There was enough time to feed Atalanta and put her down for a nap. Chrysalis worried through the rest of her morning, wondering if she was pushing her luck. There was a very good chance she was, but the ponies had to understand she would not be broken. If she caved and gave in to the demands of the princesses, then her hive would be lost and more than likely indentured, or even enslaved. Nightstorm appeared furious. His anger at Chrysalis was thick and uncomfortable to bear, yet he was thankfully gone now. His voice had been curt and cold. The loyalty he had towards his Princess of the Night was commendable, but what impressed Chrysalis the most was his strict adherence to duty and honor.
She believed he had a weakness towards mothers with small children. At least he seemed to gentle whenever his eyes roamed to Atalanta. Chrysalis hoped to discover why and perhaps use it to her advantage sometime down the road. Perhaps he had a family of his own. Dare she believe he had a mate? Foals who called him father? Discovering the life of the stallion beyond the cell might prove fortuitous.
While she had been gone, more visitors had come to her room and restocked everything non perishable she had asked for. Her inkwell had been refilled. Spare quills stood at the ready in a tall tin cup. Reafs of paper were stacked in neat bundles on the floor next to her desk. Her work to date had been untouched, but there was no doubt in the Queen’s mind the ponies had gone through her writing, using copy spells to take from her everything she had put to pen.
Suspicious as she was, Chrysalis imagined she was right. The ponies were desperate to know about changelings and she was their only connection to them. Thankfully, they had not used tactics she would consider harsh. Annoying, most certainly. Their methods were confusing to the changeling. She had expected more exotic means, painful at least, to get information from her. Here, she was treated more or less with respect, as though she were a viper and kept at a distance. Luna was attempting to get to know her, in her own way. Chrysalis expected future visits in her dreams in the near future.
Celestia and her ponies were confusing. They were determined to have the Queen reveal the location of her hive, yet they seemed unwilling to do what was necessary. Yet the young unicorn, that student of Celestia’s seemed willing to take the first steps down a dark path. Chrysalis was very familiar with dark paths. Twilight showed she could be underhoofed. Grudgingly, the changeling had some respect for the unicorn.
Mentally, Chrysalis prepared herself for what she wanted to do. Naturally, she could not antagonize the alicorns and she also had to show she could beat them at their own game. A position of strength is what she needed. Setting her lips in a firm line, she looked down at the list she had quickly written down since she had returned from her enlightening breakfast with Luna. There was much to think on and little time to decide.
Lifting her voice, she sang. It was a sad song, as she still hated not being near her changelings. The worst part was simply not knowing how they were, if even they were still alive. If Taalia and her Ravagers got to them, there certainly would be nothing left to mourn.
She finished, her eyes staring at the ceiling as her wings had spread imploringly. Chrysalis was on her haunches, her hooves spread wide open and to the heavens. With a heaving sigh, she dropped her hooves to the floor and slumped forward, her neck bent in defeat.
There was little she could do for the moment. Her emotions were in turmoil. Revealing what she did to Luna might have been too much, she feared. At the same time, Chrysalis wondered if it was enough to shift the attention of looking for her hive on to the changelings hunting her own.
There was no worry if her song had been heard. The language was ancient, perhaps even dead. It was certainly unknown on this side of the world. With a huff and a flick of her tail, Chrysalis rose on her legs and stretched in a catlike fashion, her wings flaring out as far as she could stretch them. With a mighty and undignified yawn, she smacked her lips. Her belly was still full and her mind was digesting her conversation with Luna. She had an inkling there was much going on she was not aware of.
Twilight had done something illegal? Perhaps even amoral? The Queen grinned in spite of herself. The little goody-four-shoes had slipped, proving to be not as perfect as she was made out to be. All the more the better. It only proved Celestia was capable of making mistakes when it came to trust. Such a delicious revelation!
Humming to herself, the Queen checked in on Atalanta. The hatchling was full and was curled up in her crib, fast asleep. She was buried in thick blankets. Softly Chrysalis bent in and kissed her daughter gently on the forehead. The little nub of a horn could be seen growing from the center of the little one’s head. Suddenly Chrysalis wanted her daughter to molt, become a nymph, so she could teach her things.
She wondered if the Gods had forsaken her. They had spoken to her, long ago, placing upon her the quest to find the Cure. They made her promise in exchange for freedom. Chrysalis had found changelings who would follow her, adopt her Bond as their own, become the foundations of her hive. Loyal and faithful, they followed her. In the generations since, their children, their children’s children, and so on had believed in their Queen and believed in her quest.
The failure still stung. The losses left her with a hollow feeling. Yet, they would still have her as their Queen. The Bond she shared with them —when it was intact— gave them a faith in her that was almost fanatical. They loved her and she loved them. They were her family. Each one was like a child to her. Her touch was on each and every one of them.
There was a knock at her door. Sighing, she assumed her position, but only after she gave her daughter another kiss. Her emotions were in a roller coaster. It was difficult for her to keep them in check. She wondered if the isolation was getting to her. Being apart from her changelings was the loneliest feeling she could remember ever having. She missed their touch, their voices. She simply missed her hive terribly. It was as bad as when her mother’s hive had been nearly wiped out.
Nightstorm again made his usual appearance. “Are you ready, Queen Chrysalis?” he asked.
“I am.”
He noted. “When you are ready, then.”
The Queen nodded and went to her sash where it lay at the end of her bed. She put it on, then went to the crib to fetch her daughter. The hatchling protested with some chirping, but settled once she was plopped into the sash. She nestled down and was soon asleep before Chrysalis was out the door. Four guards waited for her outside and fell in place around her. Nightstorm followed.
They took the same path as the day before. Ponies went about their jobs, pausing long enough to stare at the changeling as she strode smoothly through. They were still afraid of her and even a few flashed anger in her presence. Chrysalis ignored them. The walk never seemed as long as the first time. She welcomed the sun when she stepped outside, though did not pause to bathe in it as she had before.
The table was there, but this time there was no tea. The garden was eerily silent and the wind uncharacteristically still. There was Luna, of course, but seated in a neutral position on the left of the changeling. To her right sat Twilight, who could not bring herself to look up from staring at the tabletop in front of her. In between Luna and Twilight sat, of course, Princess Celestia. The white alicorn seemed impassive, her ethereal mane undulating slowly as if to reflect her calm. Chrysalis noted Luna’s mane flowed a bit more rapidly. The younger sister of Celestia was also avoiding eye contact, but for different reasons.
The changeling sat down. She noted, as before, other ponies kept their distance from the table. There were no visible guards nearby.
“I understand you have removed my sister as your council. Is that correct, Queen Chrysalis?” Celestia was expectant, her ears perked forward. She sat tall and regal, as beautiful as the definition of the word.
Chrysalis’ own long, mulish ears perked forward as she absorbed the words. Inhaling deeply, she nodded. “Yes. That is correct.”
“Luna has told me why she thinks you dismissed her. May I know why you did this in your own words?”
“I believe her to be biased and I do not believe I can have a fair hearing given the circumstances.” Her words were thrown pointedly at Twilight. “I feel if I can represent myself, I will be able to retain some dignity in the face of the odds you have so conveniently stacked in your favor. I cannot in good conscience believe you intend to be fair. You have not been fair at all.”
“No,” Celestia admitted. “I have not. I have a nation to think about and ponies to protect. Your changelings are a threat to them. They must be stopped. Then we can deal with these Ravagers and this Queen Taalia you described to Luna. I am in a position to offer them protection and am willing to extend that protection to you if you would but let me.”
Chrysalis flicked an ear. “I will not allow my changelings to be subjugated by anyone. Now, cast your spell upon yourself, Twilight Sparkle. It is time to even things between us, if even just a little.” She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and hissed menacingly. “I am told you broke one of your precious laws. I am told you believed yourself above that law. How pathetic. You could not even control your own hatred towards me.”
“Enough, Chrysalis,” warned Celestia. “She knows what she did was wrong.”
Twilight cringed, hiding her eyes beneath her bangs. “It is true. I was upset.” She sniffled. “I wanted answers. I was not sure if the spell would be effective, so I altered it. You have such a strong mind, Chrysalis.”
“Queen Chrysalis, child,” reminded the changeling coldly. “I have ruled longer than your bloodline has even existed. Do remember that.”
“Actually,” Celestia chimed in with an almost embarrassed tone, “that remains to be seen. Twilight Sparkle’s family line is very old. I can attest personally it has lasted since the unification of the Three Tribes.”
The Queen snorted. “I could care less. I suppose it does not matter. Can I ask my questions or are you as false as your smile, Celestia?”
“Mind your tongue!” snapped Luna.
“Luna, Chrysalis,” Celestia interrupted sternly. “Both of you behave like the ladies I know you both to be: dignified and proud. Do not sink to the level of barbarity.”
“But she’s evil,” Twilight murmured helplessly. “Chrysalis is evil. She is against everything you have ever taught me, Princess Celestia!”
“No, Twilight. Inherently, Chrysalis is not evil. What she did to us was evil, but it was as an act of desperation.”
The unicorn hung her head. “Yes, Princess.”
“I’m right here,” Chrysalis deadpanned. “Can we get this going? I have a daughter to raise and a life in prison to look forward to.”
“Of course. There is no need to delay this any further.” Celestia gave a single nod. “Twilight, cast the spell upon yourself and make no alterations upon it. It must be exactly as what you cast yesterday.”
Twilight inclined her head and her horn lit up. It was simple in appearance and simple in execution. Three seconds later, she relaxed, the aura surrounding her horn fading away. “The spell is cast, Princess Celestia.”
“Thank you, Twilight. Chrysalis, you may ask your questions. Be warned: there will be no deliberate attempts to belittle or insult the pony you question. If she choses to step away or immediately declines the question before the compulsion affects her, you cannot ask the same question again. Am I clear?” The alicorn looked perfect and beautiful as she gave her instructions.
“Very clear, Celestia, and thank you.” Chrysalis focused on Twilight, her grin almost maniacal. “Oh, I do have some very good questions.”
The unicorn flinched under her gaze.
Relaxing, Chrysalis resettled herself. Atalanta shifted at her chest. Taking a hoof, she gave a gentle stroke to the sash before focusing on the unicorn. “Twilight Sparkle,” she said in a voice surprisingly gentle. “Do you love Celestia?”
The question confused Twilight. “Yes.”
“Do you love Equestria?”
The unicorn stared at Chrysalis. “I don’t understand the line of questioning, but yes.”
“Would you do anything to protect it?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes. Of course I would!”
“Where are you going with these questions, Chrysalis?” asked Celestia curiously.
“Begging your Sunniness’ pardon, I will be getting to the point.” The Queen smiled at the Princess. It was a dazzling, yet disturbing smile. “Twilight Sparkle,” she began again, focusing on the pony in question, “Why did you break the law by casting an illegal truthing spell upon me?”
Confused, the unicorn shook. Her emotions were in turmoil. “I…” She faltered. Chrysalis witnessed the compulsion begin to overcome the pony. “I was afraid of you. I am afraid of you. I was also very angry. You hurt so many ponies and you embarrassed me in front of my friends and especially in front of Princess Celestia. You hurt my family. You took my brother against his will. You imprisoned Cadence.”
“Was embarrassing you in front of Celestia the worst of the offenses I committed?”
She hesitated, looking up at her teacher. “Yes.” A spark of confusion flickered.
“Even more so than nearly losing your friends?”
She shot to her hooves, debating, glaring at Chrysalis. She sat back down with determination.“Yes.” Twilight was beginning to tear up.
“Even more so than knowing your brother was in my thrall?”
Tears began to fall. “Yes.”
“Would you say you love Celestia more than you love your own mother?”
There was more than one gasp of surprise around the table. “Yes.”
“Would you say Celestia has replaced the mare that gave birth to you as your ideal mother figure?”
Luna hissed. Chrysalis felt the alicorn’s scorn and ire directed at her, but not completely. Though the anger lingered, it shifted, was directed elsewhere. Celestia’s eyes had gone round and she reared back her head in shock. Twilight was staring at her, eyes red and cheeks already bathed in her tears. With shame, the unicorn bowed her head, unable to look at Celestia.
“Yes,” she sobbed.
Smiling, the Queen went in for the kill. “Would you do whatever it takes to make your teacher, Celestia, proud of you?”
Twilight blurted something in the affirmative as she broke down.
Queen Chrysalis settled back on her haunches, her smile fading to something more composed. Regarding the crying unicorn, she wondered if she should feel sympathy. She certainly felt it from both Celestia and Luna. The great white alicorn was also awash with guilt. Again, this caught the changeling off guard. It was as though this revelation had revealed an unintended truth.
“Kettle, meet pot. No further questions.” The changeling was acutely aware she had to maintain some decorum of civility. Nor did she want to invoke the ire of two very powerful beings that may or may not be immortal. The line she walked was undefined and she was unsure of the level of patience either possessed. She was certain Princess Celestia’s own patience was legendary, but even that was questionable right now.
Celestia was currently gazing down at her student. Her face was blank and her mane seemed to have frozen in place. Then, after an eternity of silence, she spoke. “Twilight, you may leave the table. Go to your quarters and get some rest. You and I will have a talk later.” Her voice was gentle, even encouraging. The unicorn nodded and dragged herself off somewhere, sniffling miserably.
More silence fell over the table. A bird chirped nervously from a nearby bush. Chrysalis could taste the tension in the air as two pairs of alicorn eyes shifted and bore down upon her.
“What were you trying to prove?” asked Celestia coldly.
“Truth hurts,” came the reply.
Luna cleared her throat. “Is this why you removed me as your council? To make a mockery of Twilight and Celestia?”
“I merely used the tools made available to me to my advantage. Is that not what you did yesterday? Same spell. She could have walked away. But she did not. She did not because she could not. To walk away would have been an admission of weakness in front of her mentor. Twilight Sparkle has spent years trying to do things so she might get praise from you, Celestia. Just like a good little puppy, she only wants to please you. In her attempts to please you, things can go awry. When things go awry, she does what she can to retain your good graces. Even though she achieved a victory at Canterlot, she felt she was still behind on the score. Twilight has a neurosis, namely some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder. You have done nothing more than enable that disorder. It is a quite common one among changelings, especially queens. I recognized it shortly after meeting her for the first time. It was not difficult to detect and her emotions…”
She smiled sadly, feeling pity for the mare she had just torn apart. “She lives for praise from you. I was once like that, but under far different circumstances. Congratulations, Celestia, you not only had a hoof in making her the way she is today, but you did little to guide her away from her compulsions.”
Clearly, the alicorn was not used to being chided. Exchanging looks with her sister, she rose to her hooves.
“There is much to think about, I think,” she declared softly. “Today’s proceedings are done. What was brought up was unexpected, but perhaps necessary. Chrysalis, you may return to your quarters or you may choose to have an hour outside before returning to your room. I bid you good day.” With that, she turned and walked off, her mane and tail trailing behind her as if in the act reflecting her thoughts.
Which left Luna and Chrysalis looking each other eye-to-eye. They studied each other.
“How well do you know Twilight Sparkle?” asked the Queen.
The alicorn hesitated, as if debating an answer. “Well enough to consider her a friend.”
Chrysalis flicked an ear. “Did you know of her compulsiveness?”
“It was not brought to my attention, no. I simply assumed she was enthusiastic.” Luna became guarded.
“Do you think I would mislead you or Celestia with this matter?”
Luna pursed her lips. “I would not put it past you. Yet I also sense no deception coming from you. This was a startling revelation to say the least. Using her own spell against Twilight in such a fashion was unexpected. It might have also been necessary and for Twilight’s benefit.”
Chrysalis tilted her head to one side, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. “I don’t follow.”
Luna eyed the changeling suspiciously, pursing her lips. “My sister believes Twilight Sparkle is destined for great things. She is a Prodigy. I have touched her potential and I am inclined to agree with my sister on the promise Twilight shows. As I have spent my time relearning everything about my kingdom, I have had little time to spend with Twilight. I am not sure as to how my sister could miss such a thing. The truthing spell was done exactly as it was before and I could detect no flaws in it.” She quirked an eyebrow and then shrewdly added, “Yet you were able to detect it so quickly and easily. How?”
“I’m a changeling. I am also a queen. You must know these sort of things if you’re going to be a queen.” Chrysalis wore a smug expression, buzzing her wings.
Luna was clearly unhappy with her. “Still. I think you were wrong to attack Twilight thusly. She deserved no such treatment.”
“Hypocrisy must run rampant between you sisters,” the Queen snarked. “Everything here is against my will. I have no freedom. I have no magic. I cannot communicate with my hive. Or must I spell it out to you in small words?”
“We think our conversation is at an end,” announced Luna with very much the same authority as Celestia had mustered just moments ago. “We bid you a good day, Queen Chrysalis. Enjoy the out of doors while as it is presently available for your enjoyment. Remember: thou art always under keen observation.” As she departed, her tail flicked, reflecting her annoyance.
How amusing the princess would backslide and revert to the royal We! With a smirk, Chrysalis watched her go and saw she was the only one at the table. Rising to her hooves, she casually glanced around to mark the locations of all the guards. There were a few pegasi in armor lazily flying in circles high above her and she thought she spotted a unicorn or two by the glint of sunlight off their polished armor. The air was sweet and the soft breeze promised there were flowers nearby. For a moment, she reached into her mind to see where Nightstorm was lurking.
She only saw darkness. Must be asleep.
Moving slowly, she rotated her neck as she swiveled her eyes about, searching for a nice, grassy spot to lay down and let Atalanta get the feel of the ground. Sunshine would do wonders for her skin, she surmised.
Spotting a location pleasing to her eyes, the Queen moved with a bit more purpose. A rather large rose bush full of blooming flowers appealed to her and its shade was just large enough to accommodate her long and slender frame. With a contented sigh, she lay down on her belly, folding her legs beneath her. Her tail flicked and came to rest like a meandering river behind her rump.
Oh, the grass felt wonderful! Chrysalis gave out an uncharacteristic whinny. Changelings don’t whinny, she noted to herself wryly. Maybe the ponies were starting to rub off on her. Gods, she hoped not! Repressing a shudder, she fished out Atalanta and placed her gently on the grass. The hatchling chirped in protest at being woken up from her nap, none the worse for wear from the events of the hearing. Her first encounter with the ground caused a bit of a panic. Chrysalis laughed a little, then soothed her daughter with a quiet, reassuring chirp. It was a very changeling sound. When she discovered the grass was not going to eat her, Atalanta responded with her own chirps. She was hungry and demanded to be fed.
Smiling at her daughter, Chrysalis obeyed and offered a hoof seeping with syrupy love from her holes. This was a happy moment, and one she needed after fraying her nerves while questioning Twilight Sparkle. The emotions from Celestia had been kept in check, by Chrysalis realized she had been treading on very thin ice with the alicorn. The legendary patience of the Princess amazed the changeling. By all rights, Chrysalis felt she should have been reduced to changeling goo, or at least been made a pasty substance under somepony’s hoof.
It only served to prove the weakness of the ponies!
A triumphant smirk formed and she flopped on her side, mindful of her feeding daughter. Closing her eyes, she simply lay there, listening to Atalanta as she slurped away at lunch. It felt good to be out of her cell. It was a false sense of freedom. The thought made Chrysalis think of her changelings who had impersonated ponies, especially herself. Creating that false sense of security, pointing the Equestrians at Taalia and the Ravagers and using that opportunity to use the wedding to her advantage.
“So close,” she murmured to herself. “I was that close! Stupid ponies.”
The Queen lay there for a while, simply enjoying everything. She could feel Atalanta wriggle up along her foreleg until she found a spot in between both of them and against her mother’s chest. A tiny, broken purr could be heard. The hatchling was very happy. This reflected warmly upon her mother. A nap sounded nice. With a great heave of a sigh, Chrysalis decided to keep her eyes closed until a guard came to fetch her.
For what seemed far too short a time to constitute an hour, Chrysalis soon felt the presence of somebody approaching. Perhaps it was time? She cracked an eye open and noted a pair of armored legs moving towards her stealthily. She sensed something muted from the owner of those legs. Alarm bells rang in her head. She should have been able to feel the pony’s emotional state!
Snapping her eyes open, she jerked up, knocking Atalanta from her grasp and to the grass, suddenly fearful. She looked squarely at the pony. It was a guard, a unicorn, to be precise. It was also a mare, and her eyes were filled with dreadful purpose. Her horn was aglow. It was a pale blue aura, quite pretty, really. What it held, however, was not at all pretty. Behind her, there were five more, equally determined ponies. Two of them were earth ponies, as well as three more unicorns.
“Those who assault the Lady of the Sun must suffer the ultimate penalty! DEATH!!” cried the mare with zealous righteousness.
A broad-bladed dagger was at the ready, floating near her head. As Chrysalis scrambled to get to her hooves, it came down in a flash. Biting pain ripped through the chitin. The dagger came up and quickly down again. Chrysalis kicked, shrieking in rage and pain. Atalanta sounded off even louder as hatred smashed against both her senses and her mother’s. The changeling was already moving, keeping her body firmly between the knife-wielding unicorn and her daughter.
Again and again the knife flashed. Chrysalis screamed, her own fangs flashing as she retaliated. She managed to land a blow with a hoof, sending the unicorn flying. The mare slammed through a nearby lilac bush, shearing off branches as her journey ended abruptly when the wall stopped her. The unicorn crumpled to the ground. She did not move.
“Calm Shade! She killed Calm!”
“Hurry up and kill her! We don’t have much time before we attract attention!”
Chrysalis stumbled, trying to stay focused on her next attacker, an ear at the threat while the other sought out Atalanta. She felt something grab her tail. It was small, tiny and helpless. She could feel her own blood escaping from her. The changeling hissed, sorely in need of access to her magic. Curse the ring! Curse all ponies!
The next attacker also carried a dagger, though in his mouth. The earth pony charged in, snarling at the Queen’s left. The unicorns were fanning out at range. Alarms were beginning to sound throughout the castle. Where was the other earth pony? With what magic she had, she plucked Atalanta up and placed her squarely between her shoulder blades and base of her wings. They buzzed furiously, preparing to lift the changeling and her daughter up and to safety.
A searing bolt of magic blurred over her neck. Her fragile wings were suddenly gone halfway up their length and Chrysalis fell heavily on her hooves. Her adrenaline was surging through her body and she whirled head on towards the charging earth pony. Rearing, she lashed out with both hooves. He dodged, slashing with his dagger and managing to cut into her left leg. She could see the slash, but did not feel anything more than a prick. The Queen kicked again, slamming a hoof into his face. His snout made a dull, wet cracking sound, his neck snapping from the violent impact. As the pony fell away, bolts of magic began pelting into Chrysalis. She turned into them, flaring her own horn. Smoke sizzled and popped as her aura battled with the repression runes on the ring. It was supposed to contain her unfathomable power, but her rage and fear for her daughter fueled her.
“Damn you, Celestia!” she seethed under her breath as she did her best to dodge the bolts. From her right, the other earth pony barreled into her. She caught his movement at the last moment as the firing had stopped, tearing apart the ground with her hooves as she spun.
Atalanta cried out loudly as she was flung from her mother’s body. Chrysalis could not see where she had gone as she had a pony breathing on her neck, the blade of his dagger hilt deep into her neck. She glared at him balefully, hissing with renewed fury. The Queen bit deeply into his exposed neck, sawing with her jaws and doing far more damage than a mere blade!
The pony screamed and let go of his weapon. Chrysalis did not release him and was dragged along as he tried to backpedal away from her. Seeing she was not going to let go, he began kicking her neck and chest in full blown panic. The changeling felt each and every blow. She knew she was getting weaker and weaker. There was a serious wound in her neck. There were deep cuts beneath her chitin from the unicorn’s dagger. Searing marks from fire magic scorched her front and shoulders. Smoke trailed from some of her impact wounds. Blood was everywhere.
Finally, the stallion was able to kick himself free of her. Her teeth had left a terrible wound. The coppery and warm taste of blood in her mouth was something she had not experienced in a long time. Old memories of past battles flashed through her mind. Chrysalis staggered to her hooves. The stallion fell off of his. A grim smile stretched across her battered muzzle. Bending down, she casually gored him with her crooked horn, tearing it away from his body even as he squealed bloodily. Twitching, his body went still and the Queen could feel the shock and fear from her would-be assassins. She spied out her daughter. Atalanta was not hard to miss as she was quite loud. Sidestepping cautiously, she moved over to the bushes where her daughter chirped in full blown panic, keeping her horn lowered and pointed at the unicorns.
She heaved a huffed sigh of relief when she saw Atalanta was safe and relatively unharmed. The bush was comprised of very soft leaves that were blue and velvety to the touch. The name of the plant escaped her. A more pressing concern was present and needed to be addressed.
“You’re not guards,” she hissed to the unicorns.
“She’s a demon!” one of them cried. “Kill her!” They fired simultaneously at the changeling queen, each one openly showing their hatred. She felt them as keenly as she felt their magic bite into her chitin and erupt against her flesh.
The Queen protected her daughter, standing boldly over the bush where Atalanta continued to cry. If she fell, then surely they would kill her daughter. That must not pass!
“No!” she cried in defiance, even as her strength began to fail her.
Chrysalis fell, despite her mind pleading with her body to stay upright. She simply could not. There was simply no more left in her. At least she fell protectively over her daughter. They would have to move her corpse before getting to Atalanta! Gasping, she found it hard to breathe. She gurgled, gasped, and spat up blood. It was red. So very red and dark. It was warm, too, she noted numbly.
“ENOUGH!!” Thundered the world around her.
Her last thoughts were of her daughter before the world went black, only to explode with the fury of the sun. Chrysalis heard her name called out, then nothing.