Prologue: The Queen in Shadows

Her cell was dark. The chains suspending her above the floor were cold. The straps that held down her wings were tight, they bit into her skin.

Chrysalis opened one eye. The other was swollen shut from the beating she had received as they dragged her here, the Queen of the Changelings bound in irons and thrown without ceremony into a dungeon cell.

There had been more beatings since. Apparently in this land, pain was considered the best way to loosen a tongue. The cold-eyed general who had presided over those 'conversations' assured her that it could have been much worse. She believed him, but that was cold comfort to her eye or to the aches and bruises on her body. They would heal in time, but for now they protested her mistreatment more bitterly than her wounded pride.

With the one eye that would open right now, Chrysalis looked around her deep, dark cell. There was no light, but changelings had excellent night vision, allowing Chrysalis to take in just how small and empty her accommodation was. They had not even left her a bucket.

She heard hoofsteps outside, steps drawing closer, and Chrysalis closed her eye and did her best to look the picture of dejected misery as she heard a key turning in the lock of the door. The hinge squealed as the door opened, and the sudden light burned through Chrysalis' eyelid.

"This is what you wanted to show me, general?" the voice was that of a stallion, old and deep and a little weary. He sounded almost disappointed in what he saw. It stung.

"Come, come, sire," Chrysalis recognised that voice: General Nearsight, her host for several little chats. In the presence of this 'sire' he sounded less in control than normal, less certain of himself. "How often does one see a changeling queen in the flesh?"

"A changeling queen?" the other pony scoffed. "Am I a foal, general, to believe in such fancies? Changelings are the stuff of old mares' tales and childhood warnings. Be good and go to bed, or the changelings will come and gobble you up."

"I am not a fool, majesty," Nearsight murmured. "I would not have brought this to your attention were I not convinced of the veracity of her information. And very interesting information it is."

Chrysalis opened her eye with studied slowness. She did not want to seem too eager, or to give the impression that she had been feigning exhaustion to better listen to their conversation. She was tired, and her legs were aching from their long suspension, but if they thought her closer to breaking than she was then it would be all the better for her.

The general and the old unicorn – for he was a unicorn, she could see that, with a wrinkled coat and deep lines upon his face. His mane had turned to grey and it was thinning at his forehead – were not alone. There were four guards with them, all unicorns, wearing gold-foiled armour and masks that looked like dragons' heads. Behind them, two slaves – she recognised the hollow look in their eyes, similar to look on a pony's face once she had drained the love out of them – held lanterns in their mouths to provide some yellow light in the dark chamber.

None of them were important. None of them would speak a word, or make a move during this meeting unless they were commanded. If they were commanded, then they would obey their instructions – to beat Chrysalis, to kill her, to kill one another – without hesitation. How they felt about it, if they felt anything at all, would be irrelevant. The high spoke, and the low obeyed. That, Chrysalis had already learned, was how it was in the Empire of Untarnished Light.

"This is Prince-Imperial Senex, by the grace of the sun the Steward of the Dragon Throne and Protector of the Twelve Worlds," General Nearsight declared. Unlike the guards, the good general was dressed not in armour but in a black uniform with a high, stiff collar. His coat was white, contrasting starkly with his uniform, and he wore a set of pince-nez pushed halfway up his nose. His blue eyes held no warmth, Chrysalis had never seen him smile, and his tone was clipped and stern. "Demonstrate your abilities for his majesty, and then we will discuss what you have told me in our private meetings."

Chrysalis throat was dry and parched, but she put a little extra hoarseness into her voice as she said, "May I please have some water?"

"You will get more bruises if you do not do as you are told!" Nearsight snapped.

"You have been breaking her in, I take it, general?" Senex asked, sounding amused.

"I wished to be sure that she had information of value before I informed your majesty," Nearsight replied carefully. "Slave! A demonstration!"

Chrysalis took a deep breath, then her horn glowed faintly as her body became consumed with green fire. It covered her entire body for a moment, and then when it cleared she looked exactly like General Nearsight.

Senex's eyes widened. "Impressive. I might actually believe that you are not mad, general. Very impressive."

"The impressive part is yet to come, sire," Nearsight murmured. He glared at Chrysalis. "Resume your form, slave."

My name is Chrysalis, you little worm, and you will be screaming it before I'm done, Chrysalis thought, though she kept her expression inscrutable as she resumed her true form. She noticed that one of the prince's guards was looking at her unusually intently. She looked back without appearing to do so. He kept staring. There was a flicker of green light, and for a fraction of a second his eyes turned beetle-black.

Chrysalis' expression revealed nothing, but inside she was beaming.

"What could be more impressive than this power?" Senex asked. "If we could but learn the secret of it…"

"A world," Chrysalis gasped. "A new world, ripe for conquest."

Senex's eyebrows rose. "That is interesting, to be sure, but the discovery of a new world is not so unusual. You, my dear are unique. Or am I mistaken?"

"A few bedraggled stragglers have been taken by our slavers," Nearsight said. "A nearly defenceless rabble, a few hoof-fulls at most. They are the last of their kind. None of them approach their queen in power or knowledge."

Or cunning, though they know well enough how to survive, perhaps thrive, whilst they wait for me, Chrysalis thought. She said, "This world, this world is not like others that you may have found. It has so much more. It has something you want that all your conquests can never give you."

Senex leaned closer. Chrysalis felt like a fishermare, reeling in her catch. The prince asked, "And what is it that I desire?"

"Immortality," Chrysalis whispered.

Prince Senex froze. General Nearsight held his breath. Chrysalis knew that she had them. She had them all. She had the whole Empire in the palm of her hooves.

The arrogant general, as he probed at her and beat her until she spilled her secrets, he had thought that he was interrogating her. What he did not realise, as he barked his instructions and brandished threats with the subtlety of an angry buffalo, was that as he questioned her he also revealed himself: what kind of pony he was, what kind of world he lived in, what kind of masters he served. Though she had arrived in this world but a month ago she knew it well, for she had learned from those who ruled over it.

Senex's face twisted in disgust. "That is impossible. Only the Empress has attained immortal life, no other can possess it."

"And yet, in my own world, there dwell four alicorns who will live forever and never die," Chrysalis murmured. She had no idea if Cadance and Twilight Sparkle would live forever - certainly if she had her way they would both be dying rather sooner than anypony expected - but that was not really important. What was important was that Prince Senex would believe her. Because he wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe it so badly Chrysalis could taste it on him.

"You are lying," Senex murmured without conviction. "My own niece ascended to become an alicorn and she has continued to age as she did before."

"One thousand years, two of these alicorns have lived," Chrysalis whispered. "The others ascended recently, and there are others who will soon follow. Five others who will soon ascend to godhead. Is it right that they should do so when you, a great prince and lord of worlds and armies, are condemned to suffer the miseries of age and time?"

He glared at her, and for a moment she feared that she had gone too far. But his expression softened with desire, and as he turned away he growled. "What is this world? Where can it be found?"

"The name of the world is Equus, though the nation you should seek out is the one they call Equestria," Chrysalis said.

Nearsight's lip curled into a sneer. "A nation so magical, yet they have not even subjugated their own planet?"

"They are not warlike," Chrysalis said. "You have nothing to fear from them."

"A location!" Senex barked. "Where?"

"Beneath the eye of Taurus as he gazes on Orion," Chrysalis said. "That is where you will find it."

"We sent a scouting party to investigate that area a few months ago," Nearsight said quietly. "They never returned."

Because I found them, drained them of love and used their portal to reach your realm, Chrysalis thought. Unlike General Nearsight, she had learned more from her captives than they had from her.

"Prepare a second expedition," Senex commanded. "And if you have lied to me, changeling, then my wrath will be tremendous."

"I would never, ever lie to you, your majesty," Chrysalis said. "My fear, it keeps me honest."

Senex looked at her critically, and Chrysalis became aware that he was examining her for more than just her truthfulness. Is it like that, you dirty old stallion? I can use that, if I must.

"Faithful service is rewarded in this realm," Senex said. "If you speak true, your conditions will be improved. It may be that we will have cause to speak again."

"I would like that, majesty," Chrysalis murmured. "Truly, in this dark night of solitude your coming is like the sun."

Senex said nothing, but a faint smile creased his aged features.

He turned to go, Nearsight following, and the slaves and all the guards.

They left, and the door closed behind them. Chrysalis heard the key turn within the lock.

She wanted to laugh. She wanted to laugh so badly. But, in the darkness and the solitude, she contented herself with a thoroughly triumphant smirk.