Death of a Queen, V2.

by Arkane12

62: Beautiful

When her eyes finally opened, Chrysalis found herself lying in her bed. She was lying on her stomach, her head half-sunk into her pillow. Her legs had been tucked at her side, helping her fit beneath the blanket draped over her. The lingering smell of Belladonna told her everything she needed to know about how she’d ended up here.

“Luna?” She called out. “Are you still here?”

She scanned her bedroom. The windows were locked, the curtains drawn. Thin rays of morning sunlight slipped through the cracks and tears in the curtains.

With a yawn, Chrysalis rolled onto her back, kicked her blanket to the foot of the bed, and sat up, scratching her mane. Her limbs sprawled out, her joints clicking and popping as they stretched. She tried to stand, but found that her sleep had not yet worked its way out of her system entirely. She grabbed the bed frame for support and shook her head. She didn’t let go until the floor felt straightened out again.

Like the rest of her body, Chrysalis’ wings required a bit of a wake-up call, too. She arched her back, letting the translucent cuticle twitch and flutter as it so desired. Once they were warm, she put them to work, letting them carry her down to the first floor of her tower. As she strode across the tiled floor, a strange sensation snaked through her.

For the first time in a long time, Chrysalis felt like she could breathe. She was alone. Completely. There were no visitors to clutter up the silence, no guards watching her every move like a predator ready to pounce. She could take the morning at her own pace. And she planned to take every advantage of that.

She centered herself in the room, going through a set of morning stretches as she listened to the birds singing outside. It wasn’t something she did often. She preferred to think of it as a meditation of sorts, a few quiet moments to collect herself. She would push all other thoughts away, allowing herself a moment to simply relax.

Once she was satisfied and sufficiently awake, she set about her next task. She returned to the bathroom upstairs. Were she still in one of her hives, she would have gone to her private springs to bathe. But as things stood for the moment, she settled for a brisk shower.

She kept the water mild this time. A few bottles of soap and shampoo had been provided for her. She let the water swim over her mane, washing away the filth that had built up among its locks. Using a nearby cloth, she scrubbed her chitin. Given its dark nature, filth was hard to notice. But as it washed away, Chrysalis felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She polished herself until she could see her own reflection in her hoof.

A thorough rinse and she was done. Stepping out of the shower, she toweled herself off in front of the mirror. Her mane had regained its emerald shine and her chitin shimmered in the morning light. She spent a moment with her reflection straightening and styling her mane. Finished, she returned to the base of her tower and threw the doors open, ready to face whatever the day might throw her way.

The first of these came in the form of Twilight. Or rather, finding Twilight. Chrysalis made sure to check the princess’ quarters first, only to find them empty, the door hanging ajar. She took a quick peek inside. The blood from yesterday’s incident had been washed away. The broken prosthetic was also nowhere to be seen. Chrysalis took a modicum of joy knowing that it had likely been trashed.

“Good riddance,” she muttered as she stepped away from Twilight’s room.

The next stop on her search brought her up to Twilight’s study. She poked her head inside and had to stifle a laugh. Twilight was sitting in one of the chairs on the opposite end of the room from her experiments. She was lying face-down on the table, snoring. As she approached, Chrysalis felt a pang of sympathy for the poor pony. She could see the circles around Twilight’s eyes. Half a dozen coffee cups were lying in a heap nearby. The closest one was still about a quarter full and still steaming.

But despite Twilight’s most valiant efforts, she too had succumbed to her exhaustion.

Chrysalis approached slowly, stepping carefully over the stacks of books and lab equipment. When she finally reached Twilight, she pulled her chair out, careful not to let the princess’ head fall. It took a bit of effort, but Chrysalis finally managed to lift Twilight from her seat. She laid the princess over her back, causing her to stir.

At first, Chrysalis worried that the extra weight might throw off her newly acquired sense of balance. And though the alicorn was heavier than she looked, Chrysalis managed to keep herself upright as she journeyed the hallways back to Twilight’s room. She carried Twilight through the darkness of her bedroom, finally coming to a stop at her bedside.

As gently as she could, Chrysalis knelt, sliding Twilight off her back and onto her mattress. She tugged on the sheets at the foot of the bed, pulling them up and over Twilight’s body, leaving only her head uncovered. Despite being jostled around, Twilight was still snoring softly.

And as the princess slept, Chrysalis found herself unwilling to step away from her side. Instead, she sat, resting her head next to Twilight’s. She closed her eye, but couldn’t summon even a sliver of fatigue. When that failed, she resorted to watching Twilight sleep.

She watched the mare’s body rise and fall with each breath. She was enraptured by the way the thin streaks of light struck Twilight’s mane, causing each strand to shimmer like gemstone. Trying her best to stifle a smile, Chrysalis reached forward, running the back of her hoof across Twilight’s cheek.

The princess pressed back, nuzzling her cheek against the changeling’s hoof. Chrysalis froze. She tried to withdraw her hoof, deciding instead to let Twilight slumber in peace. But the princess had other ideas. She leaned forward, sliding off her pillow and resting her head on Chrysalis’ outstretched leg.

“Really?” Chrysalis muttered, rolling her eye. She had been thoroughly restrained by the sleeping mare, leaving her no other option but to continue her solemn vigil over the sleeping princess. The longer she sat, the more she watched. The more she watched, the more her regret for the situation diminished.

It didn’t take long before she found herself enthralled by Twilight. The mare’s mouth hung open, her muzzle wrinkled, and she occasionally snorted like a pig, nearly waking herself up in the process. And yet, as unladylike as Twilight slept, Chrysalis couldn’t help but be charmed. The way her fur outlined her slender form, the way her mane cascaded down her shoulders. And even something Chrysalis had never noticed before; the way that Twilight’s lips were always curled, giving her a faint hint of a smile, even when she was asleep.

For one called a princess of Equestria, Twilight still carried the demeanor of a filly. She still held onto that same joy and enthusiasm, resulting in a child-like fascination with the world around her. And yet, the harder lines on her face hinted at something deeper. Pain. Fear. The look of a pony that had seen enough to break lesser beings. A mature mare. A lady.

Despite her peaceful nature, Twilight was the embodiment of conflict. And yet, none of that colored the lenses that Chrysalis saw her through. If anything, they only drew the changeling closer.

Through it all, Chrysalis could hear the voice in the back of her mind, telling her that she shouldn’t feel this way about this thing lying in front of her. They were rivals. Mortal enemies. Less than a month prior, she wasted her free time dreaming of ways she would ruin Twilight’s life. And now, here she was, watching her sleep and finding herself powerless before the pony’s visage.

Could it really be that the mighty had fallen so far?

Had Chrysalis’ own magic somehow backfired? No matter what Shining Armor blathered on about, she had never tried to warp Twilight’s perception of her. Instead, it seemed like Twilight was the one with the pretty face and silver tongue.

Even after all the time she’s spent alongside Twilight, Chrysalis still didn’t understand why she felt this way. After so long. Had Twilight cast some spell over her? Or had her life really reached such a low point that she would bring herself to fall for a pony? She didn’t have an answer. She wasn’t even sure she wanted an answer.

“Chryssy?”

Twilight’s voice broke Chrysalis from her stupor.

“Twilight? Sorry. I didn’t notice you were awake.”

“What are you doing here?” Her sleep-glazed eyes swept her surroundings. “Also, what am I doing here? Wasn’t I up in my lab?”

“You fell asleep at your workstation,” Chrysalis said.

“Oh.” Twilight yawned. “None of my experiments burned the place down while I was out, did they?”

“Not that I noticed.”

“Good.”

Those eyes. Those violently violet eyes. Had Chrysalis ever seen them this close before?

“You should sleep. You seem exhausted.”

“I am.” Twilight yawned again, this time leaving her eyes watering. “Hey, Chryssy?”

“Yes?”

“Will you stay with me?”

Chrysalis smiled and slid her limb free from Twilight’s grasp. The princess made a noise somewhere between a whimper and a pout. The sound made Chrysalis giggle as she rounded the foot of the bed and laid down on the other side. It’s not like she had anything else to do today.

“Yay,” Twilight said as she rolled over to face Chrysalis.

“Yeah, yeah,” Chrysalis said as she rested her head against the pillow.

Moments passed, marked only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. And as those moments passed, Twilight and Chrysalis laid together. Chrysalis felt Twilight’s gaze linger over her face. And she watched Twilight in kind. Eventually, their silent conversation evolved as Twilight stroked Chrysalis’ cheek, just in the same way Chrysalis had done to her earlier.

“You’re beautiful, Chrysalis.”

Of course I am.

Chrysalis opened her mouth to deliver her sarcastic remark, but she froze. The genuine affection in Twilight’s eyes tied her tongue in knots. Some things simply weren’t meant to be deflected with humor.

“You’re beautiful, too, Twilight.”

Twilight bit her lip, but a laugh broke through regardless.

“Did I say something funny?” Chrysalis asked.

“No, it’s just . . .” Twilight’s laughter settled back into a warm smile. “I’ve never called somepony beautiful. And . . . I’ve never had somepony else call me . . . beautiful.”

Chrysalis raised a brow. “Never?”

“Not like you did.”

Twilight’s cheeks had a rosy tint to them.

“Well, it’s the truth,” Chrysalis said.

Slowly, Twilight’s smile started to lax, edging toward a frown.

“We can’t stay like this, can we?”

“I mean, this bed is pretty comfortable–”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “I mean us. Believe me, I would love to lie here and stare at you all day long. But that’s not how all of this is going to play out, is it?”

Chrysalis looked away. “Probably not.”

“What happens when all this is over? After I heal Celestia? Or after she . . .” Twilight fidgeted beneath her blanket. “You know. We can’t stay like this, can we?”

Chrysalis stared up at the ceiling. “What do you want to happen?”

“I want . . .” Twilight squeezed her eyes shut. “I want to be with you.”

“And what would we do?”

Twilight sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe we could run away together? Find some small town out in the middle of nowhere and start a new life together. Just me and you.”

Chrysalis frowned. “And your friends? Your responsibilities? Would you leave all that behind? Just for me?”

“I . . . No. But it’s a nice thought to have every once in a while.” Twilight let her head roll to the side. “No more stress. No more sacrifices. It sounds . . . peaceful.”

“The grass is never as green as it looks on the other side.”

Twilight scooted closer to Chrysalis, wrapping her hooves around the changeling’s trunk and burying her muzzle against her chestplate. “I just . . . I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t want to lose you. But I can’t abandon Equestria. I can’t abandon my ponies.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to.”

“I know,” Twilight repeated, somewhat annoyed. “But I can dream, can’t I?” The clock on the wall ticked away. “What about you? If you had your choice, how would all of this end?”

“Hmm.” Chrysalis pursed her lips. “Date for a few years. Then me and you, in a castle together with a bunch of little foals running around.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned from rose to blood-red. “F-Foals?”

“Only if you want them,” Chrysalis explained.

“I . . . I had never even thought about that.”

“Relax, Twilight,” Chrysalis petted the princess’ mane. “We’ve still got a long way to go before foals. Plenty of time to think.”

“I think . . . I think I’d want a little filly.”

“I’m sure you would make a great mother, Twilight.”

“I’d have you to help me out, wouldn’t I?”

Chrysalis scoffed. “I don’t think you’d need my help. I’m not exactly Mother of the Year material.”

“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit,” Twilight said.

“And I think you give me too much,” Chrysalis shot back. “I’ve lived a long life, Twilight. And I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes.”

“You shouldn’t have to suffer the rest of your life for that, though.”

“A lot of ponies aren’t as generous as you. Not that I blame them. I’m not that generous either.” Chrysalis propped her head up with her free hoof. “But none of that matters right now. You’ve still got to save Celestia.”

“Yeah.”

“Speaking of which,” Chrysalis wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t actually check on any of your experiments when I brought you down. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Shouldn’t be.” Twilight shook her head. “I had everything set up to test. For now, I’m just waiting for results. I guess I got a little too relaxed.”

“Perhaps . . . Twilight?”

“Yeah?” The alicorn sat up slightly.

“If . . . if things don’t go according to plan . . . I want you to promise me something.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “And what’s that?”

“If something happens to me, or if this relationship ends up not working out, I want you to keep your head up. Keep fighting the good fight and all that crap.” Chrysalis closed her eye. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty amazing, but in the end, I’m just a cranky old maid. You shouldn’t destroy everything you’ve accomplished just for my sake. Alright?”

“I don’t know if I can make that promise, Chrysalis.”

“It’ll hurt for a long time, but I promise that those old wounds will eventually heal.”

“Shouldn’t that be my decision to make?”

Chrysalis sighed. “Yeah. I guess it is. But if push ever comes to shove, Twilight, I want you to know that I never wanted you to sacrifice anything for me. I wouldn’t even ask for an apology.”

“Stop talking like that.” Twilight gave Chrysalis a stern glare. “That’s my decision. I’ll live with the consequences.”

“I’m saying all of this as somepony who traveled down that road. Somepony who’s spent their life dealing with those very same consequences.” She pictured Blue’s face in her mind’s eye. “I don’t think that’s how he wanted me to live my life. And I know it’s not how I want you to live yours.”

“Stop.” Twilight sat up and leaned over Chrysalis. “I’m not promising any of that.”

“I didn’t think you would.” Chrysalis laid her head back and watched the shadows dance across the painted ceiling. “Still, I had to ask.”

“And I don’t want to hear you talk like that again, okay?” Twilight pulled on Chrysalis’ hoof, forcing their gazes to meet. “I know you’ve done terrible things, alright? I’m sure you’ve done more than I’ll ever know. But I also know that you have a good heart somewhere beneath all that bitterness. You don’t deserve to suffer forever, no matter how you might feel about it.”

Chrysalis shook herself free. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight wipe her cheeks with a hoof. “I . . . I don’t know if I agree, but I appreciate you saying that. Truly.”

“It’s the truth. Deal with it,” Twilight said through pouting lips.

“I will. In the meantime, weren’t you supposed to be sleeping?”