The Changeling's Tale

Chapters

Prologue: Defeat and Endings
Chapter One: Friends and a Fresh Start
Chapter Two: Party in Ponyville

Prologue: Defeat and Endings

So... You wish to know my story? Well, Maybe I can humor you. I warn you, however, the tale is not for the faint of heart. Still here? Very well, then let's begin our tale almost immediately after my defeat at the hands of Shining Armour and his little bride...

I coughed and blinked once or twice, rousing myself from pained unconsciousness. I found myself cratered in the mushy, swampy dirt that was the trademark of our homeland. Around me, my subjects ran to and fro frantically, much the opposite from what I'd expected- I'd thought I'd find them slumped, tired and defeated and lamenting their poor fortune. After a few moments of sitting there and being ignored, I decided to speak up.

"Hold there!" I called, and a particularly athletic-looking changeling stopped and looked at me obediently. I eyed him carefully before speaking again. "What goes on- Where are you going in such a hurry?" I asked, approaching him so that the noise of our kinsmen running about wouldn't drown out his response.

He spoke, and I was surprised to find that, rather than the usual insect-sounding rasp, his voice sounded rather more like my own and carried well over the noise surrounding us. "Chief Gray-Mane's lions, my Queen!" Upon our return from Equestria, we found them ransacking the castle and occupying the city!" He said, and I cursed under my breath. After a moment, I nodded gravely- our peace with the Pridelands had always been fragile, so it made sense that Gray-Mane would take advantage of our army's absence to attack the city.

I scowled, turning toward the city and gesturing for him to lead the way. "Give me your name and what you know of the situation." I commanded him as the faint sounds of battle started to whisper through the air. He spoke over his shoulder from in front of me as we walked, as if he had no care for showing royalty it's due respect.

"My name is Genesis, your Majesty." He said, but was interrupted before he could continue by the gasp I uttered as we crested a hill and caught a glimpse of my city- once a grand, multi-styled tribute to the nature of the changelings. Now, it was a smoking battlefield upon which the only grand thing was the scale of destruction that had been wreaked upon it.

I turned my gaze to Genesis in disbelief. "How... How could this have happened?" I asked him, staggering forward as the first wave of shock hit me, making my legs feel quite a bit like jelly.

The changeling placed a steadying hoof on my shoulder and bowed his head respectfully. "They struck quickly and en masse while you were in Canterlot." He paused, and the look in his violet eyes was a nervous one. "The Elder Council... They are planning to place responsibility for this attack on you, My Queen." He said, and I sucked in an angry breath.

I trained my gaze upon him, and I could tell from the reflection in his eyes that there was a sparking green fire burning in my own. "What was that, Genesis?" I asked, lowering my voice dangerously.

He surprised me then by smiling, rather than shrinking back in fear as I'd expected him to. "I am glad to see that the setback in Equestria did not affect the strength of your will, your Majesty." He said before turning to resume his walk toward the city, still speaking. "It's true, though. The elders wish to put blame for this catastrophe on you. They are fools to do so- we need our queen, now more than ever- but they are stubborn fools with a lot of power." He said, and I found myself nodding in agreement.

As we got closer to the city, the sounds of combat grew louder, and I was reminded of my earlier question. "So, how fares the battle in the city? Are we winning?" I asked, and he winced as if stung.

"Poorly." He admitted, a hint of frustration evident in his voice. "We've secured most of the city, but the castle remains occupied. I've heard tell that Gray-Mane himself may be here- noone else could be as stubborn." He said, and I felt a stir of excitement in my gut. If Gray-Mane was here, then all I had to do was kill him and my authority and right to the throne would be restored to the status of unquestionable.

Just as I finished that thought, we reached the edge of the city and what appeared to be the site of our primary camp. We were approached by the High-General- a favored nephew of mine and my elder sister's only son, named Cocoon- and two of the Elders.

Cocoon smiled at Genesis and me, though he clearly knew nothing of my companion, but the two elders maintained their infuriated expressions, focusing their intensely hateful gazed on me. I stared them down cooly, even giving them a sarcastic little smile. Cocoon was the first to break the silence.

"Your Highness, I'm glad we've found you." He said, and his words seemed genuine, though his two companions didn't seem to share his feelings. "The situation may seem dire, my Queen, but fear not- I have a plan." He assured me, and I smiled.

"That's always good to hear, Cocoon. Enlighten us- What is your plan?" I asked, and settled down so that he could speak.

Before he could, however, one of the elders pointed a hoof at Genesis, glaring. "Who are ye, peasant, and what business have ye here?" The ancient male demanded, and immediately a few guards approached, as if preparing to arrest my companion.

I waved the guards away, giving the elder my fiercest glare. "This is Genesis, my newest and most favored adviser." I spat, my eyes daring the elder to challenge my authority or judgment.

He did not, and after receiving a thankful gaze from Genesis, we returned our attention to Cocoon. He, at last, got to speak. "It's true, the Lions have a strong hold on the castle, as well as most of the districts directly adjacent to it. However, it is reasonable to assume that they do not know of the tunnels that run into the castle- our attacks have prevented them from having the leisure to explore the castle with any degree of thoroughness." He said, and we shared a smile as he and I reached the same idea he must have. He gestured to me, and I took over.

"Do you recall, dear elders, those unsightly steel statues you petitioned so hard to have removed? Beneath the castle rests the building blocks for a spell to turn said statues into defensive steel golems." I said, then paused to let the elders process that.

Obviously, they were enraged. "Why were we not told? Something of this magnitude must be known by the Council!" He shouted, and the three of us rolled our eyes at him.

Cocoon took over once more, scowling at the elders reprimandingly. "Anyway, if we could get you- and a few guards to cover you, of course- to the focus site, you could end this battle as quickly as it began, My Queen." He said, and as if to emphasize his words, one of the towers in the city crumbled.

I nodded, my face grim, and got up to stretch and loosen up for the ordeal ahead. As I did, Cocoon set about selecting a few trusted guards to accompany me and Genesis approached quietly. I trained my gaze upon him, and he smiled somewhat.

"I'd like permission to go with you, My Queen." He said simply, confidently, like he knew I wouldn't deny him what he wished.

Raising an eyebrow, I turned towards him fully and frowned. "Why do you want to come along, Adviser?" I asked, stressing the syllables in the title I'd bestowed upon him meaningfully.

He smiled cooly, and I couldn't help but admire his confidence as he spoke. "Well, my lady, I'm quite sure that the elders rather dislike me, and anyway, I much prefer the position of assistant to that of adviser- I haven't the experience to be the latter." He said eloquently, and I smiled- whatever this male had been before, he would be a valuable addition to the royal court.

I smiled at him and nodded. "Very well, from this moment on, you shall serve as my assistant." I said, then held up a hoof as he started to speak. "Be warned, Genesis, the job of being my assistant is not easy. The last one who had the job suffered from a nervous breakdown." I said darkly, and was surprised to be met with a nonchalant shrug.

Genesis just smiled and shook his head before leaving to get a drink of water- just as Cocoon approached. His face was grim, and I immediately felt on guard. When he spoke, his voice matched his expression. "The elders, regrettably, have pointed out a flaw in our plan that is, admittedly, rather critical." He grumbled, and I nodded at him to continue, decorating my face with a sympathetic frown, and he sighed heavily. "The spell and the golems are older than event he elders. We have no idea if we'll even be able to use them." He said, and I sighed.

I looked around in frustration, avoiding his gaze. "What then, did they suggest that we do instead?" I asked angrily, and he shrugged helplessly. I spat on the ground angrily. "To Tartarus with them. Gather your men, we are going." I commanded, and he nodded eagerly, hope returning to his face. As he left, I both lamented and celebrated the fact that our emotions changed as easily as our forms.

The assembled soldiers milled around nervously, and I could tell that going against the council did not sit well with these loyalist buffoons. Then I noticed Genesis, moving quietly amongst them, sharing conversations and putting them at ease. A fine addition, indeed.

A hoof tapped me on my shoulder, and I turned to see a stoic and determined Cocoon standing at my shoulder. "We are ready when you are, Queen Chrysalis." He said, and I gave him an equally determined nod. The stallion gave a signal to the men and we all turned and began our journey toward the caves.

One of the soldiers turned to face me, his face expressing the severest of annoyance. "This is it?" He asked, scowling at the entrance to the caves and then at me. "A sewer grate?" He spat, his tone incredulous, looking down at the hole at my feet.

I returned his scowl and nodded scornfully. "Yes, Soldier, a sewer grate. This is the quickest entrance, and the closest one to the castle." I said, and he grumbled quietly as he stepped back into line. I smiled, pleased that he hadn't made more of a fuss, and watched over them as they each climbed down. I took one last look around at my burning city before I climbed down after them, and sighed.

The sewer tunnels were dark and wet, and reeked of- well, sewage. Our little company moved through the tunnels in a small, dense knot, many of us having second thoughts about defending our homeland as we imagined what lurked with us in the dark tunnel. But, just as I was about to surrender and decide to turn back, the cobblestone around us gave way to ancient stone, worn smooth by the centuries. We proceeded a little further, and we found ourselves in an enormous circular room, obviously ancient, that was lit by an odd red light.

In the center of the room, a smaller circle rose about a foot out of the floor, and in the center of said circle, a black stone pillar rose into the shadow ceiling above- the light in the room appeared to be emanating from the strange glowing runes carved into almost every inch of the column. That, combined with the stench of ancient magic that pervaded every corner of the room, was enough to convince us we were in the right place.

I shared a glance with Cocoon and Genesis, and upon unspoken agreement, the three of us separated from the group and approached the pillar. Cocoon and I were visibly nervous, taking quick and jumpy steps and sweating slightly, but Genesis seemed quite calm- bored, almost.

As soon as all three of us had stepped into the circle, a flash of blinding white light stunned us just long enough for a barrier of barely transparent magical energy to surround us, cutting us off from our companions and trapping us on the large platform. Cocoon uttered a quiet yelp, and I tripped and nearly planted my face directly in the stone floor- only Genesis's hoof on my shoulder stopped me from eating a stone sandwich. I gave him a grateful smile, and he replied with a nervous nod- apparently, this was too much even for his cool demeanor to weather.

I steadied myself and examined the barrier carefully. I could tell the magic was powerful, but it's origin was obscure- though the energy was immense, it seemed to have no source, as if it was just... just there. Cocoon shouted something at the troops on the other side, but I could tell from the puzzled way they tilted their heads that they couldn't hear a word he was saying.

He sighed and turned to look at the pillar- and his eyes widened and he gave an excited yelp. "I recognize these symbols! They're in the same language as the Doppelganger tomes. But... that would mean that this pillar dates back to before the Changeling revolution! This spell predates our entire civilization!" He exclaimed, reaching a hoof hoof out to touch it, his expression awestruck. I quickly reached over and knocked his hoof away.

"There's no telling what sort of wards are on this thing, nephew. Can you translate it without touching it?" I asked, doing my best to sound kind and reprimanding at the same time. He smiled abashedly and turned back to the pillar, settling down next to it and narrowing his eyes in concentration. I watched him for a moment before putting a hoof on his shoulder. "-and Cocoon? Do try to hurry." I said, giving him my best 'no pressure, but this is ridiculously urgent' look. He nodded without looking at me, thus making my expression useless, and I sighed and went to sit next to Genesis, who gave me a smile that looked as nervous and weary as I felt.

I returned the smile, and he gestured toward the stone with a quick nod of his head. "What do you think of this thing? Back at the camp, you seemed pretty knowledgeable about it." He said, and I winced at the obvious jab.

I turned and gave him a stern glare, then sighed and sat back, rubbing the side of my neck with a forehoof. "I may have exaggerated my knowledge of it to convince the Elders to let us go easily." I admitted, slumping a little in embarrassment- then I sat straight back up irritatedly as he chuckled. I scowled at him. "I could have you hung for disrespecting your Queen like that." I said, shaking a hoof at him angrily.

He merely laughed again and shook his head, causing me to wonder if he had a death wish. "But you won't." He gloated, smiling confidently. I stomped a hoof in frustration and I glared at him- it crossed my mind that I could arrange an execution for him, just to pardon him at the last minute... give him a good scare. Then, I saw the knowing look in his dimly glowing violet eyes and heaved an internal sigh of defeat. He would see through it.

I'd just started to run through a list of clever jibes and comebacks when Cocoon cleared his throat and turned to face us. "Well," He began, his face darkened by a despairing frown. "it's all bad news. The spell calls for a sacrifice..." I lowered my ears and sighed, slapping a hoof against my forehead. Of course, ancient magic always means sacrifice. But he wasn't finished; "Of a Royal Life." He finished, his expression going from dark to completely black.

Lovely... I thought to myself, my heart sinking. When I said I'd die for my people, I never thought I'd really have to do it. I mused, looking down at my hooves and sighing heavily. I heard Cocoon muttering angrily, something about how there had to be another way. I felt a gentle foreleg wrapping around my shoulder and looked up at Genesis, who was smiling sympathetically and giving me the same look a salesman would. I wanted to push him away- the last thing I wanted to hear was his assurances that my death was for the good of our people.

But, before I could, he leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear. "He said that the spell called for a Royal Life. Not the Queen's Life, a Royal life." He said, then gestured meaningfully toward Cocoon. I gave him an incredulous look and started to protest, but he just shrugged and headed me off. "Like I said, milady, the Outlands need their queen right now. A general, even one of royal blood, can be replaced." He said simply, and I, much to my own displeasure, saw the logic in his words. AS much as it hurt my heart to consider it, my life was more valuable to the country in the long run than his.

I looked up and watched my nephew as he examined the pillar carefully, searching desperately for some detail that would change the meaning of the words and- though he didn't know it- save his own life. I sighed- it seemed so wrong to kill something so full of life, but there truly seemed to be no option that didn't leave me dead and my people without a good leader. I stumbled to my hooves, helped by Genesis, and approached the younger Changeling. (not that much younger, mind you- I was twenty-five, he twenty.)

I put a hoof on his shoulder, and smiled at him kindly. "Rest, Cocoon. There's only one viable option here." I said, trying to appear serene even as my heart cried out in anguish- something it should've done, suppressed by magic as my emotions were.

His face grayed slightly, (the closest thing to paled one can get with a face the color of black ink) and he gaped at me. "What? No, My Queen, we need you too much for you to give up your life for something like this." He protested, putting himself stoically between me and the pillar.

I almost sobbed then and there- again, an emotion I shouldn't have felt- because, even as I plotted to kill him, he did his very best to keep me alive. I knew he didn't know I was plotting his death, but I found his compassion and willingness to sacrifice our people's home for me touching anyway- the silly, sentimental creature that I was. I walked towards him and smiled gently, reassuringly.

I wrapped my forelegs around his neck and hugged him close, patting his back with a hoof while I tried to decide what to say. After awhile, I sighed and delivered what pathetic lines I'd managed to come up with, though my rebellious heart burned with each syllable. "Cocoon, you know I care for you, do you not?" I asked, and took a breath to continue as he nodded. "Then I hope you can forgive me for this, Nephew." I murmured into his ear, and reached out with my magic, feeling through his insides and searching for the right spot.

He didn't notice my horn glowing. "No, aunt Chrysalis, I can't! If you leave us now, we're doomed! My mother just doesn't have what it takes to be a good que-" His words strangled and choked off as I, with a small and painstakingly precise burst of magic, jerked his spinal cord loose from his brain. His body shuddered once, then twice, then Cocoon was still and dead in my arms.

It was a few moments before it hit me in full- something I had felt since my parents died. Raw emotion, not as strong as it would've been without my magical suppressants, but raw, pure, and wild nonetheless. I buried my face in his neck and sobbed quietly, my entire body shaking and my stomach feeling as if someone had dropped an anvil into it. Around me, the room thrummed with magical power. I was vaguely aware of the pillar's light brightening from a faint red to a deep and vibrant scarlet. The world rumbled and shook around me, but the only thought that ran through my mind was that I was a murderer- not just a murderer, but a kinslayer, worse than garbage. I nuzzled into my nephew's still warm neck and murmured through shaking sobs. "I'm sorry..."

I closed my eyes for a moment, content to sit in my misery. I don't remember much of what happened right after that, not until the trial anyway.

I scowled up at the Head Councilor as he stood and stared down at me from the pedestal that he and the other councilors were seated upon. His face was twisted with a mix of hatred and glee, and he gave me a sick smile. "Queen Chrysalis, Daughter of the Progenitor, step forward and face the Council." He commanded, and I gritted my teeth as I obeyed. He leered down at me, his teeth bared in evil satisfaction at my obedience.

I held his gaze, standing my ground fiercely. "For what reason have you called me here, ancient ones? What is so urgent that you chose to disrupt the reconstruction of our homes?" I demanded, raising my voice in frustration. Behind me, I heard many of my people murmuring in agreement, and heard some of them even leaving the chamber to protest this waste of time.

The Councilor slammed his hoof against the desk in front of him, and the crowd fell silent once more. "Chrysalis! Listen carefully, for the council has come to a decision." He commanded, and I eyed him with immense distaste as he smiled once more. "For dereliction of duty, failure to succeed in Equestria, and the murder of your own kin, this Council has elected to strip you of your title and powers, and exile you from the Outlands forever." He said, his calm and professional speech not hiding his glee at this turn of events, nor the venom with which he spat the charges.

The gathered Changelings burst into an uproar, some confused and angry at the Council, and some... some agreeing quite vehemently with the ancient fools. I sat there for a moment, dumbstruck by how monumentally unfair and cruel this was, before I regained my composure. I spat on the floor and glared up at the Council, noticing vaguely that the fire in my eyes had reignited itself once more. "What right have you to unseat me, and who would you have take my throne? One of you greedy old males?" I snarled, and I once again felt the crowd leaning in my favor- the fickle fools.

A quavering voice silenced them before they could grow too loud. "They operate under my right as your elder sister and the first heir to the throne, sister." The voice said, and I turned to face the source.

Before me, my small and frail older sister sat quietly, hurt in her eyes. "Crisalide." I said, trying to convey all my sorrow and apologies in the one word, though I knew it was in vain. She shook her head and avoided meeting my gaze with her own rose colored eyes. "I'm sorry, Crisalide. I'm so sorry. I had no choice." I said, and she shook her head again, this time more aggressively.

She looked up, and I recognized the glow in her eyes as the very same fire that burned in my own. "You had no choice?" She asked incredulously, her normally frail and soft voice uncharacteristically solid. "You had no choice?! You swore to protect my son with your life when he joined the military! Instead, you were the one to kill the boy!" She shouted, and I took a step back, spluttering as I tried to find the words to defend myself.

"No! I had to! HIs life had to be taken to save our city! The spell called for a Royal Life!" I protested, but then I blanched as Crisalide rounded on me once more, even more enraged than she'd already been.

"A Royal Life? You mean like your own, my beloved sister?" She spat, her face inches from mine. "When you took the throne, you swore you'd die for your people if you had to- and I'm fairly sure that my son made no such oath! It was your duty to die in his place!" She cried, before swinging a hoof feebly at my face. The blow glanced off my cheek harmlessly, and she growled in pure frustration.

AS much as the attack didn't hurt physically, it was the catalyst of an emotional breaking that I was sure echoed through the chamber like a gunshot. One of the elders found his voice while my heart was shattering. "Chrysalis, formerly Queen of the Changelings, you will be stripped of your possessions and the magical enhancements given you by your office. You will be banished to the eastern border of the Outlands, to Equestria." He said, and smirked as he finished, eliciting a gasp from the crowd.

I turned to look at Crisalide, pleading with my gaze. "You would banish me to the very country I just tried to destroy? Surely, sister, you see this is a death sentence?" I begged, and she gave me a cruel and angry smile.

"Indeed, dear sister, it is. Now, surrender the symbols of your office." She demanded, and her horn flashed- and my entire body felt as if it were aflame, inside and out. The world around me seemed to be warping and melting, then growing larger around me. Before blacking out, I lamented how weak and pathetic I must look as a whimpering, quivering mass on the ground.

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I registered was that I seemed to be two feet shorter and just smaller in general. My magic felt distant and weak, and my emotions- suppressed since my coronation by an enchantment- were running rampant, leaving my already ailing mind a tattered mess. I looked about through bleary and weaker eyes and found my sister standing over me, the hatred in her expression replaced with sadness and pity.

She helped me to my hooves, and I looked around once more. It was dark, now- I'd been laying on the floor for hours?- and everyone had left, save for Crisalide and myself. She looked down at me (Where I'd become smaller and frailer, she had undergone the opposite) and sighed. "you know, Chrysalis, I still care for you, even with all that's happened. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but the only thing that will make sure your supporters accept my rule is if you're gone." She said, and gave me a small, sad smile. "I still meant everything I said, though. I'll never forgive you, and if you return to the Outlands after today, you'll be executed." She said cooly, and I felt tears well up in my eyes- a sensation I wasn't used to. Crisalide nudged me, ushering me toward the door.

I went quietly,- all the fight had left me when Crisalide struckme- and our trip through the darkened streets was uneventful, save for a school child pointing and laughing at me- something that, for some reason, really really hurt. We reached the city gates, and I stared out at the expanse before me- a gray sanded desert where the only Oases were foul, bug ridden swamps. So this was it- they didn't even want me to make it to Equestria, they just wanted me out of the city before I died. I looked up at Crisalide, and was about to protest when she caught my expression and spoke first.

"Though it looks vast, I think you'll remember that this is the narrowest part of the Shadowsea, and it's only a day-and-a-half's walk to the edge of Equestria" She said, and my sense of doom lessened somewhat, though I still figured I was in for a bad time.

Crisalide gestured for me to go, and I turned to give her one last loving, sad look. "Goodbye, Cris... I'm sorry, and I care for you." I murmured before taking the first few steps and beginning my long journey.

I heard her voice, carried by the wind, as I left her and my entire life behind forever. "And I care for you, Chrysalis..."

Chapter One: Friends and a Fresh Start

"Muhmf" I groaned, grumbling through a mouthful of the gray sand that filled that forsaken desert. I was laying half buried in a sand dune, my stores of energy exhausted and body aching from dehydration. I gasped and spat, trying to clear my mouth of the accursed gritty substance, but the sand was like cinnamon- stiflingly dry and stuck to every part of my mouth. I sighed, summoning the strength to roll onto my back so that I could look up at the sky. After a moment of consideration, I closed my eyes and grumbled to myself again- it seemed too cliche to die staring up at the sky.

Just as I was starting to contemplate what the afterlife would be like, I heard the soft sounds of someone's hooves on the sand carried on the wind. I opened my eyes once more and looked around- in the distance, I could vaguely make out the silhouette of someone standing on the dune that served as the horizon, approaching from what I was fairly sure was the same direction I'd come from.

I hoped that they'd see me- oh, how I pleaded with fate that they would have water, or anything to drink at all. Then, as if time had passed me by, they were suddenly walking past me without a second glance. Guessing that the night had shrouded me from their gaze, I watched in despair and made a frantic effort to make any kind of noise, struggling to get their attention in some way or another. But, all I could squeeze from my tired and dry vocal chords was a tiny squeak, less than that of a mouse. I closed my eyes once more and let my head fall back against the sand- if I hadn't already been laying on the sand, I might've slumped in overtly theatrical defeat.

A sob rose in my throat, and I suddenly became furious- I choked out the sob and growled to myself. If I had the strength to feel sorry for myself, I had the strength to call for help. I sucked in a deep breath, drew up all the strength I had left, and yelled. "Help me!" I shouted into the wind, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the night-cloaked figure stop and turn. I watched them approach, heaving a relieved sigh as my consciousness slipped away. The last thing I saw before the mini-coma claimed me was a strangely familiar pair of lightly glowing violet eyes.

I woke to something astounding- grass and a nice, cool breeze. My throat felt as if I'd somehow gotten something to drink, and from what I could feel, someone had cleaned most of the sand off of me. I raised my head and gave a quick look around, searching for my savior and trying to figure out where in the world I was.

The land around me was brown and rugged, and most of the flora was stubby and coarse- but, from the clear blue skies and fresh breeze, it wasn't hard to tell that I'd somehow reached the western border of Equestria. I'd made it, just barely, to what the ponies called the 'Mild West'. Just as I came to this conclusion, I heard a rustling sound behind me and jumped up, spinning to face the source of the disturbance with a defiant hoof raised.

I came face to face with the violet eyed changeling that had been my savior- and my assistant for a very short while before that. "Genesis?" I asked incredulously, staring at him in pure surprise. I stared at him like a fool for a few moments before he smirked and walked around me, back to the campsite.

After a few moments of standing there like a dumbstruck child, I shook my head and went back to sitting where I'd been, across the small fire from him. He smiled at me and pushed a small clay bowl full of greens toward me, which I gratefully dug into. He cleared his throat, and I looked at him through bites of food. "I'm glad I found you when I did, My Queen. If I hadn't, we might've lost you for real." He said, and I spared him a confused glance.

I sat back and swallowed my food before speaking, then frowned at him. "Why did you come after me? And I am your queen no longer." I said, twitching in my ear in an unhappy mixture of frustration and confusion.

He chuckled- that same infuriating laugh that he always seemed to drop when I was annoyed or frustrated- and shook his head. "Yes, I heard about that. So, what shall I call you then? Just Chrysalis?" He asked, and at my assenting nod, he continued to answer my other question. "As for why I followed you- Well, my family and friends are mostly all dead and gone. I had nothing to keep me in the Outlands, and I figured I could be of more use to you than the city." He said, and I smirked.

"That's one of the weakest lies I've ever heard, my dear assistant." I said, and he gave a rueful grin. I didn't wait for him to try to defend himself. "Don't worry about it- your reasons may remain your own. I trust you." I assured him, trying to put as much meaning into those simple words as I could, and his smile became genuine. After checking to be sure I hadn't left any food behind, I pushed the bowl back to him and stretched. "So, have you any idea where we are?" I asked him, and he gave a quick nod, standing up.

He pointed a hoof off to his left and bit his lip. "About half a mile that way is Appleoosa, probably the largest town around here." He said, and I nodded to show that I understood. I was about to speak when he, in the fashion he was so fond of, cut me off again. "What exactly do you plan to do now, Chrysalis? What is... our purpose?" He asked, and I frowned.

I wasn't annoyed because it was a stupid question- because, indeed, it was not- and nor did I think him impetuous. I frowned because- "I really do not know." I said truthfully, and he nodded solemnly. I stood up and stretched once more before starting to walk in the direction he'd pointed. "I may not know what I want to do, but I'm fairly sure this 'Appleoosa' is a good place to start. At the very least, we need supplies." I said, but before I could march off, I felt a hoof holding me back.

I stopped, annoyed, and found him giving me an almost professional 'are you stupid?' look. "You forgetting something?" He asked, gesturing at me. I looked down at myself and almost facehoofed when I realized what he was referring to- the Appleoosans might not react well to a Changeling striding into their town and demanding food and lodging. I held a hoof to my chin thoughtfully, trying to think of the best way to solve the problem.

After roughly five minutes of this, I sighed in frustration and turned to glare at Genesis, unconsciously blaming all my problems on him. "What are we to do, then, Genesis?" I asked, but I kept speaking before he could reply. "We haven't time to kidnap two ponies and steal their shapes, nor would it be worth our time to do so!" I spat, stomping a hoof against the ground like a foal.

I looked over at Genesis to see him rolling around on his back, shuddering with violent laughter. I gave him a half-hearted kick, and after a moment he sobered enough to stand. "As I was going to say before you- ahah- went on your little tantrum, I happen to have studied a branch of Changeling magic that may be particularly useful here." He said, trailing off and giving me a teasing grin.

I rolled my eyes and considered kicking him again- perhaps harder, this time- but in the end decided it would be easier to just humor him. "and what branch of magic would that be, my troublesome assistant?" I asked, giving him the most patronizing tone I was able to muster.

He smiled and took in a deep breath before he spoke, and I settled down for what was likely to be a lecture. "Years ago- Centuries, really- the Doppelgangers conquered our people. Our natural ability to steal the shapes of other beings was useless against them, as the Doppelgangers were without their own form. So, our eldest and most powerful mages found a way to disguise ourselves without stealing shapes. They found a way to use our magic to create our own new shapes." He said, and I couldn't help but gasp.

For all their lives, young changelings are taught that their only special ability- our only ability- was to steal the forms of others. What Genesis was saying, if it was true, would mean that the education of our entire people was a total lie. "Well? do you know the spell, Genesis?" I asked him, starting to become frustrated with his deliberately dramatic antics.

He must've picked up on my growing impatience, because his stance lost most of it's fake romance. "Yes, Chrysalis, I do. It is difficult and takes a lot of energy to cast- But, once the spell is cast, it's requires only miniscule tributes of energy to maintain." He said, and I nodded, pleased with that- repeated overuse of one's magic could dry it up. After a moment, he spoke again, his tone instructing this time. "Okay, now, focus on how you want to look. Check every single detail, no matter how miniscule- if you miss something, this spell can hurt. A lot. He continued, and I nodded, closing my eyes to envision myself the way I wanted to be. I heard him take a deep breath, so I divided my attention between him and building myself. "When your form is ready, simply imagine it to be yourself and cut your magic loose. It'll do the rest on it's own." He said, and I nodded.

I spent a good ten minutes perfecting my design of- well, myself- before I broke down the walls holding my magic in place. I felt a cold, scuttling sensation, like the legs of millions of tiny insects scurrying all over my body, tickling me with their chilly little legs.

All in all, the feeling was rather delightful, much unlike the normal sensation of stretching and tearing that accompanied a stolen shape. After roughly five minutes of this, the insects faded away and I opened my eyes. I looked down in gasped in delight as I examined myself.

My legs were whole, devoid of the swiss-cheese like holes that had always been present- and they were white! A soft, cloudy white that almost glowed in the sunlight. Then, there was my mane and tail- such a lustrous, vibrant shade of red! They glinted like a pair of flowing, precious rubies before my eyes. After giving my flank a quick check- it was adorned by one of those frowny masks from the theatre (never really knew what those were called.)- and making sure my wings were gone, I turned to look at Genesis.

His transformation was not quite as impressive. His coat was a drab gray, and his mane a limp black mess that hung around his face like one of those Equestrian 'Punk Rockers'. He looked me over and whistled appreciatively. "Not bad, Chrysalis. You look pretty good." He said, and I barely managed to conceal a self-satisfied smile.

"I wish I could say the same about you, Genesis. You look like you're some kind of... some kind of dirty bum." I said, and he grinned.

He held a hoof over his chest, swooning dramatically as if I'd wounded him. "Your cold words cut deep, my cruel lady." He said, his voice high and breathy like an actor in some tragic play. He knocked it off shortly after, though. "Seriously, Chrysalis, you did good. Hid your wings and straightened your horn on the first try. Those green eyes of yours shouldn't be too big of a problem- they kinda go well with your mane and coat." He complimented, and I turned away to hide a pleased blush.

I cleared my throat and took a few steps toward Appleoosa. "Shall we go, Genesis?" I asked, then started walking before he could reply.

The sound of his hooves crunching against the foliage joined mine, and I heard him say something, though I couldn't quite make out the words. I slowed and tilted my head toward him to show him I hadn't heard, and He repeated himself once he was a few steps closer. "We should probably get our names and our story straightened out, hm?" He asked, and I nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we should... But what should it be?" I mused, holding a hoof to my chin- and somehow managing to still walk on three legs- while I considered the problem. A lightbulb flashed on in my head, and I turned to look at my cutie mark, flashing a grin at Genesis. "I shall be Silver Screen! Actress extraordinaire!" I said, holding up a triumphant hoof. I heard an odd choking noise, and turned to see Genesis again rolling around in laughter.

He stopped laughing quite quickly, however, when I delivered a sound kick to his ribs. He coughed and choked slightly, then straightened up and gave me an annoyed look. "What?That's the cheesiest name I've ever heard!" He complained, and I scowled.

"Oh yeah, I'd like to see what you come up with, fool." I growled, and he stood up to give me what must'vce been his attempt at a suave smile.

He struck a slightly exaggerated heroic pose as he spoke, his tone now one that reminded me of a minor noble I'd met in Canterlot. "I shall be the one they call Honeyed Word, the-"

"Penniless Storyteller?" I asked, flashing a teasing grin his way.

"Dashing Rogue." He corrected flatly, earning a scoff from me. He let an irritated groan and walked away, continuing on the path to Appleoosa- and it was truly a path now, worn into the rough vegetation that grew low to the ground.

I followed shortly after, still giggling, and watching him stomp irritatedly down the trail. "Oh, Honey." I said, emphasizing the first part of false name teasingly. "Art thou truly so offended?" I asked him, doing my best to phrase the question archaically. "Dost thou truly wish to be such a rogue?" I asked, doing my cheesiest impression of my ancient literature tutor.

He spun around and I jumped back upon seeing the expression on his face. "Very well, Chrysalis, I'll admit it! My name is as silly as yours! Now, please, shut up!" He exclaimed harshly, his face inches from mine.

I took an intimidated step back, then I realized what was going on. After that, I was just annoyed. "Jeeze, did I strike a nerve?" I asked rubbing the side of my head- his raised voice had given me a bit of a headache.

He sighed and turned to keep walking. "I... I haven't really had a lot of friends. Most of my knowledge about people is from books, so..." He trailed off, but by then I understood.

I trotted up to walk next to him quietly. I realized that it was time for a cheesy heart to heart- though, I didn't think of it like that at the time- and nudged him. He glanced over at me, and I smiled. "You know, growing up a Princess, I wasn't allowed to have many friends, so I kinda know how ya feel." I said, then let out a little sigh- that was a surprisingly painful truth to share.

After a moment's silence, he nudged me with one of his wings. "How about this..." He said, and I perked up my ears and gave him my attention. "being your assistant is all well and good, but maybe you and I could be friends." He said, and the expression on his face was like that of a foal making his first friend. In retrospect, he probably was.

I held his gaze for a moment before grinning and nodding. "Sure, sounds good. Just friends though- dashing as you may be, you aren't my type." I said, (and it's as true now as it was then.) He was just about to reply when we crested a hill and were surprised to see that we'd already reached Appleoosa. The little town was a busy little hive community, with streets full of busy ponies going back and forth.

Genesis looked over at me, a nervous look plain on his face. "You ready for this, Silver Screen?" He asked, and after fighting a short and ferocious battle with my nerves, I nodded.

"Let's do this, Honey." I said, then collapsed into a fit of giggles.

A few minutes later, Genesis (Now renamed Smoke Screen, and playing my brother.) and I strode down the street, cradling the pouch full of bits we'd managed to steal and looking for somewhere to find a good meal- feeding on love doesn't make up the entire diet of a Changeling, we need traditional nutrients as well- that wasn't too expensive.

Genesis nudged me and pointed to a large, wooden building labeled 'Apple Street Diner' and I nodded- it seemed popular enough, and being a diner, it couldn't be too expensive. We walked toward it, and soon found ourselves speeding up as the delicious smells of apple pie and other sweet treats met our noses.

We walked through the glass door, only to be met by the gruff face of an apron wearing stallion. "Sorry, kids, but we just ain't got the room. You're welcome to wait outside if you like." He said, crowding us like some kind of rude bouncer. Our replies were interrupted by a voice from off to the right, and I looked over to see a mint green unicorn waving.

"Nah, it's cool, we've got room at our table!" She said, and after a moment he gave a gruff nod and we hurried over to sit across from our unicorn savior and her dark gray companion. "That was a close one huh? That guy is so rude- he tried to do the same thing to us when we came in, but I was just li-" Her rant was interrupted by a quick jab in the ribs from her companion, which quieted her rather quickly.

The gray earth pony smiled at me and spoke- her voice was somewhat posh, and very feminine, unlike her friend's. "What she means to say is, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Octavia, and this is my mar- Em, my friend, Lyra Heartstrings." She said, smiling as if her self-correction had never happened.

I smiled back and did the same. "I'm Silver Screen, and this delinquent," I nudged Genesis, "Is my younger brother, Smoke Screen." I said, and he gave me an irritated glance.

He turned back to our saviors, and was suddenly all smiles. "It's a pleasure to meet you both- and I appreciate the rescue, Lyra, that brute looked a bit like he'd actually throw us out. Brave move, there." He said, surprising me with how well he acted natural. I couldn't help but think that he'd had more people to talk to than he'd suggested.

Lyra waved off the compliment, but it was easy to tell she enjoyed it. "Aw, it was nothin'. People don't mess around with me- when they do, I teach 'em a little less-" She was cut off, again, by a jab in the ribs from Octavia, who received an aggravated glare for her troubles.

"She means that you are most welcome, Smoke." She said, matching Lyra's glare blow-for-blow. "So," She said, after winning the staring contest, "What brings you out here to the Mild West? You two seem... Well, as out of your element as we are." she said, and Genesis and I shared a glance. After a moment and an unspoken agreement, I took the question.

"Smoke and I had a bit of a... Disagreement with our parents. It's safe to say we're not welcome there anymore. "We're trying to find somewhere to live, at the moment." I said, doing my best ot make it seem like it wasn't important.

Lyra and Octavia looked at each other, and Lyra gave me a sympathetic smile. "Octavia and I know about family issues- ours don't want us around either." She said, and Octavia gave her another nudge, this one rather half-hearted.

It was about then that our waitress came and took our orders whilst delivering appetizers, and conversation subsided as the four of us dug into some bread and apple slices. At least, it subsided for awhile.

"Any idea where you're headed?" Lyra asked, ignoring Octavia's muttered commands to chew with her mouth closed.

I shrugged, not minding Lyra's lack of manners so much as her friend was. "I truly have no idea. I know little about the other cities of Equestria." I said,and Lyra pointed to herself for a moment, garbling through a huge bite of food, before she swallowed and spoke clearly.

"Well, you could do a lot worse than Ponyville." She said, grinning. "That's where 'Tavi and I live." She said, and I gave a nod, sharing another glance with Genesis.

He shrugged and rubbed the side of his head with a hoof. "We could check it out. Which way is it?" He asked, and it was Lyra and Octavia's turn to share an odd glance.

Octavia pointed with a hoof. "Umm... That way. Why? you're not considering walking, are you? It really is a long way." She warned, giving me a concerned look. "why not take the train?" She asked, and I sighed.

"Not sure we've got the bits, to be honest. We didn't take much with us when we left home." I lied, holding up the meager bag of bits that would barely pay for our food.

Lyra tapped her chin thoughtfully for a few moments before reaching into the saddlebag next to her and hoofing ten bits across the table to me with her magic.

"Tickets are only five bits a pop. Don't worry about payin' me back- I do well enough for myself. 'Tavi and I are takin' the next train, if ya wanna go with us." She said, all in one breath, just as our food arrived.

I hurriedly thanked her before we all dug into our food, and I tactfully ignored the admiring and caring look Octavia was giving Lyra. The two mares ate in silence, while Genesis and I had a quiet conversation amongst ourselves.

"So, Ponyville, huh?" He asked, speaking between bites of fruit salad (yummy, yummy) and giving me an odd look.

I nodded and arched an eyebrow at him. "So it would seem- why? And what's with that face?" I asked, and he shook his head as if to say 'nothing'.

I glanced over at Lyra and Octavia- then looked back when I realized they wre getting up. Lyra smiled and nodded her head toward the door. "That's our train, guys. You gonna come on this one?" She asked, and I almost immediately set my food aside. For some reason, I felt like I shouldn't separate from these two yet. Maybe that was just the loneliness in me, but I decided to go with it regardless.

I nudged Genesis out of his seat and smiled at Lyra. "Of course I am! Come, Smoke, We've a train to catch." I said, and he grumbled but obeyed. We paid on the way out and were soon walking across to the train station, sharing quiet laughs and trading stories (ours mostly fake) with Lyra and Octavia.

"So, Octavia ran off the stage in tears. Turns out, she hadn't studied at all- for like, the first time in her life." Lyra laughed while the rest of us just stared at her. After a moment, she realized she was the only one laughing and looked around at us. "What?"

Rather than an answer, she got Octavia's hoof upside her head. "How is that story funny? My parents were furious and I was miserable!" She growled, before laying on another whack. "And if it wasn't for your stupid, trouble-causing filly flank, I would've got my work done!" The musical mare accused before turning on the spot and storming into the train station with her nose in the air.

Lyra looked over to give us a bemused smile and shook her head. "No worries, she gets like that sometimes, and she doesn't really hit that hard." She assured us, and after sharing a 'what the buck just happened?' with Genesis, I followed her into the train station.

I stayed in the dimly lit interior only long enough to purchase our two tickets and before long, I was seated on the train, sharing a carriage with our two new friends- and yes, they'd become friends, without me even noticing.

The train was slow and repetitively dull, and my three companions dozed off rather quickly, leaving me sitting alone. I looked at Lyra, sleeping with her head resting on Octavia's back, and momentarily considered disposing of Octavia and taking her place. But, even as the thought crossed my mind, I found myself repulsed by it. I blinked in surprise at that- my mind had just balked at a feast of some powerful love, just because I'd gotten to know and like the two ponies involved. That was monumental and, admittedly, rather disturbing. Never in all my life had I passed up the kind of meal these two would have provided, and there I was, disgusted by it.

I walked over and looked out the window, contemplating the horizon and the little town that sat on it. The conductor's voice rang out as I walked back to my seat. "We'll be arriving in Ponyville in around fifteen minutes. Please, make sure you have everything that belongs to you and be ready to disembark." He said, and I sat back in my seat as my companions stirred.

Friends, huh? I thought to myself, smirking. Well, this must be my chance at a fresh start. Here's to hoping I don't screw it up.

Chapter Two: Party in Ponyville

Chapter Two

Party in Ponyville

The train glided to a stop at the Ponyville station, and I couldn't help but feel a little excited as we moved to get off- Lyra and Octavia had made the little town sound like a haven, a picturesque hamlet safe from prejudices and hate- two things that they claimed to have endured a lot of in their original home town, both for being fillyfoolers and for reasons they weren't willing to share with me.

Upon stepping off of the train and into the cool country air, I found myself both impressed and let down by the town that surrounded me. It was indeed quite beautiful, and certainly warranted the term picturesque, but Lyra's artistic words had made it seem almost magical. As for hate and prejudice- well, Lyra and Octavia were two mares, walking through the train station with their tails entwined and sides snuggled up to each other, and not a single pony batted an eyelash- So, I assumed that prejudice wasn't a problem either.

Just as Genesis and I were about to follow, there was a loud bang and the two of us were showered with a liberal amount of smoking confetti and charred streamers. For obvious reasons, we jumped about three feet into the air- and I'll admit, I screamed a bit, and looked around in terror. My eyes were met by one of the strangest sights I'd ever seen- a rapidly bouncing pink pony pushing a smoking cannon.

She bounced up to us and smiled a grin so wide that I was worried that her face would explode. After a few seconds of staring of that terrifying grin, I recognized her- Twilight Sparkle's party-fond friend. I could tell from the recognition in her eyes that she, somehow, knew who I really was. That little spark made me cringe when she opened her mouth-

But, rather than a shout of fear or an accusation, crazy-maned pink pony delivered a warm hug and an overly friendly greeting. "Hi! Welcome to Ponyville, the bestest town around! I'm Pinkie Pie, your new greatest friend- and you're lucky today, too, because not everypony new gets to be decorated by my party cannon! Oh, since you're new, I am soooo going to throw you a welcome party! It'll be a 'Welcome,... Uhh, what're your names?" She asked, and I took a moment to let my brain catch up to her speech.

"Oh, well, um, I'm Silver Screen, and this is my younger brother Smoke Screen." I said, praying to whatever gods existed that she wouldn't call me on my lie.

But, apparently, she could've have cared less. "So, it'll be a 'Welcome, Silver and Smoke!' Party! There'll be balloons and cake and cupcakes and dancing, oh, and cake and punch and decorations and party hats and-" Her rant was interrupted by Lyra's mint green hoof slapping over her mouth, though not unkindly.

The unicorn gave an uncomfortable chuckle, obviously as unnerved by Pinkie's antics as I was. "I think they get the idea, Pinkie Pie. Hey, have you seen Scratch? I was wanting to talk to her about something." She asked, the way she bit her lip giving away the fact that she was merely trying to change the subject.

Surprisingly, a light bulb seemed to switch on in the party pony's head, and she gave a huge gasp. "Ohmygosh, that's right! Scratchie wanted you and Octo- I mean, Octavia- to meet her at the park! She seemed really excited about something! I asked her if it was something fun, and she said it was, and I asked her if I could come see it, but then she told me that then there would be nobody to tell you to go to the park, and that made me sad, but then she said I could come with you to look at it, and so that's where I'm goi-" Again, the torrent of words pouring out of her mouth was cut off by Lyra's hoof, who seemed to be quite good at silencing the pink pony.

"Thanks, Pinkie! We'd better get going to the park, then- and you should go get started on that party if you wanna have it ready by tonight!" Lyra urged, and the party pony nodded as her thoughts were completely derailed by the mention of the party. She turned and hopped off, leaving her party cannon on the platform where it was. I looked at Lyra, intending to see if we should remind her, but the unicorn just shook her head hurriedly and gestured for me to follow.

We got around the corner and out of the party pony's line of sight, and I looked at Lyra, who was heaving a sigh of relief. I smiled at her when she turned and noticed me looking. "Thanks for the rescue, Lyra- again." I said, wiping an imaginary bead of sweat from my forehead. The four of us shared a quick laugh as we walked- our destination was an archway whose top loomed above some houses before us- and we made some small talk as we went. We were just passing an enormous carousel-shaped building when a thought occurred to me. I nudged Lyra, who broke off noisily eating an apple (no idea where she got it) and turned to look at me. "So, who's Scratch?" I asked, earning a mischievous grin from the mint-green unicorn.

"You haven't heard of Vinyl Scratch? You're in for a treat- it's hard to not like Vinyl." She promised, and I noticed Octavia roll her eyes and scowl, playfully muttering the words 'childish' and 'uncouth'. Lyra just kept calm and walked on, ignoring her marefriend's teasing.

We rounded the corner and walked under the over-decorated archway to be met with the head and mouthwatering scents of apple pie and hot cider whisked towards us by the breeze. The smells originated from a small picnic, at which a cream colored mare with a navy-and-pink mane sat, waving us over.

Octavia smiled and quickened her pace, apparently quite pleased to see the candy-flanked mare. "Bon Bon! How good to see you! I missed you so much while we were in Appleoosa." She said, embracing the surprised mare.

The mare, Bon Bon, smiled and patted her gray-coated friend on the back gently. "Octavia! I missed you too- if only you hadn't had to go in the first place." She said, then lowered her voice to where she must've thought we couldn't hear. "Your father's men are gone- but just barely. Stay away longer, next time." She murmured, and Octavia gave her a subtle nod before breaking the hug and turning back to the rest of us.

The dark gray mare smiled at us, one leg still around Bon Bon's neck. "Silver, Smoke, I'd like you to meet my best friend and older sister, Bon Bon." She said, and the cream colored mare under her arm smiled and waved.

"A pleasure to meet you both, and welcome to Ponyville. Judging by the confetti in your manes, I suppose it's safe to assume that a party's going to be held tonight?" She asked, and Genesis and I deadpanned and nodded. She laughed at our expressions, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Pinkie's never easy to get used to. Gave me quite a fright the first time I met her, bursting out of that bowl of muffin mix like that." She said, and Genesis and I shared amazed and somewhat frightened glances.

Just as I was trying to formulate a reply, there was vibration beneath our hooves and a wall of pure, powerful bass bowled the three of us over, leaving only Lyra and Genesis standing- both of whom looked to be thoroughly enjoying the thunderous music. (which was so loud it was actually visible) I looked toward the source and saw an electric-blue maned unicorn sitting atop an enormous set of wheeled speakers that I could've swore hadn't been there a moment ago. After a few moments of this and a variety of screamed curses and threats from Octavia and Bon Bon, the unicorn cut the music and joined us on the ground- where she was instantly involved in a confused, violent-but-playful wrestling match with Lyra. For some reason, Lyra was easily besting the far-more-fit DJ.

Octavia stomped a hoof in irritation, shouting at the tussling unicorns, a look of worry plain on her face. "Lyra, Vinyl! Enough of this childishness at once! I'm serious, Lyra- You know she can't see, you might hurt her!" The musical mare continued, and the two mares slowly wound down until they were lying on the ground, panting and still chuckling a little bit. Once they'd caught their breath, they aimed annoyed looks at Octavia- or rather, Lyra gave her an annoyed look while Vinyl gave the air about a foot above her shoulder an annoyed look.

Lyra nudged Octavia, giving her a stern look. "I know she can't see, and so does she. We've never hurt each other before, you know." She said, the look on her face confusingly hurt. "We can't put her in a plastic bubble, y'know." She added, trying to lighten the situation a little bit, after apparently realizing how serious she'd looked.

"I know, Lyra, I just- well, you're so rough with each other. It's worrying- I'm a bit inclined to worry, you know that." She said, then smiled and nodded her head toward me. "But, anyway, why don't you introduce Vinyl to our new friends?" She suggested, pointing at us with a hoof and giving Lyra another apologetic smile.

As if just remembering we were there, Lyra looked over and grinned widely before dragging the white unicorn over to us. "Vinyl, I met these two in Appleoosa- Silver and Smoke Screen, meet Vinyl Scratch." She said, and I smiled kindly and held out a friendly hoof.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Scratch!" I said, then frowned a bit when she smiled at the air over my shoulder and ignored my outstretched hoof. "Um, are you all right?" I asked after a moment, and her head jerked around so she was actually looking at me.

She smiled and, with a little help from Lyra, took and shook my hoof. "Sorry,- It's a pleasure to meet ya too, and yeah I'm fine- s'just I'm, well, blind." She said, and my heart sank immediately as the feeling of rude awkwardness fell upon me.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I heard her say you couldn't see, but I didn't even make the connec-" She cut me off with a quick wave of her hoof, smiling away my worries.

She reached out and patted my cheek- her accuracy surprising- and her smile widened. Even though it was aimed above my shoulder, it was comforting. "Nah, it's cool. I do a pretty good job of getting around and looking normal, so anyone could make the mistake. You're Silver, right?" She asked, and I nodded while her hoof was still on my cheek.

Genesis spoke up from off to my left, interrupting the friendly moment. "She is, and I'm Smoke- Awesome speakers, by the way. I've never seen a setup like that before! It's amazing." He gushed, and Vinyl just laughed softly- though there was a maniacal tinge to her chuckling, I'll admit.

Octavia and I shared a concerned look before turning to leave Lyra, Vinyl, and Genesis to their music and tech talk. We went back to Bon Bon, who was sitting on the picnic blanket and plucking twigs and leaves out of her mane while casting irritated glares at the blind musician. "I'll never understand how you tolerate that blinded brutish buffoon, my dear Octavia." She grumbled, shaking her mane out and pouring herself some cider huffily.

The gray mare settled down next to her friend, stifling a giggle. "Really, she's not so bad. She just a little rough around the edges sometimes, Bon Bon- not everyone can be as elegant and cultured as we are." She said jokingly, though her tone was a little bit protective as well.

"Anyway, can I offer either of you something to eat?" Bon Bon asked, changing the subject quite abruptly and glancing about irritably. Octavia looked as if she was going to pursue the subject, but our rumbling stomachs put a stop to any confrontational notions she may have had, and before long we were all munching happily away on the food Bon Bon had provided us.

Throughout the picnic, I noticed Bon Bon looking around from time to time, her expression wistful and somewhat lonely. She always kept up the conversation well, and faked happiness and interest in every word we said- save for Vinyl and Lyra, of course- but her smiles never quite reached her eyes, and she seemed unwilling to even look whenever Lyra and Octavia shared an intimate moment. She looked away from them almost all through the picnic, and I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her, and more than a little concerned.

"Well, thanks for your help." Bon Bon said as I used my magic to toss the last bag of picnic trash into the park's dumpster. I just nodded and gave her a friendly smile, which she hurriedly returned- an honest smile, this time. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then. Have a good night." She said, then turned and walked off across the field, leaving me somewhat confused at her abrupt departure.

I turned and walked back to Octavia, worrying slightly for the departed candy-mare, and found Octavia debating quietly with Vinyl and Lyra. I walked past Genesis's sleeping form and joined them settling into their circle and yawning while I tried to catch up to the conversation. Octavia was speaking rather animatedly about something she obviously felt strongly about. "Lyra, stop your scoffing. Bon Bon really is feeling down. Ever since you and I got together, I haven't had as much time to spend with her, and she's not the best at making friends..." Octavia said, scowling at her nonchalant marefriend.

The mint green mare pointed a hoof at me in her desperate search for a reply. "Well, what about silver? She seemed to get along well enough with her- It wasn't even awkward!" She pointed out, and I had to nod in agreement- Bon Bon and I had hit it off quite well, as we'd both found each other quite interesting.

Now, it was time for Octavia to scoff. "Have you at least paid attention to how Silver acts? She's refined- elegant, even. Can you say the same for many ponyvilleans?" The musical mare asked, leaving Lyra stumped. Octavia smiled wearily, pleased to have gotten her point across. "So, we have to do something about it." She said, and Vinyl threw her hooves into the air- wobbling slightly as she did.

"Like what, Octy? She hates me and dislikes Lyra. You're the only pony here who can do something." The blind DJ pointed out, clearly annoyed. After a moment, she sniffed the air and grumbled. "I can smell Pinkie finishing up the party snacks. We're gonna be late." She complained, and indeed the smell of cakes and other party favors was heavy on the breeze.

Octavia held up a victorious hoof at the mention of the party. She spun and pointed a hoof at me, and I suddenly found myself irrationally frightened of the determined look on her face. "That's perfect! The party! Silver, you should go and bring Bon Bon to the party!" She said, grinning, and the other two seemed to think it was an excellent idea as well.

I found myself backing up, shaking my head, and blushign furiously all at the same time. "Oh, no, I'm not really interested in..." I trailed off, embarrassed. I was confused and a little bit amazed- was she really suggesting that I take out her best friend after knowing her for a grand total of three hours?

It took Octavia a moment to understand what my issue was, but when she did, she too started blushing, and started avoiding my gaze. "Oh, no! I just meant as a friend, because she doesn't really have a lot of friends that want to go places with her, haha... I wouldn't think to assume that you like, ehm...." She let the sentence stutter to a halt and drop, but I understood- she hadn't meant to insinuate that I was what her people called a 'fillyfooler'. I took a moment to think about her idea, then shrugged and smiled.

"You know what? Sure, why not. It couldn't hurt anything." I said, nodding in agreement and earning a bright smile from Octavia. "So, where's she live? And is there anything I should know about her?" I asked, figuring that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Octavia and Lyra shook their heads- Vinyl grunted something about being stuck up, but said nothing further. Octavia pointed a hoof down the road that we'd come up when we arrived. "Bon Bon lives in a red house on the left side of this street, way down on the end. From there, just go back to Sugar Cube Corner- you remember the place that looked like candy? Yeah, that building. The party will be there." Octavia said, and I nodded.

"See you there, girls. Oh, and could you drag my foal of a brother with you?" I asked, gesturing at Genesis's snoring form. At their nods, I turned and left, making my way to Bon Bon's.

I'm sure that hearing about all of this is boring you, but bear with me, the story is just beginning...

I arrived at Bon Bon's door and knocked politely, humming a little tune to myself while I waited for her to answer. The door opened and a sleepy eyed Bon Bon stood behind it. Her face lit up a bit and she smiled when she recognized me. She opened the door wider, letting me in.

"Oh, come on in, Silver. I didn't expect to see you again so soon. What brings you here?" She asked, sitting in the doorway behind me and yawning.

I smiled apologetically, suddenly feeling rather rude. "Well, I came to see if you wanted to come to the party, but I didn't mean to wake you up..." I said, rubbing my nose in embarrassment.

But, even as I was saying it, Bon Bon was shaking her head. "No, no, I wasn't asleep. I was just starting to think about it, though." She said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She yawned and stretched, waking herself up, before grabbing a brush between her hooves and trying, rather awkwardly, to brush her mane. After watching her flail around for a few minutes and catching her a second before she fell, I finally just cleared my throat meaningfully.

"Would you like me to help, Bon Bon?" I asked, doing my best to suppress the grin and laughs that were fighting to emerge. At her blushing nod, I grabbed the brush with my magic and attacked her tangled mane fiercely but gently, following her muttered instructions to the letter. As I brushed, I slowly deduced from her bitten lip and puzzled expression that she wanted to ask me something. "What's bothering you, Bon Bon?" I asked, and the curiosity in my voice was genuine.

The mare held a hoof up and pointed at the magic aura that surrounded her brush. "Most of the magic I've seen has had seemingly random colors. I was wondering why." She said, and I learned two things- she wasn't very observant, and she didn't know much about unicorns.

"Well, most unicorns' magic actually resembles their eye color. Like, you may have noticed that Lyra's is that... um... bronzey-yellow?" I asked, and she frowned a bit, her expression that of somepony who's heard something they didn't like. She shook her head and smiled, pretending as if nothing had happened.

"No, I hadn't noticed. I don't generally pay a lot of attention to Lyra, to be quite honest." She admitted, and I nodded, pretending to understand what she was trying to say, then continued when she said nothing.

"Well, then, a better example is that my eyes and magic are both green- see?" I asked, looking into her eyes as I finished brushing her mane with a little flourish.

She blushed slightly, confusing me, but then smiled and stood, shaking herself awake one last time and taking a few steps toward the door. "I see. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Shall we get going to the party, then?" She asked, surprising me- she'd never actually said she was going to go to the party, so I'd assumed she wasn't.

But, I nodded as she led us back to and out the door, seeming quite satisfied for some reason. This mare bewildered me- such wild emotions, and they changed even more frequently than a changeling's. I was brought back to reality by the sound of some bass-heavy music in the distance, and I looked over at Bon Bon, who was trying very hard to seem as if she didn't like the entrancing tunes.

"What exactly should I expect from this party?" I asked her, suddenly realizing that, with the exception of the horribly childish party the pink pony had planned for Cadence's wedding, I had no experience with Equestrian parties.

Bon Bon shook her head, her expression a mix of amusement and slight annoyance. "Well, before the wedding, I'd have said to expect a six year old's birthday party, but since she started hanging around with that ne'er-do-well Vinyl Scratch?" She paused, both to make a disgusted face and, I suspected, for dramatic effect. "Well, I'd expect loud music, debauchery, and possibly copious amounts of alcohol." The candy-maker said, her disapproving tone clashing with the way her tail swayed to the music.

We walked around the bend, and Sugar Cube Corner came into view. The building, earlier a picturesque fantasy house, had become a fortress of neons and strobe lights. Artificial fog billowed out every time the front door opened, and the ground beneath our hooves vibrated with the thump of the bass. With each step I took closer to the building, another layer of my royal reservations seemed to dissolve. I noticed, with some obscure part of my mind, that Bon Bon too seemed to be forgetting her distaste for this exact kind of party.

I pulled open the door and we walked through the cloud of cool fog into the dimly lit and intense room beyond. I was hardly able to process everything I saw inside- the densely packed dance floor full of ponies, writhing and moving in a way that made me blush just by looking at it. The stage that had been somehow erected in one corner flashed and sparked with lights and Vinyl's intense magical energy, which seemed to fluctuate in rhythm with the music. Then, of course, there was the refreshment bar, staffed by a Pinkie Pie so laden with glow sticks that she shouldn't have been able to stand.

In short, it was a little bit wild. I walked across the room toward where I thought I'd seen Octavia, and instead came face-to-face with the mare who was almost entirely responsible for my defeat in Canterlot- Twilight Sparkle. Despite our history, I found it next to impossible to hold any hard feelings against the lavender mare as her face stretched into a welcoming grin.

"Oh, Hi there!" She said brightly, opening up a door with her magic as she turned to talk to me. "You're Silver Screen, right?" She asked, and I nodded. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and it's a pleasure to meet you." She said, her grin growing wider by a few teeth.

I smiled right on back, even though something about her behavior seemed a little off. "No, the pleasure's mine!" I assured her, then gestured to the party raging around us as I searched for a conversation topic. "This is some party, huh?" I said, seizing upon that as an adequate topic for idle chit-chat.

Twilight nodded, gesturing toward the door she'd opened with a hoof. "For sure! We're having to bring out more snacks." She said, then turned to go in- and stopped, looking over her shoulder at me. "Hey, would you mind helping me with these?" She asked, prompting me to nod and follow her in. The room was very, very dark. I heard Twilight trip, then I tactfully chose not to hear her utter a rather offensive curse. "Hold on, let me find the light switch." She said, and I sat down while I waited.

Then there was a rustling and breathing behind me, and before I could even consider turning around, something heavy hit me in the back of the head and everything started to fade. As I drifted off, I heard a faint voice.

"Ah think Ah got her, sugarcube. Ah sure hope yer right about this."

I woke to a hoof rapping on the top of my head and a somewhat scratchy, tomboyish voice. "Rise and shine, faker. You got some questions to answer." She said, and I opened my eyes to look at the annoying cyan forehoof prodding my head. The rainbow-maned mare saw my eyes open and looked over her shoulder in excitement. "Girls, she's awake! Get in here!" The pegasus called, and it slowly dawned on me that this was Twilight's friend, Rainbow Dash.

As if summoned by my thoughts (or Dash's voice) Twilight and that country pony, Applejack, walked into my field of view. Did they know who I was? I decided to play it safe and assume they didn't. I let my eyes water and my lip wobble and assumed what I liked to call the 'pathetic look'. "T-Twilight?" I asked timidly, shivering a little bit for effect. "What's going on?"

Instantly, I saw Twilight and Rainbow Dash faltering a little in their 'tough girl' roles, and I could tell my little act was working. But Applejack's face remained as stone, and she frowned hard at me. "Ah wasn't convinced ya were trouble til just now. Ah may not be the sharpest plow in the barn, but I can tell an act- even a really good'un like that." She said, and the other two seemed reassured once more. I cursed the orange country mare for all she was worth- which, considering she worked on a farm, probably wasn't that much.

Twilight took a step closer, her face carefully blank- probably to hide her emotions from me, like a judge. "You can stop the act, Chrysalis. Pinkie Pie told us it's you." She said, the tension in her voice botching her carefully constructed self control. "What are you doing here?" She asked, and Rainbow Dash jabbed me in the chest.

"Yeah, and what do you want with Bon Bon, of all ponies? She's never done anything to you!" She asked, earning a puzzled glance from Applejack.

"Ah didn't even know you knew Bon Bon, RD." She said, and Dash flushed a little bit in embarrassment, avoiding meeting the farm pony's gaze.

"I don't. I... I heard Twilight say the name earlier." She admitted, and Applejack stifled a laugh despite the seriousness of the situation.

Twilight gave them both a reprimanding glance before turning back to me. "Answer the question, Chrysalis." She commanded, and I sighed and avoided her eyes.

"Would you believe anything I have to say?" I asked, feeling quite justified in wondering that, but Applejack stepped up defiantly, eying me with distaste.

"Ah'm a pretty good judge of truth and lies, missy. Just tell us, and I'll know if yer bein' truthful with us." She said confidently- and as far-fetched as it seemed, I was inclined to believe her.

"Well, then." I said, sitting up so I could address them better, (Dash bristled suspiciously) and clearing my throat. "I'm looking for a new home. I'm... not welcome among my own people anymore." I said, giving a weary grin. "As for why I'm here in this particular town? A friend recommended it to me." I said, thinking of Lyra. I looked over at the window, watching the sunlight stream in. Genesis and my friends must have been worrying by then, as late in the afternoon as it seemed to be.

Twilight interrupted my musings. "Why wouldn't you be welcome with your own people anymore? You are their queen, aren't you?" She asked, puzzlement clear on her face. I rubbed my forehead with a hoof.

"I was their queen. There were a few reasons that they cast me out- one of the biggest was our loss here. I don't want to talk about the others." I said, and watched as Twilight and Dash looked to Applejack, who gave a little nod that apparently signified that she thought I was being honest.

Celestia's favored student seemed to be in deep thought, a hoof held to her chin and her eyes far away, as if contemplating something beyond us. After a few moments of this behavior, she refocused on me and frowned. "I'm going to have to inform Princess Celestia." She said, and I felt myself pale.

"Wh-what? Please, don't!" I yelped, suddenly panicked. I'd heard rumors of what Celestia did to her enemies- one banished to the moon, one turned to stone, and one bashed to death by her magic back when Equestria was just a bunch of feuding city-states. I did not want to meet her face-to-face without my royal strength. "I'll do whatever you want, just don't turn me in to your Princess!" I said, begging and hating myself for it.

On unspoken consent, the three mares took a few steps away from me to convene quietly, murmuring to each other just low enough that I couldn't hear. Then, they came back with identical evil grins- well, except for Twilight. The lavender mare, as usual, took the lead for them. "We'll make you a deal, Chrysalis. We won't tell Celestia you're here..."

Dash took over. "But in return, you have to serve as an indentured worker to the three of us!" She declared, her grin growing only wider. I looked around to see Twilight facehoofing and Applejack matching Dash's grin. I looked at Twilight and raised a disbelieving eyebrow, and she gave a shrug and a sigh.

"I tried to stop this, but I was outvoted, sorry. It's not permanent, though- just til at least two of us feel that you've earned our trust. If and when that happens, you'll go free." She assured me, lending me a hoof and helping me up. She smiled a bit and, though it was a small smile, it was a legitimate one.

"Um, deal- but where will I live?" I asked, looking around at the three mares. Before Dash and Applejack could speak- and they clearly wanted to- Twilight stuck a hoof in both of their mouths.

"With me." She said, looking at Applejack. "You'd probably make her sleep in a barn, and..." She then looked at Dash. "She doesn't have wings. If someone saw her leaving your house with her wings hidden, they'd probably get suspicious." She finished, and they both bowed their heads in defeat. Twilight turned back to me and smiled a suspiciously sweet smile. "Let's go- you've a library to organize." She said, grinning darkly.