Captured

The Canterlot Dungeons. Not much is known about the place itself, but quite a bit is known about the ponies who enter there.

It is said that only the worst of the worst criminals get sent there. That you have to be a truly vile pony to even merit its confines being considered as a punishment.

There may not be many who know of the dungeons, but there are rumors.

Some say the place is filled with Equestria's most irredeemable threats. Some say that time spent there is worse than an eternity of flames in Tartarus.

There are rumors of a torture chamber, where the Equestrian royal guards are finally allowed to drop their masks of obedience and show their true, terrifying colors. Where ponies endure unspeakable horrors that those who survive do not dare to speak of.

And as for those who do not survive, it is rumored that if one was to listen hard enough, you could still hear their screams of agony in the middle of the night.

It is even referred to, in more superstitious company, as the place where ponies go to die.

And now, one changeling, is about to see for herself, whether or not the rumors have any merit.

Queen Chrysalis, had arrived.

The Queen of the Changelings walked forward slowly, her hands bound in chains, her hooves bound the same, and her horn cut off from any form of magic with the use of an inhibitor ring.

Her mouth was gagged, and her wings were bound tightly to her sides in chains like the rest of her extremities.

She was in bad shape. The magic she used to take on Cadence's form for so long had drained her even before the battle, but when the prince and princess had used that...Faust forsaken spell, she had all but lost most of her magic.

And the battle...the battle was the worst. While she did not get blown away from the city like the rest of her hive, she did get caught up in a fight for her life against not only the Princess of Love and her husband, but those dreaded sisters as well.

She bared her teeth in a snarl, grimacing at nothing in particular as she remembered the wounds she suffered at the hands of those goody-two shoes princesses and their 'Elements of Harmony'.

She had cuts and gashes all across her chitin, as well as a gaping hole in her shoulder from dodging a particularly deadly beam of magic. She had a black eye and scratch marks across her face, and her legs might as well not even be there for all the use she would be getting out of them for the time being. The only reason she was currently able to walk was because she was being held up by magic from one of her royal guard 'escorts'.

Flanked on all sides by royal guards specially trained in handling changelings, there was no way for her to escape, and the chain collar around her neck, held down by those same guards and specially made to prevent her from changing form, completed her set and made her look well and truly like a captured prisoner.

She turned her head from side to side to get a look at the several Equestrians who had come to witness her downfall.

She saw the usual hate-filled glares, the typical scowling faces, and even the occasional triumphant smile, which mostly came from other royal guards not on duty at the moment.

What she was not expecting however, were the few looks of pity and even the silent sobs she got from some of them.

To believe that these ponies would be feeling bad for her was...unthinkable. It made her feel...pathetic.

She looked away from them and continued to glare straight ahead, straight at the large set of double doors that, when opened, would officially mark her as a prisoner in the land of Equestria.

How dare they look down on her! She didn't need their pity! She was the one who got herself into this mess, and she would no doubt get herself out! She was the changeling queen for Faust's sake! She would not be mocked like this! Do they truly believe that a simple prison could hold her?

Then came the insults. They always came eventually. Whenever an opponent thinks they hold the upper hand, they always get cocky. They grow full of themselves. Get drunk on their power, the feeling of superiority.

She heard them say things like, "Monster!", "Impostor!". "Deceiver!", and her favorite yet, "Go to Tartarus!"

She felt a smile tug at her lips. They had no idea. No idea whatsoever of the skills she possessed. When she finally got her magic back, she would escape this place and see to it that she got her revenge on these wretched ponies for capturing her. That... she would make sure of.

As she looked back up at the large double doors that would seal her fate, the smile never left her lips. It was time to start planning.

"Commander Shining Armor, how is our guest?" said a gentle, soft, motherly voice.

"She is currently resting in her cell, your highness.

"I see. Take me to her then. I think I'd like to see her for myself, if that's alright?"

"Of course, princess. You have no need to ask such a thing."

"Oh nonsense, Shining! It's only natural to ask the guard for a visit with Royalty, is it not?"

"Ah...um... yes, princess. Please follow me."

With that, Shining led his princess through the dungeon halls and into the very back, where the Queen of the changelings was holed up, on the floor, inside her cell.

"We've arrived, princess."

"Very well. Thank you, Shining."

"You're welcome, princess Celestia."

Celestia walked up to the bars of the cell and bent down to get a better look at the prisoner. She was on her knees on the floor of her cell with her head down.

"Queen Chrysalis? Are you awake?"

She didn't answer. Celestia was getting a little worried. She leaned her face closer to the bars, only to jerk her head back as Chrysalis jerked forward, the chains holding her to the walls clinking with the strain.

"YOU!" She screamed, hatred and animosity dripping from her tone.

Celestia only giggled. "Oh! Ahahahahahahaha! Someone's a little angry." She turned to her captain.

"Shining."

"Yes, princess." Without a word, he opened the cell, completing her unspoken request.

He watched as she walked inside, only to follow her in soon after.

"Hmm...i don't particularly like that she's chained up. Release her."

"P-princess?"

"You heard me. Release her."

"Yes, princess."

With a nod and a spark of his horn, Shining Armor released her.

He started with her hooves, then her wings, her neck, her hands...

But just as he was about to release her wrists, Celestia spoke up.

"Not those. You can leave those. Leave her inhibitor ring on as well. Wouldn't want her hurting anypony."

"Yes, princess."

With his task completed, Shining left the cell to stand beside his princess. But he wasn't there for long.

"You may leave us, captain." Celestia said.

Shining stood his ground. "Princess, I'm afraid I cannot comply with that request right away."

"And why not, captain?"

"What if she intends to do you harm once I am out of the picture. She may have a plan."

Chrysalis couldn't help but smirk. Shining was right. She did have a plan. But she wouldn't be enacting it right away. She wasn't ready for that.

Celestia chuckled. "Oh, dear me, Shining. Do tell me what she could possibly do to me with no magic? Plus she can't get any further than those chains would allow. Now please, leave us."

She turned to Chrysalis and gave her own smirk.

"I have business with her."

With a nod Shining left, leaving Celestia and Chrysalis alone in the cell.

Celestia bent to face her captive, smirk still on her face. "Hello, Chrysalis."

No answer.

"How are you feeling?" She spoke in a soothing, comforting tone, as if speaking to a child.

Still, she got no answer.

"I apologize for the less than ideal treatment. It's just that my guards can be a little...rough, at times."

At this, Chrysalis snorted a laugh.

"Would you...like some help?" Celestia said, a touch of worry in her tone.

At this, Chrysalis' chuckle turned to into a full blown laugh. A laugh that hurt her ribs, and caused her to cough. She looked up.

"aggghh....ughhh...You? Help me? That's a good one, Celestia. You had me going there for a second."

Celestia frowned. "Are you saying you don't want me to heal you?"

At this, Chrysalis' eyes widened. "H-heal me? What kind of joke are you playing at, Celestia?!"

"It is not a joke, Chrysalis. Despite the rumors, I do not mistreat my prisoners. And as such, I will not mistreat you." Celestia smiled down at her.

"Rumors? What rumors?!" Chrysalis said, panic seeping into her voice.

"Oh, they're all just dreadful! Ponies think I torture my captives!" Celestia's smile grew into a wide grin that made Chrysalis' skin crawl.

"T-torture...?"

"Oh, yes, it's simply horrid. They believe me to be rather a cruel warden. I try to quell the rumors. Tell them I'm not tyrannical to criminals. But..." Celestia sighed.

"Ponies believe what they will. It doesn't help that that rumor about the screaming is actually true."

Chrysalis' eyes widened further. "Sc-screaming? And its...true?!"

"Oh yes! Our guests do end up screaming rather loudly." Celestia inclined her head, that spine tingling grin still on her face.

Chrysalis audibly gulped.

"Oh no! Did I scare you? Are you afraid?"

Celestia brought a hand up to Chrysalis' chin and turned her so they were eye to eye.

Chrysalis' eyes held nothing but fear.

"Don't worry. We don't make them scream in fear or terror." Celestia's voice took on a more sultry tone, her gaze predatory.

"We make them scream..." She brought her mouth up to whisper in her ear.

"In pleasure~"

Without another word, she licked Chrysalis' neck, causing her to let out an uncharacteristic squeak of surprise.

"What? What are you...? Nooo-mmm!"

Chrysalis' protests were silenced by a passionate kiss from the Solar Princess.

Her eyes widened in shock at the sudden intimate contact.

When Celestia finally broke the kiss, she stood up and watched for Chrysalis' reaction.

It wasn't a good one. She turned her head away, blushing furiously as she spat on the ground and coughed, trying desperately to remove the sun princess' taste from her mouth.

When she was satisfied with her efforts, she looked back up at Celestia.

"What...the buck...was that?"

Celestia tried to play innocent. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" The changeling queen yelled. "You know exactly what I mean! What the buck was that kiss for?"

"Oh right, that."

Chrysalis seethed in anger.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. I kissed you...because I love you, Chrysalis." Celestia said, giving her best loving smile.

"That's a load of bull and you know it. Now tell me whats going on! Why are you acting this-ACK!"

Suddenly Chrysalis felt a hand around her neck. It was squeezing so tightly that she could only just barely speak. She let out a strangled scream as Celestia pushed her into the back wall, knocking the wind out of her and putting a sizable dent into it as well, cracks forming on its surface.

When Celestia let go, Chrysalis lapsed into a coughing fit. When it finally stopped, she looked up at her and grinned.

As the changeling looked into the eyes of her captor, she could finally see the blinding rage of the sun within them.

"There's the Celestia I know and love."

Celestia glared daggers at Chrysalis, no longer bothering to keep up her kind demeanor from before.

"Make no mistake, Chrysalis. You are my captive, and this is a punishment. The only reason you are still alive, and not being vaporized by my sister and I, is because I believe in second chances. Even when it comes to a changeling like you.

She walked over to her and touched her horn to Chrysalis' own, healing her and taking away any pain she may have been feeling, both from her attack just now and the battle from before.

When she was done she removed her horn and turned away from the changeling queen. She walked up to the exit of the cell, and stood there for a moment, looking back at Chrysalis.

The now healed queen smirked. "Are you sure you should be healing me? If I get my magic back, I can easily break out of these chains and escape."

"Oh you don't have to worry about that." Celestia said, giving her own smirk back. "That spell was only a physical healing. It will do nothing for your magic reserves."

Chrysalis looked away, muttering, "Shit."

"I'm going to teach you about Harmony." Celestia suddenly said, glaring over her shoulder at her. "Whether it be through pain, or pleasure, or both, I'm going to teach you how to play nice with others, if its the last thing I do."

"And if that doesn't work?" Chrysalis asked, smug grin still on here face.

"Then you can join your children in the Badlands, starving to death with no love around to sate your growing hunger. And if you somehow manage to live, and come back to exact your petty 'revenge', know that I will not be so lenient next time."

She turned to face her.

"You understand?" She said, her happy demeanor back once more.

She walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek before she left the cell, closed and locked the door with her magic, and walked away, leaving Chrysalis all alone.

Now by herself, Chrysalis had time to think. She placed a hand on the cheek Celestia kissed, and thought to herself,

"My plan...might not work after all..."