Gamophobia

Chapters

This Day
Who Am I?
Flood Warning
The Hive
Intruder
Rumors
Interrogation
Ascend
The Mares from S.M.I.L.E.
The Calm After the Storm
Gamophobia
Alone
The Calm Before the Storm

This Day

Chrysalis turns away from the wooden counter. She’s much taller than your average pony, and as a result, said counter is far beneath her. Similarly, she must actively look down to make eye contact with most ponies. This humors her to no end, as it adds to her intimidation factor.

This intimidation factor seems to be coming out in full force, as while she slowly exits the post office, the long line of ponies that were waiting behind her wordlessly steps aside to make room for her. She stifles a chuckle as she continues to walk straight forward, relishing the feeling.

She may be a “good guy” now, but these ponies still need to know their place.

When she steps out of the post office and into the midday sun, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She really, really doesn’t want to do this, but she supposes she has no choice. With a resolute grunt, she begins the short trek to the other side of town.

Luckily, her two “closest friends” were supposed to go with her to pick up her wedding dress. They should be expecting her, and she can easily ask them to be her bridesmaids. She’ll kill two breezies with one stone.

It doesn’t take long for her to arrive at the humble two-story house. With a sigh, she raises a hoof and knocks on the simple wooden door. Her eyes flick upwards just in time to see an upstairs curtain quickly close. She was being watched.

Well, of course she was. That’s par for the course when you’re friends with–

“Chryssi, how’s it going?!”

“...Hello, Lyra.”

Lyra Heartstrings. The mint-green unicorn greets Chrysalis with a smile and an overly enthusiastic hoofshake. Seconds later, her wife, Bon-Bon, walks up behind her.

“Good afternoon.” Her voice is noticeably more reserved. “I take it you’re ready to go grab your dress?”

“Yes, I am. I don’t enjoy doing things late.”

Lyra stops shaking her hoof and happily trots out of her house, followed closely by Bon-Bon.

“That’s great! The boutique is just down the road, so this shouldn’t take too long!”

“Yes Lyra, I remember where the boutique is in the town that you can walk end-to-end in ten minutes.”

“You say that like you actually want to go,” Bon-Bon mumbles. “I was surprised when you asked us to help you get a dress. I was shocked when you showed up three minutes ago.”

“For all of my virtues, I don’t exactly have a lot of knowledge about pony dress customs,” Chrysalis says with an eye roll. “Anon told me he isn’t allowed to help me with it, and I don’t have a lot of options outside of you.”

“Wow, I’m flattered,” Bon-Bon says sarcastically. “It’s not like you could have just asked Rarity yourself. …Oh, wait. Yes you could have.”

“Can it two-tone, before you wake up in a preservative sack.”

“Oh no, I’m so scared.”

After a moment, both Bon-Bon and Lyra begin to laugh. Chrysalis continues to walk, though whether or not she’s stifling a laugh of her own is impossible to discern.

Lyra and Bon-Bon are Chrysalis’s two closest friends. They “generously” approached her not long after it became clear that she would be living in Ponyville permanently and offered to hang out with her. Chrysalis refused, but apparently, those two don’t know what the word “no” means. The next thing Chrysalis knew, they were calling themselves her best friends.

Chrysalis doesn’t really care for friendship. Not only did it leave a bad taste in her mouth in the past (several times), but she also sees it as a bit frivolous and unnecessary. Granted, she’s been indulging in plenty of frivolity with Anon as of late, but that’s beside the point.

All in all, she’s got a good thing going with those two. Although it was unlikely, the two mares voted “most likely to be background characters in someone else’s story” during a party not long ago became practically inseparable from the once-evil queen of the changelings.

…At least, that’s what it looks like.

Beneath the surface, a conspiracy has been taking place. Behind their unassuming personas, Lyra and Bon-Bon hide their true identities: agents of a top-secret organization, the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria, also known as S.M.I.L.E..

The two mares were given a simple order: Keep a close eye on Chrysalis and her movements. Although she claims to be “reformed,” it is their duty to ensure that she stays that way by any means necessary. They realized very quickly that their cover could get easily blown if they tried doing this by sticking to the shadows, so they instead went with plan B: becoming friends with her.

Doing so turned out to be easier than they thought. Now, acting as her best friends, they can track all of her movements. S.M.I.L.E. has naturally been informed about this and her coming wedding, so as time has passed, they haven’t had to watch her quite as closely. Still, everything is going according to plan, and Chrysalis is none the wiser.

Or so they think.

The secrets go both ways in this friendship, as Chrysalis is well aware of their true identities. As far as she’s concerned, it doesn’t matter how talented of a secret agent you might be. No matter what, you can’t fool the Queen of Liars.

Besides, S.M.I.L.E. has targeted changelings many times in the past. They proved to be a thorn in her side back when she ruled the hive, and as a result, she has long since infiltrated their agency and discovered their secrets.

Heck, she didn’t even need to do any digging to know who Lyra and Bon-Bon are. She’s just that good at seeing right through them.

However, just as they are using her friendship as cover, she is using theirs for the same purpose. She doesn’t really care for friendship, but if these mares want to maintain the facade that the three of them are getting along just fine, it’ll keep the pressure from Anon (and, to a lesser extent, ponies like Twilight Sparkle) off her back.

For now, they’ll continue “keeping an eye on her,” and she’ll continue pretending she doesn’t know. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, if not a complex (and mildly unhealthy) one.

Finally, the three of them arrive in front of the Carousel Boutique. Chrysalis groans as Lyra opens the door for them. She really doesn’t care for Rarity, but she’s the only mare that would even think about taking her measurements, let alone making her a wedding dress.

“Ah, hello everypony!” Rarity greets them with a smile. If she has any ulterior motives or hidden feelings about Chrysalis, she is an expert at hiding it. “You’re just in time! I have your dress right over here!”

Rarity trots to the far side of the room, and the three mares follow her. To their surprise, she retrieves an entire mannequin from behind a large screen. While the other mannequins in the room come in several shapes and sizes, this one has clearly been made recently, as it perfectly replicates Chrysalis’s figure (holes and all, to her shock and mild discomfort).

Upon this mannequin is a gorgeous wedding gown. It’s snow white, and despite being a wedding gown, it isn’t all that flow-y. In fact, in several places, it looks more like a suit than a dress. This was at Chrysalis's behest, not necessarily because she’s concerned about her appearance, but because she hates moving around in large dresses.

However, Rarity has taken enough creative liberty to make it work regardless. While the legs remain fairly unrestrained, the flank has an ample amount of frills. In a creative decision that confuses Lyra and Bon-Bon but leaves Chrysalis mildly impressed, a faded silver material has been used in the flank to create a pattern that vaguely resembles the holes in her tail.

Along the back, there are two slits for her bug-like wings. Ever since becoming a light changeling, her wings tend to shimmer like glitter when hit with light, even after taking on the appearance of a dark changeling again. Rarity capitalized on this, creating a similar effect near the wing slits that spread out across the back and gently fade away.

All in all, even Chrysalis has to admit that the dress is stunning.

“I’m very proud of it,” Rarity boasts. “You’re definitely one of the more… unique patrons I’ve ever had the pleasure of designing for, but darling, I cannot express how inspired I was when you asked me to make you a wedding dress!”

“It looks incredible, Rarity!” Lyra’s eyes gleam with excitement.

“You always were good at making wedding gowns,” Bon-Bon says quietly while sneaking a look at her wife.

“Well, Miss Chrysalis? Do you like it?”

“...” Chrysalis eyes the dress closely. The room is filled with a tense silence as she wordlessly studies the dress, her discerning eye scanning every inch of fabric. Slowly, that gaze turns towards Rarity, who smiles an anxious smile at her. “...It’ll do.”

“Phew. I’m so pleased to hear that.”

“What do I owe you?”

“Oh, Anon covered it already!”

“He… did? I thought he wasn’t allowed to see the dress.”

“Oh, he hasn’t seen it. He paid me to help with the decorations for the wedding itself and decided to cover the cost of the dress at the same time.”

“Ugh, I wish he’d stop doing that.”

“To be fair,” Lyra whispers, “you don’t exactly have a job.”

“Quiet.”

“Well,” Rarity says with an excited stamp of her hoof, “let’s try it on, shall we?”

The three mares exit the boutique, Chrysalis’s horn glowing as she magically carries her new wedding dress.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Lyra asks with a smile.

“I’m just glad we have that taken care of.”

“Anything else on your agenda for the day, or are you gonna go back to that dark little basement of yours?”

“I don’t live in the basement anymore.”

Lyra lets out a mischievous chuckle.

“Oh, I know. You and Anon have been getting nice and–”

“Shut up.”

Lyra stops talking, but the sly smile on her face doesn’t fade. Eventually, the three come to a stop. This is the crossroads that will take them in different directions back to their homes.

“If that’s all, I think Lyra and I are gonna go have dinner,” Bon-Bon says with a grin.

“Right,” Chrysalis mumbles. She takes a step towards her home, causing her friends to do the same. However, she quickly remembers what she was supposed to ask them. Briefly, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Before you go…”

“Hm?”

Chrysalis slowly turns around, an uncharacteristically sheepish look on her face as she does so.

“Do you… ugh, this is foolish. Do you two want to be my bridesmaids?”

Lyra and Bon-Bon share a glance. For a moment, they look surprised, but this surprise is quickly replaced by… laughter?

“What?”

“S-sorry, it’s just…” Bon-Bon wipes a tear from her eye.

“This is technically the second time I’m gonna do that for you! Haha!” Lyra continues to laugh with her wife, leaving Chrysalis thoroughly confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember? Back at Canterlot? I was one of Cadance’s bridesmaids, and you did your whole brainwashing thing on me and a couple of my friends!”

“I… did?”

Suddenly, Chrysalis’s mind takes her back to that night. She did control the bridesmaids, made them do her bidding in an attempt to slow the real Cadance down and keep them from realizing the truth. In all of the time she’s spent with her, it isn’t until now that she’s realized one of those mares was Lyra.

“...”

She’s speechless. A thousand thoughts swim through her mind, many of which are unexpected and unwanted. However, she is quickly snapped out of her stupor by the mares, who look up at her and smile.

“We’ll do it!”

“Th…” Ugh, she hates this part. “Thank… you.”

The mares go back to grinning before they turn around and wave. Apparently, they have no further questions. That, or they know better than to press Chrysalis at times like these.

…Wait, were they expecting to be asked?

Chrysalis rests in bed, her eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Anon sleeps comfortably next to her, having once again fallen asleep before her. For some reason, she can’t quite get a thought out of her head.

“You did your whole brainwashing thing on me and a couple of my friends!”

…Why does that bother her so much? The more she thinks about that day, the more her chest hurts. What is it about that darn wedding that’s keeping her awake? What is this feeling she’s having?

Slowly, she turns her head towards Anon. He’s facing her, but still sound asleep. That all happened before he was even in Equestria, but he’s heard all about it. And soon, it will be their turn to get married.

Once again, she feels a tightness in her chest. With a sigh, she carefully creeps out of bed and makes her way to the bathroom. She helps herself to a quick sip of water and splashes some on her face. However, when she opens her eyes, the mare she sees in the mirror before her isn’t Chrysalis. The room around her isn’t her bathroom.

She’s back in that Canterlot Castle room. Her green eyes make it clear that she’s still herself, but not quite. She has a pink coat and a long, thick mane. A wedding gown, entirely different from the one she obtained earlier in the day, adorns her body.

She’s disguised as Cadance once again.

Immediately, her horn begins to glow green. She attempts to transform back into the real her, but when the magic fades, it’s still Cadance’s face staring back at her. Panic begins to set in, a feeling quite unfamiliar to her. Her breathing quickens, and sweat begins to form on her brow. She books it to the grand doors keeping her in the room, only to find that they won’t budge.

She turns around, practically sprinting back to the vanity mirror. This time, the reflection in front of her is not that of Cadance, but of her dark changeling self. She glances down, but gasps when she sees that, despite her reflection, she’s still pink. Another look into the mirror causes her to stumble backwards. Her reflection is no longer copying her movements, but instead grinning a wicked, toothy grin at her.

Its eyes are cold and cruel. A small crown adorns its head. Its wings lack the sparkle they’ve had since Anon took her in. Suddenly, it begins to speak. Or rather, it begins to sing. It sings in a cruel, wicked voice. Her voice.

“This day is going to be perfect, the kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small. Everypony will gather 'round, say I look lovely in my gown. What they don't know is that I have fooled them all! Aaaaahahahaha!”

Chrysalis’s eyes shoot open as she quickly sits upright. Her breathing is heavy, and she is covered in a cold sweat. Looking around, she confirms that she’s back in her bedroom, Anon still sleeping peacefully next to her.

It was a dream.

…

Once again, Chrysalis creeps out of bed.

Who Am I?

Anon takes a moment to wipe his sleeve along his brow. Unfortunately, that sopping-wet sleeve doesn’t make his equally wet face any drier. He has finally found some semblance of respite from the pouring rain beneath the cover of the Everfree Forest. It’s still extremely wet, but it’s better than nothing.

He didn’t bring an umbrella, nor did he change out of his hoof-crafted suit that he wore for the wedding. Those are the last things on his mind right now.

He’s already covered every inch of Ponyville. It’s possible that she left town, but where would she go? Although she might be mostly accepted by Ponyville at this point, she would experience no such kindness elsewhere. She knows that just as well as he does.

So, the question remains: Where is she? Assuming she isn’t disguising herself as somepony else, there’s really only one direction left she could have gone. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s fled into this forest.

Anon already visited Zecora, the Everfree’s only known permanent resident. She hadn’t seen Chrysalis, but she’s also been preoccupied with her own business. Anon has no leads.

But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up. In fact, he already has a destination in mind. There aren’t a whole lot of landmarks in the Everfree, but one place in particular is special to the two of them.

Anon stops dead in his tracks. It’s a strenuous hike when it isn’t storming, and the Everfree isn’t exactly a safe place to be wandering around in. However, despite the hindered visibility, he’s found it.

Anon trudges through the thick mud below him as he makes his way to the inconspicuous cave entrance, which naturally formed in the side of a rock face. The outside is a bit overgrown, and the cave itself isn’t very big. It’s a miracle that he found it at all.

Anon takes a deep breath. She might not even be in there, but in the event that she is, he’s not sure if he’s ready for the conversation that will follow.

Still, this is something he will do. This is something he has to do. After taking one more moment to steel himself, Anon steps into the cave.

“...I thought I might find you here.”

There, sitting silently on the cold, stone floor, is Chrysalis. Strangely, she has returned to her light changeling form. Her chitinous skin is snow white with light-blue patches splattered across it. Her sparkly wings, mane, and tail are pale green. Her legs and horn are slender and smooth, the holes that typically riddle them having disappeared completely.

She slowly lifts her head, though she continues to stare at a stone wall, making no effort to look towards Anon.

“...”

“What happened to you?”

“...”

“Chryssi, why are you here? Why do you look like that?”

“...”

Anon sighs. This is getting him nowhere. He needs her to talk to him, but she clearly has other ideas.

Well, if she’s going to be stubborn, then he’ll be stubborn too.

Anon stiffly removes his sopping-wet coat and tosses it to the side. Footsteps echo through the small cave, muffled by the sound of the storm occurring just outside. The next thing Chrysalis knows, Anon has taken a seat behind her, pressing his back to hers as he stares at the other wall. She lifts her head just a bit, but otherwise makes no effort to move.

For a long while, the two simply stay like that, sitting back-to-back in some unnamed cave in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Nopony is looking for them. Neither of them have somewhere to be. Neither of them are talking about what happened earlier in the day.

And they both have nothing but time.

Eventually, another sound rings out in the cave. It’s little more than the single tap of a hoof on stone, but it’s a sound. Anon does not turn around.

“...I’m sorry.”

“Chryssi?”

“I just… I can’t. I… I can’t.”

“You can’t… what?”

“I can’t get married, Anon. Not to you. Not now.” She takes a slow, deep, shaky breath. “Not ever.”

“...Why not?”

For a while, she remains silent. Whether this is due to hesitation or indecisiveness, Anon does not know.

“For my entire life, I’ve never once considered getting married. Not for real, anyway. Weddings are wonderful to changelings in the same way that a free buffet is wonderful for a pony. Sure, it’s a great time and an incredible meal, but it’s not going to mean much after a day or two.”

“...”

“Why would I ever actually get married? All that would do is tie me down to some foolish nobody. Queen Chrysalis is equal to no one. Queen Chrysalis takes orders from no one. Queen Chrysalis is better than that. She’s better than those silly ponies who think love conquers all.”

Chrysalis kicks a pebble across the cave floor.

“And then she pretended to be Princess Cadance. She came so close to finishing that sham wedding in Canterlot, the wedding that would finally bring her everything she ever wanted.”

“...And she lost?”

“And I lost. That was the start of it all, really. That was the first step on the path that brought me here.”

“Isn’t that a good thing, though? I… I thought you were happy.”

“I thought I was, too.” She falls silent for another moment before speaking up again, each word careful and deliberate. “But I think back to that day. I think back to how I felt wearing Cadance’s face, putting on her dress, walking down her aisle. I was… excited. Not because I was getting married, but because I wasn’t. For that short time, I was at the highest point I’ve ever been.”

“...”

“I don’t think I’ve felt like that since. I wore my dress. I prepared for my wedding. I was nervous, but I didn’t know why. Then, when the moment came, I picked up the bouquet.” Finally, Chrysalis turns around. Anon does the same. As they lock eyes, they realize that they both have tears running down their cheeks. “And all I felt was dread.”

“Chryssi?”

“How could I get married when I’m less excited for my own wedding than Cadance’s? Heh, I couldn’t tell you how long I paced around the kitchen wondering that. At some point, I ended up looking like this again.”

“Chryssi, I was anxious too.”

“It’s not just anxiety, Anon.” She leans forward slightly, her wet mane drooping to the floor. “I… I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“I… I’m so sorry. I had no idea you felt like that. I thought you had come to terms with yourself after… well, after the last time we were in this cave.”

“I thought so, too. But look at me, Anon. What do I stand for? What am I doing? I’m just that scary mare that used to be evil. I’m the intimidating changeling that tried to conquer Equestria and now mooches off of Ponyville’s resident human because he can feed her all the love she could ever want. She’s not evil anymore, so everyone’s happy, right?!”

She stomps on the ground with both of her front hooves, tears falling from her face onto the stone below.

“...What kind of a life is that?” Her words cause Anon to close his eyes. She leans closer to him, doing her best to get him to look back at her. However, his eyes do not open. “Please, Anon.”

“Please?”

“Who… who am I?”

For a while, Anon is silent. Chrysalis stares at his face with a mixture of sorrow and confusion, hanging on his every breath as she waits for a response.

Finally, he opens his tear-filled eyes.

“Do you want things to go back to how they used to be?”

“What?”

“Before Cadance’s wedding. Before becoming a light changeling, or meeting me. Is that how you wish things were?”

“...I don’t know.”

“Do you prefer living in Ponyville?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want me around anymore?”

“I don’t know!”

Suddenly, Anon places his hands on both sides of Chrysalis’s face. In a swift movement, he leans forward and plants a gentle kiss right below her horn before standing up.

“Then you’ll have to figure that out.”

“Anon?”

Looking down at her, Anon sniffles. He quickly rubs the tears from his eyes, forcing himself to remain composed.

“I’ll make this clear, Chryssi. I love you. From the bottom of my heart, there is nothing I would like more than to spend the rest of my days with you. But if the same thing isn’t true for you, and I’m only making things worse by pushing this marriage onto you? I’ll happily find something else to strive for.”

“I…”

“This isn’t about the hive, or Equestria, or Celestia, or Cadance, or Twilight, or Starlight, or even me. You’re a light changeling. You’re not starving anymore. No one is relying on you to lead them. For the first time, you can choose who you want to be."

He turns back, locking eyes with her one last time. He wants so desperately to do anything but this. He worked so hard for her, to have her in his life, to get married, even to find her here like this. And here he is, about to jeopardize all of it.

“I’m always going to be there for you, Chryssi. No matter what it is you choose to do, or who you choose to be, I’ll support you… even if I’m not a part of your life anymore.” Anon turns from her as he shuffles to the entrance of the cave and starts to put his coat back on. “But I can’t make those decisions for you.”

“Please…”

“If you ever want to come home… I’ll be waiting.”

Anon steps out of the cave.

“I love you.”

Flood Warning

Anon grunts as he carries a large bucket full of water up the flight of steps. There are quite a few buckets in the basement right now, and each one is slowly filling with disgusting, brownish water. After making it to the living room, he saunters over to a nearby window, opens it, and tosses the bucket’s contents onto the ground outside. A loud splashing sound can be heard as water hits water.

He shields his eyes to protect them from the rain as he closes the window. Amidst the chaos that occurred on what was supposed to be his wedding day, he completely missed the big news. There was a malfunction in the Cloudsdale weather factory causing the surrounding area to be pelted with rain. It was supposed to storm that day anyway, so nopony noticed at first, but things very quickly got out of hand. The clouds combined with those of the Everfree Forest, which the weather team has a much harder time controlling.

Long story short, it’s been raining for almost two weeks as the weather team has been trying to clean up miles upon miles of storms. They’ve gone so far as to enlist a few unicorns to help, and even Princess Twilight has been getting her hooves dirty to try to protect Equestria from the flash floods.

Ponyville, for instance, has a thin bubble protecting it from the worst of the rainfall. The bubble is still semi-permeable though, something about all of the rain being redirected to a smaller area on the bubble’s outskirts being an even worse idea than letting it through or something. In truth, Anon has been having a hard time keeping up.

What Anon does know is that in the two weeks since the planned wedding day, nopony has heard from Chrysalis. Also, his basement is leaking.

He sighs as he slumps down on a nearby sofa. No matter what he does, he can’t seem to get Chrysalis out of his mind. Did he do the right thing? Was he too harsh with her? Should he have just reassured her and given her the answer she was desperately asking him for?

He’s been languishing over that conversation in his head ever since he made it out of the Everfree. What is she doing now? What is she thinking? What will she decide to do? Will he ever see her again?

…He misses her.

Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted by some kind of sound. He perks his head up and looks around the living room. It’s a bit difficult to hear anything in particular over the sound of the rain and water outside, but he could have sworn he just heard some kind of knocking.

Knock knock knock.

Anon shoots to his feet. There’s someone knocking at the door. He quickly shuffles across the living room to greet whoever is outside. They’d have to be crazy to come visit him now of all times.

There’s only one mare with the motivation to do that right now.

Despite his conflicting feelings, he is unable to hide his smile as he throws the door open. It’s a good thing he has a small porch out front, otherwise rainwater would be flooding into his living room.

His smile almost immediately disappears. A mixture of disappointment and confusion makes its way to his face as he is greeted by none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle, the ruler of Equestria and one of his closest friends. She’s absolutely drenched, and her coat and mane are drooping towards the floor, water dripping off of her onto the porch. She can barely see past her waterlogged bangs that cover her eyes.

“H-hi, Twilight. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you know. I was just in the area and I thought we could talk for a little bit.”

“Is something the matter?”

“I should be asking you that.”

“O-oh! Have you heard anything from–”

“No. That’s part of the problem.”

“Huh?” Anon tilts his head at the sopping-wet mare, taking in her shivering form for a moment before his eyes shoot open as he remembers his manners. “C-come inside, please. I’ll grab you a towel. …And maybe a hair dryer.”

Twilight sits across from Anon in a comfortable recliner. A combination of towels and a convenient spell allowed her to dry off pretty quickly, but Anon still offered her a blanket and some hot tea. She’s cold, dry or otherwise.

The bundled-up ruler of Equestria sips at her tea before a contented smile makes its way to her face, her expression so warm it almost hides her apprehension.

“So, what brought you here?” Anon asks with crossed arms. He speaks flippantly, but his furrowed brow tells a different story.

“The girls told me you haven’t been getting out much,” Twilight says, her eyes drooping to the floor. “I just wanted to see how you were holding up.”

“Well,” Anon says with a sigh, “I’ve been better. Just trying to stay occupied, I guess.” His gaze turns to the nearby window, as well as the bucket he set down beneath it. “The leaking basement has been helping with that, especially since I can’t work in this.”

“So, you’ve just been throwing water out the window?”

“Eeyup. If you’ve got a better solution for the leaking problem, I’m all ears. Can’t exactly patch the leak while the water is–”

“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.” She snaps her head upwards, locking eyes with a surprised Anon. “C’mon, let’s stop beating around the bush. What happened with Chrysalis? You still haven’t told anypony.”

Anon shifts uncomfortably on his sofa before responding.

“Sh-she ran away. That’s not exactly a secret.”

“Anon.” Twilight stares daggers into her human friend, her serious tone making it clear that she is demanding an answer. She’s gotten surprisingly good at that since taking the throne. “I know you. If that was all there was to it, you wouldn’t be here right now. You wouldn’t be able to sit still until you found her, flooding or otherwise.” She leans forward in her recliner. “What happened?”

“...” Anon returns her stare, but he says nothing. Twilight opens her mouth to press him further, but stops when she sees his shaky, unfocused eyes. Finally, he speaks. “What difference does it make?”

“Hm?”

“She’s gone. She left. She’s not here. Isn’t that enough for you?”

“A-and what is that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t like her, Twilight. You might have ‘accepted’ her, but let’s not pretend like you were on good terms.”

“You’re right. I don’t like her.”

“Then stop hiding your intentions.” Anon leans forward, his expression cold. Twilight recoils, but her icy glare doesn’t fade. “You just want to make sure she’s not going back to the way she was.”

“First of all, I’m not a big fan of your accusations. That’s some way to talk to a friend.” Twilight huffs, not daring to break eye contact. “Second of all, I’m allowed to have more than one reason to be curious. You’re right, I do want to know what she’s up to. But that’s not because I’m afraid of her going back to her old ways.” Twilight discards the blanket she had been wrapped in. “I just want to know why she hurt you.”

“She didn’t hurt me,” Anon mumbles as he finally looks away from Twilight.

“Bull. How long did you stand under that gazebo? How long did you spend looking for her before you got your answer?”

“...”

Twilight stands from her seat, gingerly setting down her empty mug on a nearby coffee table as she makes her way to the couch Anon is sitting on. She carefully takes a seat next to him, but he doesn’t look up at her. Her glare slowly fades as she realizes what’s going on.

She says nothing. After a long, awkward moment, she reaches forward. Her horn quietly glows with magic as she gently tugs on his arm, pulling his hand toward her before placing her hoof in it. He finally turns to look at her, immediately recognizing the concern on her face.

Tears form in his eyes.

“Twi…” He tilts his head as he tries to hold it in, but ultimately fails. He refuses to sob, but he cannot stop the dampening of his cheeks. Slowly, and with a shaky voice, he recalls the conversation he and Chrysalis had in that Everfree cave to Twilight, who politely listens without saying a word.

When he finally finishes, Twilight pulls him toward her and wraps him in a comforting hug, doing her best to use her wings as leverage. It’s still awkward considering the size difference, but neither are too concerned by it.

“For what it’s worth,” Twilight says in a quiet voice, “I think you did the right thing.”

“H-huh?” Anon sniffles as he pulls away from her. “T-Twilight, you realize that she might go back to being a villain, right?”

“You yourself said that it’s her decision to make. Besides, didn’t you say you’d love her regardless?”

“W-well, yes, but what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Doesn’t that idea worry you? I mean, the last time you thought she was a villain, you put a hole in my chest.”

Twilight sheepishly rubs the back of her neck.

“Hey, we called it even after you lied to Ponyville. A-anyway, that’s not important.” She shakes her head before locking eyes with him again. “Look. You trust her, don’t you? That’s why you left her to figure things out on her own?”

“Of course I trust her!”

“Even after she fled your wedding?”

To Twilight’s surprise, Anon doesn’t hesitate to respond.

“Yes.”

“...Hm.” She smiles. “Then even if I can’t trust her, I can trust you. She’ll come back,” Twilight says with a wink.

“Th-thank you. That means a lot.”

“Besides,” she says with a grin, “if you were the only thing preventing her from being a villain, your relationship probably wasn’t that healthy to begin with.”

To her surprise, her remark that she meant as a lighthearted joke causes Anon’s brow to furrow. He turns away from Twilight, his gaze directed toward a photo collage hanging on a nearby wall. On it are plenty of photos of himself with Twilight and her friends, but she notices that there are also a fair number of pictures of himself with Chrysalis.

“...The only thing preventing her villainy?” Anon slumps back and tilts his head towards the ceiling.

“What’s on your mind now?”

“I just…” Although he’s hesitating, he’s in a noticeably different mood than earlier. He’s not upset so much as he is distant. “I wonder if I really would still love Chryssi if she was evil.”

“What kind of a hypothetical is that? I thought you already said that you would?”

“I did. I-I just wonder about what... ‘we’ really mean.” He takes a deep breath. “Ever since we met, she’s been doing all of the changing. I’ve been encouraging that, trying to get her to act less like… well, like Queen Chrysalis.” He turns once more to look at Twilight yet again, but now with a blank expression. “Meanwhile, I haven’t had to change one bit for her sake.”

Twilight falls silent. She looks into his distant, emotionless eyes. She can tell that there’s a lot going on in his mind. She wants to speak up, to reassure him. She wants to say something. But she can’t. She doesn’t have an answer for him.

After a few long, quiet moments, Twilight stands up.

“Don’t forget,” she says as she stretches herself out a bit, “Chrysalis caused a lot of trauma for a lot of ponies. She did arguably worse to the changelings, too.” She gingerly makes her way to the door. He stands up as well, but she beats him to the door regardless. “She deserved being turned to stone, Anon. If she was going to remain the changeling she was, she would still deserve it.”

“But–”

“Chrysalis had to change. Both for our sakes, and for her own. You didn’t. I know you love her, but that doesn’t change anything. You just pushed her in the right direction, that’s all.”

Twilight turns back and gives him one final, gentle smile.

“See ya later, Anon.”

Without another word, she steps back out into the storm and takes to the sky, magically closing the door behind her in the process.

Anon stands wordlessly in his living room, unable to muster up any sort of response. Eventually, he shuffles over to the window, picks up the bucket, and heads back to the basement, his movements methodical and robotic.

“...The ‘right direction,’ huh?”

The Hive

Anon stares blankly through a window as his body rocks with the movement of the train. Most of the trains in Equestria are smooth rides, and although this is the newest line connected to Ponyville, it wasn’t given quite as much care.

The skies are still overcast, and rain pours over the landscape. Even out here, miles and miles from town, the effects of Cloudsdale’s blunder are evident.

Anon sighs, subconsciously tightening his grip on the letter in his hand. It’s not unlikely that this trip, let alone that letter, will get him into some major trouble. He’s acting out of line. He’s going somewhere he knows he shouldn’t. And yet, he cannot stop himself.

The environment outside of the train car suddenly changes as that thought drifts through Anon’s mind. The verdant, rolling fields of Equestria suddenly dip away in favor of a dust-filled pit. Well-cared-for plants do their utmost to break through a landscape that clearly lacked greenery for quite some time. Occasionally, a small, colorful figure can be seen tending to them or flying across the basin.

And there, looming ahead of the train, is the changeling hive.

Anon takes another glance at the letter in his hand, the name it’s addressed to very clearly not his own. As the train eventually begins to slow down, he tucks said letter into his jacket’s inner pocket.

He steps off of the train, noticing that the rain doesn’t quite reach the hive. He looks through the large entrance into the changelings’ equivalent of a castle. While more grand than any of the other strange holes dotting the massive structure, it isn’t exactly inviting. A makeshift sign and some wooden trim line the entrance in an effort to make it stand out better, obviously made with unskilled hooves for a building not designed with such an entrance in mind.

It’s a clear reminder that post-Chrysalis changeling society is still young.

Other than Anon, only a small handful of passengers step off of the train, all of them changelings. As he slowly makes his way towards the entrance, he begins to garner the attention of nearly every single changeling he walks by. Their expressions range from confusion to fear to quiet fury.

With shaky arms and a resolute sigh, Anon straightens out his jacket and enters the mildly intimidating hive.

It’s clear immediately upon entering just how easy it is to get lost. While it is open to the public nowadays, it doesn’t exactly attract a lot of visitors. The occasional researcher, diplomat, or particularly curious tourist will pass through, but these are few and far between. Even putting aside what might remain of the bad blood between the hive and Equestria, there just isn’t a lot to do at the hive.

Anon wanders around the maze-like structure for the better part of an hour. On multiple occasions he attempts to approach a local to ask for directions, but most scurry away before he can reach them, and those that don’t give him only the vaguest hints of help (if they grace him with a response at all).

Despite that, Anon eventually manages to stumble his way to the apex of the hive. While the throne room isn’t up there anymore, it is where he was told he would be able to find his quarry. With a deep breath, Anon gently presses his hand against the strange, chitinous door that opens to a large, open-air balcony.

There are a number of changelings out here, each buzzing about with their own objectives in mind. Thanks to their ability to fly, this balcony sees a lot of traffic from both the inside and outside of the hive. While most use it as little more than an entrance, others have gathered for various other activities and purposes. One group looks to be running an experiment involving a magnifying glass and an unidentifiable goop-like substance. Another group looks to be meditating in the outdoor air.

And there, speaking to a group of three other changelings, is the unmistakable form of Thorax, king of the changelings.

Anon looks on for a moment, silently watching as the anxious king happily chats with his subjects. A few other changelings pass by, all giving Anon a wide berth. It doesn’t take long for Thorax to notice Anon’s presence, which causes him to visibly recoil.

Anon smiles and gives him a wave of acknowledgement. Thorax leans down and quietly says something to the three other changelings before excusing himself and awkwardly shuffling to where Anon stands.

“H-hello, Anon.”

“Hey, King Thorax.”

“J-just ‘Thorax’ is fine,” he says before anxiously clearing his throat. “What are you doing here? I-if I may ask.”

“Well, I was…” Anon glances around at the many changelings passing by them before leaning closer to Thorax and whispering quietly. “I was hoping we could talk about Chrysalis.”

Thorax suddenly stands straighter and laughs anxiously, his eyes darting back and forth all the while.

“Y-yes, I guess that makes sense. Not sure why else you’d be here, after all!”

“Is… that okay with you?”

Thorax remains silent for a moment before he begins gently pushing Anon back into the hive.

“Let’s go somewhere a bit more private, shall we?”

The next thing Anon knows, he has been guided through countless winding halls and oddly shaped corridors. Eventually, Thorax leads him into a small, unassuming room with next to no furniture aside from a small table.

“Sorry about that,” Thorax mumbles as he rubs one of his forelegs anxiously. “We, uh… try not to discuss Chrysalis out in the open anymore. Outside of support groups, that is.”

“Too many bad memories?”

“Yeah. Among other things.” He nervously clears his throat. “To be honest, I’m a bit surprised that you’re here. I… I don’t want to call it ‘audacity’ since that sort of implies you’re not welcome here, but you aren’t exactly…”

“...Welcome here?”

“I don’t have a problem with you being here, I swear! I’m just not sure if the same is true for the rest of the hive.”

“You sure do seem anxious right now, though.”

“For your sake more than anything.” Thorax sighs. “If you haven’t picked up on it yet, everyone in the hive knows who you are. Specifically, they know you as ‘the guy that brought Chrysalis back.’”

“H-hey! I know I’m the one supporting her, but she broke out of that statue all on her own!”

“We know that, but as far as my subjects are concerned, Princess Twilight would have turned her right back if it weren’t for you. Hence why they blame you regardless”

“That’s…” Anon sighs. “Pretty accurate, yeah.”

“Anyway, what’s going on? I know I’m still new to all of this, but even I can reason that you’re probably not just here for a friendly visit.”

“No, no I’m not.” Anon folds his arms over his chest and leans against a nearby wall. “What was up with those letters you were sending her?”

“My… letters?”

Anon reaches into his jacket and retrieves the folded-up letter he brought with him.

“It arrived at my house a couple of days ago. I saw the last one you sent her, too. It just seems a bit odd to me that the king of a society that won’t even discuss Chrysalis openly would be asking her for advice.”

To Anon’s surprise, Thorax seems to steel himself. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. After a moment, said eyes are filled with a newfound clarity. His expression is serious and resolute.

“She has wisdom that I lack. That we all lack.” Thorax motions to the room around him. “She wasn’t a good leader. You’ll never catch me saying that she was. Heck, I resent her just as much as my subjects do. But regardless of how much I hate her, I can’t deny the fact that she was the hive’s only leader up until a few years ago. She’s the only creature alive that knows how to run things behind the scenes, and whether I like it or not, I need some of that knowledge. I need her insight.”

Anon narrows his eyes.

“But you ruled for some time before this. What changed?”

“...N-nothing.”

“Really? There wasn’t any inciting incident that made you reach out to her? You just decided one day to contact the mare that caused you so much grief?”

Thorax lightly stomps on the floor. It isn’t loud, but it is commanding.

“Even if there were, it wouldn’t be any of your business.” Thorax’s typical anxious voice has disappeared entirely. “Besides, it’s not like I’m actually doing everything she tells me. She’s just another voice for me to consider.”

“...Fine.” Anon hesitates for a moment before speaking again. “Then do you mind telling me why you thought she would respond?”

Thorax shakes his head.

“I didn’t think she would respond. I thought my letter would be lost, or at least thrown away or something. I was baffled when she actually wrote back.” His eyes shift away from Anon. “Her words were about as venomous as I expected, though.”

“Really? It didn’t seem that way to me a few weeks ago.”

“She’s been getting more cordial lately.” Thorax hesitates before letting out a whisper so quiet Anon can barely make it out. “As I hoped.”

“...”

“...Er, Anon?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you asking me these things? Couldn’t you just ask her? She’s your marefriend, isn’t she?”

Anon glares at Thorax, who recoils slightly. He wasn’t expecting that type of response from the man he only knows as “the guy Chrysalis is feeding off of.” He remains silent for a long, awkward moment.

“She’s missing right now.”

“Missing? What, did she run away or something?”

“From our wedding, yeah.”

“She ran from her own wedding?!” Anon winces, which Thorax notices. “O-oh. I’m so sorry.”

Anon gives him a dismissive wave.

“Anyway, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. Sorry for throwing this on you, I just… don’t know a lot of creatures that I can really talk to about this.” He lets out an incredulous laugh. “Most ponies I’ve spoken to were happy to hear that she’s gone.”

Thorax stands perfectly still, carefully considering Anon’s words before finally figuring out what he wants to say. When he does respond, his words are slow and deliberate.

“Don’t tell the other changelings this, but I did have another reason for writing to her.” Thorax takes a deep breath, hesitant to reveal something he’s been keeping close to his chest. “I wanted to know if she’d changed.”

“I thought you hated her.”

“I, er, sort of still do. It’s not easy to just forget about everything she did, you know?” Thorax sheepishly rubs his foreleg again. “Still, I’ve been trying to take everything Princess Twilight and Spike taught me to heart. If living with you really has changed her like Twilight said, then I want to be able to forgive her. The hive as a whole probably won’t, but… if I’m gonna be the type of king that rules with compassion, I can’t make a habit out of keeping grudges.”

Anon blinks, his eyes a bit more alert than they were before.

“That’s… insightful of you, Thorax. Heh.” Anon smiles and looks to the floor. “You’re giving her a lot more credit than most.”

“For what it’s worth, my faith wasn’t misplaced.” Anon looks back up in surprise as Thorax continues. “Yeah, she was rude at first, but as we kept writing, she started getting more… well, I don’t want to say ‘kind,’ but perhaps ‘cordial’ would work? She’s still her old, haughty self, but she doesn’t talk down about me or the rest of the hive anymore. That’s definitely a first for her.”

Anon’s incredulous smile slowly morphs into a genuine one.

“I’m glad someone else has finally noticed.”

“In a weird way, it almost feels like she’s more supportive of the hive now than she did when she was queen.” Thorax laughs. “I guess you really are a good influence on her, huh?”

Anon freezes.

“Er, Anon?”

A pregnant pause fills the space as Anon’s breathing grows just a bit heavier.

“...”

“Are you okay?”

A million thoughts swim through Anon’s mind. His conversation with Twilight replays in his head over and over again, his conflicting feelings about how Chrysalis has changed overtaking all other forms of rational thought. There are so many things he wants to say, but it would be more than insensitive to say them to Thorax, of all creatures.

“So, you like her now?” Anon’s voice is a mumble, completely lacking any sort of confidence.

“W-well, I do more than I did before.”

“It’s like she’s hardly even Chrysalis anymore,” he says, his eyes once again finding their way to the floor.

“Isn’t that a good thing? The old Chrysalis was a monster.”

“...And what right do I have to kill that monster?”

“What?”

“If all I’ve done is change her, can I really say that I love her? I didn’t love her, I loved… whatever it is that I created.”

Thorax doesn’t respond. He wasn’t expecting the conversation to go this direction, and he isn’t exactly experienced in this sort of thing. Besides, he barely even knows Anon. To say that things got awkward fast would be an understatement.

“Sorry,” Anon says quietly as he begins to turn around. “I shouldn’t be dumping this on you. I’m gonna go back home now. I don't think the hive really wants Chrysalis’s ‘savior’ around for much longer.”

Just before Anon can reach the door, he feels a hoof on his shoulder. Thorax awkwardly clears his throat.

“I’m not going to pretend to understand what your relationship is like, but I do know that she loves you, too.”

“Hm?”

“Even setting aside the fact that she’s a light changeling now, she made that clear in our letters.”

“She did?”

“Well, not directly. I have to read between the lines a lot when she’s involved. But… I can tell.”

“Peh. Judging by our conversation after she ran away, I’d say she’s having second thoughts about that.” Anon sighs. “And I’m not sure I want to keep controlling her like that, either.”

Anon begins to open the door, and Thorax raises his voice just a smidge.

“Chrysalis is her own changeling, you know.” Anon stops. “Take it from me. Changelings can change… but they have to do so willingly. If she’s changing because of her feelings for you, then it’s on purpose. Besides, I’d be willing to bet you’ve changed, too.”

“I’m not–”

“There’s nothing wrong with supporting someone you love.” Anon finally turns around, quietly locking eyes with the changeling king. “You rely on each other. You drive each other to do better. That’s what a couple is supposed to do.” Thorax smiles. “That’s not control. That’s support.” Thorax looks past Anon and through the open door, his smile widening as he sees a few changelings happily conversing as they trot down the hall. “It’s what’s keeping the hive going.”

“...Thanks, Thorax.”

Without another word, Anon departs.

Intruder

Rain continues to fall on Ponyville. At this point, everyone in town has gotten used to it, though many businesses are still incapable of functioning due to the flooding. The damage has been great, but until the rain stops, it can’t even be assessed properly.

Anon trudges through the murky, muddy mess as he finally reaches his home. The train ride to and from the changeling hive isn’t exactly a short one. Everything else aside, it was nice to get out of the rain for a while back there.

Stepping onto his wet porch, he goes to unlock his front door. However, as he inserts the key, he suddenly stops.

It’s unlocked.

Slowly shoving his keys back into his pocket, he slowly turns the doorknob and peers through the crack, doing his best to remain as quiet as possible. Pressing his ear to the door, he feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

It’s dead silent inside, but something feels… off.

After taking a moment to control his breathing, he opens the door and steps inside, this time purposefully making the door creak. He tries to focus as hard as he can on his hearing, listening for anything that might sound out of place.

Sure enough, for only the briefest of moments, he hears some kind of shuffling from somewhere inside followed quickly by silence.

“Chryssi? Is that you?”

There is no response. He hopes beyond hope that his suspicions might be correct. Has she returned? Will he finally be able to see her again? As these questions pass through his mind, he feels a weight begin to settle in his chest.

Is he ready to face her again?

Narrowing his eyes, he closes the door behind him. He removes his sopping-wet shoes and jacket before taking another step into the house. From the entrance, he can clearly see into the kitchen and the living room. Both appear to be completely empty.

Of course, given that she is a shapeshifter, it would probably be pretty easy for Chrysalis to hide in plain sight as something small.

Hoping that this isn’t the case, Anon is left with three main options. If someone is inside the house, they’re either upstairs, in the basement, or in the bathroom. Since the bathroom is right around the corner, it’s easy for him to confirm that no one is in there.

All that’s left to do is to either go up or down.

Figuring that it’d be easier to check upstairs than the leaky basement, he decides to ascend the steps and check up there. His first target is the master bedroom, if only because there isn’t much upstairs aside from another bathroom, a few unused bedrooms, and a study.

Just as he enters the bedroom, however, there is another sound. It’s very brief, but the sound is unmistakably movement of some kind coming from downstairs. As swiftly as he can, he practically throws himself back into the hallway to get a glimpse down the steps. However, all he manages to catch is the tip of a green tail disappearing through the front door before it slams shut once more.

Rushing down the stairs, he throws the door open and peers outside. Unfortunately, whether it be due to the rain or the speed of the intruder, he can’t see anything out of place. With a frustrated grunt, he closes the door behind him. His first instinct is to lock it, but in truth, he wants Chryssi to come back.

…But why was she here to begin with, especially if she was going to hide from him?

For a moment, he stares at the closed door. His eyes are sharp, focused on nothing in particular. Then, without a word, he turns in place and crosses the living room, placing his attention squarely on the door leading to the basement.

His walk down the short flight of stairs is methodical and deliberate. It isn’t until he reaches the bottom that he finally relaxes the tension that had been growing in his shoulders.

The basement looks to be unchanged from the last time he saw it. The buckets he had been using to catch the water leaking onto the stone floor have been replaced by a much larger tub, one that can go multiple days without needing to be emptied. Aside from that, there is little down here except some storage. Chryssi lived down here once upon a time, but after becoming more open about her feelings, she moved upstairs with him.

Just as he thinks that nothing seems out of the ordinary and he should head back upstairs, something catches his eye: a barely opened box used to store some Hearth’s Warming decorations. He knows for a fact that the box was closed last time he was down here, seeing as it was just a few days ago. With a puzzled look on his face, Anon shuffles towards the box and removes the lid. Curiously, it looks like the contents haven’t been touched.

With a shrug and sigh, he closes the box once more. Maybe he just needs to get a new one. With the heavy feeling in his chest never quite going away, he heads back upstairs.

Anon begins to stir as sunlight pours through his window and lands directly on his eyes. He groans as he sits up, lazily scratching his back before tossing his blanket to the side. It’s a late, quiet morning, and the only sound is the birds happily chirping outside his window.

…Wait a minute.

Anon tilts his head as he saunters over to his window. Peeking through the blinds, he can’t help but notice how sunny it is. How pleasant it seems. How quiet and not-rainy it sounds.

He practically throws the window open after that realization. Sure enough, it’s a gorgeous day outside without a single cloud in the sky. The ground is still wet and a bit flooded, of course, but for the first time in weeks, it has finally stopped raining.

Even amidst everything else happening, he can’t help but chuckle. It’s nice to see the sun again.

The rest of his morning continues as normal, interrupted only by the sound of something hitting his front door. Setting his coffee down, he looks outside to see the morning paper being delivered for the first time in a while. With a smile, he happily picks it up and begins to read as he resumes eating his breakfast.

The headline on the front page makes everything clear. “PRINCESS TWILIGHT FIXES WEATHER BLUNDER WITH MIRACLE SPELL!” A big picture of Twilight flying just beneath the clouds with her horn glowing bright enough to be noticeable even in a black-and-white photograph adorns the page beneath that headline.

“Good job, Twi.”

It’s a bit of a relief, too. Being Equestria’s sole ruler, many disgruntled ponies affected by the flooding blamed Twilight for being unable to address the issue and fix it with any haste. Of course, anypony that actually knows her (Anon included) knows that she was doing everything in her power to help every single day, but the public loves having someone to hate.

And if it’s not Chrysalis, it’s Twilight.

Hopefully, this will help rebuild some of the trust Equestria lost for Twilight. The last thing she needs is something like that slowing down her reign.

Deciding to take the good news in stride, Anon quickly finishes his breakfast and starts getting dressed. If it’s not flooded anymore, he can finally go back to work.

And right now, any opportunity to keep his mind off of Chrysalis is an opportunity he will gladly take advantage of.

Rumors

“One, two, one, two.”

Anon pants as he carefully tracks his movements. Sweat coats his body while he strikes the “bucking bag.” It’s a bit wider and heavier than a punching bag made for humans, but considering the Ponyville Gym wasn’t designed with humans in mind, he’ll take what he can get.

He dodges and weaves between his punches despite there being nothing to avoid. His hands and arms are wrapped while the rest of his body is adorned in loose-fitting workout clothes. He doesn’t have a whole lot of experience with this sort of thing and he didn’t have much interest in it, but that changed after his near-death experience in the Everfree Forest.

He glances down, noticing that the large, circular scar adorning his chest is barely peeking through his low neckline. His eyes slowly rise back towards the bag, and he grunts as he doubles down on his assault.

He doesn’t want that to happen again. For his own sake and for Chrysalis’s, he’s been trying to improve himself. Bit by bit, he’s been getting stronger. Faster. More comfortable in his own skin. It’s not like he’s ever been in a real fight, nor does he really plan to, but with the type of antics that occur in Equestria coupled with the company he keeps, he figures it’s a good idea to remain prepared.

As he continues his workout, however, a pair of voices in the direction of the changing rooms catches his attention. The gym isn’t very popular, so more ponies showing up is difficult to miss. He doesn’t turn around, as the voices don’t sound familiar to him in any way. Under ordinary circumstances he would simply ignore them. However, it isn’t their presence that draws his attention so much as their hushed words.

“Didja hear what happened to Queen Chrysalis?”

“Kristalis? You mean that witch that that one guy was harborin’ for a while?”

“Yeah. Apparently she ran away. Ponies are saying she’s plannin’ to attack Canterlot again!”

“What? No way!”

The two mares gossip with hushed-yet-excited voices, and it takes everything in Anon’s power to not interrupt them.

“They say she’s gonna bring back that T-Rex guy and that Costly Low gal!”

“Oh, dear. Remember what happened last time those three were togetha?”

“Half of Canterlot got blown up! How could anypony forget?”

Well, you forgot their names, so…

“Oh, well. She’ll get what’s comin’ to her when Princess Twilight steps in. Didja see how she stopped all the rain?”

“Course I did! She’s incredible!”

The two mares laugh as they finally step into the room properly, but their conversation immediately ends when they notice Anon on the far side of the room. He doesn’t turn to look at them, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that he heard them. There’s an awkward cough before the mares begin a workout of their own.

Moments later, Anon leaves without a word.

If only that were the last of it.

A sense of uncomfortable familiarity washes over him as he walks down the street days later. Ponies give him a wide berth, side-eyeing him or whispering to each other as they pass. It’s just like when he first took her in.

All he can do is sigh.

The sun is setting as he walks home from work. As bright orange hues wash over Ponyville, he feels a wave of conflicting emotions wash over him. In a way, he understands why the rumors are flying. It’s difficult to have faith in someone after they’ve done the things she has. Even after their non-stop efforts to restore her image, all it took was her running away from home to bring everyone back to square one. He just wishes he didn’t have to hear such judgemental things about the mare he loves.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, enjoying the clean, not-rain-filled air that eluded the town for so long as he gets lost in thought.

I guess when nothing more important is happening, ponies will turn just about anything into the boogeyman. One of these days, it’s going to be their downfall.

Well, if there’s one positive about this situation, it’s that he’s finally realized something about himself. He’s finally been able to sort out his own feelings. In the face of Chrysalis once again being the talk of the town, he’s realized–

Interrogation

The first thing Anon feels is a throbbing pain in his head.

He grunts as he clutches at his skull, feeling a noticeable bump towards the back. It stings to the touch, made even worse by how darn cold he feels. He slowly opens his eyes, and it takes a few moments for his blurry vision to clear up. Before he can get a grasp on his environment, he hears the distinct sound of hooves getting farther away, followed by a stallion’s voice.

“Sir, he’s–”

The stallion’s voice is cut off by a door closing somewhere out of sight. With the hand not gingerly clutching his wounded head, Anon attempts to rub the blurriness from his eyes.

Gray.

The room he is in is dim, and basically everything in sight is gray. The ceiling, the walls, the floor, even the cot that he sits up on. It’s all gray. And cold. To make matters worse, the far wall is missing, replaced with several evenly spaced iron bars. As realization slowly dawns on Anon, he feels his blood run cold.

This is a cell.

Suddenly understanding the gravity of the situation, his head quickly clears. It still hurts, but if nothing else, the shock has forced his thoughts to get in order. First and foremost: himself.

A quick once over shows that, aside from his head injury, he appears mostly unharmed. On top of that, he’s still clothed in what he wore to work, though his house keys and wallet appear to have been confiscated. He isn’t cuffed, and headache aside, he feels pretty okay. Having confirmed his own status, the next most pressing issue makes its way to the forefront of his mind…

“Where am I?”

He attempts to stand from the cot, but immediately stumbles upon trying to get on his feet. His knees feel wobbly, and if it weren’t for the wall right in front of him, he would have fallen on his face. Just how long was he unconscious?

With more difficulty than he was expecting, he trudges towards the bars. Strength gradually returns to his weak legs, so the fatigue doesn’t seem permanent, at least. Wrapping his hands around a couple of the bars, he looks out into a concrete hallway. He doesn’t see any other cells. Just blank, cold walls. A single, flickering light bulb illuminates the hallway, and it certainly makes the area imposing.

“Hello?”

Anon’s voice echoes through the hallway. He feels a shiver run down his spine despite the lack of response. This is like something right out of a movie, and he’s not sure if he wants to see the ending.

He knocks on the bars themselves. They’re sturdy, all right. In fact, the whole cell is sturdy. It was made to contain more dangerous convicts than himself, that’s for sure.

Before he can question his circumstances any further, the distinct sound of a door opening echoes through the hall to Anon’s left. He stares in that direction, but can’t get his head through the bars far enough to see more than a dozen or so feet down the hall.

Luckily, the new arrivals are coming to him. Two distinct sets of hooves march down the hallway, their owners eventually making themselves known to Anon.

The first pony to arrive is an older stallion. He has an off-white coat with a well-groomed, silvery mane. His eyes are a crimson red, and they match his equally red tie. Speaking of, he is adorned in a well-tailored, jet-black suit that covers most of his body. His cutie mark is hidden by said suit, and his short-cut tail has a convenient hole to slide through in the rear. He has a stocky build that suggests peak fitness, but it’s unclear if age has slowed him down somewhat.

The other pony is a middle-aged mare. She wears an identical suit, though her tie is a sickly green color. That color matches her eyes, but they conflict a bit with her shoulder-length auburn mane and faded-gold coat. Her build is much more lithe than her stallion associate, but even at a glance, Anon can tell that this is due to planned conditioning. She may be small, but she’s hiding a fierce strength underneath that suit.

Anon’s expression hardens as he watches the pair approach the bars. The stallion gives him a polite smile, but Anon simply gives him a crooked glare in return.

“A fine day to you, sir. You must be Anon, correct?”

“...” Anon eyes the stallion up and down before carefully selecting his words. “That’s my name.”

“Excellent. First and foremost, I would like to apologize.” The stallion gives him an apologetic bow, but the smile doesn’t leave his face. “We had to apprehend you without anypony noticing, you see. A quick blow to the head was the easiest method of going about this, and with your back turned and no one around, our agents decided to take the opportunity presented to them.”

“Well, that explains why the last thing I remember is being lost in thought.”

“Quite.” The stallion clears his throat. “Here, it must be uncomfortable in there.” He stomps his hoof on the concrete floor three times, a clear method behind the rhythm with which he does so. After a moment, the cell begins to rumble. A few seconds later, the bars start to sink into the ground, cutting away the barrier between Anon and the two ponies. “I am deeply sorry about the cell, we don’t exactly have a lot of accommodations for our… guests.”

“Who are you?” Anon demands as he folds his arms across his chest. He remains tense and prepared, ready to react at a moment’s notice to any strange behaviors.

“My name is Silver Bullet, and this is my associate, Miss Stake. We are part of… well, let’s just call it an agency that operates on behalf of the crown.”

“An agency that beats innocent people over the head and kidnaps them in broad daylight?”

“This is, admittedly, an unorthodox situation.”

“I’ll say. I know darn well Tw– er, Princess Twilight wouldn’t approve of this. Speaking of,” Anon huffs, “you can rest assured that she’ll be hearing about this as soon as I get out of here.”

“Of course, of course.” Silver bows again, but something about his smirk rubs Anon the wrong way. “I will take full responsibility for whatever you wish to disclose upon your departure. However, be that as it may, I ask for your cooperation in the here and now.”

“Cooperation?”

“The reason you’re here, Mr. Anon. If you would follow us, please.”

Silver pivots on his back hooves in the direction that the pair came from. Miss Stake, who has yet to say a word, allows her eyes to linger on Anon for a moment, her face otherwise completely expressionless. Then, she silently begins to follow her fellow agent. Anon glances in the other direction, only to see a dead end. Apparently, the way they’re going is the only exit. So, it’s not like he has much of a choice when it comes to following them.

Their trek leads them to a set of metal doors, which Anon identifies as the entrance to an elevator. There’s a tense silence in the air as the three of them begin to ascend. Anon glances at the buttons that Silver pressed, making note of two things. First, there are a lot of buttons. Second, none of them are labeled.

Whatever this place is, they’re definitely secretive about it.

Anon can feel the elevator moving upwards. Whether that’s into the higher levels of some sort of building or towards ground level, he doesn’t know. Without any windows or sense of direction, it’s hard to tell where exactly they are.

Eventually, the elevator comes to a sudden stop. The doors open with a hiss into another long hallway. Unlike the last one, however, this hallway is brightly lit. The walls are made of a snow-white material, and it feels more like a hospital than anything. Several unmarked doors line both sides of the hall, as well as the occasional window into an office or meeting room. A few other ponies wander the halls, all wearing suits and all giving Anon the stink eye.

Though, at this point, he’s used to that.

Nopony says a word as the pair of ponies lead him towards the far end of the hall. He briefly takes note of the fact that on the other end of said hall, an unassuming door leads into what appears to be a staircase instead of an elevator.

Rather than that staircase, the two ponies make a sudden left turn, not-so-subtly indicating where Anon should go. With his eyes sharp and his nerves at the ready, he steps through a steel door into a small room.

This room is more like the cell he was being kept in. Cold, bare, and made of concrete. The only things in the room are a rectangular table and three chairs, two on one side and one on the other. A single light illuminates the room from directly above the table. Turning around, Anon can see that the wall connected to the hallway they were just in has a foggy rectangular object built into it, and he realizes that it was a window looking into the room on the other side. As soon as this realization dawns on him, he understands what this room is.

“What, am I being interrogated?”

“Yes, Mr. Anon, you are. All we have are a few questions we need answered. Mind you,” Silver continues as he gives Anon a gentle pat on the back, “we are not accusing you of any wrongdoing. We believe you have some information that is vital to our organization. If you answer our questions openly and honestly, you’ll be free to go.”

“Is that true?”

“Absolutely.” Silver looks Anon dead in the eyes, his near-permanent smile making Anon more than a little uncomfortable. He doesn’t trust this guy as far as he can throw him, and he gets a strange feeling when he looks at him. There’s something else there bubbling beneath the surface, like a caged animal waiting to be set free. “Please, take a seat over there.”

Anon looks between Silver and the far side of the table. Although his expression reveals how unconvinced he is, he slowly trudges towards the lone chair and takes a seat.

“Miss Stake?” The stallion doesn’t turn towards his companion, choosing instead to keep his eyes locked on Anon. The quiet mare closes the door, which makes a strange whirring noise as it shuts. No doubt some kind of locking mechanism. “Thank you.” Stake takes a seat next to Silver before placing a clipboard on the table, which he quickly slides towards himself. “Now, then. Are you ready?”

“I still don’t know who you really are, where we really are, or what you really want.”

“Well, the first two items on that list are confidential. The third, less so. Either way, I’ll cut right to the chase.” His grin doesn’t fade, but Anon notices a slight change in atmosphere. The smile doesn’t reach his eyes, and a tensity quickly fills the room. “Where is Queen Chrysalis?”

Anon lets out a single, incredulous chuckle.

“Should’ve known that’s what this is about.”

“Please answer the question, Mr. Anon.”

“She’s not a queen anymore. You know that, right?”

“Mr. Anon–”

“She’s also a free citizen, able to do what she–”

“Anon.” Silver slams a hoof onto the table without raising his voice. The slam is loud, and as Anon looks down, he sees a crack where his hoof made contact. A smile is still on his face, but his pupils are constricted. “I will ask you one more time. Where. Is. Chrysalis?”

“...” Anon stares at Silver silently for a long, tense moment. When he speaks again, it’s slow and with clear intent. “That depends. What was the last you heard of her?”

“...” Silver returns the silent stare, the oppressive atmosphere not diminishing in the slightest. “She ran from your wedding into the Everfree Forest, where you found her and had some sort of conversation with her. Since then, rumors have been spreading, claiming that she intends to attack Canterlot and free her partners-in-crime from their stone prison.”

“You’re well informed. Good, that makes this easy,” Anon laughs through a cocky, challenging smirk. His grin rapidly grows into a sneer as he stares directly into Silver’s scarlet-red eyes. “She’s at home sipping on lemonade and reading the morning paper.”

“Don’t play dumb!” Silver slams on the table again, creating yet another crack in its surface. His smile finally disappears, replaced with nothing but rage. “There is a single creature in Equestria that knows where that monster went, and that creature is you!” Reaching across the table, he grabs Anon by the collar but is unable to lift him due to the angle and size difference. “TALK!”

“Alright, alright, fine.” Anon raises his hands to both sides of his head innocently, though his cocky demeanor hasn’t faded in the slightest. “The truth is, she’s gone back to being the evil changeling you all thought she was. She’s out there stealing love from an unassuming pony.”

“...Hmph.” Silver Bullet smiles again. “Now we’re getting somewh–”

“Specifically, she’s with your mother right now.”

A lot happens incredibly quickly. First and foremost, something snaps inside Silver Bullet. With the hoof not holding Anon’s collar, he throws a punch directly at Anon’s head. The force of the punch alone is enough to cause a change in the room’s airflow, indicating just how quickly the punch came out. However, despite this speed, Anon reacts just as quickly. Using the left arm that had been raised next to his head in a cheeky showing mere seconds prior, he tilts his head and brushes said arm to the side, using his forearm to redirect the punch being thrown his way.

The result is Silver Bullet’s hoof missing Anon’s head by a fraction of an inch.

Meanwhile, showing emotion for the first time since Anon met her, Miss Stake leans towards the table in response to the sudden violence, her eyes going wide as she watches her associate attempt to assault Anon. Her movements would have made little difference, as the entire scene plays out in less than a second, but it’s enough to catch Anon slightly off guard.

Just as time seems to resume, Anon takes advantage of the situation. Using his size to his advantage, he uses his right hand to grab Silver by his still-outstretched hoof before shifting his weight, pulling him across the rest of the table and throwing him into a nearby wall. Silver grunts as his back makes contact with the concrete, but he lands on his hooves with nothing but fury and adrenaline on his mind.

He leaps at Anon, who isn’t ready for such a speedy recovery. Just before he can close the gap, however, a bright green light flashes from Stake’s direction. The next thing Silver knows, he’s been struck by a beam of magic that Anon can tell is particularly potent.

Silver crumples to the ground in an unconscious heap, his suit singed from the display of power. Anon looks towards Stake, only now noticing the horn that had been hidden underneath her mane.

“Sorry about that,” she mumbles as she adjusts said mane. “He’s a real piece of work. I’d question how he still has his job here, but I guess it’s that ferocity that makes him good at what he does.”

“And what about you?” Anon raises an eyebrow as he stands from his chair, suddenly much less comfortable with remaining seated. “What do you plan to do with me?”

“You don’t know where Chrysalis is.” She glares into Anon’s shocked eyes. There’s a look of recognition in them, which catches her off guard. “I’ve known that from the moment we got a hold of you.”

“Yet you went through with the ‘arrest’ anyway?”

“I don’t have much power in this agency,” she sighs as she turns towards the door. “That said, I can get you out of here. Whatever you do, don’t draw attention to us. It’ll be like you complied with the interrogation and are now being escorted home.”

“O-okay, sure. Was that actually going to be the plan?”

“If you cooperated? Yes.” A half smile forms on her face as she looks back towards him. “But only after they wiped your memory of the last couple of days.”

“Tsk.” Anon shakes his head as he steps towards the door. “Figured there'd be a catch.”

“Stay close to me, don’t make eye contact with anyone, and move swiftly,” she whispers as she taps on the door in a specific pattern, causing the lock inside to undo with a click. “S.M.I.L.E. headquarters is a big place.”

Ascend

Anon tries to keep his breathing steady as he walks through the brightly lit corridor. Mere minutes ago, the clean, sanitized hall felt alien and strange. Now, it feels oppressive and omnipresent. Every single pony in the hall, whether they’re looking at him or not, feels as though they’re looking right through him.

He hopes that the sweat on his brow isn’t noticeable under the LEDs.

Thankfully, the walk isn’t very long. Rather than go back the way they came, Miss Stake instead leads him to the unassuming door at the end of the hall near the interrogation room. With a brief flash of her horn, the door silently pushes open before she motions for him to follow.

The stairwell is cold and somewhat damp. The walls are made of dull concrete, much like his cell below. Speaking of, the stairs go both up and down in a square-shaped spiral. There is no gap in the middle, so it’s impossible to tell how far it goes in either direction. At the very least, there don’t seem to be any ponies nearby in the stairwell.

“Keep a brisk pace, but don’t run.” Stake begins to ascend the stairwell, prompting Anon to do the same. “Fewer ponies use the stairs than the elevator.”

“I’m assuming we’re below ground, then?”

“Yes. Deep.”

“How deep?”

“Forty more flights and an elevator ride’s worth.” She turns to look at him as they climb with an eyebrow raised. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Not at all,” he smirks. “Though, why both stairs and an elevator?”

“The headquarters has a front office above ground. In the event that some cataclysmic event occurs, keeping most of the agency’s business below ground is their method of keeping everything safe. Not having stairs helps with that, as the elevator can be deactivated manually.”

“That’s a huge fire hazard,” he mumbles. “And I’m still not sure what this ‘S.M.I.L.E.’ agency even does. Why does there need to be such a massive underground complex in the first place?”

“While I’m not opposed to telling you,” she replies while looking straight forward, “I think that’s a discussion for another time. Hopefully when you aren’t in danger.”

“What about you?”

“Hm?”

“What will happen if they realize you’re helping me?”

“That’s none of your concern.” Her response is quick and dismissive. “Besides, it’s time for us to shut up. This is our stop.”

To Anon’s surprise, she halts in front of a small landing with a doorway very similar to the one they entered through. However, the stairs keep going up beyond said landing.

“This isn’t the top, though.”

“It’s to keep any potential less-informed escape attempts from making too much progres.” She gently nudges him in the leg. “Now stay close to me, and don’t say a word.”

After clearing her throat, she opens the door. Light once again fills Anon’s vision as another pristine hallway stretches out before him. This one looks almost identical to the one below, though with several other hallways branching off from it in-between several office spaces and other rooms.

Stake wordlessly begins walking down the hall while doing her best to favor the right wall. Anon walks right behind her, doing his best to heed her previous advice of not making eye contact with anyone. It’s difficult given the stares that he’s receiving, but he figures that in retrospect, that’s not much different than Ponyville.

Although he tries to keep looking forward, his wandering eyes can’t help but glance into some of the nearby windows. Everypony in these offices wears well-tailored suits, and many look about as intimidating as Silver Bullet. He takes a deep breath as he tries to contain his nerves, hoping no one notices how tense he is.

Stake makes a sudden turn into a connected hallway, and Anon quietly follows. This hallway looks almost identical to the last couple, and he realizes that he’d most definitely be lost without her.

Three ponies pass by at the same time, each sharing hushed whispers that Anon cannot make out. Ahead, Anon can see what looks like an elevator door, and he can only hope that it’s the one that will take him to safety.

Suddenly, Stake begins to slow down. Anon doesn’t notice until he realizes that they’re walking side-by-side, but he continues to follow her advice and say nothing. It isn’t until he hears her whisper something beneath her breath that he understands what’s going on.

“Don’t turn around. We’re being followed.”

Anon’s eyes go wide and it takes every fiber of his being to not immediately turn around. He swallows hard and steels himself as they continue to walk. Unfortunately, his anxiety makes his eyes wander yet again, and as he looks into a nearby window, he sees two ponies inside immediately lock eyes with him. He shoots his attention forward once more, only to see the elevator doors at the end of the hall slide open. Two more sharply dressed agents step out of it, and Anon feels his heart sink when they immediately stop in place and lock eyes with him.

Stake stops as well, and even Anon knows what’s happened.

“They’re onto us.” She doesn’t try to whisper as much as she did seconds ago, as it wouldn’t really do them any good. “Three behind us, two in front.”

“What about the offices around us?”

“I couldn’t tell you. Either way, it’s bad.”

“You can fight, right?”

“Of course I can, I–” She clicks her tongue. “I am an agent of S.M.I.L.E., and I can defend myself.”

“I know you can.” An anxious smile works its way to Anon’s face as he starts to take a defensive stance. “And you can’t let them catch you either, can you?”

“That’s none of your concern. Besides, you’re the one without experience.”

“I do lack experience, but I’m not defenseless. Not anymore.”

Stake turns around, putting herself between Anon and the three ponies that they had passed. Sure enough, the three of them have spread out enough to block the hall and are slowly walking back towards them. Meanwhile, Anon watches the two new arrivals close the gap as well.

They’re cornered.

“These aren’t your average ponies.”

“Neither are you.”

“Touché.”

Suddenly, the tensity in the hallway comes to a head as an alarm begins to blare. At its sounding, the five total ponies all charge towards the pair. Stake’s horn glows a sickly green in preparation for their arrival while Anon awkwardly places his arms in front of him. Before they can close in too much, Stake lets out a massive beam of concentrated magic at the three approaching her. Two of them leap back while the third, a unicorn, casts a spell of his own, creating a shield that stops the attack dead in its tracks.

Of the two ponies charging Anon, one seems to gain speed faster. A couple of slits in her suit reveals a pair of wings on her back, and she quickly takes to the air and winds up for a powerful kick. Anon, seeing the attack coming, braces himself.

She twirls in the air, bringing one of her back hooves down onto him. Having seen Rainbow Dash do something similar a time or two, he understands that blocking that amount of force would be a fool’s errand. Instead, he sidesteps at the last second. Much like Silver Bullet’s attack from before, he avoids it by the skin of his teeth, causing the mare’s hoof to crash into the ground below. She recovers immediately, having been prepared for the worst.

However, she wasn’t expecting Anon to jump right over her, catching her stallion partner off guard. It was clear that they had a formation in mind, and as the stallion begins to slide along the ground to attack a target that’s no longer where he was expecting, he feels himself being forcefully lifted off of the ground. All he can do is yelp as his forward momentum is carried up and over his human target in a wide arc.

The two ponies let out a brief, guttural coughing sound as Anon slams the stallion into the unprepared pegasus with enough force to really hurt. The stallion stumbles for a moment as he tries to stand, but the pegasus stays down. Glancing up, he watches as Stake teleports in the middle of her own attack, landing her directly behind the other three agents. Without enough time to defend themselves, they’re blasted in the back with another massive beam of magic large enough to rival even the likes of Starlight Glimmer.

While they didn’t do enough to permanently harm the agents, they have, at the very least, survived the first wave of attacks. Without missing a beat, Stake rushes past the stumbling stallion and down the hall. Anon doesn’t need to be instructed to follow her.

As they run, several doors on either side of the hall open. Anon glances over his shoulder to see at least a dozen more ponies giving chase, but thankfully, none can cut them off before they get by the offices.

Down the hall, the elevator begins to close. Running on adrenaline and terror, Anon realizes that they’re not gonna make it in time. Quickly glancing down at Stake, his expression hardens. Without slowing his pace, he reaches down and grabs her with one arm.

“H-hey!”

“Go long!”

Remembering a sport he hasn’t thought of in years, Anon lifts Stake with one arm and chucks the light unicorn down the hall like a football. Although her eyes are wide, she understands his intent immediately. Her lithe body squeezes through the elevator doors just before they shut, and she slams onto the floor with a thud. Although Anon keeps running, he knows that it’s too late to stop the elevator now.

Sure enough, the doors shut just as he reaches them. After a brief moment, he feels a cocky smile creep across his face. He turns around to face his pursuers, of which there must be at least twenty now.

End of the line.

He takes a deep breath as the adrenaline finally begins to fade. Today was such a whirlwind, and he’s still not entirely sure what turn of events led him to this point. Still, at least he was able to protect–

He feels his breath escape him as he is yanked backwards by an unseen force. The elevator doors are open just enough for his human form to pass through, and they slam shut just as the crowd of S.M.I.L.E. agents was about to reach him. After the doors close, he feels the elevator begin to ascend. Suddenly feeling very drained, he finds himself struggling to catch his breath. Slowly, he lifts his gaze to see Miss Stake looking down at him with a neutral expression.

“How… how did you–”

“I told you the elevator can be deactivated manually.” Slowly, realization dawns on her, causing her eyes to widen. “Th-that wasn’t your plan?!”

“I was just trying to get you out of here, with or without me.”

“Why?!” Anon is magically lifted to his feet as she glares at him with confused fury. “You barely know me!”

There’s a moment of silence as Anon looks into her green eyes. Her expression softens as she watches a warm smile stretch across his face.

“Come on, Chryssi. We both know that’s not true.”

The silence returns as “Miss Stake” says nothing. Her wide eyes slowly make their way to the floor as she takes a deep, defeated breath.

“So, you figured it out.”

“I’ve known from the start.” Anon kneels down to be at eye level with the transformed changeling. “Did you forget that I can see right through you?”

“Shut up,” Chrysalis growls, her voice now back to normal.

There is a flash before her body is enveloped in magical energy. Her form begins to stretch and morph while a familiar sickly green color overtakes her. A few moments later, she’s back to being the Chrysalis Anon knows and loves.

Sort of.

“Still a light changeling?”

“I haven’t been able to turn back yet. Figured I’d need to talk to you before getting that straightened out.”

“You wanted to talk to me?”

Chrysalis hesitates for a moment.

“I did, but then I realized that I was being tailed everywhere I went. There’s only one group that would be stupid enough to try that.” She sighs. “I didn’t care much until I got to our house after shaking them off. On top of you not being there, I found evidence that someone had dug through my old stuff.”

“Your old stuff?”

“I have a few things I kept from my time as Changeling Queen. Shoved them in with some of our holiday stuff. For some reason, my spellbook was messing. Goody Two-Shoes that you are, I figured it wasn’t you.”

“I’ve dug through your stuff before though…”

“Yes, but you wouldn’t do so again. Especially not after…” She hesitates yet again. “I left.” She clears her throat awkwardly before continuing. “Anyway, when I realized that they probably took you in for interrogation, I made use of an old alter ego of mine.”

“You’ve infiltrated this place before?”

“It’s been useful on more than a few occasions, I promise you. Anyway, I had a bad feeling that you’d do something stupid for my sake and got here as quickly as I could. I pulled a few strings, got to be ‘involved’ with your interrogation, and here we are.”

“...Thank you.” She forces herself to look up at him again, but that darn smile of his makes her face get really hot really quickly. Despite the situation they’re in, he couldn’t stop smiling if he wanted to. “I’m really happy to see you.”

Chrysalis stutters for a moment before letting out a resolute sigh, apparently having made up her mind about something.

“I’m happy to see you, too. I…” It’s clear that her words are forced, but she continues regardless. “I missed you.”

Anon desperately wants to throw his arms around her. Frankly, he’s wanted to do that since he saw her through the bars of that cell. However, he’s not sure if this is the time, or if she’d even be comfortable accepting it.

“I–”

“I’m sorry.” She looks at him again, her face serious and, in a look foreign to her, vulnerable. “I shouldn’t have run away like that. Or dumped all of those feelings on you in the middle of nowhere.”

“N-no! I’m sorry!” Anon’s smile disappears as concern overtakes him. “I shouldn’t have left you in that cave when you were alone and hurting! I shouldn’t have scared you off, or put you in a situation where you felt like you had to do that in the first place! I should have made sure you were comfortable with the wedding!” He grabs his head with one hand in frustration. “I should have listened to you before forcing you into everything.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot while you’ve been gone. About you. About me. About… us. A-and I still stand by what I said before.” He looks into her eyes pleadingly. “I will support you no matter what. After all,” he sighs, “it’s my fault you had an identity crisis like that in the first place. I’m the one who forced you to change.”

The elevator is quiet for a moment before Chrysalis does something unexpected. There’s a snort, followed by laughter.

“Chryssi?”

Slowly, her laughter goes from genuine and airy to an obviously intentional cackle.

“And here I was terrified that I’d done that to you!”

“Huh?!”

“A changeling breaks into your house. You do what you think is right, bleeding heart that you are, and take me in. You feed me your love, actually fall in love with me, and get caught up in the countless problems I left behind when I was turned to stone. You got ridiculed, you got alienated, you got shot, all because of me. And all I had to give you in return was, what, companionship? Something you could have gotten from any number of those ponies out there?”

“But I don’t love them, Chryssi.”

“I know you don’t.” She locks eyes with him once more, and there’s a clarity to them that he hasn’t seen in a long, long time. A tiny smile graces her face as she leans forward and wraps an arm around him. “You love me, right?”

Anon hesitates to return the hug, despite how desperately he wishes to.

“...I controlled you.”

“No. You supported me.”

“...Heh.” He shakes his head as an incredulous laugh escapes him. “Thorax said the same thing.”

His clouded mind finally clearing up, Anon leans forward and passionately throws his arms around Chrysalis, fully embracing her in a tight hug. She isn’t typically one to engage in embraces like these all that often, but something about this one is so cathartic, they both feel tears beginning to form in their eyes.

“I know who I want to be now.” She speaks, though she doesn’t let go. “I certainly had enough time to think about it. Thanks for that, by the way.” If they weren’t holding each other close, he’d be receiving a warm, appreciative look from her. “I don’t need to be a leader. I… probably shouldn’t be one, actually. But, I still know a few things that I can do to help my sub– er, my friends.” She has to force herself to say the word, but he can tell that she means it regardless. “And…” She finally pulls away, allowing her to get another good look at him. “My family.” She chuckles. “If you’ll have me, of course.”

“Sweeter words have never graced my ears.”

“...You’re such a dork.”

“Yeah, well–”

Anon’s eyes go wide as he is cut off, his lips suddenly being pressed against Chrysalis’s. She pushes against him even more, and once he realizes what’s going on, he stands his ground, pushing back in equal measure. His arms still around her, he holds her close as their actions convey what words can’t. It’s a gesture that they’ve both been longing for since the day of their failed wedding.

And neither have ever been so relieved.

After a few seconds, Chrysalis pulls away, a warm smile on her face. That smile quickly turns into a sly grin as she narrows her eyes at him.

“That said, you have a lot of nerve.”

“Huh?”

“You really thought that you could ever control me?”

Anon stands in stunned silence for a moment before his smile quickly returns. The fact that she is willing to joke about this shows just how far she’s come since he found her in that cave out in the Everfree Forest. A lighthearted chuckle escapes him. It’s almost surreal seeing her in front of him again like this.

“I guess my fears were unfounded.”

“I–”

Before she can finish her thought, there’s a loud “ding” in the elevator. Suddenly, the doors slide open, revealing a large room illuminated by natural light via windows near the ceiling. The room is tall and circular, and on the opposite end, a small hallway leads to a set of glass double doors that open to the outside world. They’re home free.

…Or at least, they would be, if not for the dozens of agents that have gathered between them and the exit. Countless eyes lock onto the pair as they both feel their blood run cold. Thanks to their long-awaited reunion, they completely forgot that they were supposed to be running for their lives.

And there’s no way they can fight this many ponies.

The Mares from S.M.I.L.E.

Anon and Chrysalis stay perfectly still, frozen in place as the crowd of agents glares at them. No one dares to move a muscle in fear of the inevitable.

“Hey, Chryssi?” Anon whispers without looking away from the crowd. “Think you can muster up another one of those big magic attacks like you did downstairs?”

“There’s a magical ward over the front office. Most magic won’t work, least of all an attack like that.”

“How did you get in with your disguise, then?”

“If my transformation magic was obvious enough to be prevented by a ward, I would have been a sorry excuse for a queen.”

“Fair enough.”

“...Anon?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not used to asking this, but… do you have any ideas?”

Anon lets out a quiet, anxious chuckle.

“A bad one. If actions fail, there’s only one other option.”

Anon narrows his eyes, glaring at the many ponies staring back at him. He does not move, but he clears his throat before raising his voice.

“What’s all this about?”

Of the small crowd of agents, one mare in particular steps forward. She looks much older than her colleagues, and her sunken, yellow eyes give her an intimidating presence.

“Queen Chrysalis, you are under suspicion for conspiring against Equestria. Anon, you were originally brought here as a potential witness, but after your actions today, you are hereby under arrest as well for the same crimes.”

“And under what authority do you claim to arrest us? You sure don’t look like the Royal Guard to me.”

“Under the authority of the crown.” The mare flicks her head in their direction, and several agents slowly approach the cornered pair. “You have the right to remain silent.”

“You have no evidence,” Anon growls as he tilts his body, taking a defensive stance. In response, the approaching agents lower themselves as well, ready to respond to a potential escape attempt. “Chryssi has been legally pardoned for her past crimes, and you have no proof that she’s broken any law since.”

“Countless witness testimonies would disagree with you.”

“And that’s why you kidnapped me? Because ‘countless witness testimonies’ weren’t enough?”

The mare clicks her tongue before closing her eyes and shaking her head in annoyance.

“Enough. Seize them.”

The agents resume their advance. Chrysalis takes up a stance not unlike Anon’s own. This isn’t a fight that they’re likely to win, but neither are willing to back down now. Anon promised to support Chrysalis no matter what, and if that means fighting tooth and nail to protect her from some corrupt agency, then so be it. Meanwhile, Chrysalis finally managed to open up about her insecurities, and she has no intention of losing the man she loves because of her past actions. Despite the hopelessness of the situation playing out before them, they both share the same, comforting thought.

At least we’re together again.

Taking solace in that, they take a deep breath before the agents finally pounce on them.

…

“On the authority of Princess Twilight Sparkle, all agents are to stand down!”

The tension in the room, which had finally come to a head just before Anon and Chrysalis were about to be set upon, is suddenly cut short by the shout easily heard over the murmurs of the agents. Everyone in the room cannot help but freeze and direct their attention towards the now-open front doors.

There, with their outlines illuminated by the sunlight pouring in from behind them, are Lyra and Bon-Bon, each dressed in a suit much like those of the agents around them.

“Do not interfere, you two!” The older mare looks furious as the pair confidently trots into the room, their cocky smiles only serving to set her off even more. “We finally have them cornered! You will not take this from us!”

“Unfortunately, Miss Proctor, this ‘investigation’ has been officially called off.”

“Have you forgotten that I am in charge here?!”

“Care to tell that to Princess Twilight?” Bon-Bon pulls a scroll out of her suit and unfurls it before the crowd, revealing an official decree that has, indeed, been signed by Twilight. “She insists that these two be let go.”

Miss Proctor clicks her tongue in annoyance before shooting a glance back at Anon and Chrysalis, who look completely dumbfounded and have yet to lower their guard.

“Is she aware of–”

“The baseless rumors going around? Yes, she is. Besides, unlike you, Miss Proctor, we have evidence showing a complete lack of wrongdoing.”

“...Heh.” Chrysalis chuckles. “So you’re the ones who broke into our house.” She shakes her head, a smile borne of disbelief spreading across her face. “And for the opposite reason that I’d assumed.”

“You catch on fast, Chryssi!” Lyra laughs as she retrieves an unmarked, leather-bound tome from her suit. “Your spellbook really saved your hide!”

“Excuse me?” Proctor stomps her hoof, demanding an explanation.

“Princess Twilight didn’t fix the out-of-control weather.” Lyra smiles at Chrysalis again. “She did.”

“What nonsense.”

“It’s true! Swee– er, I mean, Bon-Bon and I confirmed it.”

“We thought something was off when Chrysalis ran away from her wedding. We’ve been keeping an eye on her for a while, and we just didn’t believe she’d go back to her old ways. Then, when that article about Princess Twilight stopping the rain came out, our suspicions only grew. Our intelligence reported that the princess was nowhere near where that article claimed she was, and the fact that somepony was able to snag a picture of her at that exact moment seemed a bit too convenient.”

“So, we went ahead and got an audience with her!”

“That is against protocol,” Proctor growls.

“If you plan to keep going around claiming that our agency works ‘for the crown,’ I’d better not hear any complaining.”

“H-how dare you?! I am your superi–”

“Anyway, she told us exactly what we had thought. She didn’t come up with some ‘miracle spell’ to fix the rain. She had no clue who fixed it or how they did it!”

“That was when we put two and two together. We… er… made ourselves at home, and found Chrysalis’s spellbook hidden amongst a bunch of Hearth’s Warming decorations.”

“W-wait!” Anon interrupts. “Lyra, you were who I saw running out of my house!?”

“Yeah, I really need to work on my stealth,” she chuckles as she rubs the back of her head sheepishly. “Anyway, take a wild guess what we found in that spellbook?”

“My drought spell,” Chrysalis calmly announces while closing her eyes. “First invented to keep the area around the Changeling Kingdom free from any greenery. Perfect for setting up our defensive position at the hive.”

“And later used on a smaller scale to clear the skies of the uncontrollable rain clouds caused by the blunder over at Cloudsdale.”

“Indeed,” Chrysalis sighs.

“That makes no sense.” Proctor’s voice is a bit quieter than before, but undoubtedly still just as angry. “Why would you do something like that for Equestria? And why do it while disguised as Princess Twilight? That seems like it’d be the perfect opportunity to fix your reputation.”

“I do not owe you an explanation,” Chrysalis sneers. With a haughty, confident stride, she begins to walk forwards. The agents that were preparing to attack her all awkwardly shuffle away, none daring to go against direct orders from Princess Twilight. With a much more awkward gait, Anon follows her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s been some time since I’ve gotten to sleep in a bed, and after today, I’m feeling quite tired.”

“You’ll be doing no such thing!” Proctor leaps into the center of the now-split crowd of agents, preventing Chrysalis or Anon from approaching Lyra and Bon-Bon any further. “I will NOT allow a monster like you to escape from here! S.M.I.L.E. has a reputation to uphold!”

“Speaking of,” Bon-Bon chuckles from behind Proctor, “Princess Twilight’s order doesn’t end with leaving these two alone. I think you’ll agree that it’s been a long, long time since any royals checked up on our activity. We’re definitely overdue for an inspection.”

“Wh-what?!”

“I’m sure the princess will have plenty to say about our operations.” Bon-Bon approaches Proctor, who stands frozen with wide eyes and shaky legs. She rests a hoof on her shoulder before leaning in close for a whisper. “And I think you should be prepared for the Princess of Friendship’s honest opinion.” Bon-Bon looks up at all of the other agents, who wear a wide range of reactions on their faces. “You all should.”

Lyra energetically speaks up from behind her.

“And Silver Bullet is definitely gonna get fired!” Quite a few ponies, Bon-Bon included, look back at her with a raised eyebrow. “...What? It’s true.”

“Anyway,” Bon-Bon sighs. “Come on, you two. We’ve got a train to catch.”

Chrysalis and Anon share a glance. Neither say a word. A lot of information just got thrown at them at once, and frankly, it’s a lot to process. Still, the excitement on Anon’s face is palpable, while the quiet relief on Chrysalis’s is just as clear. After taking a deep breath, they both step forward towards Lyra and Bon-Bon, who give them eager and knowing grins respectively. Miss Proctor awkwardly steps out of the way as all four of them depart from S.M.I.L.E. headquarters.

It’s time to go home.

The Calm After the Storm

The train gently rocks back and forth as it sets off on its merry way. One passenger car is completely empty except for Anon, Chrysalis, Lyra, and Bon-Bon. Anon and Chrysalis sit next to each other, while Lyra and Bon-Bon do the same directly across from them.

When they first stepped out into the sunlight, it became apparent very quickly that the front office of S.M.I.L.E. is an unassuming building near the outskirts of Manehattan. While Lyra and Bon-Bon could probably get through the city easily without attracting too much attention to themselves, the same could not be said for the human and tall light changeling walking alongside them. They got a lot of looks, but thankfully, it wasn’t a very long trek to the train station.

With the group finally safe and settled in, there’s a collective exhale. For Anon especially, it’s been a rough few hours. With his eyes half-lidded he leans over in his seat, unabashedly putting all of his weight onto Chrysalis. For a moment, she doesn’t respond. However, after taking a deep breath, she wordlessly wraps an arm around him.

“Awwwwww.” Lyra presses her hooves against her cheeks at the sight. “You two are so cuuuuuute~!”

“Say that again and I’ll turn you inside out.”

“Come on Chryssi, is that any way to speak to the mares that saved your buggy butt?”

Chrysalis clicks her tongue, but says nothing else.

“How are you feeling?” Bon-Bon, the more considerate of the pair, tilts her head with concern. “Especially you, Anon. I was expecting to find you in a cell after they gave you a bump on your head. That alone was enough of a reason for me to be concerned, but imagine our surprise when we saw that you two had made it all the way to the front office without us.”

“Now that the adrenaline is wearing off,” Anon yawns, “I’m exhausted. And my headache is coming back.”

“Yeah, you might want to see a doctor about that. A bonk on the head is an extremely unhealthy way to knock someone unconscious, and is very much not standard protocol.” She sighs while closing her eyes. “Hopefully Princess Twilight’s inspection will weed out some of our more… forceful agents.”

“Speaking of,” Anon starts as his eyes open again, “I had no idea you two were secret agents.”

“You’re lucky we trust you, otherwise we’d have to wipe your memory of that.”

“Told ya,” Chrysalis says with a cocky smirk.

“Wait…” Anon turns to look up at his changeling lover. “You knew that already?”

“I’ve known since I met them.”

“You did?!” they ask in unison.

“Do not underestimate the ex-queen of the changelings.”

“S-so you were just acting like our friend?!”

“In the same way you were ‘just acting’ like mine.”

“B-but we…” Lyra looks towards Bon-Bon, who nods. “We actually kinda like you.”

“A terrible decision, really.” She laughs to herself as she glances down at Anon before looking back at the pair. “But, as much as it hurts me to say this drivel, I’d be lying if I didn’t say the same. Besides, I guess I owe you even more now.”

“W-we didn’t save you because we wanted you to be in our debt!”

“Wait.” Bon-Bon leads forward slightly. “Owe us more?”

“I’ve had a lot of time to myself lately. Being alone with my thoughts is, frankly, horrible, and I hope I never have to do it again.”

“Unlikely.”

“Don’t count on it.”

“Sorry, Chryssi.”

“Et tu, Anon?” She chuckles again, but this one is different. It’s warm and genuine. Her three companions all look in surprise at the fact that she made an actual joke while around ponies. “Anyway, I figured I owe you one for the whole brainwashing thing back in Canterlot.”

Lyra and Bon-Bon share a glance before smiling.

“You know we’ve long since forgiven you for that, right?”

“Forgiveness isn’t something I’m used to, nor is it something I want to count on.” She glances at the floor, her expression suddenly a lot darker. “I… I owe a lot of debts. Forgiveness or otherwise, I plan to repay them.”

“Is that why you stopped the rain?” Anon looks at her curiously, his words still as warm and loving as they’ve always been towards her. “To help everyone?”

“...Yeah.”

“Why’d you make it look like Twilight did it, though?”

Her throat makes a strange grumbling noise that sounds like a mixture of a groan and a sigh.

“Like I said, I don’t need forgiveness. I’m repaying my debts on my terms.”

“That’s the Chrysalis I know.” Anon wraps an arm around her and gives her a squeeze from the side, coaxing a smile out of her whether she likes it or not. “Twilight’s probably gonna figure out it was you, though.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”

Anon finally looks away from her, instead directing his attention towards the other couple on the train.

“Thanks, you two. You went to a lot of trouble on our behalf. We probably owe you our lives.”

“We just did what was right.” Bon-Bon leans back in her seat. “It’s our job to protect Equestria from the shadows. Monsters, evildoers, it doesn’t matter. We take care of them so that the public never even knew they existed. Meanwhile,” she says as she motions to Chrysalis, “you two are completely innocent. We didn’t do anything more than make up for our own mistake.”

“Regardless of your motivations, thank you.”

“You know how you can make it up to us? Or, more specifically, ME?!”

Lyra beams as she leans forward excitedly.

“Lyra, don’t press them any further.”

“She’s fine,” Anon chuckles. “What’s that, Lyra?”

“I wanna be maid of honor! Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?”

“Lyra, you’re already married. You can’t–”

She tries to make puppy-dog eyes towards Chrysalis, which proves to be completely ineffective. Chrysalis glances away before responding.

“Not like there are a whole lot of other candidates,” she mumbles dismissively.

“Yay~!”

“W-wait.” Anon blinks as he stares at Chrysalis in shock. “You… do want to get married?”

“I’ll admit, I’m still anxious about the whole affair. And I wouldn’t blame you if you were, too. Now, at least.” She awkwardly clears her throat before looking back at him with warmth and clarity in her eyes. “But, if my word means anything anymore, I swear that I have no intention of leaving you alone. Not again.”

Anon leans forward and gives her a quick peck on the lips. It’s nothing like the kiss they shared on the elevator not long ago, but it’s just as meaningful. When he pulls back, he wipes a stray strand of hair from her face.

“Nothing would make me happier.” His eyes dart upwards at her horn before he locks eyes with her yet again, a smile forming on his face all the while. “Heh. I think you can transform back now.”

She looks at him with a puzzled expression for a moment before letting out a contented sigh.

“Yeah, I think I can.”

With a familiar flash of her horn, Chrysalis’s body is quickly engulfed in magical green light. It isn’t quite as severe as when “Miss Stake” transformed, but it’s still a noticeable change. Holes begin to form in her legs, horn, and hair, her body darkens in color, and her eyes return to their familiar, slightly intimidating dark changeling form. Although her wings are still a bit sparkly, the dark changeling that Chrysalis vowed to remain as has returned.

“It’s nice to be me again,” she mumbles. “Never thought I’d ever say that a few years ago.”

She shares a smile with Anon. Neither say another word. After a moment, they both lean to the side, each resting their weight on the other. Anon rests his head on her shoulder, and she rests her head on top of his. He’d love for it to be the other way around, but horns are pointy.

Lyra and Bon-Bon glance at each other before smiling as well, silently watching as the two lovebugs finally give in to their exhaustion and gently fall asleep on top of one another.

Gamophobia

Anon wipes a tear from his eye. There, at the end of the aisle, is Chrysalis, his wife-to-be. It’s the first time he’s seen her adorned in the gorgeous wedding dress that Rarity made for her, and in this moment, she has never looked more beautiful. Music plays as she slowly walks down the aisle. She is escorted by no one, but that was at her request.

All eyes are on her. To be fair, there aren’t a whole lot of attendees at the wedding. Chrysalis eventually relented and allowed Twilight, Rarity, and the rest of their friends to attend for Anon’s sake… with the condition that they all sit near the back. It hardly matters, as the seats are far from full, but she got her wish.

On the other side, a tall stallion no one has ever seen before watches with a gentle smile. Anon and Chrysalis know this stallion to be Thorax in disguise, not wanting to potentially upset his subjects by being here but still hoping to show his support. In the row in front of him, Ocellus and her friends from the School of Friendship all politely watch, though the conflicting feelings on Ocellus’s face are clear. They want to support their favorite substitute teacher, but it’d be an understatement to say that they have conflicting feelings about Chrysalis.

Such is the general vibe of the wedding as a whole. Chrysalis hasn’t done a great job at ingratiating ponies to her side. Lyra and Bon-Bon are, of course, acting as her bridesmaids, with the former in particular being extremely excited at the opportunity to be maid of honor. However, what few ponies are in attendance, like Sunburst and Mr. Tale, are mostly there for Anon. The fact that neither the bride nor the groom have any family to invite isn’t helping matters, either.

That said, no one really cares. You don’t need a bunch of attendees to have a wedding. There are a few others dotted about here and there, but for the most part, it’s a smaller wedding, which is exactly what Chrysalis wanted. She visibly takes a deep breath as she continues her walk down the aisle, clearly trying to keep her nerves in check. Thoughts of pretending to be Cadance swim through her mind, and she finds herself trembling.

She gently shakes her head, clears her eyes, and gets a good look at Anon. All at once, it’s like all of her intrusive thoughts just melt away. A tiny smile forms on her face as she continues walking.

The sight of Chrysalis in a wedding gown is a bit strange for everyone but Anon. While he thinks she looks downright beautiful, it’s an adjustment for everyone else. The ex-queen of the changelings isn’t known for being particularly attractive. If anything, she’s known for being terrifying. Seeing someone like her gracefully walk down the aisle, adorned in a beautiful, carefully crafted gown with a smile on her face and tears beginning to form in her eyes is… well, jarring.

And yet, her happiness is contagious.

Finally, the music begins to fade away as she reaches the altar. She takes her spot next to Anon, where they both stare deep into the other’s eyes. Behind them stands Mayor Mare, the only pony Anon could find with enough authority to officiate a wedding but not so much authority that Chrysalis has a problem with it.

She begins speaking, though for the bride and groom, her words fall on deaf ears. They are surely meaningful and carefully prepared, but neither Anon nor Chrysalis can focus on anything but each other. A mixture of excitement and anxiety and joy and absolute terror fills their hearts. Gamophobia can be a hideous beast, but overcoming it has led them to this moment. And more than anything else, it’s their love for each other that beats out all other emotions.

Through the emotions running wild within him and his teary eyes that remain locked on Chrysalis, Anon almost misses his cue to say his vows. With a shaky, anxious voice, Chrysalis does the same. When the time comes to say “I do,” Anon responds with clarity and determination. However, at Mayor Mare’s prompting, Chrysalis hesitates.

“...”

Her breathing is ragged. Everypony waits with bated breath. For a moment, Anon feels a tension growing in his chest. However, it fades away just as quickly as it arrives.

I trust her.

Finally, after almost ten agonizingly long seconds, she closes her eyes and takes a very deep breath. When her eyes open again, the tears within them break from their confines and run freely down her cheeks, prompting Anon’s to do the same.

“I do.”

“Then by the power vested in me by Equestria, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Mayor Mare does a slight bow and takes a step back. “You may–”

She doesn’t even get to finish before Anon and Chrysalis eagerly embrace, their lips locking immediately as they hold each other close. The few attendees present sound their excitement and approval with applause, though the newlyweds don’t even register it.

Finally, they are together.

“And that’s how your mother and I got married.”

“...”

There’s a moment of silence in the quiet living room. Anon sits in his favorite recliner. In his lap, a young, comfortable, light changeling girl stares at him in quiet awe. She’s light pink with bright blue eyes and highlights around her neck and hooves. Unlike most other light changelings, those eyes of hers aren’t a solid color, and instead look much more like her mother’s.

Her name is Gena, and she’s the second youngest of Anon and Chrysalis’s five children.

“...That’s so ROMANTIC!”

On the far side of the room, an old sofa rests against the wall. On it sit three creatures. On the far left is another light changeling girl. Much like the one in Anon’s lap, she is still a school-age child with bright blue eyes, though her body is green. She was the one who spoke, and she grins with a faint blush peeking through her brightly colored cheeks. Her name is Seta, and she’s the largest and the oldest of the children.

“I don’t know, I find it hard to believe that mom has ever run from anything, least of all a wedding.”

The second-eldest child, a golden changeling boy with orange eyes, sits in the middle of the sofa between his sister and mother. He glances between his parents incredulously, still trying to process the story of their wedding. Tarsus is his name, and the amount of respect he holds for his mother is enough to make her feel like a queen again.

“I can’t picture her crying, either.”

The middle child, a blue changeling with purple eyes, sits on the floor while wrapping himself in a blanket much too large for him. His name is Canthus, and he has a penchant for sarcasm.

“Auntie Lyra and Auntie Bonnie are spies?”

“N-no, Terga.” Anon scratches the back of his head as his youngest child, a purple changeling with green eyes, rocks back and forth in her spot on the floor. Despite being the youngest child, she’s bigger than Canthus and Gena. Also, despite their relative “ages,” they all hatched on the same day. As siblings do, however, they put a lot of stock into who the eldest, youngest, biggest, and smallest among them are. “They retired a while ago. Also, you probably shouldn’t bring this up around them.”

Anon laughs sheepishly as the energy in the room seems to increase with the kids’ excitement.

“You really fought through a secret underground spy base?! That’s so cool!”

Tarsus jumps off of the couch and attempts a sloppy recreation of “spy” moves he read about in one of his comics, causing Terga to start mimicking him while giggling.

“I don’t know,” Seta says with a coy smile. “That sounds like mom, but dad? Frankly, it’s hard to believe you were dodging punches or throwing ponies into walls.”

“It’s true!”

“How many times must I tell you to stop underestimating your father?” Seta’s smile fades as she glances at Chrysalis, who wears a coy smile of her own. “Careful. Misbehave while I’m not around and you might feel his wrath for a change.”

“That isn’t even remotely as threatening as you were intending.”

“Daddy?” Anon looks down at Gena, whose gentle voice is barely audible over her siblings’ commotion. “What happened to S.M.I.L.E.?”

“Well, Princess Twilight gave it a thorough examination. Silver Bullet and Miss Proctor were both fired, as were a bunch of other agents that were abusing their position.”

“So… it’s still around?”

“It sure is. Only now, it’s working to keep you kids safe.”

He gently boops her snoot, coaxing a laugh out of her.

On the floor, Tarsus, Canthus, and Terga have all begun wrestling with each other. It isn’t a problem that their parents feel needs addressing until Tarsus hits his head on the nearby coffee table. As soon as that happens, Chrysalis stomps a hoof, prompting all five children to stand at attention and look in her direction.

“That’s enough. You’re all up way past your bedtime.”

Anon glances at a clock mounted nearby. Sure enough, his story went on for much too long. They should have been in bed an hour ago. Or, at least, they should have if it were a weekday.

“Isn't it a weekend?”

“They still have somewhere to be in the morning.” She tilts her head, motioning to the steps that lead to their bedrooms on the second floor. “Brush your teeth and get to sleep.”

One by one, the five colorful changeling children collect themselves and start to head upstairs.

“Goodnight!”

“‘Night, mom!”

“Goodnight mom, goodnight dad!”

“Goodnight, daddy!”

“‘Night.”

Once all of their children have disappeared upstairs, fought over the bathroom, and retired to their own rooms, Anon and Chrysalis share a deep sigh.

“I’m really lucky to have you, Chryssi. I don’t think I’d be able to handle them on my own.”

“Give yourself some credit, Nonny.” Chrysalis stands from the sofa and sashays towards her husband, who looks at her with a smile. “I might be good at keeping them in line, but you’re the one teaching them how to be good little changelings.” She stops when she reaches the recliner, prompting him to sit upright. She leans forward as if to kiss him, but stops just before their lips touch. “Though you could afford to grow a spine.”

“Can it.”

Anon closes the gap the rest of the way, and a tiny moan escapes from Chrysalis. Her dinner is late today thanks to that story, and she intends to savor it.

When they eventually part, they’re both left gasping for air. Anon reaches out and pulls Chrysalis on top of him, prompting her to roll her eyes before acquiescing and getting comfortable, much like Gena had been minutes before.

“You stopped at the best part of the story, too.”

“Hm? D-did I forget something?”

“Our honeymoon?”

Anon recoils slightly, coaxing a quiet chuckle out of Chrysalis.

“The less they know about our honeymoon, the better.”

“What? Scared to teach your children about the birds and the bees?” Her tone is quiet and mocking, but clearly not meant with any ill intent. Anon rolls his eyes before she gives him another long, quiet kiss. “They’re gonna be asking soon, anyway.”

“What makes you say that?”

Chrysalis raises an eyebrow while her coy smile only grows, though she says nothing. As Anon looks into her eyes, he realizes that she’s letting him piece it together himself. It isn’t until he recognizes that she’s feeling a bit heavier in his lap than usual that he finally understands her meaning, causing his eyes to quickly widen.

“Y-you don’t mean…?”

“I have no idea how many eggs are in here, either. Guess you’d better be prepared for the worst, shouldn’t you, Nonny?”

“How in the world are we going to be able to afford this?”

Anon’s eyes start to glaze over, but they regain clarity as Chrysalis nuzzles into his neck.

“Don’t worry. Thorax intends to start paying me as an official advisor. Generously, I might add.”

“Wait, really?”

“We’ll be fine. Besides,” she starts as she lets out a wistful, contented sigh. “You should probably get used to this.”

“Huh?”

“I told you when I first moved in, didn’t I? That this would be my new hive?”

“I-I didn’t think you meant–!”

“Settle down, loverboy.” She cackles at Anon’s growing discomfort. “I’m joking.”

“Phew.”

“Maybe.”

“...Why are you like this?”

“Hey, you signed up for this when you married me. I won’t have you turning back now.”

After a moment, Anon sighs and begins to run his fingers through her mane as he leans back in the recliner.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, Chryssi.”

“Really? No regrets?”

“No regrets.”

“Good.” She closes her eyes, suddenly feeling extremely comfortable in Anon’s arms. “Me neither.”

Closing his eyes as well, Anon allows himself to bask in the feeling of comfort and contentment this moment has brought him. He’s got a family that loves him, a society that accepts them, and Chrysalis by his side.

It’s everything he’s ever asked for.

“I love you, Chryssi.”

“I love you too, Nonny.”

Too comfortable in each other’s embrace to move, the couple quietly dozes off to sleep right where they are. In this moment, their worries are miles away.

They are finally at peace.

Author's Note

And that's the end! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey, it's been a lot of fun!

As always, I appreciate any and all feedback!

Alone

Anon stands completely still. A cold wind blows over him, causing his tie to billow gently in the breeze. The gazebo he stands in does little to protect him from the rapidly deteriorating weather. The pegasi up above don’t see him standing there, nor are they paid to care. There might have been clear skies a few hours ago, but this evening storm had been planned weeks in advance.

The wedding was supposed to end before the storm began.

Anon’s eyes have glazed over completely. He is alone. The gazebo has been decorated beautifully in all sorts of flowers and ribbons. The path leading to the gazebo had been decorated as well, and rows upon rows of chairs were prepared for the wedding’s attendees (all of whom have gone home) on either side of said path. However, that has all been cleaned up and taken away before the coming storm can make a mess of things.

Anon chose to stay there. Many of the guests offered to take him home, or to help him in whatever other way they might have thought of, but he turned them all down. He doesn’t have the heart to move. He memorized the order of events. He knows how the wedding is supposed to go. He’s supposed to wait for the bride to arrive and walk down the aisle.

But she never came.

Suddenly, a flash of light briefly illuminates the darkened Ponyville park. This flash is quickly followed by the roar of thunder, and rain begins to pour not long after. Thanks to the wind, the rain blows sideways. Anon is drenched, his suit getting completely soaked almost immediately.

Chryssi loves this kind of weather.

That single thought is all it takes. The clarity returns to Anon’s eyes. It’s a good thing that it’s raining, for if it weren’t, anyone would be able to see the tears running down his cheeks.

They were finally supposed to get married today. He and Chrysalis, the ex-queen of the changelings, were finally going to make their vows. They would be official, both socially and legally.

And Chrysalis didn’t show up.

Many would probably tell him that he should have seen this coming. She is known for being the “Queen of Liars,” after all. This kind of behavior is to be expected from her.

Others might tell him that she deserves it. She has done some terrible things in the past, and she was certainly not above ruining the weddings of others. It’s only fitting that she would ruin her own.

Others still might try to console Anon. They’d tell him that he’s better off without her, that she doesn’t deserve him. It’s terrible that this could happen to anyone, least of all to someone with the compassion and sympathy to take in someone like Chrysalis.

Anon doesn’t want to hear any of it.

He just wants to see her.

What is she doing? What is she thinking? Did she run? There’s no way she didn’t, he saw her this morning. It couldn’t have been an outside influence, she’s too headstrong to be led astray like that.

Did he do something wrong? Did she not like the plans he made? Is she having second thoughts about the whole affair? What could cause such a reaction in her?

…Does she not want to marry him?

Anon clenches his fists. That surely isn’t the case, right? They’ve been together for years. They’ve gone through so much. It wasn’t easy, but they made it work. They found a place for themselves. Chrysalis found acceptance in Ponyville (well, mostly). But more than any of that, they loved each other. She transformed into a light changeling for crying out loud! Sure, she chooses to continue looking like a dark changeling, but what greater proof of her love could there be?!

And yet, she didn’t come to the wedding. Her wedding.

Their wedding.

Anon takes a deep breath. After briefly tucking his tie into his coat, he steps out of the gazebo. The rain is cold, and it’s coming down so quickly that it stings his face a bit. The mid-autumn weather, combined with the storm, makes him shiver where he stands.

Covering his eyes with one arm, he slowly trudges through the storm. Despite the discomfort he should be feeling, he makes no effort to quicken his pace. In a way, he’s dreading what comes next.

It doesn’t take long for him to reach his home. He carefully pulls his keys out of his pocket and attempts to unlock the door, only to realize that it’s already unlocked. He and Chrysalis have been living together for a long time, and he always locks the door behind him. He sighs as he opens the door and steps inside, as he already understands what that means.

Sure enough, the house is dead silent. The lights are turned off, and the air smells a bit like flowers. He glances at the kitchen table nearby, noticing a bouquet resting on it. He freezes in place for a moment. He has to fight his brain to process what he’s looking at, as though his own mind is trying to protect him from the truth he already knows.

After he regains control of himself, he silently steps towards the table. He gingerly takes the bouquet in his hands, and his suspicions are confirmed.

This is the bouquet she was supposed to carry. The one her friends helped her pick out. Anon clasps his arms around the bouquet and holds it against his chest. Why did she do it? Why did she…? Why did she…?

Anon drops the bouquet back onto the table before wiping his cheeks with a soaked sleeve. After a moment, he nods to himself.

She isn’t here.

That’s what matters right now. Really, he doesn’t care about the ceremony itself. He doesn’t care what others might say about Chrysalis. He doesn’t care that the wedding plans have all been ruined.

Anon throws the front door open and marches back out into the storm. There are only so many places she could be, and he intends to find her. Right now…

He just wants to know why.

The Calm Before the Storm

Weeks before the day of the wedding, a typical morning dawns on Ponyville. Light from the rising sun pours into Anon’s bedroom, rousing him from his comfortable sleep. A yawn escapes him as he forces his eyes open. A smile creeps its way to his face.

The first thing he sees when waking up is his lovely bride-to-be. Her eyes are still closed, and her cerulean mane sprawls messily across her face. A gentle snore escapes her as the sunlight peeking through the nearby window fails to wake her up. She always was a heavy sleeper.

With a light chuckle, Anon brings his hand to her face. He intends to gently brush her mane aside, waking her up in the sweetest way he can think of. He’s a sucker for romance, even if Chrysalis isn’t.

However, before his hand can reach her, the movement of his shadow is apparently enough to break her out of her deep sleep. Her eyes shoot open and she immediately starts groaning. She doesn’t even register his presence as she sits upright. She pops her neck by rotating it a full 180 degrees, at which point she finally locks eyes with Anon.

“Good morning, Chryssi.”

“Mmm.”

He’s used to the frightening display, just as she’s used to the pet name he gave her. Anon takes no offense by her nonchalant response. She’s not a morning changeling, that’s for sure.

“Busy day ahead?” He asks in a joking manner.

“Hah hah. I'm laughing so hard.”

“Hehe. Seriously though, got anything on your agenda for today?”

The two continue their conversation as Anon shuffles into their walk-in closet. Meanwhile, Chrysalis sits herself in front of a large vanity and begins lazily brushing the knots out of her mane.

“Hm.” Chrysalis suddenly freezes and furrows her brow. “There was something I was supposed to do today, but I’m drawing a blank.”

“Really? That’s unlike you.”

Chrysalis rarely forgets anything. She had to be on top of a lot when managing the changeling hive. As a result, her memory is immaculate. Despite her less-than-stellar reputation, no one can say that she isn’t punctual or efficient.

“Yes,” she mumbles, “what was it?”

“Doctor’s appointment?”

“No, I’d remember that. They always get so freaked out when they realize who the mare getting her checkup is. It’s the highlight of my day every time,” she says with a crooked grin.

“Do you have any business around town, then? Got some shopping to do, maybe?”

“Peh. What do I need to shop for?”

“Ah, right,” Anon says as he emerges from the closet dressed and ready for work. “I do all of that for you.”

“Can it before you wake up next to a bugbear.”

“Eh, she’d probably be a cuddly bugbear,” Anon mumbles as he walks past his special somechangeling, giving her a quick smooch on the back of her head in the process. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Just some toast.”

In truth, Chrysalis doesn’t need “real” food. However, Anon has insisted that they eat together ever since she moved in with him, and she’d be lying if she said she hasn’t grown fond of his cooking along the way.

“Sorry Chryssi, we’re out of bread. I was gonna get some more on my way home tonight.”

“Ugh.”

“Anything else you want?”

“I don’t know, an omelet?”

“Three cheese?”

“Yup.”

“You got it.”

…They’ve got a routine.

Anon and Chrysalis sit at their dining room table. Anon sips at his mug of freshly brewed coffee while reading the morning paper, having already finished his omelet. Chrysalis continues to nibble at hers. She’s always preferred to savor her food, love or otherwise.

“Hm.” Anon narrows his eyes. “Looks like they’ve scheduled a thunderstorm in a few weeks.”

“My kind of weather.”

“...It’s supposed to start on our wedding day.” Chrysalis’s eyes go wide as she nearly spits out her omelet. She coughs as she tries to recover, blushing lightly when she sees the concern on Anon’s face. “You alright? I didn’t expect you to be so surprised.”

After coughing a bit more, she finally regains her composure.

“I didn’t realize the wedding was so soon.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, I…”

She almost told him the truth. In all honesty, she cares very little about the wedding. Anon proposed to her several months ago, and it was, admittedly, a very sweet gesture. Cheesy and romantic enough for him to be satisfied, but private and subdued enough for her to still be comfortable with it. She accepted while thinking little of it. They basically live like a married couple already anyway.

Besides, marriage is more of a pony thing. If it helps her fit in better and makes Anon happy, then fine. But she’s not going to get her tail in a twist over it.

…Wait.

“That’s what I was forgetting!”

“Our wedding?”

“N-no.” Okay, maybe a little. “I’m supposed to go get my dress.”

“Oh? Are you excited?” Anon asks with a smile.

“To be honest, I could care less about the dress.”

“But will you partake in any cake?” She glares at him, causing him to innocently shrug. “I’m just kidding!”

She sighs.

“Anyway. I guess that’s what I’m doing today.”

“You got everything else picked out, too?”

“Everything else?”

Anon stands from his seat and begins to clean up as he speaks.

“I know you told me to take care of the wedding plans, but there are still four things you need to do. You need to pick out your dress, select your bridesmaids, get a bouquet, and decide who you want to invite.”

Chrysalis groans.

“I’d be happier if no one showed up in the first place.”

“...W-well, we can do that if you–”

“Stop.” Chrysalis stands and locks eyes with Anon. She glares for a moment, but her scowl quickly melts away in favor of a humored smile. “Just… you make a guest list, and I’ll veto the ones I don’t like.”

“Heh. Yeah, I think I can do that.”

Suddenly, there is a knock at the door before the small slit in its center slides open. A couple of envelopes are pushed through and fall to the floor before the slit closes. Chrysalis takes a few steps towards the door as her horn begins to glow. After a few seconds, she’s magically opening the envelopes and scanning their contents.

“Anything good?” Anon asks from the kitchen.

“This one is the water bill.”

“Riveting.”

“And this one…” Chrysalis trails off.

“...That one what?”

“It’s for me.”

Anon approaches her from behind, peering past her to look at what appears to be a hoof-written letter. His eyes widen when he sees the signature at the bottom.

“Thorax?”

Chrysalis sighs.

“The little cretin has been writing to me for about a month now.”

“Why?”

“He’s barely getting by running the hive on his own. Says it’s a ‘logistical nightmare.’ Peh, I could have told him that when he overthrew me.” Her voice is noticeably cold and quiet. “He asked Twilight Sparkle and that dragon princess for help, but they don’t know what it’s like to live at the hive.” With an incredulous chuckle, she places the letter down on the table. “He didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“Still, I’m shocked he would ever want to contact you.” She turns to glare at him, causing him to wince. “Er, no offense.” Chrysalis sits down at the table while using her magic to open a nearby closet. From it, she retrieves a blank scroll, a quill, and some ink. “You’re actually responding?”

“I’ve been responding. I don’t care for that fool they call a king, but I’m not about to watch my subjects die due to logistics.”

“...That’s really admirable of you, Chryssi.”

She suddenly turns around and points her ink-dipped quill at him accusingly.

“Tell anyone and you’re a dead man.”

“I hear you loud and clear,” he says with a grin.

A few minutes later, Chrysalis finishes her response letter. Meanwhile, Anon is ready to head to work for the day.

“Well, I’m off. See ya!”

“Not so fast.”

Chrysalis quickly blocks his exit, causing him to smile. She tilts her head upwards while he bends down. Their lips meet, and he wraps an arm around her to hold her steady. The two stay like that for several quiet, passionate moments. When they finally pull away, Chrysalis shudders and her glittery wings seem to shine.

In truth, Anon didn’t forget to give his lover her real breakfast. She does still feed on love, after all.

He just likes watching her initiate it.

“Good luck with the dress hunting!”

“Ugh. Thanks.”

With a smile and a wave, Anon finally exits the house. Now alone, Chrysalis sighs as she prepares for her own responsibilities.

“I guess I need to go pay those two a visit,” she groans. “Knowing them, they’ll jump at the chance to be my bridesmaids.” She lazily pops her joints as she trudges towards the door. “Friendship is overrated.”