3: Why
Since waking, Chrysalis found herself counting the small holes in the ceiling. Usually, the count would reach upwards of three hundred before the pain in her leg or itch on her muzzle would distract her. Restrained to such a small range of motion, even simple tasks like scratching became impossible. As she passed the four hundred mark, the sound of an opening door spelled the end of her sixth attempt.
“Any change, Doctor?” A young mare asked. The somber silence seemed to answer the question better than any words could. The sound of hoofsteps grew closer. A nervous flutter of wings. To her eternal dismay, Chrysalis knew that voice, though she struggled to place it.
“I apologize, Princess. We’ve never seen anything like this. We’re doing the best we can, but she isn’t responding well to any of our treatments.” An older mare finally answered.
“Has Twilight been to visit?” The first voice asked. Her voice was low. The sound of a curtain being pulled back felt far too loud in the uneasy silence.
“She did. I had to send her away. She might be an alicorn now, but she doesn’t have quite the same tenacity as you and your sister. She was exhausted; I had her royal attendants carry her home.” A somber chuckle punctuated his sentence.
“A wise decision. What about the other one?” The overt malice told Chrysalis just who she spoke of.
“Not much better, I’m afraid. She still hasn’t woken up.”
“But she will?”
Hesitation. “I’m not really sure, Princess. We’ve been treating her as we would any regular pony, aside from the feeding situation. Changeling care isn’t really something we’re taught here in Equestria.” The sound of quill scratching against paper.
“This is a difficult time, Doctor Heart. I trust you. If anyone can fix this, it’s you.”
“That’s kind of you, Princess. I will do my best. I’ll let you know as soon as there’s any change. You should get some rest, too. The sun will be up soon.”
“I know.” The distraught mare sighed. “I hope I still remember how to raise it.” Their conversation ended with the door opening and closing once again. Chrysalis could hear hooves tapping against the tile. Slowly, the curtain locking her away drew back, revealing a small blue unicorn in a white lab coat. Enraptured in his clipboard, the doctor didn’t even notice Chrysalis watching him. He stepped forward to the side of the bed, checking the monitors and recording their data.
With a stealthy breath, Chrysalis leaned forward, gracing the pony with the most sadistic smile she could manage. The chains stopped her mere inches from the stallion’s face. At the sound of their jingle, he finally looked up, into the fanged grin of the changeling queen.
In her prime, back when she considered herself a threat to all ponykind, Chrysalis could send full grown stallions and mares screaming into the night with only a simple glance. The bored expression staring back told her she had long since passed her prime.
“What’s the matter? Too scared to scream? Too terrified to run? Rendered speechless by the pinnacle of grace and power that stands before you?” Chrysalis taunted. He scratched a note into a box on the top page without taking his eyes off the changeling. Neither of them moved for a few brief moments.
“Oh good, you’re awake.” He said flatly.
“You couldn’t even pretend to be afraid, could you?” Chrysalis pouted. Had she been able to, she would’ve crossed her arms like a spoiled filly.
“Sorry. It’s been a long day,” He explained, unapologetically. “How are you feeling?”
“Take these chains off. I’ll show you how I feel.” She growled.
He nodded, quill jotting with a mind of its own. “Any pain or discomfort?”
Chrysalis could feel her shoulders slump. She didn’t need her magic to read the complete lack of emotion he felt. Taking a deep breath, she continued, “Well, this annoying little pony keeps asking me all these unnecessary questions. It must be some sort of game. Or maybe he thinks that I’m less capable than a child and need to be coddled. Do you have any suggestions to help with that?” Chrysalis turned away from him indignantly.
“I sure do.” He said. He hooked his patient’s file on the small plastic case at the end of the bed before turning to leave. A faint blue magic turned the handle of the door and pulled it open with a flourish. The bright fluorescent light pouring in from the hallway startled Chrysalis.
“Wait,” She cried, far more desperate than she’d intended. She spent a moment to calm before she continued. “There may be a small matter you could aid me with. Should you wish me to remain ignorant of your offenses.” Without a word, he turned for the door again.
“I told you to wait,” Chrysalis commanded.
“Are you ready to listen?” The doctor stood halfway into the hall already. Behind him, Chrysalis could see the nurses watching the exchange with tense anxiety. Without her horn, her senses had dulled dramatically, but she could feel the fear radiating from the mares. His expression didn’t move.
Chrysalis stammered for a moment, flabbergasted by her complete lack of control. “Fine.” She decided.
Oblivious to her frustration, Doctor Heart let the door fall shut. He retrieved her file and returned to her bedside. “Now, would you like to tell me what’s bothering you?” He said, calm as ever.
The changeling hated this stallion. Quite possibly more than she hated every princess combined. He should’ve been smug at his victory, afraid for his life. Instead, he wore the same expression as the wooden chair tucked away into the corner. She didn’t answer in words, instead pointing to the foot of her bed, convinced that if she didn’t speak, she wouldn’t admit defeat.
Following her lead, he meandered around to the other side of the bed and pulled back the sheets. While the heavy wool comforter remained clean as ever, the sheet beneath it had been marred with a red stain. Lifting the blanket, he inspected her injured leg. Though the flow stopped every few minutes, the injured limb chafed against its bonds, reopening the tissue.
“I told them not to be too tight with this one.” The doctor shook his head, his neatly styled mane remaining perfectly still. “Give me a minute. I’ll take care of this.” He retrieved a small kit of supplies from one of the cabinets beside the bed. The case’s only defining trait, a dirty sticker of a red cross. He pulled up a stool and table for his supplies. Using a myriad of tools, he unraveled and sterilized a length of cloth. Wielding the skill of a trained surgeon, he slipped the bandage on under the metal cuff.
While he worked, Chrysalis found herself studying the newly revealed room. It had been larger than she’d imagined. Darker, too. The lights had been left off, leaving the only source of illumination, the moon and stars visible through the large glass window to her left. A few chairs and tables were in the room for family visitations. Two doors on the far wall, she guessed, were a supply closet and bathroom. The main door to the room looked to be simple wood, fitted with a glass pane that somehow seemed to block the light from outside without obscuring vision.
To her right, Chrysalis could see another bed. Even in her current state, Celestia’s mane moved looked flawless. Her coat had been cleaned of dirt and sand that had stuck to her during their encounter back at the hive. She’d been buried beneath a small mountain of bedsheets. The pained expression that marred the princess’s perfect slumber brought less pleasure to the changeling that she would’ve expected.
“Princess Luna decided you should both be kept a secret. Less of a chance of being discovered if the two of you are together,” The doctor answered the unasked question. “A few of the nurses know. As far as I’ve been told, I’m the only doctor allowed in.” He finished wrapping the injury, pulling the bandage taut with a gentle pull of his teeth. The soft white material served the double purpose of stopping the bleeding and cushioning the cold metal.
“Why?” Chrysalis asked, letting her façade drop.
“Why what?” The doctor pulled a second slip of paper from his clipboard and scribbled a report on his work.
She thought of enough questions to fill a small textbook. Her mind settled on one of the first. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?”
For the first time since he’d entered the room, the stallion’s face shifted. An odd mix of bewilderment and concern. “When you got here, Princess Luna threatened to flay you with moonlight.” Chrysalis blinked vacantly. “When I stepped between the two of you, I thought she’d teach me right there and then what that meant. There are few things in this world scarier than an angry Luna.”
“You’re more scared of her than me? I led a hostile takeover of Canterlot. I defeated your precious princesses twice.” She could neither believe the doctor’s words nor her own. “And she scares you worse?”
“Yup.” His response stung.
“And I assume that the mare in here earlier was her?” Chrysalis asked. That would be a conversation to look forward to. “I heard you tell her you’d send word when I was awake. I doubt she’s even left the hospital yet.”
“I doubt it. She probably got lost on her way to reception again.” He chuckled.
“So why haven’t you told her. I’m sure she’s as eager to punish me as I am to get it over with.” Chrysalis settled her head back against her pillow, eyes wandering over the hundreds of little holes.
“Because you need to rest. And if experience has taught me anything, angry alicorns make it difficult to rest.”
“Why?” The queen felt like a child, incessantly mewling out that question to anyone in earshot.
“Yelling. Occasional smiting with celestial fury, but mostly yelling.” He smiled.
“No, I mean why are you doing this?”
“Doing what? I’m your doctor. It’s my job.”
“To heal a monster that’s trying to kill you?”
“You won’t kill me.” Chrysalis’ reaction prompted him onward. “I mean, you can’t kill me. For now, anyways. Pony. Griffin. Changeling. I tried to take care of a dragon once.” Though his face remained serious, he had to be joking. “That fire breath is pretty hot. Regardless, I made an oath. You don’t like me. And if I’m being completely honest, I’m not the biggest fan of you either. Still, that’s not an excuse to shirk my duties.”
Chrysalis could feel her ego flinch and a begrudging respect bud in her chest.
“So, you’ve gotten to ask a few questions. I think it’s my turn now.” He said, resting his haunches on his rolling stool. “You know where you are?”
“A hospital?” She wagered.
“Canterlot Royal Hospital, to be exact. Arrived here by chariot a few days ago. Been out like a light ever since.”
“A few days?”
“Three. What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Sitting in my hive. Celestia had just walked in.” She couldn’t believe how easily the words flowed from her mouth. “I don’t remember why she was there, though. I was . . . occupied.” Bile rose in her throat. Had the fearsome changeling queen fallen so far as to be conversing so casually with a simple pony?
“You were dying.” He said coldly. “Starvation and blood loss. Was a bit touch-and-go for a while, at first.”
“And Celestia rescued me, I guess?” She rolled her eyes. He looked around the room, as if the words he searched for could be found scribbled on the wall.
“Princess Twilight rescued you,” He finally admitted.
“Twilight?” He nodded. “That might be even worse. Although, I must admit I don’t remember Twilight being there.”
The doctor looked away. “She found both of you in the hive. You don’t remember?” Chrysalis shook her head. “Do you remember what did this to you?” Chrysalis noticed the abrupt change but felt no desire to comment. Somehow, she didn’t want to know.
“Dealing with the pests that had made themselves at home in my hive.”
“Must’ve been a fierce fight.”
“It was.”
“And I’m guessing not too recent.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Infection had set in by the time you got here. If you were a pony, I’d be afraid you’d never walk again, but you’ve shown a surprising resilience so far.”
“My changelings are sturdy creatures.” Chrysalis felt a twinge of pride. The two of them allowed silence to settle back into the room, if only briefly. For a moment, Chrysalis wondered if she’d said something wrong. Ridiculous. She didn’t say things wrong. She’d never said anything wrong. Why should she feel guilty about hurting this pony? She would probably kill him anyways. Assuming she lived long enough to recover.
“I should let you get some rest.” He said, pulling himself up from his seat to the sound of creaking bones. “By the way. You should probably expect visitors tomorrow.”
“Visitor? Me?” Chrysalis laughed. “Maybe you really don’t know who I am.”
Without another word, the doctor moved into the hallway, closing the door gently behind him. His magic faded as he left.
Alone again, Chrysalis returned to her favorite pastime. She made it as far as six before her thoughts shook themselves loose. She’d enjoyed the distraction he’d offered. To a changeling, conversations were simple tests. They didn’t talk among their own kind; the hivemind made that unnecessary. Instead, the only time they ever talked was during infiltration. They used their honeyed words to throw suspicion. Chrysalis could talk circles around nobles and discuss dirt with farmers. She’d done it all, each time with a foalish glee. Nothing satisfied her more than a successful infiltration.
Tonight, in her hospital room, the changeling had not been in disguise. Without her horn, she wasn’t even sure she could transform. Regardless, she had fun. Part of her wished he would return to continue their talk. A different part thought he deserved to die for making her desire such things.
Chrysalis allowed her eyes to drift close. Recently, sleep has been difficult. In the old days, she would converse with her changelings while she slept, exchanging memories in the form of dreams. It had been too long since she dreamed. When the first few pink clouds signaled the arrival of dawn, she finally settled into a restless slumber.
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why doesn't the sun raise princess Luna? Celestia raised the Moon for 1000 years in the absence of her sister, a couple of months Luna must endure.
10405417
She is raising the sun in Celestia's absence. Saying "the sun will be up soon" is basically him telling her that it's almost time to raise it. That's why she says "I know. I hope I still remember how to raise it". She is also the one who raised it after Celestial filed to originally, after Celestial was injured.
S’ok
Well, at least she's alive.
... Jeez, Celestia, get your shit together.
Hahaha, ain't that the truth...
10569126
To be fair, I get the feeling that sleeping around alicorns is difficult no matter their emotion. You just find this story?
Hmm... interesting.
I really enjoyed this chapter in particular as it does a good job of answering some of the questions I had. And it does it in the form of Chrysalis asking questions to the doctor. Most importantly "Why" It is a difficult thing to wonder why things affect ponies so, and changelings are quite unique in comparison. It's nice to see she still has her pride, and yet the utter sense of defeat by the calm demanor of the doctor was quite refreshing. I find myself more interested in this story, the more I read of it. I do note that gore tag, and it does admittedly terrify me, but I'm eager to see this through to the end. Perhaps I can inspire you to make more with my words, but if nothing else just know you are doing well.