Scenes From a Life (Post-Villainy)by Jade RingChaptersVillain-Tines DayRules for Dating Our Teenage DaughterMother (Figures) DaySixteen Tons (Suggested by Animation Crusader)Pick On Somepony Your Own Size (Suggested by Ember Shroud)The Most Wonderful Time of the YearProgress Reports (Suggested by Frustration in Excelsis)The Sound of Little Hooves (Suggested by K9Thefirst1)The Imitation Game (Suggested by Vaguely Demented)We Need to Talk About Cozy (Suggested by Animation Crusader)Villain-Tines DayPrompt: "Tirek and Chrysalis share their first Hearts and Hooves Day." Chrysalis shut the front door, shed her Shutterbug disguise in a flash of emerald fire, and stared incredulously at her husband. Normally when she returned from a photo-shoot, she would find him in the gym or catching an afternoon nap. Today he was standing in front of her, like he'd been waiting for her to arrive. And his hands were full. “What exactly am I looking at?” Tirek cleared his throat and gently shook the offered box. “Chocolates.” “Chocolates.” Chrysalis repeated. Her gaze slowly drifted to the object in the centaur’s other hand. “And these?” “Roses.” Tirek’s smile was too wide, too toothy. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. “Roses.” Chrysalis nodded. “And why, pray tell, have you met me at the front door with chocolate and roses?” Tirek shrugged. “I, uh, was told that it was the custom for Hearts and Hooves Day to give your loved one gifts. Specifically, flowers and candy.” Chrysalis, who was far more familiar with the Equestrian holiday than her husband, couldn’t resist a small smile. “And who told you this? Cozy Glow?” Before Tirek could answer, she noticed the clouds of black smoke drifting from the direction of the kitchen. “Did she tell you there was anything else you needed to do? Traditionally speaking, of course.” Tirek’s eyes flickered toward the kitchen. Another bead of sweat appeared. “She informed me that it was appropriate for the husband of the relationship to prepare a romantic dinner for two.” “And then she left you in the kitchen to fend for yourself while she took off for a friend’s house. Didn’t even offer to help, even though she knows you’re more useless at cooking than I am.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I’d be irritated with her if I wasn’t so blasted proud of her.” Before Tirek could do something foolish, like apologize, she leaned forward and took a deep whiff of the roses. “They’re lovely. Thank you.” Tirek visibly relaxed. “Not as lovely as you.” “Did Cozy tell you to say that?” A pause and the tenseness returned. “Not specifically, but...” Chrysalis chuckled as she took the chocolates in her magic, placed them on the table beside the door, and started for the kitchen. “Well, I suppose we’d better see what we can salvage from all this. Can you put those in some water?” “Aren’t you going to eat them?” She gave him a withering look over her shoulder. “Ponies eat flowers. Do I look like a pony to you?” “Not at the moment.” Tirek smirked. “But eventually…” “Oh, how incredibly witty.” She shook her head as she entered the kitchen and took in the disaster that had overwhelmed her normally pristine cooking space. She scanned for any clue as to what Tirek had been attempting to cook. She spied a pot of burnt sludge on the stove and a tray of ashen vegetables beside it. A platter of fresh fruits sat whole and unattended by the sink, evidence of a panicking centaur becoming distracted from his task before they could be peeled and cut. She heard him join her and looked back again, this time with a much gentler smile. “You could’ve just ordered out. I wouldn’t have minded.” “That was my exact thought after the soup caught fire.” Tirek muttered as he placed the vase of roses on the counter. “But you try finding someplace that delivers this late on this blasted holiday.” Chrysalis giggled as she disengaged the burners and began dumping the burned remains of food down the garbage can. “Honestly, you didn’t have to do any of this. I’ve never really cared for Hearts and Hooves Day. Never had much time for it.” “Why’s that?” She shrugged. “It was the hive’s best hunting time. Easiest day of the year for us to sneak into some town, infiltrate a date or two, and drain some love. I’d always mock our prey’s devotion to this whole idea of being especially romantic on one given day…” “So…” He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms about her, hugging her close. “Would you have preferred if I did nothing? Simply let the day go by as though nothing special was happening?” She relaxed into his embrace with a sigh. “I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I’m being honest. Was there some reason you felt compelled to go through all of this?” “Only that it seemed appropriate. We’re trying to lead normal lives, after all.” He leaned down and kissed the place where her horn met her mane. “This is the day where normally someone in my position needs to remind the one in your position how much you, and your love, mean to me.” Chrysalis felt the familiar warmth of his love flow through her and she shuddered as her transforming flames once more washed over her, this time with no conscious decision on her part. In a flash, it was her creamy white reformed visage that Tirek held tight. “Ugh, I hate when you do this to me.” “I know, but it’s like I always tell you; you look amazing to me no matter what form you hold.” Tirek gave her one last squeeze before releasing her and looking around the kitchen. “Alright, so; where do we begiAHHH!” He cried out as his wife tackled him and dragged him to the tiled floor. “But dinner!” “It’s Hearts and Hooves Day.” Chrysalis leered over him and licked her lips. “And I want my dessert first.” “…You left the chocolates in the other room. Should I fetch them?” Chrysalis cut off his prattling with a hungry kiss. When they parted, she pressed her forehead to his and smiled. “I love you. Did you know that?” Tirek returned the smile and brushed a strand of mane away from her face. “It’s nice to be reminded from time to time.” He pulled her in for another kiss, this one much slower. “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Chryssy.” “And to you, my darling.” Her face grew serious. “Now take me to bed before I take you right here.” “As my queen demands.” He chuckled as he stood up, holding Chrysalis bridal style. She snuggled into his chest as he hurried down the hall to their bedroom. The door quickly shut once the pair had entered. A moment later, the door cracked open just barely enough for a sock, bathed in green magic, to float out and wrap itself about the outer doorknob. It was Hearts and Hooves Day, and Chrysalis was taking no chances. Rules for Dating Our Teenage DaughterPrompt: “Tirek and Chrysalis have a heart to heart with Cozy Glow and one of her suitors.” The clock on the wall ticked steadily on, the only sound in the living room. A teenage earth pony stallion and a pegasus mare of the same age sat on one side of the coffee table. On the opposite side sat an adult unicorn mare of lime green and an enormous red centaur. The elder pair glared daggers at the youth. The young mare glared right back. The young stallion was trying desperately not to cry. He was visibly terrified, his poor attempt at a brave face betrayed by his quivering lower lip and trembling hooves. His eyelid occasionally twitched, nearly in perfect time with the ticking clock. The centaur’s gaze was impassive, calculating. Centuries of practicing deception (and several months of anger therapy a few years back) allowed him to hide his emotions so well that passing acquaintances often had no idea what he was really feeling at any given time. “How long have we known each other, Onyx?” Tirek sat back in his chair and crossed his enormous arms over his chest, peering at the silver stallion. Onyx Bolt chewed his lip slowly. “Uh… almost ten years? Ever since you started helping out on the rock farm.” Tirek nodded slowly. “I’m forever in your father’s debt, you know. If he hadn’t given me that job, it’s unlikely that we would have stayed in Saddleburg. You would never have become friends with Cozy Glow. We would have avoided this situation entirely.” Tirek’s reached over and lifted a foil package from Cozy Glow’s saddlebag and placed it on the coffee table’s surface. “That debt, by the way, is the only reason you’re still breathing right now.” Onyx Bolt actually wasn’t breathing at that moment. He forced himself to begin breathing manually and did his best not to break eye contact with Tirek. “Don’t let him scare you.” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He wouldn’t actually kill you. Probably just steal your magic and leave you as a husk.” Onyx gaped at her. “You know, that’s not a terrible idea…” Tirek scratched his chin as a familiar spell manifested over his head. “And how would you explain that to his father?” Shutterbug asked her husband, her eyes still locked on her daughter’s. Tirek huffed irritably, but the magic faded all the same. “So.” Shutterbug curled her lip. “You’re dating now.” “That’s one way of putting it.” Cozy Glow smirked. “Hey, here’s a question; should I start hanging socks off my doorknob now?” Onyx blinked at his special somepony. “What does that have to do with…?” The stallion might’ve been in the dark, but the young mare’s mother’s eyes flashed emerald with rage at the statement. “Young lady, if you think you can just start raising your tail in this house, then you’ve got another thing coming!” “Dear-heart.” Tirek took his wife’s hoof in his hand and squeezed. “The issue here isn’t that Cozy and Onyx have… er, progressed to the next stage in their relationship.” “It isn’t?” All three ponies said at once, staring at the centaur in shock. “Not at all.” Tirek lifted the foil wrapper and examined it. “Fascinating devices you ponies come up with. This one little piece of rubber, and your chances of infection and accidental pregnancy drop exponentially. It’s genius, really.” He looked at his daughter warmly. “If anything, we should be proud that Cozy is being so responsible.” Cozy returned the smile. “Thanks, papa.” Shutterbug gaped at her husband. “You can’t be serious.” “Oh, but I am.” His gaze hardened, letting his daughter know that she wasn’t quite off the hook just yet. “The issue is that she kept this a secret from us.” Shutterbug jumped up and pointed an accusatory hoof at the two teenagers. “So we’re just going to be okay with this?” “Of course.” Tirek shrugged. “They’re of age, and you know as well as I do how ponies get when the hormones start surging. We couldn’t stop them if we tried.” Shutterbug’s eyes flashed again, this time with a bit of fire. “Can we at least try?” “It would be fruitless. Cozy would simply find a way to outsmart us. Wouldn’t you, sweetie?” “Yup.” Cozy nodded sagely. “But from now on, you need to be honest with us. No sneaking around. No lies. Understand?” “Yes, sir.” Cozy Glow shrank slightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” “That’s quite alright. Isn’t it, dear?” Shutterbug’s mouth crinkled with distaste, but ultimately she nodded. “It would be… hypocritical of me to stand between you and your development. Emotional or otherwise.” She settled back on the couch and sighed. “What you do with your body is your own business.” “So long as you’re smart. And safe.” Tirek added. “Y’know…” Cozy Glow gave her parents her best puppy dog eyes. “The safest place for Onyx and I would be here at the house…” Onyx, who had been watching this entire exchange with a kind of detached horror, finally broke out of his trance. “Cozy, what are you…?!” “You’re right, of course. But keep it contained to your room. And don’t make a mess.” Tirek flicked the wrapper to Cozy who caught it easily. “And try to keep it down when your father and I are home.” Shutterbug sniffed. “Psh, that’s rich coming from you.” Cozy Glow smirked at her mother. Shutterbug glared… then returned the smirk. “Fair point.” Tirek clapped his hands together. “ Now that this has all been settled, there’s just one final piece of business.” He turned his attention back to the young stallion. “We need to speak with your special somepony. Alone.” Cozy Glow pouted. “Do you really have to?” Tirek and Shutterbug nodded solemnly. Onyx gulped. “Don’t be scared.” Cozy Glow kissed his cheek and headed towards her bedroom. She looked back at her parents. “Don’t be scary.” Tirek waited until he heard her door shut, then looked hard at Onyx. “You’re the luckiest stallion in town. Do you know that?” “Indeed.” Shutterbug stared a hole through the shivering stallion. “Our princess is one of a kind.” “My wife and I have granted you quite the gift.” Tirek put a fist to his palm and cracked his knuckles. “And a gift like this should be treated with the utmost care.” He repeated the action with his other hand. “You will treat my daughter with respect, I trust?” Onyx nodded slowly, noticing now the emerald sparks dancing at the end of Shutterbug’s hooves. “Of course you will. And you won’t abuse the trust that we’ve placed in you, will you?” The flames licked their way up Shutterbug’s legs, leaving black exoskeleton in their wake. Onyx shook his head quickly. Tirek leaned forward, his immense red bulk filling the stallion’s view and making him shrink back into the couch. “That’s very good. Because if you ever hurt her…” A black nightmare materialized on Tirek’s shoulders and hissed at the terrified teenager through razor sharp fangs. “We’ll hurt you!” Onyx’s paralysis broke and he bolted from the room. Before he could reach the front door, Cozy Glow blasted out of her bedroom and tackled the panicking stallion. She flapped her wings and carried his twitching body towards her room, glaring at her parents. “I said don’t be scary!” Tirek and Chrysalis shared a look. “Were we scary?” Tirek asked. “Of course we weren’t scary.” Chrysalis chuckled as she once again assumed the shape of Shutterbug. “How scary can we possibly be? We’re reformed.” The pair laughed together as they started for the kitchen to prepare dinner. Mother (Figures) DayPrompt: “Cozy Glow has some questions about how Chrysalis really feels about Mares Day.” The door to the room of the spa that held the mud baths finally clicked shut, and Cozy Glow cracked open an eye. Ensuring the coast was clear, she looked over at the room’s sole other occupant. “Alright. You’re good.” No response. The young mare, barely out of fillyhood, sat up slightly, shifting the warm mud-like mixture in which she sat. “Mom? You can change back now.” “Hmm?” The mare called Shutterbug stirred in her own mud bath and used her magic to lift a cucumber slice from her eye. “Oh, sorry. I nearly dozed off there.” The mud bubbled like boiling water as emerald flames coated the mare. When they faded, the former Queen of the Changelings sank further back with a sigh. “I really needed this after that last batch of school pictures…” Cozy Glow arched an eyebrow as she noticed which form Chrysalis had chosen. “Wow, you really are relaxed, aren’t you?” Chrysalis’ magic once again lifted the (now slightly singed) cucumber slice from her eye and grimaced as she beheld the creamy white of her purified form. Cozy Glow giggled as she settled back into her own mud bath. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Papa.” “You’d better not.” Chrysalis floated the vegetable slice into her mouth and chewed slowly. “It would be terrible to have to kill you on Mares Day.” The two former villains shared a laugh before sliding into a relaxed silence. After a while, it was Cozy Glow who sat up again. “Mom?” “Hmm?” “Do you remember our first Mares Day?” Chrysalis smiled wistfully. “How could I forget? You brought me that card you made in class, your father brought me breakfast in bed…” “...Followed by the two of you kicking me out of the house for an hour…” Cozy Glow muttered. Chrysalis continued like she hadn’t heard her. “And then you told me about the Mares Day special at the town’s new spa.” She sighed as she shifted in the mud. “So it’s been for the past two years. It looks like we accidently created a family tradition.” “Well, I don’t see why part of the tradition has to be me having to entertain myself for an hour after I make you breakfast.” Chrysalis smirked as her mind was filled with images of bulging red biceps. “You have your way of showing appreciation on Mares Day, and your father has his.” Something clicked and she sat up, barely catching the remaining cucumber slice. “Wait. You make me breakfast in bed?” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. “You really think papa knows how to make heart shaped pancakes? Papa? Who somehow manages to set fire to juice?” Chrysalis glared as she plopped the slice into her mouth. “And all this time he’s been bragging about how hard he works on those pancakes…” Cozy Glow giggled as she raised a hoof from the mud and examined it. “Can I ask you something?” Chrysalis, who really just wanted to sink back into the mud and plot her imminent vengeance on her deceitful husband, swallowed her cucumber and nodded. “If you must.” “Why has this place become our Mares Day thing? I mean, the mud bath and the massage, I get. But why do you bother with the hooficure? Or getting our manes done?” “I can’t enjoy getting my mane done?” “Well, sure you can. But it’s not your actual mane. You’re disguised the whole time.” Cozy Glow shrugged. “I guess I don’t understand why you spend bits on something that’s just an illusion.” Chrysalis was quiet for a moment. “You… you stopped calling me ‘Mama.’” Cozy Glow looked over sharply. “What?” “You still call Tirek ‘Papa,’ but for the past few months I’ve just become ‘Mom.’” “Okay…” Cozy Glow wasn’t quite following. “It’s something I thought I’d be used to by now. My other children… my hive, I mean… when they were tiny larva they’d call me ‘Mommy.’ Then they’d grow, and a few would just call me ‘Mom.’ Before I knew it, I was just ‘Your Highness.’” “You definitely don’t have to worry about me calling you that.” Cozy Glow offered with a small smile. “It’s just…” Chrysalis sighed. “I never realized how much I would enjoy actual, real motherhood. Not just being a queen surrounded by drones that just happened to hatch from my eggs. It was my love for you as a daughter that caused this…” She gestured at her reformed visage. “…just as much as my love for your father did. I’ve done my best to be an actual mother for the first time in my life, and I hope I’ve done a good job…” “You have!” Cozy Glow leaned forward. “You’re the best, Mom!” “I just didn’t realize how fast you’d grow up. And now all of a sudden, I’m not ‘Mama.’ I’m just ‘Mom.’” She sank into the mud. “I thought I’d have more time…” Cozy Glow sprang from the mud and crossed the room with a single flap of her wings. She landed in Chrysalis’ tub with a wet splat and hugged her mother tightly. “Do you want me to go back to calling you ‘Mama?’” Chrysalis returned the embrace and smiled. “I want you to call me whatever you want. And I want to keep coming here every Mares Day. A few bits for a hooficure and a mane cut I could do myself with magic is a small price to pay for a special day with my daughter.” Cozy Glow pulled back and smiled. “Happy Mares Day, Mom.” Chrysalis smiled back. “Thank you. I love you.” “Love you more.” A smirk began to creep across Cozy Glow’s face. “So, you want me to call you whatever I want, right?” “Within reason.” Chrysalis sniffed. “And please don’t become one of those children who calls their parents by their first name.” “Whatever you want…” Cozy Glow started to rise from the tub. “…Your Highness.” “Oh, you little…!” Chrysalis lunged for her daughter, but the filly was already airborne. The changeling gave chase, and soon the two mares were racing around the room, laughing and giggling as mud fell like dark rain to the floor below. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Tirek looked over the bill in his hand at the pair of mares before him. “It says here that we wouldn’t have to pay this if the two of you had just cleaned up your own mess.” “Psh, and spend Mares Day cleaning? Where’s the fun in that?” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. She looked at her mom and winked. “Besides, what’s a few extra bits for a special day with my Mom?” Chrysalis smiled, her heart full to bursting. Tirek smiled as well. “That’s a lovely sentiment, and I’m glad you feel that way.” He passed her the bill so she could read the amount. “Because that’s coming out of your allowance.” Cozy Glow looked at the amount and her eyes shot open. “On second thought, maybe you can put a price on a special Mares Day…”She muttered as she made her way to her room. Tirek’s grin faltered when he saw his wife’s smile fading as she looked at him. “What?” “Oh nothing. But we do need to have a little talk later.” Her eyes flashed dangerously. “About heart shaped pancakes.” The enormous centaur suddenly felt very small. “Uh… I love you?” He felt himself shrink further when her expression didn’t change. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I? And not the fun kind.” “That depends.” Chrysalis nodded towards the kitchen. “Let’s see what you can cook up for dinner.” Tirek very nearly galloped from the room, and soon the sound the pots and pans could be heard. Chrysalis sighed in contentment as she settled back on the couch and closed her eyes. “It’s good to be the queen…” Sixteen Tons (Suggested by Animation Crusader)“Tirek gets a job.” Suggested by Animation Crusader Gray Gravel’s rock farm had been in his family for generations. Sometimes, when he lost control and got too deep into his cups, he’d often brag that Saddleburg had in fact been founded because of the family rock farm. Rock farming was an art, an exact science, and he was immensely proud to be the patriarch of one of the only two rock farming families in the whole of the world. But it was because rock farming was so difficult that times were getting tough for his little family. Crusher, his strongest worker, had up and left town a month back to seek his fame and fortune in the burgeoning world of professional wrestling, and there were now a number of large boulders on the property that nopony could move. Time was of the essence, and if those boulders weren’t moved and positioned perfectly, the entire harvest could be undone. Gravel had been getting desperate, had almost reached the point of swallowing his pride and sending a request for aid to the distant Pie family. Then he’d found the note on his door requesting a job interview long after sunset. Truth be told, he’d had no idea what to expect when he heard the knock on his office door just before midnight. And even with those wide-open expectations, he’d still been caught off guard when the door opened and an enormous red centaur had stepped in and sat heavily in the chair in front of his desk. Gravel swallowed hard. “You… Ahem. You sent the note, I take it?” “I did. Or rather, I had my wife drop it off for me.” The centaur smiled uneasily. “She’s able to blend in with you ponies more easily than I.” “Strange… I think I would recall seeing a lady centaur traipsing across the fields.” “Oh, she’s no centaur. Just a normal pony.” He chuckled lowly. “Sometimes.” Gravel, who had no idea what could be amusing about the sentence and was still considering the possibility of running screaming from the room, forced a few small chuckles of his own. “Well, I’m here. And what is it I can do for you, Mister…?” “Tirek. Lord Tirek.” The centaur reached out a huge hand. Gravel barely swallowed the scream, got hold of his nerves, and extended his hoof. They shook carefully, and Gravel audibly sighed in relief when his appendage was free of the iron grip of the monster before him. “Lord?” “Well, not anymore. I suppose it’s just Tirek now. That’s going to take some getting used to.” “Well, the question stands; what can I do for you, Mister Tirek?” “I need a job.” The statement sounded so absurd, so comical, coming from the imposing beast before him that Gravel very nearly burst into laughter. He caught himself, turning the first giggle into a cough. “A job?” “Yes. A job.” Tirek sat back in the chair, apparently not noticing the audible creak as it strained under him. “My family has recently relocated to Saddleburg, and I need to bring in some bits while my wife gets her business going.” “And her business is…?” “Photography. She’s quite good. I have little doubt that she’ll do well once word gets around, but we will need money before then.” Gravel nodded slowly. “And what is your skillset, Mr. Tirek?” Tirek only raised an eyebrow… and flexed his arms. Gravel considered, then nodded. “Alright, I’m listening.” “I’ve been watching your farm the past few days. I’ve seen some large boulders that neither you nor any of your farmhands are able to move. I can move those boulders, Mister Gravel. Those, and more. Any kind of heavy lifting on your rock farm, I can do with ease.” “An interesting thought.” Gravel leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. “I don’t suppose you’d intend to work in the daytime, like the rest of the hands?” He looked back at Tirek and smiled. “You’d make quite the spectacle. I reckon the Pies don’t have a centaur workin’ for them.” “I’d prefer not to.” Tirek actually looked somewhat embarrassed. “My family and I, we… we’re trying to lie somewhat low. I’d hate to attract any unnecessary attention.” “…Are you in some kind of trouble, Mister Tirek?” Tirek bit the inside of his cheek. “I… we… My family has done some… bad things in the past, Mister Gravel. We can’t change that. All we want is a fresh start, the chance to build something new.” “And what’s that?” “A home. Surely you can understand that.” Gray Gravel did understand. “So you’ll wanna work at night. And I suppose you’ll also want me to pay you under the table.” When he saw the uncomprehending look in the centaur’s eyes, he smiled. “So there’s no paper trail.” Tirek returned the smile. “Yes, that would be preferred.” He leaned forward. “So… does this mean I have the job?” Gravel thought about the possible loss of the harvest. He thought about the ponies who depended on him, from his family to his field hands. He thought about acting in a borderline illegal way in order to pay an apparent fugitive from justice. He thought about how much courage it must have taken for this powerful being to throw himself down to this level, just to provide for his family. Gravel extended his hoof once again, and this time there was no hesitation. “Let’s give it a shot.” Tirek grinned shook the offered hoof gratefully. “You won’t regret this, Mister Gravel.” “Please, call me Gray.” “Only if you call me Lord Tirek.” Gravel froze. “I’m kidding.” The two shared a laugh and spent the next few minutes hashing out the details; hours of work, rate of pay, and the like. Once everything was sealed with another shake, the two stood and made for the office door. “So your wife’s trying to be the new town photographer. I’m sure that’ll work out. Ya’ll have any kids?” “One.” Seeing the question on Gravel’s face, he answered it before it could be asked. “She’s a pegasus. Adopted.” “School-aged?” “Yes. That’s a major reason we decided to settle here. Your school system is quite superb.” “I’ll be sure to pass the compliment to my cousin, seein’ as how she’s the superintendent.” Gravel opened the door for his new employee. “My youngest, Onyx Bolt… I’m sure he’d love to show her around once school starts back up.” “I’m sure Cozy would enjoy that.” Tirek paused at the door and looked at his new employer. “Thank you, Gray. Not many ponies would take a chance on… on someone like me.” Gravel shrugged. “What you did before you came to Saddleburg ain’t any concern of mine, Tirek. I look at you, and you know what I see?” “A monster?” “A husband and a father. Somepony who just wants to do right by his own.” He tapped his hoof against the solid muscle of the centaur’s arm. “Somepony like me.” Tirek smiled and nodded. “See you tomorrow night, then.” “Bright and early. Er… or whatever the opposite of that is.” Gravel closed the door behind the centaur and trotted back to his desk. With shaking hooves, he opened a drawer, pulled out a bottle of clear liquid, and took a long, burning drink. The liquor steadied his nerves somewhat, and he breathed out in relief. He was sure that things were going to work out, and that Tirek fella really did seem like a genuinely good guy… …but stars above, was he ever intimidating. Gray Gravel took one more swig, then capped the bottle and put it back where he found it. He hopped back into his chair, opened his ledger, and started making notes. It looked like the harvest was going to be just fine after all. Pick On Somepony Your Own Size (Suggested by Ember Shroud)“Cozy Glow gets some unexpected back-up when dealing with a bully.” Suggested by Ember Shroud Cozy Glow gulped as she took another step back. “Look, it’s really nothing special. Just a couple daisy sandwiches. I’m sure whatever you have is better.” The dark yellow earth pony advanced another step. “It’s not about what the lunch is, pipsqueak. I want it, and that means you give it over.” The pale green unicorn to Cozy’s left removed her glasses and cleaned them on her coat. “I’d do what she says, new girl. Mustard Seed’s been known to leave little fillies like you smeared in the dirt.” Cozy Glow grimaced. She’d felt this confrontation coming all day, ever since Mustard Seed had laid eyes on her. She knew her type. She’d dealt with this kind of thing before. Just because some fillies happened to be a little taller than others, they thought they could throw their weight around. Because of her small size and innocent appearance, Cozy always looked like an easy mark. In the past, this assumption of weakness had been easily rectified. What Cozy lacked in stature, she made up for deviousness. How many would-be bullies had found themselves suspended from school on trumped up charges? How many had suddenly found themselves facing the wrath of their parents after a sudden and unexpected raucous house party? But that was the old Cozy Glow. New Cozy Glow couldn’t do things like that. She, like her parents, had been reformed, and that meant finding non-evil solutions to every day issues. Still, a little evil would have been quite useful against the glaring filly that now loomed over her. Cozy Glow sighed and handed over the bag. This wasn’t worth the fight. Besides, Chrysalis’ cooking was still so subpar, there was a very good chance that the daisies in her sandwiches would still contain dirt from the garden from which they’d been plucked. “Is that it? Can I go now?” “What? Don’t you wanna watch me eat your lunch?” “…Not really?” “Tough.” Mustard Seed chuckled as she went to open the bag. She paused, the laughed again. “Y’know, on second thought, I already ate today.” And, to Cozy Glow’s surprise, she went to hand the bag back. Before she realized the trap she’d fallen into, the bag was already on the ground. “Wait…” Mustard Seed brought her hoof down on the bag in one smooth motion, grinding her hoof into the paper and obliterating the contents. The green unicorn clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Don’t feel bad. We’ve all fallen for that one.” Cozy sighed and turned to leave. Maybe if she ran, she could get home for something small before lunch was… “Where do ya think you’re going, pipsqueak?” Mustard Seed growled as she moved to block her path. Cozy Glow rolled her eyes and pointed at the remains of the bag. “You crushed my lunch. I’m going to grab something else.” “Why?” Mustard Seed raised her hoof and shook the debris free in front of its original owner. “You’ve still got your lunch right here.” “I…” “Eat it.” Cozy Glow blinked. “…what?” “I said…” Mustard Seed raised herself to her full height and looked down on the filly. “Eat it.” Cozy Glow bit the inside of her lip. “…Or what?” The green unicorn took a step back. “Be smart, new girl.” “Eat it, or you’ll be eating dirt.” Cozy Glow had gone toe to toe with the most powerful magic users in Equestria. She’d been transformed into an alicorn. She’d literally wielded the power of a god. And now this simple little pony was threatening her? Cozy Glow’s red eye twitched. Reformation be damned, this filly was asking for it. “You’re gonna make me eat dirt?” “That’s right.” Mustard Seed raised a hoof to strike. “And after that, you’ll be eatin’ through a straw.” A familiar smirk twitched at the edges of Cozy Glow’s lips. She wanted this filly to swing. She wanted an excuse, any excuse, to show her just who she was dealing with. She forced away the smirk and put on her best fake pout. “Golly, please don’t beat me up! I’m so small and helpless!” Mustard Seed grinned triumphantly. “Are ya gonna eat it then?” The pout vanished like smoke. A look of smugness took its place. “Nope.” The green unicorn’s jaw dropped. “New girl, you’ve got salt.” Mustard Seed snorted. She drew back her hoof… “Cozy Glow! Is that filly messin’ with you?” Three heads turned at the sound of a rough Manehatten accent. They watched as a teen mare with a jet black coat floating down from above, her pink and silver accented mane done up in a very expensive haircut. She popped her gum as she landed, sizing up the situation. “Everything okay here, cuz?” “Cuz?” Cozy Glow cocked her head in confusion. “Who are…?” The young mare looked back at Cozy Glow and winked… revealing a familiar flash of emerald green. “Uh… yeah. Everything’s fine, cousin…” Cozy spared a glance at the teen’s flank to check her cutie mark. “Ampersand?” “Hey, don’t be usin’ my full name like that. You call me Amp, like all my other fans.” “Fans?” The green unicorn peered at the new arrival over her glasses. “Are you famous?” “Not yet, but I’m gonna be. When my band takes off, everypony’s gonna know the name Amp… and her cousin Cozy Glow of course.” She rounded on Mustard Seed and loomed over her. “Do you have any idea who you were pickin’ on just now?” Mustard Seed lowered her hoof and looked away pointedly. “I wasn’t pickin’ on nobody.” “Good. Because it’d be really bad if you were pickin’ on this one here.” Amp wrapped Cozy Glow in a hug and noogied her mane. “Cozy Glow was the coolest girl in her class back in Manehatten. Toughest, too. One time, a manticore attacked the school and it was my cuz here who sent it packin.’” “Wow.” The green unicorn whispered. “A manticore, huh?” Mustard Seed sniffed and shuffled her hooves. “That’s pretty cool, I guess.” Amp let Cozy Glow down and looked at the smashed bag of food. “What happened here?” “I offered to share my lunch with Mustard Seed and it fell.” Cozy Glow answered rapidly. “Then it got stepped on. No big deal.” She looked at Mustard Seed and lifted her brows. “Right?” “Yeah. No big deal.” Mustard Seed nodded. “Alright. Well if you three are good then I’ve gotta bounce. It was nice helpin’ you and your folks settle in, but I’ve gotta get back to the city.” She spread her wings and looked around. “Nice meeting you, Mustard Seed. And you…” She stared at the green unicorn. “Uh…” “Lily Vine.” She answered quickly. “Lily Vine. Nice meetin’ you.” She flapped her wings and lifted off. “Hey, Amp; can I talk with you real quick?” Cozy Glow flapped her own wings and followed. When they were safely a few dozen feet up, Cozy Glow gave her ‘cousin’ a quick hug. “Thanks for that, mama.” “You’re just lucky I realized that I forgot to wash those daisies before I made your lunch.” Chrysalis said in her usual voice, the vibrating tones clashing with her disguised appearance. “Speaking of…” Her currently invisible horn flashed and a small sack of bits appeared in Cozy’s outstretched hoof. “I was going to tell you to not spend all that, but…” She spared a quick glance down. “Maybe you should buy something to share with your new friends.” “Friends?” Cozy looked down to see that Mustard Seed and Lily Vine were chatting animatedly and looking up at the floating pair. “You just got a coolness endorsement from a band-leading Manehatten teenager. That’s all a pony like Mustard Seed needs to know that you’re alright.” She smiled. “And from what I saw, that Lily Vine was already impressed with how well you stood your ground.” Cozy Glow looked away. “I… I almost…” “I know.” Chrysalis reached out and turned Cozy Glow’s face back to hers. “But you didn’t. And that’s what matters.” The two ponies hugged, and ‘Amp’ flew away with a wave. Cozy Glow watched her leave, then floated back down to the other two fillies. “Wow, new girl.” Lily Vine looked in the direction the other mare had flown. “Your cousin is pretty cool.” “Yeah.” Cozy Glow smiled. “She is. And my name is Cozy.” She turned to Mustard Seed and reached out a hoof. “Cozy Glow.” Mustard Seed hesitated… then extended her own hoof and bumped it with the pink one. “Lily’s right. You’ve got some salt.” “It runs in the family.” She jangled the bag of bits. “You girls want to get a milkshake after school?” A chorus of affirmation followed, and the three new friends headed back into the schoolhouse for the second half of the day. The Most Wonderful Time of the YearAuthor's Note A little Christmas gift for you all! These were three 'Scene ideas' I had that I couldn't quite flesh out into full chapters. In the spirit of the season, I decided to blend them together with a little sprinkling of holiday schmaltz. I hope you enjoy them, and here's to more 'Scenes' in the year to come! The Most Wonderful Time of the Year “The family celebrates Hearth’s Warming with some of the friends they’ve made over the years.” “I feel ridiculous.” Tirek reached up and fiddled with his new spectacles for the hundredth time since he’d unwrapped Cozy Glow’s gift. “You look great.” Gray Gravel tipped his nearly empty glass of cider at his friend and co-worker. “But what I think doesn’t matter. What does the missus think?” Tirek chuckled and looked out the kitchen’s entryway. He and Gravel’s respective spouses were reclining on sofas in the living room and chatting animatedly over glasses of wine. “She said I looked very… distinguished.” “Means she likes ‘em.” Gray was nursing a pleasant buzz as he eyed the nearby cookie platter. “I thought you were some kind of immortal. Why do you even need glasses, anyway?” “Immortal is the wrong word.” Tirek refilled his cider. “Incredibly extended life-span would be more appropriate. If my eyes just started going bad now, then who knows? Perhaps I’ll have hair as gray as yours in a few centuries.” Gray laughed as he swallowed his umpteenth cookie of the evening. “Hey, this is all genetic. I’ve had this shade since the day I was born.” He looked out onto the back patio that he and Tirek had just finished building that past summer and the four younger ponies standing on it. “Onyx is just lucky it tends to skip a generation.” “With the way things are going between them, that might be something we want to mention to Cozy Glow.” The two fathers laughed, clinked glasses, and drank. “Cozy’s a fine young mare. You did good with that one.” “I did, didn’t I?” Tirek looked out at his daughter wistfully. “I guess the law of averages dictates that I would manage to do something right after all these years.” The centaur tilted his glass at his boss. “And you’re no slouch yourself, you know. Onyx is quite the upstanding stallion.” “That’s all his mother’s doing.” Gray considered another cookie, but ultimately decided against it. His wife had been dropping hints about his stomach all night. “I taught the boy manners and rock farming. Everything else is her fault.” “To our wives!” Tirek raised his glass. “They’re called our better halves for a reason.” “I’ll drink to that.” They did just that, and Gray decided that one more glass of cider wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. A little liquid courage was necessary for what he had to say next. “Tirek, you’ve been working for me for years now. You’re the best field hand I’ve ever had.” “No compliments are necessary.” Tirek tried to wave him off. “You gave me that job when you didn’t even have to give me a second glance. More than that, your endorsement did wonders for getting the town to accept me when I finally started showing my face in public.” “Well, I feel like I owe you a lot. You’re help has rescued more than one harvest…” “You don’t owe me anything, Gray.” “But I do.” He chugged his cider and exhaled forcefully. “And that’s why I want to make you the new foreman.” Tirek blinked slowly. “But what about Shale? She’s…” “Moving.” Gray finished for him. “Which means the position’s open. And honestly, it should’ve been yours five years ago.” He put out a hoof. “What do you say… partner?” “What do I say?” Tirek pulled off his glasses and wiped them clean on the gaudy Hearth’s Warming vest his wife had made him. “What can I say?” He replaced his glasses, broke into a wide grin, and wrapped the smaller stallion in a crushing bear hug. “Thank you!” Gray was struggling to breathe, so he tapped the centaur’s broad back to beg for release. Once his hooves were back on the floor, he laughed as he tried to catch his breath. “I thought you’d be pleased. Wasn’t expecting that, though.” “It’s just…” Tirek smiled with embarrassment. “I’ve never been promoted before.” “Well, you’ve earned it.” Gray bumped his hoof against Tirek’s fist. “Plus, this makes it easier to fold you into the business proper once Onyx and Cozy get hitched.” Tirek raised an eyebrow. “Do you know something I don’t? They haven’t even graduated yet.” Gray laughed as he reached for the cookie platter. Who cared what his stomach looked like? It was Hearth’s Warming. “Just wishful thinking. It would really be something to add a centaur to the family.” /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “I’m sorry.” Chrysalis was feeling pleasantly warm from the wine, but her concentration was waning just the slightest bit. “Could you repeat the question?” Quartzite giggled like a school-filly as she took another sip. “I asked if your husband ever asks you to use your powers in the bedroom.” Chrysalis tittered into her glass. She caught sight of her creamy white reflection in the liquid within. “Not as often as you’d think. Usually it’s me who prefers to slip back into something… darker.” Emerald flames danced across her body, shifting her to her old, chitinous black form. “Looking like this makes me feel more comfortable being… y’know… bad.” The flames returned and once again she was her paler, reformed self. “Tirek is always telling me that it doesn’t matter which face I wear. He just wants me.” Quartzite tossed back her aquamarine mane and sniffed. “Consider yourself lucky, girl. If I know Gray, if I had powers like yours he’d have me copying half the mares in those ‘fashion magazines’ I keep finding in Onyx’s room.” The two mares laughed before a small smile crossed Chrysalis’ lips. “Well… there was this one time…” “Ooh, details!” Quartzite leaned forward eagerly. “Well, back in the old days, Tirek always considered himself the strongest being in the universe. Nopony could stand against him. But there was this one mare. She managed to hold her own in single combat. The only creature to ever fight him to a stand-still.” “Let me guess; he had some hang-ups.” “He wouldn’t admit it at first, but I managed to convince him that if we were ever going to be totally and fully reformed, then he would have to get over his old grudges and frustrations. I knew he wasn’t angry at this mare. He was…” She put a hoof to her chin. “I’m not sure how to put it.” “Attracted to her?” “Yes and no. It was more like there was this last shred of the old toxicity in him and it was tied to her and their stalemate.” She took another sip. “It was me that suggested that he try getting over her by…” She smirked. “Getting over her.” The mares giggled. “Did it work?” “Oh yes. To our mutual satisfaction. In fact, I’m planning on bringing her back for the rubber match for our anniversary.” The flames flashed and there was a purple alicorn swirling the wine in her glass. “He’s going to find out that the nerdy know how to get dirty.” They laughed together as Chrysalis resumed her original shape and made to refill their glasses. “You mentioned that you keep finding Onyx’s ‘fashion magazines?’ How awkward is that?” Quartzite groaned dramatically and rolled her eyes. “You have no idea. I only had sisters growing up. I was totally unprepared for the step from colt to stallion.” She peered over the rim of her glass. “You should count yourself lucky you don’t have to deal with any of that stuff with Cozy Glow.” “Are you kidding?” Chrysalis looked at her incredulously. “Imagine how awkward it was for two non-ponies to explain equine biology to a young mare. I swear we we learning more about it than she was.” Quartzite laughed and extended her glass. “Those magazines I keep finding are mostly full of pegasi, I should mention.” Chrysalis smiled conspiratorially and tapped her glass against her friend’s. “I can’t imagine why.” ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “I still can’t believe that you actually managed to convince Coach Bruiser you couldn’t fly.” Mustard Seed shook her head. “I mean, you practically had him sobbing at the unfairness of a pegasi unable to use her wings.” “It’s not entirely unheard of.” Lily Vine sipped her cider and placed the cup back on the patio’s railing. “You’re just lucky that he has more rocks than brains in his skull.” “Hey, that’s my second cousin ya’ll are ragging on.” Onyx Bolt mock-glowered. “He’s very proud of those rocks.” Cozy Glow laughed and kissed her colt-friend’s cheek before looking back to her friends. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Honestly. I just have these urges sometimes…” “Post-Evil Resurgent Syndrome.” Lily nodded. “I’m going to use you as my dissertation one day.” “Well, when I get those urges I just need an outlet. Nothing major, just something small. So I convince the gym teacher I’m crippled so he’ll let me skip that period.” “Or replace the head cheerleader’s shampoo with mane remover.” Mustard Seed mentioned with a grin. “Or send a series of threatening notes to convince the guidance counselors that each of them knows the others dark secret.” Lily Vine added. “Or pulling me out of Calculus by pretending my dad had swamp flu.” Onyx Bolt grinned. “Okay, you weren’t complaining about that at the time.” Cozy pouted. “Hard to complain when you’ve shoved me into the broom closet.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You love it when I’m bad.” Cozy narrowed her eyes and inched forward. “More than you know.” He mirrored her. “Aaand that’s our cue.” Mustard Seed polished off her cider and looked at Lily Vine. “Walk you home?” “You’d be a pretty crummy marefriend if you didn’t.” Lily poked her tongue out playfully. She crossed the patio to hug Cozy and Onyx. “Happy Hearth’s Warming.” “You too.” Cozy reciprocated the hug and saw the glass door sliding open. “What’s up, Mom?” Chrysalis stepped out and looked to Onyx. “Your parents are heading out. You’re welcome to stay for a while if you’d like, Onyx.” “Nah, I better go help get Dad to bed. He always gets a little sloshed at Hearth’s Warming.” He kissed Cozy, then leaned close to her ear. “…Later?” “I’ll keep the window open.” She whispered back before sealing the deal with another kiss. Mustard Seed smiled at Chrysalis. “Happy Hearth’s Warming… Amp.” The two mares laughed as they bumped hooves… followed by a quick (and horrible looking) bit of dueling air guitars. Good-byes and well wishes and hugs were passed all around, and not long after mother and daughter were all that remained in the gently falling snow. “How was your Hearth’s Warming?” Chrysalis asked. “Great. Yours?” “Wonderful. As always.” Chrysalis embraced her daughter and sighed. “Love you.” “Love you, too.” “There’s my girls.” Tirek stepped out, her arms open wide. “Room for one more?” The little family embraced one another in the snowy night, just as they had for the past ten years. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, my little monster.” Tirek kissed Cozy’s cheek. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Papa.” She yawned as she pulled away, recognizing the familiar look in her parent’s eyes as they looked at one another. “I’m gonna head to bed.” She headed back inside… then poked her head back out just before she shut the door. “By the way, Onyx is probably going to sneak through my window later.” “Make sure he doesn’t track snow on the carpet.” Tirek advised, not taking his eyes from his wife’s. “And don’t get too noisy. Your father and I have work in the morning.” Chrysalis added as she leaned in. The two kissed in the moonlight, holding each other tight. Their bodies were warm, but it was the love that flowed between them that truly chased away the chill. When they parted, Chrysalis sighed into his strong embrace and rested her forehead on his. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, my love.” “And to you, my dearest.” They stayed there for a long while, watching the snow and holding one another. It was how they'd always saw out the holiday since they'd come to Saddleburg. Since they'd tried for a fresh start. Since they'd become a family. As far as they were concerned, it was how they always would. Progress Reports (Suggested by Frustration in Excelsis)“Chrysalis starts getting mail from an unexpected source.” Suggested by Frustration in Excelsis Chrysalis stared at the pile of papers on the table before her. Her morning coffee was by her hoof, now cold and forgotten. She was only dimly aware of the sound of the front door opening and closing, and she barely glanced at the dining room's entrance when her husband stooped to enter, still coated in the sweat and dust of a hard night's work on the rock farm. Despite his recent reveal to the rest of the town, Tirek still preferred to do most of his work in the dead of night away from gawking eyes. His morning walk home was the one small concession he'd granted himself, mostly because it had been ages since he'd had the chance to peacefully take in the sunrise. He stopped on his way to the kitchen when he saw the papers and the blank look on his wife's face. "Is something the matter?" He looked around. "Did Cozy get to school alright?" Chrysalis slowly nodded, not taking her eyes from the pile. "What's that?" Chrysalis licked her dry lips. "It's... mail." Tirek raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Mail?" "Mail." The white changeling confirmed. "But we don't get mail." Chrysalis finally looked up, the confusion and bewilderment on her face now evident. "I know." Tirek chewed the inside of his cheek, just as baffled as his wife. "Would you… like some help reading it?" Chrysalis shook her head as she looked at the top-most letter. "No. You go on to bed." She noted his appearance. "And shower before you trail gravel through the entire house." "Yes dear." As her large husband abandoned his quest for morning pastries and headed for the bedroom, Chrysalis's horn lit and lifted the first envelope. Carefully, she opened the seal and slid out the contents; a single piece of paper covered in flowery cursive. She skimmed until she reached the signature and was thankful she hadn't drank her coffee. The surprise at seeing the familiar name likely would have coated the letter in scalding liquid. She returned to the top of the paper and read; My dear Chrysalis, ...You know, I hadn't considered how strange that would look until I actually put pen to paper. I trust the lack of news about hostile takeovers and mysterious disappearances means that you and your little family are staying true to your word in regards to starting over. I'm very pleased with this, and rest assured that my sister and I have remained true to our word as well. By that I of course mean that we have not spoken a word of you or your whereabouts to Princess Twilight Sparkle or her Council of Friendship. We have, however, spoken to one other. We have taken the liberty of revealing your location and chosen fate to your former subordinate (and current King of the Changelings) Thorax. We knew that he above all others would likely know what to do, especially given the current state of things. Personally, I hope that you won't take offense. Thorax has told me his intentions and I hope you'll be quite pleased. Please give my regards to your husband and daughter, and do feel free to write me anytime. I hadn't realized how much I would miss correspondence with somepony learning about friendship until it was already too late. Sincerely, Celestia An old, familiar rage flooded Chrysalis' heart at the sight of the name Thorax. The memory of her feelings at the betrayal of her treasonous spawn made her hooves shake. Emerald flames danced at the tips of her frogs, revealing flashes of black chitin that threatened to overtake the pearly white of her new form. An old inner voice whispered in her ear, reminding her of disloyalty, heartbreak, and the all-consuming desire for revenge... "Chryssy?" Tirek called from down the hall. Her husband's voice broke through her escalating rage like a hammer. She relaxed almost at once, the flames dying as her body returned to normal. She swallowed hard. "Y... yes?" "Did you have anything special planned for dinner?" "No. Why?" "Well, Gray and his wife invited us over. I figured Cozy wouldn’t mind fending for herself for the evening." Chrysalis seized on Tirek's ambient love for her and clung to it like a life raft. "That… that sounds nice, actually. Do we..." She took a deep, calming breath. "Do we need to bring anything?" "I… don't know? I'm really not sure what the protocol for these kinds of gatherings would be." He yawned. "Just ask Cozy when she gets home. Love you." He called as he shut the door. "Love you, too." Chrysalis whispered as she took another breath. "More than you can ever know." She put Celestia's letter to the side and reached instead for the next sealed envelope. Her eye twitched once more when she read Thorax's name, but she managed to retain control over her emotions this time. She pursed her lips at the return address beneath his name. "The Valley of Shift?" She sniffed. Well, she never had gotten around to naming her kingdom, had she? Shift was as good a name as any, she supposed. Simple. Elegant in its own way. She hesitated as she made to open the envelope. Part of her screamed that she should just toss the pile of letters away or at the very least let Cozy Glow or Tirek go through them first. Who knew what kind of recriminations and mocking japes at her expense lay within? Celestia might have been wise once, but she was clearly mistaken this time. What could her former subjects possibly have to say to her now? She’d been horrible to them from birth, using them as pawns in her endless quest for world domination. Did she really need to read her sins laid bare as they worked through their past traumas? But maybe this was exactly what she needed. Perhaps this was a necessary part of her repentance, to face the consequences of the life, and the hive, that she’d left behind. Before she could talk herself out of it, she bit the bullet and tore the envelope open. She snatched out the letter, brought it to her eyes, and read; Dear Chrysalis, My former Queen … Mom, When Celestia told me about what happened to you after the Battle of the Bell, I couldn't believe it. Out of all the creatures in of all of Equestria, how could this happen to somepony like you? And let me tell you... Chrysalis braced herself. ...I'm so happy for you. The rest of the letter became a blur. Thorax waxed poetic about how happy he was that she'd found somepony to love, how proud that she’d finally allowed herself to see the light. He told her all about the changes the hive had gone through since her flight from Equestria. He even talked a bit about how hard it was to be a ruler, and how now he understood now some of the actions she'd taken as queen for the betterment of the whole. Chrysalis was barely breathing by the time she reached the letter's end; I hope you don't mind if I write you back from time to time. It's nice to put some of this stuff down. After all, nocreature knows more about the challenges of leading a hive like you do. There are things you can only talk to your mom about, y'know? Love, Thorax PS: I might have told the rest of the hive to write you if they wanted to. I hope that's okay. Chrysalis was reaching for the next letter before Thorax's had even hit the table. She nearly tore the letter apart in her haste to open it so she could read; Dear Mom... They were all like that. She read them all in a mad frenzy. Each one began with those two little words. Then they would talk about how happy they were for her, how proud that she'd found love. They talked about inane things, simple things, about life and love. They talked about their days and nights, about work and play. They talked about lessons they’d learned and adjusting to their new lives. And every single letter ended the exact same way; Love, Pharynx All my love, Shifter I love you, Doomie At last, she reached the bottom of the pile. This one she opened with shaking hooves, her magic no longer stable enough to lift simple paper with the torrent of emotions that was pouring through her. The writing here was small, careful. Like a child's. It read; Dear Mommy, You probably don't remember me. My name is Ocellus, and I was barely more than a grub when the Great Change happened. Writing to you feels so strange. My entire life, you were always the boogeymare hiding under our beds, the monster that always threatened to find us and drag us back and making us monsters again, too. But after what King Thorax told me? About how you’re doing now? How you’re not only good, but have truly found the kind of love we only read about in books? Gosh, I really wish I'd gotten the chance to meet you. It was finally too much. Chrysalis collapsed onto the pile of letters from her children, sobs wracking her body. Her tears fell freely on the words of those she'd given birth to, and for the very first time in her life, she knew that she'd been a mother long before Cozy Glow. She saw what she'd had... and she wept at not having seen it sooner. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// It was afternoon when Tirek emerged from the bedroom. He stretched and cracked his neck as he started for the kitchen. He always made it a point to grab his post-nap snack and start his work-out before Cozy Glow got home. Otherwise she might entangle him in some new scheme or school project, and then he wouldn't end up hitting the gym at all until just before work. He entered the dining room and was surprised to find his wife in much the same position she'd been in when he left her that morning. "Dearest? What are you doing?" Chrysalis looked up from the pile of papers before her. The letters from this morning were in a neat stack to her left. On her right was an inkwell, the corresponding quill held aloft by her magic. She smiled brilliantly as she put ink to paper once again and continued to write. "Just writing a few letters." She held out an empty mug. "Would you be a dear and get me a refill? Extra cream?" Tirek smiled back, noting that there were already a few letters already done and set aside nearby. "Of course." He nodded at her project. "You know, I don't think we have any stamps. I could send Cozy out to get some when she gets home." "Wonderful idea." Chrysalis' eyes returned to her work, but the smile remained. "And make sure she buys a lot. I have a feeling that I'm going to be writing a lot of letters from now on." The Sound of Little Hooves (Suggested by K9Thefirst1)“Chrysalis has something very important to discuss with her husband.” Suggested by K9Thefirst1 Tirek lowered the coffee mug to the table, trying with all his might to restrain the sudden jitters that had suddenly struck his hand. “A baby?” “Well, not immediately.” Chrysalis chuckled nervously, her eyes darting around the room. “Believe me, I’m looking forward to a little peace and quiet around here just as much as you are, but I was thinking…” “Chryssy.” He cut her off gently. She focused on him, her shining eyes trying to look determined, but betrayed by minute flickers to the side. “Yes?” “Maybe you should start over.” “What do you mean?” He raised an eyebrow. “I just sat down, took a sip of coffee, and you blurted out that you wanted another baby.” His lips curved into a small smile. “You’re usually more subtle than that.” Chrysalis took a deep calming breath and shook her head. “You’re right. It’s just… I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I’ve been putting off talking to you about it, but with graduation around the corner we’ve just been so busy and the time hasn’t been right, but then you sat down and I thought ‘well, there’s no time like the present,’ but now maybe I came off too strong and you…” “Chryssy.” Chrysalis’ jaw snapped shut and she took another breath. “Sorry.” “After all these years, you know you don’t have to be nervous around me. Not about anything.” Chrysalis nodded, took another breath, and sipped her tea. “Raising Cozy Glow has been a joy, hasn’t it?” “The most rewarding thing I’ve done in centuries.” “And it’s been quite the experience providing parental support to the old hive, yes?” Tirek’s smile widened. “Very much so. They’ve enjoyed having a surrogate father as much as I’ve enjoyed having so many surrogate children.” “Yes.” Chrysalis returned the smile. “But now they’re having little ones of their own, passing down the lessons you’ve given to them. And Cozy…” Tirek winced, his eyes cutting to a nearby photograph of his adopted daughter. She’d grown into a beautiful mare, as brilliant and cunning as any before her. She was currently on her senior trip to Neigh Orleans, a special visa from Celestia herself allowing her temporary reprieve from her banishment. Beside the photo’s frame was the program for an upcoming graduation ceremony. “For the first time, it’s going to be just the two of us.” “It sounds fun.” He reached across the table and took her hoof in his hand. “We can take longer trips. Explore the frontiers of Equus, just like we always wanted.” He smirked. “And, it goes without saying, that having the house all to ourselves, free of any possible interruptions, also has a certain allure to it.” Chrysalis suppressed a lovely shiver as she sampled the familiar taste of her husband’s want. “You’re right, of course, but then what?” He cocked his head. “Then what?” “After we’ve spent years surveying and exploring. After we’ve seen every sight unseen by Equestrian eyes. After we’ve thoroughly ruined every inch of this house.” She shrugged. “Then what?” Tirek leaned back and reached for his coffee. “I’m not sure I follow.” “You and I are going to be around for centuries to come.” Chrysalis sipped her tea. “In my case, I may never age. Years and years lay before us, my love, and all of them devoid of what has given us the most joy in life.” Tirek began to catch on. “Being parents.” “I know we don’t like to talk about it, but we are going to outlive Cozy. And her children. And, more than likely, our great grandchildren a hundred times removed. With all this time ahead of us, would you really be happy in never hearing the laughter of children, of our children, ever again?” Tirek shook his head. “No. No, I wouldn’t.” He drank his coffee. “So, do you want to adopt?” “Not exactly.” Chrysalis shifted in her seat. Tirek chuckled darkly. “Well, we can’t just go and snatch some little one from their crib, dear-heart. This isn’t the old days.” She kicked at him under the table even as she laughed as well. “No, no foal-napping, but there are… there are other solutions.” “Such as?” Chrysalis tried to prolong the moment with another drink, but found her cup bone dry. “A few months ago, Ocellus wrote me a letter.” “Not surprising.” Tirek muttered into his coffee. Chrysalis ignored him and continued. “She’s been exploring the caverns of Shift since she graduated, and recently she found a passage that had been sealed for a very long time.” “How long?” “So long that not even I have any memory of it, and I was Queen for almost a thousand years. At the end of the passage, she found a chamber filled with shed pieces of chitin. Each piece was inscribed with passages written in the old tongue. She wanted my help translating.” “What did they say?” Tirek leaned forward, very interested. “Most of them are a record of how our kind came to the valley in the first place. A few contained information on abilities that have long been lost to us.” “Such as?” “Such as the power to change our shade in place of our shape, enabling us to hide in plain sight without having to change.” “Like chameleons.” Tirek nodded. “Fascinating.” “I thought so too. But not as fascinating as another discovery we made.” She took one last breath before getting to the heart of the matter. “It would appear that it is possible for a Changeling to crossbreed with another species.” Tirek blinked slowly. “How?” “Using an intense form of focus, something only the oldest and most powerful of our race could manage, we can alter our very biochemistry to match that of another species. Every cell becomes imperceptibly the same as another creature’s. The ultimate disguise. Only a certain section of our brain retains its Changeling nature, thus allowing us to return to our original form at will.” “Incredible.” Tirek gaped at her, a smile spreading across his face. “So you, if you wanted… if we wanted, to make a child together, you could become a centaur for the duration of the pregnancy?” Chrysalis nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I could. But there’s one small issue.” “What’s that?” “I don’t want to become a centaur for that long.” Tirek’s grin faltered. “But… but you said…?” “Ocellus’s find led me to do some experimenting of my own. That’s how I found out that it’s infinitely easier to change a few parts of myself through that purpose than all of me.” Tirek began to catch on. “Like…” “Like a womb, one perfectly suited to carry the child of a centaur to full term.” She shrugged. “If I happened to find a centaur receptive to the idea.” Tirek lowered his mug to the table and pushed away, his face blank and unreadable. Chrysalis’ confidence cracked a bit. “What’s…?” The magic materialized between his horns and snatched her before she could scream. He yanked her wholly across the table and into his waiting arms. He held his wife tight against his chest and laughed. “I love you so much.” She cooed as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I take it you’re my receptive centaur?” “More than receptive.” He pulled her away to look into her eyes. “I love being a father, but moments like this remind me why I love being your husband just as much.” He saw the tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?” “Of course I am, you big red dolt.” She swatted playfully at his chest even as she sniffled and tried to wipe her eyes clear. “I never dreamed that there was even the possibility of something like this for us. That we could create something that was equal parts you and me.” “A baby.” Tirek marveled. “We’re going to have a baby.” “Well, not for a while.” Chrysalis added. “Of course. We’ve got some traveling to do first, don’t we?” A thought occurred to the huge centaur. “Do you think Cozy will be okay with it?” “Of course she will.” “How can you be so sure? Hundreds of distant half siblings is one thing, but this? A proper flesh and blood brother or sister? How would she feel…?” Tirek trailed off as realization sank in. “You’ve already told her.” “Weeks ago. She’s over the moon at the idea.” He smirked as he inched his face closer to hers. “You’re so devious.” “And I always will be.” She whispered as her lips met his. When they parted, she nuzzled his nose playfully. “Are you excited?” “Beyond excited.” He pecked her lips. “Now, even though we’re not going to do this for some time, it doesn’t me we can’t… you know…” She grinned as she licked her lips. “Practice?” “Exactly.” He eased her down onto the table’s surface and kissed her once again. “And, to make sure we get this right, I think we’re going to need lots of practice.” “That’s what makes us such good parents.” Chrysalis’ giggle became a moan as her hulking husband began kissing down her neck. “What does?” “We’re always on the same page.” Author's Note In case you missed it, my family very much could use your help. Just click here. Whatever you can give would be appreciated. If you want to suggest a 'Scene' you have until 10/31/2021 to do so. I've recently settled on the story that will finally end the saga of this little family and I'll never get to it unless I have a finite number of 'Scenes' to work through. That final story's working title, by the way, is 'Happily Ever After.' It features a wedding, subverted destinies, vengeful gods, inner demons made outer demons, and (hopefully) a conclusion worthy of how wonderful these three have become. It's also a LONG way off. Don't worry. See you back here on Halloween for 'the Imitation Game.' The Imitation Game (Suggested by Vaguely Demented)“Chrysalis has mixed feelings about Cozy Glow’s choice in Nightmare Night attires.” Suggested by Vaguely Demented "NIGHTMARE NIGHT! WHAT A FRIGHT! GIVE ME SOMETHING SWEET TO BITE!" Tirek grinned down at the assembled ghouls and goblins as they offered bags already bulging with treats. "Here you are." He said as his own handfuls of sweets joined the growing hoards. "Thanks, mister!" A little vampony giggled as she ran away with her friends. "Awesome centaur costume!" Another yelled back. "Thank you! I worked hard on it." Tirek laughed as he closed the door and returned the candy bowl to the nearby table. "Ah, Nightmare Night. What a lovely holiday." "Humph." Tirek turned to find his wife peering out the window, glowering. "Something wrong, dear?" The sun had only just set, and the children of Saddleburg were filling the streets in their spooky and gaudy best. Parents looked on proudly as their little ones scampered from house to house intoning the age old rhyme and begging for sweets. The pegasi guaranteed a clear night for the full moon to shine down, and the evening was shaping up to be filled with fright and fun in equal measure. “I hate Nightmare Night.” Chrysalis muttered, the tattered wings on her back buzzing softly with irritation. Tirek gaped at her. “But… but why? It’s the one night a year that all the ponies dress up in disguises. This should be your Hearth’s Warming.” “Should it?” She cut blazing eyes at him. “We Changelings never had much, but we had our pride. We alone have the ability to wear the face of another. And yet here’s this holiday where everypony gets to pretend like we aren’t special, like it doesn’t take years of practice to perfect…” “This is about Cozy’s costume, isn’t it?” Tirek deadpanned. “OF COURSE IT’S ABOUT HER COSTUME!” Chrysalis exploded, emerald flames flaring at her hooves and singing the carpet. “I had no idea she’d actually go through with it. I thought she was joking.” “Our daughter is terrible with jokes. You know that.” Tirek chuckled as he looked down the hallway. “Dearest!” The door to Cozy Glow’s room opened the slightest inch. “Yes, papa?” “You need to hurry. Your friends will be here any minute.” “Yes, papa.” The door returned shut with a click. “Little brat won’t even let me see it.” Chrysalis growled as she turned from the window. “I helped her a little. She’s going to make a very cute…” A knock at the door interrupted him, and he reached out and pulled it open. “Ah, Onyx. Don’t you look dashing?” “Thanks, Mr. Tirek.” Onyx Bolt, son of Tirek’s employer and one of Cozy Glow’s new circle of friends, started to walk inside. “Is Cozy ready yet?” “Ah, not yet.” Tirek blocked the door and cut his eyes towards his wife. It was only after he saw the telltale flash of green fire that he allowed the cobalt colt entry into his home. “But it shouldn’t be long. You make a very convincing zombie.” “Thanks!” Onyx pointed at the prosthesis over his eye. “Momma had to help me with the hanging eyeball.” He waved at Tirek’s wife with the hoof wearing an exposed bone prop. “Hi, Mrs. Shutterbug. What are you dressed as this year?” “I’m a mare reconsidering her life choices.” The mare muttered, earning a chuckle from her husband. “Okay! I’m ready.” Cozy Glow’s door swung wide as she buzzed into the room and landed with a little flourish. “How do I look?” “Spectacular, sweetheart!” Tirek clapped. “Wow, that’s so cool!” Onyx gaped. And Chrysalis? Chrysalis just stared. A few weeks past, at the dinner table, the subject of Cozy Glow’s Nightmare Night costume had come up. Cozy had wanted to keep it a surprise, but her mother had pressed her until she’d finally spilled the beans; she wanted to be a Changeling for Nightmare Night. Chrysalis hadn’t been pleased at the idea of her race being used as a costume, but Cozy Glow promised that it would be tasteful, and Tirek had impressed upon her the need to trust their daughter. But Cozy Glow wasn’t dressed as just a Changeling. Cozy Glow was dressed as her. The little pegasus had hidden her coat in dark body paint, using shading and brush-strokes to replicate the appearance of holes in her hooves. She’d straightened her mane and styled it so that it hung limp across her face. Her wings were covered in cloth cut and dyed to look like her own insectile pair. A jagged cardboard horn sprouted from her forehead, accompanied with the crown like growth she’d worn since birth. A pair of green contacts completed the ensemble. Little Queen Chrysalis looked up at her mother, excitement and trepidation of equal measure in her eyes. She smiled, revealing a set of false fangs in her mouth. “Well? Do you like it?” Chrysalis’ lower lip trembled from the effort of holding in her emotions, trying her hardest to maintain her Shutterbug visage. She nodded quickly, wiping at the bothersome tears already gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Onyx, would you mind waiting outside?” Tirek asked as he opened the front door. “Sure, Mr. T.” Onyx replied cheerfully as he complied. As soon as the door clicked shut, Chrysalis’ white form practically exploded from Shutterbug and wrapped Cozy Glow in a crushing hug. “Careful! The paint’s just dried!” Cozy gasped even as she giggled. Chrysalis pulled away and gave her daughter another once over. “This is amazing! You look wonderful!” “You really like it?” “I do!” “Ahem.” Mother and daughter turned to find Tirek standing by with his wife’s camera. “Right. Just a moment.” A flash of fire, and there were now two Changeling queens standing beside one another. The larger reached out a foreleg and pulled the smaller close. They smiled into the camera as Tirek took the picture. “Alright, you’d better get going.” Chrysalis told her as she pulled away and again donned the mask of Shutterbug. “Be home by eleven. And don’t eat any candy until you get home so your mother and I can check it.” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. “Come on, Papa. You know that’s just an old mare’s tale.” “Of course it is.” Tirek opened the door to the night that was already filling with giggles and screams. “But I’ll be taking any peanut butter cups you manage to get your hooves on. Dad tax.” “Be safe.” Chrysalis stroked her little doppelganger’s mane. “And keep the mischief to a minimum.” Cozy Glow gaped at her. “But it’s Nightmare Night!” “I said a minimum.” Chrysalis smiled devilishly. “Just because we’re reformed doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun. Especially tonight.” Cozy Glow matched her grin and then buzzed out the front door, stopping only to give her hulking father a quick kiss on the cheek. She landed beside Onyx who offered her a spare candy pail he’d brought along. “Thanks. Ready?” “Sure am! Nightmare Night’s the best!” He gave another look to her ensemble. “What are you supposed to be, anyway?” As the two young ponies started into the throng of merrymakers (Cozy Glow trying her best to explain her outfit without giving away the truth of its origins) Tirek and Chrysalis watched them go with proud smiles on their faces. Tirek took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air and sighed. “Beautiful night.” “Mm-hmm.” “Well, we have the whole house to ourselves.” Tirek grinned down at his wife. “What shall we do with it?” “As fun as that sounds, my love, it seems like such a waste to spend such a gorgeous night indoors.” “What do you have in mind?” Tirek asked, his eyebrow raised. Chrysalis’ horn was hidden by her magic, but it still lit and floated over a basket from where she’d hidden it hours earlier. She grinned as she gestured at the contents; three dozen eggs. Tirek tried to look outraged, but he couldn’t hold it. Especially not when his own magic carried over a bag brimming with rolls of toilet paper. He reached in and pulled out a simple black domino mask. “Did you have any houses in mind?” He asked as he affixed the mask to his face. Chrysalis chuckled as she mad a few small cosmetic adjustments to her Shutterbug visage. “The mare over on Elm street didn’t pay for her order last week.” Her gothic style make-up now in place, she reached for the basket of eggs. “And I believe the stallion who cat-called me the other day lives on Mockingbird lane.” “Perfect.” Tirek offered a hand. “Shall we spread some mischief, my dear?” “Of course.” She placed her hoof in his palm and smiled. “Would we really be us if we didn’t?” The porch light was turned off, the front door was locked, and two former villains practically skipped into the night, baskets and bags in hand, laughing like children all the way. Author's Note As noted previously, scene suggestions are now closed. HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY! We Need to Talk About Cozy (Suggested by Animation Crusader)"Come in, Miss Shutter Bug." Mr. Chalk Dust gestured for the mare to enter with a broad friendly grin. "Thank you. And it's missus." The unicorn gently corrected the earth pony teacher. "Oh, I'm sorry." Chalk looked out into the deserted hallway. "When I didn't see Cozy's father, I assumed..." "My husband works most nights." She caught the teacher's next question before he could voice it. "At the rock farm." "Ah yes." Chalk nodded as he shut the door and made his way to the desk. "Would you believe I actually taught Gray Gravel?" Shutter Bug gasped and put a hoof to her chest. "You can't possibly have been teaching that long. You don't look a day over forty." He chuckled as he sat behind his desk, trying to ignore the creaking in his hips. "You're too kind, Mrs. Shutter Bug. Please, sit down." He gestured at the chair he'd placed on the opposite side of the desk. Once the mare had sat, Chalk leaned forward. "Now, I imagine you're wondering why I've asked you to come." "Cozy Glow isn't having trouble in class, I hope?" Shutter Bug's lower lip poked out and seemed to visibly quiver. "Oh, dear. I was afraid she would have trouble adjusting..." "No, no trouble." He smiled reassuringly. "She's really quite exemplary. You needn't worry about that." "Oh good." Like a flash, Shutter Bug's visage of sadness was gone. She raised an eyebrow. "Is she... behaving badly? Is that it?" "Again, no. Not exactly." Chalk leaned back, removed his glasses, and started polishing them. "Cozy shows extraordinary intelligence for a filly her age." The old teacher cut his eyes at the young mare. "I'm curious; where did she go to school before your family moved to Saddleburg? There are no transcripts in her files." "She was home-schooled." Shutter Bug answered easily. "By her father and myself." Chalk whistled. "You must be quite the scholars. Cozy's grasp of... certain Equestrian events is something to see." Shutter Bug smiled and cocked her head. "Mister Dust, I'm afraid I'm not following you. Exactly what is the purpose of this meeting again?" "You seem to be a learned mare, Mrs. Shutter Bug, so I'll speak plainly." He replaced his glasses and looked at her hard. "I have... concerns about your daughter." "What sort of concerns?" "Well... there was an incident just yesterday. You see, we were going over the Changeling invasion of Canterlot..." Shutter Bug's eye twitched. "You've been covering the invasion of Canterlot?" "It's a recent addition to the Equestrian history section I insisted on. Saddleburg is so far from greater Equestria... you'd be surprised at how little our populace knows about recent events." "How recent are we talking?" Shutter Bug's eye twitched once more. "Quite recent." Chalk Dust's eyes flashed. "Now, as I was saying, I caught your daughter in the act of doodling in the middle of my lecture. I asked her if I was boring her. She insisted that she was just bored because we were so far behind what she already knew. I asked her what she meant, and she proceeded to lay out the events of the invasion in excruciating detail." Shutter Bug swallowed hard. "Did she now?" "Indeed. It was very impressive. But troubling as well." "Troubling?" "Oh yes. From the way she talked about it, Cozy seemed to take a certain... joy in the moment Princess Celestia was cast down in her stand against Queen Chrysalis." Shutter Bug laughed uneasily. "Oh, you know how rebellious they can be at that age." "Yes." Chalk Dust smiled in a funny sort of way before continuing. "Well, I must confess I was curious as to how far ahead the curriculum she actually was." He looked at her over the rim of his glasses. "Did you know she's also well versed in the escape and terror campaign of Lord Tirek?" "It wouldn't surprise me." Shutter Bug laughed again, trying to keep her hoof from tapping the floor. "As I said, she's very precocious." "That's one way of putting it." Chalk Dust groaned as he settled back into his chair and looked at the ceiling. "It was the way she talked about Tirek that struck me as odd. Such a monstrous figure, but the way she talked about him?" He looked back at her, his eyes narrowing. "It was something akin to pride." Shutter Bug's hoof was now tapping uncontrollably, her eyes wide and staring. "Is there more?" "With her? No. The bell rang and I dismissed the class." The earth pony opened a drawer and removed a heavy stack of papers. He set them on the desk, trying to hide the audible grunt that escaped him from the effort. "But I was curious. You see the fun of this lesson plan is that I'm learning along with the students. I'm only reading slightly ahead of them. I'm genuinely excited to cover the return of the Pillars and the battle against the Pony of Shadows." He tapped the stack. "But my curiosity made me read along a bit further. And do you know what I found?" Shutter Bug's eyelid was now twitching in time with her tapping hoof. "No..." "Evidently one of the most recent threats to Equestria was a little pegasus filly. Can you believe that? She tried to rid Equestria of all magic at first, and when that failed she teamed up with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek to mount a full hostile takeover." He leaned forward, steepling his hooves. "Do you know what this little filly's name was?" Shutter Bug was beyond speech now. She simply shook her head. "Her name was Cozy Glow. And no one knows where she is. She and her allies vanished after the Battle of the Bell." He sighed. "Mrs. Shutter Bug..." She leaned over the desk. "Mr. Chalk Dust, if you'll just let me explain..." "Mrs. Shutter Bug, I think you and your husband are in terrible danger." Shutter Bug nearly fell over. "I'm sorry?" "I believe this little monster has bewitched the two of you somehow into believing that you are her parents. Now I don't know what she's planning here in Saddleburg, but it can't be good." He reached out and patted her hoof tenderly. "I'm sure whatever magic she used to ensnare the two of you, we can find a solution." He leaned back again and smiled. "Once she's in custody, of course." Shutter Bug blinked slowly. "Custody?" "Of course. We have to move quickly, while we have the element of surprise. I haven't reached out to Canterlot yet because I needed to speak to you first. Confirm my suspicions. But now I can clearly see that you are just victim of this terrible monster." Shutter Bug lowered her head. She stared at the desk, considering her options. "You said you haven't informed Canterlot yet?" "Correct." Chalk Dust turned to grab a piece of parchment from his desk. "But I should probably do so now. It will take some time for the Princess to..." The sound of a chair scraping on wood made him look up sharply, and he watched as Shutte Bug walked slowly to the door. "Mrs. Shutter Bug?" "I need to inform my husband." She reached out to open the door. "I don't think it's wise to leave alone." Chalk Dust resumed his search for parchment. "For all we know, the little monster is already aware that her scheme..." Shutter Bug froze. "Please..." She cleared her throat. "Please don't call her that." "Why?" The old teacher scoffed. "Best to call things what they are. She's a terrible little monster and..." The sound of the door's lock clicking in place cut him off. He looked up to find the mare staring at him, her horn glowing with emerald light. "Mrs. Shutter Bug..." "I was polite." The unicorn hissed, something strange happening to her voice. "I said please. I thought that was supposed to mean something to you ponies." Chalk Dust began feeling very trapped all of a sudden. "Mrs. Shutter Bug..." "She isn't a monster." She considered, then smirked. "At least, not anymore." She took a step towards the old teacher. "Mrs. Shutter Bug, please; you have to fight whatever charm she's used on you." The old teacher started flicking his eyes around the room, looking for escape routes. Shutter Bug ignored his pleas. "No, she's not a monster." She took another step. "But do you want to know something?" Chalk Dust's eyes widened in horror as emerald flames sparked to life at the mare's hooves. "I AM!" Her chitinous black form appeared in a flash of green fire, and Queen Chrysalis leapt. Chalk Dust never even had the chance to scream. //////////////////////////////////// "Well what did you expect me to do?" Chrysalis pouted, now returned to her creamy white visage. "Not this!" Tirek gestured at the cocoon sitting in the middle of their living room. Chalk Dust floated in the fluid inside, a peaceful look on his face. "Now not only does he know about Cozy, he knows about you too." "I'm sorry." She poked at the cocoon. "I lost control." "That's putting it lightly." Tirek sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Just... You can still mind control ponies, right?" "I think so." Chrysalis looked up at her husband. "What did you have in mind?" Tirek reached for the cocoon and hefted it onto his shoulder with a grunt. "I think it's time Mr. Chalk Dust took an early retirement." /////////////////////////////////////// "Crazy about old Chalk Dust, huh?" Mustard Seed whispered so as to avoid drawing their new teacher's attention. "My dad says he had a nervous breakdown." Lily Vine whispered back. "Said she looked dazed and confused when he told everypony he was moving back to Manehatten." "I wonder what could've done that to him." Onyx Bolt looked at the pink pegasus beside him. "Any ideas?" Cozy Glow said nothing. She just continued diligently taking notes. But she did permit herself one little smirk... for old time's sake.
Villain-Tines DayPrompt: "Tirek and Chrysalis share their first Hearts and Hooves Day." Chrysalis shut the front door, shed her Shutterbug disguise in a flash of emerald fire, and stared incredulously at her husband. Normally when she returned from a photo-shoot, she would find him in the gym or catching an afternoon nap. Today he was standing in front of her, like he'd been waiting for her to arrive. And his hands were full. “What exactly am I looking at?” Tirek cleared his throat and gently shook the offered box. “Chocolates.” “Chocolates.” Chrysalis repeated. Her gaze slowly drifted to the object in the centaur’s other hand. “And these?” “Roses.” Tirek’s smile was too wide, too toothy. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. “Roses.” Chrysalis nodded. “And why, pray tell, have you met me at the front door with chocolate and roses?” Tirek shrugged. “I, uh, was told that it was the custom for Hearts and Hooves Day to give your loved one gifts. Specifically, flowers and candy.” Chrysalis, who was far more familiar with the Equestrian holiday than her husband, couldn’t resist a small smile. “And who told you this? Cozy Glow?” Before Tirek could answer, she noticed the clouds of black smoke drifting from the direction of the kitchen. “Did she tell you there was anything else you needed to do? Traditionally speaking, of course.” Tirek’s eyes flickered toward the kitchen. Another bead of sweat appeared. “She informed me that it was appropriate for the husband of the relationship to prepare a romantic dinner for two.” “And then she left you in the kitchen to fend for yourself while she took off for a friend’s house. Didn’t even offer to help, even though she knows you’re more useless at cooking than I am.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I’d be irritated with her if I wasn’t so blasted proud of her.” Before Tirek could do something foolish, like apologize, she leaned forward and took a deep whiff of the roses. “They’re lovely. Thank you.” Tirek visibly relaxed. “Not as lovely as you.” “Did Cozy tell you to say that?” A pause and the tenseness returned. “Not specifically, but...” Chrysalis chuckled as she took the chocolates in her magic, placed them on the table beside the door, and started for the kitchen. “Well, I suppose we’d better see what we can salvage from all this. Can you put those in some water?” “Aren’t you going to eat them?” She gave him a withering look over her shoulder. “Ponies eat flowers. Do I look like a pony to you?” “Not at the moment.” Tirek smirked. “But eventually…” “Oh, how incredibly witty.” She shook her head as she entered the kitchen and took in the disaster that had overwhelmed her normally pristine cooking space. She scanned for any clue as to what Tirek had been attempting to cook. She spied a pot of burnt sludge on the stove and a tray of ashen vegetables beside it. A platter of fresh fruits sat whole and unattended by the sink, evidence of a panicking centaur becoming distracted from his task before they could be peeled and cut. She heard him join her and looked back again, this time with a much gentler smile. “You could’ve just ordered out. I wouldn’t have minded.” “That was my exact thought after the soup caught fire.” Tirek muttered as he placed the vase of roses on the counter. “But you try finding someplace that delivers this late on this blasted holiday.” Chrysalis giggled as she disengaged the burners and began dumping the burned remains of food down the garbage can. “Honestly, you didn’t have to do any of this. I’ve never really cared for Hearts and Hooves Day. Never had much time for it.” “Why’s that?” She shrugged. “It was the hive’s best hunting time. Easiest day of the year for us to sneak into some town, infiltrate a date or two, and drain some love. I’d always mock our prey’s devotion to this whole idea of being especially romantic on one given day…” “So…” He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms about her, hugging her close. “Would you have preferred if I did nothing? Simply let the day go by as though nothing special was happening?” She relaxed into his embrace with a sigh. “I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I’m being honest. Was there some reason you felt compelled to go through all of this?” “Only that it seemed appropriate. We’re trying to lead normal lives, after all.” He leaned down and kissed the place where her horn met her mane. “This is the day where normally someone in my position needs to remind the one in your position how much you, and your love, mean to me.” Chrysalis felt the familiar warmth of his love flow through her and she shuddered as her transforming flames once more washed over her, this time with no conscious decision on her part. In a flash, it was her creamy white reformed visage that Tirek held tight. “Ugh, I hate when you do this to me.” “I know, but it’s like I always tell you; you look amazing to me no matter what form you hold.” Tirek gave her one last squeeze before releasing her and looking around the kitchen. “Alright, so; where do we begiAHHH!” He cried out as his wife tackled him and dragged him to the tiled floor. “But dinner!” “It’s Hearts and Hooves Day.” Chrysalis leered over him and licked her lips. “And I want my dessert first.” “…You left the chocolates in the other room. Should I fetch them?” Chrysalis cut off his prattling with a hungry kiss. When they parted, she pressed her forehead to his and smiled. “I love you. Did you know that?” Tirek returned the smile and brushed a strand of mane away from her face. “It’s nice to be reminded from time to time.” He pulled her in for another kiss, this one much slower. “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Chryssy.” “And to you, my darling.” Her face grew serious. “Now take me to bed before I take you right here.” “As my queen demands.” He chuckled as he stood up, holding Chrysalis bridal style. She snuggled into his chest as he hurried down the hall to their bedroom. The door quickly shut once the pair had entered. A moment later, the door cracked open just barely enough for a sock, bathed in green magic, to float out and wrap itself about the outer doorknob. It was Hearts and Hooves Day, and Chrysalis was taking no chances.
Rules for Dating Our Teenage DaughterPrompt: “Tirek and Chrysalis have a heart to heart with Cozy Glow and one of her suitors.” The clock on the wall ticked steadily on, the only sound in the living room. A teenage earth pony stallion and a pegasus mare of the same age sat on one side of the coffee table. On the opposite side sat an adult unicorn mare of lime green and an enormous red centaur. The elder pair glared daggers at the youth. The young mare glared right back. The young stallion was trying desperately not to cry. He was visibly terrified, his poor attempt at a brave face betrayed by his quivering lower lip and trembling hooves. His eyelid occasionally twitched, nearly in perfect time with the ticking clock. The centaur’s gaze was impassive, calculating. Centuries of practicing deception (and several months of anger therapy a few years back) allowed him to hide his emotions so well that passing acquaintances often had no idea what he was really feeling at any given time. “How long have we known each other, Onyx?” Tirek sat back in his chair and crossed his enormous arms over his chest, peering at the silver stallion. Onyx Bolt chewed his lip slowly. “Uh… almost ten years? Ever since you started helping out on the rock farm.” Tirek nodded slowly. “I’m forever in your father’s debt, you know. If he hadn’t given me that job, it’s unlikely that we would have stayed in Saddleburg. You would never have become friends with Cozy Glow. We would have avoided this situation entirely.” Tirek’s reached over and lifted a foil package from Cozy Glow’s saddlebag and placed it on the coffee table’s surface. “That debt, by the way, is the only reason you’re still breathing right now.” Onyx Bolt actually wasn’t breathing at that moment. He forced himself to begin breathing manually and did his best not to break eye contact with Tirek. “Don’t let him scare you.” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He wouldn’t actually kill you. Probably just steal your magic and leave you as a husk.” Onyx gaped at her. “You know, that’s not a terrible idea…” Tirek scratched his chin as a familiar spell manifested over his head. “And how would you explain that to his father?” Shutterbug asked her husband, her eyes still locked on her daughter’s. Tirek huffed irritably, but the magic faded all the same. “So.” Shutterbug curled her lip. “You’re dating now.” “That’s one way of putting it.” Cozy Glow smirked. “Hey, here’s a question; should I start hanging socks off my doorknob now?” Onyx blinked at his special somepony. “What does that have to do with…?” The stallion might’ve been in the dark, but the young mare’s mother’s eyes flashed emerald with rage at the statement. “Young lady, if you think you can just start raising your tail in this house, then you’ve got another thing coming!” “Dear-heart.” Tirek took his wife’s hoof in his hand and squeezed. “The issue here isn’t that Cozy and Onyx have… er, progressed to the next stage in their relationship.” “It isn’t?” All three ponies said at once, staring at the centaur in shock. “Not at all.” Tirek lifted the foil wrapper and examined it. “Fascinating devices you ponies come up with. This one little piece of rubber, and your chances of infection and accidental pregnancy drop exponentially. It’s genius, really.” He looked at his daughter warmly. “If anything, we should be proud that Cozy is being so responsible.” Cozy returned the smile. “Thanks, papa.” Shutterbug gaped at her husband. “You can’t be serious.” “Oh, but I am.” His gaze hardened, letting his daughter know that she wasn’t quite off the hook just yet. “The issue is that she kept this a secret from us.” Shutterbug jumped up and pointed an accusatory hoof at the two teenagers. “So we’re just going to be okay with this?” “Of course.” Tirek shrugged. “They’re of age, and you know as well as I do how ponies get when the hormones start surging. We couldn’t stop them if we tried.” Shutterbug’s eyes flashed again, this time with a bit of fire. “Can we at least try?” “It would be fruitless. Cozy would simply find a way to outsmart us. Wouldn’t you, sweetie?” “Yup.” Cozy nodded sagely. “But from now on, you need to be honest with us. No sneaking around. No lies. Understand?” “Yes, sir.” Cozy Glow shrank slightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” “That’s quite alright. Isn’t it, dear?” Shutterbug’s mouth crinkled with distaste, but ultimately she nodded. “It would be… hypocritical of me to stand between you and your development. Emotional or otherwise.” She settled back on the couch and sighed. “What you do with your body is your own business.” “So long as you’re smart. And safe.” Tirek added. “Y’know…” Cozy Glow gave her parents her best puppy dog eyes. “The safest place for Onyx and I would be here at the house…” Onyx, who had been watching this entire exchange with a kind of detached horror, finally broke out of his trance. “Cozy, what are you…?!” “You’re right, of course. But keep it contained to your room. And don’t make a mess.” Tirek flicked the wrapper to Cozy who caught it easily. “And try to keep it down when your father and I are home.” Shutterbug sniffed. “Psh, that’s rich coming from you.” Cozy Glow smirked at her mother. Shutterbug glared… then returned the smirk. “Fair point.” Tirek clapped his hands together. “ Now that this has all been settled, there’s just one final piece of business.” He turned his attention back to the young stallion. “We need to speak with your special somepony. Alone.” Cozy Glow pouted. “Do you really have to?” Tirek and Shutterbug nodded solemnly. Onyx gulped. “Don’t be scared.” Cozy Glow kissed his cheek and headed towards her bedroom. She looked back at her parents. “Don’t be scary.” Tirek waited until he heard her door shut, then looked hard at Onyx. “You’re the luckiest stallion in town. Do you know that?” “Indeed.” Shutterbug stared a hole through the shivering stallion. “Our princess is one of a kind.” “My wife and I have granted you quite the gift.” Tirek put a fist to his palm and cracked his knuckles. “And a gift like this should be treated with the utmost care.” He repeated the action with his other hand. “You will treat my daughter with respect, I trust?” Onyx nodded slowly, noticing now the emerald sparks dancing at the end of Shutterbug’s hooves. “Of course you will. And you won’t abuse the trust that we’ve placed in you, will you?” The flames licked their way up Shutterbug’s legs, leaving black exoskeleton in their wake. Onyx shook his head quickly. Tirek leaned forward, his immense red bulk filling the stallion’s view and making him shrink back into the couch. “That’s very good. Because if you ever hurt her…” A black nightmare materialized on Tirek’s shoulders and hissed at the terrified teenager through razor sharp fangs. “We’ll hurt you!” Onyx’s paralysis broke and he bolted from the room. Before he could reach the front door, Cozy Glow blasted out of her bedroom and tackled the panicking stallion. She flapped her wings and carried his twitching body towards her room, glaring at her parents. “I said don’t be scary!” Tirek and Chrysalis shared a look. “Were we scary?” Tirek asked. “Of course we weren’t scary.” Chrysalis chuckled as she once again assumed the shape of Shutterbug. “How scary can we possibly be? We’re reformed.” The pair laughed together as they started for the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Mother (Figures) DayPrompt: “Cozy Glow has some questions about how Chrysalis really feels about Mares Day.” The door to the room of the spa that held the mud baths finally clicked shut, and Cozy Glow cracked open an eye. Ensuring the coast was clear, she looked over at the room’s sole other occupant. “Alright. You’re good.” No response. The young mare, barely out of fillyhood, sat up slightly, shifting the warm mud-like mixture in which she sat. “Mom? You can change back now.” “Hmm?” The mare called Shutterbug stirred in her own mud bath and used her magic to lift a cucumber slice from her eye. “Oh, sorry. I nearly dozed off there.” The mud bubbled like boiling water as emerald flames coated the mare. When they faded, the former Queen of the Changelings sank further back with a sigh. “I really needed this after that last batch of school pictures…” Cozy Glow arched an eyebrow as she noticed which form Chrysalis had chosen. “Wow, you really are relaxed, aren’t you?” Chrysalis’ magic once again lifted the (now slightly singed) cucumber slice from her eye and grimaced as she beheld the creamy white of her purified form. Cozy Glow giggled as she settled back into her own mud bath. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Papa.” “You’d better not.” Chrysalis floated the vegetable slice into her mouth and chewed slowly. “It would be terrible to have to kill you on Mares Day.” The two former villains shared a laugh before sliding into a relaxed silence. After a while, it was Cozy Glow who sat up again. “Mom?” “Hmm?” “Do you remember our first Mares Day?” Chrysalis smiled wistfully. “How could I forget? You brought me that card you made in class, your father brought me breakfast in bed…” “...Followed by the two of you kicking me out of the house for an hour…” Cozy Glow muttered. Chrysalis continued like she hadn’t heard her. “And then you told me about the Mares Day special at the town’s new spa.” She sighed as she shifted in the mud. “So it’s been for the past two years. It looks like we accidently created a family tradition.” “Well, I don’t see why part of the tradition has to be me having to entertain myself for an hour after I make you breakfast.” Chrysalis smirked as her mind was filled with images of bulging red biceps. “You have your way of showing appreciation on Mares Day, and your father has his.” Something clicked and she sat up, barely catching the remaining cucumber slice. “Wait. You make me breakfast in bed?” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. “You really think papa knows how to make heart shaped pancakes? Papa? Who somehow manages to set fire to juice?” Chrysalis glared as she plopped the slice into her mouth. “And all this time he’s been bragging about how hard he works on those pancakes…” Cozy Glow giggled as she raised a hoof from the mud and examined it. “Can I ask you something?” Chrysalis, who really just wanted to sink back into the mud and plot her imminent vengeance on her deceitful husband, swallowed her cucumber and nodded. “If you must.” “Why has this place become our Mares Day thing? I mean, the mud bath and the massage, I get. But why do you bother with the hooficure? Or getting our manes done?” “I can’t enjoy getting my mane done?” “Well, sure you can. But it’s not your actual mane. You’re disguised the whole time.” Cozy Glow shrugged. “I guess I don’t understand why you spend bits on something that’s just an illusion.” Chrysalis was quiet for a moment. “You… you stopped calling me ‘Mama.’” Cozy Glow looked over sharply. “What?” “You still call Tirek ‘Papa,’ but for the past few months I’ve just become ‘Mom.’” “Okay…” Cozy Glow wasn’t quite following. “It’s something I thought I’d be used to by now. My other children… my hive, I mean… when they were tiny larva they’d call me ‘Mommy.’ Then they’d grow, and a few would just call me ‘Mom.’ Before I knew it, I was just ‘Your Highness.’” “You definitely don’t have to worry about me calling you that.” Cozy Glow offered with a small smile. “It’s just…” Chrysalis sighed. “I never realized how much I would enjoy actual, real motherhood. Not just being a queen surrounded by drones that just happened to hatch from my eggs. It was my love for you as a daughter that caused this…” She gestured at her reformed visage. “…just as much as my love for your father did. I’ve done my best to be an actual mother for the first time in my life, and I hope I’ve done a good job…” “You have!” Cozy Glow leaned forward. “You’re the best, Mom!” “I just didn’t realize how fast you’d grow up. And now all of a sudden, I’m not ‘Mama.’ I’m just ‘Mom.’” She sank into the mud. “I thought I’d have more time…” Cozy Glow sprang from the mud and crossed the room with a single flap of her wings. She landed in Chrysalis’ tub with a wet splat and hugged her mother tightly. “Do you want me to go back to calling you ‘Mama?’” Chrysalis returned the embrace and smiled. “I want you to call me whatever you want. And I want to keep coming here every Mares Day. A few bits for a hooficure and a mane cut I could do myself with magic is a small price to pay for a special day with my daughter.” Cozy Glow pulled back and smiled. “Happy Mares Day, Mom.” Chrysalis smiled back. “Thank you. I love you.” “Love you more.” A smirk began to creep across Cozy Glow’s face. “So, you want me to call you whatever I want, right?” “Within reason.” Chrysalis sniffed. “And please don’t become one of those children who calls their parents by their first name.” “Whatever you want…” Cozy Glow started to rise from the tub. “…Your Highness.” “Oh, you little…!” Chrysalis lunged for her daughter, but the filly was already airborne. The changeling gave chase, and soon the two mares were racing around the room, laughing and giggling as mud fell like dark rain to the floor below. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Tirek looked over the bill in his hand at the pair of mares before him. “It says here that we wouldn’t have to pay this if the two of you had just cleaned up your own mess.” “Psh, and spend Mares Day cleaning? Where’s the fun in that?” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. She looked at her mom and winked. “Besides, what’s a few extra bits for a special day with my Mom?” Chrysalis smiled, her heart full to bursting. Tirek smiled as well. “That’s a lovely sentiment, and I’m glad you feel that way.” He passed her the bill so she could read the amount. “Because that’s coming out of your allowance.” Cozy Glow looked at the amount and her eyes shot open. “On second thought, maybe you can put a price on a special Mares Day…”She muttered as she made her way to her room. Tirek’s grin faltered when he saw his wife’s smile fading as she looked at him. “What?” “Oh nothing. But we do need to have a little talk later.” Her eyes flashed dangerously. “About heart shaped pancakes.” The enormous centaur suddenly felt very small. “Uh… I love you?” He felt himself shrink further when her expression didn’t change. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I? And not the fun kind.” “That depends.” Chrysalis nodded towards the kitchen. “Let’s see what you can cook up for dinner.” Tirek very nearly galloped from the room, and soon the sound the pots and pans could be heard. Chrysalis sighed in contentment as she settled back on the couch and closed her eyes. “It’s good to be the queen…”
Sixteen Tons (Suggested by Animation Crusader)“Tirek gets a job.” Suggested by Animation Crusader Gray Gravel’s rock farm had been in his family for generations. Sometimes, when he lost control and got too deep into his cups, he’d often brag that Saddleburg had in fact been founded because of the family rock farm. Rock farming was an art, an exact science, and he was immensely proud to be the patriarch of one of the only two rock farming families in the whole of the world. But it was because rock farming was so difficult that times were getting tough for his little family. Crusher, his strongest worker, had up and left town a month back to seek his fame and fortune in the burgeoning world of professional wrestling, and there were now a number of large boulders on the property that nopony could move. Time was of the essence, and if those boulders weren’t moved and positioned perfectly, the entire harvest could be undone. Gravel had been getting desperate, had almost reached the point of swallowing his pride and sending a request for aid to the distant Pie family. Then he’d found the note on his door requesting a job interview long after sunset. Truth be told, he’d had no idea what to expect when he heard the knock on his office door just before midnight. And even with those wide-open expectations, he’d still been caught off guard when the door opened and an enormous red centaur had stepped in and sat heavily in the chair in front of his desk. Gravel swallowed hard. “You… Ahem. You sent the note, I take it?” “I did. Or rather, I had my wife drop it off for me.” The centaur smiled uneasily. “She’s able to blend in with you ponies more easily than I.” “Strange… I think I would recall seeing a lady centaur traipsing across the fields.” “Oh, she’s no centaur. Just a normal pony.” He chuckled lowly. “Sometimes.” Gravel, who had no idea what could be amusing about the sentence and was still considering the possibility of running screaming from the room, forced a few small chuckles of his own. “Well, I’m here. And what is it I can do for you, Mister…?” “Tirek. Lord Tirek.” The centaur reached out a huge hand. Gravel barely swallowed the scream, got hold of his nerves, and extended his hoof. They shook carefully, and Gravel audibly sighed in relief when his appendage was free of the iron grip of the monster before him. “Lord?” “Well, not anymore. I suppose it’s just Tirek now. That’s going to take some getting used to.” “Well, the question stands; what can I do for you, Mister Tirek?” “I need a job.” The statement sounded so absurd, so comical, coming from the imposing beast before him that Gravel very nearly burst into laughter. He caught himself, turning the first giggle into a cough. “A job?” “Yes. A job.” Tirek sat back in the chair, apparently not noticing the audible creak as it strained under him. “My family has recently relocated to Saddleburg, and I need to bring in some bits while my wife gets her business going.” “And her business is…?” “Photography. She’s quite good. I have little doubt that she’ll do well once word gets around, but we will need money before then.” Gravel nodded slowly. “And what is your skillset, Mr. Tirek?” Tirek only raised an eyebrow… and flexed his arms. Gravel considered, then nodded. “Alright, I’m listening.” “I’ve been watching your farm the past few days. I’ve seen some large boulders that neither you nor any of your farmhands are able to move. I can move those boulders, Mister Gravel. Those, and more. Any kind of heavy lifting on your rock farm, I can do with ease.” “An interesting thought.” Gravel leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. “I don’t suppose you’d intend to work in the daytime, like the rest of the hands?” He looked back at Tirek and smiled. “You’d make quite the spectacle. I reckon the Pies don’t have a centaur workin’ for them.” “I’d prefer not to.” Tirek actually looked somewhat embarrassed. “My family and I, we… we’re trying to lie somewhat low. I’d hate to attract any unnecessary attention.” “…Are you in some kind of trouble, Mister Tirek?” Tirek bit the inside of his cheek. “I… we… My family has done some… bad things in the past, Mister Gravel. We can’t change that. All we want is a fresh start, the chance to build something new.” “And what’s that?” “A home. Surely you can understand that.” Gray Gravel did understand. “So you’ll wanna work at night. And I suppose you’ll also want me to pay you under the table.” When he saw the uncomprehending look in the centaur’s eyes, he smiled. “So there’s no paper trail.” Tirek returned the smile. “Yes, that would be preferred.” He leaned forward. “So… does this mean I have the job?” Gravel thought about the possible loss of the harvest. He thought about the ponies who depended on him, from his family to his field hands. He thought about acting in a borderline illegal way in order to pay an apparent fugitive from justice. He thought about how much courage it must have taken for this powerful being to throw himself down to this level, just to provide for his family. Gravel extended his hoof once again, and this time there was no hesitation. “Let’s give it a shot.” Tirek grinned shook the offered hoof gratefully. “You won’t regret this, Mister Gravel.” “Please, call me Gray.” “Only if you call me Lord Tirek.” Gravel froze. “I’m kidding.” The two shared a laugh and spent the next few minutes hashing out the details; hours of work, rate of pay, and the like. Once everything was sealed with another shake, the two stood and made for the office door. “So your wife’s trying to be the new town photographer. I’m sure that’ll work out. Ya’ll have any kids?” “One.” Seeing the question on Gravel’s face, he answered it before it could be asked. “She’s a pegasus. Adopted.” “School-aged?” “Yes. That’s a major reason we decided to settle here. Your school system is quite superb.” “I’ll be sure to pass the compliment to my cousin, seein’ as how she’s the superintendent.” Gravel opened the door for his new employee. “My youngest, Onyx Bolt… I’m sure he’d love to show her around once school starts back up.” “I’m sure Cozy would enjoy that.” Tirek paused at the door and looked at his new employer. “Thank you, Gray. Not many ponies would take a chance on… on someone like me.” Gravel shrugged. “What you did before you came to Saddleburg ain’t any concern of mine, Tirek. I look at you, and you know what I see?” “A monster?” “A husband and a father. Somepony who just wants to do right by his own.” He tapped his hoof against the solid muscle of the centaur’s arm. “Somepony like me.” Tirek smiled and nodded. “See you tomorrow night, then.” “Bright and early. Er… or whatever the opposite of that is.” Gravel closed the door behind the centaur and trotted back to his desk. With shaking hooves, he opened a drawer, pulled out a bottle of clear liquid, and took a long, burning drink. The liquor steadied his nerves somewhat, and he breathed out in relief. He was sure that things were going to work out, and that Tirek fella really did seem like a genuinely good guy… …but stars above, was he ever intimidating. Gray Gravel took one more swig, then capped the bottle and put it back where he found it. He hopped back into his chair, opened his ledger, and started making notes. It looked like the harvest was going to be just fine after all.
Pick On Somepony Your Own Size (Suggested by Ember Shroud)“Cozy Glow gets some unexpected back-up when dealing with a bully.” Suggested by Ember Shroud Cozy Glow gulped as she took another step back. “Look, it’s really nothing special. Just a couple daisy sandwiches. I’m sure whatever you have is better.” The dark yellow earth pony advanced another step. “It’s not about what the lunch is, pipsqueak. I want it, and that means you give it over.” The pale green unicorn to Cozy’s left removed her glasses and cleaned them on her coat. “I’d do what she says, new girl. Mustard Seed’s been known to leave little fillies like you smeared in the dirt.” Cozy Glow grimaced. She’d felt this confrontation coming all day, ever since Mustard Seed had laid eyes on her. She knew her type. She’d dealt with this kind of thing before. Just because some fillies happened to be a little taller than others, they thought they could throw their weight around. Because of her small size and innocent appearance, Cozy always looked like an easy mark. In the past, this assumption of weakness had been easily rectified. What Cozy lacked in stature, she made up for deviousness. How many would-be bullies had found themselves suspended from school on trumped up charges? How many had suddenly found themselves facing the wrath of their parents after a sudden and unexpected raucous house party? But that was the old Cozy Glow. New Cozy Glow couldn’t do things like that. She, like her parents, had been reformed, and that meant finding non-evil solutions to every day issues. Still, a little evil would have been quite useful against the glaring filly that now loomed over her. Cozy Glow sighed and handed over the bag. This wasn’t worth the fight. Besides, Chrysalis’ cooking was still so subpar, there was a very good chance that the daisies in her sandwiches would still contain dirt from the garden from which they’d been plucked. “Is that it? Can I go now?” “What? Don’t you wanna watch me eat your lunch?” “…Not really?” “Tough.” Mustard Seed chuckled as she went to open the bag. She paused, the laughed again. “Y’know, on second thought, I already ate today.” And, to Cozy Glow’s surprise, she went to hand the bag back. Before she realized the trap she’d fallen into, the bag was already on the ground. “Wait…” Mustard Seed brought her hoof down on the bag in one smooth motion, grinding her hoof into the paper and obliterating the contents. The green unicorn clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Don’t feel bad. We’ve all fallen for that one.” Cozy sighed and turned to leave. Maybe if she ran, she could get home for something small before lunch was… “Where do ya think you’re going, pipsqueak?” Mustard Seed growled as she moved to block her path. Cozy Glow rolled her eyes and pointed at the remains of the bag. “You crushed my lunch. I’m going to grab something else.” “Why?” Mustard Seed raised her hoof and shook the debris free in front of its original owner. “You’ve still got your lunch right here.” “I…” “Eat it.” Cozy Glow blinked. “…what?” “I said…” Mustard Seed raised herself to her full height and looked down on the filly. “Eat it.” Cozy Glow bit the inside of her lip. “…Or what?” The green unicorn took a step back. “Be smart, new girl.” “Eat it, or you’ll be eating dirt.” Cozy Glow had gone toe to toe with the most powerful magic users in Equestria. She’d been transformed into an alicorn. She’d literally wielded the power of a god. And now this simple little pony was threatening her? Cozy Glow’s red eye twitched. Reformation be damned, this filly was asking for it. “You’re gonna make me eat dirt?” “That’s right.” Mustard Seed raised a hoof to strike. “And after that, you’ll be eatin’ through a straw.” A familiar smirk twitched at the edges of Cozy Glow’s lips. She wanted this filly to swing. She wanted an excuse, any excuse, to show her just who she was dealing with. She forced away the smirk and put on her best fake pout. “Golly, please don’t beat me up! I’m so small and helpless!” Mustard Seed grinned triumphantly. “Are ya gonna eat it then?” The pout vanished like smoke. A look of smugness took its place. “Nope.” The green unicorn’s jaw dropped. “New girl, you’ve got salt.” Mustard Seed snorted. She drew back her hoof… “Cozy Glow! Is that filly messin’ with you?” Three heads turned at the sound of a rough Manehatten accent. They watched as a teen mare with a jet black coat floating down from above, her pink and silver accented mane done up in a very expensive haircut. She popped her gum as she landed, sizing up the situation. “Everything okay here, cuz?” “Cuz?” Cozy Glow cocked her head in confusion. “Who are…?” The young mare looked back at Cozy Glow and winked… revealing a familiar flash of emerald green. “Uh… yeah. Everything’s fine, cousin…” Cozy spared a glance at the teen’s flank to check her cutie mark. “Ampersand?” “Hey, don’t be usin’ my full name like that. You call me Amp, like all my other fans.” “Fans?” The green unicorn peered at the new arrival over her glasses. “Are you famous?” “Not yet, but I’m gonna be. When my band takes off, everypony’s gonna know the name Amp… and her cousin Cozy Glow of course.” She rounded on Mustard Seed and loomed over her. “Do you have any idea who you were pickin’ on just now?” Mustard Seed lowered her hoof and looked away pointedly. “I wasn’t pickin’ on nobody.” “Good. Because it’d be really bad if you were pickin’ on this one here.” Amp wrapped Cozy Glow in a hug and noogied her mane. “Cozy Glow was the coolest girl in her class back in Manehatten. Toughest, too. One time, a manticore attacked the school and it was my cuz here who sent it packin.’” “Wow.” The green unicorn whispered. “A manticore, huh?” Mustard Seed sniffed and shuffled her hooves. “That’s pretty cool, I guess.” Amp let Cozy Glow down and looked at the smashed bag of food. “What happened here?” “I offered to share my lunch with Mustard Seed and it fell.” Cozy Glow answered rapidly. “Then it got stepped on. No big deal.” She looked at Mustard Seed and lifted her brows. “Right?” “Yeah. No big deal.” Mustard Seed nodded. “Alright. Well if you three are good then I’ve gotta bounce. It was nice helpin’ you and your folks settle in, but I’ve gotta get back to the city.” She spread her wings and looked around. “Nice meeting you, Mustard Seed. And you…” She stared at the green unicorn. “Uh…” “Lily Vine.” She answered quickly. “Lily Vine. Nice meetin’ you.” She flapped her wings and lifted off. “Hey, Amp; can I talk with you real quick?” Cozy Glow flapped her own wings and followed. When they were safely a few dozen feet up, Cozy Glow gave her ‘cousin’ a quick hug. “Thanks for that, mama.” “You’re just lucky I realized that I forgot to wash those daisies before I made your lunch.” Chrysalis said in her usual voice, the vibrating tones clashing with her disguised appearance. “Speaking of…” Her currently invisible horn flashed and a small sack of bits appeared in Cozy’s outstretched hoof. “I was going to tell you to not spend all that, but…” She spared a quick glance down. “Maybe you should buy something to share with your new friends.” “Friends?” Cozy looked down to see that Mustard Seed and Lily Vine were chatting animatedly and looking up at the floating pair. “You just got a coolness endorsement from a band-leading Manehatten teenager. That’s all a pony like Mustard Seed needs to know that you’re alright.” She smiled. “And from what I saw, that Lily Vine was already impressed with how well you stood your ground.” Cozy Glow looked away. “I… I almost…” “I know.” Chrysalis reached out and turned Cozy Glow’s face back to hers. “But you didn’t. And that’s what matters.” The two ponies hugged, and ‘Amp’ flew away with a wave. Cozy Glow watched her leave, then floated back down to the other two fillies. “Wow, new girl.” Lily Vine looked in the direction the other mare had flown. “Your cousin is pretty cool.” “Yeah.” Cozy Glow smiled. “She is. And my name is Cozy.” She turned to Mustard Seed and reached out a hoof. “Cozy Glow.” Mustard Seed hesitated… then extended her own hoof and bumped it with the pink one. “Lily’s right. You’ve got some salt.” “It runs in the family.” She jangled the bag of bits. “You girls want to get a milkshake after school?” A chorus of affirmation followed, and the three new friends headed back into the schoolhouse for the second half of the day.
The Most Wonderful Time of the YearAuthor's Note A little Christmas gift for you all! These were three 'Scene ideas' I had that I couldn't quite flesh out into full chapters. In the spirit of the season, I decided to blend them together with a little sprinkling of holiday schmaltz. I hope you enjoy them, and here's to more 'Scenes' in the year to come! The Most Wonderful Time of the Year “The family celebrates Hearth’s Warming with some of the friends they’ve made over the years.” “I feel ridiculous.” Tirek reached up and fiddled with his new spectacles for the hundredth time since he’d unwrapped Cozy Glow’s gift. “You look great.” Gray Gravel tipped his nearly empty glass of cider at his friend and co-worker. “But what I think doesn’t matter. What does the missus think?” Tirek chuckled and looked out the kitchen’s entryway. He and Gravel’s respective spouses were reclining on sofas in the living room and chatting animatedly over glasses of wine. “She said I looked very… distinguished.” “Means she likes ‘em.” Gray was nursing a pleasant buzz as he eyed the nearby cookie platter. “I thought you were some kind of immortal. Why do you even need glasses, anyway?” “Immortal is the wrong word.” Tirek refilled his cider. “Incredibly extended life-span would be more appropriate. If my eyes just started going bad now, then who knows? Perhaps I’ll have hair as gray as yours in a few centuries.” Gray laughed as he swallowed his umpteenth cookie of the evening. “Hey, this is all genetic. I’ve had this shade since the day I was born.” He looked out onto the back patio that he and Tirek had just finished building that past summer and the four younger ponies standing on it. “Onyx is just lucky it tends to skip a generation.” “With the way things are going between them, that might be something we want to mention to Cozy Glow.” The two fathers laughed, clinked glasses, and drank. “Cozy’s a fine young mare. You did good with that one.” “I did, didn’t I?” Tirek looked out at his daughter wistfully. “I guess the law of averages dictates that I would manage to do something right after all these years.” The centaur tilted his glass at his boss. “And you’re no slouch yourself, you know. Onyx is quite the upstanding stallion.” “That’s all his mother’s doing.” Gray considered another cookie, but ultimately decided against it. His wife had been dropping hints about his stomach all night. “I taught the boy manners and rock farming. Everything else is her fault.” “To our wives!” Tirek raised his glass. “They’re called our better halves for a reason.” “I’ll drink to that.” They did just that, and Gray decided that one more glass of cider wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. A little liquid courage was necessary for what he had to say next. “Tirek, you’ve been working for me for years now. You’re the best field hand I’ve ever had.” “No compliments are necessary.” Tirek tried to wave him off. “You gave me that job when you didn’t even have to give me a second glance. More than that, your endorsement did wonders for getting the town to accept me when I finally started showing my face in public.” “Well, I feel like I owe you a lot. You’re help has rescued more than one harvest…” “You don’t owe me anything, Gray.” “But I do.” He chugged his cider and exhaled forcefully. “And that’s why I want to make you the new foreman.” Tirek blinked slowly. “But what about Shale? She’s…” “Moving.” Gray finished for him. “Which means the position’s open. And honestly, it should’ve been yours five years ago.” He put out a hoof. “What do you say… partner?” “What do I say?” Tirek pulled off his glasses and wiped them clean on the gaudy Hearth’s Warming vest his wife had made him. “What can I say?” He replaced his glasses, broke into a wide grin, and wrapped the smaller stallion in a crushing bear hug. “Thank you!” Gray was struggling to breathe, so he tapped the centaur’s broad back to beg for release. Once his hooves were back on the floor, he laughed as he tried to catch his breath. “I thought you’d be pleased. Wasn’t expecting that, though.” “It’s just…” Tirek smiled with embarrassment. “I’ve never been promoted before.” “Well, you’ve earned it.” Gray bumped his hoof against Tirek’s fist. “Plus, this makes it easier to fold you into the business proper once Onyx and Cozy get hitched.” Tirek raised an eyebrow. “Do you know something I don’t? They haven’t even graduated yet.” Gray laughed as he reached for the cookie platter. Who cared what his stomach looked like? It was Hearth’s Warming. “Just wishful thinking. It would really be something to add a centaur to the family.” /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “I’m sorry.” Chrysalis was feeling pleasantly warm from the wine, but her concentration was waning just the slightest bit. “Could you repeat the question?” Quartzite giggled like a school-filly as she took another sip. “I asked if your husband ever asks you to use your powers in the bedroom.” Chrysalis tittered into her glass. She caught sight of her creamy white reflection in the liquid within. “Not as often as you’d think. Usually it’s me who prefers to slip back into something… darker.” Emerald flames danced across her body, shifting her to her old, chitinous black form. “Looking like this makes me feel more comfortable being… y’know… bad.” The flames returned and once again she was her paler, reformed self. “Tirek is always telling me that it doesn’t matter which face I wear. He just wants me.” Quartzite tossed back her aquamarine mane and sniffed. “Consider yourself lucky, girl. If I know Gray, if I had powers like yours he’d have me copying half the mares in those ‘fashion magazines’ I keep finding in Onyx’s room.” The two mares laughed before a small smile crossed Chrysalis’ lips. “Well… there was this one time…” “Ooh, details!” Quartzite leaned forward eagerly. “Well, back in the old days, Tirek always considered himself the strongest being in the universe. Nopony could stand against him. But there was this one mare. She managed to hold her own in single combat. The only creature to ever fight him to a stand-still.” “Let me guess; he had some hang-ups.” “He wouldn’t admit it at first, but I managed to convince him that if we were ever going to be totally and fully reformed, then he would have to get over his old grudges and frustrations. I knew he wasn’t angry at this mare. He was…” She put a hoof to her chin. “I’m not sure how to put it.” “Attracted to her?” “Yes and no. It was more like there was this last shred of the old toxicity in him and it was tied to her and their stalemate.” She took another sip. “It was me that suggested that he try getting over her by…” She smirked. “Getting over her.” The mares giggled. “Did it work?” “Oh yes. To our mutual satisfaction. In fact, I’m planning on bringing her back for the rubber match for our anniversary.” The flames flashed and there was a purple alicorn swirling the wine in her glass. “He’s going to find out that the nerdy know how to get dirty.” They laughed together as Chrysalis resumed her original shape and made to refill their glasses. “You mentioned that you keep finding Onyx’s ‘fashion magazines?’ How awkward is that?” Quartzite groaned dramatically and rolled her eyes. “You have no idea. I only had sisters growing up. I was totally unprepared for the step from colt to stallion.” She peered over the rim of her glass. “You should count yourself lucky you don’t have to deal with any of that stuff with Cozy Glow.” “Are you kidding?” Chrysalis looked at her incredulously. “Imagine how awkward it was for two non-ponies to explain equine biology to a young mare. I swear we we learning more about it than she was.” Quartzite laughed and extended her glass. “Those magazines I keep finding are mostly full of pegasi, I should mention.” Chrysalis smiled conspiratorially and tapped her glass against her friend’s. “I can’t imagine why.” ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “I still can’t believe that you actually managed to convince Coach Bruiser you couldn’t fly.” Mustard Seed shook her head. “I mean, you practically had him sobbing at the unfairness of a pegasi unable to use her wings.” “It’s not entirely unheard of.” Lily Vine sipped her cider and placed the cup back on the patio’s railing. “You’re just lucky that he has more rocks than brains in his skull.” “Hey, that’s my second cousin ya’ll are ragging on.” Onyx Bolt mock-glowered. “He’s very proud of those rocks.” Cozy Glow laughed and kissed her colt-friend’s cheek before looking back to her friends. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Honestly. I just have these urges sometimes…” “Post-Evil Resurgent Syndrome.” Lily nodded. “I’m going to use you as my dissertation one day.” “Well, when I get those urges I just need an outlet. Nothing major, just something small. So I convince the gym teacher I’m crippled so he’ll let me skip that period.” “Or replace the head cheerleader’s shampoo with mane remover.” Mustard Seed mentioned with a grin. “Or send a series of threatening notes to convince the guidance counselors that each of them knows the others dark secret.” Lily Vine added. “Or pulling me out of Calculus by pretending my dad had swamp flu.” Onyx Bolt grinned. “Okay, you weren’t complaining about that at the time.” Cozy pouted. “Hard to complain when you’ve shoved me into the broom closet.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You love it when I’m bad.” Cozy narrowed her eyes and inched forward. “More than you know.” He mirrored her. “Aaand that’s our cue.” Mustard Seed polished off her cider and looked at Lily Vine. “Walk you home?” “You’d be a pretty crummy marefriend if you didn’t.” Lily poked her tongue out playfully. She crossed the patio to hug Cozy and Onyx. “Happy Hearth’s Warming.” “You too.” Cozy reciprocated the hug and saw the glass door sliding open. “What’s up, Mom?” Chrysalis stepped out and looked to Onyx. “Your parents are heading out. You’re welcome to stay for a while if you’d like, Onyx.” “Nah, I better go help get Dad to bed. He always gets a little sloshed at Hearth’s Warming.” He kissed Cozy, then leaned close to her ear. “…Later?” “I’ll keep the window open.” She whispered back before sealing the deal with another kiss. Mustard Seed smiled at Chrysalis. “Happy Hearth’s Warming… Amp.” The two mares laughed as they bumped hooves… followed by a quick (and horrible looking) bit of dueling air guitars. Good-byes and well wishes and hugs were passed all around, and not long after mother and daughter were all that remained in the gently falling snow. “How was your Hearth’s Warming?” Chrysalis asked. “Great. Yours?” “Wonderful. As always.” Chrysalis embraced her daughter and sighed. “Love you.” “Love you, too.” “There’s my girls.” Tirek stepped out, her arms open wide. “Room for one more?” The little family embraced one another in the snowy night, just as they had for the past ten years. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, my little monster.” Tirek kissed Cozy’s cheek. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Papa.” She yawned as she pulled away, recognizing the familiar look in her parent’s eyes as they looked at one another. “I’m gonna head to bed.” She headed back inside… then poked her head back out just before she shut the door. “By the way, Onyx is probably going to sneak through my window later.” “Make sure he doesn’t track snow on the carpet.” Tirek advised, not taking his eyes from his wife’s. “And don’t get too noisy. Your father and I have work in the morning.” Chrysalis added as she leaned in. The two kissed in the moonlight, holding each other tight. Their bodies were warm, but it was the love that flowed between them that truly chased away the chill. When they parted, Chrysalis sighed into his strong embrace and rested her forehead on his. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, my love.” “And to you, my dearest.” They stayed there for a long while, watching the snow and holding one another. It was how they'd always saw out the holiday since they'd come to Saddleburg. Since they'd tried for a fresh start. Since they'd become a family. As far as they were concerned, it was how they always would.
Progress Reports (Suggested by Frustration in Excelsis)“Chrysalis starts getting mail from an unexpected source.” Suggested by Frustration in Excelsis Chrysalis stared at the pile of papers on the table before her. Her morning coffee was by her hoof, now cold and forgotten. She was only dimly aware of the sound of the front door opening and closing, and she barely glanced at the dining room's entrance when her husband stooped to enter, still coated in the sweat and dust of a hard night's work on the rock farm. Despite his recent reveal to the rest of the town, Tirek still preferred to do most of his work in the dead of night away from gawking eyes. His morning walk home was the one small concession he'd granted himself, mostly because it had been ages since he'd had the chance to peacefully take in the sunrise. He stopped on his way to the kitchen when he saw the papers and the blank look on his wife's face. "Is something the matter?" He looked around. "Did Cozy get to school alright?" Chrysalis slowly nodded, not taking her eyes from the pile. "What's that?" Chrysalis licked her dry lips. "It's... mail." Tirek raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Mail?" "Mail." The white changeling confirmed. "But we don't get mail." Chrysalis finally looked up, the confusion and bewilderment on her face now evident. "I know." Tirek chewed the inside of his cheek, just as baffled as his wife. "Would you… like some help reading it?" Chrysalis shook her head as she looked at the top-most letter. "No. You go on to bed." She noted his appearance. "And shower before you trail gravel through the entire house." "Yes dear." As her large husband abandoned his quest for morning pastries and headed for the bedroom, Chrysalis's horn lit and lifted the first envelope. Carefully, she opened the seal and slid out the contents; a single piece of paper covered in flowery cursive. She skimmed until she reached the signature and was thankful she hadn't drank her coffee. The surprise at seeing the familiar name likely would have coated the letter in scalding liquid. She returned to the top of the paper and read; My dear Chrysalis, ...You know, I hadn't considered how strange that would look until I actually put pen to paper. I trust the lack of news about hostile takeovers and mysterious disappearances means that you and your little family are staying true to your word in regards to starting over. I'm very pleased with this, and rest assured that my sister and I have remained true to our word as well. By that I of course mean that we have not spoken a word of you or your whereabouts to Princess Twilight Sparkle or her Council of Friendship. We have, however, spoken to one other. We have taken the liberty of revealing your location and chosen fate to your former subordinate (and current King of the Changelings) Thorax. We knew that he above all others would likely know what to do, especially given the current state of things. Personally, I hope that you won't take offense. Thorax has told me his intentions and I hope you'll be quite pleased. Please give my regards to your husband and daughter, and do feel free to write me anytime. I hadn't realized how much I would miss correspondence with somepony learning about friendship until it was already too late. Sincerely, Celestia An old, familiar rage flooded Chrysalis' heart at the sight of the name Thorax. The memory of her feelings at the betrayal of her treasonous spawn made her hooves shake. Emerald flames danced at the tips of her frogs, revealing flashes of black chitin that threatened to overtake the pearly white of her new form. An old inner voice whispered in her ear, reminding her of disloyalty, heartbreak, and the all-consuming desire for revenge... "Chryssy?" Tirek called from down the hall. Her husband's voice broke through her escalating rage like a hammer. She relaxed almost at once, the flames dying as her body returned to normal. She swallowed hard. "Y... yes?" "Did you have anything special planned for dinner?" "No. Why?" "Well, Gray and his wife invited us over. I figured Cozy wouldn’t mind fending for herself for the evening." Chrysalis seized on Tirek's ambient love for her and clung to it like a life raft. "That… that sounds nice, actually. Do we..." She took a deep, calming breath. "Do we need to bring anything?" "I… don't know? I'm really not sure what the protocol for these kinds of gatherings would be." He yawned. "Just ask Cozy when she gets home. Love you." He called as he shut the door. "Love you, too." Chrysalis whispered as she took another breath. "More than you can ever know." She put Celestia's letter to the side and reached instead for the next sealed envelope. Her eye twitched once more when she read Thorax's name, but she managed to retain control over her emotions this time. She pursed her lips at the return address beneath his name. "The Valley of Shift?" She sniffed. Well, she never had gotten around to naming her kingdom, had she? Shift was as good a name as any, she supposed. Simple. Elegant in its own way. She hesitated as she made to open the envelope. Part of her screamed that she should just toss the pile of letters away or at the very least let Cozy Glow or Tirek go through them first. Who knew what kind of recriminations and mocking japes at her expense lay within? Celestia might have been wise once, but she was clearly mistaken this time. What could her former subjects possibly have to say to her now? She’d been horrible to them from birth, using them as pawns in her endless quest for world domination. Did she really need to read her sins laid bare as they worked through their past traumas? But maybe this was exactly what she needed. Perhaps this was a necessary part of her repentance, to face the consequences of the life, and the hive, that she’d left behind. Before she could talk herself out of it, she bit the bullet and tore the envelope open. She snatched out the letter, brought it to her eyes, and read; Dear Chrysalis, My former Queen … Mom, When Celestia told me about what happened to you after the Battle of the Bell, I couldn't believe it. Out of all the creatures in of all of Equestria, how could this happen to somepony like you? And let me tell you... Chrysalis braced herself. ...I'm so happy for you. The rest of the letter became a blur. Thorax waxed poetic about how happy he was that she'd found somepony to love, how proud that she’d finally allowed herself to see the light. He told her all about the changes the hive had gone through since her flight from Equestria. He even talked a bit about how hard it was to be a ruler, and how now he understood now some of the actions she'd taken as queen for the betterment of the whole. Chrysalis was barely breathing by the time she reached the letter's end; I hope you don't mind if I write you back from time to time. It's nice to put some of this stuff down. After all, nocreature knows more about the challenges of leading a hive like you do. There are things you can only talk to your mom about, y'know? Love, Thorax PS: I might have told the rest of the hive to write you if they wanted to. I hope that's okay. Chrysalis was reaching for the next letter before Thorax's had even hit the table. She nearly tore the letter apart in her haste to open it so she could read; Dear Mom... They were all like that. She read them all in a mad frenzy. Each one began with those two little words. Then they would talk about how happy they were for her, how proud that she'd found love. They talked about inane things, simple things, about life and love. They talked about their days and nights, about work and play. They talked about lessons they’d learned and adjusting to their new lives. And every single letter ended the exact same way; Love, Pharynx All my love, Shifter I love you, Doomie At last, she reached the bottom of the pile. This one she opened with shaking hooves, her magic no longer stable enough to lift simple paper with the torrent of emotions that was pouring through her. The writing here was small, careful. Like a child's. It read; Dear Mommy, You probably don't remember me. My name is Ocellus, and I was barely more than a grub when the Great Change happened. Writing to you feels so strange. My entire life, you were always the boogeymare hiding under our beds, the monster that always threatened to find us and drag us back and making us monsters again, too. But after what King Thorax told me? About how you’re doing now? How you’re not only good, but have truly found the kind of love we only read about in books? Gosh, I really wish I'd gotten the chance to meet you. It was finally too much. Chrysalis collapsed onto the pile of letters from her children, sobs wracking her body. Her tears fell freely on the words of those she'd given birth to, and for the very first time in her life, she knew that she'd been a mother long before Cozy Glow. She saw what she'd had... and she wept at not having seen it sooner. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// It was afternoon when Tirek emerged from the bedroom. He stretched and cracked his neck as he started for the kitchen. He always made it a point to grab his post-nap snack and start his work-out before Cozy Glow got home. Otherwise she might entangle him in some new scheme or school project, and then he wouldn't end up hitting the gym at all until just before work. He entered the dining room and was surprised to find his wife in much the same position she'd been in when he left her that morning. "Dearest? What are you doing?" Chrysalis looked up from the pile of papers before her. The letters from this morning were in a neat stack to her left. On her right was an inkwell, the corresponding quill held aloft by her magic. She smiled brilliantly as she put ink to paper once again and continued to write. "Just writing a few letters." She held out an empty mug. "Would you be a dear and get me a refill? Extra cream?" Tirek smiled back, noting that there were already a few letters already done and set aside nearby. "Of course." He nodded at her project. "You know, I don't think we have any stamps. I could send Cozy out to get some when she gets home." "Wonderful idea." Chrysalis' eyes returned to her work, but the smile remained. "And make sure she buys a lot. I have a feeling that I'm going to be writing a lot of letters from now on."
The Sound of Little Hooves (Suggested by K9Thefirst1)“Chrysalis has something very important to discuss with her husband.” Suggested by K9Thefirst1 Tirek lowered the coffee mug to the table, trying with all his might to restrain the sudden jitters that had suddenly struck his hand. “A baby?” “Well, not immediately.” Chrysalis chuckled nervously, her eyes darting around the room. “Believe me, I’m looking forward to a little peace and quiet around here just as much as you are, but I was thinking…” “Chryssy.” He cut her off gently. She focused on him, her shining eyes trying to look determined, but betrayed by minute flickers to the side. “Yes?” “Maybe you should start over.” “What do you mean?” He raised an eyebrow. “I just sat down, took a sip of coffee, and you blurted out that you wanted another baby.” His lips curved into a small smile. “You’re usually more subtle than that.” Chrysalis took a deep calming breath and shook her head. “You’re right. It’s just… I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I’ve been putting off talking to you about it, but with graduation around the corner we’ve just been so busy and the time hasn’t been right, but then you sat down and I thought ‘well, there’s no time like the present,’ but now maybe I came off too strong and you…” “Chryssy.” Chrysalis’ jaw snapped shut and she took another breath. “Sorry.” “After all these years, you know you don’t have to be nervous around me. Not about anything.” Chrysalis nodded, took another breath, and sipped her tea. “Raising Cozy Glow has been a joy, hasn’t it?” “The most rewarding thing I’ve done in centuries.” “And it’s been quite the experience providing parental support to the old hive, yes?” Tirek’s smile widened. “Very much so. They’ve enjoyed having a surrogate father as much as I’ve enjoyed having so many surrogate children.” “Yes.” Chrysalis returned the smile. “But now they’re having little ones of their own, passing down the lessons you’ve given to them. And Cozy…” Tirek winced, his eyes cutting to a nearby photograph of his adopted daughter. She’d grown into a beautiful mare, as brilliant and cunning as any before her. She was currently on her senior trip to Neigh Orleans, a special visa from Celestia herself allowing her temporary reprieve from her banishment. Beside the photo’s frame was the program for an upcoming graduation ceremony. “For the first time, it’s going to be just the two of us.” “It sounds fun.” He reached across the table and took her hoof in his hand. “We can take longer trips. Explore the frontiers of Equus, just like we always wanted.” He smirked. “And, it goes without saying, that having the house all to ourselves, free of any possible interruptions, also has a certain allure to it.” Chrysalis suppressed a lovely shiver as she sampled the familiar taste of her husband’s want. “You’re right, of course, but then what?” He cocked his head. “Then what?” “After we’ve spent years surveying and exploring. After we’ve seen every sight unseen by Equestrian eyes. After we’ve thoroughly ruined every inch of this house.” She shrugged. “Then what?” Tirek leaned back and reached for his coffee. “I’m not sure I follow.” “You and I are going to be around for centuries to come.” Chrysalis sipped her tea. “In my case, I may never age. Years and years lay before us, my love, and all of them devoid of what has given us the most joy in life.” Tirek began to catch on. “Being parents.” “I know we don’t like to talk about it, but we are going to outlive Cozy. And her children. And, more than likely, our great grandchildren a hundred times removed. With all this time ahead of us, would you really be happy in never hearing the laughter of children, of our children, ever again?” Tirek shook his head. “No. No, I wouldn’t.” He drank his coffee. “So, do you want to adopt?” “Not exactly.” Chrysalis shifted in her seat. Tirek chuckled darkly. “Well, we can’t just go and snatch some little one from their crib, dear-heart. This isn’t the old days.” She kicked at him under the table even as she laughed as well. “No, no foal-napping, but there are… there are other solutions.” “Such as?” Chrysalis tried to prolong the moment with another drink, but found her cup bone dry. “A few months ago, Ocellus wrote me a letter.” “Not surprising.” Tirek muttered into his coffee. Chrysalis ignored him and continued. “She’s been exploring the caverns of Shift since she graduated, and recently she found a passage that had been sealed for a very long time.” “How long?” “So long that not even I have any memory of it, and I was Queen for almost a thousand years. At the end of the passage, she found a chamber filled with shed pieces of chitin. Each piece was inscribed with passages written in the old tongue. She wanted my help translating.” “What did they say?” Tirek leaned forward, very interested. “Most of them are a record of how our kind came to the valley in the first place. A few contained information on abilities that have long been lost to us.” “Such as?” “Such as the power to change our shade in place of our shape, enabling us to hide in plain sight without having to change.” “Like chameleons.” Tirek nodded. “Fascinating.” “I thought so too. But not as fascinating as another discovery we made.” She took one last breath before getting to the heart of the matter. “It would appear that it is possible for a Changeling to crossbreed with another species.” Tirek blinked slowly. “How?” “Using an intense form of focus, something only the oldest and most powerful of our race could manage, we can alter our very biochemistry to match that of another species. Every cell becomes imperceptibly the same as another creature’s. The ultimate disguise. Only a certain section of our brain retains its Changeling nature, thus allowing us to return to our original form at will.” “Incredible.” Tirek gaped at her, a smile spreading across his face. “So you, if you wanted… if we wanted, to make a child together, you could become a centaur for the duration of the pregnancy?” Chrysalis nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I could. But there’s one small issue.” “What’s that?” “I don’t want to become a centaur for that long.” Tirek’s grin faltered. “But… but you said…?” “Ocellus’s find led me to do some experimenting of my own. That’s how I found out that it’s infinitely easier to change a few parts of myself through that purpose than all of me.” Tirek began to catch on. “Like…” “Like a womb, one perfectly suited to carry the child of a centaur to full term.” She shrugged. “If I happened to find a centaur receptive to the idea.” Tirek lowered his mug to the table and pushed away, his face blank and unreadable. Chrysalis’ confidence cracked a bit. “What’s…?” The magic materialized between his horns and snatched her before she could scream. He yanked her wholly across the table and into his waiting arms. He held his wife tight against his chest and laughed. “I love you so much.” She cooed as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I take it you’re my receptive centaur?” “More than receptive.” He pulled her away to look into her eyes. “I love being a father, but moments like this remind me why I love being your husband just as much.” He saw the tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?” “Of course I am, you big red dolt.” She swatted playfully at his chest even as she sniffled and tried to wipe her eyes clear. “I never dreamed that there was even the possibility of something like this for us. That we could create something that was equal parts you and me.” “A baby.” Tirek marveled. “We’re going to have a baby.” “Well, not for a while.” Chrysalis added. “Of course. We’ve got some traveling to do first, don’t we?” A thought occurred to the huge centaur. “Do you think Cozy will be okay with it?” “Of course she will.” “How can you be so sure? Hundreds of distant half siblings is one thing, but this? A proper flesh and blood brother or sister? How would she feel…?” Tirek trailed off as realization sank in. “You’ve already told her.” “Weeks ago. She’s over the moon at the idea.” He smirked as he inched his face closer to hers. “You’re so devious.” “And I always will be.” She whispered as her lips met his. When they parted, she nuzzled his nose playfully. “Are you excited?” “Beyond excited.” He pecked her lips. “Now, even though we’re not going to do this for some time, it doesn’t me we can’t… you know…” She grinned as she licked her lips. “Practice?” “Exactly.” He eased her down onto the table’s surface and kissed her once again. “And, to make sure we get this right, I think we’re going to need lots of practice.” “That’s what makes us such good parents.” Chrysalis’ giggle became a moan as her hulking husband began kissing down her neck. “What does?” “We’re always on the same page.” Author's Note In case you missed it, my family very much could use your help. Just click here. Whatever you can give would be appreciated. If you want to suggest a 'Scene' you have until 10/31/2021 to do so. I've recently settled on the story that will finally end the saga of this little family and I'll never get to it unless I have a finite number of 'Scenes' to work through. That final story's working title, by the way, is 'Happily Ever After.' It features a wedding, subverted destinies, vengeful gods, inner demons made outer demons, and (hopefully) a conclusion worthy of how wonderful these three have become. It's also a LONG way off. Don't worry. See you back here on Halloween for 'the Imitation Game.'
The Imitation Game (Suggested by Vaguely Demented)“Chrysalis has mixed feelings about Cozy Glow’s choice in Nightmare Night attires.” Suggested by Vaguely Demented "NIGHTMARE NIGHT! WHAT A FRIGHT! GIVE ME SOMETHING SWEET TO BITE!" Tirek grinned down at the assembled ghouls and goblins as they offered bags already bulging with treats. "Here you are." He said as his own handfuls of sweets joined the growing hoards. "Thanks, mister!" A little vampony giggled as she ran away with her friends. "Awesome centaur costume!" Another yelled back. "Thank you! I worked hard on it." Tirek laughed as he closed the door and returned the candy bowl to the nearby table. "Ah, Nightmare Night. What a lovely holiday." "Humph." Tirek turned to find his wife peering out the window, glowering. "Something wrong, dear?" The sun had only just set, and the children of Saddleburg were filling the streets in their spooky and gaudy best. Parents looked on proudly as their little ones scampered from house to house intoning the age old rhyme and begging for sweets. The pegasi guaranteed a clear night for the full moon to shine down, and the evening was shaping up to be filled with fright and fun in equal measure. “I hate Nightmare Night.” Chrysalis muttered, the tattered wings on her back buzzing softly with irritation. Tirek gaped at her. “But… but why? It’s the one night a year that all the ponies dress up in disguises. This should be your Hearth’s Warming.” “Should it?” She cut blazing eyes at him. “We Changelings never had much, but we had our pride. We alone have the ability to wear the face of another. And yet here’s this holiday where everypony gets to pretend like we aren’t special, like it doesn’t take years of practice to perfect…” “This is about Cozy’s costume, isn’t it?” Tirek deadpanned. “OF COURSE IT’S ABOUT HER COSTUME!” Chrysalis exploded, emerald flames flaring at her hooves and singing the carpet. “I had no idea she’d actually go through with it. I thought she was joking.” “Our daughter is terrible with jokes. You know that.” Tirek chuckled as he looked down the hallway. “Dearest!” The door to Cozy Glow’s room opened the slightest inch. “Yes, papa?” “You need to hurry. Your friends will be here any minute.” “Yes, papa.” The door returned shut with a click. “Little brat won’t even let me see it.” Chrysalis growled as she turned from the window. “I helped her a little. She’s going to make a very cute…” A knock at the door interrupted him, and he reached out and pulled it open. “Ah, Onyx. Don’t you look dashing?” “Thanks, Mr. Tirek.” Onyx Bolt, son of Tirek’s employer and one of Cozy Glow’s new circle of friends, started to walk inside. “Is Cozy ready yet?” “Ah, not yet.” Tirek blocked the door and cut his eyes towards his wife. It was only after he saw the telltale flash of green fire that he allowed the cobalt colt entry into his home. “But it shouldn’t be long. You make a very convincing zombie.” “Thanks!” Onyx pointed at the prosthesis over his eye. “Momma had to help me with the hanging eyeball.” He waved at Tirek’s wife with the hoof wearing an exposed bone prop. “Hi, Mrs. Shutterbug. What are you dressed as this year?” “I’m a mare reconsidering her life choices.” The mare muttered, earning a chuckle from her husband. “Okay! I’m ready.” Cozy Glow’s door swung wide as she buzzed into the room and landed with a little flourish. “How do I look?” “Spectacular, sweetheart!” Tirek clapped. “Wow, that’s so cool!” Onyx gaped. And Chrysalis? Chrysalis just stared. A few weeks past, at the dinner table, the subject of Cozy Glow’s Nightmare Night costume had come up. Cozy had wanted to keep it a surprise, but her mother had pressed her until she’d finally spilled the beans; she wanted to be a Changeling for Nightmare Night. Chrysalis hadn’t been pleased at the idea of her race being used as a costume, but Cozy Glow promised that it would be tasteful, and Tirek had impressed upon her the need to trust their daughter. But Cozy Glow wasn’t dressed as just a Changeling. Cozy Glow was dressed as her. The little pegasus had hidden her coat in dark body paint, using shading and brush-strokes to replicate the appearance of holes in her hooves. She’d straightened her mane and styled it so that it hung limp across her face. Her wings were covered in cloth cut and dyed to look like her own insectile pair. A jagged cardboard horn sprouted from her forehead, accompanied with the crown like growth she’d worn since birth. A pair of green contacts completed the ensemble. Little Queen Chrysalis looked up at her mother, excitement and trepidation of equal measure in her eyes. She smiled, revealing a set of false fangs in her mouth. “Well? Do you like it?” Chrysalis’ lower lip trembled from the effort of holding in her emotions, trying her hardest to maintain her Shutterbug visage. She nodded quickly, wiping at the bothersome tears already gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Onyx, would you mind waiting outside?” Tirek asked as he opened the front door. “Sure, Mr. T.” Onyx replied cheerfully as he complied. As soon as the door clicked shut, Chrysalis’ white form practically exploded from Shutterbug and wrapped Cozy Glow in a crushing hug. “Careful! The paint’s just dried!” Cozy gasped even as she giggled. Chrysalis pulled away and gave her daughter another once over. “This is amazing! You look wonderful!” “You really like it?” “I do!” “Ahem.” Mother and daughter turned to find Tirek standing by with his wife’s camera. “Right. Just a moment.” A flash of fire, and there were now two Changeling queens standing beside one another. The larger reached out a foreleg and pulled the smaller close. They smiled into the camera as Tirek took the picture. “Alright, you’d better get going.” Chrysalis told her as she pulled away and again donned the mask of Shutterbug. “Be home by eleven. And don’t eat any candy until you get home so your mother and I can check it.” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. “Come on, Papa. You know that’s just an old mare’s tale.” “Of course it is.” Tirek opened the door to the night that was already filling with giggles and screams. “But I’ll be taking any peanut butter cups you manage to get your hooves on. Dad tax.” “Be safe.” Chrysalis stroked her little doppelganger’s mane. “And keep the mischief to a minimum.” Cozy Glow gaped at her. “But it’s Nightmare Night!” “I said a minimum.” Chrysalis smiled devilishly. “Just because we’re reformed doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun. Especially tonight.” Cozy Glow matched her grin and then buzzed out the front door, stopping only to give her hulking father a quick kiss on the cheek. She landed beside Onyx who offered her a spare candy pail he’d brought along. “Thanks. Ready?” “Sure am! Nightmare Night’s the best!” He gave another look to her ensemble. “What are you supposed to be, anyway?” As the two young ponies started into the throng of merrymakers (Cozy Glow trying her best to explain her outfit without giving away the truth of its origins) Tirek and Chrysalis watched them go with proud smiles on their faces. Tirek took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air and sighed. “Beautiful night.” “Mm-hmm.” “Well, we have the whole house to ourselves.” Tirek grinned down at his wife. “What shall we do with it?” “As fun as that sounds, my love, it seems like such a waste to spend such a gorgeous night indoors.” “What do you have in mind?” Tirek asked, his eyebrow raised. Chrysalis’ horn was hidden by her magic, but it still lit and floated over a basket from where she’d hidden it hours earlier. She grinned as she gestured at the contents; three dozen eggs. Tirek tried to look outraged, but he couldn’t hold it. Especially not when his own magic carried over a bag brimming with rolls of toilet paper. He reached in and pulled out a simple black domino mask. “Did you have any houses in mind?” He asked as he affixed the mask to his face. Chrysalis chuckled as she mad a few small cosmetic adjustments to her Shutterbug visage. “The mare over on Elm street didn’t pay for her order last week.” Her gothic style make-up now in place, she reached for the basket of eggs. “And I believe the stallion who cat-called me the other day lives on Mockingbird lane.” “Perfect.” Tirek offered a hand. “Shall we spread some mischief, my dear?” “Of course.” She placed her hoof in his palm and smiled. “Would we really be us if we didn’t?” The porch light was turned off, the front door was locked, and two former villains practically skipped into the night, baskets and bags in hand, laughing like children all the way. Author's Note As noted previously, scene suggestions are now closed. HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY!
We Need to Talk About Cozy (Suggested by Animation Crusader)"Come in, Miss Shutter Bug." Mr. Chalk Dust gestured for the mare to enter with a broad friendly grin. "Thank you. And it's missus." The unicorn gently corrected the earth pony teacher. "Oh, I'm sorry." Chalk looked out into the deserted hallway. "When I didn't see Cozy's father, I assumed..." "My husband works most nights." She caught the teacher's next question before he could voice it. "At the rock farm." "Ah yes." Chalk nodded as he shut the door and made his way to the desk. "Would you believe I actually taught Gray Gravel?" Shutter Bug gasped and put a hoof to her chest. "You can't possibly have been teaching that long. You don't look a day over forty." He chuckled as he sat behind his desk, trying to ignore the creaking in his hips. "You're too kind, Mrs. Shutter Bug. Please, sit down." He gestured at the chair he'd placed on the opposite side of the desk. Once the mare had sat, Chalk leaned forward. "Now, I imagine you're wondering why I've asked you to come." "Cozy Glow isn't having trouble in class, I hope?" Shutter Bug's lower lip poked out and seemed to visibly quiver. "Oh, dear. I was afraid she would have trouble adjusting..." "No, no trouble." He smiled reassuringly. "She's really quite exemplary. You needn't worry about that." "Oh good." Like a flash, Shutter Bug's visage of sadness was gone. She raised an eyebrow. "Is she... behaving badly? Is that it?" "Again, no. Not exactly." Chalk leaned back, removed his glasses, and started polishing them. "Cozy shows extraordinary intelligence for a filly her age." The old teacher cut his eyes at the young mare. "I'm curious; where did she go to school before your family moved to Saddleburg? There are no transcripts in her files." "She was home-schooled." Shutter Bug answered easily. "By her father and myself." Chalk whistled. "You must be quite the scholars. Cozy's grasp of... certain Equestrian events is something to see." Shutter Bug smiled and cocked her head. "Mister Dust, I'm afraid I'm not following you. Exactly what is the purpose of this meeting again?" "You seem to be a learned mare, Mrs. Shutter Bug, so I'll speak plainly." He replaced his glasses and looked at her hard. "I have... concerns about your daughter." "What sort of concerns?" "Well... there was an incident just yesterday. You see, we were going over the Changeling invasion of Canterlot..." Shutter Bug's eye twitched. "You've been covering the invasion of Canterlot?" "It's a recent addition to the Equestrian history section I insisted on. Saddleburg is so far from greater Equestria... you'd be surprised at how little our populace knows about recent events." "How recent are we talking?" Shutter Bug's eye twitched once more. "Quite recent." Chalk Dust's eyes flashed. "Now, as I was saying, I caught your daughter in the act of doodling in the middle of my lecture. I asked her if I was boring her. She insisted that she was just bored because we were so far behind what she already knew. I asked her what she meant, and she proceeded to lay out the events of the invasion in excruciating detail." Shutter Bug swallowed hard. "Did she now?" "Indeed. It was very impressive. But troubling as well." "Troubling?" "Oh yes. From the way she talked about it, Cozy seemed to take a certain... joy in the moment Princess Celestia was cast down in her stand against Queen Chrysalis." Shutter Bug laughed uneasily. "Oh, you know how rebellious they can be at that age." "Yes." Chalk Dust smiled in a funny sort of way before continuing. "Well, I must confess I was curious as to how far ahead the curriculum she actually was." He looked at her over the rim of his glasses. "Did you know she's also well versed in the escape and terror campaign of Lord Tirek?" "It wouldn't surprise me." Shutter Bug laughed again, trying to keep her hoof from tapping the floor. "As I said, she's very precocious." "That's one way of putting it." Chalk Dust groaned as he settled back into his chair and looked at the ceiling. "It was the way she talked about Tirek that struck me as odd. Such a monstrous figure, but the way she talked about him?" He looked back at her, his eyes narrowing. "It was something akin to pride." Shutter Bug's hoof was now tapping uncontrollably, her eyes wide and staring. "Is there more?" "With her? No. The bell rang and I dismissed the class." The earth pony opened a drawer and removed a heavy stack of papers. He set them on the desk, trying to hide the audible grunt that escaped him from the effort. "But I was curious. You see the fun of this lesson plan is that I'm learning along with the students. I'm only reading slightly ahead of them. I'm genuinely excited to cover the return of the Pillars and the battle against the Pony of Shadows." He tapped the stack. "But my curiosity made me read along a bit further. And do you know what I found?" Shutter Bug's eyelid was now twitching in time with her tapping hoof. "No..." "Evidently one of the most recent threats to Equestria was a little pegasus filly. Can you believe that? She tried to rid Equestria of all magic at first, and when that failed she teamed up with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek to mount a full hostile takeover." He leaned forward, steepling his hooves. "Do you know what this little filly's name was?" Shutter Bug was beyond speech now. She simply shook her head. "Her name was Cozy Glow. And no one knows where she is. She and her allies vanished after the Battle of the Bell." He sighed. "Mrs. Shutter Bug..." She leaned over the desk. "Mr. Chalk Dust, if you'll just let me explain..." "Mrs. Shutter Bug, I think you and your husband are in terrible danger." Shutter Bug nearly fell over. "I'm sorry?" "I believe this little monster has bewitched the two of you somehow into believing that you are her parents. Now I don't know what she's planning here in Saddleburg, but it can't be good." He reached out and patted her hoof tenderly. "I'm sure whatever magic she used to ensnare the two of you, we can find a solution." He leaned back again and smiled. "Once she's in custody, of course." Shutter Bug blinked slowly. "Custody?" "Of course. We have to move quickly, while we have the element of surprise. I haven't reached out to Canterlot yet because I needed to speak to you first. Confirm my suspicions. But now I can clearly see that you are just victim of this terrible monster." Shutter Bug lowered her head. She stared at the desk, considering her options. "You said you haven't informed Canterlot yet?" "Correct." Chalk Dust turned to grab a piece of parchment from his desk. "But I should probably do so now. It will take some time for the Princess to..." The sound of a chair scraping on wood made him look up sharply, and he watched as Shutte Bug walked slowly to the door. "Mrs. Shutter Bug?" "I need to inform my husband." She reached out to open the door. "I don't think it's wise to leave alone." Chalk Dust resumed his search for parchment. "For all we know, the little monster is already aware that her scheme..." Shutter Bug froze. "Please..." She cleared her throat. "Please don't call her that." "Why?" The old teacher scoffed. "Best to call things what they are. She's a terrible little monster and..." The sound of the door's lock clicking in place cut him off. He looked up to find the mare staring at him, her horn glowing with emerald light. "Mrs. Shutter Bug..." "I was polite." The unicorn hissed, something strange happening to her voice. "I said please. I thought that was supposed to mean something to you ponies." Chalk Dust began feeling very trapped all of a sudden. "Mrs. Shutter Bug..." "She isn't a monster." She considered, then smirked. "At least, not anymore." She took a step towards the old teacher. "Mrs. Shutter Bug, please; you have to fight whatever charm she's used on you." The old teacher started flicking his eyes around the room, looking for escape routes. Shutter Bug ignored his pleas. "No, she's not a monster." She took another step. "But do you want to know something?" Chalk Dust's eyes widened in horror as emerald flames sparked to life at the mare's hooves. "I AM!" Her chitinous black form appeared in a flash of green fire, and Queen Chrysalis leapt. Chalk Dust never even had the chance to scream. //////////////////////////////////// "Well what did you expect me to do?" Chrysalis pouted, now returned to her creamy white visage. "Not this!" Tirek gestured at the cocoon sitting in the middle of their living room. Chalk Dust floated in the fluid inside, a peaceful look on his face. "Now not only does he know about Cozy, he knows about you too." "I'm sorry." She poked at the cocoon. "I lost control." "That's putting it lightly." Tirek sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Just... You can still mind control ponies, right?" "I think so." Chrysalis looked up at her husband. "What did you have in mind?" Tirek reached for the cocoon and hefted it onto his shoulder with a grunt. "I think it's time Mr. Chalk Dust took an early retirement." /////////////////////////////////////// "Crazy about old Chalk Dust, huh?" Mustard Seed whispered so as to avoid drawing their new teacher's attention. "My dad says he had a nervous breakdown." Lily Vine whispered back. "Said she looked dazed and confused when he told everypony he was moving back to Manehatten." "I wonder what could've done that to him." Onyx Bolt looked at the pink pegasus beside him. "Any ideas?" Cozy Glow said nothing. She just continued diligently taking notes. But she did permit herself one little smirk... for old time's sake.
