Chapters The morning Equestrian sun shines through the cracks of the curtains in his bedroom. Steadily rousing the man from his slumber. He stretches with a loud yawn. Today is his day. Something about today makes him feel like it's going to be special. He opens the curtains to his bedroom, then the window, and breathes in that fresh Ponyville morning air. He almost feels like breaking out into song, just almost.
The house is all his this morning, considering he slept in a little. Derpy is off doing her mailmare duties, Fudge is at school, and Vinyl is on tour again. The human feels a little sad he didn't get up in time to make them breakfast. That mattered not, for in his bones he felt today was going to be a fantastic kind of day.
There's no time to waste! He continues on with his morning routine. A shower, getting his clothes, some breakfast for sure, and lastly, brushing his teeth. There's a pep in his step that he really can't explain. He is the only one in the house at the moment. Derpy is off doing her mailmare duties and Fudge is at school. Just another average day in the life of Ponyville's sole human resident.
"Morning, Justin!" Ponies greet him while walking the streets of the town.
"Morning!" He always responds back, giving them a smile and wave.
Justin fishes his keys from his pocket and starts flipping through them. He finds the key to the door of his shop and a satisfying click when the door unlocks. He steps inside the cool building and grins, it's time for his work day to begin. He goes through the motions, starting his mixing vats and organizing the flavors behind the counter. He smiles as he goes through his delivery order for this week and gets it into storage. Everything is set for today.
He walks out to the front of the parlor and sets the bell on the door and flips the the sign to 'open.' Now work begins as his usual ponies come through, getting their usual flavors. Justin always did his service with a smile big enough to make Pinkie proud. Hours rush by and soon hits his slow period of the day. So he goes about restocking the front and checking the ice cream mixes.
The the bell above door rings, signaling a customer walking in. So Justin made his way up to front and to his surprise, it's Princess Celestia. She has two of her guards on both her flanks. Celestia approaches the counter with such an elegance. This day just got better with a visit from a princess.
"Greetings, Justin." Celestia bows, the human returns it in kind.
"How may I help the Princess of Equestria this fine day?" He asks with with a smile.
"Please, Celestia will do just fine." She requests of the human. "I was hoping you may be able to help us with something."
"If it's ice cream, that's no problem."
"No, something else. Do you have somewhere more private we can discuss this?"
Justin raises a brow at the alicorn princess, but he nods and waves her to follow him. He guides the princess to his office in the back and offers her a seat. Celestia gladly accepts the offer and Justin sits across from her. He puts his hands together and looks at her. His curiosity is at it's peak now that she requested some privacy despite her guards basically keeping ponies out. He figures it must be serious if it's this.
"So," he starts, leaning forward a bit in his seat, "what is this thing you need my help with?"
Celestia is looking around the space before answering. "Well, we have gotten a certain prisoner on our hooves and I ask of you to see if you can reform them in a way."
"Oookaaay, who is it?" Justin is still curious about what's going on.
"We have Chrysalis in our custody and would like for you to go about showing her the magic of friendship."
Justin shoots up in his chair, his eyes wide. "Why me though? What about Twilight and her friends?"
"I have discussed this with them and they feel you're unique touch could her her more than the ponies who bested her."
Justin is silent in thought for a moment.
"We also feel you could be the one to get some sort of cooperation out of her, and help her adjust should she choose to be apart of Equestrian society."
Justin brings his hand up to his chin and rubs it for another moment before nodding. "Sure, I'll give it a shot. Certainly can't refuse such a request from a Princess."
"Well, you could, she'd just go back to the dungeons or be exiled."
"Nope. Already made my decision!" Justin exclaims, hopping out of his chair and pointing to the ceiling.
"Excellent, Luna will meet you outside your residence here in Ponyville with Chrysalis."
"Wat."
Justin dashes through the streets of Ponyville, rushing home after having closing the parlor up early due to Celestia's visit. He isn't intent on being and by Celestia he will not. His pace picks up when he hits an open path and runs faster than he ever will. Suddenly he's in front of his abode without much of explanation. He starts to look around him, a bit in confusion as he was just in the center of town.
"Ah, Justin, it's a pleasure to see you again." Luna interrupted his search.
"Luna! It's been too long." Justin gives the moon alicorn a wide grin and bows out of respect for her.
"Likewise, but you don't have to bow before me." Luna let out a small chuckle as she watches him.
"Sorry, sorry, course of habit since your sister won't tell me to stop." Justin's gaze turns to a restrained Chrysalis. "Welcome to Ponyville, Chyrsalis."
The changeling queen just rolls her eyes at the human and grumbles.
"Probably the warmest welcome she's ever going to get." Luna remarked.
Now observing the changeling, Justin could see her legs were cuffed close to another, wings restrained to her sides, and a strange device attached to her horn that also doubles as a muzzle to keep her quiet. Luna has some guards near to keep eyes on Chrysalis, along with Luna herself. Justin makes his way over to Luna and she levitates a key up to him.
"What's this?" Justin takes the key from the magical grasp.
"The key to her restraints. For when she shows some progress."
"Oh my dear Luna, the first step is to show her some trust." Justin remarks and starts his way to Chrysalis.
Now that he is getting a better look at the changeling, he feels something is off about her now. Chrysalis seems smaller now than what he saw of her. She's also missing something, but he can't quite put a finger on it. Chrysalis' eyes go wide as the human approaches her, unsure of what's about to happen. Justin just gives her a smile and leans down, unlocking teh cuffs to her legs.
They drop to the ground with a thunk. Luna is curiously watching the human as he scoops up the cuffs and hands them to the guards. Next he unlocks the wing restraints and hands them to the other guard, but that's it. That's all Justin does and he pockets the key. Luna has wide eyes and Chrysalis is dumbfounded at the casualness this human displays.
"Are you... sure?" Luna asks. "What about the last one?"
"I'll get that one once we're inside so I can have a word with my guest." Justin just smiles at her. "Of course, she wont go anywhere while you're here, and I'll make sure she doesn't try anything."
Chrysalis is just staring at Justin at his point, her eyes wide. He just looks at her and smiles warm at her before going back to chatting with Luna. Luna continues to share her concerns with her friend only to be reassured over and over. Justin isn't backing out of this one despite some of Luna's warnings and concerns. The discussion stops when he raises a hand to Luna.
"Relax, I know what I'm getting into, Luna. Your sister warned me and I intend to help in this way." Luna relents and gives him a single nod.
"Very well, if you insist."
He turns to Chrysalis and grins at her. "Right this way."
Justin escorts the somewhat reluctant Chrysalis inside his home. Luna shortly leaving after the door closes. He does notice the changeling wince a little as she enters the house. He looks at her for the moment before he hears the sound of small hooves bounding across the house.
"Dad!" Fudge excitedly yells as she bounds up to the human and jump on him in a hug.
Chrysalis winces again.
Despite him hugging back, he did hold her out in front of him. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
"Heh, yeah. Then Princess Luna came to get me and brought me home so you didn't have to! She's so nice."
Justin sets the filly back on the floor and muses at the thought. "Probably didn't think I'd rush home, huh."
He looks at Chrysalis, who is which now drooling somewhat with some wide eyes. She practically looks like she's been starving for something. He figures it might be food. His gaze shifts down towards Fudge, who is just excitedly running around now. At this point he just shrugs and fishes the key back out of his pocket and turns to look at the changeling.
"Alrighty, let's get that contraption of ya so we can get some ground rules in place." He walks to her and starts to unlock the final restraint.
As soon as it's off her, Chrysalis lets out a hiss and jumps passed Justin and onto Fudge. "Those FOOLS! Letting me into a trove of love to feast on!"
Fudge shrieks out in surprise but Justin's voice booms from behind. "EY! Get off my filly!"
Chrysalis freezes as her demeanor changes to that of a scolded animal. She gets up off the filly and doesn't dare to meet the gaze of the human that stares at her. She can almost feel his eyes boring into her. The the lightbulb goes off in her head. Chrysalis forms an evil grin before turning around.
"Well, then we'll see how you feel once you're under my control!" She snaps around to Justin and blasts him with some of her magic.
Justin isn't phased at the mind control attempt and sternly looks at her.
"What? How?! Nopony can resist that!" Chrysalis cries out.
"You're right, No PONY. I'm a HUMAN." Justin just states as he starts his approach on her. "Now with that little outburst out of the way, there will be ground rules here."
Chrysalis just stays quiet, watching the human.
"First rule: There will be NO shapeshifting under my roof. I'm fine with shapeshifting outside of this house to protect yourself since you aren't liked."
The changeling continues her stare.
"Second: You are NOT to attack any other pony. The mares here included."
She just nods a little bit, now shaking at his presence a little bit.
"Third: Sharing is caring around here, you need love to feed, just ask and someone here will be more than happy to oblige. Are we clear?"
Chrysalis rapidly nods her head. "Certainly, sir."
"Please don't call me that. You are my guest and I will treat you well as long as you treat my house well. Celestia told me all I need about you and she will be checking in to see what kind of progress you'll be making while you're here."
It was in that moment that Derpy enters the house to see the changeling in the living room. "Uh, hey. What's going on?"
After all the explaining finishes, Derpy is nodding her head in understanding, well, sort of. She doesn't quite get it and just leaves it at 'Justin doing a thing for the Princesses' and leaves it at that. She's just wanting to get some food in her belly after the long day she's had. The week's only begun however, as Justin has his work laid out for him and Chrysalis.
A New Day 2: The Next One
That morning Ponyville sun shines through an open window, hitting the back of a gray mare with blonde hair. The house was quiet for the most part, save for the running water in the bathroom. Justin finishes up part of his morning and heads downstairs to find Chrysalis asleep on the couch instead of the bedroom he set up last night. He shrugs a bit and heads into the kitchen to start breakfast for the household.
The sounds and smells of the kitchen seems to rouse the changeling from her slumber.
"Morning, Chrysalis." Justin's voice calls out.
She stiffens up in surprise, having forgotten where she was.
"Didn't like the room I set up for ya?" He asks as he sets some pancakes on he skillet.
"N-no." Chrysalis meekly replies, slinking off the couch.
Justin takes a second to look at her. "Scared?"
She just nods and leads the human into a sigh.
"Of what?" He asks in a gentle tone flipping one of the pancakes.
"You." She replies. "I've never met something like you that can just resist my control."
"I feel like there's more to it."
"It's also the way you're treating me, most ponies just treat me with disdain. You just accepted me and freed me on the spot."
Justin smiles at her and gives a hearty chuckle. "That's because I believe to grow kindness in others, you have to show kindness first."
Chrysalis it taken aback by his words and demeanor.
"Have you fed yet?" He stops and turns to her with a platter of pancakes.
She just shakes her head.
"Well, go head then." The human says as he places the platter on the table.
"Just... just like that?"
Justin just nods and kneels down to be at eye level with the changeling. Chrysalis isn't so sure about what's going on but goes up to the human and makes eye contact. She can see it, his confidence and determination. Her horn starts to power up as she starts to cast her magic on him. The love tastes different, way different than when she's taking it by force. It's the sweetest she's ever tasted it and she likes it. Soon she just stops, not wanting to take a lot and leaving her with a warm feeling.
"Better?" Justin asks her with a smile.
"Better."
"Excellent!" He says standing back up and going back to his cooking. "Now, I am to keep an eye on you, so you'll be coming with me to work."
Chrysalis is still unsure of him, so far he hasn't made himself an intentional threat. Only when she attacked the foal after being released. Him treating her with kindness even after her outburst in unheard of to her. Yet, here he is, doing just that, throwing everything she knows aside. For what though? A request from the princesses or just his own ends? Chrysalis stands there, lost in her own thoughts.
"Chryssy?"
The name snaps her back to the present.
"You doing okay over there, girl?"
"Oh, uh, yes. Yes."
"Alrighty then, go get yourself ready for the day."
"Wh-what?"
Breakfast goes by without much of a hassle and everyone enjoys their food. Justin is washing the dishes in the kitchen while the other ponies go off to wrap up their mornings. Chrysalis is standing in the living room, staring at the journal on display over the fireplace. She seems a bit mesmerized by the book's cover as the gears move like clockwork. More so at the small green gem that glows in the sunlight.
Justin continues on with the rest of his morning and starts getting Fudge ready for school. Fudge is still a bit tired from all the excitement last night but doesn't fight much. After that, Justin walks with his filly back downstairs and spots the changeling still staring at the journal. He walks up behind her and gently pokes her shoulder, causing her to jump a little and look at him.
"Wouldn't touch that if I were you." Justin tells her. "Now get ready."
"What is it?" Chrysalis asks as she just changes into a random pony.
"An enchanted journal. Come, walk with us."
Fudge and Justin bask in the morning light, cheerily playing games on their walk and telling every pony morning as they pass. Chrysalis is a bit disgusted at the displays of kindness and doesn't respond to any of the happy 'Good Mornings' she receives. In fact, with Justin's back towards her, she could just disappear and escape. Until another thought crosses her mind about the strange creature she finds herself under.
Justin gives Fudge one last hug goodbye before sending her on her way and waves bye to her teacher, continuing on his path with Chrysalis. Chrysalis sticks close to the human as the thought still eats her, sending a shiver down her spine. To any other pony, she looks normal, but to him? He knows thanks to earlier. She didn't put a whole lot of thought into who she looks like and just changed her appearance to comply.
"This is where you'll be working with me for the time being." Justin say as he proudly stands in front of his ice cream shop.
"What is it?" Chrysalis asks with some genuine confusion and curiosity.
"Why it's my ice cream parlor! I opened it sometime after my arrival here in Equestria. With some help." He smiles at her, fishing his keys out from his pocket. and unlocking the door.
Chrysalis just stares for a moment. "What is this 'ice cream' you speak of?"
"It's basically frozen dairy served up as a delicious treat. Kinda had to learn the right recipe for pony consumption though."
He leads the changeling inside and starts to flick on the lights and his other equipment. Chrysalis stands in the lobby of the store, taking in the sights and sounds before following Justin. She ends up in the back with him as he is collecting the tubs of ice cream to put out front behind the counter. She watches his movements, curious about his kind a bit more now, but that's short lived when a spoon with a tiny bit of the dessert comes up to her face.
"Here, try some." Justin smiles as he says.
Chrysalis is hesitant at first, but eventually puts the spoon in her mouth. She swirls the cold mass around in her mouth, the flavor is interesting to say the least. She toys with the ice cream in her mouth some more and then swallows it. It flows down her throat with such ease.
"That is good." Chrysalis chimes, almost returning to being quiet.
"Thank you. Hard work and love go a long way."
Chrysalis points a hoof at the machines. "What're these?"
"Those are my mixers, it's how I make the ice cream."
Chrysalis nods her head and trots out to Justin to continue watching him. His movements seem to flow like they were a second nature to him. Just how long has he been here doing this? Ponies start filing in through the door. He keeps up with his customers just fine even up until Derpy comes in. Chrysalis doesn't really acknowledge any of the ponies in the store, she just watched the human carefully.
Derpy does what she can to help, since this is her day off despite Justin saying otherwise most of the time. The shop stays at it's steady pace for a few hours. Ponies asking Justin who the new mare is with the only response being that she was a new hire. The flow does stop at some point and it's a moment of reprieve for the two. Justin going over and giving a hug to Derpy for the help.
"You know you don't have to keep coming out here to help." Justin tells the mare.
"Yeah, but I like spending time with you." Derpy presses her cheek against his.
The bell above the door gives a ring, causing the human to look over and see who it is. To his surprise, it's Twilight coming in, probably for her usual. The changeling almost immediately changes demeanor when she lays eyes on her once foe. Justin just happily takes care of her order.
"I heard about what Celestia asked you to do." Twilight starts, taking the ice cream in her magical grip.
"She told you I take it? If she trusts me to do it, I'll be giving it my shot." Justin just grins at the alicorn.
"Is that her giving me the stare?" Twilight points a hoof in the direction of the disguised Chrysalis.
"Yeah, don't mind her though. She won't do anything."
"If she gives you any sort of trouble, let the girls and I know. We'll be right over to take of it, okay?"
"Twily, don't worry. I can handle her."
Twilight gives the man a nod in acknowledgement and promptly leaves, but not before turning around one last time and make a watching motion at the changeling. Justin just walks back over to Chrysalis and guides her to the back, telling Derpy to let him know if a customer walks in. The changeling doesn't fight against him guiding her to his office and takes a seat where he tells her to."
"I imagine you're hungry, especially after waiting for so long." Justin starts as he sits across from her with a smile.
"I have a question, why?" This is the first thing she says since the rush.
"Why what?"
"Why do you serve these ponies?"
Justin bursts out in a small fit of laughter. "I don't serve them. I simply provide a good in exchange for bits. It's more of economics."
"I see.... then why do it?"
"These are some good folks if you give them the chance, Chrysalis. They look after you if you do the same in return."
The changeling tilts her head a bit, still in a confused state.
"I've been through a lot in my time here. I'm away from home, got kidnapped by pirates, built a faulty steam cart to catch a train, went to an alternate time line to have a showdown with a chaos-fueled me, and I can't be happier to ask for a more supportive group than these ponies. My mares and filly too."
"I don't understand pony life, but seeing you work in it is... interesting."
"Makes you curious?"
Chrysalis just nods a little bit.
"Well, c'mon, let's get you fed then we can continue, okay?"
Chrysalis starts up her magic again, feeding on his love. It's still just as sweet and starts to fill her with a kind of warmth she hasn't experienced yet. It makes her... happy. Something she's never felt until now, happy, and she has this strange creature to thank for that. She takes just as much as before, this kind of love is filling her quick. Now satisfied, Justin takes her back out to the front and they continue with the rest of the day. Some more ponies come in, and instead of watching, Chrysalis starts greeting them.
The work day comes to a close; Justin, Derpy, and Chyrsalis stand outiside the shop. The human closes the door and locks it tight. He gives the two a smile, currently one returns his smile. The three start on their way to the schoolhouse to pick up Fudge. Justin and Derpy are busy talking amongst each other while Chysalis trudges close behind, lost in her own thoughts. What were these new feelings inside her?
Fudge comes barreling down the path towards the mare and human in excitement. She jumps up and hugs both of them giggling. Justin did notice the unusual, or maybe usual, gloom mood. Atleast the more quiet she has been since they left the shop. The four start making their the way back home while the human hangs back a bit next to Chrysalis. He looks down to her and uses his hips to nudge her a bit.
"You all right?"
Chrysalis doesn't acknowledge his presence.
The group continues on their merry way back home, Justin staying at the side of Chrysalis all the way there. The door to the house swings open and first in is Fudge, then Derpy, followed by Chrysalis, last is Justin. He closes the door after himself and watches the changeling trudge up the stairs. Derpy and Fudge are already in the kitchen and getting to work on dinner.
"You girls go ahead and eat without me, I'm gonna see what's up with Chyrsalis."
The two nod and he starts to head up the stairs.
"Chrysalis?" He calls to no answer.
The human heads over to a door and knocks on it once.
"Chryssy?"
"Go away."
He starts to turn the knob and open the door. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing."
The room appears empty, but he doesn't relent. Justin walks in and closes the door behind himself. He then makes his way over to the empty bed and sits down on it. He knows she's still here, there's a feeling in his fingernails. She isn't going to come out on her own, or at least he wasn't going to make her.
"Chrysalis, There's something wrong. You can talk to me about it."
"No." Her voice is coming from somewhere, he isn't sure.
"Is it something I did?"
She goes quiet.
"What did I do?"
"Nothing."
"Is it something related to me?"
She goes quiet again and he sighs.
"You know, for a supposed master of deception and disguise, you're really bad at lying."
Chrysalis descends from the ceiling and hisses at him with her wings flared out. He just stares at her attempt to intimidate him and she stops. Chrysalis now just glares at him and stands in front of him as her wings fold back in. She takes a few steps back to give them more room and he seems to settle on her bed. His eyes gaze into hers and she relents.
"It's the love you're giving me. I can feel it change me." Chrysalis reveals to him.
"Maybe it's a bad thing to you, but I heard how curious you were."
"Ponies confuse me, they used to disgust me with their 'friendship' and their happy way of life."
Justin brings a hand to his chin and rubs it. "Then why do you keep taking the love I give you if it's changing you?"
"I fear what you are capable of if I don't follow your orders." Chrysalis averts her eyes now, staring at the floor.
"Wait, you fear me ?! Some human just living his days amongst ponies and running his own ice cream parlor?"
"It's not what you are, it's what you can do. You just resisted like it meant nothing. You aren't scared of me in any way like most things do."
Justin just hums a bit to himself and stands up. "Well, I understand then. I'll leave ya be for the night. If you get hungry, come find me."
With that, Justin leaves the room and Chrysalis to her own thoughts. This is an enlightening experience and leaves him with some thinking to do. He heads back downstairs and joins Derpy and Fudge for dinner. He stays a bit quiet for most of the night. Justin remains in the living room, a book in hand, the fire blazing, and the quiet of the night to surround him. Derpy and Fudge have gone to bed, but his thoughts nag at him, keeping him awake.
He starts to hear hooves on the stairs coming down. The human takes a moment to look up and see the gray mare he thought hit the hay. Justin just smiles a little as she comes over and sits next to him. She leans into his side and he wraps an arm around her to keep her close. Derpy always knows when he's thinking about something little too hard.
"Do you think I'm someone to be feared?" Justin finally breaks the silence, but not away from his book.
"What?" Dear Derpy asks with some concern now. "You're one of the nicest humans in all of Equestria!"
Justin just smiles and rubs her head with his hand. "Sure I am."
The house remains quiet today. The only one here being Chrysalis, whom of which hasn't left the room since last night. Sure, the doors and window aren't locked, but something doesn't feel right. She was thinking again, but this time her mind was dwelling on his conversation with her from this morning. His words echo again in her head as she stares out the window.
"You know, I was thinking about what you said last night, and I think you might just need to try a change of perspective!"
"Oh ha ha, very funny."
"I'm not trying to be funny. I'm leaving to go open the shop, feel free to join me when you're up for it."
Is he right though? Does she need to look at this a different way? She shook those thoughts away for a moment and scowled. She's the queen of the changelings, she doesn't need friendship! Well, she WAS the queen. Maybe he was right, maybe she does need the different view. Her face shifts from a scowl to looking sad now. She's alone now, and when someone is here for her, she makes herself alone now..
Today was a little slow at the shop. Justin was currently serving a small group of ponies scoops of varying flavors. He smiles at he takes care of their orders and watch them take up one of his booths. He leans against the counter with a small smiles and gazes out the window to Ponyville. He let his mind wander in thought but keeps aware of his surroundings. His thoughts end up on hoping that Chrysalis is okay back at home.
The bell rings, snapping the human from thought. A smile crosses his face as he sees the pony in question. It's the orange farm pony with that ever familiar brown hat. Only she was carrying a crate on her back as she approaches the counter. Justin changes his position to be leaning forward now.
"Well, well, well, if it ain't my favorite apple farmer in all of Equestria, AJ!" Justin exclaims with the widest grin he can pull off.
"Awe shucks, yer too kind, surgarcube." Applejack replies while pulling her hat over her eyes.
"What brings you in to my lovely shop today?"
"Two things really. One is that Twi told me that 'you-know-who' is with ya."
"Chrysalis?" Justin asks. "Yeah, but I didn't drag her out to work today. Left her at home."
Applejack looks a bit concerned at him.
"What's the other thing?"
"Well, it took Granny some convincing but I brought ya some Zap Apples to try in ya ice cream."
"Oh hell yeah!" Justin jumps up in excitement as Applejack slides the case over onto the counter. "How much do I owe you?"
"Two quarts of that new ice cream ya wanna make wouldn't hurt for the trouble."
"You got a deal, and if all goes well, we may have a hot seasonal flavor for us to have at." Justin picks up the crate and sets it behind the counter. "Tell Granny Smith I said thanks"
"Will do, surgarcube! If ya need any help with getting it right, tell me and I'll send Granny right over."
"Might not need to if I follow her instructions to the letter, but I'll be sure to say something if I got questions."
"Now." Applejack leans in close, her voice now a whisper. "Do ya want me to stop by yer place to check on 'you-know-who.' "
"Thanks for the offer, AJ, but I believe she's still there."
Applejack just gives the human a nod and the two say their goodbyes. The farm pony heads on her own way while Justin retreats back to his shop. He get the crate from behind the counter and stores it near his mixers and plucks the piece of paper and read over Granny's instructions.
"Hmm, may have to try this at home on a day off." He mutters to himself.
He isn't wanting to mess anything up with his experiment, and it already took a while to talk it up to Applejack. Who in turn also talked it up to Granny on his behalf. He believes that whatever product he can make out of this, will be an amazing tasting ice cream, even if only the Apples like it. Of course, he had to take the special temperament of the apples into account.
The door to the house swings open and the human and filly enter the house. Happily chatting away downstairs while Chrysalis in laying on the bed. The talking quiets down and she can hear someone coming up the stairs. Then the knock at the door, she knows who it is.
"Chrysalis?" Justin's voice came from the other side.
"It's open."
The knob turns and the door slowly opens to reveal the human and the filly. Chrysalis sits up and looks at him, she wasn't glaring this time, actually she's looking at the floor. The human walks in with the filly following close behind and sits next to her on the bed. The filly, however, stayed on the floor and smiled at the changeling. This is one brave filly to just smile at her.
"Something on your mind there?" Justin opens with after a moment of silence.
"Just what you said."
"What about it?" She could feel his hand on her and she leans away a bit.
"I think you might be right. Things have changed, and I haven't adapted."
Justin listens to her, now keeping his hands to himself.
"Before, I had my hive. I had Canterlot for a few sweet moments of victory. Now, now I have nothing and alone."
She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, but noone else notices.
"Well that ain't trues." Fudge pipes up with a smile. "You have us!"
Chrysalis falls silent and Justin gets up off the bed. "She is speaking some truth, but it's up to you if you'd like to embrace that or not. It can be as simple as just joining us for an activity or coming out for chat."
Chrysalis finally looks up at the human and he can see the hurt in her eyes.
"We're about to have dinner and we'd like to invite you to the table."
The changeling stays quiet and gives him a small nod. Justin gives her a warm smile before leaving her alone in the room to make her choice. Fudge trots on after her father back downstairs. Whatever they're having does smell kind of good to her and may be time.
Fudge and Justin sit at the table, eating some kind of lasagna the human made using a modified equine recipe. The dish has his own added flare that made it exceptional to their taste buds, Justin's especially. The table was set for four, even though Derpy was currently working late. Chrysalis soon comes down the stairs and joins them at the table and is met with warm smiles that she doesn't initially return. The rest of the dinner was spent with what little conversation they could get out of the changeling and talking about their days.
The rest of the night is spent in the living room with Fudge getting her homework done on the floor. Justin sits with the filly to help her in anyway he can with questions. Chrysalis is on the couch, watching the two, and a kind of comfort she hasn't known before. Derpy does end up coming home later, long after Fudge goes to bed and lays with Justin on the floor of the living room. More of on the human rather than next to him as the fire crackles nearby.
The house is silent once more, Chrysalis lays on her bed now. She's kind of snuggling a pillow and burying her face in it. The changeling isn't trying to sleep, just lost with her feelings now, and hunger. The lasagna was good, but it doesn't fill her quite the same. Not like the love she was feeding on before.
Justin stands outside his ice cream parlor with a very sleepy Fudge clinging to his back. A morning pony, she was not. A very early morning pony, even less so. The sun is barely breaking over the horizon as he's unlocking the door. He only has a few precious hours before he has to open for the day.
He finally gets the door unlocked and opens it to step inside and Chrysalis strides by, not hiding her true self, and inside unannounced. Justin, taken aback at the display, follows the changeling inside, laying the filly in one of the booths closest to the front counter. Fudge is probably thankful it's the weekend for this. Justin then goes into the back room of the shop and stops to stare at Chrysalis.
"Damn, those are some beautiful wings."
"Hm?" Chrysalis is confused and looks at her wings. They seem to sparkle in the light above her. "Oh, that's new."
"I'd say. What brings ya out here today?"
"I want to learn how to make the ice cream you do and learn a bit more about my new surroundings." Chrysalis replies, look at the human.
He smiles, the fear that was in her gaze is now gone, replaced with something else.
"Well, we're going to do something else today: making Zap Apple Ice Cream."
Chrysalis tilts her head as she looks at the human. Justin just goes over to the oversized freezer and opens the door. He disappears inside for several minutes before coming out with the crate of Zap Apples and some mix for the ice cream. Justin shows Chrysalis how to operate the mixers to get the frozen dessert started while he goes to get other supplies for the project. The changeling is a little enamored with the mixing machine's contents swirling by the time he comes back.
He follows Granny Smith's instructions for creating their famous jam, but instead cuts some of the legendary apples into cubes. He slides them off a cutting board and into the mixer, watching the contents turn into a rainbow lightninged mass, and lets it mix. Justin takes Chrysalis up to the front and starts to show her how he opens the store and she is more than eager to learn from before.
Justin does his best to teach her what he knows and what she's willing to learn now. They go to check on the mixture and he shuts off the machine. The human removes the massive bowl of ice cream and stores it away in the freezer for the final step. He's being eager and looking forward to trying this new creation, but he suspects it's going to take a bit to find the right conditions for the experiment.
He stares at the mess he that was made for the ice cream and goes to the supply closet to get cleaning stuff. He opens the door and starts to search around for a scrubber and cleaner. The human finds the scrubber no problem and searches more for the cleaner. When he does, he snaps his fingers and points at the bottle. Once he turns around he is surprised to see that the room is already spotless.
"Strange... there were pink polka dots here just a minute ago."
Chrysalis ends up walking to the back and looking around. "You cleaned that up quick."
"Yeeaaah." Justin responds as he puts the cleaning supplies back.
"Something the matter?" The changeling asks him.
"It's just... I don't know."
The day continues on like normal, Justin allowed Fudge to run off and find her friends while he and Chrysalis ran the shop. Business was steady, some of the ponies surprised at the sight of Chrysalis in the shop. The customers whisper amongst themselves with concern. Justin can feel the air in the store to this strained atmosphere. The changeling ends up trotting up to the human.
"Is it always this tense?" She ask at a whisper.
"No, it's usually more cheery than this." Justin whispers back. "They aren't really used to seeing you here either."
"Right.. I'll go to the back then." She plainly states before retreating out of view.
Justin spends the rest of the shift waiting on his customers and checking in on Chrysalis in any downtime. He couldn't help notice at how down she looked for most of the time until it finally dies down. He goes to the back room and sits with her, looking at her with some concern.
"You okay?" He asks, slightly nudging her side.
"These ponies aren't going to get used to me."
"Hey, don't be so sure about that. I wasn't exactly well received when I first showed up here. It took 'em a couple of months, but they got used to me." Justin reassures her.
"Really?" She asks, looking up at him.
"Really, they avoided me like no tomorrow and when I tried talking to any of them, they just ran." Justin remanences a bit with her. "Only one or two ponies really tried to talk to me, one of 'em was Derpy."
"That mare you're always laying with late at night?"
Justin stays silent with a hint of pink in his cheeks and a smile on his face.
Just then, he snaps his fingers again. "I know what'll raise your spirits!"
The changeling watches him as he springs up out of the seat and saunters over to the freezer. He opens the door and goes inside for a couple of minutes before rolling the large vat of ice cream out. Justin gets it over to where Chrysalis is sitting and produces a couple of tasting spoons from his apron pocket and handing one to her.
"How about we try some of this before we close up for the evening?" Justin smiles at her.
Chrysalis takes the spoon in her magic and they both take a spoonful and take bites.
"Bleh!" The two say in unison.
Later that night, the four are enjoying a special kind of dinner: breakfast! They were having pancakes, muffins, and steamed carrot sticks. Chrysalis was watching the other three talk and goof around. At some point she stifled a giggle as she watched the human put two sticks in his mouth as fangs and talked as if he were a vampire pony. Fudge is giggling away as he had his focus on her, then he munches them down and grins at Derpy and the filly.
Justin's attention then turns to the changeling as his laughter dies down. Chrysalis just looks at him for a moment before looking down as a way to hide the small smile she has. It's too late as he already saw, he just gives her a nod and goes back to chatting with the other two. For the rest of the night, Chrysalis just enjoyed the company around her and the warmth they shared.
A few days pass by as Justin continues to figure out the method to add Zap Apples to his ice cream recipe. Luckily he isn't alone in his endeavor as Chrysalis helps him every step of the way. He writes down what works and what doesn't on two separate scrolls. Today, they feel, will be different. They get the mix into the freezer and now they've go to wait. Just then, the door chime goes off at the front of the shop.
"I'll go get that, can you handle things back here for a minute?" Justin asks the changeling.
Chrysalis just nods at him.
With that Justin heads over to the sink and gives his hands a quick washing, then peers out the door at the newcomer. He takes care of them and comes to the back to help her clean up the mess they made. The hours tick by as Justin focuses in on busy work and making sure the rest of the store is clean and stocked. While Chrysalis does her best to help him where she can. A few ponies come in, give some short stares at the changeling, get their ice cream, then leave. While on downtime, Justin is in the office, writing down something on a piece of paper.
"What're you working on?" Chrysalis asks as she enters.
"The name of the new flavor we're on the verge of making. Some of these seem a little lame." Justin replies, scooting over so she can see what names he has down.
"Hmm... how about this one?" Chrysalis points to one of the names with her hoof and he grins.
"You read my mind."
"Hey, Justin, ya in here?" Applejack's voice calls out from the front.
The human gets out of his chair, followed by Chrysalis as he makes his way to the pony.
"What's going on, AJ?"
"I just wanted to see how close ya were to that new flavor, surgarcube." Applejack cheerfully says, making eye contact with the changeling.
Chrysalis just waves, causing the farm pony to raise a brow.
"I think we've got it down this time. Come back later today we should have something ready." Justin replies in a nonchalant manner, then noticing her gazing at the changeling behind him.
"Has she been givin y'all any trouble?" Applejack asks in a hushed manner.
"Quite the opposite, she's been a big help these past couple of days with the project."
"I see." Applejack's manner soon turns into a cheery one and waves her hoof at the human. "Well, I'll be seein y'all later! Hope it goes well!"
Justin just waves back and watches the farm pony leave the store. He then turns his attention to Chrysalis, who is now looking at the floor in shame, and walks up to her. He places a hand on her shoulder and she shifts her eyes to meet his. There's that smile again, his warm smile that helps her feel better.
"Don't worry about AJ too much, she's just being cautious."
"If you say so, I don't blame them for not trusting me."
"Eh, don't let it get ya down."
He gives her a small nudge with his elbow and the two continue doing chores. The hours tick on by and the duo having a good time whenever there wasn't another soul in the shop. The sun was starting to set as the evening comes, the last of the customers were taken care of. Chrysalis was busy cleaning up when the door chimes again, signaling another visitor. She didn't bother, knowing Justin was well on top of it, but more because she wasn't quite sure if they want her help.
"Well howdy there!" It was Applejack's voice again off in the front.
Justin does his best to greet the mare and bring her to the back room where Chrysalis is just sweeping the floor. She listens as the freezer door opens and the rolling of the latest batch is rolled out. She doesn't have to look at him to feel his excitement, it's in the air. Chrysalis ends up turning around when she hears her name and is offered a tasting spoon from the human.
"C'mon, you get a taste of our labor too." He says with a smile.
She just takes the spoon in her magic and takes a scoop along with the human. He is holding one of the other spoons full of the colorful treat out to Applejack. The farm pony takes the bite with the other two, the has a profound taste and sends a shock up their spines. The treat making the human's hair stand up on end.
"Nailed it!" Justin cheers as he starts to get his hair back down.
"That is some mighty fine work ya both did! What're ya'll gonna call it?" Applejack asks, looking at the human.
Justin just looks at Chrysalis with a grin, wanting her to say it.
"Zap Apple Supercharger." Chrysalis picks up on the hint.
Justin gets Applejack situated away with his promised amount of the ice cream and gets the pony on her way. He heads into the back and catches Chrysalis putting away the rest of the ice cream. When the door shuts, he's behind he now. He then reaches out and softly pats her head. Chrysalis doesn't pull away this time, just letting it happen, and enjoying the moment.
"Well, looks like you two are sharing a moment." A familiar voice calls out from behind.
"Celestia!" Justin turns and gives her a quick bow. "I didn't hear you come in!"
"It's quite alright, Justin. I'm just here to check up on the progress."
Chrysalis was frozen in her place, averting her gaze from the princess.
"She's been a load o help here the past couple of days. Even helped with creating a new seasonal ice cream." Justin grins and then leans in, keeping his voice low. "I think she enjoys working here in the shop don't tell her I said that."
Celestia gives him a light giggle and looks over at Chrysalis with a small smile. "Well I'm glad he has been such an influence on you."
Chrysalis doesn't say a word but nods a little in response.
"Don't worry about her not saying anything to you, I'll get her out of that shell sooner or later." Justin states with a wave of his hand.
"Will she only talk to you?" Celestia asks as she looks to the human.
"For the most part, yeah. Usually when it's just the two of us, sometimes Fudge too."
Celestia gives a gentle nod with her eyes closed, still smiling. The she opens them to look at the human. "How is your filly doing, by the way?"
"She's doing great, definitely came a long way since her time with that Manehattan crew." He explains as he leads the princess back to the front.
Chrysalis watches them go out for the moment before trotting over to the door to listen to them.
"Oh! If you ever get the interest, I can get you some cake ice cream. Made here in house and always phenomenal." She heard him boast.
"Thank you for the offer, I may have to take you up on it." Celestia chuckles before leaving for the night.
It was later and the house was mostly quiet. Justin sits in his chair with a book in hand and a warm cup of tea at his side. He has an Equestrian record playing at a low volume so as to not to wake any of the other ponies in the house. Reading glasses are planted on his face as he read. He didn't really need them, but it helped complete the look.
He takes a sip of the tea before flipping a page over in his book. The quiet sound of hooves were coming down the stairs. He looks up from his book, the room only lit up by a tall lamp behind his chair. He spies Chrysalis making his way over to him and stopping at his feet and sitting there. Justin takes off his glasses and sets them down with his book.
"Mind if we.... talk for a while?" Chrysalis seems unsure as she asks.
"I don't mind, was getting kinda bored reading that anyway." Justin says with a smile. "What'd you wanna talk about?"
"I wanted to thank you, for earlier. I wasn't sure how to respond to her."
"Celestia? She's hella nicer when she isn't dealing with a lot."
Chrysalis just nods, causing Justin to smile at her.
"You're welcome."
"I also wanted to thank you for putting a lot of trust in me when nopony else would." Chrysalis is starting to look at the floor now. "I realize now you were only trying to help."
Justin still smiles at her, reaching down to the changeling, and putting a finger under her chin to have her look at him. "You'll always be welcome. I put trust in you even knowing about your past."
She smiles at him and sits up straight. "Can you tell me about when you arrived here?"
"The first or second time?" Justin asks as he sits back in his chair.
"The first time." Chrysalis replies with a smile towards him.
"Okay, so here I was in my own world, minding my own business when a vortex opens up and..." Justin began to recall the tale of his first visit to Equestria. Chrysalis listens with intense focus for a majority of it until she starts to doze off. Soon curling on the floor and falling into a deep sleep. Justin finishes his tea and cleans up a bit before scooping the sleeping changeling off the floor and taking her to her room.
The next morning comes and sunlight fills the empty bedroom. Cheerful chatter fills the downstairs as Justin, Derpy, Fudge, and Chysalis are all having breakfast. Juice is sloshed, jokes are told, and excellent food is eaten. Chrysalis is warming up a bit around them now and laughing at some the jokes being told this fine morning. After breakfast, everyone was helping clean up the mess.
Justin and Chrysalis are well on their way to the ice cream shop for the day. When they finally arrive, the two spy a long line of ponies outside. Justin looks at the line a bit confused and pulls out watch to check the time. It isn't opening time just yet, so why are they out here? The line notice the two coming up and suddenly crowd around the two. Clambering with a whole lot questions about something.
"Alright, everpony calm the hell down! Please!" Justin ends up yelling at the crowd.
The crowd goes quiet, but whatever they were feeling was palpable.
"What's gotten in to you all?"
One of the ponies raises their hoof. "Has your shop been getting visits from Princess Celestia?"
Justin groans a bit, figuring one of these ponies saw something. "I'm not at liberty to say that. Now, if you'd all please mind, I do have a business I'd like to open."
The crowd makes a path to the door, kind of. Chrysalis sticks close to the human as he walks through the crowd with his keys now in hand. They manage to get inside and the changeling wastes no time in helping with setting up the store while ponies are coming in. They want to ask questions about the princess that the human isn't just answering at this point.
Chrysalis is doing what she can while Justin deals with the ponies, unsure if she's going fast enough. The human is taking orders from the ponies that actually want to get some of the frozen dessert. It takes a while but the numbers are thinning with a few still wanting to ask questions. Chrysalis stays in the back for a breather while Justin shoos away the ponies not wanting to order.
Justin comes into the back a spies the changeling over in her spot. "You doing okay?"
"Yeah, just peachy!" Chrysalis replies, shooting up a bit. "Maybe a little hungry is all."
"It has been a hot minute since ya fed, hasn't it?"
Chrysalis just nods a little, now showing her exhaustion.
"We'll get that taken care of then. Later tonight?" Justin walks over and pats her head a tad.
"Sure." Chrysalis says a little unenthusiastically.
Justin just gives her the same smile he always does and leaves her to rest. She watched him disappear back through the doorway to the front and listens to him talk to some customers. Chrysalis lets out a sigh and sinks into the seat, not really knowing what to do. She doesn't want to refuse him just offering to feed her, but she can't just survive on their food alone. She's conflicted with what she wants to do going against her very own nature.
The rest of the day went on just fine until close. Chrysalis is helping clean up while Justin looks over remaining stock. Tomorrow was a big day for him as he is going to reveal the coming of the new Zap Apple favor of ice cream. All he needed to do was to get some advertising going and some posters up in the shop windows. Chrysalis watches the human run around the store in some excitement as he gets the adverts and poster orders ready.
He closed the store a bit early and with scroll in hand, headed his way over to town hall. The changeling follows close behind him so as to not lose him. Justin opens the door to town hall and ducks as he steps in, both being met with a clerk pony who seems bored at this time. He spies the two standing there somewhat patently, looking up at the human.
"Welcome to Ponyville Town Hall, how may I assist-" The stallion trails off once he see Chrysalis.
"Don't worry about her, Parchment, she's not gonna hurt anypony." Justin says, the pony's name snapping him out of his trance.
"Uh, right. Anyway, how may I assist you today?" Parchment asks, looking at the human.
"Well, I was hoping you could get some prints ready in about a day or two." Justin explains, setting the scroll and a pouch of bits on the counter before the stallion.
The stallion takes the scroll, looks it over, and nods. "We can do that, sir. Come back tomorrow and we should have a preview."
Justin smiles and heads back out with Chrysalis tailing close behind.
"What was that about?" She asks, trotting up to the human's side.
"Oh, that? I'm preparing to reveal our new ice cream flavor once we get around to making more of it. I want things to be just right for our Zap Apple Supercharge flavor."
"By advertising?"
"And flyers!" Justin interjects, softly nudging the changeling. "Then the power of word of mouth will help it take off."
Chrysalis nods a little. "I still don't understand."
"Well, when you run a business, advertising helps bring in the crowds. Pleased crowds tell their friends and their friends come in. More customers means more bits to spend on the store." Justin explains as they continue their walk.
"I don't get it." Chrysalis says as she continues her trot next to him.
"Eh, forget about it then." Justin waves his hand.
The two eventually came up to the school and stood outside for a time. He did end up closing up a little early to get some of his other errands done. Justin walks over to a nearby bench and takes a seat on it, thankfully these ponies made benches slightly larger for their own bodies. He makes himself a bit comfortable and smiles at the changeling.
"You smile a lot."
"A day without a smile is a day wasted is what I like to say." Justin beams at the changeling.
Chrysalis climbs up onto the bench and takes a seat next to the human. The two make some idle chat while they wait for the filly. It doesn't seem like it was long when the bell on top of the school rings twice and a horde of school ponies come flooding out. Fudge finding Justin and the changeling in little time. he jumps on the human, giggling, and give him the biggest hug the young foal can muster.
The trio are now on their way home. Fudge doing most of the talking while Justin is taking the time to get Chrysalis involved in a bit of it. She isn't having a lot of input, more confusion and absent nodding. The human gladly engages in the jokes and small talk the filly supplies. Chrysalis just observes, soaking in their mannerisms and tone. She can see that they have a strong bond.
The three get through the door of the house in nick of time as Derpy is setting the table for dinner. Fudge and Justin waste no time in helping set the table with the changeling just watching. The human gets Chrysalis involved in helping and guides her on what they're doing. The changeling gets a quick grasp on the concept and finishes helping without him. He just smiles as he watches her some and goes to the oven to check on the food.
Whatever Derpy started, it smells delicious and he can't wait. Justin just walks back to the table and takes a seat, across from him is Chrysalis, and to his sides are Derpy and Fudge. Most of them are waiting for the timer to go off while the changeling is sitting idle, just sort of glad to be part of something. The timer does end up going off and Derpy jumps up to get the food.
After dinner, the unicorn foal is helping with cleaning up while Justin and Chrysalis are upstairs.
"C'mon, you gotta eat somehow. I can't just let you starve" Justin tells her, having his hands on her shoulders.
"But wha-"
"No buts. you gotta feed."
Chrysalis just sighs and powers up her horn.
"Nice n' easy. No rush."
Derpy and Fudge are finishing the dishes when they hear something. It sounds like an explosion followed by what sounds like wood breaking. By the time they look at the stairs, Chrysalis rushes by and out the front door. The two scramble up the stairs to see the door to her room off it's hinges and cracked in two up against the wall. On the floor is the human, groaning as he is regaining his functions.
"Dad!" The unicorn filly cries as she rushes over to the downed human.
"What happned?" Derpy asks as she floats up to them.
"Chrysalis..." Justin groans as he sits up. "She panicked and for-"
"I'll go get help!" Derpy exclaims before flying off.
"No! Wait!" Justin says, but too late as the faithful pegasus is long gone. "Shit.."
"Where are you going?" Fudges asks, watching her father rise to his feet."
"To find Chrysalis." He mutters and starts to make his way down the stairs.
Justin's mind races as he does the same through the dark streets of Ponyville. Having regained a his bearings, he uses his legs to carry him across the cobblestone paths. The small unicorn filly isn't having that much luck with keeping up, her legs are short and can't gallop fast enough to keep up.
"Can you slow down at least?" Fudge cries, just wanting to keep up.
Justin slows down enough for her to catch up, only to scoop her up into his arms and bolting off again.
"No time, I need to make sure she's okay."
"After she blasted you through a door and ran off?" Fudge asks with an incredulous look at him.
"It was an accident. She scared herself and that was her defensive response."
Chrysalis sits at the mouth of a cave deep in the Everfree, sobbing as she comes to terms with what just happened. Her fear is setting in, wiping away some of the tears and sniffling. It's only a matter of time until news gets to Twilight and her friends find her and send her back to the dungeons. OR banish her, she thinks she'd prefer the latter. A twig snaps nearby and her head snaps in the direction of the sound, only to be met with the familiar face.
"Why've you come for me?" She asks, a little in bewilderment.
"To make sure you're okay, and take you back home before Twi and her buds get here." Justin says as he comes out of the brush, Fudge tailing close behind.
"You shouldn't be worried about me, especially after what I did." She looks to the ground now, not wanting to face him.
"Hey now, everything's okay. You scared yourself, you didn't pace, and that happened." He is making his way to her with his hands up, getting close enough to kneel. "C'mon, look at me. I'm not mad."
Chrysalis does turn her attention back to him, than that voice rings out.
"Justin! Get away from her."
That voice was definitely Twilight's, and the relief the human expressed turned to one of discomfort. He balled up his hands and started to stand up. Justin turned around to face them and noticed Derpy floating just nearby. All of them had the Elements equipped and ready to rumble if need be, except Pinkie. Pinkie is waving erratically at the human. He does return her waves but refuses to move.
"No, I won't"
"We were told what happened, she blasted ya through a door, sugarcube!" Applejacks states, stomping a hoof on the ground. "So stand aside and let us do our job!"
"It was an accident!" Justin retorts. "She didn't pace herself, panicked, and had a magical surge!"
"Darling, that's hardly an excuse when she ran away after sending you through a door!" Rarity chimes in.
"She was scared how I'd react!" Justin spits out. "I refuse to leave her out here by herself. If you want to blast her, then you're gonna have to blast me too!"
The two parties start to argue about the situation. The accusation of mind control being thrown out there due to his exposure to her. Chrysalis looks at the back of the human and how adamant he is about protecting her, almost like they're...friends. Then it hits her, maybe he considered her a friend, but has she taken the time to do the same? Maybe now's the time before they both get sent away.
"ENOUGH!" Chrysalis commands as she teleports in front of Justin.
Everyone goes quiet as all eyes are on her.
"If his words won't convince you despite them being the truth, then mine should. What he claims is true, he was letting me feed on his love after starving myself for days. I should've listened and didn't, I grew fearful of his wrath after accidentily sending him flying through his door."
Justin began to smile as he listens to her.
"Despite the short amount of time I've been in his care, he was looked out and stuck up for me. Like..." Chrysalis chokes a bit on her words. "Like a friend, and I'm glad to call him one!"
The area grows silent, Chrysalis breathing a bit heavy as she glares on at the six. They all stare at her with wide eyes, some of their expressions turning into ones of shame. Then, it happened, she started to glow bright before them and lift into the air. The changeling is confused and look back to Justin for an answer.
"It's okay." He tells her. "You'll be fine, promise."
With those words, she gives him the biggest smile she ever has and accepts the newfound warmth growing inside her. She glows brighter and a magical cocoon wraps itself around her before touching the ground again. There's silence as they watch on in awe. The cocoon starts to fade away and Chrysalis steps out looking different. No longer was she a gangly pegacorn with holes in her legs and sparkling wings. Now she has more color to her chitin, her mane and tail full of bright, and her eyes a breathtaking emerald green. She looks less intimidating now than ever, but she feels better, complete even.
Justin gives out a long whistle. "Damn, Chryssy, I didn't see this coming."
"Neither did I." She smiles and trots up to him, embracing the human in a hug. "Friend."
"Do you know what this calls for?!" Pinkie starts getting excited.
"A party?" Justin beats her to it.
"A par- YEAH!" Pinkie shouts, getting all giddy.
"Hmm.. I have an idea about that." Justin muses.
The next day is filled with music, laughter, and excitement. Justin worked with Pinkie Pie to turn her Chrysalis-is-now-a-good-guy party and combined it with the new flavor reveal party. The party is being held at Sugar Cube Corner and there a lot of ponies there for it. Chrysalis is on a bit of edge, mostly nervous about being around so many ponies that seem enamored with her new look. Justin is off in the corner with some punch, keeping a watchful eye on her.
"You should be proud of yourself." Celestia says, walking up to him.
"Nah, she deserves this. I'm more proud of her if anything here." Justin says with a sigh of content. "She knows now she will always have a place in my home."
"You were an excellent choice for the job."
"So, what happens with her now?" He asks, turning his attention to the princess.
"She does have a hive out there to teach the magic she has learned here today. Otherwise we will keep her in Canterlot until such a time."
"What if she doen't want to return? Look at her, she seems pretty happy now among all these friendly faces."
"There is more to this then she probably realizes." Celestia stares.
"Well, make sure her letters get to me, aight? I'll be mighty upset if I don't know if she's doing well."
Celestia chuckles a bit a nods at the human. She's going to keep her promise and goes back to the party at hand. Justin morphs into the crowd to start mingling with everyone there. Twilight, her friends, Derpy, Fudge, and any of the ponies that showed up for one reason or another.
Author's Note
Boom! Another story down! I'd like to thank all you all for taking the time to read this, even if you laughed, cringed, hated, or just enjoy it to be enjoying it, it is much appreciated.