~Chapter 24 - Sacrifice.~
01:49 PM, June 30th, 2 S.E.
The Canterlot Castle.
A pair of holed hooves trotted forward, verdant magic tossing any guards aside with ease. Queen Chrysalis was angry. Despite her reservations on Twilight, and her continued hatred of Celestia, the now pregnant queen pushed her way through and towards the throne room.
One of her soldiers and one of Twilight’s flanked her sides, spears thrusting towards any approaching enemies. She halted in front of the grand doors before tearing them off their hinges.
The scene before her was grisly.
The two pony rulers lay slumped on the ground, wings splayed and ruffled but visibly unharmed. Twilight was lying prone on the ground nearby, eyes closed and breathing heavily. She twitched, her wings flickering with her movements.
General Alyssum and that surviving Liberulla changeling were locked in battle with none other than Queen Rhene herself. “Why am I not surprised you live?” Chrysalia muttered, rolling her eyes as the fighting changelings turned their attention towards the new arrival.
Rhene’s confusion instantly shifted, pure rage streaming through the former Queen. “You!” She hissed, baring her fangs. Twilight’s little friends took a hold of the opportunity, darting over to their fallen queen.
“Yes, me.” She smiled. “One of cousin's little messengers alerted me of what was going on. What goal do you wish to achieve like this, Aunty? You know what happens when we threaten the balance, I certainly know that now.”
Chrysalis held her head high, narrowing her eyes at the rouge changeling. “I suggest you stand down and leave, for the sake of peace.”
“How can you come here and proclaim peace after everything you’ve done?!” Rhene snapped back. “After all the bloodshed and murder! After you let your best friend die for the sake of some twisted sense of power?!”
“I have…” She paused, eyes darting over towards Twilight. “-repented since my punishment. I have come to terms with what I’ve done and it’s horrible results. I have worked to repair what I’ve destroyed. Is that not satisfactory enough for you, Aunty? Or do you wish for more ichor to stain our history?”
Rhene remained silent, eyes flicking between the prone queen and Chrysalis. “How can she forgive you for such a thing?”
Chrysalis shook her head with a knowing smirk. “Not even I forgive myself, what makes you think she’ll forgive me? Now the question is, why would you expose your own kind?”
“I have my reasons. It’s not as if we’ve already been revealed to the world, you’ve made sure of that, I hope. I was there, you know, during your raid on Canterlot. What a magnificent failure. What happened to the warmongering changeling you used to be, Chrissy? Did you lose that over the decades as well?” It was Rhene’s turn to question the Xenica changeling, snapping back with over a decade's worth of hatred.
“That’s not who I am anymore.”
“Oh, but you were a few weeks ago. What changed?”
“She… made a friend.” A small voice gasped as the previous unresponsive Twilight rose her head, letting out a raspy laugh. Darting over almost immediately, the green changeling queen helped Twilight Sparkle to her hooves, her butterfly wings reminding Chrysalis so much of Odonata. General Alyssum stared at the two queens, confusion darting across her face.
“Are you alright, Twilight Sparkle?”
“More than I can say for the princesses. I think she laced the hallucinogenic gas with poison, possibly cyanide. Ugh… that was horrible.” She rubbed her forehead with a hoof, leaning against the other queen.
Rhene was not content about this, charging her horn with a crimson colour as she let loose a scream. She unleashed a powerful blast towards the two queens, lighting arching and sparking as spellwork energy soared through the throne room.
Twilight’s eyes grew wide as Chrysalis threw herself in front of the younger queen, a surprisingly calm smile on the former tyrant. “I’m sorry for everything, Twilight.”
A body fell to the ground, the deadly spell finding a mark.
Twilight let loose a screamed, raising one of her hooves to her face as tears rolled down her cheeks.