The next morning, Chrysalis was far more loving towards Sleight.
"Good morning, my King." She nuzzled against him.
"Morning, beautiful." Sleight gleefully returned the affection. "Mmm, I missed this."
"So did I." Chrysalis stroked his cheek. "I hate it when we fight. It's far better for us when we're getting along."
"So true." Sleight kissed. "Now, as much as I'd like to just hold you all day, don't we have some royal duties to perform?"
"Regrettably, yes." Chrysalis sighed, reluctantly getting out of bed. "I suppose we'll have to pick up where we left off this evening."
"Looking forward to it." Sleight chuckled, as he followed.
It felt good to have Chrysalis back to her normal self. Sleight was grateful he was able to earn her forgiveness so soon. But he knew this was only a temporary respite, and that he had to try again to convince her to give Thorax and his hive a chance. He had decided to bide his time, and give Chrysalis some space from the issue.
'Just gotta wait for the right time to talk about it.' He told himself. 'Just gotta wait...'
In the meantime, Sleight intended to keep Thorax informed of matters within the hive, slipping away whenever Chrysalis was occupied and visiting Thorax's camp. Unfortunately, this didn't leave him many opportunities, since his reconciliation with Chrysalis had made her more willing to spend time with him. It was two days before Sleight was given such an opportunity; Chrysalis had gone to inspect the soldier Changelings' barracks, giving Sleight just enough time to provide Thorax with a status report.
As Sleight made his way out of the tower, he only had Wizel to contend with (Sazh was over at the nursery, while Char was naturally at the barracks).
"Mind holding down the fort, old friend?" He asked. "I need to step out for a little while. Get some air, y'know?"
"Of course." Wizel nodded. "Enjoy your constitutional."
"I will..." Sleight smirked.
Sleight slipped around the back of the tower, repeating his motions from the last time. Just as he managed to make his way over the wall (making sure to avoid the thorn bush this time), he found himself running into Prometheus.
"Whoa!" He yelped. "Grandpa... what are you doing out here?"
"Just getting a little fresh air." Prometheus grinned. "It's good for a fellow of my age."
"Okay..." Sleight frowned, not liking the look on his grandfather's face.
"And what are you up to, kiddo?" Prometheus smirked.
"Oh, you know... just going for a quick jog around the hive." Sleight lied. "Being King is hard work. Gotta stay in shape!"
"A jog, huh?" Prometheus asked. "Sure you're not just sneaking off to talk to Thorax?"
"What?!"Sleight's voice hit a pitch so high, barely anything but Diamond Dogs could hear it. "That's crazy! Why would I want to do that?"
"Because you're still holding out hope for that alliance." Prometheus declared. "Aren't you?"
"...Yeah, I am." Sleight sighed. "I know Chrysalis is dead set against it, but I have to try."
"I don't know if it's idealism or stubbornness that's driving you." Prometheus sighed. "Either way, it's admirable. You're displaying the kind of strength and determination I always dreamed you'd have."
"Thanks, grandpa." Sleight smiled. "...You really think I'm doing the right thing?"
"I'm afraid I wouldn't know." Prometheus admitted. "After all, I may be a King Changeling, but I was never truly a King. You have your great grandmother to thank for that one."
"Great." Sleight groaned. "So I'm on my own here."
"Not exactly." Prometheus shook his head. "I'm still here to support you, as I always have."
"That's nice, grandpa." Sleight admitted. "But not exactly what I need to hear right now."
'I do know one thing, however." Prometheus smiled. "A King has to stand by his convictions. If you really believe this is the right path to take, then you go for it, and never look back."
"I do." Sleight nodded. "And I will."
"You just do what you think is right, my boy." Prometheus urged. "And if you succeed? All the better."
"Here's hoping." Sleight smiled.
"And don't worry, I won't tell." Prometheus chuckled. "I know a little about keeping secrets, you know..."
"Yeah, I know." Sleight smirked. "So if Chrysalis gets a bit a little early, could you-"
"Cover for you?" Prometheus finished. "I'll do my best, kiddo."
"Thanks again, grandpa." Sleight smiled. "You're the best."
"I know." Prometheus grinned. "And for the record, I support what you're doing. Our kind need to stand together, not apart."
"My thoughts exactly." Sleight agreed. "Guess that's your side of the family there."
"But like I said before, the stubbornness must be from your mother." Prometheus chuckled. "Good luck, my boy."
"I'll definitely be needing it..." Sleight whispered.
Prometheus returned to the hive, while Sleight made his way to Thorax's camp.
"Good morning, Sleight." Thorax smiled. "How are things?"
"Well, the good news is that Chrysalis cooled off pretty quickly." Sleight declared. "All through the day, she was almost always by my side. Not that I'm complaining..."
"I'm sure." Thorax rolled his eyes. "If you don't mind my asking, what exactly attracted you to Chrysalis to begin with?"
"Eh, guess I just have a thing for... exotic ladies." Sleight smirked. "And Chrysalis can be quite... alluring, you know. Charming, and... saucy."
"Honestly, I've never imagined her being described in that way." Thorax cringed.
"Well, of course." Sleight snorted. "You are her son, after all."
“It’s more than that, really.” Thorax frowned, “I mean, surely before you met her, you heard of the things she'd done, and the kind of Changeling she was, right?”
“...Well, I guess.” Sleight shrugged. “...But you see, there was this prophecy…”
“Prophecy?” Thorax asked.
“Yeah, it’s a long story.” Sleight cringed. “To make it short, I kinda crash landed here in the swamplands many years ago, and was discovered by my soon-to-be best friend Sazh, who told me that I was a part of this prophecy that Wizel told him where a wizard from the Star Swirl bloodline would fall from the sky and protect the hive from evil. I didn’t believe it one bit, but then he mentioned that the wizard would become the new King, with the Queen becoming his mate…”
“So… who Chrysalis was did not deter you from wanting to fulfill this prophecy you did not believe in?” Thorax raised a brow.
"Again, I have a thing for exotic mares." Sleight pointed out. "Also, it was never my intention to fulfill the prophecy at all. I was just a lowly magician who was planning to con the hive into making me their King, so I could get the power and the girl."
"But things didn't turn out that way, did they?" Thorax smiled.
"No, they didn't." Sleight smiled. "I actually grew to care about Chrysalis and her subjects, even risk my life defending them. Through that adventure, I grew from a shameless shyster to a noble stallion who would come to earn the right to be King."
"It's ironic." Thorax smiled. "You became King of this hive by changing what was on the inside, while I became King of mine by changing what was on the outside."
"No kidding." Sleight nodded. "Guess there's more than one way to earn a throne..."
"So true." Thorax nodded. "I'd say we both earned ours."
"Even if... certain others wouldn't agree." Sleight frowned.
“...So, Sleight…” Thorax murmured. “What exactly is your plan in trying to change Chrysalis’s mind regarding our union?”
“Well, seeing how reasoning with her didn’t work, I decided that the best way would be to wear her down.” Sleight smiled. “You know, gently bring her around to the idea of joining your hives together. Drop some hints about having numbers here, make some nudges and winks about back-ups there. You know, ‘the power of suggestion’. That should gradually open her up to the idea. Help her realize that you'll be stronger together."
"That sounds like a good plan." Thorax mused.
"You know it." Sleight smirked, before frowning. “I just hope this works. If Chrysalis finds out that I’m still trying to change her mind…”
“Well, just know that I have faith in you, Sleight.” Thorax declared. “If anypony could lull Chrysalis over to our way of thinking, it'll be you."
"Sure..." Sleight nodded, a little put off by Thorax's choice of words. "See you soon."
"Until then." Thorax grinned.
Sleight made his way back to the hive, confident that he was growing steadily closer to his goal. Wizel was still dutifully waiting back at the tower.
"Welcome back, Sleight." Wizel declared. "I trust you enjoyed your little trip?"
"It was... very productive." Sleight smiled.
"Well, it is good to see you happy, my friend." Wizel nodded. "Especially considering the events of the past few days."
"Yeah, tell me about it." Sleight sighed. "I'm just glad things have settled down."
"For now." Wizel sighed. "But I believe we will never completely get back to normal until Thorax and his subjects depart."
'And that's a bad thing?' Sleight thought.
Meanwhile, Glinda was still awash in her worries. Vito had come to visit her the day before, but she couldn't bring herself to mention to him her thoughts regarding the transformation. She feared giving her woes a voice would make the situation worse, since she couldn't be sure who could be within earshot. She was terrified of another Changeling overhearing, and bringing the knowledge straight to Chrysalis herself.
'I can't talk to anybody about this.' She thought sadly. 'I have no choice but to keep it bottled up inside of me...'
So lost in thought was she that Glinda walked straight into another Changeling.
"Oh, sorry!" She apologized.
The Changeling she bumped into turned out to be Maid.
"You really should watch where you're going, little one." She said kindly. "What's the matter? Something on your mind?"
"Well, maybe..." Glinda muttered. "But I don't know if I can just come out and say it."
"Of course you can." Maid smiled. "I can keep a secret."
At that point, Glinda recalled that Maid was one of the few Changelings who were sympathetic towards Thorax's hive. And she was one of the nicest nurses in the hive. If any Changeling would listen to her plight without accusing her of being a traitor, Maid might just fit the bill. But Glinda still feared that the wrong Changeling might overhear.
"Can we go somewhere... private?" She asked.
"Of course." Maid nodded. "My place isn't too far from here."
The two quickly made their way to Maid's modest, bungalow-esque home.
"Now then, what's on your mind, my dear?" Maid asked.
"Well, after seeing Thorax and his hive come by, I found out about just what makes them different from us." Glinda admitted.
"You did, now?" Maid mused.
"Yes." Glinda nodded. "I found out that any Changeling can transform like that, if they just give out all the love inside of them."
"That is interesting." Maid nodded.
"And now I'm wondering if... maybe I should do it." Glinda confessed.
"I see." Maid declared.
"But I'm worried about what will happen after." Glinda cringed. "I know how against Thorax's hive most Changelings are, especially Chrysalis. I feel like I should make the change, but I'm terrified that everyone will think I'm a traitor!"
"But why do you want to make the change?" Maid asked.
"It's a lot of things, really." Glinda sighed. "Part of me is curious about what I'd look like. Another part thinks I might just fit in better with ponies in that form. And a bigger part thinks that my coltfriend might like me even more if I was colorful and beautiful like Thorax's hive are."
"Your coltfriend?" Maid frowned. "Oh, that's right. The young Unicorn I've seen you hanging around with sometimes. You do make a really cute couple."
"Thanks, Maid." Glinda smiled. "It's true, we are a cute couple. But we could be cuter. I know Vito wouldn't complain if I were a little more colorful."
"Oh, honey." Maid sighed. "You shouldn't go changing yourself just to please a guy."
"It's not that." Glinda sighed. "Vito loves me for who I am on the inside. I know that. But I'm starting to think this is more about what I want."
"What you want?" Maid asked.
"I can't explain it, exactly." Glinda admitted. "I feel like... this new form is what I'm meant to be. Like it's my destiny. Just as it was King Sleight's destiny to lead us."
"Well, I'm not exactly an expert in the field of 'destiny'." Maid admitted. "I was born to be a nurse, but I doubt that's exactly the same thing. More a matter of genetics than anything else... But if it really feels like you need to do this, maybe you should. It's better than tormenting yourself with all the 'what if's'."
"I can't do it anyway." Glinda groaned. "If I did, Chrysalis would disown me, and I'd be thrown right out of this hive... at best."
"You don't know that for sure." Maid reassured her. "I know how close you are with the Queen and King Sleight. Maybe Chrysalis would accept your choice."
"But I can't risk it." Glinda sighed. "Even if it does feel like my destiny, I can't embrace it, because it'll mean losing almost everything!"
"There, there, dear." Maid comforted her. "It'll be okay. You never know, maybe one day, Chrysalis and the rest of the hive will accept our colorful cousins."
"Yeah, one day..." Glinda frowned. "I can only hope that day comes soon."
"That's it." Maid smiled. "Keep your chin up."
"I will." Glinda nodded. "And thanks for listening, Maid."
"My pleasure, Glinda." Maid beamed. "If you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open. In fact, maybe you can talk to some of my fellow Thorax-sympathetic Changelings. I'm sure they wouldn't mind discussing matters with you... especially Slinker."
"I'll keep that in mind." Glinda grinned.
As Glinda left the house, her tensions had eased somewhat. Talking about her worries had eased her woes for the time being. And now she knew she had someone to turn to if they ever bothered her again.
The next day, Sleight and Chrysalis were in the nursery, the memories of a tender and loving night together still fresh in their minds.
"The new hatchlings are coming along nicely." Chrysalis smiled.
"Cute little guys, aren't they?" Sleight cooed.
"Indeed they are." Chrysalis grinned, as Sleight tickled one under the chin. "But it will take many laying seasons before we regain the numbers we once had. That cursed virus..." She scowled angrily.
"Yeah, it's too bad we don't have more hatchlings." Sleight sighed. "We could really use the numbers."
"True." Chrysalis mused.
"Of course, having more adults couldn't hurt either." Sleight added. "We lost a lot of soldiers to the Forefathers' attack. And more workers and drones would be useful, too. Until these little fellas and ladies grow up, we're looking at a major staff shortage."
"What are you getting at, Sleight?" Chrysalis frowned.
"Oh, nothing." Sleight shrugged. "Just stating the facts."
Their next stop was at the food stores, which was holding a modest supply of fruits, nuts and vegetables.
"I hurt to say it, but having so few of us might actually be a good thing." Sleight sighed. "Those infected Changelings really did a number on our food supplies. As it is, we've barely enough to get by for now."
"...I suppose." Chrysalis shrugged. "I've never been much of a fan of edible food, myself. Though I know it's a taste most of my subjects have acquired."
"Still, I guess there's always plenty more food out there." Sleight smiled.
Their next stop was the west side of the hive, which was still bearing the scars caused by the Forefathers' airship crashing down upon it.
"What a mess." Sleight declared. "It's gonna take forever to shift all that wreckage. If only we had more stallionpower..."
"The removal is going as well as can be expected." Chrysalis remarked. "And we may be able to put those broken pieces of metal to use in the future. Perhaps we could use it to sure up the walls, or fortify the gates."
"Or maybe we could sell some of it for scrap." Sleight suggested. "I know there are merchants who'd love all that junk. And would pay big money for it."
"And what would we need with money?" Chrysalis asked.
"Oh, y'know, we could use it to have our defenses professionally sured up." Sleight suggested. "Maybe even call in a consultant about the best way of keeping the hive safe. It never hurts to have allies, you know."
"I suppose not..." Chrysalis admitted.
'That's it.' Sleight thought sneakily. 'Little by little, bit by bit. I'll gently help you come around to the idea of accepting Thorax's offer.'
That evening, Sleight and Chrysalis had Wizel, Sazh, Char and Prometheus join them for an unofficial conference, with some bowls of berries for refreshment.
"So, how have things been going with you guys?" Sleight asked.
"Not too bad." Wizel smiled. "I had another marvelous day with my lady Sapphire."
"I saw Maud yesterday." Sazh declared. "She gave me a free lecture on igneous rocks. It was more interesting than I thought."
"Zzzince Fleetfoot izzz about to go on a tour with her fellow Wonderboltzzz, zzzhe and I made zzzure to have a... memorable date on Monday." Char smirked. "Very memorable."
"It's good to know so many of my children have found love." Chrysalis placed a hoof on Sleight's shoulder. "As I have."
"Aw, Chrys..." Sleight grinned.
"And it helps that our hive is growing stronger every day." Chrysalis added.
"Things do seem to be going well." Prometheus admitted. "The hive is getting along nicely. Even with Thorax and his followers still outside."
The others froze up in horror, expecting Chrysalis to explode once more at the sound of Thorax's name.
Chrysalis grit her teeth and inhaled sharply through her nose, but did not lose her temper.
"Yes, of course." She said flatly. "It's good to know my subjects are taking all this in their stride."
"That's new." Sleight noted. "First time you haven't lost your temper after hearing his name. Starting to warm up to him, are we?"
"Hardly." Chrysalis snorted. "It's just so exhausting going into mindless rages every time I hear the traitor's name."
"That's no surprise." Prometheus rolled his eyes. "I suppose sending him an invite to our next party's out of the question?"
"Obviously." Chrysalis spat. "After what he did, my pride demands no less."
"Pride can be a dangerous thing." Wizel said sagely. "You must be careful not to let it consume you."
"Lack of pride can be just as dangerous." Chrysalis declared. "It can lead to all kinds of... weakness."
"But if you're somewhere in the middle, maybe you can have the best of both worlds." Sleight grinned.
"Unless you don't actually want both worlds." Chrysalis scowled. "I'm perfectly fine with our world, and no-one else's. Now, let us change the subject."
"Gladly." Sleight nodded. "How about those larvae?"
"They're growing strong and healthy." Chrysalis smiled. "I have faith they'll grow into a strong next generation. Strong enough to help this hive flourish."
'But there's an easier way to help this hive flourish.' Sleight thought. 'And with any luck, you'll see it soon enough...'
A couple of days later, Sleight decided to return to Thorax's camp, intending to further discuss possible strategies. Fortunately for him, Chrysalis had more business to attend to.
"I must talk with the builder's guild." She told Sleight. "I'll be back soon, my King. I hope you can survive without me."
"It'll be tough, but I think I'll manage." Sleight chuckled. "Still got a little matter to attend to myself. Hopefully, that'll take my mind off the Chrysalis-shaped hole in my heart."
"Oh, you." Chrysalis chuckled, nuzzling him. "I look forward to reuniting with you too, my love."
"Don't be gone too long." Sleight grinned. "I can only hold out for a little while."
"I'll try to make it quick." Chrysalis smirked.
After Chrysalis's departure, Sleight attended to a brief discussion with Char regarding the hive's defenses.
"...So if you keep the soldiers in teams of two around the perimeter, we should be able to deter aggressors." Sleight declared. "And if worse comes to worse, one soldier could keep the attacker busy while the other can go and get some back-up."
"A wizzze decizzzion, my King." Char smiled.
"It's what I'm here for, isn't it?" Sleight grinned.
"I zzzhall implement thizzz order immediately." Char declared. "Woe betide any who try to challenge uzzz. They will find that while we are diminizzzhed, we are anything but weak."
"That's the spirit." Sleight smiled.
Once Char left, Sleight made his way out of the tower.
"Hey, Sleight." Sazh crossed paths with him. "Got a minute? Maybe we can hang out."
"Sorry, pal." Sleight shook his head. "Bit of emergency business I have to attend to. Very hush-hush. Catch you later, okay?"
"Um... sure." Sazh said awkwardly, as Sleight rushed past him.
Sleight once made made his way over the wall, and into Thorax's camp.
"Hello, Sleight." Thorax smiled at his approach. "How goes it?"
"Pretty well, I think." Sleight said proudly. "I've been slipping Chrysalis subtle hints about the values of allies, help, and having extra numbers."
"You're a clever one, aren't you?" Thorax chuckled. "Must be part of that stage magician background. I know a pony who thinks a lot like you."
"If all goes well, I might be able to talk Chrysalis into another meeting." Sleight declared. "One that will have a much better outcome."
"With you putting in a good word for us, I'm sure it will." Thorax smiled. "I am very glad you're here, Sleight. Having somepony on the inside really helps in convincing Chrysalis to see our point of view."
"Well, I'm not exactly over the moon about this." Sleight admitted. "But if it gets Chrysalis to stop being so stubborn and actually give you guys a chance, I guess it's the only way to-"
"Aha!"
Sleight turned around, and saw to his shock that Chrysalis was standing before him.
"Uh-oh." He gulped.
"'Uh-oh' is right." Chrysalis snorted.
"Uh... Chrys, darling, aren't you supposed to be with the builders' guild?" Sleight asked nervously.
"I was." Chrysalis nodded. "But the matter didn't take nearly as long as I expected. And on the way back, I noticed you sneaking around the back of the hive. Not exactly usual behavior for you, so I decided to follow."
"Y-you did?" Sleight gulped.
"I knew there was something off with you recently, Sleight!" Chrysalis frowned. "But never did I imagine that you would be sneaking off to collaborate with those traitors behind my back!"
“Now, now, I w-wouldn’t say ‘collaborate’.” Sleight stuttered.
"Then what would you call it?" Chrysalis demanded.
“...I would call it…” Sleight began, before sighing. “I truly believe that joining with Thorax’s hive would be a good idea. Look, that whole Project: Infestation crap left us in a bad bind, and regardless of what you feel, we need all the numbers and resources we could get!”
"We do not need those traitors!" Chrysalis spat. "We are doing just fine on our own!"
"But what if we suffer another attack? After what the Forefathers did to us, it’s clear that they are not messing around!" Sleight asked. "What if they or some other evil force see us as an ‘obstacle’, and decide to obliterate us, and our limited numbers can’t handle it? We would be screwed!"
"No, we would not!" Chrysalis roared. "The true Changelings are strong enough to withstand any attack! Besides, these weak-willed traitors could never be of help to us! They are nothing but spineless cowards!"
“That is enough!” Thorax stood up. “It's one thing to insult me, but I will not stand by while you belittle my subjects!”
"You mean my subjects!" Chrysalis roared. "Or at least they were, before you corrupted them!"
"I didn't 'corrupt' any of them." Thorax said firmly. "They chose to follow my example!"
"So you say." Chrysalis snarled. "But the fact remains that I lost almost my entire hive that day, because of you! You have no idea how many nights I fell into slumber cursing your name, dreaming of exacting retribution upon you. You, who took my rightful place as leader of the hive, who stole my subjects' loyalty... who left me with practically nothing!"
"...After all these years, you are still the same bitter Queen…" Thorax scowled. "For someone who had supposedly made 'friends' with the ponies and mended relationships with the entirety of Equestria, you still refuse to see any other viewpoint but your own."
"And even after all this time, you are still nothing but an ungrateful little turncoat!" Chrysalis spat. "A lowly drone who got ideas above his station! Who took what was rightfully mine!"
"I took nothing." Thorax growled. "The other Changelings chose to make me their new leader. They chose me because you were such a terrible leader."
“Oh really?” Chrysalis snarled, “I never heard a single peep from them before you came along and ruined everything!”
“Are you serious?” Thorax sneered. “If the way your subjects have acted since my arrival are any indication, they're too afraid to speak their minds, too fearful of what their ‘Queen’ would do to them! That has always been the way with you! Leading through fear and intimidation!”
“How dare you…” Chrysalis seethed. “I’ll have you know, that my children love me! I have given everything to the hive! True, I may be a bit stern at times, but it is because I am their leader! Because that is what I was born to do! It was my birthright, my destiny!” She then glared at Thorax. “While your birthright was to serve... and you couldn't even get that right!"
"Guys, please..." Sleight tried to step in.
"I could never serve someone as cruel and greedy as you!" Thorax spat, ignoring Sleight. "You can say as many foul words as you want about me, but that does not change the fact that unlike you, I did not attempt to take over Equestria not one, not two, but three times, before I finally agreed to peace! Unlike you, I was always content to simply live alongside the ponies, and not try to conquer them, just to satisfy a twisted lust for power!"
"I will admit, the path of conquest ultimately led nowhere." Chrysalis shrugged. "But you were obligated to obey your Queen, no matter what! You turned your back on me, and the hive!"
"And in doing so, freed myself from your twisted ways." Thorax retorted. "I become my own Changeling, at long last."
"You 'became' a vile traitor!" Chrysalis spat.
"And exactly what reason did I have to be loyal?" Thorax sneered. "Even as a hatchling, I was terrified by the very sight of you!"
"Then maybe you should have been more terrified." Chrysalis retorted. "Perhaps then you would have not forgotten your place."
"I have a new place now." Thorax declared. "I am ruler of the hive, whether you like it or not."
"What I feel goes far beyond not liking." Chrysalis scowled.
"And it is in my hive's best interest that I have come here, against my better instinct." Thorax returned. "If you don't agree to this union... if you don't agree to help us, most of my hive will die!"
"Good!" Chrysalis spat. "All of those fools are no better than you! They also chose to throw away what it means to be a Changeling... even giving up their very forms! They all chose to embrace the idea of becoming multi-colored abominations!"
"I showed them a new way to live." Thorax insisted. "A way to resolve their hunger problems once and for all. You may call them 'abominations', but I call them 'reborn'. I am proud to have been able to lead them into a new era, free of hate and starvation. Helping them was the right thing to do, and I will never regret it."
“Yet you were content to leave the rest of us in the lurch!” Chrysalis snarled.
“It was not by my hooves that your suffering has been prolonged!” Thorax glared darkly. “It was you who spurned Starlight’s hoof of friendship way back when! Not me!”
“...Wait, what?” Sleight stepped in. “Starlight who? What 'hoof of friendship'?”
“Do not mention that mare’s name in my presence!” Chrysalis snapped. “Starlight Glimmer is on my list, right under you and these Forefathers!”
"Wait, Starlight Glimmer?" Sleight gaped. "As in Princess Twilight's old pupil? She was involved in all this?!"
“Yes she was. It was thanks to her that I was able to become King!” Thorax explained.
“Oh yes, thanks for reminding me!” Chrysalis sneered. “That harlot is almost as much to blame for this travesty as he is!” She pointed at Thorax.
“Is she?” Thorax challenged. “Even after all you'd done, after all the awful atrocities you'd committed, she was willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself! To finally end the hunger and strife that the Changelings had suffered for so long… but you didn’t take it. You just denied it, and swore vengeance on her.”
"You did?" Sleight frowned at Chrysalis, dismayed.
"I'm sorry you had to hear it this way." Thorax told Sleight. "Though clearly, your beloved Queen chose to keep that tidbit of information from you."
"I had no reason to inform him." Chrysalis scoffed. "Because it no longer matters."
"I find that hard to believe." Thorax glared. "If you can still hate me after all these years, I doubt very much you'd let go of your grudge against Starlight."
"You both did me wrong." Chrysalis spat.
"You did us wrong first." Thorax retorted. "You kidnapped Starlight's friends, tried to take over Equestria, and tried to drain all the love out of me. Me, a fellow Changeling! As much as I despised you back then, somehow, I never imagined you'd stoop so low... hurt so many... Even now, the thought of my hive in pain probably makes you feel happy. They may have changed, but they're still your children, and you would allow them to perish? I'll never understand that kind of spite..."
"Ever the soft-hearted fool." Chrysalis snarled, eyes locked on her hated nemesis. "Makes me ashamed to consider I ever laid your egg..."
"Believe me, the feeling is mutual." Thorax spat. "Knowing I was born from a warmongering fiend like you... I still feel like I can't get your stink off me."
"How dare you?!" Chrysalis spat. "You foul perversion of a Changeling!"
"You black-hearted succubus!" Thorax yelled.
"Traitor!" Chrysalis scowled.
"Tyrant!" Thorax retorted.
“ENOUGH!” Sleight roared, slamming his Changeling hoof, which changed into a manticore’s paw to emphasize the slam.
Chrysalis and Thorax turned in Sleight's direction, shocked by his outburst.
"I can't believe you!" Sleight yelled. "The both of you!"
"What?!" Chrysalis and Thorax gasped.
"You're supposed to be the leaders of your hives, yet the both of you are acting like bickering foals!" Sleight yelled.
"Excuse me?" Chrysalis growled.
"You can't be serious" Thorax asked.
“I've been patient these past few days.” Sleight seethed. “And I thought I would've been able to get you to resolve this peacefully, like adults.” He then glared at the both of them. “But clearly, I would have had better luck trying to teach a cragadile how to play poker!”
"Sleight, surely you understand how this traitor-" Chrysalis started.
"How can I negotiate with this tyrant-" Thorax said at the same time.
"Quiet!" Sleight yelled, silencing them. "I'm going to be doing the talking for a while."
Chrysalis and Thorax stood in place, Sleight's anger unnerving them both. Sleight glared at Thorax.
"Thorax, you told me that you want to heal the rift between the hives." Sleight declared. "You say you understand that Chrysalis has changed. Well, you know what? I'm not seeing it!"
"How can you say that, Sleight?" Thorax asked. "You really think I don't want to bring our brethren back together?"
"I don't doubt that." Sleight admitted. "In fact, I think you're a pretty stand up guy. But this whole thing between you and Chrysalis… that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms. Chrysalis is clearly not the only one holding onto a grudge. Sure, you hid it well under your politeness and solemness, but I can see now that you have some royally bucked up mommy issues!”
"I, well..." Thorax spluttered.
“And because of that, deep down, you don’t really believe Chrysalis has changed.” Sleight glared. “You think she's the same heartless tyrant she was when you knew her. In fact, you probably think the peace treaty and me marrying her were just 'moments of weakness’ to take advantage of!”
"I would never think that!" Thorax declared. "I just thought you'd finally helped her to see sense! To be sane and rational!"
"And you're saying I wasn't like that before?" Chrysalis sneered. "I knew all along you were still the same disrespectful ingrate you always were. And now I have solid proof... to my immense satisfaction." She let out a cold, cruel laugh. "I was right all along!"
“Oh, shut the buck up!” Sleight rounded on Chrysalis.
"Excuse me?!" Chrysalis frowned.
“You wanna know something, Chrysalis?” Sleight snorted. “For all these years we've been together, I've always stood up for you. When we attended our first royal party, I protected you from those bad-mouthing ponies. I defended you to Princess Cadance back when you two had that feud going on. I stuck up for you when the other hive Queens were mocking your choices. I even justified your actions to the freaking ghost of your mom, for crying out loud. And I did all of that from the bottom of my heart. But I've come to learn a lot about you in this past week.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Chrysalis glared. “Thorax is the one at fault-”
"Don't play the victim card here." Sleight snorted. "You've had it out for Thorax for a long time. I can understand that he wouldn't be your favorite Changeling after what happened all those years ago. I understand if you're still a little peeved about it. But that was over twenty fricking years ago! Have you even tried, I don’t know, getting the BUCK over it?! Sure beats having the whole hive stepping on eggshells whenever someone brings up colors!”
"Don't you dare judge me, Sleight." Chrysalis spat. "You don't what it's like to lose almost everything you've ever cared about!"
"Don't I?" Sleight retorted. "I lost my mother, I thought I'd lost my grandfather, my father wanted nothing to do with me, and I had to leave the only home I ever knew rather than face his wrath! To me, my father was my ‘Thorax’!”
Chrysalis stepped back, surprised by the vigor in Sleight's voice.
“But unlike you, I got over it!” Sleight continued. “With your help, no less! I forgave my father for a ruined childhood and years of abuse. I was able to make peace with him, yet you can’t be bothered to do the same with Thorax?”
“It is not that simple, Sleight!” Chrysalis protested.
“Really? Not that simple?!” Sleight glared. “Last I checked, you hated the ponies just as much as you did Thorax, yet that didn’t stop you from finally agreeing to a peace treaty with them! How is Thorax and his hive any different?!”
"Because they're a bunch of traitors!" Chrysalis roared, her horn sparking. "They rejected me, turned on me, forced me to flee my own kingdom. I can't just turn around and act like everything’s fine and dandy! Not after what they did! Not after the shame they dealt upon me!"
"So that's what this is really all about." Sleight narrowed his eyes. "This was never about Thorax, not entirely. This was all about your pride! You are just too damn proud to even consider the idea of reuniting every Changeling. Of helping the two halves become a whole once again. It was that same pride that lead you to refuse Starlight Glimmer, and the same pride that lead you to refuse Thorax’s olive branch!”
"Sleight, I-" Chrysalis started.
“Your pride… you would not believe how many times I've heard that excuse.” Sleight scowled. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but now…” He glared at Chrysalis coldly. “You mean to tell me that because of your pride, you denied the one chance you had for saving your hive from near-certain extinction!”
“What do you mean one chance?!” Chrysalis snarled. “Have you forgotten that we have the peace treaty now?”
“Oh no, I haven’t forgotten!” Sleight glared, “But if I recall, the only reason that Celestia and the others came that day was because Wizel decided to stallion up for once and made it so that they would come. But even then, you almost botched it up by wanting Shine for a bucking love slave!”
“Sleight-” Chrysalis tried to get a word in.
“And don’t get me started on Red Eclipse!” Sleight growled. “Do you think maybe if you’d had Thorax and his hive on your side, maybe they wouldn’t have been such a problem?!”
"You don't know that..." Chrysalis insisted.
“Oh, I think I do!” Sleight glared. “Even without Thorax, you had Celestia and all of Equestria to help you with Red Eclipse and those buckers, but noooo! Your pride just couldn’t afford that, could it? You were more willing to take a gamble on some low-life magician who only even considered fulfilling a prophecy just so he could become King and get laid! Do you realize how buckin’ messed up that is?!”
“But you did end up defending and saving this hive!” Chrysalis snarled. “And because of it, this hive was made stronger for it! By not crawling to Celestia or anypony for help, we had secured our hive’s legacy!”
"Really?" Sleight sneered, "Secured the hive's legacy, or your pride?!"
"How can you even ask me that?" Chrysalis gasped.
"Because the evidence if kind of leaning towards the latter." Sleight retorted.
“Tell me this, Chrysalis!” Sleight glared. “What would have happened had I not been there? What if there was no pony to fulfill the prophecy and save all of you?! If not me, then who would had done it?! Let’s face facts, if I hadn’t stepped in when I did, all of you would had died or been forced off your land! Slaughtered by a bunch of extreme racists! All because you had to stand apart! Because you couldn't suck it up and asked for help!"
"How can you say such a thing?" Chrysalis growled. "Sleight, you know me!"
"I thought I did." Sleight said coldly. "I thought you were a Queen who cared about her subjects. But you don't. Not really. Because when it comes down to it, all you really care about is your pride! So much that you would rather have yourself and the hive starve than accept the help of others or even making peace. What’s worse is that you refuse to see the good that could come from our unity!”
“What good?! Our hive is just fine without them!” Chrysalis protested.
“No, we were lucky. What were the odds that I was a cure to that exact bio-engineered virus? Believe it or not, our hive isn’t as strong as it used to be. Neither is Thorax’s.” Sleight pointed out. “Instead of gambling on fate to not screw us over in the future, we could all band together to build a new, better hive, a place for all subjects, black or pastel, to live together, happy and safe…” Sleight then glared at Chrysalis, “But you clearly don’t care about that! You’re so gung-ho on holding onto this petty grudge, seeing it more important than the well-being of your subjects!”
“You don’t understand!” Chrysalis growled.
“Oh, I understand completely!” Sleight glared. “You are so blinded by your pride that you would rather we all suffer great hardships rather than accept help from Thorax, and you would rather let Thorax and his hive die, all because of what happened all those years ago! And you rather have me live in ignorance! Why else would you have not told me of all this?! I thought we were a team, you and I!”
"Sleight, just listen to me!" Chrysalis demanded.
"No, I won't." Sleight shook his head. "Ever since Thorax showed up, you had been nothing but angry and bitter. That is not the Queen I gave my eternal loyalty to. That is not the Chrysalis I love. That is a cruel, hateful witch who actually deserved to have most of her hive taken from her, because Faust knows what would had happen to it if it wasn’t!”
“...Sleight… you…” Chrysalis stepped back, her husband’s words having cut right through to her core. Her eyes began welling up, as she struggled to maintain composure. “You don’t mean that… You can’t mean that…”
“I’m sorry, Chrysalis, but that is how I see it.” Sleight turned away, unable to look at her. “You can scream and blow things up all you want, but I believe joining both our hives is for the best of both of us. And if you can’t see that… well, you just lost all the respect I had for you…” He closed his eyes. “...My Queen.”
Chrysalis grit her teeth in an angry snarl. But the corners of her mouth began to droop, and her eyes started to water.
"Is that really... what you think of me?" She asked, her voice quivering.
"...I'm sorry, but it is." Sleight declared, unnerved by the look of anguish on her face.
"Very well then." Chrysalis half-sniffed, half-snarled. "If that's the way you feel, 'my King', perhaps I should simply leave, before my very presence sickens you!"
"Don't be like that..." Sleight started.
"Why not?!" Chrysalis roared, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's not like you have any more repect for me to lose!"
Torn between anger and heartbreak, Chrysalis flew away, back towards the hive. Sleight stood there, more affected by her outburst than he cared to admit.
Thorax stood there, stupefied by what he had witnessed… only to gaze sympathetically at Sleight.
“Sleight… I never meant...” Thorax murmured.
“I know you didn’t.” Sleight let out a deep sigh. “But it had to be said.”
“But where does this leave us?” Thorax asked. “Will the-”
"Thorax, I'd willing to talk to you more about this matter when the time is right." Sleight growled. “Right now, you need to rethink about why you want to reunite our hives. Because I just about smashed everything I had with Chrysalis into tiny pieces so I could stick up for you.”
“...I’m sorry, Sleight…” Thorax bowed his head in sadness.
“Yeah, I’m sure you are.” Sleight grumbled, as he left the camp, leaving a saddened Thorax behind.
As Sleight walked back to the hive, the anger still simmering inside of him, he felt tears come to his eyes.
'Way to go, Sleight.' He thought to himself. 'You stood up for what you believed in. But at what cost?'
Sleight trudged sadly through the forest. His attempt to help join the two hives together had ended in disaster. He feared there would be no way to undo what had been said and done. And a part of him, disillusioned by everything he had seen and heard, almost hoped it would be so. The damage had been done, and now, he had to contend with what came next.