"Pharynx, no!" Thorax shouted as his brother forced Chrysalis off him, sending the ex-queen on her back beside the fire. He wasn't listening.
"I'll kill you, you rotting hag!" Pharynx shouted, pouncing on her.
Chrysalis panicked, she attempted to hold Pharynx at bay but her instincts and reflexes had her do something quite different. She released the spell she had been planning to use on Thorax. A sickening green tendril of energy burst from her horn, not stopping til it reached the cave ceiling, even though a fellow changeling was currently in the way.
There was a moment of utter silence as the spell dissipated into the air and Pharynx fell to Chrysalis' side, his legs laying limply. Maternal instincts were not normally a thing among changelings. Normally, any sort of affection a queen showed her heirs was a facsimile of observed behaviors, to make her heirs think her ways were right, even if she had to do great wrongs. Chrysalis never even bothered with that, but at this moment, something inside her clicked. Under this moment of duress, the emotions she felt were very real.
"No, no, no, no..." She pulled herself up and grabbed her eldest, cradling him in her forelegs. She could feel the life leaving him. She knew she had little time. "Pharynx, you're going to be okay, alright? Hang on for me. Hang on for Thorax."
Pharynx's eyes seemed unfocused as he looked up at his mother, as she held him up.
"M-Mother?"
"Mother's right here. Keep talking, stay with my voice." Chrysalis begged. She had to think of something, anything to keep him alive. But no plans or ideas came to her.
"Mother, why did you leave us alone for so long?" Pharynx asked, his voice delirious and weak.
"I-I don't know," She sobbed, tears beginning to stream from her eyes. "I thought I knew better. I thought you didn't need me. I won't be going anywhere ever again, alright? Just stay with me and we can be a family, for real this time."
"I... I think I'd like that..." Pharynx said, smiling before closing his eyes.
"Pharynx, Pharynx? No don't go!" She rocked him back and forth, desperately trying to rouse him from his eternal slumber. "I'm sorry! Please! Just stay with me!"
But in her heart, Chrysalis knew, it was far too late.
Her son was dead.
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Pharynx's service was an international affair. While he had personally touched few lives outside of the changeling hive, many who knew Thorax and the reformed changelings felt the need to attend.
"Today, we give our final respects to Prince Pharynx. Son of Chrysalis, and brother of Thorax. He spent his life in service to the hive, and gave it in defense of its king."
Chrysalis could not bear to listen to the sermon, she watched the service from afar, her legs chained. She had surrendered herself to the Princesses, in hopes that they would repay Pharynx's death in kind. They showed her no such mercy.
As Pharynx's coffin was slowly lowered into his grave, Chrysalis broke down again, collapsing to the ground in tears. Her fault. It was her fault. She'd lost both of her sons and it was her fault.
"Chrysalis." Came a now all too familiar voice. "How many times are you going to revisit this nightmare?"
Nightmare?
Chrysalis looked up. The funeral service was gone. Luna, the princess of the night stood before her.
That's right. A nightmare. She'd been through this scenario before. How many nights in a row had she had this dream? Had she even attended the original funeral? She couldn't remember anymore.
"You need to let go, Chrysalis." Luna stated, her tone sympathetic. "You need to stop torturing yourself."
"How can I stop when you torment me with this dream every night?!" Chrysalis shouted back. "My son is gone! His blood is on my hooves!"
"I am doing no such thing." Luna replied, with something between a snort and a derisive laugh. "This is your own mind's doing. You must stop torturing yourself and move on or this nightmare will never leave you."
Chrysalis looked down and sobbed. "What would you know about this anyway?"
"More than you know, Chrysalis. More than you'll ever know, most likely." Luna knelt down next to the changeling queen, gently lifting her head to look her in the eye. "But you'll never have a chance if you don't wake up."
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Chrysalis' eyes shot open. The smooth stone ceiling above her told her all she needed to know. She was still in Canterlot's dungeon, where she'd surrendered herself. Where she'd insisted to stay if they refused to kill her. Her ears perked up. Hoof steps. Four pairs. Two ponies. Drearily she looked toward her cell door, to see the white alicorn, Princess Celestia approaching, flanked by a familiar gray pegasus.
"What is he doing here? Are you giving me over to my people?" Chrysalis practically spat in false bravado.
Thorax shook his head and dropped his disguise, in a flash of flame, the pegasus was now the changeling king, a look of concern on his face. "It's been weeks mother. Celestia sent word you haven't eaten anything. You're killing yourself."
Chrysalis grimaced. She'd almost forgotten about the pain in her stomach, the nightmares had seen to that. "...I don't want their pity. Perhaps I deserve to die."
"What you did was an accident." Celestia countered, raising an eyebrow. "And in self-defense I might add. For all you knew Pharynx was really going to kill you."
"And maybe he should have!" Chrysalis jumped out of her cot, stomping toward the bars. "I don't belong anywhere anymore! It would be only fitting the new order remove the old! Instead I had to watch my own son be buried because of my stupidity!"
There was a brief moment of silence.
"Celestia, open my mother's cell."
"Are you certain that's-"
"Please."
Celestia slowly inhaled. "Very well."
There was a soft click as the cell door unlocked before swinging open. Chrysalis stepped back, confused and nervous. "What are you-"
She was cut off by Thorax suddenly rushing up and embracing her. She could feel an immense amount of love coming from her son. She knew what he was doing and she felt sick that she couldn't stop herself. She fed on her son's love for his mother. After a moment she cut herself off, pushing him away.
"Why? You should hate me."
"I can't." Thorax replied simply. "You're the only family I have left."
Chrysalis winced, looking away. He was her only family as well.
"Will you please come home?"
"No. I don't have a home anymore."
"Will you at least come out of this cell?" Thorax glanced at Celestia who nodded. Chrysalis would likely be under surveillance, but she was free to leave.
"...I'll consider it."
"And will you stop starving yourself?"
"...Very well..."
Thorax gave Chrysalis a sad smile and stepped out of her cell. "It's a start. I'll see you soon mother."
Chrysalis watched him leave before turning her attention back to Celestia. "You'll keep him safe?"
"Of course." Celestia gave Chrysalis a knowing smirk. Chrysalis hated that smirk. "Does that mean I should have a guest room furnished instead of this cell?"
"...I suppose it does."