The Blue Queen

by TheLegendaryBillCipher

Issue #6: Mind's Eye

Chrysalis looked around at Canterlot Castle, the second time she had visited in so many days. Before there had been abject terror and chaos – now there was an uneasy calm over the whole of the city. As they went, guards and staff eyed her with suspicion or outright hatred. Given that she had laid their princess low, she couldn’t blame them.

She followed Celestia past the throne room and deeper into the castle. Her secretary had joined upon their arrival, and she kept looking back at the changeling queen with hesitation. She kept asking Celestia if this was a good idea, and the princess assured her each time.

As for Chrysalis, she wasn’t sure how Celestia intended to help her with scarab at all.

Their journey ended in a large, round chamber. Thick, deep blue curtains drowned out the light from the windows. The only light in the room came from dim, silver torches along the wall. Overhead was an intricate mural of stars and constellations that glowed in the dim light. The smell of lavender hung in the air.

And in the center of the room was Princess Luna, scowling up at Chrysalis with contempt.

“Know this,” she growled, leveling a silver-clad hoof at the changeling queen. “You are only here because Celestia wishes to help you.”

Chrysalis frowned, but held back her tongue. She instead turned to Celestia and gestured at the room. “So, what is all of this?”

“A meditation chamber, of sorts,” Celestia explained. “It is designed to help Luna with dreamwalking in more dire cases.”

“Dreamwalking? What’s that have to do with this scarab?” Chrysalis tapped the bug embedded into her chest.

“You seem to have a mental connection with the scarab,” Luna explained. “If I am able to step into your mind with you, we might be able to access its mind, or whatever passes for one.”

“It seems sentient,” Celestia reasoned. “It must have… some sort of consciousness, some sort of mind.”

Chrysalis huffed, but nodded. “If you think it’s possible, I’ll try. It won’t answer my questions directly—all I’ve gotten from it is that Khaji Da is its name.”

“A name is a good place to start,” Luna said with a nod. “Close your eyes, focus your breathing. Try to clear your thoughts, and I shall attempt my dreamwalking spell.”

Chrysalis exhaled through her nostrils and shut her eyes, focusing on leveling out her breathing. It wasn’t easy with two of her enemies—or perhaps former enemies—in front of her, but she calmed her thoughts. She heard the ignition of Luna’s horn, and felt tingles of magic in her skull.

And she felt her foreleg abruptly raise.

Chrysalis’s eyes snapped open and she forced it to the floor—just as the generated gauntlet cannon fired a blast. “Khaji Da, no! I command you to stop!” she barked.

Celestia and Luna looked on in wide-eyed astonishment at the smoldering hole in the tile floor.

“What is the meaning of this?” Chrysalis snarled to herself as the gauntlet cannon melted away. She still held the foreleg down for good measure.

“Attempted psychological interference detected. Any threats must be eliminated.”

“It wasn’t a threat! Luna is trying to help me—because you won’t give me any answers!”

“Chrysalis?” Luna asked, taking a step forward. “What was that?”

“The scarab thought your dreamwalking spell was an attack,” Chrysalis said, before she leveled a glare at her. “Was it?”

“No!” Luna blinked in surprise, taken aback.

“This scarab seems to prioritize defending you,” Celestia noted. “Anything acted upon you might be seen as a threat.”

Chrysalis snarled through gritted teeth. “Now you listen here, little bug: you are going to let Luna into my mind. You will stand down. Do I make myself clear?”

“…Acknowledged. Standing down at your discretion.”

“Try again,” Chrysalis grunted, shutting her eyes and letting out a loud exhale.

Luna ignited her horn again, shutting her eyes as a silver aura engulfed them both.

---

Chrysalis looked around at the vast emptiness around her. A darkened void, illuminated in the distance by faint glimmers, almost like stars. Tendrils of green light flowed over her head like the Northern Lights.

Princess Luna walked up beside her, looking around at the void. “I cannot say I have ever ventured into a changeling’s dreams,” she remarked.

“That will most likely not change soon,” Chrysalis grunted, looking around her. “Where do we start looking for the scarab’s mind?”

“Ahead.” Luna gestured with a hoof.

Chrysalis looked forward, and blinked in surprise.

The void abruptly ended into stitching of vivid blue. Glowing lines of pale blue energy snaked along the floor, walls, and ceiling of the space. Foreign characters, made of the glowing energy, flickered and changed here and there, hanging all about in the air.

And there ahead facing her was… herself. Or, what she must’ve looked like with the scarab’s power encapsulating her. It stood lock still, at attention. A closer inspection of the orange lenses showed them to be vacant of her serpentine eyes.

As Luna made to go forward, Chrysalis stopped her with a hoof. “Khaji Da might view you as a threat. I will approach.”

Luna frowned, but nodded, taking a step back. Chrysalis huffed, stepping across the jagged lines that separated her void from the scarab’s reality. When nothing happened, she approached the empty suit. Slowly, she reached out a hoof and touched the suit, and her eyes glowed blue.

“I’m… seeing something. Some sort of vision,” she reported to Luna.

“Tell me what you see,” Luna called.

Chrysalis scowled. “I see… snow and ice… vast crystal structures… It’s cold but I do not know where this place is. Wait… I see a—”

The world around them both abruptly went white.

---

Some sort of shouting rang in Chrysalis’s ears as her vision blurred back into reality. She was on the floor of the meditation chamber. Luna was scolding a guard near the entrance to the room, and it sounded like the guard was apologizing profusely.

Celestia walked over and offered a hoof to the queen, who took it with a grunt and got to her hooves.

“What happened?” Chrysalis hissed.

“We were interrupted by one of the guards,” Luna said hotly, quickly turning on him. “I gave explicit instructions to not be disturbed!”

“Your Majesties, I apologize, but this news is urgent!” he exclaimed.

“We got so close…” Chrysalis muttered, shaking her head as the last of the weariness left her.

“Well? Out with it!” Luna demanded.

The guard swallowed. “We have reports that the Crystal Empire has reappeared in the Frozen North.”

To Be Continued…

Author's Note:

Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 9/25/23

There's a reason I specified this part of the timeline. In addition, this is another callback to the movie.

-yours truly,
The Legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast

Comments

[jonatannoisnorrason]

great now they are gonna deal with chrysalis s alien scarab even she never knew at first

[Zobeid]

We were interrupted by one of the guards,” Luna said hotly, quickly turning on him. “I gave explicit permission to not be disturbed!”

Hmm. I don't think "permission" is the best word there. "Instruction" or even "order" would seem more like it.

[RageLord]

Now i imagine the mane 6 on a train to the crystal empire .
Giving sideeye to chrysalis just chilling next to them.

[TheLegendaryBillCipher]

11801608
Thanks for catching that.

[Razzy]

Hmm, so close.

Methinks one Sombra is going to get a serious ass-whoopin'.

That's going to be an awkward trip.