//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Two Hearts Becoming One // Story: All for You // by Stryke //------------------------------// Chrysalis walked through the corridors of the royal palace of Canterlot, with all the dignified grace that she could muster. She was a queen, and while today wasn't going quite as perfectly as she had planned, she was still not going to let any of these ponies see her as at all undignified. Of course that would be a lot easier without these two ‘guards’—one trotting, one flying—that were constantly bickering behind her. Chrysalis sighed, over being inflicted with such petty burdens, and continued to walk on towards her love's quarters. There she would patiently wait for Cadance's return. This day could yet be perfect after all, Chrysalis thought, as she imagined what might happen when they were reunited. "I still say Princess Celestia should have just blasted her again," groused Rainbow Dash, and broke apart Chrysalis’ fantasies like an inconveniently timed rain shower. The pegasus was flying along, with her forehooves crossed tightly across her front. "Woah there, nelly," said Applejack. "Ya know the Princess don't like to do things like that, least not unless she really has to." Chrysalis turned a corner into a long hallway decorated with statues, and her two minders followed closely behind her. "Then things might have been a darn sight easier if she did," Applejack pondered out loud. "Don't rightly know what Cadance is thinking makin’ nice with this varmint after what she tried to pull." "You've got that one right," Rainbow Dash agreed. "Gotta say, Cadance did look pretty nuts when she turned up at the wedding, and that was even before she hit the big bug with the spell whammy," Dash said, while making circular motions by the side of her head with one of her forehooves. Chrysalis let out a little growl, as she walked ahead of the two ponies. How dare they talk about Cadance like that... she inwardly raged. "Hey, quiet down, changeling," Dash said, "I've got my eyes on you." She gestured with a hoof, moving it from close to her face, and towards Chrysalis to emphasise her point. "And what exactly would you do if I did do something?" Chrysalis muttered under her breath. "What was that?" Dash said, flying up along side her. Chrysalis turned her head to look at her witheringly. "Oh, nothing." "Yeah, that's right, you're nothing!" Dash yelled, sticking her muzzle right in Chrysalis’ face. "C'mon, Dash," Applejack called out, "Let her be." "Hey!" Dash snorted. "Now, unless everypony has forgotten she did just invade, hurt Princess Celestia, and was going to marry Twilight's brother too! Pinkie might think it's funny for some reason, but I don't see there's any call to be nice to her. ‘Cause if she had won, I really don't think she'd have been planning to be all that nice back herself." She turned and said sharply to Chrysalis, "That sound about right?" "No, probably not," Chrysalis admitted lightly, as she pushed open the double doors leading to the guest accommodation wing of the palace. "Just ‘cause she was plannin' to be mighty uncivil to us, that don't mean we should sink on down to her level," Applejack said, her tone chiding. "And I still think we should go get the Elements and make a nice new statue for the garden," Dash said, and huffed. The unlikely trio walked on in silence for a while. As they went along, they came across scattered groups of ponies: palace maids trying to clean up the ichor that had got absolutely everywhere, clerks galloping around while weighed down with piles of scrolls, the odd royal guard about that was trying to calm things down, and several nobles still in various states of utter panic. All of them fell silent and turned to watch as the group passed them by. "Uh, I don't suppose," Applejack said slowly, "yer could turn into that Gleaming Shield mare again till we get there? Jus' was thinking it might make ponies worry less, y'know?" Chrysalis chuckled. "Hay, yer didn't do something to all of us back there, did ya?' Applejack said suspiciously, her face turning somewhat red. "Dash, you don't mind if I call you Dash, do you?" Chrysalis asked, with utmost politeness. The only response she got back was a scowl. "I'll take that as a yes then, Dash," she said, stressing the word mockingly. "What do you think?" Rainbow Dash sighed, then shook her head. "Nah, I don't think you did anything back there. Got no idea why everypony was going all googly-eyed, but I've been around Twilight Sparkle long enough to know that no horn glowy means no spell casty." "Ya didn't find her..." Applejack trailed off, and then coughed. "Find her what?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eyebrow. “Well,” said Applejack, her forehead creasing under the brim of her hat. “How do ya think you’d have reacted if she’d turned into that Soarin’ fella, right after he’d had a really sweaty workout?” “I’ve met Soarin’ remember,” Dash replied, brushing a hoof through her mane. “Nice stallion, but not quite got the full number of colours in his rainbow, if you know what I mean. So I dunno, been a bit confused by what she was playing at, I guess?” “Okay, okay,” Applejack said, waving her forehooves. “What if she’d turned into Spitfire and gave ya a look like this.” Applejack gave Dash what she thought was a sultry come-hither stare. Now ignored by the other two mares for the moment, Chrysalis leaned herself up against a nearby wall to save herself from collapsing with a serious attack of the repressed giggles. “Really not sure where you’re going with this, AJ?” Dash said, her face giving away nothing. “Daring Do?” Applejack said, sweat visibly pouring down her face. “Ahh...” Rainbow Dash searched around for the right diplomatic tone. “I’m not sure how to break this to you, but she’s fictional. Not real, y’know?” “So, Chrysalis!” Applejack said brightly, in a desperate attempt to change the subject. “Why come to Canterlot then? There ain’t enough to go round where ever ya normally come from?” Chrysalis turned back, and rolled her eyes. “No, there obviously wasn’t.” A side door on the corridor opened, and two scribes in dusty robes walked through it. The two elderly stallions took one look at Chrysalis, screamed, and then fled back from where they’d come from, with an impressive turn of speed considering both their age and attire. “Well, you being around is going to make this stuffy palace a bit more lively, Chrysi’,” Dash said, grinning as she saw Chrysalis wince. “I’ll give you that for something.” Seeing Applejack was still staring at her, Chrysalis snapped, “You have yet another question?” The earth pony mare shrugged. “Still wonderin’ why ya went to all the trouble, that’s all.” Chrysalis sighed. “I can guess from your flank that you’re probably some kind of farmer, isn’t that right?” “That’s right,” Applejack replied, tipping her hat in acknowledgement. “And I suppose you then have a place that you go to get the apples that you, and the ones you love, rely on?” “Aye,” Applejack said, her voice brimming with pride. “Sweet Apple Acres. It’s been in mah family for generations now.” “And what would you do if you lost it?” “Ah...” Applejack trailed off, as she remembered just how close she’d come to exactly that situation thanks to the Flim Flam brothers. “Ah have no idea,” she admitted. “Now imagine there’s another apple farm owned by those who have never been friendly with you and your kin in the past,” Chrysalis said, advancing on the earth pony, until she was looking right down at her. “Your family is starving, and you know that if you ask they won’t let you have the,” she paused, and licked her lips, “the ‘apples’ that your family rely on you to provide.” “Ah reckon ah would ask them to be neighbourly,” Applejack said, scratching at her head. “But they hate and fear you, Applejack,” Chrysalis pressed. “They don’t understand that you only want what’s best for your family. Wouldn’t you be tempted to just take your fair share, regardless of the risks?” Applejack was silent for a while. Rainbow Dash was amusing herself doing flips in the air, in the close confines of the corridor, as the other two walked on. “I might, yeah,” Applejack admitted quietly, looking at Chrysalis in a somewhat different light. “Wouldn’t be somethin’ I’d feel good about though, but the Apple clan would hav’ to come first if it came right down to it.” Chrysalis favoured her with a smile and nodded. “I apologise for throwing away your hors d'oeuvres by the way, Applejack. If it is any consolation, I wouldn’t have been able to taste them.” Applejack laughed. “I appreciate that, yer Queenship. Still jus’ you wait, I reckon I’ll find somethin’ nice for you to eat sometime. I bet ya.” A few minutes later they arrived at the door leading to Cadance’s room. One of the royal guard stood outside. He was standing completely lock-still at attention, without a single flicker of an emotion on his face. Chrysalis tilted her head slightly in acknowledgement to him as she passed, and closed the door behind her. Rainbow Dash sized the royal guard up. “Heh, y’know I’ve got all kinds of new faces that I’ve been practising. Just been waiting for a worthy challenge.” Applejack grabbed Dash’s tail in her mouth and pulled her away. “C’mon, Dash,” she said, tugging her along. “Leave him be, and let’s go get some food.” The royal guard stood stiffly at attention, right up until the two mares had turned the corner out of sight. He glanced once towards the closed door, and then quickly set off down the corridor in the opposite direction. ~~~ “Twilight Sparkle, will you please put me down!” “Oh sorry, Shiny,” Twilight said, with a giggle. She slowly lowered the field that contained her big brother, and then released it. Shining Armour picked himself up and rubbed his head. “I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss, Little Sis. I’m feeling fine.” “You were supposed to be getting married today!” Twilight said loudly, rounding on her older brother. Shining Armour put up a hoof defensively. “I know, I know! And you saved me, so I don’t know why you’re acting like this is a bad thing, Twily.” “Cadance has done something to you,” Twilight insisted, “and I am going to figure it out.” “C’mon then,” Shining Armour said, “we can talk in my office. Equestria knows it’s probably going to be packed soon anyway, with my colts looking for somepony to sort out this almighty mess.” Shining Armour’s office was not much more than a chair, a desk, and a window looking out over the training grounds for the royal guard. The room was well placed to be lit wonderfully by the current light of the early afternoon sun. There was also a picture frame, which Shining Armour grabbed with his magic, and then placed it face down on the desk the moment he entered the room. “Aww, Big Brother,” Twilight said, with a grin as she looked around. “You’ve not got Angry Pants anymore?” “What, that old raggedy thing? No, absolutely not,” he protested, and then caved immediately under his younger sister’s gaze. “Okay, he’s totally in one of my desk draws.” Twilight chuckled. “Right, so let’s work this out then.” “Why not?” Shining Armour said, as he sat down at his desk. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere for the time being. Don’t want to run into that changeling—or that thing, whatever it was—again any time soon.” Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Twily!” Shining said loudly, seeing his sister’s sudden change in expression “Not going anywhere...” she whispered. “What is it?” “Don’t worry about it,” Twilight said hurriedly. “I’ve just really got to go and take care of something. You just stay here, and try and remember what happened with Cadance, okay?” she asked, making soothing motions with her forehooves. “I’m feeling fine, remember?” Shining Armour said, a bit shortly. “As I said, somepony’s going to have to organise getting the palace back on its hooves and that’s still my job, no matter what happened.” “I’ll be back soon,” Twilight promised, and disappeared in a flash of magic. She reappeared again in the corridor outside. Twilight wasn’t sure how long she had, but the sooner she could make sure that Lyra, Minuette and Moondancer were safe, the happier she’d be. She was so focused on the thought of the three mares trapped in the caves, with the entire changeling army for company, that she almost trotted straight into one of her brother’s royal guard. Twilight briefly wondered why the guard had been standing right in the middle of the corridor, motionless and without expression, as if he had been waiting for somepony in particular. ~~~ Minuette could barely hear herself think, as the underground cavern rang with the remorseless sound of changeling chittering. "Well, at least they're still talking about what to do for now..." she said, loud enough to be heard by the two other mares over the din. “You two run,” Lyra said firmly. “I’ll keep them off.” “Run where?” Minuette said despairingly. Every tunnel out that she could see, well all the ones she could make out in this gloom, was heaving with changeling bodies. Moondancer stood up and brushed herself off. “Um, so Moondancer wonders what do they feed off anyway?” “Zis is but a matter of love, Ma Cherie!” the changeling speaker answered, sounding not unlike an immigrant from the overseas land of Fancy. Minuette wasn't sure if he was still by them to help them out, or if he was just hoping to be well placed to beat the eventual rush. “That matches what I remember hearing,” said Lyra, while nodding. “They feed off love. Don’t ask me exactly how though.” Moondancer’s eyes widened. “Oh no,” Minuette said quickly, seeing her friend’s expression. “I’m sure it doesn’t work like—” “Right!” said Moondancer, stepping towards the changeling speaker. “You can turn into anypony you’ve seen right?” she asked speculatively. The changeling speaker nodded. “Moondancer does not suppose that you know of Prince Blueblood?” Moondancer said, with a grin spreading wider and wider. “Oh, Moondancer...” Lyra said, burying her face into her hooves. The speaker grinned, and said, “What are you common disgusting creatures doing in my quarters! Yuck, yuck, yuck! You’re getting your dirty, horrible ichor in my beautiful mane! AUNTIE, SAVE ME!” The speaker finished off with a deeply undignified scream, mixed with more than a few pathetic whimpers. Minuette sniggered, and then felt really guilty about it. Well, somewhat guilty, she considered, as she remembered several stories she’d heard about that stallion in the past. “Don’t you understand?” Moondancer said, her voice raising in excitement as her face glowed bright, “Moondancer will be able to be with Prince Blueblood, but without actually being with Prince Blueblood! Moondancer will be living every Equestrian mare’s dream!” Lyra gave her a look. Moondancer shrugged and laughed airily. “Okay, the straight ones anyway,” she conceded. Minuette was about to try and talk her out of it, along with a side order of how she was sure it really, really didn’t work like that, and also how she totally didn’t have any fantasies about Blueblood whatsoever, when the floor started shaking. One of the other Lyras lost her footing and fell flat on her side. Soon small rocks were falling from the stony ceiling and changelings were hugging on to each other for dear life. Several changelings came tumbling out of one of the darker tunnels, followed by the sound of sharp cracking, as solid rock was pushed aside with ease. From the cavernous depths came a deafening call that struck mortal terror into the changelings, and sent the three ponies diving for cover, as the whole cavern shook from the sheer volume of the voice. “WHO DARES DISTURB OUR SLUMBER, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT TIME DOST THOU CALL THIS?!” Minuette was one of the first beings in the cavern to get up after the audible assault. "Princess Luna?" she said, her voice shaking with barely repressed hope. "Princess Luna?!" one of the other Minuettes repeated, though her anguished growl at the end made it sound a whole lot more distressed. The alicorn of the night stood at the mouth of the tunnel, her celestial mane glowing out of the darkness. Luna's normal raiment was nowhere to be seen, and she stood completely unadorned. Even without her usual royal accoutrements she commanded attention with ease. The effect was for a moment let down, as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes on the back of one of her forelegs, leaving streaks on the normally pristine navy-blue fur. "The sun doth still hang much too high in the sky," Luna moaned, at a far more civilised level of volume. She shook her head hard, trying without much success to clear some of her grogginess away. Unable to stop herself, Minuette shouted out, "What are you doing here, Princess?" "Canterlot has grown much too raucous since we knew it," Luna said, and let out a truly deafening yawn. "It is quieter down here, usually." She glared around the cavern, causing several changelings to flinch backwards. "And anyway, we now find sleeping confined within the living rock itself comforting." "That's pretty messed up," Moondancer said quietly. "After the whole banished-to-the-moon thing and all." "Is kinda cute though," Lyra said, and a massive grin beamed across her face. Luna blushed a bit, and shook her head again in a further attempt to get her wits fully collected. "Sh-Shut... Thou shalt be silent!" she said, clearly embarrassed as the blush grew brighter. "Now will somepony explain why changelings are crawling all over my caves?" Three separate hooves pointed at the changeling speaker. He gulped nervously. Luna pinned the speaker to the rocky floor with her piercing gaze. She let out a succession of clicks, growls and hisses. The speaker's eyes widened, and answered with a short undulating growl of his own. "You can speak changeling?" Minuette said, trotting over to stand by the princess's side. Luna turned to look down at her. "You can not?" she said, her tone showing her surprise. "In ages past it was considered most chivalrous, to be able to address an enemy in their own tongue, before burying your war-glaive in their skull." "Still, enough of that." She looked back at the changeling speaker, where a large number of his transformed kin were massing up behind him. Now that they had recovered from their initial shock, none of them looked at all happy. The Lyras were looking particularly odd with the uncharacteristically angry scowls that they were sporting. If Luna noticed the increased hostility, she did not seem to take any notice of it. "We now shall take great pleasure in asking a few questions," she said, as a low chittering hum from a hundred separate throats answered her. ~~~ Chrysalis leapt off the bed she’d been having a rest on, as Cadance entered looking thoroughly shaken. She rushed over to comfort her, but then slowed to a stop. "So..." Chrysalis started to say, not quite looking right in Cadance’s direction. Cadance looked back, with what she was sure were the same worries and concerns mirrored on her own face. "The room still meets your liking?" said Cadance eventually, taking refuge in everyday platitudes. "It's fine, thank you.” Chrysalis said, with a genuine smile. “So much better now though for your presence," she added, looking at Cadance from underneath half-lidded eyes. Not wanting to quite face the changeling yet, Cadance gazed out the window with its beautiful view of the mountain. She knew what she wanted, Cadance was sure of it. She wanted to pour out her heart to this being that had trapped, tormented and worst of all violated the love that she had known. She wanted to loudly shout out her guilt of what she had done and beg Chrysalis’ forgiveness. She even just wanted to hold the changeling tight to her and never, ever let her go... Yet she also knew that she could do none of those things. If Chrysalis knew what had been done to her, and against her will, that surely would undo what Cadance had actually managed to accomplish at such cost today. What was worse was that fact paled now to the idea that she just didn’t want to see Chrysalis hurt by her realising what Cadance had done to her. As the thoughts rolled around her mind, a moment of realisation managed to make itself heard above the chaos. "Oh," she said, putting a hoof to her lips. "What?" Chrysalis said, looking up with concern. "Those bridesmaids of mine that you took over," she said slowly and non-judgementally. "They're still down there with all of those changelings of yours. Are they going to be okay?" Chrysalis blinked a few times, as her line of thought was forcibly shifted from gazing adoringly at Cadance. "Of course, My Love," she finally replied. "I told them not to hurt any ponies and they wouldn't consider going against my command." "If you're sure," Cadance said uncertainly. "Absolutely," Chrysalis said, flicking her mane. "Anyway, if anything was wrong my swarm lord would let me know about it immediately, as is his sworn duty." “This swarm lord, that was the changeling that freed Princess Celestia?” Cadance asked. “Is he—” she paused, as she didn’t particularly want to make this comparison. “Is he your equivalent to Shining Armour?” Seeing Chrysalis’ expression, she quickly added, “Not as your lover! I just wondered... if he fulfilled the same role as a captain of Celestia’s royal guard.” “I suppose there are some parallels, yes,” she answered thoughtfully. “He has served me faithfully for several years now since his promotion from the ranks of the common drones. I command him and he commands the hive.” “And you and him are not...” Cadance said, leaving the worrying thought hanging. She was feeling bad enough as it was, without having to deal with the added guilt of breaking up another couple. “No,” said Chrysalis sharply, and shook her head at the very thought of it. “My mother took her own swarm lord as her consort, but I always dreamed that one day I would take a pony to be all mine.” Cadance raised an eyebrow. She suddenly realised that she barely knew anything of the changelings. She doubted any pony really did. Well, apart from Celestia of course, she thought with a little inward shudder. Cadance knew she was going to have to find out, but that could surely wait for now. Still, Celestia’s words rang repeatedly through her mind. You might not want to ever touch her again when you do. “So when do I get to meet her?” Cadance asked, trying to put on an easy smile. “Your mother, I mean,” she added. Chrysalis’ face fell. “That’s not going to happen.” “I understand,” Cadance said, inwardly bucking herself for trying to lighten the mood. “I imagine it would be far too dangerous.” “That’s not it,” Chrysalis said, pacing away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought her up. It is something,” she turned back, and Cadance was sure she saw some long buried anguish there. “I do not want to talk about it. Not yet.” “Shall I request some food to be brought up for us?” Cadance said, hoping that would give her some more time to deliberate what to do. “Cadance, are you sure you wouldn’t like me to be some other pony?” Chrysalis begged. “I could be any mare that you wanted.” “Chrysalis,” Cadance said, as she approached the changeling queen. “I could be Twilight Sparkle,” she said, a flash of green energy washed over her revealing the unicorn librarian. “You were close, I believe,” she said in her new voice. Chrysalis turned and gave Cadance a hopeful little shake with her rear end. “Oh Chrysalis, no,” Cadance said. “If it’s the mare thing,” the fake Twilight said, looking worried. “I find being a stallion deeply uncomfortable, but for you, Cadance—” “No, it’s really not the mare thing,” Cadance said, shaking her head. That had actually been true, she realised with a certain amount of surprise, as she wondered for a moment just how deeply the changes her spell had caused went. “I could even be...” Twilight’s horn glowed green and within a moment Princess Celestia towered in her place. Cadance couldn’t help herself, as she let out a little shriek, and skittered backwards. Before she could blink, the white alicorn was gone, and Chrysalis was back looking thoroughly distraught. Chrysalis gazed at the floor. “I am sorry. I should not have done that.” “It’s not your fault,” Cadance said, shaking herself to get her self-control back. “After her defeat by you, being confined to that cocoon, and then getting out to find...” Cadance stopped herself before she let out something she knew she’d swiftly regret. “To find out what had happened,” she said lamely. “Well I’ve never seen that side of her before and it was a little scary,” Cadance confessed, shuffling a forehoof. “I won’t let her hurt you,” Chrysalis said firmly, looking for a moment much more like the queen that had brought Canterlot to its knees. “I’m sure she has her reasons though,” Cadance said loyally. “Still, I just want you to be happy with me,” Chrysalis said, as she rubbed her hind legs together self-consciously. “But I am!” Cadance’s mouth blurted out without direct input from her brain. “I don’t know how you can look at me though; I know to a pony’s eyes, that I’m hideous,” Chrysalis moaned. “And my wings are all tattered,” she said disappointedly, turning to look at them as she gave them a quick flutter. “Chrysalis,” Cadance said, stepping closer until they were almost touching. “Your wings are beautiful.” “Cadance?” Chrysalis whispered. “And so are you,” she said, leaning in and kissing her. For a while there were no doubts or worries. There was just her and Chrysalis, and that was all that mattered. Their lips parted and they looked into each other's eyes for several moments. Cadance’s mind screamed at her that this was not truly real, no matter how good—no, worse—how right it had felt. It could not be real, no matter how much a very big part of her wished it to be so. She’d expected Chrysalis to feel hard against her, and there were parts of her coated in tough chitin, but so much of her had been soft and so very much felt like another pony against her. It reminded her of Shining Armour, and she let out a little choke. “Cadance,” Chrysalis said hesitantly. “Was that not... good?” “It was,” Cadance said, looking for the right word, “absolutely indescribable,” she finished with a blissful smile. “But I can’t do this.” Chrysalis looked utterly crushed. “I can feel you though,” she said pitifully. “I can feel your love for me.” “No,” Cadance said, shaking her head sadly as she came to a decision. No matter the consequences, she could not keep this facade up in the face of the changeling’s adoration for her. “I just can’t lie to you anymore, Chrysalis. I made you love me.” The changeling queen looked at her for a moment with a totally unreadable alien expression, and then threw her head back and laughed. “I know that, Cadance!” She grinned wickedly. “In fact, I think that just makes me love you even more.” “But!” Cadance protested. “It’s just my magic forcing us to feel like this.” Chrysalis leaned in close and nuzzled her lightly. “Your domain is as much love, as the other princesses have the sun and stars I believe, isn’t that right? And I am one, after all, that feeds off love. Surely out of any other two beings in Equestria and beyond, there is absolutely none that could judge whether this is real better than the two of us.” Cadance felt Chrysalis’ lips against her again and let herself sink into the kiss. When they parted she was breathing hard. “It does feel real, so very real, but I... I’ve hurt you!” she protested, almost on the verge of tears. Chrysalis smiled and looked deep into Cadance’s eyes. “I've won, don't you understand that yet?” she asked kindly, in an echo of what she had said several hours ago. “Chrysalis?” Cadance gasped, her wings flaring in shock. “Not perhaps the perfect day that I had planned, I admit,” Chrysalis said, walking close by Cadance and playfully flicking her nose with her tail. “But to settle for some unicorn stallion when I can have an alicorn princess to be all mine? You have willingly given me both your love and your protection, and with that I have secured a future for my hive.” “I have?” Cadance said slowly, still somewhat stunned by the idea. “We can discuss such minor details later,” Chrysalis said, circling around on the alicorn. “Much later,” she purred. “I want...” Cadance murmured, as what she felt and what she thought still warred. Her heart was beating faster, though she wasn’t sure whether that was from mounting panic, fear, or even desire. Chrysalis lightly nibbled on her ear, and Cadance sighed happily, as she knew at this moment exactly who she wanted. She allowed herself to be gently pushed down onto the bed, with her wings spread out beneath her, and for now at least, her doubts could wait.