It was quite the surprise for Twilight when Chrysalis dismissed the majority of the gathered changelings, leaving only herself, her daughter, a changeling mare and the scarred guard. The guard, who Chrysalis addressed as Odonate, took up a position at the chambers entrance, while the mare, Mosquito, remained off to the side of the changeling queen.
Two pillows were levitated from the matron’s collection and one dropped in front of Twilight while the other was offered to Rarity. The two pony mares took the provided seats, though Rarity took a moment longer than Twilight, perhaps unsure about its cleanliness.
“My ‘demand’ is complete and total absolution for my changelings and myself,” said the queen.
“I don’t have the authority to grant that,” Twilight said bluntly. “However, what would your intentions be if such an act was granted?”
“To continue doing what changelings have always done for thousands of years,” said Chrysalis.
“Attempting to conquer Equestria and feeding on the love of others?” deadpanned Twilight.
“My hive is no longer overpopulated and thus we have no need to conquer Equestria, not anymore,” admitted Chrysalis.
“But you’ll still disguise yourselves and drain other creatures of their love,” said Twilight.
“Of course,” answered the queen, seemingly amused. “You don’t expect a griffon to stop eating meat, why should we stop feeding on love?”
“That’s not the same,” debated Twilight, “they don’t prey on creatures cognizant of their own intelligence. They also don’t trick their ‘meals’ by posing as someone who cares about them.”
“We can’t help our dietary needs,” retorted Chrysalis.
“Your dietary needs rely on the manipulation of other creatures emotions,” responded Twilight.
“So your own personal sense of ethics renders our dietary needs as wrong,” scoffed Chrysalis. “As evil?”
“Sandbar lets me feed on him,” interrupted the little nymph who had been previously silent. “Is that bad?”
“If you do it too much it is,” answered Twilight after a long pause. “It could really hurt him.”
“But I know how much love I can take now, so it’s fine, right?” asked Pupa, looking up at her mother.
“Not to her,” Chrysalis said, nodding her head in Twilight’s direction.
Pupa gave Twilight a sour look, causing the alicorn to exhale through her nostrils and stare quietly at the devious queen. To her side Rarity coughed into her hoof.
“Perhaps we should move on,” suggested the unicorn. “Maybe there is something more plausible we can agree on?”
“I thought my request to be very plausible, Rarity” said Chrysalis with a frown, “but apparently they don’t fit within the ideological pony utopia. Very well then, how about this; you allow me and my hive to relocate without any harassment.”
“And if we did this you would let every creature go?” asked Rarity.
“No,” Pupa said flatly. “Not Sandbar, he’s mine.”
Both Rarity and Twilight looked at each other, with a mixture of confusion and apprehension at the nymph’s announcement. When they looked back to Chrysalis, the changeling queen showed them no signs of correcting her daughter and only watched them silently.
“Pupa,” Twilight began, “Sandbar doesn’t belong to you, and he doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“He’s marked with my pheromones,” stated the nymph, “so he does.”
“He’s what?” balked Twilight while Rarity looked like she was about to faint.
“Sandbar was defeated by Pupa while they roughhoused,” Chrysalis explained, “she showed her dominance over him and marked him in victory.”
“I’m hesitant to ask but how does one ‘mark’ somepony?” stammered Rarity.
“You rub your sides against them,” said the nymph, as if it should be obvious.
“That’s it?” blinked Rarity.
“What did you expect it to be?” frowned Chrysalis.
Not answering the question, Rarity blushed while avoiding every creature’s eye contact and began to wave her hoof in front of her muzzle as if to fan herself.
“Er, Pupa,” said Twilight, “marking Sandbar with your pheromones still doesn’t make him yours…”
“Then let him decide if he wants to stay,” said the nymph, crossing her front legs over her chest and giving the alicorn the stink eye.
“And if he chose to leave you would let him?” asked Rarity.
“He won’t because he’s a changeling now,” Pupa said confidently.
Twilight doubted her student would choose to stay if offered his freedom.
“So then, in exchange for the peaceful release of your prisoners, we have to look the other way while you move to a new location,” asked Twilight.
“Correct,” Chrysalis confirmed.
“And Sandbar gets to choose if he comes with us,” added Pupa.
“And then what happens?” Twilight pried. “You go right back to stealing love from unsuspecting creatures?”
“Once again, correct,” said Chrysalis without pause.
“I need a little time to think this over,” said Twilight.
“What is there to think over Sparkle?” asked Chrysalis, sounding rather annoyed.
“The past two attempts at subjugating the citizens of Equestria, the assault on a school, and the foal-napping of an innocent student,” answered the alicorn.
“I did what I had to do to keep my hive going,” hissed Chrysalis, “and to save the last of my young.”
“But there had to be other ways to go about it,” protested Twilight. “Even just asking for help could have solved the problem.”
The alicorn’s suggestion was met with derisive laughter from the changeling queen and rolling eyes from the other two adult changelings present.
“Oh yes, because that would have worked,” Chrysalis mocked the alicorn and then focused on Rarity. “Excuse me but could I feed off your love?”
Despite already having a white coat of fur, the unicorn somehow managed to pale at the question. With her ears turned back and a look of alarm on her face, she unintentionally leaned away from the queen.
“I think I’ve made my point when even the ‘element of generosity’ shows reservations,” said Chrysalis, motioning to Rarity. “Just picture how the average pony would react.”
“There still had to be another way,” Twilight continued to challenge.
“We can sit here and debate hypothetical scenarios all day and night, Sparkle,” Chrysalis growled. “And you can do so with all your hindsight bias, but it won’t change anything. I did what I had to do to keep my hive from starving and the only thing I regret about it is failing.”
A blanket of silence stifled the emotionally filled chamber. Even the sound of dripping water from the stalactites stopped, almost as if the stone formations themselves had reservations about drawing any attention. Chrysalis exhaled slowly, her eyes narrow and unblinking as she glared at Twilight.
Despite feeling rather somber after the exchange, Twilight continued to rack her brain for some way to reach an accord while minimizing the dangers by simply allowing Chrysalis to go.
“If I agree to what you’re asking,” the alicorn began, “would you be willing to set up a means of communication between me and yourself?”
“Why would you want that?” asked Chrysalis.
“As a way to avoid future misunderstandings,” said Twilight, though she also hoped to use a continuing dialog with herself and the changeling queen to bring about the possibility of something better. “Maybe a changeling ambassador from your hive could just stop by every few weeks.”
“And they would be allowed to return unmolested?” Chrysalis asked, squinting her eyes as if trying to spot some intangible trap.
“Of course,” nodded Twilight.
“Very well then, it seems we’ve reached a deal…” said the changeling queen with a nod.