Some believe a nightmare is a dream that took a wrong turn somewhere in the dreamer’s subconscious. The mind can be as kind as it can be vile. At that moment, Chrysalis’s dreams were plaguing her. The sight of Arden and Zecora together appeared before her. Smiling and enjoying each other’s company, the couple walked away from her. Chrysalis walked up to them.

“Hello,” Chrysalis greeted with a half-smile. “How are you two doing?”

Both figures turned to her, their faces contorting into terrified expressions before running away screaming. Chrysalis looked at herself, was she walking out in the open without a disguise? The answer was yes, and it bothered her.

‘Why are they scared? They know about my appearance. Arden even-’

The sudden appearance of light made Chrysalis lose her train of thought. Floating by her side, Chrysalis saw a window while a familiar tune played in the background. Approaching it with caution, she saw a familiar scene. It was the first time she had to fend off a pony. The mare was kind and willingly listened to many of Chrysalis’s complaints on the role she was interpreting. And when things evolved, Chrysalis in her naivitée decided to ask something that derailed the entire conversation.

“MIOHUH*(, would you like me if I looked different?” Chrysalis heard in the back of her head.

“Why wouldn’t I?” The kind mare replied with a smile, “You’re still you, regardless of how you look.”

Turning away and dashing away as fast as she could, Chrysalis tried to escape the sequence of events that followed.

“MONSTER!”

“No, wait! I just—”

CRASH

“GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FIEND!”

“Over there! The monster is over there!”

“Get her!”

She was shouting and hollering behind her forcing Chrysalis to open her wings and fly away. Screams and insults continued to follow before the black void surrounding her transformed into a familiar and welcoming sight. It was Zecora’s hut. Rushing inside, Chrysalis locked the door behind her.

What she saw in there stung. Arden and Zecora lay together on the bed, while an image of Chrysalis slept alone in the corner.

‘NO! We are past that! They accepted me! They were with me the whole time! They trust in me! Leave me alone!’

The frightening screams were growing louder outside. Covering her ears while sitting with her back against the door, Chrysalis cried while ordering the memories to leave. Those words were lies. She wasn’t a monster. She’s never been a monster! Arden saw through that! He looked at her with kindness! Zecora did the same! Chrysalis was not alone. She was more than a tool for her mother. More than a monster that fed off emotions. She did not have to feel afraid of what she was and could stand proudly and show the—

No, she had to hide. If she was proud and certain of what she was, she wouldn’t have to hide. If she was confident in her strength, she wouldn’t hide from her mother. The constant fear of failing her kind, of failing her friends, wasn’t something she wanted to feel. She wanted confidence. To stand up against the things that scared her, and be just like Zecora in that regard.

‘Zecora, you were so lonely, so fearful of being rejected. Yet, you stood up and went to the village that didn’t welcome you to face them. When someone tried to make contact, you fled in fear. However, when that pony was in danger, you pushed the fear aside to help them. You saved his life, at the risk of him leaving. Faced your fear of being rejected again, the fear of being loved and hurting the one you wanted to protect. Chased a creature that evaded and tricked you multiple times, only to befriend it.

You faced your greatest fear, which made you feel like you destroyed a relationship you cherished to save me. You're beautiful. You don’t need to be changed to attract the eyes of others and earn their kindness.

I can’t. I have to change my body. I have to lie about my feelings. But, just like you, I changed. I have someone I don’t need to hide from, just be myself. He can look at me the same way he looks at you, right?’

“As if,” Chrysalis’s voice sounded from behind her. “Why bother with us? Especially when he has her? Have you seen what you did with Celestia? You brought her closer. Even fewer reasons for him to be with us. We are a changeling. Parasites. Monsters.”

“NO!” Chrysalis screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Then, try it! Take the trial and see if he looks at us the same way he looks at Zecora. Oh, yeah, we don’t dare to do that.”

Gritting her teeth, Chrysalis stared down the image of Zecora and Arden before her. Those two were a part of her life. Her life.

HER.

'They belong to me. And I'll get what I want. Right. Now.'

Yawning and immediately regretting opening her eyes, Fluttershy felt the effects of drinking cider the previous night. Being the light-weight that she was, even a small amount was enough to force her to get drowsy, drink a little more, and bye-bye inhibitions and reasoning. Which often led to her neglecting many of her life choices on the following morning, she had an entire pack of calendars hidden in her house after an episode that led to pin-up pictures she prayed no other pony still had.

'Oh, dear.' Fluttershy winced at the sight of her clothes. It was a rather revealing toga that seemed to fit her body too well to not be tailor-made for Fluttershy. 'Why is it so warm? Did I get a blanket? OH, DEAR!' Letting out a muffled yelp, Fluttershy realized the answer to her question. She was snuggling with Zecora's sister on the floor, who happened to be whimpering and being in a nightmare, given her closed eyes and tears that is. Something that seemed to change as the zebra began to grit her teeth. Quietly moving away, Fluttershy nearly had a heart attack when Zephir's eyes snapped open.

'I must be half-drunk still. I don't think her eyes should be shining. They look so pretty, though.' Fluttershy mused while trying to suppress the headache nailing her skull. Pretending to be asleep, Fluttershy allowed Zephir to move away from her grip, resulting in Fluttershy's arm hitting the floor with a thud. There was something wrong with the look in Zephir's eyes. A mixture of fear, determination, and desire. Fluttershy knew that look very well. She saw it every single day when she looked in the mirror. It was the look of a pony who wanted desperately to succeed at something that terrorized them.

Watching closely, Fluttershy saw Zephir walk up to where their things seemed to be stored. Zephir picked up Rarity's purse. 'What is she doing? She wouldn't steal from Rarity, would she?' Right before Fluttershy's eyes, Zephir picked up a bunch of lipsticks Rarity carried in her purse at all times, never go out without color to match the occasion, she used to say. Checking the colors of each one, Zephir placed each one back in the purse until she found a green one. 'What a strange color to pick. Her eyes are dull-looking now, why is that?'

After applying the lipstick, Zephir searched the purse once more. This time she pulled out Rarity's eyeshadow. Using the dial on it, Zephir altered the color to a green that matched the lipstick and then applied it. Placing it back on the purse before returning it to the pile, Zephir quietly moved away towards the stairs.

'She still has her toga on! It's not clothing for the outside!' Fluttershy panicked as she looked back at her toga only to realize that she had also lost her underwear. 'I hope Zephir still has hers!' Fluttershy prayed before dragging herself across the room in search of the missing undergarments. A task she needed to complete before the others woke up. Otherwise, they would need to go to sleep again, only this time, with a lump in their heads.

(WARNING! ADULT CONTENT AHEAD! THIS IS WEIRD AND FILLED WITH SOME WEIRD THINGS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!)

There he was. She tasted the positive emotions emanating from him, so easily absorbed. So addictive that she could no longer feast on another and hope for the same results. Her mind shut off as her target stood before her. A key to her Kingdom. A key to her subjects. Her key.

He was hers and hers alone.

And as such, no one else would see what was about to happen. That moment belonged to her as well. The ponies outside had no business with them. Therefore, using her magic, Chrysalis sealed the library from prying eyes. Only one other creature would be able to access that place now, and she was fast asleep, for the moment.

"I WANT IT!" Her voice exploded through the link as she lunged at Arden. Her eyes locked on her prey

"Chrysalis! Have you gone mad? You need to—"

"I am not done speaking! You! YOU BELONG TO ME! And from my property I have demands. Demands that you will listen to and fulfill!" Chrysalis ordered through the link.

"Chrysalis! Someone will see you!" Arden replied before she forcefully pushed her lips against his. His thoughts became jumbled as he couldn't respond anymore. In her current form, Arden couldn’t retaliate. Her power was comparable to that of Celestia, if not greater. Chrysalis opened his mouth with ease before shoving her tongue down his throat.

"Naked. Both of us." A blink of green magic warped their clothes on the couch. That was their moment. And it would be done on her terms. "I'm am Chrysalis. I am the queen. I am your Queen. I am the queen of the hive. A hive you will provide." Another flash of green flames caused them to appear on the ceiling as Chrysalis kept them from falling as her insect nature allowed her to cling to the ceiling.

Suddenly backing up, Chrysalis watched as her prey coughed and wheezed in an attempt to breathe. Looking over her shoulder, she saw what had been used to bring pleasure to Zecora. Both Zecora and Arden had to tease each other for him to reach that state. Chrysalis, on the other hand, had managed to do it with a mere kiss. Many ideas cycled through her mind as she observed her prey.

"I'll eat that." She muttered, positioning herself so that her privates were placed on top of Arden's muzzle. Her magic made sure that his muzzle was surrounded by her most intimate parts. The difference in their sizes made it so his muzzle was buried, causing her to moan in pleasure.

Opening her maw, Chrysalis allowed her tongue to slowly slide out of her mouth. Her tongue encircled Arden's shaft as she gently kissed the tip. She had visited the fantasies of many ponies while making them enjoy the illusions she created. Thanks to that, she knew many ways to please and entrance those she feasted upon. There was a delicate way to approach that position and create an optimal scenario. However, the drunken lust dominating her mind didn't allow for her knowledge to be put to use.

Quickly pulling back from the kiss, Chrysalis swallowed the entire thing in one go. Though she could emulate the reflex to vomit, she did not share this characteristic with the ponies. Chrysalis began to suck, moving her head and tongue up and down rhythmically. She could hear the stallion's groans and feel him shivering. His attempts to escape caused her nothing but bliss as his muzzle rubbed against her walls.

Arden's constant contortion sent her into a lustful bliss the likes she had never thought possible. Based on the behavior of the previous ponies she had tricked with her illusions and spells, Chrysalis had him quickly approaching his climax. His hands kept tapping into her ankles rhythmically, three taps followed by a pause. She had seen that gesture in some of his memories, however, her pleasure from his movements pushed her into a drunken stupor that she had never felt before.

'Keep going! I need to keep going!' Chrysalis thought. However, she felt something happen. Something was moving inside her, pressure in her lower abdomen forced her to back away from her devouring. Her jaw dropped as the movements continued to occur in greater frequency and force. Mouth agape, she couldn't help but let out a loud moan as she felt Arden attempt to open his mouth. And then, her entire lower half began to tremble. At that moment, Chrysalis felt something exiting her with considerable force as she seemed to reach her limit.

She arched back as the feeling of something exiting her happened twice more before her vision began to blur. It didn't take long for her to pass out.

‘Thank god, she finally stopped! Why did she turn into Celestia?!’ Arden thanked while finally freeing his body from the unconscious queen, coughing, and wheezing. ‘Nevermind. Ok, clothes first.’ After getting his garments back on, Arden proceeded to pick up Chrysalis and take her to his bedroom. He had to hide her before anyone noticed her there. The protection spells she placed on the windows and doors were holding for the moment, however, he had to make sure her secret wasn’t exposed. Even after what she did, he still felt the need to keep that secret. If not for Chrysalis’s sake, it was probably for Zecora’s.

After taking the body and making sure it was completely covered by the blanket, Arden returned to the front door. Luckily for him, it would seem that Chrysalis’s magic was getting weaker after her collapse. Trying his best to remain calm, Arden opened the upper half of the door. The crowd outside stood there silently, staring at him without letting out a peep. It was as if all of them were holding their breath.

Arden stared at the crowd, feeling a lump in his throat. He wanted to explain to them that he was in a bad situation. However, nothing that he wanted to say come close to his mouth. The thought of provoking the crowd made him shiver. He stood there for several seconds before something came out. "I, I need to speak with Walkyre Heart and Mind Walker."

Stepping forward, a gray-maned mare stood between him and the crowd with open arms. “Listen up! As the mayor, I declare that the library shall remain closed until Mr. Arden has finished his business! He has gone through enough harassment for one day! Leave or I shall have the guards to escort all insist in remaining here to a cell.”

Turning to Arden, she said, “If there is any trouble, you can find me at the city hall. I am truly sorry about this, but I believe it would be a good thing if you took a bath.”

“I appreciate the concern. But, if you would excuse me, I need to talk to those two in private,” Arden said as he saw the guards approach the crowd. Making way for them, Arden opened the lower half of the door. “Mind, I need you to come inside. Walkyre, please wait here until I’m done talking to him.”

“Whose feathers are these?” Mind Walker inquired while holding a white feather he seemed to have found inside the library.

Quickly throwing a jab towards Mind, Arden picked the feather. “There is no feather,” Arden muttered, Mind seemed to open his mouth for a moment, but closed immediately after. “No. Feathers. Here. Now, I need to know two things. One, how well can you handle a spell to make everyone inside the library invisible to those outside? And two, can you make these walls soundproof?” Arden asked with a somewhat softer tone.

“Um, warding spells like soundproofing a room aren’t my specialty; therefore, I would say that I can soundproof one room. The illusion to hide anyone inside, however, that I can do for the entire library,” Mind replied while scratching his chin.

“Good enough,” Arden replied while placing the feather in his pocket while heading to the front door. “Can you please soundproof my room? I would also appreciate it if you made everyone inside disappear. I can make my room impenetrable. I’m thankful in advance for the help.”

Opening the upper half of the door, Arden poked Walkyre’s shoulder. “Can you go to the Cakes’ house and find Zecora for me? She is the zebra that appeared with me when I returned to town.” Walkyre simply saluted before taking off towards the bakery.

‘ Ok, she is acting as if I was her boss. I'll check that later. Now, I wait.’ Arden concluded while heading to the stairs to his room.

“Please, soundproof this room once Zecora is inside,” he asked at the bottom of the stairs before heading up. With a silent nod from Mind, Arden made his way to his room.

‘What do I do now? I believed her to see me as a friend/tool. But I heard it. Lust, Love? Why? Why now? And what did she do to me? She shoved something down my throat. But what? Moreover, what do I tell to Zecora? I know Celestia explained the herd thing, but I never thought I would put it into practice! I don’t know if I can even pull that off!’

It didn’t take long for him to hear a knock on the door. “Arden? It’s me, Zecora.”

“Come on in,” Arden replied before Zecora entered followed by Mind Walker that quickly cast a spell inside the room before leaving quietly.

“What has happened? Is the cerulean unwell?” Zecora asked while Arden created magic walls in front of each entrance to the room.

“I’m ok. The issue here is Chrysalis,” Arden answered with a weak voice before he stopped for a moment. Running his hands up his mane, Arden took a deep breath. “And something happened. Chrysalis came here. She was acting weird, almost as if she was drunk. She pinned me down. She… she kissed me, then she used her magic to get us both naked before she sat on my face and sucked that part.” He shrank at every word that left his mouth. He could have tried harder. It was his fault for being too weak to fight back.

Zecora didn’t respond. Glancing at her, Arden noticed Zecora sat by his side and was looking at Chrysalis over his shoulder.

“The changeling drank a lot last night. And, as much as she might deny it, she screamed very clearly to all at the party how she felt about you.” Zecora placed her arm over Arden and brought him closer.

“She said she loved me?” Arden inquired with a neutral tone while leaning against Zecora.

Zecora chuckled. “No, she screamed, “I won’t say I’m in love!” That one is far too stubborn to say that out loud after claiming that she planned to use you as a food source only.”

Not noticing the half-smile that appeared on his muzzle, Arden chuckled too. “That sounds like something she would do. But, aren’t you mad? She was drunk, so she can’t be entirely blamed. But still, she forced herself on me. And I was unable to do anything. Even after everything you taught me.”

“You speak as if this one should be mad at you. When the irresponsible and disrespectful act was done to you. While this one understands and has some concerns with Chrysalis’s behavior. She does not believe Chrysalis would have acted in such a way if Chrysalis was in complete control of her senses.”

“I know, but it still feels bad. I feel like I did something to hurt you.”

“This one is glad that you worry so much for her, but this one told you before that the number of companions her mate manages to win over is something that shows how strong they are. And this one is sure we can make everything work out if we talk about it. Now, is the blue one sure he is not feeling guilty because he might have liked it?”

Arden frowned at her question. How could he like the idea of being pinned to the ground? Or was it the ceiling? Things got weird there for a moment. How could he like the concept of being dominated? That is not how he imagined sex would be. His first time with Zecora was closer to the ideal he held in his head about how intercourse should be. An experience in which both parts paced themselves to feel comfortable with the process. What he experienced with Chrysalis was forceful, direct, fast, and strange above all else. How could he enjoy something that made him feel fear?

However, something in that act made him feel flustered. Just recalling the event was enough for his cheeks to flush and his heart starts racing. Shaking his head, Arden managed to find the words to answer Zecora's inquiry.

“Are you serious?” Arden shot back confused as to why he felt so nervous about the question. “She just pushed me down and did things the way she wanted to do!”

Suddenly, Zecora pushed him down and held his arms in place. Arden struggled to free himself from her grasp. He was no match for Chrysalis, but he knew he was able to put up a fight with Zecora, or so he thought. Firmly gripping Arden’s wrists, Zecora leaned closer to his face.

‘Damn it!’ Arden cursed while grunting and trying to turn things around. That was when Zecora used her legs to prevent Arden from using his legs. ‘I lost some progress while in that induced coma.’

Zecora purred in his ears. “The cerulean came to this one because he wanted to protect her from dangers. He wanted to have control over the situation. When he learned about his mental condition, he quickly took action to take control of things. The cerulean tried to help this one because he didn’t want to feel helpless. The cerulean learned how to hunt to control his chances of survival. The cerulean needs to control situations that make him feel threatened. But do tell, does he feel threatened now with this one overpowering you? Does this one pinning you to the ground make you feel your life is in danger?”

Arden felt his heart race. Sweat formed on his forehead. He kept struggling until finally resigned to the fact he was unable to do anything. He felt his cheeks burn while staring at the huntress above him.

“Now, answer this one. Do you feel threatened?”

“Y-yes,” Arden replied with his voice trembling.

“Does the cerulean think this one would hurt him?” She inquired while looking into Arden’s eyes.

Arden stared boking straight into those green eyes, Arden felt the anxiety subside as his heart continued to race. This time, it was similar to what he felt during the first time. And strangely enough, it resembled what he felt when Chrysalis did the same.

“No. I know you won’t hurt me,” He replied with a calmer voice.

“Yet, here you are. Nervous. Excited. The cerulean may not see it, but he enjoys this position, as long as you’re with someone you trust. You may call it a preference. You seem to prefer being in control of your life, but in moments like this, you are ok with letting others take the lead.”

Sitting on Arden’s hip as he lay there, Zecora grinned while letting go of Arden's arms. “Well, it does seem to push you to the right mood quicker.”

Arden let out a sigh as he covered his face with both hands he allowed his hands to fall. “I have a kink. Nice. Why am I learning more about myself here than back home?”

“It is better than never learning. However, here is another question; were you afraid when Chrysalis did this?”

“Yes, I completely panicked,” Arden admitted with a small smile.

“What form was she in?” Zecora inquired with the same serious voice.

“She was herself when she pinned me. But she turned into Princess Celestia halfway through. And given the fact that there was a shit-ton of ponies outside with questions because of some unexpected news. The fear was given.”

“Then what were you truly afraid of?” Zecora asked while laying on top of him. “The act, afraid that she would hurt you, or something else entirely?”

Arden held his tongue. The obvious answer was the act. But that wasn’t the case. His immediate worry after getting that mess done was protecting Chrysalis’s identity.

‘Wait. She was about to force herself on me. Did I jump to that worry because I knew she wouldn’t hurt me?’

Arden groaned. “How can you get what’s wrong with me in a matter of seconds when I have to do a deep dive to figure out the basics?”

“Call it intuition,” Zecora replied while getting up. “At any rate, what should we do about Chrysalis?”

“For now, we let her rest. Then we make sure she won’t be trying to remove my gut with her stubbornness. This has been one hell of a morning. Oh, right! I should warn you about the weird scandal in the newspaper.”

Arden began to explain the news about the rumor of his supposed romance with Celestia as well as her apparent confession to the princess of love. He also took the time to explain how Chrysalis ended up unconscious and what she probably prevented him from doing to the visitors that were at his doorstep earlier that day. As he explained things to Zecora, he felt something strange. Lightheadedness followed by some dark spots in his vision. They happened two times during the conversation before leaving him alone with just a slight headache.

Arden was lost in the conversation and didn’t realize how much time had passed until he heard grunts coming from his bed. Arden walked up to the drowsy changeling who was struggling to sit up.

“Hello, please do not jump on me,” Arden said in a low voice as he helped Chrysalis sit up.

“Urgh, remember me to never drink again,” she grumbled while holding one of her hands to her forehead. Suddenly her eyes shot open as her cheeks flushed. “I, I was drunk! I didn’t mean anything!”

“It’s ok,” Arden said while gently stroking her head. “Even though you scared me, you didn’t hurt me. Moreover, I’m glad you are that fond of me. I won’t say that I will be the best partner you could hope for. But I’ll promise to be the best partner I can be.”

“W-what?” Chrysalis asked with a trembling voice.

“I love you too Chrysalis, just as much as I love Zecora,” Arden replied while breaking the hug to look into Chrysalis’s eyes. Her expression was of utter disbelief as tears filled her eyes. She started sobbing before taking a deep breath to try and talk.

“That’s not the sort of thing you can take back! You can’t turn your back on me now. Do you hear me?! I’ll hold you to that!” Chrysalis said while pushing Arden away.

“That’s fine. I don’t intend to. But I do have a few things I want to ask.” A grin grew on Arden’s face.

“What is it? I won’t change into someone else just to make you aroused! You’re stuck with me!”

“That was one of the requests, more specifically, to keep your form when we are alone or doing that. But, do keep the disguise up until we can make sure no one will attack you. As for the second question, what did you shove down my throat?”

“What? I didn’t shove anything down your throat, did I?” Chrysalis replied while scratching her head.

“Yeah. When you sat on my face and fit my muzzle on your vagina. Something came out of you and was forced down my throat.” Arden explained while trying to hold in the embarrassment.

Chrysalis turned to him as her pupils shrunk. She seemed aware of what he was referring to. But didn’t seem to believe it. “From there? B-But, I’m not ready yet. I couldn’t possibly have. No, I’m not supposed to have them. Only a complete queen should be able to do it.”

Arden frowned at the bits of information she shared. “What are you not supposed to have? Wait, did you lay eggs in me?”

“If it came from my womb, probably. But I’m not supposed to have eggs. I didn’t receive the royal treatment to become a mature queen yet.”

Arden had flashbacks to a certain movie about a thing that laid eggs in its host and the hatchling burst out of the host’s chest. “Please, don’t tell me I’ll have a changeling bursting out of my chest.”

“If I did lay eggs. I doubt any of them are fertile. The queen needs to be fertilized at least once to produce a viable egg. So, if I did lay them, you would simply, digest them?” Chrysalis gave a less-than-reassuring smile. She then let out a sigh before hunching over. "Ok. I don't know what's going to happen. I should be infertile. There should be nothing going on down there," Chrysalis said as she held her hands near the lower part of her abdomen.

"Well, not like we can do anything about it now," Arden replied with a chuckle as he leaned back on the bed.

"Is the cerulean not worried about this?" Zecora intervened.

"I have been in several situations in which I could potentially die since I arrived. I think I might be slowly getting used to that. It's less scary than dealing with a bunch of paparazzi," Arden replied while feeling the headache subside. "Ok, I might be starting to get slightly worried."

Arden waited for something to happen. However, all he felt was a sudden pressure on his stomach. This was followed by an audible rumbling sound. It started rumbling for about two or three seconds, subside for about thirty seconds, and then repeat the cycle. There was no pain or any urge to vomit or use the restroom, just that repetition.

"Ok, I might get a stomachache or a bit of diarrhea. But I don't seem to be dying or being poisoned," Arden said while holding his abdomen. "So, we better shift this conversation to the one that seems to be outdated in her biology."

"Excuse me?" Chrysalis inquired with an offended tone. She then chuckled before adjusting her mane. "You're right. What do you suggest?"

"Well, I might be able to help with that," Arden replied while holding his belly. "I was trained as a physician. If I had the tools, I might be able to check with you. But I would need you to share everything you know about your physiology. How you heal, how you digest food and emotions, and where your organs are. I can even take a look into your vagina to check if there is anything odd based on your descriptions I can point it out to you."

Chrysalis' cheeks flushed as she closed her legs and moved both hands in front of her privates. "You're not poking your head anywhere in there."

"Who said anything about poking my head in there? If we have the tools I can just use them to spread your walls and look in there. It would be uncomfortable, but it would allow us to see what was happening. I would love to have an ultrasound device to check your uterus as well as ovaries."

"I, I don't have that. The ovaries that are. It's more like an egg sack. But you're not putting anything in me."

"Is the changeling sure she wants to keep that statement?" Zecora inquired with a smirk.

"Oh, you know what I mean, dumb zebra," Chrysalis grumbled before glancing at Arden. "You better not start getting too full of yourself. You're not getting any tools in me."

"But I am getting myself to a doctor. Just to be sure," Arden replied before tossing his arms around both Chrysalis and Zecora. "You know, I should get you two up to speed about what I am here for. At least the general idea."

"What does the Cerulean mean?"

"I was sent here for a mission. And in three years, I am going to need to check on someone's heart with my eyes. Now that I think about it, I should have a talk with Celestia about this mission," Arden added while falling back on the bed. "I should introduce her to you two. For the sake of sharing all the details that won't put both of you at risk."

The room grew quiet as they rested on the bed. Arden could see Zecora and Chrysalis staring at each other with inquisitive looks. Arden suddenly stood up, walked to the window facing City Hall, and then turned around with a toothy grin, some slightly sharper teeth glistening in his mouth as he spoke his decision.

"Time we pay a visit to Canterlot City. I'll ask for a favor from the mayor. Then, we take a trip by train to the castle. You two better get some changes of clothes ready for us to travel."

Author's Note

As I said in another story, I'll focus on writing until I am satisfied with the progression.

If a chapter has to be longer, I'll make it longer. The opposite is also true.

And I am sorry for the long hiatus.