Thorax looked at his brother with tears in his eyes as they gazed upon the hive that their mother was staying in. It brought back a mix of memories of better days and a sense of sorrow that they could never turn back time.

“It's gonna be alright, Thorax. I know this is tough, but you wanted to do this.” Pharynx gave his brother a reassuring hug. However, the pain in his voice betrayed his attempt to sound strong. "We both know it’s not what I wanted," Pharynx whispered, "but you're doing this for the greater good. For our hive."

Thorax gave a small nod as he wiped away the tears that kept falling down his face. “I know, Pharynx, but I do appreciate you coming with me.”

“King Thorax, if you're ready, please follow me.” A nurse, with a sympathetic look in her eyes, called out to the brothers, beckoning them to follow. Together they walked through the castle hall in silence, the only sound being the soft rustling of their clothes and the distant echo of their footsteps.

To Thorax, each step was agony. The thought of what lay ahead made every step feel like walking through gelatine, but he still followed the nurse. Pharynx wasn’t faring much better, but he knew he had to remain strong for his brother, for their hive, and for the memory of their old queen.

As they arrived at the entrance of their mother’s room, Pharynx placed a hand on Thorax’s shoulder before they entered. "Brother, if she gets worse, we'll get her the best treatment available. We'll do everything we can to help her." Thorax nodded, but the pain in his eyes told a different story.

When they finally entered the room, Chrysalis was lying in bed, surrounded by various medical equipment. Turning her head, she had a look of confusion on her face as she spoke. “Who… are you?” The sight of her vacant stare pierced Thorax's heart.

He quickly realized they didn’t look like they used to. Budging his brother, they both changed into their pre-royal states, transforming away from the imposing figures of their adult forms, hoping to recapture some semblance of family connection.

“Sorry, Mother, we were just practicing our transformation,” Thorax said, his voice barely above a whisper, tinged with sadness.

“Mother? I’m no one's mother,” Chrysalis replied, her words cutting deep into Thorax’s heart. "I still have to build my hive, or did I already do that? I know I was planning a wedding, but I can't seem to recall," she added, the confusion etched on her face.

Pharynx took a step forward, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his chest. “Your Highness, the hive is already complete.” Chrysalis seemed momentarily pleased before Pharynx continued, “Your subjects are moving in as we speak.” For a fleeting moment, it appeared she was beginning to regain a fragment of her former self.

“Wonderful, now that the hive is complete, we will be the anchor point against Sombra and his army," Chrysalis said, but her voice faltered as she began to cough violently. Thorax rushed to her side, giving her something to drink, anguish tightening his chest as he watched her struggle.

Pharynx, keenly aware of the situation, remembered the tales of their mother's strength and determination. He tried to bolster her spirits. “Yes, Your Highness, the Equestrians are holding him back until you can back them up.”

Once Chrysalis calmed down from her coughing fit, she seemed a little more lucid and murmured, “Excellent work, now... what was I saying? I can't seem to recall.” Just as her lucidity came.

As they turned to leave, Chrysalis suddenly cleared her throat, her gaze sharpening with unexpected clarity, and she whispered, "Thorax, Pharynx, please remember I fought for you both; even in this haze, you are still my greatest pride."

Thorax froze, heart racing, the surprise in his eyes mingling with sorrow as he stammered, "Mother? Is it really you?"

Pharynx's expression was no less shocked, the hardness he always wore melting away as he whispered, "But you’ve been… lost to us. How can you—"

Chrysalis’s smile was tinged with grief, and she simply replied, “For a moment, I’m here. Don’t let this memory fade.” The room seemed to weigh heavy with the enormity of her words, as her brief clarity slipped away like sand through their hooves.

As the sunlight filtered through the cracks in the walls, illuminating Chrysalis’s face, her moment of clarity began to dissolve like smoke in the breeze. Her eyes clouded again, drifting away from the present as she started to ramble, her voice taking on a wistful tone. “Ah, the spark of that long-ago life… when we ruled the skies and the love we took was ours…”

Thorax and Pharynx exchanged worried glances, their hearts sinking as they watched their mother slip back into the grasp of her dementia. “Do you remember, my beautiful children? The shadowy dance we had beneath the stars? And those brave, foolish ponies who dared cross us?”

Thorax felt a knot tighten in his chest. “Mom… please, stay with us.”

Chrysalis barely seemed to hear him, her thoughts racing back in time. “I would love to see Starlight again,” she mused, a smile flickering across her lips. “Such potential, that one. So clever! I remember how I funded her wedding. Such a beautiful time!” She chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in her tone. “And Trixie, oh, the way she sparkled on that day! Such talent wrapped in theatrics... Their happiness lit up the air, didn't it?”

Pharynx clenched his jaw, the ache of their mother’s fading memories hitting him hard. “Mom, we need you here with us… not lost in those memories.”

But Chrysalis simply continued to ramble, her thoughts drifting further and further away. “Do you think they’re happy? Do you think they remember how I helped them? Such wonderful plans, such delightful schemes… oh, how we danced!”

The sadness deepened in Thorax's eyes, and he stepped closer, his voice a gentle plea, “We remember, Mother. But we want you to remember us too—to be here with us now.”

Yet, Chrysalis’s gaze grew distant once more, her visage clouded, lost in a world far removed from their reality. “Ah, such memories,” she sighed wistfully, “if only I could weave them back together…”

In that moment, Thorax and Pharynx felt the weight of their loss, the rift between the mother they had known and the one slipping away from them, leaving only echoes of a past that would never return.

As their mother continued to fade into the maze of her memories, Thorax’s heart sank deeper with the weight of reality. He knew both Starlight and Trixie had passed 200 years ago, their lives long extinguished before he had even discovered the spell that kept his brother youthful.

The bittersweet truth hung heavy in the air—Starlight and Trixie were both buried in the Canterlot catacombs, their laughter and dreams now silenced beneath layers of stone. He felt a deep ache of longing in his chest; he could never bring them back to share in the life he had fought so hard to preserve for his family.

A new voice interrupted their visit. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time for her medication.” Taking this moment, Thorax and Pharynx decided to leave, saying their goodbyes.

“Goodbye, Mother,” Thorax said, his voice cracking as he fought to contain his tears. His heart ached, remembering the proud queen who had once inspired them, now reduced to these moments of confusion.

“She's getting worse every day,” Thorax said with a heavy sigh as they walked away. “But at least her will is as strong as ever,” he added, trying to find solace.

Pharynx wrapped a hoof around his brother, squeezing gently. “We’ll get through this together.”

As they walked away, Thorax couldn’t help but remember the day their mother attended Ocellus’ graduation ceremony. She had been so proud, her eyes shimmering with joy as she cheered for her. Those memories of pride seemed so far away now.

Taking a deep breath, Thorax allowed the bittersweet recollections to wash over him. “Yeah, the price of being king, I suppose,” he said, forcing a weak smile as he walked alongside Pharynx, determined to support his brother and carry on the legacy of her.

Author's Note

Viper:

I worked day and night for this, it was a pleasure that I was asked by TheForce to guest write this chapter! Please check out my work, Here