//------------------------------//
// "Checkmate." 
// Story: Honey Cupcakes 
// by Someguy458 
//------------------------------//

Chrysalis balked at the sight before her. Twilight's rook had moved in for the kill, backed up by both of her bishops and a knight in an elegant pure mate. Twilight had even sacrificed her queen, yet she'd still prevailed!

The changeling could've written it off. She could've stubbornly held onto her pride, claiming it was pure luck as opposed to both luck and skill.

But this was not Queen Chrysalis, power-crazed monarch on the verge of victory. This was Princess Chrysalis, simple Changeling playing a game of chess with Twilight, and completely unaware of her previous defeat in Canterlot. "Good game," she nodded. "I guess I still have a thing or two to learn."

For a moment, Twilight didn't know how to respond. Here was Chrysalis, an enemy of state, complimenting her on her victory? "I— thank you, Chrysalis. I enjoyed it, too."

Chrysalis allowed a small smile to grace her face, before she lit her horn and started resetting the pieces.

She didn't get very far, however, before a knock on the door interrupted them. Twilight blinked, then got up. "Oh, I think that might be my friends."

Chrysalis shrunk back a little, adjusting her eggs to make sure they were protected. Twilight noticed this and gave a reassuring smile, "They're not gonna hurt you; I've got this under control."

"But still..." Just to be safe, Chrysalis moved to hide in the kitchen doorway.

With a nod, Twilight reached the door and opened it...

Then immediately gasped, ducking into an instinctive bow. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna!?"

Celestia waved a hoof. "At ease, my star student."

Twilight cautiously rose back up. "What're you doing here?" She already had a good idea as to the reason, but she just had to make sure.

Celestia used her magic to summon the letter she'd received. Twilight quickly scanned it, then groaned. "Argh, I'll need to have a talk with those two..."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Is there something amiss, Twilight?"

The unicorn huffed. "They didn't give the full story."

Now Celestia was curious. "Oh? And what is the full story?"

Twilight pointed towards Chrysalis, who was still hiding in the doorway to the kitchen. She flinched when the three sets of eyes met hers, but she did not back away.

Celestia and Luna blinked. "You've already apprehended her?"

Twilight shook her head, lowering her voice so the changeling couldn't hear. "Didn't need to; she has amnesia."

Now their looks turned sceptical. "Amnesia?"

Twilight nodded. "Retrograde amnesia to be exact, brought about by an injury sustained when she was flung out of Canterlot."

"And how can you be sure of this?" Luna voiced her doubt.

"Because she came into Ponyville, undisguised, and bought a bunch of honey-flavored cupcakes."

Now both of them were now staring, baffled. "I will admit," Celestia said after a moment, "that is rather unusual...."

"Not only that, but she's forgotten she ever became a Queen in the first place. Celestia, you saw how boastful she was about that during the Wedding. Hay, even the way she's been carrying herself is off! She's not that good of an actor.

"And besides, she has eggs to protect."

The two Princesses gasped. "Eggs?"

Twilight nodded. "She was guarding them in your old castle until I offered to bring her here, and even then, the thing she was most concerned about was their safety."

Celestia and Luna took a moment to process this.

Then Celestia donned a frown. "Well, amnesiac or not, she still needs to pay for her crimes."

"I've already started asking her questions."

That seemed to satisfy Celestia. "Ah, well, nevermind then."

Luna did a double-take. "Sister, you cannot be serious! How is questioning a suitable punishment?"

Celestia winked, stating cryptically, "Trust me: when Twilight's the one doing the questioning, you'd be lucky to not be begging for mercy by the halfway point."

Luna blinked. "That didn't answer Our— I mean, my question."

Twilight used her magic to conjure a list. "Here, read this. I actually compiled this list of questions about Changelings right after the Wedding."

The Moon-themed Princess scanned the list. Then her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed red. "Alright, I understand completely now — perhaps too much, even."

Twilight nodded, taking back the list. "Now, if you'll excuse me, we were just about to play a second game of chess."

Celestia and Luna exchanged glances. "Actually, we'd like to speak with her for a moment, if that's alright?"

The unicorn blinked. "O-of course... Just don't do anything too rash, okay?"

Celestia nodded, and the two of them stepped inside the library. As soon as Twilight closed the door, Chrysalis backed slightly further into her hiding place.

"Hello, Chrysalis," Celestia stated simply.

"Princess," Chrysalis responded likewise.

"How were the cupcakes?"

The Changeling did a double-take. "What?"

"Twilight told me you bought some honey cupcakes," Celestia elaborated. "I've been meaning to try them for some time, but I never really got a chance, what with the meals during my visits being pre-planned. How were they?"

Chrysalis hesitated for a moment. "They were great."

Celestia nodded. "I'll have to keep that in mind next time I'm here. How much are they?"

"15 bits."

"That's not too much. Though I wonder how you paid for them?"

Chrysalis held up her bag of bits. "I always carry bits on me, in case of emergency."

"Wise thinking," Celestia commented.

Luna leaned in towards her sister and whispered, "Tia, what're you doing?"

"I'm simply having a conversation, dear Sister," the white Alicorn replied.

Luna frowned, but didn't comment any further.

Celestia continued, "With such pre-planning, it seems peculiar that you'd just walk into Ponyville without a disguise."

Chrysalis huffed. "I don't have enough strength to form a disguise. I figured, if I didn't act out of place, I wouldn't draw any attention to myself. But it seems that was misguided, as your student showed."

"Hiding in plain sight, doing as the Roamin's do," Celestia nodded. "A valid philosophy when applied correctly."

Luna simply couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sure, she wasn't present for the invasion itself, but they'd still attacked and subdued her beloved Sister! And now, here they were, discussing proverbs like old acquaintances?

Chrysalis scoffed, "Fat load of good it did me; Mothra's probably having a fit about me just waltzing into Ponyville, now that I think about it."

"But look on the bright side," the Monarch of the Sun pointed out. "If you hadn't done that, then Twilight wouldn't have found out that you were struggling, and you'd still be fending for yourself in the forest."

"I was doing fine on my own," Chrysalis groused.

"And yet, you still felt the need to head into town and purchase food rather than hunt."

"The prey wouldn't bloody sit still!" Chrysalis protested, though with some amount of sarcasm.

They all shared a light laugh.