The Masks She Wears

Chapters

Prologue: Turning into Dust
Chapter 01: But Still, Like Dust, I'll Rise
Chapter 02: Waking Up to Ash and Dust...
Chapter 03: The Unwavering Sun That Bends
Chapter 04: Love Thy Enemies...

Prologue: Turning into Dust

I sensed her long before I heard her.

It wasn’t hard. In the abandoned tunnels of my hive, her strong emotions were like a blazing beacon, and I was the moth to her flame. Only, there was nothing left for her to burn off, as I had lost my ‘wings’ already.

So powerful was her presence that I would have noticed her even if I had been asleep when she arrived. Emitting emotions like that… there was no way she could sneak up on me.

Despite this, I did nothing as she drew closer. I prepared no spells, I set no traps, I made no plans. Instead, I continued to huddle in the darkness of my ruined throne room. Nestled deep within the twisted rock that used to form the base of my once-mighty throne, I waited.

For many weeks I traveled the world, searching for some place to hide. In the end though, the call of home was too much, and I found myself drawn to familiar lands once more. It appeared that she was watching for me though, and no doubt had wards and runes scattered all around the badlands, just waiting for my return. I most likely tripped them, alerting her to my presence. She probably knew the instant I had arrived at the hive.

So, like a cornered rabbit before the fearsome wolf, I sat there in the center of my hive… and waited.

Deep down, I knew that I should have felt something. Scared, angry, thankful—anything. Instead, the only thing that settled over me was a thick, heavy feeling of intense exhaustion. It gnawed at me, like flies upon a carcass. For too long I had been on the run, for too long I had constantly been moving from place to place, trying to keep any pursuers off my tail. I never saw any signs of pursuit… but better safe than sorry.

However, the stress had taken its toil, and now I wanted nothing more than to curl up and drift off into a deep slumber, never to awaken again. But I couldn’t. Not yet.

There was still one last matter to attend to.

Her.

It soon became clear that she was in no hurry for our rendezvous. Her pace never quickened, remaining slow and steady. She meandered through the empty halls of my home as cool as you please. Several times I felt her presence start to draw away as she had to backtrack down one of the twisted corridors that made up the labyrinth-like interior. Though the hive laid in ruins, it still retained it’s morphing, chaotic property.

That did not deter her though, as not once did she falter. If anything, she moved with the same vigor as one would when out walking through the woods on a warm, sunny day. More than once I felt her stop, no doubt examining one of the many curious curios that once dotted the halls—now derelict as the rest of their surroundings—before continuing with her journey. How she knew the way through the plethora of tunnels, I did not know.

As the minutes dragged on, my limbs became stiff and almost unresponsive. I could only move them in small twitches and jerks, because anything else was too painful, but the movement still caused my appendages to ache anyways. It was a deep ache. One that no matter how I sat, it persisted within my very core.

I was starting to consider moving to a more comfortable position—possibly upon the throne’s now-empty dais—but before I could muster up the strength to pull myself up, she finally entered the room.

She almost glowed as she ambled into the throne room. Once, the halls of this great hive shone with life, illuminated by wonderful green light. Now though, the glow had faded, leaving behind a dull gray world. I had grown so used to the lifeless scene that the sight of her white coat—pure and sparkling in the gloom—caused me some discomfort, and I had to squint my eyes.

Through slitted lids, I watched as she trotted further into the room, her gaze sweeping the ruins as she studied the area. While not overly surprised by her arrival, I was rather nonplussed by her lack of armor. Instead, she wore her normal attire—a golden peytral resting over her chest, with matching shoes upon her hooves.

No armor, no visible weapons, no guards—this… this was not what I was expecting.

Stopping in the middle of the room, in a clear patch barren of debris, she glanced up at the empty pods that dangled from the ceiling. Once they had housed captured prey, creatures my hive could feed off of. Now though, they hung there, swaying in some errant breeze that wafted in through the large holes that now dotted the hive exterior.

Her ears flicked as she eyed the pods, her muzzle scrunching up as she no doubt remembered her previous experiences with them. Though… it was strange. I could not sense any fear… or revulsion… or disgust from her. Instead, all I could feel was a muted calm. She must have been shielding her emotions.

Having finished with her observation, she had turned to leave when I finally spoke up. “So… the Sun descends into the dark of the Abyss to search for the Fallen.” If I had more energy in me, I would have winced at the wheezing croak that escaped my lips.

Celestia jumped as my dry, raspy voice echoed around the room. A tinge of fear flickered through her, as well as—weirdly enough—a faint hint of… excitement? I stifled a humorless chuckle. So she was looking forward to finishing what had been started. I should have known…

Spinning in place, she lit up her horn in an attempt to drive off the darkness of the room, trying to find me out. The aura about her horn only flickered and sputtered though, the small bits of debris from my throne still affecting her magic somewhat. The effect caused the deep shadows to dance about the holey, twisted rocks that made up the structure of the hive.

She snorted in frustration.

As she struggled to get her spell to work properly, I rasped out again. “To what do I owe this… pleasure, hmmm?” I paused to lick my cracked lips before continuing. “This is actually a bit of a surprise. I figured you’d be watching my hive… but I half expected you to send your lapdog in your stead, but no. Here you are... in all your glory. Wanted to deal with me yourself?” My breaths came in ragged gasps, and it hurt to talk.

“Chrysalis?” Celestia called out. She stopped spinning, and instead faced the shattered remains of my throne which—inadvertently—had her facing my hiding spot as well. Slowly, her eyes drifted over the room as she continued to look for the source of my voice. “Please, I’ve only come to talk. Nothing more.”

The echos of my hoarse laughter reverberated about the stalactite-covered ceiling of the cavern. “Oh, spare me your theatrics,” I snorted. “You don’t need to pretend. We both know why you are here.” In a softer tone, I muttered. “It was inevitable, really.”

A soft ‘clink’ sounded as Celestia stepped forward. “Chrysalis, please. I don’t know what you think I’m here for, but I assure you, I simply want to talk!”

Silence fell over the room as the echoes of her words slowly faded. Unblinking, I stared at a place just above her right shoulder, my eyes unfocused slightly. Her emotions—still somewhat clouded to me—wavered between worry and forced calm. As more minutes passed, her worry started to grow.

“Talk?” I croaked eventually. “What... is there to talk about, Celestia?”

“The future of our two species,” came her reply.

“Ha!” My bark of a laugh lashed around the room, causing Celestia to jump again. Pain erupted at the corners of my mouth, but I ignored it as I chuckled darkly. “‘The future of our two species’? Oh, you saw to that already, Celestia. When you and your ponies corrupted my children, you saw… to… that.” I trailed off as I cleared my throat of the fluid that had accumulated there from my sudden laugh.

“Chrysalis, please…” Celestia began, but I interrupted her before she could speak further.

“Play innocent all you want, Celestia,” I sneered, “it won’t help you. I’m well aware of how this game is played. Twice now we have fought, and twice now I have defeated you.” Again, I laughed, the sound weak and cringy. “It’s only through the grace of others that my plans ultimately failed and you managed to escape.

“You must see the logic behind it, no?” I asked. “It does your image no good if an enemy manages to escape with a perfect track record against you.”

“Three times,” Celestia said.

I cocked an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”

“We have fought one another three times,” she said, “and the first time I bested you.”

A bemused look crossed my face as I stared down at the pony princess. The smugness that came with the words was slightly annoying, but it was her claim that bugged me.

“I have no memory of this,” I said slowly.

It was Celestia’s turn to tsk softly. “Come now, Chrysalis. You don’t need to pretend,” she said, throwing my own words back at me. “The cities of Timbucktu and Trot didn’t sack themselves. One thousand years ago you and I crossed blades, and I was the one that walked away the victor.”

I stared at her incredulously for a moment before, with a wheeze, I descended into a coughing fit. Alarm wafted off of Celestia for a moment, before it was replaced by bewilderment as she realized that I was laughing.

“An interesting story,” I croaked as I recovered from my fit, “but in the end, utterly impossible.”

Celestia blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

A grin split my face, even as more pain flared up at the corners of my lips. “It’s rather difficult for me to have been in Timbucktu and Trot one thousand years ago, as I was not yet born at that time.”

The shock and confusion that emanated from her was satisfying. “I… b-but you and I… that’s—” She fell silent for a moment before her expression hardened, and her emotions cleared. Stamping a hoof to the ground, she shook her head. “No, I know you’re lying. I remember the fight well, as should you. We clashed above the city of Trot, and I defeated you, sealing you and your changelings into a volcano until you somehow escaped. You even bear the scars of our battle!”

“And yet still, it wasn’t me,” I said snidely.

“But how could that be?” Celestia asked, her eyes narrowing. A trickle of annoyance slipped through her emotional shield, the bitter taste making me grimace. My stomach lurched, but with nothing in it to void, all that it accomplished was filling my mouth with the taste of bile.

I spat before answering. “Hmmm, tell you what. Seeing as my time on this world is limited, I’ll let you in on a closely guarded secret. One that only I alone know. I assure you, I was not alive back then. You most likely fought one of my predecessors.”

“P-predecessors!?”

My ears twitched as her shout echoed loudly about the cavern. With a grin, I leaned forward, although not enough to expose myself to the prying eyes of the princess. “Yes, dear Celestia. Predecessors. One of the Queens that came before me. You see, I am Chrysalis the Thirteenth of her Name, Queen of the Changelings.”

The shock of the information appeared to be too much for Celestia, for she promptly fell upon her rump. Staring up at the ruined throne, she blinked owlishly as she processed what I had told her. “T-thirteenth… of her name?”

“Indeed,” I hummed.

“Then… which Chrysalis did I fight all those years ago?”

“That, I do not know,” I said quietly. “I bear not the memories of my predecessors, only their mantle. It could have been the first, it could have been the fifth.”

“So… there’s no way of knowing…”

“No, for only the Queen of the time knows this secret,” I tittered, “and when she lies broken and dying, she passes on the role to another… and then takes the knowledge of the ritual with her to the grave, leaving her successor as the only living creature that knows the secret.” Clicking my tongue, I winced as my jaw twinged in pain. “None of my children know. To them, I am the same Chrysalis as the one that led this hive three hundred years ago… and five hundred years ago… a millennium, even. The same face, the same voice, the same beliefs—eternal.”

“B-but, why would you… why would you allow this?” Celestia asked. “All this deception, even to your own subjects. What purpose could it possibly serve?”

“What purpose?” I asked, blinking. Surely she was jesting, for she had already proven one benefit of the facade. Still, I supposed I could… enlighten her, before she took her revenge. “I thought the purpose behind it would be obvious. Tell me, Celestia… how would your subjects react if you were run through with a spear in the heat of battle? Would they not possibly lose heart?”

“I… suppose,” she said softly, “though it has been a while since I last fought upon a field of battle personally.”

“Now, let’s say that the next day, your subjects see you once more upon the battlefield, sans the injuries you received earlier,” I continued. “Would they not fight harder—be more resolved—upon seeing you in all your glory once more fighting?”

“I—”

“And would not your enemies, who believed you to be on death’s door, or even dead, tremble in fear, believing that none of their weapons would be able to fell you?” She did not respond, and in the silence we waited—me watching her, and she mulling over my words.

“I suppose that does have its merits,” she said eventually. There was a pause, before she asked. “So, the Chrysalis that invaded Canterlot during the Royal Wedding… w-was that Twelfth… or was that Chrysalis you?” A muted flow of trepidation accompanied her words as well as a hint of hope and excitement. She was reluctant to know the truth… but yearned for it all the same.

Strange…

“Would it bother you if it was not?” I inquired. Though she didn’t respond in words, her growing disappointment was answer enough. Did she really want revenge upon me that much… or was it something more? Something more personal? A vendetta, perhaps, for felling her not once, but twice in front of her own subjects? Bah… it mattered not. In the end, the result would be the same.

With a sigh, I settled back against the sharp rock. “Have you already forgotten, Celestia?” I asked. “I told you earlier, twice I have beaten you. That alone should answer your question.” For a moment there was no reaction, but then her sorrow changed into something that—if I really had to put a name to it—almost felt… giddy?

Ponies were such strange creatures.

Tsking softly, I shook my head.

“Yes, yes,” I croaked. “Hurray for that. You must be so happy that you can still take your vengeance upon me. Congratulations, I suppose.”

This brought Celestia back down to earth, and she balked, raising a hoof to her chest. “Take my vengeance? Why would you… I told you, Chrysalis. I’ve just come to talk, I swear! I want nothing more than the peaceful coexistence between our two races.”

“But you already have it, Celestia,” I wheezed. “With me dead, there will be nothing to stop you and those… abominations from coexisting together in your perfect little world.”

“A world with you in it, Chrysalis!” Celestia snorted, stomping her hoof for emphasis.

I laughed, and with it a trickle of something dribbled down my chin. “Oh, I doubt that. I really, really doubt that.”

Fear was beginning to well up in Celestia again.

“Why?” she asked simply. I noticed that her ears were twitching, swiveling around as she attempted to determine my location within the room. She was trying to find me… and who was I to deny her?

“Because,” I wheezed, “regardless of whether you’ve come seeking revenge or not… you shall have it nonetheless soon enough.” Mustering the rest of my strength, I pushed myself up out of my hiding spot and into a shaft of dim light that was streaming through one of the many holes in the cavern ceiling high above.

The sudden movement and sound caught Celestia’s attention, and she turned quickly to face me, a faint ghost of a smile starting to play across her lips. However, her expression quickly turned to horror as she caught sight of me, a reaction mirrored by her emotions.

Lifting a hoof to her muzzle, she gasped. “Oh, sweet me…”

“Glorious, isn’t it?” I asked, giving her a large grin. Throwing open my forelegs, I gave her a good look at my body—or rather, I threw open my foreleg, as the case may be, for I had lost the right appendage some time ago in a fight with a basilisk. A short stump attached to my right shoulder was all that was left.

The rest of my body was in a similar derelict state. My remaining limbs were thin and could barely hold my weight. The holes that originally dotted my appendages now threatened to consume them, giving my body a pockmarked appearance. Large chunks of chitin were flaking off my carapace, exposing the tender flesh beneath. My mane and tail were ratty and torn, with several patches missing. The corners of my mouth had become cracked and split, allowing my jaw to hang further than should have been possible.

Over all, I looked a fright.

“W-what… what in Equestria happened to you?” Celestia asked with wide eyes, her horror mounting.

I let out a wheezing laugh, a hint of mania working its way in. “What’s wrong, Celestia? Never seen somepony starving to death before?” Still giggling, I staggered forward, still not used to missing a leg. Celestia moved to intercept me, but stopped as I spoke again. “See, Celestia? You don’t have to worry. Soon, I won’t be a problem anymore.”

It was true. The sudden burst of energy—my standing up and attempting to walk—seemed to have drained that last of my reserves. Even now darkness crowded in around the corner of my vision. The world seemed to spin, and upon taking another hop-like step, my leg folded beneath me, sending me tumbling to the ground.

Celestia’s startled cry rent the air. “Chrysalis!”

Staring up at the cavern ceiling, I felt myself slowly fading from the world. Celestia’s face appeared above me, and though I could no longer sense her emotions, the desperation was clear in her gaze. She was shouting something, but I could not make out the words, as a loud rushing sound had filled my ear.

Something warm and wet dripped onto my face. Through blurred eyes, I could see tears streaking down Celestia cheeks. The sight confused me slightly. It was strange… was she that sad that she couldn’t take her revenge… or was it something else? It didn’t really matter any more though, as my time had come.

As the world faded to black, one last thought crossed my mind. So… this is how it ends. I am Chrysalis… the Thirteenth of her Name… Queen of the Changelings…

...and the last of my line.

Chapter 01: But Still, Like Dust, I'll Rise

Everything was a blur.

I had been placed upon something large and warm, with velvet-like fur rubbing against my brittle carapace. Whatever it was jerked up and down, bouncing me about, and the sound of pounding hooves filled the air.

Cracking open an eye, I watched blearily as the corridors of my hive flashed by at alarming speeds. It took me a moment to realize that I was draped over Celestia’s back, her white feathered wings keeping me in place as she ran. Green blood stained her coat, darkening the white fur to a deep emerald.

I opened my mouth, only for a weak, gurgling wheeze to escape my lips.

This caused Celestia to almost misstep. She shouted something, but it was as if she was speaking from a great distance—her words were muffled and muted. Even her emotions were lost to me, as I could no longer sense them through the fog that gripped at my consciousness.

We rounded a bend in the tunnel and suddenly emerged from the cramped space into a large hall. Tall pillars filled the room, tattered remains of flags and banners hanging from them like cobwebs. At the far end of the great hall, sunlight streamed in from the entrance of the hive, and through the gates, the badland was just barely visible.

Upon seeing the light, Celestia put on an extra burst of speed, and the bouncing grew even worse. My head lolled to the side, thumping softly against her neck. I could feel her muscles tense and flex as she ran, and without thinking, I pressed my nose into her coat, snuffling weakly. The scent of vanilla filled my nose, as did the faint musk of sweat. Unable to help myself, I took another sniff, only to dissolve into a coughing fit, my lungs protesting the sudden activity.

Splotches of fresh green appeared on her already-stained white coat.

As I hacked and coughed weakly, choking on phlegm and blood, Celestia cried out again. The pressure in my chest was too much, and as pain racked my body, I slipped back into the darkness and it claimed me once more.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

A burst of light ripped me from the dark, and with it came a feeling of vertigo. Loud shouts suddenly filled the air along with the jarring clatter of metal. My vision shimmered, flashes of gold and white dancing around before me.

Through all the noise Celestia’s voice rang out loud and clear, calling out orders. Voices tried to argue something back, but were silenced by a bark from Celestia. She turned and cantered off, and I swayed about on her back, bobbing in time with her motions. Blood still dripped from my muzzle, leaving behind large green blots upon the white marble floor below in almost hypnotic patterns.

P-pretty...

More shouts sounded, followed by the pounding of hooves. A masculine voice yelled something, and I suddenly felt myself being forcibly lifted off of Celestia’s back in a cloud of rosy magic. Just as quickly, a cloud of golden light overtook me, and I found myself once more upon Celestia’s back as she said something sharply to somepony. There was a startled squawk, but we were already on the move again.

I drifted in and out of consciousness as she hurried along. We were somewhere familiar, but I was unable to name the location in my current state. Large windows—some stained glass—lined the walls, as did a plethora of tapestries and paintings. Potted plants here, doorways there, a large, winding staircase that Celestia raced up three steps at a time. It was all so familiar, and I tried to remember, but I just couldn’t.

So… tired...

As she ran, Celestia repeated the same mantra over and over again. The sound of her whispers were oddly soothing, and I found myself slipping into unconsciousness once more.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

This time it was pain that jolted me back into the world of the living. I cried out in agony as something dug deep into my shoulder, twisting and turning none too gently. There was a weight on my chest, restricting my breathing, and upon opening my eyes, I saw that it was a pony.

The mare was dressed in a light blue smock which was already splattered with green ichor. A medical mask covered her muzzle, and her mane was tucked up into a hairnet. Straddling my chest, she dug into my shoulder with a pair of forceps.

I writhed in pain as she twisted the instrument about.

“Hold her steady!” she shouted. “Darn it! Hold her steady! I almost have this out!” Hooves grabbed at me from both sides, attempting to hold me down as I continued to struggle. Even in my weakened state, I proved too strong for the four medical ponies, and horns lit up as magic joined the fray.

The mare on my chest placed a hoof firmly against my shoulder blade before heaving back. Blinding pain erupted through me as a low sucking noise sounded. There was some resistance before, with a startled yelp, the mare fell backwards. A white chunk of something was clamped in the forceps, and as the mare held it up to the light, she swore loudly. “It’s a bucking fang!”

“Look at the size of it,” came a voice from my left. “What in the name of Celestia is that from!? A dragon?”

Probably the basilisk that had tried to take a chunk out of me— “G-GAAAH!”

Another pony had started digging about the wound, no doubt trying to make sure there weren’t any fragments of the fang remaining. As pain raced up me, I cried out and began writhing about again.

“The anesthesia isn’t working!”

“We gave her enough to knock out one of the Princesses!”

“Just get the IV ready!”

“Where the buck is our specialist!? He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago!” As if in response to the shouted question, there came a loud bang followed by the sound of clattering hoofs and a low buzzing noise. Exclamations of relief filled the room.

“Oh, thank Celestia, you’re here!”

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” came a new voice—one that instantly made my chitin crawl. “I would have been here sooner, but we were out of the castle when Spike got the letter. What’s going on?” The medical team shifted as somepony moved to stand beside me.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I turned my head only to catch sight of him. A light blue smock covered his lime green chitin, and a blue hairnet dangled uselessly from one of his bright orange horns. Pure rose-colored eyes gazed down at me with equal parts concern and weariness… but fear quickly took over as I glared up at him.

“You!” I hissed, my pupils constricting. In a burst of rage, I lunged for him, yanking myself free of the hooves holding me down. The mare on my chest toppled to the ground, the forceps and fang fragment skidding across the floor. Pain lanced up my spine as I half dangled off the operating table, yet I ignored it, instead snarling as I tried to get at the abomination before me. “You! I’ll fucking kill you! You and your pony bitch!”

He scampered back, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. Hooves scrabbled to hold me, and shouts echoed around the room. The doors burst open again, a pair of golden-clad ponies rushing in with spears at the ready.

“We need an IV point! Now!” a doctor shouted as he struggled to hold me back. “Where is a point of access?”

“W-what?” the thing stammered, pressed up against the wall.

“A vein, darn it! We need a vein!”

“Oh, uh—”

I lunged again, my teeth gnashing together loudly.

He let out a shrill scream. “On her neck! On her neck, at the base of her jaw!”

Something pricked the side of my neck and a moment later a cold sensation began to spread through my body. My eyelids were suddenly heavy, and darkness encroached upon my vision again. I struggled to keep myself conscious but it was a losing battle.

With one last weak hiss, I closed my eyes and was lost to the world.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices.

Angry voices.

“—but we have to ask. What in the name of Equestria were you thinking, sister, bringing her here!? Have you taken leave of your senses?”

“I haven’t, Luna, though I think you might have taken leave of yours.”

“Really, and pray tell, how is that?”

The world was fuzzy, and I was lying on something soft. It was hard to concentrate for whatever reason, and upon cracking an eye open, I found that the world itself was now blurry. It was like I was looking out at it from underwater.

Why… why was it blurry? Did something happen to the world?

What if…

No, wait… it’s just my eyes. They didn’t seem to want to work at the moment.

Lazy pricks...

I blinked, and with some effort, the world began to come into focus a little. It was still distorted slightly, but I could make out more of my surroundings. Lethargically, I rolled my eyes about my head and slowly scanned the area.

Weird… there’s a curtain off to the side. Didn’t ponies only have curtains in their bathrooms, around their bathtubs? Is that where I was right now… in a bathtub?

Why was I in the bathtub?

Was I having a bath?

Actually, a bath sounded nice right now. This was okay then. Although, it didn’t feel like the tub was filled with water, but with blankets.

Who washes themselves with blankets? Seems like that wouldn’t work...

Wait…

…

N-no… that wasn’t right.

I wasn’t in a bathroom…

I’m…

I’m in a…

Hmmm, where am I?

Hive damnit, it would be so much easier to think without those loud voices shouting back and forth nearby. What are they even arguing about, anyways? I thought bathrooms were suppose to be quiet, private places to relax.

Wait… I’m not in a bathroom. Right.

…

Who’s shouting anyways?

Lifting my heavy head up, I peered weakly about, searching for the source of the loud voices. To my immediate right was a giant white mass, along with two smaller white and gold masses, with three more on my left. A rainbow seemed to waft off of the large blob.

On the other side of the room, standing in front of what could possibly be a door, was a large dark blue blob, along with five smaller lavender ones. A wave of darkness seemed to ripple behind the large, dark splotch, tiny points of light twinkling in the void.

As I watched, the massive white thing and the smaller dark blue thing argued back and forth, their voices raised and loud. There was a taste in the air that caused me to grimace, and I smacked my lips in annoyance. Bleh…

“Luna, please. I know what I’m doing,” the white blob said.

The dark blob took a step forward. “We don’t think you do. After everything she’s done, how could you possibly think this was a good idea?”

“I’m well aware of our past with her, but as I said before, I know what I’m doing,” the white blob said.

“Tia, she’s the most wanted criminal in the world, for mercy’s sake! Need we remind you of what she’s done?”

“That won't be necessar—”

“Sacking two cities, foalnapping and impersonating a member of the royal family, invading Canterlot and attacking its citizens, invading Ponyville, multiple counts of foalnapping and mind control, the horrible atrocities she committed against the denizens of—”

There was a pause, followed by a low grunt before the blob continued in a grumble. “The denizens of... Wuvy-Dovey Smoochy Land.” It paused again to mutter something under its breath before continuing in a stronger voice. “There’s also the siege upon the Crystal Empire. She’s not to be trusted, Celestia!”

“The cats recovered and hold no hostility towards her!” the white blob shot back.

“So that excuses her other crimes?”

“Look at her, Luna! She’s in no condition to try anything. Look at her! She has no changelings, no energy, no plan. The slightest breeze is enough to topple her at the moment! She’s on the verge of death, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“And yet, despite her condition, she still managed to injure three doctors and a nurse... and that was while she was under the effects of anesthesia! Face it, Tia, she’s dangerous!” The dark blue blob stomped its stubby little leg. “We don’t see why you brought her here, nor why you went looking for her in the first place! It would have been better to leave her to her fate!”

“Should I have left you to yours?"

The dark blob sputtered. “Y-you… you dare—”

“Luna,” the white blob said softly, “Please… I’m giving her the same chance I afforded you. Yes, I could have easily left her there in the dark of her hive to die alone, but I didn’t. Everypony deserves a chance at redemption… at a second chance. You got one, Discord got one, and if her subjects can change, why not her?”

Silence fell for a moment before the dark blob spoke. “You are risking our peace on a fool’s hope. You do realize this?”

“Then I will continue to hope, and you may call me a fool.” As it said this, part of the white blob unfurled. I blinked in surprise upon finding an extraordinarily large wing suddenly hanging in front of my face. For some reason, unlike the rest of the world, I could see the wing with perfect clarity—each individual feather was visible in excruciating detail.

Compared to the blurred objects around it, the wing was breathtakingly beautiful.

It flexed and trembled in front of my face, the feathers shifting due to the muscles beneath them. I was mesmerized by the sight, so much so that I stopped paying attention to the arguing match going on before me. Instead, I focused upon the beautiful sight right in front of my muzzle.

…

I…

I had to touch it.

Before I could move, the wing began to retract, closing once more. No! W-Wait! Jerking my head forward, I grabbed at the appendage with my mouth. This earned a startled gasp from the white blob, as well as a loud shout from the dark blue one. The tinier colored blobs sprang into action as well, immediately pointing long, pointed lines at me.

The white blob waved them down.

“No, wait! Stand down!” it said, even as the dark blue blob barked orders.

Ignoring the commotion around me, I concentrated on the wing in my grasp. It really was big—big enough to cover most of my upper body if it wanted to. I could feel the powerful muscles rippling against my lips as I held the appendage open, mindful not to nick it with my fangs. Reaching up with my left leg, I stroked the wing, running my hoof through the feathers as to not break any of them. The action caused the wing to shiver and twitch, but still I continued. The feathers were incredibly soft… and warm… and just so… soft.

...

I…

I had to have one!

Holding the wing steady with my only foreleg, I leaned forward and grabbed at one of the larger feathers with my lips. A quick twist of my head pulled it free, earning a pained yelped from the white blob. Again, shouts filled the room along with the clank of armor, and the white and dark blue masses began shouting at one another again.

So noisy…

I grumbled as I reached up with my hoof and took the feather from my mouth. A faint hint of vanilla lingered on my lips—a somewhat pleasant taste. Holding up the feather, I admired it, watching as it sparkled faintly in the light.

As I waved the feather back and forth, an old song came to my fog-laden mind, one that the nurse drones used to sing to the nymphs in order to get them to sleep. It was a silly little ditty, but if I recalled correctly, the little grubs used to love it.

I grinned, giggling to myself before singing softly:

There’s a little black buggie, sitting in a tree!
Oh little black buggie, what do you see?
I see the sun and I see the rain,
I see the starlight out upon the plain.
Blue is the sky and white are the clouds,
And green is the grass that grows all around.

There’s a little black buggie, sitting on the ground!
Oh little black buggie, what have you found?
I’ve found the river and I’ve found the sea.
I’ve found the desert as dry as can be.
I’ve found the mountains, with snow upon their peaks.
And the caves down below where the icy water leaks.

There’s a little black buggie, sitting in the snow!
Oh little black buggie, what do you know?
I know the forest and I know the dell.
I know the badlands oh so well.
I know the world from bay to bright blue sea,
Yet nopony that lives there really knows me.

There’s a little black buggie, sitting in a cave!
Oh little black buggie, what do you crave?
I crave compassion and I crave sweet love.
I crave the sight of the world up above.
I crave the joy of finding all new friends.
But nopony loves me, for my race offends.

There’s a little white pony, sitting in a tree!
Oh little white pony, what might you be?
I’m just a pony, nothing much to show.
No fangs have I that glisten like the snow.
Green fire, black chitin, these are not me.
White fur, feathered wings, now I am free!

Finishing with the song, I giggled and sniffed the feather again before slipping it behind my ear. With that, I released the wing and settled back down upon my pillow.

A silence had fallen over the room, and I was dimly aware of many eyes upon me. It didn’t really bother me though; one did not live in a changeling hive for years without getting used to being stared at occasionally. Instead, I nestled myself deeper into the pillow and hummed the song again, a goofy smile on my face.

The dark blue blob shifted slightly before sighing. “Fine, Tia. She can stay… but while she’s here, she’s your responsibility and yours alone.”

“Naturally,” the white blob said, though it sounded slightly choked up.

“And we will be keeping an eye on her ourselves,” the dark blob added. “Should she show any signs of being a threat, we will not hesitate to do what must be done.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll do it myself.”

The dark blob hummed softly before turning and leaving the room. The smaller lavender splotches followed after it, leaving me alone with the white blob and it’s golden-white splotches. For a moment, all was quiet, but then one of the smaller specks moved forward. “Princess…?”

“Take up position outside the door,” the white blob said softly. “Allow only the medical staff inside until instructed otherwise.” The smaller blob nodded before it and the other four left the room as well.

I was then alone with the white blob. Its wing was still suspended above me where it trembled. Gradually, something soft settled down upon me. I glanced down only to notice that the wing was now lying atop my chest like a large, feathery blanket. Lifting my left foreleg up, I placed it over the wing. It twitched, yet remained where it was. A low hum reverberated in my chest as I absentmindedly stroked the feathery appendage. It radiated heat, and I found my eyelids starting to droop once more.

Snuggled beneath the wing, I slipped back into the comfortable embrace of unconsciousness.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

To my great surprise, I woke from the darkness.

As the world returned, so too did the aches and pains—my oh so familiar companions. Surprisingly though, they weren’t as strong as they used to be. They felt muted… almost as if something was dulling both them and my senses. My head was fuzzy and concentrating was somewhat difficult.

What…. what happened…?

Cracking open my eyes, I winced as they were assaulted by light which blinded me. I had to blink back tears as I glanced around at my surroundings. The room was small and had a sterile feel to it, with a hint of disinfectant in the air. Various cabinets were located along the far wall, and were filled with multiple bandages, salves, and potions of various types. Beside the cabinets was a door that appeared to lead into a bathroom.

A medical facility of some kind, then. What was I doing here? My memory was hazy, large chunks of it missing or twisted in such a way that they almost felt like a dream. Placing a hoof to my head, I tried to push through the fog that smothered my mind. My last memory… was back at the hive? I… I had been in my old throne room, waiting for Death to find me, yet instead…

Oh…

My eyes widened as memories slowly began to trickle back in. I had been waiting for Death… but something else had found me instead.

Celestia.

She had found me, and clearly took me from the hive. But… where did she take me?

Glancing around again, I then gingerly pushed myself up so that I was propped against the headboard. As I moved, something tugged at my neck. Upon lifting a hoof, I discovered that an IV had been taped just below my jaw, on the right side of my face. It ran up to an IV bag that was half-filled with a pink, swirling liquid that glowed softly.

I stared up at the bag in awe and confusion. W-what? Liquid love? Where… where did they…? The only creature that was able to produce that substance was a changeling, and even then, the amount in the bag was far more than one changeling alone could produce. How… how did they have so much!?

For a long time I just stared up at the bag, my mouth hanging open. It wasn’t until I felt something drip down upon my chest that I realized I was drooling. Giving my head a good shake—which resulted in the room spinning slightly—I finally pulled my gaze away from the bag of love. Instead, I took to looking around the room again, trying to piece together where I possibly was.

There was no real information to be gleaned from my surroundings. No windows adorned the walls, so I not only could I not see where I was, but I had no clue what time of day it was either. Was it morning? Afternoon? Evening? I did not know, for my internal clock had been thrown off long ago. Strangely, there wasn’t even a clock present. I would think that ponies—who were so obsessed with time that they had a special time for saving daylight—would at least have a clock within every room of their dwellings.

...maybe I wasn’t in a pony dwelling though.

…

It didn’t look like any griffon-made structure, nor diamond dog or minotaur. Hippogriff was out, as they liked to build their homes in the treetops. It was possible I was in a horse city… but the bland design of the room quickly squashed that possibility; the horses of Saddle Arabia positively loved their windows and open spaces.

It also wasn’t zebra: not enough wood, decorative masks, or incense.

As distracted as I was, I was oblivious to the muffled sound of approaching hoofsteps until the door to the room suddenly swung open. Shocked, I started as a pony entered, and I stared at her with wide eyes. What the fuck!? I… I didn’t even sense her coming! Even know I couldn’t sense her emotions, even though she was barely a few meters away from me. Whatever painkillers were mixed in with the love appeared to be blocking my empathetic senses. Fan-fucking-tastic…

The mare—a light blue unicorn with darker blue mane—had on a nurse’s cap, and was currently eyeing a medical clipboard that was suspended in her blue magic as she entered. It was probably safe to assume that she was part of some medical team, which just reinforced the possibility that this was, indeed, a medical facility. Now the only question was… where was it located? It had to be somewhere in Equestria; the presence of a pony all but confirmed it.

The nurse was completely oblivious to my alertness until she was practically right next to me. Glancing up, her eyes widened when her gaze met mine. She flinched back, a startled yelp escaping her. Almost instantly, two guards in golden armor were in the room, spears at the ready.

“What happened?” one of them asked. “What’s going on?”

“I-it’s fine,” the mare said, waving them down. “I just… wasn’t expecting her to be awake yet.” The guards nodded and backed out of the door, their eyes never leaving me until the door closed again.

Picking up the clipboard from where it had fallen upon the floor, the mare muttered under her breath, “‘She’ll be out for twenty-four hours. You won’t have to deal with her’ my left flank.” My ear twitched, and she gave me a nervous smile.

“Awake already, huh?” she asked in a faux chipper tone. “Certainly faster than we were expecting. You seem to have a resistance to our normal anesthesia.” She gave me a strained smile, which I returned with a blank stare. This seemed to make her even more nervous, and her eyes flicked about rapidly before she glanced down at her clipboard again. “So, um... how are you feeling?”

“S-sore.”

The mare winced at the croak that escaped my cracked lips. My voice was ragged and hoarse, sounding more like a dry wheeze than anything else. She took a deep, shaking breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Some of her composure returned, and she stepped closer. “Well, that’s to be expected. You were in a pretty horrible state when you arrived.”

Licking my lips, I swallowed thickly. “W-where… where am I?” My jaw was stiff, and I had difficulty moving it.

“Oh, um… you’re in Canterlot Castle,” the nurse said awkwardly. “The, uh… Princess brought you in. You’re currently in the Royal Wing of the medical ward, to be specific.”

I stared at the mare blankly for a moment before letting my head fall back against the headboard with a ‘clunk’. By my fucking teats…

Canterlot. Of course Celestia brought me back to Canterlot—Pony Capital of the World. What in the name of the Hive was she thinking!? Canterlot was probably the worst place for me to be at the moment… well, no. That’s not true. That’d be the Crystal Empire, but with how much snow and ice surrounded that place, they didn’t have to worry about me going up there again.

Still, why Canterlot? Surely there were easier ways to kill me...

…

No… it would appear that was no longer the case. I might not know why she was attempting to keep me alive, but she was. My wounds had been treated, and it was clear that I was no longer on Death’s door.

D-did she want revenge so much that she was willing to wait until I was in better condition?

…

No, at this point it would be safe to say Celestia had something else in mind for me… but what? A trial? Some form of imprisonment? Maybe she didn’t learn anything from her student’s failed attempts. I could still escape from here with my life!

No sooner had I thought that, then a frown crossed my muzzle. Escape and do… what, exactly? Where would I go? What would I do? Most of the world was already hunting me down. I had no hive, no children, no allies. Celestia had already found me once, and I was sure she could find me again. I had barely enough energy to remain conscious at the moment.

Despite how much I didn’t want to admit it… I was stuck here for the time being, at the mercy of my captors. I… I wonder what they’ll do with me—

Sudden movement off to my side caught my attention, pulling me from my thoughts. I turned my head, only to blink in surprise upon finding that the mare had moved around the bed. She was now checking an array of machines that I had failed to notice earlier. Displays flashed and beeped softly. They appeared to be monitoring my vitals.

As I watched, the mare eyed the monitors for a moment before nodding to herself. Her horn lit up and, unclasping a pair of saddlebags upon her back, she levitated out a full bag of liquid love. Lifting it up, she hung it next to the empty bag before beginning to get it ready for insertion.

“W-what… are you doing?” I asked in a rasping whisper.

“Hmmm?” the mare hummed, glancing over at me. “Oh… my job. Princess Celestia has instructed us to care for you until further notice. As such, we are to tend to your injuries as well as your dietary needs.” She tapped the love bag with the edge of a hoof. “Luckily, Thorax was able to provide some gel for us to use.”

At the mention of that… thing, my vision redded, but I lacked the energy to get properly worked up. Instead, I laid there and watched the nurse as she puttered about, checking my vitals, the IV setup, making sure that I was comfortable. After confirming that I was all set, she turned and exited the room, all the while trying to appear like she wasn’t in a hurry to get away from me.

With that, I was alone once more. Too tired to really think any more, I took to staring up at the ceiling and just… existing. I wasn’t sure what the future held, but that was a problem for another day. Right now it just felt good to not be on the run anymore, and even though I was within the walls of Canterlot Castle, I still felt myself relaxing.

Wait…

…

...the nurse put something in the love.

Clever girl.

I guess we’ll find out when I wake up—or don't—whether or not it was poison.

My eyelids gradually began to once again grow heavy and, with a weary sigh, I slipped back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Chapter 02: Waking Up to Ash and Dust...

I wasn’t sure how long had passed, but if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that I had spent roughly three days in this bed. Since I wasn’t dead, I could easily assume that either ponies were horrible at attempting assassinations… or nopony was trying to kill me—a fact I was oddly disappointed about. It wasn’t like I was making it overly hard for them; I spent the majority of the time asleep… or drugged, as the case may be.

During the times when I was awake, I ached all over. I could not eat solid foods and instead had to rely upon the liquid love they were pumping into me via the IV. It wasn’t pure love, as I had found out, but a mixture of diluted love and changeling blood. The concoction kept a steady flow of nutrients and fluids entering my body, and was set up to prevent me from gorging too much.

During the few periods where I was conscious, I was left mostly to my own devices. Occasionally though, a member of the medical staff would visit to check on me. They didn’t tarry—just stayed long enough to inquire how I felt, change my empty lovebag with a fresh one, and brush the broken bits of chitin off the bedspread. My carapace was flaking something awful, cracking and crumbling off my body in small chunks and leaving the tender flesh beneath completely exposed.

And tender it was, as I quickly found out; the stupid nurse had been a pile of trembling, fearful flesh by the time the guards had entered. I hadn’t actually hurt her, but apparently the volume of my shout was almost on par with a certain Princess of the Night.

Besides the medical staff and the occasional guard, I saw no sign of anypony else. I was left alone for the most part except for an orange-and-red bird that would occasionally perch upon the foot of my bed and stare at me. I had tried to scare it off at first, but nothing I did seemed to faze the damn thing. Even when I chucked bits of my chitin at it, it only hopped about on its perch, avoiding the weakly thrown projectiles while continuing to stare.

It was a weird creature—one that made my remaining chitin crawl. I never saw it arrive or leave; it was either there… or it wasn’t. The medical staff never seemed overly concerned about it, so I assumed that it belonged. That, or I was the only one who could see it. After the first few times it visited, I began to ignore it.

...

Though if it kept plucking out hairs from my tail, I was going to wring its sorry little neck.

It was on the third day—or, once again I assumed it was the third day—that I found myself with a little more strength than I’d had previously. I was still weak, but I could sit up without struggling or support. My mind was also less fuzzy and it was easier to think.

Seated with my back against the headboard, I stared blankly down at the hoofboard. It was currently occupied by its normal resident. The bird watched me with its beady orange eyes, unmoving save an occasional cock of its head.

I ignored it and instead let my mind wander. The situation I found myself in was not one I had ever expected. Two weeks ago I had been deep within the dragon lands, scuttling from cave to cave in a mad search for some place safe to hide. They had chased me out, the loveless creatures blasting hot fire at me as I fled. With nowhere left to go, I had returned to my hive to await the end.

However, here I was… in Canterlot once more. Though, this was not how I planned it—how I dreamed of it. In my dreams, I was seated upon the throne, all of ponydom at my hooves. They bowed and pleaded and worshipped me—loving me. This was different, for though I might be in Canterlot, I was further from the throne than I had ever been before.

A captive of the race I had tried to enslave.

…

Oh, the delicious irony.

Truthfully, I was surprised I was even alive at this point. The ponies appeared to have given me another chance at life, something that I wasn’t sure if I should be grateful for… or laugh at their stupidity. What kind of race helps one of their enemies? Did they not know who I was?

Didn’t they know what I was capable of?

For a brief moment, a small part of me wondered what was stopping me from taking several ponies hostage and escaping the city? The Everfree Forest was close enough. I could hide within the crooked trees, drain the ponies of their love, and regain both my strength and power. The world would once again tremble at the mere mention of my name. I’d get revenge on the dragons first… the arrogant, pompous creatures. I’d show them what it felt like to be burned. We’d find out which was stronger: dragonfire or eldritch fire.

Then I’d come back to Canterlot… and all would pay.

I selfishly entertained those thoughts for a moment, a crooked smile spreading across my muzzle. The dragon lands burned, Canterlot fallen, dozens and hundreds of ponies in pods, there for me to feed upon whenever I pleased. Never again would I know hunger… never again would I have to wonder if my next meal would be my last. Love whenever I pleased. Oh… the thought of it was enough to make my mouth water.

But just as quickly as they came, the thoughts slipped away.

Sighing heavily, I closed my eyes and rested my head against the wall. It would do me no good. Even if I somehow managed to escape, what was the point? I had no hive or children anymore—I would be all alone. Worse, actually, as I’d be living on borrowed time as Celestia tracked me down once more to reclaim her kidnapped ponies.

Only this time, I doubted she’d be so forgiving.

There was another reason I was reluctant to try and escape. Truthfully, I was just so tired. Tired of running, tired of fighting, tired of the struggle... tired of watching everything turn to dust. It felt like ages since I had been able to rest—even before I attacked Canterlot, this exhaustion was present.

Ever present and ever heavy.

Heavy upon my head…

Absently reaching up with my left hoof, I touched the spot in my mane where my crown used to sit. I had lost it in the dragon lands as those loveless bastards blew dragonfire down upon me. It was almost bitterly poetic… after all, my reign had fallen apart, so why would I still need my crown? I was Queen Chrysalis of the changelings, yet I had no changelings left.

What was a queen without her subjects?

What was a mother without her children?

What was I without my changelings?

...

...and what was that ghastly smell?

A noxious odor tickled my nose and pulled me from my musings. Scrunching up my muzzle, I began to search for the source of the stench, only to realize with dawning horror that it was coming from me. A quick check under my foreleg with my nose confirmed: I was overly ripe.

“By the hive!” I gagged, pulling my head back. “I smell like that!?”

Well, I… I guess that was to be expected.

Truth be told, I had no idea when the last time I bathed was and was probably due for a bath. As I peered down at myself, my horror mounted as I realized the true state of my being. The remaining patches of my chitin were covered in a thick layer of dirt and ash. The grime was streaked from when they had apparently attempted to clean me up for surgery, but it did little good. Underneath my carapace, I felt almost… slimy.

I repressed a shiver.

Ugh… I need a bath immediately before this odor becomes permanent.

That thought alone was enough to stir me.

My gaze slowly drifted over to the bathroom door as an idea formed in my head. It was pretty clear I wasn’t allowed to leave the room—the guards posted outside the door day and night made that clear enough—but the bathroom wasn’t outside the room, was it? Granted, I didn’t know if this bathroom had a place to bathe oneself or not…

…

Fuck it, let’s just check and see. If anything, I could tidy up a little using the sink.

Throwing back the covers, I carefully shifted my weight about before easing myself out of the bed. It was a little difficult—what with my missing leg and all—but I managed to stand, albeit on shaky legs.

I still wasn’t used to this whole… tripod thing.

The bird watched me silently, tilting its head this way and that.

“Fuck off,” I growled, but only received a single blink for my troubles.

Tentatively, I took a few steps forward… although they were more like hops than anything else. I had to remind myself that my right foreleg wasn’t there, as I caught myself moving to put weight upon the non-existent limb. Damn that basilisk and all its spawn!

I managed to take a few more steps before I overestimated myself. Stumbling, I struggled to keep myself upright even as I swayed back and forth. My elytra and wings opened, buzzing weakly in an attempt to regain my balance. It was too much though, and I collapsed against the wall with a loud ‘bang’, creating a large depression in the drywall.

A ragged cry of pain escaped me as I landed on one of my wings, the thin membrane bending in a way it really shouldn’t have. A split second later I cried out again as another lance of pain hit me, this time from my neck. The IV—which I had completely forgotten about, hive damn it!—had been pulled free when I fell and was now oozing its glowing contents all over me and the floor.

Head spinning, neck throbbing, and wings trembling fiercely, I could do nothing but lie there in a daze. Before I had a chance to recover, the door burst open and a nurse and two guards rushed in. They glanced around the room worriedly and upon seeing me lying on the floor, one of the guards stepped forward.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked gruffly, brandishing his spear. “Trying to escape, bug?”

“No... I wasn’t,” I growled, blinking back tears of pain. Can’t let these bastards see me cry.

Unconvinced, he jabbed his spear in my face. “Then what are you doing out of bed, hmmm?”

Despite the fact that point of the spear was dancing about mere inches from my muzzle, I glared back up at the guard unflinchingly. Lifting a hoof, I weakly brushed the spear tip aside. “If you must know, pony,” I hissed. “I was trying to get to the bathroom so that I might… oh, I don’t know… take a fucking bath!?”

The venom in my voice caused the guard to take a step back. It was about that time that my stench apparently reached their noses, as the other guard and the nurse both scrunched up their muzzles in distaste.

With a huff, the nurse stepped forward, waving the guards off as she did so. “You may return to your posts, gentlecolts. I’ll take care of this.”

The one that had accosted me pawed at the floor and glared down at me.

“With all due respect, ma’am,” he grunted, “perhaps we should accompany you. Just in case she tries something.”

The nurse shot him a scathing look. “I can handle one patient by myself just fine, thank you. If she can hardly stand by herself, I doubt she’ll give me any trouble.”

“But—”

“Or are you telling me that you want to watch a mare bathe?”

That shut the guard up.

A red hue crossed his face, and he opened and closed his mouth wordlessly before bowing his head. “By your leave, ma’am.” With that, both he and his companion left, closing the door behind them and leaving me alone with the nurse.

She was a bit on the small side, as she would have barely come up to my chest if I was standing. Her coat was a rich yellow, while her curly mane and tail were dark purple, almost the color of a plum. A small horn poked forth from the curling locks of hair that fell about her forehead. Surprisingly, her cutie mark wasn’t medical related, but rather two purple hooves clasped together.

Eyeing me for a moment, she tsked softly before moving forward. “If you wanted to take a bath, you should have just used the call-nurse button. One of us would have been happy to—”

“Don’t touch me!” I hissed, slapping her hoof away as she tried to help me up. “Don’t… fucking touch me.” She flinched back, more from my words than the slap, as I was still weaker than a foal.

Wheezing, I struggle to get to my hooves. Several times my foreleg slipped out from beneath me, sending me tumbling back to the floor. Each time the nurse would step forward to help, but a hiss from me and she kept her distance.

Eventually I managed to stand up again. Leaning heavily against the wall, I struggled to catch my breath. My chest was tight, and my vision swam as I rasped loudly. By the hive… I’m utterly pathetic...

Apparently losing one hoof was all it took to send me crashing to my knees. I prayed to the All Mother that my predecessors couldn’t see me now, for they would no doubt be ashamed of how far I had dragged the name of ‘Chrysalis’ through the mud.

As I stewed in self-loathing, the nurse eyed me worriedly, but kept her distance. “Ma’am, if you’d just let me help...”

“I don’t need… your help,” I growled weakly.

“Ma’am, I must insist,” she said, taking a step forward. “You’re in no shape to be moving around on your own. You could aggravate your wounds even more.”

“I don’t need your help,” I repeated with a little more force. “I am Chrysalis! Queen of the Changelings! I don’t need help… from some pathetic… pony!” Even as I said them, the words felt hollow. The truth was, I had already accepted help from these ponies. They had patched me up, given me a bed, and had even provided me with a bag of love. I would be dead right now if it hadn’t been for them.

Whether I liked it or not, I was indebted to the very race I had tried to enslave.

Oh, the sweet, delicious irony…

The mare was quiet for a moment before replying. “That might be, but I am Honest Practice, member of the Royal Healers, and here, in this room, I’m in charge.” She glared up at me, her eyes twinkling with determination. “It’s my job to make sure you recover, and right now your stubbornness is preventing me from doing just that.” Taking another step forward, she stood practically muzzle to muzzle with me—though she had to stand on tiphoof in order to do so.

“So once again, your majesty,” she continued, “if you’d just let me help you, this would go a lot more smoothly!”

Silence fell over the room, broken only by my ragged breathing as I stared down at the mare with wide eyes. I had to give her credit; she certainly had some ovaries of steel. It wasn’t often that I met a creature that was brave enough—or stupid enough—to stand up to me like that. Granted, I was probably about as frightening as a newborn at the moment, but still...

Grudgingly, I averted my eyes from hers and instead stared ahead at my destination—so close, yet so far out of reach. No longer receiving a steady supply of drug-laced love, my senses were slowly beginning to return. I could just faintly sense the mare’s determination and annoyance, but also a small amount of... worry?

She was worried… for me?

Why?
…

Ponies really are strange, strange creatures.

Also, the taste of her worry was too much for me at the moment. After not having anything to eat emotional-wise for a long time, the sudden wave of sour caused my stomach to twist about. If it wasn’t rectified soon…

...

I was silent for a long moment before sighing. “Fine… help me if you must, but be quick about it.”

The mare was still for a moment before a wave of jollity wafted off her, causing me to wince. A small smile appeared on her muzzle, and she trotted forward cautiously.

“Hold still a moment, please,” she said as her horn lit up. She picked up the discarded IV and, without missing a beat, swapped out the used port with a fresh one. With that, she gently inserted it back in the vein just behind my jaw.

Immediately, a cool sensation spread throughout my neck and shoulders, and I sighed softly in relief. Oh… that feels nice. I hadn’t realized how much comfort that lovebag had brought until just now.

“There we go,” the mare—Honest Practice—hummed. Peeling the tape of the adhesive on the back of the lovebag, she stuck it in the middle of my shoulder blades. “All hooked up again. Now, you said you wanted to take a bath?”

“That would be most agreeable, yes,” I huffed. As she moved to support me, I waved her off. “No, I can walk on my own! If you must help, go start the water.”

She gave me a skeptical look but did as commanded.

I waited until I heard running water in the next room before I moved. Still leaning against the wall, I limped along slowly, my carapace scraping against the drywall, leaving a streak of broken chitin and dirt behind as I went. The lovebag sloshed about with my movements, but the adhesive kept it stuck against my chipping shell.

Honest Practice was seated on the edge of the tub as I entered the bathroom, a hoof in the water to test the temperature. She hummed tunelessly to herself as she sloshed the hoof about. At my arrival, she gave a start, almost falling from her perch. She gave me a sidelong look before returning to stirring the water.

The water…

Nothing had looked so inviting in all my life as that water did at that particular moment. Steam wafted lazily off its surface, curling about through the air before disappearing. The gentle sound of splashing filled the room as the nurse continued to tend to the tub.

I stood in the doorway for a moment, enjoying the sight and sound, before moving forward. Before I could reach the tub though, the mirror above the sink caught my attention—or rather, my reflection did.

What the…?

Changing my course, I limped over to the sink and peered into the mirror.

An almost alien face stared back at me.

What did they do to me?

My lustrous mane—my secret pride and joy—had been hacked and torn to shreds. Where once it had cascaded down to my chest and about my shoulders in long, soft locks, it now barely reached my neck. What little remained of it was in disarray, sticking out in all directions in a rat’s nest of dark cerulean. Likewise, my tail had been shortened as well, no longer trailing along the ground but now instead barely covering… well, anything at all.

As my eyes drift over my thoroughly-destroyed mane, anger began to well up in my chest. While not exactly a vain individual, it was still my mane. My mane, which I took time and care—and what little mane care products we could get out in the badlands—to get looking exactly how I liked. Few things were more relaxing than sitting down after a long, stressful day and being allowed to brush my mane and tail.

And the ponies had taken even that little pleasure from me.

“What... did you do to my mane?” I croaked out.

Honest Practice paused in her stirring of the bathwater. “Hmmm? Oh, well… you see. When we were tending to you and your injuries, it was discovered that your mane and tail were infested with lice, fleas, and ticks and we had to act accordingly. We tried to keep as much as possible, but… well, it was pretty bad.”

As she went back to tending to the bath, I continued to stare at my reflection. My eyes were drawn to a white feather placed behind one of my tattered ears. Leaning against the counter, I reached up and plucked it free.

“Wha…? Where did this come from?” I breathed, giving the feather a confused look. For a moment, I contemplated turning it to ash, but I currently lacked the necessary energy to perform the required spell. So instead, I tossed it into the sink and went back to studying my appearance.

Little details I didn’t initially notice started to make themselves known. The soft skin beneath my eyes—usually the same color as my chitin—was now a darker shade of gray, practically black. There were several sutures in the corners of my mouth, the staples holding the cracked chitin together and preventing my jaw from opening farther than it normally would. There was also a bandage wrapped around the stump where my right foreleg used to be. Dried blood blotched the white bandage, staining it deep emerald green.

My face, once so familiar, was strangely foreign now.

…

Who… who are you, hmmm? I asked myself. This wasn’t the proud face that was supposed to represent Chrysalis. Gone was the smug grin, gone were the energetic, glowing green eyes, gone were the powerful air and rigid stance.

Instead, somepony else stared back at me. Not a ruler… not a queen.

Not Chrysalis.

Just an exhausted mare.

Too long...

I continued to gaze at my reflection until the sound of running water ceased. Quickly, I hardened my expression before pushing myself off the counter. As I turned, Honest Practice moved beside me. Her horn lit up, and a soft glow surrounded the bandages about my right shoulder—a water repellent spell, if I had to hazard a guess.

“Let’s get you in the tub then, shall we?” she asked.

“I don’t…” I began, only to realize that it would be rather difficult to get into the bath by myself with only three legs, especially in my current weakened state. Biting back my anger, I grudgingly permitted the mare to help me. She had me lean upon her as she guided me into the tub.

As I gingerly climbed over the lip of the tub, I grumbled softly under my breath at the indignity of the action... only for the sound to turn into a long, drawn-out purr as I sank into sweet heated bliss. The water was warm and felt amazing as it seeped beneath my carapace and cracked chitin.

As I slipped deeper into the water, the nurse’s horn lit up and she removed the lovebag from my shoulder blades and instead stuck it on the wall above the tub. It was about three-fourths empty now, but that was due in part to it leaking everywhere earlier.

“Hmmm, I’ll have to get you some more love, it seems,” Honest Practice said, eyeing the lovebag. “I’ll take care of that after we get you washed up.”

“Mmmm, no,” I mumbled. “No… do it now.”

She paused while filling up a basin from the sink, a sponge suspended in her magic. “I… I can’t just leave you here by yourself.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, a tinge of annoyance creeping back into my voice.

“But I need to...”

“Are you insinuating that I can’t care for myself?” I asked, lolling my head about to glare at her. “I may be injured… I may be crippled… but I’m fully capable of washing myself. Now, be a good little pony and get more love.”

“B-but what if you fall asleep and…?”

I let out a barking laugh that caused my chest to twinge in pain. “And what? Drown myself in the bath? What kind of invalid do you take me for?”

“I w-wasn’t—”

“Go get the love,” I repeated.

She hesitated for a moment, but then did as instructed. Placing the basin down on the counter, she laid the sponge beside it before moving out of the room. A moment later I heard the door to the main room open and close, and then silence fell.

Letting out a low sigh, I settled back in the bath. The tub was surprisingly large and I could stretch out completely with very little difficulty. Water lapped gently at my neck and shoulders, the feeling sending shivers down my spine. A faint hint of vanilla was present, no doubt the nurse had put some form of scented… something in the bath. The aroma was relaxing, as well as somewhat... familiar? Where have I smelled this before? It tickled my nose as well as my memories, yet I couldn’t place where I had smelled the scent recently.

I mused upon it for a few more minutes before putting it from my mind. Instead, I closed my eyes, rested the back of my head against the lip of the tub, and began to enjoy my much-needed soak.

Time lost all meaning as I dozed there, immersed in the heated water. At some point Honest Practice returned and changed out the lovebag, using her magic to adjust my limp head and neck into a better position to access the IV port. Once the new bag was in place, she proceeded to drain the tub, to my annoyance. Before I could voice a complaint though, she was filling it again with fresh, clean water. It didn’t stay that way though, quickly darkening as the dirt, dust, ash, and love that clung to my chitin fell off.

Oh… that’s… that’s rather disgusting, actually.

Twice more she filled and empty the tub until all the excess dirt and ash had been soaked off. Cutting off the water one last time, she checked if I was still comfortable, if I felt any pain—any discomfort—or if I wanted to get out. I just lifted a hoof and lazily waved at her in response before slipping further into the water, letting the heat claim me once more.

I didn’t hear her reply, but she left the bathroom a few minutes later.

Once more I drifted on the edge of consciousness, dozing contently as my chitin soaked up the heat from the water around me. It had been too long since I was last able to enjoy something like this. Warm water, love in my system, no dragons or diamond dogs or griffons or minotaurs trying to kill me…

...aaah, bliss.

…

I wasn’t sure how long I laid there before I heard the sound of movement again. There was the soft murmur of voices before the door in the other room opened and closed. For a moment silence fell again but was broken by soft hoofsteps. My ear flicked in time with the ‘clip-clop’s as the pony approached the bathroom.

They paused in the doorway, but I refused to open my eyes. The water was still warm and I was still enjoying it. I didn’t care if it was the nurse, a doctor, or a guard. If they wanted me to get out of the tub… well, they could wait until I was finished. I might have been injured, but my fangs were still as sharp as daggers and I could still bite… I think.

…

Actually, my jaw was still fucking sore.

Well, I could always gnaw on them... gingerly. That might be a little uncomfortable for them, right?

Whoever it was, it soon became clear they weren’t here to remove me from my heated heaven. They watched me from the doorway for a few more minutes before slowly making their way further into the room. My ear followed them as they made their way around until they were right behind my head.

The brief thought of this being an assassin crossed my mind, but no alarm came. I was warm… I was comfortable… and I was sleepy. If this was how Celestia wanted me killed, so be it.

The soft chime of magic came, but instead of a knife plunging into my neck, a soft thunk sounded beside my head, followed by the gentle sloshing of water. A moment later, something soft brushed against my chest, rubbing carefully over my cracked carapace.

A confused frown touched my face, and I cracked an eye open and glanced down only to see a sponge suspended in a golden aura was currently washing my chitin. After a moment, it lifted into the air and wrung itself out over the small basin the nurse had filled up earlier, which was now resting on the lip of the tub. The sponge was dipped in the water once more before returning to the task of cleaning me. This time it ran gingerly about my shoulders and lower neck, being mindful of my injuries.

I leaned my head back as the sponge ran over my throat, a low hum escaping me before I could stop it. The sponge froze for a moment, to which I whined softly, prompting it to continue its trek across my chitin. The feeling was oddly comforting, and I found my eyes slowly beginning to droop once more. However, before I could drift off to sleep, a warm weight settled on top of my head, and the scent of vanilla grew stronger. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a hint of rainbow-colored mane wafting in a nonexistent breeze.

Celestia…?

Upon realizing who was currently washing me, I stiffened, my eyes shooting open. This earned an annoyed huff from the alicorn currently using the top of my head as a pillow, and she pulled away. She had paused washing me, but now resumed, the sponge moving gently over my body as she tried to get me to relax again.

After a moment, she began to hum softly as she scrubbed.

I sat there, confused and somewhat perturbed. Never before had somepony treated me like this before, not even my own changelings. The gentleness, the caring, the comfort—all this from the ruler of a nation I had attacked not once, not twice, but multiple times. Yet, here I was at her mercy and instead of executing me like any other nation’s ruler would do… she was bathing me?

…

What was going on?

My confusion continued to grow as more time passed. Celestia went about her task—quite happily, in fact. She lifted my left foreleg to wash beneath it, only to then wash along the limb’s length, taking extra care to make sure my holes and hooves were taken care off. As she levitated the sponge about, her hooves made quick work of my shortened mane. Shampoo and conditioner were gingerly scrubbed into my scalp, only to be rinsed out a moment later by a gentle deluge of water.

In no time at all, I was cleaner than I had been in ages. My chitin was still scuffed and dull, but it was no longer covered in dust and dirt and ash. My mane and tail, though still a ragged mess, had both been shampooed. Celestia was currently working on brushing out my mane, and even though my senses were muddled, I could still feel the contentment trickling from her.

She was enjoying this…

…

Well, I was too… b-but that was beside the point.

Unable to stand it anymore, I finally spoke up.

“I don’t understand you.” The words were soft and raspy, but they still caught her attention. She paused in her brushing, and her humming ceased as she waited to see if I’d say anything else.

I did.

“Anypony else would have killed me already,” I mumbled, “yet you’ve fed me… cared for me… staved off death for me. I have attacked your city, defeated you and your sister several times, foalnapped your subjects.” She started brushing my mane again, and I had to pause to stop a low purr escaping.

When I had regained my composure, I continued. “I have done nothing to deserve this… so why do you continue to care for me? The only thing I can think of is you want something that only I can give… but what it is I cannot fathom. What could you possibly gain from all this?” Shifting my head about, I glanced back at her with one eye. “What… what are you planning for me, Celestia?”

Pausing in her brushing, she was silent for a long moment before a small smile—almost nervous in nature—crossed her muzzle. Leaning down, she whispered tentatively in my ear.

“I have something to show you.”

Author's Note

Chapter 03: The Unwavering Sun That Bends

The room was large.

It was nearly the same size as my old throne room, but unlike the latter, this new room was completely bare—no windows and only one door. The walls were plain gray and rose high into the air, where they eventually met with a ceiling of the same color. It was open too; there was enough empty space that I could have taken to the air and flown around comfortably without bumping into anything… if I had the energy, that is.

Despite the spartanness of the room, it wasn’t lacking in comfort. The air was warm and just humid enough that it felt right to me. The atmosphere was so balanced that if I closed my eyes, I was sure I could easily fall asleep on my hooves.

It wasn’t just the atmosphere either. Everything about the room was precise—the walls were perfectly perpendicular to the floor and ceiling, and every surface had the same area; the room built perfectly square. If I floated in the center of the room, I’d be equal distance from every wall, the ceiling, and the floor.

A giant cube of gray stone.

I took another hopping-step further inside, only to note that an eerie silence blanketed the room—my hoofsteps did not echo. A closer glance revealed that the surface of the floor and walls were slightly porous, covered in tiny holes that not only absorbed most sound, but also provided a surprising amount of traction for my remaining three hooves. I doubted I’d slip even if somepony spilled a barrel of oil beneath me.

I took one more look around the room again, peering through the gloom to see if I had missed something. Darkness claimed most of the room, as the only light source present was the open doorway in which Celestia was currently standing. She was watching me with barely concealed anticipation.

Upon seeing me glance back at her, she perked up. “Well? What do you think?”

“It’s… a room,” I said plainly.

This earned a giggle from her. “Yes, but what do you think about the room?”

I glanced around again. “It’s… a big room?” I wasn’t sure what she was looking for. It was just a plain, empty room. When she said she had something she wanted to show me… this wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned. I had been expecting something more… well, execution-like? You know, blades, guillotines, hangings, burning at the stake—not that I’d be overly worried about being burned to death. Changelings were very fire-resistant. Sure, we could burn, but it’d take more than the puny fires that ponies could produce.

Oh sure, I’d play along and scream and writhe and shriek… but the minute those ropes turned to ash, I’d be off like a shot.

…

Well… probably not. More like a hop, skip, and a jump. To be honest, I don’t think I’d get that far before being recaptured.

Maybe if enough ash got on me, I could convince them I was a ghost?

Well, regardless, a plain room—as strange as it was—wasn’t what I had been expecting Celestia to show me.

Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Celestia entered the room until she moved slowly past me, her tail almost brushing against my nose as she sauntered by. I scrunched up my muzzle, trying to repress a sneeze.

Stopping in front of me, Celestia glanced around the room as well, a smile present on her muzzle. I watched her curiously, trying to sense what she was feeling. It took a moment—my mind still a little fuzzy—but soon the emotions started to trickle in. Calmness and eagerness were at the foremost of her emotions, but there was also a hint of… nervousness, hidden deep beneath the others.

Nervousness?

Why was she nervous?

What are you planning, Celestia?

“You’re right, of course,” she agreed. “It is a room… but it’s also much more than that. It’s a special room, one I had commissioned shortly after your failed invasion of Canterlot.” Her wings spread wide as she gestured around her. “This room we are currently standing in is one of—if not the most—secure room in all Canterlot. Maybe even Equestria itself.”

“Doesn’t seem all that secure,” I huffed. Sure, there was only one entrance that I could see, but I’d encountered situations like that before. Like that one griffon who managed to steal my crown from me. He thought it’d be safe locked deep within his family’s vault, but my children and I quickly showed him that even a ten-foot-thick wall couldn’t keep me from what was rightfully mine. We weren’t without heart though. After retrieving my crown, we left something of even greater value in its place before smashing the latch and lock.

Now that I’m remembering it, I wonder if he ever managed to get the vault open again?

If not, I suppose it wouldn’t be too hard to convert the old family vault into the family crypt.

Wait, Celestia was talking again.

…

I suppose I should do her the courtesy of listening to her.

“It might not seem secure at first,” she was saying, “but I assure you, it is. It took my ponies nearly a month to construct it. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all made from Nullstone. The room is spellproof, fireproof, and even soundproof. Once the door is closed and locked, it is completely isolated from the outside world. No sound can escape it, and nopony can force their way in. Even I couldn’t teleport inside if I wanted to.”

“So… what? It’s an emergency bunker?” I asked, glancing around again. Even as I said that, it didn’t seem right. There were no supplies, no stocked food or water, no emergency kits. Nothing that would support somepony for a prolonged stay within. If this was built to house ponies in an emergency, it was planned poorly.

“No, it’s not an emergency bunker,” Celestia said. She was silent for a moment, and when I glanced back at her I noticed she was fidgeting. Her nervousness was growing stronger.

Eventually, she glanced up at me through her bangs.

“I… I built it for you,” she said softly.

“Ah, I see,” I said plainly. A chill ran up my spine before I could stop it as the implications of what she had said settled upon my soul. She had built this room—this impregnable, inescapable room—for me… shortly after the invasion.

There was only one reason she’d do such a thing.

“So not a bunker, but a prison,” I murmured. Strange, this had happened before, though it had been Twilight, not Celestia, who had imprisoned me. Or, at least tried to. Unlike then, I doubted I would be able to escape this prison with the help of a book.

Strange, though… I felt nothing this time around. Shouldn’t I feel some part of fear or something? Was I that resigned to my fate that—

“No.”

Blinking in surprise, I turned to look at Celestia. She had fixed me with a look I couldn’t identify, and her mane was whipping about in a strange, almost sporadic manner. There was an odd taste in the air.

“No?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“No,” she repeated softly. “This was never meant to be your prison. That was never my intent for it.” Slowly, a pink blush spread across her cheeks. “If anything, it was meant, in a way… to be mine.” She practically squeaked out the last words.

I gave her an incredulous look before letting out a short, barking laugh. “I beg your pardon, but… yours?” She nodded and this caused me to laugh again, though it quickly dissolved into a coughing fit and I had to sit down to catch my breath.

Concern crossed Celestia’s face, but I waved her off when she started to approach. She stood off to the side until I managed to get my breathing back under control.

Wiping a few strands of drool from my chin, I sneered at the alicorn. “This room is supposed to be your prison? Prison… heh. Please, don’t make me laugh. As if your precious ponies would stand for you being locked up, even by your own hoof. You could kill somepony and your subjects would turn a blind eye in a heartbeat.”

This caused her to flinch and she looked away.

I grinned. “Hit that one right on the head, didn’t I?”

She was quiet for a moment, staring intently at the floor before her hooves. “Prison… might have been the wrong word for it.”

“Explain,” I rasped. “If it’s not built for me, and it’s not a prison for you… what is the purpose of this room of yours?”

Again, silence fell upon the room as I stared at Celestia, and she stared at the floor. Seconds stretched into minutes, yet still she didn’t respond.

I had just opened my mouth to repeat myself when she finally spoke.

“I’ve always had to be the strongest,” she said softly, her voice so quiet I could barely hear her. “Even before Luna’s banishment, both her and I needed to be strong. Strong against Discord, strong against Sombra, strong against Tirek… so many enemies that threatened our ponies in those early days. Luna and I were the only thing standing between them.

“After Luna’s banishment, it got worse,” she continued, finally glancing up at me. “With her gone, I had to stand for both the Night and the Day. I had to be stronger than ever before, something that your predecessor learned the hard way.” She gave my holey legs a pointed look.

Setting back upon my haunches, I lifted my foreleg and eyed the appendage myself. “You weren’t strong enough to kill her though, or else we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“No, I didn’t kill her,” Celestia said with a nod. “I always try to avoid killing whenever able, but I had to leave a lasting impression upon the rest of the world. I had to show them what happened to those who’d threaten my ponies. I had to be an unstoppable force… an immovable object. A new threat would rise, and I’d have to protect Equestria from it. In time, I became so powerful that there were very few things that could stand against me.”

She paused and licked her lips. As she continued speaking, she began to circle around me, her hoofsteps muffled upon the porous floor.

“Eventually, peace came and with it, I was able to finally relax.” My head craned about as I attempted to keep an eye on her without moving from my seated position. “My strength began to wane, but not enough that I couldn’t still protect my ponies from the occasional threat. Only the ones that they themselves were unable to deal with.

“My ponies became resourceful,” she continued, and I could taste the pride wafting off her at these words, “and they eventually were able to start looking after themselves. However, like a foal exploring the new world around it, they always seemed to come back to me for guidance and protection from the unknown.”

Like foals, I thought, and a faint wave of sadness washed over me. My children… my changelings.

Luckily, Celestia didn’t seem to notice the slight frown that crossed my face. “Centuries came and went, and I alone was the pillar of strength for Equestria—the Unwavering Sun. That is, until a new alicorn emerged. One whom you are intimately familiar with.” At this, she shot me a cool glance.

I returned the look. “The insides of her mare bits are neon blue, in case you’re curious.”

Ignoring my quip, she continued speaking even as she came to a stop in front of me. “She was young, of course. Far too young to take on the full weight of my responsibility. But still, I cared for her, I raised her, and I watched as she grew into the mare she is today. Another pillar that could support Equestria alongside me—the Unquenchable Love that the land deserved.”

“This is all well and good,” I growled, “but I’m growing tired of your exposition. What does all this have to do with me and you and this room?”

“I’m getting to that,” she said with a small frown. “As I was saying, it wasn’t long after I found Cadance that the Elements of Harmony were discovered again, and my sister returned from her banishment. We then had three alicorns, where once there had only been me. Three alicorns able to support and protect all Equestria, with the Elements of Harmony to back us up. The country had never been safer.

“But then you arrived.”

I winced, subconsciously smacking my lips before I could stop myself as a weird cocktail of emotions permeated the room. A shiver ran down my spine at the look she suddenly leveled my way.

“You and your swarm, filling the skies and blocking out my sun. You arrived and drove all that into the dust—everything I worked for. Centuries of planning, centuries of building, centuries of preparing… all for nothing.” With each word, she stalked forward until she loomed over me, her wings spread wide.

Okay… getting a little worried here.

“You foalnapped and imprisoned my niece without anypony noticing,” Celestia growled, her voice icy as she continued to list off, “you infiltrated our capital during a military lockdown, you tricked my sister into leaving the palace on a wild goose chase, you brainwashed my Captain of the Guard, broke through one of the strongest barriers we ponies could generate, you attacked the city, and you overpowered me in a direct fight.”

Her nose pressed up against mine, and I forced myself to not wince at the twinge of pain that flashed through me when she put pressure on my injured muzzle. I stared up at her with wide eyes as her mane flowed like fire, the temperature in the room growing slightly. There was a look in her eyes I had never seen before, even back when we had fought during the wedding.

It was almost… worrying. Is this how I finally die?

“You defeated me in a head-to-head battle,” she said in a deadly whisper. “You defeated me in front of my subjects… in front of my niece… in front of my student. For the first time in my entire life, I felt actual fear. I’d never felt true fear before. I’d never felt so incompetent. I’d never felt so… so completely and utterly inferior.”

I was sweating now. The room had become so hot that heat waves were rippling through the air. It seemed that I had been correct—even though she had denied it, I’d known that Celestia held a grudge for the wedding. The nature of the room was now clear to me. This was never meant to be a prison.

It was meant to be a tomb.

In here, she could vaporize me with the full power of her sun without risking the lives of her ponies or any other innocent bystanders. She didn’t have to hold back in here as none of her magic would be able to escape. This was why she had the room built. This was why she brought me here. She wanted to prove once and for all that she was stronger than me.

It was almost laughable. Celestia—Avatar of the Sun and co-ruler of one of the most powerful nations in the world—had to prove that she had the bigger ovaries before sending me off to see my predecessors in the Beyond.

I braced myself as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“I have never felt so turned on before.”

It took a second for my mind to truly process what she said. Even then, the words bounced around my head for a few more moments before it actually clicked. All my previous worry and fear died, replaced instead by pure bewilderment.

Deadpanning, I blinked owlishly up at her. “Wat?”

“I’ve had my fair share of lovers in the past,” Celestia continued softly, ignoring my outburst. “Consorts, both stallions and mares, all whom I’ve bedded, all in secret. And none of them… not a single one… ever made me feel the level of submissiveness that I felt because of you that day.” She kept her nose pressed against mine. Her hot breath washed over my face, bringing with it the scent of vanilla.

“Submissiveness?” I mumbled, my ears splayed back in confusion.

Celestia nodded gently, the tip of her muzzle brushing against mine. “When we dueled during the wedding, despite how brief it was, I still felt your power. I saw how strong you were… how quickly and effortlessly you were able to overpower me. It wasn’t something I’d ever experienced before. The helplessness, the realization that there was somepony out there that was stronger than me, and the knowledge that there was nothing I could do to stop you. It was all so… so…” She paused and a shiver ran through her body.

“So exciting,” she breathed.

I could no longer sense any anger coming from the mare before me. Instead, a new emotion was making itself known, one which, combined with the spicy scent slowly filling the room as well, brought a faint greenish hue to my cheeks. Oh… oh sweet hivemothers. There’s no way that she’s… she’s…

Closing her eyes, Celestia tried to compose herself by taking a deep, steadying breath. When she opened them again, there was an eagerness to her gaze, as well as a faint hint of… something else. Nervousness?

Worry?

Damn this drug, I can’t sense emotions as well as I used to.

“I’ve been strong… immovable… for far too long,” Celestia said quietly, yet still loud enough to pull me from my thoughts. “I’ve ruled this country, ruled over hundreds of thousands of ponies for over a thousand years. I’ve shown no weakness, I’ve known no relief. I was the one that needed to be strong… to be unbending… to be the guide and guardian. So, when I saw you standing above me in all your glory, it… it was amazing.”

She paused, nibbling on her lip as another shiver ran down her spine. By her sides, her wings began to flare slightly.

“For the first time in my life… it wasn’t me, but you who were in control,” she whispered. “You were the one in charge. You were the one who determined what would happen. The helpless feeling… it was so alien to me, and yet I loved it. I need more of it. That’s why I built this room. That’s why I hunted you down. That’s why I saved you.”

“Celestia,” I growled, a tattered ear flapping against my head. “I’m tired and drugged and my thoughts are so sluggish that I’m having trouble concentrating.” My eyes narrowed and I glared at her. “Stop skirting around the issue and kindly get… to… the… point!”

She was silent, worrying away at her lip while giving me a worried look. Her tail flicked back and forth, as if lashing out at invisible flies.

“I want to offer you a trade,” she said finally. “One that will be beneficial to both of us.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“I am willing to allow you to feed upon me, to feed upon my love,” she said, stepping forward. “And in exchange, you allow me to experience that feeling of submissiveness once more.”

“You… want me… to dominate you?” I gave her an incredulous look, and she nodded. “Sexually?” Again, she nodded, and I let out a choking laugh as everything became clear. This earned me a startled gasp from Celestia, but I ignored her.

Tremors racked my body as I continued to wheeze and laugh. Pain flared in the corners of my mouth as the sutures broke, and I could feel a trickle of blood-mixed saliva trail down my chin. A touch of mania might have worked its way into my laughter, but I couldn’t help it. Who would have known that the Princess of the Sun had a domination fetish!

“You lied, Celestia,” I cackled. “You said this room isn’t a dungeon, but it is. It’s a hive-damned sex dungeon!”

“N-no it’s not!” Celestia squawked, although her face turned a lovely shade of dark pink

“Oh, this is grand,” I sneered. “Celestia, Paragon of Freedom, hunted down one of the most wanted criminals in the world, not for justice or vengeance… but because she wanted to have her itch scratched. I must be dead, cause there’s no way this is happening.” I laughed again, only to wince as the pain in my jaw finally caught up with me.

Running a hoof through my shortened mess of mane, I took a deep breath to compose myself. “So, that’s the deal, huh? You and I bump uglies or else you pull the medical care, toss me out into the wilderness, and leave me to fend for myself again? Sounds like you’ve got me by the teats here, Princess.”

“Good heavens, no,” Celestia said. The blush had faded from her cheeks, but it hadn’t vanished completely. “We would never do such a thing! Your injuries will still be tended to and you’ll still be allowed to remain in the palace. We’ll even be providing you with love, courtesy of… um—” she paused, giving me a quick glance before continuing “—courtesy of our… local producers.”

“Don’t sugarcoat your words, Celestia,” I grunted. “I’m well aware of where you’re getting the love.”

She nodded stiffly. “Of course. As I was saying, your biological needs will be met. The deal is a standing offer, one that will not affect your treatment. It was just an offer that would benefit us both.”

“It benefits one of us more than the other,” I said with a smirk.

She had the decency to blush at that.

Rising to my hooves, I slowly made my way over, all while trying to sway my hips as I walked. Sadly, due to my missing leg, my gait was more of an awkward stumbling hop than the seductive sashaying I was going for. It appeared that it had some of the desired effect though, as Celestia’s face flushed a darker shade of pink as I approached.

I stopped in front of her, our chests nearly touching as I was forced to peer upwards to meet her gaze. In all our previous encounters, I had never realized just how tall she was—she could easily rest her chin on the top of my head if she wished. Despite the height difference, I appeared to be the one in control at the moment, if her upturned ears and shallow breaths were anything to go by.

“So, that’s it then,” I breathed, the tip of my muzzle inches from hers. I could see her nostrils flaring as she tried to time her inhales with my exhales. “This is what the mighty Celestia craves. To be dominated—to be put in her place—by someone who is stronger than her.”

She shivered, and I pressed the attack.

“It is, isn’t it?” I practically purred. “You want to feel powerless as you’re held down and used for someone else’s pleasure. You want to be removed from your high pedestal and have your face forced between someone’s thighs. You want to twitch and squirm and moan as someone plays with your helpless body. You want to be a toy for someone else’s amusement.”

Celestia’s breaths were coming in short gasps now, and small tremors shook her body. She stared down at me through hooded eyes, her lips parted slightly—eagerly waiting to be claimed by mine. A faint hint of arousal filled the air as her tail whipped back and forth.

“That’s what you want from me?” I asked. Moving forward, I finally allowed my nose to touch hers. Almost instantly, she seemed to almost swoon, and she swayed about on her hooves. Her nose never left mine though; if anything, she pushed back against mine even more firmly.

“For me to claim you as my own?” I whispered.

Slowly, we both tilted our heads to the side. Celestia’s eyes closed, her lips puckered, and she began to lean forward tentatively, inching ever so closer to mine. I could feel her breath on my lips—quick and sporadic, with the faintest hint of the scent of vanilla to it. Her anticipation and nervousness was sapid, the flavor making my mouth water once more.

Her trembling lips were separated from mine by a mere hair's breadth.

“Celestia,” I breathed longingly, and her ear twitched in response. After a moment wait, a sneer flashed across my muzzle. “Do you think I was born yesterday?” Immediately, I pulled away, and Celestia nearly fell as she stumbled forward.

She blinked, her mind no doubt attempting to catch up with the sudden turn of events. “W-what?”

Trying to walk with as much dignity and grace as possible, I began to circle around her, much in the same manner she had done to me earlier. “Do you think I’m stupid?” I continued. “Did you really think that I was naive enough to sharpen my own executioner's axe?”

“What are you…?”

“Don’t play clueless with me, Princess,” I rasped. “I know exactly what it was you were trying to do.” Despite the pain in my jaw, I allowed a feral-like grin to work its way across my face. “It was very clever though, and I must say, I’m rather impressed someone like you would do something so underhanded.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Celestia said, her ears splaying back.

“Oh please.” I rolled my eyes. “What do you take me for, a foal? I know how this works. The minute I move to do anything to you—to claim you, to mark you, to indulge myself—your sister is going to burst in here with dozens of guards and that will be the end of me.”

She gaped at me, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

“It was the perfect plan too,” I chuckled, “because you get to keep your pure image. I can see the stories now. The world will see you offer aid to a fallen foe. That foe then turns on you and you regrettably need to put her down.” Sneering up at her, I shook my head. “You are still seen as the benevolent ruler, and I get put out to the great pasture in the sky. A win-win for you.”

“I would never—” she began, raising a hoof to her chest.

“Unfortunately for you, dear Celestia, I don’t play that way,” I grunted. “I give you the same response I gave that bitch when she offered me her hoof. If you want me dead, you’ll have to do it yourself.” With that, I turned and, whipping her nose with my tail, I stalked shakily towards the door, leaving the Sun Princess standing alone in the center of her empty room.

The four guards stiffened as I limped into the hallway, their spears lowering slightly in my direction. One of them glanced into the room, no doubt checking on Celestia. Out of the corner of my eye I could still see her, her wings lowered and her head bowed low to the floor.

I ignored the guards’ actions and instead gave the leader a blank look. “Take me back to my room. We’re done here.”

She hesitated for a moment—her eyes flicking back to the door I had just exited—but then she nodded and started off down the hall. I followed along, using the wall as support as the guards led me back to the medical ward.

As we went, my mind wandered back to the look on Celestia’s face when I had refused. I wanted to smirk at my triumph—as minute as it was—but I found that I just couldn’t do it. Her expression hadn’t been one of somepony whose plans had just failed. Instead, the corners of my mouth tugged downwards. It had been a different look—one that I had seen before.

It was the same look that had been on her student’s face when I had been masquerading as the pink alicorn. It was a look of pain; a look of distress. It was a look I had seen on countless faces before, and never once had it even fazed me. So then, why… why this time, did it bother me? Why did the faint taste of sorrow and sadness that trickled down the hall behind me cause my stomach to clench into knots?

Silently, I limped down the hall, lost in my thoughts…

...and behind me, the Unwavering Sun of Equestria remained bent low.

Author's Note

Not dead. Just really, really busy...

Chapter 04: Love Thy Enemies...

The orange-and-red bird bobbed up and down upon my back as I retched into the toilet again. Pink-tinted saliva and bile dribbled from my lips, dripping down into the toilet water below. Swirls of glowing pink and deep emerald were already present, and they twisted and bled together as the water rippled with each new drop.

I had a moment to catch my breath before my chest heaved painfully and I retched again, emerald specks splattering across the insides of the porcelain bowl. A thin strand of pink hung from my bottom lip. It trembled with each rasping breath I took.

This time I was actually able to spit out a glob of bile before the next wave hit me. My belly was empty though, so I just dry-heaved, my stomach clenching uselessly as it tried to expel non-existent substances. It felt like the organ was trying to rip itself free and force itself up my throat. I gagged at the feeling, half-expecting it to come falling from my lips and into the toilet.

Giving one last retch, I laid there, draped across the toilet seat. I rested my head against my foreleg, gazing blankly down into the multi-colored water below me. For once, I was actually glad that the ponies had sheared my mane down to a shorter length; it was no longer long enough to fall into the tainted waters.

A small belch escaped me, and I grimaced at the taste.

“So undignified,” I muttered, closing my eyes.

Upon my back, the bird chirped loudly and readjusted its perch, hopping from one claw to the other as it fluffed its wings. It was surprisingly careful to not step upon my still-bruised elytra and wings. Still, it’s presence here was an annoyance—the bloody thing arrived shortly after I made a mad dash for the bathroom.

An unwanted witness to a not-so-flattering task.

Without moving, I growled up at the thing. “Why can’t you let me suffer in peace?”

It chirped again before hopping up to stand upon the back of my head.

“Buzz off, you overgrown buzzard,” I croaked, fighting to not heave again. “I’m not dead yet.”

The bird chirped for a third time before pecking at my skull. It then proceeded to pull several strands of my mane out and tucked them beneath one of its wings.

I shook my head weakly, but couldn’t dislodge the bird. “I swear by my broken egg, if you keep doing that, I’ll roast you alive and eat your charred meat.”

The bird paused…

“That’s better,” I grunted.

...before tugging out one last hair.

“Insolent whelp!” I snarled, whipping my head up and sending the bird flying. “Your succulent dark meat is min—herk!” My stomach lurched suddenly, and I gagged as my throat tightened. I barely had time to shove my face back into the toilet bowl before I retched. A spray of emerald green droplets splattered into the water below.

“By the Hive, why?” I whined as the bird settled back down upon my back. “There’s nothing left in my stomach to get rid of! It’s empty!” Brushing hair from my eyes, I went back to leaning upon the toilet. I rested my head against its side, grateful for the coolness it provided. Thank goodness nopony was here to witness this.

My ears twitched at the sound of approaching hooves. It would appear I spoke too soon. Figures. I have gone a few hours without losing more of my dignity. I’m due for some more humiliation.

Grumbling softly to myself, I frowned. It was strange. I didn’t even hear the door to my room open. As the hoofsteps grew closer, I debated whether I should quickly stand up and make this as dignified as possible… or simply remain where I was and make a mental note to dispose of whoever it was that found me in such a state.

A twinge from my stomach forced me to lean towards the latter.

I hope it’s a pegasus; my pillow could use a refeathering.

The pony paused in the doorway and the pony made a confused sounding huff. Cracking an eye open, I peered around, only to close it again with a groan upon seeing Honest Practice standing there. She had a bemused look on her face, one eyebrow raised higher than the other. Of all the damnable ponies to show up…

Whatever little dignity I have left—and trust me, there wasn’t much left to begin with—vanished when I tasted the amusement trickling from her.

“Oh, the irony here is delicious,” she said.

“What are you doing here?” I rasped, not opening my eyes. “I thought you had the day off.”

“You do realize that another name for a toilet is a ‘porcelain throne’?” she continued as though she hadn’t heard me. “And here you are. A queen upon the throne. I wish I had a camera, because none of my coworkers will ever believe me when I tell them about this.”

The bird on my back squawked and flapped its wings.

“I brought your entire city to its knees once,” I muttered. “You were all at my mercy. I could have ended all of you if I so wished. Tossed your sacs off the edge of the mountain.” The porcelain my face was pressed against had lost its coolness, so I began dragging my cheek along the side of the bowl, searching for another spot. As I slid, I made a soft whistling sound. “Hweeeuw, right down to the ground. Splat.”

“And yet, look at you now,” Honest Practice cooed, moving further into the bathroom. “With your face where most ponies put their plots.”

My ear twitched against the toilet bowl.

“You just moved up my list. Your pelt will look lovely as a decorative throw blanket.” I swallowed, only to wince at the foul taste clinging to my tongue. “Why are you here?” I asked again. “You told me you had the day off. I was looking forward to not having to deal with you today.”

“So was I,” she said stiffly. “However, you scared the rest of the doctors off with your little stunt, so they had to call me back in. Now, thanks to you, we both have to deal with each other.”

With a cheek pressed against the porcelain, I smirked.

Overnight, my condition had improved immensely. Sure, I wasn’t fully healed yet—that would still take several more days at my current intake of love—but I was certainly in better shape than I had been when I had first arrived. My various wounds had stopped bleeding some time during the night, the exposed flesh now just tender and scabbed over. The bandages that covered my stump no longer bore splotches of green ichor upon them. The corners of my mouth were still chapped and cracked, but no longer needed to be held together by sutures and tape. My chitin plates were still damaged as well, though there was no hope to heal those; it’d take a good molting for those to be repaired.

That was something I was not looking forward to in the near future.

An early morning trip to the bathroom had also revealed that, while still sore and awkward, I could manage to walk on my own without needing to use the wall for support. Although, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d ever be able to get used to walking with three legs.

Especially seeing as the gait it left me with was completely undignified.

Seriously, how will anypony take me seriously if I’m hop-hop-hopping along like a half-witted fool? All their fear would flee their body upon seeing me walk. ‘Yes, step into my parlor, little ones’—hop hop hop.

I can hear the laughter already.

Might as well just put rabbit ears on me and shove a cotton tail up my rump for as good for my self-image that’ll be.

Chrysalis, the Bunny Queen…

…

Ugh, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Wait… my stomach is currently empty.

Well, never mind then…

Loss of my formidable stride aside, apparently the speed of my recovery was unexpected, given the startled reactions from the medical ponies that were assigned to me. The doctor who had come to check up on me in the morning had expected to find me still bedridden. Thus, the fool nearly fainted from shock—and a fair amount of fear—when he came muzzle to muzzle with me only a few steps into the room. His scream caused the guards to come running, and I would have had a bit more concern for myself had the pair not promptly slipped in the puddle the good doctor had left on the floor.

Yellow on white had never looked so good.

Once the mess had been cleaned up and the medical staff had discovered just how much I had healed over the night, they subjected me to a plethora of physical tests, much to my growing annoyance. Go here, stand there, open your wings, trot in place, bend your neck this way and that; at one point I almost expected them to instruct me to stand on my head and whistle a ditty.

It was when one of the more uppity doctors told me to turn around and flag my tail that I finally snapped. The only thing that saved his worthless hide was my missing leg. Still, the sound of him squealing as he shot off down the hall leaving a trail of urine behind was music to my ears. And the fact the guards had to clean up another mess just added to the warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest.

Maybe I’m not as pathetic without my legs as I previously thought. I mean, I made two ponies piss themselves in the span of a few short hours. Perhaps I could work with this after all…

…

Anyways, after that, the majority of the asinine doctors seemed to get the message. Deciding that it wasn’t worth any potential loss of limb themselves, they retreated hastily, leaving me alone with my own devices.

“They’re lucky I’m not at full power yet,” I grumbled. “Annoying little gnats. They act like I don’t even know my own body. They treat me as though I can’t take care of myself.”

“Uh-huh,” Honest Practice hummed. “And how, pray tell, did you end up in this current predicament again?”

“It’s just a little bout of queasiness,” I answered a little too quickly.

“Oh really?” came the reply, and I could feel the eyebrow raise she leveled at the back of my head.

“Yes.”

“You didn’t happen to do anything at all that might have caused this?”

“No.”

“...”

“...you ate the love bag, didn’t you?”

“What? No! Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I do something stupid like that?”

She was silent for a few seconds before a wet smack came from beside the toilet. Cracking open an eye, I glanced down only to see the empty love bag—the top half torn open—lying on the floor beside the toilet. The sight of it caused my stomach to clench, and I was forced to shove my face into the toilet bowl as I dry-heaved again.

“You ate the love bag.” It wasn’t a question.

“Of course I did!” I growled, staring down into the swirling colored water. “It’s a bag of love! Love! I’m a changeling! I’m hungry! What did you expect me to do?” Finally pulling my head from the bowl, I reached over and flushed away the remainder of my filth. Shakily getting to my hooves, I stumbled from the bathroom.

“And this is why we act like you can’t take care of yourself,” Honest Practice said as she followed behind me.

“You told me I could eat solid foods again!” I shot back. Making my way across the room, I clambered onto the bed, nestling down on top of the blankets. The bird, having apparently gotten all the hair it wanted, promptly vanished. How it escaped the room, I do not know, as the door was currently closed.

As I tucked my legs beneath me, the nurse approached the bedside.

“You can eat solid foods!”

“Then it’s not my fault your bag of love made me sick!” I growled. “It’s clear that your source—” I spat the word “—is incompetent when it comes to the art of lovemaking.”

“Well, of course it made you sick!” she snorted, stamping a hoof. “It had chemicals and meds and solutions in it! It’s not meant to go in your stomach! It’s meant to go in your veins!” Lighting up her horn, she waved a new, unopened love bag in my face. “You basically consumed two-thousand milliliters of tainted love!”

“Well, I needed something in my stomach,” I sneered at her. “I am ravenous!”

She gave me a skeptical frown. “I highly doubt that. We’ve had you on a love IV drip since you’ve arrived.”

“Yes, and the majority of that went towards healing myself,” I huffed. “I could either consume all that love as food and die of a broken body with a full stomach… or I could use the love to heal myself and remain starved.” Shifting slightly, I pulled my only foreleg free and gestured at my body with it. As I did so, I gave the nurse a pointed look. “You can see which path I chose to take.”

“You’re telling me,” Honest Practice said slowly, “that all that love we pumped into you… none of it kept? You got no sustenance from it? You just flushed it all through your system to make repairs?”

At that moment, my stomach decided to prove my point as a loud grumble filled the room. It was an echoing kind of grumble, the type that more akin to a growl of a predator.

“The body might be recovering, but the stomach is still empty,” I grumbled.

She opened her mouth to rebuke me, but the words died on her lips when the door to the room suddenly swung open. Instead, what came out was “P-princess Celestia! What… what are you doing here?”

“I came to check up on our patient,” Celestia answered. She stepped gracefully into the room, a small, peaceful smile on her muzzle. Outside, I could see four guards standing about—the two that usually guarded my room, and the two that she probably brought with her.

“Did I hear that correctly? Somepony is hungry? Well, we can’t have that!” she continued as she turned her gaze towards me.

I said nothing, my eyes narrowing as I studied her. Despite our interactions yesterday, she gave off no negative emotions. I had been expecting a bit of sorrow or hurt or even anger, but she only radiated a calm sense of contentment.

Strange...

It took me a moment to realize that Celestia had been appraising me as well, looking up and down my body even as I laid nestled on top of the sheets. I felt like her gaze lingered longer on my flank than anywhere else, but I couldn’t be entirely sure.

Flicking the tattered remains of my tail over my rump in a failed attempt to cover it, I gave her a deadpan look. “Can I help you?”

“Oh, forgive me,” she said. “It’s just… you’ve only been here for a few days, but your wounds look practically healed. Your rate of recovery is surprising. A normal pony wouldn’t be conscious yet, let alone walking and talking as you are.”

Lifting my forehoof, I examined it with disinterest. “That’s because your ponies are not changeling queens. Unlike you fleshly little things, changelings can heal quickly from most injuries. Queen, even faster. So long as we’re given enough love, that is.” I shot a sideways glance at Honest Practice. “If proper care is given, anything less than a killing blow can easily be survived by the weakest amongst us. Given enough love and we can turn months of recovery into weeks, or even days.

“That’s why when the little Harlot of Love and her hubby blasted us across the countryside, most of my children survived,” I continued. “They were still saturated with collected love. Granted, once they were done healing themselves, we were back at square one,” I added under my breath.

Celestia nodded in understanding, a thoughtful look on her face, but Honest Practice cocked her head to the side. “If that is the case, why were you in such critical condition when the Princess brought you in?”

“Because,” I growled, “I was starving to death, you fool. It’s rather hard to heal oneself with love when there’s not enough love in one’s system to live by! Even now, I find my body needing to choose between feedings itself or healing itself. As I said before, I am ravenous!”

“Well then, we best get you something to eat!” Celestia chirped happily. Her horn began to glow, and suddenly a wheelchair rolled up beside her. She gave me an expectant look as she parked it next to the bed.

I stared blankly at it for a few seconds before it dawned on me what she was waiting for. “No. Absolutely not.”

Celestia blinked. “What?”

“I am not getting in that thing,” I growled.

“But, I’m taking you to get something to eat.”

“I’m well aware,” I huffed, “but I’m not an invalid. Wherever we are going, I am more than capable of walking there under my own power.”

“It’s a long walk,” Celestia said as she rolled the wheelchair back and forth. It bumped gently against the side of the bed.

Lighting up my own horn, I stopped the bumping. “I. Don’t. Care.” Surprisingly, instead of being hurt, I could sense a thin trickle of… playfulness coming from Celestia, even as a pout crossed her lips.

“Um, excuse me,” Honest Practice interrupted by clearing her throat. Both Celestia and I jumped, both of us forgetting that the smaller pony was there.

“Yes?” Celestia asked.

“As much as I’m loathed to agree with her,” Honest said, “I’m afraid my patient isn’t going anywhere. She has not been cleared to leave yet.”

“Well, doctor knows best,” I rasped, chuckling weakly.

“There’s still a few more tests I want to run,” she continued, levitating a clipboard over. “We need a few blood samples, a quick check of her vitals, and some more physical therapy. Plus, we need to rehydrate her after her… purging earlier.”

“You fucking traitor,” I growled, glaring down at her.

“I’m doing my job,” she shot back. “You’ll leave here only when I say you’re ready to.”

“Well,” Celestia said, drawing our attention back to her. A scroll hovered by her head, and she unrolled it with a smile, “that’s not entirely true, Nurse Practice.”

The nurse deadpanned. “Say what?”

“I’m happy to say that she has already been cleared to leave,” Celestia continued happily. “The other doctors assigned to her informed me earlier that she is well enough to be released into my care.”

“Was that before or after she scared the pee out of them?” Honest asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Doesn’t matter,” I huffed. “I’m still not going anywhere in that thing.”

Turning to look at me, Celestia’s bottom lip began to tremble. “Oh, Chrysalis… it’s only a tiny, little wheelchair.”

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?”

“I’m just looking out for your health.”

“I’d rather have my other leg fall off.”

The frown left Celestia’s face, and I sensed her amusement dry up. “Chrysalis. Get in the chair.”

“Bite me,” was my reply.

“Get in the chair,” she repeated, her eyes narrowing.

“Take your chair and stuff it where your sun doesn’t shine.”

There was a spike of annoyance.

Celestia stamped a hoof against the floor. “You are leaving this room in this wheelchair and that’s final!”

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

I could sense the faintest amounts of annoyance radiating off of Celestia as we slowly made our way down the corridor. A small smirk touched my muzzle, although I ignored her for the most part, choosing instead to focus on the movement of my hooves.

Front… back back.

“Hive damn it,” I grumbled under my breath. The gait was awkward, and despite practicing it earlier this morning, I still found myself trying occasionally to use the leg that wasn’t there. As such, I stumbled often—much to my exasperation—and Celestia had to stop more than once to allow me to resituate myself and catch up with her. She didn’t say anything, but each time it happened, I could feel her annoyance spike just a little.

I wasn’t doing it on purpose, but each time I felt the increase in her irritation, I couldn’t help but grin to myself. Victory is mine! I might have been a crumbling fragment of my former self, but at least I still had my dignity.

So, why did I feel like something was off?

The more I pondered, the more I realized that it was Celestia’s annoyance that was throwing me off. It was present, no doubt about that, but it was muted. It didn’t feel like the irritation one would feel if they had just lost a battle of wits to someone as devious and cunning as I.

No, instead… it felt… weaker, with an aftertaste of barely concealed amusement. Almost like when a caretaker is watching a nymph make a fool of themselves, but the nymph is too stubborn to listen… to… reason…

…

Well, fuck you too, Celestia.

This was clearly petty payback for foiling her attempt yesterday.

I wonder…

Curious about what other emotions she might be trying to suppress, I dug a little deeper, only to frown upon finding… nothing. No obvious negative emotions. There was the amused-tainted irritation, some faint traces of boredom—oh, I’m sooo sorry that my bunny hopping around isn’t more entertaining for you—and a good smidgen of calmness.

I couldn’t sense anything else present. No sadness, no anger, no distress. Nothing that indicated anything happened yesterday. Why wasn’t she more upset that I foiled her plan? Even the hurt I had seen on her face upon leaving yesterday wasn’t present.

Could she be hiding the emotions?

…

No, Celestia might have been a good actor, but nobody could hide their emotions from me completely. It might take a little digging, but I will always find it.

So… why wasn’t there any present within Celestia at the moment?

…

What that… gah!

I had been so immersed in thought that I had completely forgotten about my missing leg again and had attempted to use it. With nothing to support myself, I staggered forward, barely stopping myself from falling by collapsing upon the wall for support. Pain lanced across my shoulder and down my spine as my stump took the force of the impact. Stars exploded in front of my eyes.

“By my fucking teats!” I growled.

Celestia glance back at me from where she stopped a few paces ahead. The spike of annoyance came alongside the cock of an eyebrow.

“You wouldn’t have this problem if you had just used the wheelchair,” she said.

“Kind of hard to use a broken wheelchair,” I shot back.

She snorted at this. “It wasn’t broken until you embedded it into the wall.”

“Oops,” I deadpanned.

Rolling her eyes, Celestia sighed before turning and slowly walking back to my side. “Why are you being so difficult about this?” she asked. “I was only trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help,” I huffed. “I can manage on my own.”

“With the wheelchair, we would have been there already.”

“I can manage… on my own.” I glared up at her.

She said nothing, but glanced between me and the wall with a rather pointed look.

“Oh, like you’d be able to walk perfectly with three legs right off the bat,” I growled. “How about I rip your leg off and then you can show me how the pretentious, pretty little princess can hobble about with perfect pose, hmmm?”

Surprise flared up inside her, and Celestia took a step back. “I didn’t mean to imply…”

“I’m well aware of what you meant,” I grumbled. Taking a breath, I pushed myself off of the wall and back onto my hooves. “Let’s go before my hunger turns the rest of me to brittle ash.” Keeping close to the wall in case I had to support myself again, I moved along, watching my hooves closely as I went.

Celestia was still for a moment before moving to walk beside me once more.

I tried to keep a steady pace but soon found myself a little short of breath. My remaining limbs burned, and it took a good deal of concentration in order to keep my balance. Apparently walking around a small hospital room all morning was not the same as walking down a serious of long, winding corridors.

Who would have guessed?

It wasn’t long before my condition became painfully apparent. My breaths came in short, ragged gasps, and my steps were less hop-like and more of a weird three-legged shuffle.

I caught Celestia giving me a concerned look at of the corner of my eye.

“Are you sure you don’t want the wheelchair?” she asked.

I returned her question with a glare.

“How much further is it?” I rasped out.

She sighed. “It’s just around the corner.”

“Then I will manage,” I growled out.

True to her word, as we rounded the corner, the dining hall came into view. Two guards were positioned on either side of the gilded double doors, and they snapped to attention as Celestia neared. Upon spying me though, they tensed and readied their spears.

“At ease,” Celestia said softly, brushing the tips of their spears with her wings.

“Princess.” The one on the left returned to attention; the one on the right, however, continued to level her spear at me, glaring out from beneath her helmet. I could taste the hatred leaking off of her, but it was almost… hiding something.

I decided to dig a little deeper.

“Sergeant, stand down,” Celestia said, a little more firmly. “She is not a threat!”

That caused me to pause. Not… not a threat? Is she serious? Oh, Celestia… have you learned nothing from dealing with me? How many times have I managed to get the drop on you and your ponies? Always… always assume that I am a threat.

At all times.

No exceptions.

At Celestia’s words, the mare’s gaze flicked back to her for a moment before returning firmly to me.

“How do you know?” she asked. She tried to sound cold, but I could still pick up the faint tremble in her words. “How do you know she won’t try something?”

Ah! There it is. Beneath the anger and the hatred, a nice big heaping helping of fear. She was afraid of me. Or of what I could do. I wonder… could she have been one of the guards at the wedding?

…

Bah, it didn’t matter. I was starving, and the mare was in the way.

Celestia opened her mouth to answer the guard, but I shoved past her. “Chrysalis, what are you…?!” Ignoring her, I leaned forward, jamming the tip of the mare’s spear into my neck. Not enough to break my chitin, but enough that it dug into the brittle shell.

The guardmare flinched at my sudden movement, her eyes widening.

“Kill me or move aside,” I rasped, still breathing heavily. “Either way, make your decision quickly and stop wasting my time. I didn’t drag myself all the way down here just to die of starvation at the threshold.”

The mare said nothing, but I could sense the anger fading and the defeat taking its place.

After a moment of silence, I huffed. “That’s what I thought.” I shoved the spear aside, and it fell from her hooves with a clatter. Sidestepping around the pitiful excuse for a guard, I forced the dining room doors open with my shoulder.

As I slunk inside, Celestia tsk softly before following.

“That was unnecessary,” she said when the doors had closed behind us.

“Only fools make threats they’re not prepared to carry out,” I grumbled as I study the room we had just entered.

It was a surprisingly small banquet hall. A long table sat in the middle of the room and had the capacity to sit twelve ponies comfortably. Stained glass windows lined the walls, allowing in natural light that sparkled around the room in reds and blues and yellows and greens. Marble pillars sat in the corners, supporting a ceiling that bore a mosaic of Celestia and Luna chasing their perspective heavenly bodies across the aether. A single chandelier hung from the center of the scene.

As I glanced around, Celestia moved past me. Making her way over to the table, she ignored the large cushion at the head and instead picked one of the few along the side. She took a moment to get settled, her legs folding beneath her barrel gracefully, before giving me an expectant look.

Snorting, I limped over to the cushion across the table from her and proceeded to collapse upon it. Much to my surprise, it was actually fairly comfortable. A low grown escaped me as my aching limbs were finally able to relax.

“Are you in pain?” Celestia asked, a faint hint of concern coming from her.

“I’m fine,” I grunted. She opened her mouth again, but I cut her off. “My legs might be a little sore, but it’s my stomach that is currently bothering me the most.” I gave her a pointed look, even as my stomach growled softly. My body was already missing the IV bag, and I could feel my meager store of love fading as my injuries attempted to fix themselves. “Either IV me or feed me, Celestia, but whatever you do, do it fast.”

She stared at me for a moment before raising her head and letting out a soft whistle. No sooner had the sound faded then a maid appeared at the table, a tray balanced skillfully upon her back. With practiced ease, she began distributing the dishes.

A large bowl of salad was placed in front of Celestia—a mixture of lettuce, noodles, blackberries, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, and strawberries, with a thick blue cheese dressing drizzled over the top. A small cup of croutons was placed down beside the salad, and Celestia snacked on a few as the maid continued to unload her tray.

Next, the mare laid out a few plates and bowls of various fruits and vegetables, many of them seasoned with sugar or salt, such as the cooked apples dusted with brown sugar. There was also a tray of deviled eggs.

My eyes locked onto the hard-boiled goodness.

Oh… yeeesss….

Come to mama…

“You can eat regular food, right?” Celestia asked, peering at me over her salad bowl.

“Yes, I am more than capable of eating food,” I say, not looking away from the deviled eggs. “It can keep me going for a while, but without love, I’ll just waste away. It’s similar to a pony drinking nothing but water. You’ll live for a while, but in the end, it won’t be enough.”

Celestia popped another crouton delicately into her mouth. “I see…”

Chewing on my lip, I continued to stare at the eggs for a few more seconds before huffing softly. I made to grab a few, but before I could move, the maid placed a covered dish in front of me.

“There you are,” she said, her tray now empty. “Please, enjoy your meals.” Giving a short bow, she turned and trotted out of the room.

Eyeing the dish curiously, I lifted the lid a little, only to drop it immediately upon catching sight of the contents. I stared blankly down at the cover, my mind abuzz.

“Is something wrong?” Celestia asked, cocking an eyebrow.

I was silent for a moment before answering. “No, there’s no problem at all.” Slowly, I lifted the lid again, completely uncovering the dish. I stared down at the broth, which was glowing bright pink. My stomach growled loudly as the delicious aroma of love hit my nose.

This…

This was love.

Pure, unaltered love.

Every instinct was telling me to dive face-first into the dish and consume the love as quickly as possible, but I restrained myself. Eyes narrowing, my gaze flicked up to Celestia, who was watching me idly while slowly working at her own food.

“Yes?” she asked upon seeing me glaring at her.

“What’s the catch?” I asked.

She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“What’s… the… catch?” I repeated, motioning towards the dish. “What? Are you trying to butter me up? Didn’t like the answer I gave you yesterday, so you’re trying to bribe me with pure love?”

“Of course not!” I could sense the hurt feeling waft off of her. “I would never hold something you needed to live over your head like that. Regardless of your answer, we were always going to feed you. The request was just a possible bonus.”

Now emanating annoyance, she returned to her salad.

Falling silent, I glanced back down at the bowl of love. This… wasn’t what I had been expecting. Sure, I knew it was going to be love—it was the only thing that would keep me alive at the moment—but I had been expecting diluted love. This… this was pure love. Undiluted, untampered. With this, I could not only get back my energy again, but I would be able to accelerate my recovery rate.

And she was giving it to me with no strings attached?

I hadn’t sensed any falsehood in her words…

…

What…

What if… what if I was wrong about her intentions? Could… could she be sincere in her desires? In her wants? Was I truly looking a gift horse in the mouth? Have I become so jaded, so cynical that I couldn’t even comprehend that Celestia truly did want to help me?

...

With my mind still a whirlwind of uncertainty, I gingerly picked up the bowl with a trembling hoof and brought it to my lips.

It was the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted.

That didn’t help with my uncertainty.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun was setting as I made my way slowly down the hall. My stomach was slightly distended, and I could feel the love sloshing about inside with each hop-like step I took. There was a pleasant warmth to it, and I could feel the various aches and pains around my body fading as the love was absorbed.

Two guards shadowed me as I made my way back towards the hospital ward. Walking was easier now, thanks to the pure love in my system, but the guards were still able to outpace me; both of them having to stop every now and then to allow me to take the lead again.

And while my limbs might have been feeling better, my mind was still a jumbled mess.

Celestia… what are you playing at?

“Why are ponies so complicated?” I grumbled, my brow furrowing. One of the guards gave me a confused look but didn’t say anything. After a long moment of silence, I growled and shook my head. “Why couldn’t you have just tried to kill me, like everypony else?” It certainly would have made things a whole lot simpler.

Conflict was something I understood.

This though… this kindness… this was new.

…

Bah… maybe sleeping on it would help?

Still musing silently to myself, I walked right past my destination. Only a guard clearing his throat brought me back to present, and I backtracked, ignoring the muted amusement coming from my foalsitters. Trying to purge the thoughts from my mind, I pushed the door open and slunk inside. Thankfully, the guards didn’t enter but instead took up position on either side of the entrance. The door closed behind me, and they were lost to view.

I took a few steps inside only to pause upon discovering that I wasn’t alone.

There, standing in the middle of the room with her starlit mane wafting in an unseen breeze, was the Princess of the Night. On either side of her stood a pair of stoic batpony guards, all four of them decked out in dark lavender armor. And behind them, eyeing me nervously, were a dozen or so doctors and nurses.

“So, her royal highness has finally returned,” Luna said after a moment of silence. “We were beginning to think you might have gotten lost."

“It’s not that hard to find this room again,” I sniff. “Your kind doctors saw to that. All you have to do is follow the smell of urine.” Behind Luna, one of the doctors shifted uncomfortably.

Luna tsked softly. “You say that, but we were just about to send our guards out to find you. To make sure that you hadn’t… run off.”

“Oh, I hardly doubt I’ll be able to do that,” I said, waving my useless stump of a foreleg at her. Pain flared up, but I ignored it. “Maybe hobble off, but even that might take me awhile. If you were truly concerned about my whereabouts, though, you could have just asked your sister. After all, it was her idea to drag me along to dinner.”

“It was our understanding that the meal ended a few hours ago,” Luna said, cocking an eyebrow.

I shrugged, wobbling slightly on three legs. “What can I say? The meal was so good that I simply had to stay for dessert. And as I’m sure you’re no doubt aware, when it comes to dessert, your sister has a tendency to go overboard.”

Her expression didn’t change, but I could sense a spike of annoyance from her, as well as stirring of hatred. Strangely enough, hidden beneath the negative emotions, I could just barely sense the tiniest sliver of amusement beginning to well to life.

I had to bite back a smile. She was upset that she found that quip funny.

Eyes drifting over the doctors huddled behind the alicorn, I grunted. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“At the request of my sister, we come bearing a gift., although it’s our opinion you don’t necessarily deserve it.” Her horn began to glow, and she lifted a long, thin case out from behind her. Unclasping the latches, she opened it, revealing what was within.

I blinked.

…

I blinked again. “Is that… what I think it is?”

“Indeed it is,” Luna said as she levitated the prosthetic leg out of the velvet-lined case. It shifted in her magic, the joints twisting with soft, metallic click’s. “Your measurements were taken during one of your medical inspections, and my sister had this custom-made. She felt that it would help you adjust to your new life.”

I stared at the metal leg for a moment before squinting at Luna. “Sooo, what’s the catch?”

“Sadly, nothing,” Luna sighed. “We had wanted to make you earn this through various means, but our sister insisted that it be a gift. A show of good faith.” She passed the limb to a nearby nurse, who took it carefully in her own magic. “These fine medical ponies are here to help you get outfitted with it, as well as to make sure it’s adjusted properly.”

As the nurses and doctors moved towards me tentatively, I gave Luna a questioning look. “And what are you here for? Surely this doesn’t require your presence.”

For the first time, a smirk touched Luna’s face, although it didn’t reach her eyes. “We hear that the initial adjusting can be rather… unpleasant. Almost painful, even. We figured you could use some support.” Her grin turned into a sneer. “Please, by all means, don’t hold back on crying for our sake. We won’t think less of you for it.”

I said nothing but slowly moved my tongue between my back teeth. There was no way I was going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me in pain. I lived through having the leg ripped off… surely having a fake one put back on wouldn’t be worse.

Right?

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

I was wrong.

I was horribly wrong.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

Silvery moonlight filtered in through the tall windows as I made my way down the hall… again. I staggered along, my shoulder throbbing with each step I took. My gait was a little off, but that was to be expected, given the awkwardness that was currently attached to me.

clink

cli—clunk

I grunted in annoyance before glaring down at the metal limb that now jutted forth from my shoulder. It was proving to be somewhat difficult to use, as the joints locked up occasionally if I misstepped. This would cause me to stumble when I tried to put weight on the unmoving limb.

Giving my shoulder a small shake, I hissed in pain. In order to attach the leg to my body, the doctors had surgically implanted a large gemstone over the scar where my old leg had once been. A special harness was then wrapped around the stump, keeping the gemstone from being dislodged should I jostle it about.

At first I had been confused as to why they had stuck a gemstone on me. Sure, the green of the gem went well with my mane and eyes, but what possible purpose could it serve?

I found out the minute one of the doctors put a little magic into it.

Pain had shot through my shoulder as the nerves, long since dormant, flared back to life. I hadn’t cried out—I would not give the moon-flanked grub the satisfaction—but I’m pretty sure I cracked a few teeth before the pain receded…

Well, mostly receded. The only thing that had stopped me from tearing the doctors apart was the Lunar Guards standing off to the side.

...by the Hive, I’m going soft.

One of the nurses had been kind enough to explain to me that the gemstone would start absorbing my own latent magic. Once it was saturated enough, the leg would be attached, and the stone would allow me to move the prosthetic as though it were my own flesh and blood through a series of enchanted gemstones interlaced through the internal mechanisms.

At least, that’s what I got out of the explanation.

Giving my shoulder another shake, I winced again. Thankfully, the leg reset this time and I was able to keep on walking. It was somewhat weird—going from having to learn to walk with three legs, to returning to a four-legged gait. One would think that it would be fairly easy to progress back to what was supposed to be natural, but the new leg did not function like my old one.

For one, I had no feeling in it, which made tripping on uneven surfaces all the more likely and annoying. I’d only had it for about an hour now and already I had tripped over more stairs and carpet than I could count. I was forced to lift the leg higher than necessary in order to clear such hurdles, which in turn gave me an awkward, high-stepping movement only on that side of my body.

Another annoyance that came with my new piece of hardware was the fact that it did not have the same range of motion as my original, fleshy limb had. The doctors had assured me that the mobility would come as I grew more used to using the prosthetic, but I wasn’t getting my hopes up.

Rounding a corner, I stiffly thunk’d my way down the hall for a moment before slowing to a stop outside a large, ornate door. I stared up at it, chewing gingerly on my lip. After a moment of hesitation, I reached up and knocked upon the golden surface.

Silence filled the air for several longs seconds before the door creaked open and a white head poked itself out. “Chrysalis…?” Blinking sleep from her eyes, Celestia gave me a confused look. It was clear that I had awoken her—she wore a black, silken nightie that was laced up her back, and her mane was moving more lethargically than it normally did.

“What… what are you doing here?” she asked, fighting back a yawn. “It’s rather late for a visit, isn’t it?”

I opened my mouth, only to close it with a snap. Staring blankly at a point just over her shoulder, I racked my mind for the best possible way to phrase the request. No words came to mind though, and as the seconds dragged on, I could feel Celestia’s confusion—and annoyance—growing.

“I’m sorry, Chrysalis, but whatever it is, can’t it wait until morning?” she asked.

Opening and closing my mouth again, I swallowed thickly. Why was this so hard? I’m Chrysalis. I brought the Royal Sisters down twice, outwitted the smartest mare of the generation, and staved off death countless times. My name made foals quiver in fear.

So why was this so hard?

I pulled myself from my funk just in time to see Celestia beginning to close the door. Without thinking, I stepped forward and jammed my new hoof into the crack just before the door snapped shut.

The sound of metal on metal caused Celestia to look down, and her eyes widened in surprise. “Is that…?” Before she could continue the question though, I caught her attention again by clearing my throat.

“Celestia…”

She trailed off and returned her gaze to mine. Gone was the annoyance, and instead there was just a quiet curiosity.

I paused again, mulling over the words one last time before finally

“S-so, um… about this room of yours?”

Her face was blank for a moment as she proceeded what I had just said, but then, when it finally registered, a small gasp escaped her lips…

...and her face lit up like the sun.

Author's Note

Sorry for the long delay. I didn't like how the end of this chapter kept turning out. However, I think this is about as good as I'm going to get it presently. I might come back later and touch it up, but for now, we must move onwards!