Chrysalis sluggishly made her way down the stairs to her hive. The spiral staircase felt mind-numbingly repetitive to her as she rounded spiral after spiral. She was grateful for the reprieve from actual thought, however, and let out a tired sigh as she arrived at the base of the staircase to look out over the crystal caverns below.

The prison was undergoing a changing of the guard, if the hundreds of golden armored mares funneling out of the structure, and hundreds of midnight purple mares and stallions funneling in, were any indication. Glancing over at the housing structures built for her hive, she unfurled her wings and buzzed down to her subjects. She felt a slight tingling in her wings, but simply chalked it up to her exhausted brain after such a long day.

She landed with grace, just in time for dozens of her drones to flock over to her, all chittering in excitement.

"My Queen, you've returned!" One drone exclaimed.

"Are we going to receive more love?" Another questioned, excitedly.

Chrysalis let out a tired but happy sigh, "While I'm afraid that I cannot promise more love just yet, my loves, I have tried to reason with Celestia, Luna, and Anon, and we've come to something of an agreement." She explained.

"What agreement, my Queen?" Pharynx asked, suddenly popping up beside her.

"I am to leave Canterlot for the Crystal Empire on Friday. I will be gone for a couple of days, and when I return they will remove the mana ring from my horn, as well as allowing changelings out into Canterlot under supervision from the royal guard. There will be something of an exchange of affection being done. I'll go into all the details tomorrow, but for now just know that there will be more love in our imminent future." Chrysalis explained.

A few worried glances passed between the drones before her, along wish hushed whispers and nervous chitters, despite the good news. Knowing full well what they were all thinking, Chrysalis softly smiled, "I promise that you will all be alright. Celestia has given me her word that things will progress as they have been while I am gone. Have faith in your Queen. I would never trust you all to somecreature that would hurt you." She explained.

Her words appeared to soothe the majority of the changelings before her, and several audible sighs of relief sounded out from the crowd before her. She felt some relief at the sight, yet she could still feel lingering doubts and fear from her drones. It pained her to know she couldn't offer more to quell their fears and reservations, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"What do they want of you in the Crystal Empire, my Queen?" Pharynx asked, tilting his head to the side in concern.

Chrysalis felt a great deal of relief wash over her at the prospect of a question that she could properly answer.

"I am to accompany the royal sisters and prince to help negotiate with the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia. They want me there to show that the changelings are indeed now allied with the ponies of Equestria." Chrysalis explained.

Several nods ran through the gathered changelings and even a few mutters of approval and support. Chrysalis smiled at the response, her tired eyes glancing over to Pharynx once more, almost as if to silently ask him if there was anything else. After a moment of silence eye contact, Pharynx nodded.

"You look quite tired, my Queen. You should go rest. Thank you for informing us of your imminent departure." Pharynx offered, respectfully.

Barely managing to suppress a yawn, Chrysalis turned back to the entrance, "Right you are, Pharynx. I must return to my chambers upstairs. I just felt the need to inform you all before someling else did."

Pharynx pursed his lips, "My Queen, are you sure you cannot stay down here with us for the night?" He asked, cautiously.

Chrysalis shook her head, "As much as I would prefer to, the housing situation is cramped enough for you all as is. Not to mention, Celestia, Luna, and Anon want me close by in case they need me... or if something goes wrong, so they can know it wasn't me." She replied, opening her elytra.

Pharynx opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, Chrysalis took flight.

"I will see you all tomorrow. Sleep well. I believe Luna will be visiting some of you tonight." Chrysalis called as she buzzed back up to the entrance.

For a few moments, Pharynx simply stared after her. The rest of the gathered changelings quickly dispersed and returned to their activities, albeit with some dejection at the absence of their queen. However, unlike them, Pharynx continued to stare, his eyes fixed on his queen as she slowly disappeared from sight. Only one thought bounced around in his mind, making him squint in disbelief.

Were her wings... sparkling?

Chrysalis trudged into her bedroom, her forelegs moving with all the speed and gusto of a glacier. Her head felt heavy, her legs felt sore, and even her back felt as if she'd landed on it after falling off of a boulder. Gentle glowing candlelight illuminated the hall behind her for a few moments, until the guards politely closed the door behind her, plunging her room into darkness. Her eyes quickly adjusted, and after a moment of searching, they found their target.

"Who knew paperwork could be so draining?" She quietly muttered to herself, her tired eyes barely managing to stay open.

Tugging her bedsheets open with her teeth, Chrysalis crawled into bed and let out a very un-Queenlike sigh.

"How do Tia and Luna do this every day?" She asked, throwing her head back into her pillow and closing her eyes.

A few seconds passes in silence as she stared up at the ceiling. Only the soft breeze blowing past the window, or the faint sound of marching soldiers reached her as she laid there.

Suddenly, she sat completely upright, "Wait a minute, what did I just call her?" She asked herself.

Slapping both hooves to her temples and letting out a long groan, Chrysalis slowly fell back into her mattress.

"Ugh... now I'm starting to use pet names for them..." She grumbled, rolling her eyes as she massaged her temples.

Is that so wrong though? I felt the spike of lust from Celestia this morning when she saw my modeling pictures... could she really be attracted to me? As I am now? She thought to herself.

"No, no... what're you thinking? Celestia has never felt anything of the sort for you... why would she like you now?" Chrysalis questioned to herself.

Anon does. Admit it, you want him, he wants you. Celestia wants you and Luna probably does too.

"Will you shut up and let me sleep!?" Chrysalis whisper-shouted to herself, grabbing the covers and whipping them up and over her head as she tried to burrow further into her pillow. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to force herself to sleep, but quickly found that tactic to be subpar at best. With a huff, she rolled over and poked her head out of the sheets and let out a sigh.

What if it's just a ruse?

Chrysalis's eyes snapped back open, "A ruse?"

What if Pharynx is right? What if you were meant to see that little spike of lust?

Chrysalis rolled over in bed once more, "No, no... they wouldn't do that... they wouldn't betray me..." She whispered.

Are you so sure?

Chrysalis started up at the ceiling for some time, her thoughts caught in a raging spiral. Sleep did not come quickly for the changeling Queen, but it did come eventually. Some time after midnight, she finally drifted off to sleep, although her dreams were anything but peaceful.

"My... Queen..." Pharynx groaned, his emaciated form struggling to reach out to her as she stood amongst her decimated hive.

Chrysalis galloped over to her top general and scooped him up in her hooves, "Pharynx!" She exclaimed, "What happened to you? What happened to everyling?" She questioned.

Pharynx weakly groaned as he looked up to his queen, "They... betrayed us... while you were... were gone..." He trailed off, coughing out blood.

Chrysalis cringed and tried to heal him with every restorative spell she knew, but her horn simply fizzled out and and sparked. She looked up in horror to find that she was still wearing a mana nullification ring. She quickly looked down at her general as his ragged breathing slowed.

"Avenge us... my... Queen..." Pharynx pleaded, his voice barely a whisper.

The changeling in her forelegs fell still, and the horror of feeling his feelings and emotions fading into nothing burned like a knife in her hearts. Chrysalis hugged her fallen child to her chest as closely as she could, tears streaming from her tightly closed eyes. She struggled not to wail in despair. She could not feel a single changeling's presence around her.

"I see that we missed one." A voice spoke out from behind.

Chrysalis's eyes snapped open and her ears flicked back toward the source of the voice. She instantly recognized it and turned on her hooves, finding Dusk standing beside Echo and an entire division of royal guards. Night guards hovered a few dozen feet above their comrades, hoof blades dripping in green blood that could only have come from her children.

Chrysalis simply stared, wide-eyed in shock at the sight, a maelstrom of emotions raging through her hearts. After a few moments, she felt, rather than saw, hoofsteps behind the soldiers. Each step sent a wave of fear through her, making her wince. It took only a few seconds for the source of the terrible thudding, stomping sound to appear before her, flames billowing from her mane and tail.

"Well, well, well... look who decided to show." Celestia asked her voice devoid of its characteristic warmth and gentleness. Instead it sounded as nothing more than a sinister, taunting, sneer.

"I... y-you-" Chrysalis began, her voice trembling.

"Killed them all?" Celestia cut her off, taking great satisfaction in the aghast look on the changeling Queen's face, "But of course! Although, I can't take all the credit! Luna did quite a number on your drones before I did. I don't think any of them slept for months!" She laughed a vile, cackling laugh.

"W-what?! B-but, I've only been here for-" Chrysalis tried to speak, only for a beam of icy blue magic to blast just past her face.

"Silence, welp!" Luna barked, her massive black wings flapping just once as she landed beside her sister.

Chrysalis squinted in disbelief, "N-Nightmare Moon?" She whispered.

"Surprised? That's to be expected from a dumb bug." Luna cackled, much like her sister.

"I-I don't understand! Why would you do this!? What about Anon-" Chrysalis cried out, only for her muzzle to be forced shut buy the blood red magic of Celestia.

"Don't speak my husband's name out of your filthy mouth. Besides, did you really think he ever liked a disgusting bug like you? An actual monster? Delusional." Celestia spat, shaking her head in disgust.

"Besides, who's idea do you think it was to wipe out your hive while they were trapped under Canterlot?" Luna questioned, a wicked grin on her face.

Chrysalis's eyes widened in horror. She tried to speak but her jaw simply could not move against the overwhelming force that was Celestia's magic. She struggled to turn and gallop away, but she felt the icy cold grasp of Luna's magic wrap around her barrel, keeping her elytra from opening and holding her in place. Tears streaked from her eyes as she watched the royal sisters approached her, a sword and spear held in their magical grasp.

"Honestly, it's a bit of a shame. The things we could do with her tongue..." Celestia trailed off, licking her fangs.

"Well I'm sure we could cut it off and make some use of it with a reanimation spell." Luna chuckled.

The sharpened and enchanted steel blades approached as Chrysalis fought with all her might, but it was all for naught. She felt the cold steel press against her throat as both alicorns laughed and laughed. However, just before they could thrust their blades forward and deliver the killing blow, a familiar voice cried out from the heavens.

"Enough!" Luna cried out, blasting Nightmare Moon and Celestia away with her magic.

Chrysalis fell to her haunches as the lunar alicorn landed just in front of her, her wings flared out in a defensive posture. Without giving either the dream version of herself, or her sister time to react, Luna's horn flashed a brilliant white light, before a wave of energy blasted forward. The entire wave of soldiers, including Nightmare Moon and Celestia, subsequently disintegrated into a flurry of white sparkles that slowly faded and fell to the ground.

Huffing quietly to herself, Luna turned around to find Chrysalis curled up in a ball, her breathing coming in shallow, quick, rasps. The lunar alicorn quickly rushed to her side and pulled her into a hug. Chrysalis froze in Luna's embrace, her eyes opening wide as she saw the landscape ahead of her slowly morphing into a gentle white nothingness. Several sniffles filled the air as Luna gently held her and stroked her hoof down the changeling Queen's back.

"It's alright. It was just a nightmare. Are you alright, Chrysalis?" Luna asked, pulling away enough to look at her.

Chrysalis hid her face behind her mane as she struggled to compose herself. Even after centuries of life, loss, and hardship, she still found the images playing back in her head over and over. She grit her teeth in frustration, both in how weak she felt at that moment, and at how the actual lunar princess could see her weakness.

"I... am fine." Chrysalis managed, after some time.

Luna frowned, "No, you're not. The waking realm might allow you to read emotions and have the upper hoof on unsuspecting ponies, but the dream realm is my domain. I can sense how you feel in here, Chrysalis. You are in despair. You need not hide that from me. I'm here to help you." She offered, encouragingly.

Chrysalis rubbed the last of the tears from her eyes and took a sobering breath. Once she was able to speak clearly, she pushed herself up to her hooves, allowing Luna to do the same.

"I imagine that you don't have nightmares very often." Luna said, noting Chrysalis's bloodshot eyes.

"When... when did you get here?" Chrysalis asked, looking over to Luna.

"I've been here ever since you found your general... I cannot tell whose dream I've entered until I see them and well... I didn't believe my eyes for a few minutes." Luna admitted, an underlying tone of shame in her voice.

"Why are you here?" Chrysalis quietly demanded.

Luna frowned, "It is my duty to ensure all dreaming creatures have a restful sleep under my moon. I know you want to keep your private thoughts just that: private... but rest assured I have done no snooping. That was quite a nightmare though... it's been a while since I've seen myself as Nightmare Moon." She acknowledged.

"I-I'm sorry-" Chrysalis began,

"Chrysalis," Luna cut her off, "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. Nightmares take many forms and can mean many things... I suppose this nightmare is your worst fears come to pass?" She inquired.

Chrysalis sighed, "Yes."

"Have we not made it clear enough that we're committed to helping your kind?" Luna asked, curiously.

"I-no! It's... it's nothing like that." Chrysalis replied, hastily.

Luna tilted her head to the side, "Then what fears do you still hold? Anon cares deeply for you and your hive, as does Celestia and even me. We knew so little about your kind when you returned and now we understand so much more. Why, just before I entered the dream realm, I spoke with Thorax again and he told me all about how changelings built your hive structure in the badlands. Very impressive, if I do say so, myself." She offered.

Chrysalis allowed a sad smile to form on her muzzle, "That Thorax... he has been doing much better thanks to you." She replied.

To her surprise, a warm smile found its way onto Luna's face, "Even after that nightmare, your number one concern is still your hive. I admire that greatly, Chrysalis."

Chrysalis found that while she still felt embarrassed, nervous, and holding lingering feelings of despair, a new emotion quickly rose in her chest: gratefulness. It was an uncommon emotion for her to feel, which only made it hit even harder as she looked upon her figurative savior. It was in that serene white light that she was struck with just how beautiful the lunar alicorn was.

"Thank you..." Chrysalis replied, shyly looking down, "I... just wish that it was easier for me to trust but... I can't help the lingering fears and doubts that I hold in my head." She admitted, sitting on her haunches.

Much to her surprise, the changeling Queen felt, rather than heard, Luna's horseshoes as she walked over to her and sat down by her side. Chrysalis looked up in mild shock as Luna wrapped her wing around her, bringing a sensation of gentle and warm contact.

"I understand... trust me, I do. I suppose you're something of a kindred spirit, Chrysalis... much like how my Anon is to me." Luna chuckled.

"Kindred spirit? Oh... I see." Chrysalis nodded in understanding.

"Nightmare Moon was the greatest error of my entire life. One that I will never forget, nor will I ever forgive myself for. The invasion of Canterlot was your greatest error. Both for your changelings, and for your relationship with Equestria... having said that, you've shown us all that you do wish to reconcile and atone. I respect that immensely." Luna responded.

Chrysalis felt the beginnings of a blush creeping up on her chest and cheeks, "Thank you... I want a better future for my kind... we've lived in the shadows, stealing and lying just to survive for far too long." She admitted.

"Well you don't have to anymore. I know trust is a hard thing to come by when you're in a situation like yours... but I do hope that eventually you'll trust us enough to not fear us. I can safely say that neither my sister, myself, and especially Anon would ever do something to your changelings like your nightmare." Luna offered.

Chrysalis snorted, "I suppose not. I... haven't felt the emotions I've been feeling in so long that I forgot how powerful they can be. My entire mind has been awash with conflicting thoughts and desires. It's never been quite so difficult to sort out as it is now." She explained.

"What sorts of emotions? I'm no expert, but I can offer my input, if you'll hear it." Luna replied.

Chrysalis shook her head, "It's nothing you need concern yourself with. Just... adapting to a new way of life, I suppose." She replied.

Luna gave a sage nod of agreement, allowing a peaceful silence to fall over them. It was in that peaceful silence that Chrysalis finally looked down to see Luna's gravid belly.

"Aren't you... endangering the little one? Fighting nightmares and such while pregnant sounds like a recipe for disaster." Chrysalis noted, looking up to Luna with a look of concern.

Luna merely chuckled into her hoof, "Oh, the foal is in no danger, Chrysalis. My appearance in the dream realm is accurate to how I am, but this is simply a projection of me. My foal is safe and sound, rest assured... even despite Anon's fears and protests." She rolled her eyes.

Chrysalis tilted her head to the side, "What fears and protests?"

Luna sighed, "My husband is concerned, to say the least, with the development of our foals. My sister and I keep telling him everything is fine, but he still worries since he is a nonmagical creature. I've told him it's not as if it's never happened before... just not to alicorns." She shrugged.

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, "You suddenly don't sound so sure, yourself." She intoned, turning slightly to face the lunar alicorn.

Luna shook her head, "Don't misunderstand me, I do harbor some feelings of concern for the foals. We are in uncharted territory, after all. Having said that, I know my limits well enough and I also know that both our foals will be healthy and happy once they're born. I can't wait to see the look on Nonny's face when he gets to hold little Artemis for the first time." She explained.

"Artemis? So it's a colt then?" Chrysalis asked, subconsciously looking down to Luna's belly.

Luna snickered, "Well... we don't know for sure yet, but I have a very strong feeling that it's a colt. I think Celestia has a filly, but I could be wrong."

"I figured you both would have wanted to know as soon as possible."

Luna shrugged, "We did, for a time. The nobility as well, along with just about all of Equestria... still, as the mothers of these foals, it's our choice and we decided to let it be a surprise."

Chrysalis chuckled, "Doesn't keep you from guessing though, does it?"

Luna giggled into her hoof, "Not at all. I think I went back and forth between a filly and a colt six times before making up my mind."

"Well hopefully you'll be proven right when the little one pops out." Chrysalis smiled.

Luna beamed, "I'll keep my feathers crossed."

"So why Artemis? What drew you to that name?" Chrysalis asked, leaning forward in interest.

Luna simply shrugged, "It's one of my favorite constellations. It was the first one I ever designed to capture a strong, capable, and loving stallion in the night sky. Many astronomers liken it to superstitions of old. 'Porion', is the name they came up with for it, I think. 'Porion', the protector, but it's always been Artemis to me."

Luna looked up and with a simply wave of her hoof, the snow white world around them quickly morphed into a beautiful nighttime sky, littered with stars. Chrysalis stared in fascination at the dazzling display of lights and space before her, until three distinct stars lit up brighter than all the rest.

"That's Porion's belt. The mythology goes that he once strapped the entire world of Eques to his back and carried our world across space and time until he found a star that was fit for our planet," Luna explained, before another group of stars illuminated brighter than the rest, "That's his shield, or 'Pellatrix'. He used it to shield our world from the many dangers of the cosmos and to capture the water that fills our oceans and rivers-" She continued, before a final constellation illuminated, "-and lastly, 'Petelgeuse'. A simple club that he used to fend off cosmic horrors and wayward asteroids. Like a blacksmith to a piece of steel, 'Porion' swung his mighty club against the planet, splitting rocks, forming mountains, and lastly, forming Equestria itself."

Chrysalis took in the information like a fish to water. She was completely invested in Luna's retelling of the stories of old, so much so that it took her a moment to realize that the lunar alicorn was finished.

"Wow... that's... an incredible tale, and you tell it so well... I can't believe I never heard that story before." Chrysalis admitted, shaking her head in amazement.

Luna blushed ever so slightly, "Thank you. It's... a rather old tale. I recall hearing it several times after I took on my role as the princess of the night. It's stuck with me ever since." She replied.

Chrysalis nodded, "Well I can see that you've definitely put some serious thought into this name."

Luna beamed, "Indeed. What about you?" She asked, curiously.

"Me? What about me?" Chrysalis questioned, a puzzled look on her face.

"What about your foals? Er... grubs, I suppose would be the correct term. Surely you put some thought into how you name them?" Luna pressed, giving Chrysalis her full attention.

Chrysalis blushed and looked down, "Well... not really... I love every one of my changelings but... when you lay a clutch of a dozen eggs at a time, naming becomes rather tedious. I simply name them whatever comes to mind."

Luna tapped her chin in thought, "Hmm... well, are there any you do recall naming for a specific reason?"

Chrysalis bit her lip in thought, "Maybe... a few hundred years ago there were a few I can recall." She offered.

Luna smiled, "I'd love to hear about them, if you'd indulge me."

Returning the smile, Chrysalis delved into the changelings of old, and her many past clutches. Luna happily listened and offered her thoughts along the way, and soon enough, the night passed by them as if it were just a dream.

If constellations are your thing, then you probably feel like you have something to say about Luna's explanation for the name Artemis. To that I say, 'Lemme have fun with this pls'. That was a lot of fun, making up that story to go with the constellation and I really like how it turned out. Obviously Porion is just Orion but with a pony twist cause puns.

Anyways, Luna and Chryssi are bonding! Woohoo! Over foals and pregnancy, no less. I wonder how this will affect their relationship going forward?

Oh! For anyone interested, I have finally made a discord server! If you want to chat with me, hang out and play games or watch me stream art and such, feel free to join :D

https://discord.gg/kVfKVH4f