A attack and threat to Canterlot, however it's just a mask to hide the true motives...
The sun has set and risen many times after the changeling's attack at the royal wedding. Even as months past and the wounds left to Canterlot begin to mend, scars remain, perhaps unable to heal... Such scars riddle the changeling queen, scars from a past that nopony alive remembers, save Celestia. Visiting Celestia in the middle of the night, she taints the air with a threat, or perhaps a promise? Celestia contacts the bearers, requesting that they come to canterlot in case it needs more defense then Shining Armor and the guard can give, only to here something disturbing.
Twilight is gone, tearing away the greatest weapon they have.
Featured Twice, I'm not sure of the first date, but also on 1/13/15
Stars hung in the heavens like shards of diamond. The full moon glowed amongst them, cloaked by midnight and a single roiling storm cloud that stayed stubbornly near it, having escaped the pegasi.
Canterlot was peaceful, the placid moonlight bathing the white and gold palace in a sheen of blue. Until, suddenly, the lonely cloud moved at last, snaking over the moon until only the stars' faint light remained. Already long shadows grew and engulfed most of the city.
Inside the palace, on a great bed, slept Celestia. Even in sleep, her mane and tail floated on the solar wind, their ethereal light casting a multicolored shimmer over gold-trimmed white bedding. The leaves outside had discarded their green garb for the red tunics of fall, but the night was still warm enough that the princess had elected to sleep on her blankets rather than under them.
The tumultuous years before Equestia's current peace had taught Celestia to be a light sleeper. So, when a faint hum like an upturned hornet's nest crept into the serene room, she twitched from slumber. Her ears flicked ever so slightly towards the noise.
"Oh, you can open your eyes. I know you're awake." There were more rustles and then a derisive snort. "Shame, really, I was hoping to just sit here with my mouth open. There's so much love left to curdle around you it's sickening."
Gritting her teeth, Celestia rose from her bed, horn beginning to glow.
"Since you've taken the trouble to break into my chambers already, can I offer you some tea?" Celestia cocked an eyebrow towards the darkness, but drew in a sharp breath as a black form approached from the shadows, slitted green eyes glowing.
"Oh, I trust you remember me, princess." The word was spat like a curse.
"You!" Celestia's amethyst eyes widened. The power around her horn brightened then compressed into a tiny inferno of magic. "Leave immediately! I will not allow you near my ponies. You've done enough damage."
"Oh?" The changeling queen smirked. "Is that any way to greet an old friend? Well, don't worry, princess, I'm not here to harm your precious subjects. Yet. I just have a little message; you do believe in diplomacy, don't you?" Her voice was drenched in sarcasm. "How could you tell your court that their precious pony princess had attacked an envoy?"
"Breaking into my private quarters is hardly within protocol." Celestia's voice was deceptively placid and allowed only the slightest lilt of displeasure to find its way into her tone. She could sense the words were honest, but if Chrysalis hadn't come to wage another war, what other motives could she have?
The queen shrugged, knowing her hooves were already on thin ice. "Oh, but I wanted to talk to you privately. After all, I wouldn't want to scare your precious ponies with the knowledge of your approaching anguish, now would I?"
"You do realize that could be taken as a threat?" Celestia's voice was still placid, but her eyes were hard and her body tensed. She knew questioning was pointless, that Chrysalis delighted in her grasping at straws.
"Oh? My apologies if it seems that way, princess. It's not intended as a threat. It is a promise, and I always keep my promises…"
"Is that so?" The power around her ivory horn pulsed.
"Oh yes. When everything you know is unrecognizable, when your sister and subjects are gone, when this land is leeched and dead, remember my promise."
Celestia's eyes narrowed and the tightly compressed magic at the tip of her horn detonated. A roiling plume of pink fire blazed forth, blasting toward the queen. Moments before it hit, green magic twined around Chrysalis and the pink blast rushed harmlessly over the walls and carpet, leaving no trace of itself.
A burst of magic beside her sent a chill up Celestia's spine. A black muzzle pressed so close to her ear that sharp fangs clipped it. "I'll make you watch and endure every minute of their suffering. I would kill you were you not the sun. The death of the sun would doom us all. You will see everything you love vanish before your eyes, princess. When the land is bleached, when your people are loyal to me or have fallen resisting, when your shoulders are slumped and weary, I will watch and cherish every minute of your own personal everlasting hell. "
Then Chrysalis was gone without trace, leaving Celestia quivering ever so slightly. She drew in a deep breath, steadying herself, working her neck until all visible signs of tension were gone. The price of her position was to remain stable and strong in all eyes but her own. She took a moment to take inventory of herself: her stance was steady enough, she wasn't shaking—good.
"Guards!"
Nopony came bursting through the door, no scrambling of hooves over thick red carpet. Nothing.
Celestia frowned, an expression usually foreign to her. She had been protesting the night shift for an eternity, but one thing was for sure—they never fell asleep on the job. Ever. The discipline the sun guards possessed never ceased to amaze her, rivaling even her own.
Drawing in a steadying breath, she stepped forward, a slight frown on her muzzle. She swung the large doors open with a glow from her horn.
Celestia's eyes widened. For a moment she thought a cockatrice had found its way into the palace, but that was impossible. The guards weren't stone. Instead they were encased in a shimmering green substance, and the sickly hue made Celestia's stomach churn with nausea. A poisonous liquid dripped from the frozen ponies and met the carpet, smoldering like acid.
Celestia grimly channeled power into herself. She raised her head and released a resonating call, louder than the royal Canterlot voice. "The palace is to go into lockdown. A squad of guards is to escort our best medics to my quarters immediately. Everypony else is to wait in their quarters until further notice. I want a pair of guards in each end hallway. Do not let anyone enter or leave. This is not a drill."
The power in her horn flickered like a fading flame before vanishing. Celestia sighed, studying the guards. Their condition baffled her, even after millennium of magical study. The only signs of violence she could find on either stallion were small, eerily perfect circular wounds. They hadn't even had time to bleed before they'd been frozen. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Celestia paced—something she would never do in front of another pony, save Luna. There was nothing there. No evidence except for a lingering chill and two frozen guards. She had sent a letter via Spike a few moments ago, asking that the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony come to the palace. Spirit Rain and Battle Storm, two of her best guards, were out of action and dead for all anypony could tell. As much as she hated to put Twilight and her friends in danger, they could well be her only hope for the capital's safety.
Moments felt like hours, until at last a familiar bout of green flame released a scroll. Before it had fallen halfway to the floor, Celestia snatched it in a flare of magic. She lost no time ripping the ribbon away.
She was expecting to find Spike's usually impeccable writing, but instead found a untidy scrawl. Her eyes widened as they trailed over Spike's hurried script, heart lurching. A goddess had no one to pray to. She was the light that many a pony had begged to end their own personal darkness. For the first time in over a thousand years, Celestia wished that there was something more out there—something for her to pray to.
Princess, I'm really sorry I don't have the time for a long reply. It's me, Spike, and we're sort of busy right now. Twilight's vanished! We can't find her anywhere, and without her the Elements wouldn't work anyway. Again, I'm really sorry. We all are. I'll let you know if we find anything else. If there's any word, I'll make sure you hear right away. Sorry about this, I really am.
Spike
The queen's plans had already sprung into motion, and she'd promised to turn the palace into a living hell.
She was cold; so cold. It was a chill that crept through her hooves, crawled up her legs and inched up her spine.
'Since when has my bed been this cold? This is ridiculous; the average temperature in Ponyville is at least twice this on a cold day!' she thought wearily.
That was when her mind kicked into gear. Her library was never this cold. And when a velvety bed feels like solid stone, something is wrong.
Violet eyes blinked open grudgingly, only to shoot wide as she took in her surroundings: a cold stone floor, dark ceiling and ominous steely bars that stretched across the only open wall. She was in a dungeon, and she was alone.
Situations like this rarely sent her into a panic. Usually she was one to stay calm, keep her head, and find a logical explanation. The only exception being when she had the time to over-think things.
However, there was something about this place, a lingering chill that crept into her soul and twisted her stomach inside-out. She felt like a pegasus trapped away from the sky, or a wild thing cramped in a tiny cage. Amethyst power sparked around her horn, and for a minute she flickered out of existence—an attempt at teleportation brought about by sheer panic.
She was back in less than a second, panting, her head bowed and her irises small as her breath became mist in the chilly cavern. Determined, she stood on shaking legs.
Rushing blindly at the bars, she tried to slip a hoof, her horn, anything from the stifling cell. She flailed when all she met was a dull flicker of green—a previously invisible barrier that shot electrocuting jolts up her leg and down her spine. With each surge of foreign magic, she lost the last few shreds of composure she had left. Twisting around in a flailing panic, her back legs snapped out and collided with flickering magic.
The resulting surge sent fire up her legs. She stumbled forward, tripped over her own hooves and collapsed.
How did this happen, she wondered. She was exhausted to the point where she had no energy left for panic. Her bleary mind dragged her back as she studied the memories of that day. Or had it been the one before? Or perhaps even before that…
~…~
Unless something pushed her over the edge, Twilight was a saint where her friends were concerned.
However, she was remarkably close to being pushed over the edge, ears flat as she was forced to endure yet another of Rarity's lectures.
"Darling, I beg you, please!" Rarity was in tears, sprawled on her back over her velvety red couch. "The stones you describe, the beauty, the finesse, the reflection! I simply must have them! I fear I have no reason to linger on without adding them to the boutique!" She looked at Twilight with imploring eyes that wrenched down and beyond the soul, strumming heartstrings.
Twilight might have believed it too, if the same lecture hadn't taken place on an almost daily basis for two months. "For the last time, Rarity! No! That cavern is magic! It breeds anger, resentment and hate! I almost attacked Cadence when I found her."
Rarity pouted, her imploring eyes continuing to fester and prod at Twilight's consciousness. "But, my dear, you are the element of magic! Look at the power you've shown. You've certainly proven yourself powerful enough to deter any magic that tries to make us less, shall we say, civil than we are now."
She'd finally managed to push her friend over the edge. "Less civil? Less? You've been anything but civil! You won't give me a moment's peace about something we all know is a bad idea!" She stomped one hoof, breathing heavily. "I need some time alone, and don't follow me this time!"
Twilight exploded out the door, slamming it shut behind her and starting off in a random direction. She aimed away from the few townsponies as they went along their business and traipsed off, shivering as the pegasi dancing above her jarred the coal-grey cloud-cover into a drizzling rain. It came down, dampening her coat to match her mood.
Twilight ambled along quietly, festering anger beginning to flicker and fade. She was sick of it; sick of Rarity reminding her of one of the worst times in her recent life. Sick of being angry at a friend…
She found herself walking along the border of the Everfree Forest, grateful for the scarcity of ponies around this area. Her soggy tail, which usually stayed a good few inches above the ground, was dampened and sagging, trailing on the muddy earth. Twilight knew she was getting herself muddy and bedraggled, but she didn't care. Going back to the library meant Spike berating her for yelling at his crush.
The thought of visiting any of her other friends didn't strike as helpful, either. Pinkie couldn't handle a depressed pony, Fluttershy would just find a way to blame herself, Applejack was exhausted with harvesting the last of the spring crop and couldn't afford to spare the time, and Rainbow was where no one could reach her without a nice pair of wings. The only one she really wanted to talk to was her mentor, and she had no way to contact her without Spike's help.
Without a thought to aid them, her hooves were leading her to the one other who could help. She found herself about to knock on the hut's door before voices echoed from within.
"For the last time, young pony. My answer is no. I have not the spell to give magic more glow!"
The zebra's voice was answered with a huff. "You dare deny the Great and Powerful Trixie her heart's desire? That's what I heard you did for a pony here; you mixed her up a potion and she got her cutie mark early of all things!"
"I cannot contain the rumors that stir, but they are simply absurd. There's not been a spell in but song or rhyme that can make a cutie mark appear before its proper time. The method she used was unorthodox, and ended with but the ailment cutie pox."
"Trixie doesn't care! Make Trixie stronger! Trix—"
She was cut off by the door opening and a bedraggled Twilight walking in, eyes narrowed. "Leave Zecora alone, Trixie. There isn't a spell in Equestria for what you're after."
The showpony snorted at her appearance. Twilight's mane and tail were flecked with mud, so much that it gave the illusion she was an earthy brown. It wasn't until the blue mare caught sight of her cutie mark that her eyes widened in recognition and she raced wordlessly out the door.
Zecora looked at Twilight. "Ah, Twilight, as ever your presence is a gift. But seeing you makes me wonder, might your spirits need a lift?"
She nodded tiredly, sighing. "Yeah. I guess I wanted to be alone, but I also didn't… Is it wrong to want a little space, even when you care so much about somepony?"
Zecora's eyes softened. "Sometimes from even your friends you need a break, not having space can cause even the best friendship to shake. My little pony, can I offer you a cup of tea? It will help to sooth your nerves, you'll see."
"That sounds wonderful," Twilight replied gratefully. "A warm drink would do me a fair deal of good." She shivered, realizing she was dripping on Zecora's floor and leaving muddy hoofprints. "Do you have a towel I could use first? I'd hate to dirty even more of your house. I'm sorry."
Zecora shuffled around, collecting herbs and wooden dishes. "Worry not about it, Twilight dear, but as for a towel, take it. It's here." She took a moment to point her head at where a thick woven towel hung on a rack.
"Thanks again, Zecora," Twilight said fervently, levitating the warm towel to rub it stiffly against her drenched fur. "It means a lot."
The zebra set the cup that had been in her mouth down and smiled. "It really is no trouble, Twilight, none at all. Whenever you need me, feel free to call."
Twilight just stood there sipping strong herbal tea that truly did chase the cold from the mud and rainwater away. This was one of the few things more she wished she could share with her friends. A time when they weren't doing anything—no talking, no arguing, no hyperactivity. Fluttershy came closest, but usually before too long she'd be itching to go back to her animals. Nothing compared to the times she and Celestia had spent merely standing side by side, looking to the sky. Especially when the stars peaked their heads into the coal-black skyline. Those afternoons had sparked her interest in the night sky.
Maybe I reminded her of Luna…
A good hour passed, and eventually Twilight had to admit to herself that the rain was not going to let up for a good while. When she admitting this aloud, Zecora looked at her worriedly. "I fear a fell warning rides the wind's back. If you leave now, you may never come back."
Twilight shivered, but shrugged. "It's probably nothing; it's pretty drafty out. I'll be fine."
"Beware as light is lost beneath the trees, many fowl things linger in Forest Everfree."
But Twilight was already out the door. Though she was usually overly polite, the late hour, her argument with Rarity, and the run-in with Trixie had left her about a placid as a colt on his first day to the dentist.
She trailed into the woods. The eerie silence was punctuated by nothing—no rustles, no waving trees. It was as if the Everfree itself waited with bated breath.
The silence curdled and spun in the still air, making Twilight wary. While the forest was usually quiet, there was always the rustle of a squirrel, a wandering pony, a manticore or, Celestia forbid, an ursa. The silence was thicker than syrup, almost tangible. Twilight winced every time one of her hooves landed on soil with a damp thump.
'Now,' she thought, trying to reassure herself, 'there's no rational reason to fear silence, it is merely the absence of sound. I just need to take a deep breath and keep go—'
A terrified scream cut through the silence like a spear. Twilight would know Trixie's voice anywhere; she'd certainly heard it enough in the few days the showpony had been in Ponyville.
Gritting her teeth, she bolted towards the sound, shoving nerves to the back of her mind. "Trixie! Trixie, where are you?"
As the trees flashed by, she thought she spotted something bright. Not the sky-blue she was looking for, but the white of freshly-fallen snow. Digging hooves into damp earth, she came to a skidding stop and turned to see one of the last ponies she would ever expect to find in the Everfree Forest.
Warm as the dawn, white as the snow, and familiar as the embrace of a mother, Twilight would know the sun princess anywhere. However, something seemed off. Her white coat seemed tinted, her mane a little less ethereal, her eyes flickering between the usual violet and something else she couldn't see well enough to identify.
Twilight swallowed. Why am I afraid? It's Celestia! I've known her for years and she would never do anything to hurt me!
Shivering as the sounds of her hoof-steps rebounded through the silent wood like hammer blows, Twilight approached. "Princess?"
"Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you. I have awaited this for some time."
"Er, okay, but right now I really need your help! I just heard someone scream and I think it might be somepony I know and it's really important we find her because there are some pretty dangerous creatures out here that she's already proven she can't handle!" Twilight huffed out without pausing for breath, leaning nervously towards her friend and mentor. Was it this cold before? Her limbs were shaky and weak; her stomach felt like it was down around her hooves. Energy was pulling away from her, leaving her swaying.
"Princess…I don't feel too…" She was cut off by a snort.
The last thing Twilight saw before everything faded into darkness was two shimmering pools of green.
"I'm sorry, little pony, but you have the wrong mare."
This is all my fault… What if she wasn't kidnapped? What if she's just hiding from me? Serves me right… We can't even know if she's in danger. Or if the princess is right about the changeling queen taking her.
She was interrupted from berating herself by a thud at the door.
…
Trixie was sick of this.
She was just trying to do a good deed and then she'd be on her way and could leave these Celestia-damned smalltown ponies here and never think of them again. She'd trodden through knee-thick mud, been yelled at by a self-centered zebra, held at the point of a very disturbingly long horn and used as living bait.
She'd tried to talk to Rainbow Splash or whatever it was…and had been kicked in the flank.
She'd tried to talk to Butterfly...and the pony had run away as soon as Trixie had mentioned her name.
She'd found Apple Hack, only to be served a "What in tarnation do you think you're doing here!?" and a slammed door.
Binkie Pie… She shuddered, regretting hearing about her at all. The pink pony had yelled at her for over an hour about how what she did was wrong and to never, ever hurt her friends again. Yada yada yada.
Trixie put her hoof down after knocking on the boutique's door. It jerked and swung open. The pony behind was a mess. Her pearly fur was ruffled, her usually impeccable hair was disheveled and messy, her fake lashes were evident only in their absence, and her make-up had obviously run, creating dark tear-tracks down white cheeks.
For a minute, neither pony said anything.
"YOU!"
The glare was chilling, somehow managing to look more deadly than a pack of Ursa Major. Not that Trixie had experience in the area, but she had a feeling a herd of Ursa might be less likely to maul her.
She gulped. At least it couldn't get any worse than it already was…
…
Twilight paced, reeling back and forth in what little room she had. After remembering the day before, she had recognized that flash of green all too well.
Changeling eyes…
Her eyes.
If she was right, she was stuck in the prison of one of the creatures most likely to slit her throat.
I don't get it. She ground her teeth. "What does she have to gain by keeping me here? If it's revenge she's after, Cadence would be the more likely target. If it's to impersonate me, why? I don't have a coltfriend or anything close to it. Besides, after the changeling crisis and me disappearing, everypony would be suspicious."
"What on earth is she planning? She has to want to impersonate me! It's the only plausible explanation. But there's no power to gain from it…" Twilight murmured to herself.
A cold chuckle filled the room, causing her to jolt to a stop.
"You really think romantic relationships are all we can feed off? Have you ever wondered why I was able to beat your precious princess?"
Turning around, Twilight froze. The black form before her smirked, lips rising over razor teeth. "That idiot pink princess is her niece. Ever since she found her and adopted her into the royal blood, she's helped raise her, probably hoping she was immortal and could replace Luna. Pity, isn't it, that she wasn't? Coincidence that she was given to one of the noble families to raise after dear Celestia found that out? Somehow I doubt it."
By then Twilight was all but snorting steam. "Princess Celestia isn't like that at all!"
At this, Chrysalis shrugged. "I could give you all the proof in the world and still you wouldn't hear a word against your precious princess. But that's not why I'm here."
"Well," Twilight stiffened, raising her head, doing her best to look determined, "I hope you realize that impersonating me is utterly pointless. My friends know me too well. Obviously you haven't thought about that. Without a boost of power, you are incapable of beating the princesses, so when they find out you took me, you'll be helpless. If you want to make this easier on yourself, you'll return me before it gets out of hoof."
Twilight's attempted lecture did nothing but amuse the changeling queen, who smirked. "When you have lived as long as I have, little pony, you will understand that nothing is impossible. And even if it were, there are other ways to gain the same result."
Twilight opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say was cut off by a pulse of menacing green power. The light flexed, curling around her and pressing in, smothering her. She was trapped, lost, and weary. The light ate at her fur, digging down past her skin and tearing at something private. Something no foreign presence should ever touch.
The power snaked into her magic, her core, and began to tear it apart. Shocks coursed down her legs and turned her joints to jelly. She collapsed. Her eyes clenched tight and, as her blood pulsed and her head pounded, Twilight heard a faint whisper.
"Go to sleep, little pony, you can't fight it for long."
Was she fighting? It didn't feel like it. This power was overwhelming, shattering; she couldn't even remember her own name it hurt so badly. She was drowning in it, drowning in green fire. At last, the magic crackled and Twilight was forced to give in. It clamped down and threw her into peaceful oblivion.
~...~
Trixie would have rather been in a room full of dragons that had been starved for half a thousand years.
She had expected gratitude. How was it her problem the idiots had lost their friend? It was Twilight's stupidity that had gotten her caught in the first place. Don't help your enemies; you'll live to regret it.
Still…she had. Why, Trixie could not fathom. Hearing her scream, Twilight had rushed into unknown danger without a thought for her own safety. In her rush to save Trixie, she'd ignored the obvious danger signs from the Celestia proxy and paid for it.
To her horror, Trixie felt her stomach twist. Oh no. Trixie, snap out of it! You are not…feeling guilty…
But she was. She hated it.
Trixie, you better get through this fast or they'll turn your head to mush for all eternity…
Drawing a steadying breath, Trixie looked at Rarity and told her the story.
The fit of screaming that followed would likely wake ponies as far away as Canterlot.…Nausea woke Twilight with a sickening lurch. Everything hurt. She felt so empty. Why did she feel empty? Like a husk... Unknown power flowed through her, spiraling in a current that felt like it was ripping everything away. Who was she? What was she?
She wasn't even sure anymore…
She was swaying back and forth. It was almost soothing. Her eyes closed as somewhere far away, a faltering voice murmured.
"This day is going to be perfect,
The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small.
You’ll want to hear this yourself. Please come as soon as you can.
-Spike
P.S. I would just like to say right now that if the witness is mortally wounded, it. Is. Not. My. Fault.
Celestia sighed tiredly. The moon had climbed into a sky of black velvet. The stars were flickering relief to Luna’s beautiful night.
Blue magic flickered around Celestia’s great double doors, nudging them open. A dark blue form stepped in. “Sister.”
“Hello, Luna.” A weak smile did its best to curve Celestia’s lips, but vanished just as quickly.
“Somepony once told us—er, me, that frowning has ill-effects on one’s health.” Luna smiled. “We don’t suppose you might remember who it was?”
A small, almost rueful laugh escaped Celestia. “I guess I'm proving myself a little hypocritical at the moment.”
"When your day breaks, you’ll learn what has transpired. For now, sleep. You have some explaining to do when you awaken.” Leaning forward, Luna’s horn gently brushed her sister's. It pulsed ever so slightly, a gentle blue. The spell was tentative and gentle, and not until Tia nodded did it truly take effect. Violet eyes closed and, just as she fell, a blue aura surrounded her, gently depositing her on her bed.
“Rest, my sister. As always, I shall watch the night.”
~…~
“Now listen up, folks. As much as ah’m upset with Trixie here, what would the princess say if'n she came while we was a’hootin’ an' hollering?” Applejack’s hoof was planted solidly on a rainbow tailtip.
“Lemme at her!” Rainbow struggled, throwing all her weight forward in vain. “She just left Twilight with that...that monster and ran away!”
Applejack sighed. “Listen here, sugarcube. I know you’re worried about Twi. We all are. But that don’t give us no excuse to go all crazy-like on Trixie here.”
“Hmph. Speak for yourself, darling. She turned my hair green. Green! If I wasn’t so worried about Twilight…”
Trixie was backed up as far as possible, bitterly regretting her ‘kindness.’ “Trixie doesn’t appreciate your wild accusations! The great and powerful Trixie couldn’t have helped if she wanted to!”
“Ah’m plum disappointed that you have ta worry about whether or not you wanna help somepony. But that ain’t the point here.”
Meanwhile, Rainbow had stopped tugging. Laughing obnoxiously instead, she pointed. “Hah! Either admit you’re not ‘great and powerful’ or admit you could'a done something!”
“Um… Guys?” Fluttershy's voice was soft. Whatever else she said couldn’t be heard over the cacophony of Rainbow's taunting. “Guys, there’s somepony…”
Now Trixie was yelling and Pinkie had taken to scolding her. The others joined into the clamor as well.
“...knocking at the door…”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie will not be spoken to like—”
“You have no right to be a no-good meanie-weanie talky-no-walky—”
“The horror that you inflicted upon my precious scalp—”
“—don’t deserve to know anypony nearly as awesome as me!”
“And then I said, like, a banana split? You must be loco in the—“
“Gosh darnit, y'all! Would yah all please be quiet so ah can think?!”
“You totally need root beer floats! They are so much better! Oh, are we being quiet now? I guess I can fit that into my schedule…”
“Ahem, may I come in?” Celestia’s familiar voice cut in.
The occupants in the room froze, except for Fluttershy, who was busy shrinking closer to the floor. “I tried to tell you she was at the door…”
“Holy horseapples,” Applejack muttered under her breath. “Ah’m comin’, Princess.”
She paced towards the door with Rarity shortly behind, looking fretful. As soon as the princess was through the door, Rarity was all but swooning at her feet. “Oh, Princess! I am so sorry you had to witness such a blatant lack of decorum! As your humble servant, allow me to apologise from the deepest reaches of my heart. We all find ourselves rather stressed at Twilight’s unfortunate abduction… Still, that is no excuse!”
Rarity only stopped talking when a hoof rested on her shoulder. Celestia had to suppress a sigh. “Do not fret about it, my little ponies. Now, before we continue, where is Spike?”
“He, er, didn’t like to deal with all ah the yellin’ down here, princess. That, an' it’s still a bit early for him to be up. Twi always did say on most nights he's down with the sun but never up with it, if’n you catch my drift.”
Celestia nodded. “It seems some things remain the same, even as ponies grow and change. He said something about a witness. I would like to speak to this pony, if it is a pony, first and foremost.”
In the background, Trixie was shaking. They’re friends with the princess! No no no no…
Each white hoof’s fall made a noise that echoed in the library. Golden slippers over hard wood. Celestia's shadow fell over the trembling blue form. “Is this her?”
“Yes, princess.”
What have they told her?
~…~
“Mother. Please, it isn't fair. I know she helped ruined your plans in Canterlot. I know you saved her from the Sun’s wrath. But—”
Chrysalis cocked an eyebrow, shifting on her black skeletal throne. “Oh? Don’t you think I've done enough? I've brought her home. I'm giving her the opportunity to meet the creatures she scorns, not knowing she is among their number. I saved her from the Sun and she will be protected. I saved her from her friends. I saved her from the pain of discovering friendship isn't quite as strong as she believes. She can help me, or she can die as she would have died. Lost and alone.”
“But she’s in pain. It isn't right… Let me do something.”
“Does such a small matter truly bother you so, dear?”
“Yes. It does.”
A long black fore-hoof waved dismissively. “Very well. If you truly wish to help her, you know where the library is. Distract her while the pain lingers. I seem to remember the sun princess has infected her with an insatiable love for reading. As she did with me. After all, why bother doing research yourself when you can manipulate somepony else into doing it for you?”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“I grow tired of this conversation. Be gone.”
A black head dipped to the granite floor. “Yes, Mother.”
“Goodbye, my prince.”
~…~
The sickening swaying had stopped, but it still hurt. Her mind had started to drift and everything around her seemed miles away. Maybe it was her subconscious way of dealing with the pain. Maybe she was imagining it. Maybe whatever had happened really had been too much on her body. Fatal, even. Maybe the pain would stop soon. Shouldn't that scare her? By now, she was too incoherent to care.
A voice spoke far, far away. “Hi… I know you don’t know me and have no reason to trust me.”
She’d thank any distraction from the burning that was everywhere and nowhere all at once.
“Er, I heard you like reading?”
Did he expect an answer? For a moment, her thoughts sounded almost like herself again.
“Well… I brought some books.”
If I can’t open my eyes, how in Celestia’s name do you expect me to read?
“I don’t know if you like the same stuff we do. I hope I chose well.”
What?
“In the shattered veil beyond a land where the lost remain forever, a ray of hope remained.”
Is he…reading to me?
She felt the words wash over her, soothing her, giving her something else to think about.
“The light of hope was pure and good, but it challenged the darkness.”
The pain was still there, but it wasn't everything anymore.
"They say that at first the ponies fought over the light, and it continued until few ponies were left. Then there was only them and the darkness. But a little light remained, in the hearts of the children..."
To Trixie’s credit, she didn’t fall or grovel, though her hooves quivered on the hardwood floor.
“It has come to my attention you know of what happened to my student, is this true?”
“Y-yes,” stuttered Trixie.
Amethyst eyes studied her. “You can relax, my little pony. Do not fear punishment, that would not serve to bring Twilight Sparkle back. I merely seek what information you can give us.”
Eyes shining with relief, Trixie rose on still-quivering legs. “Trixie has done naught wrong and Trixie knows it. Trixie merely feared how these ruffians could have soiled her standing with your grace.”
My, Celestia couldn't help but think to herself, this one has spunk. With cool eyes, she sighed. “Let me introduce these ponies to you, since you do not seem knowledgeable of them.”
She gestured with her wing to each pony she mentioned. “This Rarity Belle, bearer of the element of Generosity; Rainbow Dash, the bearer of Loyalty; Pinkamena Diane Pie, bearer of Laughter; Fluttershy, bearer of Kindness; and Applejack, bearer of Honesty. As close friends of Twilight Sparkle, my personal protégé, they are, by extension, all my personal students and hold my complete trust.”
Were it not for the flesh and bone holding it in place, Trixie’s jaw would have hit the floor.
“Now, please, what has happened to my student?” Only Celestia could make everypony present quiver in their metaphorical horseshoes with such a decidedly placid tone.
"Er, Trixie had heard of a shawpony who lived in the Everfree Forest...” Trixie started in a quivering voice.
~...~
The unknown voice hadn't left for hours, but when it did, Twilight had finally fallen asleep. A memory filtered into her mind and overtook the blackness. It was the first night she had slept at the palace and she was afraid. She had come to have her first lesson ever with the princess. It had gone well, but now she was alone in the guest room. Her Mom wasn’t there, her Dad wasn’t there, and Shiny wasn’t there either.
Rain struck the window and thunder pounded outside. Little Twilight lay curled under the thick covers, trying to hide away from the stormy world outside while she cried into her velvety pillow. She was so sure there was nopony there to comfort her. Little hooves clutched a ragged doll Shining had given her, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted her brother or her Mom.
She never thought anyone would hear the muffled sobs, but still someone came. She heard her door inch open and a white head poked in. Twilight tried to rub the tears away before poking her head out of the covers, presenting an attempt at a fake smile.
Celestia wasn’t fooled. It took one look at dampened cheeks and wide terrified eyes before her kind face softened in understanding. “My little pony, are you afraid of the thunder?”
Twilight turned her head away and looked at Miss Smartypants tucked against her chest in shame. She didn’t want the princess to know. Silly fears of her new mentor sending her away were chasing each other around her young mind.
She didn’t expect the gentle hoof that rested on her shoulder. “Hush, little one, there isn’t any shame in that. Not ever.”
Wide amethyst eyes looked up to her hopefully. “Really?”
It wasn’t long before Celestia's ivory head dipped down next to the filly’s ear. Like a whisper in the pounding thunder, she began to sing.
“Little pony, be not afraid,
though the rain pounds harsh against the glass
like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger
I am here tonight.”
Celestia rubbed Twilight's shoulder gently.
“Little pony, be not afraid.
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
illuminates your tear-stained face,
I am here tonight.
And someday you'll know, when clouds are so,
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land, on forests and sand
makes the beautiful world that you'll see
in the morning.
Little pony, be not afraid.
Though storm clouds mask our beloved moon,
and its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams,
I’ll be here tonight.”
The song was like a gentle wind and Twilight liked the wind. It wasn’t her mother’s voice; it wasn’t Shining’s. But still, maybe the princess wasn’t just some big wise pony who looked after everypony...
“Little pony, be not afraid,
Though wind makes creatures of our trees,
and their branches to hands, they're not real, understand.
I am here tonight.”
She was growing tired; if the princess looked after everypony, she could look after her too, right? Maybe it was okay to sleep...
“For you know, once even I was young,
little filly, and I was afraid,
but then a gentle someone always came
to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears,
and to give a kiss goodnight.”
But princesses don’t get scared... She wanted to ask about it, about who could have looked after a princess, but she was just too tired.
“Well, now I am grown,
and these years have shown
that rain's a part of how life goes.
But it's dark and it's late,
so I'll hold you and I’ll wait
Until your frightened eyes do close.”
Twilight's blinked once, and then again. Her dainty little muzzle stretched into a huge yawn, exposing little white teeth.
“And I hope that you'll know...
Everything's fine in the morning.
The rain'll be gone in the morning.
But I'll still be here in the morning.”
The guards would wonder where Celestia was that night, and it would cause a hassle later. Some ponies would always jump to the most ridiculous conclusions, even when they seemed to trust her completely. But she didn’t care. Right now, the sleeping filly curled up next to her needed her the most. She turned her head to the window, where moonshine was just starting to peek through the clouds as the pegasi on night shift pushed them away.
“You know, everypony’s afraid sometimes,
I still remember all the tears I cried inside.
But somepony told me a long time ago
that rain can be how life goes,
and that sometimes we’re all wrong.
when it feels the pain's never really gone.
And maybe I cannot always lend a hand,
but if it’s one night or one thousand,
know I’ll be here come the morning.
I’ll always be here come the morning.”
She turned to look at the gold-framed doorway like there was somepony there. Like she knew there would be somepony there. But she just shook her head before resting it on the bed.
Luna shivered before she walked into the room. Around her, the dream seemed to flicker and fade. Dark sapphire cheeks were damp, but she willed it away from her spiritual form. This would need some thought—but later. She was here for a reason. Sweet as this dream was, it didn’t help a bit.
Sighing, Luna reached out with her magic before lifting the filly in a gentle telekinetic grip. Depositing her on the end of the bed where there wasn’t a chance of disturbing the dream-Celestia, she lifted a hoof to nudge the filly’s shoulder. She could have just made the copy of her sister vanish like she had Scootaloo’s headless horse, but she hadn’t the heart.
“Twilight, you have to wake up.”
“It’s not time for school, Mommy,” Twilight murmured, turning away in her sleep.
Luna shook her head before shaking her again. “We are sorry, Twilight Sparkle, but this is urgent. You must awaken.”
Her eyes finally blinked open tiredly. “Princess L-Luna? Where are we? How did you grow so much?”
“This is your dream, Twilight. You vanished from Ponyville and nopony knows where you have gone. I preside over dreams and have been looking for yours since you I discovered you were missing. It’s been half a week and this is the first dream you’ve had since we were made aware of your absence. You’ve barely slept and your consciousness is weak and exhausted, which is likely why even when you’re aware of the dream, you remain so small.”
“Something’s wrong with my mind?” Her voice was high and she looked at Luna with a child’s fear.
“No, but something’s affecting your body enough that it has thrown your mind into turmoil.” She studied the filly carefully before she sighed. “Twilight, you have to remain calm, but it appears that something is having a negative effect on your magic. You have enough power that any problem can send both your body and mind into panic, especially since magic is so important to you.”
Twilight was shaking. “But what could possibly do that? A unicorn’s magic is as much a part of them as their blood or bones! We need it.”
Luna rested a hoof on her quivering shoulder. “We are aware, Twilight.”
“What’ll happen to me without it?”
Luna sighed. “We wish we had your answers. For now, you must tell us where you are and what has transpired.”
Twilight shivered. “It’s all fuzzy, but I remember that Chrysalis impersonated Celestia and used another pony as living bait! You have to make sure she’s alright, please. Her name’s Trixie, and she was in Ponyville last I knew, unless it was a changeling—but I doubt that.”
Luna nodded. “We are afraid that the fact this dream arose from a memory may have made it harder for you to reach the memories you need. What else do you remember? Unfortunately, I cannot locate you by a dream alone.”
Twilight shivered again and drew tighter into herself. “I woke up in this awful cell and there was a barrier that electrocuted me whenever I touched it. I tried to teleport out as well, but that didn't do any good . One of my attempts at kicking the barrier all but knocked me out. Later, she came in. We yelled at each other for a few minutes.”
“I don’t think she plans to impersonate me. She has something else planned, to reach the same goal of getting power from somepony’s love. I don’t know who or how.”
“She did something to me with her magic.” Twilight trembled harder, shaking her head slowly. “I really can’t describe it, but it was terrible. It was like I could feel her messing with my magic, like she was tearing it apart.” She was shaking now. “After that, nothing made any sense....”
Frowning, Luna draped one wing over Twilight sympathetically. It almost covered the little filly; she was so small compared to the lunar princess. She’d always had a soft spot for foals, even more so than her sister. “I will inform my sister and your friends immediately. I know sister at least is knowledgeable of changeling magic. If we cannot come for you immediately, I will remain in contact when you sleep. If you can, make sure that happens more often. It is our only way to reach you and I can easily tell you are not getting enough.”
“You’re leaving?” Twilight’s eyes were full of a foal’s uncertainty. Her body wasn't the only thing affected by the memory, and nothing Luna could do would help her resist those wide pleading eyes.
“I can stay until sister gets back to the palace with your friends,” she decided. “However, I must depart as soon as she has returned. You may have awoken before then, as well...”
Luna blinked when Twilight’s shaking increased, causing her wing to shiver along with her. “What is wrong?”
“I-I remember. It hurts when I’m awake.” She closed her eyes and leaned against Luna, forgetting royalty, remembering her parents, remembering Shining Armor. “I don’t want to go back....”
A little voice began to cry. The dream was having an increasing effect on Twilight’s mind, though the effect would be gone as soon as she awoke.
“Hush, hush.” All of her ancient laws forgotten, Luna pulled her into a gentle hug. “We’ll find a way to fix this, but you must give us the chance. Sister cares for you like a daughter, as do I. You know there is no stopping your friends. Captain Shining and Cadence will help too. Chrysalis does not stand a chance, not against us. You have seen all our power. You have goddesses on your side. Whatever magic she has, Chrysalis does not have that. Or the elements, for that matter.”
“I trust you, all of you. Can you tell them that for me?” Twilight's voice was tired as she slumped against Luna’s side.
“Of course.”
~...~
Chrysalis sensed it the moment she returned from checking the swarm soldier barracks, if they could be called that. It was little more than a large wall—like at the back center of her throne room—pentagonal holes forming little cubbies where the drones could rest. She had designed it like a bee’s hive, knowing the little creatures had the best design for space management. Layer upon layer of the honeycomb existed, here and in the desolate mountain under her. A drone lived in each, serving as protection for the sentient parts of the swarm. She had been inspecting how many had returned safely to the underground barracks, and was pleased to see that all but forty or so were back. Drones were a pain to replace.
Foreign yet slightly familiar magic hung around the pest’s room, and she could feel it.
Luna.
Muttering a curse under her breath, Chrysalis took off through the window. Launching up, she shoved through the window to the wretch's holding chamber, glass be damned.
Her son stared at her, his horn aglow in order to turn the chrysalis in front of him transparent. Why had she taught him that spell again? He wouldn't have known a thing about the pain otherwise, and would never have started hovering over all the conversion pods like a mother goose.
“Syril, out. I will inform you when you may return.”
The prince looked at her in confusion, but dipped his head and left, though not before she noticed the sizable stack of books carefully balanced on his back.
He doesn't plan to read all of those to her, does he? It wouldn't surprize her. Her son needed to grow a backbone. Maybe I should give him more lessons, keep him busier. That might keep him away from negative influences...
Chrysalis stored the idea in the back of her mind to ponder later before approaching the pod and repeating her son’s spell, causing the gossamer cocoon to all but vanish. She couldn't see it, but she could sense it plain as day. Serene magic coated the pony within like mud.
She couldn't do a thing about it, either. She didn't have power over dreams, and she certainly couldn't go head to head with the lunar princess, even from such a great distance.
Hopefully Twilight wasn't aware of what she had done to her, but it was time to make sure she didn't squeal to either the moon princess, or worse, her beloved son.
“Tisina. Come.”
Eyes flickered open in the shadows nearby, though all that could be seen of them were twin blue slits in a sea of black. A sickly pale form stretched like a cat before prowling forward. The creature looked dull and dead. Ribs protruded from a thin body and green veins showed far too much on the underside of large wings. It might have looked like an adolescent dragon who’d chosen to walk on all fours, were it not for the scorpion's tail or the long tendrils protruding from its head that ended in similarly curved spikes.
“I need you to cast a charm again, old friend. In the form of a pendent, please. You may use a strand of my hair to anchor it to me.”
The insectine dragoness nodded with cold eyes. Arching her head to her chest, she ripped out a single white scale, ignoring the splatter of green blood that came from where it had been. She pierced it with a claw, creating a circular hole in the top. Her tail arched above her shoulder and a single drop of sickly green liquid crept from it. It fell on the white scale and crawled over the dull surface until a sheen of stomach-turning green ice encased it.
Chrysalis nodded her approval as she jerked a long hair from her mane without a wince. Stringing it through the hole, she used her magic to thicken it. Then, dipping her head, she put the tip of her horn against the necklace. A spark of magic made it glow like green fire, but it vanished just as quickly.
“This will do nicely, thank you.” She dipped her head to her oldest living friend.
The white creature turned her head bitterly towards the window, studying the midnight sky. Ignoring Tisina, Chrysalis sparked her magic again. The necklace vanished and she turned to see it appear around her prisoner’s neck. Twilight writhed even in her sleep, and the look of horror that flashed across her face only served to amuse the changeling queen.
Smiling, she turned to Tisina. “You will remain here and fetch me as soon as she is ready to be released. It seems I have rules to set in regards to her interactions with my son. Understood?”
She got no response, but this was not unusual. Chrysalis just shook her head. “Good. Goodnight, Tisina.”
Luna had been the only one to hear Twilight’s terrified cry.
Celestia paced to the tallest tower, the element bearers sans Twilight trailing dispiritedly behind her. She could tell how little sleep they’d managed in the last week. Rarity had shrouded herself in a cloak, refusing to show her face at all.
“Luna should be here, though I am surprised she has not returned from her journey yet...” Celestia said, masking her concerns.
And there Luna stood in the middle of the balcony like a cold cement statue, glowing eyes staring at the distant moon.
“Ah hate to say it, but don't ya’ll find that a mite creepy?” Applejack murmured, withdrawn. “Is she all right, princess?”
“She’s merely in the dreamscape. Luna, sister, are you aware?”
“Not now, sister... We are busy, this is urgent.”
The ponies stared at the moon princess, confused—they had not seen a twitch from her.
“Have you found Twilight’s dreams? Is something wrong?”
“Yes... I do not know this magic. I need you, sister.”
“I don’t think she can hear us at all,” Rainbow muttered. The comment went ignored.
“Show me.” The younger ponies jumped when Celestia’s eyes glowed as white as Luna’s, making even her pure frost-white coat look grey in comparison.
“Of course.” The tower top vanished around them, causing the ponies to jump. Fluttershy hid behind Rainbow with a shrill squeak, eyes squeezing shut.
“Be calm, it’s merely a spell to show us where Luna’s mind is.” The projection flickered, and then it was shifting through blazes of pastel color. Fluttershy peeked out from behind Rainbow in wonder, Rarity sighed in awe,and Applejack screwed her eyes shut as though she couldn't take it.
“This is so pretty!” Pinkie squealed, but quickly dropped again.
“Ah don’t like it...”
“Oh my stars, I wish Twilight could see this with us...”
“It is lovely....”
“It’s like a constant rainboom!”
“It’s layers of Twilight’s consciousness. They should take shape soon after we get through her magi—oh, my.” Green fire sparked all around them, beautiful in a feral way. It ate away at the amethyst shades around them, making everything seem cold, dead and metallic.
“Princess, is that normal? Ah find it mighty creepy...”
“No, it certainly is not. Something’s wrong, but do not fear; we are in no danger.” Twilight, on the other hoof...
The color seemed to shred and spin like a kaleidoscope, forming walls, a floor—was that a bed? Like the moon in a pale sky, Luna was the first solid thing in sight.
“Oh my, aren’t we still in the palace?” Fluttershy squeaked, uncovering eyes she’d hidden away with her forehooves.
“Yes.” Celestia dipped her head. “All we are seeing is a projection from my sister. Don’t move too much, everypony. We are still on the topmost balcony of the tallest tower. Flying would also be unadvisable.”
“Hang on a darn second,” Applejack murmured, leaning down and peering towards Luna as the setting became increasingly clear. “How come Twi looks like a filly?”
Luna looked to her. “That is because she appeared as one in her own self conscious, either due to her distress or whatever magic was cast upon her. Do you know of this twisted magic, sister?”
Hearing Luna talking to somepony, the quivering filly peered out from Luna’s soft feathers. Her wide eyes didn’t seem catch on to any of the figures only viewing the dream. Instead, she looked at Luna and opened her mouth. Nothing came out and a sick tint of green flame flashed around her neck, causing her head to shake in a completely inaudible cough.
Luna looked on grimly. “Twilight, if you are inquiring as to who we are talking to, my sister and I are using an ability known as sightsharing. Are you aware of it?”
Twilight nodded vigorously, massaging her now sore throat with one small hoof.
“She brought your friends as well.” The dreamed-up palace was graced with a filly’s slight smile. Except for the new layer of magic that seemed to prevent her from speech, she had actually started to feel a little better.
This is my dream, isn’t it? Shouldn't I have some control? Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and focused with all her might until, with a pop, a large foal’s marker appeared out of nowhere. She wilted in slight embarrassment, but grabbed it anyway. She’d chosen this kind because it was especially made to be held in the mouth of foals. She had become painfully inadequate with simple mouthwriting since she had become accustomed to using her magic. Just as she was about to touch the marker to the floor, Luna stopped her with a gentle hoof.
“Twilight Sparkle, unlike in reality, any form of communication is treated the same in the dreamscape. Whatever spell was placed on you would cause you pain once more and prevent your attempt.”
Twilight looked wide-eyed at Luna. She was effectively gagged and she didn’t even know how.
“Ponyfeathers,” Applejack muttered, momentarily forgetting the presence of royalty. “Princess, can yah maybe tell ‘er what we’re saying, at least?”
Luna nodded. “Of course, Lady Applejack.”
They were there for a long time, Luna relaying messages and Rarity’s fervent apology. Even this distant communication helped Twilight.
Unfortunately, all the good will in the world could not stop her from waking up.
~...~
Twilight had had pleasanter mornings. She felt like she had the pleasure of waking up in the depths of an ocean. Pressure hammered her relentlessly from every side. Her hooves felt like they had been ripped to tatters. Two lines of agony flared across her back, and it felt like someone had recently drilled holes just behind her ears. She could feel magic, but it was not hers. Her magic wasn’t riddled with holes and blotches like she was sensing now.
Is that what she did to my magic?
Her head didn’t hurt anymore. At least, not much. Her ears twitched nervously. Down on her back, she felt the sensation of something else twitch with them. Something weak and fragile. The feeling of it—no, them—twitching through liquid was enough to make it feel like they were being crushed. Whatever they were.
Screaming into liquid made little sound. It only brought Twilight the less than pleasant realization that the liquid wasn’t just around her—it was in her mouth, ears and nose. Down her throat and in her lungs. Her mind raced with impossibilities—she should be drowning! How was she even alive?
Panicking, she shoved her hind legs forward as best she could and felt them hit a soft but firm surface in front of her.
“Fetch your mother.” The voice was like silk, but much more robotic and much, much colder. “Do not return here without her permission.”
“But…”
“Go. Now.”
The thump of retreating hooves was the only sound for a second, but it quickly faded.
Minutes full of hopeless struggling passed, and an icy voice chilled the room.
“I see our guest is less than impressed by our accommodations,” the familiar voice said, sounding bored. “Baetal, without aid, how long would it take her to crack through a hardened conversion cocoon?”
“Without an instinct for our magic, my Queen? I would give her three days at the least.”
Twilight could almost hear the smirk in the changeling queen’s voice. “My, Twilight Sparkle. You seem confused. Perhaps I should leave you in there to figure it out. After all, you do so seem to enjoy figuring questions out for yourself. Wouldn't that be the perfect reward for you gallivanting off to betray me in your sleep?”
Hoofbeats echoed as they approached, and a thump to her sick green prison sent it swinging nauseatingly from side to side. “Of course, your little accessory might just be thanks enough. I was going to wait for your strength to return. Now I won’t bother.”
Even through a sea of green, Twilight caught a glimpse of a twisted black horn shimmering like a sick emerald.
~...~
Far away, eight ponies were in various states of unease within Canterlot Castle’s throne room.
Rainbow paced from side to side, tail and wings twitching nonstop. Applejack shifted her weight constantly from hoof to hoof, back legs twitching like she wished she could just buck her problems away. Rarity stood unmoving, her stance drooping. She still blamed herself. Fluttershy stared miserably at her hooves. Pinkie looked tired, glancing between her friends helplessly like she didn’t know who to comfort or how to comfort them. The princesses only frowned, though beyond their almost indifferent masks, they were far from tranquil.
“I hate this.” Pinkie was the first to speak, mane and tail drooping as she stomped a foreleg. “I hate this I hate this I hate this! There’s just gotta be something we can do! There’s always something!”
“We have sent scouts to search the borders of Equestria and the badlands. That is the only unpopulated area we believe is both large and close enough to be hiding the changelings. I have requested that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor join us, and they will be bringing two full legions of crystal ponies with them. Until both you and Canterlot are secure, I am afraid we must stay here. Chrysalis has shown us that the city is far from safe. Luna and I cannot abandon it for any length of time while it is in jeopardy, thus we cannot venture to look for Twilight ourselves.”
“Then let us go!” Rainbow huffed with flared wings, her respect for the princesses battling with her element and losing.
“No, you are more important to this kingdom than most. We need to ensure your safety.” Luna’s eyes softened. “The most important skill a leader can possess is the ability to delegate, difficult as it may be. But sometimes it is the only way, and it shows a pony’s strength beyond many things. I have faith that the five of you are some of the strongest ponies I will ever have the fortune of meeting. Do you disagree?”
The challenge caused Rainbow to drop onto her hindquarters, wings touching the floor in an uncharacteristic droop. “I hate this…”
“Any good pony would, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said, “but it is a necessity.”
Only Fluttershy noticed her quick glance to Celestia. Luna stepped forward determinedly. “We will find Twilight and we will protect our ponies. I swear it on my wings, my hooves, my horn. I swear it on my heart and upon this crown.” Her voice deepened and sharpened with the archaic oath. “We swear it on our moon and our sun. These foals will return Twilight Sparkle and abandon their idiotic attempt at conquest, or we will end them.”
Inside of the throne room, they did not see the setting moon flicker red.
The cocoon cracked with a sound that shattered through her bones and brought Twilight’s eyes widening against heavy liquid. Fire traced her limbs and her forehooves came up, appearing black through the horrid sludge. Strength she couldn't name brought them slamming against the strange wall and she lashed her head forward, foreign instincts forcing her mouth open to bite at the fleshy prison. Somehow it caught her teeth and gave way, tearing a long strip into the walls of her small world.
The first attempt at breathing did little but jerk her head forward in a racking cough, breaking into the light. Her lungs forcibly ejected the gunk, leaving it to dribble from her mouth. Her ears and legs still burned, as did something rising from her back. She couldn't name where the alien pain stemmed from and, after her throat and lungs were clear, she whipped her head around with wide, terrified eyes.
Gossamer wings spiked from her coal-black back; a green shell wrapped her torso. When she brought a hoof to her mouth to muffle the scream she could feel bubbling in her chest, she found out exactly how she’d torn from her prison. Her teeth were sharp enough to cut. Her blood wasn't even red, but a stomach-lurching green.
That was it. The scream reverberated through her chest and through the air. Struggling madly, she fished herself from her prison and crashed into the slime-soaked obsidian floor.
“Well, you reacted well.”
Twilight reeled to see Chrysalis watching her, looking slightly bored.
“Turn me back!” she screeched, though it became more of a hiss.
Chrysalis shrugged, waving one long foreleg. “Even if I could, I wouldn't. You are here for a reason. If I could, I’d lock you away and be done with it. Unfortunately for both of us, that is no longer an option.”
“I don’t believe you,” Twilight squeaked.
“I don’t require your belief.” Chysalis snapped, teeth gleaming as she stepped closer to Twilight and stamped a hoof, eyes narrowed. “We are what we are, and you can’t change it. Best you make what you can of it.”
Twilight shuddered, even as she fought to mold this spotty odd form of magic inside her to her will, but the feeling of mentally gripping it sent a shudder through her, and she quickly let it trickle away.
This creature had twisted and mangled it and taken it from her. Her heart plummeted to her hooves. The shell left behind was hard, cold and angry.
Her head lurched down to chest-level, horn pointed as a spear at the creature who’d taken everything that mattered away from her. Twilight stood and lurched forward into a mad dash, fire flaring in her stomach and on the edges of the new holes in her hooves as the air whipped through them.
And then her anger pulled something else forward, a great cacophony of warmth and light that flooded her veins and reminded her that she did, in fact, still have a heart. Green magic blossomed around her twisted horn and the agonizing fire faded. Twilight fell to her haunches, unable to help herself from reveling in the familiar magical warmth around her horn and the power that spiked her whole body, taking all the pain away.
Then that euphoria was jerked away and a band of burning-cold ice blazed to life around her neck. The fire returned, barely dulled, and her head spun wildly. “W-what just happened?”
“That, Twilight, is the reason you are here. You have a bad habit of meddling, so that is all you shall learn of my reasons. Now, I have a few orders to impart before I leave you. You are my drone and must obey—but I am smart enough to trust you have no budding loyalty to me yet.” Around Chrysalis’ horn budded the emerald fire of her magic.
The ice around Twilight’s neck tightened and her eyes slipped shut. A numbness slipped over her body and sank in, and she found she couldn't move. Her mind drew to a sluggish halt. When Chrysalis again spoke, it was magic to magic—directly engraving her orders into Twilight’s mind.
‘You will not try to, or accept, contact from anyone you used to know. Why would they want to see what you have become?’
‘You will not try to instill rebellion in any changeling you talk to, including Syril or any other royal.’
‘You will not attempt to escape.’
‘You will learn of our law and remember that it applies to you as well. You will face the same rewards and punishments as any other changeling.’
‘You will never attempt to hurt me or my son. The same goes for any other changeling, save in self-defence. Even then, you shall not kill. The right to kill is mine alone.’
‘If and when I contact your magic just as this, you will remain in this state until I leave you be.’
The numbing pressure left Twilight with trembling legs and she was glad she’d been sitting. With one shaking hoof, she traced the band of ice and pulled the pendent to where she could see it. Pale white with a ghostly-green hue and an elliptical form,she shivered at the sight of it. “What is this? Was it how you stopped me from talking in my dream?”
“Why, is it not tradition to give a pony a gift on their birthday? This is a new life for you, after all, and there is no going back.” Determination rose in Twilight like the dawn sun. “Then I’ll find a way back to how I was myself.”
Chrysalis’ laughter went on long and hard, and her expression went from imperious to amused in half a second. “The greatest scholars of our time have long tried and long failed, Twilight Sparkle. But very well. Later we will discuss library access for you, if you cause no trouble. A lab could be arranged as well, if you continue to impress, so long as others handle anything that could be used as a weapon. We possess much of pony knowledge, as well as the kelpie’s and gryphon’s, not to mention our own. Think of all you could learn. Now, wait here. Someling will be in to take you to wash all that off and show you around. Do try to break the implanted rules, for it would amuse me.”
Twilight could only stare as the queen left, more unnerved by her unexpected amusement than her earlier venomous attitude. Drawing in a breath and releasing it slowly, she turned to studying her new form, staying as calm as she could. Her fur was gone, replaced by a cool layer of chitin, but she could feel through it better. It was stiff, but not completely, she found when she pressed one hoof to her chest. Her now green mane and tail were silkier and clung together, similar in a way to the princesses’ manes, but limp and peppered with holes at the tips, just like Chrysalis’. Her stripes were now faded shades of violet and blue.
At least it wasn't the webbing she’d seen on the other changelings. She did look much more like Chrysalis than the soldiers. Why? Storing the thought for later, Twilight poked at the hard shell around her torso. She couldn't feel through it or move it, and had no way of figuring out what it was. Giving it up for a lost cause, she turned to her frail wings.
They were flimsy and ghostlike, but they did hold a sort of gossamer charm to them—except for the fact that they were on her back when they had no right to be. And, by Celestia, they were sensitive. The dry air weighed on them, even windless, and the holes were burning again. A sort of numbness overtaking her, Twilight raised one foreleg and peered through a prominent hole near the hoof.
“What now?” she muttered weakly as the fight ebbed from her. She could feel Chrysalis’ magic orders buzzing like a hive of hornets at the back of her mind. Experimentally, she paced towards the window and moved to test the bars. She walked there alright, but her hoof refused to raise itself to touch them. When she tried to imagine her friends rescuing her, a trace of horror at what they would think of her now traced her mind and grew fiercer the more she thought.
Was she weak to mistrust them so easily? How much could this strange magic do to her? Would it keep getting worse? She felt like a dusty marionette—helpless. And what was worse was that she was perfectly aware it was happening. She trusted her friends more than this. She knew she did.
So, why was she afraid?
Twilight couldn't help herself. In a strange and alien body that burned, in a towering spire of rock, with escape right in front of her that she could not reach and budding fear forced upon her of the things that mattered most, she buried her muzzle into her forelegs and wept.
