//------------------------------// // 53: To the Bittersweet End // Story: Death of a Queen, V2. // by Arkane12 //------------------------------// “Twilight?” Chrysalis eyelid cracked open. “What is so important that you have to interrupt my beauty sleep?” She still sounded half-asleep, as though speaking to a dream.  “Can you hear me? How are you feeling?” Twilight eased her hoof across Chrysalis’ cheek, relieved that she still seemed to have some semblance of life left in her broken body. “I know you’re tired, but I need you to do something for me? Think you can try?”  “Depends.” Chrysalis yawned, showing off her new fangs growing in. “Is it quick?”  “I’m not sure. It might take a bit longer.” Twilight offered an unsure smile. She was close enough to Chrysalis that she could feel the changeling’s breath tickling her muzzle. She wrinkled her nose, stifling a giggle. Here, safe and warm in Chrysalis’ embrace, Twilight could almost forget about the world falling apart around her. “Fine. B-But make it quick, I’m starting to . . .” Chrysalis started to drift away again, her words fading into obscure muttering. Twilight gave her a gentle nudge. When that didn’t work, she tried again, putting a bit of force behind it this time. Chrysalis’ eye crept back open. “What? Why are you shaking me? I’m trying to . . . to . . .”  For the briefest of moments, Twilight thought Chrysalis would fall asleep again, but instead, her drowsiness seemed to give way to confusion. She glanced down at herself. Or rather, at the warm body pressed against her. The two of them were laying on a cot made for one. Even if Twilight didn’t want to be so close, she didn’t have much of a choice. “Your fur is really warm. Has it always been that warm?”  “Chrysalis, listen to me.” Twilight returned her hoof to Chrysalis’ cheek as a gesture of affection, but also to keep them both face-to-face. “You’re hurt. It’s serious.”  “I don’t feel hurt,” Chrysalis said. She tried to open her damaged eye, growing more and more frustrated when it refused to open. “Where’s Doctor Heart? He’ll know what to do. He’s pretty clever. For a pony, at least.”  “Chrysalis. Please. Focus.”  Her gaze dragged lazily up Twilight’s figure, finally meeting her eyes. She arched her brow and tilted her head, as if she were examining a painting on a wall.  “Your magic is weak. You’re starving,” Twilight explained.  “Am I?” Chrysalis asked over Twilight’s shoulder. “Might explain the tiredness.” Another yawn. “Very well, Miss Sparkle. You go get Thorax, and I’ll wait here and take a nap.”  “Chrysalis!” Twilight’s sudden volume startled Chrysalis, triggering an adrenaline rush and keeping her from passing out again. “Thorax is gone. He can’t help.”  “Then maybe get Celestia. I could have some fun with her.” She chuckled.  “Celestia’s not here either.”  “Then what about–” “Chrysalis, you have to feed off me.”  The changeling pouted. “I’m not feeding off you, Twilight.”  Thorax’s warning echoed through Twilight’s head. Her instincts kicked in, warning her that this was stupid and reckless. She swallowed those worries back down and tightened her grip on Chrysalis.  “You don’t have a choice. You have to feed off me, or you’re going to die.”  Chrysalis scoffed. “And who told you that? Thorax? That grub doesn’t know the first thing about being a changeling. You shouldn’t be listening to him on such important matters.” She tried to sound confident, but the slurring and pitch-shifts made her sound more like a drunk.  “See? You’re in such bad shape you can’t even lie well.”  “I don’t know.” Chrysalis’ lips curled into a wicked grin. “I seem to be lying down pretty well right here on this cot.” She gave a breathy laugh.  Twilight didn’t even crack a smile. Noticing this, Chrysalis sobered up quickly. “Get it? Because I’m lying–” “You’re dying, Chrysalis!” Twilight screamed, her voice cracking. She started to tremble. “You need help. I don’t care about your excuses and I don’t care about your pride. I just want you to be safe.” The color drained from Chrysalis’ face. Her pale visage startled Twilight out of her rage. She turned away. “I’m sorry . . . I didn’t mean to yell.”  She expected annoyance. Stubbornness. Maybe even anger. But the last thing that Twilight expected was for Chrysalis to whine and cower like a filly. “Chrysalis,” Twilight started, “I know you don’t want to do this–” “It’s not that I don’t want to.” Chrysalis sighed. “By the Queens above! I would absolutely love to feed off you. All night long, in fact.” She offered a coy smile that slowly devolved into a shamed look. “But I can’t.”  “Because it’s dangerous?” Twilight asked.  “Incredibly.” She shrugged. “And as much as I hate to admit it, you’re the one pony that I can’t bring myself to hurt.”  “Thorax told me. Everything.” Twilight started to move her hoof up Chrysalis’ flank, lightly stroking her shell. “He told me that you could get caught up in the moment. You’d drain me dry. And I’d end up either dead or just a husk. Right?”  “Yes.”  Twilight laughed, earning her a confused glance from Chrysalis.  “What’s so funny?” “Thorax spent  all night trying to talk me out of it.”  “Seems like he failed.”  “I know the risks, Chrysalis. It’s dangerous. I get it.” Twilight nodded slowly. “But I’ve already made up my mind. Try all you want, but it won’t change anything.”  “You’re a stubborn mare. You know that?” Chrysalis narrowed her eye.  “Only when I need to be.”  Their conversation gave way to silence. As the minutes ticked by, Chrysalis started to nod off again. This time, rather than try to wake her back up, Twilight took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she knew she had to do. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” Twilight whispered. She pulled herself closer to Chrysalis’ body, close enough that she could feel Chrysalis’ heartbeat pressing against her own. She could feel the heat of her fur clashing with the cold touch of chitin. Twilight ducked her head down, pressing her cheek against Chrysalis’ collar. Slowly, she drew her muzzle up the changeling’s neck, drifting close to her ear. “I hope you’re not too mad at me for this.”  Steeling herself, she pulled Chrysalis’ head to the side, bringing them cheek-to-cheek. The simple shift caused Chrysalis to stir.  “Twilight? Now what–” Her words were interrupted by Twilight’s lips brushing softly against her own. It took a few seconds before she realized what happened. By the time she could do something about it, she was already too late.  Twilight wrapped her front legs over Chrysalis’ shoulders and looped tight over the back of her neck. Her hind legs, meanwhile, wrapped around Chrysalis’ barrel. As hard as she fought to dislodge Twilight, she failed. Even if she could get a good grip, she didn’t have the strength to contend with an alicorn.  Their kiss broke for only a moment. Twilight’s gaze met Chrysalis’. “Please don’t do this, Twilight,” she pleaded.  “I have to. For your sake,” Twilight said, her breathing growing steadily heavier. Their kiss began anew. Chrysalis tried to struggle. She tried to fight. But she never stood a chance. With a trembling hoof, she started to caress Twilight’s cheek, tucking the loose strands of her purple mane back into place behind her ear.  Their kiss only intensified as Chrysalis’ defenses finally crumbled. Twilight released her grip, allowing Chrysalis to grab at her. Rather than try to toss her away, though, Chrysalis pulled her closer. The warmth from Twilight’s fur was enough to thaw the frozen night, and the frozen heart beneath it.  Still locked in their moment of passion, the couple’s weight shifted. They rolled off the edge of the cot and onto the hard tile floor. But that didn’t stop them. Twilight, now laying atop Chrysalis, curled in her wings, draping the two and shielding their private bond from the outside world. Chrysalis’ hooves traveled up and down Twilight’s body, following the lithe curves and her soft flank.  “I’m ready,” Twilight gasped.  Before she could catch her breath, Chrysalis pulled their muzzles together. But this time, Chrysalis tilted her head to the side, allowing their kiss a better angle. Twilight’s thoughts were in disarray. At least, she thought they were. At this moment, as Chrysalis’ tongue slipped into her mouth, Twilight couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t Chrysalis.  Her love.  Her whole world.  Twilight surrendered completely to Chrysalis’ control. She could feel something bubbling at her core. Something she had never felt before. Something warm. Something soft. Something she never wanted to let go of.  Without breaking their embrace, Chrysalis started to inhale deeply. Twilight’s muscles tensed, her fur stood on end. The more air the changeling took, the more Twilight’s lungs began to burn. Almost as though the air was being drawn straight from them. Eventually, Chrysalis pulled away. Twilight could see the emerald mist pouring from her lips and into Chrysalis’  Finally, having taken as much as she could, Chrysalis finally stopped the drain. Her lips closed around Twilight’s energy, and with a loud gulp, she swallowed. As Twilight marveled at the look of ecstasy on her lover’s face, she failed to notice the numbness spreading through her extremities until she collapsed, dropping her full weight against Chrysalis’ chest.  With a swift pounce, Chrysalis threw her weight, causing the two of them to roll even further from their bed. THis time, Chrysalis ended up on top. She put her full weight down on Twilight, pinning the alicorn beneath her while keeping them eye-to-eye. Twilight was struggling to catch her breath, partly from the drain, partly from the sheer elation flowing through her body.  No. Something was wrong.  As she met Chrysalis’ gaze, she didn’t see the changeling she’d spent the last few weeks with. Instead, she saw a wild glare and a hungry smile, the look of a predator who had caught their prey. Somewhere in the depths of Twilight’s mind, deep enough that she didn’t know it even existed, an inner voice called for her to fight, to scream, to panic at the sight of the creature that looked ready to consume her.  But she didn’t care.  She couldn’t.  She wanted Chrysalis. Her body. Her warmth. Her scent. Every piece of her became an addiction that Twilight couldn’t fight.  Their kiss began again. Despite the frightening visage, her movements remained gentle. Her lips felt softer than before. Her shell felt colder. Her heart beat louder, but Twilight’s started to slow. Then came the tongue. Then the breath. Twilight could do nothing but squirm as Chrysalis drew another breath of green mist from her. This time, without Twilight to restrain her, Chrysalis arched her back and tilted her head as she swallowed another piece of Twilight’s lifeforce. And as she did, Twilight deteriorated. The numbness that had claimed her limbs inched up her body. Her vision started to swim. Her heartbeat was slowing.  This was it, she realized, as Chrysalis returned for another kiss.  Twilight needed to fight. To push her away. She tried to remember Thorax’s words. He’d warned her about this, about this passion, this complete and utter enthrallment that Twilight couldn’t escape. This must have been it. At least, that’s what she would have thought, were she capable of it. Instead, she forced her weakening body to comply with Chrysalis’ demands, no matter the cost.  Another kiss.  Another breath.  Another trail of life draining from Twilight’s body.  This time, though, Twilight could no longer see the energy on her own breath. It had been drained away completely. This was it. This was the end. She would die here, nothing but a meal for Chrysalis.  And she couldn’t be happier.  If she was going to die, there wouldn’t be a better way to go. She would be part of her queen. As the last of her energy faded, Twilight’s eyes closed. Her heartbeat slowed to a dangerous degree. She didn’t try to fight the cold embrace of the abyss.  Then she heard a sputtering cough.  She forced her eyes open to see Chrysalis, just as she had been before, with her back arched and head leaning. But this time, she wasn’t swallowing. In fact, from the look and sounds, it sounded like she was choking. Twilight felt every muscle in the changeling’s body tense as she screamed.  Her head swung wildly, spattering Twilight with green mist and specks of warm blood. Twilight gasped as she revived. Her body was still stone and she still felt dizzy, but she was alive. For a moment, she felt disappointed. But, as Chrysalis’ magic faded, she felt a cold chill up her spine. She had been only moments away from death. And she welcomed it.  “There. Happy now, Twilight?” Chrysalis spat.  With a start, Twilight remembered she wasn’t alone. She tried to sit up, but her body didn’t have the strength for it. Still, she could see Chrysalis out of the corner of her eye, standing in the corner with her back turned.  “Kinda . . .” Twilight coughed.  Chrysalis turned, her eye filled with fury. She kept a hoof over her mouth. A thin line of blood was dripping down her chin. “You might be the craziest, most stubborn, most idiotic pony that ever existed! Queens above, Twilight, what were you thinking?”  Twilight kept quiet until Chrysalis finally cooled off.  “We had to. You were . . . you were going to die.”  “I know, but you . . .” Chrysalis sighed. She knelt down beside Twilight and started to lift her from the floor. Twilight couldn’t struggle. Neither could she help. She couldn’t even hold on as Chrysalis threw her over her back.  “What are you doing?”  “Going to bed,” Chrysalis said. She carried Twilight over to the gap up into her room. Twilight felt the changeling’s body start to tremble as two small slits opened in her back. New, pristine, slightly slimy wings protruded from her. They glowed with a radioactive green aura. She gave them a few experimental flaps, drying them. And, after securing Twilight in place, she took to the air. She buzzed up through the passageway and over to her bed, where she set Twilight and covered her with a blanket. Once Twilight was sufficiently comfortable, she stomped around the bed, sitting down on the far edge and hanging her head.  “Are you mad at me?” Twilight asked, her voice small and nervous.  “Livid,” Chrysalis growled. “You almost died, Twilight.”  “I know.”  “You know?” She scowled. “Is that all you have to say?”  “I didn’t have a choice,” Twilight moaned. Her dizzy spell only grew worse with each word. “I couldn’t just stand on the sideline and watch you die.” Twilight rolled onto her side, sinking her cheek into her pillow. “And I won’t apologize for it. I knew the risks. I decided you were worth it.”  “I . . .” Chrysalis’ voice trailed off with a sigh. “Just . . . don’t do it again, okay?”  “I can’t make that promise.” Twilight hesitated a moment. “I won’t make that promise.”  Chrysalis didn’t react. Her head hit the pillow, her body bent into a form mirroring Twilight’s. Together, they lay back-to-back, letting the silence of the night weight down on them with the rest of their blankets. The darkness tangled Twilight’s consciousness, but she struggled to stay awake. This conversation was far from over.  “Chrysalis?” Twilight asked.  No response.  “Fine.” Twilight tightened the grip on her pillow. “If you won’t talk, then I will.” As she spoke, she rolled onto her back, pushing her flank up against Chrysalis’ body. She stared at the broken and rotting rafters in the tower above. “I made a choice. It doesn’t matter if you’re happy about it. It wasn’t your choice to make.”  “Maybe It should have been,” Chrysalis growled.  “Well, tough luck,” Twilight barked. The boiling blood in her veins chased away sleep a little longer. “You were dying. And I had to save you. That’s all there was to it.”  “And what if you had died? Hmm?” Something in Chrysalis’ voice sounded off, but Twilight couldn’t pin down exactly why it bothered her. “Do you know how many ponies are counting on you? Your brother? Luna? Celestia?” She felt Chrysalis’ muscles clench. “You didn’t just risk your life. You risked their lives, too. You risked Equestria.”  Twilight struggled to sit up. “Since when do you care what happens to Equestria?”  “I don’t.”  “Then why do you care if I doomed them all? You don’t care about them.”  “I just . . .” Chrysalis’ voice cracked.  Twilight’s breath caught in her throat as she realized she recognized that sound. She leaned over Chrysalis’ side, trying to see her face. Chrysalis ducked away and covered her face in return. She wasn’t quick enough to stop Twilight from seeing the tears.  “Chrysalis?”  “You don’t get it, do you?” Chrysalis choked on a sob. It sounded somewhere between a laugh and a cry. “They need you.” She took a deep breath. “And I don’t just mean because of Celestia’s condition.”  “I don’t understand,” Twilight whispered. She reached for Chrysalis’ cheek, but the changeling shoved her back.  “You defeated Nightmare Moon. You reformed Discord. You stopped my invasion of Canterlot.”  “That wasn’t just me–”  “You’ve got friends, family, ponies that rely on you to help them through tough times. Did you ever stop to think of what might become of them? Or were you simply being selfish?” Twilight recoiled.“So what if I was?” She asked, shaking off the shock. Chrysalis exploded. She grabbed Twilight hard by the jaw and pushed her down against the bed. She leaned in close, her fangs bared, her eye wild. Twilight struggled against her iron grasp to no avail. “Because you still have others that care for you!”  Chrysalis’ chest heaved, desperate for air. Tears carved lines down her cheeks. Her teeth were grit, her jaw set. After a moment, her breathing slowed, but her grip only seemed to grow tighter. “Equestria needs you. Every pony out there is relying on you to save them, to protect them. Don’t you get that?” She released Twilight. “Everypony needs you, Twilight. Nobody needs me.”  Twilight took a second to recollect herself.  “That’s not true.”  “Of course it is. I know it for a fact. And so do you.” Chrysalis rolled back onto her side of the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, letting her tears run back into her splayed out mane. “You shouldn’t throw away your life for me. It’s not worth it . . .       I . . . I-I’m not worth it.”  “You’re wrong.” Twilight said, shaking her head.  Chrysalis closed her eyes. “Of course I am.”  “I need you.”  “No. You don’t.” This time, Chrysalis rolled toward Twilight, meeting her eye-to-eye. To Twilight’s surprise, the changeling was smiling as she cried. “As much as it hurts my pride to admit, I know you don’t need me.” “Yes, I do. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you, Chrysalis. The cure for Celestia, helping me rein in Luna, and just keeping me from losing my mind. Sometimes . . .” Twilight’s voice grew quiet. “Sometimes it feels like you’re the only one here who keeps me sane.”  “I am sure you would have found a way through each of those without me. Even the Nightmare.”  Twilight blinked. “The Nightwhat?” “The Nightmare?” Chrysalis repeated.  “I don’t know what that is, but I’m sure you helped a lot with that, too.” Chrysalis opened her mouth to respond, but wasn’t sure how. “But either way, fine. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t need you.” As Twilight let her head hang, she crept a hoof over the sheets, grabbing Chrysalis’ and gripping her tight. “But I want you . . .”  “Twilight . . .”  The princess squeezed Chrysalis’ hoof. “I want you to stay with me. To stay by my side. Regardless of what comes next, I want you to be here. I still owe you a new life, remember?”  “Yeah. I remember.” Chrysalis brushed a lock of Twilight’s mane out of her face. She wiped away a tear and chuckled. “You might be alone in thinking that, though.”  “I don’t care. It’s not the first time nopony’s believed me.” Twilight flashed her teeth in a prideful grin. “And I don’t mean to brag, but I usually end up being right,” she boasted. “So do me a favor and don’t sell yourself so short. You mean a lot to me. And I want to keep you around.”  “Alright. Fine. You win. I surrender.” Chrysalis rolled her eye. “I yield to the mighty princess.” Twilight gave a half-hearted, almost drunk cheer. “And now that we’ve settled that, why don’t you close your eyes and rest. It’ll be morning soon.”  “Yeah. That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Twilight said, driving her point home with a hearty yawn. “Goodnight, Chrysalis.”  And with that, Twilight turned again, resting with her back to Chrysalis. The soft pillow cradled her cheek. And even as she drifted off, she could feel Chrysalis’ gaze on her and hear her breathing.  “Goodnight, Twilight.”  She let a moment of silence pass.  “And thank you. For everything.”