“I’m sure one of your drones will fill the role of queen without a fuss and do a much better job than you,”
The changeling’s face went slack with confusion, “What do you mean?”
A smirk was the changeling’s answer.
“You said the Crystal Caves?”
The changeling slowly nodded, still not following Twilight’s line of logic.
“That seems to be a suitable new home for you doesn’t it?” Twilight’s grin was malicious, “All dark and cold. Plenty of edible rocks and uncontaminated water. Not a single soul down there other than you. Sounds lovely,”
The changeling began to thrash in earnest, “No! I am Queen Chrysalis! You cannot do such a thing!”
Twilight let Chrysalis thrash uselessly for a few seconds.
“You enslaved my brother, basically turning him into a puppet, and threatened Canterlot with every intention of going through with it. Of course, I can do ‘such a thing’,” Twilight recounted scathingly.
“No!” Chrysalis lost what dignity she had and began to plead, “Celestia! Celestia! I surrender! I will remove my hive and leave in peace!”
Celestia chuckled lightly as if there wasn’t a being pleading for their life in front of her, “Oh please. Do you think my student will listen to me? Of course not,”
Twilight brought her snout closer to the changeling and grinned as large as she could. This resulted in a fresh wave of hoarse cries and more futile struggling.
“However, I do believe you are open to my suggestion, my student?” Celestia asked Twilight with an arched eyebrow.
Twilight put a claw on her chin as if deep in thought, “Perhaps,”
“Let’s find your brother’s missing fiance before dealing with the other issue,”
Twilight looked back at her brother’s listless eyes and his prone body. If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought he wasn’t alive anymore. Her throat closed up at the thought and it was as if her heart shriveled up.
She agreed. The real Princess Cadence had much more experience with mind magic than either herself or Celestia. The last thing Twilight wanted was to screw up the counterspell to her brother’s situation and end up with a vegetable for a relative. They would save Shining Armor. They had to.
She was shaken out of her melancholy by a pulse of corrupted magic. Shining’s body stirred weakly before Twilight grabbed Chrysalis’ horn again.
“Don’t you dare,” Twilight hissed loudly, “You’ve seen what a full-grown stallion that trains as Captain of the Guard can do to me. It’s not much, so stop that right now,”
Chrysalis wore a deer caught in headlights look as Twilight threatened her again.
“How in Equestria do you know every time I cast magic? That isn’t possible!” Chrysalis sneered, “You and your magic tricks are no match for mine in a straight duel,”
“My sensitivity to magic power is several times higher than a normal unicorn’s. That’s how I found you in the kitchens. Not to mention your magic reeks,” Twilight made a face in disgust, releasing the changeling’s horn like it was something particularly disgusting she stepped on, “And I highly doubt that. Ever heard of Discord? I’m his student as much as Celestia’s. Good luck beating me in a straight duel,”
“Er, Twi?” Applejack’s hesitant voice reminded the dragon that her friend was there at all, “I think it’s best if I- er head back to the kitchens,”
“Oh! Yes, yes of course,” Twilight blushed until the tips of her spiraled horns, “Sorry AJ,”
“No pro-bleam-o,” Applejack assured, quickly trotting back down the halls, “See ya after… whatever this is,”
Twilight began to walk in the direction of the old mines, dragging the bug as she went along. She made sure to drag the bug along the actual floors, avoiding the rugs lining the halls.
“I take offense to that, Dragon. My magic doesn’t smell like anything,” The waver in Chrysalis’ voice gave away her fear despite the bluster.
Celestia’s magical aura surrounded the comatose Shining Armor and he raised off the ground to float silently after them.
Twilight hummed noncommittally as she shouldered open another door, “Almost to your new home,”
The bug queen began to whimper and plead again with the silent Celestia that escorted them from behind, “Celestia, anything! I promise anything if you release me! I swear it! Please,”
The moment the group entered the beginnings of the mine, Twilight flung the changeling to the ground and spat, “Welcome home, Your Majesty,”
The changeling deflated where she lay and didn’t attempt to stand back up. Twilight snorted at the cowardly display. The moment Twilight inhaled deeply, her mentor shrouded herself and Shining in a soundproof bubble.
“Princess Cadence! Where are you?” The roar echoed and reverberated throughout the mine.
The previously prone changeling sprang up and shrieked in surprise at the noise. Twilight just managed to step on her trailing tail to prevent her from fleeing the scene entirely.
“You imbecile! Release me this instant!” Chrysalis tugged ineffectively at her tail, shaking in her hole-littered hooves.
“At the bottom, I think.” The very distant voice of Cadence answered, “I’m too weak to fly,”
“Stay where you are. Some being will come to get you shortly,” Twilight shouted down the entrance again.
Picking up a boulder that probably weighed the same amount as her, she pushed her magic into it. Instantly the rock softened and began to stretch like taffy. Before Chrysalis knew what was happening, she was wrapped in a warm, uncomfortable, rope-like thing. Moments after, the rock re-solidified and she couldn’t do anything more than kick her exposed hooves around and crane her neck. It looked like a cheap knock-off rock costume that was designed by a blind pony.
Twilight laughed a little at her own handy-work, “It looks like a ball of rubber bands,”
“Even after all he’s said to you, you still want to save him?” Chrysalis demanded in what seemed to be her last-ditch effort. Her sneer and vile tone were wasted since her new prison faced the wall.
Twilight faced the changeling and simply said, “Yes, he’s my brother. Always has been, always will be, no matter how he hurts me. He probably has a reason and hasn’t told me about it yet. He’s still my brother,”
“A hive needs their queen!” she fumed inside the rock cage.
Twilight spun the cage like so in order for Chrysalis to see her face to face, “No, a queen needs their hive. A hive can function with one being missing. You, however, cannot,”
She picked up the makeshift cage and hung it from one of the stalactites growing from the ceiling, “Keep talking Chrysalis. We might find it suitable to extend your sentence since you seem to love this place so much,”
The changeling’s mouth audibly clopped shut and Twilight smiled pleasantly. A paw snapped to her eye ridge in mock salute to her mentor, then she jumped off the ledge and into the dark, intent on finding her former foal sitter.