Chrysalis wiped the sweat off of her brow, panting heavily. Even after living on the small griffon farm for three months, she still wasn't used to the amount of physical labor used in every day life. "Chrissi! Mail for you!" The head griffon, Budda, yelled from the house. Chrissi nodded, and opened her wings, flying quickly over and into the small building.
A pegasus stallion stood in the living room, holding a small box. He was a vibrant red, with a light turquoise mane. His dark pink eyes locked with hers. He smiled. "Good day Miss!" He sounded happy. "Hello..." Chrissi said, guarded. "My name is Crimson Berry, and I have a delivery for you personally." Chrissi faintly blushed, yet smiled and took the package.
"Thank you, Crimson. Thank you." Crimson smiled, and said his goodbye's, flying out of the small shack. "Looks like you gots an admirer, yes you do." Budda's wife and hypogriff, Cher. She smiled at Chrissi's surprised face. "Go on, take the day off. Have fun with your new gift." Chrissi smiled, thanked her, and trotted off to her room.
The house had only one floor, and Chrissi had only a small room. It fit her bed, a small chest (which contained a poncho for rain, and a simple, slightly dirty black dress), and a dresser on which rested a single candle. She sat on the edge of her bed, and opened the small box. She gasped, and her eyes widened. Inside the small box was a black ring upon which rested a single emerald lay. She pulled it out, and it was revealed that it was connected to a silver chain.
Below it, a note lay. Chrissi took it out, and began to read it.
Dear Miss Chrissi,
Hello! I'm Crimson Berry. You know, that stallion that gave you this gift to you. Anyway, I wanted to get to know you better. Please meet me at the new restaurant in town next Tuesday at 6. Wear something nice. Of course, anything would look good on you. I'm sorry. I'm rambling. Anyway, please be there. Thank you!
-Crimson Berry
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Chrissi's date with Crimson went well. They laughed, talked, and had an overall good time. As it turns out, Crimson was the son of a hypogriff and mare. His parents owned a small berry farm, hence his name. He was only a delivery-colt because of the recent dry season. They found many things they both liked and disliked. A few weeks later, Crimson officially asked Chrissi to be his very special some-pony...
She said yes.
One year passed. Chrissi revealed her true form to Crimson, but he thought nothing of it. He said : 'It doesn't matter what you really are, I love you for who you are inside.' Chrissi teared up. He opened up a small velvet box. Chrissi was crying tears of happiness as Crimson asked her to marry him. They were married happily two months later.
Eventually, Chrissi was able to raise enough money to buy her and Crimson their own house, bidding fare-well to Budda and Cher, who told her that they would always welcome her back. Chrissi told them that it wasn't necessary, as they had their own small farm. It was fine, and they were happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~ONE YEAR LATER~~~~~~~~~~~
A shrill cry pierced the night. Chrissi opened her eyes, sitting up and trotting over to the crib near her bed. "Sshhhhhhhh. Shhhhhhhhh, it's okay." Chrissi picked up the small filly in her hooves, and cradled her. The small pegasus had a light magenta coat, with a light turquoise mane. Her name was Velvet Dusk. Velvet eventually calmed down, and Chrissi set her back down.
Chrissi sighed, and walked over to the only mirror in the room. She looked over her appearance, and sighed. Her true form. It was ugly. She was just activating her magic as a figure faded into view behind her. A blue stallion with a black and purple mane stood behind her. He shook his head. "Oh, come on, Chrissi. I thought that you'd grown to be better than that." Chrissi's eyes widened, before watering as she recognized the voice.
"Now, why don't you forget these nasty thoughts and get back to bed. " Thunder said. He set a hoof of her shoulder, before fading away again. Chrissi let the tears stream down her face freely. "Thunder..." She looked at Velvet Dusk, and smiled. Trotting back to her bed, she crawled in next to Crimson. Drying her tears with a hoof, she snuggled into Crimson, and fell asleep.
Queen Chrysalis was crying. She wasn't crying over he defeat in Canterlot, no, that was along time ago. She was crying over her friend. The only friend she had had so far in her long life. She dried her tears with a holed hoof, before standing and walking back through the Royal Gardens. Her friend had made the princesses see that she was no longer a monster, and she was now admitted access to the Royal Gardens, but not much else.
Not that she cared, for she was leaving Equestria. She couldn't live in the land where her friend's blood had been spilled, by her, none the less. She would never forget his expression when the spell had backfired, rocketing him into the wall behind. She would never forget how she just stood there as the paramedics took him away. And she certainly would never forget his last words.
"Life is only as good as you make it. We made it sound pretty good, Chrissi." he smiled as his heart rate slowed. Chrysalis couldn't help but shakily smile through her tears as she remembered her nickname. He had given it to her years ago, when she was reformed by Princess Cadence's and Shining Armor's love blast.
"Please don't leave..." she whispered, tears streaming down her blackened face. "Stay...you have to...I'll be alone without you...I have no where to go..." she whimpered, causing the stallion to shift in his bed. "I won't leave." he said softly, his heart barely beating. He shakily raised a hoof and placed it on Chrysalis' chest. "I'll always be right here, forever, and as long as you live." He smiled. "I know you said changelings don't have hearts, but I just think I felt one."
Chrysalis grabbed his hoof in her's and squeezed, trying to hold onto the last bit of his life force. His smiled faded, and his head rolled back onto the pillow. He sighed, not breathing in. "Thunder?" she asked, holding his hoof a little bit tighter. "Thunder, wake up!" she said, raising her voice to a higher volume. She shook him hard, trying to break his endless sleep. "Don't you leave me, Thunder Bolt! Don't you dare leave me!" she yelled, calling a passing doctor's attention.
He peeked his head in to see a weeping Changeling Queen hanging her head over a young stallion. He almost looked like he was sleeping, the way his eyes were closed lightly could only tell one thing. His heart had stopped. He started to yell for other doctor's to hurry, as he ran into the room and threw off the Queen.
Chrysalis put a hoof over her mouth to stop from sobbing as she watched the doctor's carry in a defibrillator, one of them grabbing them and rubbing them together at a lightning fast pace. "Clear!" he yelled, placing the metal plates of Thunder's chest, only for his body to lurch forwards.
There was no heart beat.
The doctor rubbed the plates together again before placing them back onto Thunder's chest, earning him yet another jolt, but no heart beat. By now, the room had the faint smell of burnt flesh, and Thunder remained un-moving. He had passed on, at the hands of a friend. In front of Chrysalis, the doctors stood in a small circle around the stallion's bed. The one who had held the defibrillator, pulled his cover over his face.
Chrysalis now stood in front of a small tombstone. It wasn't much, just a small slab with a few words on it. 'Here Lies: Thunder Bolt Beloved: Friend and Companion'. Chrysalis choked back a sob as she stared at her friends' resting place. She never thought he would be gone, like that. She sat down, and pulled a rose out of her saddle-bag, it being the only thing inside.
She saddened as she leaned the small flower onto the stone, sitting there as huge rain clouds gathered overhead. She growled a bit as it started to rain, pouring water onto the saddest pony in Equestria. She looked at the limp flower, and tears filled her eyes. She softly sobbed, hanging her head in both sadness and kindness as her tears mixed in with the rain, both flowing down her face freely.
Chrysalis stopped her crying when she felt the rain stop. She opened her eyes, looking around. She stood up and turned around, coming face to face with the two princesses of Equestria. She bowed her head slightly, not wanting to look them in the eyes. The smaller one, Luna, was holding a rather large umbrella with her magic, shielding the three from the rain.
"W-why are you here?" she asked, wiping her eyes as she waited for a reply. "Thou is saddened by thou's companion's passing." Luna said, talking in her old accent. She earned questioning glances from both other ponies, before Celestia spoke. "We saw you out here from the palace, and we don't want you not to catch a cold." she said, smiling slightly at the Changeling Queen.
She turned flank, facing the palace entrance. "Come, we'll get you dried off, and we'll figure this out." The three started towards the palace, Chrysalis shying away from the guards at the entrance. The three mares entered the princesses' room, Luna running ahead, reappearing in a few seconds holding a towel.
Chrysalis thanked her softly, and started to dry her mane. She watched as Luna and Celestia took off of their royal outfits, before waving Chrysalis over their couch. Chrysalis smiled as the princesses sat down, before she joined them. "Look at you mane, Chrissi." Celestia said, pointing to it with a hoof. Chrysalis hadn't even noticed her messy mane. Her green-blue mane was tangled, and her crown was tilted to the side a lot.
She smiled a little as Luna grabbed the brush with her magic, while Celestia tried to untangle her crown from her mane. She thought back to when Thunder would try to braid her hair, and end up making it look beautiful. Chrysalis frowned at the memory, and turned away from Celestia, who had finally untangled her crown.
"Why were you out there in the rain, anyway?" Luna asked, as she started to run the brush through Chrysalis' mane. Chrysalis stopped moving for a few moments, before swallowing her fear. Thunder had known the Princess, as he used to be their valued guard and friend.
"Today was his birthday." she said, hanging her head. Luna kept brushing, but she still flinched. Both Princess' knew who she was referring to."I'm sorry." Celestia said, her voice full of sadness. Chrysalis shrugged, and Luna finished brushing her hair. As the blue alicorn started to braid her hair, Chrysalis began a conversation with Celestia.
"So, how have things been around here?" Chrysalis asked, hissing slightly as Luna pulled on her mane. Celestia smiled, and leaned in a bit closer. "Well, a few days ago, Discord and Fluttershy announced their engagement." Chrysalis's eye's widened in surprise. "Well, you'll have to give them my congratulations."
Celectria blinked as she adjusted Chrysalis' crown. "Why? I thought you were going to go and give it to them yourself." Chrysalis shook her head, and sighed lightly. "The thing is, Celestia, I'll be leaving soon." Luna stopped her braiding for a second, and Celestia opened her eyes wide in shock.
"Why?" Luna asked, her tone calm as she finished braiding the changeling queen's mane. Chrysalis shrugged. "I just can't stay here. I'm going to use the identity Thunder made for me and take a boat to the griffon kingdom. There has got to be work there." Celestia opened her mouth, as if to say something, but Chrysalis cut her too it.
"Don't try and talk me out of this. I'v already bought my ticket, so it would be a waste of bits not to go." Celestia closed her mouth and smiled. "If that is what you wish, then we cannot stop you." Chrysalis nodded, and started a new conversation with the two sisters. It seemed the rest of Thunder's friends had been busy.
Rarity had already set up shop in two different stores in Canterlot, and Fluttershy's animal care was getting more popular. Rainbow Dash had finally achieved her dream and was made a wonder bolt, and Applejack's goods were selling like wild fire. And Pinkie Pie, was, well, Pinkie Pie.
The three mares talked until the rained cleared, and Chrysalis left. As she walked away, she started up her magic, and surrounded herself in green flame. After it cleared, there no longer stood a Changeling Queen, but a small, bright purple pegasus. The mare had striking light green eyes and a deep turquoise mane. The mare walked slowly along the path, trotting into the poorer district of Canterlot.
She walked up to a small house, and opened the door. Walking inside, she looked around the empty house. It was only one room, but her and Thunder had managed. All of Thunder's belongings had been donated or given away a long time ago, leaving Chrysalis with only a small suitcase. It contained the only things she really cherished in the world, the pictures of her and Thunder.
She sighed, and grabbed the suitcase, trotting outside, leaving the house for the last time as she left for a new life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dock was quiet as Chrysalis trotted to the edge. Her mane, even in her disguise, was braided. It fell over her left shoulder and she adjusted it as the boat came into view. The ship came to a stop nearby, and a large male griffon set a plank down for her. As Chrysalis breathed out, she reached into her saddle bag and handed the griffon her ticket as she trotted over the plank and on board.
Chrysalis watched from the sidelines as the griffon/hypogriff crew started to work, leaving her to her own devices. She stood there for a long while, until a silver and brown hypogriff walked up to her and pointed her in the direction of her room. She thanked him, and set her luggage in her room, before trotting out back onto the deck.
A half an hour passed, and no pony showed up. The plank was removed, and the boat pushed off. As Chrysalis looked out over the water at Equestria for one last time, she swore she could see the faint outline of Thunder standing on the dock, waving her off, grinning and laughing. Chrysalis smiled, her first true smile in over a year, as she set off for her new life.
