threw it into the one that struck her with her magic. Before they could stand, Chrysalis continued her motion from the throw. Leaping into the air in a spin, she invited even more pain to charge magic into her hoof, the holes within suddenly crackling with green electricity. Another roar erupted from the queen as she brought it down on the beasts, who burst apart in an explosion of green sparks.

Exhaustion and pain barred Chrysalis from remaining mobile. It was taking all her concentration just to stay conscious through all the searing agony that ran rampant throughout her body, her mind especially.

That was when the final Timberwolf struck, sinking its teeth into Chrysalis’ neck.

Chrysalis screamed in pain as she finally was brought to ground. Survival instincts overriding her fatigue, she frantically rammed her hoof into the jaw of the beast until it released its hold. Not letting up though, the wolf latched onto her right foreleg and swung her into the wall of earth behind them, Chrysalis’ head bouncing off the rock.

Upon impact, Chrysalis went numb. Time seemed to start slowing down as exhaustion began consuming her whole consciousness. As the Timberwolf closed in for the kill, images began flashing before the queen’s eyes. She saw herself as a nymph, touring the hive with her mother, learning to feed, her coronation. The last image before her vision faded completely was that of her being flung hundreds of feet into the air, her hive scattered as Canterlot faded into the distance.

Ancestors… she pleaded to the darkness. Forgive me…

\ \~*~/ /

Warmth.

That was the first thing Chrysalis felt. No, the first thing she tasted. In the fuzzy darkness that clouded her mind, Chrysalis had trouble discerning what the familiar taste was. Whatever it was, it was a nostalgic flavour, something she hadn’t tasted in a long time. As the warmth flowed throughout her body, it slowly brought feeling back along with it. Then, as her memories slowly seeped back, the taste’s familiarity suddenly became clear to her.

Love!

Eyes snapping open, Chrysalis sat up, tightening her jaw around what felt like a neck as she began forcefully extracting more of the delicious emotional nectar. A yelp of pain was hard but that mattered little to Chrysalis, her exhausted mind Tartarus-bent on consuming all the love she could. But just as she started a stinging burst of light erupted in her face, forcing the queen to release her hold and fall back onto something soft. Clutching her sore head, Chrysalis’ ears swivelled towards the muffled sound of voices nearby. Slowly opening her eyes, she took as much of her surroundings as she could.

She appeared to be inside a building, a small hut perhaps. The walls were made of large tree trunks joined together by a green substance. The bed she lay upon was in the corner of the hut, with a desk and chair to the left of the bed and a closet standing against the far wall. There were a few windows but were closed with simple blinds.

“-Dad, I’m fine.” A feminine voice said as Chrysalis’ hearing started becoming clearer.

“Alright,” an older male voice responded. “But all the same, you can go now. I can handle this from here.” Chrysalis looked to her left, catching an alabaster equine form walking out the door on the opposite side of the hut.

“So, are you feeling better?” Chrysalis’ sight turned to the voice’s owner, though even racked with exhaustion surprise filtered into her features at the face.

Before her stood a fellow changeling; shorter than her, she assumed, yet taller than her drones. He wore a sky blue scarf around his neck, his wings rested by his side and his posture relaxed yet holding an air of authority. But what struck Chrysalis the most was his facial features. Namely the fact he had unique features. An honest smile adorned his muzzle as he looked at her with deep ocean blue eyes. He also had a head of short but messy hair that matched his eyes in colour.

The stranger chuckled softly as he read her analytical gaze. “Let me guess; you’re wondering why I don’t look like a drone?”

“H-How… is that possible?” Chrysalis asked, her voice sounding course and her throat sore. “The… the curse… broken?”

“Not really,” he replied, bringing the chair of the desk over with his magic before taking a seat. “I, nor any changeling I’ve grown up knowing has never been affected by the Conformity Curse. Then again, I guess it shouldn’t be surprising, given you’ve come from the Old Hive.”

“What do you mean?” Chrysalis weakly demanded, trying to prop herself up into a sitting position. “Explain yourself.”

“Whoa, settle down.” The stranger shushed, gently pushing her back down with his magic before tucking her in. “You pushed yourself well beyond what’s safe out there. You’re lucky our patrols found you when they did. Even discounting the Timberwolf they saved you from, you wouldn’t have lasted long with those injuries. And nearly burning your magic out…” He shook his head.

“I had no choice,” Chrysalis whispered before turning away. “I would’ve preferred the beast ended me.”

“You can’t mean that, can you?” This made her look back at her host. “After all, with you dead, who would your hive look to for guidance?”

“My hive has fallen,” she stated solemnly, glaring at this stranger. “Don’t act as if you know the burdens of being a leader.”

The new changelings face fell a little, though Chrysalis could tell it wasn’t himself who he felt sympathy for. “Believe me; I’m probably the only Changeling this side of Equestria who knows the burden of leading a hive.” This drew confusion to Chrysalis’ features but a wave of weariness swept over her, her head falling back into the soft pillow.

“I can explain more when you’ve rested,” he said, standing up and moving the chair back under the desk. “I’ll come by later on to check up on you.”

“Wait,” Chrysalis called out weakly, gaining the stranger’s attention as he opened the door in a green aura. “Who are you?”

The small smile returned to his face. “My name’s High Charity. I’ll see you later Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis readied a verbal barb for this High Charity, so casually addressing her by name, but her exhaustion beat her to the punch and she was once again embraced by shadows.

\ \~*~/ /

A ray of light suddenly flickered on from above, illuminating Chrysalis in a pillar against the darkness.

“W-Where am I?” She called out, and was soon answered with the sound of hoof steps approaching. As the individuals stopped before her, her eyes widening as a pillar of light revealed her visitor.

Before her stood another tall changeling, reminding Chrysalis much of herself. However, this changeling stood with a strong stance, wearing her hair in a professional-looking bun, a dark lavender cape that wrapped around her right shoulder and a crown that resembled a ring of silver thorns.

“Queen Fascia,” Chrysalis whispered in shock as another pillar to her right flickered to life to reveal another changeling. This one was male, a short but well-maintained beard adorned his frowning muzzle, and his body was encased in dark green armour. “King Tumultus.”

Then a third light appeared, and the changeling who appeared now shocked Chrysalis to her core. The smoothest horn she had even seen among her kind, a silver locket in the shape of an angular heart, and kind aqua eyes that now looked upon her with pained sorrow.

“Mother…” she gasped, shaking her head. This couldn’t be possible. Chrysalis’ mind reeled at the mere sight. “…How? Why? Why are all of you here?”

“We are here because of you, Chrysalis,” Chrysalis turned to see Tumultus had stepped forward, his face a grim mask of disappointment. “And your failure in protecting the hive we entrusted to you.”

“No, no! I-I haven’t failed!” Chrysalis blurted out in defence, feeling like a nymph under the piercing gaze of her great grandfather.

“Your hive is scattered,” Fascia responded, her tone harsh and her glare as vicious as a swarm of dragons. “You failed to ensure your victory over the ponies of Equestria and now rely upon the pity of the cowards that fled Tumultus’ war. I cannot recall a more perfect failure of a queen as you in our history.”

“No!” Chrysalis pleaded. “I’ll gather the hive once more! I’ll make our hive great again, I swear!”

“We are not interested in your excuses, you snivelling nymph!” Tumultus bellowed, causing Chrysalis to jump in fear. “Your disappointing reign has brought shame to our hive. There is no room for weak failures such as you.” At this, the two aggressive monarchs advanced on her, Fascia’s horn alighting while Tumultus drew his curving sword, the dreaded Venenum Serpentis, with his magic.

“No!” Chrysalis cried out, fearful tears forming. “Please! I’ll make this right! I swear!” She then swung to face the only face familiar to her. “Mother, please, forgive me!”

Her mother just stared at Chrysalis with those beautiful, sad eyes before turning away.

Chrysalis froze, her tears breaking free as she looked back to see blades of both magic and steel swing towards her.

\ \~*~/ /

“NO!” Chrysalis screamed, sitting ramrod straight before pain forced her back down. Opening her eyes, she found herself back in the same bed as before. The hut was darker now, and despite the shadows Chrysalis was thankful to find herself alone.

Alone. Never had she felt more alone than in that moment. Despite being a nightmare, she knew the words of her predecessors to be true. She had failed her hive and did not deserve to be queen. So there she lay; crying alone in the darkness as her resolve finally fell. She cried for what felt an eternity before light flashed into existence within the hut. Slowly, Chrysalis turned to see High Charity, standing at the open door with that same sympathetic look. At this Chrysalis’ face hardened, and she slowly moved to a sitting position in the bed to meet his gaze.

“Why don’t you head home?” He spoke to someone outside. “Something tells me she’s not in the mood for a meal.” After that, he slipped inside and closed the door. Not once during his stroll towards the bed did Chrysalis remove her pitifully defiant stare, nor did his expression change as he sat beside the bed. “I take it asking how you’re doing would be pretty pointless, huh?”

Chrysalis didn’t answer, only allowing her face to shift into a full frown. This drew a sigh from High Charity. “You know, if the wind changes your face will get stuck like that.”

“You think this is a joke?” Chrysalis spat.

“Define ‘this.’” He replied, unfazed by the overt aggression.

“You think you can address me so casually? Gift me your pity? You dare act this way in front of your queen?!”

For a moment there was silence before High Charity responded calmly. “I don’t pity you Chrysalis, I feel for you. And as for how I address you, we’re technically equals. After all, had my ancestors not left during the War of King Tumultus, there’s every chance I could’ve been in your position.”

It was at that moment it finally clicked. The words of her ancestors, High Charity’s unusual size, and the lack of the Conformity Curse.

“You…” she realised, eyes going wide before narrowing in renewed repulsion. “You’re a descendent of the traitors.”

High Charity nodded. “I wouldn’t call abandoning a war that is destroying your race being traitorous. More that they didn’t feel the need to follow a mad king to his death.”

“How dare you!” Chrysalis hissed, instinctually preparing a spell only for immense pain to surge throughout her head.

High Charity sighed. “I don’t expect you to understand. At least not yet. And if I was you, I’d let your magic recuperate before trying to kill the one offering you sanctuary.”

Opening her eyes after the pain slowly subsided, Chrysalis glared at him. “I didn’t ask you to save me so I could be your prisoner here in this… this dump.” She gestured to the hut with her left hoof, realising the right one was held to her chest in a sling.

“Prisoner?” High Charity repeated before shaking his head with a bemused smile. “Who said you were a prisoner? I like to think you more an unexpected guest. And I’ll have you know Timberjack worked quite hard on this guest house. Said it was some of his best work actually.”

The response caught Chrysalis off-guard. “I-I’m… not your prisoner? Then what’s to stop me from slaying you where you stand?”

“Three things,” he replied without missing a beat. “First, you’re in no condition to hurt anyone. Second, harming me would be the last thing you want to do while here. “And three,” High Charity’s features gained a slightly more stern look, “even at full strength, I’m not sure you’d be able to kill me that easily.”

At this, Chrysalis looked herself over. Bruises encompassed her body, and the bandages and sling for her right foreleg were joined by more on her neck and cheek. With these injuries, and her magic severely depleted, she realised the validity of his claims.

“Besides,” he went on, an unsure smile appearing on his muzzle again. “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to be enemies here. After all, here you’d be safe, assuming you want to stay.”

“And where exactly is here?” She asked curtly.

“Safe Haven.” High Charity replied with what Chrysalis could feel was pride mixed with traces of hope. “Prince Shard founded this town shortly after he, his sister and followers left the Old Hive. Like the name suggests, it’s a sanctuary for us changelings, especially after your stunt in Canterlot.” Chrysalis turned away in frustration at this.

“Regardless,” he went on with a sigh. “Doctor’s orders are that you get as much rest as you can, so please don’t try and sneak off in the night.”

“And why shouldn’t I do that?” Chrysalis asked with the same unpleasant tone she’d had all conversation.

“Well,” High Charity shrugged. “There’s the town’s border patrol, so they’d probably stop you trying to escape, if they didn’t try killing you for what you’ve done. Then there’s the fact its night-time now, so there’ll most likely be even more Timberwolves out there. And finally there’s your injuries. You wouldn’t last five minutes on your own in the woods right now.

“So…” he went on, a small trace of agitation mixing with the diplomatic tone he spoke with. “Maybe for this one night, you can put aside your high and mighty attitude and embrace the fact I’ve let you stay here to recover.”

“And you want my gratitude for all this?” Chrysalis came back, looking him in the eye with all the bile she could muster.

“That’s up to you,” he replied with a shrug as his voice lost its amused tone. “Whether you want to accept the fact I’m helping you or not is your decision. I’m not going to demand your respect, nor should I. In this town, respect is something to be earned, and both of us have a long way to go before we achieve that.”

With that he turned and headed to the door before looking back. “I’ll send someone to let you feed off of their emotions in the morning. Goodnight Chrysalis.”

Flicking the light off, High Charity closed the door, leaving the agitated queen to stew in the darkness of her house. As Chrysalis lay back, staring a hole in the roof, her anger soon ebbed away. In their place, the words of her nightmare and the reality she now found herself in returned, plaguing her until sleep embraced her once more.

Comments

[Scorch215]

Hmm a very interesting start to a story. O defently want to read more.

Also saw a couple.of errors, one spelling error and one absence of a word but they were minors.

An excellent start. I'll be keeping an eye on tjis. As I look.forward to.more

[Scorch215]

How does this not have more likes and views?

[Axel_Changeling]

Not bad. A lot of spelling errors and strange wording that is making it uncomfortable to read. However I like the story so far.

[Razzy]

Interesting start, raises many questions.