A hoof outstretched, and a heart within reach.
It didn't take long for the entourage of princesses to return back to their respective castles, however, one princess was adamant about not letting her charge get touched or even in close proximity of the others. Cadance said that they had hurt the queen enough and she wouldn't let another hair be harmed on her mane. Celestia and Luna could only nod and turn away as Twilight was the first princess dropped off.
Celestia and Luna waved forlornly as they say their neice depart with what was once an enemy. Slowly, they retired for the night and went to rest up. That night, Celestia had nightmares. A broken shattered form of black below her, soon taking the form of an impaled Chrysalis. With a jolt, she would wake up every hour, each one, crying harder than before, Luna wasn't much better.
Luna walked the dreamscape, yet out of the corner of her sight she kept seeing the chandelier speeding towards her, turning towards the sight would make it disappear. She had just helped a colt save himself from a fear of heights when she snapped left seeing the chandelier coming full speed, before she could stop it a dark figure got in front and stopped it. Soon showing to be Chrysalis, the chandelier sticking her to the invisible wall of the dreamscape, blood pooling below her hooves as Luna woke with a scream. Celestia and Luna eventually cried in each others embrace so as to not be plagued by the sight anymore.
In the Crystal Empire, Cadance had just arrived as she ordered the guards escorting her, to carefully carry the changeling queen into an extremely soft bed. Shining Armor was against the whole thing and kept yelling at the guards to throw her into the dungeons.
"She ruined the wedding and invaded Canterlot! Throw her in the dungeons or you'll both be thrown back to basics!" As soon as Shining Armor finished screaming, the guards paled and backed up. Smiling as he thought it was because of him, he soon realized his mistake as he heard Cadance behind him. Spinning slowly on his hooves, he shakily greeted her. "H-hello m-my dear... H-how a-are you th-this lov-" He was cut off by her speaking in a low, yet menacing tone.
"If that is how you feel, then I don't know why I married you... We are the Prince and Princess of love... We should love everything equally, I almost didn't love Chrysalis enough to save her."
"But dear, she's a bug! She'll just wait to invade again. She should rot in the dungeons!" Shining was adamant about the queen being thrown into the dungeons.
"Is that how you truly feel?" When Shining Armor nodded, she took a deep breath and began walking with the guards following, carrying a hurt changeling. "Let's go. I have papers to sign... Divorce papers..." Shining was stunned. His wife wanted to divorce him? The guards stayed silent, not wanting to anger neither of the ponies in front of them, what with one being a brother to a princess and the other being a princess herself.
It was a long walk for Cadance, too long in her mind as she entered her room, slowly telling the guards to set the changeling on the bed. As soon as she was set down, she broke. Cadance cried, not caring who was seeing her. She cried for Chrysalis, for how she was treated and ostracized. She cried for what seemed like hours before she heard a gasp, looking up she saw he guard staring at the bed. Turning towards the bed she saw a sliver of a trail coming from the slightly open mouth of the changeling.
She was ecstatic, Chrysalis was eating! She all but rocketed forward and held the bedridden queen gently. "Take it! Take all my love! I'm sorry for not thinking to feed you and your children earlier! Forgive me, just... Just feed off me Chrissy!" She poured more love towards the queen, as she started to feel woozy, one of the guards got between them. "Move! She needs to eat! I'm fee-" There was now a trail leading to the guard.
"She is eating my love for you princess. Every guard, denizen, and creature in the Crystal empire love you. The other guard, my brother is going around to have every guard enter slowly and offer her their love of you. This way, you can remain healthy, and your... *Ahem* 'Charge' can be healthy as well." As soon as he said charge in that suggestive way, Cadance couldn't help but blush a deep shade of pink.
Cadance noticed the guard getting droopier, before she could say anything he called out. "Change!" He marched out as soon as another took his place, a fresh food source. Chrysalis ate much that night, guard after guard, maids and butlers all gave their love. Cadance thanked each and every pony, offering to up their pay.
"We do this because we love you Princess. If the... *ahem* mare on the bed makes you happy, then who are we to judge?" Cadance cried and hugged the maid who said that. This went on all night and early into the morning. Day after day, Chrysalis ate less and less but still a few ponies and a princess worth of love.
On the fifth day Shining Armor broke in with a contingent of guards and were going to take the queen to the dungeons. "And what is the meaning of this? Why have you broken into my neices castle with a troop ready to march for war?" They were stunned. Their captain said that Celestia had approved this, yet here she was, stopping them from entering. "I want a report in my hoof on the hour new acting Captain, Xenon Lyre. As for you... Shining Armor, I expected more... I expected a Captain, no... A prince that could look past a heart of hate... Go, before I decide to cast Fiendfyre and leave only the princesses and a queen alive."
After routing the guards, Celestia sighed and entered the room to something shocking. Chrysalis was awake, opened eyes as she stared at a crying Cadance. Celestia smiled until she heard the broken cry from the queen.
"You won't even let me die! Is this my punishment?! That I shan't die for as long as a reformed changeling exists?!" She kept yelling and crying until something bumped her side. Glaring at the culprit, her eyes softened seeing a small Flurry Heart sniffling as she looked up at the queen. She felt a pang of heartache. 'They have their own child...' She smiled gently and patted Flurry's mane causing a giggle to erupt as she moved the Filly to Celestia. "What's the term of surrender? I know this isn't a tea party, I lost and must pay... My crown? The only thing I have left? Granted, its part of me but it should be fine... I'll heal, maybe..."
"NO! I-i mean... No... You don't have to... We're not holding you captive, you're not a prisoner... You're a guest. A very important guest, the terms of surrender? Accept our love and apologies." Chrysalis was shocked, they were apologizing? For what? She invaded, she captured and foalnapped, she did all the wrong yet she was being apologized to. She couldn't hold it and cried once more, all the pain, love, and confusion set in, causing her to be emotionally distressed. Cadance held her softly, cooing sweet nothings into the queens ear as she sobbed. Celestia watched and let out a soft encouraging yet embarrassing bit of luck.
"Good luck with your new marefriend." Chrysalis didn't hear, she just sobbed gently, crying as her tears soaked Cadances neck. They sat like that for hours, until somepony entered.
"H-hello? Oh! I-I'm sorry... I-i'm n-not i-inter-rrupting, a-am I?" Cadance looked and saw the small timid form of Fluttershy. She waved her over closer as she saw Chrysalis, gasping, she zoomed up and held the queens face gently. "Oh who hurt you? If it was those no good manticores then I'll talk to them. They'll apologize one way or another!"
Chrysalis was shocked, another pony that wanted to help? She felt something flutter. (Shush! There is no pun! And no I'm not... Shy... >;) ) The feeling coming from her chest and her head causing her a soft headache. The princess and element of kindness looked worried when Chrysalis gasped and looked happy, ecstatic. She looked at the two ponies and began to cry happily muttering one word over and over.
Fluttershy and Cadance looked worried as Chrysalis was now crying into their embrace, hugging both of them. "Hive... Hive... Hive..." They were confused, all the changelings got reformed.
"Ummm... Chrissy? What do you mean hive? I mean your changeli-EEP" She couldn't help but let out a surprised sound as the queen held her tighter. Fluttershy also unsure as she was also getting squeezed when it dawned on her.
"Maybe... Ummm... I-i'm not sure... But maybe... She's gaining a hive connection with us?" She couldn't help but feel more confident as the weird presence of the queens happy/sad thoughts flooded her mind. She saw all the pain, sorrow, and loss the queen felt. But she also saw the feelings she had towards one certain pink pony princess of love. She smiled and cooed encouraging words into the queens mind through the hive mind link. This seemed to made Chrysalis happy then instantly became nervous. She had done this without permission.
"Ummm... I-i think... I'm... Forming a hive mind... With both of you... I-is that okay? Ifnotthenthat'sfineandIcanendit!" She flinched at her own speed as she teared up then heard both Cadance and Fluttershy in the hive mind, they told her that they would love to be part of her new hive, a hive that wouldn't reform and abandon her. This connection also caused Cadance to see how the queen saw her, and she couldn't help but blush deeply as she saw the various ways Chrissy was imagining her. At a picnic, near a pond, coming into the room with some Lacey, 'Okay! That's enough looking at the queens imagination now!'
Fluttershy was encouraging Chrysalis the entire time, to tell Cadance how she felt but each affirmation was shot down with a simple sentence. "But I'm a bug..." Eventually Fluttershy couldn't hold it and let Cadance know through the hive mind, as Chrysalis was too busy trying to make sense of her feelings. She let the princess know that Chrysalis considered herself a bug, more specifically, a parasitic bug that should be purged in Fiendfyre.
The next morning, Fluttershy said goodbye face to face, but kept tabs on the queen and princess through the hive mind. As soon as she left, Chrysalis slowly sauntered back to bed, too scared to be seen, as she went to lay down in the divot she made that reminded her of her old bed in the hive, she was pushed lightly and was pinned under Cadance.
"Well... If my little Lovebug~ wants to go to bed, then who am I to stop her? Oh, but she's not going to the right bed!" Ignoring Chrysalis' blushing face, she dragged the queen to her room and shoved her into the large soft fluffy bed. Chrysalis tried to counter but was quieted by a hoof. Cadance pulled the queens head closer and set it on her chest, her cheeks red as she held Chrysalis close to her, the changeling slowly falling asleep to the rythmic beating of the princess she was up against. Barely hearing the words come from the pony, she couldn't help but reply.
"I love you too"
Author's Note
This is ending one, The 'happy ending, if you wish to say. The other ending isn't the good ending. Feel free to read it as well, but I'm not gonna force you. Have a good day/eve/night and stay safe! Nnnaaaa!
The entire chariot ride back to the Crystal Empire was silent, not a single pony was speaking. All that could be heard was the soft beating on the guards' wings. Cadance, Celestia, Luna and Twilight watched the slow rise and fall of the queens' chest through the makeshift bandages.
The landscape passed quickly and time seemed to flow past in a haze as they started to get close to Ponyville. Landing in front of Twilights' castle, they slowly filed into the castle as a small contingent of guards stood, posted outside every possible entry. Chrysalis was gently lowered onto the couch as Spike came downstairs followed by the other mares of the Elements of Harmony.
"Hey Twilight! Welcome back! How did your trip gooooo..." He stood in front of five shocked mares as he slowly got curious, his gaze shifting over the occupants of the room. Eventually setting on the form of the queen of changelings, he got nervous. "Uhhhh... T-twi? Why is she here? I mean, I know you've reformed most of our rivals but..." His words were lost on him as the others all but teleported and tackled Twilight into a hug, unable to steady herself, Twilight fell to the ground in a heap with a chorus of "We miss you" and "Don't scare us like that!" Twilight giggled and hugged her friends, happy to be home when princess of the sun cleared her throat, catching the attention of every pony there.
"*ahem*... Now that we are all paying attention, we must let you all know. Yes, this is Queen Chrysalis, no, she is not a threat, for now at least. She seems to be in a coma like state and... It seems to be... We did more damage than we originally thought when we reformed the changelings." She watched to gauge the reactions of everyone there, watching as Rainbow and Applejack looked unsure, Pinkie looked obliviously happy, though the slight flattening of her normally springy mane showed that she was understanding. Rarity looked a bit disgusted as she saw the mess from the wounded queen but kept her remarks to herself, and Fluttershy stared with a hoof over her quivering mouth, tears on the edge of her eyes as she took in the emaciated form of the changeling before her.
"What do you mean damage? The changeling are prospering without her! It's not our fault that she just can't seem to reform like every other changeling! It's her fault she can't see past the wants and needs of herself and her subjects." Spike would have kept going if he wasn't smacked by a bright pink hoof. Shocked, he could only look up at the princess of love who was threatening to cry out in sadness and anger.
"While... Yes... It's not our fault, neither is it hers. She is the queen, so she must remain as such else she risks losing everything she is meant to be. Spike, we didn't just reform and take away subjects of a queen... We took away children... A hive of children away from their mother." No one said anything as they slowly exchanged hesitant worried gazes then settled on the queen. Her regalia forgotten, they now saw a pained mare who had lost her family. Cadance walked past a tearing up Spike and went up to the queen. Placing her horn next to the queens' own, projecting soothing love filled thoughts into the queens mind so as to help her slumber.
A few weeks had passed and Chrysalis' condition only worsened, she had more holes all over her body, signs of starvation. Her breathing shallowed as she was skinnier that before. Cadance was beside her bed sniffling as the queen stayed silent.
"Please Chrissy... You need to eat... Get healthy for us..." She sniffled and tried to push some love towards the bedridden mare, the push only getting forced back by something. Chrysalis' horn was glowing, she was making an emotional inhibition field around her head so that she wouldn't want to eat. Her eyes fluttering open slowly as she took in Cadances' appearance.
"Princess......" Her voice was raspy, due to not talking for a while she lost her regal multilayered voice. "Don't... I don't deserve your love..." She kept the princess of love from breaking through the field, as she listened to Cadance, she felt weaker with each minute, eventually her eyes closed as she went limp in the hooves of her former rival. Her last breath being said quietly, lost to all but the ears of one mare. "Sorry......"
"No! No no no! I accept your apology! Don't leave! You can't!" Cadance was bawling as she held the now deceased form of Chrysalis. The elements and other princesses looked up as Cadance reentered the room, their expectant looks turned to horror and sadness as she shook her head.
The next day, the weather ponies had made sure the day was cloudy as a dark obsidian casket, adorned with emeralds and a jagged rocky design was lowered to where every pony could pay their last respects. Everyone said sorries and wishes for better life for her, one dragon staying silent, not trusting his voice past a quiet apology. Cadance came up.
"Chrissy... I know we didn't have the best time, and that you imprisoned me below Canterlot... But I want you to know... I forgive you, and I... I-i... I love you... You didn't accept my love... Why? Why didn't you accept my love?! We could've been happy! We could have you roaming free in your true form, as a queen, but no! You had to push my love away! Why?! Why? W-whyyyy!" She couldn't hold it anymore and broke down crying against the closed casket. "Please... Come back..." She was gently lifted and pulled away my Twilights soft embrace as Celestia walked up and spoke to everyone present.
"I know you all have doubts about why we are here. Let me make this clear, she was a former enemy yes however... That doesn't give us the right to take children... And that's what we did... In our conquest of peace and friendship, we tore the one thing that was stronger... We tore a family apart. Let Chrysalis be known, not as a mad queen of an insect hive bent on eating all love... But as a mother who was doing the best she could with what she was given for her children. A mother on her wits' end, only looking to making her children happy, and we turned them against her... I'm sorry, I failed as a Princess... I can't correct my past but I will not make this mistake again. Let it be known in this new law, any changeling, reformed or not, must be brought before me. I will tell them about her passing and that, if they wish to stay true to her form, then they will be welcomed with open hooves!"
Following the queens funeral, there was not a single true changeling left, only the reformed. They had built a statue of Chrysalis in her prime, a wide beaming fanged smile with a smooth marble body, no holes to be seen. Her wings outstretched and whole, her eyes shown with a vibrance as her pose was that of a true queen, a proper ruler of a civilization. Below the statue stood a plaque that read: "Here lies Queen of the true changeling race, Queen Chrysalis. A mother who's family was stripped from her and held away from her loving embrace, driven to an early end. May we never forget, a friendship is only outweighed by family."
Thorax stared at the statue as he let a tear out and walked away. "Goodbye... My queen." He walked away with a few other reformed changelings, into the castle as the guards gave then a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Soon, the gravesite was empty, except one lifeform.
Coming out from behind a bush, a small orange coat, purple maned filly walked up. "Gah! It's so tiring!" Scootaloo was engulfed by green flames and there stoon a small filly that looked exactly like Chrysalis. "I'm gonna miss you mom... I made two friends while you were finding food! Sweetie belle and Applebloom are great friends! They love me... Though... Not as much as you did. I-ill never forgive you! You used the last love to feed me!" She began crying at the hoof of her mother. "I hate you! I hate that you put me before you! I hate that you sent me somewhere safe while you got into danger! I hate that you left me early... And I hate that I never got to have a hive of my own..." She kissed the leg of the statue. "Rest well mom... And I hope I get a hive as grand as yours..." As she turned to walk away, there was a flash and a snapping sound. Turning around, she gasped as she looked at the small bundle. Pulling the cloth away there was a paper and what seemed to be a bright green ball.
Opening the letter she read. "My daughter, if you get this then that means I have passed before my time. With you are a list of instructions and an eggsac... The last one I made before I was making starved sacs. They are in a pocket time hole so when you begin making our special resin. Only a queen can make a birthing resin. When you become of age, you can make it. Then you can start your hive, I only hope you keep them from becoming a reformed changeling, I don't know what the ponies call them but I'm dubbing them as my mother has, Flitterlings... Please, don't let us die out. Goodbye... My only love." The nymph was now crying as she held the letter tighter. She sniffled
"I-i will mom... I will..." She looked up at the statue determined. "I will make a grand hive, as grand as the hive in your stories back when you said you first came to queendom. Maybe grander! No... I promise it will be grander! I will bring our kind back from the depths or my name isn't Queen Ivory 'Scootaloo' Chrysalis! Daughter of Queen Ebony 'Anastasia' Chrysalis!" She turned and flew into the night, not noticing the smile from the mare with a starry night sky mane.
"I'm sure you will Ivory... And I'm looking forwards to seeing your hive flourish under your rule. I will be the first ally, Princess Luna and he Thestrals will be at your beck and call... Good luck..." She sent the small queen a bit of love, not a lot, but the filly would be fed for the night.
Author's Note
Happy/sad ending of "Evolution isn't always the best" tell me what you think of either ending. Love you all and stay safe!
