"I wanted to thank you for saving us from Twilight's spell," Fluttershy said, setting two places at her table and pouring the tea. "Discord told me what you did; I'm sorry I wasn't more grateful earlier." She paused for a moment and bit her lip before working up the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind. "I'm sorry, I don't know very much about Changelings, but about what you said earlier; was there ever a time when ponies and changelings lived peacefully together?"
Chrysalis sighs "Not that I can remember. It's been ages since ponies even knew we existed. Well... outside Celestia and Luna. It's a long story but I have never told anypony this. I use to not be this way so long ago. When I was much younger, I actually did enjoy the company of ponies though due to a indecent that happened during a war since long forgotten, My form was changed. That magic that changed me turned me into what you see before you. The magic made me what the darkest reaches of my heart held, twisting my form. I became a Queen over a small hive since then. A hive that reaches massive proportions now. My magic dedicated to my curse, to feed off love since I cannot have any love of my own. I had a small engagement with Celestia long ago before the Wedding Indecent... but like that, it was failure on my part." She then sigh and closes her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Fluttershy said, gingerly putting a hoof on Chrysalis' back, "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories for you." Fluttershy thought for a moment. "For what it's worth, I think Discord's right; you're obviously not inherently evil, and Celestia would probably relish the opportunity to work with you, rather than against you, like she has with Discord."
Chrysalis then sighs. "I don't mean to shoot down your kindness but I don't think Celestia will want to have anything to do with me. Though the only other one that I know hates my guts is Princess Cadence. I can see why. I'm a monster. I've came to terms with that a few hundred years back. I now act out with the pain of my kind. To try and reverse the suffering of the hive with a strong supply of love. So far we have failed that. Yet my own kind seem determined to believe I can push them through. Sometimes I wonder which is more laughable, my naivety to believe anypony would willingly give us love, or my changelings for believing that I can save them from their fate." She says, sounding rather dismayed.
"You're not a monster!" Fluttershy insisted, hugging Chrysalis tightly. The changeling's obvious sorrow had overcome her fear and brought out Fluttershy's caring and protective side. "What you're doing, trying to provide for your hive, is wonderful! You just... need to find the right way to do it, that's all. Equestria's full of love, you just need to earn it, rather than trying to steal it."
Chrysalis then sighs and nods. "After the type of emotional damage I've caused, that'll take time." She says softly. "But suppose that if time is what it takes, I could save my hive yet..." She places her head down and rests hoping to regain her strength and mental composure. She'll need both for Celestia for sure.
After a while, Discord returned, having outlined the plan to the ponies willing to support them. Finding Chrysalis asleep on the sofa, he headed into the kitchen and chatted quietly with Fluttershy, giving the Changeling Queen the rest she deserved.
Chrysalis a short time later woke to Discord and Fluttershy talking. "Hmm? Discord? Are you back?" She asks rubbing her eyes. "I think it's time we get moving. If we hope to get to Celestia."
"Yes," Discord responded, coming into the room and sipping his cup of tea. "I have talked to our equine allies; the pegasi will be waiting in the clouds above Canterlot, and the unicorns in the fields below. They will do what they can to distract Celestia's forces from afar, but they cannot help us inside the city, lest they fall under the spell's influence." He finished his tea and offered his paw. "Ready to finish this?"
No attempt at stealth this time, as he knew it would be in vain, Discord teleported them as close to the castle as he could; they appeared a few blocks away, in Canterlot's residential district. Sending a flare up into the sky, he watched as the pegasi swept down from their clouds at the city border, and drew some of the defenders out. So far, so good...
Chrysalis summoned her crystal and readies for a battle. She had figured out a new technique with the crystal that will present itself in time. She just hopes that it'll work long enough to finish this for good. She fixes the crystal to her person and readies for the pain. The magic battle between them will be certainly fierce.
After a short while's walking, they could see the castle; it was bristling with guards, all standing and patrolling in flawless patterns. There was no way they would be able to slip past them. "What do you want to do?" Discord asked, "Attack head on, or try to find some other way in?"
Chrysalis then sighs. "There is actually. There is a secret way through the Crystal Caverns under the Castle. I used that for Cadence when I did the invasion a while back. There should still be a way in through there still, granted that Celestia hasn't sealed it up."
Discord grinned mischievously. "Even if she has, I'm sure we could find a way to... unseal it. Lead on!"
Chrysalis warped them to the Crystal Caverns. She looks around and heads to the cavern entrance into the Castle. She touches the wall and it reveals a barrier that fades. They get into a rather unguarded part of the Castle and it looks to be clear for now. They'll need to move before a guard doing his rounds of the place sees them in there.
As they crept through the castle, Discord noticed just how boring and uniform the place had become. As they entered the main hall before the throne room, he gasped. "My window! Ooh... now I'm really mad!" All the stained glass window depicting important event in Equestrian history had been replaced with clear glass, including the one featuring Discord. He stared and muttered angrily to himself for a moment, before turning his attention to the large door at the end of the room. "Best guess, old 'Tia is in there; are you ready?" He said, turning to Chrysalis.
Chrysalis then nods. "Honestly, I've been dreaming of this day for a long time. It's only coming true now thanks to Twilight and her spell mishaps~" She takes a deep breath and walks toward the double doors. "Here we go..."
Discord blew the doors open in a cloud of flowers, smoke and sparks of all colours. He felt it added extra drama to their entry. Celestia sat within on a very plain throne, looking decidedly unamused. "So, here at last; the two troublemakers determined to destroy my beautiful kingdom." She observed, in a loud but level voice. "I have to admit, you surpassed my expectations; I had not accounted for the two of you working together, but it is of little consequence now. Here you are, and here you shall be stopped. You had your chance to return to your disorganised rabbles, but you turned it down, so now you shall be put in your places." She nodded, and her six royal guards approached Discord and Chrysalis in a perfect line. "Do what you have to do, I'll deal with them," Discord whispered to Chrysalis, before sprouting four extra sword-wielding arms and rushing forward to meet the guards.
Chrysalis nods and her body began to glow with energy. Her power exceeding her past endeavors. "You think me to be a fool Celestia? I know how you operate and this will be no different. While I do admire you're iron hoof rule, I don't allow such admiration to get away with what remains to be fact. What you are proceeding to do will destroy my own kind and may even destroy the Equestia everypony knows." Chrysalis's crystal glows with immense power. "If I must slay you, I will. But I'm slaying this monster you have become, not the shell of the ruler that is suppose to be. In truth, You think you'll be making me pay. It's quite the other way around. While this maybe not like I would dream to do, it's still as I would see it all the same. The smile I'll have once I fell you." Chrysalis seems rather calm for somepony facing a powerful ruler.
