Taking the Queen

Twilight returned in the late afternoon, after a light early dinner. She didn't want to see something that may ruin her appetite later or upend the meal she had already eaten. On the other hoof, if Chrysalis was now willing, doubtful as that was, then they could possibly go through the first two lessons, the second of which being dining etiquette. If everything went great, she'd be having more to eat right away. Even if not, she could just have some light snack later, so it wasn't a big deal.

She came to Chrysalis' cell, only to find her tied against the wall again. With a tug, she removed the queen's gag. "Are you going to tell me what you did to end up all tangled again, or do I have to explain it to you?"

Chrysalis huffed exhaustedly. She had lost all feeling in her front hooves, and the sudden lack of pressure on her neck was far more jarring than she had expected. "If you already know, then why are you asking?"

Twilight set to untangling her hooves once again. "Because I want to be sure that you've figured it out. If you're unaware, I can just give you the answer, but you have to ask nicely. Now, are you going to tell me what you did?"

"Piss off, already..."

Twilight shook her head and clicked her tongue condescendingly. "You know, if you keep trying to disguise yourself, this is just going to keep happening."

Chrysalis looked up with a sneer. "Is that what you think I was doing?"

"I know it's what you were doing," smiled Twilight. "I talked to Thorax before you woke up. It was his suggestion to secure the chains through the holes in your legs, rather than giving you a harness that you could just shift out of. You see, when a changeling shifts, they have to close those holes in their legs. I'm sure you already knew that, as avid a shifter as you are. However, have you ever wondered what happens to any objects wedged into your holes?"

Chrysalis scoffed. "You're lecturing me on changeling anatomy? The queen of the changelings, being told how changelings work by some pony princess who sleeps with her brother?"

Twilight slapped Chrysalis across the face. "That was uncalled for. You need a lesson in good manners."

"And it's good manners to slap?" Chrysalis chuckled.

"Fine," huffed Twilight. "What happens when something is wedged in your hoof hole, and you try to shift?"

"Easy. It's expelled."

"And what if it can't be expelled, as is the case with a steel chain such as runs through your hooves? Have you ever tried to shift with a long cable though there?"

Chrysalis looked at her hooves. It was true. Every time she had tried to disguise herself, the chains has spun around, feeding through her hooves until she was pinned to the wall, growing thicker and thicker as she was clamped to the anchor. "You're asking a changeling to not do what changelings are meant to do."

"That is accurate," smiled Twilight, nodding as she finished undoing Chrysalis' right hoof. "Every time you think about transforming, remember that you will be thrown against the wall, whether I'm here or not. It's going to create problems with your back, and your wings look like they may break if you hit them too hard, too often. A bit of a shame, really. I think they could be beautiful wings. It would be heartbreaking to have them unusable in the future."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, nor is it an option I'm going to take. If you wish to keep slamming yourself against the wall until your ribs break, be my guest, but if you would rather cut your losses and change for the better, then you may yet be released from this cell. That's all up to you."

Chrysalis considered her options as circulation returned to her legs, every movement causing a tingling pulse through her dark carapace. If she was going to stay in here, perhaps it was best to not transform for a bit. Then again, she could feign having learned her lesson, and be allowed to escape as the security became more and more lax. Deception was something that changelings were adept at, after all.

"After much consideration," smiled Chrysalis, holding out her hoof, "I have decided that you are correct. I've been a bad girl, and I need to be punished."

Twilight pushed Chrysalis' hoof away. "As much as I wish for that to be true, you do have a record of trickery. I'll need to see some proof before I place any amount of trust in you."

"Isn't there anything I can do to convince you?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Greet me, as you would greet a friend."

"A friend?" scoffed Chrysalis. "I don't have friends. I have subjects. Shall I greet you as though you are one of my subjects?"

Twilight stepped outside as Chrysalis' left hoof was fully unwrapped. She hadn't considered that she had never met somepony as an equal. Still, she knew what it was like to be in a position with no friends and needing to make some, especially as an adult. She was uniquely qualified to help in this oddly specific scenario.

"Let's start with something you may know already. Have you ever joined forces with another force of any variety in a battle of some kind? Either receiving aid from, say, the diamond dogs, or perhaps offering aid to gryphons?"

"You can't prove either of those."

"No, I wasn't--" Twilight rubbed her face. "I wasn't making an accusation, I just want to know, no details necessary, if you've ever worked alongside some force other than the changelings under your command."

"Of course. I forced the ahrlings into submission and sent them into battle in front of my own forces. I suffered fewer casualties because the sheer number of ahrlings was overwhelming my foe. Then I had the remainder killed off because they were an inferior subspecies."

"I remember that one," said Luna, stepping out from behind the corner. "T'was a cowardly move your grandmother performed back then. To have sent so many to an unnecessary death, I cannot fathom how terrified they mu--"

Luna stopped short. Chrysalis had spat in her eye, prompting Twilight to shove her back into the cell. "That is no way to behave!" she admonished, chasing after Luna, who was now looking for a sink in which to wash her face.