Chrysalis sat on the bed in total silence. She didn’t know what to do. Under normal circumstances, she would be plotting her escape. She would be manipulating those around her to perform a subtle coup on the the ones in power.
But these were not normal circumstances. Now, she felt no will to fight, no right to be enraged. And it as all because of Him. Thorax, the newly crowned king of Changelings.
‘The rightful king of Changelings’ Chrysalis thought to herself. It had been at least two weeks since she arrived, but it didn’t feel like it. It felt shorter than that. It felt like she had only served a few seconds of the sentence that she deserved. For the crimes that Thorax brought to her attention. It felt like that day hadn’t ended. She remembered everything. The site of Thorax’s face was burned into her vision. It was everywhere she looked. There was only a wall in front of her, but her mind said otherwise. The sound of his shouting was unparalleled, as it echoed through her thoughts. But they were nothing compared to his words. The words that were laced with anger, sorrow. They rang in her ears without end. Their poison paralyzed her, as their fire burnt her to a crisp. Chrysalis had been called a “monster” and a “villain” before, but nothing like this. She could still remember everything in cold, crisp detail.
‘You left your Crown, your Throne, your Hive, YOUR PEOPLE!!! You ABANDONED US!!!’ The words stayed on repeat. Chrysalis couldn’t tell if Thorax was still yelling at her, or if she was yelling at herself. The sound of hoof-steps from down the hall reached her ears, but she hardly cared or noticed. It was probably just another meal that she couldn’t bring herself to eat.
‘W-Why are they giving me such privileges?’ She asked herself as tears began to form. Her subconscious kept reinforcing the same message ‘I failed the hive, failed the Changelings.’ She looked at her hole filled hooves, ‘I brought nothing but misery to my kind!’ The steps were right outside her door, ‘I...I don’t deserve-’
A knock came at the door, “*knock*, *knock*, *knock* Chrysalis?” A small gasp escaped her lungs. Chrysalis knew that voice. And it terrified her.
“Hey...can I come in?” Thorax’s voice was soft, and gentle. Much like how it was before...she shuddered at the thought. “I, uh...I’d like to talk to you.” Chrysalis started to panic a bit, when Thorax continued to speak from beyond the door, “Uh, it’s nothing bad! You’re not in trouble. I… just wanted to talk.”
Chrysalis’ panicked train of thought suddenly stopped, ‘Not...in...trouble?’ The sentence confounded her. How was she not in trouble? She dwelled on the thought a minute. ‘M-Maybe I should…?’ Her subconscious reasserted itself, there was no way she could face Thorax. ‘I don’t deserve to,’ she thought, ‘I don’t deserve his mercy.’
In all her time thinking, however, she didn’t realize that she had absent-mindedly walked over to the door, and put her hoof on the door. In the moment she became conscious of this, Chrysalis mentally recoiled. Her mind screamed to stop, but her body had other plans.
>~~~~~~~~<
When Chrysalis opened the door, Thorax was almost going to leave, thinking that Chrysalis was asleep. Thankfully, she opened the door. Her head hung down, as she slowly stepped to the side, letting Thorax into the room. He slowly walked into the room with a small awkward, and nervous smile. As he came in, Chrysalis closed the door and the room became very dark.
“Jeez, you’d think open a window in here.” Thorax joked in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Chrysalis had no visible reaction. He gave a heavy sigh, and tried to work up his nerves, ‘Come on Thorax. You can do this. You just got to ask her, simple as that!’
He turned around with a warm hopeful look only to find that Chrysalis was still sitting by the door, with her side to him. The site of this made something click in Thorax. He walked over to the bed and hopped up onto it. He then got Chrysalis’ attention, patting the spot next to him. To this, Chrysalis had a visible reaction. Her hair moved to reveal a surprised look in her eye.
There was a long period where noling said or did anything. About a minute passed, before Chrysalis slowly turned and walked to sit next to Thorax on the bed. Her posture and movements made it seem like her legs were made of lead and was carrying a ton of bricks. She stopped short of the bedside, hesitant with an aura of fear. Thorax motioned to the spot again, mustering up the warmest smile possible under the circumstances.
“It’s okay,” he said warmly, “I told you, I just wanna talk.” With that reassurance, Chrysalis slowly climbed up to sit next to Thorax on the bed. Thorax turned to face the former queen, though she kept her head down, refusing to meet his gaze.
Thorax took a deep breath, “Look Chrysalis,” He said, “We can’t keep doing this whole, ‘We’re bitter at each other and sad about what we’ve done, so we’re not going to talk to each other’ thing. At some point, we are going to have to address the draconequus in the room.” Thorax held his breath for a moment, half expecting Discord to show up in that instance. He continued breathing when the creature in question didn’t suddenly appear.
Chrysalis tensed up, however, fully expecting another verbal assault, in one form or another. The words she expected to hear immediately formed in her head. ‘You’re harboring a criminal and this was all temporary care, and you need to send me to the Princesses to face justice for my-’
“I’ve been a terrible host to you.” Thorax said with a bit of sadness in his voice. “You’re my guest and I should have came to talk to you in-person sooner rather than later.”
Once again Chrysalis’ train of thought was completely stopped, ‘W-What? What is he on about? Me? Guest? Host?’ She didn’t know what was happening.
Thorax looked at Chrysalis in her one visible eye with a hopeful look, “But I’m here now, and I’m going to make it right.” He reached his hoof out, “Chrysalis, I would like to personally invite you to a special, surprise event that me and Pharynx organized special for you.” Thorax’s eyes were hopeful, praying for one answer above all. “Would you like to attend?”
Chrysalis slowly glanced between Thorax’s expecting hoof and his hopeful expression. She had no way to rationalize what was happening to her in this moment. Her self-presentation instincts began dictating her thoughts. ‘It’s a trick! He’ll just snatch his hoof away and berate you for even thinking you’re worth his mercy!’ Chrysalis’ conscious mind quietly responded, ‘He’s done it once before. I can take another one.’ She began to lift her hole-filled hoof to shake the one Thorax was holding out. Her survival instincts made her pull back a-bit half way. It screamed at her, ‘The event they prepared if probably your execution! You’ll be publicly hung from the gallows!!!’ Chrysalis sighed as she thought to herself, ‘If that’s the case… it’s not like I don’t deserve it.’ She took a deep breath, and finally shook Thorax’s hoof, giving a simple, “Yes… I will.”
Thorax’s eyes light up like fireworks, as the corners of his mouth turned upward. He had gotten Chrysalis to speak and accept his invitation. “T-That’s great!” He slightly fumbled over his words. He would have hugged her, but one step at a time. He hopped off the bed and began moving towards the door, “Do you...need a minute to get ready?”
Chrysalis turned her head slightly towards his to look at him. “I’ll be out in a moment.” she said quietly.
“Alright. I’ll be right outside.” Thorax went out the door and closed it behind him. Leaving Chrysalis alone again. She walked towards the mirror in her room and stared at it. She then slowly began to straighten out her appearance...
As she let a few silent tears fall to the floor.