Crystal’s Transformation
By Countpony
“Crystal sweetie!” The voice could be heard downstairs. The young Pegasus could tell that she was calling her for dinner, but she wanted to finish her drawing.
“In a minute!” She yelled back, putting on the last bit of dark blue on her painting. She hoped that the large amount of glitter wouldn’t detract from the painting. “I’m just finishing the painting.”
“Well hurry, your father will actually be on time tonight.” Her mother responded.
“Okay, I’m done.” She responded. “I’ll be there in a second.”
“Don’t forget to wash your hooves.” The elder unicorn reminded her.
“I will.” She answered. Hanging the painting of the Princesses, Celestia and Luna, on the wall; she floated down the stairs, stopping at the bathroom to wash up, and landing at her chair at the table.
“Hi mom, what’s for dinner?” Crystal asked.
“Your mother has prepared a nice Chrysanthemum Casserole.” A tall Pegasus said, as he came in the living room door.
“DADDY, Your here!” She shouted, getting up to hug him. “And we get mom’s Casserole! This is going to be a great night!”
“You said it Pumpkin.” Her father answered. Taking in a deep whiff of the food, and sitting down at the table, he said, “Wow honey, you really outdid yourself this time. Worthy of any Connoisseur in Equestria.”
“Well, this is a special occasion.” The unicorn explained as she heaped the steaming meal onto the plates. “It’s not every day that you get to come home early, now is it dear?”
“You said it.” He agreed. “And by the looks of things, I should do this more often.”
“Yeah daddy!” Crystal chimed in. “I wanna see you home for dinner every night!”
Chuckling at her enthusiasm, her father blew on his food and said. “I’ll try Pumpkin, but no promises.”
“Aw, please daddy.” She entreated. “Say that you’ll come home earlier more.”
“Yeah,” Her mother joined in. “Please, it would be nice. Besides, family always helps you keep you traction on sanity.”
“Fine. Fine.” He relented. “But on one condition.”
“Oh.” The motherly unicorn said, with a look of suspicion on her face. “And what in Equestria could that be?”
“If little Crystal here,” He responded, giving her a tight squeeze. “Will start helping with the dishes. And I better not distract you from your homework.”
“Alright daddy,” Crystal said. “But not every night.”
“Sure Pumpkin.” He said. “Now eat your food, it’s getting cold.”
“Yes mommy.” Crystal responded, and dug into her cooled casserole.
“So, dear.” Her mother asked. “How is work?”
“Well,” He began; will munching on the delicious meal. “We discovered a rare species today, just outside the base tracts of farmland around the Everfall Mountains. It’s a weird bug looking thing.”
“Is that a good thing?” Crystal asked.
“Well, normally it wouldn’t be a good thing.” Her father said. “But this one was different.”
“How so?” Her mother asked.
“You see,” He explained. “When we tried to capture it, the freaky thing shape-shifted into one of my colleagues, Dr. Ribone.”
“That’s scary.” Crystal agreed with a distraught look on her face. “Then what happened?”
“We managed to capture the thing, though it was intractable at first.” He said. “And it continued to change form, cycling through the appearance of every pony it saw. Wait, on second thought, retract that, and revise it. It managed to copy each of us, but it seemed like it could make up its mind on who to become. ”
“Then what dear?” The mother asked.
“We extracted some DNA samples, one from each of its transformations, ran some diagnostic tests, and it seems that it copies the DNA of anypony perfectly.” The father said. “So we are conducting test to see if we can modify these DNA clone particles to change somepony’s attributes. We might even be able to revive the long lost race of Alicorns.”
Thinking of her recently finished painting, Crystal got very excited at this statement. “You mean you might be able to make me into a princess?”
“Well, maybe not right away. It’s a long, protracted process to research.” He said. “But you know that you’re already my little princess, don’t you Pumpkin.”
“Yeah daddy,” She answered, giving him a hug.” I know.”
“Good.” He responded with satisfaction. “Now go help your mother with the dishes.”
-=-=-
That night, after Crystal had gone to bed, and her parents were getting ready…
“Listen honey.” She said to him as she finished brushing her teeth. “It’s about that project of yours.”
“What would be your prognosis on the situation then dear?” He asked as he took his glasses off.
“I just think that you need to be conscientious about this.” She answered, as she used her horn to lift the covers back.
“You know I always am dear.” He replied, leaning his head onto the pillow. “And besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything unconscionable.”
“Just make sure you and your team is cognizant about the situation before you make any decisions.” She advised as she crawled into bed and pulled up the covers.
“You know,” He said, as he stared at the ceiling. “I and the team have put a lot of thought into this project.”
“Oh, really?” She asked, teasingly. “A lot of thought for a big project, or for a day’s worth of research?”
“The latter.” He answered. “But we think that we might actually be able to transform somepony into an Alicorn.”
“Well,” She suggested. “When you are completely sure that what you do is super safe, you could try to make it work for Crystal. You know how much she adores the princesses, especially princess Luna.”
“Good night honey.” He said, leaning over and kissing her. “And I’ll try my best.”
“Night dear.” She said, and used her magic to turn off the lights. “And I know you will.”
In the other room, Crystal could hear her parents’ conversation. Cognitions of joy and happiness filled her as she drifted off, dreaming of being a princess.
-=-=-
Bring your Foal to Work Day
-=-=-
Several months later, just after Crystal’s 8th birthday, her father was taking her to “Bring Your Foal to Work” day at the Royal Equestria Magic and Science Research Facility. The guard at the front gave Crystal her custom made REMSRF visitor badge. She put it around her neck, smiling at her dad, and they trotted inside.
“Now remember,” Her father reminded her. “This is a very important place, with lots of important and breakable things. Don’t touch anything unless I tell you to.”
“Yeah, daddy” She answered. “I will.”
“Good.” He said with satisfaction. “And if somepony talks to you be nice.”
“Sure,” she said. “I will.”
“Great!” He said as they continued down the main hall. “Then let’s get the tour started.”
They continued down the hallway, passing by several rooms, each with signs that state the projects being researched. At the end of the hall was a door mark “Project Nucleation” and had a magic reactor horn lock next to it. Her father, being a Pegasus, just swiped his card through the magic sensor slot, and the door opened. Inside was the Director of REMSRF himself, DR. Star Swirl.
“Ah, greetings Dr. Wingpane.” Star Swirl said, running his hoof through his short, scraggly beard. “And I see you brought your daughter.”
“Yes sir.” Her father responded.
“And what is your name, little filly.” The Director said, leaning down to be at eye level with her.
“Uh,” She said. “MY name is Crystal.”
“Ah!” The short-bearded unicorn said, rising back up. “That is a beautiful name.”
“Thank you, mister.” Crystal responded. “I like your beard.”
“Yes,” He said, obviously flattered. “I'm quite fond of it myself.”
“You should grow it out more.” She suggested. “It would look nice.”
“Hm.” He said to himself. “That sounds like a good idea.”
“Anyway, uh, Mr. Director Sir.” Her father interjected. “What, may I ask, is the current situation with the creature?”
“At the moment.” Star Swirl explained. “We have finished extracting the DNA when it is Luna’s form.”
“And?” The Pegasus asked.
“And it seems to match Luna’s in every way possible.” The director concluded. “Except for the small transformation hormone that controls the shape-shift, and allows us to bond the new DNA and override the old one of anypony.”
“That’s good.” Her father agreed. “Does this mean that I can go ahead and modify the DNA to combine with somepony?”
“Yes,” Star Swirl answered. “I believe that it is about time.”
Dr. Wingpane trotted over to the electro-magic DNA modification chamber, and directed the staff of unicorns on the modifications necessary. After the glow of electricity and magic died down, Crystal could see the small vial of now purple-blue liquid. Somepony off to the side said, “Unless somepony omniscient like Celestia was going against some pony with the change power, we could go completely incognito and nopony would be the wiser.” That scientist was Dr. Crogain, a lead scientist in genetics, but with a notoriety of ‘unorthodox’ methods of conduct. As everypony congratulated themselves and went to lunch, he stayed behind to work on a second vial, but this one was left with the ability to shape-shift untouched. The color of this liquid was poison-green and had random, turbulent movements as if some sort of current flowed inside. Looking around for a way to test it, he decided to just switch the two vials. He hid the non-transformation vial in a cabinet by the door, placed the transform vial into the insertion chamber, and joined the others at lunch.
-=-=-
Crystal finished her sandwich and hay-fries quickly, and asked to be excused to go to the bathroom.
“Go ahead sweetie.” Her father responded. “It’s at the end of the main hall, but the room I work in.”
“Thanks daddy.” She said. Getting up and going down the hall, Crystal saw a faint green glow coming from the “Project Nucleation” room. She opened the door slightly, and saw that there was a green vial in some sort of chamber, and it was glowing. The pulse of the glow, and the deep green color, added to the turbulent current inside, was mesmerizing. She put on hoof forward, and took a step closer. As if the vial was calling out to her. Another step and it seemed to pulse faster, glow brighter, flow faster. One more and she was practically in the chamber. Her tail brushed against a switch at the side of the door to the chamber, and it suddenly closed. The movement snapped her back to attention and she realized that she was now trapped. There was no handle on the door, and she began to panic.
“Daddy.” She said. “Daddy, somepony.” She said again. Panic growing fast inside her, she continued to call out for her father, but she it soon became yelling. “DADDY!” Once more. “DADDY WHERE ARE YOU?” By now she began to glance wildly around the cramped chamber, and it started to feel like a cell, or a coffin. “CAN ANYPONY HEAR ME?” She finally saw a button on the wall, but it was on the opposite side from the door, and it was next to the green vial. She pressed it, in hopes that it would open the door. But then a yellow light began to blink on the system, and soon a strange black mist filled the room. Crystal felt tired, woozy in fact. She slumped to the floor, just as the smoke turned green, and the liquid in the vial drained away.
-=-=-
When she awoke, Crystal was in the same chamber. The door was now open, and light from the window to the hall filtered in. Struggling, she propped herself up on her front hooves, which she noticed were farther away from her than before. She stared for a moment, and realized that her legs had grown. Rising on all four hoofs, she trotted into the hall, and into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, she stumbled back at what she saw. In the mirror was a taller, Alicorn version of herself. She put a hoof to her forehead, and felt the horn. The strange feel of it was new to her, and she poked at it repeatedly.
The same thought process continued to go through her head. I'm an alicorn; I'm an alicorn; I'm an alicorn. Then a new process came in. “I'm a princess; I'm a princess; I'm a princess. She decided to go show her father, realizing that she would have to show him eventually. Trotting down the hall, she saw him coming out of the cafeteria. She hurried to him, and gave him a hug, saying, “Daddy, look what happened to me.”
“Who? What the?” He asked, confused. “Pumpkin, is that you? Are you an alicorn? How did this happen?”
“Yes, it’s me daddy.” She explained. “I was going to the bathroom, but I stopped by that room wewere in, because there was this weird green light coming from inside.”
“Green light?” He asked, still confused. “What kind of green light.”
“I'm not really sure.” Crystal said. “But when I went inside to see what it was, there was this green thingy that glowed, and moved. And when I went to get a closer look at it, the door to this mini-room thing closed on me. So I got scared and started shouting for somepony, but nopony came to save me. Then this creepy black smoke was everywhere, and it stank, and then I felt sleepy and I fell down. And then there was this green smoke, and the green stuff from before was gone.”
“But wait,” Her father questioned. “That would mean that you went into the DNA insertion chamber. And that would mean that you had the DNA of Luna inserted into you, and that you survived.”
“Does this mean that I'm a princess now daddy?” She asked.
“I do believe that it does, Pumpkin.” He said. “But we need to run some tests to make sure nothing went wrong.”
-=-=-
The next day, will Crystal is asleep on a bed in the next room; Dr. Wingpane is going over the test results.
“Let’s see here.” He said to nopony in particular. “Her DNA seems to be stable. No mutations of any kind so far. Readings indicate that her magic levels are normal for that of a pony with wings and horns. A scan of her DNA shows no signs of defects or abnormalities.”
In the corner of the scan he was looking at, he could see a small dark object attached to the DNA strand. He went back to the scanning console, and focused it on the small black object. “I know that I’ve seen this somewhere before.” He said to himself. “I know: it is that transformation node that was attached to the original DNA sample from the shape-shifter’s Luna form.” Glancing again at the node, he noticed that it seemed to be stabbing into the genetic strand. “That’s strange; the other one didn’t do that.”
He analyzed the energy that was being exerted from said object, and found that it was an unstable amount of magic, but in a strange form that he had never seen before. Running some more tests, he found that the energy exerted would cause certain forms to be unstable, especially those that already contain large amounts of energy. “LIKE CRYSTAL!” he yelled in alarm. He turned to gallop out the door, but it was opened before he could reach it. In came on of his colleagues who said, “You have to come quickly, it’s Crystal.”
They hurried to the other room, where Crystal was writhing on the bed. The testing nodes dangling off of her were now disconnected from the monitors. She looked very pained, as if something were attacking her. She suddenly shot up, into a sitting position. Her eyes were different, more sinister. And she continued to shake. Her left wings suddenly lost all of its feathers, and shriveled up. She looked at her father, a terrified look on her face, and said, “Daddy. What’s happening to me?”
He didn’t respond. He just stared at her as her right wing followed suit. Then her horn and hoofs began to bubble. Like boiling oil, the bubbled up. Then the bubbles popped, the sound of an explosion coming out of them, and the smell of death filled the room. What was left afterward, were holes in her horn and hoofs. Then her wings popped back up, but they resembled those of a bug, with holes in them also. Then she yelled out in pain, “AAHHH!!” as two sharp fangs grew out of her mouth, and her tongue could be seen as spiked as that of a snake. Then a sound of evil came out of her mouth, high-pitched and warbling. The ponies in the room could hear what sounded like many fast-flapping wings, outside.
“We have to get her out of her.” Dr. Wingpane said to the others. But as they were wheeling the bed to the door, it burst open and in came the strange bug thing that they had discovered. The wall in the back of the room exploded, and in flew several more of the creatures. They flew over to Crystal, and picked her up.
Her father was horrified and tried to fight them off, saying, “You will not take away my daughter.”
She turned to him and said weakly. “Don’t let them daddy.”
But they lifted her up, and out of the building, as her father yelled from bellow. “NNOOOOOOO, YOU CAN’T TAKE MY DAUGHTER AWAY, MY PRINCESS!!”
-=-=-
The things landed Crystal down in the caves at the Everfall Mountains. She was sobbing, and was very scared of the whole situation. They first thing walked up to her, and in a strange bug-language said, “We are Changelings, you are now one of us. You shall be our queen. What is your name?”
In between sobs she said, “I, my name is Crystal.”
“Crystal.” It said. “That won’t do. You need a better name, closer to what Changelings have.”
It turned to some others, and they muttered together for several minutes. Then they turned back to her and said, “You will be called Crysalis. Queen Crysalis.”
-=-=-
