Chrysalis had left the poor woman mewling like a kitten. Nobility! Always so easily lured in by even simple desires, greed and lust simply two sides of the same coin. It never took long. When the husband graced his mistress with more attention, more affections, the duly deprived wife would eventually become susceptible. The longer the time she was left unsatisfied, the more easily taken she would be by a pretty face, a silver tongue that spoke sweet nothings. Chrysalis knew seduction, where to exploit a weakness; this had been all too easy.

The Changeling Queen took the bartered clothes and swiftly departed, knowing there was still more to be done. She felt better than she had in ages, the swift bout of lovemaking with the homely duchess enough to rejuvenate her spirits and let her grow strong once more. It was a start, one piece to the puzzle. She would let the role that needed to be played become a part of her, a new shape of identity with which she would strike. Chrysalis would not be a hammer set afire, but a blackened knife in the dark.

Her arrival in Ponyville was unnoticed, a change in fortunes none of the oblivious creatures could see. Taking shelter deep in the forest, Chrysalis began slowly memorizing the layout of the small village; every alleyway, every home and its owner took space in her memory. She would not strike until the patterns and pacings of this place were known by instinct. Now, the next phase of her work came into action, even if she considered it a tremendous risk: theft. Loud, noticeable, and her greatest risk of failure- but necessary, if she were to appear as the tantalizing, irresistible figure she would need to be.

Chrysalis’ acts of larceny began small, deliberate so as not to be detected; a brush here, some powder there, liner for accentuation. It was not something she did often, but these small improvements were crucial. Not an inch of her could be anything but flawless to the eye.

Her first efforts at heightening her beauty were quashed by a foolish oversight: water was not the sort of mirror she needed, too full of movement and shadow and unstable reflection to truly be of any use. She needed a real mirror, one that would allow her to practice the craft properly. Another night of theft would have to be done, and so she did it with trepidation. Chrysalis knew she had come close to awakening the couple who slept above the store. The next effort, if she forgot anything, would not be so fruitful. Her acts of larceny had to come to an end, or else her cover would assuredly be blown.

Now, satisfied that she was fully prepared, the sumptuous queen turned her hungering gaze towards the unwitting object of her ravishing affections. The shining eyes of a young woman, hardly more than a girl, did not see her as Chrysalis crept behind in the shadows. She did not know how deeply she was being watched; in due time, she would find she had an admirer- and then perhaps more.

Chrysalis knew the game well. Practice had made perfect, and perfection was all that would be put on display. She would not reveal herself at first. She would not even allow her presence to be known yet. It would be as though what transpired had been the actions of a benevolent ghost.

The observations of Fluttershy’s habits revealed simply rituals. The girl’s first deeds of the morning were the care of her great flock, particularly her many songbirds. Before they had even awoken to see the sunrise there she would be with seed and morsels in hand for their nourishment. A small shed just to the side of the cottage was where she stored it all, not even a lock upon its flimsy door. Chrysalis smiled as she pulled the door open with nary a groan to reveal her work. She would go to work- and be swift about it, lest the oncoming storm turn her light footfalls into sunken tracks in the mud. A dash of seed. A mealworm waiting to be taken. The knowledge the young woman possessed became the changeling queen’s also, and was put to use for both their benefit. Even with fleetness of foot, Chrysalis completed her first mission with only seconds to spare, the storm releasing a torrent of rain the moment she returned to the cover of the treeline. If her footsteps had been found on her target’s property, all would have been for naught.

She did not return to her hideaway in the deep dark of the forest. Taking to the tallest branch she could find, Chrysalis allowed herself to become one with her surroundings, skin turning the color and shape of the nature in which she was surrounded. She would be nearly invisible to the eye, and thus she waited for the sun to rise. The crow of the cockerel came just as the first ray of sunlight beamed over the faraway horizon, and still she waited unmoving. Any minute now…

The door to the cottage opened, the lovely figure of Fluttershy still burdened by the slumber from which she had just escaped. Still a smile shone upon her face, and her path made to the feed shed where she would begin her rounds. She passed by some of the birdhouses and did not notice anything amiss, so deeply ingrained was this routine. It was not until she departed the shed with mounds of feed in hand and came to the first house did she realize the task was already done. Fluttershy went to the next, and then the next. At last she put down her handful of items and took to observing them all, finding each family’s meal already prepared.

Chrysalis smiled as she watched the girl’s confusion grow. Had she done it herself in the depths of her slumber? Surely it had not been done before she went to bed. Yet here it was, the first act of her day already done and set aside. Fluttershy had an entire dawn to herself now, and no explanation as to why.

The confusion would eventually flit away, given time. Chrysalis would strike again. And then in other places, slowly consuming the young girl’s time until she had not even the smallest errand to run. Her larder would remain stocked, her animals be treated like royalty. The patient queen knew this young girl’s habits better than Fluttershy knew them herself. When the time came for a sign of physical action was needed, it would be done.

A week passed before Fluttershy came to expect the task done. Though suspicious, her morning routine turned from heading to the shed and instead to observe the nearest birdhouse and see if she had not dreamed the events. Chrysalis, perched just above the bedroom window, watched as the lovely maiden left her front porch and made her way to a house teeming with blue jays- and down she crept, silent as a serpent on stone as she placed a small gift at the door, quickly retreating back to cover and returning to camouflage for further observation.

The young girl possessed a smile now. The act of feeding her birds was the intentional benevolence of another, even if she did not know who. Someone cared for her creatures just as much as she did, a trait that would be considered precious in Fluttershy’s eyes. When she returned back to the door, her gaze fell on Chrysalis’ bestowed gift, one that had definitely not been there before she had left. The maiden looked about in her surroundings for any sign of another, and found no presence to be seen. Hesitantly, she took hold of the small bouquet of flowers and regarded them with a strange wonder, beginning to blush as she recognized them- and the meaning behind them: red tulips, a declaration of love, of passion.

Chrysalis leaned forward, waiting for Fluttershy to perform the critical action that would make downfall inevitable. One slight alteration to the flowers that had been done to ensure Chrysalis would be in the young woman’s favor-

A cheery smile on her lips, Fluttershy allowed herself to breathe in the scent of the flowers, their sweet scent masking the added ingredient to the welcome concoction: pheromones, a small, almost unnoticeable scent that came from Chrysalis’ own form that was used to entice others- suggestive, rather than hypnotic, since Cadance had proved control could be severed. The microscopic pollen would travel through the girl’s olfactory senses, taking root deep in her brain. Whenever Chrysalis’ action came into notice, there the pollen would be yet again- over and over, deepening its root in her mind until it was the singular, definitive scent of the one Fluttershy adored. It would be impossible for her to resist in due time. Even when Chrysalis at last revealed herself in full, the young woman’s mind would override whatever fear and trepidation came at the sight of such a nemesis. She would not even want to resist for long.

As Fluttershy strode back into her cottage, Chrysalis peered through the glass and gazed on the young girl, delighted to see a joyous smile on the woman’s face as she beheld the gift of flowers. The first phase had been completed, a brilliant success that had been months in the making. The next would be far faster. The grip would be tightened now.

All who called Fluttershy friend knew something had changed in the gentle-hearted woman’s life. Before, where the smile on her lips had been relaxed –almost casual- there was now one of eagerness, anticipation for some unforeseen event or object. Her steps were lighter, livelier with a weightlessness in her slender figure. Her eyes glowed whenever anyone spoke to her, kept brightened by something none were certain of. She remained sweet, quiet and gentle all the same- yet some stark difference had to be accounted for that could not explained by mere contentment in life.

Fluttershy didn’t quite know how to explain it to anyone whenever the question was raised. How did one explain feelings that had come upon oneself so suddenly, yet so powerfully? She awoke to each new morning with an excitement, wondering what the dawn would bring with it. She felt a strange lightness in her stomach, almost like nervousness- but better, happier. She enjoyed the sensation rather than considering it a gnawing wound in her belly. Every day she would rise from her bed and remember the intangible something she felt, hoping she might find the source of it. Whoever they were.

She could only admit it to herself for now: Fluttershy, gentle maiden of nature, was in love. Horribly, fantastically, deeply in love. This new reality made her feel like floating on clouds, her mind desiring to focus on nothing but the wonderful secret admirer she now possessed. One as gentle and shy as she was! It was a surprise Fluttershy didn’t know she could have. Heaven knows she wasn’t even aware she could have such feelings. She had at first wondered, when she began to wake and find all her feathered friends well-fed and care for, if the whole thing was just a strange benevolence by some unknown specter. But when she had first found those flowers, simply waiting for her to take them… she had begun to wonder if instead there was something much sweeter at play.

The amount of free time she had to spend pondering these strangely wonderful new events that had transpired these past several weeks was something she was grateful for. These small acts of kindness were so deliberate, clearly thought over and done with all the care and affection for the creatures of earth that she herself possessed. The most arduous of her tasks were often completed well before she could reach them, and always there would be some small gift awaiting her. Sometimes it was flowers, other days it would be sweets or a love letter-

Fluttershy, from her place in the grass as she watched the passing clouds above, could only give a dreamy sigh as the smile can upon her lips unbidden. The love letters! They were beautifully written, gently scented with her favorite perfume, and had such sweet things to say. They did more than just speak of her beauty, of how she made them feel (Fluttershy could hardly believe she made anyone feel such a way!), but also why: praise of her character, of what she did for those around her. It was a bunch of silliness, the sort of thing Rarity loved to read in Twilight’s library, but Fluttershy found herself glad of it nonetheless.

Fluttershy’s newfound happiness that made such a quiet, reserved spirit suddenly beam with joy did not go unnoticed. Her friends discussed it amongst themselves, and of whether or not to press the matter. Rarity, perhaps possessing a better sense of what was occurring, advised the others to inquire with more discretion. It was Fluttershy’s secret, after all; this was not the sort of thing you could force out into the open.

But in some ways, there was a feeling of concern. The young woman was distracted, unfocused. She seemed to be spending so much time away from the cottage, away from her works. She would be walking with her animal friends and speaking to them in hushed voices as such secrets were seemingly divulged. Had she become so giddy so as to abandon her work? None of Ponyville’s creatures, nor those of the countryside, seemed to suffer. It was a strange thing to witness.

“Fluttershy. Hey, Fluttershy!”

“Huh?” She had drifted back into her own thoughts, so far away in some pleasant dreamscape that the lovely woman had flown far away from the here and now- and right now she was surrounded by her friends, all of whom seemed to be staring at her with some mixture of exasperation and concern. “Oh my goodness, I’m sorry!” she cried, hoping she didn’t blush too heavily. “What did I miss?”

“Jeez, Fluttershy, stop living on Cloud Nine for a minute,” Rainbow Dash remarked drily, though her eyes spoke to concern. “Twilight was asking you if she could borrow your book on… on- what was it again?”

“Social behavior between symbiotic species,” Twilight replied. “I’ve been watching how some of your birds seem to intentionally leave seeds out for the nearby squirrels, and I got to thinking I wanted to know more. You have something on the subject, right?”

“Oh, yes, I can find it for you,” Fluttershy answered, doing her best to recall where it was amongst her small collection. It was one she had been grateful for when far younger, but not one she required much now for her everyday. “You can come with me after tea to grab it, if you’d like.”

The weekly meetup between the six of them had been an idea of Twilight’s, a surefire solution to ensure their friendships remained strong even in the face of busy schedules. Something inflexible that could not be adjusted was helpful, a thing for them all to look forward to. Applejack politely requested coffee instead, and Rainbow Dash would drink nothing but espresso, but the effort was there.

Only moments after she had been spoken to, it was obvious Fluttershy was drifting away yet again. Rainbow, oldest of her friends, saw the glaze on her eyes. Rarity, sharpest of social minds, easily guessed why. The poor girl had to speak of it openly, or else it would only worsen.

All eyes turned to the fashionista for the solution to this unusual predicament, she giving a small sigh in response to the less than subtle plea for aid. “Tell me, darling,” Rarity said, “what ever has changed you so?”

“Huh?” The words were enough to draw her away from the daydream, but not enough to ring in her consciousness. “I’m sorry, I did it again, didn’t I?”

Rarity smiled. So it was that bad. “Well, darling, you’ve been in such a wondrous mood these past weeks,” she said airily. “I was hoping you could divulge the secret to your impervious new attitude. I’ve been under such stress, it would be a delightful relief.”

“Oh! Umm…” Fluttershy turned deep red as she smiled by reflex, unable to look anywhere but in her lap. “It’s nothing. Really! I’ve just been enjoying the lovely weather, that’s all.”

“Yeah, a little too much!” Rainbow teased. “All I ever see you do nowadays is staring at clouds and flowers, or walking with Angel or one of your other animal friends. What gives?”

“You’re not sick or anything, are you, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked quietly. The concern there was genuine, fear suggesting she may simply be trying to enjoy her last days in peace rather than pretending the end was not actually coming. “Is everything… OK?”

“Yes! Yes, it is!” Fluttershy answered delightedly. “It’s just- Umm… I don’t know how to say this…”

Rarity gave a sly grin- one that immediately turned to disdain as Pinkie Pie gave a majestic gasp and shrieked, “Fluttershy’s got a crush!”

“Pinkie darling, was that really the way such a thing needed to be said?” the fashionista asked. “Come now-”

“Wait a second, Fluttershy? Come on, she- is that for real?” Rainbow asked incredulously, staring at her oldest friend with such intensity that it seemed the demure girl would falter under its pressure.

“Well, I-” she blushed a deep shade of crimson, but the smile gave it away. “I’ve got an- admirer. I think.”

“Well I’ll be,” Applejack remarked. “I wouldn’t have thought if of ya. Since when?”

“A while now,” Fluttershy answered, feeling relief at the expulsion of the secret. “They’ve been helping me take care of my animals- and leaving gifts every… now and then.”

“What’s their name? Do we know them? Can I throw them a party to celebrate them dating you? Come on, tell me, tell me!” Pinkie cried, positively alight with the thought of potentially putting her craft to proper use.

Oh boy. “I, well… I’ve never met them.”

“WHAT?”

“I think they’re shy. It’s always when I’m not there,” she explained. “But it’s very kind. And I do like the love letters.”

The mention of love letters set Rarity afire. “What sort of things do they say? Is it romantic and wonderful, words that would make even royalty swoon?”

Fluttershy blushed again as she revealed another secret, extracting a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handing it to her well-dressed companion. “This one is my favorite… so far.”

Rarity examined the paper and read some of it aloud. “‘Your kindness amidst this weary world is an oasis in the desert. Your gentleness is like the fine silk worn upon one’s skin. You brighten my day like the sun brightens the world, and only to you do I bestow my heart, all my desires solely in your hand.’ Fluttershy, these are wonderful!” she declared, if only for a second before returning her gaze back to the note. “She seems to truly adore you, even if she can’t say it in person.”

“Hold on a minute, SHE?” Rainbow Dash couldn’t decide how she was supposed to react to all these new revelations. Happy? Stunned? Worried?

“Well, yes,” Rarity replied. “This is assuredly a woman’s handwriting. Perhaps there is some fear of judgement and that is why she hasn’t spoken to dear Fluttershy in person yet.” She turned to her lovestruck friend who currently seemed at a loss for words. “Oh, Fluttershy… I didn’t just ruin the excitement for you, did I? The mystery?”

All eyes again turned to Fluttershy, who simply didn’t possess the ability to deal with this degree of scrutiny at the moment. “I guess…” she remembered the sweetness of the flowers, of each deed that had been done- all for her. “I don’t mind that. I think she’s being very sweet.”

“Well… hopefully she’ll come talk to you soon, then. Face-to-face,” Twilight said, not sure what else she could, or even should, say. I never would have thought Fluttershy would be so casual about something this… this affecting. So much for being shy!

Fluttershy giggled delightedly at the thought. “I hope she will. Very much.”

Fluttershy was awake. Exhausted, weary, and wishing she had remained in her dreams rather than traveling to the deep dark of a moonless night. The heaviness of sleep that had taken her so deeply not long ago, like a thick blanket, was now tossed aside as her whirlwind of emotions returned in force. A mind made vulnerable my slumber, more susceptible to bouts of extreme feeling, was not eager to endure the intense butterflies that came to life in her stomach.

An unhappy huff escaped the young woman’s lips, and she sat upright in her bed, rubbing her eyes so as to fully open them. She had been having a most wonderful dream, really; a peaceful walk through a forest full of wild animals, hand-in-hand with a woman whose face and name she could not recall- but one she knew to be beautiful nonetheless. It had been the happiest she had ever felt in all her life, only for that blissful moment to be torn away from her forever. What had dared to steal her out of such a joyful fantasy?

Tap! The sound of stone striking glass made her jump nearly out of her skin, the sudden sharpness of noise in the midst of nighttime silence like the cracks of thunder. Fluttershy gave a squeak of fright and darted beneath the sheets to hide from view- peering out a few moments later to see what nightmarish phantasm now stalked her from within the deep gloom.

Tap! Another pebble struck the window, followed by one more. It wasn’t an attack, Fluttershy realized as she quelled her fears. This was one seeking her attentions. Her heart, already pounding madly in her chest, took a different rhythm of quickness as a new thought entered her mind. It couldn’t possibly be, could it..?

The window opened, albeit slowly. Excitement was not enough to fully silence the maiden’s fears, and even when Fluttershy allowed the night air to flow into her abode, she only just peeked her head above the sill to peer downwards. She saw the top rung of a ladder just below, and at its base –one foot planted on the bottom rung- was the shadowed figure of a person awaiting the sight of… well, her.

A new burst of excitement, one the young woman wasn’t sure she was ready for. “Hi,” she whispered, her normally meek voice somehow more faint than ever.

“Fluttershy..?” The voice that came from below was indeed a woman’s, and a melodious one at that. There was a pleasantness to it like words being sung, and a sweetness was in the air that sent shivers up the girl’s spine. It was her!

“Yes!” She could hardly believe it, if only she had something worthwhile to say! “Are you the one who’s been writing me all those letters?”

“I- I can stop, if you want me to,” said the woman, that lovely voice now sounding deflated.

“No! No, it’s alright,” Fluttershy said. “Please, come up, or- do I climb down to you?”

“I’ll come to you, my love,” the woman breathed, and Fluttershy felt goosebumps at the words. My love…

“I want to see you, if- if you don’t mind,” the maiden whispered. “Let me grab the candle from my nightstand and we can-”

“No! Please,” her visitor called, making her way up to the object of her affections so as to find themselves face-to-face. “I- I don’t have much time. I just… wanted…”

She was losing her nerve, it seemed. Fluttershy, perhaps on instinct, reached out slowly and took one of her hands in hers, finding this sweet-sounding creature’s skin to be lovely in softness. “It’s alright,” the young girl said, “go on.”

“I just wanted to see you, my love,” the woman said next. “I have to be going soon, so it may be a while before I can see you again…”

“Oh no.” Fluttershy’s heart ached at the thought. She welcomed the sight of the love letters, their scent and their feel in her fingers. “Will you be able to write me still? I- I want to keep hearing from you.”

“I’ll try, my love,” the woman whispered. A hand reached out and stroked the contours of Fluttershy’s cheek, fingers resting as they came to cup her face. “I just needed to hear from you, one more time before I go.”

“I’ll miss you everyday. Until I see you again,” Fluttershy said. If only there was no shadow between them, and she could see this woman’s face clearly. It seemed lovely, and something about it was mildly familiar. Trembling from fear and the thought of her own daring, she leaned in ever so slightly…

The woman leaned forward, bringing Fluttershy’s lips closed to her own- the two women met for only the slightest of touches, the kiss so small and gentle that the brush of lips could only ignite her senses into wild desires rather than possibly hope to fulfill any of them. It was too short to be sweet, to slight to satisfy. Fluttershy felt their softness and all she knew is that she desired more- much, much more.

“Goodbye, my love,” the woman whispered, already climbing down the ladder and turning to the darkness. “Until we meet again.”

“Goodbye,” Fluttershy whispered, feeling as though she might fall to tears at the sight of this wonderful woman departing from her. “My… my love.”

She heard the whispered farewell even as she hurried off to her hiding place in the depths of the trees, a smile creeping onto her visage as the sensation of success began to take hold. She had done it, the poor girl was hers and hers alone. The absence would only intensify the feelings, turn that romantic desire into a state of maddened lust. When they met again, it would be all too easy.

Author's Note

Last chapter tomorrow.

To my downvote followers, I know you're there. Your favorite ship has been done to death.