Dark... endless... dangerous...

Three words that fit the description of the Everfree Forest perfectly. Along the outskirts of Ponyville, the large dark trees completely blocked the rays of the golden sun that shined over the horizon. The landscape of the forest itself was black as night and home to a variety of dangerous creatures from manticores to cockatrice. At one point, this forest itself invaded Ponyville and nearly took over. Had it not been for the combined efforts of the Elements of Harmony, the only form of life in Equestria may have entirely been this whole forest.

Within the heart of this dark forest was the famed Castle of the Two Sisters. However, after Regina abducted the Cake Twins and held them for ransom, Celestia had no choice but to grant the castle to the Dark Order. After a few weeks and a ton of dark magic at work, the castle now stood tall and menacing. No longer was it the Castle of the Two Sisters; instead, it would be known as... the Dark Castle.

Really... we couldn't come up with a more sinister title?

Hey! I've been writing all night and my fingers are tired!

One might question 'why' no pony bothered to mount any form of offence upon this castle if its inhabitants were so dangerous. With the castle fully restored, Regina placed a protection spell around the entire perimeter of the castle. The source of which stemmed from a magical fire within the center of the courtyard which must remain lit in order for the spell to work. In other words: As the fire burned, the spell remained active. This way, no pony could enter the castle even if they 'tried'.

At the moment, however, protection was the last thing on the mind of a certain former Changeling Queen.

Chrysalis had walked from the front door of the castle, crossed the bridge, and trekked through the dark Everfree for hours. So much had been on her mind over the last few weeks. Ever since that run in with her traitorous daughter and those two mysterious stallions, all she could think about was the conversation with Atalanta. Specifically, what her daughter said... about her past...

"NO!" She hissed to herself. "She understands not my pain! She never had her love ripped away from her; how those ponies made me feel like a monster!"

As Chrysalis continued her walk through the woods, many memories continued to flood back into her mind. Memories of which she tried to suppress for so many years. Memories of a specific day, even after a thousand years, that still brought tears to her eyes...

<>

A thousand years ago...

The land of Equestria was alive and prosperous since the three pony tribes finally found a place where they could live in peace and harmony. No longer would the land be a battlefield of constant struggle amongst Earth ponies, Pegasi, and unicorns. Rather, every pony could live together as one cohesive unit, both family and friends... together.

Well... 'almost' every pony...

Miles from any pony civilization, the Everfree Forest was still and quiet. Only the faint whistling of the billowing winds across the tress could be heard. That is until a small buzzing noise broke the silence, like that of the small wings of an insect. But in this case, a small little Changeling princess. And her name... was Chrysalis.

Back then, Chrysalis was as pretty as she would be in her beautiful adulthood. Except she was much smaller, daintier, and had a tiny green bow over her right ear. A keepsake from ages ago.

Flapping her tiny wings, Chrysalis landed upon the cold grassy grounds of the Everfree. She took one look around the dark, dreary forest and the little princess' eyes filled with fear.

"This forest is spooky," Chrysalis said nervously. "Why would mother send me here just to feed?"

Her mother Queen Metamora, the Changeling Queen before her, was a ruthless and heartless creature who sought only to bring misery and pain unto others. The day Chrysalis was born, Metamora was thrilled to have an heir to her throne. However, the thrill quickly turned dark for she raised her daughter to be as cold and vicious as she was. She'd always tell Chrysalis that on the day she becomes queen she must find food for her subjects no matter the cost. And thus, her training began with the essential steps of stealing love from the other creatures... which brings us to this moment.

"Let's see..." Chrysalis examined her surroundings. "Mother said I should try to keep my target small since I'm only a youngling. Maybe a squirrel... or a raccoon. I should practice first."

Little Chrysalis closed her eyes shut, as she focused her tiny horn on igniting a spark. She thought of what she wanted to become, channeling her magic on assuming the form of that very creature. Unfortunately, being a novice still, it was a rather daunting task. Which became apparent as her horn fizzled out in mere seconds.

"Ugh, come on Chrissy!" She scolded herself. "You can do it. I just... need to... focus..."

Once again, she focused her power through her horn. Slowly but surely, it started to spark with life again. After a period of concentration, she could feel the power at work, and she was soon engulfed by a green flame. When it faded, she examined herself and saw she'd taken the form of a raccoon, and with the proper coating. Smiling to herself, the green flame encased her once again and she immediately assumed her original form.

"I did it!" Chrysalis exclaimed excitedly. "Now I just need to find some pray."

"Neat trick."

The new voice made Chrysalis squeak in terror and jump behind a nearby bush.

"Whoa! Hey, please don't worry," The voice said. "I won't hurt you. Can you please come out?"

Chrysalis stayed as quiet as she possibly could, refusing to give herself away. She slowly peeked through the bushes to see who was speaking to her. Before her eyes was a small Pegasus colt with a creamy coat, large grey eyes, and a spikey fiery red and orange mane.

"Stay away!" Chrysalis responded. "I'm warning you; don't come any closer! I'm dangerous."

"Why?" The colt asked, curious. "You're definitely not a manticore... and certainly not a cockatrice. What are you?"

"That's none of your business! Just leave me alone!"

But the young colt, however, refused to go away. His curiosity had gotten the better of him. Flapping his tiny little wings, he flew behind the bush where Chrysalis was hiding. Seeing the colt land before her, Chrysalis backed into the bush as far as she could, her eyes shut tight.

"I said don't come any closer!" She warned.

"And I said I wasn't going to hurt you," The colt assured her. "I promise."

Against her better judgment, Chrysalis slowly opened her green eyes and stared straight into the light gray irises of the colt before her. He had a warm smile spread across his face, as he examined her from head to toe.

"You're a strange looking pony," The colt spoke in amazement. "I've never seen one like you before."

Eventually, Chrysalis finally found the tongue that was still in her mouth and mustered the courage to speak.

"I-I-I'm not a pony," Chrysalis said nervously.

"Well... that explains a lot," The colt confirmed. "The cobweb mane; the legs full of holes. You would definitely stand out in a crowd."

But the more the colt talked, the angrier Chrysalis grew. Instantly, she marched straight toward the colt and pressed a hoof against his chest.

"Don't make fun of me!" She snapped.

To which the young colt merely threw his hooves in defense.

"But I wasn't making fun of you," He assured her. "I think it's all pretty cool."

And now Chrysalis found herself more confused than ever. She lowered her hoof, tilting her head as if trying to figure this colt out.

"You... like this?" She asked. "Mom said when ponies see us like this, they run away screaming or threaten to destroy our kind."

"Honestly?" The young colt replied. "Because when I look at you... I think you're... kind of... cute."

The colt's face immediately shifted from creamy to bright red, as he brought a hoof behind his neck. Chrysalis blushed bright red too, trying in vain to hide it.

"You're just saying that to tease me!" She said nervously.

"I say it because I mean it."

Slowly, Chrysalis turned her face back toward the colt's. When she looked into his eyes, she could see no falseness. There was no silent judgment, no hint of lies within any of his words. This colt... this unusual little pony... actually meant it... every single word?

"Thanks..." Chrysalis whispered, blushing.

"No problem," The colt smiled. "I'm Fire Fall. What is your name?"

Fire Fall held out his hoof and Chrysalis stood there, staring for a moment, until she slowly raised her hoof to shake his.

"Chrysalis. My name is Chrysalis."

<>

"ENOUGH!!!"

Chrysalis's scream echoed throughout the entire Everfree, driving away all the birds from the trees sending them shooting toward the sky. She had to let that out of her system before her insides explode. Another memory far too painful to bear. It had been a thousand years ago, and she can still remember Fire Fall as though it were yesterday. His eyes, his smile, that kind-hearted naïve nature of his. Her first... and 'only' love... taken away from her, for reasons she'd dare not think about.

"I must stop thinking of these things," Chrysalis told herself, shaking her head. "I need to get away from this wretched world... at least for a while."

Chrysalis reached behind her back and drew forth one of the magic beans she received from Regina after their last venture. While she wasn't doing this as an assignment for the Dark Order, and though she'd suspect they'd question why she took off on her own, she needed this trip. She chucked the bean into the forest, allowing a swirling portal to open. Before stepping through, she took one last look over her shoulder as a rare single tear slipped down her face.

"Fire Fall... I'm sorry."

And just like that, Chrysalis entered the portal which closed behind her. In truth, she had no idea where she was going. All she could hope for was that wherever it was there was someone else suffering more than she was. And if there was going to be suffering, Chrysalis intended to make the most of it.

<>

Meanwhile, in the tiny town of Ponyville, the sun shined brightly as another wonderful day carried on in this quiet little hamlet. It was a peaceful, tranquil day as the town's denizens went about their daily routines. A peace soon shattered as a massive red carpet suddenly rolled out of Sugarcube Corner. When the carpet fully unfurled, Pinkie Pie appeared in a chef's hat as she stood at the end with a massive cart of pies and a megaphone in hoof.

"HAPPY PIE DAY, EVERY PONY!!!" Pinkie Pie bellowed, through the microphone.

The pink party pony proceeded to pull her party cannon from her mane, blasting it to kingdom come. The commotion drew many ponies to gather around. Among them were the remainder of the Mane Six, along with Spike, just strolling by carrying out their own business.

"What's all the commotion, Pinkster?" Rainbow asked.

"For Celestia's sake, was the megaphone really necessary, darling?" Rarity asked, rubbing her ears. "Ugh, my ears will be ringing for weeks!"

"Sorry Rarity, I'm just super-duper extra super excited right now!" Pinkie declared enthusiastic. "Today, I guarantee it's a special occasion!"

"And why's that?" Applejack questioned.

"Just a few days ago, I'm playing with the Cake Twins and Diamond Tiara, like I always do, when I trip and land in a mud puddle," Pinkie Pie explained. "I race back inside to clean myself when I notice something that made me go 'GASP!'..."

"Is this going anywhere?" Rainbow asked, impatiently.

"Let me finish," Pinkie paused, taking a deep breath. "Then I noticed that all the pies in the shop were gone. So..."

While Pinkie Pie's rambling continued, the remainder of the group rolled their eyes.

"Might as well get comfortable," Spike sighed. "This'll take a while."

"I really don't like to say anything negative," Fluttershy said honestly. "But even I must admit Pinkie's rambling is... unnecessary."

"That's just Pinkie Pie for you," Twilight Sparkle said.

And Pinkie Pie continued rambling... and she rambled... and rambled until finally she approached the end of her little story.

"... So, in conclusion, I spend all last night baking a brand new pie recipe I really think will be sold out by the end of the day," Pinkie Pie finished.

"Great... so what's the recipe?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"You'll just have to try it and find out," Pinkie Pie answered. "I'm inviting every pony to step up and try this new pie recipe. But don't worry Dashie, I know you're not the biggest fan of pies... though I still don't understand 'why'. If you don't want one, it won't hurt my feelings."

"Are you sure, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Last time I didn't eat your pies, you went all cuckoo bird on me."

"I admit I was a little upset at first. Then you tried to eat that nasty, yucky, disgusting, inedible..."

"I get it..." Rainbow Dash interrupted.

"You know Pinkie Pie does make a point," Spike spoke up. "Why do you hate pies anyway? Is it the crust? Is it the filling? Is it all that sugar--"

"I'd rather just talk about it later, okay Spike?"

"I'm going to hold you up to that."

Nonetheless, the rest of the group lined up and helped themselves to a pie off the cart. One by one, each pony took a bite out of it. As soon as a piece of piece touched their tongues, their eyes instantly went wide. Then they smashed their faces directly into the pies, scarfing as much as they possibly could. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie watched from the sidelines with a huge smile on her face. Even Rainbow Dash of all ponies has to pick her jaw off the ground.

"What exactly did you put in those pies, Pinkie?" Rainbow asked curiously.

"Oh, a little vanilla, cream and sugar, a lot of love, and my super-secret ingredient!" Pinkie smiled.

Once all was said and done, the Mane Six and Spike emerged with leftover pie plastered all over their faces with wide smiles from cheek to cheek.

"Pinkie, these are hooves down the best pies you've ever created!" Twilight declared.

"Oh darling, they're simply divine!" Rarity complimented.

"Yee doggie, that there's some good eatin'," Applejack agreed. "Why can't ah marry this here pie? All I want outta life is tah be Mrs. Applejack 'This Pie'."

To which Rainbow Dash walked over, giving her marefriend a playful nudge.

"Even if that pie tastes good, there's one thing I can do that it can't," Rainbow smirked, wiggling her eyebrows.

This caused Applejack to blush bright red and leaving the rest of the group chuckling.

"Seriously Pinkie, this is fantastic," Twilight complimented.

"Why thank you!" Pinkie Pie smiled. "Don't worry, these pies are 'nothing' like the way that awful fanfic would make them out to be."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"Something about cupcakes, a dress made of cutie marks and wings, and... actually I'd rather not finish this one."

Every pony merely stared at Pinkie Pie with wide eyes before the pink party pony quickly raced back to her cart. She proceeded to call out to every pony down the street, putting her pies in full display.

"Step right up! Step right up! Come and get your new Pinkie's Pies!" Pinkie yelled out. "Get'em while they're hot fillies and gentlecolts! Once they're gone, they're gone!"

Within moments, more and more ponies began crowding around Sugarcube Corner. Every pony threw all the bits they could carry and grabbing one pie after the next. Within twenty minutes, Pinkie Pie had completely sold out her pies and walked toward her friends with a cart stacked with bags upon bags of bits... and lots of empty pie tins.

"Wowie, wow, wow!" Pinkie exclaimed happily. "That had to be the most ponies that ever bought any of my pies before."

"I think that was well deserved," Pinkie exclaimed happily. "Those were without a doubt the best pies you've ever baked. I'm not usually one to do something as uncouth as diving right in like that but it was completely worth it."

All of a sudden, Twilight Sparkle froze in place as if her entire body suddenly turned cold. It was as though she could feel something deep within her telling her something important. Every pony else seemed to notice this as they looked at her curiously.

"You alright there, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"We need to get to Discord's Theatre... now!"

Without bothering to explain further, Twilight Sparkle took off in a mad gallop towards downtown Ponyville. The rest of her friends ran directly behind her. Once they reached the theatre, Twilight burst through the doors as her friends trailed behind. She raced toward the giant screen and the television machine just close by.

"Whoa, hold up there Twi!" Rainbow Dash called out. "You mind explaining us what just happened back there?"

"It's hard to explain," Twilight Sparkle responded quickly.

"Well do try darling because frankly you're scaring me," Rarity spoke up.

Twilight Sparkle paused for a moment and took a deep breath before turning back toward her friends.

"You know when you get that cold feeling from deep within?" Twilight Sparkle explained. "I've had that same feeling a while back before we met Carrie and again with the Warrens."

"And... what does that mean?" Spike asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Twilight Sparkle responded. "All I know is whenever I get that feeling, something bad follows."

"Are ya sayin' whatever it is you're about tah have us walk into ain't gonna be good?" Applejack asked.

"How is it any different than the other times?" Rainbow Dash asked honestly.

"Eh, fair point," Applejack shrugged.

Twilight Sparkle powered up her horn igniting the machine to open a portal to who knows where. But one thing was certain: When a pony like Twilight Sparkle gets a feeling about something, they see to it that it's settled. Within seconds, the crystal portal opened once more before their very eyes.

"Every pony, I have no idea what we're about to walk into," Twilight Sparkle informed. "Whatever it is, we need to be there urgently."

"I just hope it won't be too bad," Fluttershy said nervously.

"Knowing us, it's a safe bet it probably will be," Spike replied.

Without a moment to spare, the group entered the portal together. None of them could possibly imagine that what they were about to enter was perhaps one of the darkest, most twisted tales they have experienced yet.

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