"Now, my loyal subjects!" Queen Chrysalis shouted to the crowd of cheering changelings. "We shall take over Equestria for the last time!"

All of the changelings hissed with approval.

"But Your Highness," Thorax stammered from below. "Shouldn't we seek forgiveness, and learn to love one another?"

Chrysalis scoffed. "We will never be friends with ponykind. Now, my hive, we set off to attack!"

Every drone flew out of the hive, ready for battle. Thorax trailed behind, spineless yet obedient. Chrysalis laughed in anticipation as she followed after them, ready to launch a strike against ponykind.

Once she reached the outside, though, everypony had stopped. She reached the front and looked out at a distant mountain. A white dot was standing on its peak, an insignificant speck that nonetheless exuded a powerful presence.

"Who are you?" she yelled at the dot.

Even though it was so far away, the voice was clear. "Ask for forgiveness."

"What?"

"Ask for forgiveness, and it will be granted."

Behind the queen, the changelings looked at one another in confusion. From the back, Thorax spoke up. "It's Celestia, giving us a chance to make peace with the ponies!" He was ecstatic. "Let us go and take up her offer—"

Before he could finish, Chrysalis shot a powerful magical blast from her horn. In a drawn-out instant, Thorax evaporated.

"We shall never ask for forgiveness!" She cried out. The changelings hissed in assent.

"So be it."

Suddenly, the sun hurtled itself towards them. All of the changelings gasped and whimpered, and even Chrysalis was taken aback, but she held her ground.

"Stand firm!" she rallied. "She cannot intimidate us!"

When she turned around, however, she saw her changelings sweating, shaking, fainting behind her. The land began to sizzle, the air began to wave.

In an instant, chaos ensued. Some changelings exploded; others shattered. Those that tried to fly away had their wings burned off, and they too perished.

"No, stop!" Chrysalis began to panic. "What is going on?" She turned to the speck. "What are you doing to my hive!?" 

"Help us!" The changelings cried out. "Help us!" Their voices were burned, their eyes bubbly, their legs snapped. Still the sun drew closer, its light even more blinding, its heat even more severe.

"Stop it, Celestia!" Chrysalis yelled. "Stop it, please!" She began feeling ill, her vision began to fade, her breath grew ragged.

"Run, my changelings!" she attempted to scream, but found it was too late. Behind her, where once was an army ready to die for her, had melted. Their cries for help still rose from the tar.

In a rage, she took off and flew as fast as she could to the speck. It was too far, and the sun too heavy a weight on her back. She fell to the ground onto the singeing desert sand. Her wings had fried up, disappearing from her body. She couldn't reach Celestia. Just as her body cracked with heat, she saw the mare approach her in an instant. Her visage was bright white, but Chrysalis couldn't look away.

"Now you see the power of the sun," the blinding figure spoke with authority. "You see how destructive it can be, what you call upon yourself and your hive!"

Chrysalis screamed even as her vocal chords shriveled up inside her.

"It does not have to be this way," it continued. "Ponies will forgive you, like they forgave me, if you seek forgiveness."

The sun boiled her eyes blind. Her body melted into nothing.

"Now, awaken!"[hr]
All was quiet. Her eyes snapped open, and beheld the rising sun.

"No!" She scurried onto her hooves to escape her doom. But it didn't come. The sun didn't race past the horizon, nor did it swell with anger; it crawled on as it had every day. There was no mare looming on the mountaintop, none of her subjects fried to a crisp, none of her body shattering before her. Everything was normal.

She thought back to the dream. A quiet moment passed.

[i]No,[/i] she thought, looking at the back of the cave where she now sought shelter. [i]I came so close last time. It is possible. Celestia cannot stop me with the power of the sun, or harm any of my subjects. I just need to plan more.[/i]

With a hiss at the light, she slunk deeper into the darkness. [i]Equestria will be mine.[/i]





And somewhere far away, in the civilized world, a mare prepared the next nightmare.