Chrysalis, now almost fully-healed, the infection all but gone, her carapace thick, full and shiny, her juniper eyes glinting and intense, wasn't slow to detect the sudden shift in Fluttershy's mood; she had been guarded for some time, trying to put up defences around her mind to stop the Changeling from guessing at what she was thinking. Even their nightly routine of love-making had become rather perfunctory due to this, though Chrysalis still appreciated it for its health benefits if nothing else. “You're going to tell them, aren't you?”

        “I have to,” Fluttershy said, on the verge of tears. “I really don't want to, I really don't want to lose you, but you're still wanted for crimes against the state. It's not something that I can just ignore.”

        “You've kept it secret this long. I can go out in disguise, you can introduce me to your friends as a pony,” said Chrysalis, but even as she said the words she knew what the response would be. Tartarus, she didn't want that sort of life either. She was proud to be a Changeling, to be part of something bigger than herself. Just as Fluttershy was proud to be a pony, part of Equestrian society, one of the Elements of Harmony.

        “I'm not ashamed of you, Chrysalis, and I don't want you to be a secret that I have to keep, least of all from my friends,” Fluttershy replied, offering her a thin smile. As a child, she had often daydreamed of what the love of her life, her special somepony, would be like, but never in a million years had she been expecting this.

        “Would you be happy with the alternative? Me, in prison, possibly for years?”

        “I'd wait for you.”

        “I don't want you to have to,” said Chrysalis, loosing a long-held breath. “Do Equestrian prisons have conjugal visits?” she added, favouring the pegasus with a mischievous grin.

        Fluttershy laughed heartily. “You know, I've never thought to find out.” Her eyes turned downcast and she looked at the ground, kicking at the old wooden floorboards pensively. “You're going to run, aren't you?”

        “Yes.”

        “Where will you go?”

        “Equestria's a big place.”

        “You'll visit me occasionally, won't you?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

        “Of course. I won't ever forget you, little pony,” Chrysalis said, smirking once again.

        One last night of passionate, desperate love-making ensued; even through the newly-restored thickness of her shell, Fluttershy could hear Chrysalis' heartbeat thrumming strongly in her chest. She shuddered inwardly as she felt the Changeling's fangs brush her throat, so painfully, sensually close to the jugular. It would only take the merest amount of pressure to … knowing that she was leaving, knowing that she'd probably never return to Ponyville for fear of being caught by Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements of Harmony, Fluttershy almost wanted those pointed, poison teeth to sink into the soft flesh of her neck and end her misery.

        Chrysalis never performed the killing stroke, however, much to Fluttershy's disappointment.

        The Changeling seemed desperate for closeness, for intimacy; she made sure that her the holes of her legs brushed every inch of Fluttershy's body, desperate to remember every facet of its soft, yielding curves. Legs wrapped around the pegasus' waist, holding her warm body against Chrysalis' cold one. Fluttershy felt something wet splash against her abdomen as the Changeling grunted in satisfaction. She could feel her own excitement building, but she held it off, settling for maintaining a steady rhythm of kisses across Chrysalis' face, neck and body.

        Through necessity, their early sessions had been quick and dirty; mere snacks to help Chrysalis, for her to regain her strength, but now … if this was to be the last time, she was determined to derive everything from the experience that she possibly could. Part of her hoped that she could change the Changeling's mind, that she could convince her to stay, to sacrifice her freedom in the short term for a shot at a life together in the future, but ultimately, it didn't matter.

        She just wanted Chrysalis, body and soul.

        Feeling her warm breath on her throat, feeling those fangs graze dangerously against her, brought Fluttershy her own release; there was the familiar feelings of tiredness, but soon there was something else: it was as if something or somepony was rooting through her mind, searching. At the point of climax, Chrysalis was free to enter her mind and siphon off the emotional energy generated by their coupling. It was a strange process, one that left the victim temporarily bereft, as if their capacity to experience feelings was temporarily blocked off.

        The stolen love would be replaced over time, regenerated as blood did after it was donated. For at least an hour or two, however, the physical and mental anguish would be enough to keep Fluttershy off of her feet. She was sure that she heard sobbing.

        “Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, finding it too much of an effort to even crane her neck in Chrysalis' direction. She felt herself being rolled onto her back and found herself looking into the forceful jade eyes of the Changeling. Her regal majesty had certainly been restored, anyway.

        No longer sick. No longer injured. “Better than ever, little pony,” she replied, power radiating through her voice, as she lowered her head until they were snout to snout, fangs bared and at the ready.

        “Are you going to kill me?”

        “I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it.” Chrysalis chuckled, but it was without genuine feeling. “But no. I will not harm you, nor will I harm your friends or ponykind in general, but neither will I stay here and sacrifice my freedom.”

        The pegasus felt something warm drip onto her face. Lips, hard, moist, perfect lips, pressed against her own. It was nothing more than a peck, a parting gesture, but it contained a purity of meaning that Fluttershy found incredibly moving and she responded with tears of her own. “I love you, Chrysalis.”

        “I love you, too, Fluttershy. Thank you. For everything. I know that I can never fully repay you for what you did, and I know that you deserve better than this, but … this is simply how it has to be for now. I'm sorry.”

        Fluttershy could see Chrysalis' legs shaking as she made her way to the door; hesitant, uncertain, wanting to rush back to the pegasus' loving embrace, but it was not to be. She stepped through the threshold, taking on the form of a grey stallion as she did so. That's gonna take some explaining if anyone sees her.

        That thought caused Fluttershy to laugh involuntarily, tiredly.

        And explaining a former Changeling queen would be so simple in comparison.

        Soon, the only thing left of Chrysalis in the room was the fading smell clinging to Fluttershy's coat; she inhaled it deeply, not wanting to forget it.