No leaves rustled at her passing, no twigs broke underhoof and to all but the most careful of observers the changeling was invisible. Decades of hard training and millennia of experience had long since made trekking through even the Everfree an easy task.

That was excluding the last few days, of course, they were a strange outlier. The path the five beings had chosen should have only taken them an hour or two to reach the castle and yet the forest had seemingly taken it upon itself to test the small group of friends.

Chrysalis didn't understand why or how the forest did it, but she could clearly tell that each test and obstacle the forest threw at them was meant for one of their party. Even then, after realizing that the forest had been testing them, she still didn't get the point of the dead zone the forest had thrown at them. Why would the forest do such a thing, if it was indeed a planned event at all?

She didn't know and though she made a note of it for her report, she pushed it out of her mind for now. Coming to a halt outside the group’s camp, Chrysalis stealthily climbed a tree that allowed her a perfect line of sight of all five of the group, while still offering her ample cover to hide. From her new vantage point she easily picked out the five shapes of the group.

Rainbow Dash seemed to be trying to sleep, but was merely tossing and turning beneath her sleeping bag. Inside the tent Chrysalis could detect the slumbering forms of Rarity and Twilight. Outside, in the center of the camp, Applejack lay sprawled out in the dirt, nearly covered in the stuff. Beyond that she could tell there was an owl hunting further to her right, but even its keen senses would be little help in finding the stealthy changeling.

As she watched, she couldn't help but feel, amusement? Mixed with an odd sensation of responsibility.

She wanted to go out there, to help the five beings and to guide them to their goal, but she had her orders. She paused, realizing just how foreign such a feeling truly was to the ancient queen.

“I’m spending too much time with Cadey,” she muttered, a smirk crossing her muzzle.

Still, even then she couldn't help but think of the five beings as little more than grubs, and something about that comparison seemed to urge her to go out there and help them. She sighed, silently wondering if she had perhaps put off birthing more drones for too long, as her motherly instincts were starting to overflow onto random ponies.

Even if they were adorable ponies.

The queen shook her head and forced herself to review what had happened after the last few hours before she had done a quick sweep and checked on the other group that was camped nearby.

She had heard the five beings talk, and had listened closely as Twilight had admitted some rather interesting news. Even the fact that she was a proto-lich was overshadowed by a different tidbit of information that the queen stumbled on, through what seemed like pure chance. When the five beings had drawn close, and had convinced Twilight to let them help her, Chrysalis had detected something strange.

Not with her eyes, ears or other normal senses, and not even with the emotional senses that all changelings had, but rather her finely tuned magical senses that only the oldest and most capable beings had. The sense itself allowed her to feel great stores of magic and if she focused, she could easily tell what school of magic the lingering originated from. And if she was lucky, even get a hint of its purpose. So when the five beings suddenly flared with magic, the queen had instantly focused her magical senses on the them, trying to figure out what exactly had happened.

Only to come up with… nothing.

She didn't know what school the magic was from, where it had originated, where it went or what its purpose was. It dissipated quickly, the five beings all disengaging from the hug pile they had briefly formed and sure enough by the time they stood apart, the magic was gone, as if it had never existed in the first place.

Chrysalis pushed the thoughts of the strange magic from her mind, there was no point dwelling on it now, especially with her quarry so close at hoof.

As if on cue, Chrysalis saw the thestral wiggle out from inside her sleeping bag and quickly don her armor. “What are you up to, little pony?” the queen whispered.

Chrysalis slithered down the tree, her eyes never leaving the pony as she strapped herself up and belted her sword to her side. The changeling watched as the thestral slowly began to circle the camp, her eyes scanning the treeline, though the sun shining overhead seemed to hinder her sight. Not like it would matter of course, Chrysalis was an expert infiltrator and she doubted the thestral would be able to see her even if the changeling were mere feet away.

The pony circled the camp a second time, her eyes flicking over the sight of her friends and lingering on the tent more often than not. Chrysalis could tell even from a distance that the thestral had some sort of conflict with one of the beings in the tent and by the third circle the changeling was sure it was Twilight.

But why? They had been so close only mere hours ago, was there something the changeling didn't notice?

Impossible, the changeling thought to herself.

As she watched and analyzed the bat pony’s emotion, the puzzle began to unravel and soon enough Chrysalis began to understand the thestral’s sudden about-face.

The thestral was obviously conflicted by the knowledge she had gained earlier, which would explain the small amount of fear she felt as it wasn't for her, but for Twilight. What would she have to fear though? Perhaps she feared what her fellow guards would do once they knew that they had a necromancer in their midst? They seemed reasonable though, but then again Chrysalis had to admit that if a day pony wandered into her camp and showed incredible power and questionable loyalty, the queen was likely to kill them just to be safe. Was that what this pony was about to do?

Chrysalis waited and watched as Rainbow Dash continued her patrol, never once getting closer to Twilight’s tent and never drawing her weapon. The changeling slowly slunk back down into her hiding spot, her muscles relaxing as evidently the thestral did not wish to at least directly harm the queen’s charge.

A sudden twang and the changeling was already on the ground less than a millisecond later. After a quick emotional scan of the surroundings, she felt a presence retreating into the forest, but far enough away that the queen was unlikely to have been the target. The changeling peeked around, quickly finding that the thestral had followed her lead, though of course she didn't know it.

Rainbow Dash’s head poked up and scowled at the arrow embedded in the tree beside her, making Chrysalis have to suppress a snicker. Evidently it wasn't just Cadence and her little resistance that had a flair for dramatic, but rather the night guard as well.

Her hooves pumped under her and within seconds she was already over the shoulder of the thestral, catching a brief glimpse at the paper in her hoof. Chrysalis had already drawn a blade when a sudden burst of emotion made her stop.

She had been seconds from dropping on the thestral and ending her before she had a chance to alert her fellow guard, only for a surge of panic to explode from the thestral. A would-be murderer did not fear the order to kill a sleeping pony, the guiltless did not fear the result of their actions, and this thestral was anything but guiltless.

Thinking quickly, Chrysalis stowed her blade and retreated higher up into the canopy, her spindly limbs carrying her soundlessly into the tree tops. Sure enough a few seconds later she heard the somber hoofsteps of the thestral guard as she stomped off into the woods. Not fly, not trot, but stomp, an act that further confused the changeling.

She decided to simply sit back and watch, hoping she didn't have to end this poor pony’s life quite yet. Chrysalis ignored the part of her that raged at the thought of pitying prey, but she stuffed that part of her down deep.

As the thestral stomped off towards her fellow guards’ camp, Chrysalis could feel her go through a variety of emotions. From fear, to confusion, to anger, the thestral ran the gamut of confused emotions as she walked ever closer.

All the while the changeling had no trouble staying up and out of sight, even slipping through a guard patrol of three thestrals that whizzed through the trees. In the distance she could see the glint of steel and a few tents standing in a small clearing, a large, rather imposing thestral looming at the center. The pony easily stood a foot taller than his fellow guards and his armor was significantly thicker. Most interesting of all was the small pair of wings on the back of his helm that indicated that he was the commander of this little operation.

Nestling into the crook of a large oak, the changeling hid herself well and lay in wait, extending her senses into the camp.

Below her, Rainbow Dash slipped through the ring of trees and winced at the light that shone through the break in the canopy. She shielded her eyes with a hoof and walked into the center, blinking rapidly in hope of her eyes adapting to the light.

She exchanged a brief word with a camp guard before being pointed towards the stallion at the center, whose frown seemed to grow even deeper at the sight of the rainbow-maned thestral. As she approached though, the captain seemed to stow such emotion down deep, replacing it with determination.

“Greetings, Private Dash, how goes your scouting mission?” he announced warmly.

The thestral didn't seem to be having any of it and snorted at the warm greeting. “Cut the crap, are you spying on me?”

The captain rolled his eyes. “No, we are merely your backup in case things hit the fan, as they say.”

Chrysalis could feel the thestral’s relief and her posture slumped slightly. “Good, ‘cause something tells me this whole expedition is only going to get more complicated from here.”

The captain nodded. “That may be. Now, have you discovered any information on our little visitor?”

Rainbow Dash tensed, and Chrysalis could feel the fear coming off of her all the way from her hiding spot. “Sort of.”

The captain nodded. “Anything you know about why she's here, anything strange she may have done, where she's from and who sent her would greatly help our investigation.”

The smaller thestral gulped at her captain’s commanding tone. “Yes, sir.” She breathed deeply, and suddenly the fear and confusion was washed away. “She is not here by choice, she just wants to go home, but does not know anything about the forest or its denizens.”

“Interesting. How did she end up here?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. “It seems as though she had a mishap with the solar guard and fled.” Her confidence surged, an idea no doubt forming in her mind. “From there she rode the river into the forest, but lost consciousness.”

The captain was quiet for a long moment, his gaze distant. “What kind of mishap?”

“She was, vague. Sir.”

“Elaborate.”

The younger guard’s stance wavered slightly. “Her and her family seemed to be at the wrong end of the law, but refused to say how exactly. I have been able to infer that it doesn't seem to be a law that we have, but rather one that's exclusive to the day realm.”

“The plot thickens,” the captain remarked.

“Sir?”

The captain shook his head. “Nothing, merely the musings of an old soldier. Anything else to report?”

“Only that she intends to use this trip as a way to pay back the various debts she's accumulated over the time that she's been here,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Oh? Like what?”

“Applejack wants something from the castle, though I don't think she's stealing, rather she seems to be trying to find something presumed lost. The outsider seems confident she can help in this matter and is eager to do so as she has been receiving free room and board from the Apples.”

The captain nodded. “Go on.”

“Rarity seemed to have helped her find her way around town and bought her some food at a different occasion and she is here to study the banners in the main hall.”

The larger thestral tensed slightly. “She doesn't intent on taking them, correct?”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, she knows our laws and respects them. She just wishes to study the banners in hopes of replicating the fabric.”

“Good, and this forest spirit, Fluffershy?”

“Fluttershy, sir.”

“Why is she here?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “She's too kind for her own good.”

The captain cocked his head, only to burst into laughter. “That does sound like our resident spirit.” The larger thestral smiled suddenly, joy trickling out of him. “Good job, Private Dash. At this rate you may get your shadowbolts like you always wanted.”

The smaller thestral grinned. “Thank you, sir. Is that all?”

“Yes,” the guard captain said, only to trot after the mare. “Oh, I nearly forgot, do you still have the gem on you?”

The rainbow-maned pony gulped, a spike of fear emanating from her. “N-no. I’m sorry but it was lost during a fight with a manticore matron.”

The captain slumped slightly. “Too bad, that would have really helped us find out what kind of magic this unicorn has to offer.”

“I better get going sir, they might start wondering where I went off to.”

He nodded, giving the smaller thestral a clap on the back. “Good work, Rainbow Dash. Keep it up.”

Rainbow grinned from ear to ear and shot the captain a quick salute. “Thank you, sir!”

Then, before the captain could think of any other questions, the thestral opened her wings and shot off into the forest, leaving the guard captain to roll his eyes and cough as he was caught in her fleeting dust cloud. He turned, making his way back to the tent, only to be interrupted by another guard who approached, a nervous look on her face. She was smaller than the captain, much smaller and seemed so filled with fear that she would probably jump at the sight of her own shadow.

“Yes, Lieutenant Swift Shadow?” the captain asked, already annoyed.

The smaller pony gulped. “I was just wondering if you believe her, sir.”

The captain’s eyes narrowed and Chrysalis could feel a small spike of anger erupt from the stallion. “And why do you ask that?”

“Well, no offence to Rainbow Dash, but she isn't exactly the brightest and-”

“Let me stop you right there, lieutenant.” The captain’s eyes narrowed and he leaned closer. “I do not accept such talk under my command. If you have a problem with someone, then talk it out with them, do not let it color your perception. Am I understood?”

The poor little guard was shaking like a leaf by this point, barely able to keep a grip on her weapon. “Y-yes sir!”

The captain nodded. “Good, and though I know she isn't the brightest, she is smart in other ways and loyal to the core. Something I wish all of my guards emulated.”

Chrysalis ignored the rest of the conversation, opening her wings and propelling herself from her hiding spot and flying towards where she had seen Rainbow Dash go. The changeling had heard all she needed and though the jury was still out on this odd guard, Chrysalis felt a bit of relief after hearing what she had.

Despite losing sight of the thestral, Chrysalis had felt confident that she was heading back to their camp, only to stop suddenly mid-flight as she felt a burst of confusion and indecision from her right. The location was deeper in the woods and closer to a small creek that ran through the area. Intrigued by the emotions, the changeling shifted course and flew the treetops until a certain prismatic thestral came into view.

The guard stood above the ravine, her leathery wings holding her aloft as she gripped a small white gem in her hoof. She was staring into it, unaware of her surroundings as she peered within the gem, as if looking for the answer to some unasked question.

Didn't she lose that? Chrysalis thought, recalling those tumultuous few minutes after the group had fallen through that hole and accidentally evaded the queen.

The sound of the thestral’s voice drew the queen from her musings. “Is this really the right thing to do?” she asked the gem.

When the gem didn't answer, the thestral sighed. “She's my friend, but…”

Her shoulders sagged and she looked down at the gem in a new light. “Maybe I should give you to the captain.”

But instead of turning and heading back to the guard camp, she just hovered there, staring deep into the pure white gem. After almost a minute of silence she spoke, “No, I can't do that to her. Not after she trusted me to keep her secret.”

The gem slipped from her hoof and dropped into the ravine, quickly being carried away by the current. With her decision made, the thestral sped off towards the direction of their camp, leaving the queen behind.

Thinking quickly, the changeling raced down the side of the ravine, searching for the gem before it could get carried far. Sure enough, the queen found it within a few minutes, the gem having gotten tangled in a matt of weeds that grew near the water's edge.

With a deft hoof she scooped it out of the water and eyed it cautiously. Though she lacked a horn, she knew what this gem was supposed to do, but without a way of activating it she was forced to stow it away for now.

“Cadence is going to want to see this,” she muttered, before following after the thestral guard.

Sunset Shimmer was not a happy pony.

She wasn't a happy pony in general, and wasn't especially known for her being joyful even before her unfortunate arrest.

Still, even with all that in mind, today Sunset Shimmer was an exceptionally unhappy pony.

She stood at the edge of the Everfree, small twisted trees and bushes that dotted the lead up to the forest were now behind her and the central mass of the true Everfree lay just before her.

She could feel the commands placed inside her, urging her onwards, but she refused that call, at least for another few minutes. She couldn't help but idly muse at the fact that there was something completely different about knowing you are about to do something incredibly dangerous and most definitely life-threatening and actually doing it. Thus she stood sentinel, the river to her left being the only sound other than the thunderous beat of her own heart.

She had heard many stories about the history of the forest, read many tomes about the bizarre life within it and heard many tales of the horrors that awaited within this cursed wood and none of them could prepare her for this moment.

The sense of wrongness was the first thing that struck her, it was as if the forest itself wanted her gone and had made its displeasure known. The feeling of guilt was akin to being glared at by an older pony after Sunset had just done something she knew was wrong.

With great difficulty she pushed the feeling aside, reminding herself just how many of those stories, and books were probably just lies perpetuated by Celestia. The sentiment had weight in the unicorn’s mind and she did believe it and yet the feeling remained. She couldn't help but gulp as she lifted her hoof and took the first step into the Everfree Forest.

Instantly she was met with a sharp stinging sensation coming from her leg and she looked down to see a small bee, its stinger buried in her limb, its tiny wings buzzing furiously. With a groan of annoyance she plucked the bee out, using her magic and tossed it aside, only to see the tiny bug spin around in mid-air and come right back at her.

Her programming flared unexpectedly and her telekinetic aura squished the bee into a fine yellow paste.

The unicorn blinked, silently groaning at the very minor headache that washed over her. She hated that feeling, but despite this pain, she couldn't help but feel a little bad for the poor bug. She hadn't wanted to do that after all and the feeling of having her will torn away just to squish a bug seemed like overkill.

With a resounding sigh, the unicorn let her head fall and her hooves carry her into the forest, casting a glance over her shoulder at the shining city that was now little more than a speck in the distance. Even though much had changed and this Canterlot wasn't the one she knew, it still felt strange to leave the city of her birth behind her.

She turned back to the trail at head, oblivious to the fact that she would die before seeing that golden city again.

Sunset Shimmer was not a happy pony, this much was true, and though she thought she knew the bottom of the barrel, she would come to understand just how little she knew.

“Fuck!” she yelled, pulling another burr from her fur and tossing it aside with an angry burst of yellow magic.

With a grunt she looked down at her burr-free fur that was significantly more discolored than what she was used to suffering over the course of her missions. Numerous cuts, bruises and the former insides of many strange bugs now marred her coat. She sighed, noticing that at least there weren't anymore lance bugs jabbing their proboscides into her flesh.

The unicorn shivered at the thought, casting a wary eye on her surroundings and confirming that no more of the dreaded bloodsuckers had survived. With none of the horrid creatures in sight, she shook her head and looked up to the path ahead, only to groan.

The trees had moved since she had stopped to pick off the burrs and the already tight and winding path only grew even tighter and more winding. She took a step, only to stop, narrowing her eyes at a burr patch that hadn't been there a minute ago.

“I’m watching you,” she muttered, her eyes glued to the bush as she walked past, not noticing another lance bug that emerged from behind her.

“YOWCH!” she screamed, her head spinning to see the nasty critter eagerly drinking her blood with what she hesitated to call a smile on its tiny buggy face.

Her programming activated and for once she agreed, as she was happy to get rid of it with all due speed. The dull gold glow around her horn faded and she tossed aside the liquid remains of the lance bug, glaring at the mark that now besmirched her behind.

With a growl the unicorn turned, her every step causing her to wince in pain.

She had been tempted to stop and have a bite to eat, but the last time she had done so, a bird roughly the size of her head had swooped down and plucked the apple right out of her hoof before disappearing.

“How could this possibly get any worse?” she groaned, voicing her complete and utter discontent for the forest to hear.

A distant roar and the sound of a falling tree seemed to answer her question and the unicorn facehoofed so hard she almost gave herself a black eye. “Ouch,” she muttered.

She shook her head and kept walking, her ears up and alert, ready to detect any other movement coming from the direction of the roar. Seconds ticked past as she slowly, methodically, made her way through the underbrush.

There was no sound of snapping twigs or tumbling trees or roaring beasts, only the slightly distant sound of the river. It hadn't been far, maybe only a few hundred metres that she had heard the roar, though thankfully it sounded like it was on the other side of the river, granting her at least somewhat of a barrier.

With her attention drawn between ensuring that she didn't step in anymore poison ivy, while also listening for whatever had roared, her nerves were drawn thin. Her eyes frantically scanned the treeline as her ears twisted this way and that, desperate to find the source of the distant roar.

Seconds became minutes and still only the sound of water met her ears, the gentle lapping of the river her only companion. Then, out of nowhere a mighty roar erupted from her right, and from the sheer power and intensity it was obviously very, very close.

With a frightened squeak the unicorn bolted to her left, hoping to find someplace to cross the river and escape whatever great beast lurked nearby. Her programming pushed her and she was all too happy to obey the spell’s orders to flee.

She burst through a bush, using her magic to blast apart the vegetation and allowing her to pass. As if angered by the bush’s destruction, the creature roared again, this time much closer which had the unfortunate side effect of allowing Sunset Shimmer to hear that it was not just one roar, but rather a roar, a bleat of some sort of a goat and the hiss of a great snake.

The unicorn shivered in fear, her panic putting even more speed into her frantic hooves.

She leapt over a fallen log and skidded around an enormous willow, finally catching a glimpse of the rushing water just beyond. Her heart leapt in her chest and the mare put her head down, hoping to find someway across.

The creature wasn't far behind her now and despite it being large enough to make the ground rumble with each bounding step, she couldn't hear the snap of twigs or the toppling of trees. Whatever this creature was, it was agile enough to duck between bushes and trees that even Sunset had difficulty slipping past.

She threw a frantic glance ahead, her eyes lighting up as she saw the distinct form of a beaver dam several metres downstream. The sight seemed to elicit a different emotion in the creature and Sunset was once more beset by the thunderous cry of the three-voiced roar.

The spell inside her churned to life, her eye having caught a glimpse of a large tree near the water’s edge that lay just before her. With a blast of her horn the spell used the unicorn’s magic to perfectly weaken the aged tree. With a groan the tree began to list heavily, allowing Sunset mere milliseconds to sprint under it before it fell.

The creature let out an oddly mournful keen, its thunderous bulk stopping for a moment.

Sunset would have smiled at any other time, but with fear still pulsing in her heart, she dared not waste even a moment.

The unicorn leapt over a small bush before digging in her hooves and turning on a dime. With a quick spell to make her weigh less, she jumped out from the bank, her hooves landing gracefully on the enormous beaver dam that stretched the entire river.

The random bits of wood and debris groaned under her weight, but despite their protests they held, allowing the unicorn to cross unhindered. As she crossed the middle of the dam, she hazarded a glance over her shoulder and instantly wished she hadn't.

The creature sat impassive at the other end of the dam, its three heads all glaring at her with barely contained rage. It was large, easily over seven metres tall and almost as wide. One head was that of a sabre-toothed tiger, its colors a deep orange with black stripes. The other forward facing head was that of a great fanged ram, a large pair of horns spiralling out of either side of its head. From the rear of the creature loomed its third and final head, a great cobra-like snake that had large fangs jutting from its mouth.

Sunset Shimmer knew well the sight of a chimera, but whatever this creature was, a simple chimera it was not. Where the chimera had three different colored eyes, this creature had only only bright yellow sclera and blood red pupils, lacking irises entirely. Stranger still was the fact that instead of having two pawed feet on the front, it had a single pawed limb and a strangely clawed hand, like that of a griffon and on the back where there should be two hooved limbs was only a single hoofed leg and in addition scaled limb like that of a dragon.

With a terrified shriek, the unicorn bolted across the rest of the dam, only stopping when she had reached the other side. Sure enough the creature was wary of the beaver dam and eyed it cautiously.

With a sigh of relief, Sunset Shimmer picked up the pace, sprinting along the side of the river all the while keeping an eye on the creature. However she didn't make it far before she stopped, dumbstruck by what she saw.

The strange chimera had stepped out onto the dam, its horns glowing with the same color light that Sunset’s own horn had mere moments before. “Oh no,” she muttered.

The creature took a second step, then a third, its entire weight on the dam and still it held.

Before she could come up with a plan, her programming leapt to life, powering her horn with a catastrophic amount of energy, unleashing it in the form of an explosive burst of power that rocketed towards the dam. The shimmering sphere of energy slammed into the side of the dam and erupted into an enormous outpouring of force that tore through the beaver’s home like a thousand knives through hot butter.

With a strangled screech of panic, the dam gave way beneath the great creature and the ensuing flood of water carried it down the river and towards Sunset Shimmer.

Thinking quickly, the unicorn dove to her left, barely missing a panicked swipe from the twisted chimera as it was carried past her by the surge of water. Its frantic limbs pumped and for a second it looked like its limbs managed to find purchase on the riverbank, only for the branch to slip from its grasp. With one long, annoyed roar the creature disappeared from sight, vanishing along with several hundred pounds of wood that used to be a beaver dam.

“What was that?” the unicorn muttered.

Edited by the everywonderful, everfreepony!
These two chapters were out for a week early for 3$ and up patrons, so if ya want to be in the know head on over there!
Want to see stories like this before anyone else and get access to secret patron only stories, early releases for patreon supporters aaand other goodies? Drop just three bucks on my patreon and join the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Apollyon
DioKyo
Facinus
IamUknown
M
Michael
Random Reader.
Thank you so so much!