I braced myself I could while doing multiple flips through the air. Finally, I crashed face first into the field, dirt and rocks scraping against my body. My body may be stronger then skin but it still hurts like hell when it breaks and rocks and dirt are rubbed into the wound.
I skidded to a vault just on the edge of some forest. I had no clue where I was since I couldn't see much as I was sailing through the air. The pain doubled as I tried to stand and my wings were torn, making flight pretty much impossible.
My head hurt like hell but as far as I could tell, my horn is still there. My stomach turned as it rumbled in hunger. Whatever love I got from Shining Armour is now gone or pretty damn close. The battle with Celestia and then trying to ward off Shining and Cadence did well to deplete whatever love I still had my stomach.
I casted out with my hive mind, trying to see how the rest of my hive was fairing. What I found out was unnerving. Most died from either the blast or impact when landing. Whoever survived was in major pain and on the very verve of death. After closer examination, I didn't have long either, maybe an hour. I guess that I deserve it. I made so many mistakes that I had to resort to invading Canterlot out of desperation. So much for the queen that promised easy living and now fear of hunger. Lies and mistakes covered my rule and it's fitting that I die from one of them.
I lifted my head up a bit to see where I was. To my surprise, I was only a mile or two from Ponyville, the home of the elements of harmony. I groaned and let my head fall to the ground, wishing that I died before they came home and found me here.
Unfortunately for me, some doctors from the nearby hospital must have saw me since I saw a group of medical ponies running torwards me. I was kinda glad since I could probably feed off some of the love that they would show me as a patient, the bad part, that will only happen if they already don't know that I lead an invasion and that the elements are sure to return soon and they will most likely inform them of their special patient.
Six ponies ponies soon reached me. There was one doctor while the other five were nurses. They started asking me questions and that's when I noticed that my ability to hear was gone. My eyes widened and I attempted to tell them that I couldn't hear. After some confused gazes, I pointed to my ear, much to the annoyance of my aching limbs, and shook my head. The doctor nodded and lowered his head. That was when I first noticed he had a horn on his head. His horn charged with magic. Instinctivly, I tensed, waiting for the attack. There was a definite pop in my ears and the sounds of the world rushed into my ears.
"Alright, can you hear me, yes? Good. Now, I want you to tell me, how did this happen?" I stammered a bit. I had to figure out something so I wasn't killed right then and there. So I opted for a simple answer.
"I don't know. I just woke up here. I tried to stand up but I couldn't and my wings are too torn to fly." The doctor frowned as he looked at my wings and then shook his head.
"I don't know what you are, so helping you will be difficult but I can assure you, we will try everything to get you well again." I then felt a wave of love coming from the six around me. I only allowed myself a little bit, not wanting to alarm the ponies by the fact that I was feeding off them.
I was soon hoisted up and carried on the backs of the six ponies. Within a few minutes I found myself on a hospital bed, being bandaged up and checked over. Once that was done, they left, telling me to rest. I decided that it was the only thing I could do, so I layed down on the extremely comfortable hospital bed and fell asleep.
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I woke up the next morning the thought of more changelings dying last night in the back of her mind. There were three left besides her. One was in the woods, trying to keep itself alive by using leaves as bandages and a sturdy price of wood as a cane. Another was laying down in the snow, waiting for the cold and her wounds to kill her. The last one was in the dungeons of Canterlot, preparing for interrogation. My heart skipped when I found out that the elements were returning today. I closed my eyes, praying for a quick and painless end.
My door opened and a the doctor from yesterday stepped in, this time to pegasi in police uniform joined him. I sighed as the.to officers took stand on either side of the door.
"I'm guessing you are not her to fill me in on my wounds." The doctor kept the same blank look on his face.
"I am to keep you healthy until the Elements of Harmony arrive this afternoon. Until then, you are to stay in this room. Food will to be brought to you in an hour." I just shook my head.
"I'm not going to get any food from any of you. I'm just going to starve until the six show up and do whatever they are going to do." The doctor glared at me.
"Now look, we are just trying to show some respect like asked. There is no need to refuse food or anything." I laughed, causing me to cough.
"Trust me, I would love food, but I'm not going to get loved by anyone in this hospital. No love means no food. No food means I starve until I am fed which will not be anytime soon." The doctor nodded before leaving the room. Once the door was closed, I could hear him talking to the two officers before leaving.
I closed my eyes and thought about how I lost the reserve of love, how we soon ran out of options, how I failed to keep my hive alive after promising I would. Now there was only me and the captured changeling who was in the middle of being interrogated and doesn't seem to have much longer.
There was a knock on the door. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock to see that it was five in the evening. I sighed.
"You are here to judge and punish me, there is no reason for you to knock, even if I'm lying in hospital bed, dying." The door.opened and six ponies walked in. Two unicorns, two pegasi, and two earth ponies. Each wore an element of harmony. Twilight, whose brother I took control over and fed off of, wore a crown like element compared to the other five which were necklaces. Twilight's eyes bore straight through me in a gaze that could kill. I sat there calmly, waiting.
"Chrysalis, you are convicted of-"
"Kidnapping Princess Cadence and impersonating her to feed off her soon to be husband and invade Canterlot to save a dying race, which is now dead, by the way. I know why am here. Can we get this over with? I'm the only changeling alive. The other just died of his wounds." The six stared at me in shock. I snorted. "What? Did you think I was some evil queen who wanted to rule over Equstria for my own? Hell no! I made too many mistakes and invading was a choice I made. I was panicking and my mind skipped to invasion. I couldn't watch a whole have die. In the end, I did. Now I'm sitting here, waiting for.my turn to die." I closed my eyes awaited my death. I heard the six of.the muttering among themselves.
Finally, a tingling sensation en through my body. At first I thought it was a spell it kill me or at least encase me in stone. Then my wings started to close back together, the cracks in my body shifted and became whole. Once the sensation stopped, I opened my eyes to see that there were no more wounds. I looked up at them.
"Why?" I asked, confused. From out in the hallway, stepped in Celestia herself. I panicked and tried to run out of the bed but Celestia's magic held me fast. I closed my eyes. Of course, she wanted to kill me when I'm in full health.
"Chrysalis, your story of pain and suffering has been heard. Being a ruler of a nation myself, I know how much pressure there can be. You made mistakes and you are paying for them. In my eyes you have learned and need something to award you with this feat." I stared at her, mouth wide open. I was prepared for many things, but forgiveness and an award for realising my mistakes? I must be fucking dreaming or those doctors have me under some heavy drugs. I lifted my fore hoof up to my fangs and bit into it. I cried out in pain and looked in the room. Nope, not dreaming.
"You can't be serious." Celestia chuckled.
"I am. I am offering you a place in Canterlot Castle. All the controversy and questions I will handle. You will also be allowed to start your hive over again. In exchange, you must demote yourself to princess, for political reasons, and changelings are not allowed to feed off love not meant for them unless it's desperately needed, and there must be a good reason. Are these terms acceptable?" I stared at her, trying to comprehend what I heard. Once my bran started working again I beamed and nodded.
"They are perfect, Celestia. Only if there was a way to repay you." Celestia leaned forward and smiled.
"Stay calm and don't make too big of mistakes. That's how you can repay me." I only smiled and nodded. "Now, I will have doctors sent to you to check your condition before we leave for Canterlot." Celestia left, the six others following. I closed my eyes and fell back to the pillow, thankful for the new start.