Spike and I, with Midnight Love still in my magical grasp, trotted into Canterlot Castle where Pri- I mean, Celestia! Where Celestia will be waiting for us in her throne and court room. I winced as I remembered the letter's words...
Dear Twilight,
I ask you to come to Canterlot Castle immediately. A foe has appeared but is on Death's door, if not in his living room. (Yes, Death has a living room. It's quite nice actually.) Your presence, along with Cadence's is required for imperative reasons. Please, Twilight, come soon.
Your friend,
Celestia
Celestia's cutie mark had been stamped on the bottom in red. She never stamps in red unless it's an utterly dire situation. The last time she had stamped in red was when Tirek appeared. A tear leaked from my eye as I recalled the blistered and marred and charred form of what I had called 'home'.
I sighed. Never see that tree again. At least, not with the same knots and layout. That would be impossible, unfortunately. You can't replace a home and personal belongings.
"Mamma!" I looked over my shoulder to see Midnight Love trying to grab me. Tears had begun to well up in her eyes again. I giggled to myself.
"Needy much," I asked the whimpering Midnight Love. I stopped walking to levitate her safely onto my back. As soon as her holed hooves tooched my coat, she cooed and began eating my mane. Soooo getting a shower after this...
"Twilight," Spike asked. "Um... She's-"
"Yes, Spike. I know Midnight is eating my mane. Just let it go. We need to see Celestia," I responded quickly.
We arrived at the throne room where both Celestia and Cadence were. Celestia nodded at a guard. The guard made the rest of the guard leave after bringing in tall, covered figure.
"Twilight, Cadence," Celestia said calmly, "I have called you here to see Queen Chrysalis before she dies." The covered figure showed her frail, black face and chipped, gnarled horn. Her green eyes lacked luster.
Cadence's eyes bulged. Sweet Celestia, she does not look happy...
"Why," she said through gritted teeth.
"She asked for a favor before she left forever."
"Fine," Cadence huffed.
I breathed slowly. "What is her asked favor, Celestia?"
Chrysalis released a harsh, raspy cackle that warped into a cough. "My asked favor, little princess, is that you all look over my nymph," she said in a pained tone. "I am dying and cannot raise her. I placed her in Ponyville last night, hoping you would find her. Thankfully-" She interrupted herself by coughing. "Thankfully, she had subconsciously placed you under a Maternal Spell."
"I... A what spell?"
"A Maternal Spell. It raises one's maternal instincts drastically." She coughed again. "When you saw the crying nymph, you felt the urge to nurture and care for her. The nymph felt the urge and strengthened it for her own well-being." Her horn glowed green. "There. I removed the spell." She began coughing again.
I suddenly felt... like I didn't need to spoil and overprotect Midnight Love, but my need to keep her safe and nurture her is still there. Celestia, changelings are weird...
"Um, thanks, I think," I said.
Chrysalis shook her head. "No, little princess, thank you. You're willingly going to watch over my nymph. Nopony, nobody for that matter, has ever accepted a changeling nymph under their care before." She wheezed.
"Chrysalis? I have one question."
She coughed. I could see some blood dribble from her mouth. "Shoot, little princess."
I took a deep breath. "Why does Midnight Love's hair look similar to my brother's hair?"
Chrysalis blushed a bit. Pink was scene on her smooth, black cheeks. "Well... Shining Armor left quite an imprint on me that when I gave birth to my nymph, I designed her mane to remind me of him. I also added pony features since I knew I couldn't keep her." She coughed. "I never thought I would fall in love with my own choosen prey..."
Celestia, Cadence, and I began gapping at Chrysalis. Cadence then whispered, "You fell in love with my Shiny..?"
Chrysalis' face flushed red. "W-well, he was just... so kind and caring and generous and... The way he looked at every creature it just fascinated me..." Suddenly her expression warped into anger. "But he didn't accept my kind." She began coughing and wheezing.
"Well, u-um... Thank you, Queen Chrysalis..."
"Please, Twilight. There's-" She coughed again. "There's no need for formalities. Chrysalis is just fine."
My eyes narrowed. I stomped my hooves. I heard Midnight Love whimper in fear. "No, Chrysalis! It is not fine! You don't deserve to die! You only attacked and invaded to protect her race. And now..." I charged my horn which blazed with power. "... I will save it..."
I shot the blast at Chrysalis woth now widened eyes. She began screaming in harsh growls. My magic surrounded her. She was soon cocooned in my magenta aura.
"Twilight! Stop," Celestia yelled.
"N-no," I replied with tears in my eyes. "I-I have to save her..."
Chrysalis' harsh screams resounded through the throne room, but her screams morphed into pained, honey-soft screams as I felt my magic healing her. I heard her chiton chipping and breaking being replaced by soft fur. Suddenly, Midnight Love began screaming and whimpering and bawling. I turned my head to see her eyes filled with white and tears streaking down her face. Tears flooded from my own eyes...
But I didn't stop. I continued healing Chrysalis. I felt my magic mend her hair. The split ends disappearing, and the holes being filled.
On my back, I felt Midnight's chiton chipping and being replaced by sot fur. She stopped screaming but continued whimpering.
"M-mamma," she whimpered.
"I'm sorry, Midnight..."
I gelt my magic attack her wings, fixing the holes and making them with a wider span.
My magic faded around Chrysalis. Before I blacked out, a tall, white figure with a bouncy teal mane trotted up to me and whispered, "Thank you..."
"M-Mamma?"