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// Slowly recovering 
// Story: you don't need to steal Love 
// by Charalax 
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yeah, sleep, as if that was easy for her right now. with this new sensation clenching her heart and keeping her awake, "I am the queen of the changelings! I steal and feed on love! Cheating and betrayal are my bread and butter! I am not feeling guilty for what I said to that pony...but why I feel so bad?".
Chrysalis closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but alongside the weight on her heart came the memories of her swarm, of how they were all blasted away and scattered everwhere and the gripping to the heart became tighter "my young ones...I failed you all..."

at that moment the door swung open and Autumn breeze walked back in with some firewood and placed it next to the fireplace "how do you feel? want something to eat?"

at those words Crhisalys looked up at him "you know what we changelings eat Autumn"

he smiled warmly "so you call me by my name now?" the Queen growled a bit then looked down and dropped her crown on the ground. Autumn sat by her "what's wrong? I can see that something troubles you, let it all out"

Chrysalis sighed, having nothing to lose at this point "I failed them all, all my changelings are now dispersed who knows where and if they don't make it back to the hive in time they will starve before having access to the food reserves ... I am not worthy of being called queen".
The sudden warmth engulfing her body took her aback, she did not expect at all to recieve a hug, not from the pony she threatened some hours ago "s...sorry for....for before....I...", she did not know why those words escaped her mouth, nor did she know why they were now failing her all of a sudden, but Autumn still held her close and it felt kinda good, the tightness of the hug loosened the tightness in her heart.

"You don't need to apologize, you are still mad for what happened and I understand it, you did it all for your changelings after all".

Chrysalis did not hold back any longer and hugged him back, some tears falling from her eyes "I allowed this to happen, I had them all follow me in this endeavour and now look at me, beaten and bruised while my changelings are alone and scared and risk their lives and..."

His hoof blocked her mouth  "you have nothing to blame yourself for, the changelings followed you because they were as sure as you that the plan would have worked and they trusted you enough to put their lives on the line. I cannot say what you did was good, but I know why you did it and it was the most selfless thing I have ever heard a changeling do" he smiled at her again "so for now allow yourself to be selfish and recover, you can't lead a nation in this state".

Chrysalis did not say a word as Autumn wiped her tears away, but she decided to follow his advice and be selfish, embracing him in another warm hug.