The next few days were utterly nerve-wracking. The mood of the hive, which had been fairly positive and upbeat as of late, was now somewhat subdued. Chrysalis' subjects did their best not to pester her too much, since she was now an anxious mess, laying about in her quarters at all hours of the day. Arta was able to bring a small smile to her face, at least, but those smiles quickly faded when her mind drifted back to the cause of her anxiety.
"You're going to have to get out of that bed sometime."
"No." Chrysalis said, sounding rather sullen. "What's the point? We're done for. I spared that cads life, and now we're going to lose ours." Arta let out a heavy sigh. She'd been over this with Chrysalis again and again, telling her that she was certain Celestia wouldn't do that, but Chrysalis could not be swayed. It was with a morbid determination that she clung to that depressing belief, and Arta could not disabuse her love of it.
"I love you." Arta murmured, climbing into the bed with a soft, feminine grunt, minding her gravid belly, and she snuggled up beside Chrysalis. "And I won't let Celestia hurt you. If you're so determined to think her a killer, then I have no choice but to protect my love."
"Wh-what? No, y-you can't! You haven't the strength, or the magic, and...and...you're on the cusp of birthing those eggs!"
"I can and I will," she said, familiar words that made Chrysalis click and roll her eyes. "I am certain that she won't harm you or any of my other brothers and sisters. So certain, in fact, that I am not afraid to stand before her and speak in your favour." Chrysalis made to object again, but stopped as Arta raised an eyebrow. "I hope I have made myself clear. This is not negotiable. I'm doing this because I love you."
"...all right. But...be careful, please! You're so precious to me, Arta. You're my lovely jewel."
"I promise I'll be careful." She leaned in and kissed Chrysalis between the eyes. "Now come on, you haven't made the rounds of the hive in two days." Chrysalis clung to the bed for a few moments, but then finally relented, slipping off of the bed, looking absolutely haggard after two days of doing absolutely nothing but whimper and cry. "There you go, that's my tall, lovely queen."
"Please dispense with the baby talk, Arta."
"Awww, someling is being all cranky!" Arta continued to speak to her in a babyish voice, and then giggled mischievously as Chrysalis lunged at her, only for the pegasus to take off into the tunnels of the hive, the queen hot on her trail.
"When I catch you we will see who the baby is!" Chrysalis threatened, and Arta only laughed some more. Get Chrysalis out of bed and her mind off of impending doom? Mission accomplished.
* * *
Arta had succeeded in distracting Chrysalis from her worries and getting her to attend to her duties once more, and Chrysalis buried herself in her work, deciding she should listen to Arta and just calm down.
Her manufactured calm did not last long. She was in the middle of a discussion with one of her nurse drones in the nursery when the alert came over the hivemind. Just like before, they were not alone in the forest.
Celestia was trudging through the forest, a squadron of the royal guard accompanying her, with Bold Remark leading the charge, leading them to where he had encountered Chrysalis and Arta. The group then split up, moving in different directions, looking to see if they could locate the hive. Chrysalis' scouts relayed all of this in real-time, the queen seeing the action at different angles through several sets of eyes. All the changelings in the hive stopped what they were doing to watch, and their fear began to amp up as the ponies got closer and closer with every hoofstep.
Chrysalis shook her head, returning to herself, and her face shifted into a resolute expression. What she had feared was now here. Now it had to be dealt with. She quickly left the nursery behind, hoofs clicking and clacking as she walked along the familiar tunnels of her beautiful hive. They had had to move hive after the Canterlot incident, and now...well, they'd be moving permanently, she thought.
My queen, what are your orders? The captain of her guard queried over the hivemind, and the rest of the hive listened in, waiting with bated breath to hear the answer.
For all those inside the hive, remain where you are. My scouts, do not engage Celestia or her guards. This...this task falls to me. I will sue for peace. There was a collective mental gasp, and then a myriad of objections and pleas, but Chrysalis ignored them. It was because of her rash decision that she'd made an enemy of Equestria, and now she was going to fix things, even if it cost her her life.
"Chryssy? What's going on? Everyling is freaking out." Chrysalis was brought up short, standing just near the entrance. She turned to face Arta, and the look on Chrysalis' face spelled it out. "Oh...oh no..."
"Yes. Celestia is here." She sighed a heavy sigh, her resolution wavering. She wanted to be brave about this, but truthfully, she was terrified. "Come, my love. I need you by my side. I cannot face this alone, and you have already promised to speak on my behalf." Arta approached her, nuzzling and kissing her, murring softly. Chrysalis' greedily drank in the love that was offered, banishing hunger and warming her core.
"I'm with you, Chryssy. And I always will be. L-let's...let's do this." They turned their gaze on the entrance, which, while skillfully hidden because of its angle, would no doubt be noticed eventually by those who were looking for it. Arta fell into step with Chrysalis, sliding her 'shades' down over her glasses, and they stepped out into the mid-morning light.
The search party was close, but had not yet stumbled upon the hill that held the entrance to the hive. Chrysalis and Arta stood just outside, backs to the entrance, and Chrysalis threw her head back, shouting: "Celestia! I am here! Let us have words!"
There was a half-second of silence, and then all at once the guard was upon them, surrounding them, brandishing spears and looking fit to kill. "Stay where you are, you filthy insect!" hissed one of the guards. Chrysalis bristled at the insult but did not retaliate. Now was the time to cooperate. The guards did not at first notice Arta, with their attention being firmly set on their enemy, but then a few of the guards' eyes slipped to the figure beside the changeling queen, and they gaped with surprise. A pony, here, with the changeling queen? They could not comprehend it.
A minute later Celestia stepped onto the scene, moving with graceful steps, her mane and tail glimmering and shifting in the light of her sun. "Stand down, guards." They hesitated, but parted and moved off to the side in tight rank and file, watching Chrysalis like a hawk. "Thank you." She did not hurry, walking slowly and carefully up the hill, and stopped just before Chrysalis and Arta. "I have had false reports before, but it seems Bold Remark was as good as his word." The stallion in question lingered behind Celestia, grinning like a mad fool. He couldn't wait to get his reward. Celestia was known for paying handsomely for the things she desired.
"Yes, unfortunately, that fool found me." Chrysalis said, looking behind Celestia and glaring at him. Bold Remark chuckled nervously and took a few steps back, just to be safe.
"Wait, what have we here?" Celestia was looking at Arta, and the gears of recognition were madly turning inside the princess' head. "It...surely it can't be...Arta? Arta Factia? How do you come to be here?"
"Well, Chrysalis...erm...ponynapped me, to put it bluntly." Celestia frowned, turning to look at Chrysalis with displeasure. "But she has not laid a single hoof on me to harm me! She has treated me well, she has cared for me, and...and she loves me." Arta smiled at Chrysalis, who couldn't help but smile back.
"And your belly, Arta? Are you with foal?"
"Yes and no. There are young inside me, but they're not ponies. I've got Chrysalis' eggs in my womb." Celestia's eyes widened ever so slightly. "I'm going to be a mother, and I'm very happy about it. It matters not what species they are, they will still be my children."
"Hmm..." Celestia's eyes travelled back and forth between the two, the princess obviously deliberating in her head. "You are not the same changeling, Chrysalis. This is at odds with your previous behaviour."
"I know." Chrysalis said in a hushed voice. "Having my flank handed to me and being catapulted into a tree had a way of...making me reevaluate things." Before Celestia could break in, Chrysalis continued. "Please, Celestia, at the very least have mercy on my people. Do what you will with me. I offer myself up into your hooves. But do not harm my children. I am solely responsible for the attack on Canterlot. I will bear the heavy weight of my error. Please." Celestia stared at Chrysalis with an unreadable expression...and then her face softened, and a small smile stretched across her muzzle.
"Very well. I hear your plea and grant it. None shall lay a hoof on your children." Chrysalis burst into grateful tears, thanking Celestia over and over.
"WHAT?! Princess, no! We need to exterminate these vermin! How can you allow this?" The captain of the guard was furious, his spear quivering in his hooves, his eyes filled with a deathly glare at Chrysalis. Celestia stiffened, then turned around, her eyes narrowed at him.
"Firstly, I have made my decision, and will not retract it. And secondly...did I just hear you openly suggest genocide?" The captain began to sweat, taking a nervous step back. Celestia very rarely looked like this, so there was no doubt that she was angry.
"W-well, you see...they...they're a m-menace, and—" He stuttered, trying to defend his comment, but Celestia's eyes turned from him dismissively, looking towards his lieutenant.
"Lieutenant?"
"Y-Yes, Princess?"
"Congratulations, you have been promoted. You are now the new captain of my guard." The now ex-captain spluttered and gasped in disbelief, and she looked upon him again. "You are stripped of your rank, 'captain'. The guard's purpose is to serve and protect, not exterminate. It seems you have let this personal vendetta take over and make you forget that purpose. Leave now, and do not return to me until you have thought long and hard about this." The stallion was stunned, but then he nodded and turned away, sniffling, rushing off through the forest. Celestia turned to look at the rest of her guard. "Let this be a lesson to you all. Do not let the bitter seed of vengeance grow in you. We are here to seek reparation for the Canterlot invasion, but we are not here seeking death. No changeling need die. We have not had a war for centuries, and I am not about to pursue another."
"C-Celestia..." Chrysalis breathed, looking at her in utter disbelief. "Y-you...I..." Celestia turned to her, smiling.
"Oh Chrysalis, did you think I came here breathing death? You have sorely misjudged me, then. It seems I have misjudged you as well. I was not sure what to expect, but it seems that the Chrysalis I fought was not you. Please accept my apology."
"Umm...I...I forgive you?" Chrysalis squeaked. Arta nudged her, smiling brightly. There was a twinkle in the pegasus' eye that said I told you so~
"Thank you. It feels good to be forgiven." She gave Chrysalis a sly smile, and Chrysalis squirmed awkwardly in place. "I would ask you to accompany me to Canterlot, where we will discuss reparations. I cannot dismiss what happened as easily as I dismissed my captain. Still, I think there may be cause for a little leniency. Oh! And I shall have to get Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence to come." Chrysalis blanched at that, her eyes wide with horror. "I have forgiven you, but they have not. I trust you wish to apologize, Chrysalis?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes, of course. I do wish to apologize. I did hurt them rather grievously. And...what of Luna?"
"My sister may be a firebrand at times, but she is quick to cool. I would not worry about her too much, but still, it would be good to extend an apology to her as well, for having attacked her sister. I think, given events of the distant past, that Luna will understand...she understands all too well..." Celestia looked sad for a moment, and she sighed. "But I do not wish to dwell too much on that." She smiled again, and leaned in, taking Chrysalis by surprise with an affectionate nuzzle. Chrysalis clicked and chittered, the affection from Celestia rather sweet, a different flavour; she liked it.
"My hive can operate well enough on its own. It is, as you ponies say, a well-oiled machine." The anti-climactic confrontation had been relayed to the rest of the hive, and her children breathed easy, so happy to know that they were spared. Chrysalis spoke to them, telling them that she would be gone for a while, and to keep things running as best they could. The chorus of eager voices made her smile. She knew they'd be just fine. "I suppose you will have to clap me in chains, or something?" Celestia giggled and shook her head.
"Heavens no. You may be coming with me, but I am not making a prisoner of you. You are a foreign dignitary with whom we have had a rather fierce disagreement, but now we're coming together to smooth it over, for the sake of our people. Sound fair?"
"...your confidence in me is astounding. I wish I had as much confidence as you."
"Well, when you've lived many millennia, you tend look at things differently. Walk with me." Chrysalis fell in step with Celestia, and Arta walked quicker to keep in step with them and their longer strides. The squadron of guards formed a protective circle around all three as they picked their way through the forest. Celestia turned to look at Arta. "I knew you'd be coming too, Arta. I can see how much Chrysalis means to you."
"Damn straight. You won't see me leaving her side for a moment, even if I am a little...encumbered." Arta paused to reach down and give her swollen, gravid belly a rub. "Let's just hope these babies can hold off a little longer while we have these peace talks." Celestia gave her a wan smile.
"You are the mate of a foreign dignitary, Arta. I think we can spare the resources to help with a birthing mare." She shook her head and chuckled. "It wouldn't be the first time children were born during a political visit. When the Zebrican king came to visit several years ago, his pregnant queen with him, well...there was definitely some rejoicing then. 'A son is born, a son is born! Indodana okuzelwe!'"
"Oh...well. That's good to know." Arta blushed softly, and Chrysalis leaned down to nibble at her ears, making her pegasus mate squeak happily.
"Indeed. Now, let us not dawdle. I would dearly like to get back to the palace. There is a cushion and a cup of tea with my name on it." Celestia paused for effect. "No, really, they actually have my name on them." Chrysalis and Arta laughed, and Celestia joined in. Things were going swimmingly with Celestia, who was quite large-hearted and quick to forgive. But how would things go when Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence met with Chrysalis? Those three bore most of the ill-will, and underneath Chrysalis' joy ran an undercurrent of uncertainty as she thought about their faces, twisted and contorted in anger. Chrysalis shuddered ever so slightly, then put it at the back of her mind. She'd already misjudged Celestia, and was in danger of doing the same to the others she had hurt.
Enough...enough now.