SPQR

Chapter 11

Lyra’s Apartment, Ponyville

Chrysalis stepped out the shower, reverting back to her changeling form. It was an interesting experience bathing as a human. She was hesitant to admit it but it was quite a bit more pleasurable than in her natural form. While it was true that changelings had a sense of touch throughout their chitin, it was dull, bearing towards non-existent. The feeling of hot water cascading against bare skin was just so much more…intense.

Despite longing for an extended showering session, she levitated a towel around her body and quickly dried off. Chrysalis may have been a queen but she was a practical mare at heart. Thus, she refused to give into her petty desire, electing instead to get on with her day.

Due to the mind meld she shared with Gaius, she always had an idea of his whereabouts. It wasn’t extremely precise or invasive, just more like a general idea of where he was and what his emotional state was at the moment. With a slight huff of annoyance, she realized that he was on his way north…almost as far as the Crystal Empire. If this human was going to have a relationship with her, then he was going to have to understand a few things.

It didn’t bother her that Gaius wanted to make a living. His desire to support himself and (possibly her) build a home was not at all uncommon. She could live with that. What bothered her was his abrupt departure from the apartment, without so much as uttering a word to where he was going. Did he think that she couldn’t handle herself just because she was female? What a preposterous notion! She nearly conquered the capital of Equestia and bested Princess Celestia in single combat. Oh yes, she certainly could handle herself.

The former queen tossed her used towel into a hamper and trotted out to the living room. Her horn lit up with its signature emerald hue as she scanned the room for any traces of magic or left over emotion. Much to her disgust she noted two very familiar magical residues. One belonged to Princess Celestia and the other was from her pet bookworm.

What business could Gaius possibly have with those two? A sickening thought crept into the back of her mind. Does he…lust for Twilight Sparkle? No, it can’t possibly be that! He even admitted that he has no attraction to ponies. Besides, it’s best not to jump to conclusions…but he’ll still have some explaining to do.

Chrysalis’s thoughts were momentarily interrupted when she sensed another presence. It was something she hadn’t felt in quite some time. It was the aura of another changeling. From what she could tell, it was far more intelligent than the average drone, suggesting that it was likely a high ranking scout of some kind. Such a thing was odd, since she wasn’t aware of any other queens or hives in the immediate area. Erring on the side of caution, she resumed her filly disguise and pretended to go for a little stroll.

Chrysalis carefully observed her surroundings as she trotted down the street, trying to determine if anything or anyone was out of place. Most of the ponies she passed by were ones that she was at least vaguely familiar with and none seemed to be doing anything out of the ordinary. She bit her lip in frustration. Whoever this scout was, he was damn good at disguising himself. She knew he was there somewhere but couldn’t exactly pinpoint his aura’s exact location. Just as she was about to panic, she noticed the leaves of a nearby tree rustle.

In the tree was a sizable bird, sitting on one of the higher branches. Now, a bird in of itself was not unusual, Equestria hosted many species. What did catch Chrysalis’s attention was the type of bird that chose to perch in this particular tree. It was a large scruffy feathered raven. Such a bird was not native to this part of Equestria and they certainly didn’t migrate.

 Feeling confident that she found her stalker, Chrysalis galloped towards Sugarcube corner where there were no trees. If this bird was just an animal, it would stay in the tree. If it landed on top of the building, it was probably a changeling.

Sure enough the raven followed her and landed on top of the roof of Sugarcube Corner. Chrysalis was about to fire a bolt of magic at the offending avian, until Pinkie decided to burst out of the door with a tray of brownies. The entrance of the pink party planer was so sudden that Chrysalis fell on her rump, instantly dissipating her spell. A look of concern spread across Pinkie’s muzzle as she offered a hoof to help Chrysalis up.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t realize there was anypony near the door. Oooh but I know what will make you feel better! How about a nice, warm Maple Brown Brownie? I just took ‘em out of the oven.”

“It’s alright, I’m sure this was all just an accident. Look I’m rather busy right now and…”

Pinkie stuffed a brownie into Chrissy’s mouth. “They’re good aren’t they? But ummm…just remember to chew or you’ll end up choking. Trust me, I’ve choked on baked goods more times than I can count.”

“Mmmm yuuu dern’t seeyyy.”

“Yeepers, I sure do say!”

Once she swallowed the admittedly delicious brownie, Chrysalis levitated Pinkie into a nearby bush and stuck a hoof to the mare’s lips to get her to be quiet. Rather than get upset, Pinkie’s eyes seemed to sparkle with foal-like glee.

“Are we playing hide and seek? I LOVE HIDE AND SEEK!”

“Sshhh! Shut up or the raven on the roof will notice us.”

“Oh. So we aren’t playing hide and seek?”

“No, now be quiet.”

“Ah ha! I get it. We’re…what does Twilight call it again? Oh yeah! We’re ornithologists!”

Chrysalis groaned in frustration. This mare’s ability to annoy her truly knew no bounds. With a quick jab of her hoof, the changeling struck Pinkie in the neck, rendering her unconscious. Now that the pink menace was finally silenced, she continued her observation of the raven. The bird was still sitting on top of the roof but was darting its head back and forth, searching for something. After a few moments the raven took off towards the Everfree, while Chrysalis prepared a teleportation spell.

She rematerialized near a particularly dense section of thorny underbrush, which caused her to wince in pain as the barbs tugged against her fur. Despite her unpleasant circumstances, she caught sight of the raven once more. Her suspicion was confirmed when the raven became engulfed in emerald flames, revealing a lithely built scout.

 Before the changeling could react, she hopped out of the underbrush and fired an energy bolt straight at its barrel. The force of the impact sent it tumbling into to tree, stunning it momentarily. Not wanting to take any chances, Chrysalis seized a few feet of vine growing off of a nearby tree and bound the scout with it.

The scout groaned in pain, feeling like his head had been hit by a boulder. He tried to move but found that his entire carapace was wrapped in a bundle of tree-vines, preventing him from doing anything more than wiggle. His blood ran cold when he felt a hoof stroke his cheek. When he turned around, Chrysalis herself was staring into his eyes. The former queen smiled sweetly before levitating a sharpened stick towards his soft underbelly.

“Well, well it seems that the predator has now become the prey. Do you care to explain why you were following me?”

“Do your worst hiveless one!”

Chrysalis bucked him in the underbelly. “Watch your tongue worm! Why were you following me?”

“You may have lost your hive, but you are still a threat. That is why my master commanded me to observe you. It…is possible that you could interfere with his plans!”

“I have no desire to conquer anymore. In fact, I don’t even know who your master is or why I should even care what he’s doing.”

Thorax let out a raspy chuckle. “Y-you carry the royal blood. As the empress’s descendant, you have inherited some of her power. There is still a chance that you will pose a threat to her return!”

“What utter nonsense! Give me one reason why I shouldn’t fry your sorry carcass on the spot.”

“You truly don’t know. Ha ha!”

Chrysalis struck him across the cheek. “TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON!”

“My master funded an expedition to the Crystal Empire to uncover an artifact that will aid in the empress’s return to this world. I believe he even invited one of the Equestrian princesses as well and…wait your human lover is with her. Yes…there’s no mistaking it. I can sense his presence.”

“How do you even know all of this?”

“Why that’s simple. I have a psychic link with my master. In fact, I believe he is meeting with them right now. And they have no idea who they are truly dealing with…”

Chrysalis began to get increasingly nervous. Whoever this mysterious master was, there was no way to tell how dangerous he was. Her gut instinct told her that this whole excavation was one massive trap. Both the bookworm and Gaius could be in serious danger. Ignoring her captive, Chrysalis transformed into a snowy owl and flew north as fast as her wings could carry her.

En route to the Excavation Site, Five miles from the Imperial City

Gaius and Twilight were escorted via carriage from the Imperial City to the excavation site. While it was only an hour long ride, they were accompanied by the Crystal Empire’s newest captain of the guard, Flash Sentry. Originally the first captain had been Shining Armor, but once he assumed the title of Prince Consort, the duty had to be taken up by a member of the imperial army.

The plucky young captain gawked at the Centurion, even though he had been informed that Princess Twilight’s guard was special. Gaius was used to such stares by this point and took it in stride, opting to give the captain a friendly grin in return. Realizing his mistake, Flash blushed and offered his hoof.

“I’m sorry Mr. Septimus. I didn’t mean to stare. You’re just so…different from anything I’ve ever seen! I hope you aren’t offended…”

Gaius shook his hoof. “No need to worry captain. I was just as shocked when I found out that little colorful ponies could talk.”

Twilight, sitting next to Gaius, had a strange expression on her face. It was somewhere in between nervous and excited. The roman was slightly confused because in the short time he had known the alicorn; she struck him as an avid conversationalist. It was strange to him that she hadn’t said a single word, other than a muttered greeting since they boarded the carriage.

Her only activity consisted of staring out the window and occasionally staring at the captain. When he would look back at her, she would blush slightly and stare at her hooves or back out the window. After a few seconds of pondering, Gaius finally realized what was going on. The bookish little princess displayed the tell-tale signs of a blushing maiden smitten with a potential suitor. After finishing a bit more small talk with the captain, a wicked grin formed upon his lips.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Gaius scooped Twilight into his arms and began to carry her. The alicorn squeaked in surprise and immediately began to fidget in his grasp. Even after she began cursing and pounding her hooves against his chest, Gaius just smirked and held her even tighter. After a few moments she began to calm down but her entire face was now flushed with embarrassment. When they reached the encampment, he gingerly set her down and kissed one of her hooves.

“We have reached our destination your highness.”

Twilight huffed. “Gaius, what was all that for?!”

“I just wanted to make sure that you didn’t strain yourself, milady.”

“I-I’m fine with walking, you don’t have to carry me. In fact, I order you not to carry me anymore.”

Gaius chuckled. “Oh? Sorry to disappoint you princess, but I’m only obligated to protect you.”

“Horsefeathers! I don’t really like throwing my title around b-but you’re supposed to do what I say. As a princess…”

“You are a princess and if I were an Equestrian, I would obey your orders. But…I’m not an Equestrian and you’re not my princess.”

“Uggghhh! You’re just so…incorrigible sometimes!”

As Twilight stomped off towards one of the tents, Gaius walked over to Flash and patted him on the back. He then crouched onto one knee and whispered into the captain’s ear.

“I’m willing to bet that she wouldn’t have been nearly so upset if you had been the one to carry her instead.”

Flash’s ears perked up. “W-what are you t-talking about?”

“Our intrepid princess is smitten with a certain captain of the imperial guard.”

“Umm…you mean me?”

“Of course I mean you! Don’t tell me you didn’t notice her catching a few glimpses of your fine form.”

Flash twiddled his hooves. “Ermm…well I did notice but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. And to be completely fair, I think she’s gorgeous but…is it appropriate to like a-a princess?”

“Hmm. I don’t really know to be honest. It depends on if your culture places any importance on political marriage. I suppose if you couldn’t legally marry her, you could just be her male concubine.”

“There hasn’t been a political marriage in Equestria for a long time...at least that I know of.  But it’s a bit too soon to be talking about marriage, when I…uhhm…haven’t even asked her out yet.”

“Well then, it seems you now have a goal. Work your charm, little stud!”

Gaius and Captain Flash walked over to the tent Twilight currently occupied. She was standing in front of a small metal table, pouring over what appeared to be a map of some kind. Gaius was content just to stand in the doorway while he gently nudged Flash in the flank with his boot. The poor stallion was so flustered that he ended up falling muzzle first onto the floor…which happened to be right in front of a certain purple princess.

Twilight, now distracted by the loud thump, looked up to see Flash sprawled on the floor. The look of confusion in her eyes immediately turned to concern, when she noticed a small rivulet of blood drip from his nose. Luckily, she brought a small satchel full of books and other supplies, just in case the site lacked anything she might need.

After fishing around in the bag for a few seconds, she levitated a lavender colored handkerchief over to Flash’s muzzle and wiped it clean. The stallion cleared his throat and gave Twilight an awkward bow.

“Thanks you highness. Some captain I am huh? Tripping in front a princess and letting her clean me up…talk about embarrassing.”

Twilight blushed. “Oh well, accidents happen to the best of us! And you’re welcome by the way.”

“I-I’ll just let you get back to your maps. So if you’ll excuse me…”

“WAIT! I mean…hold on a second. Gaius and I are going to be having lunch two hours from now and I was wondering if maybe, you’d like to join us?”

Flash’s ears perked up. “Really? I’d love to! You guys probably get way better food than they serve in the mess tent. So…I guess I’ll see you there?”

“Good, I…errr…we look forward to seeing you there!”

Gaius silently watched as Flash exited the tent towards a group of diggers, feeling yet another grin spread across his lips. Twilight couldn’t help but notice this, so she took it upon herself to poke the human’s chest with her hoof.

“I can’t believe it! You did that on purpose!”

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Twilight crossed her forehooves. “Don’t play dumb with me. You knew that I thought he was cute, so you set all of that up to get me to talk to him!”

“It’s nice to see you finally admit your honest feelings, milady.”

“I…well ok, maybe I didn’t make the best first impression with Flash.”

Gaius patted her mane. “Perhaps, and that is precisely the reason why I decided to lighten the mood by teasing you. I understand that not everyone is fond of socializing. Mars knows there were days when I would have given my left arm to get away from everyone. But I realized that you weren’t going to get anywhere with that stallion by giving him the silent treatment.”

“I wasn’t trying to give him the silent treatment, I was just really nervous! B-besides, he should’ve noticed that I was checking him out.”

“Let me offer you a nugget of wisdom concerning the male psyche. Men take serious interest in a woman when she makes her intentions plain. You can make the most intricate and subtle gestures professing your affections but if you don’t make it clear, he will hesitate or even ignore you.”

Twilight sighed. “But I can’t just trot up and kiss him on the lips. He’d think I was some kind of…l-loose mare!”

“I’m not suggesting that. There will come a time when action is needed, but words are important as well. You’re an intelligent mare, so use them.”

Twilight held up her hoof to respond but was interrupted when one of the last ponies she expected to see, made his entrance into the tent. Before them stood Prince Blueblood, clad in a tan vest lined with a myriad of pockets. His typically coiffured mane was pulled back into a simple ponytail, fastened by a brass ring. He offered a slight bow to Twilight.

“Excuse me your highness; I do hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Nothing we can’t talk about later. I don’t mean to be rude but why in Celestia’s name are you even here Prince Blueblood?”

Blueblood chuckled. “Oh dear, it seems that a few details were left out of your briefing. To put it bluntly, your highness, I am the one who funded this little excavation.”

“Ok, I’ll admit that I’m grateful that you decided to show some interest in history but what’s in it for you?”

“You wound me princess! Believing that I would have an ulterior motive. Why, I’m just a noble stallion who wants to share the joy of discovery with the fine citizens of the Crystal Empire and Equestria at large.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Uh huh.”

“Oh fine, it seems that you don’t share my taste for melodramatic humor. If you must know, these ruins might contain artifacts that date back to pre-Sombrian times. There could be an entire treasure trove of lost, ancient knowledge lost to pony-kind for ages. Not to mention all the prestige that will come to the one who discovered it.”

“Hmm…it’s true that very little information has survived from those times. Maybe I could even publish my own findings, assuming that there’s any validity to your claim. Gaius and I will gladly assist you, so long as you provide a guide of some kind.”

“Not to worry your highness, I shall personally escort you through the ruins myself.”