Chapter thirty seven

Havoc peaks in through a door to his parent’s bed room. The rather elegantly decorated arrangement is a testament to the royal family’s status. Though for at the moment he doesn’t really care what it looks like. This he has seen many times, whether it was him or his sister getting stories read to them before bed by their parents. Coming in during the night because of a nightmare, or even in the morning to wake their parents up.

Many wonderful memories have been shared in this vary space, and while he or twin sister may not remember them all in the one moment. No matter what, they will cherish them forever and relive them in their dreams. Right now though, he has of one concern.

Finding Rosebud as she hides in this part of the castle.

Playing with one another like their mother said to do, they remind blissfully unaware of the battle that rages on around them as they have managed to stick towards the higher levels of the place they call home. They agreed to the boundaries with one another, and although they may not listen to others of authority like they probably should. Being siblings, they oddly enough have a lot of respect for one another, even if from time to time they tease and taunt each other like only siblings can.

“I know you’re in here sis…” he calls out while he moves further in to the room, “you love to hide up in here when mom and dad are out,” he looks around and even up in to the rafters.

Knowing full well that his winged sister is far better at flying then he is, though magic is more his skill for the time being. There seems to be no sign of her though, he knows she is in here, she just has to be. Looking under the bed, in the closet, and even inside the dresser for Rose. Havoc uses each of his tails to independently open and search the different spaces around him as the appendages seem to oddly enough, stretch along the whole room. An odd talent his dad taught him. He’s about to give up for the moment and try a different area, when he hears the sound of metal clashing in to metal through the door.

Havoc listens intently, the tinging growing louder and louder with every hit. Now realizing that this may not be the best place to stand at the last possible moment, Havoc scurries out of the way as he slides under the bed. Taking a position where he watches both his mother and a rather odd looking counterpart come bursting through the door. The kids were never really introduced to that of the changeling kind.

Both parents didn’t want to scare them as such a young age, and would introduce them later when they get older. Peaking one eye out from under the overhanging covers, the son sees Chrysalis get hurled in to the dresser he was looking through, and breaking the makeup mirror on its back drop. The queen starts to rub the back of her head as it whiplashed in to the glass, checking to see if she got cut or not.

“That’s seven years bad luck so you know?” she teases, levitating several shards and launching them at the princess of the sun.

Blocking a few with the broad side of her sword, and with a little help of her magic. Celestia manages to come out unharmed, “That’s only superstitious thank you very much.”

“And you don’t believe in that mess don’t you?” Chrysalis lunges at her, bringing the blade down and meeting in the middle, “after all I thought a princess’s good leadership, and knowledge is supposed to extend to that which can’t even be proven? Allows her to look at all the views, after all.”

“I can’t believe that I am getting career advice on how to be a ‘good leader’ from a queen that got her rump handed to her during her last visit,” she taunts, trying to catch the queen off balance.

“Oh just shut it… you can’t even talk,” Chrysalis reminds her, “after all I trapped you in a cocoon last time I was here,” she kicks Celestia in to the closest, breaking the door down in the process as she sits there for a second while some clothes fall on top of her.

Pulling a rather elegant dress off, Celestia takes a moment to look at it and even admire the fabric that was put in to it, “this is my favorite dress.”

“Oh please, I look better in my own silk robe then you would in that thing…” Chrysalis rolls her eyes, though at the same time she can’t help but look at the fine craftponyship that was put in to the piece.

The queen makes a mental note to raid the princess’s wardrobe when she takes over Canterlot and try on some of the more expensive pieces. Though she gets her own thought train derailed as Celestia leaps out of the closet and tackles her in to the ground. Unknowingly in front of her own son, as he watches his own mother play a side that he has seldom, if ever, seen. The look in her eyes, of a parent as she tries to protect the future for her own kids and even that of the whole kingdom, burns wildly in Celestia as she tries to bring the sharp blade down on to the monarch’s head and finish the fight quickly.

That would make it all so easy, even a possible attack that would come later would be adverted if she can just end this one changelings life. The drive before her is so great that she doesn’t even bother to pay attention to the wings of Chrysalis as they flex out to their fullest extent. Using them like a bullwhip and snapping in to the princess’s eyes. Chrysalis now uses her powerful hind legs to kick the princess off of her and in to the coffee table in the middle of the room.

Cracking the wood underneath, it breaks down to floor level. Tia is still stunned from the previous attack as she tries to blink her eyes to get a better view of what’s going on. Just in time to see the blade of the queen, come up and down upon her…

For but a moment the sun goddess remains in a dream, almost clueless to what just happened to her as she hears the sound of the blade burry itself in to the wood that she lays on. The edge puncturing through to the other side. Looking with what seems like a fresh pair of eyes, as she sees a seemingly bright red liquid squirt up in to the air a foot or two off the ground and fall down on to her pure, snow white, face. Caking itself all along it like rain drops.

A few droplets land in to her open mouth, tasting rather sweet, almost with an iron like aspect to it as it starts to stain her coat. Finally catching up to her with what has happened, Celestia sees that the blade has gone completely through her right fore hoof and remains in the table she rests on. Nothing attaching the severed body part to the rest of her, as it parts ways and she tastes her own blood on the tip of her tongue with a new unwholesome flavor. While the pain hits every part of her brain, now lighting it up at the same time.

“A-AGGggh-h-h-h!” the princess wails out as she starts to roll around on the ground, blood spreading about as she squirms. Tears almost as hot as the feeling of having a limb removed, pour out of her almost as fast as the blood does, while the cries of the sun princess fill the air, “Why?! What have I, or my kingdom done to deserve your wrath! What is it?!” she screeches, while grunting from the loss.

The queen slowly makes her way over to the princess, standing between her and the bed, with a rather smug smile on her face as she even starts to feel the radiating misery of her enemy there before her in the struggle she faces.

“Oh I don’t really need a reason other than this,” Chrysalis grabs either side of the princess’s face, bringing it closer to her own at the moment while she seems to drink in the pain that she is putting the princess though right now, whispering her wishes in to Celestia’s ear, “I. Want. It. All.”

Watching the steaming hot tears fall down her once sweet pure face, now covered in her own fluids. The celestial princess fights to stay awake from the loss of blood, as she makes any attempt to stare down her enemy. Though the action of Chrysalis pulling Celestia’s face in closer, brings it in to full view of one particularly young member in the room.

“Mhhmph…” Havoc tries to silence his own voice, after he sees the look on his tender mother’s face. The pained image causing him to squirm under the bed.

It may have been a slip of the tongue, a heat of the moment at seeing his mom in pain. But it was long enough for one to hear, as either side of the queen’s smile grows even bigger. Chrysalis drops the princess down to the ground as she whips around for a way to add insult to injury. Seeing the ruffle of the covers from the bed, she slowly walks over, and reaches a single hoof underneath. Feeling around for what she seeks. Finding it in the form of a struggling young prince of the royal family…

Dragging him out from under the bed in her grasp.

“Now what have we here?” she holds the son in closer to her chest as he tries to break free.

“Let me go!” the little one cries out, while his own tears start to fall. Never even seeing the face of pure terror on his mom.

At first she was just concerned for the safety of those around her, one reason Celestia was rather glad that Chrysalis stayed away from other ponies and kept the fight between them. Her own safety was in her mind, but that couldn’t hold a candle to her subjects. However, this changes everything, the princess watches as her son is held up in the hooves of her enemy. His little cries for help being heard and seeming like the only thing that she is able to focus her ears on. The blood rushes out of her face. Either from it leaving because of the gaping wound, or because of situation at hoof right now.

“No…” Celestia mutters, barely enough for Chrysalis to hear as she raises a brow to listen to the princess’s pleads, “…please, this doesn’t involve him. It’s between you and me, leave my son out of it!” she screams as she watches helplessly the grin on the queen’s face grow.

“This is between you and me…” the queen starts off, “however, it is also between me and your student, for exposing me at the wedding. Between me and Equestria, for my defeat. Between me and every single subject you have, for not falling…” she watches at the sheer dread in both the child and the mother.

“Mommy…” Havoc whispers to her, as he tries to extend out a hoof as if to touch her, while Celestia does the same.

“Havoc… Sweetheart…” a single tear makes its way down past her muzzle and slides off the end. Mouthing I love you to him. Celestia looks back at the wicked one causing all this, the mother trying once again to do anything to reason with her, “Chrysalis, I beg of you… don’t harm my son. Please! Cut off my own wings, remove my horn, even kill me if that’s what you seek!” she shrieks out in a last ditch effort, “take me! Kill me! But leave him be!” Tia does her best to beg the Queen.

At heart she knows her opponent probably doesn’t have any kids, though she does have her subjects. Which in her mind could be the closest thing she has to kin, so perhaps with a bit of luck, Chrysalis has some sense of maternal instinct.

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll kill you…” the queen says in pure monotone with no slice of emotion in it. Seeing a slight reassurance in the princess’s face, even if she would come to die as a result, Celestia would go willingly with the knowledge that her child would be safe. “Though first, you will suffer…” Chrysalis says, using her magic to pull the sword from the table and bring it in to hoof.

In an instant… she uses the blade to pierce Havoc’s chest.

Leaving the same expression on the prince’s little face that he had, as he kept his eyes on his mother. While in but a moment, the life is snuffed out of his still short time alive. Bright red blood seeps down the blade, as the screech from the mother fills the room like she herself had just taken the sword to the chest. As she watches Chrysalis’s coat stain with the blood of her kin as she walks over past her. The queen now impales Havoc’s body to the wall while she watches the glassed eyes of her latest kill, stay there without even a single sound coming from him, hanging him there on display. Leaving Havoc’s fluids to pool on the floor below for the solar princess to see.

“N-N-N-NNOooo-o-o-o-o! NO, NO, NO!” Celestia yells in agony as she watches her own son’s body dangle there before her, not even able to take her eyes off of the young one, even while she tries to threaten the queen, “I’ll kill you! Do you hear me Chrysalis? I will kill every single changeling you have ever commanded, and even those you haven’t! They will all perish! Under Equestrian weapons and spells! And I will dance on your grave once they and yourself have been burned from this land! And the only thing remaining is the scorched remains that will decorate the green landscape around!!!” Celestia spits out while crawling towards the one responsible, and reaching out with a hoof to try and grasp hold of the queen around the neck.

“You should really save your empty threats for later…” Chrysalis waltzes up next to her as the hoof of the princess attempts to bring her down, “after all… you will have much more to hate me for later when I have actually finished here,” she leans down in to her ear as she whispers, “this…is only the start.”

Chrysalis brings back a single hoof and slams it in to the princess’s face with one powerful hit, knocking her out cold. The queen drops the now growing cold body before her as blood continues to seep out, now walking from the stained room to the balcony. Charging up a single spell and sending out a green blast to give her army the call. The queen now uses her own teleportation spell to get out, and leave the princess to her own demise.

The body of Celestia, rests there motionless on the ground after the queen’s departure. The room is silent now, no other presence to make a noise. That is until a young princess comes out of hiding… Havoc was right. Rosebud was in the room, he just never thought of looking behind the chair in the room where Discord would read to them.

She heard everything, though she never thought to actually look around in fear that she would be found. Crawling out from her place, Rose locks eyes with the seemingly lifeless body of her own mother, focusing only on her. So much so that she never sees the body of her brother there as well, remaining entirely oblivious to his fate. Nudging the side of her to try and get a response, the daughter is struck with fear when she feels the cool touch of her coat under her little hoof.

“Mommy…” she pushes as tears well up in her eyes after getting no answer, “Mommy, please wake up… wake up…please?” she tries again.

Getting on top of her chest, Rose rests her little head on her mother’s breast. Listening to the faint, but still present, heart beat as she nuzzles her snout up under her mother’s. Ignoring the blood staining her snowy coat, for even just a little comfort of her mom’s own sent.

“Mom… I’m here. Please be okay, please be there,” Rosebud breaks a tear from her eye lids, “I know you may not be able to answer, but you are so cold. I want you to know that, I love you mom… please, please just wake up…” she kisses the tip of her mom’s muzzle as she slowly closes her eyes.

In a few moments time, Rose passes out on her mother’s chest while the child’s tears slowly make their way down to meet her. For once, it’s quiet in the castle, after the sounds of combat now die down at the lost presence of the queen. Allowing the daughter to let the world pass her by, as she is cradled in the numbing embrace of her own mom. While the monarch lays there motionless, but not lost, far from it in deed.

The quaint silence is shattered when Discord bursts through the door, knocking it off its hinges after shoulder ramming it. With Luna in tow not far behind him, as they look around the room and catch sight of what is before them to see. The father hits the ground in front of his wife as he scoops up both herself and his still sleeping daughter in his arms. The cries from both him and Luna waking the young princess from her slumber as she puts both her fore hooves around her dad’s neck and hugs him. Burring her face in to him.

Resting his almost dragon like head in his wives chest, only the tears start to clean the blood from her own. That’s when the moon princess puts a hoof on his shoulder and one over her mouth to try and stifle herself. As Discord’s head rises, he sees the sight of his son pinned there like a picture for him.

The cute face that he shared with his own dad now showing the last expression that he had before he died as blood splattered across it. Luna takes Rosebud from her brother in law, in the embrace of her comforting, warm wings. As he brings his son down from the wall and carries both him and his wife in his arms down the hall. Even through the coldness of her once warm radiant coat, he can feel the alicorn clinging to life.

Though his son, his only son, remains cold to the touch… and nothing can ever change that.

So much has happened today, so much has been lost…

There will be judgment, and there will be vengeance.