Months after becoming Solar Eclipse, the wills of the princesses are beginning to falter, will they ever be able to separate, or will Daybreaker reign supreme from within them?
Daybreaker has finally played her hand. A plot, known only to herself, and Chrysalis, threatens to ensnare all of Equestria. However, there are possibly two great flaws in her plan. Chrysalis' reformation may be more real than she thought, and Twilight's determination to find a way to return the princesses to normal.
It's a race against time, and against sadism. Will the princesses be freed before there's no Equestria left to save? And how many will die in the meantime?
Contains: Explicit murder, implicit debauchery, and some good old fashioned feels.
Chrysalis stared out the window at the countryside rushing by as the train headed for Ponyville. The rune, hidden in the stitching of her outfit, gifted to her by Solar Eclipse, seemed to throb with every passing moment. "What does she want with that poor pony?"
"What was that Chrysalis?" Came Twilight's voice as she entered their private car, closing the door behind them.
Chrysalis snapped out of her trance, startled by the arrival of the purple princess. "I- Apologies, I didn't hear you enter." Chrysalis bowed her head. "I was just... talking to myself."
Twilight actually blushed at Chrysalis' demeanor. It was completely different than what she was like before, and she wasn't sure it was in a good way. "Chrysalis, you don't have to act like that around me. What's gotten into you?"
Chrysalis couldn't tell Twilight anything. Both because there was no telling what Daybreaker would do to make good on her threat, and because she doubted the purple alicorn would believe her fully. More than likely it would end with her in restraints again.
"I'm... I'm just worried. About the princesses." Chrysalis lied. Well, it wasn't a total lie, that was a definite part of it.
Twilight gave a sympathetic smile, sitting down beside Chrysalis. "You mean you're worried about Celestia specifically don't you? I've heard you talk about and to her."
Chrysalis blushed now. It was true. She'd fallen for the solar princess. She, the queen of changelings, a hunter and manipulator of love, was smitten. And it was being used against her. "I-I definitely am not motivated by my wish to be able to have Celestia to myself without her sister and alter ego being there!"
There was a long, awkward silence as both passengers of the train car absorbed what Chrysalis had just blurted out. Chrysalis covered her face in her hands and groaned loudly. "Just kill me now."
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Upon arriving in Ponyville, Chrysalis quietly allowed herself and her single piece of baggage to be escorted, in disguise, to Twilight's castle. She felt out of place, especially since the entire trip was an excuse for her to help abduct someone. Another thing, she realized, that she would have been fine with before all this. She really was changed, but was it for the better, or the worse?
Once escorted within the crystal tree that made up Twilight's castle, Chrysalis dropped her disguise. "You didn't need to put me up with yourself, Twilight." Chrysalis said, as she stretched, glad that her disguise had given her an excuse to remove her clothing. Why she needed it was beyond her, her chitinous armor was more than enough to keep herself decent.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shout. "Twilight! It's Queen Chrysalis, run!" Chrysalis barely had time to register Starlight's voice before a large chair was suddenly being flung at her face. Before losing consciousness, Chrysalis' brain managed to coalesce one last lucid thought.
"I'm not going to regret abducting this stupid wench after all."
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"Starlight! What are you doing?!" Twilight shouted, rushing to the unconscious changeling's side and looking over her injuries. "You could have given her a concussion!"
Starlight blinked slowly. Hadn't she just saved Twilight again? This wasn't the response she had expected. "Ummm... Well I thought I was saving your life, but now I'm not so sure." She admitted, a little sheepish to have overreacted. Again. "Need a hand with her?"
A few minutes later, Chrysalis was coming to, and Starlight was being forced to apologize by a still upset Twilight. The changeling queen only chuckled, taking Starlight's apology surprisingly well. "Do not fret yourself, I suppose my appearance would frighten you."
In all truth, Chrysalis was in no forgiving mood. If Celestia was not in danger, she would likely still feel the need to punish this insult, though likely nowhere near as harshly. The circumstances, however meant that her revenge would be quite harsh in deed.
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Chrysalis mostly enjoyed the vacation while waiting for a chance to plant the rune on Starlight, it gave her time to relax, until Twilight decided Chrysalis needed to properly meet her friends. ...Which of course meant she had to be "proper" in her clothing. She wasn't happy about this First off, having already "met" Starlight, Chrysalis only had one more denizen of the Ponyville castle to meet.
Spike was happy to have Twilight back. Sure he liked having the run of the castle from time to time, but honestly, being alone with Starlight made him nervous sometimes. She could be impulsive, enough to make even Twilight's rashest moments look positively sane. Or at least that's what he was thinking until he saw the guest she'd brought with her.
"Twilight..."
"Yes Spike?"
"Why is the queen of changelings, who if you'll remember has tried to kill you, twice; sitting in the map room?"
"Because she needed to sit down and I was showing her around? We're going to have a meet and greet around town today."
Spike promptly turned around and began heading for the stairs. Twilight jumped to her hooves and ran after him. "Oh no you don't! You're getting properly introduced just like everyone else!"
There was brief pause followed by an uncomfortably high squealing noise before Twilight reappeared, pushing Spike back into the room, the dragon's claws attempting to find friction on the floor making the noise offending everyone's hearing. Eventually she managed to get Spike to the map.
"Alright..." Twilight panted slightly as she spoke. Spike had gained weight at this point, she was sure. "Now... Chrysalis. This is Spike, my assistant. And Spike this is Chrysalis. She's... She's the new court steward in Canterlot."
"She's what?" Spike asked incredulously looking back at Twilight like she just suggested the sun was made of ice cream.
"She's not lying." Chrysalis said with a slight chuckle. "I was ousted, remember? Your princesses were kind enough to offer me a second chance. And I took it, after a long and hard consideration."
Second chance. There was that phrase again. Chrysalis knew she didn't deserve a second chance now. It had always been in her nature to betray. Why hadn't the ponies listened to her and just killed her when they had the chance?
The rest of Chrysalis' introductions went about as well as could be expected. Applejack, while suspicious, was willing to give Chrysalis a chance, but only because Chrysalis was constantly under scrutiny. Pinkie Pie was willing to forgive Chrysalis almost immediately, a fact that actually caught the changeling off guard. Rainbow Dash was the most suspicious of the lot, and Chrysalis had the distinct feeling the pegasus would be keeping a watchful eye on her whenever possible. Rarity... well...
"I think that went well, don't you?" Chrysalis asked Twilight as they walked away from the Carousel Boutique. The purple alicorn was shooting her a death glare.
"She complimented your robe and you replied, and I quote: 'Thank you, but I find clothing a rather foolish and ridiculous notion. My chitin is more than enough for me.'"
"So what?"
"Rarity is a fashionista! Clothes are literally her livelihood!"
"No wonder she's so upset, that must be the most soul crushing job I could possibly imagine."
Chrysalis grinned as Twilight let out an exasperated groan. It felt good to be able to mess with the young princess like this. She could never do this when they were enemies. Or at least while she knew they were enemies. Chrysalis frowned for a moment. She had to remain focused, no time to get melancholy now if she wanted to avoid suspicion. Only one more friend to visit.
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"Are you alright Chrysalis?" Twilight asked as they left Fluttershy's cabin. The sun was low in the sky as the two began the walk back to the castle.
No, no Chrysalis was not alright. During the visit to Fluttershy, she offered them tea. Chrysalis would have declined, she couldn't even properly use such a drink anyway. However, she was supposed to be attempting to make a good impression, so, with some urging from Twilight, she accepted. Unfortunately, she hadn't been alerted ahead of time that Discord was within. The entire time they were there, Discord was giving Chrysalis a look that felt like it was boring through her like a drill. The draconequus had every reason to hold a grudge. She'd kidnapped the one pony in the world he cared about, and then made him nearly helpless to do anything to aid her. And she would have killed the pegasus too. Under different circumstances, that glare could easily have been the last thing she ever saw.
"Nothing I won't recover from. I just wasn't expecting such... hostility while I was with you."
"What? Discord? Honestly you should be happy he's around. He's the prime example that even a villain can be reformed." She paused before adding quickly, "No offense meant, I mean, pretty much everyone around here sees you as a villain being reformed."
Chrysalis sighed. She deserved that reaction, of course. "It's fine. I just... I'm going for a walk tonight if that's alright. I could use the air after that."
Of course, such a walk would give her time to decide what to do to get Starlight to take the rune. She could still feel it throbbing, wanting to be given to the correct pony. Starlight Glimmer was going to disappear, it was just a matter of time.
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As the night wore on, Chrysalis could feel the rune throbbing harder and harder, until she pulled it from her robes. Once exposed to the open air, the rune seemed to go still. Was the throbbing her imagination?
"You're growing a conscious, softy." Chrysalis chided herself, "And it's eating away at you." She glanced up at the sky, the pale sliver of moon giving only a small amount of light alongside the stars. "It's almost the new moon..."
"Do you always talk out loud to yourself when you're alone? Ponies will think you're going nuts."
Chrysalis nearly jumped as she heard Starlight's voice behind her. How long had she been there? Had she seen the rune?
"Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you," Starlight continued, walking up beside the changeling queen, "Twilight told me you went for a walk, and I thought I'd come check up on you." She glanced over at Chrysalis' hand, spotting the rune. "Wait, what's that? Can I look at that?"
Chrysalis felt a lump form in her throat. If Starlight took it and she or Twilight identified it, the jig was up. She'd be toast, and Celestia could be in danger. On the other hand, if she hid it, she might be able to get Starlight to take it later, but she'd look suspicious. Either choice was a hell of a gamble.
"Yes, go ahead. It's an old rune, I just carry it these days as a good luck charm, though I doubt it works anymore." She reluctantly passed it to Starlight, who looked at it, her eyes practically gleaming in the darkness as she tried to get a good view of the etched carving.
"You aren't kidding about this being old, this style... I don't think anypony has carved a rune like this for centuries!" She glanced at Chrysalis and back at the rune. "Do you think I could borrow this? I bet this was used in some kind of ritual, it honestly looks like something out of a fairy tale!"
Chrysalis took a moment to gather her options before replying. "Go right ahead. It hasn't brought me much luck anyway, given what happened the moment I arrived."
Starlight chuckled nervously at that. "Oh, right... Sorry again."
The two went back to the castle together, Chrysalis immediately being pulled aside by Twilight. "So since you're staying here for a while..." Twilight said, leading her to a door Chrysalis hadn't even noticed before. "I thought you should have your own room while you stay. I uh... I didn't know exactly what you like, but I figured you would want something that reminded you of home. Or, your old home anyway. Sooooo we went with that. Hope you don't mind!"
Twilight opened the door, leading into her room. The furnishings themselves were only light, likely picked up at the last minute. A simple bed, shelves even though Chrysalis didn't have anything to really put there, and a single lamp. However, it was the far wall that caught her attention. A mural, showing a twisted throne, in a dark complex of passages. Her throne. Her hive. Back before she was ousted. Chrysalis felt tears welling in her eyes as she looked around the room. Every wall shared the design. Her throne room, recreated in the form of art.
"You made this? For me? How did you have time?" Chrysalis asked, feeling the tears beginning to flow freely down her face.
"Well, it wasn't just me, really. I only dried the paint. When I suggested the idea of reminding you of home while you were unconscious, Starlight said she had the perfect idea and told me to get you out of here. I think this was her way of apologizing."
Chrysalis felt sick. She placed a hand on the throne in the mural, remembering the bitter hatred she had felt the last time she was there. She was so angry about what she had lost, she had never considered what she could gain. And now she was letting that grudge cloud her judgement.
Her mind was made up. She'd warn Starlight in the morning, and then... she wasn't sure what. Surely with their combined minds they could think of some way to separate the princesses. To repay Celestia. But that could wait for morning. The day had been long and emotional. Chrysalis needed her rest.
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Starlight's eyes slowly opened. She felt tired, unwell. She remembered waking up before dawn, because of a strange glow in her room. It was that rune she'd borrowed, wasn't it? She remembered approaching it and then... nothing. Then she was opening her eyes here. Where WAS here anyway? It was a cave dark, and cold. Glancing around, she saw in the darkness large gems, some seeming to reach up as if seeking freedom from the gloom. Starlight had never been here before.
"My my, now this was much sooner than expected! I didn't even need you here for another four days! Then again, I believe changelings have a saying about gift horses..."
"Celestia?" Starlight called out. Her voice felt so weak. She tried to muster magic, to at least light up her surroundings but even attempting only made her head hurt.
"Oh come now, you keep up with the news enough to know that Celestia isn't even around right now. Solar Eclipse, is who you're dealing with of course!" The alicorn hybrid seemed to summon light out of thin air as she stepped into view. Any formal clothing was gone. Instead, she wore ceremonial armor, covering her body like a gilded frame in the sudden light.
"Oh, and Twilight didn't tell you! Of course! You see, I'm not just Celestia and Luna like I let everyone think!" The alicorn laughed cruelly. That laugh... Starlight had heard it once in a nightmare...
"You're... You're Daybreaker?" Starlight asked, her eyes widening as she made the connection, "No no, that's not possible. You were just a bad dream, Celestia would never-"
Solar Eclipse grabbed Starlight by the throat with her left hand, lifting the unicorn off the ground. "Oh but Celestia did! To protect all of you even! Of course, not that any of you appreciated it when she came back not looking like her precious self! Just as she thought, you shunned her so easily, even though she'd sacrificed everything for you!"
The alicorn tightened her grip on Starlight's throat, flames beginning to lap at her from the crazed mare's fingertips. "Not that it matters now, I'm in control of this body, and I'm never giving it back! Equestria is mine! And you, my little unicorn fool, are going to help me insure it stays that way for a long time."
Starlight felt sick, she'd been foolish to trust Chrysalis, even for a moment. "D-Do whatever you want to me!" She said, false bravado in her voice, "I'll never help you as long as I'm alive!"
The alicorn laughed again, drawing a small, black blade from her armor with , a dagger that had never been used before. "Oh Stalight, you foolish mare. I don't expect you to help me while you're alive. After all, your willpower would be useless to me if you would."
The alicorn stabbed, Starlight feeling the blade pierce through her stomach. She let out a gasp, feeling the world start to spin, and her eyes feel heavy again.
"Oh, and I'm going to let you in on a little secret since you won't be telling anyone. Chrysalis forgave you. She was going to try and save you, but now you've gone and made her a killer."
Solar Eclipse pulled the blade to the side, tearing through flesh and organ before withdrawing it, and letting Starlight drop. As things began to fade to black, Starlight swore she could see Celestia and Luna reaching out to her. With the last of her strength she reached out, feeling them grasp her hand... and then everything was gone.
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"Starlight's room is on fire!"
Spike's shout of alarm caused Chrysalis to bolt upright. No, it couldn't be, there's no way the rune could've activated after only a single night. There's no way Solar Eclipse could have known Starlight had it.
She sprinted out of her room, moving the fastest she'd ever felt herself move as she followed the smoke to the source before firing the first spell she could think of, the green, sickly slime that she used to capture ponies in the past being the perfect material to smother the flames. Nothing. The room was empty, aside from the now horribly charred furniture. There was no sign of Starlight.
Chrysalis felt her legs growing weak as she heard Twilight and Spike approaching. "Oh Starlight," she thought, feeling tears well up in her eyes once more, "What have I done to you?"
There was a search party of course. Chrysalis aided Twilight in forming it, but there were too many places to go, and very little evidence to go off of. Chrysalis couldn't tell Twilight the truth of course. Even if Twilight believed her, there was no question Solar Eclipse would know of the betrayal now. She instead kept to herself and her thoughts once the search party left, keeping herself in her room. She stared at the mural of the throne, trying to hold back the waves of guilt with happier memories. There weren't many to be had. Most were tainted now, wracked with "what if's" and "why didn't I's." Chrysalis looked at the mural. At her old throne, specifically. There was at least one memory that couldn't be tainted.
"My queen, there was a... discovery while digging out the new chambers you requested."
Chrysalis turned, giving the drone a sideways glance. He was holding a salute, but she could see him shaking every so slightly. He was afraid of how she'd react. So it was bad news then. She didn't like having her planning interrupted. Then again, the new throne's blueprints could wait a few minutes. After all, every design she'd come up with seemed to be lacking something. "Well, out with it, drone. What's the big deal?"
"Y-Yes my queen! It's just... There's a... barrier of some kind. Our magic can't get through."
Chrysalis groaned and rolled her eyes. "There are literally hundreds of you down there! Just break through by brute force if you have to!"
"N-Not to sound insubordinate, my queen, but... I t-think it would be better if you saw this yourself."
Chrysalis rubbed her temples. "You're a messenger, drone. You aren't supposed to 'think' unless you're told to. ...But fine, lead the way."
The drone led her down to the excavation, a small chamber, just having started being carved out. The chamber's base in-progress was rough, but slowly sloped down to the center, like a bowl. At the bottom were a group of changelings, attempting to fire magic at strange black stone that had been revealed, but all their spells fizzled out before they could reach it.
"Are you kidding me? It's just a rock!" Chrysalis shouted at the drones as she entered, her footfalls heavy with rage at this delay. The drones in question flinched at her shout and stepped back as she approached. "Allow me."
She walked up, firing as powerful a blast as she could manage at the time. Just before getting to the stone the blast dissipated, become a magical mist of sparks that seemed to be pulled into the rock. This caused even Chrysalis to pause. "It's... eating it." She muttered under her breath. "Well then, let's see what happens if we make it sick."
Chrysalis knelt down and placed a hand on the abyssal stone, feeding her magic through herself. "Take it all, stone! I can outlast you." She challenged with a snarl, entering an almost trance like state as she continued to push her energy into it.
She wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, her changelings continuing to work around her as she did so. It could have been mere minutes, or hours. But for all she knew she knelt there for days, weeks, even years without movement or rest, doing nothing but feeding the stone every scrap of magical energy she could muster. Over time she could feel the stone's barrier expanding, slowly engulfing more and more of the hive as she became more and more exhausted. But she refused to stop. She was the queen of changelings! She wouldn't lose to a rock, and she certainly wasn't going to give up.
At some point, the trance ended abruptly, a blast of energy from the magic she was pushing out knocking her back. A green pulse seemed to go through the air, passing through Chrysalis into the tunnels of the hive."Haha!" She exclaimed, suddenly feeling rejuvenated in victory. "What did I tell you fools? Just break through!"
She slowly realized she was talking to an empty room. Of course, the barrier had been expanding, all of the changelings likely evacuated. She left chamber, heading up toward the entrance. As she traveled into and through the hive, she felt her steps becoming harder and harder with each passing moment. She was exhausted, there was no question. She just needed to rest a moment.
No sooner than sitting down did she notice a green glow in the distance, and the sounds of many changelings coming toward her. She waited, seeing a small platoon of her drones entering the tunnel with her.
"My queen!" The nearest drone exclaimed, bowing as he arrived. "We saw a bright flash travel across the edge of the barrier and feared the worst! It is a relief to see you are unharmed!"
Chrysalis responded by smacking him. In her exhaustion it was hard to do anything other than catch him off guard with such a blow, but it got the point across. "Idiot, of course I'm unharmed! I told you I could handle it. Your doubt is noted." She paused to catch her breath. "I see your magic works as well now? And you said the barrier is still up?" The changelings looked among each other, seemingly only just now noticing the impossibility of their magic illuminating the tunnel. "Good. Then get digging. I had an idea on what to do with that rock."
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"Chrysalis?"
The changeling queen was roused from her memories as Twilight entered her room. The princess of friendship was disheveled, haven't spent the entire day searching for any trace of her student in friendship.
"Did you find anything?" Chrysalis knew better than to hope for that. If the rune had left any trace of its work, it would be unrecognizable from the fire.
"Nothing at all." Twilight shook her head. "I'm guessing some kind of magic was used, but there's no sign of anyone else coming in, and with the fire..."
"It's impossible to tell if someone grabbed her from somewhere else."
"Exactly..." Twilight sat by Chrysalis, the two sitting there in silence for a few minutes. "Have you had any thoughts?" She eventually asked, glancing at the changeling queen.
Chrysalis paused. She had had many thoughts, but few that she could share without revealing her own involvement. Unless...
"There's one idea I have that might help." She said, a small, confident smile forming on her face. "An abduction without evidence. I can think of only one group that would have any expertise in such a thing. If anyone can find out what happened, I would believe my old hive can. They've no motive for kidnapping her either, so I would guess they'd be innocent."
Twilight's eyes practically lit up at that idea. "Of course! I'll have Spike get in contact with Thorax! We can-" Twilight stopped mid-sentence, noticing that Chrysalis had switched to an uncomfortable expression. "Right, this is probably awkward for you, isn't it?"
"More than you know." Chrysalis replied, starting to get up. "In the meantime, I think I should return to Canterlot sooner than planned. If there's someone magically kidnapping ponies, it might be best to flex our resources."
"What?! But you're supposed to be on vacation!"
Chrysalis shrugged Twilight's insistence off, starting to pack her things as the alicorn began trying to convince her to stay. She already knew she couldn't help further unless she was back in Canterlot, and she definitely wasn't going to relax any more here. Within minutes she was closing her suitcase.
"Thank you for your hospitality Twilight, but if we're going to find Starlight Glimmer, we need to use all of the help we can get." She said, shifting into a disguise and taking her suitcase. "I'm going to catch the next train to Canterlot. Keep me in the loop."
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Upon arriving in Canterlot, Solar Eclipse put Chrysalis back to work in court, giving the changeling queen little chance to send aid to Twilight. On top of that, Chrysalis was almost certain Solar Eclipse had bugged her quarters in the palace. Over time, Twilight started writing her, updating her regularly on the conditions of the search party. Chrysalis didn't bother being hopeful. And Solar Eclipse was more than willing to keep her busy. Once a month, Chrysalis would receive another rune. Sometimes she'd get a specific target, other times she'd be allowed to choose one based on simple requirements. It wasn't until the sixth victim that Chrysalis found a way to resist the process.
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Chrysalis placed the sixth rune in her outfit as she heard the door open. A guard poked his head in. "We're ready to begin sending reinforcements to Ponyville and are beginning additional patrols around Canterlot; as you requested, ma'am." It was a simple report, one Chrysalis had waited some time to hear.
"Thank you, soldier." Chrysalis said, standing up. The guard stayed in the doorway. "Is there something else?"
"You have visitors. Changeling delegates, they said they wished to report to you directly."
Chrysalis was taken off guard. She'd almost forgotten the changelings were helping Twilight investigate the kidnappings, it'd only be natural some wished to speak with her after a string of disappearances in Canterlot. "Very well, tell them I'll meet them in the gardens."
Once the guards left, Chrysalis looked around the room, knowing Solar Eclipse was listening in here. And she'd somehow known what she was up to in Ponyville. Clearly anything she owned was bugged. ...Well at least it gave her an excuse to strip, it's not like her fellow changelings would mind her being nude.
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Chrysalis entered the gardens to find a trio of reformed changelings waiting for her. Two of them, clearly acting like guards to the third, stared at her suspiciously. The third she recognized.
"Thorax. I didn't expect you to want to see me. Or any of the changelings honestly. I thought you'd go to Solar Eclipse for help before you'd speak with me." She wasn't exactly happy about the reunion, but she could possibly make use of it.
Thorax himself smiled as Chrysalis approached. It was a polite smile, not the kind that meant he was actually at all happy to see her either. "I guess we've both surprised each other then. I wasn't expecting to hear that not only had you returned but that you were working for the Equestrian court now." He frowned and shook his head. "Though, I expected you to have changed physically too, like us. Given the circumstances, I suppose that I shouldn't have. Times must be hard on you."
He motioned to the other two changelings, who left without a word, leaving Chrysalis feeling uncomfortable. She wasn't used to being trusted still. Especially not by someone she'd personally mistreated. Thorax seemed to be willing to just let the past go in an instant, something she'd tried months to do, but couldn't. Perhaps though, there was value to trusting one another...
"Thorax, there's something I must tell you about." Chrysalis said, the spark of determination flashing in her eyes.
Solar Eclipse approached her ritual site in the mines beneath Canterlot. The ground was littered with the bodies of five dead ponies, and stained with their blood. Tonight, it would be six. Her horn glowed brightly, the same symbol as her rune appearing on the floor as it summoned her victim to her. A pegasus, scared and alone, an easy target for her, but not a very rewarding one.
"Do not fear, my child." Daybreaker began, drawing the dagger, now discolored and rusting from abuse. "You shall join me, and become something greater than yourself!" She lunged at the pegasus, stabbing downward with force.
The pegasus grinned at her, their body being enveloped in a flash as the dagger struck them. Now laying below Solar Eclipse was the current leader of changelings, Thorax; her ceremonial dagger broken off on his chest.
"To quote your better self: 'Gotcha.'"
The alicorn roared in anger, her horn lighting up and blasting the changeling with flames as she lept back to her feet. "How dare you, you mutant freak!" she shouted, beginning to beat him as he coughed and groaned, "How dare you try to fool me! You stupid, useless husk!"
"For someone useless, I didn't have much trouble beating you. And I'm willing to guess you can't risk ruining your ritual by killing me tonight." The changeling's confident smirk refused to diminish, even as he continued to be beaten.
Solar Eclipse growled. He was right, she needed the will of ponies. Killing Thorax here would be of no use, and his sacrifice would ruin everything she'd worked for so far. "No, you're right. I can't kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead." Her eyes began to glow, tendrils of darkness coming from them. "Tell me changeling... Do you feel fear?"
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Thorax woke up, Chrysalis standing over him. He was no longer in the mines, but he was still underground. This place felt familiar. "T-The hive?" He asked wearily, beginning to sit up. He felt his arms being held back, restrained. Turning he saw his arms held to the floor by green slime, his black arms. "N-No... He looked at himself, seeing black chitin covering him, his bright colors long gone. "No! This isn't possible! I can't be-"
"What? Back to normal?" Chrysalis interrupted, looking him over as if she was inspecting him like merchandise. "Back where you belong, among the rank and file? What's not to believe? It's your natural place in the world, isn't it? And aren't you relieved, not having to worry, or think, or feel? You were a fool to think I'd let you get away with taking everything from me. Now, I have everything back, and just to be sure, I'll make an example out of you. You'll be left here to rot, a warning to never resist my rule." She laughed cruelly, turning to leave.
Thorax could feel his heart breaking. Chrysalis had trusted him, hadn't she? Why would she turn on him? Wait, had she trusted him? It was so hard to remember. Like a dream, any memory of it slowly slipping out of reach. A dream...
"Wait!" Thorax called out. Chrysalis paused, her face twisting into a frustrated scowl.
"What could you possibly have to say to me? You've lost."
"If this is to be my fate, then why would you have told me everything you did in the garden? Why share that genuine sorrow and regret? I could feel it, taste the bitterness and sadness in every word." Thorax could feel himself becoming stronger as he spoke, his bindings beginning to weaken. "Why would you confess what you knew, unless you needed me too?"
The world seemed to shatter in front of Thorax's eyes, disappearing into a fog of black and green. He felt pain, collapsing on his side in anguish. The fog was dissipating, slowly revealing his surroundings. He was back in the mines. Solar Eclipse was nowhere to be seen.
"It was a dream. An illusion." Thorax looked at himself. He was once again, colorful and tall, but now covered in wounds. "She just wanted me still so she could use me as stress relief." He slowly climbed to his feet, feeling the world spin again. He had to get to Chrysalis. She needed to know what was going on. She needed to stop this.
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Twilight was met by Chrysalis at the entrance to the castle. She was naked, and pacing impatiently. "I got here as fast I could." Twilight explained, before being silenced by Chrysalis raising a hand.
"There's not enough time to explain in detail, but I know who's behind all the recent disappearances." Chrysalis said as the two changelings from earlier arrived.
"You do? How? Who?"
Chrysalis closed her eyes, summoning all her confidence with a breath. "I, Chrysalis, disgraced queen of changelings, am behind every disappearance." She braced, expecting a blow or a blast of magic, or possibly something more fatal. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes. Twilight looked horrified and betrayed, but not angry.
"But why wo-"
"Chrysalis!"
Twilight was interrupted by a voice of someone approaching. Those gathered all looked up. A badly wounded changeling was approaching.
"Thorax, you're back, thank the stars." Chrysalis said with a sigh, moving to aid him. He shook his head, pushing her hands away. "There's no time. Solar Eclipse took a new sacrifice. They're going into the mines now. I would've been caught again if I hadn't taken a moment to hide."
"Sacrifice? You mean..." Chrysalis looked down, sighing. "I suppose it was too much to hope that they were still alive..."
"Go to the deepest chamber in the mines, you remember it."
Chrysalis nodded, motioning for Twilight to come to her.
"This is going to be dangerous Twilight, it will be just yourself and I against everything Solar Eclipse can throw at us. ...I don't expect to live, but I helped start this. I have to help end it. If I do though, I'll confess everything, I swear it."
Twilight nodded in response. "I don't understand everything, but... If you're coming to me for help, it must be bad. I'll trust you." With that, the two vanished, teleporting themselves deep within the mines.
Chrysalis and Twilight appeared in the ritual chamber just as Solar Eclipse was arriving. She looked between the two, her scowl slowly turning into a grin, before she tossed the unicorn she'd dragged into the mines aside.
"Chrysalis, this is a nice surprise! Here I thought you'd finally grown a spine, but now you've gone and brought me Twilight unprompted. Quite the achievement." Daybreaker didn't even bother masquerading that she represented all four wills within her now.
Chrysalis let out a hiss. "In your dreams, abomination. We've come to end this."
The fused alicorn sighed, shaking her head. "Well, it's not like I need your permission, you've brought her here. Now all I have to do is kill her, and then I'm free to deal with you however I like."
Twilight looked at Chrysalis, who was already taking a stance to defend herself. "You do have a plan on how to do this, right?"
"Not really, just thought it'd come to me. I don't really think my plans through all that well, remember?"
Twilight groaned. This was going to suck.
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"Luna!" Celestia called out into the darkness of the corrupted mindscape, holding Starlight's hand tightly. She could feel the unicorn's grasp on reality fading. If nothing was done soon, she'd be consumed by Daybreaker. Then even in the afterlife she would be lost. No, she could save at least this one. She just needed to use the opening Chrysalis was providing. Together with Luna, perhaps...
Luna suddenly seemed to appear, alongside her darker self. Celestia felt herself moving to guard the nearly comatose will of Starlight Glimmer.
"Do not worry sister, we are both here to help." The duo spoke simultaneously, a sensation that left a feeling of unease in Celestia.
"Luna, you are here of your own free will, right? If I was to lose you after all this..."
"Do not worry," Luna spoke solely this time. "I am in control of myself. Let me help you."
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Meanwhile Chrysalis and Twilight were purely on the defensive, barely able to fight back against Solar Eclipse's barrage of offensive spells. The mine was lit up as the blasts of light flew around like fireworks.
"This was a terrible plan, Chrysalis!" Twilight shouted as she teleported to avoid the various projectiles.
"I know that!" Chrysalis shouted. She needed to do something. To get the attention off of Twilight, or to at least delay the inevitable.
Chrysalis' thoughts were interrupted as she was suddenly grabbed by Twilight, who teleported them both away a mere instant before the spot she was standing exploded with energy from one of Daybreaker's blasts. That was it!
"Twilight! Teleport me close to her!" Chrysalis demanded, her emerald eyes fixated on Solar Eclipse.
"What? That's suicidal!" Twilight practically shouted as the two dodged behind a crystal structure for cover. It'd only buy them a few moments. "I'm not going to-"
"You will. If I can overpower her physically, we have a chance."
"And if you don't?"
"Don't start worrying about me now. I'm still responsible for this mess." Chrysalis took a deep breath, preparing herself. "Now or never."
Twilight's horn flared, sending Chrysalis to the space directly in front of Solar Eclipse. The changeling queen grabbed the fused alicorn, and with a hard push, both were sent tumbling to the ground.
"You stupid, damned insect!" Daybreaker growled, pulling Chrysalis toward a sharp crystal formation, slowly pushing her toward it. "I should have just killed you first! I never needed your help! Nobody can stop-" Solar Eclipse suddenly froze, holding Chrysalis just against the sharpened tip of the glassy crystal. "What is this?!" She demanded, sounding frustrated. "Why can't I... You damned weaklings, you can't possibly defy me!"
Chrysalis could taste something in the air. A soft emotion, alien in this moment of conflict. Even yet... she knew what to do. "Celestia... Thank you."
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Twilight stood dumbfounded as, Chrysalis lunged forward, embracing the fused alicorn as she pulled her into a deep kiss. She had a distinct feeling of deja vu, but this time it wasn't herself being deep tongued by the changeling. She immediately vowed to never allow the phrase "deep tongued by the changeling" to cross her mind again. After a moment, that felt like eternity, the two collapsed, a dull shine coming from Solar Eclipse. Twilight had the foresight to take cover.
After a blast of energy filled the cavern, Twilight heard a familiar voice. One she hadn't heard alone in a long time.
"Twilight, art thou uninjured?"
Now standing in the cavern was Luna, pure and uninjured. Celestia was sitting down, cradling Chrysalis' head in her lap. A small smile was on the unconscious changeling queen's face. It was finally over.
Chrysalis was adamant that she be punished for the abduction of Sunset Glimmer and the other ponies over the months that passed during Daybreaker's reign through Solar Eclipse. However, since there was technically no evidence of her actions, little could be done by the courts. She was however, quietly stripped of her title as the court stewardess.
Of course, she didn't expect the reward Celestia had in mind for her willingness to risk herself to make things right.
"Chrysalis." Celestia asked her, as the two stood out on a balcony overlooking Canterlot. "You may believe you have done nothing but evil in your life, but I see differently. You were coerced into aiding my darker self, and not for your own sake, but for mine. Once you knew where you could face her with as few innocents in harm's way as possible, you placed your own life at risk, again to save mine. You refuse to admit it, but I know what I see."
Celestia took Chrysalis' hand and got on one knee. The changeling queen blushed brightly. She could taste the passion in the princess's words, and the sincerity in her tone. She knew what Celestia was going to ask.
"Chrysalis, will you be mine?"
There was a long pause, before Chrysalis finally made up her mind.