//------------------------------// // Betrayal // Story: Fall of a Monarch // by Silent Quill //------------------------------// Failure; the hive had failed in its hostile assault on Canterlot; they had been ruined by the actions of one unicorn. Chrysalis remembered this crucial detail well as she stared out the window of her private chambers and over the Hive. The lone mare had seen through Chrysalis’ disguise, saved the true bride to be, and helped to ruin everything she had hoped would resolve the Hive’s desperate food shortage. One single mare had shown up unexpectedly to ruin months of hard work and destroy the future of Chrysalis’ entire race. It was all Twilight Sparkle’s fault. If she hadn’t been there, the invasion would have gone perfectly. No, her meddling had cost the Queen her hard-fought victory and the Hive hundreds of its best soldiers. Once more her Changelings were starving, the swiftly dwindling reserves of Love they still had from before the invasion unlikely to be enough even if rationed to last them through the year. Even after she had added to it with all she could spare from her prolonged exposure to Shining Armour, their reserves would not be enough. This sort of crisis had not struck the Hive in centuries. She had no idea how she was going to handle this staggering blow to the Hive. She grumbled as she glared out of the window of her private chambers, her spiteful gaze resting upon the moon in the sky. Everything had gone so very wrong. Her Changelings were starving, ponies were now wise to their existence which only made gathering nourishment harder, and the Hive was almost in open revolt at her failure. The small jar of honey which rested upon her windowsill, usually her only escape from the harshness of her rule and the grim future of those she watched over vigilantly, did nothing to calm the raging storm of self-loathing. The first true plan she had devised to resolve all of the Hive’s problems had blown up in her face. She turned her gaze towards the Changelings she could see down below tending to the Hive dutifully. Everything had been for them. The months of planning, meticulous work, and all of her self-sacrifice had been, ultimately, simply so she could see her Changelings prosperous and happy. Like how they had been back before the Bad Lands had been stripped of its ability to support plant life. Now she had to devise suitable punishments for those who were rebelling. The last time there had been a food shortage like this, the earth around them had only recently been turned into the harsh and unforgiving land they knew now. Something, just over a thousand years ago, had afflicted the land with a huge cataclysm of magic that had stripped the soil of its ability to support growth. Even then the Hive had dropped in population by almost sixty percent by the time they had managed to successfully provide sustenance for everypony. She knew there was a quote about fate favouring the bold, but in this case it seemed that fate was on the side of those who already had more than enough. Just once she wished that that kind of fortune would come the way of her Hive. There was a curt knock at the solid wooden door to her chambers and she sighed dejectedly. Another Changeling here to ask questions, no doubt; she wasn’t sure if she could continue to keep a brave face in front of them anymore. She’d failed them so despicably she wasn’t sure that they had any faith in her anymore. “Come.” The aged wood creaked open to reveal a young Changeling of royal lineage, her blood red mane, tail and back plate letting Chrysalis know exactly who this was. She grumbled internally; this conversation had just turned from bearable to aggravating. “Ah, Thistle, my sister, to what do I owe this… pleasure?” She said while barely keeping a civil tone. Thistle stepped into the room and closed the door behind her before moving over to her older sister’s bed and hopping on, bouncing on the springy mattress before she settled. This was not unlike her, she would usually find somewhere to sit within her sister’s room that Chrysalis would likely not want her. In this instance she had taken a moment before settling to unmake the bed. “Chryssie, the Hive has been rebelling since you returned.” She said matter-of-factly. “I’m impressed that your guards are managing to keep order; it’s almost become open rioting out there.” “I am aware.” Chrysalis grumbled. “They are almost at a point of needing some public punishment to pull them back into line; though I am at a loss as to what. Still, you have not answered my question. What are you doing here, what do you want?” Thistle gave a girlish laugh, though it felt much emptier of emotion than it sounded. “Do I need a reason to see my sister?” Chrysalis grumbled. “Since it is you we are talking about, sister; yes.” “Well, since you bring it up; there is one thing…” Here it came, the reason this little menace was bothering her sister in what was quite clearly a foul mood. It wasn’t anything unusual for her, however; Chrysalis and Thistle had never truly gotten along and she would often choose times when her sister was at her lowest to attempt to chip away at her resolve. Not to say that there was no reason for this. No, no; Chrysalis had more than just sibling rivalry to use as an excuse against her sister. Chrysalis and Thistle had always been opposites. Had Thistle rallied the invasion, the roads of the Golden City would have run red with the blood of its inhabitants, any building that could be would be burned to the ground, and the carnage would have simply spread from there. Her plans were usually half-cocked and dangerous, and would almost always involve a pointless waste of life. She didn’t even seem to see other Changelings as anything other than a potential new corpse to create. Chrysalis, conversely, was far more mindful of the potential resources that could be wasted through such recklessness. Ponies were their currently prime source of sustenance; murdering them for the sake of bloodshed was a waste of the love that could have been gained should they have simply captured them. And as for her fellow Changelings… well, she had always tried to be as accommodating as she could towards them. She’d even taken a mate once, many years ago. She’d loved that stallion like no other, and their children were her pride and joy for many years. She still had a photo of him on her bedside cabinet, the only reminder she had of him. Sadly their shared bloodline had ended not long before the invasion, their last grandfoal dying during a cave-in. She had been inconsolable for days, and only managed to pull back out of her slump just in time to begin her role replacing the princess. “The council have been holding meetings without you, sister.” Thistle said nonchalant. “And they’ve been talking about possible executions.” Chrysalis scowled. That was treasonous talk coming from her sister. “They’ve been considering capital punishment?” She sneered, “Fools, it’s a dead end for any Queen, they should know this much.” “Well, it’s about those… executions.” Thistle mumbled to her sister’s turned back. “I’ve heard them mention some details, but only in passing, and they usually clam up when they notice me. I’ve gotten the impression they don’t want either of us to hear. Maybe you’d be interested in knowing some details?” “Oh? You would tell me of their potential plans? This is most unlike you to aid me in any way usually you conspire against me.” Chrysalis shot over her shoulder as she watched a pair of Changelings fly off into the distance on a scouting mission. “Do you happen to know the names of any of their targets?” Thistle’s face split into a wicked grin as her horn began to glow. “Oh, I overheard one or two.” Green magic surrounded Chrysalis, lifting her from the ground as she cringed in pain. She hissed in fury. “Thistle you traitorous little foal! What are you doing?! Put me down this instant!” She began to breathe heavily as strength left her and her body rebelled as her own power was leeched from her, and she gave a loud pained yelp as her chitin split and fell from her body. Where the falling segments of her shed body struck the ground they burst into bright pink globes of energy, which were surrounded in a green haze of magic and moved towards Thistle. The now rapidly growing Changeling absorbed them into her body greedily. “All this power, all this love, kept selfishly away from the Hive! No longer will you keep sway over us, Chrysalis!” Thistle shouted. “The Hive has deemed that you are unfit to rule!” “And you think you are?!” Chrysalis yelled back furiously. “Stop this at once!” “I was chosen by the Hive; by their word I am to be the new Queen! Your failure in the Golden City has caused much unrest, the council vote is unanimous; you are deposed sister! By the will of the Hive I have been named your successor! So sayeth the Hive!” Thistle declared harshly. “You’re a violent foal who doesn’t understand how the world works! You’ll drive us to ruin!” Chrysalis snapped. “You mean like you have?” Thistle snarled in return angrily. “You who were too soft to simply kill the princess you were imitating!” Chrysalis’ body screamed at her in protest as the love and admiration of the Hive was literally drained from her body and absorbed by Thistle. Her bones groaned and shuddered, shrinking as her body was drained of love and magic. Her gossamer wings burned away as if on fire until they were the size of a hatchling’s, and her mane and tail also shed to a shorter length. A familiar weight fell from her head and the sound of her crown bouncing against the hard stone floor echoed in the room. “Killing ponies does not do us any good; when they are all dead, where will our love come from? Think about what you’re doing, you stupid filly!” After what felt to Chrysalis like an aeon, she was unceremoniously dumped onto the hard and unyielding ground, her body curling in on itself in aftershocks of pain and agony. She had never before felt so drained and weak, not even back when she was a newly born hatchling. She groaned and looked down at herself, recoiling mentally at what she saw. The loss of magic and strength had returned her to what she had not been in millennia. She was a filly. “It has been centuries since I last clapped eyes on you like this, sister.” Thistle’s voice hissed with her tone laced in venom and spite. “It’s nice to have the tables turned in our little spats for once. And who will need love, when we have their lands to cultivate our own food?” Chrysalis turned her eye to her sister, finding her to be taller and more regal, the crown which once sat upon her own head now resting atop her crimson sister’s. Her horn was long, proudly displaying the twisted power she held at her disposal. Unlike Chrysalis’ own horn, which spiked forward with segments missing, Thistle’s horn curled around halfway up in a momentary spiral before ending in the usual pointed tip. So Thistle still held on to her oldest plan to feed the Hive? It had been flawed from the start, Chrysalis had seen. “You cannot cultivate truly sustainable food on bloodied soil, Thistle. The magic of the land is befouled by blood spilled in conflict, and that in turn causes plants that grow upon the land to become dangerous and untameable! I may not preach peace, but destroying the land is foolish and won’t help anypony!” She wheezed at her. “You damn stupid filly.” She added under her breath. Thistle’s horn gave off a green glow, and Chrysalis found herself being lifted into the air once more, now being held before her traitorous sister. She flailed wildly to hold her balance before relenting and just shooting Thistle a spiteful and hate-filled glare. “Oh, poor Chryssie, not feeling very well are we?” She asked sardonically. Chrysalis’s horn began to glitter, and Thistle tilted her head back to avoid her sister taking it off with her offensive magic. “Ah ah ah, bad girl; we can’t have you attacking your new queen. Maybe a little discipline will teach you to show her some well-deserved respect.” Chrysalis went to snap back in response when a violent pain erupted from her forehead and her words turned into screams, her blood bursting from her fresh new injury and streaming down her face. Something black and gnarled fell past her eyes, but she didn’t need to look down to know what it was. Thistle had just snapped her horn in two. “That’s better.” Thistle hissed as she kicked the severed stub across the room. “And I have something to weigh down papers with.” Chrysalis only continued to holler in pain until her voice was hoarse and she could scream no more. The whole time she was suspended unnervingly above the ground cringing in pain, Thistle only watched her with a morbid and chilling Schadenfreude. “Why… how could you do this to me, Thistle? Have I not been at least fair on you? I certainly never hurt you!” Chrysalis huffed. “There’s more than one way to cause harm, Chryssie; for centuries I’ve been your ‘little sister’, always living in the shadow of big sister Chrysalis, the Queen with a spine of sponges. Ah, but don’t think about that now, you should worry about that terrible injury on your head. Oh, I hope you’re alright, it looks absolutely awful!” She said with her tone oozing mock sympathy. “And you’ve made such a mess of the floor! It will take forever to clean up all that blood!” “You… you have no idea what you’re doing; you’ve no idea what you’ve done.” Chrysalis hoarsely said. “They will never accept you, not after this; you’ve shown your least tasteful violent side, and none of our Changelings will accept a monarch with a heart of coal.” “They have no choice, Chrysalis. It’s my turn to rule now.” Thistle snapped firmly. “It should have been my rule from the beginning. Why mother chose you as her successor is beyond me.” Chrysalis laughed at that comment, actually amused. “Even after all this time, you still don’t understand? You truly are a foolish little filly.” “What are you talking about?” “A queen must be able to empathize with the population; while I have grown powerful from their respect, I do not feed off of it. I eat as they do. There is a reason I attend as many funerals as I do, there is a reason I wander the Hive and give couples my blessings. If you cannot see that a queen must be respected and loved by her Changelings, then you are unfit to rule.” For a moment Thistle’s face shifted, as if she was actually reconsidering what she had done, as if a part of her had rational mind had broken through and was coming to terms with what Chrysalis had just told her. Unfortunately it was buried once more beneath the craze that obtaining an immense amount of power brought upon a Queen. Chrysalis had suffered from this mild insanity herself, but she had been helped through it by her mother; she could only hope that Thistle would at least allow her to aid her sister in the same way lest her insanity take hold. “Now, as the new Queen, I think I’ll have to lay down a few new laws. Hmm, now what should I decree..?” She trailed off and let Chrysalis spin gently in her magic as she looked about as if to think. “Oh, I know! How about all failed past Queens shall be banished from the Hive? Does that sound like a good one?” She gave Chrysalis a terrifying and insane looking grin, her magic summoning ropes which bound Chrysalis’ small wings to her back. Well, there went that thought; she would stay insane. “Of course it sounds like a good idea, after all, your new queen thought it up. Well, with you falling under that new ruling, you simply have to go. Thank you for everything I’ve taken from you, thank you for everything you screwed up, and thank you for being truly useless. Now goodbye, Chryssie; it’s been a blast!” With that her magic burst with kinetic force, the pulse smashing Chrysalis through the glass window and launching her out across Equestria. She was at least thankful that her tough natural armour was strong enough to resist the sharp shards of tumbling glass shrapnel, but that would prove to be the least of her concerns. She watched in terror as the landscape swam by, over the desolate and barren Bad Lands and out over the border towns of Appleloosa and Dodge Junction. She could see ponies in the darkened towns below, but she passed overhead so swiftly she doubted they even noticed her, even if it had been daytime. Though she was certain she heard somepony below in Appleloosa shout 'Appleloosa' as if it were a shining diamond in a turgid swamp. It didn’t take long for her swift and impromptu flight to come to as swift and impromptu an end, the winter snow doing little to cushion her high speed and high altitude landing as she slammed into it and slid across the ground for a good ten feet and creating a good sized crater that a certain wall-eyed mare in Ponyville would be proud of. Needless to say however that she didn’t remember much after seeing the ground on her way down. *&*&*&* She awoke blearily not long after landing, her shell-shocked body resisting her commands to move as she struggled to look up and around. She could see the tree-line of a dense and foreboding looking forest off before her, and a small cottage made of a tree nearby. It was the middle of the night, and the lights of the cottage were off, evidently the inhabitant was asleep. In the other direction was a town, though again the lights were almost all off and the windows dark. She groaned as she struggled to move her hooves, attempting to flicker her magic across her body to disguise herself for at least that small amount of protection only for her concentration to falter and her horn to surge in pain, making her yelp. She couldn’t use magic to disguise herself..? This was not good. Again she struggled against her own body, managing to get her hooves to move to positions beneath her only for her left foreleg to collapse when she tried to put weight on it. It wasn’t until she actually looked at her leg that she began to feel the pain of the injuries her impact had inflicted on her. Her left foreleg had clearly snapped in the lower bone, she could feel several of her ribs had been broken, and her wings had been torn up by the harsh impact and the rope being torn from them. Her chitin, though sturdy, had barely sustained her landing, and she had acquired multiple splits in the hardened outer shell when it flexed beyond its maximum load. She couldn’t use magic, her body had been ravaged by the harsh and sudden landing, and almost every ounce of energy in her body had been drained by her traitorous sister. Well, this was an unfortunate turn of events. Again she struggled to her hooves, keeping her left foreleg held high to avoid putting any weight on it, and she looked about. Her marginally higher viewpoint allowed her to spot a bridge across a stream nearby, and she hobbled over to it, ducking beneath it and huddling in the gloom beneath it, thankful for whatever shelter it could provide. Some careless pony had left an old towel down here, and after shaking it out she pulled it over herself to hopefully keep herself warm from the harsh and unrelenting winter as she drifted into a restless sleep. She awoke the next day still beneath the bridge. Thankfully the towel had kept her from freezing to death, but now that she was awake she became aware of other concerns. Her landing had left a large and obvious crater in the snow and dirt, and ponies had come from the town to inspect it. The general thought from those she could hear was that it was a meteorite that had struck the ground and that somepony had come and recovered the astral object; though who it could have been was anypony’s guess as their mingling around had smothered the ground in hoofprints. She was thankful that the path she took from her landing spot had also been concealed by their arrival. She suppressed a groan as the pain she had felt the night before came back with a vengeance, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from making too noise, even as tears snaked across her face. Her body had suffered from the ravages of the weather, and she’d been shivering nonstop even in her sleep. The sun’s rays barely made their way to where she was hiding, not warming her even a tiny modicum. She could hear ponies around; clearly the town she had fallen near used this area often, even in winter. Her stomach groaned, demanding sustenance from its owner, and she shifted uncomfortably around it, trying to quieten it even a small amount. True, she had not eaten in quite some time, but never before had she been drained quite like this, not even with a reserve to consume like the Hive. No, she was, for the first time in many, many weeks, starving. Her mind’s voice spoke the only thing she was really thinking. ‘So this is what it’s like to die.’ The sound of her stomach had alerted ponies on the bridge above her, startling them into thinking that she was some kind of monster and fleeing. She didn’t care; if they found her, they’d probably drag her to some gaol cell where she would die of starvation. If they didn’t, she’d just… lie here until the same fate claimed her; unless she froze to death first. She didn’t know how long she lay there for; time passed slowly and without witness during winter, and she was only truly aware of the ponies above her on the bridge when her stomach protested loudly enough for them to hear her. Some of them had run off with frightened yells of a monster or Timber Wolves, while others had thought that the bridge was failing beneath their hooves. It was growing dark again when somepony grew brave enough to see what lurked beneath the bridge. Or, rather, a group of ponies. She was faintly aware of ponies looking at her, and she moved under her makeshift blanket to look back at them. Almost immediately she recognized the faces and colours of the ponies who were staring at her, and she shifted, for what she could, deeper into the hidden darkness beneath the bridge. “G-Go away!” A few of them seemed to notice her voice, as if recalling something. “T-Twi, that voice… is that..?” The lavender unicorn nodded her head. “She sounds younger, but it’s undeniable.” “No way! Her, here in Ponyville?!” Chrysalis ignored their voices, curling into as tight a ball as she could and trying to wrap her towel around her; she didn’t even notice the pain as she moved from the pool of frozen blood that she had left behind, or her leg protest as the broken bones shifted within. These five ponies along with the sixth, the one mare that had personally ruined the invasion, had found her. Well, at least now she could tell how she was going to die. Locked in a gaol cell alone and forgotten where she would starve to death. It seemed typical that the mare that had ruined the future of her Hive would also come along and ruin her chances to meet with death on her own terms. “Just go away…” Chrysalis breathed pitifully. “I’m going to die anyway, so just… just go away and leave me alone.” A faint blue glow surrounded her, wrapping her up tightly in the towel, admittedly the only thing she had, and lifted her from beneath the bridge. As she was moved carefully out from the darkness, the glow illuminated the patch of frozen blood she had left behind, and the sight of it made the group of ponies worriedly murmur. She’d have complained about being lifted with magic, but she couldn’t find it in herself to really care anymore. The lavender unicorn, the source of all of Chrysalis’ grief in life, collected her from the blue glow in her own faint purple magic, removing the towel from her body as she inspected the seriously wounded and partially frozen former queen. Chrysalis shivered as her only shelter from the cold was stripped from her, though she didn’t fight. She couldn’t; she’d been drained of so much energy and her body had become so weak that she simply couldn’t move anymore, and all she did was stare spitefully down at the unicorn who held her. “W-what, you’d rather kill me yourself than s-simply wait for nature t-to do it for you?” She grumbled. “Not t-that it would take long in this weather.” “Why is your horn broken?” The unicorn holding her aloft demanded. “What do you care?” Chrysalis hissed back. “Oh, I-I’m sorry, am I not l-living up to your expectations to die alone under a bridge? F-fine, I’ll go dig a pit!” She groaned painfully as she spat these last words, her damaged ribs protesting her heavy use of her lungs. She tuned out the worried muttering of the ponies around her; if she was going to die anyway, whatever they said now wouldn’t matter to her. “What are you doing here, Changeling?” The lavender unicorn growled. “I will not ask you second time.” “Not that you’ll get much of a chance to as right now I believe I’m dying.” Chrysalis grumbled. “I w-was exiled f-from the Hive. M-my sister, that t-traitorous hag stole m-my power and b-broke my h-horn before f-flinging me from the H-Hive.” She shuddered heavily, though not from the unicorn’s intense glare. “S-she tied up m-my wings and I l-landed here; or, r-rather over t-there.” She added, nodding to where she had left an indentation in the snow. The orange earth pony took a tentative step forward. “Yer talkin’ kinda funny.” “I-I happen to be f-freezing to d-death!” Chrysalis snapped. “I lack the f-fur that y-you ponies have, if y-you haven’t n-noticed!” She stared down at the towel beneath her, resting in the snow and now long since soaked through, and the unicorn holding her followed her gaze. “Well, t-there goes t-that…” Chrysalis grumbled. “Fat loads of g-good that t-towel’s going t-to do me n-now.” She yawned wide and slowly let her eyes drift shut. “If y-you don’t m-mind, I-I’m just going t-to sleep for a l-little while. W-wake me when I-I’m not banished a-anymore…” She faintly heard Twilight Sparkle protesting, and felt her body be shaken in a vain attempt to keep her awake while Twilight’s voice was joined by the worried voices of her friends, but they all fell into muffled silence as her world went dark once more. *&*&*&* She awoke in a darkened room, though her body was weak and she couldn’t move even if she wanted to. She could see fabric all around her in large rolls, as well as a well-stocked and sorted rack containing spools of thread, a sewing machine off in one corner appeared disused and dusty. This was a storage room of some sort, she could tell that much, though why anypony would want this much fabric and sewing supplies was beyond her. It was warm here, the basket she lay within containing a soft cushion beneath her and a thick quilted blanket atop her helping to preserve her body heat. What was left of it in any case, she had lost so much out in the snow and under the bridge that she was surprised she had woken up at all. She groaned and raised her head for what she could in an attempt to see where she was, or where the warmth within the room was coming from, though she was thankful for it all the same. She could hear faint voices coming from beyond the room’s door. “H-hello..?” She called out worriedly. The voices stopped, and the sound of hooves approached the room and somepony opened the door, peering in at her curiously. It appeared to be a young filly, and she turned back to where the voices had been coming from. After a short exchange of soft speaking, more hooves moved towards the room and pushed the door open, revealing the six ponies that had dragged her out from her hiding place. They appeared… concerned..? That was certainly unexpected. “Are you alright?” The lavender one, Twilight Sparkle, asked worriedly. “Why do you care?” Chrysalis asked with her voice croaky and weak yet still conveying what little defiance she had. “You fell asleep with hypothermia; you could have died!” Chrysalis huffed. “Again I ask; why do you care? You certainly didn’t find it difficult to help kill hundreds of my Changelings after we attacked the Golden City and commandeered the wedding of your ‘precious’ brother, I fail to see your motive to do anything beyond letting me die.” “Twilight wouldn’t..!” the orange earth pony began to protest before the unicorn in question lifted a hoof to cut her off. “I admit I considered it.” Twilight said faintly after a momentary pause and a steadying breath, earning shocked gasps from the ponies around her. After a determined glare down at Chrysalis she continued. “But I would never condemn another to die if there is something I can do, regardless of who they may be or what they have done.” Chrysalis huffed faintly. “And I had no idea that any of the Changelings from the attack didn’t survive; we’ve had no word from border guard or any of the towns about Changelings. I had figured that you’d simply learned your lesson and gone away.” “We cannot just simply hide from Equestria when our food supplies are so dangerously low.” Chrysalis grumbled. “I suppose you’ve informed the town guards about my presence now that you’ve found and captured me, and we’re simply waiting for them to arrive to cart me off.” She finished with a miserable huff. Twilight giggled. “Oh no, I wrote to Princess Celestia.” Chrysalis’ eyes shrank. “You did what?! Why on Equestria would you do that?” “Well, I am her personal student after all; this is something she would very much like to be informed about.” Chrysalis sighed heavily. “Well, I guess it’s been at least a somewhat… decent life, though I’d have liked to at least have tried for more foals someday.” She grumbled, resting her head on her forelegs. “When I get to the afterlife, I’ll be sure to mention you; I’m sure your ancestors are looking forward to meeting you all.” It was the collective group of ponies’ turn to look puzzled at her gloomy words. “Uh, come again..?” Their orange earth pony friend asked. “Just because you can find it somewhere in the deepest recesses of your heart to forgive and help me doesn’t mean that Princess Celestia will.” Chrysalis huffed. “Having been a ruler for as long as I have, I wouldn’t be surprised if she decided to banish me to the sun.” “Why don’t you just let her make up her own mind for herself?” Chrysalis cringed at this new but familiar voice, and she tugged herself deeper into her basket as the heavier footfalls thudded against the carpeted floor. Even without her horn, Chrysalis could feel the immense power that radiated from the being that now stood tall above her, and she curled herself deeper into her only refuge before sighing. What was the point? It didn’t matter how safe she made herself feel, this pony would still manage to do whatever she felt she needed to do to her regardless. Banishment, imprisonment… She could actually manage to be banished to somewhere and be imprisoned there. She laughed at herself inside. Imprisoned in the place she was banished to after being banished from the place she was originally banished to. That was a hell of a mouthful; she could only imagine what ponies would call her. ‘The monster in Tartarus’ sprung to mind as a suggestion. “Get it over with.” Chrysalis grumbled up at her, lifting her head from the basket and resting it on the side. “It’s not like I don’t have the rest of my life to not live.” “Get what over with?” The princess asked, her tone conveying her toying mood. “The execution of your captured enemy; you know, the one who currently cannot fight back.” Chrysalis huffed. “Come on, it’s not nice to keep those expecting to die waiting. While your student you can simply reprimand for being too soft, you have no excuse; so here I am, the former leader of your newest enemy, just waiting for you to drag me to the gallows. Or guillotine. Or whatever it is you use to execute war criminals that screwed up so badly they managed to get several hundred of their own beings killed.” “I was under the impression that we might be able to at least converse first, but you’re certainly showing much more of a defeatist personality than I recall you having.” “I’m so sorry to disappoint you, but since I can’t even cast magic to disguise myself, I see no point. I’m a useless cripple now, so I might as well be dead.” Chrysalis snapped. “So excuse me for not bothering to prolong the inevitable.” “Useless is a bit strong a term.” Celestia amusedly stated. “I would think that ‘untapped potential’ has a nicer ring to it. Though since you have brought up the subject of your crippling, what has happened to your horn?” Chrysalis sighed. “My traitorous sister snapped it off,” She grumbled, “Shortly after draining almost every ounce of energy from my body; magic or otherwise. Stupid filly has no idea what she’s done.” “I fail to see how it would be fair to harm you in such a way? Surely banishing you with your horn intact is just as poignant a statement?” Twilight suggested. Chrysalis shook her head. “No, I was Queen you see; we gain power through the admiration, respect and love of the Hive; even after taking every ounce of my power for herself, my sister would still have those who oppose her and support me, so, to stop me from gathering their supportive energy, she removed my horn. I cannot gather love energy without it, nor can I cast spells beyond basic levitation, though even that will come with a risk of backfiring. Without being able to disguise myself, I’m as vulnerable as a newborn kitten. “The fact that she was mocking me after having drained my power and me then lashing out at her may have played a part, but I hardly think that she cares about that so much, so long as she has no competition. So, go ahead, kill me; it’s not like death hasn’t waited long enough to claim my worthless hide.” There was a nervous and awkward silence in the room for a minute or two before Princess Celestia sighed. “Much like my student, I also shan’t kill you or have you killed.” She said. “Though your actions in Canterlot warrant punishment, I don’t doubt that you’ve managed to be punished quite effectively by your own Hive, and I also must factor in that our laws prohibit the execution of anypony. I do find myself at quite a loss as to what to do with you however, or where you should stay. I cannot bring you to Canterlot; your safety cannot be guaranteed whenever my sister or I would not be watching you, and the political ladder-climbers in Canterlot would surely call for your head. Perhaps here in Ponyville?” She looked about at the six ponies with her hopefully. “Ah can’t have her at mah farm, there’s no tellin’ how Granny Smith will react to havin’ her about…” The orange earth pony admitted. “Though it’d be super-duper fun, I don’t think the Cakes would like it if she were around the foals…” Said the pink earth pony, her energetic cheerfulness dwindling as she spoke. “I live in the sky and her wings are shredded.” Their rainbow-maned Pegasus friend said sharply. Her reply prompted Chrysalis to tuck her wings beneath the large protective plate on her back. “If she fell there’s no way she’d be going anywhere but into a body bag.” “Um, animals don’t react well to Changelings…” Came a barely audible and timid voice from somewhere within the yellow Pegasus’ long pink mane. “And Angel Bunny doesn’t like new ponies at the best of times...” Twilight sighed after a moment of thought. “I would say yes, Princess, but… I cannot deny some… animosity towards her; I also don’t know how Spike would react to having the ex-queen of the changelings under our roof after the wedding incident.” She said before cringing as if the princess would punish her. She only returned from her cringe when the princess’ wing came to rest over her shoulders and she gave an understanding nod. The group of ponies looked over to the remaining unspoken unicorn who seemed to have been in thought the whole time. She gave a sigh and nodded firmly. “I suppose I shall have to, shan’t I?” She asked rhetorically. “Very well, but this will not be a free ride; I expect you to help out about my boutique, I’m sure I can think of something you can do.” With a second sigh she added. “I shall have to see to getting the guest bedroom ready; hopefully it’s not in too much disarray.” “I am fine in here.” Chrysalis said. “Keep your guest room for guests, not unwanted burdens.” “Well, at least that is solved.” Celestia said amusedly. “Rarity, I would like for you to send weekly reports on… I’m sorry; I don’t remember ever being told your name..?” “My name is Chrysalis.” She mumbled, before curling back up. “I’m surprised that Mi Amore did not tell you, though I imagine I’m just another time in her life she would like to forget.” “Chrysalis, yes; as I was saying, I would like you to send weekly reports on Chrysalis’ progress in Ponyville; I don’t expect you to send much more than an obligatory message should nothing of real note come up, but at the same time I would like you to keep an eye on her. If you think she could become a threat, you are to notify me immediately.” Her eyes glanced between the six ponies assembled before her. “That goes for all of you.” The massed ponies nodded in sullen and silent understanding, though afterwards Twilight’s voice spoke up worriedly. “But… what about feeding her? I’m sorry princess, but I don’t think we can supply her with love just like that… and what about the ramifications of allowing her to feed on us, like she did to Shining Armour? She could have killed him!” Chrysalis huffed. “Love, while capable of keeping our bodies from starving to death, only truly serves to bolster our magic and stave off starvation.” She grumbled. “We can eat just as well as you ponies can. Fruits, grasses and vegetables suit us just fine.” Celestia blinked at the ornery changeling partially hidden within the wicker basket. “Then why does your hive not simply cultivate the land?” “Because we cannot; the land around the Hive is barren of life and nourishment for growth, and it is too far from any fertile land for any transported foodstuff to stay edible by time it arrives. We turned to our only realistic source of food. While our physiology allows us to be capable of consuming meat, that is an avenue I would not allow as it requires something to die.” “You are telling us an awful lot about your Hive and its plights; don’t you worry that Equestria could use this against you..?” Twilight Sparkle asked nervously. “I mean, they’re your own race, your Hive…” Chrysalis huffed. “They abandoned me.” She mumbled. “I don’t… I don’t care anymore.” “Surely there are those amongst your kind you care for?” Twilight questioned. She shook her head, though it was unseen by the ponies in the room. “My last love died almost a century ago, and my last grandfoal joined him just before the invasion.” She said, her voice wavering a little. “I… I have nothing left back there apart from subjects who have abandoned me and a sister who attempted to commit sororicide.” There was a sullen silence punctuated only by the orange pony mumbling confusedly. “Sorroriwhat?” “It’s the act of murdering one’s sister, Applejack.” Rarity hissed in reply. “Oh.” Celestia shot them an irritated glare, and they recoiled under her gaze, remembering how impolite they were being. “Chrysalis;” Celestia began firmly, “you are, henceforth, placed under the care of Rarity. Anything you do that could threaten Equestria will earn you time within Canterlot’s dungeons. You are expected to at least try to get along with the residents of Ponyville, though if you want to become a recluse I suppose there is little I can do to convince you otherwise. “From time to time my sister, I, or a representative of the crown will arrive to ask questions about your kind; this may include Twilight Sparkle, as she is my most trusted student and an avid learner. If I am not the one questioning you, one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony must be present at all times. This is non-negotiable. While I give you my oath that I will never assault you, I cannot speak for my subjects, and as a refugee whom I am granting asylum within Equestria your safety is of our top concern. “However, I believe that our first priority is to get you something in you; we can’t have our first changeling refugee starving to death on us, can we?” She finished with a cheeky giggle. “Applejack, if you could make some of your fantastic soup for her please? I am unsure if she could manage solids in her weakened state.” Applejack hesitated, but after giving the huddled and still shivering form of Chrysalis a glance she nodded and left for the kitchen. “Come now everypony, I believe we should let her get some rest.” Celestia said, starting to usher the other ponies from the room. “Wait.” The moving bodies paused hesitantly. “The… the pony who appeared at the door, when I called out..?” “That was my little sister, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity replied. “She has been staying here with me for some time. You may need to become accustom to her as well, not to mention her friends.” Chrysalis sighed and nodded, shifting beneath the blanket uncomfortably and prompting the mares to continue to leave. “Celestia..?” She called before the diarch could step out of the door, the regal Alicorn pausing to look in her direction. “Yes Chrysalis, what is it?” She hesitated awkwardly, struggling to muster the nerve to speak her mind. “I feel I need to warn you; my sister has gained a huge amount of power in a short amount of time, and this sends Queen Changelings into a form of insanity. When I first became the queen I was only able to keep my sanity thanks to my mother, but Thistle has no such aid. She will be dangerous and cannot be trusted.” She said cautiously. “Should another Changeling Queen present herself to us she will be detained first and asked questions later.” Celestia said slowly and deliberately, earning a nod from Chrysalis. “And… Thank you; for giving me a chance…” Celestia smiled and gave a curt chuckle. “You’re welcome, Chrysalis. I have always been a believer in second chances; I pray that you will not waste yours.” She said warmly before walking out. Chrysalis watched as the light in the room faded with the creak of the storeroom door closing, and she closed her eyes to drift to sleep. *&*&*&* “Princess, you can’t honestly be considering letting that… changeling stay here?” Rainbow Dash protested. “And why would I not, Rainbow Dash?” “She tried to take over Canterlot!” “Desperate acts of a desperate monarch.” Celestia stated. “Though I don’t claim to know what truly possessed her to carry out such an assault, I can at least see her main reasoning towards its occurrence. She could have tried diplomacy, yes, but… as she was before, I am unsure if it had even occurred to her. This incident with her Hive seems to have opened her eyes.” “Yes, but only after breaking her spirit and crushing her soul.” Rarity added. “We all saw what she was like at the wedding; she’s a shell of who she once was.” “And we can’t just ignore her own wellbeing in all of this, Dash;” Twilight pointed out, “You heard her when we found her, she was almost begging to die. To think that she had fallen so far in such a short time…” “With no support from her own people, and being almost literally thrown to the wolves by being banished to Equestria, she may not have predicted any other outcome. Mayhap that is why diplomacy was not attempted; she didn’t seem to think we were even capable of such mercies…” Rarity sighed. “I may be the Element of Generosity, but I must admit I find even myself hard pressed to find the imagination to conjure the kind of generosity she just received.” “Well, as long as she doesn’t freeload, then it ain’t all charity.” Applejack said as she dawdled in from the kitchen, the smell of her apple soup cooking following her. “But… Ah gotta side with Twi’ on this one. Ah mean, Ah can tell when somepony’s lyin’ to me, but… Ah dunno, she just weren’t holdin’ anything back, she really doesn’t have anythin’; even her health was quittin’ on her when we found her wrapped in that dogged old towel.” “It still is, Applejack.” Celestia pointed out. “Unless she receives proper care for the next few days, she won’t survive what her fatigue and the cold has managed to inflict on her. She may be an adult mentally, but physically she is a filly, and her body is as frail as the youngest of your sister’s classmates.” She sighed and gazed apologetically at Rarity. “I’m sorry, but she will be incapable of doing much other than eating, sleeping and using the bathroom for the next few days, she may even need more professional care than you can provide yourself.” “That’s alright Princess, I’ll be sure to drop in every day to make sure she’s getting better.” Fluttershy said calmly. “I mean it’s the least I could do, and we’re all in this together, right?” Celestia nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Fluttershy.” Applejack took a moment to check on the soup, returning soon after with a filled bowl and a spoon. The smell of cinnamon, apples and cream wafted through the room, the only telltale scents that the soup had that told of its possible contents. Far more than just apples, cinnamon and cream went into the broth, and the majority of them went unnamed as an Apple Family Secret. Applejack would often say this about many things, with the capitols almost audible in her prideful voice. “Ah, I think Twilight should be the one to deliver this.” Celestia commented. “Me, Princess..? But…” “Humour me, Twilight.” She said calmly. Twilight sighed and lifted the bowl that Applejack had brought out magically before moving through the room and into the small walkway between the rooms. Tentatively she moved to Rarity’s storeroom and opened the door, looking into the gloom for a moment before entering. She wasn’t surprised that Chrysalis hadn’t moved from her basket, nor that she didn’t look up at her unicorn visitor. She moved across the room as if nothing was amiss and lay the bowl and spoon down next to the basket in which Chrysalis continued to gently shiver away her hypothermia. “Your soup is ready, eat up.” Chrysalis shifted and looked over the edge of her basket at the soup miserably before sighing and resting her head against the edge of the basket, looking away from the mare that had brought her piping hot meal. “You really should eat.” Twilight pushed. “I shall eat it when it has cooled a little; starving I may be, but I still retain enough of my senses to know I don’t want to add burns to my already long list of ailments.” Chrysalis breathed. Twilight hesitantly nodded before turning to leave. “Miss Sparkle.” Twilight hesitated, turning her head to the only other inhabitant of the room. “Y-yes..?” For a moment or two Chrysalis was silent, finding her nerves and courage. “I’m… sorry.” She mumbled. “For Canterlot and your brother… And, well, everything else.” Twilight sighed and turned back around, strolling over to the Changeling’s basket and sitting down to face the shivering former queen. “That may be, but it will take more than just saying sorry for you to earn my forgiveness.” Twilight said firmly. “Your actions nearly ruined my relationship with my brother, almost killed my old foalsitter, crippled my mentor for days, and seriously damaged Canterlot. ‘Sorry’ just isn’t enough to make up for all that. It’s a nice start, but… it will take a lot more.” Chrysalis sighed and nodded, curling back up in her basket as Twilight stood and went to leave. “Don’t forget to eat, Chrysalis; you need your strength.” The door swung almost shut, the darkness and fabric-heavy room drowning out the faint sound of Chrysalis’ sobs and making them inaudible to the retreating unicorn. Twilight dawdled back out to the main showroom of the Carousel Boutique, bumping into a white wall of velvety fur that knocked her out of the thoughts that hounded at her mind. Was Chrysalis planning something? Could she simply be faking all of this in order to stab them in the back? She looked up at Celestia apologetically. “I’m sorry, Princess.” Celestia considered her. “It’s alright, I’m fine.” She said patiently. “Twilight… why are you out here?” Twilight blinked in confusion. “Uh… I delivered her soup and wanted to get back?” Celestia sighed. “Twilight, I expected you to remain there with her to help her.” She said calmly. “Surely you saw her when you brought her in, she can barely move her exhausted muscles and she cannot use magic; how exactly do you expect her to eat?” Rarity’s voice called from behind the Princess. “Has anypony seen Opal? It’s time for her dinner. It’s quite unlike her to miss her meals…” A pained shout from within the storage room drew their attention, and the three mares hurried into the room. They found Chrysalis shivering beneath Opalescence, who moved to lap delicately at the food that had been left for the now frightened and cowering Changeling. Rarity grumbled and lifted the molly from her perch and out of reach of the food with her magic. “Opalescence, how dare you! Leave Chrysalis alone; you have your own food!” She snapped at the ornery and prissy feline before dumping her outside the door and nudging her off with a hoof irritably. “Go on, shoo!” Twilight sighed and sat next to the basket, using her magic to shift its contents and get a clearer look at the cowering former queen within. “Chrysalis, are you alright? She didn’t hurt you, did she?” Chrysalis huffed as the blanket was pulled from her face, fresh new scratches across her right cheek indicating what the cat had done to ensure her compliance. It didn’t seem to have done much more than mar the sleek chitin, but it had evidently been enough to frighten her. Twilight sighed again and shifted the quivering Changeling in the basket with her magic, earning a cry of fright. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hurt you did I?” Chrysalis shook her head. “N-no, I’m just not used to being marehandled…” She mumbled before giving a weak and humourless laugh. “Look at me. I was the ruler of an army of thousands; I fought Princess Celestia into submission in her own home… now I can’t even fend off a cat. I’m so pathetic.” “I shouldn’t have left you alone; it totally slipped my mind that you can barely move, so I didn’t think that you might need help with your soup… I certainly didn’t think that Rarity’s cat would come in.” “We’ll close the door whenever you’re alone in here or we bring in some food.” Rarity said. “I apologise for Opal’s behaviour, it is… most unlike her.” “Animals dislike Changelings; it’s a well-documented fact amongst our kind.” Chrysalis sighed. “She was only doing what came naturally, taking food from something… beneath her. I was not even aware that a cat lived here, I’ll certainly have to keep in mind to avoid her in future.” She sighed and turned an eye to Twilight who lifted the soup spoon with her magic. “You don’t need to baby feed me, Miss Sparkle.” “But you can’t…” Twilight went to protest. “It is only soup.” Chrysalis sighed. “A straw will suffice.” Twilight hesitated, giving her a nervous glance. “A-are you sure? I mean, it’s no hassle.” “Please, Twilight;” Chrysalis began with a quivering voice, “I was once a queen. Though I may now be fallen, please let me keep at least a little of my dignity…” She looked up at Twilight, barely containing her tears. “Please…”