2. Sins of the Mother
She was meant to be wild, he was merely a child
But they only could feel each other.
They were paper and fire, angel and liar
The devil of one another.
Dio- Rock and Roll Children
Chapter 2- Sins of the Mother
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As soon as the twisted pony was out of sight, Spike dropped to all fours and peltered rapidly up the tunnel. As much as he would have liked to stay, he was too preoccupied by the nervousness that was beginning to encroach on his every thought. It wasn’t like the terror he had felt in the cave. No, that had been instinctive, almost primal. Fear of the dark and the dangers lurking within it.
This new fear, on the other hand, was much more concrete. It was the anxious, pit of the stomach dread that comes to all little boys when they know that they are in serious trouble.
Coming to the first door, he lifted the key and slid it firmly into the lock. There was a heavy click, and then he planted both claws against the heavy wood and pushed.
The door swung open with a squeak of rusty hinges. Spike half-expected to see an angry, angry alicorn on the other side, but to his relief the hallway was clear.
Letting out a breath, he closed and locked the door behind him before rushing up to the next. This time, however, he paused with the key in claw. What would happen when somepony found him? When they discovered out where he’d been, they’d tell Celestia right away. And then…
Several heads turned as the doors to the throne room were flung open. Spike walked in dejectedly, flanked by two royal guards. The baby dragon was shuffling his feet, claws wringing nervously like a prisoner on their way to execution.
At seeing him safe and sound, Celestia let out a gasp of joy and leapt to her hooves. Racing up to them, she pulled Spike into her forelegs and began peppering his face with kisses.
“Oh, thank goodness,” she said. “Where did you find him?”
One of the guards lowered his head, eyes downcast. “Forgive us, your majesty… but we found him in that hallway.”
Celestia’s smile turned to a look of horror. “No!”
“Yes,” the guard continued gravely. “He was coming back through the forbidden door, using THIS!”
He brandished the key like it was a murder weapon. Celestia put a hoof to her mouth and recoiled, several mares screamed, and one stallion swooned to the floor.
She lowered him to the ground, refusing to make eye contact. Instead, she turned to the assembled ponies.
“Leave us,” she commanded.
All too willing to oblige, they scattered from the room. Spike was tempted to follow, but he knew that running would only make things worse.
Celestia walked slowly back to the throne. Settling herself down, she finally met his gaze. Her eyes were sad and tears shone at the corners, but her jaw was set, and when she spoke her voice was stern and merciless.
“Spike. Come here.”
He started forward, and everything came spilling out.
“I’m sorry,” he cried. “I didn’t mean to be bad! I just wanted to know what was in there, and, and I saw the key on the floor and wanted to look around for a little bit! I’m sorry, mama! I’m-”
She held up a hoof to silence him. “I know Spike, I know. We will speak about this later, but for right now…”
She gestured to herself. “Into my lap.”
His eyes widened; he knew what was coming. Shaking his head once, he took a step back.
Celestia frowned at him. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be Spike.”
He knew she was right, but he also knew it was going to hurt, and he just couldn’t bring himself to obey her. Taking another step, he turned tail and ran. Or at least, he tried to. But before he could so much as lift a leg, his body was enveloped and lifted by a glowing blue light.
He thrashed helplessly as she pulled him closer. “No mama! Please, no! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! No!”
“You had me worried half to death,” she said softly. “You ran off on your own and deliberately disobeyed me by opening that door. Now you have to accept the consequences.”
She laid him down over her knees, holding him gently, but firmly in place. He heard the clinking of metal against stone, and out of the corner of his eye he could see her removing one of her golden shoes and setting it aside.
“Tail up,” she ordered.
Still wailing, he did as she asked. Her bare hoof patted his back.
“This is for your own good,” she said, and her foreleg whistled through the air as she swung.
Spike snapped out of the daydream with a yelp, claws reflexively moving to shield his rump. What was he gonna do? He didn’t want to get a spanking!
‘Wait,’ he suddenly thought. ‘Maybe… maybe I won’t have to! If mama doesn’t know I was in here, then she’ll only be upset I was gone for so long! She won’t spank me just for that!’
Fully confident in his logic, Spike put his ear against the door and listened. It didn’t sound like any ponies were out there. Deciding to take the chance, he popped open the lock and slipped out.
The coast was clear! Almost giddy with relief, he carefully closed and locked the door behind him before scampering down the hall. Just another few feet, and nopony would ever know…
“Aha! There you are!”
He froze in his tracks. Well, that was it. He was officially dead. He thought about saying a prayer, but what good would that do when that same goddess was the one who’d be punishing him?
With no better option he snapped his hands behind his back to hide the key, and looking as innocent as he could manage, he turned to Sweet Grass and smiled.
The green stallion did not return the expression. Instead, he scooped Spike up and onto his back before galloping down the hall. As the dragon held on for dear life, he noticed something strange. Sunlight was streaming brightly through each of the windows they passed. But how? He was sure that it would have been night by now…
“So glad I finally found you,” Sweet Grass said, interrupting his thoughts. “I’ve been searching the castle from top to bottom. We have to get you to the princess at once. No time to lose!”
Oh no. She was sending out search parties for him? This was already turning out like his earlier daydream! But wait, maybe Sweet Grass hadn’t seem which hallway he’d come from. Maybe he still had a chance.
His eyes darted down to the key in his claw, and he knew that he had to dispose of the evidence. Waiting until they barreled around another corner, Spike leaned far out to the left and tossed the key towards a conveniently placed flowerpot, where it landed discreetly between the pot and the wall.
“Yes,” Spike said with a fist pump.
Sweet Grass looked over his shoulder in confusion. “Did you say something, your highness?”
“Nope, nothing at all,” Spike said quickly. Luckily, the councilor seemed to have other things on his mind, and continued on without another word.
They came to a stop, not outside the throne room as Spike expected, but at one of the many studies his mother used for private work. Standing rigidly at either side of the door was a unicorn guard.
“Your mother has been inside that room with Miss Sparkle all day,” he explained, seeming to anticipate Spike’s confusion. “But in focusing on their lesson, she seems to have lost track of the time.”
‘That’s right,’ he remembered. ‘Twilight just got done with her basic curr… curric… studies. Today was the day mama was gonna start teaching her herself!’
And if she’d been too busy to even set the sun, there was no way she’d have realized how long he’d been gone. That meant she couldn’t get angry with him for being late.
It seemed like he had lucked out completely.
“-so irresponsible? I mean, can you imagine? Bright as noon at nine o’clock in January!? What if the entire country sleeps in? Our economy will grind to a halt! You have to speak to her immediately! All of Equestria is depending on you!”
“Oh, um, right,” Spike said, realizing that he had completely tuned the frantic stallion out. “You can count on me.”
“Excellent,” Sweet Grass said. “Now follow my lead.” Turning back to the door, he trotted closer.
Both of the guards scowled at Sweet Grass as he approached. Their horns glowed faintly, and Spike suddenly got the feeling that this wasn’t their first confrontation.
“For the love of…” one of them groaned. “Can’t you get it through your head? The princess gave explicit orders not to allow any interruptions until the lesson is finished! WE AREN’T LETTING YOU THROUGH!”
The councilor smiled triumphantly. “Ah, but it’s not me you’ll be allowing inside,” he declared, grabbing Spike and holding him out like a hall pass.
“You see, this is a family situation. And I’m sure you wouldn’t be so insubordinate as to refuse the prince entry, now would you?”
He shook the dragon a bit for emphasis, and Spike tried to assist with the best puppy-dog eyes he could give.
The unicorn glowered, obviously annoyed at being forced to give in. “Of course Spike can enter,” he said; his tone softening as he addressed the dragon.
“But if you try sneaking in after him, we’re gonna use your sorry flank as a piñata, got it?”
“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” Sweet Grass responded, placing Spike on the floor and nudging him forward. The guards bowed and ushered him in, opening the door with a quick burst of magic.
The air in the room felt heavy, charged with electricity and reeking of ozone. Covering his nose, Spike padded inside.
Celestia and Twilight sat face to face at the far end of the room. The unicorn’s eyes were tightly closed, her face scrunched up in concentration as her horn pulsed with light. Celestia was watching her closely, offering an occasional bit of advice.
Spike had no idea what they were talking about. He still didn’t completely understand how magic worked, but he did know that interrupting a unicorn’s concentration could be a very bad thing. He waited for a few minutes, trying to look as conspicuous as possible, but with no success. It looked like he’d have to take more direct action. Hoping not to startle them too much, he coughed loudly into his palm.
Both ponies started at the noise. Celestia’s head shot up, her eyes blinking rapidly like she’d been caught dozing. Her eyes turned to the source of the disruption.
“Well now,” she said with a grin. “It seems we’ve gained an audience. However did you sneak past my guards, Spike?”
Unable to think up a witty explanation, he simply shrugged and said, “They let me in?”
The alicorn gave a soft chuckle. “No doubt they were swayed by your charm,” she teased. “Now that we’ve established the how, would you like to tell us why you’ve come?”
Knowing exactly how to butter her up, Spike drug his heel on the floor and looking away. “I just missed you,” he said as his mother’s smile widened. “And also cause Sweet Grass was freaking out.”
“Again?” She laughed and shook her head. “And what was the disaster du jour this time?”
Spike had no idea what a doo joor was, but he answered anyway. “He says you need to set the sun because it’s super late and everypony’s gonna be too lazy to get out of bed, or something.”
A look of confusion passed over her face. “Late? But… the time…” she looked around the room, seeming to realize that there was no clock present.
“Did he say what time it was,” she finally asked.
Spike scratched his head. “Umm… nine, I think?”
Celestia’s jaw dropped, and she scrambled to her hooves in a rare display of panic.
“How could I have been so absent-minded? Five additional hours of sunlight? What was I thinking?! Oh, Twilight! I’m sorry to end our lesson so abruptly, but I’ll need you to gather your things and head home immediately! I’ll wait a few minutes so you’ll not have to walk back in the dark.”
As Celestia flung open the doors and called for Sweet Grass, the unicorn began quickly shoveling items into her saddlebags. Always eager to help, Spike joined her.
He glanced over one of the scrolls. It was covered from top to bottom with writing. “Wow Twi, you really took a lot of notes today.”
“I know, isn’t it great? You wouldn’t believe it, Spike,” Twilight said. “I learned so many things today! Basic transmutation, some alchemical recipes, advanced levitation techniques…”
“Wow, and you still had time to write all this stuff?” He noticed that several of the scrolls looked exactly the same. “And even make two of each?”
“Oh, I didn’t write out all of those,” she said proudly. “They were created using a duplication spell I just learned!”
“Duplication,” he repeated, sounding out the word carefully. “Isn’t that like where you’re, umm, copying stuff?”
“Exactly! Princess Celestia knows that I always like to keep multiple copies of relevant documents, so she taught me the spell so I wouldn’t have to spend more time rewriting them.”
That got his full attention. It also gave him the best idea of all time. “So can you make copies out of anything,” he asked.
“Yep, anything at all.” Twilight’s confidence faded a bit as she actually thought over the question. “Well, I mean, maybe not ANYTHING. Cloning another pony would probably be too magically intensive, and recreating too large or complex an object would more than likely result in a backfire…”
Making doubly sure that his mother wasn’t listening in, Spike leaned in closer. “But little stuff is okay, right?”
She gave him a wry look. “Now, Spike, this spell was meant for intellectual pursuits. If you’re going to ask me duplicate a bunch of gems, the answer is no.”
“That’s not what I was gonna ask,” he protested loudly. A bit too loudly, as the noise caught Celestia’s attention.
“What was that about wanting to ask me something,” she called from the door.
Thinking quickly, Spike reached out and wrapped both arms around one of Twilight’s legs. “Can I walk Twilight home?”
Celestia hesitated. “I don’t know Spike. I’m not sure I like the idea of you out in the city after dark.”
He couldn’t give up. This might be his only chance to get a key of his own. He couldn’t just keep using the one Cadence had dropped!
“Please, mama? I haven’t gotten to talk to Twilight all day! And I wanna hear about the stuff she learned, and all the spells she can do!”
Twilight’s eyes lit up at the thought of further explaining her studies, and faced with the expectant smiles of both children, Celestia’s resolve broke.
“Very well,” she conceded. “But only if you have one of the guards accompany you.”
“But I don’t need a foalsitter!”
Celestia smiled and leaned down. She rubbed a soothing hoof over his spines and said, “I know you don’t. But it would make me feel better, at least. Will you do it for me?”
His shoulder’s slumped, and Twilight giggled from behind him. “Fine,” he grumbled, wishing he wasn’t such a mama’s boy.
Looking almost smug, the alicorn straightened up and called in a guard. As Twilight donned her saddlebags, Spike clambered onto the stallion’s back then climbed up to sit atop his helmet. If he had to be chauffeured around, then he was at least going in style!
“Alright, ready to go, my number one assistant?”
Spike gave her a thumbs-up.
Twilight dramatically pointed her foreleg at the door. “Then make it so, Number One!”
“Giddyap,” Spike ordered, and the guard raced into the hall with Twilight close behind.
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Chrysalis was far too excited to sleep. Her stomach was full, her thoughts hopeful, and she did not want to simply wait restlessly for Spike’s next visit. She had to do something.
The answer was obvious. She needed to come up with a plan for dealing with Spike. Her actions earlier had been too hasty, too sloppy. He’d been scared to death at first, and then she’d blown up in his face after a simple question. And worst of all, how far she’d taken that initial feeding…
She couldn’t be that rash in the future. This was her one and only chance. Right now, she had his sympathy. But what she needed was his trust.
Therefore, the first step was putting him at ease. Making him as content and comfortable as she could manage.
Her eyes scanned over the cavern, and inspiration struck. Finding a particularly spacious chamber, she measured a forty foot circle with her hooves. Her horn lit up, and she began tossing away the larger rocks while sweeping any smaller debris. Once the space was clear, she dropped prone and began leveling out the circle.
It took several hours, but in the end she was quite pleased with the results. Before her was a clean, flat plain of rock. The stone was smooth and slightly warm to the touch, and there were no stalactites above that might drip water onto its surface. All in all, it was plenty large enough to accommodate a baby dragon.
She tapped a hoof to her chin. It was definitely a start. But it needed more. She wanted Spike to like it down here. If he visited out of desire, and not duty, that would make her task far easier. So what else could she do to make it more inviting?
‘Wait,’ she thought to herself. ‘I know just the thing.’
After scouring the cavern, she found a wide, flat-topped boulder that could make an excellent table. A further search turned up a smaller stone that looked like it could serve as a chair. She hauled them back, congratulating herself all the way. Now Spike could read, or study, or even eat down here if he wanted.
And speaking of eating, didn’t they always say that the way to a drake’s heart was through his stomach? True or not, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Heading deeper into the cave, she painstakingly examined the many deposits of crystals, breaking off only the clearest, smoothest, and hopefully tastiest ones.
Finally, panting with exhaustion, she stepped back and surveyed her work. It was a humble project, to say the least, but certainly better than before. She tried to think if there was anything else she could do. There was no available water source… but then the pool she used for drinking was close enough that they could manage. The furniture was serviceable… but what about a bed? Surely there would be times when Spike needed to rest, and she didn’t want him leaving her early, did she?
She chuckled to herself. She already knew how to approach that possibility. After all, Spike had already used her as a pillow; she would gladly act as bed and blanket if he needed it.
And speaking of sleep, she could use a bit of rest. It had been centuries since she’d last used so much magic, or even had the energy to do so. Settling down on the clean stone, she was asleep before her chin touched her forelegs.
The city of Canterlot was burning. Winged shapes flitted between towers and dodged through smoke as pegasi and changelings battled for control of the skies. In the streets below, pandemonium ensued. Ponies fled from or into their homes with changelings snapping at their hooves. Earth pony soldiers fought to push the invaders back street by street, with unicorn guards at their backs scanning for any disguised changelings in the masses of panicked citizens.
Even the castle itself was unsafe. Through the black roils of smoke, flashes of light could be seen from the throne room’s windows, accompanied by the shrill howls of magical attacks.
Inside, the combatants leapt apart. Hooves set, horns lowered, they charged up and let fly. Two blazing lances of magic, one green and one gold, collided. The shockwave blew every window apart and shook the room, sending chandeliers and furniture crashing to the floor.
For a moment, the two attacks were deadlocked. But slowly, the golden beam began to push the other back. Its target quivered in fear, her forehead beading with sweat. She tried to resist, but no matter how much power she fed into her magic, it was useless.
Celestia’s yell turned to a roar and the golden magic smashed through the green. In the last few seconds, she snapped her head up and fired one last bolt through the room’s ceiling. Then Chrysalis felt a shattering pain in her chest as the beam hurled her across the room and into the wall. She dropped limply to the floor, her vision blurry and ears ringing from the blast.
She lay there for a time, fading in and out of consciousness. She could hear screams and the sounds of battle through the broken windows. She knew they had lost. Had known from that one, horrible moment when it became clear that Celestia was far stronger than she.
With her defeated, her changelings would have no defense against the alicorn’s wrath. At this point, all she could hope for was that they had seen her signal and retreated in time.
The sounds of fighting lessened and then faded entirely. The smell of smoke began to clear from the air. She had no idea how long she had been lying there, too weak to even lift her head. Eventually she heard the clatter of hoofsteps near her body, and then voices speaking from above. The only voice she recognized was Celestia’s, and her command was appropriately ominous.
“Take her to a cell. I will be along shortly.”
Armour clinked, and several white forelegs moved into her field of vision. She felt them under her limbs, against her stomach, across her back. Then they began to lift, and her head spun as she lost consciousness.
“…she awake?”
Somepony was speaking, their voice dim and distant.
“Chrysalis? Can you hear me?”
She groaned lightly. Her entire body felt sore and bruised.
A soft hum came from her left, and then a light flashed in front of her face, so bright she could see it through her eyelids.
”She’s awake,” another voice said. “You see the way her eyes clenched? Yes, she can hear us alright.”
A hoof reached up to pat her cheek. She tried to lean into the touch, regain any energy that she could, but it was withdrawn quickly.
“Come on, come on,” the voice ordered. “Open your eyes! I’ll not have you keeping her majesty waiting!”
Something in the tone told her that if she refused, they would find a way to make her. She obeyed, squinting into the bright glow coming from the horn pointed between her eyes.
The unicorn smiled tightly. “Good! Now we can get to business.” He turned to the taller figure in the corner. Celestia stepped closer. Her face was calm, serene even, but there was a hard look in her eyes as she studied the changeling queen.
Ignoring the pounding in her head, Chrysalis tried to assess her situation. She was in a small room with stone walls. The only exit was a door made of heavy wood with bars over the window. A dungeon cell, obviously. As for her, they had chained her forelegs spread-eagled to the wall, forcing her to stand on two hooves which were similarly outstretched and chained. She tested the shackles. They did not budge; she had two inches, perhaps three with which to lean forwards.
Seeing that she was well and securely bound, she turned her attention to the occupants of the room. Aside from Celestia and the unicorn that so rudely awakened her, there was an earth pony stallion to her left and right, either for defending the princess or intimidating the prisoner, if she had to guess.
Celestia spoke first. “You have been unconscious for several hours. No doubt you are curious as to the welfare of your army and the outcome of the invasion you so rashly commanded.”
Chrysalis said nothing. She knew where this was going. Celestia was going to explain just how hopeless the situation was, preempting any hopes of escape or rescue to try and make her compliant, if not cooperative.
“Your forces have been routed,” she continued. “Pushed completely out of the city. We detected several of your troops that had assumed pony shape and tried to infiltrate the civilian populace. Whatever mission or sabotage they hoped to accomplish is irrelevant, as they were either slain or forced to retreat.”
No answer. Chrysalis was too busy weighing her options. She needed more energy if she was to escape, but the ambient life-force being emitted by these ponies was too little, too slow. Her eyes trailed to Celestia. The princess would provide the best nourishment, especially if stronger emotions could be provoked.
But to do that… she would have to get the two of them alone.
“A fine synopsis of our crushing defeat, but I doubt you went to all the trouble of arranging this little meeting just to inform me of that,” she said with a smile.
“Don’t be shy, princess,” she coaxed. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“What concerns me the most is how quickly and easily your forces retreated,” Celestia said brusquely. “As a matter of fact, my generals have told me they began falling back at the very moment our battle concluded. Why? Why abandon their leader at a moment’s notice, without the slightest effort to rescue or avenge her?”
“Well, I was quite the slave-driver,” she admitted. “Ordering them about, forcing them to attack innocent ponies, denying them bathroom breaks. It’s no surprise that they’d leave me behind.”
“Somehow, I don’t believe that. Preoccupied as I was, I did notice that burst of magic you fired through the ceiling before my attack connected. Quite an odd move, unless destroying my throne room was not some petty act of revenge, but a signal to your forces.”
She gave the changeling an appraising look. “Therefore, I suspect that the retreat was all part of your plan, and I want to know what they will do next.”
Chrysalis seized the opportunity. “Very well,” she said with a sigh. “I see that I’m in no position to refuse. However, I do have one condition. If you insist on this rather droll interrogation, would you please dismiss your guards. They’re making me a bit uncomfortable. You see, I can’t help but feel a tad… exposed in my current state…”
She stretched languidly in her chains, giving a slow roll of her hips that caught the attention of the gathered ponies. Each stallion averted his eyes, and she almost chuckled as a guilty frown passed over Celestia’s face.
Mumbling an apology, the princess turned and shooed her guards from the room. As the stallions marched out, Chrysalis pondered her next move. That had been easy enough, but how should she deal with the princess herself? There was no chance of inciting any positive emotions from her adversary, but perhaps she could at least coax out some frustration or embarrassment…
“Now that we’re alone,” Celestia said. “What is your army’s next move?”
Chrysalis lowered her head as if ashamed. There was no harm in telling the truth, since in a moment’s time Celestia wouldn’t believe another word she said. “There is no other move. I called for that retreat when I knew that all was lost. You might think me a monster, but I did not wish for my people to be wiped out. Our goal was out of reach, and there was no point in sacrificing more lives.”
“What was that goal,” Celestia asked pointedly. “Why attack my city at all? Your kind thrives on emotions, I know this, but surely such a reckless attack was not your only option?”
“Oh, very well,” she cried out dramatically. “I can’t lie to you. Yes, it was a foolish act, but I couldn’t help myself!”
Surprised by the outburst, Celestia stepped back. “Wha… what do you mean?”
Chrysalis stared at her, eyes tearing up, lips quivering. “It was you, Celestia. You were the reason we attacked! You see, I’ve always desired you for myself. Your luscious body, that beautiful mane, those supple legs, I could go on for hours! In the end, I just couldn’t stand admiring you from afar.”
Celestia’s eyes were bulging, her mouth hanging open in utter shock. Chrysalis was speaking quickly now, almost frantically. “So in a fit of lust and longing, I bade my changelings attack your city, hoping to capture you in the confusion and spirit you back to our hive like Helen in the Ponyliad, where you would be my wife and lover for the rest of our days!”
She would have loved to continue this melodramatic charade, but the look of pure bewilderment on Celestia’s face was too much. Try as she might, Chrysalis couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Celestia’s jaw clenched, cheeks red with a furious blush. “I would not advise making jests at a time like this,” she cautioned. “Especially not in front of the pony who’ll ultimately decide your fate!”
Chrysalis smiled in response. “And what would you prefer? Should I be cursing and shrieking and spitting in your face, defiant to the end? Or should I be a sniveling wreck, pleading for mercy and bemoaning my fate? It’s not as though either option would improve my situation, so why not have a bit of fun at your expense?”
Celestia didn’t rise to the bait. “Mock me if you wish, but you’ll gain nothing with such antics. If you truly value the welfare of your people, you WILL tell me what they are planning. They could not overcome us before, so what chance would they have now? They have lost the element of surprise, they have lost their queen. Any further attack would be doomed to failure.”
“But if you tell me the truth,” she said softly, trying to inject a measure of sympathy into her words. “We may be able to end this without further bloodshed. Convince your people to surrender, and I promise we’ll-”
What a useless offer. By now, her changelings had probably reached the Equestrian border. Celestia hadn’t realized that there was no longer an army to pursue!
Still, no point in revealing that now. If Celestia learned that her prisoner had no information to provide, no leverage to offer, her sentence would be carried out that much quicker. Better if she played coy until she regained the strength to escape.
And speaking of regaining strength, she knew just how to end this discussion and get a nice meal in the process.
“Well, there is one thing I can tell you. A secret I doubt any other pony knows.”
Intrigued, Celestia took a step closer. “And what is that?”
Chrysalis turned her head to the side. “Well, you see…”
‘Closer, closer, just a bit closer,’ she thought to herself.
Another step, then Celestia’s next words changed into a muffled shriek as Chrysalis lunged forward and captured the alicorn’s lips with her own.
Her cries stifled, Celestia tried to pull back, but Chrysalis used the last of her magic to hold the struggling princess in place. Forcing open Celestia’s mouth, her tongue darted inside. Deepening the kiss further, she began drawing every bit of life-force that she could.
Sadly, the magical moment was ended when a golden-shoed hoof slammed into her cheek, breaking the kiss and snapping Chrysalis’ head to the side. Black motes spun in her vision as her already painful headache intensified. Stunned by pain and drunk off the taste of Celestia’s emotions, she hung from her chains and waited for her head to clear.
Celestia wiped furiously at her lips, coughing in disgust. Eyes sparkling with fury, she glared at the changeling. Chrysalis returned the look with a lopsided grin.
“Oh, right. That secret. Well, I don’t know if anypony has told you this, but you are just DELICIOUS when you’re angry.”
“How, how dare you,” Celestia sputtered angrily.
Chrysalis only shrugged. “Well, I’d always heard that when you visit a foreign country, you’re encouraged to sample the local delicacies. It seemed like good manners.”
Ignoring Celestia’s growing ire, she licked her lips and continued. “Besides, I was just giving you a glimpse of what things would be like had I emerged the victor. Just imagine it. It would be you in these chains, with me coming to drain you away bit by bit, while my changelings consumed every last pony in your kingdom.”
Celestia struck her again, harder this time, and Chrysalis felt a large welt forming under her eye. Fighting to stay conscious, she dropped her lips into a pout.
“So that’s how you’ll be dealing with me? Blows to the face? Why resort to such crude means? Instead of dirtying your hoof, why not use a whip instead? Then just change your target to my flanks, and our little interrogation can take a nice kinky turn.”
For a moment it looked like a third hit was on its way, but instead Celestia breathed in and out slowly, trying to bring her anger under control.
“I see what you’re trying to do,” she said at last. “Distracting me to avoid answering my questions? Well played, but I’ve seen through your ruse.”
She shook her head and turned to the door. “However, I think we’ll have to continue this discussion another time. If things continue on as they are, I may end up doing something I’ll deeply regret.”
Determined to have the last word, Chrysalis waited until the princess was halfway out the door. “Like what,” she sneered. “Actually returning the kiss next time?”
Celestia froze; she could see her shoulders trembling. Refusing to answer, she slammed the cell door and stomped off down the hall.
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While Chrysalis spun her metaphorical web in the caverns below, night had finally arrived in Canterlot, where an exhausted baby dragon was being carefully tucked into bed. Sliding under the blankets beside him, Celestia pulled him close and nuzzled the top of his head.
“Did you and Twilight have a nice walk,” she asked.
“Yea, it was really fun,” he mumbled into her chest. “I got to see her parents, and Shining Armour, and she told me about all the neat stuff she learned.”
He purposely left out the best part of their excursion. Retrieving the key had been the hardest part. He’d had been forced to stage a very convincing fall from the guard’s head, landing beside a ‘random’ flowerpot and just happening to notice something shining behind it.
From there, everything had been smooth sailing. Twilight had been all too happy to demonstrate her newly learned ability, and with a quick flash of light, a second key had materialized in his palm.
Of course, that had lead to the next tricky part; returning the original to Cadence. He couldn’t just give it back to her, as that might lead to some very unpleasant questions. He also didn’t want to leave it where he found it, lest some other pony stumble across it. In the end, he had decided to sneak into Cadence’s room and plant it in one of her saddlebags. With any luck, she wouldn’t even notice it had gone missing. And if she had, maybe she’d just assume she hadn’t searched well enough?
Of course, he wasn’t going to tell his mother any of that.
“And how about the rest of your day,” she said in concern. “With Twilight and myself preoccupied for so long, I hope you didn’t get too lonely.”
Spike gulped. Maybe he wasn’t off the hook quite yet. He tried to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible.
“Oh, nothing much.”
Ugh, what kind of stupid answer was that?
“Hmm, I think there’s something you’re not telling me.” He could hear the smile in her voice and groaned inwardly. Of course she was onto him. He’d never been a very good liar to begin with, and he was completely hopeless when it came to her.
Still, he had to be careful. If he said too much, he’d be getting himself into very hot water.
“Well, actually, I made a new friend today,” he admitted.
She pulled back enough to look down at him, an excited smile on her face. “Spike, that’s wonderful! Oh, I can’t wait to hear everything! What was their name?”
Spike opened his mouth to respond, but something suddenly occurred to him. He smiled sheepishly. “I forgot to ask.”
“Well that wasn’t very polite,” she chided. “You should always ask for the other pony’s name when making introductions. You DID remember to introduce yourself, I hope.”
“Yes mama, I remembered,” he said quickly. He did not want to be subjected to a lecture on manners right now.
“Good. Make sure you apologize and ask the very next time you see them. Understand?”
He nodded, and Celestia immediately reverted to her previously excited self. “Now then, what kind of pony is your friend? Or did you forget to look?”
“I know what kind of pony she is!” Oh great, what was he supposed to say now? He couldn’t just say that the twisted pony was an alicorn!
Luckily, one word in his outburst completely grabbed Celestia’s attention.
“She,” the alicorn asked, mischief glinting in her eyes. “This new friend of yours is a filly?”
“Well, yeah. So? I can have fillyfriends if I want, right? I mean, I’m friends with Twilight!”
“That may be, but Twilight is my student, and a filly that I trust.” Celestia lifted her chin disdainfully. “How do I know that this friend of yours even deserves your attention? What if she’s just using you for her own gain? I don’t want my son to be off gallivanting with just any girl, you know!”
Spike’s spirits dropped. “Does that mean I can’t be friends with her anymore?”
“I didn’t say that. But I will have to meet her myself, and decide for myself if she’s worthy of you.”
“You… you want to meet her,” Spike asked in horror. Oh no, this was terrible. She was going to find out where he’d gone! He’d be getting that spanking after all!
Celestia laughed. “I was only teasing, Spike. I would never judge your friends or forbid you from seeing them.”
“Now then, I think we’ve both had enough excitement for one day. You can tell me more about this friend of yours in the morning.”
She turned to blow out the candle, and Spike sighed in relief, only to freeze once again at her next words. “But I wasn’t kidding about that last part. I do want to meet this girl sometime soon.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chrysalis awoke with a start. The last vestiges of the dream still ran through her head. The exquisite taste of Celestia’s emotions, the throbbing bruise on her cheek, those last taunting words she had thrown at the alicorn’s back.
It had been many years since she last dreamed of her capture. And for good reason. If she had only known what consequences her actions would bring, she would have cooperated in a heartbeat.
But it was too late to change the past. Right now, she had only the future to think on. And if she was lucky, well, she and Celestia might be picking up where they left off those many years ago. Only this time, their roles as captor and captive would be switched.
And she was going to enjoy getting her revenge. The look on Celestia’s face would be reward enough, but it would only be the appetizer… oh, yes. Normally, Chrysalis had no stomach for negative emotions, but this time, this time she would savor every bit of the alicorn’s fear, helplessness and despair. In fact, she might even try to encourage them…
Once she regained her full power, she would wait until Celestia came down for her weekly visit to reinforce the barrier. Chrysalis would be waiting on the other side, all fake smiles and feigned politeness. Her demeanor would no doubt set the princess on edge, but it would still come as a massive shock when she broke the force-field down and leapt to attack.
But wait, how could she forget the most important part? What if she were to make idle conversation at first, perhaps complaining to Celestia about a pest problem in her cavern? Then she could claim that the most horrid little vermin had invaded, but thankfully she had disposed of it immediately.
Then, she could reveal Spike’s lifeless body, toss it through the barrier to land at Celestia’s hooves. She could easily imagine the look of horror and disbelief, the monarch frantically calling her son’s name as she focused all her attention on the corpse. And then, the moment Celestia looked up she would smash through the barrier and overpower her.
Chrysalis chuckled to herself. The possibilities were endless. She could use Spike as bait for a trap, or even a hostage to force Celestia into submitting to her will. Her only regret was that she had to choose just one.
But she was getting ahead of herself. She rose from the cavern floor, her legs and back cracking and popping as she stretched. Her stomach rumbled, and she made herself comfortable while waiting for breakfast to arrive.
She waited.
And waited.
And just for the pure and simple hell of it, she waited some more.
Spike didn’t come.
Chrysalis began to worry. He should have been here by now, shouldn’t he? There was no way of telling time in this place. It could have been six hours; it could have been six days.
But the hunger pangs in her stomach were still weak. It couldn’t have been more than a day. So where was he?
Time continued to drag on, and she paced around the rim of the circle, biting her lip anxiously. Something must have gone wrong. Had he forgotten about her? Or had Celestia discovered his intentions and stopped him?
What if… what if he had never intended to return? What if he had lied to her simply to escape from her clutches?
The growling in her stomach was becoming more insistent. After yesterday’s meal, the thought of returning to near starvation was horrific. She needed to see Spike again. She needed to taste him again!
Chrysalis shrieked in frustration, cursing herself for being such a fool. How could she have let him go? What was she thinking?!
Her anger fizzled out when a familiar life-force caught her attention. It was young, vibrant, and overflowing with excitement. She recognized it at once.
“Twisted pony,” Spike called from the tunnel. He was carrying a large bag that looked to be bulging at the seams, running as carefully as he could with his view obscured. He caught a glimpse of her, and he smiled all the wider.
“Hey, there you are! Sorry I’m late; I had to make sure I didn’t forget-”
She wasn’t listening. The second he had come into view, she had taken one step, then another, then broke into a run that would have bowled a full-grown manticore flat on its back.
Spike dropped the bag in surprise, and she vaulted over it and threw both forelegs around him in a tackle. She swept him off his feet as the two tumbled and rolled across the ground, squeezing him to her chest and drawing energy like he would vanish in an instant.
“Oof,” Spike grunted from beneath her. “Glad to see you too… guess you missed me, huh?”
She pulled back enough to frown into his face. “You’re damn right I did,” she snarled. “What took you so long? I was worried something had happened to you, or you’d forgotten, or, or even abandoned me!”
He shook his head rapidly. “No way! I’d never do that.” He gestured to the bag lying behind them. “But before I left, I decided to bring you a few things so you wouldn’t get bored while I was gone. That’s all, I promise!”
“Hmm,” she said, casting a look back. “Well, alright I suppose. But you can’t make me worry like that again, okay?”
“Okay, if you’ll trust that I’ll never forget about you.”
“Deal.”
He smiled up at her, only to grimace a moment later. “Umm, can you let me up now? You’re kinda heavy, it’s making my chest hurt.”
She let out a horrified gasp. What on earth was she doing?! Immediately, she ended the transfer, thankful that Spike assumed the pain was due to her weight. She berated herself once again for being so careless. No matter what, he could never learn that she was feeding off of him. That knowledge, she knew, would immediately turn him against her.
“I’m sorry, Spike,” she said. “I guess I was so happy to see you that I overreacted. Here, why don’t you sit down and catch your breath?”
Helping him to his feet, she steered him over to the newly placed furniture and settled him down. Levitating the bag over, she placed it on the table before them.
“So why don’t you show me what exactly you brought,” she asked, sitting beside him and resting a foreleg over his shoulders. Carefully, she reopened the link, making sure that she was taking only the barest minimum of his energy.
Spike was about to reach into the bag when something crossed his mind. Something very important his mother had told him the night before.
“Well, before we do that. There’s something I have to ask you. Something I should have asked when we first met.”
“Oh, and what is that?” She was barely paying attention to his words. Rather, she was gradually taking more of his life-force. It was delicate work. She had to keep it just below the threshold of causing him pain. If she could just build up his tolerance…
“Well, I told you my name yesterday, but you never told me yours! I can’t keep calling you twisted pony all the time, right?”
“Oh no,” she agreed automatically. “That wouldn’t do at all.”
“So,” he prodded. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Chrys-” She stopped midsentence as his words finally registered. No bucking way was she telling him the truth. Oh no, if she gave her real name, it would certainly come back to bite her in the ass. She was already skeptical of Spike’s ability to keep her a secret. The last thing she needed was to give him more chances to mess up.
“Crystalia,” she said at last, pointing to the walls around them. “Just like all the crystals in this cave.”
“Crystalia,” he repeated. “I like it! It’s a pretty name for a pretty pony. But how come you stopped in the middle of saying it? It sounded like you were changing your mind about something.”
“Well, it’s just been so long since I’ve told anypony my name,” she lied.
He wasn’t buying it. “Crystalia’s not your real name, is it?”
She smirked. “Nope.”
“I knew it,” he said smugly. “So what’s your real name then?”
“I’m not going to tell you.”
“But, but why not,” he asked.
She grinned at him like the cat that ate the canary. “Because you haven’t earned it yet.”
He crossed his arms and scowled, though a smile threatened to break through. “That’s not fair! I told you my name, so you have to tell me yours!”
“And when did we agree to that,” she asked innocently. “If you’d wanted, you could have told me a fake name as well.”
He looked as though he wanted to protest further, but finally let out a resigned huff. “Fine, so what do I have to do to find out?”
“Hmm,” she scrunched up her face like she was actually considering the question. “I haven’t decided yet.
To her utmost confusion, she actually felt the barest twinge of pity at his downtrodden look and pulled him closer against her. “Don’t worry,” she said as she nuzzled his cheek. “I’ll tell you eventually.”
“You promise?”
“I promise,” she said.
‘In fact, it will be the last thing you ever hear,’ she added silently.
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... An update? Homework can wait.
2438623
...how did you know what I was thinking?
2438736
Because Spike shipfics are best fics? Also Crosis, make sure this ends with happy smiles all around... Eventually.
"How do you think sunbutt will be at the ending at he story?"
"Two words mate. Shock and Awe.'
Woah really nice chapter; by the way not many people use the eñe.
thanks for the chapter and take care.
Saludos desde México
not bad can't wait for more
Hell yeah!!! Update, and i loved the dark tone you used in this one, good job my friend
In your description it should be "misled," not "mislead."
I wanted to read this next chapter the moment i found this story nice work
qiuck update plz great read btw
Damn... You got me!! You had my feels you took them in a giant ball and tossed it all over the floor. Now true and believe when I say that's a good thing. Not many people can make me feel, even less can both meet my expectations while simultaneously dashig my hopes. Chrysalis is protrait beautifully here, sticking to her cannon character, not automatically making her love Spike. Very nice, update quickly!!
OOOOOOHHHHHH....Celestia/Chrysalis huh? Damn, that would be a great pairing, I love how the Goddess of Illusions is tricking both Spike and Celestia, she is awesome
The detail you put in this story is seriously amazing, I would kill to write like you my friend
Ha, I'll be Cadence some how knows the key was missing it's a very important key, even a mortal unicorn could have known but with Cedence being the Goddess of Love makes her job easier
I very much can't wait for more, though now I'm wondering if this is a Spike/Chryails romance or a Chrysalis/Celestia one......I think Chrysails only did that for the saping of emotion and to get a rise out of the solar Goddess though, very nicely played
Another good chapter.
When can we expect the next?
I"m liking the chess master aspect of Chryssie in this story.. I just hope the 'love' ends up being mutual, I'd probably feel guilty reading this if it's just one sided... but it'd be fine either way.
No way this ends with Celestia allowing Chrssy to live. Messing with people's kids always ends badly.
cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/250x250/36635515.jpg
I don't know who falls in love with who yet, But I am strongly hoping it is going to be Spike and Chrysalis who fall in love in the end.
Slight inconsistency I noticed. Celestia's magic is refered to as blue one minute, and gold the next. It was odd enough that the magic barrier was blue, as her canon magic color is gold, but now I'm just confused as to which color it's suppose to be. Unless this is a plot point of some sort, as the gold color was only mentioned in Chrysie's dream-memory.
I enjoyed
yay! an update!
i wonder how long Chrysalis will last before she falls for Spike?
You see, this is why intelligent people deal with enemies properly.
This is how it would happen if I ruled.
>>> Chrysalis looks up from her wretched spot on the cave floor, the network of spikes driven into various places between the joints of her chitin, ensuring that any movement was pure agony, to see the Dread Lord Alondro enter the cavern with his trademark flat expression. "Come to torment me anew, pony?"
"No." Alondro replied. "There is no more need. The extermination squad has just about completed their work. Your kind are all but extinct. And you no longer serve a purpose."
Chrysalis' jaw dropped. "You're lying... ponies would never... they'd never..."
Alondro leaned down to the broken bug, "Never be as cruel as you are? That was your first mistake: underestimating the power of wrath to change attitudes. The second was assuming that I'm a pony." Dark energy, swirled with golden mist, whirls around the 'creature' Alondro!
Chrysalis' eyes widen in shock and horror at Alondro's true form, but before she can even scream in terror, a claw darts out and pierces through her forehead, stabbing out with a spray of greenish-grey ichor from the back of her skull. The claw retracts and the former Queen's lifeless body slumps in the cruel restraints.
A moment later, the 'pony' Alondro emerges from the dungeon and speaks to Commander Armor, "Ready your troops. This minor infestation is over. It is time to begin the invasion of Griffonia...."
None could stop the forces of Equestria, led by the mad genius of Emperor Alondro, who would eventually conquer the entire planet... then the galaxy.. then the UNIVERSE! THEN THE MULTIVERSE!!! THEN HE WAS SO POWERFUL AND IMMORTAL THAT HE KICKED ALL THE GODS' BUTTS AND WAS SUPREME SUPER GOD FOREVERRRRR!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA!!
(If you're gonna have delusions of grandeur, why go only half-way?)
Oh how i love chrysalis and her ways, and i like how you made Celestia spike mother instead of Twilight, very intersting plot!!
2440902
I too like the idea of Celestia being his mom. Twilight to me is his friend and Cadence is like his big sister figure to him~
2438791
I'll see what I can do ;)
2438882
Sadly enough, timely updates have never really been my forte. I will try, however, to get the next chapter out reasonably soon.
2438987
Thanks for pointing that out. Will amend.
That characterization was fucking excellent, so much so that it is now my headcanon. Deal with it.
dude you are a clever sneak
Man, Chrysalis is so bad
! 
.
No errors as far as I can tell so, great chapter!
And Spike is really too cute in this, the worst he's worrying about is a spanking
2441539
BTW is Cee is messing with Celest's head with that "I'm obsessed with you" thing ?
The title of the chapter just cracks me up for... no reason.
And I'm suddenly looking for the word "turquoise".
Amazing as usual. I too wish updates come more frequently but alas stuff of this quality takes time. Waiting for the next one.
At first I thought Spike wanted to duplicate himself, so he can be at two places at once... :P
Of course I enjoyed it. Imagine my surprise when one day a random favorite notification popped up and BOOM!!!
no WAY!!!
Still awesome, although I doubt Spike will be able to keep the secret too much longer. Time will tell.
So Celestia is fine with slaughtering the run of the mill soldiers but isn't willing to kill Chrysalis even though she's the most guilty.
Another great chapter, I like the characterizing you do. Spikes got MAD wit for someone as young as him
. Feels a little odd that Spikes a prince though, at least in my opinion
:
Looking forward to more!
she'll kill spike?
I like where this is going
i haven't been on the site for a while and i log in at 1:00 am totally exhausted after cleaning up the yard today, and not wanting to sleep,and see this chapter right before i was gonna call it a night.
sleep and studying for finals can wait
2494428 You have clearly thought about this very carefully.
Excellent.
2474028 Thats what I was thinking too!!!I saw that and was like WTF!!!
That scene...that flashback scene...that was just....
Most excellent!
I want moar! This is so interesting!
So are Chrysalis and Celestia going to have a bad angel good angel relationship with Spike telling both of them his problems and each one giving a drastically different solution, like Celestia giving Spike the birds and the bees talk and Chrysalis talking about porn and kink
2854961 I hope so ...
2186208
What! Villian sympathy fics are churned out nonstop
When will there be more?
Chrysalis you conniving little thing you tricking poor spikey wikey.
Lol any way this seems like it could be quite a good story and I can't wait for more.
I don't see an anthro tag, so I'm guessing this story isn't antropomorphized. Is that correct?
(since the cover is of a very famous anthro pic of Spike and Chrysalis)
Moar I want moar...................please