Chrysalis gets captured and thrown into solitary confinement. She begins to regret her past actions. Is there any chance for her to turn things around?
About two years after Chrysalis's failed attempt at taking over Canterlot, Chrysalis gets captured by the Royal Guard for attempting to attack Equestria once again. She gets sentenced to life in solitary confinement in the lowest depths of the Canterlot Dungeon. After a year of wishing for revenge, Chrysalis grows tired and begins to question her motives.
She comes to the realization that all she needed was to earn everyone's respect and love, rather than force it. However, she learned her lesson too late, and must endure the last moments of her seemingly futile existence.. with only a small glimmer of hope left to keep her alive.. and a chance to make a friend.
*Note: Only canon through seasons 1-before season 6 finale. *Warning, characters contemplating suicide.
It's true that I am a monster.. as you can plainly see. I am a Changeling Queen after all. Or rather.. was.
About 2 years after my failed attack on Canterlot, I planned a revenge attack on Appleloosa. I knew I was no match for taking over Canterlot, so I had to make do with what little power I had left.
However, I was captured before I could even reach the town. Those Ponies must have had spies to prevent our attack from ever surfacing. My guards simply fled, leaving me behind. They didn't even bother trying to save me. I never believed my own hive would turn against me. They just left me behind, without a care in the world.
It is obvious to me now why they would leave me. They knew I was a failure. They knew I couldn't lead. They were probably happy to not have to put up with my demands anymore. After all, they never truly cherished their queen, they only feared her.
I used to believe that the best way to maintain control over others is to instill fear in them. You have to make them worship you. Every one of my subjects were terrified of me, but relied on my ruling nonetheless. They believed that I could control anything and anyone, even all of Equestria if given the chance.. Until now of course. I have lost everything.
I get laughed at and berated by the guards from time to time. They have to let in animals for me to feed off of to help sustain me.. just barely. To rub salt in the wound, this strange pony named 'Fluttershy' manages the whole feeding operation, and she just so happens to be one of those spiteful.. 'Elements of Harmony'. She barely even looks at or acknowledges me. She just lets the animal stand in front of a small grate on the bottom of the door, and then lets me feed.
And that stare of hers.. ugh! Whenever she does have the chance to look me straight in the eye, she just attacks me with this uncanny frown that pierces through my very soul. I can't explain it, but a part of me fears this Pegasus for some reason. I once tried to start a conversation with her, but she didn't want to talk with me, at all, ever. I would have expected the Element of Kindness to be a bit more.. kind. However, I suppose I never earned her kindness, or anypony's for that matter.
I have always had a disgust for these ponies. They seemed to have this idea that 'love' and 'caring' is supposed to sustain their society. As Queen of the Changelings, I have always believed that those sorts of things did nothing but create weakness. Oh.. how wrong I was.
What these ponies, and even the other Changelings themselves don't realize, is that all my life, all I've ever wanted.. was just to be happy. I thought I could achieve that happiness through power and control. I wanted everyone to look up to me as their supreme ruler.
I always marveled at how other ponies could be so happy together, with all this 'love', and 'friendship', when their 'Princess' did nothing but sit back and let them 'accept' her as a ruler. Sure, she had power, but she also had friends.. people who truly respected her and would stick to her side no matter what.
Funny thing is, I've spent my whole life eating love.. devouring it. I've never actually taken the time to experience it. I imagine all these ponies surrounded by love, and always content, and I cannot help but envy them. While everypony else is out and enjoying themselves, I am stuck here for the rest of my life.. well.. what's left of it anyway.
I have to admit.. I've never felt so lonely in my whole life. The first few months of rotting in this cell I was fuming with rage. I wanted to destroy Cadence and Shining Armor. I wanted Celestia and Luna to see my true power. I wanted every pony to suffer for their insolence. But that rage eventually burned out. I got sick and tired of being angry.
This allowed me time to think and ponder for well over a year. And then I asked myself..
what if love and friendship is all I ever needed?
Could I be happy, and satisfied, if all I had was a friend? But why even question that. I know it is already too late for me. My goose is cooked. Every pony hates me, and sees me as nothing but a monster.
And that is exactly what I am.
I have hidden my insecurities and desire for happiness behind a monstrous exterior, only to have it take over my life. It makes me sad to imagine that I could have had friends. I could have befriended somepony, and had shared their love instead of just having stolen it. But I was greedy and egotistical. I just had to have it all.
I don't deserve any friends. I could never earn anypony's friendship. I deserve every bit of suffering and loneliness, because that is the life I had created for myself. The world would be a much better place without me. Why do I keep on living.. it's not like I can turn back time and make everything right.
I am a failure as a Queen, and I am a failure to everypony. I will never know what it's like to be truly happy.
I just wish there was a way to make things right.
~~~
Twilight and Rainbow Dash walked along the dark corridors of Canterlot's underground dungeon. It was dark and damp, with candles keeping the hallways lit just enough for the guards to see. Rainbow Dash casually walked by the cells as many of the prisoners hurled either insults or pleas for help at her. Twilight on the other hand was very anxious. She cringed as she tried not to look directly at any of the prisoners.
"I cannot believe Fluttershy has to put up with this every Monday," Twilight whispered.
"Tsk.. These guys are completely harmless so long as they are behind bars. Fluttershy may get scared easily, but she isn't stupid," Rainbow Dash inquired.
"Yeah, I guess you are right."
"So.. why again did Celestia want us to see Chrysalis?"
"Ugh, weren't you listening? She sent me here to use my magic to drain her of any excess power just in case she escapes and tries to attack again. Her magic may not work now, but if she gains enough power, the seal on her horn could break free. Changelings accumulate magic power from stealing love, and it remains in their horn, even if the changeling is starving."
"Okay, I understand why you're here, but what about me?"
"You are here in case I get attacked."
"So.. wait. How can you get attacked if.. oh no.."
"Yes, I have to enter her cell if I want to drain her of her power. I will have to teleport in there. If I get attacked, you will need to alert the guards immediately."
"Gotcha!" Rainbow Dash saluted.
After walking down a dark and gloomy set of stairs, they encountered a long hallway with one door at the end. The door looked like it was entirely made of iron, with a small grate at the bottom, and a perfectly square shaped barred window on the front. The door didn't appear to have a handle on it, and it seemed that it could only be opened through the use of some unique magic spell that only the guards knew.
Twilight shuddered. "Well.. there she is."
"Come on! It's not that scary. We've seen large Dragons, Nightmare Moon, Hydra, and you are afraid of this?" Rainbow teased.
"This is.. different! I can't explain it. It just gives me the creeps."
"Relax. Come on, I'll hold your hoof."
"T-that wont be necessary. I'll be fine!" Twilight stammered.
"Riiight.."
The two ponies approached the door, and footsteps could be heard moving towards them from the other side. A dragging sound could also be heard, with chains rattling with every two steps. There was nothing but complete darkness inside of the cell. Twilight couldn't help but feel terrified at the thought of being in there with that.. demon.
All of the sudden, a low and ghastly murmur could be heard from behind the cell door. "That's strange.. It's Saturday. Who is this?" The creature slurred.
Twilight swallowed her throat, and prepared herself to converse with what was once the greatest enemy Canterlot has ever faced. "I am Twilight Sparkle, and this is my friend Rainbow Dash," Twilight's voice quivered.
"Elements of Harmony.." The voice murmured.
"None other!" Rainbow smirked.
"I see.. I'm sure you remember who I am."
"Your name isn't even worth uttering!" Rainbow retorted.
Chrysalis couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain in her chest from Rainbow's insult, but she simply frowned and continued.
"I am Chrysalis, former Queen of the Changelings."
"We know who you are!" Twilight snapped back, rolling her eyes. "I've come to drain you of whatever power you have stored up."
"Oh, I see. Well then, feel free to enter."
"She doesn't need your permission!" Rainbow scolded.
Twilight put a hoof on the cyan Pegasus's shoulder. "Rainbow, let me handle this. Chrysalis, I want to warn you that if you try anything to harm me while I drain away the last of your magic, you will be in even more trouble than you are in now. Trust me. It could get a whole lot worse than this," Twilight frowned. " Tartarus is the next step down from here."
"I understand. I promise I won't harm you. Just.. please get it over with." Chrysalis sighed.
Twilight took a deep breath, and teleported into the cell. She found herself face to face with the former Changeling Queen herself. Only this time, she seemed completely different. Her menacing glare was replaced with a look of depression and sorrow. A large ball and chain could be seen attached to her right leg as she sat on her hind quarters.
The look of Chrysalis somewhat depressed Twilight a little, but she snapped out of it and proceeded to finish her job. Rainbow flew up to the window, and peered in to make sure that Chrysalis wouldn't attack. Twilight's horn began to glow, as she proceeded to suck all the power out of Chrysalis's horn. Twilight began to sweat as she struggled to remain calm. Her whole body was starting to go numb with anxiety as she tried to control her excessive breathing.
About a minute later, all the power was sucked out of Chrysalis. Twilight immediately teleported out of the room. She took a deep breath and let it out. She felt like she was about to faint. Rainbow tended to Twilight making sure she was okay. "You did it Twilight!" she cheered.
"Yeah, I can't believe I made it through that.." Twilight replied whilst panting.
Rainbow flew back up to the window again, peering down at the drained changeling lying on the ground panting slowly.
"Well well.. looks like you won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Check it out ladies and gentlemen.. the great and powerful Chrysalis. How pathetic." Rainbow Dash smiled slyly.
Chrysalis cringed as the Element of Loyalty's insults pierced right through her. She shut her eyes as a frown made its way onto her face. "And I'm assuming you just came here to insult me.. is that it? Go ahead, enjoy yourself. It's all I'm worth," Chrysalis groaned.
Rainbow couldn't help but be confused by Chrysalis's response. She wasn't expecting her to act so submissively. She was honestly expecting Chrysalis to get mad and retaliate. Twilight was also shocked. Not only did Chrysalis keep her promise, but she has shown no signs of disobedience.
A moment of awkward silence commenced, which was then broken by Twilight, who looked sternly at Rainbow. "Rainbow, I want you to apologize to Chrysalis."
"You what?!" Rainbow yelled, with a look of surprise plastering her face.
"I know Chrysalis is our enemy, but she is getting the punishment she deserves already. She doesn't need you to add to her pain. She was very cooperative today, and so I feel that she deserves better. Apologize to her Rainbow."
"But she.."
"Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow's head sagged while letting out a long sigh, and she walked over to the door again. She let out a low groan as she looked over to the side. "I'm.. sorry." Rainbow dash clenched her teeth whilst frowning.
A surprised look made it's way onto Chrysalis's face. She never thought her cooperation would result in gaining actual respect from anypony. Even though Rainbow's apology wasn't very sincere, she still relished it. "I forgive you, Rainbow Dash," The changeling replied in a soft and endearing voice.
Rainbow spoke of something unpleasant under her breath, as she walked away from the door towards the exit to the chambers. "Come on twilight, I got a whole weekend I'm supposed to enjoy today. I promised Scootaloo I'd meet up with her soon."
"Okay, I'll meet up with you later, just need to catch my breath." Twilight grinned.
"See ya!" Rainbow waved as she flew up the stairs.
Twilight peered back at the large and unforgiving metal door that stood right in front of her. She stared at it with a look of sorrow and disbelief. She then realized that she was actually feeling sorry for Chrysalis. This was something she never thought she would experience.
The young Alicorn princess walked up to the door once more, and put her muzzle up close to the grate at the bottom of the door.
"Chrysalis.. I.."
"Please... just.. leave me be," Chrysalis moaned. "I'm tired, and I just want to rest. Please.. just let me.. rest."
Twilight paused for a moment, looking through the grate to just barely see Chrysalis laying down on the concrete floor looking away from her. She didn't just look tired, she looked broken. It almost seemed as if all the life was sucked out of her, and not just her magic. Twilight couldn't bear the sight. She got up and turned away, walking slowly towards the exit.
It was a cloudy day in Ponyville. It almost looked as though it could rain at any moment. It was very rare that a cloudy day would occur during the Summer in Ponyville, but it just so happened to be on the weather control calendar for the Pegasi. Twilight sat outside with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy as they ate outside of their favorite restaurant.
“And then, she glided all the way across the whole gorge! It was awesome! You two should have been there,” Rainbow insisted.
“I'm sorry, I was just so busy tending to the animals last weekend,” Fluttershy mumbled. “You seemed pretty busy too Twilight, what with all of your friendship lessons with Starlight?”
Twilight appeared to be looking off into the distance, and didn't seem to be paying attention to their conversation. She simply nodded as to confirm whatever she thought Fluttershy had said.
“Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked whilst tilting her head to the side in confusion.
“Oh! Um.. sorry. W-what were you saying?” Twilight responded with a grin.
“I was just wondering how busy you were with the friendship lessons.”
“Um.. yup, busy as usual!”
Twilight simply looked down at her half eaten sandwich. The other ponies looked back at her with concern.
“Um.. Is something bothering you? You have been acting mopey all day.” Rainbow asked.
“It's just..” Twilight let out a sigh. She didn't want to bring this up, but she might as well tell her friends the truth. “I just can't stop thinking about Chrysalis.”
“Why is that? You think she is plotting something?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow while looking side to side.
“No.. well.. I don't know. I just.. I can't get that image of her out of my head. When I saw her, she looked so.. lifeless. Like, I have never seen any pony that.. downtrodden before,” Twilight mumbled.
“I know what you mean,” Fluttershy replied. “She looked terrible. I wanted to speak to her, but the guards recommended that I not interact with any prisoners. And I guess I was also a bit too frightened.”
“Fluttershy, I understand you needed the money, but why would you pick this job of all things?” Twilight asked.
“Because I am the one who is best at it. Somepony has to make sure the animals feel safe and comfortable while their love is fed to Chrysalis. There were times when Chrysalis would threaten the animals, so I had to give her the 'stare' to keep her in check. She hasn't misbehaved in a while, but I still do it from time to time just to let her know not to mess with my animals. I don't like the job very much, and the prisoners can be mean, but somepony has to do it.”
“Well I can't say I'm not proud of you Fluttershy,” Twilight smiled.
Rainbow quickly tried to change the subject, not wanting to hear another word about Chrysalis. “So.. anypony wanna go with me to watch the Pegasus Hoofball Tournament at the University this Friday?”
“Ooh, that sounds like fun,” Fluttershy replied.
“I'd.. like to.. but I have a major project planned around that time,” Twilight stammered. Twilight never wanted to have to end up lying to her friends, but she needed to get to the bottom of this issue. She couldn't handle the fact that Chrysalis had to go through so much. She had made her decision. She must speak with her.
~~~
The hallways of the Canterlot Dungeon were just as gloomy and unnerving as usual. Only this time, Twilight was on her own. The prisoners berated her as she walked past. She almost could have sworn that one of them tried to throw something at her. She flinched as one of the guards started yelling at some of the prisoners, telling them to shut up. Twilight continued down to the stair case. She swallowed and continued down the cobbled stairs, her legs shaking a little.
Once the princess made her way to the hallway, she looked across to see the same metal door that filled her soul with dread. Twilight took a deep breath, and proceeded to approach the door. After walking through the long and arduous hallway, She looked up at the barred window of the cell door. Twilight stood up on her hind legs and looked through to see Chrysalis looking back at her. Her green eyes glowed faintly, not adding any significant light to the already pitch black room.
“You came back. Did.. you forget something?” Chrysalis asked in the same tired voice.
“I came to speak with you,” Twilight affirmed.
A look of surprise made its way onto the Changelings face. “You.. want to speak with me? About what?”
Twilight cleared her throat. “About your situation.”
Chrysalis lowered her head. “What good would that do? I have nowhere else to go.”
Twilight was taken aback by Chrysalis's statement. She knew this was going to be a long night. “Perhaps I can't convince anypony to set you free or even lower your sentence. But I've noticed how hard you are taking this, and I think that maybe, if you can cooperate, I can help you out a little.”
Chrysalis grunted. “Help? What help could I possibly need? I've grown accustomed to this living situation actually. It's a lot safer then being out there anyways. Anypony would strike rich if they managed to assassinate me. It's actually rather comfortable in here once you get used to it, except during the winter that is, but it's no big deal.”
Twilight wasn't convinced. She lit up her horn to see the interior of Chrysalis's cell. The inside of the cell was mostly empty, with blotches of dried paint on the walls that appeared to cover up some graffiti. Her eyes scanned the room to find a small bathroom with a shower on the left. She also found some strange dark-green marks on the ground in the right-hand corner of the cell. At closer inspection, they appeared to be the blood marks of a Changeling. She then looked at Chrysalis, observing her limbs. She saw blood and bruises around her knees and elbows. Her eyes appeared to be sunken in, and dark circles could be seen around her eyes. It was clear to Twilight that Chrysalis was not living comfortably at all.
“Do you.. sleep on the floor?”
“Well, yes. Where else is there to sleep? Once you are tired enough, you can sleep anywhere practically.”
“Well that most certainly doesn't seem very 'comfortable',” Twilight raised an eyebrow.
“What makes you think I deserve any better? After everything I've done, do you honestly think I deserve any help from anypony? Why do you concern yourself with me? There are so many innocent ponies out there struggling for whatever reason, and you come to help me?”
Twilight thought for a moment. She knew that Chrysalis was right, but she also knew that she desperately needed her help. She needed to finish what she had started.
“I don't play favorites. If I see somepony who is hurt, or struggling, then I am inclined to help them no matter what.”
“But.. why? Why would you want to help me?”
The princess lowered her head. “Because I can't stand seeing you like this. Just look at yourself!”
Chrysalis looked back at Twilight in surprise. She then looked down at her bruised legs, and all around the rest of her body. She then looked back at Twilight again with a puzzled look.
“You really do want to help me, don't you?”
“Yes, but first you need to earn it. I want you to cooperate with me and do everything I say.”
Chrysalis reluctantly looked to the side. She never thought she would see herself taking orders from the Princess of Friendship who helped foil her previous plans, but she swallowed her pride. “I will do anything you ask me to.”
“Good. We are off to a great start. Now, I want you to answer me this,” Twilight looked Chrysalis right in the eye as she spoke. “Why did you attack Canterlot?”
Chrysalis froze for a moment, but then regained her composure. She knew she had to tell Twilight everything. This was her only chance. “I attacked Canterlot because I wanted to rule Equestria. I know I claimed earlier that it was to feed my hive, but that was only half of the truth. I really, honestly wanted to enslave everypony and use them all as a food source for my hive.”
Twilight looked back at Chrysalis with a stern look. The former Changeling Queen simply looked back with a look of remorse.
“It's all true. Take it or leave it.”
“I believe you Chrysalis. Now my second question. Why did you try to attack Appleloosa?”
“For pretty much the same reason actually.”
Twilight frowned. “So, you hadn't learned your lesson even after failing to take over Canterlot?”
“I thought it would be easier. I wanted to set up base in Appleloosa so I could easily work my way up.. and then conquer Canterlot. I had a whole set of plans this time, but they were foiled by your spies. My hive left me after I was captured.”
“Okay, last question. Did you ever truly care for your hive?”
Chrysalis swallowed. She knew Twilight wasn't going to like this answer either.
“I only wanted them as my army. I never really cared about their well being as long as they provided me with the army and services I needed to conquer Equestria. I admit I had feelings of remorse from time to time, but I trained myself to push those feelings aside, as they were but a weakness to me.”
“I see..”
There was a long and awkward pause.
“So then, you admit that you were a tyrant?”
Chrysalis was shocked by Twilight's question. She became hesitant.
“I..”
Twilight glared at the changeling, awaiting her response.
“Yes.. I was a tyrant.”
“And?”
Chrysalis's voice began to crack. “And I was a terrible Queen, and I did nothing but create suffering and chaos. I hurt Celestia and nearly ruined a Royal Wedding.”
“..And?”
“And.. I neglected my hive and treated them like objects. I trapped you and Cadence beneath Canterlot. I attacked an innocent kingdom that did nothing to me or my hive. I deserve to be in here as long as I live.”
That was all it took. She broke down.
Chrysalis lied on the ground sobbing. Twilight looked down through the window to see tears streaming down her face. She was about to call out to her, but then simply decided to let her deal with her emotions.
Chrysalis began to cry hysterically. “I.. I have done so many horrible things. I hurt so many innocents. I let down everyone. My whole life has been nothing but a waste. I don't deserve any help. No pony will ever forget all of the horrible things I have done.”
Twilight was at a loss for words. She couldn't describe how astonished and proud she was to see what was once an evil despot, admit to all her faults like this. Nonetheless, seeing Chrysalis cry like this made Twilight feel terrible. She wanted to go in there and comfort her, but still didn't want to risk getting attacked, especially without another pony around to give her reassurance. Despite the Changeling's sincere display of repentance, she just couldn't bring herself to trust her entirely.
About half an hour had passed. Twilight never thought any pony could possibly cry this long. Chrysalis continued to sob until she finally calmed down. She sniffled a bit, and then looked up back at the window of the door to see Twilight still looking down at her with a look of concern.
“I.. I.. what can I do? I want to change Twilight. I'm sick and tired of being hated by everypony. What can I do to fix all of this?”
Twilight looked back at Chrysalis with a proud look on her face. “Well, you can start by apologizing.”
“Apologize? But what good would that do? That won't reverse everything I've done!”
“No, it won't make up for what you did, but it's a good start. Even if an apology doesn't do very much, you still owe everypony one anyways. An apology is the first step to showing others that you want to at least try to make things right. People may not forget the things you did, but they will at least remember that you tried to apologize.”
There was another awkward pause. Chrysalis wiped the last of her tears away, and looked up to Twilight.
“I'm sorry, for everything I have done.”
The violet Alicorn smiled. She was elated to hear Chrysalis finally apologizing. She honestly never thought this would happen so soon. “Good. Now, lets do something about those injuries of yours.”
Twilight looked over at a small box on the wall that appeared to have a red cross on it. She hadn't noticed it previously due to the hallways being too dark. She opened it to find some antiseptic and some gauze. “Perfect!” The princess chirped.
Twilight flew over to the cell and began applying the antiseptic to Chrysalis's injured joints with her magic. Chrysalis winced a little, and even felt the urge to hiss, but kept it bottled up inside her. Twilight wrapped the gauze around her joints, covering up the wounds. She wrapped it around a few extra times to allow the gauze to cushion her joints as not to agitate the injuries.
A genuine smile made its way onto Chrysalis's face. “Thank you, for everything. You have no idea how grateful I am.”
“Don't mention it. Now, if you want, I could visit you again tomorrow. It's up to you.”
“I.. would love that, very much! It does get pretty lonely down here. I'd be glad to have another pony that I can talk to.”
“Then it's settled. Tomorrow night, I will visit you again. Unfortunately, I have to leave back home to get some shuteye. I hope you have a good rest.”
“I understand. Thanks again Twilight.”
And with that, the Princess of Friendship left to go back to her castle. Chrysalis laid down on the floor in the corner as usual. For some reason, she just couldn't stop smiling. She hadn't felt this joyful in a long time. She was relieved to finally get all of that off of her chest, as well as having been helped out by another pony. This was her chance to truly turn over a new leaf.
We can't go back. What can we do? The hive is lost. All my brothers.. brainwashed. So many have been executed. We were lucky to have split off from the rest before the new Queen was elected ruler of the hive. We can hear their internal screams. We cannot save them. We are powerless against the darkness that has enshrouded them all.
This was no ordinary Queen. She was nothing like Chrysalis. We thought Chrysalis was bad, but.. this is far worse. This Queen has no empathy, no consciousness even. We don't even know 'what' it is. But whatever 'it' is, we cannot fight it. Well, at least we cannot fight without a leader.
We need our Queen back.
~~~
Twilight trotted around her library looking for some books on changelings. Since she had been interacting with Chrysalis, she figured she could do some more research on her kind. Just then, she was interrupted by Spike, who tapped her on the shoulder as she read.
“What is it Spike?” Twilight asked whilst looking over her shoulder.
“Um, I hope you don't mind me asking, but.. where have you been yesterday?” Spike asked.
Twilight gasped. She knew she had forgotten something. She had completely forgotten to tell Spike where she was going last night when she decided to speak with Chrysalis.
“I was.. just working on a project.. at.. um... Dr. Hooves place! Yes, I was helping him out on some.. equations, and stuff. Just boring math stuff you know.. heh,” Twilight grinned sheepishly.
“Oh, okay. Hope you had fun.”
“Yep, I had a great time! Well.. I gotta go to Cloudsdale to do some more flying practice. I will be back around 10:00.”
“Well alright, see ya!”
After Spike left the room to clean the other rooms of the castle, Twilight let out a sigh of relief. She snuck out of the castle and made her way to Canterlot. Spike walked down the corridors to find one of the guest room doors left open. He walked inside to clean the room, but the room seemed somewhat vacant. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was missing.
Twilight mirthfully trotted through the streets of Canterlot carrying a large rectangular object that was covered in a shroud with her magic. She hummed joyfully as she strutted her way up to the Castle. She made her way down the dungeon corridors again. She didn't seem to mind the other prisoners this time. She merely waltzed right past them without a care in the world. Once she made her way down the stair case, she walked towards Chrysalis's cell door with the strange object levitating behind her. She set it down, and peered into the cell.
Twilight tapped on the door a couple of times to get the Changeling's attention. Chrysalis's eyes lit up at the sight of her new acquaintance. “Twilight!” she chirped.
“Hey Chryssie!” Twilight smiled. “How are you feeling?”
Chrysalis chuckled a little from Twilight purposefully butchering her name. “A little better. I slept for a good 15 hours I think. Those bandages really helped.”
“Well I'm glad you are feeling better. But for now, we need to continue with your friendship lessons.”
Chrysalis tilted her head. “F-friendship lessons?”
“Of course! You are now officially one of my students, and I am going to help you get back on your hooves.”
Chrysalis blushed at the sentiment. She felt ecstatic. “That's great! So.. where do we start?”
“Okay, first, I want you to promise to apologize to Fluttershy for scaring her animals when she gets here on Monday. I will tell her that it is okay to talk to you.”
“Okay, duly noted.”
“Good, and I also want you to write an apology letter to Cadence and Shining Armor for attempting to ruin their wedding. I have provided you with some paper and a quill.”
“Um.. Twilight?”
“Yeah?”
“The seal?” Chrysalis said while pointing to her horn. “I never learned to write any other way I'm afraid.”
Twilight shook her head. “I'm sorry Chrysalis, but I still can't trust you enough to be allowed to use your magic. You still have a long way to go before I can give you that privilege.
Chrysalis lowered her head in shame. “Okay, I understand. Oh, how about I tell you what to write? You can write the letter for me.”
“That could work. Okay, do you want to start now?”
“Sure. Okay, here it goes,” Chrysalis took a deep breath as she prepared to come up with a good apology:
Dear Princess Cadence and Shining Armor,
I wish to offer a formal apology for attempting to ruin your royal wedding at Canterlot. It was wrong of me to take advantage of you both, and you have every right to be angry at me. However, I wish to make it up to you any way I can. As you probably know, I am currently residing in the Canterlot Dungeon. I have been taking friendship lessons from Twilight, and she has been teaching me everything I need to know about friendship. I was hoping you could come down and visit me and Twilight, and maybe we could all try to make amends. I'll understand if you don't want to visit, but please let me know if you want to come down here to visit me. I'll be waiting here in the dungeon with Twilight if you ever decide to come. I hope you both are doing well, and I wish you both a great Summer.
From Chrysalis
Twilight finished writing the letter, and rolled it up to send it to Cadence later via Spike.
“That was a great apology letter Chrysalis. I don't think you realize just how proud I am of you. You have shown so much improvement.”
“Thank you Twilight. I'm just trying my best,” Chrysalis blushed.
“Anyways, I have a little surprise for you,” Twilight winked.
Chrysalis tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face. Twilight used her teleportation magic to teleport the strange rectangular object into the Changeling's cell. The tan veil was left behind as it floated to the ground. In the right-hand corner of Chrysalis's room, there was a wooden bed with a large fluffy comforter on top. The comforter had a dark-green and dark-bluish plaid pattern with thin, light-greenish lines going through it. It had a plump white pillow tucked right at the end. The bed itself was rather quaint, but still looked very comfortable.
Chrysalis's eyes lit up. An overwhelming and immense wave of joy hit Chrysalis like a tidal wave. She was overcome with so many different emotions, she did not know what to think. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like crying, despite the fact that she wasn't upset about anything. A tear had started to make it's way down her face.
“It's... it's perfect..” Chrysalis choked.
“You like it?” Twilight asked with a grin.
“I.. I love it. T-thank you!”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Try it out!” Twilight insisted.
Chrysalis slowly walked over to the bed, dragging the ball and chain behind her as she struggled to get onto the bed. It felt so incredibly soft. Her body sunk into it almost as if the bed would swallow her whole. She lied her head down on the pillow. She felt weightless. It felt almost as if her sense of gravity had suddenly disappeared.
“It feels.. incredible. I can't explain it,” Chrysalis began to weep softly. “W-why am I crying?”
Twilight gave a heartfelt smile. “Because you are happy Chrysalis.”
“B-but.. that doesn't make any sense! W-what is happening to me?”
Twilight had finally made up her mind. She had built up her trust for Chrysalis as much as she could. Now, she felt like she was ready to do what she was too afraid to do last time.
Twilight teleported into the cell. She started to feel a little anxious, but she swallowed and began to approach the former Changeling Queen. Chrysalis looked back at Twilight in bewilderment, tears still streaming down her face.
Twilight wrapped her hooves around Chrysalis's neck. Chrysalis began to feel frightened, thinking that she was about to be choked, but it was unusual for a pony to get up this close just to choke someone. Twilight stood up from the bed, holding the Changeling in her arms. Chrysalis then realized what was going on. Then came the waterworks.
Chrysalis embraced the violet Alicorn, wrapping her hooves around her waist. Chrysalis rested her head against Twilight's neck as she sobbed. Twilight began stroking the Changeling's long silky hair with her hoof. She did everything she could to try and comfort her.
“It's okay Chrysalis. Just let it out. I'll be here for you.”
“N-nobody's ever given me a gift like this before.”
“Yeah well, you've earned it,” Twilight smiled.
The both of them stayed like this for a good 20 minutes. That was when the clock struck 9:00. Twilight wanted to stay a little longer, but she knew that she had to head back home before 10 like she promised.
“Chrysalis? I hate to have to leave so soon, but I have to go back home for now.”
“It's okay. I'm just glad you came to visit. I really needed the company.”
“I have decided to visit you every Saturday night to check up on you and continue our lessons. I will see you next Saturday okay?”
“Sounds great. I will await our next visit. Sleep well, Twilight.”
“Goodnight.”
Chrysalis got under the covers, and slowly began to fall into a deep slumber. Twilight teleported out of the cell, and looked back to see the Changeling sleeping soundly. She was astounded at how successful the night went. She was glad to have finally gained Chrysalis's trust. However, she had to tell the others what was going on. She couldn't keep this a secret forever. She had decided tomorrow to tell Celestia and the others about what was happening.
Twilight walked back and forth behind the door leading to Celestia's private chambers, thinking hard about what to say to Celestia regarding Chrysalis. Before she had a chance to knock, Celestia opened the door and flinched at the sight of Twilight appearing right in front of her.
“Twilight? What are you doing here so early? I only just got done raising the sun.”
“I need to talk to you.”
The two Alicorns sat and spoke for about 10 minutes. Twilight told her what had happened between her and Chrysalis. The conversation was mostly one-sided, with Celestia merely listening and nodding her head for Twilight to continue. Finally, The Princess of the Sun let down her teacup.
“I see.. so you think that she is reforming..”
“Absolutely!” Twilight grinned.
“Hmm.. Twilight, I'm sorry but this just doesn't sound right at all.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Twilight, Chrysalis is a Changeling. Her sole purpose is to act, to deceive, to manipulate. She is using you Twilight.”
“Huh? No! No, you don't understand, she was showing true signs of changing! Celestia, you have to believe me!”
“Twilight, listen to me. She is acting. Do you honestly think the Queen of the Changelings, the one that attacked Canterlot, would all of the sudden just turn good for no reason?”
Twilight was frozen in her seat. She didn't know how to respond to that. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. Her head began to droop.
“I'm afraid I can't do anything to help her. Just try to focus on your friendship lessons with Starlight from now on.”
Twilight looked down in anger. Deep down, she knew that Chrysalis was sincere. Celestia was wrong, and she knew it.
“She cried in my arms.” Twilight murmured, furrowing her brow.
Celestia gasped at Twilight's statement. “You were in there with her, by yourself?!”
“Yes Celestia. I know it sounds dangerous, but she had to earn my trust somehow. I trusted her enough so that I could get close to her and not be afraid. If I am able to trust Chrysalis that much, what does that say about her?”
Celestia lowered her head and sat deep in thought. There was a long pause. Finally, Celestia looked up to meet Twilight's worried gaze.
“Very well, it's decided. If she can keep up her good behavior for 2 months, I will reduce her sentence down to 20 years. However, you must not tell her this, or anyone else for that matter. I also want you to give me an update after every session.”
20 years still sounded like a very long time, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Twilight's face lit up.
“Thank you Celestia! I'll make sure that she behaves.”
“Good. I will look forward to your progress. Now.. there was something I was meaning to speak to you about as well.”
Twilight made a puzzled look. “What is it?”
“I've.. been having these strange nightmares recently. I cannot describe them very easily, but all I remember is feeling very cold, and being surrounded by this dark aura. I hear this strange chanting, and I can't remember what it was. And then after that, I wake up feeling very frightened. I know it's weird that I'm telling you this..”
“No no, it's okay,” Twilight stammered.
“Okay, well the strangest thing of all, is that not even Luna is able to see these dreams. She goes in and sees nothing but a black void. It's frightening, and I do not know what is causing it.”
“Could it be Nightmare Moon?”
“No.. this couldn't be her. I would sense if it was her. This is something.. very different.. and very familiar. I can't seem to remember..”
Twilight tilted her head a little, and put her hoof on Celestia to comfort her.
“That does sound strange, but I'm sure we will find out what it is. I still have a whole library to look through. Maybe I can find the answer.”
“Thank you Twilight, that was exactly what I wanted to ask you to do. If you can find an answer to this.. I would be eternally grateful.”
“You can count on me.”
“Good. Now I have a very important meeting that I have to attend to right now. I'm counting on you Twilight.”
“I won't let you down.”
Twilight then left off towards Ponyville. She now had to tell her friends about Chrysalis. She took a deep breath, and flew out the window to reach her friends at the Ponyville Park.
~~~
“She what?!” Yelled Rainbow Dash.
“Yes Rainbow, it's true. All of it,” Twilight affirmed.
“I can't believe this. I.. I feel so sorry for her,” Fluttershy lamented.
Rainbow Dash crossed her arms. “I can't believe this either. Is this your idea of a joke, because this isn't funny Twilight."
'Says the pony who scared Fluttershy by dressing up as some demonic entity and chased her through the woods,' Twilight thought to herself, letting out a smirk. “I'm telling the truth, this is serious!”
“Well then, I guess I have no choice but to believe you.. but what are we supposed to do?” Fluttershy asked.
“We? Nuh uh! I don't want anything to do with this!” Rainbow frowned.
Twilight lowered her head. “You don't have to help Rainbow. I understand you find it hard to trust Chrysalis, and I respect that. I was just hoping we could all go down and talk to her some day.”
“I'd be willing to talk with her.. if.. you are okay with that,” Fluttershy blushed.
“That's just what I wanted to hear,” Twilight smiled.
“Humph.. well.. I guess it wouldn't hurt to visit at least once. Maaaaybe in a month or so. I'll think on it,” Rainbow suggested.
“That's fine by me. Thank you everypony.”
And with that, Twilight left to go back to her friendship lessons with Starlight, and her research on Celestia's strange nightmares. It was going to be a long week.
~~~
It was Monday morning. Fluttershy always got up extra early on Mondays so that the majority of prisoners she would have to walk past would be sound asleep. She flew through the fog with a small gray rabbit riding on her back. After making her way through the corridors, she trotted over to Chrysalis's cell with the small rabbit quivering in fear behind her. Fluttershy tried to comfort the rabbit as she approached the door. She rapped at the door a couple of times to get Chrysalis's attention.
Chrysalis got up and looked through the small grate. Normally she would look through the window, but she figured this would scare Fluttershy less than having her towering over her.
“Good morning Fluttershy. How was your week?”
“Um... it... was...............good.” Fluttershy mumbled. She began to whinny a little in fear, as she normally would when talking to strangers alone by herself.
Chrysalis looked down in disappointment. This was going to be harder than she thought.
“Fluttershy.. I..”
“Yes?!” Fluttershy interrupted, looking scared out of her mind.
“I.. just want to say that I'm sorry.. for scaring your animals.. those other times.”
Fluttershy paused for a couple of seconds.
“You.. really...... mean it?” Fluttershy asked passively.
“Yes, I truly am sorry.” Chrysalis whispered in a soft voice.
Fluttershy eyed the changeling for a couple of moments, and then a smile suddenly appeared on her face.
“I forgive you.”
“Y-you what?”
“I forgive you Chrysalis. Twilight told me all about you. She told me you've changed.”
Chrysalis was overjoyed by this. For once, somepony had completely forgiven her for something she had done. Chrysalis was at a loss for words.
“Here..” Fluttershy motioned the rabbit up to the Changeling. The rabbit still looked a little scared, but Fluttershy gave it a few pets to let it know that it was safe. Chrysalis began to absorb some of the love from the rabbit. The rabbit began to feel a little dizzy at first, but began to feel better moments afterwards. Fluttershy helped the rabbit onto her back, and smiled back at Chrysalis.
“You know, you don't have to keep doing this. As long as Twilight is around, I will still have plenty of positive emotions to share,” The former Changeling Queen insisted.
“It's okay. You need all the help you can get, and I will be here for you Chrysalis.”
“T-thank you Fluttershy,” the changeling whispered.
“Don't mention it,” Fluttershy giggled.
The changeling then walked back over to her bed. She was a bit saddened by the fact that she would have to wait days until her next meeting with Twilight, but she knew the wait would be worth it.
~~~
The next Saturday, Twilight and Chrysalis met up with each other again. This time, Twilight had agreed to bring some books to read with her. She also brought back a letter with her from Cadence and Shining Armor. Twilight was surprised to see that Chrysalis's health had greatly improved. Her eyes no longer bore the dark circles, and her wounds have fully healed. Chrysalis and Twilight both read books together on the bed. Twilight's glowing horn helped them read, and lit up the whole room. They both laughed together, and Chrysalis got to learn more things about friendship that she never knew about.
Then it came time to open the letter. Chrysalis could barely withhold her excitement. Chrysalis opened the letter and began to read it aloud:
To Chrysalis,
We are sorry, but we cannot forgive you for what you did. We are still angry with you for having tried to ruin what was supposed to be a perfect wedding. You have to understand that what you did was practically unforgivable to us. We cannot come down to visit you. We have a baby to take care of, and much higher priorities at the moment. Please refrain from messaging us ever again.
From Princess Cadence, and Shining Armor
Chrysalis looked down in shame as a frown crossed her face. Twilight put her hoof on her shoulder.
“Well, you can't please everybody. It was still good of you to apologize Chryssie.” Twilight consoled.
“Yeah, it's okay. I honestly wasn't expecting them to just forgive me on the spot. I'd still be angry too if someone did the same to me.”
“Well, maybe they will forgive you some day, who knows? A lot of times people will say they will never forgive you, but they don't always mean it.”
“I guess only time will tell,” Chrysalis murmured.
Twilight began to rub Chrysalis's shoulder some more to help raise her spirits. Chrysalis looked back at her with a smug smile.
“You know, with all these positive vibes you are giving me, you are going to put Fluttershy out of business,” Chrysalis teased.
Twilight giggled. “That reminds me, I am going to have to drain your magic again at some point.”
“I understand.”
Twilight smiled back, and they continued to read together all the way until midnight.
“I can't believe you talked me into this..” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs.
“Me neither, but I suppose it would at least give me some satisfaction to see that bug tyrant beg for our forgiveness,” Applejack smirked.
“Applejack!” Twilight scolded.
“What? She can't hear us! And besides, I have every right to be angry after how she just casually threw away the food that me and my family worked so hard on,” Apple Jack frowned.
“Aw come on, we all have to learn to take a little criticism! Not everyone loves my cooking! And when they don't, well.. I only spend about 30 minutes in my room crying myself to sleep! It's not so bad...!” Pinkie pie grinned widely.
“You're not helping,” Applejack grumbled.
“Well if you ask me, I think that maybe she just didn't like it because she was a changeling,” Rarity added. “I mean, changelings don't eat food.. or even taste food... do they Twilight?”
Twilight groaned as she and the others walked down the spiral staircase down to reach Chrysalis's cell.
“Well, here we are. Um...” Twilight tilted her head as everyone except Rainbow were cowering in fear at the dark hallway.
“Oh come on! I promise you, she can't hurt any of us!” Twilight stomped her hoof. “Now look. I know this will be hard, but try not to be nasty towards her. I want you all to try to treat her with some respect.”
Apple Jack swallowed. “Well, alright.. but that doesn't mean that were just gonna be treatin' her like she invited us to a slumber party.”
Her friends walked up to the door, and Twilight knocked a couple of times to get Chrysalis's attention. However, there was no response. Twilight knocked even louder, and Chrysalis lunged at the door, hissing and snarling. All of the ponies cowered in fear at the sight. Chrysalis suddenly realized what had just happened, and looked down at the ponies with a worried look on her face. She covered her mouth with her hooves.
“Oh.. my gosh.. I am so sorry! I.. I didn't mean to! I was asleep, a-and I was having a nightmare. Please! D-Don't go!” Chrysalis begged.
Twilight looked confused for a second, but then it sunk in and she looked back at her friends. “It's okay everypony. She just woke up from a nightmare.”
“She IS a night.. mph!” Rarity shrieked before being silenced by Twilight's hoof.
“What Rarity meant to say was, she understands and she forgives you for that!” Twilight smiled sheepishly.
The other ponies finally began to calm down, although they still showed signs of uneasiness.
“Y-you must be the other elements of Harmony,” Chrysalis tilted her head.
“Youuuu betcha!” Pinkie pie cheered.
Chrysalis was surprised to see the other elements of harmony right before her. She knew what she had to do.
“Look.. um.. I'm.. sorry about what happened.. earlier..” Chrysalis blushed. She wasn't quite as confident apologizing to the other ponies. “I'm hoping that there's still a chance for me to make things up to you.. somehow.”
Rainbow dash looked at Chrysalis with a quizzical look. “Welllll.. what can you do exactly? It doesn't look like you can do much behind bars, let alone with that ball and chain.”
Chrysalis's head drooped. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
“Yeah, I'm afraid she's right darling. We can't just risk giving you the freedom to do as you please, even if it's just to make things up to us,” Rarity inquired.
“Maybe if ya hadn't done all those terrible things, you wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place, now would ya?” Applejack scolded.
Chrysalis couldn't take any more of it. The guilt was enough to crush her chitin into a million pieces. “I get it! I screwed up! I shouldn't have done what I did! I wish I was able to help you and make things right.. I really do!” Chrysalis fought to hold back her tears.
Twilight bore a sad look on her face. She knew there wasn't much else to be done. Fluttershy might have been easy to convince, but the other elements of harmony were far more skeptical. She didn't know what to do. All hope seemed lost.
“Ooh! I know! I know!” Pinkie Pie erratically bounced up and down with excitement. “How about we all play a game?”
Rarity gasped. “You can't be serious! You want us to play a game.. with.. her!?”
Twilight thought for a moment, and realized just what Pinkie Pie was suggesting. Perhaps, a game or two might actually help the other ponies get to know Chrysalis more, and might help rid them of their animosity towards her.
“That's a great idea Pinkie!” Twilight smiled.
Pinkie's face beamed. “Fantastic! I've got all sorts of games! Card games.. party games.. board games.. party games.. video games.. ooh, and did I mention..”
“Yes, party games,” Rarity interrupted, putting a hoof up to her mouth to silence her.
“That's right!” Pinkie Pie nodded.
“Is she always like this?,” Chrysalis thought to herself.
~~~
After gathering up all her games, Pinkie Pie and the others were teleported into Chrysalis's chamber. Chrysalis was happy to have more guests, although the guests did appear rather anxious. Chrysalis tried to keep her composure as not to spoil the mood and make things worse. She loved games, especially card games. However, she didn't like losing. Anytime she lost a game against one of her subjects, she would throw them in the dungeon.
However, she had to prepare herself for the chance of losing. Then again, she wasn't too worried considering she had already lost so much to begin with. Pinkie Pie set up a game of Equestrian Settlers for all of them to play. It was a team based strategy game where ponies create their own kingdoms and battle against each other.
“Okay, Chrysalis, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack will be on one team, and I will be with Twilight and Rarity!” Pinkie pie smiled.
“Alright, then it's settled. Heh.. no pun intended,” Chrysalis chuckled.
Some of the other ponies were surprised to see that Chrysalis actually had a sense of humor. Twilight could already see that this was working. The ponies continued to play as they scavenged for resources. Already they both had finished building up their kingdoms. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a bit of conflict on Chrysalis's team.
“Come on Chrysalis, why'd you have to hoard those magic gems? I could have used those to build up the air defenses!” Rainbow Dash frowned.
“Well, how am I supposed to survive if I cannot raise my chambers defenses on the top floor?” Chrysalis retorted.
Twilight examined Chrysalis closely. She was already starting to worry that something bad might happen, but she made sure to keep a good poker face as not to ruin the 'controlled experiment'.
“This game isn't just about you, we are a team! If we don't protect the air defenses, half our village will be wiped out by their dragon!”
But it was too late. Already, Pinkie Pie sent her party dragon to rain hell from above, turning the mushroom village into a wasteland of death and lost hopes.
“We told you..” Applejack frowned. “You shouldn't have been so greedy!”
“Look, we can do this! I just need.. well.. umm..” Chrysalis didn't know what to do. She had no more move sets left. She had already used most of the gold to protect her throne room. Luckily, the other two players weren't killed.
“Well, it's your go Chrysalis. You can either pick a card, or pass,” Rarity inquired.
“What's the point? We've already lost,” Rainbow dash pouted.
Chrysalis swallowed, and proceeded to pick out a card from the deck. To her surprise, it was one of the super rare attack cards. It allowed her to destroy half the enemy team's kingdom, but with the sacrifice of one character from the party, and half of the teams gold and magic gems. She didn't want to end up having to do this. She hated losing, even if her own team won. However, she didn't want to let down her teammates. She reluctantly used the card, sacrificing herself, and Pinkie Pie's dragon and half the other team's kingdom was no more.
“Whoa, incredible! Way to go Chryssie!” Applejack cheered.
“Aww! My party dragon! Oh well.. goodnight, sweet prince,” Pinkie Pie lamented.
“Well, I have to say, I'm impressed. Good move Chrysalis, good move,” Rainbow Dash complemented.
“Heh, thanks,” Chrysalis blushed. “This game really is fun!”
“I know right? It's the best game ever!” Pinkie Pie cheered.
“T-thanks Pinkie..”
“You're welcome. Anytime!”
Twilight was happy to see everyone getting along. It seems like Pinkie Pie's plan was working after all.
“Anypony hungry? I brought some apple chips!” Applejack offered.
“Great, I'm starved!” Rainbow Dash replied.
Applejack handed out bags of apple chips to everypony in the room, everypony except Chrysalis.
“Umm.. hey.. Applejack.. um.. is it okay if I try some of those chips, if you don't mind me asking, that is?” Chrysalis sheepishly asked, worried that she might be asking for too much after everything she did.
“Well I don't know.. I thought you didn't 'love love looove' my apple based products,” Applejack frowned.
“Oh here we go..,” Rarity thought to herself, while rolling her eyes.
“What do you mean? I.. oh.” Chrysalis realized exactly what event she was referring to. “Umm.. yeah.. about that.. Ugh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so rude. I know you worked hard to produce all that food and.. I apologize. Can you forgive me?”
“Wellll...” Applejack rubbed her chin. A smile crossed her face. “Okay.”
“T-thanks!” Chrysalis was elated.
Applejack handed her some chips, and she gave them a try.
“Hmmm, they're good! I love them!” Chrysalis smiled.
Applejack was happy to see that Chrysalis genuinely liked her food. In a way, she began to feel that Chrysalis really was changing somewhat. As the other ponies continued chatting with her, they too began to notice this. After a long break, they all continued to play all of the different games together until nightfall. Chrysalis hadn't had this much fun in such a long time. She never had a chance to actually play with people who actually seemed like they wanted to spend time with her. This made her feel a warmth she had never experienced in her lifetime. It was something she was sure she would always remember.
However, the night had already come, and the elements of harmony were ready to take their leave.
“Well, it has been a pleasure spending time with you Chrysalis. I'm glad we actually got to have a chance to get to know you better.” Rarity smiled.
“Same here! You were so much fun to play with!” Pinkie Pie cheered.
“You know, I guess you aren't so bad after all Chrysalis.. I mean.. you really seem kinda.. cool.” Rainbow complemented.
“Cool?” Chrysalis tilted her head. She began to chuckle a little. “T-thanks Rainbow.”
“Don't mention it.”
“I'm gonna be blunt. I still don't entirely trust you.. but you still showed a lot of promise today. I'm just hoping you really are set out to change your ways.” Applejack admitted.
“I promise you. I will not let you or anypony else down. I'm just glad we had a chance to have a good time together,” Chrysalis smiled.
And with that, the other ponies made their goodbyes. Chrysalis rested on her bed. For the first time in years, she could barely sleep.
The nights become more weary each passing day. I am afraid to sleep. The darkness, and the archaic chanting that haunts my dreams every night.. I cannot bear it. It only gets worse as the days go by. Twilight couldn't find anything on my affliction. I can't remember.. I need to remember..
Now here I am once again. The darkness is very real. The chanting only gets louder and louder. Now, I am just barely able to make out the words.
Al....
Am.....
Al....
Am.......
I fly out to find the sources of the chants, but they appear to come from every direction. I feel trapped. I cannot escape. The farther I fly, the louder it gets.
Al...
Amu....
Ali.....n
Amu.......
No.. it can't be.. The memories.. they are coming back..
Alico..
Amul...t
..
No.. The Alicorn Amulet.. It's power has been released! I must warn Twilight!
~~~
About a month and a half had passed since Twilight's first visit with Chrysalis. Many of Twilight's friends also came to see her. Even Rainbow Dash had managed to warm up to her eventually. Twilight was very excited since her sentence reduction was only 2 weeks away. Celestia was astonished by the positive feedback on Chrysalis, however her dreams made her weary.
Twilight was disappointed at how she couldn't find any information on the nightmares that plagued Princess Celestia. She wanted to help in any way she could, but there was nothing she could do.
Meanwhile, Chrysalis laid on her bed reading some of the books Twilight left for her while she munched on an apple she received from Applejack. All of the sudden, she heard hoofsteps approaching her cell. Usually her friends only visited her on Saturdays. This was unusual.
The two ponies knocked on her cell door loudly. Chrysalis got startled and jumped off her bed to look out the window. Two guards were eyeing her and one of them lit up their horn. Before Chrysalis could say anything, the door to her cell was opened. The ball and chain was taken off, and the seal on her horn was deactivated. Chrysalis simply stood there in shock.
“W-what's going on?” Chrysalis asked in bewilderment.
“You are free Chrysalis. The Princess has lifted your sentence,” one of the guards affirmed.
Chrysalis froze. She could not even fathom what she had just heard. She was being freed. However, she couldn't believe this for a second. She bit her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but this was all real.
“Just like that? I am free to go?”
“Yes. Now follow us. Oh, and you might want to disguise yourself as one of us. We don't want to put you at risk.”
Chrysalis obliged, and used the last of her magic that was left after being drained again from Twilight. She transformed herself into WhiteHoof, one of the generals. The two guards guided Chrysalis through the hallway. Chrysalis couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. She hadn't been out of her cell for a long time, and she wasn't used to being anywhere else. She bit her lip, and continued walking. The new-found sense of freedom helped calm her nerves and built up her confidence.
All of the sudden, the guards opened the door to the left of the staircase. This lead to a large room filled with wooden crates. It looked to be some sort of storage room for supplies for the prisoners. Chrysalis began to feel anxious. Something wasn't right. She didn't know why she was being brought in here. She looked around, and began to see other guards appearing from behind the crates. Chrysalis broke out a sweat. She didn't know what was going on, but it didn't look good.
“What is happening, why am I here?”
The guards all stared at her with stern looks on their faces, and then they all burst into a bright blue light. A familiar sound echoed throughout the whole room. Chrysalis shut her eyes and winced at the blinding light. She slowly opened them again to see a whole swarm of Changelings before her. She wanted to open her mouth to let out a scream, but she couldn't let it out.
“W-what? What is this? What are you all doing here? Where have you been?” Chrysalis stammered.
“We came to rescue you. You are our queen, and we want you back,” One of the changelings asserted.
“N-no. This is wrong. I need to go back into my cell. I'm going to get in deep trouble! I'm sorry, but I can't.”
“But we need you! Our hive is in grave danger!” Another changeling hissed.
“Y-you need.. me? Why? What danger? What's going on?”
“There is a horde of possessed changelings coming this way to attack us and Canterlot. They have a new queen. We do not know her origins, but she is ruthless. We were lucky enough to have branched off before that evil queen possessed all of us.”
“But.. why would you want me? I was a tyrant, and a despot. I used you all. You wouldn't want me as your queen,” Chrysalis's head drooped.
The other changelings looked to each other in confusion, not knowing what to say. Eventually, one of them spoke up.
“Perhaps you can make it up to us then. We need you to lead us Chrysalis. Without our queen, we are nothing. We beg of you.”
“But what can I do? I am powerless. All my magic has been drained. I can't do anything!”
“You can be here for us. You can lead us. That is all that we ask.”
Chrysalis looked back at the other Changelings. She saw the solemn looks in their eyes. This was too much for her. She knew they needed her help. She had to help them.
“Very well. I will return to my rightful place as Queen of the Changelings. I will put a stop to this new queen and help save the hive.”
All the changeling's faces lit up. They surrounded their queen in a group hug. Chrysalis smiled happily. She finally had her hive back. She was a Queen again. But now was not the time to get emotional. She had to warn Celestia about the coming attack.
~~~
“The Alicorn Amulet? I thought it was hidden somewhere safe!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Unfortunately, it wasn't hidden well enough. Another pony seemed to have gotten their hooves on it. And whoever did, somehow managed to release it's curse into the open,” Celestia murmured.
“So.. why was it haunting your dreams?”
Celestia lowered her head in shame. “Twilight, I created the Alicorn Amulet.”
“You what?!”
“It was during my research on Alicorn magic. Before I became an Alicorn, I wanted to create my own enchantment to give myself Alicorn powers. However, the experiment backfired, and a large explosion occurred causing me to lose my memory. I found the amulet in my house, and thought someone had left it there. I sold it to a jeweler, and that was the last I heard of it,” Celestia lamented. “I only just got my memory back. I fear that whatever dark powers I once harnessed had been released and had taken a sentient form. I can sense it heading towards our kingdom.”
“What can we do?”
“I don't know. If the powers have been released, then they most likely can only be counteracted with stronger spells. I would suggest that..”
Before Celestia could finish, Chrysalis, who was currently disguised as WhiteHoof, burst into the door, along with other disguised changelings trailing behind her.
“Celestia! Changelings have been spotted flying towards the kingdom!”
“What?!” Celestia and Twilight yelled.
“Look out the window!”
Both of the Alicorns looked out to see a horde of changelings flying towards them. They noticed a strange black cloud following behind them as well.
“There it is.. that is the Specter that embodied the Alicorn Amulet,” Celestia murmured in fear.
Twilight gasped in shock. Celestia opened the window and shouted commands to the guards below.
“Put up the shield!” She bellowed towards Twilight.
Twilight used a grand portion of her power to put up a round shaped shield to cover the whole kingdom.
'This all seems vaguely familiar,' thought Chrysalis as she smirked.
Celestia turned over to WhiteHoof.
“WhiteHoof, I want you to.. hey... wait a second,” Celestia eyeballed WhiteHoof closely. Chrysalis had begun to break a sweat. “Didn't I send you to work at the northern outpost? What are you doing here?”
Chrysalis's mind raced for an excuse, but she failed to come up with one.
“I... um..... I.....” Chrysalis's voice shook.
Celestia's eyes began to squint, as she began to make a scowl. Chrysalis ground her teeth. She was done for.
Then suddenly, a loud shattering noise could be heard outside. Celestia turned around to see that the shield had been broken to pieces.
“That's not possible! The shield was supposed to be way more powerful than the last one!” Hollered Twilight.
“Guards, go out there and fight those bastards!” Chrysalis ordered.
The disguised changelings flew off and helped aid in the battle. Twilight looked down to see her friends fighting the Changelings. Only this time, they seemed to be struggling. These were no ordinary Changelings. Their eyes appeared to glow red, as well as their horns. They seemed to be twice as powerful than the last Changelings they fought.
Things were looking grim. The Changelings easily mowed through all of the guards, and made their way to the top of the castle. The dark cloud seeped its way through the windows, and made it into the private chambers where the Alicorns resided. The Alicorns both stood in shock as the dark cloud slowly slithered between the cracks in the door. Chrysalis could only cower in fear from the sight. The cloud then began to take form. It molded itself into the shape of Celestia, only it had glowing red eyes, and almost it's entire body appeared to be engulfed in pitch black flames. It's wings bore the same red and black patterns on the amulet itself.
“Why are you attacking us? What do you want from us?” Twilight yelled desperately.
“Twilight, the specter is pure darkness. There is no use reasoning with it,” Celestia murmured.
The specter let out a loud shriek, and then flew towards the Alicorns with blinding speed. Twilight dodged, and tried to fire a laser at the ghost-like entity. The laser merely reflected off of it. The specter cackled, and shot magic missiles at both Alicorns. Twilight wasn't fast enough, and got hit by one of them. Luckily, it didn't do too much damage. Twilight got up on her hooves, and both Alicorns shot a powerful laser at the specter will all their magic combined. The laser shot right through the specter. The specter appeared to howl in defeat.
Chrysalis made a small cheer under her breath. However, the specter began to replenish itself. The hole that cut through the specter simply healed itself. Twilight and Celestia both took a few steps back, as looks of worry made its way onto their faces. The specter fired a homing shot at both the Alicorns. They couldn't dodge. They both got blasted by the shots and fell sideways onto the floor. Both Alicorns struggled to get up, but couldn't. The specter then proceeded to shock both Alicorns with its magic. They both began to writhe in pain. They began to call out for help.
Chrysalis couldn't bear to watch this. Part of her wanted to just escape. She could flee this castle and live on her own with her own hive in the wilds. She would be safe. However, she remembered all the times Twilight helped her get back on her hooves. She remembered the bed Twilight got her, and how much it made her happy. She could never leave her friends behind. She couldn't live it down. That was when she made her decision.
Chrysalis unveiled her disguise, and walked up towards the specter. Celestia and Twilight both looked up in shock to see the Changeling Queen standing in front of them. This was it. This was her chance to make everything right, once and for all.
Chrysalis stood right in front of the scowling specter. She prepared herself in a battle pose, and glared directly at her foe.
“Leave.. them.. alone,” She warned.
Chrysalis cocked her head forwards, and prepared to shoot a beam directly at the specter. Chrysalis clenched her teeth, and tried to build up her magic to fire a shot. However, only a few green sparks flew out in all directions. The attack had failed. Chrysalis looked up at her horn in shock as a worried look made its way onto her face. The specter had began to laugh maniacally at Chrysalis's failure. Both Alicorns cringed. Twilight put a hoof over her face.
All of Twilight's friends were dragged into the room whilst being chained up by the possessed changelings. The rest of the mane 6 looked in shock to see Chrysalis fighting against the specter. Chrysalis looked back at them and met their gaze.
“Chrysalis, look out!” Rainbow yelled.
The specter had begun shooting small magic projectiles at Chrysalis. She immediately began dodging them. They seemed somewhat easy to dodge. It almost seemed as though the specter wasn't even trying.
“Chrysalis, use your magic!” Rarity shrieked.
“I.. I can't! I don't have anymore left in me!” Chrysalis yelled back at Rarity.
The specter then began shooting magic rings at the Changeling Queen. The rings zapped her whenever she managed to fail to fly through one. The zaps did very little damage. This seemed like a very strange attack for such a powerful being to use. A couple of other odd attacks later, and Chrysalis finally caught on to what it was doing. It was toying with her. This made Chrysalis furious.
“Alright, enough games!” Chrysalis raged.
Chrysalis charged towards the specter with her horn pointed directly towards it. She tried to ram into it, but the specter merely teleported to a different location before she could land a hit. She looked behind herself to see the specter cackling back at her. Chrysalis let out an agitated groan, and flew towards the specter again to try to swipe at it. Once again, the specter teleported behind her, but this time it was up close. The specter bashed it's elbow into the Changeling's back, sending her down to the floor. Chrysalis landed with a thud, and looked up to see the specter charging down towards her. Chrysalis tried to roll out of the way, but she was too slow. The specter slammed into her, causing some of her chitin to crack.
Chrysalis howled in pain as she desperately tried to get up. All of the ponies gasped.
“No! Chrysalis!” Fluttershy yelped.
Chrysalis struggled to get back on her hooves, and she collapsed onto the ground. The specter picked her up by the neck with it's magic, and began to choke her. All the ponies could only watch in horror as the specter choked the life out of the Changeling Queen. Chrysalis gagged, letting out winces of pain. Small amounts of blood began to seep through the cracks in her broken carapace. Chrysalis's vision had begun to slowly fade. Her eyes rolled back, and then she was tossed on the ground right in front of Celestia and Twilight. Chrysalis had lost.
“You monster!” Rainbow yelled, struggling to escape from the chains.
The specter turned around, and begun to torture the ponies with bolts of red electricity.
Twilight and Celestia both looked back at Chrysalis, who laid on the ground in front of them, motionless.
Celestia struggled to speak, “T-this is.. all my fault. I.. I deserved.. this.”
“No.. don't.. say that. That was.. thousands.. of years.. ago. You.. didn't.. know any.. better,” Twilight stammered.
Celestia began to tear up as she began to wallow in self pity. Twilight couldn't bear the sight. But just then, she looked over to see Chrysalis moving. Chrysalis let out a few coughs, and slowly opened her eyes.
“Chrysalis.. you're alive..” Twilight murmured.
“Yes.. but.. we've lost,” Chrysalis said in a ghastly voice. She then looked over at Celestia, and met her gaze. “Celestia.. I'm sorry.”
“Chrysalis..” Celestia was astonished to finally hear Chrysalis utter those words. After she tried to defend the kingdom, she had proven her loyalty, even if it seemed to be all in vain. Celestia could only stare back at her with a look of sorrow.
“We may.. have lost.. but you are still.. my friend Chrysalis. You.. will always be.. my friend.” Twilight smiled.
Chrysalis could only begin to tear up in response to what Twilight had just told her. She began to feel a warm glow in her chest. It was that same glow she got from every moment she spent with her, and the rest of her friends. It was what gave Chrysalis her purpose, and her reason to keep on fighting, no matter what stood in her way.
Twilight slowly struggled to move her hoof towards the battered Changeling. Chrysalis lifted her hoof in response, and they both proceeded to grasp each others hooves. Twilight gave a warm smile which helped lift the Changeling's spirits even more.
Rainbow Dash called out to Chrysalis. “Please... don't give.. up on us! We are.. your... friends! We.. believe in.. you!”
Applejack began to join in. “We need you.. Chrysalis!”
“Gooo Chryssie!” Pinkie pie cheered.
“You can do this!” Rarity yelled.
Chrysalis closed her eyes tightly. She had become overwhelmed by the various strong emotions she received from her friends. The warmth in her chest grew more and more intense. All of the sudden, her eyes shot open. She felt the pain in her whole body start to fade away. Her carapace had slowly begun to heal itself. She began to feel invigorated, and felt the urge to try to stand back up again. The specter turned around in shock. Chrysalis had already gotten back on her hooves, and was overflowing with a massive amount of energy. Twilight and the others gasped, as they saw the Changeling Queen give off a strong green aura.
The specter looked towards Chrysalis with its mouth wide open. Chrysalis had begun to levitate, even without using her wings. Her horn glowed a strong green light that emanated so brightly it could be seen from the Crystal Empire. Chrysalis let out a large flurry of homing attacks onto the unsuspecting specter. The shots had begun to barrage the specter from all sides. The specter let out a desperate howl, as it was torn to pieces by the overwhelming attack. Chrysalis then gave the finishing blow. She rammed her horn into the specters chest, and the specter exploded into a flurry of black particles that flew in all directions.
Chrysalis stood on all fours, and opened her eyes to see that the specter had indeed been defeated. She then began to feel weak, and slowly fell back onto the floor. The ponies were all speechless. The Changelings all began to regain their self control. Their eyes changed back to their signature blue color, and they all flew over to their queen. Chrysalis could feel herself begin to lose consciousness. Her power was completely used up, and it left her with no energy left. Her vision began to fade, and then she blacked out.
~~~
Chrysalis slowly opened her eyes to find a large golden chandelier hanging over her. She felt like her head was pounding, and felt somewhat dizzy. She looked around the room to find that she was still in the castle. She appeared to be in one of the guest rooms. She got up out of the bed and slowly made her way to the door. She opened the ornate looking door to find a large hallway before her with a balcony at the end. She walked over to the balcony and looked out to see the whole of Equestria right before her eyes. The wind blew against her mane, making it flow in a fashion similar to Celestia's.
Chrysalis took a deep breath and let it out as she marveled at the beauty that was before her. She couldn't believe that she had saved this whole world from destruction. She then remembered her friends, and began to wonder where they were at. Then all of the sudden, she looked to her side to see Celestia standing right beside her. This surprised Chrysalis. She looked back at Celestia in shock. Celestia let out a small chuckle in response.
“It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?” Celestia smiled.
“Yeah.. I mean.. it's incredible. You can see everything from here.” Chrysalis responded.
“Just one of the perks of being Princess of the Sun.” Celestia smirked.
Chrysalis lowered her head.
“I just can't believe I tried to take over all of this, just to keep it all for myself..”
Celestia put a wing over Chrysalis. Chrysalis looked over towards Celestia with a confused look.
“I forgive you Chrysalis.”
Chrysalis stood in shock. “You.. you do?”
“Of course. You saved our kingdom. If it weren't for you, all of this would be gone. You are a hero Chrysalis.”
A smile had crossed Chrysalis's face. Celestia smiled back, giving a proud look.
“You have my blessing, and I'm sure the rest of Equestria will forgive you as well. You have proven your loyalty, and have attempted to sacrifice yourself to save us all. Your sentence is lifted. You are free to go wherever you like.”
A tear had begun to make its way down Chrysalis's cheek. “You know, the funny thing is, I really don't feel like leaving,” Chrysalis then looked out towards the sky. “But I still have a hive to take care of. I am still a Queen after all.”
“I understand. We all have our responsibilities. You could still visit from time to time though.”
“I would love to. I'd still have a lot of work to do first though. Rebuilding the hive will prove to be a long and arduous task.”
“Well, until then, perhaps I could invite you as a prime guest of honor at the Grand Galloping Gala. I'm sure Princess Cadence and Shining Armor will be there as well. Perhaps you could make amends with them when the time comes.”
Chrysalis's face lit up. “Really? You mean it?”
“Of course. I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of the opportunity,” Celestia winked.
“Thank you Celestia.”
Celestia smiled back, and pointed her hoof towards Ponyville. “Oh, I almost forgot, Twilight and the others are waiting for you. You wouldn't want to leave your friends hanging.”
“Of course not,” Chrysalis smirked.
Chrysalis opened up her wings and stood at the edge of the balcony. She looked back at Celestia one last time, cracking a smile. “Thanks for everything.”
Celestia nodded, and then Chrysalis flew out into the distance. Celestia watched as she saw the Changeling Queen slowly disappear through the clouds. Chrysalis felt the wind flowing against her whole body. This is what it felt like to be free. This was what she wanted more than anything. This time, she no longer bore the guilt that would weigh her down. She had found true happiness, and she felt complete. She had a chance to create a future for herself and her hive.
The Kingdom of Canterlot had been lit up like a Christmas tree. Many ponies from all across Equestria came to gather for the Grand Galloping Gala. Even Discord and many other creatures came to visit, including multiple Changelings and Griffons. Chrysalis stood in the dressing room with Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony. She was wearing a dark turquoise dress that Rarity made for her as a gift for the occasion.
“Oh Chrysalis, you look simply marvelous in that dress!” Rarity declared, staring at the Changeling Queen with pupils the size of tennis balls.
“Thank you Rarity. I don't know what I'd do without you,” Chrysalis blushed. "I sure hope people won't mind having the Changeling Queen being a guest at their most important event of the year."
“I'm sure all the other ponies will welcome you with open arms darling!”
“I sure hope so.” Chrysalis looked to the side.
“You hope so? After you've just saved Equestria from that creepy ghost thing, what makes you think that there would be any possibility that ponies would still hate you?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“I don't know.. it's just that.. ponies might believe that I was simply acting in self defense. After all, that specter was attacking everyone, including me and my hive. Celestia may have told them the truth, but they still won't forget all the horrible things I did in the past.”
Applejack looked over at Chrysalis with a positive look on her face. “Well, maybe they won't forget, but we will be here to vouch for you Chrysalis,” Applejack suggested, whilst putting her hoof on Chrysalis's shoulder.
“Thank you.. thank you all,” Chrysalis smiled.
All the other ponies smiled back. Just then, a stallion stuck his head through the door, motioning Chrysalis and the mane six to come out on stage.
“That's our Cue. Lets go everypony!” Twilight cheered.
All seven of them walked onto the stage right next to Celestia and Luna. Chrysalis looked out towards the crowd. Many of them looked happy and excited, but some of them bore looks of worry. Some of them whispered to each other, and others gave a contemptuous scowl. Cadence and Shining armor also walked onto the stage, standing to the left of Chrysalis. Chrysalis looked over to them with a nervous look. They both looked back at her and gave a somewhat sheepish grin. Before Chrysalis could say anything to them, Celestia took a few steps forwards and began her speech.
“Citizens of Equestria. I wish to present to you our new guest of honor, Queen Chrysalis,” Celestia projected.
Almost all of the audience members cheered, some of them throwing their hats off into the air. Chrysalis was happy to see that most people were happy to see her, although she could hear a couple boo's and hisses from a few people in the crowd.
“Chrysalis saved our Kingdom, and has proven herself loyal to us all. She may have had a bit of a history, but she devoted herself to turning over a new leaf, and had earned my trust. I know that a lot of you haven't forgotten the attacks she issued on our kind. However, today is a time to celebrate the good she has done to make up for it. I hope that you are all willing to give her a chance, as did I for my sister Luna..”
Celestia looked out to the side of the crowd to see Discord pointing to himself with a wide grin on his face.
“..and Discord.”
Discord crossed his arms and smiled, winking at the rest of the crowd.
Celestia spread out her wings and smiled. “Now, let the celebration commence!”
Everyone cheered and began to dance to the music DJ Pon3 and Octavia began playing. Chrysalis stood at the side, watching everyone have fun. She had a lot of ponies ask for her autograph, and had answered a lot of questions. However, it wasn't long until Cadence and Shining Armor began to approach her. Chrysalis gave a surprised look, as her heart sank.
“Hello Chrysalis, can we talk to you for a second?” Cadence asked with a solemn look on her face.
“Sure, w-what is it?” Chrysalis replied.
“I.. me and Shining Armor just want to say that.. we are sorry for how harsh our letter was. I want you to know that we both forgive you for what you did. We misjudged you, and we should have given you another chance when we heard you were taking friendship lessons from Twilight,” Cadence's head drooped.
“We hope you still aren't upset because of what we wrote,” Shining armor added.
Chrysalis cracked a smile. She was glad that they both had finally forgiven her. Twilight was right all along.
“It's okay. I kinda still deserved it.” Chrysalis smirked, “I hope that from now on we can consider ourselves allies.”
“I would like that more than anything,” Cadence replied.
Cadence walked up to hug Chrysalis. Chrysalis was overjoyed by this. Despite all that she had done to her, she had finally been forgiven.
“We're happy for you Chrysalis for turning your life around,” Shining Armor smiled.
“We're all happy for you,” Said a voice behind Chrysalis.
Chrysalis turned around to see the mane six standing behind her, with Twilight in the front.
“Just look at how far you have come. All you had to do was give friendship a chance,” Twilight winked.
Chrysalis chuckled. “I'm just glad I had been given that chance.”
The ponies all gathered around and gave Chrysalis a group hug.
“To Chrysalis, the hero who saved Canterlot!” Yelled Luna.
“To Chrysalis!” The crowd replied, banging their mugs of cider together.
Chrysalis and the others continued to enjoy their night at the Grand Galloping Gala. Celestia had to admit that this was the best one yet. Nobody could have asked for anything more.
