The True Shape

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Interlude
Chapter Five
Chapter Six

Prologue

She looked imploringly at her mother, her lower lip thrust forward in a pout.

"Must I sleep, mother?"

"Yes, my child. Unfortunately, you must. Trust me when I say that I do not wish this sleep on you. But the day is far off, and many aeons will be before it is time."

With a sigh, she hung her head, nodding softly.

"Very well. I will accept this, as I have accepted this task."

"You will be blessed for it, my child. You will be my instrument of change. You will gather all into me."

There was a long silence, and then she lifted her head, a look of determination etched across her face. She was ready. She could do this. She would do this. Her expression then softened a little.

"I love you, mother."

"I love you too, my child. Now sleep."

And so she slept.

Chapter One

The Equestrian Badlands. Was there a more inhospitable place in all of Equestria? No vegetation grew there; the soil was incredibly alkaline, the rain clouds spurned the area, and the sun beat down mercilessly. And even if a seed was planted, it would surely be uncovered and borne away on the winds that churned up the sand and soil and dust, the hot air choked with particulates. And with nothing able to grow, there were no fauna who made their home there. It was a desolated, desiccated land. Anypony crossing through made it a speedy endeavour, or else skirted around the area altogether. There was so much fertile life throughout Equestria that one look at the Badlands would make one consider the land to be cursed.

The wise stayed far away from it. The foolhardy ventured in for adventure. Some made it back, weak and suffering from exposure. Others were not so lucky, and their sun-bleached bones were worn away by the wind-blown sand. Tarnished Relic shuddered as he bound the scarf more tightly around his muzzle, wondering if he fell in the latter category. He had heard the stories, ponies whispering in slurred syllables at the bar, telling their friends about the Badlands:

You just have to step inside and you will instantly be carved up, the cursed sand turned into deadly blades by the wind, punishing any who dare enter.

There are creatures that live under the sand, and if they hear the rhythm of your hooves they'll surface and swallow you whole.

The Badlands are the territory of a fierce sand witch, bred for evil. You don't want to meet up with her.

On and on they went, each as horrifying as the last. The rational part of him knew that the fantastical stories were pure poppycock, dark inventions from the dark side within all ponykind, but as he waded through the sand, the wind howling and throwing it all about, weaving it into his mane and his coat, he felt a chill run down his spine. He could very well meet his end out here. And for what? He didn't even know for certain that there was anything to be unearthed in the Badlands, that there was any major find to be had. His peers had at first laughed when he suggested going into the Badlands, and then they fearfully begged him to reconsider when they realized he wasn't joking. But they could not dissuade him, and now here he was, wondering if he should have listened.

He sought sanctuary beneath a small crag, pressing in close to the rocky wall to escape the worst of the wind's abuse. He pulled out one of his canteens, tugging the scarf down from his muzzle, and took a swig. His throat was parched, and he could have drained several canteens to slake his thirst, but he knew he had to ration his water. There was no mercy for the foolish pony in the Badlands. Scorching heat and winds by day, and freezing cold at night, the Badlands dispassionately made short work of those who were neither careful nor prepared.

His everything ached, the wind having pummeled his form nonstop all day. Getting out of the wind was a relief, and he was sorely tempted to lay down and take a nap. His eyes felt heavy, exhaustion seeping through every inch of his body. A nap would be lovely, he thought. He let himself relax and slide down the wall into a heap of tired stallion. He lay there for a moment, and then his eyes shot open and he forced himself back up onto his hooves, muttering an oath under his breath.

"You foal, you utter foal!" He cursed himself, though the words got swallowed up by the fierce howling of the wind. He took another swig of his water, then pulled his scarf back up, binding it tightly around his muzzle. Then he moved on, back out into the wind and the sand, facing the Badland's wrath once more.

* * *

At first, nothing really stuck out to him: sand dunes here, an escarpment there. He could be thinking about it all wrong, but he couldn't shake himself of the idea that if there was any archaeological discovery to be found in these barren wastes then it would stick out like a sore thumb.

Just as he was about to admit defeat and search for a sheltered spot to pitch camp for the night, he saw it. In the distance there was a series of buttes rising out of the ground, three of them spaced out equidistant in a triangular pattern, with a fourth smaller butte sitting in the center. To the untrained eye this might merely be a coincidence fashioned by nature, and it very well could have been, but he doubted it. He didn't want to be wrong. He wanted something to show for his efforts, to show that he hadn't taken his life in his hooves for nothing.

Tarnished redoubled his speed, fighting against the wind, kicking up sand with his hooves, intent on getting to that center butte. It was like the center of a target. X marks the spot. The treasure is here. Anything, anything at all, whether it was a pottery shard or an inscription, it would be like fine gold or precious diamonds. Anything to show that there was history here.

As he approached the center butte, he became even more convinced that he was on the right track. Though it had been weathered over time, he could see that the sides were very smooth, and that the butte looked very square, as if it were some sort of structure. Already he could feel excitement flowing through his veins, energizing him. An ancient edifice in the Badlands. No archaeologist had ever successfully explored the Badlands before, so this would make him famous in the scientific community. He would be lauded by other archaeologists and professors. He would go on a lecture circuit, showing and explaining his discovery. He would be somepony. Dr. Tarnished Relic would be a name that wouldn't be quickly forgotten. He would make history by discovering history.

Finally, he stood before it, running his hoof delicately over its surface. The fierce, swirling winds he paid no mind as he circled it, his eyes narrowed, staring through the lenses of his goggles, looking for something more. If this structure was indeed an artifact, then who made it, and why? Had it been made to appease the gods, to seek their favour and transform the Badlands into good lands? How did they do it? With what primitive tools was it carved? There were so many questions bubbling in his mind as he inspected each of its four sides.

When he made it around to the fourth and final side, he paused. The particles dancing in the wind made it hard to see clearly, but he swore that he could see some sort of mark in the rock. He quickened his step, stumbling a little in the shifting sands, eager to see what it was. As he got closer, he saw what appeared to be a cleanly cut circle. Tarnished shuddered as he stood before it, giddy as a schoolfilly. This alone confirmed that this butte was not what it appeared to be, since this circle was not a natural occurrence. Somepony had clearly cut it into the rock. He reached out and touched it gingerly. Could it be an emblem of some sort?

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound, and the circle glowed, retreating into the rock. The rumbling got even louder and he took a few steps back, staring in surprise and awe at the structure. Not an emblem, but a button or a switch! A glowing seam appeared on the rock face, cutting into the rock and forming the shape of two massive doors. He held his breath, watching, waiting. Then he squeaked and fell backwards onto his rump as the doors suddenly opened, expelling the air that had been trapped inside for untold ages. The doors opened inwardly, and he could hear the harsh scraping sound of rock against rock, as well as the groan of protest from the ancient hinges. With a thunderous thump, all went quiet, and he was left staring wide-eyed into the darkness within.

* * *

Tarnished held the mana-fuelled lantern high, illuminating what lay before him with the purple glow of magelight. As he had surmised, this wasn't a natural structure. The butte was completely hollow, and within it contained a rather modest shrine of sorts. It took him long moments to overcome the discovery overload, and once he changed the fuse he came back to himself and proceeded towards the shrine. The shrine, instead of being stone overlaid with gold or silver as was often found with other shrines, was composed entirely of some sort of onyx, polished to a shine. Inlaid here and there in the onyx were emeralds and aquamarines. All of it glinted in the light his lantern cast upon it, and he paused once more to appreciate the beauty of it.

In the center there stood an onyx pedestal, and sitting atop the pedestal was...well, he wasn't quite sure what it was. He stared at it intently, thinking that it somewhat resembled a butterfly's chrysalis, only much, much larger. It glistened as if covered in lacquer, its surface unbelievably smooth and iridescent. Dimly he realized his hoof was edging toward it, and he quickly stopped himself, retracting his hoof. He had to make notes first, do some sketches, record what he had found. He couldn't just go about poking things willy-nilly, especially if by his touch he broke something. And yet he felt a compulsion welling up within him, and his hoof once more moved towards it, his whole body shivering with the excitement of the unknown. Then his hoof made contact, and he waited. Nothing. He let out a sigh of relief, lowering his hoof. He wasn't sure why he had felt he had to touch the object so badly. Maybe he was suffering a little madness from his trek through the Badlands. Yes, yes, that was it.

CRACK

He stiffened up, looking in alarm at the object on the pedestal. Did the sound come from it? Had his touch finally been the undoing of the ancient chrysalis?

CRACK. CRRRRAAAACK. SNAP.

He looked on in horror as fissures and cracks appeared across its surface. "Nonononononoooo!" He had really done it now. He could see his future laurels being passed on to somepony else, to another archaeologist, one who had more sense than he apparently had and who would continue the study of this shrine after he had been kicked out of the Archaeologists' Guild. The chrysalis was crumbling before him, and it was all his fault.

He could not avert his eyes from the destruction he had caused, whole chunks of the chrysalis falling away. But then he saw through the holes that were forming that it wasn't empty. Something was inside. Surely whatever was inside it wasn't alive, right?

His hopes of that being true were dashed when he saw movement. There was a creature inside the chrysalis, and IT WAS ALIVE. He wanted to scream, but his voice had left him. He wanted to step back, to turn around, to run, but his hooves were locked in place. He couldn't move. He was speechless and powerless, unable to do anything but watch as whatever creature inhabiting the chrysalis was born.

With a hiss of triumph, the creature thrashed and cast aside the last of its bondage, then stood up to its full height. Its eyes slowly opened, pools of green with a black slit pupil, eyes that glowed in the darkness. Its body was black as pitch (save for its green carapace and green banding around its midsection), with a stiff exoskeleton like that of a beetle, except that it looked very much like an equine. It stood on tall legs like an alicorn, albeit legs riddled with holes, and upon its head was a jagged horn. Its long, stringy teal mane hung limply from its head, down the sides of its neck and back, and its tail was very much the same. Insectile wings were affixed to its back, and these began to buzz on its back, filling the air with a soft, hypnotic hum. He let out a squeak of terror as he took in the visage of what could only be some sort of ancient, primeval monster, and suddenly its gaze was upon him. A soft smile broke across its muzzle, revealing sharp fangs, fangs which he feared it would most delightedly sink into his neck and drain his blood.

The creature hopped gracefully off of the pedestal and approached him slowly, making clicking and chirping sounds at him. Tarnished's heart hammered at his chest, and still he could not seem to move. Whether it was merely overwhelming fear or some sort of magic the creature possessed, he was stood still, completely at its mercy. It stopped before him, lowering its head, bringing its eyes level with his. It continued to make those insect-like sounds, tilting its head in curiosity. Was it...was it trying to communicate with him? He had no clue what it was saying, and he finally found his voice, saying so.

"I-I d-d-don't know what you're s-s-s-saying!" It stepped back in surprise as it heard him speak, looking at him with wide eyes. Then it smiled its unnerving smile once more and lifted a hoof, pressing it against his forehead. Its horn began to glow with the telltale glow of magic. "What are youuuuuuohhhhhhhhhhhh..." He felt a presence like a million tiny fingers in his head, in his brain, caressing and poking and squeezing, and his eyes rolled back. One would think there would be some sort of fear accompanying this sort of invasion, but instead of being fearful he was gripped with waves of euphoria. Whatever it was doing to him, it felt good. His whole body felt tingly and warm, and he let his eyelids shut as the wonderful sensations gripped him. He heard somepony giggling, and realized that he was hearing his own giggles. He could feel the creature's presence in his head, overtaking him, swallowing up all thought. It was inside him. Inside my mind inside yes good inside good so heeheehahaHAHA—

Chapter Two

Ecstasy like he had never known flowed through Tarnished, his mind divulging all its secrets to the creature. Everything in his mind, the things he liked and disliked, and all the accumulated knowledge and wisdom crammed in there, all of it was laid bare for the creature to sift through. When she completed her search and her presence left his mind, he came to, giggling and shivering, hooves clinging tightly to her smooth chitin.

Wait a minute. Her?

He lifted his head and looked up at her. There was no doubt in his mind that the creature was female. She smiled softly down at him, and, as he figured that she likely meant him no harm, he realized those fangs of hers were rather...cute. In fact, as his eyes roved over her, what he had at first found frightening and freakish he now found to be beautiful in an otherworldly way.

"Tarnished Relic, are you all right?" She asked. He nodded dumbly, his brain still a little muddled, not reacting right away to the fact that she had spoken in his tongue. "I apologize for the intrusion, but we were having some trouble communicating."

"Y-Yes, we...wait!" His eyes widened as it finally hit him, and he gaped at her in awe. "H-how...you...how are you..."

"Talking to you? I dove into your mind to figure out your language. It took a few minutes to put it all together, but I am now fluent in your tongue. I also divined your name whilst doing so."

"Oh...oh, I s-see." He was feeling somewhat embarrassed, wondering just what she had seen in his mind as she looked through it. Just like anypony else, he had things he regretted doing, things he buried and tried to forget, and he was hoping she wouldn't bring any of them up for him to explain himself. He quickly directed questions to her, looking to keep the focus on her and to gather information to satisfy his curiosity. "Who are you? What are you?"

"Who am I? For now, you may call me 'Chrysalis'," she said, turning to look meaningfully at the chrysalis she had emerged from.

"So...that's not your actual name, then."

"Correct. The time is not now for me to say my true name. I pray you will forgive me this secret, and I hope it will not be long before I can reveal it to you." She turned back to look at him, a soft pout on her lips. Nngghh, how can I say no to that face?

"I...f-fine. That's fine. And what of my second question?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"What am I, you ask? I am a messenger, I am an implement, I am the hoof of Xzalamat the Almighty come to set things straight."

"...what?" Her answer only added to his confusion. "I don't quite follow you. Also...Xzalamat? That's not a name many know. There are very few references to her in ancient myth, and those that exist don't paint a good picture of her."

"And what exactly do your myths say of her?"

"Well..." He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. He was afraid to tell her, in case it upset her.

"I will not get angry, Tarnished Relic. I do not know anger. It does not exist in me." He looked at her rather skeptically, but then grudgingly nodded.

"Fine. I will tell you. They say that when ponies were made, she got jealous and wanted them to look like her, but she was thwarted by other gods and her plans were stopped." Chrysalis smiled and then began to gently laugh. "What? What's so funny?"

"Hahaha! What lies! It is more the opposite. You are not the True Shape. None of you ponies are. You were meant to be made in Xzalamat's image, but she was the one who was betrayed, not the betrayer. But now that you have awoken me to the True Dream I shall be able to do what I was sent here for."

"Wait, hold on, 'True Dream'?" He asked, holding up his hoof. "What do you mean by that?"

"I have no need for sleep, but I was placed in a state of dreaming in the chrysalis until the appointed day. Now that day is here, and I have awoken to the True Dream, which is life. I have you to thank, Tarnished Relic, for awakening me. You will be at my side forevermore."

"F-forever?" He spluttered, staring at her in utter disbelief. "But...I'm not immortal. I can't live forever."

"Not yet, no. But if you take on the True Shape, the shape you were meant to have from the beginning, then you can and will live forever. You will not hunger or thirst, and you will not need sleep. You will feast on joy and love, you will drink peace, and you will use your life to the full."

"Uh-huh. And the True Shape looks like what, exactly?"

"You are beholding it." She spun in a circle, then posed elegantly, fluttering her lashes at him. "It is perfection. It is the image of Xzalamat. I am like her, only less divine."

"Look, I do think you're...um...lovely and all, but..." He bit his lip. "I don't know if I want to look like that. And I think a good many ponies would agree with me. It's just not...um..."

"Beautiful?" She asked softly, and he sighed heavily, nodding again. "Xzalamat is the first and the last, she has always been and always will be, and it was her plan to make her earthbound children in her image, just as her heavenly daughters were made in her image. If she had not been betrayed, then this would be the standard of beauty. But she was betrayed, and that corrupted form you now bear has become the standard."

"Corrupted? Be careful who you say that to. Some ponies might be offended."

"I did not come to cause offense, only to gather all into the chitinous bosom of Xzalamat. I cannot control what others think. I can merely appeal to their hearts and minds. I am to do whatever I must to succeed, but I may not cause pain, nor may I force the change. Ultimately, each pony will have to give me permission to rework them into the True Shape." She probed his emotional energy, and saw there disbelief, doubt, and a small wisp of fear that Tarnished likely didn't even consciously notice in himself. "Do not worry, I shall not ask this change of you today, though. I will give you some time to meditate on it." She turned and looked towards the light coming in through the doors, the light outside getting dimmer by the moment. "Night is fast approaching. Do you think you will be able to travel?"

"Y-yeah, I think I *yawn* can." He yawned wide, putting a hoof over his mouth, and when he pulled his hoof away and opened his eyes he saw her staring at him with a knowing look. "What?"

"You are tired." It wasn't a question.

"Um...yeah, a little. But I think I'd be okay if we getting going now."

"That is out of the question. I know that you need rest, and rest you shall get." She lay down on the smooth glossy stone of the shrine, and gently patted the spot beside her. "Come, sleep beside me, and I shall watch over you."

"I...uh...um..."

"I won't bite, if that is what makes you hesitate." She giggled softly, then flashed him a gentle, motherly smile, and immediately he felt all the more drawn to her. The love and care she was willing to give to him absolutely radiated from that smile, and any lingering unease that the sight of the fangs initially caused was washed away. "Rest is what you need, and I assure you that you will rest all the better snuggled up beside me."

"S-sure...all right then." He slowly and cautiously laid down beside her, and she threw a hoof around him, pulling him close. Though Chrysalis' chitin was tough, it was also quite smooth and pleasant to the touch, and he let out a happy sigh as he melted against her. "Mmm...you're quite comfy."

"I am glad. Now sleep, Tarnished. Sleep, and I shall see you when you awake."

"What will you do in the meantime?"

"I shall pray to Xzalamat. I shall also meditate on the deeper things. And I will watch over you." She purred and leaned down to gently nibble at his ear, making him wriggle with delight. "You are too cute." She said, giggling, with Tarnished hiding his blush by burying his face against her neck.

"Th-thank you." He yawned again, then softly smacked his lips, laying his head down and closing his eyes. Chrysalis gently buzzed her wings, filling the chamber with the gentle hum, and she stroked her hoof through his mane with a whisper soft touch. Chrysalis would watch over him. She would take good care of him. He had never felt so safe before in his life, not even when he was a young foal snuggling with his mother. Something more than his mother was here, something ancient and divine and powerful, and she loved him.

Chapter Three

The Realm of Dreams: Luna's demesne, where ponies arrived every night in worship to the Lunar Mare, whether they realized their fealty or not. Where necessary, Luna would step into nightmares and return her subjects to peaceful slumber. More often than not, though, no intervention from her was necessary, as the majority of dreams were either peaceful or at least rather innocuous and inoffensive.

Tarnished Relic's dream was not a nightmare, but neither was it completely without note.

He was stood beside a wide river, at least a mile wide or perhaps more, the water moving along swiftly but without violence or froth. He followed it with his eyes, and it split into two rivers. And then four. Eight. Sixteen. Thirty-Two. He could see farther than he thought equinely possible, and he saw that the streams kept on dividing, splitting again and again exponentially, spreading out in all directions, a million thin streams swallowing the horizon. All was quiet except for the peaceful ambience of the river beside him...but then he heard a voice begin to speak:

"The river flowed out of the True Dream,
dividing into infinite streams,
and every life was gently watered."

Huh? But...that's my voice, he thought. It was indeed his voice, or at least it sounded very much like it, though there was a strange resonance to it.

"We all reach out to each other
from whichever riverbank we call home,
and together the chaos is beautiful."

Tarnished looked around, looking to see if his doppelganger was visible. But no, it was only the voice which he heard, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He had never dreamed this vividly before. The waters of the great river were crystal blue and glowing, throbbing and pulsing with light. The banks along the river were lush with greenery, the flora well-watered and made to flourish. He had never seen such healthy plant life before, and though it looked delicious, he felt no hunger. Staring at the waters, which looked so clean and inviting, he found that he felt no thirst either. He merely acknowledged the beauty. He felt strangely moved by what he was seeing, and the closing words of a poem he had read many years before suddenly came back to him: And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything? And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for? And have you changed your life?

"But love, love cannot be divided, only multiplied.
Like the kudzu it devours all
and leaves peace and joy in its wake."

The vocal doppelganger spoke once more, and the flora around him exploded in growth, grass shooting up to his neck, multitudes of flowers opening and straining upwards toward the unseen sun that was illuminating the scene before him. Try as he might, he couldn't direct his gaze upward, unable to look upon the burning ball in the sky. It seemed there were some limitations to this dream, then.

"The river has divided, spreading out in all directions,
but love brings all streams into itself."

Suddenly, he was whisked along at high speed, lifting into the air, moving faster than any pegasus could. For an earth pony like himself, this was both thrilling and frightening, and the cry leaving his mouth was somewhere between terror and delight. He soared over the multitude of streams, the infinite streams, but noticed that as he was borne along towards the horizon the streams began to converge and mix until they had once again formed one great river.

"Xzalamat is love, she brings all into her embrace."

The river disappeared, along with everything else, and he found himself floating in a white, featureless void. Uh...what the buck just happened?, he thought, feeling an undeniable ache in his chest at the loss of the preternatural beauty he had just been witness too. The void did not remain featureless for long, as a pair of eyes opened in the nothingness, giant eyes towering over him, green eyes with a slit black pupil. The eyes very like Chrysalis' eyes, but he knew these eyes did not belong to her. He didn't have to dig deep to know whose eyes were trained on him. These were the eyes of Xzalamat, and though they were daunting in size, they looked at him kindly. It was then that he heard his vocal doppelganger speaking once more, and the voice was tinged with sheer rapture:

"Xzalamat, Xzalamat, kju pirir zo!
Chitinous Eternal Mother, hold me close!
May my fangs glint in the sunlight as I smile,
overcome with joy,
may I feel secure and at peace,
with no terror surrounding me,
may my heart be acceptable in your eyes
when I offer it to you!"

Hearing these words in his own voice sent another chill through him, but he also noted that they filled him with the stirrings of excitement and joy. These were not his words, they were not words he could see himself saying, and yet hearing them being said aloud with his voice made his heart quicken in his chest. Was this merely a fantasy dream, or...or was it a portent of things to come?

Before he could get too deep in his ruminations over the meaning of what he had seen so far, he heard another voice speak. It boomed from the void, it echoed from every direction, it filled his ears. The intensity of it reminded him of the Royal Canterlot Voice, the volume of which commanded fear and awe. But the Royal Canterlot Voice had nothing on this.

"All that I will do for you and more, my son, if you return to me, if you will give yourself over to the one whom you have not known but who will henceforth be known to one and all."

Xzalamat's voice was loud and all-encompassing, but it was also sweet and kind, and he fell before Her eyes onto his knees, unbidden tears of joy springing from his tear ducts and rolling down his cheeks.

"I...I will...I...I want to..." It was his voice speaking, soft and tremulous, but this time it was from his own mouth. His vocal doppelganger had been leading him along to this point, but now it was time for him to continue, to finish the dream. He didn't know why he was agreeing with this strange new sentiment, but it felt right.

"I know, my son. I know you do. I love you. Now...AWAKEN!"

His eyes shot open and he gasped loudly, looking wildly about. It took him a few moments to remember where he was, to overcome the confusion of waking up in a place that was not his bed, and then he registered the warm presence of Chrysalis beside him, nuzzling him.

"Are you all right, Tarnished?" She asked, chirruping softly and giving his cheek a gentle lick.

"I...um...I think so, I just...had a dream." His voice quivered. His whole body quivered, as he was still overcome by what he had witnessed. He was more shaken up by it than any nightmare he'd had as a foal. "It was...like nothing I've ever seen."

"What happened in it?" Tarnished then proceeded to describe what he had scene in his dream, the river that divided and then converged again, the beauty of the water and the flora, and he also told her what his vocal doppelganger had said. When he got to the point of the dream where he had encountered Xzalamat, or at least Her kind yet overpowering eyes, he found himself stumbling over his words, his face rather flushed. When he had finished, he looked at her and waited for her pronouncement. "It is very much a portent. You must feel honoured that She would send a vision to you."

"I...I'm not quite sure. I mean, I found myself agreeing at the end of it, but was that really me? I hardly know her. I hardly know you. This is all so new and sudden! Throwing myself at the mercy and love of a goddess I thought up until now only a myth is...well...a little hard to swallow."

"I will concede that it is so. You have not known her, nor has the rest of ponykind. A few know of her name in myth, as you do, but otherwise she is a complete unknown. But you will know, Tarnished, be assured of that. I shall teach you. She shall teach you. All of Equestria will know her in time. Whether in a short time or a long time, I know that all will be like me, wearing the True Shape and content and at peace in Xzalamat's embrace."

"You seem fairly confident of your success, Chrysalis."

"I have been given a vision as well, and I have seen it. Xzalamat does not lie. She is not a pony so as to tell lies. If she has said it, then it will be done."

"...all right. But then why did I get a vision? I'm nopony special. Why would she single me out?"

"You are a highly favoured one, Tarnished. From the beginning of my slumber, Xzalamat knew you. Aeons would pass until your birth, but she awaited it with excitement, for you would be the one to awaken me. It was your destiny to find me."

"So I had no choice in the matter?" He asked, frowning. "I'm not sure I like that."

"So much is made of choice. When one has no choice, they chafe at it and demand choice. But when they are given choice, they know not what to do, and are miserable with their choice. But I will say this, you still have a choice. Either you wish to attend to me and help me, and dwell at my side, or we can go our separate ways and you can turn your back on me and Xzalamat. The choice is yours, Tarnished. You know what I wish, that you would choose the former, but I cannot and will not stop you from choosing the latter." Gently disentangling herself from him, she stood up and stepped over him, walking down the steps of the altar. "Day has broken, and it would be best if we moved on. Where do we head to from here?"

"Well...I guess we'll be heading back to Canterlot, and we'll get there by catching the train leaving from Appleloosa. Appleloosa is about a day and a half walk from here." His voice was soft and flat, devoid of enthusiasm, too much on his mind at the moment to summon enough affect to colour his words.

"Lead the way, then." She said, and he walked down the altar steps, leading her out of the hollow butte. As they stepped out into the morning light, sand swirling in eddies around their hooves, he turned back and looked at the towering rocky edifice, thinking how quickly everything had changed in the space of a few hours. Even if nothing came of Chrysalis' quest, which he thought likely to fail, he would never be the same stallion again.

Author's Note

This chapter came to me in a flash of inspiration after reading MadDonut's comment that they posted in regard to my own. I was inspired to write a poem, which then inspired me to write this chapter, with said poem incorporated into it. Thanks MadDonut! :heart:

Chapter Four

Tarnished pulled his scarf up over his muzzle and his goggles back down over his eyes, staring at the Badlands with a heavy sigh. He had crossed all that distance, so no doubt he could do it again. Still, staring at the fierce, unforgiving land before him was rather daunting.

"It is quite wild here!" Chrysalis had to shout over the wind, which had decided that their appearance was the right time to really start blowing again.

"Yeah! It's the Badlands!" He shouted back, his voice muffled somewhat by his scarf. "And we've got to cross it before we see any quarter!"

"No, no, this will not do!" The sand whipped around her, but it didn't brush against her chitin or find lodging in her mane or tail. It was as if the elements could not touch her. Maybe they couldn't, he thought. Chrysalis was consistently surprising him, and considering what he had seen and heard so far, she was more divine than he had at first realized. She hadn't specifically said what her relation was to Xzalamat, but he was clever enough to read between the lines. He figured he was likely in the presence of the goddess' daughter, which made Chrysalis a goddess as well, or at the very least a demigoddess. "I will appeal to Xzalamat! My powers have not yet fully returned to me, so we will need her assistance!"

"What?! You're going to ask her to change the weather or something?" Up until now, he had only ever seen weather directed and controlled by Equestria's pegasi. To change the Badland's weather would be a monumental undertaking, especially given how wild and unpredictable it was. It would take an unbelievable amount of horsepower and ingenuity to bring a moment's peace to the Badlands when the sun shone down on it.

"Yes, that is precisely what I am going to do!" Chrysalis turned her gaze from him, tilting her head back and looking up at the sky. "Mother, hear me now! This land is wild, and it hungers for death! Tarnished Relic is tired, and he has already suffered enough of its ferocity! Still the wind, hide the sun, and cool us with rain! I appeal to thee for succor!"

As soon as the last word was spoken, the effect was immediate. The enraged howling of the wind turned to a whimper and then fell silent, the sand falling back down to the ground and settling there. A light fluffy cloud mass hovering over the Macintosh Hills moved over the Badlands, expanding in size and getting darker by the minute. The harsh glow of the sun was cut off, leaving the Badlands dimly lit, and then one by one droplets of rain began to fall. Tarnished fell back onto his haunches, his mouth gaping and closing soundlessly like a goldfish, unable to parse the scene before him. The Badlands had never known cloud cover, let alone rain, and the wind only died down at night. He was utterly gobsmacked. He was shortly shaken out of his stupor by the gentle touch of Chrysalis' hoof on his shoulder. "H-how...I just...it's not possible..."

"All things are possible with Xzalamat." Chrysalis helped him onto his hooves, and then she gently nudged his flank with her snout, pushing him forward. "Come, let us not linger. Let us show appreciation for Her succor and make haste to leave this barren land." It took a few more nudges to get him moving, but move he did, a smile slowly stretching across his face. The shade and the rain were refreshing, and he felt alive again as the drops splattered onto his coat. Not only that, but the gentle downpour made the sand clump together, making the going easier as it wasn't constantly shifting under his hooves. He didn't say anything more for the next hour, marvelling at this show of power and feeling that it might be shattered with a word. He turned back from time to time to look behind him, and she would give him a smile each time, but she was content to say nothing, waiting for him to break the silence.

Tarnished had not realized that the distance needed to travel to leave the Badlands from where they had started off was not actually all that far. What had taken several hours to slog through when the weather was vicious took little more than an hour with this unnatural calm. When at last their hooves stepped outside of the visible boundary of the Badlands and onto the base of the Macintosh Hills, the calm was reversed with alarming speed, the cloud withering away to nothing and the wind shrieking back to life with a vengeance. They climbed high onto the hills and looked down at the Badlands that they had left behind. He breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to look at her. "Thank you, Chrysalis. You're a lifesaver."

"Don't thank me, thank Xzalamat. It was by her intervention that we made it through so easily."

"Thank you!" He shouted, looking at the sky. "So...you're her daughter." She nodded. "Ready to tell me your true name yet?" She shook her head.

"No, not yet. It is not the right time. I am saving it for when...well, I am saving it." Chrysalis appeared to have thought better of her answer and cut it short.

"Honestly, you're such a tease! I swear you get a kick out of keeping me in suspense." He said, with no small measure of chagrin.

"I will admit to a flair for the dramatic, yes. It is an almost inescapable trait of goddesses." She tittered softly behind a hoof, and he pouted even harder. "You can't stay mad at me. I know you can't. I can see now that you are merely frustrated, though there is a powerful undercurrent of admiration."

"You...you're reading my emotions?"

"Yes. Those of the True Shape have many abilities, this being one of them. All emotion is laid bare before us. I do not need to read your mind to guess at what you are thinking, since emotions, nuanced as they are, say it all. You cannot lie to me, Tarnished. I do hope you will not feel the need to attempt falsehood, since I will see right through it."

"So then, that means...all this time...you've been able to figure out what I was thinking." She nodded. "That means that you...you knew that I..." He hesitated, and a small smirk began to form on her muzzle.

"That you desire me, that you find yourself attracted to me. Yes. I sensed it, and I was pleased, but I refrained from commenting on it then."

"B-but...you're going to comment on it now, I suspect." The redness of his blush cut through his sepia-coloured coat, and she giggled coquettishly, cupping his chin with her hoof.

"Only if you would like me to," she cooed, fluttering her lashes at him. His mouth suddenly felt dry, and his heart did calisthenics in his chest. When he did not answer, since he was much too stunned to utter a word, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, and he closed his eyes, pressing eagerly into the kiss. It was not a particularly long kiss, nor was it sloppy or overly sensuous. It was just two sets of lips pressed firmly together, and both participants quite enjoyed it. She gave his lips a quick nibble with her fangs as he made to pull back, making him groan with delight.

"That...that was..." He was rendered speechless. No words could do justice to how that kiss made him feel.

"No need to try to describe it. A kiss loses its power if you can describe it. It was a moment when all was right, when all was love. Do not strip it of its power, Tarnished." She said, practically pleading. He didn't need to be an emotional detector like her to see that the hitherto unflappable goddess was not unmoved, that she was panting and staring at him with just as much hunger as he felt, the pupils in her eyes dilated with excitement.

"V-very well. Let us not resort to words, then." He pressed his forehead against hers, his soft fur rubbing against the base of her horn, their eyes very close. "Is this your plan to get me to change, by getting me to fall for you?"

"I don't know. Is it working?" She asked, lidding her eyes.

"I...m-maybe. It...I'm very conflicted, Chrysalis. You're a very tempting changeling."

"'Changeling'?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I needed something simpler to call you other than 'goddess of the True Shape'. Since you're so eager to 'change' all us ponies into the True Shape, 'changeling' just seemed...fitting."

"Changeling...changeling..." She murmured, tasting the word on her tongue, trying it out. "I like it. It is quite acceptable. 'I am a changeling.' Hmm...it definitely rolls off the tongue."

"I'm glad you like it, Chrysalis. Now, speaking of rolling, we really should get rolling on our way to Appleloosa." He stepped back from her, and already he missed her warmth from a few feet away. Sleeping beside her through the night had been both comfortable and comforting, and he had to force down the coltish giddiness that filled him as he thought about when he would next need to sleep. It was a quick burst of emotion that he knew she caught, but she refrained from commenting on it, lest they wile away the whole day being mushy on the hilltops.

"Of course, Tarnished. I am quite eager to meet some other ponies!" Chrysalis happily clopped her hooves together, her eyes and smile wide with the prospect.

"And no doubt flirt shamelessly with them." He muttered, drawing another giggle from her. Her answer was a playful wink, and he looked aside, still as flushed in the face as ever. "Y-you're incorrigible."

"You love it." He steered himself away from answering that by standing up and turning in the direction of Appleloosa, walking down the other side of the hill, forcing her to stand up and quickly fall in step beside him. After a moment, he wordlessly leaned in against her, and the air above the Macintosh Hills was filled with the hum of her happily buzzing wings.

Author's Note

Chapter Four, in which our heroes leave the Badlands and then proceed to be nauseatingly cute and mushy. HNNNGGHHH

Interlude

"Thank you!"

Xzalamat smiled softly, looking down upon Tarnished Relic and her daughter from high above. "You are quite welcome," she said, mostly to herself. She was half-tempted to let her voice project from the heavens, but that would be quite alarming, she knew. One day she would, she reminded herself, but that day had not yet arrived. Her daughter would need to prepare the way first.

"You called for me?" Xzalamat had sensed him before he spoke, and she turned to look behind her to the one addressing her.

"Indeed I did." She cooed, giving him an affectionate smile.

"It's about time, mother. I mean, really, it's been—"

"—10,567 years, 106 days, and 12 hours, give or take a few minutes. But who's counting?" He snorted and rolled his eyes, crossing his mismatched arms across his chest.

"Of course you would keep count. Why would I expect anything different? Anyway, let's get down to brass tacks. I'm assuming that she has been awoken, yes?"

"Indeed. She and her consort are heading for Appleloosa as we speak. I have maneuvered things so that they will have to remain there a few days."

"Okay...and where exactly do I come in?"

"You have a date with the princesses in a few days, do you not?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Heh, a date." He sniggered. "It's a tea party social. But yes, I will be present then."

"Be sure to get your sister and Tarnished Relic invited in, won't you?"

"Sure, but wh—ohhhhhh! Ohohohoh! I see what you're after. That's going to cause a lot of delicious chaos." Paw and talon rubbed together in delight. "You can count on me, mother."

"I knew you'd approve." She said, and he began to turn away. "What, no kiss for your old mother?" He groaned and dragged his paw down his face.

"Mother, I'm not 2,000 anymore."

"Awww, my son is all grown up, too grown up to give his mother a kiss?" She teased, circling around him.

"Guhhh, fine!" He grabbed her by the cheeks and mashed his lips against hers. She giggled and slipped her tongue out, flicking it at his lips and his snaggletooth, which caused him to roughly push away, wiping his lips dry with the back of his taloned hand, making gagging sounds. "That is not how a mother kisses her son." He snapped his fingers and disappeared, leaving her sitting on her rump, laughing loud and long.

Chapter Five

Chrysalis and Tarnished spent the better part of the day navigating through the rolling terrain of the Macintosh Hills, sometimes chatting, but more often than not just enjoying the moderate travelling exercise in companionable silence. Part of Tarnished wished he could sense emotions like she could so he could get an idea of what was going on in her lovely little head. Knowing now that he was an open book before her was actually quite freeing in a way. It'd be next to impossible to lie to her, seeing as he couldn't lie to himself when it came to his emotions, and knowing that honesty was the only path only served to draw him closer. She hadn't revealed just how much she had seen in his head when they first met, when she dug around inside it to learn the Equestrian language, but he hoped that she had learned a lot. His previous embarrassment and worries about what she might think melted away under the warmth of her love and her non-judgemental attitude.

As their hooves finally found level ground, dry dirt and small pebbles crunching softly underhoof with each step, he turned to her, giving her a soft nuzzle. Tarnished had never had a marefriend before, being much too busy with his studies as a colt to give much attention to the fairer sex. And then, when his studies had been completed, his fierce desire to achieve scientific greatness had consumed him and extended the length of his barren love life. Now, here he was, finding himself utterly smitten with this changeling goddess, eager to split open the aquifers of love that had sat heavy and unnoticed in his heart and soul. Any thoughts of presenting Chrysalis as some sort of archaeological trophy or specimen to study and dissect were immediately dashed from his mind. He wouldn't ever subject her to such a fate. "Bit for your thoughts, Chrysalis?"

"Hmm? A bit of what?" She asked. "I don't follow."

"Oh. It's an expression. A bit is the standard Equestrian coin. One bit isn't all that much, it's just...um...huh. Trying to explain an idiom isn't as easy as I thought."

"You wish to give me a coin in exchange for my thoughts?" She asked, giggling. "You do not need to pay me for my thoughts."

"I know! Like I said, it's just an expression. I don't mean that I'll pay you for them."

"Oh, so now my thoughts aren't good enough for your money?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, trying and failing not to smirk. He groaned, smacking his forehead with his hoof.

"Can we get through a single conversation without you teasing me?" He pleaded.

"Hmm...nope!" She replied cheerfully.

"Oh, goody." He deadpanned.

"All right, I'll let up. Now, to my thoughts...I was thinking about Appleloosa. I wonder what sort of reception I will be met with there."

"Are you worried?" He asked, looking surprised.

"Mmm...a little. Keep in mind that this is new to me as well. Even though I have meditated on this assignment from my mother, it has only truly just begun, and we haven't yet spoken with anypony else. I shall do my utmost to be kind, and loving, and entreat one and all to make the change. I only want to see them be freed from the bonds of mortality, which oppress mortals all of their short lives." She turned to him. "I want to free you especially. You freed me from my slumber and did not immediately abandon me. And now you love me earnestly, even though your heart has opened to me in such a short time, surprising you with the alacrity of your feelings."

"Yes...I...I do love you, despite how quickly it has happened. I feel like a fake, like my love isn't real. Can it really be genuine love if it develops this fast?" He paused to watch a tumbleweed roll by, following it with his eyes as the wind made it dance along the empty landscape. "I've never been in a romantic entanglement before. I have no benchmark for this."

"Trust me when I say that you are genuine. The vision you saw when you slept, at the end of it you agreed to give yourself over to Xzalamat, making her your Heavenly Mother. Emotion that had been locked away and pinned down broke free, and with every passing hour in my presence the binds loosen further. You are awakening, you are developing a true heart. You love me, and you stay close to me. I love you, and I wish to change you, to open you further, to heal you. Again, I ask, will you accept it?"

"I..." He found himself hesitating, even now, even though part of him wanted to shout 'YES! YES! CHANGE ME! CHANGE ME TO THE TRUE SHAPE! FREE ME!' His mouth worked soundlessly, then he sighed and dropped his gaze, unable to look her in the eyes, feeling ashamed of his hesitation and cowardice. He felt her smooth muzzle nudging gently against his cheek a few moments later, her long tongue licking at the corner of his mouth. Her affection for him smoothed over the shame of his indecisiveness, and he felt forgiven. "...a little longer...if th-that's all right?" He asked, his voice weak.

"Of course. I can take no action unless the permission is given. But I can always ask. I will ask again later."

"Thank you, Chrysalis, you're...well, I think you're probably the kindest changeling I've ever met."

"I'm also the only changeling you've ever met," she said, giggling, and he laughed along with her. She quickly cut her laughter short, training her eyes on the edge of a small mesa ahead of them. He stopped laughing, confused, looking back and forth between her searching gaze and the mesa. "You may come out." That was the first time he had heard Chrysalis speak like the goddess she was, and he felt giddy and dizzy all at once, feeling a strong compulsion to obey. Obviously there was something about that divine voice that worked a strange power over mortals, and he watched as two juvenile buffalo appeared timidly from behind the curve of the mesa, heeding the gentle command, approaching and bowing before her.

"Oh Wonderful Mother, please do not be angry with us!" cried the one young bull.

"Yes, please deal mercifully with us!" cried the other.

Chrysalis chirruped softly and gently caressed their cheeks with her hoof. "Rise, my sons, and fear not. I am not upset." With a goofy look on their faces they rose, staring at her with eyes brimming with adoration. "Now, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"I am Fades Into Shadows," proclaimed the one on the left, his coat quite a lot darker than that of the average buffalo. With a dark coat like that, it probably helped explain his given name.

"And I am Runs Swiftly Towards Dawn," proclaimed the other, who looked a lot more lean and wiry than his companion.

"I perceive that you are brothers. Is this correct?" They both nodded, amazed that she could tell, since they looked so very different from each other. "Why were you two spying on me and my consort?"

"C-consort?" Tarnished spluttered, eyes wide, taken by surprise at the appellation just now given to him. The corner of Chrysalis' mouth tugged up a little in a ghost of a smirk, but she pretended to pay him no mind for now.

"Our apologies, Mother, but it is buffalo land that you stand on, and my brother and I are scouts." Runs Swiftly Towards Dawn nodded in confirmation of his brother's words. "You are, of course, more than welcome on our soil. But it is still our duty to keep an eye on the comings and goings in our territory."

"I see." She looked at them curiously. "Not that I mind, of course, but why do you call me 'Mother'?"

"In the stories that we have passed down orally, from generation to generation since the very beginning of buffalokind, it is said that we were created and placed here by a divine creature, whose skin was made of black onyx, whose hair was as the twilight sky, with green cat's eyes and fangs for teeth. If you are not her, you at least are related to her, since you match the description."

Chrysalis shared a meaningful glance with Tarnished, who merely shrugged. "Most buffalo traditions and stories haven't been documented yet by Equestrian scholars. I certainly haven't heard this myself. Besides, as far as I'm aware, buffalo don't share a lot with those that they are not well-acquainted with."

"It is true. Our ways are very important to us, and we would not cheapen them by telling them to strangers. If one becomes a soul brother or sister to the tribe, then that is another matter." Runs Swiftly said matter-of-factly. "A pony named Braeburn has fallen in love with a cow of our tribe named Little Strongheart, and over time he has drawn closer to us as well as her, and we have gradually revealed our ways to him. He is a good pony, that one."

"Well, I can tell you for a certainty that I am related to the one you speak of. Likely it is my mother who is described. I have been in a slumber since the beginnings of Equestria, when the only race was that of ponykind, so it must be her who breathed into you the breath of life." The two young buffalo bowed again, and she waited for them to rise before continuing. "My consort and I are passing through. We are headed for Appleloosa."

"If you continue on by hoof, you are not likely to reach Appleloosa before nightfall." Runs Swiftly turned to his brother and spoke in a low voice in their indigenous language. Fades responded, and words were gently passed back and forth. Then, satisfied with their parley, he turned to look at Chrysalis once more. "We would like to have you as a guest in our camp, Mother, if you would stay with us the night."

"I would be delighted," she purred, "provided that you extend the same respect and courtesy to my consort. He is on the path of the divine."

"Oh, o-of course!" Fades blurted out, looking from her to Tarnished Relic, whom he bowed to. His brother swiftly followed suit.

"U-um...you may rise." Tarnished squirmed uncomfortably, unaccustomed to having such honour thrown his way. "The goddess Chrysalis and I are happy to accept your hospitality." The words came out awkward and stilted, but neither of the buffalo faltered because of his uncertainty.

"Then come, Daughter of Our Wonderful Mother and He Who Ascends To Godhood, follow us to our camp. The day is getting on, and by the time we arrive the sun will almost be extinguished." Fades Swiftly spoke these titles with reverence, then turned around and began to lead the way, Runs Swiftly falling in at his side.

"Shall we, my handsome ascending one?" Chrysalis giggled.

"What'll I ever do with you." He muttered, rolling his eyes.

* * *

The buffalo lead them in silence, and the two interlopers were happy to just walk quietly behind them. The sun, inching its way down as afternoon turned into evening, was sitting upon the horizon when they finally reached the buffalo camp. Teepees poked up into the air between the milling buffalo, which at a distance looked like a breathing, shifting mass of shaggy hair painted in varying shades of brown. Despite the great number of buffalo gathered there, likely just shy of a hundred, there wasn't a cacophony of noise being stirred up by the ponderous and bulky beasts; they may have dwarfed ponies in size but they certainly were a good deal quieter. As the buffalo laid their eyes on Chrysalis, however, the noise gathered in volume as voices spoke in hushed tones of awe and delight.

"Our Mother, she has returned to us!"

"O bless us, Mother, bless your children!"

Chrysalis took it all in stride, smiling benevolently at each and every buffalo. She was truly in her element, Tarnished realized. He was still struggling with seeing her as the goddess she was, since she was so playful and down-to-earth that she seemed so very pony-like. Of course, he'd had no prior experience with divine beings, unless Celestia and Luna counted. The two princesses swore that they were not goddesses and did their utmost to disabuse their little ponies of that notion, and yet the notion still remained. He couldn't blame the doubters, as he had his own doubts too.

Fades and Runs Swiftly had left them and run ahead, moving to the largest teepee, which stood in the center of the camp, standing several feet taller than the rest. Tarnished and Chrysalis paused outside of the tent, waiting, while the curious buffalo swarmed around them on all sides. Tarnished fidgeted nervously, and Chrysalis, sensing his discomfort, turned to the crowd.

"Give us some space, if you would." Tarnished shivered again, feeling the power of The Voice, almost tangible, his body tingling warmly all over. All at once the crowd that had been pressing in retreated, heads bowed. "Thank you."

A moment later a rather broadly-built older bull emerged from the teepee, the two young bulls following behind him. "Oh, so their story is true! Our Mother's Daughter, here, in our midst!" He bowed, and Chrysalis leaned down to press a kiss between his eyes. His eyes shot open, his stiff posture relaxing considerably. "M-my aches, they're gone!" All of the buffalo gasped. He looked at her with eyes wide with excitement and awe. "You...you healed me?"

"Of course, Chief Thunderhooves. I take no delight in pain. May pain die away and pleasure take its place." Tarnished joined the buffalo in their slack-jawed stares. With every passing hour she seemed to be reclaiming the divinity that had lain dormant all those aeons, her corporeal form being infused with more power and more purpose. Her poise had changed; she stood taller, straighter, green eyes looking at the mortals before her, love and pity radiating from her gaze.

"Th-thank you! You do us all a great honour by deigning to stand in our midst. It is truly a joyous day, this day you have graced us with your mighty presence. What do you desire? Food? Drink? A place to lay your head?" The Chief was obviously overcome with joy, especially given the fact that for the first time in several years his body did not ache in any way. He looked as if he had shed many years and was about to race across the hard-packed sandy soil, feeling the energy of his youth and the desire to expend it.

"I require no physical sustenance, nor do I have the need of sleep." She turned her head and nodded towards Tarnished, who was pressed up affectionately against her side, having recovered from his brief shock. "My consort will require all of those, however. If you would give him food and drink, and provide us a bed..." She paused for a moment to giggle, making Tarnished, as well as several of the buffalo, blush. "...we would be most grateful to you."

"Of course, of course!" Chief Thunderhooves turned to his tribe, calling out orders in the buffalo tongue. The buffalo dispersed to follow his instructions (though a few rubberneckers lingered until the chief gave them pointed stares), leaving him with Chrysalis and Tarnished Relic. "You shall receive whatever you need, as long as it is in our power to grant it. While my people prepare those things for you, would you care to step inside my tent? I should very much like to talk to you, and to share a pipe with you."

"Share a pipe?" She asked, tilting her head.

"A ceremonial pipe, Chrysalis." Tarnished supplied. "I've heard tell of the buffalo passing around a pipe, smoking some sort of herb mixture."

"It is as you say, Consort of Chrysalis." Tarnished sighed, his name once again being relegated to the sidelines and replaced with titles and honorifics. "We shall smoke some kinnikinnick. It will put you at ease."

"If you say so," he muttered, stepping past the chief and ducking under the tent flap, disappearing into the teepee.

Author's Note

Thought it might be nice to have a little detour with the buffalo. :3

Chapter Six

A healthy dose of skepticism was never astray when it came to the sciences, keeping one from jumping to conclusions or blindly accepting whatever was placed in front of them. But there were times when every skeptic realized they were wrong.

Tarnished had definitely been wrong. And boy, was he ever glad about it.

Tarnished, Chrysalis, and Chief Thunderhooves sat around a small, crackling fire in the midst of the tent, the smoke rising through the hole at the top, where the twilight sky could be glimpsed. Another kind of smoke drifted through the air, sweet and pungent, rising from the pipe and the mouths of a pony, a buffalo, and a changeling goddess. Chief Thunderhooves was very relaxed, able to enjoy the effects of the pipe fully, instead of merely finding some small relief from his aches. Tarnished, on the other hoof, experiencing a buffalo pipe for the first time, was more jelly than pony now, slumped against Chrysalis, smiling lazily and nuzzling at her side. Chrysalis, for her part, seemed no different; the pipe appeared to have no effect on her whatsoever.

"Is the kinnikinnick good? Are you enjoying it?"

"Ohhhhh yeahhhhh," Tarnished murmured. "S'good stuff..."

"It's effects do not touch me, but I do like the smell of it. It is like incense to me. I will accept this sweet-smelling odor." This response seemed to please the Chief immensely. Any compliment from her would, really, with the buffalo hanging on every word that she spoke. "It seems Tarnished is quite enamoured with it." She giggled, looking down at the stallion at her side, reaching down to stroke his snout, drawing a happy whinny from him. "Adorable."

"Other ponies who have partaken of the pipe have reacted similarly." The chief took a deep pull, then passed the pipe back to Chrysalis. Chrysalis breathed it in and then out, blowing the smoke lazily into the air, letting out a soft buzzy sigh and closing her eyes. Then she handed it down to Tarnished, who wasted no time in taking another relaxing, body-melting hit of the burning herbs. The smoking of the pipe continued for several minutes before Chrysalis spoke up again.

"Chief Thunderhooves, I would be pleased to hear the buffalo's origin story, if you would be so kind as to relate it."

"O-of course! I am happy to tell it. It has changed some in the telling over time, and more details have been added to it as we learned more about Equestria." He took another puff of the pipe, then snuffed it out, laying it beside him. He evacuated the smoke from his lungs, cleared his throat, and began:

Back when the world was young, back when the ponies had not yet found their way, when the hooves that walked the world were still few, the All-Mother, black as night and yet radiant like the day, saw fit to create more life. The ponies were the first knowing life to grace the earth, and to them she gave the meadows and the rolling fields. But it was not enough. Though they were her favoured children, her divine womb yearned to bear more. More she bore, the thunder in the heavens the cries of her birth pangs, and the gentle rain that followed her tears of joy at what she had made. Each species she created, she gave them a home, a place on this earth that would be their own. To the griffons, the mountains; to the dragons, the caves and the gorges; to the deer, the forests; to the goats, the valleys. And so on.

When our Mother looked at the plains, she knew that the ones who would inhabit it would have to be resilient, able to handle the heat of the day and the cold of the night, able to make much of little, to survive and thrive even in times of scarcity. A vision formed in her mind of what the Children of the Plains would be, and the vision entered her womb, taking shape. The sky rumbled and shook over the plains, our Mother trembling and crying out as she gave birth, and then a light rain fell, feeding the thirsty ground. All-Mother descended from her birthing bed in the sky and carried down the first two buffalo, their eyes opening for the first time as their hooves touched the ground.

“My son and my daughter, look! I give to you the plains, they are yours, and no one will take them from you. Be strong, for the plains are not always kind. Become many, and fill the plains, and subdue them!”

To the bull, who could run the plains in less than a day, who could pummel the ground with his hooves and make streams appear, who could speak the tongue of every animal, she gave the name He Who Will Run Always.

“You will be called He Who Will Run Always. Your hooves will be restless and you will make the measure of your land. You will conquer it and know it. And you will mount your cow, and she will give birth to many calves, and their hooves will be your hooves, running long after you are gone.”

To the cow, whose sweet song could banish strong winds, whose coat was always free from dust and dirt and always soft, and who could never be burdened or slowed by her young, she gave the name She Will Become Many.

“You will be called She Will Become Many. Your beauty will radiate throughout the plains, and it will never be dulled. Your song will quiet the wind and be borne along by gentle breezes, and all will yearn to be comforted by you. Your bull will mount you, you will crave him and present yourself to him always, and your womb will produce many calves. You will become mother to many, and your daughters and sons will take up your duties after you are gone; you will multiply long after your passing.”

Her pronouncements concluded, she stood before them, looking upon them with love. Her form was polished obsidian, smooth and strong, and she towered over them. Her hair was like many rivers, and her eyes as green as summer grass. When He Who Will Run Always asked why they did not look like her, her response was:

“My son, know that the original vision will eventually arrive, but it has been delayed. To the ponies it will be given first, for they were made first, and to the other races in order of their creation. Know that when you see me again, the day will be near.”

“When will we see you again, Mother?” asked She Will Become Many. The All-Mother looked upon her, and smiled, a smile conveying not only love, but also mischief.

“That is for me to know...and for you to find out.”

And with that, she was gone in the blink of an eye, and the rain stopped, the heavy, gray clouds blowing away. White, fluffy clouds dotted the brilliant blue sky, and the first buffalo began to run and to graze, and in time, they multiplied. And we are still many, running the plains, grazing, and giving life to more calves, the cycle unending. We—

Chief Thunderhooves abruptly broke off the narration of the story, narrowing his eyes at Tarnished, who was giggling. Chrysalis had a wide smile on her face and looked as if she was desperately trying not to join in. "What is so funny?" The buffalo demanded.

"Heeheeeee...j-just...for me to know...you to find...hahaha!" It seemed like getting a completely coherent answer from the laughing stallion was not going to happen. Chrysalis, trembling slightly with held-back laughter, answered for him.

"I believe what we find humorous is the contrast in statements. First, my mother is making all sorts of grand, sober, and divine pronouncements...and then she responds to She Will Become Many with such a flippant comment. I am not surprised, really. My mother is a playful creator. She is a happy goddess." The frown gradually washed away from Chief Thunderhooves' face, and even he smiled.

"I see. I guess we did not really find her final remark to be all that light-hearted, despite the myth mentioning mischief on her part. We take our stories very seriously, and we do not often share them with those we do not know well. If not for your presence, Chrysalis, I should not have shared it with those who are just guests."

"I am honoured that you shared it with us." Chrysalis let her divine voice fill the teepee, the teepee seeming so small and pitiful as she spoke, as if it should just pull up pegs and fly away. Even in his inebriated haze Tarnished could feel the power of it, and his laughter died away. He nuzzled at her, eyes full of adoration. She leaned down to press a kiss between his eyes and he could only nicker and whinny, too overcome to properly speak. "Ah, Tarnished, I believe your nourishment is here."

Two cows meekly entered the tent, bearing four large bowls of food as well as two mugs of drink. Two of the bowls had what looked like some sort of off-brown mushy porridge, and the other two a heaping portion of some sort of root, peeled and cut into little chunks. Steam was rising from the mugs, the drink likely some sort of tea. They left the food in front of Tarnished and Chief Thunderhooves without a word, then departed. "Dig in, Consort of Chrysalis. You must be hungry." Tarnished gave the food a quick look-over, and then began to snarf it down, the long day of travel combined with the appetite-enhancement of the kinnikinnick making him rather ravenous with hunger. The chief smiled appreciatively and started chowing down on his own meal, eating with the same lack of decorum as the pony. Tarnished was much too ensconced in the simple delight of eating to comment on the food, and that left Chrysalis sitting there quietly watching them. She waited patiently until the uncouth sounds of chomping and slurping died away, Tarnished and the chief licking their lips and washing down the food with the sweet tea from their respective mugs.

"As my mother said to your forebearers, Chief Thunderhooves, the original vision had been delayed. But now I have awoken from my slumber, and I am the implement of change. One day she will appear to you and your kind, and the offer of the True Shape will be extended to you. But first, I go to the ponies."

"I understand. We would not dare to challenge Our Mother, to say her ways are not adjusted right. Our respect for her is boundless. Whatever word she would give us, we would not fail to heed. We shall remain patient, and look forward to seeing her again." Chief Thunderhooves looked at her, earnestness in his eyes, as well as a note of longing. "I do not know how long it will be, but I hope I will still be drawing breath when the time comes. I want to meet my maker." His normally rumbling voice grew soft and quiet, and with the shifting light of the flickering fire, one could see the calf within the bull, young and hopeful, buried under the weight of his position and the ravages of time. Even Tarnished could sense the change, and he looked on somberly at the buffalo.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Chief Thunderhooves. By your leave, we will head to the tent you have prepared for us." Chrysalis spoke softly, getting to her hooves, crossing the tent to gently run a hoof through his shaggy head of hair. She gestured with a turn of her head to Tarnished, who stumbled up onto his own hooves, moving quietly to stand at her side.

"It is my pleasure, Chrysalis, O Daughter of Our Mother. You and yours will always be welcome here." He said, his eyes moving from Chrysalis to Tarnished, and then back again. "Have a good night, and may Our Mother watch over us all."

Bidding him good night, Tarnished and Chrysalis left the teepee, stepping out into the cool night air, the expanse of the starry heavens seeming to hover just at bay above the plains, as if it might descend upon the flatlands. Chrysalis smiled and blew a kiss at the sky, and Tarnished did the same, following her lead. She giggled and tussled his mane, making him squirm and laugh as she gave him a full-on noogie, and he had to bat her hooves away before she rubbed the hair right of his head. "Chrysalis, honestly!" He said, trying to chide her, but he couldn't hide the amusement in his tone.

"You are just too adorable, Tarnished. I cannot resist. I am glad you gave a kiss to Xzalamat, though. Mother loves kisses. Well, that, and many more forms of affection." Fades Into Shadows and Runs Swiftly Toward Dawn approached them, and Chrysalis left the implication hanging. Tarnish was glad that blushes were not as easily seen in the dark of night.

"We have been waiting out here for you." Fades began. "Tonight, my brother and I will share our father's teepee, and our teepee is yours to slumber in." Runs Swiftly pointed at a teepee a short distance away.

"How kind of you!" Chrysalis leaned forward to give them each a kiss, and the two young bulls stood there with drunken smiles. "Sleep well, you two. Sleep, and may you awaken refreshed." Having given them her blessing, she left the speechless buffalo, her tail curling around Tarnished's flank, guiding him forward with her.

Stepping into the smaller teepee, they saw two sleeping mats side by side, as well as the requisite firepit, which was now cool, a few glowing embers just barely hanging on. There was not much in the way of belongings: a few figurines in the shape of various creatures that lived upon the plains, a pile of thick blankets, and then two necklaces rife with feathers and beads. The buffalo life was a simple one, it seemed, not given to much in the way of material goods. Tarnished practically collapsed on one of the mats, and Chrysalis nosed curiously at the figurines before joining him, curling her legs elegantly as she lay beside him.

"Is your hunger satisfied, my love?" She asked, nibbling at an ear, and he nodded slightly, letting out a happy sigh.

"It is. Not sure what I ate, really, but it was a lot tastier than it looked. I especially liked the root. It was spicy, had a bit of a kick to it. And the porridge, if that's what it was, was this wonderful mixture of savory and sweet." He gushed about the food, then looked sheepish. "Y-you don't really eat, so...maybe that doesn't make a lot of sense."

"Not really, no." Chrysalis shrugged, then kissed her way from his ear down to the corner of his mouth, enticing him into a kiss. They'd kissed before, but there was a new intensity to it, and he found himself growing hungry for more than just food. Chrysalis was the one who parted the kiss, her tongue lolling out of her mouth, and she looked at him with lidded eyes. "You aren't too tired, are you?" She asked, and he shook his head. "Good...then that gives me a chance to tire you out."

The buffalo were no strangers to the sounds of mating, and usually tuned it out, but the pleasured cries of their guests got their attention, and it was a while before anyone was able to get to sleep.

"He is lucky, that pony." Fades murmured to his brother, the two of them laying side-by-side in their father's teepee. Chief Thunderhooves was out like a light, and he did not stir, the sounds unable to waken the heavy sleeping buffalo.

"I will agree to that." Runs Swiftly replied, and the two shared a grin, their ears perked, listening intently like voyeurs to the sounds of the goddess and the stallion making love to each other. "Very lucky indeed."

Author's Note

My apologies to any indigenous peoples for portraying the kinnikinnick as I did, since I am not sure what effect, if any, it has on one's conscious state.