> Passed the Fortitude Save
>  by SpectralFury
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Passed the Fortitude Save
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Princess Celestia!”
It had been some time since Celestia had felt pain like this. Not since Equestria’s earlier decades had she faced a foe capable of overpowering her- well, capable of actually landing a hit. She was getting rusty. Perhaps it was time to spend some of her days with her guards again.
“Shining Armor's love for you is even stronger than I thought! Consuming it has made me even more powerful than Celestia!”
But first, she had something to take care of.
Twilight and her friends immediately surrounded Celestia in concern, assuming that the blackened tip of the alicorn’s horn meant that she was down for the count, but that wasn’t the case. Celestia grunted and pulled herself up off the floor, glaring at Chrysalis.
“Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked with renewed hope.
Celestia’s expression softened as she glanced down to Twilight. “Twilight, get Cadance and the guests to the panic rooms. Then fetch the Elements.” She gave a calm wink, and Twilight smiled and nodded silently before moving.
“A futile gesture, Celestia,” Chrysalis said with a mocking smile. “Hiding or not, Elements or not, my army can’t be defeated, and you have already fallen to me once. What makes you think you can stop me this time?”
Celestia twisted her head side to side, popping her neck with casual ease. “Two reasons, changeling. The first is this.” She tapped at her peytral with a hoof, the amethyst in the center glowing. Chrysalis frowned as, with a flash, Celestia was suddenly covered in enchanted heavy plate armor. Some of the few ponies that remained in the room stopped to gawk, but Celestia’s stern frown spurred them on into leaving.
Chrysalis, to her credit, merely twitched a frown. “Impressive, but that won’t be enough. You still can’t overpower me.”
Celestia let out a soft, amused giggle. “What makes you think I was fighting with all I had?” Slowly, Celestia’s mane shifted from its friendly, pastel rainbow to more threatening red and orange. “After all, I have to mind collateral damage when my little ponies are around.”
Chrysalis stiffened when the runes along Celestia’s armor started to glow, and the supposedly soft princess took a battle stance.
Celestia’s smirk faded away, and Chrysalis felt a chill go down her spine.
“You lose.”
And then Celestia moved.

===

    “That is so awesome!” Rainbow Dash said, her voice cracking at the end. Celestia, Twilight, and her friends were joined by a battered Cadance, a recovering Shining Armor, and a pouting armored Luna.
    “Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said. Her mane was back to normal, but she still wore her armor, just for fun. It wasn’t exactly good attire for eating half-destroyed wedding cake, but oh well.
    “What happened then?” Applejack eagerly asked.
    “Well, I used the Accelero spell to flank her and give a solid buck. To her, it probably was as if I just teleported behind her, but I'm out of practice with using teleportation in combat, so I didn’t want to risk it. After that I was able to dispel Captain Armor’s affliction.”
    “Thanks again, for that,” Shining said, a hoof still held against his head.
    She nodded and smiled at Shining. “Any time, Captain. Then I had him go fetch Luna.”
    Luna’s frown deepened, and she looked away as her pristine armor clinked. “The first real fight since I returned, and you didn’t even wait for me to arrive so I could have fun.”
    Celestia gave her a smirk. “Sorry, Lulu, I’ll be sure to pull my bucks the next time a real threat comes around.”
    “I’ll hold you to that.”
    “After that, well…” Celestia tapped at her chin. “There were a few moments, but it was obvious that Chrysalis had no idea what she was doing. Yes, she was powerful, but clearly she had little experience with actual combat. Yes, Twilight?”
    Twilight hadn’t said anything, but her uneasy looks said enough. “It’s nothing, Princess.”
    Celestia frowned. “It’s quite obviously not, my student. Please, speak your mind.”
    Twilight’s jaw clenched, and she completely failed at hiding her unease. “It’s just that...you’ve always taught me that fighting is something to avoid, and what you did to Chrysalis…”
    “There are times for restraint, Twilight. This was not one of them,” Celestia gently said.
    “You almost killed her, threw her out onto the streets, and used her to coerce the changelings to surrender!” Twilight blurted out. Everyone went silent, and Twilight’s ears immediately folded back. “I-I’m sorry Princess! I shouldn’t have-”
    “Twilight.” It was quiet, but Celestia’s word was enough to silence her as she stepped over to Twilight.
    “I’m sorr-” A gentle touch to Twilight’s lips quieted her again.
    “Twilight.” Twilight cringed and looked down. “Twilight look at me.” Reluctantly, she did, relaxing a little when she noted that Celestia had removed her armor. “Twilight, I know that I can be very intimidating, but know that I will never, ever punish you for disagreeing with me.”
    “Okay.” It was obviously unsure, but for Celestia it was a start.
    “Does anypony else share Twilight’s opinion?” She asked, turning to the group. It was slow, but soon enough the hooves of Fluttershy, Rarity, and Cadance were raised.
    Rarity herself wasn’t surprised by Rainbow Dash and Applejack’s lack of protest. However... “Pinkie Pie? You?”
    Pinkie nodded grimly. “I don’t like fighting. I’d much prefer everypony gets along, but that doesn’t always happen. And Grandpa Granite always taught us that if somepony wants to hurt us and the guards aren’t around, we can’t afford to hold back.” Rarity thought for a moment, and recalled just how many changelings Pinkie downed when she ‘borrowed’ Twilight’s horn. Of the lot of them, that action was probably the most brutal during their fight.
    “Darn tootin’,” Applejack said confidently. “Granny Smith told us stories from back when Ponyville was just Sweet Apple Acres and a few shops. Back then the guards would sometimes...disappear, and a little frontier justice needed to be dispensed.”
    “An unfortunate reality of frontier towns,” Celestia said sadly. “All of you come here.” She walked over to one of the windows overlooking Canterlot. Within moments she was surrounded, and all the ponies were looking upon the damaged city. What changelings that hadn’t surrendered had already been captured or escaped, and cleanup was well underway. The city would eventually be repaired, but for the first time in centuries, Canterlot bore wounds from an attack.
    “We all have been busy for hours helping where we could,” Celestia started. “We have all seen the destruction the changeling army wrought, but this is just one city. Imagine this, but worse, back home in Ponyville. Imagine fires burning down homes. Imagine ponies lying dead in the streets or, in the case of the changelings, captured and used as livestock. Imagine that all across Equestria.” She looked to Rarity, Twilight, and Cadance, who slowly gained looks of horror. Pinkie Pie just looked sad, while Applejack had expression of grim acceptance. The only one unaffected was Luna, who shared her sister’s experiences.
    “When you wonder how I could have even considered assaulting Chrysalis as I did, I want you to consider you and your families being subjected to the horrors of war and conquest. If I had not, if Luna had been defeated as well, that could very well be reality.”
    Twilight winced. “I’m sorry we failed, Princess.” The rest of her friends had similar expressions, guilt over failing to retrieve the Elements of Harmony.
    “Know that I couldn’t be more proud of you, my little ponies.” They all perked up with confused looks. “Yes, you failed, but you braved a battlefield to try and retrieve the Elements. You never gave up until you were captured. That takes true courage and strength.” Her words seemed to have their intended effect.
    Twilight, however, still seemed uneasy. “I...I don’t know. Can’t there be some other way? Why did you have to fight? Why didn’t Chrysalis try talking?”
    “Not everyone is a pony, Twilight. It may have simply been in their nature. However, know that once a side commits to an attack, the time for diplomacy has passed. Try to end the fight if you can, but you must be ready to do what is necessary to protect yourself and the ones you love.”
    Twilight didn’t like it, but she accepted Celestia’s wisdom.

===

    A week had passed, and Chrysalis was starving in her cell. Not that the ponies hadn’t tried to feed her their disgusting food, but she wasn’t about to lower herself to anything short of raw love.
    She looked up from her cot when the steel door to the surrounding room opened, and watched through the bars of her cell as Celestia walked in.
    “Well well well, so the Daymare herself finally deigned to visit me,” Chrysalis spat.
    “Coordinating the cleanup of the city has made me quite busy. I apologize that I wasn't able to come here sooner.”
    Chrysalis scoffed. “As if you care at all.”
    Celestia stepped closer to the cell. “Is it truly that surprising?”
    “I lead an attack on your capital. Of course you should hate me.”
    Celestia looked at her for a moment before frowning. “You truly believe that, don’t you?”
    Chrysalis stared as if she was spouting nonsense. “It is the way of things. Don’t tell me you’re too stupid to have not realized that.”
    “Hatred is the desire to destroy or kill, and I’m not in a position to give in to it.”
    “You’re the Pony Queen. You’re in the perfect position to give in to it. After all, there’s nocreature able to stop you.”
    The two locked eyes for a moment, and Chrysalis felt disgust in her gut as she read the pity on Celestia’s face. “Enough of this! Why are you here, Celestia?”
    Celestia’s mouth twitched into a frown once more, but she pushed it all away. “I’m surprised that you haven’t asked about the welfare of your subjects.”
    Chrysalis scoffed. “They’re fine, I’m sure,” she said dismissively.
    “The ones that survived, yes,” Celestia said, pulling out a clipboard. “Casualties were relatively light on both sides, despite your army attacking my citizens.” Her voice went hard. “Still, from what we have found, you lost fifty-three changelings to the fighting.”
    Chrysalis didn’t react.
    “Nothing? Nothing at all?”
    “They did what they were told to do.”
    “And you feel nothing at all for those that were lost?” Celestia’s voice was quiet.
    Chrysalis snarled and leapt up to the bars. “And why should I? You soft pony princesses don’t understand how to properly rule. If you weren’t so weak you could have conquered this world centuries ago!”
    “And what of those that I crushed under my hoof, your highness?”
    “They don’t matter! Our subjects only exist to elevate us! They are here to work, fight, and die. Nothing more!”
    “They are here to live,” Celestia stressed. “They have their own destinies.”
    “And they all revolve around me,” Chrysalis stressed. “I am the only one that matters. My life! My power! Everything else is second!”
    Celestia just frowned and shook her head before a rough, male voice spoke.
    “I think I’ve heard enough.”
    Chrysalis stilled as she recognized the voice. Noling to fear, but one she had marginal respect for. Celestia’s crown floated off her head and, with a burst of green flames, turned into a familiar changeling. One with purple eyes and red frills.
    “Pharynx,” Chrysalis said dumbly before realizing that he wasn’t in irons. “You...traitor! You’re consorting with the ponies!”
    Pharynx snorted. “What would you have me do, your highness? We were starving, and the rest of the captives turned to me for leadership.”
    “You should have fought! You should have died before suffering the indigni-” She paused. “Wait...were starving?”
    Pharynx glared. “The ponies have been feeding us more than we ever got at the hive. I didn’t even know it was possible not to feel hungry.” He glared. “I don’t ever remember you complaining, your highness.”
    Chrysalis was struck silent for a moment before she scoffed. “The needs of the queen supercede those of her subjects.”
    Pharynx just stared at her for a moment, silent. “When we go to school, we are taught that the needs of the hive come before everyling else. We are taught that our hunger is necessary so the hive might survive.”
    “I am the hive,” Chrysalis growled.
    Pharynx bared his teeth and stepped forward, and while Celestia tensed, she did nothing to stop him. “Not anymore.”
    Chrysalis slammed against her cell door. “TREASON! I’ll have you executed for this!”
    “I don’t believe that you’re in any position to do so, Chrysalis,” Celestia said icily.
    Chrysalis glanced at Celestia before sneering once more at Pharynx. “So this is it, Pharynx? You’re going to bow before this pathetic pony?”
    Pharynx frowned and looked at Celestia for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t like them, and I don’t agree with them on a lot of things, but if it means the hive doesn’t starve, I think we can come to some kind of agreement.”
    Chrysalis snarled again, but when the two of them just watched her ineffectually rattle the bars, a hint of concern started to show. “Pharynx, this goes against everything The Changeling Kingdom stands for.”
    “I’m afraid you’ll find that hardship has a way of forcing creatures to consider new ways of thought,” Celestia said. After all, ponykind knew that lesson quite well.
    “Is...is that a threat? Do you really think imprisonment will break me?” Chrysalis asked incredulously.
    Celestia mulled that over for a moment. “That wasn’t meant to be a threat. However I am willing to discuss leniency if you agree to change your ways.”
    Chrysalis snarled. “Never! We are predators, ponies are food. End of story!”
    “I’m sorry to hear that,” Celestia said sadly. “You will learn the date of your trial within the week.”
    “Trial?”
    “You’re a war criminal, Chrysalis. When you’re found guilty-”
    “When?!” Chrysalis shouted.
    “I do not take assaults against my nation lightly, your highness. When you’re found guilty, you will be imprisoned within Tartarus for the rest of your natural life.”
    Chrysalis’ jaw dropped. “But- but I’m immortal!”
    Celestia clicked her tongue. “Hm. That’s a shame. Then you’ll have plenty of time to reevaluate your life choices.” She sighed. “I strongly urge you to reconsider my proposal. Your punishment could be reduced to mere house arrest and, should you show true remorse and change, probation.”
    Chrysalis stood there, staring.
    “I’ll leave you to think about that. Is there anything else you wish to say, Regent Pharynx?”
    Pharynx sneered at the former queen. “No. We’re done here.”
    The two turned and left, the door shutting firmly with an echo, leaving Chrysalis to ponder her life, past, present, and future.