The Twisted Pony

Chapters

1. Walk into my parlour
2. Sins of the Mother
3. Thawing Heart

1. Walk into my parlour

You look so weak and fragile
You seem to drip and sway
But you swept me up
Into your arms,
And carried me away

Judas Priest- Living Bad Dreams

Chapter 1- Walk into my parlour

It was a bleak and lonely life.

No, she would not even consider it living. It was merely existing, like the rocks and stone that surrounded her. Cold, empty.

She felt a slight pulse from above, and her head lifted, trying to stare through the cavern ceiling to the city beyond. She could feel an upwelling of positive emotion. Something special must have been happening in Canterlot that day. A wedding? A birth?

She neither knew nor cared. She drank it in greedily, savoring every tiny bit of residual emotion she could draw from the ponies above.

Like always, it was enough to sate her hunger, to hold off starvation. But not enough to satisfy. Not enough to fill.

It was never enough…

Spike was standing on a precipice, at a cross-roads, a point of no return. All metaphorical, of course. In reality, he was standing in a hallway. A door was in front of him, and a key was in his hand. He knew from observation and experience that one unlocked the other.

But it was more than simply a door. It was the door. Whatever was inside, it was the only place left unexplored. The one room in the castle he had never been. Where NOPONY had ever been. For as long as he could remember, the door had always been locked. Only his mother and Cadence had been inside, and they were the only ones who had the keys.

Until now.

Spike looked back and forth from the key to the door. He had always wanted to know what was inside, had grown more and more curious with the passing of time. Now, he could finally see for himself.

Standing on his tiptoes, he stretched his arms upward and managed to fit the key into the lock. He smiled giddily as he imagined all the wonderful things that could be waiting. Piles of gems and gold, or mountains of books, maybe even magical artifacts! Unable to curb his excitement, he turned the key.

The sound of the lock clicking was unexpectedly loud in the empty hallway, and Spike immediately froze, half-expecting his mother to appear and furiously demand to know what he was doing.

As he waited, fearfully listening for any approaching hoofsteps, Spike realized what a big risk he was taking. If somepony caught him doing this, he was going to be in a lot of trouble. He wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. In fact, his mother had strictly forbidden him from ever setting foot in this hallway. If she found out that he was trying to get the door open…

After a few more minutes passed, he had to remind himself that he needed to hurry. It might not be long before Cadence realized she had dropped the key on her way out. Using both claws, Spike pulled as hard as he could, and the door opened with a screech of rusted hinges.

Slipping inside, Spike pulled the door shut behind him. At least this way, nopony would be able to tell he was inside. He felt bad about sneaking around like this. He didn’t like disobeying his mother but he knew that this might be his only chance, and if he didn’t take it, he would spend the rest of his life wondering and wishing.

“Besides,” he whispered. “I’ll just take a little peek and then leave. It won’t hurt anything.”

Secure in this logic, Spike turned around excitedly, only to stop and stare in confusion.

It was another short hallway, with another door at the end. Walking up to the door, he took hold and pulled.

Locked.

That was just his luck. All that work and worry and he was still locked out! Muttering to himself, he gave the door a hard kick. A bit too hard, as he quickly grabbed his foot in pain. It was only after the throbbing had ceased that he noticed the key he had dropped, and an idea emerged.

Spike didn’t know if the key would work on this door as well. Didn’t every lock have to have a different key? Still, it was his only option. Reaching up, he managed to get the key in. To his relief, the key turned and the door unlocked.

Once again, he passed through and found himself in a hallway. But this one was different. In fact, it wasn’t a hallway at all, but a tunnel! The floor beneath was wet and rough, and the walls dripped with moisture. From the doorway, the passage continued on for several feet before turning off to the right, sloping down in a gentle grade. Spike followed it, his sense of wonder overriding any caution. He knew that this cavern had to be inside the mountain, and that it had to have been dug by somepony. Maybe this tunnel would lead to some ancient temple or shrine, like in the Daring Do books Twilight read to him. Anxious to see where the tunnel led, he hurried on.

The tunnel was dark, even for his dragon eyes. For a minute he worried about becoming lost in the dark, but then he noticed light ahead. At first it was a mild, periwinkle glow, but as he pressed on it became brighter, stronger, until the entire passage was bathed in a flickering blue light.

The tunnel straightened out after a blind corner, and Spike nearly walked into a glowing blue wall. It filled the passageway, blending seamlessly with the uneven stone. Intrigued, he stepped closer.

There was something familiar about it, but he couldn’t quite put his claw on what. Now that he was so close, he could hear it making a faint humming sound, and it looked like the wall pulsed and shimmered every few seconds.

It took him a minute to realize that he had seen this before. Yes. The color, the sounds and the glow, the same things happened whenever his mother cast a spell. Maybe it meant this was her magic.

After further inspection, he found that he could actually see through. He was even more surprised to find that the tunnel did not end at the blue wall. Instead, it opened up into a much larger cavern. Spike could see huge crystal formations, giant columns of rock, and a massive open space that looked big enough for the entire castle to fit inside.

He wondered if he could he get past it. Carefully, he reached out and gave the barrier a light poke. His claw passed through effortlessly. Encouraged by this success, he reached further. Still no resistance. He wondered why the force-field was even there; it wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping him out.

It never occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, the barrier was not supposed to keep him out, but rather to keep something else IN.

He took a step, then another, and then he was through. Almost immediately, his stomach gave a frightful lurch, and his entire body began trembling. He tried to go further, but after less than a dozen paces he felt as though his legs would give out. Now that he was out of the tunnel, the sheer size of this place was overwhelming. He felt as though he were perched on the edge of a vast and infinitely deep pit, and that if he allowed it to draw him in, the cavern would swallow him up entirely. Caught in this momentary panic, he turned quickly and stumbled back towards the tunnel.

He was halfway there when his gait slowed to a halt. Fear dwindling, he sucked in several large breaths of air until his dizziness faded.

If the sight of the cavern had terrified him, his mother’s force-field had done exactly the opposite. Maybe it was his thoughts of the pony who created it, maybe it was the cheerful, warm glow that stood in contrast to the dead gloom around it, but its presence alone was enough ease his mind. As long as it was here, he would be alright. Just like his mother kept him safe, this would keep him from getting lost.

He turned around, and this time, the cave had lost its foreboding presence. As confident as if Celestia were by his side, Spike moved further into the cave, eager to explore, and certain he could find his way home.

At first she thought she’d imagined it, the first sign that these long years of imprisonment had finally driven her mad.

Then she heard the noise again.

She waited, not quite willing to believe. Eyes wide, ears straining, she peered into the darkness and listened. Seconds passed uneventfully, but there was nothing except the deep, basso-profundo moan of air through the cavern. She sighed. It must have been some latent echo from her own hoofsteps. Just some…

A series of brief, staccato taps rang out. Definitely real, and definitely NOT of her making. Acting on pure reflex, she galloped towards the presumed source. She leapt over chasms, ducked through crawlspaces, frantically seeking whatever, or whoever had stumbled into her prison.

She was getting close. She could hear the fatigue in its breathing, could smell its sweat. And most important of all, she could catch the faintest taste of emotions growing stronger with every step. Curiosity, excitement, and the smallest twinges of fear.

Her pace slackened. She crept slowly now, through a patch of shadows before carefully peering around the last corner. Her eyes widened, mouth watering at the sight: a young dragon, wandering around without a care in the world. As she watched, he lifted a chunk of crystal from the ground, examined it briefly, and popped it into his mouth. The warm, sweet taste of satisfaction joined his other emotions, and she found herself slinking closer.

The rich glow of his life-force called out to her. It was hypnotizing, intoxicating.

She had to have him.

Spike was having the time of his life. This place was amazing. There were so many nooks and crannies to explore, not to mention the columns and stalagmites perfect for climbing. Best of all, there were crystals everywhere. And they tasted great!

From his perch atop an abandoned mine cart, Spike popped another chunk of crystal into his mouth and sighed happily. After everything he’d seen, it was impossible to understand why this place was forbidden. It was easily the coolest place he had ever been. He felt as if he could stay down here forever, the king of his cavern. It was like its own little world, just for him.

What he didn’t realize was that he was not as alone as he thought.

It started with a sudden chill at the base of his neck. His sense of lazy contentment drained away, replaced by a sense of foreboding and an ephemeral weight on his shoulders.

Something was watching him.

Gripping the wooden lip of the cart, he slowly turned and looked over his shoulder. Nothing but stone and shadows.

*clink*

His eyes snapped down at the sudden sound, and he noticed a tiny pebble bouncing away from where it had struck the cart’s wheel. But rocks didn’t move by themselves. It looked like it had come rolling out of the shadows to his left. Almost like…

…like somepony had kicked it…

Spike’s mouth had gone completely dry. Trying to move as slowly as possible, he climbed down from the cart, his eyes sweeping nervously through the darkness.

“Hello,” he called nervously. “Is anypony there?”

The cavern swallowed up his words, and the following silence felt ominous and foreboding. Now, every shadow seemed filled with unseen danger.

He noticed them out of the corner of his eye, a tiny smidge of color in the black. Looking closer, he could see they were two bright pinpoints of green light. Despite his fear, Spike found that he couldn’t help but stare into them. They were brilliant and beautiful, like emeralds in sunlight, and it almost felt as if he recognized them somehow. The longer he looked, the more he felt a strange relaxation come over him, like he was being wrapped in a warm, tight blanket.

Then the lights disappeared, and he snapped out of the trance. He blinked, and then looked around in confusion. What had happened? Where had they gone?

Then he saw that they had moved. Now they were off to his left… and several feet closer.

They disappeared again.

His fear returned, but magnified tenfold. He looked back the way he had come, and saw the blue glow of the force-field.

It looked small, and very, very far away.

Before he could take a step towards it, he noticed that one of the shadows looked like it was quivering. Like it was approaching him. His breath caught in his throat. It wasn’t the shadow moving… but something hidden INSIDE it.

Then, less than a foot to his right, there was a flash of green. The lights appeared with the sudden intensity of a lightning bolt. Spike drew in a harsh, painful breath, and then ran. In his panic, he hadn’t even noticed which direction he took. His one and only thought was that he had to get away.

Sounds seemed to come from every direction, the echoes of his feet and his gasping breaths building and blending until he half-believed that an entire crowd of monsters was snapping at his heels. As he continued running, his fear grew into panic. No matter where he looked, he could no longer see the force-field.

He was panting heavily. His legs were on fire, and he knew that he couldn’t run much further.

And that feeling of being watched was only getting worse.

He didn’t want to turn back, but some compulsion made him risk a glance over his shoulder, certain that he would be staring directly into a wide mouth full of teeth. But before he could turn his head, he tripped over a raised lip of stone.

He hit the ground and rolled to a stop. He lay there for what felt like hours, too scared to even move. He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that this would all go away, that he would wake up safe and sound, his mother by his side and sunlight pouring through the windows.

But the ground beneath remained cold and hard, and he finally looked up.

Those green lights loomed over him, glowing like two verdant moons in a starless sky. Gazing into them, he could once again feel a hypnotic sense of calmness settling over his body even as his mind raced in terror. He wanted to run, but his limbs felt numbed. He could only lay still and watch.

The lights vanished for the briefest of moments and reappeared, shifting ever so slightly. Spike’s insides turned to jelly as he finally realized what those lights were, and what they reminded him of.

A couple years back, his mother had taken him to the Canterlot Zoo. One of the animals living there was a timberwolf, a predatory beast from someplace called the Everfree Forest. Spike had been terrified, clutching his mother’s foreleg and trying to hide as it stared at him from the other side of the cage. Its eyes had locked with his own, and he had been unable to tear his gaze away.

These lights, no, these eyes looked exactly the same. They seemed to pin him to the spot, unblinkingly following his every move. Just like with the timberwolf, he knew what the owner of these eyes was thinking:

I’m going to eat you.

But now he was alone, and there were no bars between him and whatever stood in the darkness. The eyes leaned in closer, and Spike knew that this was the end. Screaming aloud, he rolled onto his back, one claw in front of his face in a useless effort to ward it off whenever it charged.

But instead of a bloodthirsty roar, laughter rang out from the shadows. Bewilderment replaced fear after hearing such an unexpectedly non-threatening sound, and Spike found himself warily cracking an eye open.

The eyes were still there, but their glow seemed less threatening somehow. In fact, they almost looked… happy?

They tilted to the side, as if their owner was cocking its head. “What’s the matter,” a light and decidedly female voice asked. “Why are you afraid? You were so happy before.”

Spike lowered his claw. Now he was really confused. It talked? Monsters didn’t talk… did they? The tiniest bit of hope blossomed in his chest. If this creature could talk, then maybe that meant it could think, too! And if it could think, maybe he could convince it NOT to eat him!

“My, what a rude little boy you are,” the voice’s chiding tone broke through his thoughts. “First you run away when I’m trying to say hello, and then you ignore me when I ask you a question?”

“Oh! I, uh, I’m sorry, um, miss,” Spike apologized quickly. He still didn’t know what this creature wanted, or even what it was, but he certainly didn’t want to anger it. “What… what was the question again?”

Another chuckle from the darkness. Despite his nervousness, Spike couldn’t deny that the creature had a very nice voice.

“I asked,” it repeated, “why you were so afraid?”

Spike flinched, half in embarrassment and half in dread of how the creature would react to his reason. “I… I didn’t think anypony was down here,” he explained. “And then I saw your eyes and they scared me. I… thought you might be a monster.”

“A monster, hmm?” The voice was softer now, and he could imagine it grinning as it spoke. “And is that still what you think?”

“Um, I don’t really know yet,” he said, praying that this was the right answer. “Could, could you please come out so I can see you better?”

There was a soft hissing sound, like somepony breathing in through their teeth. “Well, how can I refuse such a sweet request?”

A long, ebony foreleg slid out of the darkness, and Spike let out a sigh of relief. The limb might have been oddly thin, and there may have been some… holes… above the hoof, but it definitely looked like it belonged to a pony. And with a coat that dark, it made sense that only her eyes would be visible in the shadows.

Another leg appeared, touching down on the stone with a dainty click. As the pony’s features came into view, Spike found himself in awe. She was very, very tall. Much bigger than Twilight, or even Cadence. In fact, she might even be as tall as his mother… and she was huge!

As the creature came into view, Spike took a step back, his mouth hanging open. He knew it was impolite, but he couldn’t keep from staring.

The pony’s thin, delicate face was framed by a dark aquamarine mane. Her eyes glittered in amusement, a reserved smile on her lips. A horn protruded from her forehead, though it curved and twisted back and forth. She was wearing some kind of bright green cloth that covered her back and seemed to be strapped or belted across her stomach. And most amazing of all, fluttering ever so slightly, was the strangest pair of wings he had ever laid eyes on.

Spike was amazed. She was an alicorn. At least, he thought so. With her coat dirty and her mane looking as though it hadn’t been washed in ages, she seemed untamed and out of place, like some wildflower that had taken root in his mother’s garden. There was also something about the way she stood and walked, her head up high, chin slightly lifted, she carried herself in the same regal way as his mother.

He wondered just who she was, and what she was doing in a place like this.

“So? What have you decided?” She smiled, and he could see that her teeth were sharp and pointed.

“Am I a monster?”

Spike didn’t know what to say; he still wasn’t sure WHAT she was. She definitely didn’t look like any other pony he’d met… but different didn’t mean bad, did it? Twilight was always telling him that you can’t judge books by their covers, so maybe you couldn’t judge ponies by their looks?

“No way, you’re too nice to be a monster! You’re more like a… well…”

His eyes flicked back to her horn.

“You’re like a twisted pony,” he exclaimed, proud of himself for coming up with the name.

“And you’re certainly not afraid of twisted ponies, are you?”

He shook his head, feeling ashamed of the way he ran off before.

“I’m glad,” she said as her grin stretched wider. “Fear has such an unpleasant taste…”

He wanted to ask what she meant, but she was already stepping closer. She leaned over him and inhaled deeply, like she was sniffing a bouquet of flowers.

“What is your name, little dragon?”

He couldn’t help but feel nervous at how close she was. “I, I’m Spike,” he managed to say.

“Spi~iiiiike,” she repeated. He saw a flash of pink as her tongue darted out to lick the top of her lips. “What a lovely name…”

He took a step backwards, not liking the way she had begun to act. “Why are you looking at me like that,” he asked.

“Oh, you’ll have to excuse me,” she said, not sounding the least bit sorry. “I’m just savoring the moment. You see, you’re the first living creature I’ve seen in a very long time.”

“You mean you’re all by yourself down here,” Spike asked in amazement. “No friends, or family, or neighbors or anything?!”

The twisted pony froze, and her smile drooped into a frown. “Yes,” she said, obviously not liking his question.

“But doesn’t that get lonely?”

It was like a warm summer’s day flash-freezing into the dead of winter. Her gaze darkened, and a bitter scowl set over her face.

“Oh course it does,” she hissed, causing him to flinch. “It’s lonelier than a fool like yourself could possibly imagine! Wasting away in this dark, frigid cavern, nobody knowing or caring whether I lived or died, going mad from the silence and the emptiness and the despair!”

“But… t... then why don’t… why don’t you just leave?”

That had obviously been the wrong thing to ask. Her eyes seemed to blaze, and her teeth were clenched so hard he imagined her jaw aching.

“You little idiot! Don’t you think I would if I could?! Don’t you think I want to feel the wind in my mane, or the sun on my face?” Her voice was trembling now, and he could see tears beading in her eyes.

She sank to the ground and turned her head away, eyes squeezed shut. “Even this is something I’d dreamed of, just speaking to someone else, ANYONE else, instead of listening to the echoes of my own voice. But what good is it? Once you’re gone, I’ll be right back where I started! Forsaken, forgotten, alone!”

Spike felt terrible. As angry as the twisted pony had been, he could tell that she was upset because of all the insensitive things he had asked. She’d been so happy before, and then he’d gone and ruined everything.

Not knowing what else to do, he tried to help in the only way he knew how.

Chrysalis was furious at herself. Imagine: the queen of the changelings reduced to tears because of one infantile question! But no matter how hard she tried she could not get his words out of her head, and she wondered if she’d even be able to enjoy this meal, knowing that another might never arrive.

But then something warm pressed against her chest, and two short arms tried to wrap around her neck. Her eyes shot open, and she looked down to see Spike hugging her for all he was worth. He looked up into her shocked face and smiled weakly.

“I’m sorry I said those things,” he whispered, burying his face in her coat. “Please don’t be sad anymore…”

She gasped as his life-force began to flow into her. Something like a jolt of electricity ran through her chest and spread through her body like wildfire. Her head spun from the rush of energy as nerves and muscles tingled from the unfamiliar sustenance.

And the taste, oh the taste! The flavors of concern and friendly affection were delicious beyond compare. Every other thought and desire was swept aside.

She needed more.

Reaching out with one trembling foreleg, she looped it gently around Spike’s body. The added contact served to draw even more of his energy into her, and she shuddered in ecstasy. A small burst of relief mingled with the other emotions; he must have been glad to have the hug returned.

The presence of a third emotion was too much. Chrysalis was becoming ravenous, desperate. Twining another leg around him, she pulled Spike firmly against her and rested her head atop his own. Then she began to eat, no longer allowing his life-force to come to her, but drawing it away forcefully. The rush of energy doubled, then tripled, and she moaned aloud as her long hunger ended.

Spike’s arms fell away from her neck, and he tottered unsteadily on his legs. She held him upright and continued her feeding, paying no mind to his increasingly shallow breaths or the overpowering bitterness of his fear.

“Please…” she heard him whimper. “It… hurts…”

She ignored his pleas, drinking long and deep even as his struggles weakened. She had waited too long, starved for too long. She deserved this.

Then his body gave a sudden, violent lurch. The rich mixture of emotions vanished immediately, coalescing into a dull blandness as the baby dragon sagged lifelessly. She pulled her head back and looked him over. She felt… disappointed. She had known, even expected his emotions to cease when he lost consciousness, but damn it, she had hoped he would last longer than this. It must have been because of his age, he had yet to develop the same endurance as a full-grown stallion.

And now, his limit had been reached. Those wonderful emotions were gone, leaving his life-force raw and flat.

She groaned in displeasure at the prospect of choking down that vile tastelessness. After what she had just tasted, the very thought was enough to make her stomach churn. But it had to be done; she was still weak, still hungry, and she couldn’t afford to be picky.

She was just leaning down to finish him off when she felt him weakly stirring against her chest. She paused in surprise. That had never happened before. Normally, the victim of such an aggressive and prolonged feeding would have been rendered irreversibly comatose. Perhaps dragons were simply more resilient?

An idea suddenly formed in her head. This could work perfectly. If her meal had not permanently damaged him, then he would likely make a full recovery. Then she would be able to feed off of him again, and again, until maybe one day she was strong enough to break free. To take her revenge…

But how could she keep him? Chrysalis gave him another glance. He certainly wasn’t strong enough to overpower her, but keeping him captive was not a viable option. The inevitable negative emotions would make for terrible dining. And that was if he’d even be capable of surviving in her prison.

But if she didn’t keep him there… that only left her one option.

It was hazardous. It was risky. It was cruel and selfish in the extreme. But her entire future might lay with this baby dragon. She had to try.

Lying back over the hard stone, Chrysalis gently placed Spike against her side and settled down to plan her strategy. There would be no room for mistakes. An excellent actress she might be, but she hadn’t manipulated another creature in a long time. She could only hope her skill hadn’t gone rusty.

The first thing Spike was aware of was the soreness of his body. Every muscle ached, every scale felt raw and tender as if they had just been shed, and his head throbbed with the type of migraine usually reserved for veteran drunkards or kindergarten teachers.

There was something warm against his back; he could hear the soft sounds of breathing. He sighed happily and tried to nuzzle deeper into the coat, smiling as a hoof reached up to stroke his cheek.

Then he realized that something felt wrong. His mother’s coat didn’t feel like it normally did. No, it felt rough and coarse, like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. He opened his eyes, but it wasn’t ivory fur that filled his vision.

It was pitch black.

Spike yelled in alarm and tried to push himself away, only for pain to explode in his skull. Through the pounding headache, he realized that something was holding him, and he kicked and scratched blindly.

“Shh… calm down, Spike,” a voice whispered soothingly into his ear. “Everything’s alright. You’re safe. It’s me, the twisted pony, remember?”

He did remember. He blinked several times, his vision blurring in and out before finally snapping back into focus. He was about to look up when he remembered how angry his words had made her. What if she was still upset?

“Spike? Look at me, please?”

He finally met her gaze, and any worries vanished. Her eyes held nothing but concern, and she gave him a warm, almost motherly smile.

“I’m glad to see you’re alright,” she said. “You gave me quite a scare when you passed out.”

“I… did?” Now he was confused. The last thing he remembered was her returning his hug, but then his chest kept getting tighter and tighter until he couldn’t breathe, and then-

“I’m afraid so. I’m guessing you nearly exhausted yourself before I found you, and then ran yourself ragged when you thought I was some kind of monster,” she said guiltily.

His spirits fell. First he had insulted her by running away, then he had upset her by asking stupid questions, and now he’d forced her to worry and take care of him while he slept! He felt like the worst person in the world.

“I’m sorry.” It was the only thing he could think to say, but when the twisted pony looked down at him in confusion, he decided to press on.

“For everything. For being so mean, and making you sad, and for hurting you,” he mumbled, pointing at the shallow cuts in her legs.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “They’ll go away after awhile. But what about you? How are YOU feeling?”

Spike failed to notice how raptly she was staring at him, or the way her tone had shifted from concern into curiosity. “I’m okay, I guess. I feel all achy, but not real bad.”

“Perfect,” she whispered to herself.

He wondered what she meant by that, but before he could ask, Spike found himself magically lifted into the air and set onto the twisted pony’s back. He squeaked in alarm and threw both arms around her neck, trying not to kick her wings as he fought for balance.

“What are you doing,” he asked.

The twisted pony threw a grin over her shoulder. “You were out for quite awhile, silly. You probably need to be getting out of here and back home.”

He gasped and instinctively looked up to try and see the position of his mother’s sun. What time was it? How long had he been asleep? Oh no, his mother was going to kill him!

Seeing his look of fear, the twisted pony laughed and shook her head. “Let me guess, you’re just realizing that you’ve probably stayed here a bit too long, and somepony up there,” she nudged her head towards the ceiling, “will be none too happy with you?”

“Yes!” His heart was racing. “I’m not even supposed to be down here!”

“Well, we can’t have you getting in trouble,” she said. “So how about I take you back to the entrance?”

Spike couldn’t believe his luck. “Really? You know the way, and you’ll take me?”

“Of course! That’s what friends are for,” she said, just a bit too sweetly. “And we are friends… aren’t we?”

He nodded quickly. “Yea, you bet!”

“Then let’s get going.” Turning on her hoof, she broke into a light canter down the tunnel. As she carried him through a number of seemingly random passageways, Spike was glad that she knew where they were going. He felt very lucky to have met her.

They talked the entire way. The twisted pony asked him all sorts of questions. What season was it outside? Had the sun been shining, or were there lots of clouds? Was there some kind of party going on earlier in the day? Spike was happy to answer, and when she ran out of questions, he began telling her about himself. She was delighted to listen, and no matter what he spoke about, the places he liked to visit, the gems he ate for breakfast, even the schoolwork he had done, she gave her full attention.

Strangely, she froze in her tracks when he mentioned that his mother was the princess. The tense silence had only lasted a second before she cheerfully teased him about being royalty and continued on, but Spike still felt like he had missed something important.

Before he had time to dwell on the matter, he caught a glimpse of blue light, and his spirits lifted as the magical force-field came into view. He could barely keep from leaping to the ground and running the last few feet. Instead, he waited anxiously until the twisted pony came to a stop, then slid off her back and happily wrapped his arms around her leg.

“Thank you! For everything! I mean, for bringing me here, and taking care of me, and being so nice, and-”

“Anything for a friend,” she crooned, running a hoof over his back. He heard her draw in a long, shaky breath. “I’m guessing you want to get back to your mother, right?”

“Yeah, I need to get out of here before she catches me,” he agreed. His eyes lit up, and he began pulling at her leg. “You should come too! I’ll bet she’d love to meet you.”

He missed the bitter scowl that passed over her face. “Oh, how I wish I could. But you see, Spike, this magic keeps me from leaving. I can’t go with you.”

His face fell, and he remembered how mad she had been when he asked why she didn’t leave before. “You mean, you’re stuck here? Forever?”

“Yes,” she said, and the despair in her voice was genuine. “So this is where we’ll have to say goodbye. It… it was nice meeting you. You’re the first friend I’ve ever had.”

She turned half-away and hid her face in her mane. He could see a few tears fall to the ground.

“Just… don’t forget me, okay?”

Spike could only stand there and gape. He almost couldn’t believe it. She had to be down here, alone, all the time? Nopony to talk to her, or give her hugs, or wish her a happy birthday? His eyes flicked to the scabbed cuts on her legs. Nopony to kiss her better when she got hurt, or take her temperature when she was sick?

It just wasn’t fair! Everypony needed friends, especially a nice, caring mare like the twisted pony. He didn’t understand why she was down here, or what his mother’s magic had to do with it. All he knew was that she needed him, and in the spur of the moment, he made a decision that would one day change the world.

He stepped forwards and carefully turned her face towards him. “Don’t worry, I won’t forget you, ‘cause I won’t be able to! I’ll come back and see you every day, and we’ll have lots of fun, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know!”

She beamed at him. “Really? Oh, Spike, do you mean it? You won’t let me be lonely anymore?”

He shook his head proudly, and she threw both forelegs around him and shot into the air. They swooped through the cavern, making loops and rolls as the twisted pony cheered. Spike laughed as well, trying to ignore the sudden return of the painful tightening in his chest. It was probably just from the rush of flying…

Finally, they settled back to the ground, and the twisted pony released him.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

He grinned and repeated her earlier words. “Anything for a friend.”

She nudged him towards the force-field. “You’d better get going.” Her smile gained a measure of uncertainty. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course,” he said, giving her one last hug before scampering towards the exit.

It was the hardest thing she had ever done, letting him go. Every instinct, every fiber of her being told her to catch him, to pull him back before he escaped her forever. She held off, knowing that it would take a gentle, subtle touch for this plan to succeed.

He turned back once as the tunnel curved out of sight. He waved back at her, and she returned the gesture, not caring that her friendly mask had slipped into an almost predatory leer. For the first time in so many years, she allowed herself to feel hope. Fortune was smiling on her, and it had delivered a wonderful gift.

The key to her survival, to her freedom, to her revenge, all in the trusting innocence of her enemy’s own son.

She grinned into the darkness. “Oh, Celestia, you really should keep a closer eye on your children.”

“Spike… you’re mine,” she promised.

2. Sins of the Mother

She was meant to be wild, he was merely a child
But they only could feel each other.
They were paper and fire, angel and liar
The devil of one another.

Dio- Rock and Roll Children

Chapter 2- Sins of the Mother

As soon as the twisted pony was out of sight, Spike dropped to all fours and peltered rapidly up the tunnel. As much as he would have liked to stay, he was too preoccupied by the nervousness that was beginning to encroach on his every thought. It wasn’t like the terror he had felt in the cave. No, that had been instinctive, almost primal. Fear of the dark and the dangers lurking within it.

This new fear, on the other hand, was much more concrete. It was the anxious, pit of the stomach dread that comes to all little boys when they know that they are in serious trouble.

Coming to the first door, he lifted the key and slid it firmly into the lock. There was a heavy click, and then he planted both claws against the heavy wood and pushed.

The door swung open with a squeak of rusty hinges. Spike half-expected to see an angry, angry alicorn on the other side, but to his relief the hallway was clear.

Letting out a breath, he closed and locked the door behind him before rushing up to the next. This time, however, he paused with the key in claw. What would happen when somepony found him? When they discovered out where he’d been, they’d tell Celestia right away. And then…

Several heads turned as the doors to the throne room were flung open. Spike walked in dejectedly, flanked by two royal guards. The baby dragon was shuffling his feet, claws wringing nervously like a prisoner on their way to execution.

At seeing him safe and sound, Celestia let out a gasp of joy and leapt to her hooves. Racing up to them, she pulled Spike into her forelegs and began peppering his face with kisses.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said. “Where did you find him?”

One of the guards lowered his head, eyes downcast. “Forgive us, your majesty… but we found him in that hallway.”

Celestia’s smile turned to a look of horror. “No!”

“Yes,” the guard continued gravely. “He was coming back through the forbidden door, using THIS!”

He brandished the key like it was a murder weapon. Celestia put a hoof to her mouth and recoiled, several mares screamed, and one stallion swooned to the floor.

She lowered him to the ground, refusing to make eye contact. Instead, she turned to the assembled ponies.

“Leave us,” she commanded.

All too willing to oblige, they scattered from the room. Spike was tempted to follow, but he knew that running would only make things worse.

Celestia walked slowly back to the throne. Settling herself down, she finally met his gaze. Her eyes were sad and tears shone at the corners, but her jaw was set, and when she spoke her voice was stern and merciless.

“Spike. Come here.”

He started forward, and everything came spilling out.

“I’m sorry,” he cried. “I didn’t mean to be bad! I just wanted to know what was in there, and, and I saw the key on the floor and wanted to look around for a little bit! I’m sorry, mama! I’m-”

She held up a hoof to silence him. “I know Spike, I know. We will speak about this later, but for right now…”

She gestured to herself. “Into my lap.”

His eyes widened; he knew what was coming. Shaking his head once, he took a step back.

Celestia frowned at him. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be Spike.”

He knew she was right, but he also knew it was going to hurt, and he just couldn’t bring himself to obey her. Taking another step, he turned tail and ran. Or at least, he tried to. But before he could so much as lift a leg, his body was enveloped and lifted by a glowing blue light.

He thrashed helplessly as she pulled him closer. “No mama! Please, no! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! No!”

“You had me worried half to death,” she said softly. “You ran off on your own and deliberately disobeyed me by opening that door. Now you have to accept the consequences.”

She laid him down over her knees, holding him gently, but firmly in place. He heard the clinking of metal against stone, and out of the corner of his eye he could see her removing one of her golden shoes and setting it aside.

“Tail up,” she ordered.

Still wailing, he did as she asked. Her bare hoof patted his back.

“This is for your own good,” she said, and her foreleg whistled through the air as she swung.

Spike snapped out of the daydream with a yelp, claws reflexively moving to shield his rump. What was he gonna do? He didn’t want to get a spanking!

‘Wait,’ he suddenly thought. ‘Maybe… maybe I won’t have to! If mama doesn’t know I was in here, then she’ll only be upset I was gone for so long! She won’t spank me just for that!’

Fully confident in his logic, Spike put his ear against the door and listened. It didn’t sound like any ponies were out there. Deciding to take the chance, he popped open the lock and slipped out.

The coast was clear! Almost giddy with relief, he carefully closed and locked the door behind him before scampering down the hall. Just another few feet, and nopony would ever know…

“Aha! There you are!”

He froze in his tracks. Well, that was it. He was officially dead. He thought about saying a prayer, but what good would that do when that same goddess was the one who’d be punishing him?

With no better option he snapped his hands behind his back to hide the key, and looking as innocent as he could manage, he turned to Sweet Grass and smiled.

The green stallion did not return the expression. Instead, he scooped Spike up and onto his back before galloping down the hall. As the dragon held on for dear life, he noticed something strange. Sunlight was streaming brightly through each of the windows they passed. But how? He was sure that it would have been night by now…

“So glad I finally found you,” Sweet Grass said, interrupting his thoughts. “I’ve been searching the castle from top to bottom. We have to get you to the princess at once. No time to lose!”

Oh no. She was sending out search parties for him? This was already turning out like his earlier daydream! But wait, maybe Sweet Grass hadn’t seem which hallway he’d come from. Maybe he still had a chance.

His eyes darted down to the key in his claw, and he knew that he had to dispose of the evidence. Waiting until they barreled around another corner, Spike leaned far out to the left and tossed the key towards a conveniently placed flowerpot, where it landed discreetly between the pot and the wall.

“Yes,” Spike said with a fist pump.

Sweet Grass looked over his shoulder in confusion. “Did you say something, your highness?”

“Nope, nothing at all,” Spike said quickly. Luckily, the councilor seemed to have other things on his mind, and continued on without another word.

They came to a stop, not outside the throne room as Spike expected, but at one of the many studies his mother used for private work. Standing rigidly at either side of the door was a unicorn guard.

“Your mother has been inside that room with Miss Sparkle all day,” he explained, seeming to anticipate Spike’s confusion. “But in focusing on their lesson, she seems to have lost track of the time.”

‘That’s right,’ he remembered. ‘Twilight just got done with her basic curr… curric… studies. Today was the day mama was gonna start teaching her herself!’

And if she’d been too busy to even set the sun, there was no way she’d have realized how long he’d been gone. That meant she couldn’t get angry with him for being late.

It seemed like he had lucked out completely.

“-so irresponsible? I mean, can you imagine? Bright as noon at nine o’clock in January!? What if the entire country sleeps in? Our economy will grind to a halt! You have to speak to her immediately! All of Equestria is depending on you!”

“Oh, um, right,” Spike said, realizing that he had completely tuned the frantic stallion out. “You can count on me.”

“Excellent,” Sweet Grass said. “Now follow my lead.” Turning back to the door, he trotted closer.

Both of the guards scowled at Sweet Grass as he approached. Their horns glowed faintly, and Spike suddenly got the feeling that this wasn’t their first confrontation.

“For the love of…” one of them groaned. “Can’t you get it through your head? The princess gave explicit orders not to allow any interruptions until the lesson is finished! WE AREN’T LETTING YOU THROUGH!”

The councilor smiled triumphantly. “Ah, but it’s not me you’ll be allowing inside,” he declared, grabbing Spike and holding him out like a hall pass.

“You see, this is a family situation. And I’m sure you wouldn’t be so insubordinate as to refuse the prince entry, now would you?”

He shook the dragon a bit for emphasis, and Spike tried to assist with the best puppy-dog eyes he could give.

The unicorn glowered, obviously annoyed at being forced to give in. “Of course Spike can enter,” he said; his tone softening as he addressed the dragon.

“But if you try sneaking in after him, we’re gonna use your sorry flank as a piñata, got it?”

“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” Sweet Grass responded, placing Spike on the floor and nudging him forward. The guards bowed and ushered him in, opening the door with a quick burst of magic.

The air in the room felt heavy, charged with electricity and reeking of ozone. Covering his nose, Spike padded inside.

Celestia and Twilight sat face to face at the far end of the room. The unicorn’s eyes were tightly closed, her face scrunched up in concentration as her horn pulsed with light. Celestia was watching her closely, offering an occasional bit of advice.

Spike had no idea what they were talking about. He still didn’t completely understand how magic worked, but he did know that interrupting a unicorn’s concentration could be a very bad thing. He waited for a few minutes, trying to look as conspicuous as possible, but with no success. It looked like he’d have to take more direct action. Hoping not to startle them too much, he coughed loudly into his palm.

Both ponies started at the noise. Celestia’s head shot up, her eyes blinking rapidly like she’d been caught dozing. Her eyes turned to the source of the disruption.

“Well now,” she said with a grin. “It seems we’ve gained an audience. However did you sneak past my guards, Spike?”

Unable to think up a witty explanation, he simply shrugged and said, “They let me in?”

The alicorn gave a soft chuckle. “No doubt they were swayed by your charm,” she teased. “Now that we’ve established the how, would you like to tell us why you’ve come?”

Knowing exactly how to butter her up, Spike drug his heel on the floor and looking away. “I just missed you,” he said as his mother’s smile widened. “And also cause Sweet Grass was freaking out.”

“Again?” She laughed and shook her head. “And what was the disaster du jour this time?”

Spike had no idea what a doo joor was, but he answered anyway. “He says you need to set the sun because it’s super late and everypony’s gonna be too lazy to get out of bed, or something.”

A look of confusion passed over her face. “Late? But… the time…” she looked around the room, seeming to realize that there was no clock present.

“Did he say what time it was,” she finally asked.

Spike scratched his head. “Umm… nine, I think?”

Celestia’s jaw dropped, and she scrambled to her hooves in a rare display of panic.

“How could I have been so absent-minded? Five additional hours of sunlight? What was I thinking?! Oh, Twilight! I’m sorry to end our lesson so abruptly, but I’ll need you to gather your things and head home immediately! I’ll wait a few minutes so you’ll not have to walk back in the dark.”

As Celestia flung open the doors and called for Sweet Grass, the unicorn began quickly shoveling items into her saddlebags. Always eager to help, Spike joined her.

He glanced over one of the scrolls. It was covered from top to bottom with writing. “Wow Twi, you really took a lot of notes today.”

“I know, isn’t it great? You wouldn’t believe it, Spike,” Twilight said. “I learned so many things today! Basic transmutation, some alchemical recipes, advanced levitation techniques…”

“Wow, and you still had time to write all this stuff?” He noticed that several of the scrolls looked exactly the same. “And even make two of each?”

“Oh, I didn’t write out all of those,” she said proudly. “They were created using a duplication spell I just learned!”

“Duplication,” he repeated, sounding out the word carefully. “Isn’t that like where you’re, umm, copying stuff?”

“Exactly! Princess Celestia knows that I always like to keep multiple copies of relevant documents, so she taught me the spell so I wouldn’t have to spend more time rewriting them.”

That got his full attention. It also gave him the best idea of all time. “So can you make copies out of anything,” he asked.

“Yep, anything at all.” Twilight’s confidence faded a bit as she actually thought over the question. “Well, I mean, maybe not ANYTHING. Cloning another pony would probably be too magically intensive, and recreating too large or complex an object would more than likely result in a backfire…”

Making doubly sure that his mother wasn’t listening in, Spike leaned in closer. “But little stuff is okay, right?”

She gave him a wry look. “Now, Spike, this spell was meant for intellectual pursuits. If you’re going to ask me duplicate a bunch of gems, the answer is no.”

“That’s not what I was gonna ask,” he protested loudly. A bit too loudly, as the noise caught Celestia’s attention.

“What was that about wanting to ask me something,” she called from the door.

Thinking quickly, Spike reached out and wrapped both arms around one of Twilight’s legs. “Can I walk Twilight home?”

Celestia hesitated. “I don’t know Spike. I’m not sure I like the idea of you out in the city after dark.”

He couldn’t give up. This might be his only chance to get a key of his own. He couldn’t just keep using the one Cadence had dropped!

“Please, mama? I haven’t gotten to talk to Twilight all day! And I wanna hear about the stuff she learned, and all the spells she can do!”

Twilight’s eyes lit up at the thought of further explaining her studies, and faced with the expectant smiles of both children, Celestia’s resolve broke.

“Very well,” she conceded. “But only if you have one of the guards accompany you.”

“But I don’t need a foalsitter!”

Celestia smiled and leaned down. She rubbed a soothing hoof over his spines and said, “I know you don’t. But it would make me feel better, at least. Will you do it for me?”

His shoulder’s slumped, and Twilight giggled from behind him. “Fine,” he grumbled, wishing he wasn’t such a mama’s boy.

Looking almost smug, the alicorn straightened up and called in a guard. As Twilight donned her saddlebags, Spike clambered onto the stallion’s back then climbed up to sit atop his helmet. If he had to be chauffeured around, then he was at least going in style!

“Alright, ready to go, my number one assistant?”

Spike gave her a thumbs-up.

Twilight dramatically pointed her foreleg at the door. “Then make it so, Number One!”

“Giddyap,” Spike ordered, and the guard raced into the hall with Twilight close behind.

Chrysalis was far too excited to sleep. Her stomach was full, her thoughts hopeful, and she did not want to simply wait restlessly for Spike’s next visit. She had to do something.

The answer was obvious. She needed to come up with a plan for dealing with Spike. Her actions earlier had been too hasty, too sloppy. He’d been scared to death at first, and then she’d blown up in his face after a simple question. And worst of all, how far she’d taken that initial feeding…

She couldn’t be that rash in the future. This was her one and only chance. Right now, she had his sympathy. But what she needed was his trust.

Therefore, the first step was putting him at ease. Making him as content and comfortable as she could manage.

Her eyes scanned over the cavern, and inspiration struck. Finding a particularly spacious chamber, she measured a forty foot circle with her hooves. Her horn lit up, and she began tossing away the larger rocks while sweeping any smaller debris. Once the space was clear, she dropped prone and began leveling out the circle.

It took several hours, but in the end she was quite pleased with the results. Before her was a clean, flat plain of rock. The stone was smooth and slightly warm to the touch, and there were no stalactites above that might drip water onto its surface. All in all, it was plenty large enough to accommodate a baby dragon.

She tapped a hoof to her chin. It was definitely a start. But it needed more. She wanted Spike to like it down here. If he visited out of desire, and not duty, that would make her task far easier. So what else could she do to make it more inviting?

‘Wait,’ she thought to herself. ‘I know just the thing.’

After scouring the cavern, she found a wide, flat-topped boulder that could make an excellent table. A further search turned up a smaller stone that looked like it could serve as a chair. She hauled them back, congratulating herself all the way. Now Spike could read, or study, or even eat down here if he wanted.

And speaking of eating, didn’t they always say that the way to a drake’s heart was through his stomach? True or not, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Heading deeper into the cave, she painstakingly examined the many deposits of crystals, breaking off only the clearest, smoothest, and hopefully tastiest ones.

Finally, panting with exhaustion, she stepped back and surveyed her work. It was a humble project, to say the least, but certainly better than before. She tried to think if there was anything else she could do. There was no available water source… but then the pool she used for drinking was close enough that they could manage. The furniture was serviceable… but what about a bed? Surely there would be times when Spike needed to rest, and she didn’t want him leaving her early, did she?

She chuckled to herself. She already knew how to approach that possibility. After all, Spike had already used her as a pillow; she would gladly act as bed and blanket if he needed it.

And speaking of sleep, she could use a bit of rest. It had been centuries since she’d last used so much magic, or even had the energy to do so. Settling down on the clean stone, she was asleep before her chin touched her forelegs.

The city of Canterlot was burning. Winged shapes flitted between towers and dodged through smoke as pegasi and changelings battled for control of the skies. In the streets below, pandemonium ensued. Ponies fled from or into their homes with changelings snapping at their hooves. Earth pony soldiers fought to push the invaders back street by street, with unicorn guards at their backs scanning for any disguised changelings in the masses of panicked citizens.

Even the castle itself was unsafe. Through the black roils of smoke, flashes of light could be seen from the throne room’s windows, accompanied by the shrill howls of magical attacks.

Inside, the combatants leapt apart. Hooves set, horns lowered, they charged up and let fly. Two blazing lances of magic, one green and one gold, collided. The shockwave blew every window apart and shook the room, sending chandeliers and furniture crashing to the floor.

For a moment, the two attacks were deadlocked. But slowly, the golden beam began to push the other back. Its target quivered in fear, her forehead beading with sweat. She tried to resist, but no matter how much power she fed into her magic, it was useless.

Celestia’s yell turned to a roar and the golden magic smashed through the green. In the last few seconds, she snapped her head up and fired one last bolt through the room’s ceiling. Then Chrysalis felt a shattering pain in her chest as the beam hurled her across the room and into the wall. She dropped limply to the floor, her vision blurry and ears ringing from the blast.

She lay there for a time, fading in and out of consciousness. She could hear screams and the sounds of battle through the broken windows. She knew they had lost. Had known from that one, horrible moment when it became clear that Celestia was far stronger than she.

With her defeated, her changelings would have no defense against the alicorn’s wrath. At this point, all she could hope for was that they had seen her signal and retreated in time.

The sounds of fighting lessened and then faded entirely. The smell of smoke began to clear from the air. She had no idea how long she had been lying there, too weak to even lift her head. Eventually she heard the clatter of hoofsteps near her body, and then voices speaking from above. The only voice she recognized was Celestia’s, and her command was appropriately ominous.

“Take her to a cell. I will be along shortly.”

Armour clinked, and several white forelegs moved into her field of vision. She felt them under her limbs, against her stomach, across her back. Then they began to lift, and her head spun as she lost consciousness.

“…she awake?”

Somepony was speaking, their voice dim and distant.

“Chrysalis? Can you hear me?”

She groaned lightly. Her entire body felt sore and bruised.

A soft hum came from her left, and then a light flashed in front of her face, so bright she could see it through her eyelids.

”She’s awake,” another voice said. “You see the way her eyes clenched? Yes, she can hear us alright.”

A hoof reached up to pat her cheek. She tried to lean into the touch, regain any energy that she could, but it was withdrawn quickly.

“Come on, come on,” the voice ordered. “Open your eyes! I’ll not have you keeping her majesty waiting!”

Something in the tone told her that if she refused, they would find a way to make her. She obeyed, squinting into the bright glow coming from the horn pointed between her eyes.

The unicorn smiled tightly. “Good! Now we can get to business.” He turned to the taller figure in the corner. Celestia stepped closer. Her face was calm, serene even, but there was a hard look in her eyes as she studied the changeling queen.

Ignoring the pounding in her head, Chrysalis tried to assess her situation. She was in a small room with stone walls. The only exit was a door made of heavy wood with bars over the window. A dungeon cell, obviously. As for her, they had chained her forelegs spread-eagled to the wall, forcing her to stand on two hooves which were similarly outstretched and chained. She tested the shackles. They did not budge; she had two inches, perhaps three with which to lean forwards.

Seeing that she was well and securely bound, she turned her attention to the occupants of the room. Aside from Celestia and the unicorn that so rudely awakened her, there was an earth pony stallion to her left and right, either for defending the princess or intimidating the prisoner, if she had to guess.

Celestia spoke first. “You have been unconscious for several hours. No doubt you are curious as to the welfare of your army and the outcome of the invasion you so rashly commanded.”

Chrysalis said nothing. She knew where this was going. Celestia was going to explain just how hopeless the situation was, preempting any hopes of escape or rescue to try and make her compliant, if not cooperative.

“Your forces have been routed,” she continued. “Pushed completely out of the city. We detected several of your troops that had assumed pony shape and tried to infiltrate the civilian populace. Whatever mission or sabotage they hoped to accomplish is irrelevant, as they were either slain or forced to retreat.”

No answer. Chrysalis was too busy weighing her options. She needed more energy if she was to escape, but the ambient life-force being emitted by these ponies was too little, too slow. Her eyes trailed to Celestia. The princess would provide the best nourishment, especially if stronger emotions could be provoked.

But to do that… she would have to get the two of them alone.

“A fine synopsis of our crushing defeat, but I doubt you went to all the trouble of arranging this little meeting just to inform me of that,” she said with a smile.

“Don’t be shy, princess,” she coaxed. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“What concerns me the most is how quickly and easily your forces retreated,” Celestia said brusquely. “As a matter of fact, my generals have told me they began falling back at the very moment our battle concluded. Why? Why abandon their leader at a moment’s notice, without the slightest effort to rescue or avenge her?”

“Well, I was quite the slave-driver,” she admitted. “Ordering them about, forcing them to attack innocent ponies, denying them bathroom breaks. It’s no surprise that they’d leave me behind.”

“Somehow, I don’t believe that. Preoccupied as I was, I did notice that burst of magic you fired through the ceiling before my attack connected. Quite an odd move, unless destroying my throne room was not some petty act of revenge, but a signal to your forces.”

She gave the changeling an appraising look. “Therefore, I suspect that the retreat was all part of your plan, and I want to know what they will do next.”

Chrysalis seized the opportunity. “Very well,” she said with a sigh. “I see that I’m in no position to refuse. However, I do have one condition. If you insist on this rather droll interrogation, would you please dismiss your guards. They’re making me a bit uncomfortable. You see, I can’t help but feel a tad… exposed in my current state…”

She stretched languidly in her chains, giving a slow roll of her hips that caught the attention of the gathered ponies. Each stallion averted his eyes, and she almost chuckled as a guilty frown passed over Celestia’s face.

Mumbling an apology, the princess turned and shooed her guards from the room. As the stallions marched out, Chrysalis pondered her next move. That had been easy enough, but how should she deal with the princess herself? There was no chance of inciting any positive emotions from her adversary, but perhaps she could at least coax out some frustration or embarrassment…

“Now that we’re alone,” Celestia said. “What is your army’s next move?”

Chrysalis lowered her head as if ashamed. There was no harm in telling the truth, since in a moment’s time Celestia wouldn’t believe another word she said. “There is no other move. I called for that retreat when I knew that all was lost. You might think me a monster, but I did not wish for my people to be wiped out. Our goal was out of reach, and there was no point in sacrificing more lives.”

“What was that goal,” Celestia asked pointedly. “Why attack my city at all? Your kind thrives on emotions, I know this, but surely such a reckless attack was not your only option?”

“Oh, very well,” she cried out dramatically. “I can’t lie to you. Yes, it was a foolish act, but I couldn’t help myself!”

Surprised by the outburst, Celestia stepped back. “Wha… what do you mean?”

Chrysalis stared at her, eyes tearing up, lips quivering. “It was you, Celestia. You were the reason we attacked! You see, I’ve always desired you for myself. Your luscious body, that beautiful mane, those supple legs, I could go on for hours! In the end, I just couldn’t stand admiring you from afar.”

Celestia’s eyes were bulging, her mouth hanging open in utter shock. Chrysalis was speaking quickly now, almost frantically. “So in a fit of lust and longing, I bade my changelings attack your city, hoping to capture you in the confusion and spirit you back to our hive like Helen in the Ponyliad, where you would be my wife and lover for the rest of our days!”

She would have loved to continue this melodramatic charade, but the look of pure bewilderment on Celestia’s face was too much. Try as she might, Chrysalis couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Celestia’s jaw clenched, cheeks red with a furious blush. “I would not advise making jests at a time like this,” she cautioned. “Especially not in front of the pony who’ll ultimately decide your fate!”

Chrysalis smiled in response. “And what would you prefer? Should I be cursing and shrieking and spitting in your face, defiant to the end? Or should I be a sniveling wreck, pleading for mercy and bemoaning my fate? It’s not as though either option would improve my situation, so why not have a bit of fun at your expense?”

Celestia didn’t rise to the bait. “Mock me if you wish, but you’ll gain nothing with such antics. If you truly value the welfare of your people, you WILL tell me what they are planning. They could not overcome us before, so what chance would they have now? They have lost the element of surprise, they have lost their queen. Any further attack would be doomed to failure.”

“But if you tell me the truth,” she said softly, trying to inject a measure of sympathy into her words. “We may be able to end this without further bloodshed. Convince your people to surrender, and I promise we’ll-”

What a useless offer. By now, her changelings had probably reached the Equestrian border. Celestia hadn’t realized that there was no longer an army to pursue!

Still, no point in revealing that now. If Celestia learned that her prisoner had no information to provide, no leverage to offer, her sentence would be carried out that much quicker. Better if she played coy until she regained the strength to escape.

And speaking of regaining strength, she knew just how to end this discussion and get a nice meal in the process.

“Well, there is one thing I can tell you. A secret I doubt any other pony knows.”

Intrigued, Celestia took a step closer. “And what is that?”

Chrysalis turned her head to the side. “Well, you see…”

‘Closer, closer, just a bit closer,’ she thought to herself.

Another step, then Celestia’s next words changed into a muffled shriek as Chrysalis lunged forward and captured the alicorn’s lips with her own.

Her cries stifled, Celestia tried to pull back, but Chrysalis used the last of her magic to hold the struggling princess in place. Forcing open Celestia’s mouth, her tongue darted inside. Deepening the kiss further, she began drawing every bit of life-force that she could.

Sadly, the magical moment was ended when a golden-shoed hoof slammed into her cheek, breaking the kiss and snapping Chrysalis’ head to the side. Black motes spun in her vision as her already painful headache intensified. Stunned by pain and drunk off the taste of Celestia’s emotions, she hung from her chains and waited for her head to clear.

Celestia wiped furiously at her lips, coughing in disgust. Eyes sparkling with fury, she glared at the changeling. Chrysalis returned the look with a lopsided grin.

“Oh, right. That secret. Well, I don’t know if anypony has told you this, but you are just DELICIOUS when you’re angry.”

“How, how dare you,” Celestia sputtered angrily.

Chrysalis only shrugged. “Well, I’d always heard that when you visit a foreign country, you’re encouraged to sample the local delicacies. It seemed like good manners.”

Ignoring Celestia’s growing ire, she licked her lips and continued. “Besides, I was just giving you a glimpse of what things would be like had I emerged the victor. Just imagine it. It would be you in these chains, with me coming to drain you away bit by bit, while my changelings consumed every last pony in your kingdom.”

Celestia struck her again, harder this time, and Chrysalis felt a large welt forming under her eye. Fighting to stay conscious, she dropped her lips into a pout.

“So that’s how you’ll be dealing with me? Blows to the face? Why resort to such crude means? Instead of dirtying your hoof, why not use a whip instead? Then just change your target to my flanks, and our little interrogation can take a nice kinky turn.”

For a moment it looked like a third hit was on its way, but instead Celestia breathed in and out slowly, trying to bring her anger under control.

“I see what you’re trying to do,” she said at last. “Distracting me to avoid answering my questions? Well played, but I’ve seen through your ruse.”

She shook her head and turned to the door. “However, I think we’ll have to continue this discussion another time. If things continue on as they are, I may end up doing something I’ll deeply regret.”

Determined to have the last word, Chrysalis waited until the princess was halfway out the door. “Like what,” she sneered. “Actually returning the kiss next time?”

Celestia froze; she could see her shoulders trembling. Refusing to answer, she slammed the cell door and stomped off down the hall.

While Chrysalis spun her metaphorical web in the caverns below, night had finally arrived in Canterlot, where an exhausted baby dragon was being carefully tucked into bed. Sliding under the blankets beside him, Celestia pulled him close and nuzzled the top of his head.

“Did you and Twilight have a nice walk,” she asked.

“Yea, it was really fun,” he mumbled into her chest. “I got to see her parents, and Shining Armour, and she told me about all the neat stuff she learned.”

He purposely left out the best part of their excursion. Retrieving the key had been the hardest part. He’d had been forced to stage a very convincing fall from the guard’s head, landing beside a ‘random’ flowerpot and just happening to notice something shining behind it.

From there, everything had been smooth sailing. Twilight had been all too happy to demonstrate her newly learned ability, and with a quick flash of light, a second key had materialized in his palm.

Of course, that had lead to the next tricky part; returning the original to Cadence. He couldn’t just give it back to her, as that might lead to some very unpleasant questions. He also didn’t want to leave it where he found it, lest some other pony stumble across it. In the end, he had decided to sneak into Cadence’s room and plant it in one of her saddlebags. With any luck, she wouldn’t even notice it had gone missing. And if she had, maybe she’d just assume she hadn’t searched well enough?

Of course, he wasn’t going to tell his mother any of that.

“And how about the rest of your day,” she said in concern. “With Twilight and myself preoccupied for so long, I hope you didn’t get too lonely.”

Spike gulped. Maybe he wasn’t off the hook quite yet. He tried to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible.

“Oh, nothing much.”

Ugh, what kind of stupid answer was that?

“Hmm, I think there’s something you’re not telling me.” He could hear the smile in her voice and groaned inwardly. Of course she was onto him. He’d never been a very good liar to begin with, and he was completely hopeless when it came to her.

Still, he had to be careful. If he said too much, he’d be getting himself into very hot water.

“Well, actually, I made a new friend today,” he admitted.

She pulled back enough to look down at him, an excited smile on her face. “Spike, that’s wonderful! Oh, I can’t wait to hear everything! What was their name?”

Spike opened his mouth to respond, but something suddenly occurred to him. He smiled sheepishly. “I forgot to ask.”

“Well that wasn’t very polite,” she chided. “You should always ask for the other pony’s name when making introductions. You DID remember to introduce yourself, I hope.”

“Yes mama, I remembered,” he said quickly. He did not want to be subjected to a lecture on manners right now.

“Good. Make sure you apologize and ask the very next time you see them. Understand?”

He nodded, and Celestia immediately reverted to her previously excited self. “Now then, what kind of pony is your friend? Or did you forget to look?”

“I know what kind of pony she is!” Oh great, what was he supposed to say now? He couldn’t just say that the twisted pony was an alicorn!

Luckily, one word in his outburst completely grabbed Celestia’s attention.

“She,” the alicorn asked, mischief glinting in her eyes. “This new friend of yours is a filly?”

“Well, yeah. So? I can have fillyfriends if I want, right? I mean, I’m friends with Twilight!”

“That may be, but Twilight is my student, and a filly that I trust.” Celestia lifted her chin disdainfully. “How do I know that this friend of yours even deserves your attention? What if she’s just using you for her own gain? I don’t want my son to be off gallivanting with just any girl, you know!”

Spike’s spirits dropped. “Does that mean I can’t be friends with her anymore?”

“I didn’t say that. But I will have to meet her myself, and decide for myself if she’s worthy of you.”

“You… you want to meet her,” Spike asked in horror. Oh no, this was terrible. She was going to find out where he’d gone! He’d be getting that spanking after all!

Celestia laughed. “I was only teasing, Spike. I would never judge your friends or forbid you from seeing them.”

“Now then, I think we’ve both had enough excitement for one day. You can tell me more about this friend of yours in the morning.”

She turned to blow out the candle, and Spike sighed in relief, only to freeze once again at her next words. “But I wasn’t kidding about that last part. I do want to meet this girl sometime soon.”

Chrysalis awoke with a start. The last vestiges of the dream still ran through her head. The exquisite taste of Celestia’s emotions, the throbbing bruise on her cheek, those last taunting words she had thrown at the alicorn’s back.

It had been many years since she last dreamed of her capture. And for good reason. If she had only known what consequences her actions would bring, she would have cooperated in a heartbeat.

But it was too late to change the past. Right now, she had only the future to think on. And if she was lucky, well, she and Celestia might be picking up where they left off those many years ago. Only this time, their roles as captor and captive would be switched.

And she was going to enjoy getting her revenge. The look on Celestia’s face would be reward enough, but it would only be the appetizer… oh, yes. Normally, Chrysalis had no stomach for negative emotions, but this time, this time she would savor every bit of the alicorn’s fear, helplessness and despair. In fact, she might even try to encourage them…

Once she regained her full power, she would wait until Celestia came down for her weekly visit to reinforce the barrier. Chrysalis would be waiting on the other side, all fake smiles and feigned politeness. Her demeanor would no doubt set the princess on edge, but it would still come as a massive shock when she broke the force-field down and leapt to attack.

But wait, how could she forget the most important part? What if she were to make idle conversation at first, perhaps complaining to Celestia about a pest problem in her cavern? Then she could claim that the most horrid little vermin had invaded, but thankfully she had disposed of it immediately.

Then, she could reveal Spike’s lifeless body, toss it through the barrier to land at Celestia’s hooves. She could easily imagine the look of horror and disbelief, the monarch frantically calling her son’s name as she focused all her attention on the corpse. And then, the moment Celestia looked up she would smash through the barrier and overpower her.

Chrysalis chuckled to herself. The possibilities were endless. She could use Spike as bait for a trap, or even a hostage to force Celestia into submitting to her will. Her only regret was that she had to choose just one.

But she was getting ahead of herself. She rose from the cavern floor, her legs and back cracking and popping as she stretched. Her stomach rumbled, and she made herself comfortable while waiting for breakfast to arrive.

She waited.

And waited.

And just for the pure and simple hell of it, she waited some more.

Spike didn’t come.

Chrysalis began to worry. He should have been here by now, shouldn’t he? There was no way of telling time in this place. It could have been six hours; it could have been six days.

But the hunger pangs in her stomach were still weak. It couldn’t have been more than a day. So where was he?

Time continued to drag on, and she paced around the rim of the circle, biting her lip anxiously. Something must have gone wrong. Had he forgotten about her? Or had Celestia discovered his intentions and stopped him?

What if… what if he had never intended to return? What if he had lied to her simply to escape from her clutches?

The growling in her stomach was becoming more insistent. After yesterday’s meal, the thought of returning to near starvation was horrific. She needed to see Spike again. She needed to taste him again!

Chrysalis shrieked in frustration, cursing herself for being such a fool. How could she have let him go? What was she thinking?!

Her anger fizzled out when a familiar life-force caught her attention. It was young, vibrant, and overflowing with excitement. She recognized it at once.

“Twisted pony,” Spike called from the tunnel. He was carrying a large bag that looked to be bulging at the seams, running as carefully as he could with his view obscured. He caught a glimpse of her, and he smiled all the wider.

“Hey, there you are! Sorry I’m late; I had to make sure I didn’t forget-”

She wasn’t listening. The second he had come into view, she had taken one step, then another, then broke into a run that would have bowled a full-grown manticore flat on its back.

Spike dropped the bag in surprise, and she vaulted over it and threw both forelegs around him in a tackle. She swept him off his feet as the two tumbled and rolled across the ground, squeezing him to her chest and drawing energy like he would vanish in an instant.

“Oof,” Spike grunted from beneath her. “Glad to see you too… guess you missed me, huh?”

She pulled back enough to frown into his face. “You’re damn right I did,” she snarled. “What took you so long? I was worried something had happened to you, or you’d forgotten, or, or even abandoned me!”

He shook his head rapidly. “No way! I’d never do that.” He gestured to the bag lying behind them. “But before I left, I decided to bring you a few things so you wouldn’t get bored while I was gone. That’s all, I promise!”

“Hmm,” she said, casting a look back. “Well, alright I suppose. But you can’t make me worry like that again, okay?”

“Okay, if you’ll trust that I’ll never forget about you.”

“Deal.”

He smiled up at her, only to grimace a moment later. “Umm, can you let me up now? You’re kinda heavy, it’s making my chest hurt.”

She let out a horrified gasp. What on earth was she doing?! Immediately, she ended the transfer, thankful that Spike assumed the pain was due to her weight. She berated herself once again for being so careless. No matter what, he could never learn that she was feeding off of him. That knowledge, she knew, would immediately turn him against her.

“I’m sorry, Spike,” she said. “I guess I was so happy to see you that I overreacted. Here, why don’t you sit down and catch your breath?”

Helping him to his feet, she steered him over to the newly placed furniture and settled him down. Levitating the bag over, she placed it on the table before them.

“So why don’t you show me what exactly you brought,” she asked, sitting beside him and resting a foreleg over his shoulders. Carefully, she reopened the link, making sure that she was taking only the barest minimum of his energy.

Spike was about to reach into the bag when something crossed his mind. Something very important his mother had told him the night before.

“Well, before we do that. There’s something I have to ask you. Something I should have asked when we first met.”

“Oh, and what is that?” She was barely paying attention to his words. Rather, she was gradually taking more of his life-force. It was delicate work. She had to keep it just below the threshold of causing him pain. If she could just build up his tolerance…

“Well, I told you my name yesterday, but you never told me yours! I can’t keep calling you twisted pony all the time, right?”

“Oh no,” she agreed automatically. “That wouldn’t do at all.”

“So,” he prodded. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Chrys-” She stopped midsentence as his words finally registered. No bucking way was she telling him the truth. Oh no, if she gave her real name, it would certainly come back to bite her in the ass. She was already skeptical of Spike’s ability to keep her a secret. The last thing she needed was to give him more chances to mess up.

“Crystalia,” she said at last, pointing to the walls around them. “Just like all the crystals in this cave.”

“Crystalia,” he repeated. “I like it! It’s a pretty name for a pretty pony. But how come you stopped in the middle of saying it? It sounded like you were changing your mind about something.”

“Well, it’s just been so long since I’ve told anypony my name,” she lied.

He wasn’t buying it. “Crystalia’s not your real name, is it?”

She smirked. “Nope.”

“I knew it,” he said smugly. “So what’s your real name then?”

“I’m not going to tell you.”

“But, but why not,” he asked.

She grinned at him like the cat that ate the canary. “Because you haven’t earned it yet.”

He crossed his arms and scowled, though a smile threatened to break through. “That’s not fair! I told you my name, so you have to tell me yours!”

“And when did we agree to that,” she asked innocently. “If you’d wanted, you could have told me a fake name as well.”

He looked as though he wanted to protest further, but finally let out a resigned huff. “Fine, so what do I have to do to find out?”

“Hmm,” she scrunched up her face like she was actually considering the question. “I haven’t decided yet.

To her utmost confusion, she actually felt the barest twinge of pity at his downtrodden look and pulled him closer against her. “Don’t worry,” she said as she nuzzled his cheek. “I’ll tell you eventually.”

“You promise?”

“I promise,” she said.

‘In fact, it will be the last thing you ever hear,’ she added silently.

Author's Note

Okay, tried to get this one as neat and polished as I could, so hopefully any mistakes, grammatical or otherwise, will be kept to a minimum this time. To those who read it, I sincerely hope you enjoyed.

3. Thawing Heart

‘Cause there’s love in your lies

You’re so thinly disguised

You couldn’t tell right from wrong if you tried

Blue Oyster Cult- Goin’ Through the Motions

Chapter 3- Thawing Heart

It was a cold, clear morning in December, sunlight glistening over the numerous drifts and fields of snow. Throughout Canterlot, the streets were buzzing with festivity. The decorations were in place, the shopping was done, and the only thing left to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday. For parents, lovers, and all the stallions and mares in between, it was a perfect day to relax and spend time with their loved ones. A day to curl up in front of the fireplace, a blanket over the shoulders and a cup of cocoa in hoof.

Well, that’s how it felt for the adults. For the children, it was anything but relaxing. No, it was a day of irrepressible anticipation and impatience. When time crept by so slowly they almost believed the clocks had stopped. When brightly-wrapped presents taunted them with their mysterious contents. When the excitement was so unbearable they almost wanted to yank their manes out.

Or spines, in the case of one particular dragon.

Spike paced back and forth across his mother’s sitting room, arms crossed and claws tapping impatiently. It felt like he’d been waiting forever, and it was still hardly past noon! He wondered if maybe his mother was prolonging the day to punish him for sneaking an extra candy cane last night?

Desperate to pass the time, he hummed every carol he knew, then counted each light and ornament on the tree, then finally tried reciting all of his lines for the play later that night.

“The end,” he finished proudly. Covering his eyes, he turned to the large clock standing against the east wall, eager to see how much time had gone by. It had to be at least an hour, right? Maybe even two! Well, he had sped through his rehearsal a bit, so maybe not that long. Yeah, he’d guess one hour just to be safe.

Spike uncovered his eyes, and his jaw dropped in horror.

“Seven minutes!?”

He groaned pitifully and flopped back onto a pillow. “I’ll never make it…”

Unfortunately, his wallowing in misery only lasted another few minutes before restlessness claimed him once again. With nothing better to do, Spike trudged over to the massive pile of gifts and looked them over for the thousandth time.

The presents were of all shapes and sizes, wrapped in bright, sparkly paper and tied with gold and silver ribbons. Reading each of the tags, he found ones for him, for his mother, for Cadence and Bluebood, even a few for Twilight when she’d come visit in the morning. Lifting up one of his own gifts, he tried to imagine what lurked under the bright red paper. It might be a new blanket, or a whole bunch of gemstones, or one of those cool helmets that all the guards had!

His claws twitched, aching to tear into the wrapping and uncover its secrets. Maybe… maybe if he made a really small cut, he could peek inside and then tape it up before anypony noticed? He quickly looked behind him. The room was deserted. He glanced out the window. No eavesdropping pegasi. He stared at the box unblinkingly, almost wishing he could bore a hole through it with his vision as he began his dastardly deed.

Suddenly he felt a warm breath against the back of his neck, and then a voice whispering into his ear.

“You know, curiosity killed the cat, Spike.”

Spike yelped and dove into the pile of presents. But before he could begin burrowing deeper, the warm sound of laughter made him pause. Peeking out from underneath the boxes, he saw his mother with a hoof to her mouth, giggling at the success of her little joke.

“Momma! You almost scared the scales off me,” he said indignantly.

The alicorn gave him a smug look. “Now don’t you take that tone of voice with me, mister. After all, I caught you red-handed.” Lifting the present, she waved it back and forth as evidence.

“You weren’t thinking of opening a present early, were you?”

He huffed. “No, I wasn’t.”

Celestia grinned. “Good, because I’m sure you remember what happened the last time.”

“Yeah, you turned all my presents into socks!”

“And I can do it again too,” she teased, her horn glowing. “In fact, maybe I already have!”

Spike burst out of the pile, waving his arms frantically. “No, no! I’ll be good, promise!”

Celestia gave him a skeptical look. “Oh, really? You’re not exactly off to a good start.”

“Come on, momma! Just one more chance. Please?”

“Very well,” she laughed. “If you can be good for the rest of the day, you won’t get any socks.”

As relieved as he was, Spike couldn’t help but try and milk it a bit further. “And if I’m really, really good, will you let me open one present early?”

Celestia gasped. “Why, you little mercenary! Trying to make such a deal with your own mother!” Spike gulped, hoping that he hadn’t already failed in his promise to behave.

“Although,” Celestia continued. “I suppose it could be a good lesson for you on taking responsibility for your actions. And it is Hearth’s Warming Eve… so alright Spike. It’s a deal. If you can be very, very good, I’ll let you open any present you want after we come home from the play.”

She lifted a hoof, and Spike quickly shook it, his smile reaching from ear to ear.

“…And I’ll be deciding what counts as being so good.”

The smile dropped off his face, and he looked up at her uncertainly. She’d be deciding? He didn’t like the sound of that.

“But, don’t I just have to stay out of trouble and not look at the presents,” he asked hopefully.

“That’s just to get your presents tomorrow,” she corrected with a grin. “But if you want one tonight, it’s going to take much more than that to get into my good books.”

Okay, so maybe this deal was a bad idea. Even though he dreaded the answer, he had to know what she was planning.

“What do I gotta do?”

“Oh, not much. Not very much at all. Let me see…”

The alicorn put a hoof to her chin, seeming to think it over. Spike grabbed hold of his tail, squeezing nervously. Maybe this deal wasn’t such a good idea after all. What if she made him practice his claw-writing for the entire day, or had him write an essay on the history of Hearth’s Warming to get his mind off the presents? What if she made him eat nothing but boiled asparagus for dinner, or had him wrestle a cockatrice? His mind whirled with scenarios, each more horrible than the last, until Celestia’s smile turned devious and she leaned over him.

“I want you to have an extra helping of carrots with dinner, and do a good job in the play tonight. Once the play is over, I expect you to actually socialize a bit instead of just hiding behind me or running off with Twilight. I also want you going to bed on time, no trying to stay up until midnight so you can open your presents as soon as the day begins.”

Even though he wasn’t looking forward to being fawned over by all the well-wishers, none of her conditions were that extreme. It looked like he was worrying himself over nothing.

“And, of course, the most important condition of all…”

Uh oh, looks like he spoke too soon!

“The one thing you absolutely must do is… give your mother a hug,” Celestia said.

He sagged in relief, hardly able to believe his luck. Rushing into her embrace, he nuzzled her chest, completely ecstatic as he debated which present to open.

That was until he heard the telltale hum of magic being cast. He twisted his head around just in time to see a bright, blue glow settle over each of his presents.

“Just a little extra security,” Celestia said. “Those barriers should keep you from peeking while I’m off at Twilight’s lesson and meeting with the council later.”

Spike pulled away from her hooves and dropped to all fours, curiously approaching one of the presents. Extending a claw, he carefully poked the glowing box, yelping as the blue field flashed into a bright and angry red.

“What’s it doing now,” he asked in amazement, watching the field revert to its original blue.

His mother grinned. “It alerts me whenever you try and get past it,” she explained. “That red glow means it’s sending me a mental warning that some little dragon is being naughty.”

“But what if some other pony touches them,” Spike protested. “Like if Cadence comes in and kicks it on accident! Am I gonna get in trouble for that?”

Celestia laughed and ruffled his Spines. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not trying to cheat you, Spike. A spell to keep anypony from touching them would have taken far more time and energy.”

Reaching out, she gave the present a light tap. The field remained blue and undisturbed.

“You see? The only one it’s keeping out is you.”

Well, that was a relief. At least now he wasn’t going to be framed if somepony came in and rearranged things. Still, there was something about that blue field that drew his attention.

Sitting beside the present, he peered closer at the swirling magic. It looked exactly like that barrier that was at the entrance to the twisted pony’s cave. He wondered if it was the same spell?

Spike frowned a bit at the thought. Did that mean that if Crystalia touched it, the same thing would happen? Would it glow red and tell Celestia what was happening? If it did, would his mother come running down to that cave to stop her? But why was she trapped there anyway, and if his mother was the one who did it, why?

So many mysteries, and each one only raised further questions. It made Spike’s head hurt just thinking about it, and he tried to focus on something else. Unfortunately, his mind kept wanting to stray back to either the mystery of the twisted pony, or the mystery of his presents.

‘Wait a minute. Twisted pony… presents. Twisted pony… presents. Oh no!’

Horrified realization washed over him. He hadn’t gotten her anything for Hearth’s Warming. He looked back over the pile, heart sinking as he thought of how he carefully he had picked out gifts for the rest of his family. He knew that he would be crushed if it turned out that Cadence or Blueblood had forgotten about him like that.

The guilt only worsened as he remembered that he was the twisted pony’s only friend. She wouldn’t get presents from anypony else.

Spike wasn’t stupid. He knew the twisted pony was lonely, that she was sad and wanted to be free of that cave. He’d seen the disappointment in her eyes whenever he left, had noticed that her smiles never reached her eyes and her laughter always seemed forced. And he’d tried, really he had, to make her happy whenever he visited.

But now, here it was, Hearth’s Warming Eve, and he didn’t have anything to give her. He felt like the worst friend in the world.

But maybe it wasn’t too late. There were still lots of ponies shopping now, weren’t there? He remembered Twilight’s mother complaining about how her husband always waited until the last minute.

He leapt to his feet, rushing over to where Celestia was examining her lesson plans.

“Momma! We need to go visit Canterlot,” he blurted out.

The alicorn looked down at him in surprise. “But whatever for, Spike? And why the big hurry?”

Spike rocked back and forth on his feet, wringing his hands frantically. “I… I forgot to get one of my friends a present! I need to buy her something before it’s too late. Please momma, can we go?”

Celestia sighed, giving him that soft, patient smile that he could never quite decipher. “I’m sorry Spike, but I just don’t have the time now,” she said regretfully. “Twilight’s lesson will be starting soon, and after that I have one last meeting with the council. By the time it concludes, I’m afraid all the stores will be closed.”

Spike’s face fell. What was he going to do now? He couldn’t just visit and bring nothing! Maybe… maybe he could take one of his own presents for her? But what if it wasn’t something she’d like?

“However, I might be willing to let you go without me, provided I can find an escort and you’re on your best behavior.” Celestia finished. His head shot up, face breaking into a hopeful smile.

“Can I, please? I promise I’ll listen and be polite and do whatever they want!” He already had an idea for where to look, and exactly what to get.

Celestia chuckled at his enthusiasm, levitating a bag of bits into his claws before turning to the door. “Very well then, let me see if Aegis or Phalanx will be willing to accompany you.”

She paused halfway into the corridor, then turned and fixed Spike with a stern look. “And make sure to bundle up,” she ordered. “If I come home and find you have the sniffles, I am going to be very disappointed.”

Spike beamed at her, too excited to even think of arguing. “Yes, momma,” he said before rushing to his closet and starting the long, tedious ordeal of changing into his winter clothes.

She waited down in the darkness for him to come home.

The city above was swirling with positive emotions. If she closed her eyes and focused, she could just barely pick out individual flavors from the mix. The spiced, smoky flavor of a newly-wed couple on their honeymoon. The warm, weary relief of a traveler returning home. The rich and soothing comfort of visiting friends.

It could only mean some type of Equestrian holiday or celebration. In days past, those brief tastes would have nearly driven her mad with hunger and desperation. She would have hovered at the very roof of the cavern in hopes that drawing an extra inch closer would let her sate her appetite.

But no longer. Now, she shared in that feeling of anticipation. Because this time, she would finally have a holiday feast of her own.

Just as soon as her little Spike arrived…

The thought of it made her mouth water. The past few months of work would soon begin paying off. She had been careful and very patient, eating a tiny bit more each day, but never taking enough of his life-force to cause any discomfort. And her efforts had been rewarded. Little by little, his tolerance to her feeding increased, with his appetite and metabolism adjusting to compensate for the energy he unknowingly lost.

Hopefully this would be the day she could finally ingest a full meal. And then, then she could begin using the surplus energy to recharge her magic for an eventual escape.

Chrysalis chuckled; she still found herself amazed that their little routine had progressed so well. She contented herself with a few wickedly vengeful daydreams concerning Celestia. Oddly enough, she stuck to more painless methods of humiliation and torture this time around, because obviously Spike wouldn’t want her to… wait! Why did she care about how Spike would feel?

Shaking her head, she quickly banished the thought. With a lazy, sensual stretch, she clambered off the bed and trotted towards her bathing pool, heating the water with a quick surge of magic. She didn’t know why, maybe all that holiday cheer was contagious, but she found herself putting a bit more work into her appearance. And why not? Can’t a girl pamper herself once in awhile? So what if her coat would be a bit softer, her mane a bit silkier? It certainly wasn’t as though there was somepony she wanted to impress.

But two hours later, a wide smile spread across her face when she caught the sound of footsteps from the tunnel. Reaching up with a hoof, she brushed a strand of mane from her face and waited, eagerly sampling the emotions as they drew closer and closer. Oh yes, room service was spoiling her today: mostly excitement, as well as the usual happiness he felt whenever he visited. Strangely enough, there were tiny bits of trepidation, and even the smallest dollop of mischievousness thrown in. Hmm… was her little Spike up to something?

He finally trundled into the cavern, and Chrysalis was horrified to find herself giggling at his appearance. The baby dragon had barely a scale showing, enveloped as he was by a thick and puffy coat, baggy snow pants, boots, mittens, scarf and even a fuzzy tassel-cap. Only his sparkling green eyes and the very tip of his nose could be seen. She had never seen anything so adorable in her life.

‘Ugh, did I really just think of something as adorable,’ she groaned to herself. ‘What is wrong with me today?’

She turned her attention back to Spike as he waddled up to her, pushing the scarf away from his mouth. “Hi Crystalia,” he said breathlessly.

She smiled back and leaned down. “Hello Spike,” she said, nuzzling his cheek. The sheer happiness in his energy made her eyes glaze over.

Shaking herself out of the euphoria, she looked him up and down, smirking at his attire. “Hard to believe there’s actually a dragon under all that,” she teased, poking his stomach. “You look more like a couch cushion.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault I need all this stuff. I don’t have fur!”

She feigned a gasp of surprise. “Oh, I completely forgot! Well, I’m glad you remembered at least. We don’t want you catching a cold.”

Spike grinned. “Mom said the same thing!”

Her smile thinned, as it always did when Celestia was mentioned. Luckily, Spike didn’t notice. Instead, he seemed to be fidgeting with something behind his back.

“What have you got back there,” she asked.

Spike tried to give her an innocent smile. “It’s a surprise for you.”

She looked at him curiously. A surprise? This ought to be interesting.

“But first, you gotta come down closer and close your eyes.”

Okay, she could play along with this. Dropping down to her knees, she leaned in and closed her eyes. Spike was trying to hold in his laughter, and she suddenly felt the mischievousness in his emotions increase. Now she knew he was up to something. Cracking an eye, she saw him draw back an arm… and what was that in his hand… something white?

The next thing she knew, something cold and wet struck her in the face. She shrieked in surprise, her eyes snapping open to see her neck and chest covered in snow. She wiped it away quickly, shivering as the freezing substance melted into her coat. Shaking the last traces from her mane, she glared down at the culprit.

Spike was rolling back and forth on the ground, clutching his stomach as he laughed. Obviously the little miscreant thought that beaning her with a snowball was absolutely hilarious. So hilarious, in fact, that he hadn’t even considered fleeing the scene of the crime.

He was going to regret that little lapse in judgment. It was time to pay him back in spades, she mused, gathering up the snow and molding it into a large clump.

“Spi~iiiiiike,” she crooned, stomping up to him with the snowball levitating before her.

The dragon’s laughter stopped, his eyes widening as he saw the changeling approach, her eyes gleaming malevolently. Recognizing the danger, he tried to stand and run, only to flop back to the ground as his bulky snow pants got in the way.

Thoroughly enjoying his frantic attempts to escape, Chrysalis slowed her pace, waving the snowball back and forth as she crept closer. Desperate, Spike kicked off his boots and began wrestling his way out of the other clothes. Feeling unusually sporting, she stopped her advance and waited until he’d pulled them all off and scrambled to his feet. With one last look over his shoulder, he began to run, giggling hysterically. With a feral grin, she pursued.

The ‘chase’ should have lasted only a few seconds. Spike had barely made it more than three feet up the tunnel before she overtook him. Seeing the vengeful queen hot on his heels, the dragon took a sharp left and headed down another passage. Chrysalis matched his pace, careful to stay only a few steps behind him. Every few seconds, she’d graze the snowball against the tips of his spines or swat at his tail with a hoof. Not to stop him of course, but just to make sure he never forget that she was right on his ass.

It wasn’t long before Spike’s pace began to slow, and Chrysalis decided that she’d played with her food enough for the moment. After all, she didn’t want to tire him out. A quick swipe of her hoof swept his feet out from under him, and she caught him with her magic and gently, but firmly pinned him to the ground.

Looming over the hapless dragon, Chrysalis slowly lowered the snowball until it hovered centimeters above his face. Spike gulped and closed his eyes, tensing up for the inevitable assault. She grinned to herself; as if she’d let him get off that easy after the stunt he’d pulled. Raising the ball several feet into the air, she watched and waited.

A minute passed before Spike seemed to realize that his pate had yet to be pasted, and he cautiously opened his eyes, still gasping for breath. Chrysalis flicked her eyes upward, and he looked up just in time for the falling snowball to land on his face with a loud splat.

Spike coughed and sputtered, still giggling as he beamed up at the triumphant changeling. “Okay, okay, you got me! But I still got you first,” he exclaimed.

Chrysalis laughed. Not one of her usual malignant cackles, or even one of the patronizingly forced chuckles she had used in the past. It was a natural, joyous sound that she scarcely believed herself capable of creating.

Spike looked just as astonished by the sound, but then his smile returned, even wider than before. “That sounded nice. I like it when you laugh.”

Somehow, that observation managed to shock her even more than the snowball. Chrysalis averted her eyes, wondering how it could affect her so much. Maybe she just wasn’t used to being complimented in her normal form, or maybe it was the honesty and admiration in Spike’s voice. Whatever it was, it was giving her a fluttery feeling in her stomach that she didn’t understand.

Before she had a chance to dwell on the matter, Spike’s face scrunched up and he let out a massive sneeze. A jet of green flame erupted from his mouth, and she barely had time to leap backwards to avoid being accidentally char-broiled.

‘Actually, wouldn’t that have sent me to Celestia?’ She remembered Spike mentioning his ability to send and receive letters, and wondered if living beings could also be transported. Wouldn’t that be a riot, for her to pop out of thin air and land in the alicorn’s lap? Celestia’s reaction would almost be worth the consequences. Come to think of it, that might not be a bad way to begin her escape…

Mumbling an apology, Spike began cleaning the snow off of himself. But even with the snow cleared away, the damage had already been done, leaving him wet and shivering cold. She might’ve felt sorry for the poor thing, maybe even the slightest bit guilty, until she recognized what a fine opportunity she had been handed.

“My, my,” she teased, levitating Spike onto her back. “I think I’d better get you warmed up. It looks like you’re about to become a drakesicle.”

“Ye… yeah… wonder who’s fa… fau… fault that is,” he stuttered, pressing himself against her warm fur.

“Hmph. I’m not the one who decided to smuggle a snowball down here to get a laugh at YOUR expense.”

“I thought it was a nice surprise,” Spike tried to argue. “I mean, you probably haven’t seen snow in a long time, right? I thought you might like to see some again!”

“See it, yes. Hit by it, NO,” she shot back, thoroughly enjoying the banter as they headed back up the tunnel.

“Still, I totally surprised you, right? You never saw it coming,” he pressed.

Chrysalis sighed. “Yes, I suppose you proved yourself to be quite the devious dragon. Poor innocent me, awaiting the visit of her friend, never suspecting that such a betrayal was approaching.”

Spike propped himself up on his elbows, and she could almost feel him glaring at the back of her head. Trying to look intimidating, no doubt. She had to stop herself from looking back. She’d most likely be unable to contain her laughter, and she didn’t want to bruise his ego.

“You make it sound like I was trying to be mean,” he said. “I wasn’t, honest! That’s not even why I came down. I have another surprise for you, a real one this time!”

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Another surprise? Forgive me if I seem ungrateful, but the last one was bad enough.”

“Aww, come on! This is a good surprise. I picked it out myself, just for you. Pleeeeaaaaase? I promise you’ll like it.”

His previous enthusiasm was back full-force, making Chrysalis stop in her tracks. Looking back over her shoulder, she carefully examined Spike’s emotions, looking for any sign of that mischievous glee that heralded his earlier prank. Finding nothing, she blew out a frustrated breath. She wanted to just refuse and get on with her plan. All these delays were wasting time.

But the smile on his face and the gleam in his eyes were impossible to resist. And this surprise was for her, after all. How could she say no to that?

“Fine,” she grumbled. “But I’m warning you, if this is another snowball, I’m stuffing it down your pants and then forcing you back into them!”

The threat didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest. Wonderful, apparently she’d gone so soft that she couldn’t even scare baby dragons. Talk about a blow to her pride.

“So then, where is it?”

Spike pointed towards the entrance tunnel, almost bouncing in his excitement. “Up that way, just past the barrier!”

She looked away and rolled her eyes. It just figured that he’d leave it in the one spot she couldn’t reach. That meant that not only would she have to break contact, but she’d be left waiting around at one of her least favorite places in the world.

Deciding to just get it out of the way, she carried him up the tunnel, muttering to herself with each step. She made sure to set him down a good distance from the barrier, the last thing they needed was for her to trip the field and bring Celestia down to investigate.

“Now you hurry up,” she said, helping him climb down. “If you wind up catching a cold, I’m not going to be happy.”

He gave her an enthusiastic nod and rushed through the barrier. A deep sensation of loss settled over her when his life-force pulled away, though the feeling was not merely physical this time. She wanted to go with him, get out of this cave and see how the world had changed since she’d been gone. But no, it was still too early. Even if Celestia had let the barrier weaken enough to only affect her, there was no telling how much power it would take to destroy. Much as it pained her, she had to wait.

Seating herself, she glared daggers at the force-field. She hated that wall of softly glowing light, hated it with every fiber of her being. It looked so flimsy, so damned insubstantial, like she should be capable of ripping it away with a single hoof. She clenched her teeth, desiring she could do just that.

Thankfully, Spike returned and prevented her from doing anything rash. She quickly returned him to her back, her mind growing calm from the return of his emotions. She wasted no time galloping back down the tunnel. Perhaps it was being so close to freedom, or simply having that magical reminder of her fate, but lingering near the entrance seemed to give her irrational thoughts.

She chuckled at her own ridiculousness. Imagine, wanting to jump the gun and ruin her entire plan! Why, if Spike hadn’t returned, who knows what she might have done? Probably tried to beg Celestia for pardon when she came to recharge the barrier.

“What’s so funny,” Spike asked, looping his arms around her neck and leaning around.

She shivered a bit from the contact. “Oh, nothing at all,” she said quickly before inwardly counting down from ten. She had to put all these thoughts aside: the strange feelings she had when thinking of Spike, questioning her plan of revenge, all of it. Freedom and vengeance, those were what mattered, and she would not accept one without the other.

Her confidence restored, they turned one last corner and entered her living area.

Compared to the rest of the cavern, the chamber was a complete anomaly, an oasis amongst the cold, grey rock. It was a small, enclosed space where the floor and walls had been magically smoothed and sculpted. Also present were the crude, but serviceable pieces of furniture she had carved the day after their first meeting. But for all her contributions to the space, Spike’s were far more impressive.

Shortly after his visits began, Spike had expressed his sympathy for how barren and empty her prison truly was. She tried to dismiss his concerns, but his charitable nature was undeterred. He declared, much to her amusement, that he was going to do everything he could to make the cave feel like home. She expected it to be a hasty promise in which he would quickly lose interest. She was wrong.

Week after week, Spike would arrive bearing some new furnishing. A mantle clock without its second hand, a number of frayed but comfortable pillows, lamps that could be charged with unicorn magic and remain lit for days, there seemed to be no limit to what the young dragon could provide.

Chrysalis, naturally, had been horrified. What was he doing, ambling into every shop in Canterlot and asking for handouts? Was he telling them it was for a friend who lived in a cave under the castle? The little dunce was going to get caught and spoil everything!

Luckily, Spike had explained that not only was his behavior normal, it was actually encouraged. Apparently all dragons had an instinctive need to collect and hoard possessions. This was what accounted for their protective, even obsessive love for gold and gems. However, it could also be quite dangerous. Until they became mature enough to control the urges, younger dragons could find themselves possessed by an overpowering and even violent sense of greed. The best way to prevent this was to periodically satisfy their greed before it gained strength, allowing the dragon to gather whatever minor items they could readily obtain. In this manner, the dragon’s greed was never allowed to build up to dangerous levels.

It seemed Celestia had fully endorsed this method, giving her son free reign to hoard whatever he chose, so long as no theft or manipulation was involved. And so whenever the desire struck, he scoured the castle, looking for any worn-out, discarded or unwanted items. Always eager to assist their prince, the servants and staff would happily provide otherwise useless junk, with which Spike would happily abscond.

Normally, these items were haphazardly piled in a storage room back in the castle. But now, nurture had beaten nature, and Spike was selflessly bringing his treasures to her instead of keeping them for himself. The result? The coziest, most comfortable cave a changeling could ask for.

Not that she needed it, of course. She had managed for the last several centuries just fine. But if it made Spike feel more at home, then her plans would run that much smoother.

…And it was a rather… sweet… gesture she supposed.

“Ahh, home sweet home,” Spike said.

Chrysalis smiled, surprised at how natural the gesture was becoming. Proof of her exemplary skills at deception, no doubt.

“Alright you, enough procrastinating,” she said firmly. “We need to get you warmed up right this minute.”

Brightening the lamps, she placed Spike beside her and began herding him over to the bed. But Spike planted his feet and refused to budge.

“Hey, wait a second! You’re forgetting something.”

She turned sharply, about to berate him for yet another delay. But she paused at the sight of a box in the dragon’s arms, wrapped in bright green paper.

“I gotta give you your surprise first!”

Her eyes widened, and she gently plucked the gift from his claws. She looked over the label that bore her false name in untidy but legible writing, and then the bright green paper and the white ribbon tying it. She didn’t even know what to think. She was no stranger to presents, of course, having received countless ones over the years from stallions she had hypnotized. But in those cases they had fawned over her while in the throes of mind control. This time, however, Spike was apparently giving her this purely out of his own desire.

“Do you like the wrapping? It’s the same color as your eyes,” Spike exclaimed, and she had to struggle to keep her cheeks from reddening. Damn it, why in the world couldn’t she stop acting like this?

“It looks wonderful,” she managed to say. “I can’t wait to see what’s inside.”

“Well, you can’t open it yet,” Spike warned her, wagging a claw.

“But why not? It’s for me, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but it’s only Hearth’s Warming Eve! You have to wait until morning,” he said.

“Hearth’s Warming?” That must be the holiday that had everypony so excited. She’d completely forgotten to ask him about it.

The confusion must have shown on her face, because Spike was gaping at her in utter disbelief.

“You don’t know what Hearth’s Warming is,” he asked incredulously. Chrysalis just snickered and shook her head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything. It’s a-” she quickly put a hoof to his lips.

“Not another word, Spike. You can tell me all about it when you’re not shivering your tail off,” she said with authority. “Bed, now.”

Knowing better than to argue, Spike trudged past her and burrowed his way into the pile of blankets. Wrapping him up snugly, she pondered how best to make her move. She needed to keep her actions from looking suspicious…

She knew just the thing. Taking care to remain out of sight, she gathered her magic and lifted one corner of the blankets away before sending in a cold draft.

Seeing the dragon shiver a bit, she leaned close. “Are you alright Spike? Are you feeling warmer,” she asked, trying to sound concerned.

“A… a little,” he said. “But I just felt really cold all of a sudden.”

“Hmm, well that won’t do.” She rubbed her chin, pretending to look deep in thought. “Ah, I know a way to make you all nice and toasty.”

“Really? How,” he asked hopefully.

Chrysalis grinned and lifted the blankets, climbing up beside him.

“You’re coming in here too?”

“Oh course,” she said. “How else am I supposed to warm you up?

Wrapping the blankets around them, she scooted over and cuddled Spike against her chest. He happily relaxed into the embrace, pressing himself against her warm fur.

“There now, you’ll be warm in no time.”

“Thanks Crystalia,” he mumbled.

“Anything for you Spike,” she whispered. It was time to see just how acclimated he had become. Normally she would drain him in scattered increments, taking a little every time they touched. But now she had the chance for one long, uninterrupted feeding, and she intended to make the most of it. Careful not to disturb him, she began to eat.

The intense mixture of emotion was as delectable as ever, and just as she’d hoped, the excitement and wonder of the festivities made it all the richer. Focusing intently on his life-force, she gradually increased the drain bit by bit, struggling to keep from losing control and fully devouring him. Several minutes of bliss passed before she came to the limit of his tolerance, feeling the telltale pang of discomfort from in his chest.

She withdrew, her stomach all but full. His tolerance was lower than she’d hoped, perhaps due to fatigue from their little chase. Or perhaps she’d waited too long to get him out of the cold, and the chill had adversely affected him? Whatever the cause, their progress was moving slower than expected, which meant her escape lay even further in the future.

Despite this unfortunate discovery, she couldn’t bring herself to feel disappointed. Eyes drooping in satisfaction, she lowered her head to rest against Spike’s shoulder, listening to the gentle sounds of his breathing and letting his content emotions ripple around her like heat from a fireplace.

In the moments before she dozed off, she absently decided that this must be what it meant to be happy.

Author's Note

Apologies to all readers for the delay on this one. Had most of the chapter written out back in September, but life's been kicking my ass these past couple months and never had a chance to work on it. Trying to get back into the swing of writing, so hopefully this will be satisfactory and I'll have the next Best Chance chapter out within the week.

Thanks all for your patience.