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New Beginnings

by Hiver

Chapter 52

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Exiting the great hall, I followed along Princess Celestia and the element bearers out into the bright sunlight, Celestia floating the big bug along.

As we stepped outside, I glanced up and could suddenly see exactly what had distracted the guards.

The air outside the pink shield was swarming with smaller, pony instead of princess, sized bugs and I suddenly felt like I was in Whiskey Outpost.

We might have captured their queen, but who knew if that actually helped. With that many, we might be over run.

“Princess...” Twilight asked, “What do we do?”

“Go get the Elements.” The Princess of the Sun answered with a smile. “Then return to your brother. If needed be, you will know what to do.”

“But...” Twilight started to say, before looking at the floating and still knocked out bug queen before she nodded, “Yes Princess.” and turned to the others, “Come on girls. We better hurry.”

As they galloped off, Princess Celestia turned to me, “Thank you, Blank Page. That was a very brave thing you did.”

“Nopony else was doing anything.” I didn't do much, I just jostled her horn at a critical moment. Celestia was the one that blasted the thing.

She smiled and then looked up at the swarm outside the pink dome with a small frown, “There may still be a way to resolve this without more violence.”

I frowned at that as Reliant Frost almost barreled into me in his hurry to get back to my side, “Sir! Are you alright!!?”

I chuckled, “I'm fine.” before turning from the panicking guard back to the princess, “Holding their Queen hostage?”

“I was thinking of asking you to talk to her.” Celestia clarified.

...Uhm, “What?”

She tilted her head, looking at big floating bug. It was still out like a light. “My sister and I fought her kind once before. We locked them away in a place where they couldn't harm anypony. Back then, they conquered several towns before we were able to stop them. Perhaps... With your origins you can find some common ground with her? Find a way to stop this?”

Yes, of course, put the fate of Canterlot in my hooves. Thanks a lot, Princess.

I took a slow deep breath before I nodded, “If you think it will help, Princess. But I need to do it my way. And you need to play along.”

Reliant Frost didn't look happy about this, not what so ever.


XXXXXXXXXX



The chamber was a rather plain one. One of Celestias private rooms, I presume. I crossed my frontlegs, waiting for the big bug to wake up as I did my best to relax. She was still in her magical bonds, Celestia was there was well, across the room from me. I was safe.

Reliant Frost was outside and he was about as happy about that as you could expect.

There's no way this is going to work.

The big bug slowly stirred, her wings fluttering before her eyes snapped open and she jerked awake. When she realized she was bound, she went bugfuck crazy, struggling and pulling until she finally collapsed.

Celestia didn't say anything, keeping to the background as well as a large white alicorn could.

Leaving me with the bug.

I watched her for a moment before I spoke up, “Good Morning.”

The bugs eyes flicked open again and she stared at me, “I doubt it.” she finally answered.

I nodded, “I suppose you are right about that on both points. It's neither morning nor good for any of us. I'm Blank Page. May I ask your name?”

“Does it matter?”

“It would save me the bother of making one up for you.” I said with a shrug, “But if you want to be called Buggy, that's fine.”

“...I am Queen Chrysalis in your language.” she snarled, “Where am I?”

“In a room at Canterlot Castle. The shield is reinforced, your plan failed. Your subjects will either starve to death outside it or be annihilated as soon as we feel like it.”

Chrysalis almost vibrated with rage but didn't answer at first. I'm safe. I'm safe. Her legs and horn are still supressed. She can't hurt me.

It was almost a minute before she spoke up, “Why am I here?”

I ignored her question, “Do you know who I am?”

“Princess Luna's plaything.”

“Not completely wrong. But did you know I'm not a pony? Not really, not where it matters?”

“...What?”

I nodded, “I ended up here after some sort of magical accident. Woke up as a unicorn. Now that was a surprise, let me tell you. I'm not even from this world.”

“You are lying.”

I grinned, “Why would I? What reason could I possibly have to lie?”

“You want me to call my subjects off. To surrender... after what your 'princesses' did to us...”

Hmm. Sounded like there might be more to that story that Celestia originally said.

“You were eating the love of ponies!” Celestia injected from the other side of the room and Chrysalis twisted around to glare at her.

“We were starving! We feed on love! We need it to survive!”

“Stay out of this, Princess.” I told Celestia, shifting to look at her, “You want me to talk to her? I will do so. But I can't with you here, so with all due respect, Fuck Off.” Too damn stressful for me to moderate my language. Besides, she promised to play along.

Both of them twitched around to stare at me with wide eyes for a moment before Celestia slowly got onto her hooves with a nod, “...Very well. I will remain outside” she said and opened the doors, walking outside before closing them behind her, leaving me with the bug queen.

She just kept staring at me, “D-did you just...”

I shrugged, “I'm Luna's 'plaything'. I bet she can get me back from the moon if needed. And as I was saying, I'm not exactly a average pony, nor a pony at all at heart. You see, humans are not like these ponies. We had two arms and legs, walked upright like minotaurs. Even more importantly, we are omnivores. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, berries... meat. We eat it all.” I said before I sighed, “I miss meat so badly. It's been over a year since I've had some. You are not the only predator in the room.”

Chrysalis actually shifted away a bit from me, “...You really are no pony.”

“I am now. But I need you to understand a important thing. I don't care what happens to you. You threatened me and more importantly, my friends and girlfriend. If it had been up to me, Celestia should have kept hitting you with the magic beam of arse kicking until you were a stain on the marble floor. If necessary, I'll kill you myself.”

I really didn't think I could. In the heat of battle, maybe. A tied up prisoner? No. But she don't need to know that.

Shaking my head, I continued, “So, as you see, I really have no reason to lie to you. But Celestia wanted me to talk to you, try to find a common ground. To end this without more loss of life.”

She was quiet, looking down on the floor as she shifted from laying on her side onto her stomach, her frontlegs still tied before her as she looked at the glowing bindings, “...Then kill me. Because there can be no peace. We need love, we can't live without it. The Princesses won't accept us feeding on their ponies. We will not willingly starve to death.”

“You fed on Shining Armors love for Princess Cadence?”

“Yes.”

“Any spells on him? To keep him under control?”

Chrysalis sighed and nodded, fluttering her wings, “I did. The feeding is just that, draining of love. I used several spells to hold him under control. They are all broken now.”

“Does it have to be romantic love?”

“It tastes the best. I didn't finish draining him, he wouldn't be able to function if I did.”

“You are an idiot.”

That got a reaction, her eyes snapping to me, “...What?”

I shook my head, “You want as much love as you can handle? Get a puppy.”

“Puppy.”

“Yes, a puppy. A dog. A small ball of fluff which will love you unconditionally. I have seen them around, I'm sure you have as well. You clearly don't drain all the love at once or Shining Armor wouldn't have been able to function at all, right? Can't you just... nibble? Does love 'grow back'?”

“...Yes. If you drain a pony, if they survive the time they spend apathetic, in a few weeks they will return to normal.”

I nodded, “So you really are an idiot then. Why this big stupid invasion? You could have kept hidden in the general population. Nibbled a little here and a little there. You could have thrived.”

Chrysalis shook her head, “...The Princesses would have found us, sooner or later, no matter what the other hives think. As long as they existed, we are in danger. Last time we did, they discovered us. We drained ponies, yes. But we did 'nibble'. We lived among them for years before we were found out with no damage done. When they found us out, they couldn't stand for it. We drained ponies fully to obtain the power to defend ourselves.”

There is almost never one side in a conflict. It didn't seem to be here either. Not that I took her at her words, but neither did it seem like everything was told in the version Celestia told me either.

Also, the mention of other hives was interesting.

“So what will it be? Make a decision.” I finally asked, “Combat or surrender and peace talks? Try to work out a way to solve this without more violence. Without you and your subjects being locked away again. Or will your subjects fight to the death uselessly?”

Chrysalis was silent for a long time before she let out a long deep breath, “...I just want to keep my subjects safe. My children safe. If I have the Princesses' word they will not be harmed... we will surrender.”

I glanced down at my medallion, making a quick decision and then I nodded, “You have the word of Princess Luna.”

“Get Celestia. I need to address my subjects.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 53 Estimated time remaining: 5 Minutes
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