//------------------------------//
// Returning home 
// Story: Running away 
// by AlphaRidley 
//------------------------------//

Chrysalis hated how fragile her wings were. She had lost them at least five times during her long life, and each time she woke up after losing them, she could barely walk without help. 

"How are you feeling?" 

Chrysalis glared at Twilight. "What do you think?" She growled, gritting her teeth against the pain flowing in her back.

Twilight smiled lightly. "I'll take that as better then before." A couple days ago she would have flinched when Chrysalis growled at her, now she looked calm and collected.

"Hurrggh..." Chrysalis struggled to her hooves. She was better than this. She didn't want to look weak in front of Twilight, because even if they had worked together while they were trapped, they were still enemies at the end of the day.

"What are you doing?" Twilight fought the urge to stop Chrysalis. She knew that Chrysalis would get very angry if she did, she'd have to make her see reason if she wanted to help the stubborn Changeling.

"Heh." Chrysalis chuckled, grimacing as the simple sound generated pain within her chest. "I'll be fine, I've survived losing my wings before, It's not like I'm going to die because of a little pain. Why don't we just focus on getting you back home? That should be our first objective." Chrysalis' hooves threatened to collapse beneath her and her body convulsed as she fell into a coughing fit.

Twilight's body screamed at her to help Chrysalis, but her mind refused to follow through unless Chrysalis gave her the ok. "Chrysalis..." She murmured just loud enough for her to hear. "You're only hurting yourself, why don't you let me help you? There's no shame in asking for help sometimes, and I won't think any less of you."

Once Chrysalis had recovered from her coughing fit she stared at the ground. "No." She finally decided. "I'm just fine." She began taking slow steps forwards, biting her tongue so she didn't scream.

Twilight sighed. She didn't want to play this card, but she had to if Chrysalis wouldn't accept her help. "What would your subjects think if they saw you like this? Do you think they'd want their queen to be hurting herself?"

Chrysalis froze, and slowly started shaking. Twilight reached forward, opening her mouth to apologize, but stopped when she realized that Chrysalis wasn't crying, she was laughing. "What does that matter? They're all dead."

Twilight winced, but shoved the growing feeling of sorrow back down, she didn't have time to cry right now, Chrysalis needed help, and she was the only pony willing to give it to her. "But if they weren't, what would they say?"

Chrysalis stopped walking, her head hung down as she became lost in her memories. "They'd tell me to stop bring such a stubborn brat." 

Twilight smiled and walking closer, silently coaxed the injured Changeling queen onto her back. Being smaller than Chrysalis, Twilight had to use her magic to make sure she stayed in place on her back and didn't fall off.

She walked in silence, enjoying the warmth Chrysalis' body gave off. She still thought it was odd that a cold blooded creature like a Changeling could feel so warm, but she didn't question it. When Chrysalis had tried to explain it to her in the tunnel she had become so frustrated at the lack of logic that Chrysalis was forced to hug her until she calmed down.

It was pretty funny now that she looked back on it, she got angry at the most bizarre things.

"Hmm..."

Twilight's eyes widened and her heart started beating faster in her chest as Chrysalis hummed in contentment into the back of her neck. Twilight felt a shiver rack her body when Chrysalis' warm breath cane into contact with the nape of her neck.

Twilight glanced up at the sky, and was surprised to see that the sun was beginning to set. She knew that Chrysalis had been asleep for the better part of the day, but she hadn't thought that it had been twelve hours. They would need to reach Ponyville soon if they didn't want to be sleep under a tree again. 

As luck would gave it, Ponyville cane into view as they reached the top of a small hill.  "Chrysalis, we're at the edge of the forest." Twilight felt Chrysalis' body tense, and a feeling of dread began to crawl up her throat, threatening to suffocate her.

Chrysalis slid off Twilight's back, her legs shook as they were once again forced to bear her weight. "Well..." Chrysalis said as she looked up into Twilight's eyes. "Go on then, I'm sure your friends have been worried sick."

"Why don't you come with me? I'm positive I can convince my friends to give you a second chance."

Chrysalis snorted and shook her head. "I highly doubt that, and even if you could, your precious Celestia would never allow me to stay, not after what I did."

Twilight's eyes dropped to the ground. "I'm not going go be able to convince you otherwise am I?"

Chrysalis shook her head no. "I'm a Changeling. Ponies and my kind don't mix very well."

"Goodbye." Twilight muttered as she turned to face Ponyville. "I hope I can see you again sometime. You're a lot nicer than you give yourself credit for." Twilight walked towards Ponyville without another word.

Chrysalis watched as Twilight's friends came out of their houses and hugged her. "It's for the best..." She said to herself as she limped back into the Everfree.

Chrysalis hadn't gotten very far before a growling sound to her right froze her in her tracks. Chrysalis' eyes widened to the side of dinner plates as the owner of the growl stepped out from the bushes. "You've gotta be shitting me."