Chapter 10:
The Queen Is Dead
Minutes later, after the stampede has passed, the entire area was left in a fog of dust. Twilight reached the bottom of the canyon, and this time she was looking for her mother. But it was hard for the filly to find her mother in all this cloud of dust. And Aurora is nowhere to be seen. But Twilight kept on looking for her mother.
"Mommy!" Twilight yelled, calling her mother and looking around the same area that her mother could be in, but there was no luck. She was hoping her mother was alright. After all, Aurora's magic was a lot stronger than hers.
Then a rumbling was heard approaching the young princess. It filled her with hope.
"Mommy?" Twilight asked quietly, hoping it was her mother.
But emerging from the dust, it turns out to be a stray Caribou, left behind, trying to catch up with the others, that was the source of the sound, running past her. Twilight watched it go when it ran past a broken tree further down the canyon and that's when she saw a dark shape under the tree she clung to in the stampede in front of her.
Twilight stares in trepidation and fearfully approaches the shape to investigate and she soon realizes that the shape is her mother. When Twilight approaches her, she sees that she is not breathing or moving. Her manes and coat were a mess, her wings were damaged, her eyes were closed, and her mouth was a thin-closed line.
Twilight approaches her mother uncertainly and was starting to see something is wrong, but she hopes that her mother is sleeping.
"Mommy? Hey, come on," Twilight said hopefully, but her mother didn't stir or respond at all.
"M-Mommy, you gotta get up," Twilight said, rubbing against her mother's head to hopefully wake her up. But Aurora's head merely rolls back into place after that rub. She then started to get really worried now. What was wrong?
"Mommy, we gotta go home," Twilight pleaded, pushing Aurora's head with both her forehooves. But nothing happened after that either. What was going on? Usually, her mother woke up just to stop her, or calm her down when she was scared. But this time, nothing was happening.
Getting worried, Twilight then tugged the queen's mane, remembering it was one of her best tricks of waking her and her father up, but even that didn't do anything for Aurora's head flops back into place. Now Twilight is starting to get scared as she backs up, looks around helplessly, and runs off a bit, trying to find help.
"HELP! SOMEPONY! Anypony," Twilight yelled as she paused and looked around, hoping that someone else could hear her, but she heard only her own voice echoing back from the sides of the canyon.
"...Help," Twilight whimpered quietly as tears started to appear in her eyes, and started to cry.
Twilight has finally come to realize that her mother is dead. But is it her fault for this to happen? Did the young princess really cause the queen's death to happen? Twilight slowly turns back to her mother's lifeless body and nuzzled up under her mother's limp foreleg just to feel like she was really hugging her as she wept over the loss of the most amazing pony she'd ever known.
As Twilight continues to cry, Chrysalis approaches through the dust and heads towards Twilight and her sister's dead body, looking down at Twilight.
"Twilight…What have you done?" Chrysalis whispered in mock shock as Twilight looked up with one tear-filled eye.
Twilight jumped back a bit in surprise at Chrysalis's sudden appearance, "There was a stampede and she tried to save me. It was an accident, I-I-I didn't mean for it to happen," Twilight tried to explain but felt too sad to say anything.
"Of course, of course, you didn't, Twilight. Nopony ever means for these things to happen…" Chrysalis said with comfort but faintly as she pulled Twilight away from her mother and embraced her as Twilight buried her face in Chrysalis's foreleg.
"...But the queen is dead," Chrysalis said as a fact while Twilight trembled against her leg, but she inwardly smirked, as this is working just as she hoped, she just needs to give the final push.
Twilight looks up at Chrysalis hoping for some comfort but the Alicorn Mare just looks back at her with mock regret, "And if it weren't for you, she'd still be alive," She stated.
Staring at her in dismay, it was then Twilight felt crushed by what Chrysalis said and now she is starting to believe it was her own guilt and fault that she caused all this to happen as she slowly lowered her head and nuzzles back into Chrysalis's leg.
Then another thought 'occurred' to Chrysalis as she then gasped and asked as Twilight looked up at her, "What will your father, think?".
Twilight thought about that as well, she feared her father would be furious at her for getting her mother killed and ruining their family. Maybe even hurt her.
"What am I gonna do?" Twilight asked with a sniffle and labored breathing. She couldn't go back to the city, not after what she did.
Chrysalis was quiet for a moment as she let go of Twilight, "Run. Run away, Twilight…," She said leering towards the filly as Twilight backed away.
Twilight looked at her mother one last time and then back at Chrysalis.
"...Run, Run Away, and never return," Chrysalis repeated, sounding like an order rather than a suggestion. But it sounded better than any punishment she would receive otherwise for her crime.
Hearing those words and knowing she has no other choice, Twilight runs off blindly, obviously broken by her own fault.
Chrysalis stood there watching Twilight run and smiled cruelly. The Queen is dead, but the plan isn't over yet. Rover, Fido, and Spot appeared from behind Chrysalis with evil grins as the Alicorn gave them one clear order: "Kill Her,".
And with that, the three Diamond Dogs took off after the filly.
Twilight ran until she came across the end of the canyon and saw the rocks that go all the way up to the point where she could get out. But then Twilight sensed someone's behind her and turned around to see the Diamond Dogs approaching her, drooling and snarling.
Quickly, Twilight flies up the rocks with the Diamond Dogs chasing behind her as she flies through a small hole, nearly missing a slash from Fido's claws as they scraped across a rock.
Twilight then reached the top only to see a sheer drop on the other side where below is a large thorn patch. Twilight gasped and looked back in fright to see the Diamond Dogs catching up to her. Having no choice, Twilight jumps off the cliff and tumbles down with the Diamond Dogs following her in pursuit. Twilight then fell through a patch of thorns and landed on the ground hard.
She looked up frightfully and saw the Diamond Dogs were still in pursuit of her.
Twilight then carefully climbed through the thorny branches while trying to avoid getting scratched as she crawled to the other side. Thankfully her small size allowed her to get through without injury.
When the Diamond Dogs were running towards the briar, Fido was the first to see the thorns below.
"WHOA!" He exclaimed, trying to stop himself by skidding on the ground and managed to come to a stop just above the briars.
Fido let out a sigh of relief until Rover bumped into him, nearly falling in, and then Spot bumped into Rover from behind, sending Fido flying into the thorny briars screaming, "WHHOOOAAAA!".
"YEOW-OOOOWWOOO!" Fido howled in pain, jumping out of the briars covered in thorns and clinging to his hindquarters.
Rover and Spot laughed at their friends' misfortune on the ledge as Fido painfully walked back to them.
"Ah! Ooh! Eey! OW!" He yelped as he clambers onto the ledge still covered in thorns, and with every step he took the thorns pricked him as Spot just continued laughing and rolling onto his back.
Then Rover stopped laughing when he noticed Twilight flying far away from the briars and into the Everfree Forest.
"Hey! There she goes! There she goes!" Rover exclaimed, watching Twilight run farther and farther away from them.
Fido then started pulling out the thorns in him as he turned to Rover, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go get her!" Fido insisted, before taking another thorn off his arm.
"There ain't no way I'm going in there!" Rover retorted as he turned to the big blue dog with a smirk, "What, you want me coming out looking like you, Mr. Cactus Mutt?!" He asked as Fido takes three thorns off his rump and looked at Spot, who was looking at him in amusement, which caused him to spit the thorns at Spot's nose making the small Diamond Dog yelp in pain.
"But you heard Chrysalis. We've got to finish the job," Fido said with a glare as Spot rubbed his nose.
"We go back and tell her we didn't kill her, we're dog meat!" He reminded the lead dog as he walked over to him as they looked over the cliff and the running princess.
"Nah, that filly is as good as dead out there, anyway. And IF she ever comes back, we'll kill her," Rover said, it was simple.
Fido smirked as he looked at Twilight before she disappeared over the horizon, "YEAH! DID YOU HEAR THAT?! IF YOU EVER COME BACK PRINCESS, WE'RE GONNA KILL YA!" Fido shouted as it echoed to the runaway filly as she faded and disappeared into the Everfree Forest.
And with that, the three Diamond Dogs made their way off the cliffs and back towards the City Of Harmony in malicious laughter. Knowing that they and their leader have succeeded in their plan to get rid of Aurora and, technically, Twilight Sparkle while said filly races off into the Everfree Forest.
Later that evening, nighttime has arrived in the City Of Harmony, but this night is a night of sorrow. All the Alicorns and Ponies have gathered at the Castle Of Harmony to hear Chrysalis's address. Even Cobalt, Celestia, Luna, The Guardians, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flash Sentry are there.
"Aurora's death was a terrible tragedy. But to lose Twilight, who had barely begun to live…," Chrysalis said her eulogy, beginning her address and placing a hoof on her forehead in feigned sorrow .
All the Alicorns and Ponies bowed their head in sadness when they hear Chrysalis's Address. Some of them, Cobalt, Celestia, and Luna bend their head down in extreme pain and sadness, as Cobalt grieved over the loss of his wife, he didn't even have his daughter. Celestia placed a comforting wing on him. Flash was rubbing against his mother's hoof crying.
"For me, it is a deep, personal loss. So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne. Yet, out of the ashes of this tragedy…," Chrysalis said as the Army Of Diamond Dogs started emerging from the shadows and approached her.
Every Alicorn and Pony then gasped in horror when they now know Chrysalis's true intentions.
"...We shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era…in which Alicorns, Ponies, and Diamond Dogs come together. In a great and glorious future of Equestria!" Chrysalis said as she walked up the stairs and ascends the Castle Of Harmony and more and more Diamond Dogs appeared in full force from every direction.
In the distance, Zecora watches the coronation of Chrysalis from afar and shook her head in sadness and shame for an unfortunate future.
Eventually, back in her home, Zecora sat in silence and deep sadness as he mourned for her friends. Shedding and wiping away a tear of her own, Zecora looked at the painting of Twilight. With a heavy heart, she reached up and rubbed her hoof across the painting of the filly, smudging it.
Because Zecora knows that without the rightful heir to the throne, the City Of Harmony and Equestria has no hope. This may have been the end of Twilight.
Or so she thought…
Author's Note: Looks like Chrysalis has got what she wanted in the 10th chapter of THE ALICORN QUEEN.
After the stampede was over, Twilight was looking for her mother in the midst of the fog of dust. But when she found Aurora, Twilight noticed her mother wasn't breathing or even moving. That was the moment Twilight realized her mother was dead and was beginning to wonder if it was her fault for her mother's death.
That's when a certain traitor emerged from the dust. Chrysalis has put the blame on Twilight, telling her that it was her fault and she was responsible for the Queen's death. This has Twilight feeling crushed and scarred, and to make things even worse, Chrysalis told Twilight to run away and never return. To make sure the princess never comes back, Chrysalis has the Diamond Dogs chase after her.
Unfortunately, the Diamond Dogs have once again failed to kill Twilight, for the young princess has managed to escape them by going through the thorns. However, Rover thinks Twilight is as good as dead since they can see her running to the Everfree Forest.
Back at the Castle Of Harmony, Chrysalis was giving her address for the death of Aurora and Twilight to all the Alicorns and Ponies, who were grieving in sadness. But as she finished her address, Chrysalis began to claim the throne now that Aurora and Twilight are gone, she is now queen and to make things even more worst, she allows the Diamond Dogs into the kingdom, taking over.
Zecora witnessed the coronation of Chrysalis and shook her head in disapproval.
Well, that's it, Aurora is dead, Twilight is gone, and Chrysalis has taken over the Castle Of Harmony, which will lead the City Of Harmony to nothing but tragedy.