47: Eavesdropping
A gentle trio of taps on the chamber door stirred Twilight from her slumber. Awareness returned to her in tattered shreds. Her yawn turned to a drowsy squeal, then finally into a long, contented sigh. Bones clicked into place as she stretched out across her half of the mattress.
The knocking came again, sobering the sleepy alicorn.
Gathering her willpower, she tore herself from the sheets, putting on a happy face to greet her guest. At least, she would have, were she not held in place by the rather muscular foreleg wrapped around her midsection.
The movement of Twilight’s escape attempt caused the changeling to tighten her grip, pulling the pony close enough to feel the warmth of breath against the nape of her neck. The odd sensation sent a shiver down her spine, but she tried not to focus on that.
Another knock, more insistent than before.
Frowning, Twilight scanned the room. From her low vantage point, the only locations of note were the desk and the balcony window. Outside, Luna’s stars were on full display. As she continued her search, Twilight silently lamented just how far she had thrown off her sleeping schedule. A lone candlestick on the desk caught her eye.
Though still coated in the wax of previous uses, the metal tool would serve her needs for the moment. With eyes shut tight and mind calm, Twilight focused on the candlestick. Her power gathered in her forehead, at the base of her horn.
What had once been a searing pain became a dull throbbing, allowing her to think. The soft twinkling of magic filled the air as the metal piece lifted off the desk by a few inches. With a flick of her head, Twilight dragged it to the opposite edge of the desk.
Pleased with her test, she moved on to the second phase of her master plan. Her magic gathered again. This time, though, she spread it throughout her body. The tingling sensation in her skin vanished in a flash. The wooden floor appeared beneath her hooves. Hesitantly, she opened an eye. Then the other. She stood at the edge of the cabin, just behind the door. On the bed, Chrysalis tightened her grip on the empty space Twilight had left behind.
“Princess? Are you awake?”
She recognized Captain Shield’s gruff voice. Unlatching the lock, Twilight cracked the door open wide enough to see out into the hallway. The Captain straightened his posture as Twilight addressed him.
“What is it, Captain?” she whispered.
“We’re approaching Canterlot. We’ll be landing in a little under twenty minutes. I just thought you’d like to know.”
“I appreciate it, Captain.”
The old soldier nodded. Before he could leave, Twilight stopped him.
“Captain?”
“Princess?”
“Any problems with the crew?”
“Are there any I should be aware of?”
Twilight peeked over her shoulder at Chrysalis, still snoozing. “As a matter of fact, there is one. I must say that I wasn’t thrilled about that display yesterday, Captain.”
“What display, Princess?”
She donned her most regal speech. “When Chrysalis boarded the ship. Don’t tell me that you didn’t notice it. Your soldiers looked ready to jump ship. Or throw us overboard. Or both.”
“I apologize, Princess. I thought them merely nervous in the presence of Miss Chrysalis. If you deem their reaction detrimental to the mission, I’m sure Captain Shining would be more than happy to hear of it,” The Captain explained.
“That won’t be necessary. Chrysalis has no intention of punishing them for it, so neither will I. However, if they pull a stunt like that again, Shining Armor will be the least of their worries. Am I clear, Captain?”
“Crystal, Ma’am.”
“Good. Other than that, you and your company performed exceptionally. Shining will be proud.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
With that, the officer bowed and left. Twilight shut the door as quietly as she could before stepping away and crashing into Chrysalis. The changeling’s sudden appearance startled the princess, causing her to shriek as she stumbled head-over-hooves.
Captain Shield was back in an instant.
“Princess Twili—”
“I just tripped! I’m fine!” Twilight shouted back, still tasting her pulse in her throat.
“Good morning,” Chrysalis stated plainly, biting her lip to keep from laughing.
“It’s not funny. Don’t sneak up on me like that,” Twilight ordered.
“Sorry.” Chrysalis linked her foreleg with Twilight’s, yanking the princess up off the floor.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“Nope. Just faking.”
“Then you heard the knock at the door?”
“I did.”
Twilight wrinkled her brow.
“And you were purposely holding me in place and keeping me from answering it?”
“Yup.” She nodded enthusiastically.
“Well, it’s a good thing I managed to get free. The Captain had a message for us.”
“We’re approaching Canterlot, right?”
Twilight offered a skeptical frown.
“Exactly. How did you know?”
“Simple logic. What else would the Captain be coming to tell us? If it were an emergency, he wouldn’t have been so quiet. If it weren’t important, he wouldn’t have tried so hard to deliver the message. Besides, there are only a few things that even matter on a ship like this. Our destination ranks pretty highly on that.” She finished her explanation with an overexaggerated eye-roll, as if it had been the dumbest question she ever heard.
“Oh. You actually used logic to figure it out.”
“Why do you sound surprised by that?” Chrysalis pouted.
“No, I just thought that you—”
“Were eavesdropping? Because I’m a little sneak, right?”
Twilight’s cheeks reddened as she stammered out her answer.
“T-That’s not what I meant. You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Right. Sure,” Chrysalis groaned. “And here, I was so proud of you after you threatened your guards on my behalf. I’m disappointed, Twilight.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. I didn’t . . .” Twilight’s confusion melted into skeptical annoyance. “What makes you think I threatened my guards?”
“I overheard you while I was eavesdropping.”
Chrysalis shrugged.
“You’re a pain sometimes, you know that?” Twilight asked, shaking her head.
“You’re the one who told me you liked that I keep you vigilant. Wouldn’t want to bore you now, would we?” The changeling turned serious. “Besides, if I’m being honest, it’s nice to have someone to joke around with.”
“Sometimes, I think you and Celestia would get along far too well.”
“Oh?”
“She could be quite the jokester when she wanted to. Sometimes she enjoyed it a little too much, in my opinion.”
“Is that so? Well, now we have to save her. I’m looking forward to such a promising challenger.”
“Speaking of which . . .” Twilight wandered past Chrysalis, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. “I’ve been doing some thinking about that. In between the bouts of panic you keep causing me, of course.”
“Oh? Any revelations to share?” Chrysalis curled up on the floor in her regular lounging pose.
“I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think what went wrong with the cure. By all accounts, it should have worked. You saw it counter your magic. Do you have any idea why it didn’t work that well on the poison?”
Chrysalis shook her head.
“Well,” Twilight continued, “I did have a few theories that I’ll need to test when we get back. Like, maybe the dosage was off. I would love to test a small dose on some of your more powerful magics. See if it has trouble, too.”
“Sounds like you have a few ideas,” Chrysalis noted.
“Yeah. It’s been driving me crazy that I haven’t had time to work on it. I considered bringing some of my experiments aboard, but that probably wouldn’t have ended well. We’ve got enough damage to repair on this ship as it is.”
“You know, if I’m going to have to conjure stronger magics, I’ll need to feed first.” Chrysalis shifted uncomfortably.
“So, we’ll have to find a source for you. We could always ask Thorax. He seemed rather intent on helping you before. Maybe he’ll do it again?”
“I would prefer not to siphon off him if possible. He’s done enough for me as it is.”
“Any other suggestions?” Twilight asked.
Chrysalis weighed her options.
“Normally, I’d recommend infiltration. Without my shapeshifting, though, that’s not going to happen. Maybe a volunteer for me to feed off? A servant, or something like that?”
“I thought it wasn’t safe for you to try that? Isn’t that why you refused to feed off me?”
“It’s a different scenario, entirely.”
Twilight noted the sharper edge to the changeling’s voice.
“Well, I can’t see any of the castle staff volunteering for that. If Luna’s recovered enough, it might be possible that she could. Other than that, maybe Shining or Cadence?”
“Those all sound like terrible options,” Chrysalis lamented.
“We’re not exactly drowning in possibilities here.”
“Talk to me later. Maybe I’ll have something else we can go on by then.”
Twilight growled, throwing herself backwards on the mattress. She studied the natural pattern on the planks that composed the ceiling.
“Twilight?” Chrysalis whispered.
“Yeah?” Twilight answered, tracing one of the darker slivers of the wood.
“For what it’s worth, I am sorry.”
“I know.”
“I . . .”
Twilight could hear Chrysalis’ breath catch before she continued.
“I still ask myself if she made the right choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“If she had left me there to die. Or if I’d had the common decency to die faster. She’d be sitting on her throne in Canterlot.”
Twilight sat up.
Chrysalis was entranced, sifting through the memories of a world that almost was.
She continued. “Shining and Cadence would be home, tending to their kingdom and their family. Thorax would be pulling himself together to act like a king. And you . . . I imagine you’d be hiding beneath the covers of your bed, reading by lamplight.”
Chrysalis’ eye drifted back into focus.
Twilight crossed her forelegs over her chest.
“You shouldn’t think like that.”
“We’d still be enemies. You wouldn’t miss me. Now that sounds like the fairy tale ending. Happy endings for everyone.”
“Except you.”
Chrysalis snickered.
“Who knows? Maybe that would have been my happy ending.”
“Just, stop!” Twilight screamed.
Chrysalis recoiled.
“What?”
“Stop talking like that.”
“I’m simply stating facts.”
“No, you’re not. You’re . . .”
“I’m what, Twilight?” Chrysalis asked expectantly.
“You’re wrong. That wouldn’t have been a happy ending.”
Chrysalis hopped up, throwing her hooves into the air in a grand gesture.
“And you think this story’s ending will be any happier?”
“I do.”
Chrysalis settled back down.
“Then you’re naive, Twilight.”
“You’re not happy with me, then?”
“Of course, I’m happy with you, Twilight. But—”
“No buts,” Twilight commanded harshly.
“But . . .” Chrysalis continued, unimpeded. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to know the price of my own life? How much it cost just so I could live? You. Luna. Equestria. All of you sacrificed something so that I could live. Celestia gave her life for me. And now I’ll have to live the rest of my life regretting that for her.”
“Chrysalis, stop. Please.” Twilight’s commands broke down into pleading.
The changeling glanced up at Twilight. The alicorn was shaking. Whether anger or sorrow caused it, she didn’t know.
“I-I’m sorry, Twilight. I . . . shouldn’t have said that.”
“Is it really all so horrible?” She asked.
Chrysalis retreated.
“No. I’ve enjoyed our time together, Twilight. Honestly. I’ve never had someone . . . care about me the way you do. I loved my changelings, but there’s a difference. I was their mother, yes, but I was their queen first. They cared for me out of obligation. But you . . . Can I tell you something, Twilight?”
Twilight twitched.
“What?”
“I would have been able to escape the castle at any point.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“I had it all planned out by the second night there. I would’ve left. Maybe I would have scraped by in the countryside, feeding off what scraps I could. More than likely, I would have died out there. Just like I should have back in my throne room.”
“So why didn’t you leave, if you were so keen on it?” Twilight sounded disgusted to have to ask.
“Who knows? Not for Celestia’s sake, I know. Part of me found it funny. I’d spent so long trying to bring her down. In the end, I finally get my wish while she’s trying to save me. Perfect irony.”
Each word only pushed Twilight closer to the edge. Nevertheless, Chrysalis continued.
“Because you asked for my help, maybe? Pity? Mercy? No.”
“Then tell me why.” Though Twilight’s words were soft, they carried weight.
“I think it was you.”
The princess scoffed.
“You just said it wasn’t.”
“No. I said it wasn’t because you asked for my help. I told you earlier that the reason I liked you was because you saw me at my most vulnerable. And you didn’t hate me. I wasn’t sure such a thing was possible. You gave me a reason to live again.”
“Weren’t we also the ones to take it away?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t think so.” Chrysalis shook her head. “After you and your friends raided my hive, I lost my family. I lost my subjects. But that’s not when I lost my spark. It had been gone for years. Dampened and quenched by loss and pain. I was . . . numb. I forgot what it felt like to really be loved. You reminded me.”
Twilight gave a reluctant smile.
“Do you really mean that?”
“I do.”
“Then, do you trust me?”
“I-I do.”
“Then don’t ever talk like this again. I don’t ever want to hear you say that you weren’t worth the price Celestia paid. She made her choice. Even after you attacked her, she stayed by your side. She didn’t think the price was too steep. And neither do I. I don’t want to lose Celestia. But I don’t want to lose you, either. You might not think you’re worth the trouble, but I do.”
Chrysalis rose once again. She approached Twilight, craning her neck and nuzzling against the alicorn’s fuzzy shoulder, saying, “I’m sorry. I’ll try to keep that in mind for the future.”
The two of them let silence flood that cabin again.
“It’s a little stuffy in here,” Twilight mused, rubbing her eye. “And, we should be landing in Canterlot pretty soon. What do you say we go upstairs and get some fresh air?”
“I think that sounds like a great plan, Twilight.”
The alicorn pushed herself up off the bedframe, leading Chrysalis to the cabin door.
“Twilight?”
The princess’ hoof froze on the handle.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know what will happen to us. I don’t know if we can still save Celestia. I don’t know what your subjects will demand of me. I don’t have the slightest clue what our future has in store. But no matter what, I want you to know that I really have enjoyed our time together.”
“Me too.”
The two mares shared a brief moment of bliss as they stood at the cabin entrance, entranced in a somber joy.
Straightening herself, Twilight pulled open the door. As she stepped out, her body locked in place, a quiet whine emanating from her.
“What’s the matter?” Chrysalis asked, leaning over Twilight’s shoulder to scan the hall.
Outside, Quartz Glaze and Dusti Diamond were standing, wide-eyed and awestruck.
“P-P-Princess,” Dusti coughed.
“Dusti? Quartz?”
Twilight strained to speak.
“How much of that did you two hear?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.016 seconds
Total duration
1,047 users online
2,062,964 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Some reason I can come up as why they were there,
1. Captain Shield order them both to look after Twilight after she 'tripped' just in case for some reason.
2. They just patrolling the ship and happen to hear their conversation.
3. Dusti tries to look after Chrysalis to do something unthinkable and Glaze tries to stop her then hear their conversation.
4. Dusti wants to apology for her previous behavior and ask Glaze to be there for her just in case something went wrong.
10653037
Two of those are kind of correct.
Thanks for the chapter! Chryssie was adorable teasing Twilight
10653048
Ow, let me guess, it's not the third right? Otherwise... y know.
10653148
Guess we'll just have to find out next week . . .
christ. so much has happened that you kinda forget celestia is dying....somehow. which is crazy cause this has been what? 2 weeks?
Don't worry, Bugbutt, you're always worth it.
Busted~
10653575
Less than 2 weeks, probably. So, if you made it this far, do you plan on sticking around until the end?
WAY WAY WAY late but your review is finally here! I'm so sorry about the wait and I hope this is still helpful. ^.^
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/215274/reviewers-mansion/thread/460664/a-review-death-of-a-queen
10655117
Ah, I haven't heard from them in so long I forgot they existed! The story was starting to feel like a Kafkaesque comedy.
10655745
Given what I know of Kafka, that could be a good or a bad thing.
10655793
I was enjoying it in the spirit of a Kafkaesque comedy, so I'll say it's a good thing.
10659432
Okay, good. I mean, it does have giant bugs, technically, so . . .