Celestia's New World

November 7

Waking up with her in my arms... It was always incredible. I reached for my phone and turned off the alarm. Celestia was still sleeping. Or, at least, she was pretending to sleep. I slid my arm out from under her and stood. After a yawn and a stretch, I began dressing myself. There were noises coming from the front room. The game was still running. Red must've forgot to turn it off. I left the room, closing the door behind me. To my surprise, she was sitting on the couch playing Mario Kart.

I gave her a friendly, "Hey, Red."

She glanced at me, then back at the screen.

"You don't look so good."

"I haven't slept." she said, her voice gravelly and tired.

"Geez. I know that feeling. Pause the game, I'm walking past."

She did as I asked to let me through. As I moved past, she asked, "What time is it?"

"Wake-up time."

"Yeah, when's that?"

"Seven-ish."

"Alright."

"How've you been doing?" I gestured to the TV.

"I got a lot better. I figured out that you can get three stars if you get first place in all of the races. It's pretty fun."

"You should go to bed."

She grumbled at me.

I moved into the kitchen to get something to eat, a bowl of cereal. When I was done, I cleaned the bowl and returned to the front room. Red hadn't moved at all by the time I came back. I watched the screen as she played. There was a definite improvement to her skill from last night. She was also using a character we didn't have before that she must have unlocked during the night.

"Well, you have fun with that." I told her, aiming to go back to the room.

"Wait."

"Huh?"

She paused the game and reached for one of the controllers on the table. She lifted it and held it up to me, her tired eyes boring into me.

"You want me to play?" I asked.

"You kept winning last night. I want to see how good I've gotten. I know you have time."

I grabbed the controller from her. She slid over on the couch so I had a place to sit. She exited out of her race and started a new game with two players. When we got to the map select screen, I saw that she had a number of two and three star ratings in the 50cc series. Impressive for someone who picked up the game just yesterday. She wordlessly picked a cup.

Red did well, but she didn't manage to get ahead of me. Even after going years without practice, my experience was just too much for her to handle. I am glad I didn't say that out loud.

After the final screen passed, Red grumbled again. "I would've done better if I wasn't so tired."

"Then go to bed."

"Yeah, whatever." She didn't wanna hear it. "Hey Phil, tell me the truth. Are you two really gonna get married? I mean, it didn't seem like you were joking about it, but..." She paused. "So?"

I nodded. "There ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, 'til we get to the end of the line."

"Man... that's crazy."

"Yeah. It's pretty crazy. Go to bed."

"I don't wanna."

"What's Celestia gonna say when she finds out you've been up all night?"

"I don't care, she's not my mom."

"Whatever." I stood and opened the door to my room, but once I saw that Celestia hadn't moved, I picked up my coat and closed the door behind me. "She's asleep. I'm just gonna take off."

"See ya."

"Yep. See ya, Red. Go to bed." I closed the door before she could respond.

On the walk home from work, I was once again joined by Chrysalis. Her eyes were tired, but she seemed rather pleased at something. "Hello." she said.

"Hello." I replied, my mood worsening.

"I'm finished. I need your help."

"What? You're finished? Wait, you need my help now?"

"Yes. I need you to take me somewhere." After she's toyed with me for so long, a simple, direct request is almost unlike her.

"Take you somewhere? So you give me gold?" I asked, questioning the extreme contrast of the two.

"It's not the whole story, of course. Your precious girlfriend has been hiding things from you."

"So?"

She chuckled. "I suppose it doesn't matter. After all, she certainly has the right to keep things from you. Just as you have the right to keep things from her. Things such as this. Your friends and I are not the only ones here right now. Just as Red Shadow came to this world, a number of changelings have done the same."

"That's... really bad. Ok, yeah. Whatever you say."

"I'm glad you understand. I've been hunting them in order to capture them and bring them back. I've tracked them down, but unfortunately, they're too far away for me to simply follow them on my own. I don't know this world as well as you. That's why I need your help. You're going to take me to them."

I nodded. "I'm gonna have to get the car."

"Indeed. Make haste, Phil. The longer we dawdle, the further they get."

I sighed. What horrible timing... Like the obedient slave I was, I continued on my journey home. Chrysalis followed as I walked. My heart sunk as we neared the house. To help Chrysalis, I would have to lie to Celestia again. Unfortunately, this seemed to be a dire situation. We did not want unchecked Equestrians in this world under any circumstances.

"Is something wrong?" Chrysalis asked.

"I... I'm having trouble." I said.

"Your personal troubles are none of my concern, Phil. This is bigger than you. You understand that my changelings cannot be allowed to stay in this world, do you not?"

"Yeah, I understand. I just..." She's right. "I'll be right back."

Was I really going to lie to Celestia again? Was I going to just walk through the house like nothing's happening? I don't think I had a choice. There was a lot at stake. At least, it feels like there is.

Steeling my will, I approached the door. To my surprise, I heard the familiar voice of Princess Luna in my head. "What are you going to do?" she asked, her voice soft and kind.

"What I have to do." I murmured.

"What do you have to do?"

"Something I don't want to do."

"Phil?"

"I'm sorry, Luna."

I swallowed as I grabbed the handle. I can do this. In and out. Get the keys and leave. I took in a deep breath before opening the door and walking inside. Celestia was on the couch waiting for me.

"Hello Phil!" she cheerfully greeted me.

"Hey Celestia. I'm not gonna be home for long. Sorry. I just need to get my keys. My, uh... My friend needs help with his computer, so I'm gonna head over and give him a hand."

"Oh, I'll get my shoes." She stood, smiling.

I expected that response. "No, no, it's... he doesn't do too well with strangers, honey. He likes his privacy. I'm sorry."

"Is that so?" She frowned. "Well, alright. I hope it doesn't take you long."

"Yeah, me too."

My excuse was flimsy, but she trusted me. I was abusing that trust. I didn't like the way she was looking at me. Her inquisitive gaze made me feel like she knew something was going on. She didn't push me, even if I was acting suspicious. Celestia sat, letting me through. I moved to the kitchen to get my car key. Red stared at me as I entered the kitchen, a bowl of cereal on the table in front of her.

"Red, cereal is a breakfast food." I said, brushing past her.

"This is my breakfast. I just woke up."

"Oh. Well, ok."

"Where are you going?"

"Friend's."

Her eyes narrowed. "Bring us back some more Twinkies."

"I'll try."

Celestia and I gave each other pleasant a farewell before I left to the car. Chrysalis was already inside, having utilized her unnerving ability to unlock the door on her own.

"Seatbelt." I said, putting mine on.

"Oh yes, you were quite serious about that." She put on her own.

I backed us out of the driveway before anybody could see Chrysalis sitting next to me. "Where are we going?" I asked, starting down the road.

"You'll need to take me south. I don't know their exact location, but I can direct you to them."

"So, can I just drop you off or something?"

"No."

I sighed. "How far are we going?"

"It's difficult to get an exact measurement. I would say within twenty miles."

"Geez, that's almost to Rockford." I offhandedly commented. Chrysalis certainly didn't know that.

"I have spent the past few days searching for them. My only option was to search using magic. The little magic I did use has sapped my strength. Even I could not stop them on my own. I needed you, Phil. I appreciate your help. It makes my job much easier."

"Well... I'd say I'm glad to help, but I'm kinda not." Maybe I was. I don't know.

She chuckled. "Perhaps we will get along one of these days. Wouldn't that be something?"

"I feel really guilty right now." I said.

"The feeling will pass."

"I don't think it will."

"I'm not interested in your griping, Phil. We have a job to do." She coldly ignored my complaints.

"Yeah, yeah."

"If you're worried about what your Princess may think, tell her that I forced you to help me. She knows I'm more than capable."

"I wanted the two of you to get along, Chrysalis. That wouldn't help."

"Our relationship is none of your concern, Phil. Don't meddle in our affairs. Do as you're told."

I didn't want to admit that she was right, but we couldn't allow anyone from Equestria to go unchecked. This needed to be done, whether I liked it or not.

As per her instructions, I headed south. As we started, she gave me very general directions. I've done a decent bit of traveling in the area, so I picked a route I knew. Chrysalis didn't object to my choice, so I think I made the right one. I eventually turned away from town, driving down the freeway.

Chrysalis's gaze drifted between the infrequent businesses and factories dotting the sides of the road. "How fast are we going?"

"What?"

"Our speed. How fast are we going?" she asked again.

"Um... 63. Why?"

"Is it... safe?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Going this fast in such a... large machine."

"Yeah, course it is."

"It doesn't seem safe."

"You want me to slow down?"

"No. We need to find them as soon as we can."

"I'm not going any faster."

"I don't want you to go any faster."

"Are you alright? You seem kinda stiff."

"I'm... uncomfortable."

"You don't need to worry, Chrysalis. I won't let anything happen to you."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her turn to me. "Do you mean that?"

"I promise."

She let out a breath. "Thank you. That makes me feel better. You'll need to continue in this direction for some time."

"Alright."

She went quiet for a while, looking out the window. With no other instructions, I stayed on the freeway.

I decided to break the silence with some idle conversation to try to ease the tension. "My grandma lives over there."

"Hmm?"

I gestured to a group of houses about half a mile from the freeway. "Over there. She's got a big house and lives with two big ol' cats."

She smiled. "How nice. If I recall correctly, your other grandmother lived not too far to the north, correct?"

"Yep, that's right. A lot of my family is in the area. Makes it easy to visit each other." I chuckled.

"I would imagine. I don't have a family myself, but in a way, it feels as if my subjects are my family. It's my duty to keep them safe."

"Yeah."

"Phil, could I confide in you for a moment?"

"I guess. If you want."

"I fear I am losing control of that which is mine. I fear for the future of my kingdom. I fear... I fear I will lose my place in Equestria."

"Why?"

"I... cannot say."

I hesitated for a bit before responding. "I don't know a lot about you, Chrysalis. But what I do know, it isn't pretty. So... if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be happy to listen."

"I'll keep that in mind. You'll be turning soon."

"Where?"

"To the right, when you can."

"Alright... To the right."

I changed lanes and waited for the next turn. It wasn't a long wait. We were on the outskirts of another city right now. Turning right kept us on the back roads. I followed her directions for quite a long time, turning often, but going in the same general direction. I didn't know where we were going. The buildings became sparse as we once more left town.

"There." said Chrysalis.

"That building?" I asked, pointing to a building down a dirt road. It was dark, but I could see a fence surrounding it.

"Yes. They're inside."

I followed her direction. As we got closer to the building, details became clear. Seems like a storage warehouse, maybe. I pulled to a stop at a tall fence gate that blocked our path. Chrysalis unbuckled and opened her door. The two of us got out of the car.

"In there?" I asked, confirming what she said.

"Yes. They're alone."

"Do you see a way in?" I asked.

"Hmm..." She scanned the fence.

It was an old, yet sturdy chain link fence. On the side of the building, train tracks led away. This must be a... I had no idea what this building was. Guessing wouldn't do me any good. I'm not versed in the art of building identification.

"The gate's locked." she said, pointing to a rusty chain holding it shut, "We'll have to climb it."

"Barbed wire." I said, pointing up, "You're gonna get tetanus, you climb that thing."

She raised a hand towards the wire, surrounding it in a magical glow. I heard the sound of metal snapping. As she swiped her hand to the side, the wire was pushed away.

"Huh... That works."

"Phil, before we do this." she started.

"'We'? What's this 'we' stuff."

"Phil."

I stopped my complaining. Apparently I wasn't done here.

She took in a breath before an emerald flame surrounded her body. She was changing her form again. I hope she didn't transform into Celestia. It makes me really uncomfortable. As the flames disappeared, I gasped to myself. Before me was a woman I had never seen before.

Under the low light of dusk, I could tell that her skin was pale, as if she hadn't spent a single minute outside. She was tall and slender, standing a few inches shorter than Celestia. She had a slim frame, defined by well-toned muscles.

Her black dress ran loosely down her body, terminating midway down her long legs, decorated with numerous, tasteful holes along the hem. Two thin bands of fabric ran over her shoulders, holding the dress above her modest chest. Her long, blue hair covered her back, reaching down to her hips, more holes peppering the edges. Truly, this form was befitting of her title as Queen of the changelings.

Her deep, emerald eyes bore into me. Meeting them was like staring into an ocean. I couldn't look away.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well? Are you going to say something or are you simply going to gawk at me?" she asked. Her voice had changed as well, to one I recognized from the show, even after all these years.

"You're beautiful." I got out, stunned by her sudden gorgeous appearance. There was something about her that made it hard to look away. Though her body was certainly shapely, I couldn't help but to gaze into her eyes.

She paused for a moment. "I suppose it should come as no surprise that you are stricken by my appearance. I would expect no less of a man your age. This is the real Queen Chrysalis. This is the real 'me'. At least, it is who I am while in this human body. I've taken quite a liking to it, actually. It seems you have, too."

I finally broke my gaze away from her. She really was pretty. It was difficult to keep my eyes off her. I'm sure Celestia would have an earful for me if she knew about this.

Chrysalis turned to the gate. "Those are my changelings in there. To meet them in a form they recognized would be best."

"You always kept yourself disguised around me. I never thought I'd get to see you for real." I said.

"Consider yourself lucky, then. I had no intention of showing you this form. I've hid my true self from you since we met. Maybe I thought that you would run away when you saw me. I suppose it doesn't matter what I look like. You would see through any of my disguises."

"Would I?"

"You saw through my first disguise."

"That was after you told me you were from Equestria. Who else would come here after all this?"

"True. My appearance does not reflect who I am. You know who I am. I am exactly who you think I am. I am not a 'nice' pony. Far from it. I am an enemy of Equestria. I am an enemy of you. I'm grateful that you would treat me with any sort of respect. Help me over." She changed the subject back to the matter at hand.

"Hold on, hold on. Tell me what we are doing here, exactly."

"We're going to return my changelings to Equestria, by force if necessary."

"By force? Geez... Are you sure?"

"It's as your Princess says, they must return to Equestria."

"So you're just gonna kick the crap out of them?"

"What do you suggest, then?"

"W... What? You have your words, Chrysalis! Aren't you supposed to be a master manipulator?"

"They won't listen to me. Why do you think they're here in the first place? Ever since our defeat by your precious ponies, there have been dissidents among my changelings. I didn't come here to talk."

"Well... What about someone else?"

"Someone else?"

"You're a changeling, aren't you?"

"Don't ask stupid questions."

"There are no stupid questions, just stupid people."

It took her a few moments, but she smirked at my self-insult. "Continue."

"These guys should know a lot of people, right? Ponies. Changelings." I corrected myself twice before finding the right word. "You just gotta change into someone else they know."

"Who?"

"Anyone. Just... not you."

"Not me? I thought we were finally getting along."

"Maybe someone from..."

"Phil."

"Huh?"

"Where are we?"

"What? Uh... I guess..."

"We're in the human world." She cut me off. "We're both humans. They're humans. They would recognize nobody."

"That's... true. Damn."

"Hmm... Perhaps... I think I just came up with an idea of my own."

"Good! Perfect. Just anything that doesn't involve violence."

"Step back."

I did as she said. She took in a breath before transforming. Emerald flames covered her body, hiding her current form before revealing...

"No!"

She smirked at me. "Anything that doesn't involve violence... except 'this'?"

"Yes! Except that. Please. I don't like when you transform into Celestia."

"You're the one who came up with the idea to use the form of someone they recognized."

"Can't you just beat the crap out of them so we can go home?"

"No, no, you were right. This is much more suited to my style. So... how do I look?"

I sighed. "Like an angel." She looked exactly like Celestia. Saying anything else would be a lie.

"How kind of you. It's been a while since I've taken the Princess's form. It shouldn't be a problem. They'll believe anything I tell them."

"How did you get the clothes right?"

"I don't know where the clothing comes from. I've told you."

"Yeah, but she was wearing that when I got home today."

"I haven't claimed to understand every aspect of this world." she shot, "Would you rather I be naked?"

"I don't think I should answer that."

"Help me over the fence." she said again.

"Fine." I moved to the fence, crouched with my back facing it, and netted my fingers together in front of me.

Chrysalis stepped a few feet in front of me, lining up straight to make it easier to climb. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yep." I knew exactly how much Celestia weighed. This may not be entirely easy.

She approached me, then placed a hand onto my shoulder and a foot in my hands. With moderate difficulty, I lifted her body.

"Be careful where you're grabbing!" she shot, "I may have the body of your beloved, but that does not give you free rein to do as you please."

"If I wanted to grab Celestia's ass, I'd do it at home. Now get going, would you?"

She lifted her hands to the top of the fence and pulled herself up, stepping on my shoulders. "What would your Princess say if she heard you talking like this?"

"I'm sure she'd have a few choice words for me." Have I been flirting with Chrysalis? Kinda feels like I have.

She pulled herself over and jumped down, landing quietly.

"Good work. What about me?" I asked.

"Climb."

"Seriously?"

"I certainly can't help you."

I sighed. "Damn it. Alright."

I haven't climbed a chain link fence since I was a kid. With no care for what I was doing, I started upwards. Though the chain links groaned under my weight, I found it was built quite solidly. I was able to scale it with relative ease. I landed hard, dropping to a knee when I hit the ground.

"Ow."

"Are you hurt?" Chrysalis asked.

"No, not really." I stood. My feet kinda hurt.

"Good. Suck it up."

"Thanks for the help."

"I didn't help you." She turned.

"Vandalism, breaking and entering, trespassing. What else?" I listed our current crimes committed. "Oh, identity theft. Can't forget identity theft."

"Keep quiet. Your incessant prattling is irritating me. Follow me." She started along the inner road of the property.

"You're the boss." I followed behind.

I noticed a light on inside the building as we approached. It seemed to be flickering. A campfire? It was pretty cold out. Though it was dark, details were still clear. The building was in a state of disrepair. Most of the windows were broken and graffiti covered the walls.

Chrysalis stopped suddenly, causing me to bump into her from behind. She didn't seem to mind that I almost knocked her over.

"This way." she said, turning. She led me down the side of the building until we reached a cracked staircase leading to a thick metal door. She stopped again.

"In here?" I asked.

She nodded. "I may need your assistance if I am to convince them to return to Equestria."

"Me?"

"You're good with your words."

"I... Am I?"

"Better than some."

"I'll take it."

"Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

She grabbed the rusty handle and twisted. The door squeaked open, whining loudly, alerting those inside of our presence.

There was movement inside. Over the top of Chrysalis/Celestia's head, I saw three figures stand. The light inside the building turned out to be a fire, as I thought. From what I could see, it was an empty building with a few wooden pallets stacked along the walls. There were rafters above and a few staircases leading up. More graffiti covered the inside walls. It was actually pretty good, at least what I could see.

"Oh, I've finally found you!" Chrysalis let out, a discomforting warmth in her voice. She stepped forward into the building.

I moved in after her, keeping a respectable distance. She would be doing most of the talking, at least until things turned sour.

"Stop!" called one of the changelings.

Chrysalis stopped in her tracks, no doubt worried she had been found out.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Why, I'm Princess Celestia, of course." Chrysalis lied as naturally as she breathed.

"Princess Celestia? What are you doing here?" His voice changed immediately upon hearing her speak. There was a distinct relief behind his words.

"I'm here to return you to Equestria." she answered.

"I'm sorry Your Highness, but we can't go back. We can't serve another minute under our Queen."

"My goodness... What in the world has she done?" I think Chrysalis may have taken offence to his comment.

"She is a cruel leader. After we were defeated in Canterlot, we changelings experienced failure after failure under her rule. She only grew more intolerable. We couldn't take it anymore. We couldn't take serving under her tyranny. We had to leave."

"I'm so sorry." she said, her voice still kind. She took in a breath and let out a soft sigh. "Sadly, this is not a matter that is up for debate. You must return. You must go back to Equestria. Your very presence in this world is causing problems."

"What do you mean, Your Highness?"

I cleared my throat, stepping forward. Their attention was turned to me. "If I may, Princess, allow me to explain."

"Of course." she said, stepping aside.

"Who are you?" the changeling demanded.

"Well... I'm a human. I am a human that the Princess has enlisted the aid of. She's told me a great deal of things. She explained to me why you can't simply enter this world of your own volition. Our worlds, Equestria and the human world, are connected for three days every thirty moons. During this time, travel to and from our worlds is much easier. However, the more you travel, the more unstable the connection becomes. The longer you stay in this world, the more dangerous it could be for both worlds. That's why you have to go back."

"What kind of danger are you talking about?" he asked.

"We don't know yet. Princess Luna told me that the connection between our worlds was already unstable. She told me that if it were to destabilize further, it may cause catastrophic consequences. Our worlds could collide, in a way. Ponies would get lost in this world. Humans could flood Equestria."

"A dangerous eventuality." Chrysalis agreed, "Not one we can afford."

"We really have to go back?" the changeling asked, defeated.

Chrysalis nodded. "I cannot allow the actions of a small group to affect our worlds in such a way. I'm sorry to force this upon you, but it was a mistake to come to this world."

One of the other changelings knocked the leader's shoulder. "I told you!"

He brushed his friend off. "We understand. We'll go back."

"What if Chrysalis finds us?" the third asked.

Too late for that.

"I'm afraid that is a risk we must take." said Chrysalis, probably laughing on the inside, "This is a far larger matter than any of us."

The leader let out a sigh. "Alright, Princess. We'll go back."

"We can't go back!"

"We have to." he told them, "Like she said, we can't stay here. We can't... risk it."

"What if she finds out we came here?"

"We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it." he replied, "Until then, we can keep hiding. I heard Chrysalis was missing, anyways. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"I... cannot attest to her whereabouts." said Chrysalis, "Now, if you'll step this way, I'll send you back."

"Wait, what?" I mumbled to myself, focusing on what she was doing.

The changelings dejectedly approached her. She lifted an arm to cast a spell. I noticed that the aura around her hand was the same golden yellow as Celestia's. She thinks of everything when she's disguised.

Exactly as she said, a portal opened next to her. My eyes widened. She could just do this?! What? How? Why? When? With no incantation, no nothing? But...

The three changelings looked to us with sad eyes.

Chrysalis sighed. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. If you would..." She gestured to the portal.

The leader nodded. They started through one by one. The last stopped before moving through and looked at Chrysalis.

"It was nice to meet you, Princess Celestia."

"Yes, it was nice to meet you, I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I understand. We did something bad, didn't we? We have to make things right."

"There's no need to fear. After all, you had no way of knowing what consequences your actions may have had."

"Thank you, Princess." With that, he stepped through as well.

Chrysalis took one last look through the portal before closing it in a flash. She stood still for a few moments before saying, "Catch me."

"What?"

Thanks to her warning, I was able to grab her just in time before she dropped to the floor. She groaned as her body collapsed against mine. She stood, leaning against me. Though she was on her feet, she was using me as a support, her back against my arm.

"Are you... alright?" I asked.

"I'm... I'm fine. The portal spell... It... It's too much for me to handle, even as I am now." She was panting between sentences. Emerald flames began appearing across her body. It was different than before. Instead of covering her completely, the flames raced around her, transforming sections of her body at a time. After a short while, she reverted to her original form. There was noticeably less weight as she stood against me.

"You sure you're gonna be alright?"

"I'll be fine. I'm... I'm fine. Just... " She turned her attention to something else. "Your arms are very strong."

"Don't say that."

She smirked. "Your Princess is a lucky woman."

"You don't look so good, Chrysalis."

"Hmm? That so? I suppose I don't feel very good, either."

"Do you need to lie down?"

"Perhaps. Not here, though. It's filthy. Let me rest on the way back."

"Alright. Are... uh... you gonna be able to get out of here on your own?"

"Well... Probably not. Seems you must carry me."

I sighed.

"Try not to sound too excited."

"Any particular preference?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"On... how you'd like to be carried. I could just throw you over my shoulder if you'd like."

"Well, I'm sure you'd have no problems whisking me away with your big, strong arms."

"Don't say that."

As per her request, I scooped her into my arms, holding her close so I could move freely. She lifted her arm around my neck. Compared to Celestia, it was considerably easier to hold Chrysalis, though I had my limits. I was a bigger man, but still, I wouldn't last more than a few minutes.

Our eyes met for a brief moment as I steadied myself. It was... awkward. I tried to act like a mature adult in these kinds of situations, but even then, it really was awkward.

It would be a lot more fun if this were Celestia.

"Let's go." she said, gesturing towards the door.

I started moving, my steps heavy. It didn't help that I landed hard on my feet earlier. She pushed the door open so we could get through.

"I haven't been carried in quite a long time. It's quite... cozy. A woman could get used to this."

"Don't say that." I parroted.

"You seem quite good at this. Do you carry your Princess often?"

"Every once in a while. I had to carry Luna, as well."

"Oh?"

"She twisted her ankle. Nasty boo-boo. I brought her up the stairs."

"My, how terrible." She chuckled. "I'm sorry, it's not funny."

"It got dark." I noted.

"Don't worry, I can see."

My initial thought was to move straight to the car, but I remembered that there was a gate as we neared. It was still very locked. I stopped and scanned the fence, looking for another way out.

"Your chest is warm."

"Don't say that."

"Hold me tighter."

"Fuck off." I couldn't hold back the chuckle that came after.

"How rude." She chuckled.

I started off to the right, trudging parallel to the fence, looking for a way to get us out of here. Chrysalis was keeping her eyes on me. It was kinda annoying, to be honest. Either she was purposefully pushing my buttons or she really was enjoying this. I didn't really like either option. Well, I say that, but I kinda did. I didn't want to, but it was... nice.

She moved her head closer and whispered, "I feel so safe in your arms."

Goosebumps covered my skin at the feeling of her breath on my ear. I stopped, glaring at her. "I can drop you."

She chuckled again. "Then do it."

I grumbled. She called my bluff. But... I loosened my grip, at the same time bending my knees to give her the sensation of falling. She gave off a panicked scream, bringing her other arm around my neck and holding tightly. I smirked. My face reddened as I realized that I could feel her heartbeat.

After a few seconds, she realized that she had been tricked. She released me, returning to her previous position. "What a bully you are. Can't I have a little fun before I go?"

"I think you're having a bit too much fun."

"Allow me to indulge myself, will you? It's been hundreds of years since I've felt the warmth of a man."

"That wasn't vaguely sexual at all."

"Your reactions to such honeyed words are quite amusing. What would your Princess say if she knew about this, I wonder."

"She would probably encourage me to drop you."

Chrysalis chuckled. Her eyes wandered to the path and she let out a sudden, "Stop, stop!"

I froze. People? Animals? What was happening?

"You almost tripped, fool. Pay more attention."

A quick gaze over her showed me what she meant. The path ahead was in a state of disrepair. The ground was cracked and full of holes with vegetation covering a good portion of it.

"Thanks." I continued carefully.

"I don't want you dropping me." she said.

"So it wasn't because you cared for my safety?"

"I am not your caretaker."

Up ahead laid train tracks. If the gate from the road didn't work, this might. Same as before, a chain link gate blocked our path. This one was a bit larger than the gate blocking the road. I stepped closer, giving it a more thorough look.

"Take your time." Chrysalis let out, "Let me know if you see something."

"Aren't you gonna help?"

"I'm enjoying this more than I thought I would."

A stronger man would've dropped her ages ago. My will is weak. I just had to play along with her antics until we got to the car. I still wasn't sure if she was being entirely truthful, either. It made me a little uncomfortable.

Hmm... This gate doesn't seem locked. I bet I could...

"Chrysalis, I'm gonna need to set you down for a moment." I told her.

"Don't you dare."

"I wanna try pulling the gate open. I can't do that holding you."

"Very well. Set me on my feet.

I found a nice, flat place near a wall to set her so I could get to work. She leaned against the wall for support, waiting for me to retrieve her.

I approached the gate. It was old and rusty, but it was on wheels. If there was a mechanism to open it, I didn't see it. I grabbed the bar at the edge of the gate and pulled. With a loud, high-pitched screech, it started moving. I pulled it about halfway open, more than enough for the two of us to leave.

"Good work. Take me home." she told me.

Right, I still had to carry her to the car. She was smiling as I returned to her. I swept her into my arms, wanting to get this done as quickly as possible.

"Watch where you're grabbing." she told me, "We're not that close."

"I'm getting real tired of your shit." I replied, "That's the second time you said that."

She chuckled to herself as I moved onwards. I went through a mental checklist in case we had forgotten something, but I didn't bring anything and Chrysalis was clearly done here. I had no business here, unless I wanted to visit my grandma on the way home. I kinda did, but I was busy. Maybe sometime later. I could bring Celestia. If she was still with me after this, that is.

Chrysalis seemed to drift further and further away as I neared the car. The last thing she did for herself was open the door so I didn't have to put her down again. I carefully lowered her onto the passenger seat, much like Celestia before her. I reached over her to buckle her seatbelt before moving to the other side and getting in myself. This time, she didn't make a comment on what I was doing.

I turned the car around and drove us away.

"Hey, where am I taking you?" I asked.

"Hmm? Oh... I... Take me... Uh..." She paused.

I waited for a while before saying, "Chrysalis."

"Huh? Right. Sorry." She was nodding off. Her words were becoming slurred. "Take me to... your... house."

"No. Where were you staying while you were here? Wait, were you staying here? What have you been doing for the past few weeks? Chrysalis?"

She didn't respond.

"Chrysalis. Hey, Chrysalis!"

I reached to her shoulder and gently shook her. I did it again with a bit more force. Her only response was a soft snore.

Oh, no... She's really out. There's no way I'm taking her to Celestia. I do not want to be a part of that. What other choice do I have, though? I can't just leave her somewhere, especially while she's sleeping. Damn it.

As if on cue, my phone started ringing. I already knew who it was. I didn't even check the screen before answering the call.

I answered with a simple, polite, "Hello!"

"Phil, when will you be getting home? I miss you." Celestia asked. I could hear a cute, childish worry in her voice.

"Well, I'm on my way back now. It shouldn't be more than thirty minutes." I responded with the truth.

"Oh, good. That's quite a distance if you're thirty minutes away."

"Yeah, it was... quite a drive."

"I'm glad you're alright. I got a little worried. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm... I'm sorry, Celestia."

"Oh, don't worry, Phil. It's fine."

"No, Celestia. No, it's not."

"What... do you mean, Phil?"

"I lied to you about what I was doing. I wasn't going to help a friend with his computer."

"Wh-What... were you... doing?" There was a certain twinge of panic in her voice.

There's no reason to dance around the issue. "I was helping Queen Chrysalis."

"You were... Oh! Oh, my goodness! Oh my... Oh, my heart... I thought you were... I thought you were going to... Ok... That's much better than what I thought."

"Wait, what? What did you think I was going to say?"

"Nothing, honey. Nothing."

I heard Red say something in the background, though I couldn't make out the words.

"I was not!" Celestia exclaimed at her. "I'm sorry, honey. Red was merely... being Red. Now, what was it that you... said you were doing again?"

"I was... Celestia, did you think I was going to say I was seeing another woman?"

"No! I would never!" Now, there was a clear panic in her voice.

"You did, didn't you?!"

"Don't turn this around on me! You're the one helping an enemy of Equestria! What in the world were you doing with Chrysalis? What did she want from you? How did she even get to this world, anyways? My sister is having the crystal mirror watched at all times. She couldn't have snuck through."

"I... I don't know. You'll have to ask her yourself."

"Myself? Are... Are you still with her?"

"Yeah. I'm bringing her to the house."

"Wh... Why in the world would you do that?!" she shouted.

"Honey, I can hear you just fine."

"I'm... sorry. Phil, please explain this to me." She was clearly furious, but I knew that there was a gentle woman underneath.

"Look, I'm gonna give you a brief summary here. We can talk more when I get home. I don't like talking on the phone while driving."

"Very well."

"Alright. Chrysalis told me that some of her changelings had entered this world. She told me that she needed me to take her somewhere far away so she could bring them back to Equestria. We met them and Chrysalis cast a portal spell of some sort and they went back to Equestria. The portal spell took too much energy from her and she fell asleep without telling me what to do with her. Now I'm stuck with a sleeping Chrysalis and I'm panicking a little because I don't have any other options but to bring her home with me."

Celestia took in a breath. "I will prepare a place for her." she said, her voice calm.

"I'd say I appreciated that, but I want nothing more than to be rid of her as soon as possible."

"I understand, honey. We'll talk more when you get home."

"Yeah. I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

Oh boy... She's mad. What do I do? Celestia's never been mad at me. I don't know how to deal with this. Maybe she's not as mad as I think. Maybe she'll have calmed down by the time I get home. Yeah, that's comforting.

At least I still have Mario Kart.