Day One

“You will take these eleven changelings with you and infiltrate this fort while the night is young, when the moon is still in the east. There are four guards who patrol the eastern and northern walls. The southern wall is against the cliff and the western wall runs along the river.” Chrysalis informed her elite infiltrators.

They didn't know about King Sombra – not yet – and Chrysalis was left only with her own judgement on whether or not to trust him. His first order, or advice as he liked to call it, was to take one of the Equestrian forts that kept watch over the Badlands. It was within a crevice, one of the many cracks that ran split the merciless mountain range that separated Equestria from what lay beyond its borders.

“You are to fly in from the west and attack the western wall in the darkness, subdue the four guards silently and copy their appearances. I want the fort in our hooves by sunrise, and I want the guards alive.”

Chrysalis had been insistent on the last part.

“We're not killing them,” Chrysalis stated firmly.

“You have a soft spot for those pathetic vermin?” Sombra asked impatiently.

“Don't be so hasty to judge our food, you idiot,” Chrysalis hissed. “We're not killing them.”

“As you wish, my Queen,” the changeling captain hissed, dragging out each consonant.

They were suspicious. Chrysalis knew it. They could see that she was suddenly giving out orders with a new purpose. She had spent the last several months reminiscing bitterly and alone, but now she was active once again. Perhaps suspicious was the wrong word.

They were excited.

And perhaps Chrysalis was as well. She didn't know whether or not to trust this mysterious being that clung to the darkness of her room, but she reasoned that she had the army. She had the power. If needs be, she could simply take the crystal heart from King Sombra by force if he tried to trick her.

Queen Chrysalis licked her lips subconsciously for the umpteenth time that day.

The crystal heart. A gemstone said to contain all the love and joy of the Crystal Empire. Why hadn't she heard about it before?

“The Crystal Empire has only recently returned. My curse grew too weak upon my return,” Sombra replied.

“Your curse?” Chrysalis asked, hoping to glean some new information from her mysterious partner.

“Yes. I was King of the Crystal Empire once, but Princess Celestia tried to take that away from me. However, I cursed the Empire when she sealed me away, the fool.”

The more she found out about 'her King', the less she liked.

“We will return by the sunrise,” the changeling continued, interrupting Chrysalis' thoughts.

“There will be no need,” she replied. “Once we win the fort, I will be joining you there.”

“Very good, my Queen,” he replied unemotionally, hiding his surprise well. “We will leave immediately.”

Watching them go, Queen Chrysalis allowed herself a moment to feel proud. Away flew her children, fighting for her. She didn't usually entrust them with so much responsibility. She'd always been told that trusting one's subjects too much will ultimately lead to one's downfall.

Chrysalis turned away from the changeling spectacle. She had been told wrong, she assured herself. Her changelings were powerful and clever. More so than their pathetic food, at least.

“Do you not trust your own changelings?” a voice from the shadows purred.

“Of course I do,” Chrysalis replied curtly. “It was you who suggested they go and not myself.”

“That's because I would like to discuss my plans further with you.” Sombra replied, although Chrysalis doubted there would be much 'discussion' going on.

“What did you need to discuss?” she inquired.

“There are four forts within this crevice alone. They maintain regular contact via magical communication once every forty-eight hours-”

“How do you know all this?” Chrysalis interrupted.

“When a King wanders the land in shadow, looking for an army, he hears many interesting things.”

Queen Chrysalis scowled. King Sombra;s incredible knowledge of the workings of the Equestrian military forces was both an asset and also very intimidating.

“What must we do to emulate this communication?”

“There is no need. If we take the other three forts by the time-”

“Take the other three forts? We cannot!” Chrysalis objected, “We're not strong enough. We need time to recuperate.”

“Do you not trust your own changelings?” King Sombra asked again with a smirk.

The changeling queen snorted furiously at her own words being used against her, “Of course I do!” she insisted. “However, I know my limits.”

“Then you'd know that taking these other three forts tomorrow night is well within those limits.” Sombra chuckled, the shadows swirling about rippling as the air throbbed in time with his menacing laugh. “Either we take those forts, or we alert the princesses of Equestria of our presence unnecessarily.”

That fact was irrefutable. Chrysalis stood in contemplative silence before responding, “Would we have enough time?”

“The forts were in contact a matter of hours ago.” Sombra replied smugly. “We have more than enough time.”

“”How are we going to attack these forts?” Chrysalis asked.

“All in good time,” Sombra chuckled, before his presence vanished from the room.

It only occurred to Chrysalis later that she had been saying “we” as if King Sombra and her were allies working together.

She resented the thought.

“Status report,” Chrysalis ordered, walking along the line of changelings.

Twelve. Not a single one got injured.

“The fort is yours, my Queen,” the captain hissed loudly. “There are nineteen guards total unconscious in the fort's prison. There are enough food supplies to last them seventy-two hours at the most. None of us were wounded. That is all.”

“Very well,” Queen Chrysalis said slowly. Clearly, with such dwindling food supplies, these guards had been expecting more in the very near future. “Rest now, my little changelings. Tomorrow night we prepare for another attack.”

If any of her soldiers were surprised by this, none voiced it. Instead they stood in absolute silence, awaiting her departure. However, as the Queen left, she heard mutterings in her wake.

They were suspicious and excited, and Chrysalis was excited as well.

“Your changelings appear to have mixed feelings over your new ambition,” a deep voice purred from the shadows.

“They will follow me,” Chrysalis said confidently. “They will follow me or they will die.”

“Ooh, how utterly brutal of you,” Sombra chuckled.

“Does my brutality shock you, my King?” Chrysalis asked with a sweet smile.

“Indeed, you put the princesses of Equestria to shame for your bone-chilling viciousness."

“And I'm sure you could give the poor foals of Equestria nightmares,” Chrysalis replied, “That is, if you had the gaul to stand in the light.”

With that, the Queen left the room, leaving behind a very amused King.