Meanwhile, Chrysalis arrived at the entrance to the cave to see Chitin and Nightmare Moon staring each other down. Chitin held a more offensive position, while Nightmare Moon stood in a defensive manner.
"I repeat - my intentions are not hostile, changeling," the alicorn said.
"NOT HOSTILE?!” the warrior barked, unafraid of dying at the alicorn’s hooves. “When you came with your army, you killed drones, not even warriors ... but drones! You killed any changeling that came close enough! That isn't hostility? If only you would die, all of you," Chitin shouted. They would defend the hive at the cost of their life.
"Chitin, enough," Chrysalis ordered as she came out of the tunnel, catching her breath.
Chitin spat onto the ground in front of Nightmare Moon's hooves. Then, they backed away without turning around and stood next to Chrysalis. They tensed their hooves, ready to jump at the throat of the living nightmare should she try any sudden move towards her Queen.
"Get to the point," Chrysalis said dryly.
"I have come to warn you that you have a monster in your hive," summed up Nightmare Moon.
"I am facing it right now," Chrysalis commented coldly, the genocide still fresh in the Queen's mind.
"I am serious, Chrysalis. Pepper Chilly is dangerous," explained the mare of the Moon.
Chrysalis looked to the warrior on her left before returning to the intruder. "Pepper Chilly? I haven't met anycreature of that name," she said.
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"A female unicorn with a white coat and a braided carmine mane. The cheeky kind," Nightmare Moon said.
"You mean Lone Star," corrected Chrysalis.
"She gave you a fake name."
Nightmare Moon's commentary made Chrysalis apprehensive. “Why?”
"Right now, the most important question would be, where is she?” asked the thousand-year-old mare, sounding concerned.
"In the hive..." Chrysalis replied, her discomfort growing.
"Don't tell me that she's alone with Aglowing Shell," said Nightmare Moon, her tone sounding worried.
"No, she's with... How do you know about my daughter?!" the Queen asked in anger.
"That's not important. Your daughter is in danger! Pepper Chilly is not from our world, and even worse... is a soul eater," said Nightmare Moon.
"Y-you are joking... right?" Chrysalis’s hollow laughter sounded incredulous.
"Everything that has happened in the last four months is due solely to her crime.”
Chrysalis suddenly realised something. When she ate the content of Lone Star’s heart, there had been no fear. "Chitin, make sure she leaves. I'll get to the bottom of this," Chrysalis shouted as she set off alone towards the throne room at a full gallop. As she could see the throne room, she could hear an explosion going off. Entering the room, Chrysalis only found Pepper Chilly.
She was sitting on the throne, alone in the almost total darkness. Her attention was focused on the sole of her hoof. All the crystals in the room that were embedded in the walls and ceiling had magically exploded. An almost perfect circle made up of residues of these crystals delimited a comfortable area around the royal seat. With her horn illuminated by a golden aura, she used the circle to erect a hemispherical barrier to prevent any attacks against her.
"Pepper Chilly, you dirty liar! Where is Aglowing Shell?" Chrysalis asked as she approached. She noticed a candy on the ground under the hooves of the soul eater.
The mare had a satisfied smile on her lips. She looked up at the queen. "Oh. Greetings, Chrysalis. I want to play a game," Pepper said, presenting with her left hoof another candy that she had looked at just moments earlier.