The Masks She Wears

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.