~Chapter 25 - Death’s Door.~
02:01PM, June 30th, 2 S.E.
The Canterlot Castle.
Twilight Sparkle stared in disbelief as the cracking beam of arcane energy darted towards her. Chrysalis, whispering as a tear ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry for everything, Twilight.”
But the magic never connected to the Xencia queen as Applejack let loose a loud shout. “NO!” Her disguise melted away as she jumped in front of the deadly attack.
Twilight let loose a scream, watching her close friend collapse to the ground with a sickening thud.
Applejack didn’t move.
Panic, fear and sorrow instantly tore through Twilight’s soul, Chrysalis let the younger changeling cling to her. Raising one of her hooves to her face, Twilight let tears roll down her cheeks.
She moved over to her friend’s unmoving body, whispers of Applejack’s voice in the hivelink, assuring her it was alright. Chrysalis moved forward, sitting down beside her and letting the other changeling hug her again.
Rainbow Dash’s undisguised form bristled, a look of shock and anger radiating off of her. “HOW COULD YOU?!” She screamed, stalking towards her former queen. “HOW COULD YOU KILL HER?!”
Rhene growled, rearing her head again as she charged another spell. Rainbow Dash leapt forward, fangs wide as she latched onto the changeling. Twilight didn’t see anymore as Chrysalis bent down and blocked her view. Screams and shouts echoed in her ears. A hoof ran through her hair as Chrysalis attempted to comfort the younger queen.
“Applejack-” Twilight choked out, sobbing.
“It’s okay, everything will be okay, Twilight,” Chrysalis murmured.
Who’d have thought the formidable Xenica changeling queen would become friends with the likes of Twilight Sparkle. Things had changed these past few months, hadn’t they?
“She-She-She…” Twilight sobbed out next. The changeling holding her rubbed a hoof across her back.
“I know. She saved you and I. Applejack was a worthy changeling.” She said. There was nothing much she could say to assure Twilight that Applejack’s sacrifice was in vain. Rainbow Dash came back into view as she pinned Rhene to the floor with a hiss, screaming as tears rolled down her cheeks. Ichor stained the throne room as she slammed the changeling queen into the ground.
“I ALREADY DIED ONCE BEFORE! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WON’T COME BACK!” Rhene shouted hysterically, one of her wings lying limp against her side.
02:11PM, June 30th, 2 S.E.
The Canterlot Castle.
Chrysalis watched as the princess stirred awake, eyes darting around in surprise at the battle around them.
“What’s going on?!” Celestia spluttered out, eyes glancing towards the still body of Applejack, Twilight and Chrysalis and then to the pinned down Rhene. Silently, the Xenica queen nodded towards Celestia who flew over to her grief-stricken student, wrapping a wing around her.
Queen Chrysalis trotted towards the pinned down Rhene, a look of disgust marring her face. “Let me handle this.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes flittered between the two queens, green liquids staining her face. She spared Rhene one last look before moving over to her fallen friend.
“What makes you-” Rhene paused, spitting out blood as it drooled down her muzzle. She was battered and bruised, one eye closed as her scars split open to reveal deep cuts. Rhene didn’t move much, shifting on her broken forehooves to snarl at Chrysalis. “-think I’d die again.” She just laughed.
“Oh, I don’t intend to kill you.” Rhene’s demeanour shifted, a frown appearing on her face. “Why didn’t you attempt to re-build your hive, Rhene? You could lay the eggs, you know that. But why didn’t you?”
Rhene remained silent.
“Yet instead of re-building, you waited all these years to have your revenge and yet you can’t even face me, instead killing an innocent mare? Why take the same path as me when you could take the path Odonata wanted?”
“You are worse than her. Who are you to preach the morals of the one you murdered?” Rhene jutted a bent hoof towards Twilight.
“Do you want to know what she said to me before she lost her life, Rhene?”
04:56 AM, December 24th, 983 C.E
The Enigma Hive.
“Nata.” Chrysalis stepped into the collapsing room, watching as Odonata struggled to hold the ceiling upwards. “I wish it didn’t have to come to this.”
“It doesn’t have to. You can-” She flinched, watching as Chrysalis lifted some of the rubble upwards.
“Nata, I didn’t want to be the villain. My brood are starving yet you sit here with your surplus of love.” The Xenica snapped.
“Yet you let your own sister die for this? You could’ve asked, Chrissy. You could have asked for my help!” Odonata shouted, tears running down her cheeks.
“Just join me! We can unite our hives and-and we can conquer Equis!”
“Conquer Equis? Why would I want to do that?!” The Enigma Queen cried, tears splattering against the ground. “It would only bring destruction, Chrysalis! What of my daughter? Would you want her to be raised in a world wrought with death and loss?!”
“Do you know how my mother died, Nata?” Chrysalis's voice was quiet, small as she raised her head upwards. “I didn’t kill her.”
The room became silent, eyes darting between the ceiling at each other. “Then what did?”
“Herself.” Chrysalis sat on her haunches, hooves scraping the ground.
“Oh Chrysalis.”
“Just join me, Nata. It would be so much easier and I don’t have the blood of my closest friend on my hooves.” She pleaded, begging the other queen.
“I can’t join you, Chrissy. I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you. And I’m sorry that I neglected to see how far you had gotten.” Odonata shook her head. “I’m sorry, cocoon.”
And then the rubble collapsed, the green changeling becoming splattered with ichor as she stepped backwards. A tear ran down her cheek before she trotted out, wings folded against her side.
“I’m sorry too, dragonfly...”
02:13PM, June 30th, 2 S.E.
The Canterlot Castle.
“You… you let her die?!” Rhene snapped, blood pouring out of her wounds as she spluttered out ichor from her muzzle. “You-you!”
“I wasn’t the one holding the ceiling up,” Chrysalis murmured, smirking slightly. “She forgave me, Rhene. But you’re so blinded by your hate of me and my past actions you can’t even see how you’ve ruined your chances at having a new hive.”
“Hehehe, you think I care?” The red queen laughed. “If you kill me, you’ll just have more blood on your hooves!”
“I’m not going to kill you. But I doubt she’ll let you live.” Chrysalis’s gaze turned towards Celestia and Twilight, the solar regent, staring at the red queen with a look of utter fury.
“By Ayana.”