//------------------------------// // 42: To Find the Queen // Story: Death of a Queen, V2. // by Arkane12 //------------------------------// “Oh.”  It was the only word Twilight managed to utter.  Thorax sat, frozen in place. The years reflected through his eyes as he was dragged back into the present. “You know the rest of the story. When the invasion failed . . . that was it. It didn’t take long for everything to fall apart.”  “End?” Twilight asked.  “Yeah.” Thorax finally lifted his head. “After seeing you and your friends . . . the way your friendship bound you together against such impossible odds . . . I couldn’t look my brothers and sisters in the eye without seeing the faces of all the ponies I hurt. I never went back to the hive. I didn’t even say goodbye.” Twilight sank. “I’m sorry, Thorax.”  “For what?” he snapped. “For defending yourselves? We made our choices, Twilight. We had to deal with the consequences. And there were consequences.” He massaged the back of his neck. “From the stories I hear, Chrysalis just . . . fell apart.”  Twilight shifted in her seat. “What do you mean?” “Her orders became erratic. All our infiltrators were recalled before the attack, so we had no love being gathered. We were already starving, and the invasion just made the situation worse. Even after she captured you . . . Well, it was only a matter of time.” Thorax shook his head. “Changelings have a fanatical devotion to their Queen. But by then, Chrysalis wasn’t herself anymore. She was nothing more than a husk of her former glory.” He sighed. “I just want you to understand what it is you’re getting into.”  From the distance came the sound of rumbling thunder. “Sometimes,” Thorax continued. “I wonder what would have happened if I stayed.”  “You shouldn’t think like that,” Twilight said.  “Why not?” Thorax glared down at Twilight. “I knew she would be devastated when her plans failed. I knew she’d be struggling with keeping the hive in working order. But in her most desperate hour, I ran. I abandoned her.”  “You didn’t abandon her,” Twilight explained.  “Then what would you call it?” Thorax demanded.  “She pushed you away, remember?” Twilight frowned. “If you hadn’t left, we never would have seen the potential of changelings. And you and your kind might not be alive because of it.”  Thorax groaned. “Maybe. I suppose it doesn’t really matter now, though, does it?”  She reached out, patting his knee with a hoof.  “I’m not telling you all of this to make you feel sorry for me.” He shook his head. “In fact, that mindset is why we refused to ask for help. We would have been pets, rescued because we were too weak to take care of ourselves.”  “There’s no shame in asking for help,” Twilight cooed. “You know that.”  “But we wouldn’t have been asking for help. We would have been asking your kind to save us. We had nothing to offer in return. We would be no different than dogs, begging our pony masters to feed and protect us. We would’ve been domesticated.”  “If that’s how you feel, then why did you come to us?” Twilight asked.  “Those that tolerated the idea turned on Chrysalis with me. When you’re hungry enough, you’ll even swallow your pride. The ones that refused . . . “ A frown crept over his lips. “Well, they’re not exactly around to argue their point anymore.”  Twilight glanced out the back window, watching the moon and stars above them. They reminded her of Luna. “So, if you’re not telling me this for sympathy, why are you telling me all this?” “Because you’ll have to make a choice soon, Twilight. And I want you to make it for the right reason.” Twilight squirmed under Thorax’s withering glare. “You keep saying that you want to bring Chrysalis back to help her find a new life. To make her happy. But I’m not sure that you fully understand the difficulties that come with that choice.”  “What don’t I understand?” Twilight cried desperately.  “That Chrysalis won’t change. She’s a predator. Just like the rest of us. If you think you can change that, if you think you can domesticate her . . . you’d be better off leaving her to die here.”  “I don’t want to domesticate her,” Twilight stomped her hoof. “You saw my dream, Thorax. You of all ponies should understand how I feel about her.” She reeled herself back in with a deep breath. “I want to help her more than anything. I want to give her a life where she can be happy.”  Thorax stood and started toward the door. “I hope you really mean that, Twilight.”  “But what if that’s not what she wants?” Twilight asked, her voice cracking.  The changeling king kept his back to Twilight, stopping just long enough to impart his final words of wisdom. “It’s taken my whole life to understand Chrysalis. If we find her, it’s because she wants us to find her. Because she wants you to find her. Keep that in mind.” “And what if we’re wrong?” Twilight whispered under her breath. “If she’s not here?”  “Then continuing the search would be a waste of time, and we’ll never see her again.” Twilight paled. “And we’re just supposed to let her go?” With an incredibly calm shrug, Thorax’s horn glowed, throwing open the door to her room. In doing so, he revealed a stallion standing just outside, dressed in full crystal armor.  Shaking away his shock, the soldier cleared his throat and stood straight. “Princess Twilight, King Thorax, you’ve been requested to make your way to the bridge. We’re nearing our final destination.”  “Thank you, Lieutenant,” Twilight said, dismissing the guard. He left with a salute. Twilight and Thorax shared one more mournful glance before stepping out into the hallway and heading up toward the bridge.  A lurch accompanied the roar of thunder from outside. Twilight lost her footing, crashing against the wall and nearly toppling Thorax behind her.  “You alright?” the changeling asked.  “Yeah.” Twilight straightened herself and continued up the stairs. She could hear the applause-like clapping of the rain slamming against the bridge windows before she opened the door.  “Twilight? About time. We’re almost there.” Shining Armor offered his sister a hoof to keep her upright as the ship jerked again. Outside, the world was reduced to nothing but a gray blur, broken constantly by the golden flash of lightning.  “What is going on here?” Twilight asked, holding on to the ship’s controls to keep from falling.  “We’ve hit the storm wall,” Thorax shouted. “Which means we’ll be approaching the hive soon.” He recoiled at the burst of thunder outside. “I thought the plan was to go over the storm and drop? Are you sure this flying boat is going to make it through in one piece?”  Captain Shield laughed. “I’ve seen ships like this take a pounding from a cannon barrage without a scratch. A little bit of rain won’t stop us.” “A bit of rain?” A Thorax searched the faces of the other passengers before shaking his head. “Isn’t this thing held in the air by balloons? How is this supposed to be safe?”  “A battleship doesn’t make it to service with a weakness like that,” Shining said. “They’re made with magically reinforced fibers. They’re the weakest point, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak.”  A violent tremor rocked the ship. The windows rattled in their panes against the patter of glass. Thorax watched them with a horrified expression. “That isn’t exactly instilling me with confidence.”  “There.” Twilight pointed out the front window. From the storm, a wall of stone appeared. The mountainside, riddled with countless holes just large enough for a changeling to slip through. “That’s the hive.”  “Thorax!” Shining Armor put a hoof on the changeling’s shoulder. “Any ideas on how we get inside?”  Thorax stumbled over his words for a moment, until another crash of thunder rocked the ship, sending the crew stumbling and seemingly knocking the changeling’s thoughts free. “There’s a large cavern at the base of the mountain. It’s how Celestia got inside.”  “Are you crazy? We can’t land this thing here,” Dusti scoffed, gesturing wildly to the fury outside. Private Quartz ducked out of the way, narrowly avoiding his superior’s desperate flail.  Shining held the console to keep his balance as he clamored toward the front of the bridge for a better view of their destination. “What about the tunnels in the mountain?” he asked. “They’re all over. An easy way in.”  “For me, maybe,” Thorax said, shaking his head. “But if any of you are going with me, we won’t be able to fit through those tunnels.” He chewed his lip. “There’s another opening near the peak, if we can find it.”  “What are we looking for, exactly?” Twilight asked, crawling forward to join her brother, one hoof wrapped tight around the brass handrail while the other clung to Shining’s.  “Nothing. You can’t see it.” Several heads turned toward Thorax, bearing multiple glares somewhere between annoyed and confused. “The second entryway was where we stationed sentires. It was designed to be invisible even on a clear day.”  “Then why did you bother suggesting it?” Dusti cawed.  “Because I don’t need to see it to lead us to it.” Thorax’s voice took on a hard edge that caught Twilight a bit off guard. “Captain Shield, if you can get us near the peak, I can take a team off the ship and get them inside.”  “And we’re just supposed to trust that you remember where you’re going?” Dusti asked, her voice rising up a pitch.  “I mean, it’s not exactly remembering.” Thorax cleared his throat. “More like relying on Chrysalis’ memory.” Twilight made a mental note to ask about that later. “Oh? That’s much better?” Dusti rolled her eyes.  “Stow it, Lieutenant,” Shining ordered. “Thorax, you’re sure you can do this?” Thorax nodded. “Alright. I’m going with you. With a storm like this, I might need a bit of help keeping the shield up. Twilight, you’re backing me up. If my shield can’t hold, I’m going to need help. Captain Shield--” “Uhh . . . Shining . . .” Twilight gave a nervous smile. “I can’t do that.”  Stopped mid-word, Shining let his mouth hang open as he glared at his sister. “Why not?”  “I . . . I d-don’t have my magic.” Twilight tried to force a smile.  Shining Armor twitched. Before he could say anything, Dusti spoke up. “I’ll go. My shields might not compare to a princess, but I can handle it.” She stepped forward and straightened her helmet.  “Are you sure about that, Lieutenant?” Captain Shield asked, his gaze lingering on his sister a moment longer. “You’re going to be jumping head-first into a changeling nest. Think you can handle that?”  “I . . .” She paused and swallowed hard. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him.  Behind her, Quartz grabbed his spear. “I’m going, too.”  “Private?” Shining asked, raising a brow.  “There are a lot of passages Queen Chrysalis could be hiding in. If you really want to find her, you’ll need a tracker.” The soldier’s gaze fell. “Besides, she escaped on my watch. It should be my responsibility to find her and bring her back.”  Captain Shield said nothing, but tilted his helmet forward a bit to hide part of his face. Shining looked to Twilight for an answer, who nodded solemnly in response. “Alright,” Shining started. “Thorax is leading this little expedition. Private, you’re going to assist him in finding this entrance. Our shield won’t last long in this storm, so we need to get inside quickly.”  Quartz and Thorax met each other's gaze and nodded. Shining continued. “Lieutenant, you’re with me keeping the shield up. No theatrics, no funny business. Got it?” He waited for Dusti to agree. “Captain Shield, I’m putting you in charge of keeping this bucket in the air. It’s our only ride home. We’ll signal when we’re ready for pickup.”  With their orders doled out, the soldiers hurried to their positions. Thorax and Quartz marched up to the door, waiting for the Captain to bring them closer. Behind them, Shining Armor and Dusti Diamond were psyching each other up. Twilight stood at the back of the group, alone and silent, her head hung in shame.  “I’m bringing us in as close as I can.” Captain Shield turned the wheel hard. With his free hoof, he switched on the speaker system beside him. The system squealed with feedback as the speakers switched on. “Attention all hands, report to your stations. Your one and only task is keeping this bucket in the air.” A host of chatter echoed over the different radio frequencies.  “Engines, drop to half output. We’re going to need to take this slowly.”  “Navigation here, sending data to adjust for wind speed.”  “Lower Decks are scrambling repair teams. Call us if you need us.”  Watching the soldiers working like a well-oiled machine helped quell Twilight’s blooming nervousness. Outside, past the pelting rain and dark clouds, the mountain loomed closer. At the very top of the windows, she could see the mountain peak. The storm swirled around it like the walls of a great castle.  “Boarding Party, get ready to move on my mark,” Captain Shield shouted over the storm. He raised a hoof, urging them to ready themselves. With a hard pull on the wheel, the ship surged through the air, swinging toward the mountain at an alarming speed. “Now!”  The world fell silent at the Captain’s command. Thorax and Quartz tore through the door, out onto the deck. Before they could connect with a single drop of rain, the air around them thrummed with energy as a vibrant pink bubble formed around the opening. Shining and Dusti kept side-by-side, and Twilight kept close behind.  True to the Captain’s words, he had gotten them close to the mountain. A little too close. To the point where Twilight feared the ship would slam straight into the stone. The team leapt over the rail, landing on the gravelly cliff edge several feet below. A hard landing left Twilight’s hooves numb and tingly, but no real damage.  Over their heads, the ship continued toward the mountain, slamming into the rocks and causing a small avalanche as a chunk of the mountain collapsed beneath the force. The few stones that neared the party bounced harmlessly off their shield.Likewise, the ship looked no worse for wear at the point of impact.  “Let’s move,” Shining shouted, his voice barely rising over the roar of the storm. The group pulled together, falling in line behind their two guides. Thorax led the party up a short, thin path, constantly reminding them to watch their footing.  Twilight made the mistake of looking down. She saw nothing more than a sheer drop into the endless abyss. The sight made her head spin. No. She’d been here before. She knew there was a mountain down there. It was just the decreased visibility inflicted by the storm clouds. She returned her attention to moving forward.  Thorax moved with purpose, leading them closer to the peak. They were high enough that the spatters of rain against their shield were replaced with hail. As they marched ever upward, Twilight found herself studying the rain as it struck against Shining’s guard. In all her life, she had never heard rain make a sound like this. Each drop landed with a hammering thump. She could only imagine the pain those impacts could make against fur and flesh.  “Here!” Thorax shouted. His own horn lit up, moving aside a small pile of rocks. With them moved, the group noticed a passage behind them, just large enough for a pony to fit through. Thorax ducked inside. The rest of the group exchanged confused glances, but followed nonetheless.  Inside, the noise became deafening. An endless barrage of raindrops echoed through the cavern. Once they squeezed through the gap, the cave opened up into a wide tunnel, allowing the ponies to walk side-by-side through the dark.  Thorax, Dusti, and Shining kept their horns glowing as they pressed on into the darkness. The deeper they descended into the heart of the mountain, the sound of the storm died down to the occasional thud of thunder.  “Let’s stop here for a moment,” Shining Armor said. Without another word, the group huddled in one of the smaller chambers and rested their sore hooves. In the silence, Twilight could hear a shallow stream of water dribbling somewhere in the distance. Despite her horn’s current dysfunction, she could still feel the humming energy of the magic emanating from the stone around her.  “First part of the mission went smoothly, I guess,” Thorax chuckled.  The group muttered in agreement.  “Which leads us to the next objective,” Shining interjected before taking a sip from the canteen on his belt. “Finding Chrysalis. Any ideas?”  “If I were a betting mare, I’m guessing she’ll be in the throne room,” Twilight said, her eyes locked on the gravel patch beneath her. She reached down, drawing a line through it with the edge of her hoof. “Twilight’s right,” Thorax agreed. “Her throne room usually contains a passage to her private quarters. I can’t imagine any other place where we're more likely to find her.”  “Assuming she’s even here,” Dusti muttered. “She’s here.” Twilight recoiled, realizing what she just said. She had no evidence that Chrysalis was here. Yet, she could feel that she was right, even if she couldn’t explain why. With a tired sigh, Quartz stood from the group huddle. “I’m going to do some scouting.”  “You sure that’s a good idea? It’s easy to get lost here,” Thorax said.  Smiling, the pegasus reached into his bag and retrieved a piece of chalk. Still looking at Thorax, he marked the wall with an arrow facing the camp. “Don’t you worry about me. Lieutenant Diamond might talk like I’m an idiot, but even she can’t deny my tracking skill.”  Dusti rolled her eyes. “You are an idiot. There’s no way I’m letting you walk around here by yourself.” She moved to his side.   “Sounds like a plan, Lieutenant.” He lit the lantern on his hip and trotted deeper into the cave. “We’ll be back in a few minutes. “You expecting danger in here, Thorax?” Shining asked.  “In a changeling hive? Of course.” Thorax scratched his chin. “Even if this place is abandoned, there could still be traps around. And that’s assuming he doesn’t get lost. This whole place is designed to be a maze. And who knows what else is in here. There are some dangerous creatures in these wastes. Some of them could have taken up residence here.”  “I wouldn’t worry,” Shining said, folding his hooves in his lap as he laid back against the cool cave wall. “Quartz can handle himself.” The group waited a few minutes before they heard the sound of hoofs tapping against the stone floor. It didn’t take much longer before Quartz and Dusti reappeared at the edge of their camp. The stallion’s cheery demeanor and cocky smile were both gone.  “Find something?” Shining asked, suddenly weary.  “Yeah. Chrysalis is here.”  Twilight jumped to her hooves. The rest of the group leaned in to listen. “Anything you can track?”  “Yeah.” Quartz glanced at those gathered around him. “I found a blood trail.”   Thorax and Twilight paled in unison. Without speaking, the two of them rose from their resting spots and hurried in the direction Quartz came from. Their panting and heavy hoofbeats rang through the cave. Finally, in the light of Thorax’s horn, they stumbled upon Quartz’s discovery.  Three large beasts lay across the wider section of the cave, their bodies broken and bloodied. Streaks of blood covered the area, still fresh enough to drip, creating a noise Twilight initially mistook as rain. Putting a hoof over her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut, she backed away from the grizzly scene.  “By the Queens above, what happened here?” Thorax asked towards the nothingness.  Within a few minutes, the sounds of several other ponies approaching broke Twilight from her sickened mewling.  “Sweet Celestia,” Dusti muttered, approaching one of the creatures. “It’s even worse up close. What is this thing?”  “I've seen these before,” Twilight butted in. “At least, I think I have. Fluttershy has one as a friend. I think she called it a Grizzly? Something like that.”  “Grizzly Bears,” Quartz corrected, brushing past the princess and inspecting another of the bodies. “Probably looking for shelter from the storm and got lost. I guess Chrysalis ran into them.”  “A lot of predators live around here,” Thorax pointed out. “What makes you so sure Chrysalis had anything to do with this?”  Without a word, Quartz pointed a little further ahead, to a puddle of blood. A broken wooden thing sat in the center, stained permanently crimson. Thorax lifted it from its perch with his magic. Twilight recognized it instantly.  “That’s Chrysalis’ prosthetic leg. Or, what’s left of it, at least.” Her queasiness returned in full force. She could taste bile in her throat.  “Yeah. The trail starts there and continues down that tunnel.” He pointed toward one of the side passages that branched off the main path. “There are bloodstains marking the way. They’re still pretty fresh, too.”  The group of ponies’ ears pricked up as a low growl reverberated through the area. Shining and Dusti lit their horns while Twilight lowered her center, ready for a fight. But Quartz waved them off.  “This one’s still alive,” He said, running a hoof over the grizzly’s bloody fur.  “Stand back, before you get yourself hurt,” Shining ordered.  Quartz stayed crouched at the beast’s side, rooting through one of his bags. “There’s no danger, Captain. Whatever Chrysalis did to this thing, he doesn’t seem to be able to move.”  Twilight moved closer, watching over the soldier’s shoulder. “What happened?”  “I can’t paint a perfect picture, but I can give you my best guess.” He watched for Twilight, waiting until she nodded to continue. “Chrysalis gave these things some serious trouble. Slit one’s throat. Cut another open wide. This one has more than a few broken bones.”  “That’s awful.” Twilight turned away from the gorey seen. “Is there anything you can do?” “Not really. My dad taught me how to do a quick patch up. But something this serious? You’d need a doctor and proper medical supplies. And even then, I doubt there’s much they could do.”  “It’s just so . . . brutal.” The word left a sour taste on Twilight’s tongue. “More than likely, Chrysalis didn’t have a choice. These things can be territorial, and seem to be a bit malnourished. It’s likely they’ve been in these caves a while. If Chrysalis stumbled into them, I doubt she could get past them without violence.” He pointed Twilight’s gaze towards the bear’s claw, which were stained red. “It looks like this thing got a decent shot on her, too.”  “Then that’s all the more reason we should hurry,” Thorax said, dancing nervously at the mouth of the side passage.  “In a second. There’s something I’d like to do first.”  Quartz was still rifling through his bag. In Twilight’s effort to focus on anything but the violence around her, she noticed several details about that particular bag. It seemed shoddily designed, with the threads uneven and sometimes at angles odd enough that they would have hurt Rarity. But more importantly, she noticed the large red cross hoof-stitched onto the side. Twilight watched him pull a small purse from inside, which bore a striking resemblance to a coin pouch.  “What is that?” Twilight asked.  Quartz loosened the string, revealing a fine earthy-colored powder. He poured a small amount on his hoof and sprinkled it across the grizzly’s wounds. The beast’s protests quieted almost immediately.  “Back when Grandpa was in the service, field medics sometimes carried this around. It’s a blend of herbs meant to reduce pain when put on a wound. Not quite as fancy as modern medicine and rarely sees any use, but it’s easy to make and cheap.” He shrugged. “Of course, it isn’t usually used for medicinal purposes.”  Twilight scrunched her brow. “What do you mean?”  Quartz laughed, but it rang hollow and somber. “I don’t know what the proper name was. He and his friends called it ‘Grave Dust’.” He tightened the string and set the purse back in his medical pouch. “They used it to numb the pain of dying soldiers when there was nothing else they could do.”  With a frown, Twilight looked from Quartz to the dying beast. It didn’t take long for its shallow breaths to finally stop. Once it had, the soldier rose quietly from his position and brushed his hooves off. Without any prompting or conversation, he took his place at the head of the group, leading them deeper into the hive.  After casting one final glance toward the carnage in their wake, Twilight followed behind the tracker, flanked by the rest of their group. As Quartz pointed out, they passed the occasional spatter of blood on the cave walls or floor. The deeper they journeyed, the longer seemed to pass between finding traces of their target. Finally, after nearly an hour of trailing through the dark, damp earth, the group stumbled upon a large wooden door. Though it might once have held an intricate design, it appeared to have been defaced. Large chunks of it had been torn away, and the more excessive amount of red in front of the door left them certain of the one responsible for such vandalism.  Shining and Dusty used their magic to push the doors open, filling the caves with the sound of rusty hinges. Twilight noticed the smell first. Musty earth. Though the same scent likely permeated the caves before, now it was thick enough to notice. But moving past that, Twilight stepped into the hall beyond the doors.  Memories flooded back to her. The damaged throne, the crumbling pillars, the patch of dry blood that marked her discovery of Celestia and Chrysalis so long ago. Twilight advanced toward it unknowingly, her eyes stuck on the red stain. For as much as she remembered, though, just as much had changed.  The hole in the ceiling no longer allowed sunlight to filter in. Instead, a waterfall barreled through, draining onto the pile of debris below. From there, it flowed into a stream that continued on beneath one of the side doors. Lightning occasionally lit the room, and the sound of thunder was no longer as muted as it had been in the caves.  “Whoa,” Dusti said, apparently awed by the sight of the hive ruins.  “What happened here?” Shining asked, motioning toward the blood. “This is older than Chrysalis’ trail.”  “That was where I found Celestia,” Twilight explained. “She was lying right there, comforting Chrysalis with a wing. I still see it clear as day in my head. And I don’t think I’ll be forgetting it anytime soon.”  “I’m sorry, Twilight.” Thorax put a hoof on her shoulder. “I should never have asked her to do such a thing. If I had come instead--” “There’s no point in hypotheticals,” Twilight dismissed him. “What’s done is done. What matters now is that we find Chrysalis and then get home to take care of Celestia.” Ripping her gaze from the bloodstain, she scanned the room, looking for any signs of which side door would lead to their prey.  “Quartz?” Shining looked at the tracker.  He shook his head in response. “It’s no good, Sir. None of the doors seemed to be marked. From here, we’ll have to search the old-fashioned way until we pick up the trail again.”  “No.” Thorax stepped into the middle of the group. “You three should stay here.”  “While you and Twilight run off alone?” Shining asked, his brow furrowed.  Thorax took a deep breath. “In her current state, Chrysalis won’t be able to use the tunnels to escape. And aside from those, there’s only one other way out of here.” He motioned to the open door behind them. “You three need to stay here in case she slips past us. You’re the most capable of stopping her by force if necessary.”  Shining opened his mouth to argue, but his annoyance quickly subsided. “That’s actually a pretty decent plan.” He sighed. “Fine. But if you find any sign of her, you come get us. Got it?”  “Got it,” Thorax assured him before walking off with Twilight in tow.  “What are you doing?” Twilight asked, following him toward the far end of the room. “Why are we starting here?”  “Because I know where she is,” Thorax said, his eyes focused on the farthest door from where they entered. Twilight tilted her head. “Then shouldn’t we tell-” “No.” Thorax’s curt response caught Twilight off-guard. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  “But--” “And I won’t be accompanying you, either,” Thorax continued. “Why?” Twilight asked, her voice suddenly shrill.  Thorax stopped as they reached the door. His magic wrapped around the handles, pulling them open. “Because . . . because you’re the only one that can do this, Twilight. I get that, now.”  Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You’ve certainly changed your tune since the ship.”  “Not really.” He shook his head. “Look, Twilight, I’m not trying to ruin your dreams here, you get that, right? I love Chrysalis just as much as you do. But I also know her a lot better than you. I’m on your side here, Twilight, but I have to be honest about all this. None of us can do anything here. Chrysalis doesn’t care about us. Not like she does you.” He started forward again, unaware of the bloody mark he stepped over. “For those three, the reason should be obvious.” The hallway ended at a smaller door. “But I understand now that I can’t help her either. It has to be you. And I think you know that, too.”  Twilight tried to think of something she could say to contradict him. But in her heart, she knew the truth. Chrysalis’ future rested entirely on what Twilight did in the next few minutes. The thought made her sick and lightheaded, but the determination boiling in her veins kept her moving forward.  Thorax used his hoof to push the smaller door open, revealing what appeared to be a bedroom. They stepped inside together. A canopied bed sat in the center of the room. Several carpets bearing designs from different corners of Equestria decorated the floor. A table in the corner had been set up as a makeshift vanity, complete with a mirror and a wide range of different cosmetics. A long unused fireplace took up one of the walls. The mantle displayed all sorts of trophies including paintings, photos, books, and all sorts of knick-knacks. Above them, the ceiling was formed from a large green crystal display, resembling a fancy chandelier protruding from the stone.  The entire room was buried beneath a layer of dust and disuse. Everything except another exit at the opposite end of the room, which sat atop a recently disturbed patch of filth and grime. Thorax followed Twilight as far as the middle of the room before he stopped. He and Twilight shared one last solemn moment before she opened the door and stepped through before closing it behind her.  This passageway led downward. A claustrophobic flight of stairs hewn into the mountain rock itself. Though thin, the tunnel stood tall, allowing enough clearance for a fully-grown alicorn to walk through. Though no light lit the path, Twilight could see a doorway at the far end, sparkling with a sight akin to sunlight. Taking great pains to keep her breathing steady, Twilight continued. As she descended, the air grew humid. A rush of steam reminded her of her trip to the baths with Cadance. This tunnel held the same humid atmosphere. As she neared the bottom, Twilight made a discovery. The last two steps were underwater.  After making sure she could handle the heat, Twilight sank her hoof into the pool. From there, she stepped out into a tall circular chamber. The entire room was similarly flooded, though the tile-like arrangement of the rocks led her to believe this was intentional. At certain intervals among the flooring, gems were exposed, their light casting glimmering shades across the walls. With those being the only lights in the room, the walls stretched upward into darkness.  Steam filled the chamber along with the soothing sound of rushing water. Though she had never seen one personally, she had read of these underground springs, likely heated by the molten floor beneath the mountain. The spring was fed from a gap in the wall on the far side, where the water poured down in a set of cascading waterfalls.  But despite all the beautiful scenery, Twilight could only focus on one thing. Chrysalis’ dark form sat at the center of the pool, lying motionless on the floor with her back toward Twilight. Though thankfully miniscule, transparent red clouds floated around her body. With her heart hammering in her chest, Twilight rushed forward, splashing noisily as she went to Chrysalis’ side.  While she wasn’t moving, Twilight could clearly see Chrysalis breathing. Along with the rise and fall of her chest, the water near her muzzle rippled with each exhale. Despite being half underwater, Twilight could see a trio of deep gashes over Chrysalis’ face, extending from her forehead, over her left eye, then down past the corner of her lips. The wounds still oozed red.  Continuing her examination, Twilight moved down Chrysalis’ body. Several cracks had been beaten into her chitin, though these damaged patches appeared to be superficial, revealing her skin beneath, but no wounds beyond that. The examination ended with Chrysalis’ missing leg. Whatever had removed the prosthetic hadn’t done so cleanly, leaving her flesh torn and her old wounds reopened at the tip of her stump leg. Most of the blood seemed to be gathered there.  With her examination done, Twilight put a hoof to Chrysalis’ cheek, caressing along her jaw with a gentle hoof. To her relief, Chrysalis’ good eye slid open. Her voice poured forth from cracked lips. “Twilight?” “I’m here, Chrysalis,” Twilight promised, leaning in close. “Don’t worry, I brought help.”  Chrysalis’ eye drifted shut again. “Why?”  Twilight’s chest tightened. “To bring you back, Silly. Now come on, we need to get you out of here.” She tried to slide a hoof under Chrysalis’ shoulder, but the changeling pushed her away. “Why are you here?” “I . . .” Twilight blinked incredulously. “I’m here to rescue you.”  “I . . . I don’t need rescuing,” Chrysalis muttered, trying in vain to turn away.  The words bucked Twilight in the chest, knocking the breath from her lungs. “You’re not making any sense, Chrysalis. We’ll get you fixed up, then you can decide.”  “No!” She shoved Twilight more forcefully this time, knocking her onto her backside. “I’m not going back. I refuse.”  “Chrysalis, quit being an idiot,” Twilight growled, standing back up. “If you don’t you’re going to die.”  A piercing green eye punched through Twilight. “Then I die. Such is my fate.”  “No. I won’t let you--” Twilight’s words ground to a halt as Chrysalis’ hoof struck her cheek, knocking her back and sending her mind reeling. The effort required tore the cracks in Chrysalis’ shell even further.  “Get away from me!” Chrysalis growled.  Twilight sat in the spring water, eyes wide as she rubbed the sore red mark on her muzzle. “You . . . You hit me . . .” Chrysalis glared Twilight down remorselessly. Taking a moment to recover from the shock, Twilight shifted into lying on her belly, well within Chrysalis’ range.  “I. Won’t. Go. Back.” Chrysalis bared her fangs.  “Fine.” Twilight sniffled. Silence settled over the room as both occupants stayed still, staring at one another. “Then I’m staying here, too.”  “Damn you, Twilight,” Chrysalis growled. She shifted, attempting to build the momentum for another strike, but her breath caught, causing the blow to weaken into little more than a tap. Twilight didn’t flinch. “Why can’t you just let me be? Why must you insist on taking away the one thing I have left?”  “And what’s that?” Twilight asked, her nose upturned.  “I lost my family. I lost my power. And now I can’t even die peacefully without you trying to take that from me, too.” Chrysalis’ fury extinguished as a shock of pain ripped through her body, forcing her to grit her teeth. Though Twilight’s expression turned morose, she didn’t move to help. “Just let me go . . . Please?”  “No.” Twilight shook her head. Chrysalis sighed, letting her head crash back down into the water with a shuddery gasp. “Why?” A bead of a tear formed in the corner of her eye.  “Because we’re friends. Remember the promise you made to me? If you really just want to lay here and die, then I’ll be right here by your side. No one deserves to die alone.” Twilight’s glare was soft, but firm.  Chrysalis turned away, allowing the tear to run down her cheek and splash into the spring. “I don’t have friends, Twilight. Do you remember?”  “They’re nothing but another weakness,” Twilight said, nodding. “But I know you, Chrysalis. You’re a liar. Even if you don’t realize it, you know you’re wrong. You’ve just been blind to it so long you don’t remember the truth.”  Narrowing her gaze, Chrysalis stared Twilight down. “Don’t you preach to me. You and your kind, always going on about friendship and kindness. You’re full of crap.”  “Why is that so hard to believe? Ever since I met my friends, they’ve helped me through dark times. They’ve saved my life. They allowed me to defeat you time and time again.”  “You little--” “But you already know that, Chrysalis.” Twilight reined herself in before starting again. “Fine. I’ll make you a deal. You tell me the truth, and I’ll go. I’ll leave you right here, just like you want.”  “I’m not playing your game,” Chrysalis croaked.  “Then I take your peaceful death away.” Despite the authority in her voice, Twilight struggled to hold back her own tears. “Why are you so afraid of this? All I want is for you to have a happy life. A life where you can rebuild everything you lost, where you can laugh with the ones you care about, where you can smile as you live each day to the fullest. Why are you so afraid of it?”  “Afraid?” Chrysalis’ laugh turned into a coughing fit. “I’m not afraid, Twilight. I’m just not as stupid as you. Do you really think there’s a future where I can start over? You can’t be that blind to it. You might be able to overlook the things I’ve done, but no matter how hard you try, there will never be a happy ending for me. Don’t you get it? I’m a monster. Do you know how the storybooks end?” Her gaze fell to her reflection in the water. “The monster dies. The princess lives happily ever after.”  “You’re wrong,” Twilight barked, the force of her response almost dragging her back to her hooves.  “And what makes you so sure?”  “Because . . . Because I’ve seen it, you stupid bug!”  Twilight’s explosive response gave way to a long pause. The wounded changeling’s expression shifted through countless different iterations, before settling back at anger. “What are you blabbering about, Fool? What visions of the future do you see instead of facing reality?”  “I . . .” Twilight closed her eyes. Even squeezing them shut like this, she couldn’t stop the tear that spilled over her cheek. “I h-had a dream.”  The chamber echoed with Chrysalis’ laughter. Each cackle made Twilight flinch as her bravado crumbled. “A dream?” Chrysalis scowled. “Forgive me, Twilight, but I don’t deal in hysterical fantasies. Now I’ve answered your question, leave me to--”  “We saved Celestia.” Twilight blurted her response out as though it were burning her mouth. “After the Nightmare took us, I woke in a dream.” Another tear marred Twilight’s cheek as she pried open the wounds held in her memory. “My cure worked. Celestia was saved, and the world returned to normal.”  Chrysalis’ scowl eased, if only a little. “I told you, I don’t--” “You asked me if I would bring you back to Ponyville with me,” Twilight continued, oblivious to the interruption. “I showed you around town, introduced you to my friends. It took a long time, but they learned to accept you.”  “You . . . Just . . . Just stop talking, Twilight. Please? I don’t want to hear this.”  Behind her closed eyes, Twilight watched the past play out. “I saw so much more of you in the weeks we spent together. I fell in love with you.” She sniffled, trapped in visions of happier days. “And then you asked me out on a date. To a restaurant in Canterlot.”  “I . . .” Chrysalis’ energy waned.  Twilight’s smile grew wider. “We dated for years. Then you asked me to marry you.” More tears poured forth even as she smiled. “We even had a foal. A beautiful baby girl named Evenfall Allure.”  Chrysalis couldn’t muster up the strength to interrupt. She retreated into her mind, harried by the images Twilight conjured.  “For twenty years, I woke up beside you. Seeing you smile made all the pain and suffering worth it. And I would give anything just to see that happiness one more time.” Twilight opened her eyes. The glow in her cheeks faded. “I know that you don’t feel the same way about me. But even if your future doesn’t lie with me, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing out there for you.”  “I don’t . . .” Chrysalis trailed off. Words didn’t matter anymore.  Staring past Chrysalis, Twilight spoke. “Even if that future is insane and you find another pony or changeling to love . . . I still want to be with you. As a friend. To stand beside you through every hardship and trial you’ll face. Is that really so wrong?”  “It’s nothing but a dream, Twilight.” Chrysalis studied Twilight’s face. In it, she saw anxiety, fear, and joy. But behind that, she could see the pain that haunted Twilight. Before her eyes, she saw Twilight experience the pain of a lifetime all over again. She tried to speak, but her words refused to spring forth.  As the silent seconds passed, Twilight’s expression grew somber. Eventually, she stood. “Okay, Chrysalis. You win. I promised that I would leave if you answered my question.” She turned to leave. “Goodbye, Chrysalis. No matter what history says about you, I’ll know the truth. I’ll know who you really are behind all the fear and--” “We had a daughter?”  Twilight froze. The question lingered in the air, thicker and more oppressive than any bank of steam. The alicorn looked up at the endless darkness above her. “Yeah. We did.”  Chrysalis trembled, her words spilling forth seemingly of their own accord. “W . . . W-Will you . . . tell me about her?”  Twilight made a sound. It hovered back and forth between sobs and laughter. “She was perfect. The best of both of us. She had my insatiable curiosity, but always tempered it with your humor and quick wit.” Twilight’s body and mind crumpled, her voice bleeding into an endless sob. Her knees buckled, sending her crashing into the water, where she was forced to stare into her own reflection. “But more than anything, she loved us. And . . . And Sweet Celestia, we loved her. We loved her more than the moon and all the stars in the . . . in the . . .” Twilight broke completely, her words falling away to nothingness.  Darkness clouded her thoughts. Memories of the time she spent with her daughter forced themselves through her head, each one tearing open her heart all over again as the pain seared through her, worse than any magic or blade would ever inflict. But, for the briefest of moments, all the pain vanished at the touch of a hoof.  Chrysalis wrapped herself around Twilight, pulling her close. By instinct, Twilight nuzzled against the changeling’s neck, unable to stop the flood of screams that echoed endlessly around the chamber.  “I’m sorry, Twilight.” Chrysalis squeezed Twilight tight, tears forming in her own eyes. “I already lost her. I don’t want to lose you, too,” Twilight screamed, burying her face into Chrysalis’ chestplate.  “It’s alright,” Chrysalis cooed. “Don’t try to stop yourself.” Her tears spilled down, mixing with Twilight’s as they crashed into the spring, destroying their reflections with their ripples. “She was only a dream,” Twilight sobbed. “But . . .”  “But when that dream ended, and you said goodbye, a piece of you disappeared with her.” Chrysalis ran a hoof through Twilight’s mane. “And no matter what you do, nothing will ever fill the void left behind. You’ll carry this pain with you the rest of your life. There’s no need to try to hide it from me.”  “I’m sorry,” Twilight said, wiping her face on Chrysalis’ chitin.  Chrysalis’ voice grew gentle. “Don’t be.”  “Please don’t leave me,” Twilight begged, her grip tightening to the point of pain.  Though she didn’t answer, Chrysalis held Twilight until her tears finally ran out.