The Beginning of the Eclipse

by Snorlaxkid

Rehab and Recovery

Chrysalis slowly awoke to a rhythmic beeping. The sound was unfamiliar to her, but she felt like she should know it. Her eyes opened, to see a sterile white ceiling above her. This wasn't the prison she was expecting to wake up in when she lost consciousness due to blood loss. Assuming she'd wake up at all.

She started to sit up but was stopped a mask and tube over her mouth. How had she not noticed them? Was she that numb from everything? With a quick motion she pulled them off, thankful to breathe the unfiltered air. As she sat up, a sharp pain in her side reminded her of her recent incident. She placed a hand to the painful area, feeling bandages covering her chitinous shell. She finally put two and two together. She was being treated in a hospital. Why? She had been caught injured and suspected of attempting to kill the princesses, which wasn't entirely untrue. Why would they treat her wounds? If the situation were reversed, she would have left such a perpetrator to die in agony. Yet, here she was.

"So if I'm in a hospital, that beeping must be..." She glanced to her left, a heart monitor set up by the cot currently occupied by her unconscious room mate. Said room mate having gauze covering most of their chest due to a recent run in with Chrysalis' own magic. She was stuck in a room with Solar Eclipse.

"Alright, don't panic, you can just... leave, all you have to do is climb out of-" Chrysalis was interrupted as she attempted to leave her cot, by chains rattling and a resistance on her arm and leg to one side. Restraints were on her, locking her in her bed. "...That figures."

Chrysalis laid back down as she heard the sounds of approaching footfalls, unpleasantly surprised to see; alongside a nurse and guard, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadence. Of course, probably here to decide her fate. She did put the ruler of Equestria in the hospital, despite circumstances. Surely she was going to be imprisoned, or possibly executed. Just another reason to hate Mondays. ...Was it still Monday? She wasn't sure.

"Oh, you're awake." Cadence said, her tone surprisingly soft and unafraid.

The changeling queen felt insulted. She was captured AND she was being pitied? It was more than she could bear. A few years ago she nearly had everything she ever wanted. Now all she had was a cot in the hospital and a cold prison cell waiting for her.

"No thanks to you two." Chrysalis replied, having resolved to at least face her fate with defiance. "So now what? Are we going with a classic guillotine? Hanging? Lethal injection? Maybe we could get creative!" The two princesses only gave her confused and worried expressions, setting her off further. "I'm talking about my execution of course! Surely you're not going to let me go after all this! I'm a sworn enemy of everything you hold dear! I've made multiple attempts on your lives! Why are you just sitting there like you're worried for my sake?!"

Chrysalis' vision began to blur, the exertion of her rage taking its toll on her state. Her eyes rolled up in her head and the nurse rushed over, administering a light pain killer and stimulants to keep her conscious.

"We are worried for your sake." Twilight replied, once Chrysalis was back with them, "You could have left us. You could have attacked us as well. Heck, you could have killed us while we were unconscious out of spite. Instead you put yourself at risk and saved us instead."

Chrysalis had to think about that. Why did she go so far to help them? She should have just fled. She should have killed them while they were down. Both of those were logical conclusions, and yet at the time she didn't even consider them. At the time she didn't see the princesses at enemies. She saw them as a problem she'd caused, and that she could fix. Something made her see them, even if just for a moment, as others in the same situation she was in. Empathy. It was an alien concept to her before today. Strange that her first time understanding it was from a first hand experience.

"Very well. Perhaps, out of whatever little "goodness" there is in my heart, I helped you this once. We all know I won't keep helping." Chrysalis admits, trying hard to remain calm after her last outburst. "Why does it matter? You have me at your mercy. Finish me. It's the only choice that makes sense. Do what I always failed to do and follow through!"

Cadence sighed at Twilight's side. "I told you she'd react like this." Chrysalis' eyes watched Cadence, who subtly grabbed a scalpel from a tray nearby, no one else seeing the movement but her. Their eyes met, a moment of understanding. "She just isn't going to listen to reason."

Cadence suddenly threw the scalpel at the last word of her sentence, the blade soaring straight and true toward the head of the changeling queen. No one had any time to react before there was a stomach dropping shlik.

A few stray strands of Chrysalis' mane fell to her cot, the scalpel mere millimeters from her neck. The changeling queen stared at Cadence in disbelief. Despite the closeness of the blade, she could tell that Cadence had missed intentionally. She had a still target and could have used magic to adjust the angle of her throw. Instead she aimed at the pillow.

"Cadence!" Twilight's shout broke Chrysalis out of her shock, "What was that? You could have killed her!"

Cadence calmly nodded. "I know. And I did. The old Chrysalis is dead now. Do you hear me Chrysalis? Your past life, all of it, is gone now. This is your new start. Welcome to Equestria."

Chrysalis stared as the two were escorted out by a very upset nurse who then carefully removed scalpel stabbed pillow and replaced it with a fresh one. A fresh start. That was another thing that Chrysalis had never considered. Even being offered it so blatantly, she wasn't sure she could accept it. Even if everyone else in the world could move on from her past, could she?

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Solar Eclipse's eyes snapped open. She wasn't dead, the constant beeping of the heart monitor hooked up to her and her searing chest were proof enough of that. The four beings within her had spent the last several hours, wresting for power, and now currently only one will was able to hold control for the moment, until order was once more established.

Celestia forced her body into a sitting position, trying to ignore the burning pain in her chest. A quiet rattling of chains as she moved her right arm confirmed what she suspected. She'd been restrained. It would've proven fruitless if Daybreaker or Nightmare Moon had been the one to awaken, but it was likely the only precaution a hospital would have on hand.

A second rattling caught her attention, further to her right. She turned, getting a brief glimpse of Chrysalis' eyes before the changeling queen rolled over, pretending to be asleep. Celestia couldn't help but giggle, and was pleased hearing her own laugh, and not the amalgam she was becoming accustomed to. "I know you're awake Chrysalis. You don't need to worry, I will do you no harm."

Chrysalis snorted incredulously, understandable given the situation.

"Well, if you won't talk to me, I'll just talk to you, is that all right?" Celestia paused. No response. "Very well then. First of all I'm sorry that I..." She paused, remembering her situation. "I'm sorry that we attacked you. That we attacked everyone. I don't know exactly what happened, but we lost control. I won't allow it to happen again, I promise you."

There was a pause before Chrysalis rolled back to face Celestia, the changeling's eyes seeming to stare through her rather than at her. "You promise me? What is with you ponies? I've tried to kill you specifically multiple times, and unlike your apprentice and her nanny, I've never helped you. You have no reason to worry about my safety."

Celestia chuckled again, covering her mouth with her unrestrained hand. "I suppose we're just naturally a forgiving lot, us ponies." She replied, "We care too much for our own good."

Chrysalis once again paused before replying to Celestia. "I am speaking to Celestia alone right now, correct? The others are... occupied?"

Celestia nodded.

"Then allow me to tell you a story of caring too much..."

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It was several days until Chrysalis was allowed to leave the hospital, and weeks after that for Solar Eclipse to be released as well. Chrysalis visited the fused princesses every day she could, always in disguise, and always under the watchful eye of the royal guard of course. The two ended up forming a most unlikely bond, both were rulers indisposed, and although their morals and motives differed, they were able to bond over the few similar situations they shared. Chrysalis preferred interacting with Celestia solely, but she was more than willing to speak with Luna, Nightmare Moon, and Daybreaker as well, although their bonds were more strained, especially with the natural suspicion the dark personalities had due to her attempt on their life. It wasn't long until rumors began circulating that the fusion of the princesses had a would-be suitor, but there was never a consistent description of this supposed being. At least, not until the day of Solar Eclipse's release from the hospital.

Chrysalis paced the hospital waiting room, disguised as an earth pony mare with Twilight watching her curiously. Cadence had long since returned home to the Crystal Empire. She had a daughter to care for, and a husband to spend time with, as well as an entire people to rule.

"You're going to burn a hole in the floor with all that pacing." Twilight eventually stated, comment at the tearing of the tiles from Chrysalis' circling. It was odd seeing the changeling queen like this. She honestly seemed to be worried about someone other than herself, or her children. Reforming her into a good pony, or changeling rather, was not the result she'd expected but it was working somehow.

Chrysalis paused her pacing before dropping into a chair. "I'm going to go mad waiting. She-" She paused, correcting herself in a manner similar to how Celestia had done in front of her many times. "They should be here any moment now. I can't help but think something will go wrong."

Twilight chuckled and grinned. "Admit it, you're worried because you've let friendship into your heart."

Friendship. That was a word for it. But it wasn't the only word. She was "friends" with Luna, and possibly Nightmare Moon. Probably not Daybreaker though. Celestia however... It wasn't love, not exactly, but it felt deeper than friendship. The bond was even more special than that. Deeper. They had formed a link that could only be felt by two people who had some kind of common goal. A powerful goal, unobtainable without each others' help.

Chrysalis knew what she needed to do. Without a word she removed her disguise, much to Twilight's verbal shock and the surprise (and fear) of many of the ponies around. Chrysalis began to notice things that a few weeks ago would never have bothered her. A mother placing an arm protectively in front of their child. A lone pony attempting to subtle move to a seat closer to the doors. The check in nurse paging for security. A few weeks ago, none of this would catch her attention, let alone bother her. Now it hurt.

When Solar Eclipse was wheeled into the lobby, Chrysalis was the first to reach her. Although the doctor holding the wheelchair would have pulled fused princess away had it not been for Celestia's voice telling him to stop. Chrysalis hugged Solar Eclipse... no, she hugged Celestia, only releasing her when Twilight took the wheelchair from the doctor and accompanied the two back to the palace.

She no longer cared about the fearful reactions she had gotten. She had finally accepted her second chance.

Author's Note:

For those of you who feel teased because Chrysalis' tale went untold, let me assure you, it will be. But it is a tale for a different day, and a different set of stories.

And yes, in case you're wondering, this is the start of ChrysalisxCelestia ship. But that won't be too central in this part of the tale.

BUT HOLY SHIT, THE FEELS WHILE I TYPED THIS UP! THEY ARE TOO MUCH!

Comments

[Lightning_Flash99]

Awwwww, *huggles Chrisi* ^w^