CRYSTAL SHARDS CHAPTER 1: BETRAYAL
Princess Cadence walked through the doors of their home they had made together.
"Shiney, I'm home! ...Shiney?"
She took a deep breath, relieving all the tension of the duties of a stressful day as a princess. When she breathed, she picked up the comforting familiar scent of her husband's cologne. Then she froze. Something was off. The smell was tinted with another pony's scent. Had somepony come over to drop something off or something? Maybe they had come to discuss royal duties with the Captain of the Guards? Whatever the matter, something was terribly amiss, and Cadence was determined to figure out just what it was.
"Shiney?" The pink muzzle repeated. She explored the palace chambers and followed the scent trail of the cologne-StallionSpice, to be exact- to its destination. Cadence came to the doors of the bedroom. "But, why would he...?" The question left her mouth, echoing to the celing. Cadence was baffled. First someone shows up to their palace and then Shining Armour takes a nap in the bedroom. It just didn't make sense. Cadence heard another male voice coming from inside and decided to open the doors without question.
It felt like Cadence's heart had been shattered into a million pieces. Shining Armour lay before her, with a golden pegasus stallion that had a blue spikey mane pinned underneath him.
"C-Cadie!" Shining Armour stuttered in his mortified state. "I... I thought you weren't coming back until later!"
"I got off of work early." Cadence said sarcastically, every second more that she stared at her husband it ate away at her body. "What. Is. This?" Cadence seethed.
"Cadie, I can explain-" a shoe-covered hoof struck his face.
"You don't need to." Cadence retorted, coldness in her eyes and voice. Ignoring the other stallion who she didn't care to speak to, Cadence packed a small saddlebag for herself and ran out of the crystal palace. She ignored her husband's voice in the background calling after her.
Cadence didn't dare to breathe or so much as speak, her world came crashing down. Her white knight betrayed her. There was nothing left.
It wasn't long before a grotesque looking gooey green opening came into site. This must be it, Cadence thought. There were no guards in site, so using a spell she had learned from Celestia, she blasted through the entrance. Cadence traveled and trekked for a long time, so much that it felt like it would never end. Then, finally, a commanding bug-like voice spoke.
"Halt! You are on the Queen's lands!" The Changeling growled.
"Yes, I know." Cadence said, holding her composure. "I would like to be taken to her."
"Who are you, pony? You are not one of us!" The Changeling snapped.
"I think you may remember me. Your clan sabotaged my wedding last year." Cadence said coldy. The Changeling blinked, then he seemed to be thinking about something.
"Come with me." He hissed. Cadence followed him, knowing full well there was no turning back. After some more travelling, the Changeling and princess met a cavern. The cavern was being guarded by two more drones. After some squabbling and hissing, the drones cackled and let Cadence pass. She thought nothing of it and kept her head up high.
"Little one. It is I that you seek?" Chrysalis said on her perch, grinning wickedly.
"Yes. I... I came to offer you and your hive a peace treaty." Cadence said, faltering.
"Oh? And what is it you hope to gain from this?" Chrysalis laughed. Cadence lost it. Normally she would stand in the face of danger and death without flinching, but the journey to the hive and the betrayal were taking a toll on her. She sobbed.
"Love." The pink alicorn cried. Chrysalis looked at her in surprise.