//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 - The Judgement Of Queen Chrysalis. // Story: This is Home. // by Lucy_Marigold //------------------------------// ~Chapter 12 - The Judgement of Queen Chrysalis.~ 10:30 AM, June 14, 2 S.E. The Canterlot Castle. “I’ll take up my mother’s mantle. I’ll accept the position of Queen.” Twilight had declared, the changelings before looking at one another before they suddenly bowed. They were quick to stand back up though as Twilight Sparkle shifted a little. Celestia withdrew some keys, unlocking the door as the trio of changelings exited the cell, grappling Applejack in a hug.  Twilight wondered what it must feel like for Applejack after all these years thinking those she loved were gone. Part of her wished she knew more, had experienced more. There was always going to be a bittersweet feeling when discussing her birth mother. She couldn’t change the fact that her mother was gone, destroyed by a monster with an unknown vendetta.  Her thoughts were interrupted when Celestia unlocked the cell further down, six more changelings bombarding her with questions. They didn’t swarm her, they just stood back, questioning her. Asking her about what happened. Asking her about who she was. Asking her to take back her supposed throne.  It became overwhelming as their voices echoed around her head, her headache from earlier breaking away from being a dull thud to thunderous storm clouds battling in her head.  “JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE!” She found herself screaming, collapsing to her haunches once again as she fastened her eyes closed. She heard hooves shuffling, changelings and perhaps even Celestia recoiling slightly. And then something clicked in her head, some switch that had been left forgotten there. And suddenly the voices became clearer, more distinct. She could sense the emotions from the changelings around her. Their thoughts, their ideas, everything. They were no longer intrusive, rather just on the edge of her mind, sitting there and waiting for her to have need of them. “You just-you just connected them back ta the Hivelink.” Applejack said above the silence.  Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes to see that they were all staring at her. All the changelings but Applejack and Rainbow Dash in deep bows. “You can stop bowing. Seriously.” She raised a holed hoof to her forehead, rubbing it a little. “Okay, that explains the headache.”  ‘Why are we here? Where’s the Hive? Where’s Enid?’ Those thoughts made Twilight frown, the young changeling shifting on her hooves. She lit her horn, summoning the magic around her and with a flash of purple light, the group of thirteen were in the throne room, much to the guards and gathered changeling’s surprise.  “What the-” One guard muttered, almost dropping his spear.  “I think I’ll let you handle this one, Twilight. I need to attend to something else for a while.” Celestia gave Twilight a smile before trotting out of the throne room.  The new group of changelings stared at her in confusion, some even mumbling under their breaths. There were a dozen of them, increasing the group of new changelings from nine to twenty-one “Um. Applejack, do you wanna handle this?” Twilight whispered to her friend who nodded, trotting forward.  “Before you ask, Queen Enid hasn’t been alive for over two thousand years.” “What?” “How long-” “When?!” The group shouted and said, looking at each other while they spoke.  One changeling stepped forward, hesitating before speaking. He seemed as unsure as the others. “We were in the Crystal Empire before it vanished. We’ve been trying to find the Hive for over a month.” “Well, that explains it.” Rainbow Dash mumbled. “The Enigma Hive has been destroyed for about two decades after a second civil war.” Applejack continued. “Enid’s great-granddaughter, Queen Odonata, was murdered by the Xenica Hive’s queen, Queen Narcissa’s granddaughter, Queen Chrysalis. And Twilight Sparkle here is the last Enigma queen.” “What about the Libellua Hive?” Rainbow Dash glanced at the changeling, flicking her beetle-like wings with slight irritation. “They’re gone. There is no Libellua Hive.” She bluntly responded. “I’m the last one.” “I’m sorry. Even I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know how to rule and I certainly don’t know what else to tell you. I-we-lost my mother a long time ago and it caused a societal collapse and-” Twilight took a deep breath.  She could do this, she was amazing at speeches. The fact that she didn’t have cue cards was slightly concerning but she continued away.”-I will make this promise to you all. No matter what, this Hive will survive. I won’t go down without a fight. I will never let anything ever happen to my family’s legacy. This is what I was born to do, to rule, to fight, to survive. This is what we do, we live. “We cannot let one changeling change what we are again. The last thing I want is history repeating itself. Because this time, we’ve got friendship and with friendship, you can achieve anything.” The changelings stared at her for a moment, seemingly digesting her speech. The changeling from earlier nodded his head. “We trust you.” The door was suddenly pushed open, Cadance bursting through.  “Twilight! Chrysalis has woken-oh my.” Cadance paused, wings flying up a little in response. “Am I interrupting something?”  “Wait, did you say that Chrysalis just woke up?” Twilight dodge the question, eyes becoming wide. She resumed her disguise as an angry look appeared on her face. “Applejack, you deal with this. I need to have a chat with my cousin. Wait,” Mid-way through walking out, she turned to look at the changeling that had spoken before. “What’s your name?” “My name is Thorax, ma’am.” The changeling, Thorax, responded. She nodded, seemingly taking that small bit of information in. And with that, Twilight Sparkle bolted from the room, being swiftly followed by Cadance and leaving behind a group of very confused changelings. 1:51 PM, September 24th, 45 C.E. The Enigma Hive. “I don’t understand, Mother. What did she do wrong?” The young Princess Odonata questioned her mother, chasing after her and further into the Hive. “She killed her own kind, Nata. That is an evil beyond you and I. You should never resort to murder one of your own kind, be it from your own Hive or another’s. I thought Leilani told you of this.” Queen Lantana responded, scowling. They trotted into the royal chambers, the titled mosaic below their hooves clinking beneath them.  “But-”  “There is no ‘but’ Odonata!” Her mother snapped. The anger vanished as quickly as it had come. “We have always been a species that has been viewed as monsters. Never let yourself or others become what they expect of us. Never be the monster they portray you as. Otherwise, you’re just justifying their horrid beliefs even more.”  “Why are we monsters to them?”  The Enigma Queen frowned, a look of regret tightening her face. “Because ponies will never understand, let alone appreciate the better things in life. We are as unknown as the night. That is a very difficult thing for them to understand and when they don’t, it can be dangerous to both us and them.” Lantana glanced up at the stained-glass window, staring at the moon that shone above them.  The mare in the moon stared back down at them, listening. 10:41 AM, June 14, 2 S.E. The Canterlot Castle. “Oh look, here’s the other one.” Queen Chrysalis weakly chuckled as Twilight and Cadance entered the room. Celestia and Luna turned when they entered, the regent of the sun trotting over instantly. Luna stared at her for a moment before frowning. “You and I need to have a little chat, cousin.” Twilight stalked forward, dropping her disguise with a scowl. “Twilight, think rationality. I know Chrysalis has done extremely horrid things to-” “She caused the mass eradication of the Libellua Hive and endangered my mothers! Horrid isn’t enough of a word, Princess Celestia!” Twilight was bristling.  She couldn’t quite handle the flow of emotions around her. She knew she wasn’t thinking rationally. She knew she needed to calm down for a moment but something angry was driving her, pushing her. She knew Chrysalis deserved judgement. And that statement alone made her restrain herself somewhat. “Thou did what?” Luna snapped above the silence, narrowing her eyes at Chrysalis. “How dare thou besmirch Lantana’s family with thy blasphemy! Thou art a cur!” The regent of the moon seemed equally angry, if not more, as she reverted back to old ponish. Her hooves collided with the infirmary’s tiled floors. Celestia recoiled slightly, surprised by Luna’s outburst. Twilight felt Cadance placing a hoof against her shoulder, love radiating off of the pink princess along with the unusual flavouring of hate. Twilight had never known Cadance to despise anyone but it seems that Chrysalis had pushed her beyond her own limits. “Tis against thine own law to kill thy own kind. Why did thou do it?” Luna questioned. Celestia remained silent, possibly stuck in her own thoughts.  Chrysalis let out a slow and long laugh before speaking, a crooked smile. “For survival. Mother was leading the Hive to starvation. She was the pathetic one. So I simply… “ Chrysalis tipped the glass of water by her bedside over as the glass shattered on the floor. “Made her step down.” The queen said, her smile growing.  “Is there a crime you have yet to commit against your own kind?” Cadence narrowed her eyes, more hate and anger radiating from her.  “Aw, did I piss off the pink one? Still upset that I was snogging your husband?” Chrysalis let loose another laugh. “Why I-” Twilight held out a hoof in front of Cadance, blocking her advances. “Just don’t. She’ll get her punishment.” The lavender changeling said. Cadance sighed, nodding. “You don’t have an heir, do you, cousin?” “I’ve had no need for one.” Chrysalis spat.  “I think I know what a suitable punishment for you could be.” Twilight trotted up the Celestia, whispering into the mare's ear. The regent of the sun nodded, thinking about the statement that the younger royal had said. “Queen Chrysalis of the Xenica Hive, as judgement for your crimes against both changeling and pony kind, your punishment shall be to-” Celestia paused, staring directly at the bedridden Chrysalis who’s smile had suddenly vanished. “-return to your Hive where you shall recover before we open up diplomatic relations.”  “WHAT?!” Luna and Cadance shouted. “I haven’t finished.” The solar half of the diarchy stared back down at Chrysalis. “You shall gain an heir and once they are prepared to rule, you shall step down as their queen and face our judgement once more. I cannot leave a kingdom without a ruler, that is too cruel even for me.” Queen Chrysalis, a decade after her crimes, she was finally punished.