What Have We Become

The bright sunlight of morning shone through the curtains into the second bedroom of the little cottage. The storm had passed in the early hours of the night, leaving what promised to be a beautiful day in its wake. Golden rays illuminated the small room, revealing the peaceful form of the still sleeping Chrysalis, her gentle snores the only sounds to be heard. Fluttershy sat beside the bed, maintaining her silent vigil over her guest. She had awoken from her slumber at three a.m., and had been unable to return to sleep, worried as she was over Chrysalis’ condition. So, fully awake Fluttershy had decided to sit with her, to be there for her when she finally woke up.

Carefully Fluttershy placed the back of her hand on Chrysalis’ forehead just below her horn, checking her temperature. The pegasus was a little concerned she might have a fever, for she felt warm to the touch, before chiding herself that she didn't know what was normal for a Changeling. Gently she brushed a stray strand of lank blue grey mane hair from Chrysalis’ face, marvelling at how silky and smooth it felt despite the dirt in it. Indeed given the odour coming from the bed Fluttershy made a mental note to get Chrys in her bathtub at the earliest opportunity, then again, she assumed bathing was a luxury that had been unavailable to her in the five months since the attack on Canterlot.

Fluttershy hastily withdrew her hand as Chrysalis began to stir in the bed, her eyelids fluttered a couple of times before opening fully, an unmistakable look of panic in her luminous green eyes as they darted around the bedroom, taking in her surroundings before growing wide in fear as they settled on the butter yellow pegasus seated in front of her. Fluttershy did her best to give a reassuring smile despite her own feelings of unease. The silence between them was palpable, the only sound was Chrysalis’ rapid breaths beneath the duvet.

“Um…hello..” Fluttershy finally managed the greeting, if only to break the silence.

“W – who a – are you?” Chrysalis whispered in a frightened tone, wondering what was happening to her.

“My name is Fluttershy. You're in my cottage, I found you outside in the storm last night.” She tried another smile, in an attempt to put her guest at ease.

“Flu-tter-shy…Fluttershy…I like it, I think..” Chrysalis rolled the name around, as if trying it out to see if she liked it, before asking, “a – and w – who am I?” Her wide green eyes looked expectantly at Fluttershy, who was taken aback by the unexpected question.

“You don't know your name?” Fluttershy was met with an uncertain shake of the head, and she noticed a look of sadness had replaced the outright fear in Chrysalis’ eyes.

"Your name is Chrysalis…um, you really don't remember?”

She shook her head once more, before thinking over the name this Fluttershy had given her. “Chry-sa-lis…I don't like it, it doesn't sound very nice.” She sat up in the bed, letting the duvet drop from where she had been holding it, almost like it was a shield, before voicing a thought that had struck her. “Am I nice?” She asked innocently.

“Well, um, I don't, er, that is, I'm not really, um…” Fluttershy flailed about, unsure as to how best to answer, she didn't want to upset her guest, but couldn't see a way out of it, before saying as quietly and diplomatically as possible, “I don't think my friends would think so…”

Chrysalis perked her ears up at the mention of the word ‘friends’, she cocked her head to one side in thought. “Friends…what are friends? Do I have friends?” She asked, a hopeful tone in her voice.

“Oh, um, well not really…sorry.” Chrysalis flattened her ears against her head and her green eyes lost some of their luminescence at Fluttershy's words, she didn't like how this felt, not at all. Noticing her reaction Fluttershy rushed to cover her slip, “but, if you like I can be your friend, if that's ok with you.”

“Really, you will?” A tentative smile played over Chrysalis’ lips, which grew wider as Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically, making her smile even more, baring her fangs in a wide grin. “T – thank you Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy beamed a warm smile of her own at Chrysalis, a tender loving feeling spreading through her as she blushed fiercely. She loved seeing this more vulnerable side of the Changeling Queen, she wondered if anypony had ever seen it before. Suddenly a woozy dizzy feeling made Fluttershy’s head swim momentarily, as she shook her head gently to clear the disorientation she saw Chrysalis’ horn glow with a soft green light, which shimmered down her body. Just as suddenly as it came the feeling passed, leaving Fluttershy feeling drained but otherwise unhurt.

Chrysalis scrabbled around on the bed in panic, alarmed and confused at what just happened. Whatever it was she felt energised, nourished for the first time in a long while, but it had also weakened her new friend, who had been kind enough to look after her. “W – what was that? What did I do? I didn't mean to do it! Fluttershy I'm sorry, I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry!”

“Chrys, it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong, I'm okay really.” Fluttershy stood and extended her hand to Chrysalis, who stopped fretting long enough to take it in her own, allowing Fluttershy to lead her from the bed. “Come with me downstairs, you'll be more comfortable on the sofa, come on, it's alright, really it is.”

Chrysalis looked ashamed at her hooves, tears at the corners of her eyes, which had lost their shine. “I'm sorry…” She mumbled through sniffled sobs.

Fluttershy held her hand firmly, not letting go. With her other hand she nudged her chin to lift her gaze upward to see her as she placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Chrys, it's okay. Come downstairs, I'll tell you what I think just happened.” Chrysalis nodded with a hesitant smile as she let her friend guide her down the stairs. Fluttershy walked slowly with her hand in hand still, draping a wing over Chrys’ shoulder holding her close, as she was still rather shaky on her hooves.

Safely down the stairs Fluttershy asked Chrys to wait for her on the sofa, which she obeyed immediately, seating herself like a school filly awaiting detention by a particularly stern teacher, whilst Fluttershy went to the kitchen to prepare some tea.

Nervously Chrysalis pulled the borrowed bathrobe tighter around her slim body, noticing for the first time she was naked underneath it. She assumed Fluttershy had dressed her in it after she found her in the ‘storm’, whatever that was that the flashes and bangs were called? Storms? Chrysalis decided she didn't like these ‘storms’ very much. Looking around the room she couldn't help but feel lost and confused by what she saw. This ‘sofa’ as Fluttershy had named it was comfortable to sit on, it was nice and soft, it reminded her of her host, to whom she kept throwing glances over her shoulder to make sure she was still there. Her attention however was caught by this large rectangular shaped flat thing in the corner of the room. Cautiously Chrysalis walked over to it and ran a hand over the front, it felt smooth and cold to the touch. What was it? She found a series of little buttons near the bottom, and touching the largest she recoiled in terror as the thing came to life. Moving pictures flashed across the screen and a cacophonous noise erupted from it at an unreal volume. For a moment Chrysalis thought the storm had returned, and she staggered and fell backwards over herself as she scrambled to hide behind the sofa she had been sat on moments before. What had she done? Had she angered it, whatever ‘it’ was? Desperately Chrysalis brought her hands to her ears and squeezed her eyes shut to try and block out the awful noise.

“What the hay?...” Fluttershy came hurrying into the living room, spilling tea as she assessed what had happened in her absence. The television was turned on, blaring out sine Celestia-awful rock music at an unfeasible  volume, and poor Chrys was trembling behind the sofa.

“I'm sorry! Please, make it go away!” Came a terrified whimper from the vicinity of the sofa.

“Rainbow Dash!” Stomping a hoof in frustration Fluttershy reached for the nearby remote control and silenced the television, and made a mental note to skin her annoying friend alive the next chance she got. Fluttershy had asked her many times not to watch that infernal rock channel on her t.v. Huffing a sigh, she resigned herself to calming her new friend. Trotting behind the sofa Fluttershy hunkered down to Chrysalis’ level and nudged her shoulder gently. “Hey you…”

Chrysalis cracked open her green eyes and looked at Fluttershy, wiping tears from her cheeks. “I – is it gone?” She asked timidly, not wanting to leave her sanctuary.

Fluttershy gave her a smile, immediately putting Chrysalis at ease. “It's gone. It can't hurt you, I'll make sure of that, come on, come here.” Reaching out her arms Fluttershy gently tugged Chrysalis to her hooves and guided her back to the sofa, this time sitting beside her and pulling her into a tight hug. Leaning back into the seat Fluttershy was pleasantly surprised when Chrysalis rested her head on her shoulder while wrapping her arms around her waist.

For a moment Fluttershy was lost in the contact, she was getting that warm fuzzy feeling in her belly again, it crept up on her unannounced and it wasn't entirely unwelcome, although she did feel slightly guilty about it. She was attracted to Chrysalis of course, but she couldn't help feel like she was taking advantage of her, especially in the condition she was in right now, which was far from her best. A more pressing concern was the worrying thought of what her friends would say when they found out that one of Equestria's most wanted was under her roof. Fluttershy supposed she should have reported her last night, but something stayed her hand, that this was clearly a different Chrysalis than the one who had lead the invasion of Canterlot. This Chrysalis was in no fit state to be judged, and Fluttershy couldn't help but feel a little responsible for her.

Without thinking Fluttershy lent her head and placed a loving kiss on the tip of Chrysalis’ horn, which began to glow faintly, it's magic beginning to absorb the emotion flowing from the caring pegasus. Seeing what was going to happen Fluttershy braced herself against the feeling of nausea that blossomed in her head, but didn't attempt to pull away from the embrace, instead allowing Chrysalis to take in the magical force.

Chrysalis felt what had happened, recognised it as the same thing that had happened upstairs. Her head shot up from Fluttershy’s shoulder, panic written across her face. “I – I did it again! I didn't mean to do it! What did I do?”

Fluttershy simply reached up and stroked Chrysalis’ silky hair, calming the distressed Changeling. Sitting up straight, she held her hands on their knees. Briefly Fluttershy wondered what to tell her, before deciding that the truth was preferable to any lie, no matter how small. Blue eyes met green as Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Chrys, we’re different, I'm a Pony, and, um, you…you're a Changeling.”

Chrysalis cocked her head to one side again, not understanding what her friend had said. “A – a Changeling? What's a Changeling?”

“You are. When you are stronger you are able to alter your appearance to look like anypony or anything else. This,” Fluttershy indicated Chrysalis herself, “is what you actually look like. What you were just doing, and what you did earlier upstairs, was feeding…”

“I was…feeding? Like, ‘eating’ feeding?” Fluttershy was a little alarmed at how revulsed Chrysalis looked, “and…and what was I feeding on, was it, you?”

Hesitantly Fluttershy nodded, “you, and your kind, live off positive emotions, like joy, pleasure…or, love.” Fluttershy made no attempt to hide her furious blush that lit up her cheeks.

“I - I'm sorry! I didn't know, you, you must think I'm awful…”

"Hey, no I don't, you're just different to me that's all. You aren't awful Chrys, not at all.”

“R – really?”

“Really.” Fluttershy reached up and gently wiped away the glistening tears that threatened to pour down Chrys’ face, before catching a strong odour, which reminded her earlier she was going to offer the Changeling a bath. Still holding Chrys’ hand Fluttershy stood, beckoning her to follow. “Come on, we need to get you a nice hot bath.”

“A bath? What's…a bath?”

Fluttershy let out a delightful giggle, “I'll show you, come on back upstairs.”

Leading her by the hand back upstairs Fluttershy pushed open the bathroom door and let Chrysalis enter ahead of her. She showed her to the large rectangular bathtub that took up the majority of the far wall, told her to take off the bathrobe and sit inside it. Doing as she was told, Chrysalis sat naked in the bath, unsure of what was going to happen next but Fluttershy seemed to know what she was doing. She watched as Fluttershy turned these weird little things at the end of the bath.

Chrysalis then proceeded to scream at the top of her lungs and scrambled to get out of the bath as the heated water poured out of the taps, splashing her chitinous skin. “AAAAGH! The wet! From up there! In the dark!...”

Immediately Fluttershy was at her side, hands on her shoulders to calm her down. “Chrys, Chrys, it's okay, I'm here, it can't hurt you, I'm here…”

Steadying her breathing as the heated water began filling up the bath Chrysalis turned a pleading glance to the yellow pegasus beside her. “Stay with me, please?”

“Of course I will, for as long as you need.”

The telephone rang in the living room, it's summons going unanswered as Fluttershy concentrated on cleaning the lived in dirt from Chrysalis’ body, mane and tail. If it was important they'd always ring back…

Fluttershy's answering machine began to record a message, "hey Fluttershy it's Twilight. You didn't show up to help with the reshelving earlier, now you aren't answering your phone. I'll nip over later, make sure you're okay. See you in a bit, Twi..."