You're Going To Fit Right In

Chrysalis staggered through the door to the restaurant, her vision swimming. She barely noticed the sudden shift of atmosphere from the bright lights of the cityscape of the first floor. The interior of the restaurant was dark and dreary. The walls resembled that of a massive cave with sharp, jagged and roughly hewn stones. Within a few niches sat glowing flames, just enough to provide silhouettes of the various diners, but not enough to actually light up the room.

Chrysalis’s body shivered violently, as though afflicted by chills, stumbling over to an empty stone table before losing her balance and falling into a seat. She could barely hold her head up as she muttered.

“Used too much energy…on that…stupid…oaf.”

Chrysalis’s head fell forward onto the table as the light left her eyes, and her body grew completely still. All around her, the diners continued their meals completely unaware of Chrysalis and the peril she was in as she faded into oblivion.

A large orange scaly hand reached out to tap Chrysalis on the head, as a somewhat gravelly voice groaned.

“Oh get up already, it’s closing time, you drunk.”

The large orange dragoness failed to notice Chrysalis’s mouth slowly opening and hundreds of needle-like teeth slowly sliding down from the top, as she reached out to give the Changeling a shake awake. Just as her clawed hand was about to touch her, an angry voice behind called out rudely.

“Get your hand away from her mouth, you idiot!”

Pulling her hand away the dragoness whirled around and found herself gazing into the glaring eyes of Nightmare Rarity. Meanwhile, Chrysalis’s teeth retracted as the mouth closed once more with the Dragoness completely oblivious.

“Who do you think you are to order me around?”

Nightmare Rarity flipped her mane and replied in a dismissive voice as she held up her hoof, revealing a golden device similar to Starlight’s silver one on it, only this one was emblazoned with a crimson crest that was identical to Twilight’s cutie mark.

“I’m the one who just saved your life. Be grateful, Darling.”

The dragoness glared in anger at Nightmare Rarity with glowing magenta eyes.

“What do you mean ‘saved my life’?”

Nightmare Rarity ignored her, pressing a hoof to her ear, speaking to someone.

“Alright, I prevented the idiotic waitress from dying, now what?”

In her ear, crackling to life, a microphone conveyed the words of an overly excited female’s voice.

“Alright, if what you are saying is true, and that is actually a Changeling, according to the historical texts, Changelings weren’t compatible with healing magic. So if my guess is right, she has utilized her own life energy to perform it, which is why she resorted to the form you saw earlier. Tell me, what is she doing right now?”

“Nothing. she is just laying there, still as a tomb.”

“An apt description, as she may very well be dying from starvation. A Changeling isn’t alive in the same way as you or I are. This is quite fascinating-”

Nightmare Rarity growled.

“Focus mom!”

“Right, right, sorry, it’s just no one has witnessed a Changeling sighting in centuries. Pretty exciting stuff. According to these records, Changelings are completely hollow; no organs, blood or muscles. Like a tank to store biomatter. What they eat becomes their lifeforce. When it runs out they enter into a deep hibernation state until food is presented but it’s a last resort and unfortunately short-lived; maybe an hour at most. Alright, found it. So here is what you need to give her-”

“Uh-huh…Right, got it.”

Turning to look at a flabbergasted Dragoness, Nightmare Rarity asked her.

“I know you serve parts of ponies, but can I get a fully replicated corpse, freshly dead within ten minutes, raw and unprocessed preferably a full-grown mare, and could you make that a Unicorn as well?”

Angrily the waitress retorted.

“Look, we are closed right now, if you are that hungry I can have a to-go made up, but that is a very expensive-”

Cutting her off, Nightmare Rarity snarled at her.

“I don’t give a flying feather about cost. I need that order and I need it now!”

“Why?”

Pointing at Chrysalis, Nightmare Rarity yelled.

“Because she is going to die if you don’t!”

The waitress squinted one eye in doubt.

“A drunken student needs a one hundred thousand point order? Enough of this. Take your friend and go.”

“She isn’t drun-”

Grabbing the Dragoness’s wrist, Nightmare Rarity practically spat as she shouted.

“Listen here, Smolder. This is not just some student; she is a Selected for Operation: Princess and I am her sanctioned teacher! You will save her life, or I will take yours!”

Releasing a very stunned Smolder, Nightmare Rarity threw up her hoof and spoke into the golden band.

“Display ID. Code N-1-g-h-t-M-4-r-3.”

A holographic display appeared of Twilight speaking.

“Nightmare Rarity. Rank: Private Tutor. Status:Chosen to teach Student ID 80427-E, Student Name: Chrysalis. Restrictions: None. Do not detain, do not impede.”

Smolder glanced from the display as it vanished to Nightmare Rarity, who glared murderously at her. Slowly she raised her wrist and spoke into a green band on her arm.

“Replicator power on. Order: Fresh Unicorn Corpse. Mare. Unprocessed. Raw.”

Nervously staring at the Unicorn before her, Smolder muttered.

“Sorry, it’s usually just some student trying to get free food. It’ll be five minutes.”

“So the little brat who enrolled in this school nearly twenty-five years ago, finally became a bigshot, huh?”

Sitting at a nearby table, waiting for the order to be made, Smolder and Nightmare Rarity sat talking about the past. Laughing, Nightmare Rarity shrugged.

“Nah, I’m still the same little brat that pestered you. Truth be told, I’m not even sure why I was made a Chosen. My grades were mediocre, my arrogance is immense and my ego can barely fit in my parent’s home, according to them that is. Plus, we both know if more than one creature is talking to me, I just fall apart.”

Smolder grinned and nodded.

“Don’t forget to add quick to violence to that list, as well.”

“Well, I am a Nightmare, after all, Darling.”

Chuckling, Smoulder glanced at her wrist.

“Yes you are. Three minutes-”

Gesturing to Chrysalis’s still body, Smolder sighed.

“So what makes her so special for the Queen to take notice- You still drink AB Negative, right?”

Nightmare Rarity shook her head dismissively.

“No, no blood for me, not anymore. My host refused to cooperate as long as I drank it, so we switched to some red grape juice a couple months before graduation. Been drinking it ever since. It’s actually not that bad and it keeps my Rarity happy as well. And as for her-”

Leaning close, Nightmare Rarity’s voice dropped to a secretive whisper.

“You won’t believe this Smolder. She is a Changeling.”

Smolder’s eyes lit up with excitement for a moment, but a lingering doubt remained on her face.

“Her?”

“Yes, her.”

Smolder cast her eyes downward as she lamented.

“I want to believe that. I really do, but I was there when the last Changeling died. I was there when those…those sisters…those monsters…eliminated all non-ponies in this dimension.”

Nightmare Rarity reached out a hoof and placed it on Smolder’s shoulder, speaking in an almost caring tone.

“Smolder, we’ve known each other for just over twenty-five years, and well, you know the details of my entombment within my statue. But, I’ve never asked about how you and your partner Spike survived that…well, that experience.”

Seeing the stony stare from the Wizened Dragon, as Smolder sat there lost in thought, Nightmare Rarity added quickly.

“I mean you don’t have to share, if you don’t want to!”

Smolder was quiet for a moment before shaking her head.

“No, no it is fine. It happened centuries ago, after all. Maybe…Maybe it would do me some good-”

Smolder smiled lightly.

“- to tell someone what happened.”

Nightmare Rarity’s eyes sparkled like brilliant sapphires as she gave an encouraging nod.

“Well there are a few minutes until the corpse is ready, so We are all ears.”

“Spike had been forced by Princess Twilight Sparkle to take a vacation for a few weeks and escort me to the Dragonlands. Having been born there, I had decided to go home to see my family for a couple months, and Twilight claimed Spike could do with learning some more about Dragon Culture as well. Though personally, I think she just wanted him to take a relaxing break. He’d been working so hard. Little did we know that was the last time we would ever see her-”

“Spike, can you get the stone ready for dinner?”

Smolder watched, as urged by her sister, Spike picked up the so-called immovable stone table that was sitting inside the cave and carried it outside without complaint. Spike had been staying at Smoulder’s cave for about two weeks, and had his strength tested since day one.

For Spike and Smolder this was nothing more than staying at a friend’s. However, in Dragon Culture, in the Royal Family, a dragon could only stay in a dragoness’s cave if they received approval from the family of said dragoness. There was just one problem.

Smolder’s family consisted of five members: her brother, Garble, her sister, the current Dragonlord, Ember; her father, Torch and finally the Dragon Broodmother, who Spike had yet to learn the name of as she refused to speak to him. Smolder’s family cared about one thing: Strength.

And while Smolder was herself a bit of a tomboy, she watched in transfixed awe at the emerald flame Spike blew forth onto the rock. She could never see herself with such a scrawny dragon, but perhaps if he had some muscle. Smolder considered what such a Spike would look like, find herself growing flustered-

Nightmare Rarity stared in abject horror as Smolder described a steamy whirlwind of adolescent heat, wishing she was anywhere else. Nightmares by their very nature abhorred the ideals of love and romance, and even her host, Rarity, was grimacing at the description.

As Smolder went into agonizing details complete with sounds of lust, Nightmare zoned out and found herself conversing with her host about Chrysalis.

Rarity, What are your thoughts on Chrysalis?

She’s dangerous.

How so?

Being near her makes me feel…cold. Like all the joy and pleasure of life is being ripped from my very soul. Like I’ll never feel anything again.

Nightmare visibly frowned. Nightmare Rarity was a union of two entities: A Unicorn, once known as the Element of Generosity, Rarity and a strange parasitic life form known by the name of Nightmare. Though Nightmares cared not for romantic affiliations of others, they were well documented for doting on and cherishing their hosts, often going out of their way to make their host happy.

Hearing Rarity’s bleak and desolate tone made Nightmare feel sick, to the point where she might actually throw up. Nightmare hated Rarity being anything but content. Swiftly, Nightmare delved into Rarity’s mind and pulled forth a list of her desires. Scanning the list, she settled on a proper offer to console her.

How about after work tonight, we take a long luxurious bubble bath and enjoy some of those delectable chocolates you admire so much?

Bonbons?

Normally bonbons would be easy to get, but Nightmare knew exactly what Rarity meant; she wanted to indulge in some custom Bonbons from Lyra and Sweetie Drops’s Candy Shoppe. Considered the ultimate in luxury, the custom-swirled bonbons were sculpted of decadent chocolate, while the center was filled with one of hundreds of choices of sickly-sweet syrups; everything from chocolate, to more exotic and somewhat deadly varieties such as cactus juice or even viper’s venom.

Just getting one was considered nearly impossible as they always sold out an hour after opening. Yet there was nothing Nightmare wouldn’t give her Rarity.

Yes. Those bonbons.

A wave of euphoria coursed through her body, letting Nightmare know that Rarity was excited. And for Nightmare that was all she cared about. Luckily, she had managed to get ahold of some bonbons ahead of time.

Then it’s settled, now let’s see where we are with that order.

Allowing herself to focus on her surroundings, Nightmare became aware that Smolder was still going, much to her terror.

“- And that’s when he threw me down on the stone bed, pulling my tail and shoving his giant-Beep, beep!”

Nightmare Rarity’s eyes grew as wide as dinner plates, just before Smolder’s wristband began to beep, cutting her story off. Nightmare Rarity breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the interruption.

“Oh, looks like your order’s up, I’ll be right back.”

Nightmare watched as Smolder got up from the table and headed to the kitchens, Rarity chiming in. Dodged a bullet there, didn’t we, darling?

And where did you hear that word?

Remember when we watched Rainbine and Brutalight’s Hoofball match? Rainbine pulled out that machine gun thing.

Oh, yeah, forgot about that, hold on, let’s continue this conversation later, Mom’s calling.

Nightmare Moon?

The one and only. Hold on.

The device in her ear crackled to life as the same sultry voice from before began to speak in a surprising flurry of emotion.

“Come in, can you hear me? Damnit Nightmare, answer me! I swear if you are dead, I’ll go to Tartarus and bring you back so I can kill you myself.”

“Mom, chill. I’m not dead. What’s going on?”

“Oh thank Twilight. Nightmare I’m glad you’re okay.”

“What’s wrong? Why do you sound so panicked?”

“I was going through Daybreaker’s historical records , trying to learn more about Changelings. I stumbled on a study by one Clover the Clever about a Queen Chrysalis, sound familiar?”

“Mom, Clover the Clever was-”

I know, but that isn’t important right now. Chrysalis isn’t just any Changeling. If what I’m reading is right, you are in terrible danger. Honey, Chrysalis is Grogar’s first creation. The Primal Evil!”

“Mom, calm down and speak Ponish! I can't understand you. What are you even saying?”

“Shut up and listen to me Nightmare. Chrysalis isn’t the only one that is hungry. Her body is. Make sure that once the corpse is in front of her, you and every other creature stand back ten hoof-lengths. Otherwise, you might be devoured!”

Nightmare Rarity watched as Smolder came out from the kitchen carrying a rather grisly looking dish on a large platter. Glancing over at the still form of Chrysalis nervously she whispered.

“Mom why does it sound like you are describing an Eldritch Horror?”

Smolder approached Chrysalis’s unmoving form as Nightmare Rarity's earpiece crackled to life once more when Chrysalis’s mouth began to open wide, hundreds of needle-like teeth slowly sliding into view. And moments later, another mouth appeared in Chrysalis’s neck; its teeth slowly sliding down as it eagerly opened wide dripping corrosive acid onto the tabletop, with a wet hiss of steam.

“Because I am.”