Tainted Love: A Twysalis Prompt Tag Collab

by Foals Errand

Siren by nioniosbbbb

by nioniosbbbb

The next morning found Chrysalis and Twilight talking in their quarters about the upcoming event. Chrysalis, wanting to keep it a surprise, had waited until the last moment to reveal this.

“So… the tree is the source of life in the Badlands?” Asked Twilight. She listened to Chrysalis’s words, making notes as they spoke, always asking questions like a young filly whose curiosity couldn’t be sated. Chrysalis smiled, more than eager to explain to the cute bookworm the how and why. She was lucky they weren’t interrupted by that wyrm of her’s Spike. The adorable little dragon had taken a journey to the Dragon Empire to learn more about his kin with no definite time to return.

“Yes… It’s over four millennia old. This was once the Tree of Harmony, the tree that supported the land. It gave three ponies the strength to draw its power with their song, giving the ponies around them the power of harmony and peace.”

“The Sirens…” Twilight gasped, the realization hitting her.

“Exactly… the Sirens, however, grew arrogant, wanting to keep all the power to themselves and not the undeserving races that squabbled around the tree. So they did. The “lesser” races, as they called them, became puppets to their songs, fighting amongst themselves for the eyes of their puppeteers...”

Twilight felt a chill run up her spine. She remembered how the whole village had fought over a simple doll when she had cast the “Want it, need it” spell. If she could do so much with a single spell, then what could the sirens have done if their real magic had been restored? Only now did she realize how lucky they were to have fought in the human world.

“Twilight?” asked Chrysalis, waving a hoof. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking how lucky me and the girls were to have defeated the Sirens in the human world… if it happened here…”

“The changelings would have stopped them.” Chrysalis broke her train of thought.

“You… you would?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow.

“If the sirens came to Equestria they would have come to our tree immediately. Why do you think the “Spirit Wall” was created?”

“I see… well it’s good to know despite the differences we had you would defend the land as well.” Chrysalis chuckled a bit.

“Well if you hadn’t taken care of Tirek you would be in big trouble for keeping him from us. But you didn’t know, and in the end you cancelled that out. Plus i fell in love with you stupid. So… shall I continue on the Sirens?”

“Oh right… sorry for interrupting.” Twilight gave an awkward smile.

“So, the Sirens twisted their powers, feeding on the conflict they once sought to prevent. They ruined their forms, marring their beautiful radiance. They would have twisted the tree too, had Starswirl the Bearded not banished them to another world. The Tree of Harmony was damaged, but not all was lost. Starswirl took a seed and planted it near Equestria. But the hole left here couldn’t be fixed. When we changelings encountered this place it was nothing more than a field of exploding mana and rampart arcane fires burning about. The Queen of the changelings at that time, Minerva, had the idea to drop the seed of an olive tree into the center. From it came the tree you see right now and every year the tree pulses with energy into the land, increasing its fertility and maintaining a hospitable environment for both flora and fauna...”

“But… the Badlands…”

“Eh-hem…” Chrysalis faked a cough at being interrupted. Twilight silenced herself, embarrassed a bit as Chrysalis plumped her cheeks.

“Bad Twily... pay attention! Anyway, as I was saying, ever since that moment we changelings prospered around it. However, sometime after its creation the energy well… destabilized. Or is it de-harmonized? Anyhow, to preserve the balance of the land here we devised a solution: we feed it every year our energy with our song.”

“The song of creation? I never really under-...” Twilight found herself suddenly moaning into Chrysalis’s kiss, which didn’t stop until she was quiet again.

Guess that’s one way to get her attention. Mmmm... Chrysalis licked her lips as their mouths parted ways.

She coughed a bit and Twilight shivered in response, getting back to reality. Before she had a chance to speak Chrysalis stood up.

“The song of creation is not something that can be described,Twilight, which is why you will find no description that does it justice. It is why you must experience it first-hoof. Come… it’s almost time.”

Chrysalis gently tugged Twilight’s hoof until she decided to follow her. As they trotted towards the center of the tree, she had the chance to think about what Chrysalis said. During their conversation Twilight had noticed a strange gleam in Chrysalis’s eyes. She had felt a mix of interest and fear… She didn’t know what it was but it worried her. There was something more about this event, something…

“Twilight!” The alicorn jerked her head only to spot the other Royals of Equestria, led by Cadence, who rushed to her as soon as she spotted her. Unfortunately due to his duties Shining Armor had to stay behind in the Crystal Empire. After “The Dance” as Chrysalis called it - she always turned away a bit embarrassed from the sight - Twilight hugged Cadance.

“How are you, Twilight? Haven’t seen you a lot outside, has Chrysalis been treating you right? Or do I need to loveblast her again?”

She was glad Chrysalis pretended not to hear that. Shaking her hooves she was trying to mutter an excuse. Fortunately she didn’t have to…

“Stop being such a tease, Cadance, ‘tis simply a matter of love.” Said Luna, laughing.

“Perhaps our two lovebirds are dripping so much honey that they simply thought we might slip and fall if they walked out of their home,” continued Celestia, making the couple blush.

“How much wine did you drink?” Chrysalis asked sharply. Celestia was the one to respond first.

“Please, Chrysalis, lighten up… I don’t need to drink wine to joke about my former student. I’ve seen her mind-control an entire village.” Chrysalis’s jaw dropped.

“You never told me that!”

“Well you’ve never told me how you became a Queen, either!” responded a flabbergasted Twilight.

“Touche…” said Chrysalis, shivering at the memory.

“Like you don’t have your fair share of chaos in your life, Celestia. Do I need the Discord issue, sister?” Luna rebutted.

“Discord issue?” Said Celestia, eyes constantly shifting left and right..

“Right… remember the time he gave you flowers? Wiiiinking?”

Chrysalis whistled, complimenting the Solar Monarch as Cadance tried to stifle her laughter.

“Don’t worry, I already have auntie on my shipping chart. I foresee marriage in six months tops.”

“Way to go, Big Sexy! Didn’t know you had it in you. Remind me to give you the new guide I got from Neighpon. Really could help you with Discord’s anatomy, being as flexible as the dragon ponies.”

Twilight did NOT want to hear any more of this.

“Don’t we have more important things to do? Like the ceremony?”

“Right, right. Follow me…” Though others might have been fooled, Twilight noticed the drastic tone shift as Chrysalis turned. A knife cut all talk as her look changed. She didn’t speak as she continued to their original destination, not waiting for more interruptions. There it was again, Twilight spotted that look in Chrysalis’s eyes, the cold, determined mare, that unquenchable fire burning.

The same look she had when she invaded Canterlot...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The royals followed Chrysalis in the maze of leaves, branches and structures that were built into this extraordinary tree. They followed the buzz of the gathering changelings: children, adults, and elderly alike flocking to the center, or “heart,” of the tree. Once they crossed the final set of branches they saw it: a two-part structure featuring an auditorium, and an orchestra. The sun was shining above, making it all look like a forest clearing. The tree rings formed the shape of a heart in the center. Chrysalis stopped and sighed.

“Please allow the guards to guide you to your seats.” Her eyes gleamed once more. “This is my dream.” Twilight instinctively put her hoof upon her, but she didn’t know what to say. She only received an understanding smile as the guards directed them to their seats.

Chrysalis slowly but steadily stepped towards the heart, looking down at her hooves. She felt the life of the tree, she heard its beat. This tree was older than the Princesses themselves, it was the achievement of the changelings. It showed their potential, their united strength, their power to change the world… to protect nature.

As Chrysalis made the final steps into the center, she took a deep breath. She turned to her changelings, tapping her hoof twice in the wood. There was silence.

“Life… is strength.” She stated simply.“This is not to be contested. It is simple enough. You live, you affect your world. It is the logic by which we’ve lived for hundreds of years now since we lost our strength to Tirek.” She paused.

“But is it what you want? Do you submit to the fate appointed to you? Do you accept this suffering willingly?” She took a deep breath, pumped her chest, and jerked her head up. She could hear the murmurs and the “no’s” to each of her questions. The answers she knew, but still wanted to hear.

“The time to change has come! It’s time to give back! To show the world that changelings can be strong, that we can contribute!” A thoughtful whisper was heard from the crowd.

“Yea! She’s right!” Whispers became voices.

“We are not Parasites!”

“Yeah!”

“We are not monsters!”

“Yes!” voices turned to shouting.

“We are the guardians of nature!”

“WE ARE CHANGELINGS!” The shouting turned into a rallying cry, echoing through the stadium. Several changelings started uniting their hooves, connecting one with another. For Chrysalis this moment was hers. She didn’t notice the Princesses, nor her love watching with interest, she didn’t hear their chat as they marveled at her rallying speech. Once the changelings had completed this hoof-linking gesture and were in position, Chrysalis continued.

“My brothers, my sisters, my blood…”

The Queen’s pose invoked silence around her.

“SPEAK TO ME!!”

A chilling wind swept across the area and Twilight mimicked the other Princesses, grabbing herself in her seat firmly, expecting an explosion. The changelings’s eyes started as did Chrysalis’s. Chrysalis rose into the air without a single flap of her wings and stopped midair.

For a minute, as Chrysalis hovered, there was quiet, and then she heard it. The distant whisper, a soft voice in the wind, a light aura that caressed Twilight’s cheeks. Silence had overcome the Royals of Equestria as each noticed something different.

“Listen! The river…” Twilight heard Luna say. She focused a bit and heard the rush of the water that now had a steady rhythm.

“Look at the sky…” this time it was Celestia. Twilight noticed above the clearing clouds were hugging the sun without obscuring it.

“This is.. beautiful.” Cadance said, dumbfounded as she saw the branches move in tandem with the rise and fall of the volume the changelings’ song had. As they sung silver threads emerged from their hearts, offerings to Mother Equestria. Twilight noticed the wordless choir of nature that intensified around her. She heard the cymbals that thunder summoned, the drums the river beat, the violin and other cord instruments called forth by the movements of the tree’s branches, all while the wind played a godlike melody around them.

And inside all that Chrysalis, like a siren unmatched, an orchestrator of living music, led the way accepting their offerings. A steady beam built up from the center of her horn spiraling towards the sky and steadily the Queen became encompassed in its’ glow. Twilight had to admit Chrysalis was right: this event was mind-boggling and awe-inspiring at the same time.

But…

“Do you hear that?” Twilight said as she focused upon it. Cadance was to respond.

“What is it Twilight?”

“There’s something wrong…” Twilight noticed the beam lean slightly to the side and cut off a branch threatening to fall on the innocent. She fired a beam at it vaporizing it before it had the chance to hurt anyone. The river roared angrily as Chrysalis shook from her position, but remained there still singing, unmoving, unbending. She shook again, and re-established her control once more. The changelings were released from the magic, they looked bewildered as their Queen battled the instability.

Celestia rushed to them. The other Princesses promptly followed her.

“What happened? What’s going on?” Celestia asked one of the guards.

“We’ve offered all the energy that’s necessary. S-she’s unable to keep it together, she’s losing control! Oh by the maker what are we gonna do? If she can’t control it everything’s gonna blow up!” He responded, grabbing his head, his teeth chattering as he spoke.

Luna put a hoof on his shoulder. “Be calm changeling. Panic will not help. We shall figure this out. Right Tia?”

Celestia nodded. “Right. I’ll try to handle the storm. You see if you can handle the water, the moon should give you some control. Cadance, you take the changelings out of here. Twilight you…”

She turned only to see Twilight looking at Chrysalis intently. She was focused on her lips, trying to read what she was saying. They moved over and over in the same motion, saying the same thing again and again like a mantra to calm herself down. After a few seconds it hit her.

“This is her dream. To restore the land, to change the world. We cannot stop this, nopony can, she won’t allow it. We can only finish it.” She trotted towards her Queen, defiant against the rampant energies that her lover tried to harness.

“Twilight DON’T!” Cadance said, rushing after her, only to receive an arcane lightning bolt right in front of her hooves.

“Cadance NO!” Celestia and Luna held Cadance back, she struggled against them, trying to pry herself from their clamping hooves.

“We have to get those people to safety before this escalates further!” Celestia’s voice trembled.

“She’s my sister…” Cadance felt Celestia’s caress on her mane.

“And she’s like my daughter…” she responded.

“And my friend.” Luna chimed in. Celestia continued.

“We have to trust that she knows what she’s doing! There’s nothing else we can do right now! Cadance!” Cadance’s breath slowed and she calmed down. She nodded. She was released, and as the other two rushed to do their work, she spared one last glance before she did the same.

“Good luck, Twilight.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether it was dumb luck or sheer stupidity, Twilight’s gamble paid off. She had dodged death, but maybe this was something that was meant to be. This wasn’t something she had studied before, she didn’t know what to do…

She extended her hoof, and brought Chrysalis’s attention to her. Staring into Chrsyalis’s big, glowing eyes, she maintained that calm expression. Chrysalis was repeating the same thing over and over.

“This is my dream, I must do it. This is my dream, I must do it. This is my dream…” lost in her own words she barely felt Twilight’s feelings reach her. She stopped for a moment and turned her attention at the warmth grabbing her hoof, noticing the vague shape of Twilight.

“This is my dream Twilight, I must do it. I must succeed, I cannot fail. I…” a hoof gently pressed against her lips.

“You… don’t have to do it alone. Your dream is my dream. We share in the pain, the joy, the sorrow. That’s where our bond lies… our love.” For a few moments the rage of the magic around them was silenced.

“Okay…” Chrysalis paused, a small smile building up on her face, and as she said “I love you,” it was reflected in Twilight’s face. The two joined hooves, the glow in Chrysalis’s eyes being shared in Twilight’s own. Twilight felt a warmth unlike any other overwhelm her as she hovered together with Chrysalis above the tree’s heart.

The song which she heard before now came not just from her voice, but from her whole self. She couldn’t pinpoint it but she was now the voice, the instrument, and the player as well. She wanted comfort as much as she needed to give it.

“Hang on Chrysalis, we can do it.” She was unsure if her voice even made it past her ears as everything started blurring around her. She was looking for Chrsyalis among the information that her brain was getting.

“Hang on, Chrysalis!” She said, once again unsure if her love even heard her. Was she alone now? Alone in the buildup of arcane, her hooves going numb, confused from the multitude of emotions, feelings, and sensations. She spoke one last time, one last time before what she considered the point of no return.

“Hang on…” And there, amidst the storm that was her mind she heard it crystal clear.

Chrysalis.

“I’m alright, Twilight…” as everything went white Twilight felt Chrysalis’s hooves surround her as her wings draped over her own.

“I got you...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Look at how peaceful they are…”

“The Queen is so beautiful when she smiles…”

“So calm…”

Chrysalis fluttered her eyes open and yawned groggily. Twilight shifted in her position, stretching a bit.

“Shhh!!!!”

“They’re waking up!”

As the couple woke up they were greeted by the changelings surrounding them, waiting with bated breath. They looked at each other, then at the changelings.

Once Chrysalis was allowed to focus the first thing she noticed was the air. Like golden dust pollen danced in the wind, the golden dust of the tree of peace dancing in the aether all around her. There was a cool wind blowing around them, not the currents of blistering heat that battered them from outside the badlands. Love, the herald of all rebirth granted the holy tree new blossoms.

Twilight took a deep breath seeking to cherish every scent, every new feeling. As she closed her eyes she felt the rays of the sun peeking through the leaves like small rays of hope. The musky scent of the tree brought an instinctive smile upon her. The smiles of the changelings were now the smiles of new friends expressing their gratitude in the simplest way possible. This place really felt like home.

As the two turned against each other their smiles mirrored in their faces the sign of gratitude that couldn’t be expressed by simple words.

A dream came true that day…

“Twilight? Chrysalis?” the couple heard Cadance’s voice. The crowd parted revealing the other Princesses of Equestria. Once they reached them the two lovers received a hearty hug by the Princess of love...

“Don’t you two ever scare us like that again!”

...followed by a hard double Cadance Bitchslap™. A joyous laugh echoed as everyone, changelings and alicorns alike joined in an embrace. The celebration followed lasted until late. They say the sun and moon cycle was thrown off by two hours each to extend the celebrations.

A new era was beginning...