Family bonding

Chrysalis, carrying her husband, Celestia, and Luna touched down. It had been a while for them since they took flight, and their wings were aching. Where they had landed resembled the Everfree, the trees covered with vines, and the surrounding dark. "So, where are we, again," Luna asked.

"Fear," Sombra said. "I think it's self explanatory what this part of Tartarus does."

"Obviously," Celestia said. "But, um, can you explain anyway?"

"Of course," Sombra said, a small grin on his face. "It turns your own worst fears against you, and tries to make you go insane, if not kill yourself. Of course, if you've conquered your fears or been here before, like me, it is easier than before, but it still tries to do so."

"Then I suppose it is a good thing my time as Nightmare made me face my fears time and time again," Luna said.

"And just what were your fears?" Chrysalis asked.

"That ponies would always fear me, and I would be an outcast," Luna said. "Of course, I still fear that, but not as much as before."

Sombra chuckled. "Luna, we may not get along, but we are family."

"Yes," Chrysalis said. "Do you not remember that I kept visiting you so you would have somepony to listen to you."

"Wait, what?" Celestia said. "I don't remember you visiting!"

"Because I disguised myself as one of Luna's servants," Chrysalis said.

"She's right, sister," Luna said. "As much as I hate to admit it, it's because of mother that I did not become Nightmare sooner."

"Then that is something I have to thank you for, mother," Celestia said.

"No need to thank me, Celly," Chrysalis said. "I was simply looking after my daughter."

"I thought I said to stop calling me that," Celestia said.

"I don't need to do what you say," Chrysalis said with a devious smile. "I am your mother after all."

"I thought you two agreed you would hold off on the argument until after we got out of here," Luna said.

"Yes, I thought that, too," Sombra said. "Still, I think it best to set up camp."

"What about fear illusions?" Chrysalis asked.

"They are less effective when in groups," Sombra said. "Because of that, I think it best if we split into groups of two. Me and Luna as one due to us having faced our fears already, and you two because you need to talk stuff out. Please try not to kill each other while Luna and I are out gathering supplies."

Before either the changeling queen or solar alicorn could respond, the dark unicorn and lunar alicorn walked off to gather supplies. "Doesn't look like we have a say in this argument," Celestia said, sitting down.

"Oh, really," Chrysalis said, also sitting down, but a few feet away from Celestia. "What gave you that idea?"

"You know, maybe we wouldn't argue as much of you simply stayed quiet, mother," Celestia said.

"It doesn't help that you continue to antagonize your father and I," Chrysalis retorted. "Why is that, anyway? Why do insist on antagonizing us?"

"Because the both of you were terrible a sparents while Luna and I were growing up," Celestia said in a growl. "I thought I made that obvious already."

"We were not terrible parents," Chrysalis said. "You simply were rebellious children, even when you were young. We tried to teach you both what it meant to be actually good rulers that protect their citizens, not be appeasing rulers to other nations, and you simply ignored us and did your own things."

"The reason we ignored you both is because doing what you did would make us terrible rulers in the eyes of our subjects."

"So?" Chrysalis asked. "There are dissenters in my hive, yes, but I give them a choice at being in the hive or not. I have few actual problems to my rule, unlike you and Luna, because I am willing to show my power. You and Lulu keep having those issues because you are too gentle. If somepony was to kill one another, you'd simply put them in jail, which you'd probably make comfortable as possible, which would only encourage them to kill again and again. You need to actually punish ponies for less then threatening your rule, otherwise you'll just keep having to deal with threats."

"Because we don't want our subjects to fear us!" Celestia yelled, getting up.

"I think they'd rather have actual gods protecting them that are willing to do hard stuff rather than you and Luna, Celestia, seeing as how they wouldn't have to be afraid of large threats as much as now," Chrysalis said, getting up to look her daughter in the eyes. "And besides, the Elements barely get any recognition for what they do, and your student wasn't even recognized as an alicorn until afterwards because alicorns do nothing but let others role right over them."

"I don't need this," Celestia said. "I'm going for a walk." She began to turn, but was held by her mother's lime green magic.

"No you aren't," Chrysalis said. "Sombra said to stay in a group."

"To hell with what he said," Celestia said, using her magic to remove Chrysalis' magic, and strode further into the forest.

"Celestia, get back here!" the solar alicron heard her mother yelled, but she simply cast an invisibility spell, and began to run.

She kept running until she just couldn't, and made herself visible again. When she did, if any were around, they would have seen her crying. "Why?" she asked herself through chocked sobs. She lay down on the ground into the fetal position, constantly saying to herself "Why?", "What's wrong with me?", and various other things through sobs, eventually crying herself to sleep.

Celestia woke up suddenly, and looked around, to discover she lay in her bedroom. "Must have been a bad dream," she said, getting up, t find she already wore her gown. "I guess yesterday was busy," she said before going to the door. She expected to find her guards outside the door, but didn't, and she assumed they were doing something else. She had ordered them to help other guards if she had yet to awaken.

She made her way to the throne room, the few castle staff she saw on the way ducking away from her sight. Must be planning a surprise for me, she thought.

She eventually reached the throne room doors, and opened them with her magic. Upon stepping into the room, her legs and arms were bound tight with chains. "Wh-what's going on," Celestia asked in terror.

"Looks like it's here, Princess," she heard a voice from behind say, but she was even more terrified upon hearing the second voice.

"Indeed it is, Captain," Luna said, walking into Celestia's view. "It appears Twilight Sparkle's report was true: changelings are stupid."

"Luna, what do you mean," Celestia asked. "I'm not a changeling. If I was, you'd be one too."

"Stop lying, filth," a guard said from behind, jabbing Celestia in the side with his spear, drawing, to Celestia's terror, green blood.

"Now, tell us where our sister is," Luna said, glaring at Celestia.

"I am your sister, Lulu," Celestia said, panicked. "Don't you remember when we were kids? Mother caught you with that stallion, and I said I pressured you into it!"

"A simple memory spell would let you know that," Luna said. "Besides, only changelings eat love."

If it could, Celestia's face would have paled. "I don't feed on love," she said. "I swear, I don't!"

Luna slapped Celestia. "Stop lying," she said, lighting her horn before firing off a spell that enveloped Celestia, which, to Celestia's eyes, did nothing.

"You see," she said in a hurry before she saw her arms. They were as black as a changeling's, and her hair fell into her face, and they wee the same color as Chrysalis'. "No, no, no, no no nononononononononononono," she yelled.

"I don't think she knows where your sister is, Princess."

"Agreed," Luna said. "Kill it." Before Celestia could say anything, she felt something cold pierce her chest. She looked down, and saw a green stained spear head jutting from her left breast. Before she could fully comprehend the sight, it was pulled out, and she blacked out.

Celestia was in a black void, unable to see anything but herself and what she wore. "Hello," she asked, looking around, also noticing her skin was its natural white, and her hair was back to its aurora look. There was nothing in the void with her, and nothing replied.

At least, not for a while.

"FREAK!"

"GET AWAY, WE DON'T WANT YOUR KIND!"

"CHANGELING FREAK!"

These were only a portion of what Celestia heard, but one thing was common in each, and that they were shouted by the voices of her subjects.

"GO BACK TO TARTARUS!"

"ANIMAL!"

"MONSTER!"

The yells just kept getting worse. Celestia kept saying, "No, stop. I'm not a changeling," crying as she did so, but to no avail. But the worse were three voices. One was expected, but the others hurt her more than she thought. The fact they weren't shouts made them hurt even more.

"You should know better than to keep secrets, sister. To think you fed on me without telling me. How can you live with yourself?"

"Not even I would feed on family with out them being aware, daughter. And you call me a monster."

"A shame, Celestia. I thought we had taught you better than that."

The last three then spoke at the same time.

"Now, you will die from starvation."

"Ah!" Celestia screamed as she woke up, jolting up right. She looked around, and saw she was still in the forest.

"You're finally awake." Celestia looked behind her to find her mother sitting on a rock. "And in case your wondering, this is more uncomfortable and more comfortable at the same time."

"I. . . didn't need to know that," Celestia said. "Why'd you come after me? I figured you'd like to leave me here."

"Have you seen your father mad?" Chrysalis asked, getting up. "I would rather not bring that on myself. And besides, you are my daughter, and, contrary to what you think, I do care for you."

"Thanks, I guess," Celestia said. "How long has it been since I ran off?"

"An hour for my internal clock," Chrysalis said. "Or at least since I found you." There was a moment silence between the two before Chrysalis spoke up. "You were tossing a lot, Celestia. Yelling, too. Nightmares?"

"Y-yeah," Celestia said. "Father described this place perfectly. It made me face my worst fear, but doing that didn't help me get over it."

"Maybe talking could help with that," Chrysalis said. "I did disguise myself as a therapist, once."

Celestia sighed. "Before I say anything, promise you won't say anything to the others."

"If you want that, Celestia," the queen said.

"My fear's because of something I got from you, mom, something I didn't know about until after Luna was born," Celestia said. "I kept is secret, but it was just hard to keep it from Luna, and you and father, especially. I was afraid I'd be cast out."

"What'd you inherit?"

"Your metabolism," the solar alicorn said. "I need to feed on love to survive, and have been doing so with my subjects without them knowing, and I was afraid they'd reject me, Luna would reject me, even you and father, and I'd die."

Celestia expected her mother to laugh, ridicule her, even, but was surprised when she felt her mother's arms wrap around her from behind, something, she realized, she had missed deeply. "You don't need to worry about that, Celestia," the queen said as she moved to look Celestia in the face. "You and Luna are my daughters, and I would do anything to help you, regardless of our relationship. All you need to do is ask me for help."

Both smiled a little. "Thanks, mother," Celestia said. "I needed to hear that. And I'm sorry for what I did during the wedding."

"So am I," Chrysalis said. "I should have sent a physical messenger with the scroll instead of just that scroll."

"That reminds me, I need to find that guard and demote him, maybe discharge him," Celestia said. "The one who altered the letter."

"I'll help with that," Chrysalis said before getting up. "Now come on, we should get back to where Sombra and Luna left us. If you think Luna has anger flares, you haven't seen your father's."

Celestia chuckled a little, and got up. "Then let's go." With that, mother and daughter, having reached some level of understanding each other, began to make their way back. Before they realized they had no idea where they were, or where they were going.

"Buck," Chrysalis said. "Guess I'll cast a signal spell." With that, the changeling queen lit her horn, and a small flare was sent skyward. "We'll be here a while," she said. "What do you think we should do to pass the time?"

"Well, you know my fear," Celestia said. "What's your, mother?"

"Being alone," she said. "I don't mean nopony with me, but being alone, separated from the family. Sombra and the others are the only ones who accepted me, even with my abilities. If they all left me, or I needed them and they couldn't help, I don't know what I'd do."

"I don't think you need to worry about that, mom," Celestia said, getting her mother's attention. "From now on, once we get out, if you need a room, they'll be one for you at the castle."

"Thanks, Celestia."

"Mom, you can call me Celly, if you want."

"You sure?" Chrysalis asked.

"Yeah," Celestia said. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I think I will, Celly."