Chrysalis soared in the crystal blue expanse of the sky. Down below her was the roof of the world, jagged, endlessly folding mountain peaks that scraped against the clouds. The queen-no, former queen, darted around the wisps playing in the air. The wind cut at her chitin, whistled through the holes in her legs. For a too short while they had been full.

She had been full. But that time was past. It had been too long, far too long, since she had fed. Not since she had sneaked away from Canterlot Castle in the middle of the night, cut herself away from the hive. What did they think? She had explained that she was not leaving against her will. Hopefully the more aggressive of her children-or subjects or whatever the hell they were to her-would believe her and not march on Canterlot on her behalf.

They would understand. They'd have to. Frozen crystals clinged to her mane, the green strands tossed around by the wind. A smile crossed Chrysalis's face. Soon, it wouldn't matter. Soon, none of it would matter. She darted upward as the wall came into her view. A solid sheet of ice jutted up from the frozen sea. She grit her teeth. The Ice Wall. The bane of the Equestrian sailor since time immemorial. In fact, no sailor of any race had ever managed to cross it. Many had tried. The ice towered over her, casting long shadows over the mountains. It very nearly touched the sky.

The key word was nearly. Chrysalis zoomed farther and farther up, the wall revealing its crevices, its sharp, white teeth that had devoured Griffon airships, Pony barges and once an entire Zebran armada.

Chrysalis floated high, higher, still higher until the air thinned out. No mortal could breathe up here. It was to her advantage that she was not a mortal. A white snowbird soared by-perfectly adapted to life in this climate. Chrysalis's stomach roared and she grabbed it in her magic, pulling the squawking, flapping creature to herself. Her jaws opened, preparing to absorb its essence, to devour its love.

She stopped, let the creature go.

There was no point to doing that. No point to feeding. Soon, she wouldn't need to do that anymore. The snowbird croaked, flapped its wings and was soon away, over the wall.

Only seabirds and me up here.

The wall still loomed over her. She ascended a few more inches until all air was gone, until she was surrounded by the void and stars hanging like jewels in the expanse. From this high up, the nations of the world spread out before her, but she couldn't make anything out, only patches of blues, greens and browns. She darted over the wall, shivered at the still cool air. She dove downward, her wings bound tightly to her sides.

She broke the spin, winds whirling around her, propelling her over the ocean beyond the wall. The ocean stretched on endlessly, dotted with barren islands where no race dwelt and hadn't in living memory.

She had a long memory. Too long.

The smile on her face grew wider. A happy tune burst from her lips even as tears trickled down her face, tears that froze against her chitin. She allowed the breezes to lift her upwards back towards the sky. Islands dotted the cerulean, ever tossing sea. The sea was troubled, Chrysalis noted. It always was in this part of the world. The winds tossed and turned the waves, splattering icy chips against the queen's face. Chrysalis hissed and floated out of range of the painful shards.

The sun followed her on her journey, inching ever steadily towards the west. It was at its peak in this part of the world, Equestria already shrouded in the cloak of night. Chrysalis violently shivered, fighting against blasts of cold air. The icy blasts were slowing the beating of her heart, making her eyes heavy, making her long for torpor.

No! Her horn lit up and a blaze of fire burst from her horn, danced upon the freezing sea. The flames licked at the ice and jets of steam bathed the Dark Queen. A satisfied moan came from her lips from the tendrils of steam that embraced her. The force of the blast propelled her backwards towards the still visible wall which even now cast a shadow over the ocean.

She growled and cast her gaze at the ancient edifice, longing suddenly to tear it apart, to test her most powerful magics against it. A rage filled bellow ripped from her lips and she shot a blast of pure energy at the ice. Nothing. It bounced off, dissipated as if it's never been.

The wall was still there. She could dash herself against it, but it would still stand even as it had since the creation of the world. Chrysalis shook her head. No point to it.

Insectoid instincts tore at her rational mind, urging her to rest, to find a place to burrow and just rest. Cruising over the ever churning ocean waves, she found herself dropping, attracted to the cold wafting up from below.

Sleep, sleep, sleep... Instinct whispered to her. Chrysalis managed a half-smile. Soon she would sleep. But not yet. Not yet.

Her flight took her past the frozen waters, towards islands and continents of the south. Happy, green islands blessed by the sun. Each one was examined and rejected. She flew over an island covered in palms, a volcano lifting up from its center. She paused over the volcano. Steam rushed up from the bubbling magma stirring in the cauldron of the volcano's peak making the shards of frost melt from her body. She shook out her mane, watery droplets sliding off of it.

Not too much longer. She buzzed her wings, casting off the last droplets of water, jetted away from the volcano. Stone ruins carved in a long forgotten alphabet peeked out from among the palms and Ponies walked well-worn stone paths that winded through the palm. A small town-almost a city-had been carved in the jungle.

Chrysalis stared. In her age, there had been no city there. Where had those Ponies come from? They weren't Equestrians. They were stockier, of a heavier build. They lacked horns or wings and their coats were brown or grey.

She closed her eyes. It didn't matter. I truly have lived too long. A new civilization has appeared, but it is probably already ancient by their standards. It will fall and vanish like all the others before it. How pointless.

Flying away, she didn't even cast a backward glance at the island. A new island was coming into her view as she soared closer. Wide-petaled pink flowers sprawled over the hills, spreading over every inch of the land. Memories came unbidden. Three young demigods-two Ponies and a Flutterpony-had explored the world then when all was young, when they were young. They had gone to the roof of the world simply because it was there, crossed the barrier and wandered the lands at the edge of the known world. (But how much farther did the world go? They had gotten bored and returned home before they could have found out.)

Even then, this island had been like this. The broad petals of the hibiscuses waved hello to her as she came in for a landing. The flowers rolled down the mountains that enveloped this land on all sides. She touched her hooves down on the fertile earth.

"Good evening, Chrysalis."

Chrysalis froze. The voice was cultured, the elegant intonations of another era.

"Or afternoon I should say. I'm still on Equestrian time."

The Dark Queen grit her teeth. "What are you doing here? How did you even know I was here?" She turned.

Luna laid in a patch of the flowers, idly nibbling on one. She swallowed, rose. "What am I doing here? Looking for you. How did I know you were here? I have been tracking your dreams."

Chrysalis stomped her hoof so hard that a split broke the land. "You had no right!"

Luna strode forward, head held high. "I had every right as Mistress of Dreams. Not to mention the fact that you ran out on us in the middle of negotiations!"

Chrysalis didn't move away from the marching princess."I could no longer bare your sister's claptrap about peace and the dawning of a new era!"

Luna rolled her eyes. "And you think I can? The difference betwixt us is that I do not run!"

Chrysalis snarled. "No, you only throw a tantrum and try to bring about eternal night!"

Luna snorted. "Don't you dare bring that up. You are the one who has no rights here. You did not return to the Hive, but ran out on us like a coward!"

"Don't call me that!"

"I will if you behave like one. Your subjects-no, the race you gave birth to-is in an uproar. You abandoned them."

Chrysalis turned away. "They'll survive. Let them grow up. They don't need me anymore."

Luna stepped closer. "Don't you think they're the ones who should choose that?"

Chrysalis bared her teeth. "It's not your concern! Integrate them into your empire for all I care! I don't care anymore!" She turned away.

Luna stepped up beside her. "I don't believe that. I know you're hurting. I know you've finally realized all your mistakes-"

"Shut up!" She shoved Luna away. "You are worse than your sister!"

Luna pushed her back, marched around so she was facing her. "Listen here. Have you considered the possibility, really considered it, that maybe I have some idea of what I'm talking about?"

Chrysalis pawed at the ground. "I'm warning you."

Luna's tail lashed behind her. "Another thing, you silly fool. I know why you're on this island. You really intend to drink from Pyrus's Spring?"

Chrysalis refused to meet Luna's gaze. "That is not your concern either."

"It will kill you."

"I'm perfectly aware of that."

"You will go into the afterlife, stand before the Gods, with sins yet unatoned for."

"Shut up!" The scream tore from Chrysalis's throat. "Will you just shut up?!" She charged, dirt kicked up in her wake as she drove her horn towards Luna's throat. Luna vanished in a haze so quickly that Chrysalis didn't have time to stop. She ran several feet, whirled around, charged again. Once more Luna vanished. Chrysalis panted. "And you call me a coward!"

"This is not cowardice." Luna appeared again, this time in the sky with her wings spread wide. Chrysalis fluttered into the air to meet her. Luna grinned. "You wish to do battle? Then let us do battle."

Chrysalis shot a blast of energy at Luna that Luna flew out of the way of. Luna dodged several more blasts. Chrysalis snorted and rocketed towards the Moon Princess, screaming as her horn struck against a shimmering, blue shield. She threw back her head and brought a beam of energy down on the dome. Luna smirked, poured more energy into it.

Chrysalis drew back panting. That's when Luna pounced, grabbing Chrysalis and throwing her down to the ground. Chrysalis thrashed against her hold until Luna pressed her foreleg into her throat. "You listen to me, Chryssy. I know what you're going through. You don't think I thought about it? Drinking the waters and finding peace? All you're doing is running."

Chrysalis struggled, gasped when Luna applied more pressure. "That's why I didn't do it. I don't run like I said before. All you'd be doing-all I'd have been doing-is going into the life after this one with burdens on your soul."

Chrysalis hissed. "L-let me go."

"I will not. I won't pretend it isn't hard. But you can do it as I did. Make a fresh start."

Tears soaked Chrysalis's cheeks. "It's too late. I'm too far gone. Just let me die!"

Luna eased up on the pressure. "Fine." She got to her hooves. "I won't stop you then. But you will need an escort to the river."

Chrysalis stood on still trembling legs. "Why?"

"Have you forgotten? There are things on this island that can injure even those of our kind. As much as you wish to die, I don't believe you wish to have your bones broken."

Chrysalis shook her mane. "Not what I meant. I mean why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm your friend, you idiot. Now let's going."