//------------------------------// // 45: A Captain's Warning // Story: Death of a Queen, V2. // by Arkane12 //------------------------------// Twilight watched the night pass by through the pane of frosted glass in her cabin. The endless dark, peppered with motes of glimmering starlight, eventually turned to the ashen grey of an impending sunrise. As the hours crept by, she nestled against Chrysalis, feeling her chest rise and fall with each breath.  They would be back in Canterlot today, but there was still more time to kill. With a tentative hope, Twilight summoned her magic and reached into her bags. The faux-leather bags collapsed as she tugged the stack of books from their insides. One-by-one, she eliminated her picks, returning them carefully to her luggage.  Though the storm standing guard over the abandoned hive was long gone, a new one had arrived to take its place. Luckily, it seemed far weaker, producing no more than drizzling rain and the occasional bolt of lightning so distant that Twilight couldn’t even hear the thunder. She surmised the captain must have been skirting the edge of it.  As much as she enjoyed the concept of advanced arcane allocation, the heavy textbook couldn’t hold her attention forever. Twilight learned that the hard way when a knock at the door brought her dreary eyes open. The outside world faded away, though, as she realized she was staring down at a drool-covered page.  “Shoot,” Twilight cried. Without thinking, she ignited her horn, teleporting to the desk. The burst of magic left her light-headed. Nonetheless, she ripped a rag from a cargo pile and went to work trying to dry the page. By now, her efforts were futile, resulting in smudged ink and sticky pages.  “Well that’s going to make rereading difficult,” Twilight said, frowning. A second knock reminded her of the first. She hurried over and opened it. Outside, a crystal soldier pawed at the planks beneath him. He seemed startled by Twilight’s sudden appearance.  “Good morning,” Twilight said.  “Good morning to you too, Princess.” He bowed half-heartedly. “I’m here to deliver a message from Captain Shield. He’s requested you meet him on the deck.” As he spoke, he started to stretch and shift awkwardly. Twilight tried to ignore the nagging feeling in her gut that the soldier was trying to get a good look at the room behind her.  Twilight closed the door only a little, limiting his view and momentarily breaking his stoic demeanor. “Was that all you needed?”  “Yes, Your Highness.”  With another bow, he turned and crept away at a snail’s pace toward the upper levels. As Twilight shut the door, she could still catch a glimpse of him loitering outside. She grumbled under her breath, but stopped herself with a sigh. The morning started out so well. She wouldn’t let a simple thing like this bother her. She turned to make her way back to the bed. Only to bump her muzzle against Chrysalis.  Twilight yelped as she toppled backwards in fright.  The guard returned. “Princess, are you--” “I’m fine. I just . . . tripped over a barrel!” Twilight yelled back. As soon as she saw his shadow slink away from under the door, she used her magic to turn the lock. When she turned back to Chrysalis, the changeling was stifling a fit of snickering with her hoof.  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”  Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Right.”  “Okay.” Chrysalis rolled her eye, but kept her lips curled in a smile. “I did intend on startling you, but not the falling over part. I’m sorry for that.” She hesitated a moment before reaching out her hoof, only to stop when she noticed Twilight’s annoyed glare. Chrysalis’ chuckle devolved into a cough as she pretended to clear her throat. “I . . . didn’t hurt you, did I?” she finally asked.  The princess’ sour mood cleared a bit. “No, you didn’t hurt me.” She reached out and took Chrysalis’ offered aid. “I’m just not used to screaming in terror until after my coffee.” Twilight stepped past Chrysalis, slowing down only enough to brush her cheek lightly across Chrysalis’ shoulder.  “Right.” Chrysalis nodded. “Coffee first. I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”  After settling in her chair, Twilight looked at Chrysalis, her eyebrow raised. “The future?”  The changeling twitched. “Yes. The future.” She seemed to realize Twilight’s point. “I guess that means you finally won me over.” She crawled back into bed. Her chitin glided smoothly over the sheets as she rolled over to stare at the ceiling. “I suppose that’s just how the universe works, isn’t it?”  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked.  Chrysalis shrugged. “Just that. You always seem to win in the end.” She almost sounded sad about it. “You’re playing coy about something.”  “And you’re forgetting that you’re supposed to be meeting the Captain on the deck,” Chrysalis shot back. She closed her eye and took a deep breath and the melancholy faded from her face. No. It wasn’t gone. She simply buried it a little deeper.  “I didn’t forget. I’m just more interested in what my . . . in what you were saying.”  “Get going,” Chrysalis muttered. “You don’t want to upset the Captain.”  “Fine.” Twilight scowled. “But when I get back, we're continuing this conversation. So you’d better not disappear on me again. Okay?”  Chrysalis clicked her tongue and attempted to wink.  With a huff, Twilight stood and made her way over to the door. As she left, she glanced over her shoulder. Chrysalis was sitting up, staring out the window at the first seconds of sunrise.  Her path took her up through the different levels of the ship, past soldiers that were all stuck in various stages of a morning routine. Or a bedtime routine, in the night shift’s case. The soldiers gave their princess a wide berth, but Twilight could feel their stares on the back of her neck, making her fur itch. She couldn’t decide what emotions those vacant stares were meant to convey.  Eventually, Twilight emerged onto the bridge. Same as before, Captain Shield stood at the wheel, his hooves wrapped loosely around the wooden spokes. Twilight stopped beside him. He glanced up and bowed his head.  “Morning, Princess Twilight.”  “I was told you wanted to speak with me,” Twilight said. “Right. Officer Fields, the bridge is yours until I return. Skies, you’re in charge of making sure he doesn’t get lost.” The two soldiers, a golden unicorn and steel-blue pegasus, saluted, moving to their new positions with haste. Once he’d relinquished the wheel, the Captain motioned for Twilight to step out onto the ship’s deck.  And out onto the ship’s deck she went. The chilly morning air was amplified by the icy pinpricks of sprinkling rain. She walked to the center of the deck and stopped, keeping her back to the soldier. He stopped a few feet short of Twilight.  “What’s so important, Captain?” Twilight asked in a sharp tone.  “I didn’t want to disturb you, Princess, but this is important. We’ll be back at Canterlot within the hour, and I wanted to be sure I spoke with you before we arrived.” Twilight leaned against the ship’s rail and looked out toward the horizon. “About what, exactly?” She asked, trying her best to hide the dread growing inside her. Captain Shield removed his helmet. He wore black circles around his eyes, and Twilight could have sworn the lines in his face were deeper than the last time she’d seen him. “I received reports from all members of the field team we sent into the hive. And I’ve been hearing some worrying things.”  Twilight scoffed. “The mission went fine. No issues.”  “Apologies, Princess, but I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree with you.” He set his helmet aside, freeing his hoof to scratch at his silvered mane. “It’s about Miss Chrysalis.”  “Of course it is. ” Twilight muttered.  “According to the reports, you and Miss Chrysalis spent a great deal of the mission together. And your conversations are . . . worrying, to put it simply.”  At this, Twilight whipped around. “I don’t need a lecture, Captain!” She could hear a grinding noise as she clenched her teeth. “She makes me happy. Is that so hard to understand?” She ended her rant by turning away and releasing a long, drawn-out exhalation.  The Captain stayed quiet. She didn’t want to look at him. She didn’t want to see the angry look in his eye. The same one that she saw in every soldier she passed. Eventually, her anger gave way to injury. “I know Chrysalis is dangerous. I know that she hurt a lot of ponies. But deep down, she’s not the monster everyone thinks she is.” “I’m glad you realize that.” To Twilight’s surprise, the Captain’s shoulders slumped. At first, she thought he might be upset. But in reality, he looked like the weight of Equestria had lifted off his back.  “Realized what?” Twilight’s voice was little more than a squeak.  “That Miss Chrysalis is dangerous.” He strode past Twilight, putting his foreleg up over one of the rails. “Because you’re right. She’s incredibly dangerous. She’s crafty. She’s devious. And she’s got nothing left to lose. And that’s the problem.”  Twilight stepped cautiously toward him as he continued.  “You have to understand that most ponies don’t think about that. They look at her, they can only see the destruction she’s caused.” He sighed. “Even these soldiers don’t get that. They’ve never fought a true war. They don’t know the lengths ponies will go to just to save themselves. But they’ll judge the changelings for it, all the same.”  “You don’t seem to judge her quite so harshly.”  “I’ve lived longer on the battlefield than I have off of it.” He straightened slightly. “But that isn’t my point. You also need to understand that those ponies sitting back in Canterlot —the nobles, the commoners, possibly even the other princesses— won’t give Chrysalis that same consideration.” He fell quiet for a long while.  Twilight took another step forward. “I’m not sure I’m following you, Captain.”  He brushed her hoof off and turned to look at her. His gaze glued her to the spot.“Listen to me, Princess Twilight, and listen well. I’ve seen great ponies do terrible things when their lives are in danger. And nearly every pony in Equestria sees Chrysalis as a danger.” He trailed off, waiting to see the spark in Twilight’s eyes.  “You’re not telling me she’s dangerous,” Twilight realized. “You’re telling me that she’s in danger?” She blinked a few times.  The captain nodded. “All I’m saying is that you should watch your back. And though I’m sure Miss Chrysalis is capable of taking care of herself, you might want to keep an eye on her back, too.” He sighed and retrieved his helmet. As soon as the steel slipped over his head, his commanding demeanor returned. “As a princess, you don’t have to listen to me. But as a guard, I feel it’s my duty to warn you about any dangers, to you or to those you care about.”  “Thank you for the warning, Captain,” Twilight said in disbelief. The captain bowed and gave Twilight one final, tired smile before returning to the bridge. Even after he left, Twilight stayed standing at the railing, feeling the sting of raindrops on her face. In the distance, she thought she could see the rough outline of the mountains around Canterlot. Their departure from the docks felt like a lifetime ago.  In a way, Twilight supposed that it was.  Twilight kept the knob turned as she closed the cabin door, letting it slide silently into place before she let go. Further in, Chrysalis laid on the bed, her back turned to the new arrival. With light hoofsteps, Twilight circled the room, catching a glimpse of Chrysalis’ face. She lay with her cheek against the pillow. Her lone eye stared out into the sea of gray outside.  “Can I join you?” Twilight asked, stepping into view, but being careful not to block it.  As an answer, Chrysalis moved back further toward the far end of the mattress, opening a spot just big enough for Twilight to fit. The princess crawled up onto the sheets, her wings fluttering. She slid into her companion’s grasp, pressing her chest against Chrysalis’ and nestling her muzzle against her neck.  “I’m sorry,” Twilight whispered in Chrysalis’ ear.  “What do you have to be sorry for?” Chrysalis asked. She brushed a lock of Twilight’s mane behind her ear.  “I don’t know.” Twilight’s hooves wrapped around Chrysalis’ midsection. “Last night, you seemed so happy that you had somepony to hold. I’m not sure what upset you, but I’m sorry if I said something--” “You didn’t do anything.” Chrysalis’ piercing green eye met Twilight’s gaze. “I’m the one that should be apologizing. You kept your end of the bargain. You were the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning.”  Twilight looked away. “Do you regret asking me to be?”  Chrysalis’ hoof took Twilight by the chin. “That’s sort of the impression I gave with that display, isn’t it?” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Twilight. That wasn’t my intention. I’m just . . . I don’t really even know. Confused? Concerned?”  “Scared?” Twilight suggested, the corner of her mouth tugging upward.  “I suppose that’s one way to put it,” Chrysalis said. “When you asked me about the future . . . It made me realize that, for the first time in my life . . . I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what to do.”  “I understand.” Twilight nuzzled against Chrysalis’ cheek. “But you know that whatever happens, I’ll be right here next to you.”  “That’s just it . . .” Chrysalis looked out the window. “Will you?” She shook her head. “No. Should you?”  Twilight pulled away just a little. “What do you mean?”  A single tear drew a line down Chrysalis’ cheek. “I’m a villain, Twilight.” “This again?” Twilight scoffed. “I told you that--” “I know what you said,” Chrysalis’ voice flared with hostility before sinking back into a whisper. “But you haven’t seen the half of it, Twilight. The looks those soldiers gave me that made you so upset? That’s only the start of it. Equestira hates me. And if you stand beside me, they’ll hate you, too.”  Twilight smiled. “Not all of Equestria. And even if it was, I made my choice. I’ll live with the consequences.”  “For how long?” Chrysalis tilted her head back, closing her eye. “Today, you want to be by my side. But what about tomorrow? A year from now? A century? How long will it take for you to wake up and realize that I’m the worst mistake you ever made?”  Chrysalis let her head fall back down. And as she did, Twilight was waiting for her, her muzzle pressed forward. Their lips met. A single spark sent a surge of warmth through Twilight’s body. As they parted, she turned her head, her hoof wiping Chrysalis’ tear away.  “Does that answer your question?” Twilight asked, a smug grin painted on her face.  “Not really.” Chrysalis chuckled. “But you certainly know how to change the subject.”  “I’ve made my choice, Chrysalis. Even if they’re worse than I expected, I’ll deal with the consequences. What about you?”  Chrysalis shrugged. Though her eye was still wet with tears, she was smiling now. “Yeah. I think I can live with that.”