Taking the Queen

"...and that's when I realized that he was saying "corn,"" smiled Shining Armor.

Twilight and Starlight let out a laugh at the joke. Twilight was holding back her guffaw, as she was in a somewhat public place and her brother had just told a dirty joke about editors and their relationship with spellcheckers. If she laughed too loudly, ponies would start sending dirty jokes in her fan letters, and that would simply be too much.

"So, what's new with you?" asked Cadance, having heard the joke twice on the train ride down to Canterlot. "What with all of the Saddle Arabian diplomats having signed the peace treaty by unanimous decision, I imagine things have calmed down around here."

"You would think," said Twilight, rolling her eyes. "Unfortunately, we've encountered a new problem."

"Any way we can help?" asked Shining, sipping at his coffee. "You know we'd be willing to do whatever we can."

"Not with this one," Twilight sighed, shaking her head. "This is something you both have a rather unpleasant history with, and I'd rather not involve you, solely because I believe the result would be quite upsetting for you. Just leave it to us, okay?"

"Are you sure?" asked Cadance leaning across the table. "Even the most unpleasant experiences can be made better if you have somepony you care about watching your back."

"I appreciate it," smiled Twilight, nodding, "I truly do. If it were any other problem, I'd be actively trying to find ways that you could help me, because I honestly would like to have an excuse to spend more time with you."

"Well, you could have them tend to your other duties," suggested Starlight, squeezing the juice from a lemon wedge into her coffee. "That way, you have more free time after you finish dealing with Chrysalis."

Shining spit out his coffee, coughing and hacking. "She's back?!"

Twilight sighed, having wanted to keep the details under wraps. "This is why I didn't tell you exactly what the issue was. I didn't want you to be upset by it."

"Of course I'm going to be upset!" growled Shining. "Why wouldn't you tell me that she's wandering the streets?!"

"She's not wandering the streets," interjected Starlight, putting her hooves up. "She's locked up in the dungeon and chained to the wall. Twilight and I both have keys to the restraints, and only the two of us together can unlock her from the wall."

"That was my idea," added Twilight. "We have to be together, we have to be working in tandem, and we have to be absolutely certain that we are ourselves. For safety reasons."

"Well, that's good, at least," sighed Shining. "I had really hoped I would never hear from her again."

"And I was going to try to facilitate that," nodded Twilight.

"Can she be reformed?" asked Cadance after a brief silence. "Like what Starlight did with the other changelings?"

Starlight shook her head. "She'd have to want to change, and I don't see that happening. All of the others didn't want to be hungry all the time, and were willing to change to make that happen. She refused my help the first time, so I don't know if she'll change her mind."

"Or allow you to change her mind for her," smirked Cadance.

"This isn't a time for jokes, Cady," snorted Shining. "If she's not willing to change, then she will remain as she is, and that makes her a danger to Equestria. If she won't change, she needs to be disposed of."

"I can't just kill her," huffed Twilight. "Even if she is the most cruel, heartless creature in all of existence, I can't take her life away."

"I'll do it," growled Shining. "She has caused so much harm to those I love that I have no qualms about dealing with her permanently."

"No, you won't," admonished Cadance, placing her hoof on Shining's shoulder. "She's going to be reformed. She's going to change for the better, and she's going to be harmless."

"I did say she has to want to change," reminded Starlight. "What makes you think she'll change her mind?"

"I meant what I said," she smirked. "You may have thought what I said was a joke, as my husband clearly did, but it was not intended to be. I was being earnest. You need to convince her to change her mind so that she wants to change her ways."

Starlight took a long sip from her coffee cup. "How?"

"Well, I can't speak to the methods you employ, but surely you have some way of convincing her to accept that the world is changing around her? If she cannot adapt, then the change of the seasons will end her whether you're involved or not. Find out what she wants, what she would be willing to do to change herself, and start there. There has to be some way of convincing her."

"But what if there isn't?" asked Twilight. "What if I pour all of my effort into this, and it makes no difference? What if she dies in my care, solely through her refusal to change?"

"Then it's not your fault," smiled Cadance. "If she dies, then it will only be your fault if you didn't try. If you do all you can, and I know that's a lot, and despite your best efforts, she falls? Then you can rest easy. You will have given her every opportunity to succeed, and it is through her own actions that she has rotted away."

Shining looked uneasy. "Are you sure about this, Cady?" He poured a fresh cup of coffee from the carafe and stirred in some milk and sugar. "I mean, if she changes, I still won't forgive her. She's done too much damage."

"Nor would I ask you to, Shiny." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Likewise, I'll not forget all of the things she's done. However, If she is willing to change, we may be able to build a whole new relationship."

"Building something new atop a completely unusable foundation?" huffed Twilight, pouring the rest of her coffee down her throat. "This is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done."

"I'll help," offered Starlight. "I was able to convince the rest of the changelings, and we do have a healthier relationship with them now. Plus, I'll take everything she says a little less personally."

"Then it's settled," smiled Cadance. "The two of you will work together to turn Chrysalis into a productive member of society, fit to be on display before the princesses."