//------------------------------// // Storytime // Story: Fall of a Monarch // by Silent Quill //------------------------------// Twilight grumbled as she entered the sparkling clean white kitchen of the Carousel Boutique. Her brother and his subordinate were here already, the latter being held in place by the former’s magic quite tightly. Rarity fussed behind the kitchen counter making tea and shot Twilight a cheeky smile. Everything had gone according to plan. Well, everything except Cluey being as monstrously impertinent as he had just been. After telling Fluttershy she could go upstairs and assist Chrysalis she stepped over to the table and sat opposite her brother, her eyes boring holes into his otherwise calm visage and making him start to nervously lose his cool. “That could have gone a lot better.” She huffed. “Not that I didn’t expect your behavior, Shiny, but more that I really didn’t think that he” she nodded angrily to Cluey, “would be so crass. I’m sorry if it managed to slip by you, but she happens to be emotionally unst-” “Miss Sparkle, you clearly do not understand how acting works for these creatures.” Cluey announced. “Chrysalis wants us to sympathize with her so that we let down our guard, which would make it easier for her to feed. Honestly, you act as if she-” Twilight snorted irritably at him. “Don’t finish that sentence, Cluey.” She hissed. “If you still question the validity of her story, you can just go ask Applejack.” “Who would that be, and why would her opinion matter?” Shining sighed. “Cluey, did you read the dossier about the Elements of Harmony I sent out to all commanding officers?” He asked sternly, Cluey shaking his head in response. “You idiot, there’s a reason I sent that out. Applejack is the Element of Honesty. She can tell when someone is lying to them if she really doubts them.” “That seems… implausible.” Cluey argued. “Chrysalis told all of us her story when she came to last night.” Twilight informed. “Celestia was in attendance, as was Applejack. We asked her afterwards if she’d heard any lies from Chrysalis and she said no. If you want to doubt the validity of the Element of Honesty you can go ask her.” Cluey opened his mouth to protest but his voice stopped when he saw the look that Shining shot his way, a look that threatened not only punishment but a substantially reduced rank, possibly even to a rank which would have him scrubbing the barrack toilets forevermore. “If anything should be done right now, I believe that it is punishment followed by being given a strict set of rules to follow.” Twilight said sternly. “I shouldn’t have to be dragged from my studies to protect Chrysalis from Princess Celestia’s chosen representative because he’s doing something he shouldn’t be doing.” She punctuated the end of her irritable snap with a glare at the accused unicorn. “Tea’s up, dears.” Rarity called as her magic levitated the cups and saucers to the table, followed by a jug of milk and the sugar bowl. “Thank you Rarity.” Twilight said before returning her attention to her brother. “As I was saying - punishment; I’m not part of the Royal Guard, so I don’t know exactly how he should be punished for his actions. I believe that falls into your field of expertise, doesn’t it?” “What exactly is he being punished for?” Shining asked nervously. He’d not seen his sister act like this in a very long time, and it hadn’t ended well that time either. His right flank still stung every time he thought about it. “He stormed in on a filly taking a bath and then assaulted a refugee!” Twilight snapped. “And he attempted to use the same spell a second time when you arrived! After Rarity told him to leave she came around to the library with a report to send to the Princess on Chrysalis’ recovery, and let me tell you that she was just as unimpressed by Cluey’s behavior as we are, and instructed me to ask Chrysalis about the spell he had used on her. I can only tell you how disappointed I am that he tried it a second time.” “The spell I used was a simple lie detector that would-” “What you used was a lie detector spell which was supposed to flash red if she lied; instead you modified the spell to tighten around her neck whenever she said something you disapproved of.” Twilight interrupted. She raised an eyebrow at his disbelieving stare. “I’m the Princess’s private pupil, remember? Not to mention that Chrysalis has been alive and around magic longer than all of us combined, I’m not surprised that she has a rather comprehensive knowledge on its use.” Shining Armour sighed. “It will be handled, Twi.” He said. “Make sure it is.” Twilight grumbled. “Now, beyond punishment we have further matters to discuss, namely these little meetings with Chrysalis.” She took a quick sip of her tea before returning her attention to the stallions at the table. “They are not an interrogation of a criminal, no matter her prior crimes. Celestia has already pardoned her of these charges after hearing certain pieces of evidence from Chrysalis herself; furthermore she is offering us her expertise on her kind free of any form of due. I’m no psychologist, but I can only guess that she feels she owes us, owes Equestria, for letting her live when she believes we had every right to execute her. She almost demanded that Celestia do just that last night.” “That she would even think execution is one of our punishments speaks volumes of the laws that govern her kind…” Cluey mumbled. “Their culture is probably almost nothing like ours; while we’ve been ruled and protected by Princess Celestia for millennia, the most they’ve had is Chrysalis. The Hive, from what I’ve heard Chrysalis say of it, has been in near constant famine for a thousand years. Such punishments might be more acceptable because of the limited resources of their Hive.” “My, that number gets bounced around a lot, doesn’t it?” Rarity mused. “’A thousand years.’” “It is possible that the conflict between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon caused irreparable damage to the lands in which the Changeling Hive is situated.” Twilight said. “I mean, from subtle information in history books, it did twist the Everfree Forest into what it is today; a missed shot from one of their magical battles could have caused the deadening of the land beyond Appleloosa, where the Bad Lands begin. The land down there is… unnaturally difficult to maintain for Equestria. Almost infertile; Appleloosa is essentially our border with the untamed.” “But if that’s the case, then the conflict in Canterlot and the current situation for the changelings could…” Shining Armour mumbled. Twilight nodded. “It could technically be our fault entirely.” The ponies sat in an uncomfortable and awkward silence for a few moments punctuated only by Rarity taking a long sip at her tea. “Well, if any rules are to be implemented, I insist in no more armour.” Rarity announced, before waving a hoof at the look that Shining gave her. “Not you dear, I mean the attire. This isn’t some inquisition that you’re here to undertake, this is a simple matter of information gathering from a willing source; she’s in no condition to be dangerous, and I hardly think it will endear us on her to be constantly in armour when questioning her. After the wedding and what has happened to her recently, I can only assume that she might be most disquieted by seeing guards in armour.” She shot Cluey a wary glare. “Had you arrived with a weapon I would have denied you entrance entirely, orders from the Princess or not.” Cluey grumbled at this, but did not protest. “You will wait patiently for Chrysalis to be ready for you in future meetings, too.” Rarity continued. “Captain of the Royal Guard or not, she is still a mare and you have no right to barge in on her unannounced as you did today. It was both extremely rude and, do forgive me if I’m incorrect, illegal for you to impose your presence upon her like that.” Shining Armour shot Cluey a glance that he had the decency to look ashamed at. “Finally, and most importantly, you will not ignore that one of the Elements are to be in the room when you are questioning Chrysalis.” Twilight hissed. “Such a precaution is not for your protection, but hers. The last thing we need is some half-cocked royally appointed representative to attempt to kill her for something she has already been pardoned over.” “However, Twilight, don’t think I’m letting you off the hook for not telling me about this.” Shining Armour shot across the table. Twilight gave him a sheepish grin. “It wasn’t exactly my call, but I didn’t think that you really needed to know. I left it to Celestia to inform you, something I expected her to do at your morning briefing.” “And why did you feel that I did not need to know?” Twilight sighed. “If I hadn’t been there, what would you have done to Chrysalis? Would you have beaten her? Burned her? Would she even be conscious at this point? How far would you have taken your revenge for the attack on your wedding just to get your own revenge?” Shining grumbled. “You can’t imagine-” “How you feel about it?” Twilight asked sharply. “I’m pretty sure I can, Shining. After all it wasn’t just you she nearly ruined. She almost destroyed what we had together, almost killed Cadance and Princess Celestia, threatened the friendships of me and my friends; I very nearly did leave her to die when we found her, but…” “’But’?” “But I had to think of what my friends would think of me, what the Princess would think of me, for letting my personal feelings cause the death of somepony.” Twilight stated firmly. “What they would think of me for letting my feelings take me down such a dark path..?” She sighed and looked down at her tea sadly. “Fluttershy alone would never speak to me again…” Fluttershy stepped into the kitchen and moved to the table where she took a seat next to Rarity where the white mare had put a cup of tea out for her. “How is she, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked. “She’s still a little upset.” The yellow Pegasus replied quietly. “And her leg hurt her to move so I could splint and strap it.” She calmly took a sip of her tea and settled her cup back on the table. “She was knitting when I left her, but she promised she would get some rest soon. Her breathing was a little hindered, but she was lying on her front and with her already broken ribs…” “Fluttershy, you actually handled her supposedly injured leg,” Cluey began, “can you actually say for sure that it is injured?” Fluttershy cringed from his firm tone and squeaked in fright, not replying until Rarity put a hoof on her shoulder reassuringly. “Y-yes, I can say for sure that her left foreleg is broken almost in the middle of her radius.” “How severe a break are we talking?” Cluey pushed sternly, earning an irritable groan from Rarity and Twilight in unison. “It’s a closed oblique fracture caused by her landing just on the outskirts of Ponyville.” Fluttershy replied meekly. “The bone has snapped into two, and she can’t move her wrist until it heals.” She turned her head to Rarity and tapped the table with her hoof. “Keep an eye on her; I don’t think she is aware of how badly using that leg will hinder her healing.” Rarity nodded. “Of course, Fluttershy.” Shining Armour gave Fluttershy an incredulous look. “How on Equestria..?” “Oh, I handle animals quite a lot and I’m used to handling injuries of all sorts.” Fluttershy said quietly. “After spending as much time with Ponyville’s veterinarian as I have, I guess I just picked up some things.” “Cluey, it’s highly unlikely that a changeling of Chrysalis’… aged wisdom would willingly resort to crippling herself in such a manner in order to implement some plan or other.” Twilight said. “She may be desperate, but she’s not stupid.” “Meaning?” Twilight leaned forward on the table. “I saw the crater she created when she landed, and I have to admit that I originally thought it was a meteorite crater. She had to hit the ground really rather hard to create such a deep impression and she’s lucky to have survived such a fall at all with her wings bound. It could be due to her being a queen changeling; much like the princesses she could naturally have higher tolerances to physical damage, but with her body weakened as it is…” The ponies sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. They could hear somepony moving through the house, and they figured that it was only Chrysalis going to the toilet. At least that was what they thought until they heard the movement turn into thuds as whomever it was tumbled down the stairs. They hurried to their hooves and moved from the kitchen, finding Chrysalis sprawled at the foot of the stairs panting heavily. Fluttershy quickly moved to her side. “Oh my, are you alright?” Chrysalis shook her head. “I… I was coming downstairs… to get a drink…” She managed to huff with heavy and laboured breaths. “I misjudged… my steps on the… stairs.” Fluttershy sighed and carefully helped Chrysalis back to her hooves before nudging her back to the stairs. Chrysalis shot her a confused look as she was urged to ascend the staircase. “I’ll get you your drink and bring it to you; you need to get your rest.” Fluttershy said quietly. “Do you want water or juice?” “Just water will be fine but I can get it myself, you really don’t need to-” “No, no, you shouldn’t be up and about too much with your leg like that and your fall won’t have helped your ribs; go on, I’ll bring your drink to you.” Fluttershy insisted while giving Chrysalis a nudge with her nose to get her to start walking. Chrysalis nodded, not wanting to argue with her, and struggled her way back up the stairs while everypony waited for her to be back up on the second floor before returning to the kitchen. Fluttershy meekly poured a cup of water before leaving the room again, holding the cup in her hooves while she delivered it by wing, and the others sat back around the table. “Right, what were we talking about again?” Rarity asked politely. Twilight was somewhat thankful that Rarity had returned the conversation back to the room; if there was anything she didn’t want the table to do it was stagnate into yet another awkward silence as they all contemplated the newest resident of Ponyville. Fluttershy’s soft steps returned to the kitchen door, the attention of all at the table turning to her. She squeaked and hid behind the doorframe slightly before nervously returning to full view. Internally Twilight sighed at her friend’s timid behaviour. She was doing so well at being better with such things, but clearly she still had a ways to go. “Um, s-she wants to talk.” Fluttershy managed to squeak. “If she has calmed down enough, I suppose it can be accommodated.” Cluey said. “Feel free to bring her down.” Shining nudged Cluey sharply, though with the force he put behind it ‘shove’ might be a more apt description. He then shot his subordinate a glare that made him shrink back frightfully before he spoke. “We shall be right with you, Miss Fluttershy.” Shining said calmly as he stood from the table. “In her physical state it would be best if we went to her.” He shot another glare at Cluey. “That’s called courtesy,” he hissed, “I hope you’re taking notes.” *&*&*&* Chrysalis lay in the basket she currently called a bed with her blanket draped over her back as she knitted in thoughtful silence. While her magic moved the woollen thread and the hard polished wooden needles at an impressive pace, her mind considered what she would be saying to the captain… captains when she talked with them. Briefly she considered whether or not the princesses would want them to know this particular piece of her culture, or if they already knew of it. She flicked an ear towards the door when she heard it click open, expecting Fluttershy to come in to help her downstairs. She was a darling mare, and undoubtedly deserved the Element of Harmony she embodied, at least in Chrysalis’ mind. Three times she had been the one to physically aid her, though she may have been counting her wrapping her injuries in a higher regard that was really necessary, and every time she had aided the former enemy of Equestria she did so without complaint. Instead of hearing only Fluttershy enter the room her ears picked up the footfalls of multiple ponies, five if she was hearing correctly. Her knitting didn’t falter, and she spared the group a glance before securing her work and lowering it back down. “I suppose I at least owe you something from our culture for all your troubles getting here, regardless of what may have transpired.” She voiced. Twilight nudged her brother in the ribs, making him cough before looking at her and getting the hint. “W-we’re thankful that you’re willing to see us again after such an… unfortunate encounter.” He said before adding, “I’ll be sure to keep Cluey in line this time.” Chrysalis shrugged. “For now I won’t be giving any… sensitive information that isn’t otherwise vital to the future safety of Equestria.” She said calmly. “To understand our culture, Equestria should know our oldest myth, as it goes a great way to explain our culture in its entirety. It’s a tale that was taught to me by my mother, and I taught it to my foals and grandfoals in honour of her. “Now, where to begin…” *&*&*&* “The world of Equestria is older than most ponies can guess, and certainly far more… complex. Our oldest myth runs back to before the beginnings of what you ponies now call ‘Hearth’s Warming Eve.’ As you know, from the tales of Hearth’s Warming, there were once three pony tribes; the Pegasi, Earth Ponies, and Unicorns. Back in those days, we changelings knew these three tribes as Earth, Sky, and Magic. They were three of what we call the ‘Balancing Elements’, though now I know that the Balancing Elements were based, somewhat loosely, on the Elements of Harmony. “There were two other ‘Balancing Elements’ that we knew of quite well during this age, the now long hidden Kelpies, or Sea Ponies, being Aqua, and our own culture, the Changelings, being Shadow. Before you ask, Miss Twilight, we called them by their element they so closely controlled. Earth Ponies ruled over the lands and soil, turning otherwise barren wastelands into lush forests and beautiful fields. Pegasi controlled the skies and weather, granting magnificent sunny days or dark and tremendous storms. Unicorn controlled magic, moving the celestial spheres with great effort through the skies to give night and day. And finally the Water Ponies, who ruled over Equestria’s oceans, rivers and lakes to grant safe drinking waters and healthy plants. “We, the Shadow, were always shunned by pony kind. We could disguise ourselves as any other race and were believed to spread dissent amongst the tribes. Why, you might ask? Well, in our tale we are the embodiment of darkness, something which has always been misunderstood and unknown, and mortals fear that which they do not understand. In those days, we acted as peacekeepers. We patrolled the nights watching for any wrongdoing and would act quickly and quietly should we find it. “In the beginning, the greatest enemy to our Balancing Elements were the Windigos, one of the many Faces of Dissent, the counter to Balance. The world, as we knew it, was constantly assailed by Windigos, and it wasn’t until after the tribes began to work together that they were defeated. Soon after the exodus of the Windigos, a sixth Balancing Element appeared in Equestria: Light; better known to ponies as the almighty Alicorn. “The Light had hidden away from Ponies for much of their existence so as to allow them to sort their own differences and work together before uniting under one stronger banner of peace. The Elements saw the Light as the true harmony of their races with the exception of Aqua and Shadow, who mostly ignored the Light and their immense power. “With the coming of the Light, however, came another force; Discord. He, one of the greatest of the Faces of Dissent, brought despair to all the races of the lands and tortured ponies for fun; only the Light proved to be immune to his incredible powers. His arrival tore the Balance apart and nearly destroyed Equestria. “The races who had accepted the Light displayed immunity to some of Discord’s more powerful magics; but Aqua and Shadow, who had denied the Light, were vulnerable to his power and insane whims. Aqua was driven from the lands deep into the oceans of Equestria where they hide to this day, terrified of the mighty powers of Discord and the hell that he had wrought upon them so easily. “We Shadows fared no better; before Discord’s arrival we could control magic like Unicorn to a certain degree and used the innate magic of the lands around us to create our spells, however his first act was to ensure that we could not fight back. With but a click of the digits on his bestial paw he cursed all Shadow to need to absorb a mysterious energy from others to recharge and empower our magic, energy we now know is Love. “Eventually the Light discovered a way to defeat Discord, entombing him in stone for millennia to come, and the Elements rallied to them as divine protectors. When we, the Shadow, came to join the celebrations we were shunned for our new nature as love absorbing ponies and for never using our true power to fight against him, though naught but us knew we could no longer do so. Terrified that the Light would turn their incredible powers upon us in our weakened state, we fled en-masse to the far south where we built our grand city within a lush forest which is now a barren wasteland. Thus is the tale of Changelings and our self-imposed banishment; the Hive was born. “Every generation of Queen has been introduced to the feeling of Discord’s magic so that we might know what to fear when or if it arose again. Last year the pulse of Discord’s foul magic washed over the Hive and instilled fear into the hearts of every Changeling, sending the Hive into frenzy. Though the feeling passed within a day or so of normal time, as the sun and moon disagreed on who would hold the sky at any given moment, it took a week for my sub… my ex-subjects to calm down and return to their normal routines. “My family has held this story to its heart for generations, and it is something of a… special story to me. The first and last thing I recall my mother saying to me were her calling me her ‘little Shadow’, while Thistle was my fathers’. It wasn’t until we were told the story that I understood what she meant.” She sighed faintly as she trailed off. “This little Shadow has been without her mother for just over eleven hundred years, said parent victim of a Manticore attack. Even after all this time, I still ask myself if she would be proud of me, if she… if I still deserve to be called her little Shadow after all I have done.” The ponies sat in contemplative silence for a minute or so, each considering the story that they had just been told. Chrysalis found she was thankful for the quiet as it gave her a chance to collect her emotions for what she could. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, letting herself turn it into a moment’s silence of respect for her mother and all she had sacrificed to protect the Hive. Of course, eventually the silence needed to be broken. “Chrysalis… you have said that it was during your rule that your lands became infertile and impossible to handle, why didn’t you just… move?” Twilight asked. She had a quill and notebook held in her magic, and from where Chrysalis was sitting she could see that she had been furiously taking notes. The thought made her chuckle; trust Princess Celestia’s prize pupil to take notes of a myth as if it were an assignment. “It was considered.” She replied listlessly. “The logistics of moving us to the Hive thousands of years ago was not much of an undertaking as we numbered only about five thousand; but when our lands became barren we were almost five hundred thousand strong and the logistics of moving that were a nightmare. Not to say I wasn’t still strongly in favour of it, but it was overruled in favour of our now supposedly staple diet of Love for a simple reason; pride. I… I was still a new ruler at that stage, only about two hundred years under my wing when the problem became as bad as it was and while I was Queen I still had those who gave me support and opinions beneath me. An overwhelming majority demanded that we not leave the Hive and our ‘proud history’ behind, and had I gone against that motion then I could have had an uprising. “So like the fool I have so clearly proven myself to be I became a puppet to the whims of those beneath me until our system turned back into a true monarchy, but by then it was far too late. We do not know exactly what happened to cause the death of the land, but we had to make a choice. Staying was the greater of two evils, the intelligence I needed to know, that should have been given to me for me to make my decision had been withheld from me by my subordinates and over sixty per cent of the Hive died of mass starvation before we managed to find our hooves again. Had I gone to the Princesses or had we simply moved and found a new Hive, perhaps it could have been avoided… “Remember, Miss Sparkle, that pride can be as dangerous as rage. Had we not held our pride, had we asked for help or chosen the easier solution, we may have avoided losing so many. Had I not held on to the pride that we prized so highly then I may have asked the Princesses for aid instead of assaulting Canterlot. Instead, like a foal, I was rash and stupid and nearly destroyed both your society as well as my own. Ultimately, I am to blame; I was their ruler and it was by my decision that we stayed in our now destitute city. As such, the lives of thousands are on my head. By our own laws, I should have been executed hundreds of times over. “The cost of the last thousand years, the attack on Canterlot, and the befouling of the Bad Lands… that is what has been put on my shoulders by my own people. I could have shouldered it all, carried the burden and brought us back to the once powerful nation we were had it not been for my sister and the ministers below me. Their treason upon me… that is the straw that broke the camel’s back.” With another sad sigh she trailed off and turned her face from them. “I cannot take it anymore. Over the last thousand years I have given my all to support the Hive. Sacrificed many nights of sleep, shed blood and tears for their protection and watched in sadness as we struggled to find our place in the world. I just… I don’t have anything left to give.” “What of dignity? And pride?” Cluey asked, before Shining nudged him in the ribs again. “Look at me.” Chrysalis hissed. “I am the size of a foal and cannot control my magic any better than one! I’ve been banished by my own kind, almost murdered by my sister and I’ve wept openly amongst those who I once made true enemies. I have almost no dignity left! And as for pride, well, of what do I have to be proud anymore? That I’m a failure who can’t even die properly?” She grumbled and used her magic to rearrange her blanket so that it covered her better before lifting her knitting with a sigh. “I thank you for coming to me for this, it was… most accommodating. I am sure we all have much to consider.” She said. “Of course,” Shining replied calmly. “We thank you for your time.” Chrysalis nodded. “Captain Armour? Could you… could you not tell your wife about me?” She asked. “I… I don’t think she would be very pleased.” “She will have to know eventually.” Shining Armour pointed out, watching her face fall further. “But I suppose it’s not my place to tell her after all, this is a somewhat… sensitive and confidential matter, it would be against regulations for me to divulge any of it to the public. No, I’ll leave this particularly angry bag of cats to the Princesses.” “Because that worked out so well for me.” Twilight deadpanned. Chrysalis gave a light chuckle at her misfortune. “Thank you, Captain. Now, if you all don’t mind, I’d like to be alone for a while.” Their hooves thudded gently against the carpet as they all moved back out into the hall and downstairs. Only Rarity remained for a moment. “Is there anything that you require before I go?” “No thank you, Rarity.” “Very well,” Rarity said before doing something that brought a lump to Chrysalis’ throat, “by your leave, my lady.” The door clicked shut behind the ivory mare as she returned to her guests, leaving Chrysalis to her thoughts and her knitting, a smile on her lips and a tear on her cheek. She never imagined she would be curtsied to again. *&*&*&* Night came and went a half dozen times for the quiet little town of Ponyville without further incident. Chrysalis had been sent a letter from Celestia detailing her apologies for Cluey’s behaviour and that he had been disciplined appropriately, as well as that the next meeting would be a visit by herself a week after the previous one. Chrysalis had found that she was somewhat disgruntled by this, as Pinkie Pie had apparently set up a party for her on the same day at the Carousel Boutique. According to Rarity this was somewhat of a custom amongst the ponies of Ponyville. A new pony would arrive, Pinkie would inevitably discover them and soon enough, often that night, a welcoming party would be thrown in their honour. She had been warned by Fluttershy and Rarity what to expect from a ‘Pinkie Party’, as they were undoubtedly different from any parties that Changelings threw. Since, as she told them, Changelings did not throw parties anything Pinkie did would be different. Still, she was warned of piñatas, streamers, confetti, that there would be at least eight games (and that she would be expected to participate in a minimum of one,) punch, snacks… they even went so far as to warn her that there would, most likely, be a minimum of fifty ponies in attendance. Another thing that had been noticed of her, at least from the six friends, was Chrysalis’ reluctance to leave her room for anything beyond using the bathroom, bathing, or getting a drink from the kitchen. Even when she did, she barely spoke to anypony, and would shy away from conversations or other ponies. If not for the party scheduled for that evening, Rarity felt that she would have confronted about it. She was becoming a recluse, and even though she only knew Rarity and her friends in town she still could have socialized with them more actively. Rarity knocked on the door to the room in which Chrysalis dwelled politely before opening it, finding her, yes, knitting. She had finished her scarf a few days before, and now was working on what appeared to be a stuffed animal of some sort. It was still in its infancy as far as being knitted was concerned, but she was doing admirably well. Chrysalis secured her work carefully before looking up at Rarity. “Is there something you need, Rarity?” “I was wondering if you would like to come and help cook dinner. I’d love to see if you have any special recipes I can use in future.” “Of course Rarity, just let me get my scarf and I’ll be right with you.” Chrysalis finished, standing gingerly from the basket and levitating her scarf over before wrapping it tightly around her neck. It was about six foot long and black, with a green heart at either end. One of the hearts was fractured in two in a jagged way, while the other was whole. Currently she had the whole one wrapped around her neck and hidden from view, while the other end draped over her back, between her wings, and hung down her right side. Slowly but surely she followed the mare from the storage room, her leg was still broken and, despite Fluttershy’s care, would take at least a few more weeks before she could use it again. She took a moment to close the door behind them before continuing down to the darkened showroom. The moment Rarity stepped into the room she appeared to vanish into the darkness, leaving Chrysalis to struggle into the room on her own for a moment. Once she was sufficiently confused, or at least far enough in the room, the lights were flicked on, confetti thrown over her, and a cheer of ‘surprise!’ rang in her ears. Chrysalis smiled at the six ponies that were closest to her as they smiled back, Twilight and her friends. Maybe she could have some fun, at least for one night. *&*&*&* She had enjoyed the night immensely, from the food to the games, and had even managed to get along with a select few ponies, one of whom was the mayor. She hadn’t thought that an official such as Mayor Mare would want anything to do with her, let alone have anything to which Chrysalis could relate. When conversation between them had started it was awkward and embarrassing, but upon asking if the town got up to much ‘mischief’, as Chrysalis had put it, she began recounting event after event of misfortune that had befallen the otherwise quaint little town. Problems had ranged from the return of the dreaded Nightmare Moon, a figure that Chrysalis would have to research, to a swarm of Parasprites that had partially devoured the town. When Mayor Mare had asked if the same sorts of things had occurred to Chrysalis’ ex-kingdom she replied in kind, telling of how they had almost starved into extinction, about a conflict with neighbouring Diamond Dogs that had left the Hive crippled for months, and about how she once had to break up a fight between two Changeling families arguing over who owned a particularly large ruby. In the end she had split it evenly down the middle and told them to go calm down. Another pony she got along with was an arctic blue Pegasus with pale gold hair and golden eyes by the name of Sassaflash. The Pegasus seemed to simply enjoy talking with Chrysalis, though the ex-monarch noted that Sassaflash was talking to her as if she were a filly, which she supposed she technically was. When Chrysalis realized that Sassaflash was deliberately toying with her, however, she began giving it as good as she got and their little insult war began. It spiralled to the point of having other ponies betting on who would win, with only Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy finding it somewhat poor taste. Eventually one of them had to surrender, and it turned out to be Chrysalis who caved first. Not so much from surrender as not wanting to start using insults that would be rather less welcome in the party atmosphere. Still, not all were welcoming. Two mares, who had been her mind controlled bridesmaids at the invasion, had been present when the party began and had been particularly… vocal at their distaste for her presence before leaving in a huff. While the party had managed to get Chrysalis’ spirits high, their actions still gave her something to think about. There had been games too, almost a dozen. Apple bobbing, pin the tail on the pony, a piñata… She hadn’t joined in any of the games personally; content to watch the other party-goers have their fun. She was still too sore to join in with the piñata, but Pinkie made sure that she got her own fair share of the loot. Eventually the younger ponies and their parents went home. Applejack’s little sister Apple Bloom was taken home by her elder brother, Big Macintosh – a mountain of a stallion that barely spoke and would have given an army of changelings a run for their money in terms of strength if Chrysalis was any judge. He also took Sweetie Belle and her friend Scootaloo with him, the three apparently having a sleepover scheduled for the night. A grey Pegasus mare with yellow hair and wall-eyes affectionately nicknamed Derpy took her daughter, Dinky, home with her. Once the younger generation were gone, however, Pinkie Pie pulled flask from somewhere in her mane and upended the contents into the punch bowl. Chrysalis had watched this action before giving a heavy sigh in irritable understanding. Now the adults could enjoy their night. After an hour of the drink being circulated a little, the party became host to a new game. A game that Chrysalis knew ponies enjoyed world-wide. A game they called ‘karaoke’. It was probably a good thing that many of the room’s inhabitants were slightly inebriated, as some of the singing produced was… less than melodious. Granted Twilight Sparkle had a marvellous singing voice; however a stallion with brown mane and tail, amber coat, blue eyes and a trio of blue horseshoes on his flank named Caramel did not. Eventually she was dragged up onto the makeshift stage by Pinkie Pie, and she stood awkwardly in front of everyone trying to convince Pinkie that she didn’t know any of the songs that they did. Instead, after being badgered almost endlessly by the bouncing pink menace, she relented and turned to the small group of ponies on stage with instruments, asking for a slow lullaby melody and informing them of how the song went. “I… I don’t really know any party songs.” She said to the room as a whole. “But… I’ll see if I can still remember something my mother used to sing to me when I was… little.” She gave a soft chuckle at the thought. “It was a rather substantial time ago, so you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t get it perfectly.” After a few moments the ponies nodded to her and began, and she took a moment or two to collect her nerves and sing. “Little Shadow, brave and true, My heart it doth belong to you, Though we fight the tide of time, Little Shadow is heart of mine.” Her singing was slow and haunting and her voice held an airiness that carried the tones of the song as well as the music of the small band behind her. Softly she closed her eyes, as if trying to imagine the words in her head as she sang. “Quiet now my treasured one, The world has lost light of the sun, Please rest now; let forth not a peep, Time has come for you to sleep.” Apart from the band and her voice, the room was silent. Even those not taking part in the karaoke were being respectfully quiet as she sang her slow, sad tune. Most of the room’s eyes were pointed in her direction. “Fear not the dark, fear not the moon, You are safe of monsters within the gloom, Come beast, monster, ghoul or wraith I shall keep my Little Shadow safe. My Little Shadow, brave and true, Remember I always shall love you, If the path you might stray, My love, Little Shadow, shall show your way.” Finally she trailed off, letting her eyes open just a crack for her to look at the floor. She sighed and stepped back off the makeshift stage, moving towards the refreshments table for a cupcake, hoping it would lift her sunken mood. Instead, when she actually had one held in her hooves, she could only look down at it with sad eyes and drooping ears. “Thank the Shadows that Princess Celestia wasn’t here to see that rousing display of runaway emotional mess.” She grumbled to herself. “You mean the singing?” Chrysalis stiffened and slowly turned her head, her eyes wide as she looked at the pony standing behind her. She laughed nervously at Princess Celestia, who was only looking back down at her amusedly. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly for a moment or two before her lungs decided to function again. “How long...?” Celestia chuckled. “Oh, the whole song,” she said with an amused and toying tone, “though I must admit it was somewhat of a different tone to what is common at parties.” “Don’t partake of the punch or you’ll experience the tone of the party.” Chrysalis grumbled. Celestia gave another laugh. “I know- I can smell it from here.” She said amusedly. “I suppose we should go somewhere private for our talk.” “The kitchen and dining room are this way.” Chrysalis suggested, nodding her head in its direction. Celestia nodded and started to follow her. “It will more than suffice.” She said. As she followed Chrysalis, her magic lifted the cupcake that had been left behind, placing it safely into a small paper bag for later. *&*&*&* “So…” Celestia began, sitting opposite Chrysalis at the dining room table, “how have you been? Through lack of panicked letters from Twilight I can only assume that the town hasn’t formed angry mobs complete with torches and pitchforks to throw you out.” Chrysalis grimaced and shrank back in her seat. “Tell the truth, this is the first I’ve been in public all week.” She mumbled apologetically. Celestia sighed wearily. “I suppose I can see your reluctance.” She said. “But please try to not become a hopeless shut-in; it will most certainly not do you any good.” “I’m perfectly capable of running my own life, thank you.” “I’ll keep it in mind next time you almost freeze under a bridge.” Celestia teased, earning a grumble from her conversation partner. “Now, now, I’m only teasing.” “Sassaflash was teasing too; at least I could reciprocate that.” Chrysalis said disgruntledly. “It was the best insult war I’ve had in years; my changelings were always too meek to try and loosen up that much with me.” Celestia nodded faintly. “I can imagine.” She said listlessly, before her gaze turned somewhat firmer. “That song before, you mentioned that your mother used to sing it to you?” Chrysalis nodded. “When I was very little it was my lullaby, as it was hers before me. It was something that my grandmother, Queen Penumbra, taught her.” “Penumbra, first Queen of the Changelings.” Celestia interrupted distantly, only to chuckle at Chrysalis’ shocked gaze. “Oh yes, I knew her; it was during her age that Discord first rose to power. She and I used to talk about our respective kingdoms until the day Discord was defeated. A shame that it would come at such a cost…” Chrysalis nodded slightly. “The song was used by my grandmother to pull my mother from her insanity when she ascended to Queen, and she used it for me when it became my turn. We’re only supposed to raise one to become the Hive Queen, and my mother groomed me from the moment I was cognitively aware to become what I was. Some things cannot be taught, but must come with experience, which is why the incident at Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armour’s wedding happened at all. I… guess I still had much to learn. “Thistle was never going to be Queen; she was raised as a general, not a ruler. Father brought her up living and breathing the life of a Queen’s Guard, but I never allowed her such a prestigious position because I feared for both her and my safety. She has always been volatile and quick to temper, her ideas on how to solve the Hive’s food crisis always including mass bloodshed. She is dangerous, and has only become more so since my exile. As it stands, I would not trust any changeling that comes from that Hive as far as I can throw them. “I find it impressive that she didn’t think to kill me when she had me at the Hive, but… I think she intended for me to die out here, alone and weak; a pitiful crippled shred of my former self left to die amongst enemies. Either that or some fragment of her sane mind remained and it managed to grant me a way to survive, though I doubt it. Thistle has never been one for being kind to others; me starving to death or dying of hypothermia were her most likely goals.” Celestia gave an understanding nod. “Chrysalis, unlike Cluey I shan’t be keeping my meetings very… formal. Information I shall leave for him to pour his eagerness into, as is his want.” She said with a calming tone. “Between us, I believe you need a friend and equal more than you need an inquisitor.” Chrysalis giggled. “No offense, Princess, but I’m about as equal to you as an ant is to a boot.” She said. “Though on the topic of your guard, why didn’t you tell Captain Armour about me?” “I honestly never got around to it, I was going to do it at the changing of the guard come sundown, but Cluey beat me to it.” Celestia sighed. “Yes, well, they’re leaving it up to you to tell Princess Mi Amore Cadenza; I don’t think they want to risk their necks.” Celestia waved a hoof with a chuckle. “Well, brave guards they may be, crazy they are not.” She said amusedly. “Heavens know how my niece will react to the news; I cannot imagine it being favourably.” “And you can tell Princess Luna that she can stop diving into my dreams.” Chrysalis grumbled. “I hope she doesn’t think I have not noticed her, skulking about in the background like she’s invisible. It’s honestly hard to miss an Alicorn with an ethereal mane and tail. She’s about as stealthy as Pinkie Pie when she’s trying to spy on ponies.” She grumbled and turned her head to the kitchen counter. “And I know you’re there Pinkie, stop lurking.” The pair could hear an audible gasp from the kitchen and then a pink blur shot back out into the main room, leaving Celestia perplexed and Chrysalis grumbling. “How did you know she was there?” “We’re a race whose primary method of integration is stealth, I’ve had to teach a few of my own foals and grandfoals how to use such methods, and one becomes versed in detecting it.” She gave a humourless laugh. “If only I had spent that time refining my acting skills, hmm?” “Yes, I suppose so.” Celestia mused. “Tell me, how are you finding the Elements? Are they treating you well?” “Rarity continues to insist that she pamper me, something I have rebutted at every opportunity.” Chrysalis sighed. “Miss Fluttershy has been most helpful with my recovery, especially with my leg still broken. Miss Pinkie has been preoccupied with other matters, including this evening’s party, and hasn’t had the time to visit me much. Miss Applejack has visited twice to drop off apples to Rarity, I think using them as excuses to keep an eye on me. Miss Dash has purportedly been busy handling the winter weather and hasn’t found time to check on me, though I can’t blame her really. Finally, I’ve not seen hide nor hair of your protégée, Miss Sparkle, since Cluey’s visit a few days ago.” “I notice you call them all ‘Miss’.” “Rarity has insisted that I not in her case, however I still remain firm that I should show the others some modicum of respect. That and they have not shown any discomfit to it.” “Though speaking of others, are you alright after Cluey’s… misbehaviour?” Celestia asked. “I am unharmed, if that is your worry.” Chrysalis said, waving her unharmed hoof dismissively. “You know my worry, Chrysalis, don’t dance around the subject.” With a slight grin Chrysalis nodded. “Yes, I know.” She said with disarming calm. “I am fine, Princess. He… startled me, no more. If I couldn’t survive such trivial mental trauma I’d have surrendered my crown years ago. I assure you I am fine.” She gave a sarcastic sigh and looked off to one side. “Though do remind him not to show up in armour, I doubt Rarity would let him into the boutique.” Celestia nodded. “Well, I believe I’ve taken enough of your time from you.” She said as she stood. “You should get back to the party and socialize. I hope you won’t drink the punch, as you are now it would technically be against our laws, and I don’t think it would help your recovery.” Chrysalis gave a sly, toothy grin and a hearty laugh. “Give me more incentive why don’t you?”