"Thank you," said Chrysalis, folding her legs under herself and shifting around, trying to get comfortable with both her smaller body and her seat on the table.
"You're… welcome," replied Celestia as she moved back, gazing at the small Queen with a furrowed brow.
"I'm sorry," said Chrysalis nervously, "is something wrong? Is it something I did?"
"No, it's just, well…"
"You're usually kind of a bitch," said Applejack flatly, then looked around at everypony else in the room. "What? Element of Honesty, remember?"
Chrysalis surprised them all by letting out a small giggle. "I suppose I might be. Things always seem… different, when this happens."
"You've fallen in love with a Princess and then been turned to stone and then come back as a midget version of yourself before?!" gasped Pinkie Pie.
"Not exactly. But this isn't my first time returning to the Hive, not by far."
"I don't understand," said Shining Armor, puzzled. "Aren't you always with your hive, through the hivemind?"
"The Hive never dies," said Celestia suddenly, as things clicked into place.
"That's right," said Chrysalis, nodding. "Where did you hear that, exactly?"
"Ka-klack and Sqwuark said it, when we were… working together." She glanced over at Shining Armor, not wanting to elaborate. "I've seen it mentioned in what little changeling literature we've gotten ahold of as well. I know you've been around for a while, but… you're not really immortal, are you?"
"The Hive never dies," said Chrysalis, echoing Celestia. "No, I am not. While I may be nearly as hardy as you, immortality seems to be a gift largely reserved for alicorns."
"Then what are you right now, exactly? And how have you survived hundreds… thousands of years?"
"I will not attempt to describe the hivemind to you in detail," said Chrysalis, shifting slightly to a more comfortable position. "I doubt mere words, and pony words at that, could do the experience—the feeling—justice. But the hivemind… is not just a shared consciousness. Each of us, every changeling, exists both in the hivemind and in our bodies. Our memories, our minds, our souls… whatever you want to call them, they are in the hivemind.
"Death has come to mean little to us. We simply return to the Hive—the hivemind—to await birth in a new body. As unpleasant as dying may be, it is a mere inconvenience to us."
She looked up at the gathered ponies solemnly, eyes flat. "As long as one changeling who shares our hivemind lives, so do we all. And so, the Hive never dies."
"Incredible," breathed Celestia softly.
"Sounds like cheating to me," grumbled Rainbow Dash.
"Um, does dying… well, does it hurt?" asked Fluttershy, trembling.
Chrysalis looked at her for a moment, then grinned widely, fangs practically dripping venom. "It does. Very much so, in some cases. Never let anyone tell you that there is such a thing as a painless death."
With a squeak, Fluttershy disappeared under the table.
"Chrysalis, that was uncalled for!" snarled Celestia. "Do it again, and I might send you back to the Hive myself for once."
"For once?" Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember the first time we met, all those hundreds of years ago?"
"Of course," Celestia snorted. "You went running off the moment you got hurt and took all your minions with you. We never even had a proper fight."
"My wounds may have been a bit more… fatal than you thought."
What color Celestia's face had drained away, and a hoof went to her mouth. "You mean I… you..."
"Several hours later," confirmed Chrysalis. "In agony."
"Oh Goddess… I-I'm sorry—"
"Not important," said the Queen dismissively, waving a hoof. "Like I said, not the first time. And it wasn't the last."
Celestia seemed to be struggling with the news that she'd killed Chrysalis once, so Shining Armor cleared his throat.
"Are you… going to help us, then?" he asked, clearly still finding it uncomfortable to be asking for assistance from the Changeling Queen. "Is there something you can do?"
"I am going to help you along your way, but I will not be helping you myself, physically. I can't," she replied.
"What do you mean?"
A series of conflicting emotions crossed Chrysalis's face, and finally she sighed. "I'm mostly here to ask for your help, and let you know there is a… time limit of sorts on how soon you need to free me from that stone prison."
"But… you're here right now," said Applejack, puzzled. "Aren't ya just going to get born again with that fancy hivemind thingy and get a new body?"
"No… no, I can't let that happen! You don't understand…" Agitated, the small Changeling Queen got up and began to pace about on unsteady legs.
"Just relax," said, surprisingly, Fluttershy, coming out from under the table to give the Queen a hug with one wing. "Explain it to us. We can understand, and then we can help you."
"Yes… thank you, Fluttershy." Chrysalis gave her a smile, then closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath.
"I'm still in that stone statue," she said, opening her eyes. "If I come back in a new body while I'm still there, and then you free me… the other me from that stone, I don't know what will happen.
"I suppose it's possible that there would be two of me running around—I'm sure Luna would love that—but I don't think that's likely. I don't even know how the hivemind would react to that. It might create a schism, splitting the hivemind apart, causing internal factions to form, leading to one side warring against the other for control… not good, in other words. That's the best-case scenario I see if I am reborn before you free me."
"That's the best case?!" cried Rainbow Dash. "I mean, I'd love to get in the middle of a big changeling war again, but I don't know if I'd call that good."
"Because the other option, the more likely option… is that the body that was turned to stone will be dead when you free it; with my mind in a new body, the old one will be empty."
"Still not seeing how that's worse. I mean, you don't care about that kind of thing with your hivemind and all, do you?"
Chrysalis closed her eyes, hunching down and cringing. "Luna had her hooves around me when we were turned to stone. You can move us, but you can't separate us. How will she react if you undo what's happened, and she finds me dead in her hooves? She doesn't know about the Hive, doesn't know that I can die and come back… what will she think… how will she feel…"
Her eyes suddenly sprang open and she gasped, as Princess Celestia embraced the changeling's small form with her wings.
"Oh, you sweet little thing!" cooed Celestia, nuzzling up against the Queen's head. "All this is just for Luna, isn't it?"
"I… I just… yes it is." The changeling blushed, squirming in Celestia's hug. "I know she wouldn't be too traumatized by what might happen, but still… I want to spare her that."
"Oh, that's so romantic!" squealed Rarity.
"Ugh, mushy stuff," complained Rainbow Dash, sticking out her tongue in disgust and looking away.
"I guess y'all were telling the truth about her being refor—different than we thought," said Applejack, embarrassed, looking over at Shining Armor. "Really wishin' now that we'd listened to you from the start."
"Don't worry about it. They had to throw me in a closet and tie me up when I first found out," he replied. "But then I spent a whole day with her and, well, it's hard to watch her with Luna and still remember everything she did."
"I have another reason for wanting to be freed before I'm reborn as well," said Chrysalis, once she'd been released and spent some time preening and generally attempting to regain her dignity. She looked over at Celestia. "Luna told me you knew about the changeling love-bond beforehoof."
"Ah, yes." Celestia shifted nervously. "I'm really sorry about that. I hadn't thought much about it, didn't realize how much it would be like I was playing with your emotions—"
"It's alright," said Chrysalis gently, laying a small hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "I have no objections to what you did. You gave me a love to call my own. Which is why I'm worried about what might happen if I am reborn so quickly after the bond has been formed.
"In it's own way, it is as much a mystery to us as it is to you. I've never managed to bond with a partner who, well, survives the experience. But I do know that while the bond affects the Queen's emotions, it has no effect on the partner. Luna's love for me is entirely real and natural."
She frowned, deep in thought, worried. "But mine isn't. Something is there, or was there, which is how the bond formed in the first place. It was merely... amplified. And I don't know what will happen if I form a bond and then am reborn so quickly. It could be that without enough time to 'set', it will disappear entirely.
"I don't want that. I don't know how long I have until the hivemind will force me to be reborn, so you have to hurry. I love Luna so much now… the thought of losing that love, even if I wouldn't miss it, wouldn't even know… it scares me."
She hunched down, looking so miserable that, even if they didn't realize it, the first barriers towards accepting the Queen broke down in even the most hard-hearted pony in the room.
"I am never going to let you forget this," said Celestia, grinning widely. "You know that, right?"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "I open myself up to you, and this is the reaction I get? And you wonder why I thought an invasion was better than trying for a peaceful coexistence…"
"Ooh, an instant snarky response. You'll fit in well."
Giggles came from the other ponies around the table.
"Are y'all sure it's Luna that's in love with the Queen?" snickered Applejack. "Kinda looks like it might be you, Princess."
"You two do sound a bit like an old married couple," said Rarity apologetically.
"It's not like that at all!" protested Celestia, a slight blush on her face.
"That's right, Twilight's the one she wants to bang," said Chrysalis airily.
Celestia sighed and put a hoof to her forehead. This was going to take some time to explain. Especially since she had to wait until all the yelling died down.
"Is this really what you wanted?" she asked, gazing at the small Queen with lowered eyelids.
"You did say you were never going to let me forget what I said," replied Chrysalis, stretching out on the table and grinning. "And I've always preferred to get my revenge in early whenever possible."
"So… romantic…" gurgled Rarity, still slumped over in her chair. Everypony ignored her.
"You know, I thought today was going to be cool when Chrysalis showed up," grumbled Rainbow Dash. "Instead, some of our best friends got turned to stone and now we have to deal with all this lame lovey-dovey mushy stuff. I don't know which is worse."
"Really, Dash?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "I seem to remember reading a certain story you wrote that seems awfully similar to this situation."
"AJ!" cried Rainbow Dash, face burning red. "I show you those while we were together in private!"
"I think this is great!" declared Fluttershy. "I'm so happy for you two!"
"HUUUUUUUNNH!" Pinkie suddenly let out a loud gasp. "That means I have to plan TWO 'Congratulations You're Getting Married' parties, one for Lunalis and now one for Twilestia!"
"I-it's not like that!" cried Celestia, face flushed. "I haven't even talked to her about it. She has no idea how I feel… she might say no."
"Really? This again?" said Shining Armor dryly.
"That would never happen!" Rarity suddenly shot upright. "The very concept of romance itself would simply not allow such a tragedy to occur!"
"Absolutely not!" agreed Fluttershy firmly.
A babble of agreement came from every pony in the room, even Chrysalis, until Celestia finally tapped her hoof on the table.
"Are we done discussing my love life?" she asked pointedly, trying to pretend her face wasn't currently flaming crimson. "Good. Because I would like to have one, and that means freeing all of those ponies from stone. Chrysalis, you said you could help us with that?"
The changeling, who had been watching everything with an amused expression, sat up straighter and nodded.
"I can, possibly. You said you had no books, no leads to follow on anything that could help. But I might. Countering and undoing the effects of the Elements of Harmony is—ahem, was, somewhat of a priority of mine."
She gazed at Celestia for a moment, then seemed to reach some internal decision and nodded slightly. "I will allow you into my hive so that you may browse the artifacts and tomes we have gathered over the centuries."
"That's… thank you, Chrysalis. I know how much you must be trusting me to let me enter your hive. I don't think anypony has ever entered with your consent, have they?"
"No. Well, not voluntarily and outside a cocoon." She grinned widely. Celestia glared at her, but the smile stayed on her face, uncaring.
"I will, for the time being, not press that statement," said Celestia graciously, ignoring the changeling's chuckle. "I believe your hive is in the Badlands, yes?"
Now Chrysalis laughed gleefully. "Rumors are such useful things, aren't they? No, it's not, but it is somewhere nearby, where we can watch to see who might be looking around the Badlands. My hive is in the abandoned mines under Appleloosa."
"WHAT?!"
Chrysalis chortled and chuckled as Rainbow Dash, Pinkie and Shining Armor struggled to hold Applejack back.
"I'll tell Braeburn you said hi next time I feel like having a bite to eat," Chrysalis said just as Applejack calmed down, sending her into another outburst of rage.
"Chrysalis…" said Celestia warningly, glaring at the changeling, glad for the years of experience that let her keep a straight face.
"Oh, let me have some fun," complained Chrysalis, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to be able to have any for quite some time."
"Oh." Celestia frowned. "You really aren't going to come with us?"
"No. My changelings know you'll be coming and that you're to have access to anything in the hive you wish. But I'm not going to take Ka-klack's body away from him just because I lost my own. He will accompany you, though. Consider him my direct representative."
"Thank you, Chrysalis," said Celestia, touched. "He is a very capable changeling. I'll be glad to have him with me."
"Yes, and he seems to work well with you. No matter if the situation involves placing you into a cocoon or, say, robbing a vault…" Shining Armor looked up sharply at that, eyes narrowing. "Well, it seems that just about anything involving you two tends to be a success. I hope this venture is as well."
"Yes, thank you," replied Celestia through gritted teeth, trying to avoid Shining Armor's accusing eyes.
Chrysalis stood up, looking around the room with warm, happy eyes. "Before I go, I want to thank all of you for accepting me so readily today, and for being willing to give me the help I need to free myself—and the others—before something awful happens.
"And… and I just want to say…" the small Queen paused to wipe a tear away, "that… I will remember you called me a bitch, Applejack. You'd better not sleep."
"W-what?"
Instead of responding, green fire swept over Chrysalis and she shrunk down, leaving behind a wobbling changeling who, in the end, fell over onto the tabletop with a thump.
"Are you alright, Ka-klack?" asked Celestia, concerned, trotting up next to him.
"Yeah, it's just… ugh, I have such a headache." He put a holed hoof to his forehead, rubbing just below his horn. "I knew that channeling another mind through the hivemind hurts, but I didn't think it was going to be this bad. I wish—"
Ka-klack stopped, as a golden glow surrounded his head and the pain began to fade. Tracing the golden glow back to its source, he stared wonderingly at Celestia as she smiled gently at him.
"T-thank you," he stammered.
"Now, I can't have my assistant not feeling up to the task, can I?" she asked teasingly.
"You're really doing this, Celestia?" asked Shining Armor in a low voice. He glanced at the changeling, but kept talking. "I know what I've said about Chrysalis, and what she just said to us… and there's her and Luna's relationship to consider, but… I still don't trust her."
Celestia started to answer, then paused and looked over at Ka-klack. He looked back at her for a moment, then shrugged and nodded for her to go ahead.
"I trust her… more than I used to—which, admittedly, still isn't much—but not enough to go waltzing straight into her hive," she said softly. "At least, not normally. But whatever information is at her hive is the best lead we have right now. There's not much choice but to check it out.
"Also… she did bare her heart to us. I don't think any of what she said was a lie. If she really had some scheme in mind, the best thing to do would have been not to tell us about the Hive, and instead let herself be reborn and attack while we were unprepared and all of the other Princesses are stone. She's already beaten me once, and that was in a desperate head-on attack. If we were to fight on her terms, well, I doubt I'd even know about it until after I'd lost."
"Yep," said Ka-klack brightly, then flinched as everypony in the room glared at him.
"I'm not ruling out that this isn't some even more elaborate plan—her capacity for subterfuge is frightening—but it doesn't feel like that. In fact, I'm sure going into her hive isn't a trap, because the hivemind, and therefore Ka-klack, would know if it is. And I don't think he would be leading me into a trap."
"You really trust me that much?" he said, looking up at her.
"Of course not, silly," she replied, ruffling the frill on his head with a hoof. "But you're going to be right next to me the whole time we're in that hive. Which means you'll be the closest changeling to me if there's even the slightest hint of an ambush."
Ka-klack gulped, and she leaned down closer, still smiling. "Now that I know how… expendable you consider your bodies, I have a lot more leeway in what I can do. You might not care about dying, but please remember that I can make it an exceedingly unpleasant experience. Only if I'm forced to, of course. Just… something you may want to keep in mind."
She straightened back up, away from the quaking changeling. "With that out of the way, I suggest we retire back to our respective residences for the night. Tomorrow we can work out a plan of action. If you'll excuse me now, I believe I am a bit late for lowering the sun and raising the moon—"
"Hmm?" Nightmare Moon, who had been lost in thought, looked up. "Oh, I took care of that for you when it was time. Don't worry about it."
It took all five Rainbow Powered ponies, plus Shining Armor, to hold Celestia back. Even then she was stretched out on the table, moving forward inch by inch as she pulled herself along on her wings.
"You had no right!" she howled, hooves flailing ineffectually as she tried to reach Nightmare Moon.
"I… I was trying—"
"You are a monster!" Celestia got her hooves under herself, standing up and throwing the ponies who had been holding her down aside like ragdolls. "If you ever touch my Sun or Luna's Moon again, I'll banish you to someplace you can't come back from!"
"I—" Nightmare Moon stood suddenly, tossing her head and rearing back. There was a soft noise, almost an explosion of soundlessness, and the light in the room dimmed. She slammed her hooves down on the table, and for a moment she looked like the old Nightmare Moon, even without her armor.
"I want to rule Equestria too!" she bellowed, face full of rage and desperate unhappiness. "That's all I've ever wanted! But you just take it all on yourself, you think you have to deal with every single bit of responsibility that pops up! You call me jealous and selfish, while taking everything for yourself! You… you always…"
This time she did explode, turning to a shadowy mist and fleeing the room in every direction, through whatever cracks were available in doors and windows and walls.
Celestia stayed up on the table for a few seconds, face thunderous with rage. Finally, moving slowly and carefully, she made her way down to the floor.
"Did—" somepony tried to say, only to be cut off immediately.
"Get some sleep," said Celestia, voice cracking harshly. "There is going to be a lot happening tomorrow." She opened the doors to the room, slamming them into the wall, and strode out.
The other ponies looked at each other, then, without a word, filed resignedly out of the room. Behind them, Applejack still sat at the table, looking around forlornly.
"Um, ain't none of y'all concerned that Chrysalis just vowed vengeance on me?" she asked in the general direction of the departed ponies. "Anypony?"
There was no response. A creak came from one of the nearby walls and Applejack jumped in her seat, then laughed nervously. When another sound came from behind her, she scrambled to her hooves and ran from the room.
"W-wait for me, y'all!"