For her children : She begs The Crystal Throne
View Online
For her children : She begs The Crystal Throne
Chrysalis shivered, partly from the harsh cold of the Northern Ice Fields, partly from the disgusting sensation of the dead patches of white that was by now at least half her chitin. She looked over the miserable survivors of her Hive, their own chitin hides pasty grey rather than a healthy black.
“State your business!”
It was a command more than a request, she couldn't blame them though – all things considered.
“I, Queen Mother of the Olympian Hive –” she couldn't believe she was doing this. No, that wasn't quite true what she couldn't believe was that they were letting her do this, in all honesty she had expected to be struck down the moment she set hoof near the empire. “– stand before you, –” maybe there was hope, after all she was still alive wasn't she? And, despite being completely surrounded by guards, what remained of her Hive were untouched. “– Empress of the Crystal Throne and Equestrian Princess of Love –” yes she had to hope. If she didn't hope her children would feel it and give up… she couldn't let that happen – she couldn't lose any more of them. “– in a desperate plea for asylum.”
“Ha! Is this some sort of joke?” It was the armored unicorn standing just in front of the alicorn she had addressed that spoke “You want us to help you?” Chrysalis almost ignored the soldier before recognizing him as Shining Armour… Prince Consort…
Damn.
“No. What I ask …” she shook her head silently correcting herself before kneeling in the biting snow, “What I beg of you is mercy on my subjects. They are starving and I can no longer feed them.”
Another scoff “And why should we care? You’re nothing but parasites! If you –”
“Shining! That’s enough.”
“But –”
“No.” the voice was strangely gentle even when firmly wielding authority, Chrysalis recognised it immediately without having to rise her head; it was Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. “Let the Queen explain herself. Your Majesty, I suggest you rise before you speak, it’s unbecoming of royalty to kneel.”
The changeling did as she was told, more in hope of gaining favor than anything else. “I…” she faltered only to feel the collective presence of her Hive offering her wordless encouragement. That in itself nearly broke her heart: their shared voice had once been so loud, the comforting roar of well over ten thousand minds, but now… now it was the whisper of the weak and starving dozens that remained. She could only just hear them.
“I have come to you out of desperation, my children are dying and your aid is the only hope I have found. Please, I beg of you, all you need to do is let them into your city, the crystals themselves are saturated with more love than you could ever need. No disguises no lies, just… just please.”
“How do we know this isn't one of your tricks? I understand your concern for your people, but I won’t let you endanger mine.”
“My concern? For my people?” a sudden rage twisted in her stomach as she stepped forward. “They are my children! I may not have lain them but I am their Queen Mother and I knew every one of them!! I knew the name of every worker, drone and hatchling, I knew who their mates where and what role they played in my Hive! Even then they numbered in the tens of thousands I knew each and every one of them as a ‘ling not just another subject!” Chrysalis wondered what was stuck in her throat only to realize it was a sob. She let it escape as she spoke on, her tears staining the snow the faintest tint of green, “Don’t think you could ever understand what I feel for them,” she bared her teeth “I have felt every one of their deaths as my own, not merely as a loss, but by willingly sharing their mind so that they need not be alone.” Jabbing a hole-filled hoof at a large section of white on her withers she finally explained the origin of the strange discoloration. “When there was no more love left I gave them from my life force.” The queen was shaking now fighting through sobs. “I gave them parts of my soul… so that they could make it here… to you and you’re empire…”
“Chrysalis…” the alicorn was promptly cut off.
“I have given them everything I can, done everything I could… and it not enough anymore… please… please just help… help my children…” the weeping queen met the gaze of the one she had wronged so unforgivably and in those gentle, pony eyes she saw tears. Clear and colorless tears.
“How many are there?” asked Cadence as she nuzzled the insectiod royal, a surprising action meant to comfort.
“Seventy nine.” She could answer the question immediately no need to count or estimate. “Seventy two workers, four hatchlings, and five eggs… none of my drones survived the journey…”
Turning from the queen the Empress addressed her gathered guards. “The changelings will be entering the city, there will be no protests there will be no questions. They will be escorted directly to the palace and be hosted in the fourth battalion’s barracks until otherwise stated. That is all.”
“Cadence I don’t like this…”
“I’m not asking you to like it, Shiny. I’m asking you to trust your wife… and obey your sovereign.”
“Thank you P –”
“And you.” Cadence rounded on the queen “You need to understand something, you’re not guests, if anything you’re somewhere between refuges and prisoners, you will not course trouble, you will cooperate. I will be contacting the other princesses and only then will you fate be decided.”
“Still, Thank you… that is far more than I expected.”
Cadence’s eyes and tone softened “Did you really think that I would leave anypony… anybeing to starve to death in the snow?”
“I… I had hoped not… but, as any‘ling will tell you, hope is a slow and dangerous poison.
“Are all changelings so morbid?”
“Only the alive ones… May I make a request?” not waiting for a reply she continued “Be kind to them? They are good little ‘lings and very loyal… they do not deserve to be punished for my mistakes… Please?”
“I will keep that in mind… Chrysalis? Chrysalis?!”
There was a heavy thud as Queen Chrysalis, Queen Mother of the last changeling hive for longer than ponies can remember, fell into the chilling embrace of the Northern Ice Fields.