Canterlot Castle, a couple of weeks after the Royal Wedding, ...

Cadence rolled once again in her husband-free double-bed. Her peace of mind has been avoiding her since Shining had come late to dinner earlier. It wasn’t his tardiness that was preventing her from sleeping, considering that Shining being late for dinner had happened a lot ever since they came back from their honeymoon: the Captain of the Royal Guard had a lot of catching up to do with his paperwork. That wasn’t the reason why the young Princess couldn't find sleep that night.

The reason was who her husband had talked about when he arrived in the dining room, his handsome face twisted in anger. Fuming, and muttering in his proverbial beard, Shining barely spared Cadence a look when he sat on the chair next to her. The other two persons in the room, namely Cadence’s adoptive aunts, Princesses Luna and Celestia, quickly asked their Captain what was wrong.

“Our prisoner has been rather aggressive because of the guards who brought her dinner,” Shining had told with a sour frown, instantly making Cadence as tense as a bow string while her aunts had blinked in surprise.

“That’s strange” Luna had stated in an even tone. “She’s been rather calm since I brought her back from the ‘’Moon’’,” she had added calmly.

“Did she explain herself?” Celestia asked with curiosity.

“Apparently, she demanded Sentry to give some information about her captain’s state,” Shining had explained. “She didn’t believe him when he said he didn’t have any…”

“And?” Celestia asked when Shining paused his tale.

“...And he told her that if she wanted to know, she’d have to ask me,”

“Then, what took you so long?” Luna asked slowly, with narrowed eyes.

“Well, she became quite crossed with me after I told her I didn’t have anything to tell her about Locust,” Shining said in annoyance, earning displeased, narrowed eyes from the two immortal Princesses. “She kept shouting, and throwing her food at me after trying to claw my face…. I had her moved to the Crystal cells… Hopefully that would calm her down.”

“It would have been easier to simply tell her about Vigil Locust’s current state, Captain,” Luna had commented in a slightly disapproving tone. “Considering you’re perfectly aware of how your former adversary is doing…”

Shining had blinked in shock when he had seen Celestia nodding softly at her sister’s words. That hadn’t done any good to his already sore mood.

“May I remind you of what she did not a month ago?!” Shining snapped angrily. “She planned on getting rid of both of you while probably torturing the girls!”

“And, may I remind you that she failed at her coup, and is our prisoner now?” Celestia asked back slowly. “If she wanted to know how her second in command is doing, you should have just told her.”

“It would have saved you a lot of trouble,” Luna had commented slowly as she caught Cadence’s unease, and how pale the young princess had gotten when they just mentioned her. “Since we can’t change the past, let’s not dwell on it, and let’s finish our dinner.”

Cadence had quickly agreed with her star-haired aunt with a vigorous nod, only to be imitated by her other aunt, albeit not as vigorously. Her husband, on the other hand, hadn’t agreed at all on the closing of the matter.

“So, that’s what we will do with her?” Shining asked, his face showing clearly his anger at his rulers. “Forget all the harm she has done, and forgive her?”

“That was not what we’re implying, Captain,” Luna replied cooly. “We won’t forget what she tried here, nor will we ever forgive her for it! But not forgiving her doesn’t allow us to be pointlessly cruel for no reason!”

“This isn’t pointless cruelty!” Shining argued strongly, vigorously standing up. “It’s merely appropriate retribution for her crimes against our nation and our allies!”

“Shining Armor!” Celestia snapped at him with authority. “Calm down immediately!”

“No, I will not calm down!” Shining snapped furiously. “I saw the damages she caused, and I believe we should have executed her already! Like that monster of a woman did to her prisoners in Maredrid!”

It was right after her birthplace had been mentioned that Cadence suddenly stood up from the dining table, and ran to her room. She heard her husband’s voice calling her in a sincere apologetic tone, but hadn’t stopped. She had gone straight to her chambers, instantly locking the door behind her. Her mind was filled with images of her parents, her two brothers, her childhood friends, and all the other people she had lost when Chrysalis took over the principality of Istalloña.

After discarding her dress like it was nothing but a dirty rag, Cadence had cried herself to sleep, ignoring everyone that came to see if she was okay. It had taken her a long time to fall asleep, and she sadly didn’t stay it for too long. Nightmares picturing all her relatives disappearance in columns of green fire had made sure of that.

She tossed her covers out of the bed in sad frustration before she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Barely an hour had passed since she had last seen the clock right before she forced her eyes closed to try to get some sleep. She sat up against the bed frame, bringing her knees to her chest before hugging them strongly. Despite her best efforts, she kept thinking about her nightmares. About the woman responsible for them and the question the former had brought back into her head. It was the question that had never gotten any answers, and Cadence quickly realized it would be countless of sleepless nights for her unless she got at least one.

A while later, deep under the Castle Grounds…

Cadence felt bad for threatening the two guards her husband had placed at the entrance the Crystal Cells, the deepest dungeons of Canterlot barely used anymore. With the mention of said husband, who was probably sleeping in his office to give her some space. After taking the key of the only occupied cell from the sheepish guards, Cadence ordered them to stay at their post, and that she shouldn’t be disturbed under any circumstances.

With the key secured in her grip, Cadence walked through the seemingly endless corridor, her messy reflection passing over the teal, and purple half-transparent walls around her. After a few minutes, she reached the only illuminated cell at the end of the corridor.

Cadence’s eyes fell on the five brightly glowing runes on the three walls, the ceiling and the floor of the dark teal cave turned into a dungeon. The white light from the magic inscriptions shone like daylight, and made it impossible for Cadence to miss the straw mattress on the far end of the cell, and the woman lying on top of it.

Cadence froze a bit at sight of the mass of dirty, dark green hair that hid a good portion of the woman’s back, but quickly glanced away from it to see if it was safe to go behind the bars of the cell. Once she noticed the two thick, lead-forged chains connecting the wall against which the mattress was placed to matching shackles around the tanned woman’s wrists, she brought the key closer to the keyhole.

“I thought that your Captain gave the order to leave me be for the next forty-eight hours,” Chrysalis’ voice calmly rang through the dungeon, startling Cadence who wasn’t expecting her to be awake.

“... The Captain doesn’t give me orders,” Cadence retorted coldly as she opened the door of the cell.

“......Well, what do you know?” Chrysalis let out in surprise as she turned around before sitting up on her bed, as easily as her chains would allow her to. “Princess Cadenza herself is coming for a night-visit. Assuming it is still nighttime … Kinda hard to tell with those runes,” the former queen commented, nodding at the glowing inscription on the ground.

“It still is,” Cadence said as she leaned her back against the bars of the door. “I thought you were sleeping…”

“Too much light to sleep,” Chrysalis explained casually. “Courtesy of your husband by the way,” she added, rubbing her slightly shadow-ringed eyes with a yawn. “So, how was the honeymoon?”

“....It was good. Why do you ask?” Cadence asked back slowly.

“Are you sure the honeymoon was good? Because, your dear Shining Armor didn’t seem like he had a fulfilling one at all, if his snappy behavior is of any indication,” Chrysalis commented with curiosity. “You should please him more in the sack, men are less violent when they’re satisfied in be...…”

SLAP

“Don’t talk about my husband or me like that, Chrysalis,” Cadence warned as a red, hand-shaped mark appeared on the chained woman’s cheek.

“....I don’t think your aunties would like hearing about you slapping a chained-up prisoner,” Chrysalis stated calmly as she glanced back in Cadence’s direction. “I gotta admit I’m impressed though. I didn’t think you had it in you to do something like that,” she said with a slightly proud smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone, but I strongly suggest you do not let that happen again or else...”

“Or else what?” Cadence asked in an angry snarl.

Cadence had barely had the time to blink before Chrysalis’ bare right foot hit the side of her skull. The princess staggered against the wall before the sole of the same foot was pressed against her throat. Smirking in triumph, Chrysalis kept the pressure on the delicate princess’ throat for a few seconds before bringing her foot back on the ground.

“...Or else, I’ll make your husband regret not enchaining my legs to the wall as well,” Chrysalis explained with a somber chuckle before she sat back on her mattress as the younger woman rubbed her throat then her temple with a wince.

“I should call the guards for what you just did,” Cadence said in a slightly shaking voice while she retreated closer to the door.

“You should have brought them along in the first place, Cadenza,” Chrysalis remarked in a conversational tone. “If I had wanted to, you’d be as cold as an ice cube by the time your husband came looking for you…”

“I thought you’d be interested in finish me off when you get the chance,” Cadenza slowly said with anger, and pain in her eyes.

“If I had a chance to escape this prison, and a personal reason to eliminate you, maybe I would have,” Chrysalis admitted with a shrug. “But, your Shining Armor took all the necessary precautions.” She nodded at the runes, and at the lead shackles on her wrists. “So, what do you want?” she asked with curiosity as she relaxed on her bed.

“...... I want an answer to my question, Chrysalis,” Cadence replied slowly after glaring at the woman before her for a good five minutes.

“Well, I’m not against small talk every now and then,” Chrysalis commented softly. “What’s your question?”

“...Why?” Cadence asked in a shaken whisper.

“Why what?” Chrysalis asked back in a patient tone.

“Why did you do what you did in Maredrid?” Cadence specified with teary eyes. “...You had just become the right hand of my father… He respected you… My brothers looked up to you… You even were a model for me,” Cadence let out with deep sadness. Chrysalis simply looked at her in silence. “To me and my friends, you were like a reincarnation of Princess Celestia: You radiated beauty, and power, but you were also kind to us…” She wiped her tears away, softly sobbing in front of the woman she used to admire. “So… Why … Why did you kill them?”

“..... I had my reasons,” Chrysalis explained slowly under Cadence’s beyond than sad eyes.

“Which are?!” Cadence snapped at the prisoner.

“Which aren’t meant for your princess’ ears, Cadenza,” Chrysalis replied coldly. “Those reasons regard only me…”

“I deserve to know!!! You owe me that much, Chrysalis!”

“I owe you nothing, Cadenza!” Chrysalis shouted back as she stood up to meet her interlocutor in the eye. “I won’t tell you anything, so you can go back to the watchdog you have for a husband.”

Cadence grinded her teeth together before she dropped her strongest argument.

“YOU WILL IF YOU WANT NEWS OF VIGIL LOCUST!!!!” Cadence yelled, instantly silencing the prisoner before her.

“..... You know what has become of him?” Chrysalis asked in a quiet whisper after a minute or two of stunned silence, earning a nod from Cadence. “And you’ll tell me if I answer your question?”

“If you tell me the whole truth, yes,” Cadence stated with firmness.

“The whole truth….. It’s going to be a long story,” Chrysalis whispered slowly.

“It’s not like you have anything else to do here, Chrysalis,” Cadence snarled, waving at the cell walls around them.

“.... You promise to tell me how, and where Vigil is?” Chrysalis asked with narrowed eyes.

“I’ll promise you that if you swear that what you’re going to tell is the truth, and not some lies you’re making up on the spot.”

“....I can swear that, but I can’t guarantee you’re going to believe what I tell you,” Chrysalis admitted coldly.

“Fair enough,” Cadence let out as she leaned back against the bars. “I promise I’ll tell you what I know about Vigil Locust’s situation after you finished.”

“....All right,” Chrysalis let out as she sat back on her prison bed. “... I suppose you want to know from the very beginning?”

“Yes,” Cadence replied laconically.

Chrysalis took a deep breath before starting to speak. “It all began in my hometown, the fantastic city of Maredrid….” She paused when Cadence's eyes widened in surprise at the fact they were both from the same city. "... Don't interrupt me!" She added as Cadence started to open her mouth. "... I used to live in the most prestigious neighborhood of the Istalloñan Capital : ... The Slums..."

Author's Notes:

Dundun dun.... :p
What happened in Chrysalis Past? do like Cadance, and you'll find out ^^

Thanks to Xhoral1865, PinkieLunaShy, and Batmane for their edits on this chapter ^^

I hope you liked the start, and that you'll like the rest of the story :)