Shadows crept all around them, and the only time light was able to comfort Chrysalis was when the two stepped near the dying candles that hung on the walls, but even then, it still felt dark, which in turn made Chrysalis feel more alone than ever. Sure, the doctor was right in front of her, but he wasn’t on her side, not like she’d hoped somepony would be.

It was clear to her by then, it was just her. Everypony else who resided within the castle proved to be nothing but genocidal maniacs driven by an uncontrollable hatred for the changelings. Where these emotions came from, she couldn’t figure out. They’d tell her it was for the invasion, but was what she did really worthy of such immoral punishments?

Something inside Chrysalis told her there was something more about their unquenchable rage. What she was going to do about it, she didn’t know. All she could do at this point was allow them to have their way and pray they’d show remorse for her eventually, even though that was nothing more than a wish that would never be granted.

The door creaked open, that same noise passing through Chrysalis’s ears as she was lead in and was brought to Commander Static. She sat looking over her papers, behaving as though she hardly noticed the two before her, and said, “You may leave, doctor. Thank you for escorting her.”

Before taking off, the bird masked stallion trotted behind the table towards her, stood a moment seemingly pondering which words he’d like to use, and asked her questions in a very low voice, so quiet that Chrysalis couldn’t even hear him. She just sat there, blinking with curiosity. Then, he moved away briefly, she stared at him, and he nodded.

Commander Static looked down at her work and said, “Very well, if this doesn’t work, then that will be our last resort. Are you sure she’s patched up?”

The doctor assured his colleague, “Just enough to live.” He looked back at the queen and said, “I wish I could say the same for her. That potion I gave her did much more than what it normally does to any normal pony. Her body must’ve accelerated the healing properties, making it heal her tongue, and her mane.”

Commander Static rolled her eyes and countered, “Doesn’t matter. After I’m done with her, those injuries will resemble bumps made from a light fall. Have the other ready in case I decide this session to be a waste of time. If physical pain won’t work...” She looked at the slightly shaking changeling and finished with a dark whisper, “Then we’ll try other methods, and see if that will work instead.”

With a bow, the doctor exited the room, leaving Queen Chrysalis alone with the bloodthirsty mare. Commander Static smiled wickedly at the downtrodden changeling queen, slowly circling around her with a smug expression. “So, here we are again,” Static chuckled, Chrysalis’s eyes keeping to the ground, her trying to avoid eye contact. “What, no witty remarks? I must say, you’re the most boring prisoner I’ve had to work with. And such a shame, too, since interrogating you should be the highlight of my career.”

Suddenly, magical bonds gripped Chrysalis’s legs and stomach, forcing her to the ground. She winced and sucked in her breath, the bonds stinging her where they touched and tugged. The faint laughter from Commander Static and glow from her horn showed that it was obviously her who was doing this.

“I didn’t want to use this yet, but considering how tough you’ve been, I decided it was necessary,” Static began, her eyes shining with malice glee at what was about to take place. “Now you’re going to find out why I’m called Commander Static.”

At first, Chrysalis felt no physical changes to herself, so when the slight shock sound resonated in her ears, her eyes went wide. The static began to build up, her brain feeling as if an electric current was running through it. Her eyeballs seemed to vibrate in their sockets, and her mouth started to get a faint metallic taste to it, but no blood.

Chrysalis couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even think coherently as the static continued to grow in her mind. It had gathered up enough that the slight grunts she made couldn’t even be heard, though the commander seemed to be enjoying the show.

At this point, the pressure was so great that every twitch of her head or neck sent waves of pure agony resonating in her skull and making her brain go to mush. She felt her teeth chatter, though she wasn’t causing it. Really, she couldn’t control any part of her body. The mind shattering static was just too great, too painful to deal with in her current state. All Chrysalis wanted was for the pressure being placed on her forehead to stop, before her scalp popped like a balloon.

Was the commander seriously trying to kill her? Weren’t her orders clear? If this kept up much longer, Chrysalis wouldn’t be alive to admit where the remaining kids were, but despite her constant sureness of being close to death, Commander Static was able to steady her on the precipice of life, just barely keeping Chrysalis from falling off the edge.

After what felt like hours of torture, as the seconds ticked by, the static finally began to diminish, leaving her mind raw and in considerable amounts of pain. And there was Commander Static, a slight annoyed look on her face as she inspected her captive. “Weird, usually they’ll be screaming and begging for their mothers when I up the anty like that.” Static leaned closer picking Chrysalis’s chin up with a hoof to stare her in the eyes. “Why do you stay quiet?”

Chrysalis didn’t answer, her eyes fluttering from the mental abuse she was just put through. Shrugging, Static hoofed-punched the changeling, Chrysalis’s head smacking painfully with the floor. “Eh, not that it matters anyhow,” Static said, raising a foreleg and driving a hoof hard in Chrysalis’s side. “Eventually you’ll talk. Or die. Either way, I get paid, and I get a little fun out of it as well.”

What followed next was some old fashioned, physical one-on-one beating. A messy approach to get information, but a reliable one at that. Wanting to deal out a good wallop of pain to Chrysalis, Static aimed for the most sensitive regions. First was some bucking to the face, aiming for the snout and cheek and avoiding the skull region, since having her knocked unconscious was missing the point of torture.

When she managed to knock a fang out, Static smiled even wider, but unfortunately the effect of the beating was ruined, since Chrysalis didn’t so much as react in any shape or form except with the occasional wince of pain. Growling, Static redoubled her efforts, punching all along the changeling’s side, hoping for the satisfying crack of a broken rib. Still nothing, and Chrysalis continued to keep silent aside from the occasional groan from her thoroughly bleeding mouth.

“Damnit, what is wrong with you?!” Static yelled in the queen’s black and blue beaten face. Chrysalis just blinked slowly, one of her eyes swelling up from a knock to the face she’d just received. Huffing in annoyance, Static gave up her normal methods and glared at the door of the room.

As she shook her sweating head, the pony shouted, “That’s it, bring in one of her brats! If that doesn’t work, I give up!” Chrysalis quickly lifted her throbbing head to the mare in confusion. “If she doesn’t talk, inform Celestia there was nothing I could do, and that we’ve got two dead changelings on our hooves!”

Author's Note

Coauthored with RainbowBob