“Your highness come quickly Chrysalis is at the front gate!” Celestia had been in the middle of day court when a guard had burst in and screamed this. As she channeled energy into her horn a thought came into her mind. 'I understand the urgency but some discretion would have been nice.' Now she would have to deal with a widespread panic attack and her days were tedious enough as is. A moment before she vanished she could already hear the nobles yelling. Yes... today was going to be a long one.

As she appeared in front of the castle a most peculiar sight greeted her. Chrysalis was surrounded with a blank expression on her face. The same could not be said about the guards, all of their weapons were drawn. Panic was written clear as day across their features while they were poised to strike given the slightest provocation.

Calmly and gracefully Celestia approached Chrysalis. What could she be doing here? Her castle was in ruin and her army was nonexistent, she wasn't even their ruler anymore. Keeping her practiced, oh so infamous, princess mask on she addressed the former monarch. “What pray tell brings the former Queen of the Changlings to my castle? Decide to skip the subterfuge and go strait to the hostile takeover this time?”

Chrysalis showed no change in expression, honestly if Celestia didn't know any better she would think the queen a statue. “I have come to turn myself in, do with me what you will.” Now under such circumstances a lesser ruler would have shown shock, as the guards did, however The Princess of the Sun was able to hide her shock perfectly.

“So be it, escort her to level zero of the dungeons. When you arrive talk to the lieutenant stationed there and outfit her with a collar. Any of the cells will do.” The guards had recovered from the initial shock of this encounter and motioned for Chrysalis to start moving. As she walked her gaze never wavered from directly ahead. Some might have mistaken this for fear, the princess not being one of them. From her observations it was almost like the changeling barely acknowledged the existence of the outside world, as if she were in a trance.

In a flash the monarch of the day was back in her court, at her throne. The situation was under control but there was still a tangible tension in the air. Projecting her voice so to carry it throughout the room she spoke. “Thank you all for remaining calm at a time of uncertainty. We have apprehended the former changling queen and taken her to the dungeons where she will await mine and Lunas judgement. Court will be suspended for the time being. Thank you.”

While the nobles were filtering out questions were flowing through the Alicorns mind at an astonishing rate. What could have brought Chrysalis here? Why did she just turn herself in? How did she get all the way here without leaving a trail of love drained victims? Why didn't she attack on sight? Did she somehow get more troops in such a short amount of time? Why did she look to be in a daze? Could she be plotting something? Is this just the first stage of another takeover attempt?

“Sister!” Luna boomed with the full force of the royal canterlot voice. Celestia could feel herself pushed back into her throne while her eardrums were ringing. Luna was talking in front of her with a slight look of panic on her face. How long had she been there? Holding up a hoof Celestia fixed her eardrums with a bit of healing magic.

“Luna what did you expect shouting in my face like that?” She said with a small scowl.

The night princess flushed with slight embarrassment before continuing at a more controlled rate. “Yes my apologies, I asked how we came to capture the changling queen. To my knowledge our search had yet to yield any results.”

“That is what has been bothering me the most. She simply strolled up to the gate alone in a non hostile manner. When I arrived to assess the situation she just said 'do with me what you will.' I had her escorted to level zero and outfitted with a magic siphoning collar.”

Luna sat with a hoof to her muzzle to ponder. “So let us summarize, she has lost her army, the faith of all her subjects, and was forced to flee from her destroyed castle.” Suddenly a crestfallen look adorned the night princesses features. “Tia... I believe she has given up. She is a queen without her kingdom. Not only dethroned but shunned by her former subjects for her inability to bring them to where they are now.”

Celestia could only shake her head at the seemingly obvious situation. “She has lost the will to go on, to live. She no longer cares what becomes of her because she has nothing left to lose.” The two sisters sat in silence for a few moments. Each one going over the situation again and again in their heads. They came to the same conclusion. That Chrysalis most likely did not pose any threat. The diarchs looked to one another and Luna spoke first.

“So what shall we do?” While she did believe the changeling was not a threat it was always best to err on the side of caution.

“I do not have any ideas yet... I think we should talk to her before deciding.”

“Then we shall go at once.” Luna lit her horn and teleported herself and Celestia just outside of level zero. The hallway looked as if it just ended here. The wall in front of the sisters was smooth and flawless except for one feature, the faint outline of an old rune from their younger years. A powerful seal that required a special key to unlock. Said key was applying magic to the correct portions of the rune in proper order. The lieutenant standing outside of the door saluted the diarchs on approach.

“Your majesties the prisoner is in the back most cell with two guards stationed outside.”

Celestia nodded in his direction after applying the sequence to the door. “Thank you lieutenant carry on.” He went back to a resting position as the sisters trotted to the back of the room. It only held five cells but each was near impregnable. Doubly so if an occupant was outfitted with one of the siphoning collars. On approach the other two guards saluted and opened the cell door. The small room was bare except the hole in the back corner and Chrysalis.

She was laying in the center of the room, head on her hooves, just staring at the opposite wall. “Open the door in fifteen minutes time, not a second sooner,” ordered Luna. A moment later it was just the three of them.

Celestia spoke in her usual calm motherly manner. “Chrysalis we would like you to answer some questions for us.” The changling slowly cast her gaze towards the two sisters

“What would you like to know.” Same as before her voice seemed hollow, devoid of anything.

“How did you make it to the castle undetected? The badlands are quite a distance away.”

“I flew for a time then decided to just walk, the city doesn't require identification to enter.”

Lunas gaze narrowed slightly. “What she meant was, how did you feed on the way here?”

“I drew in the ambient emotions around me. Didn't have to devour love.”

That had piqued their interest. “We thought that changlings only source of nourishment was love.”

“For the majority of changlings yes, that is true. Although I am a queen. We have many abilities that the drones do not. For instance, passive absorption of all emotions, not just love. That is how I haven't starved. Now though, this collar should kill me in a few days by way of magic fatigue. Actually...” She paused to glance at the door. “With those two guards out there supplying all of this hate and malice it should stretch that out to a week. This cell seems to block some of it out.”

The two sisters exchanged looks before Celestia continued. “And what do you believe a fair punishment for the crimes you committed would be?”

Chrysalis seemed to passively ponder the question for a second or two. “I believe execution would be the right course of action. I have attempted two takeovers. The first I was able to replace a princess and overpower you Celestia; the second I managed to replace most higher ups in your government including the two of you. Considering these it would lead one to believe I am a dangerous individual, best put to rest before coming up with another plan.”

Author's Note

Sup people I've decided to try a F/F romance this time. Don't know how well it's gonna play out since I've been doing M/M stuff but I really like this pairing and had this idea. Hope you enjoy.