“We can’t keep letting this happen,” Twilight Sparkle mumbled.

They had a special guard for this. Europa, a magical prodigy second in order only to Twilight herself and trained in resisting every form of mind control the princesses knew. His fluted golden helmet was said to have been forged by King Sombra and enchanted to defy the glamour of the Northern Lights. Every five minutes he was supposed to recite the names of three ponies he loved and who loved him in return.

The cell door was open, and Europa was inside. Twilight could just barely make out his pearl coat against the smooth ebony of Chrysalis’s hide, his face pressed into her underbelly. Twilight dared to lean forward, peering into the shadows. Then she had to turn away and resist the urge to retch.

Europa was trying to nurse.

“Clever little thing, this,” Chrysalis said. She peered at the helmet in her hooves, then tossed it away with a clatter. 

Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Let him go.”

“Who, Europa?” Chrysalis ran a hoof through his mane. “I don’t think he wants to leave.” A pause. “Who do you think he’s imagining?”

Something inside her snapped. A white hot rage spilled out from her chest with a roar, her horn burned like a star, and the world went away for a while.

[hr]

“You look upset, princess” Chrysalis said. A long tongue unwound from her jaws, licking her lips and cheeks clean. “Want to talk about it?”

The manacles were back on her hooves, and the cell door securely locked. It wouldn’t last, Twilight knew. As soon as she walked away Chrysalis would have the door open again. The guards would unlock it for her.

“Why are you doing this?” Twilight said. 

“I told you the first time. I’m tired of life on the run.” Chrysalis stretched, then reclined on the spread of velvet pillows a charmed guard had brought her at some point. “So I turned myself in.”

It was so obviously untrue Twilight half-expected lightning to strike through the stone ceiling and smite the changeling queen. Instead silence reigned. Twilight could hear her heart hammering in her chest. It vibrated her shoes against the granite floor.

“That’s a lie,” she said.

Chrysalis grinned at her, revealing a forest of teeth. “It’s true. Or, it’s half true. Which is pretty good for me.”

Half true. “Which half?”

“That would be telling.” Chrysalis’s eyes shifted to the guard beside Twilight, and a leer replaced the mocking smile on her face. “Anyway, shouldn’t you get going? Off to do princessy things?”

“I’m not leaving you alone with them again.” They’d already lost four guards that way. Europa still hadn’t woken up.

“Then I guess we’ll spend eternity here, staring at each other through the bars of a cage.” 

Twilight swallowed. “We have other options.” 

“No you don’t. If you were strong you might, but ponies are weak.” Chrysalis stretched languidly, and one of Twilight’s guards stumbled, nearly falling to his knees. “You have me at your mercy. I am your prisoner. Imprison me.”

Twilight shook her head. “No. I talked with Celestia, and… Just go. We don’t want you.”

Chrysalis rolled back onto her belly. Even lying so on the pillows her head was higher than Twilight’s, and she stared down her muzzle at her. “What you want doesn’t matter, princess. That was never the question.”

Twilight shook her head. There was an answer for this. She knew it. For a long while, she stared at Chrysalis, waiting for the answer to come.

She was immortal. She could wait forever, if that's what it took.

She only wished Chrysalis wasn't immortal, too.