Anon and Chrysalis Ch29

Anon and Chrysalis

Chapter 29: Brazil is the largest country in South America

 

>It had been a few days since the move to your lovely new home.

>While you had gotten fairly used to the layout on the first three floors, the basement...

>Well, safe to say, there were a lot of random tunnels.

“Chrysalis, seriously, why do we even have all of these tunnels? Do they go anywhere?”

>”Well, no, not particularly. I just like tunnels. It’ll keep invaders away.”

“Invaders? Why would anyone try to invade our house? Especially from below; that’s madness.

>”Better safe than sorry.”

>You followed the mare closely, making sure not to get lost in the endless, dimly lit hallways.

>That wouldn’t be fun. They’d probably assume you were dead, or perhaps captured by diamond dogs.

>Which would be silly. Rover is a pretty cool guy.

>Chrysalis’ magic opens up the lower gateway, separating the pointless tunnels from your house proper. You follow her inside.

>”Well, Anon, you head upstairs. I have some things to attend to down here.”

“’Things’? What sort of things?”

>She shrugs, smiling. “Oh you know. Things.”

>You roll your eyes and walk passed her.

“Fine. You enjoy your tunnels, I guess. See you later?”

>She chuckles. “Come now, Anon. I know you like ‘tunnels.’”

>You roll your eyes, ignoring the lewd remark, before ascending the spiral staircase to your foyer.

>You blink, spotting something strange upstairs.

>Specifically, some purple unicorn in your foyer. He waves at you.

 

>Cautiously, you wave back. “Hello! You’re Anonymous, correct?”

“Yes?”

>He grins excitedly. ”The name’s Ponet! I’ve been commissioned to make a royal portrait of you!”

>The stallion gestures over to a bunch of art supplies, including a easel and lots of paint.

“...Okay?”

>”If you’d just follow me, we can get started!” He turns, his blond mane swishing slightly as he magically lifts all his equipment.

>He’s trying very hard not to show how much effort it’s taking. Huh... right.

>Why exactly did Chrysalis want a portrait of you? Well, whatever. It’s not your money.

>Following him into your living room, you take a seat on your golden throne.

“Alright, well, I guess you do whatever?”

>You turn on the TV, absently watching it while the unicorn gets to work.

>An hour later, you had yourself an... interesting work of art. You just kind of nod at him, not really showing approval or disapproval.

>Amateur artist, definitely. But hey, he tried.

>You could probably argue that it was some ‘revolutionary new style.’ Though, it’d go better if you were some big name noble or celebrity. Like Fancy Pants.

>No matter. You decide to just leave the portrait on the wall where the purple fellow hanged it. Maybe you could get some pictures of the others later?

>Decisions, decisions...

>”Hey, Anon!”

 

>You blink, turning to see a gray pegasus walking toward you.

“Oh, hi, Derpy. When did you get here?”

>”Just now. What’s with the painting?”

“Ask Chrysalis. She brought some complimentary guy to make it. What do you think? Did he do okay?”

>She frowns, inspecting the painting. Thanks to her misaligned eyes, it takes awhile for her to come to a conclusion.

>It’s nothing special. ”Well, it’s alright.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

>You get up and walk to the picture, inspecting every detail, trying to find the heart and soul of the piece.

>If only you had some wine and a larger vocabulary. And maybe a more philosophical mindset.

>The next to join your group was Ditto, who was more confused as to why you were just standing around with Derpy.

“Hey, Ditto, what do you think of this painting?”

>He looks at it, frowning. “Eh... Satisfactory. I suppose. Maybe. I’m not really an art fellow.”

>You shrug, and the commander joins you and Derpy, inspecting the strange piece of art.

>Later still, Rainbow Dash arrived. “Hey guys!”

>The group collectively gives her a half hearted ‘Hi.’ She frowns.

>”What, that’s all the welcome I get? What are you guys even doing?”

“I have a painting. What do you think?”

>Rainbow Dash walks over, taking a look at the picture. “Uh... this is pretty lame. No offense.”

“Yeah, but he got my hands right. You’ve got to give him that. Those things are hard to draw.”

>Dash looks over at your hands. “They don’t seem that hard from here.”

“...Never mind.”

 

>Finally, the queen joins your group.

>She frowns, confused to see everyone standing around the medium quality piece of artwork.

>Chrysalis approaches. “Why are you all staring at it? Is there... Oh.”

“I like the colours. They’re nice.”

>”Anonymous, this is terrible.” You shrug, disagreeing with the queen.

“Meh. It’s the style. Anyway, let’s get some food. I can’t critique on an empty stomach.”

>The others agree, following you out, Chrysalis left to stare at the painting.

>”...That’s the last time I hire ‘new talent.’” She shudders, before joining you.

>Sometime later, you were upstairs on your balcony. From here you could see all of Ponyville.

>Hearing hoofsteps from behind, you turn, seeing Chrysalis. She smiles.

“So, what shall we do today, Chrys?”

>”I don’t really know. This place is well... a bit dull. Nothing has really been going on.”

“You noticed that too? Hm...”

>You place a hand on your chin, thinking of something to try out. Hm...

>Chrysalis interrupts your contemplation. “Why don’t we go shopping, Anon? I could get you a nice suit.”

“Why would I need a suit?”

>”I can think of a few reasons... Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“Eh...”

>Spending time all cooped up in Rarity’s place while she tries on outfits? Oh boy...

“Why not, instead of that, we go find some paint for all these walls? White is nice, but...”

>”But it’s too simple?”

“Just a tad.”

 

>And so it was decided that today you’d buy wonderful paint to use on your boring old walls.

>Nothing too brash or extreme. Black and green were definitely out.

>Well, unless Ditto wanted those colors for his room. But then again, he lives in the basement.

>You have learned the hard way that painting stone doesn’t tend to work out. But that’s a tale for another day.

>Right now, you’re in Ponyville’s equivalent of a home depot. It’s not very big.

>And their paint selection is proportionately as small. Hrm.

>”How about this one, Anon? This color is nice...”

>You lean over, looking at the paint. Hey, that’s a nice color...

“That’d be great for the dining room. Nice find.”

>Maybe an hour later, you had enough paint for every single room in your lovely house. Chrysalis fit the bill, despite your objections.

>Now there was the problem with getting the dozens of cans to your actual house. And then painting the walls...

>Fuck, why didn’t you think this through?

“You wouldn’t happen to have a royal paint crew to put this stuff up, would you?”

>Good thing that store had a cart. Shame you have to pull it. Where’s Ditto when you need him...

>”Why would I bother with them? I have /you./”

“That’s what I was afraid of...”

>So, after a long and arduous trek, you were home. After an even more tedious heavy lifting regiment, the cans were inside.

>And after another even more annoying setup procedure, the cans were actually opened and put in place.

 

>Good thing these cans have primer built in. Then again, would you really need it for white walls?

>Chrysalis pulled a long chair. A chaise, you think. You had seen Rarity used them before. You wonder if she bought it from Rarity.

>You point up toward the uppermost part of the foyer. [spoiler][/spoiler]“Chrys, you realize I can’t reach all the way up there, right?”

>”Shall I get you a ladder?”

“No, you could grab a brush and help me.”

>She laughs. “Me? Paint? You’re insane. I’m not getting anywhere near that stuff. It’ll ruin my coat...”

“Baby.”

>Unfortunately, your intimidation tactics fail, and the queen remains in her chair.

>That is, until Derpy, who had come to aid you, loses her grip on her paint roller.

>You gape, watching it soar through the air, almost in slow motion.

>Smack.

>Chrysalis was not happy about having yellow paint all over her face. You silently wonder why she didn’t get out of the way.

>Derpy spent maybe ten whole minutes apologizing for the entire thing. Eventually you led the Queen upstairs, guiding her along.

>The paint had pretty much blinded her. You took her over to what had become, more or less, Derpy’s shower, and, with a sponge, helped clean off the muck from her head.

“You know, Chrys, that yellow looks good on you...”

>”Shut up and clean me!”

“It reminds me of an old, human song... Heh. Would you like to hear it?”

>She grits her teeth. “Would you like to survive today?”

 

>You decided against teaching her the ways of the Wiz. Maybe later.

>Chrysalis frowned, inspecting herself in the mirror. Some of the paint had gotten on her mane, and your efforts to clean that off just made it worse.

>”Get me some scissors.”

>Cautiously, you fetch her a pair from somewhere not relevant. Her magic tugs at them.

“Don’t go overboard?”

>”I know what I’m doing, Anon.”

>She did not, in fact, know what she was doing. Her mane looked... pretty weird.

>”Well? How is it?”

“Chrysalis, do you want me to tell you the truth?”

>”Why wouldn’t I? Tell me!”

>At this point, you stop resisting the urge to laugh, clutching your sides as you look at the silly creature in front of you.

>”...Fuck you, Anonymous.”

“I love you too. But yeah, it’s not that bad. Seriously.”

>She takes another look in the mirror. “...I guess.”

“Come on. Smile! It’s good for you.”

>”And so is broccoli, yet it tastes horrible.” She trots out.

>You follow right behind. [spoiler][/spoiler]”You just need to put cheese on it. Then it’s magnificent...”

>Your mouth waters at the thought. Oh man, how long has it been?

>It’s decided. You will show Chrysalis the wonders of cheese covered broccoli tonight.

>So it is written. So it shall be.

 

>For the time being, though, you’d just chill out on your porch.

>While it wasn’t the Golden Throne of Ponyville, the lawn chair you had still got the job done.

>Chrysalis brought her chaise thing over. Rainbow and Derpy were making good progress on the foyer, but they weren’t even close to done.

>In silence, you sat, thinking in silence. Chrysalis seemed to be doing the same.

>You smile, pleased by how tranquil and happy everything has been, barring that one hiccup.

“Hey... Chrys?”

>”Yes, Anon?”

“How would you feel about getting a pool?”

>”...I don’t swim.”

>You frown at this. [spoiler][/spoiler]”You don’t swim? Why not?”

>”Because I don’t. It’s not... ladylike.” Oh you.

“Because that’s been such a concern for little ol’ Chryssie. Fine. No pool. How about a barbeque?”

 >She rolls her eyes. “This again? Why are you so obsessed with having a barbeque?”

“You wouldn’t understand, Chrysalis. You’re not a man.”

>Her horn begins to glow. “I can fix that, you know.”

“Let’s not, and say you did. Is there any more of that lemonade?”

>”No, I’m afraid not.”

“That’s too bad.”

>You sit there in silence, mildly disappointed that there was no more lemonade.

>”Anon?” You turn to her.

“Yes, Chrysalis?”

>”I love you. I just want you to know that.”

“I love you too, Chrysalis.”

>She smiles knowingly, looking away suddenly. “Would you like to go out? Like... right now?”

“Sure, I guess. What did you have in mind.”

>She smiles. “You’ll see.”

 

>After gathering up a number of things from upstairs, the queen took you out on the town.

>That is, after calling up the royal painters to get the house fixed. Rainbow and Derpy were happy to see this.

>Not quite as happy that you were bailing on them, but they didn’t object.

>You’re a grown man. You can take care of yourself.

>And so, Chrysalis led you down the streets of Ponyville, taking you over to a fairly chilled out restaurant.

>You were actually a little surprised it wasn’t one of the big, fancy places.

>”Pick out something. Anything. Enjoy yourself.”

“If you say so...”

>You order some food, looking to see how few ponies are in today. It seems that here in this corner, you’re all alone.

>Chrysalis probably planned that. “So... Anon.”

“Chrysalis?”

>”We’ve been together for a long time...”

“Yeah, it’s been, what, half a year or something?”

>”About that long, yes...” She gazes off, eyes briefly drifting to the bag she brought with her.

>Your food arrives after a few minutes of rather awkward silence.

>Chrysalis, strangely enough, didn’t order anything. Not hungry, perhaps? No, something’s on her mind.

“Chrys, are you okay?”

>”Uh, of course. Just thinking. I wouldn’t want to make a mistake with this. Ha...”

“...With this?”

>She blinks, opening her mouth to try and explain herself. She doesn’t get the chance though, as a trio of pesky fillies cut in.

>”Hi, Anon!” says the orange one.

 

>You turn to see the cutie mark crusaders leaning onto the fence.

“Oh. Hi. What are you up too?”

>”Still trying to get our cutie marks...”

>You notice one of Chrysalis’ eyes twitch. She wasn’t the only one who knew the talents of these three.

>She was, however, the only one who really wanted to just tell the darn things. They could be so annoying sometimes.

>”Isn’t that great? Why don’t you go do that somewhere else?”

>Apple Bloom frowns. “But we need yer help! Pleeease?”

>The filly puts on her puppy dog frown, lips pouting just slightly. You wonder if Chrysalis will be able to resist.

>Turns out, she cannot. “Fine! But make it quick. What do you want?”

>The queen stands up, dumping a pile of black coins onto the table. You rise with her, heading around the fence to see what the fillies want.

>However, they don’t want to show you this fancy little ‘dance’ of theirs here, and thus drag you off to a more secluded place.

>Chrysalis is not happy about this, but grits her teeth and deals with it.

>Eventually you end up in a little field, just out of town. There’s only one tree nearby, a fairly large one.

“So... what exactly did you want to show us?”

>Sweetie Belle smiles. “Well, we’ve taken to interpretive dance! So we, uh, have a dance! Like I said! Yeah!” She seems overly nervous about the whole thing.

>Chrysalis glares at her. “Fine. Get on with it.”

 

>The trio then proceed to do a very weird dance for you to interpret.

>It’s... strange, to say the least. But hey, you have to give them credit. It seems like they’ve practiced quite a bit.

>Chrysalis doesn’t seem to see this. “Is that it?”

>Apple Bloom nods. “Uh, yes. How was it?”

“It was okay. A little... strange. But okay.”

>Scootaloo groans. “Not enough to get our cutie marks, though!”

>You sigh. How did you not expect them to focus solely on getting the marks?

“Maybe you should show it to someone else? Someone with more knowledge in this field? Like... Fluttershy?”

>Chrysalis nods quickly. “Yes! Go show her! And leave us to our business!”

“Our business?”

>”Yes, Anon, our business. I have things I want to do. With you.”

>You look at her questioningly. In fact, so do the CMC.

>The queen blinks. “Why are you fillies still here? Go!”

>Scootaloo frowns before rushing off, the other two crusaders trailing right behind.

>Chrysalis watches intently to make sure they’re gone, and then turns to you. “Right, where were we?”

“...You know, I forget. But you seem really stressed for some reason.”

>The queen frowns. “Uh, well I suppose I am. I have some... important things to tell you. Or ask, really.”

“Well, why don’t you just put that on hold. I’m taking you to the spa.”

>”What? No, I’m fine. That’s not necessary.”

“Chrysalis, are you saying no to a day at the spa?”

>The queen blinks. “Huh. I really am stressing... Fine.”

 

>You led the queen back into Ponyville, making your way over to the city’s one and only spa.

>Inside was... Applejack? Oh boy, here we go.

>”Uh, thank ya kindly. Pleasure doing business with y’all.” The farmer turns, apparently on her way out.

>She seems to choke on something when she sees you, coming to a halt immediately. It gets even worse when she seems Chrysalis.

>Chrysalis rolls her eyes. “Oh look. It’s /you./”

>”Ah’m on my way out. Ah don’t want any trouble.” She avoids eye contact, rushing off.

>You step aside, letting her by. She’s really taking this whole royal decree seriously.

>Good on her. It’s nice to see she’s putting some effort into this.

>Though you already know she won’t be coming over to any of the wild, crazy, parties that Chrysalis would undoubtably throw at your house of horrors. Nosiree.

>With Applejack gone, you head over to the counter, spotting... Vera? Yes, Vera. Yellow and Purple.

“Uh, hey there. Chrysalis is suffering from some sort of stress, likely brought on by anxiety. You think you can give her a hoof or two?”

>”Of course! Come, right this way!”

>The unicorn drags Chrysalis away, leading her downstairs.

“I’ll see you in a little, then. Enjoy yourself. We can do that thing later, I guess.”

>”Uh, right. See you.”

>And with that, she was gone. Hm...

>Having no particular reason to just stand around in the Spa’s lobby, you made your way back outside.

 

>Right outside you find Lyra and Bonbon, who are having a rather heated argument with, yep, you guessed it, Applejack.

>You’re far enough away to not know exactly what’s going on. You do hear certain keywords though...

>A lot of ‘Anon’s, though. That doesn’t give you any positive vibes...

>As they haven’t seemed to have noticed you yet, you quietly back away from them, hoping to avoid being dragged into the argument.

>Once a safe distance away, you turn and rush off, not quite running, but definitely not just walking.

>And, as fate would so have it, you don’t see the mare right infront of you, and bowling her over, tripping yourself in the process.

“Ah, shit! Sorry.”

>You quickly get up, a hand on a knee. You look down at the pony you knocked over.

>Oh, Berry Punch. She glares at you, legs flailing a bit as she tries to get off of her back.

>You outstretch a hand, which she takes. By biting it. Uh... ow?

>Awkwardly, you manage to help her up. “Watch where you’re going next time.”

“Watch where you put your teeth next time? That shit hurts.”

>She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, whatever.” ...Is she swaying a bit?

“Didn’t you say you were going to stop drinking?”

>You shouldn’t have done that. ”I HAVEN’T! I’m TIRED! Go away!”  That gets the attention of every other pony on the street. Including the arguing trio across from the spa. Fuck.

“S-Sorry. I’ll go. Uh... right. Bye!”

>You slip away, clutching your injured appendage. Well, at least she doesn’t have fangs...

 

>You don’t get very far before the lyre mare catches up to you.

>”Hi, Anon! How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, Lyra. Where’d Bonbon go?”

>”Oh, she’s getting rid of Applejack! Don’t worry, she isn’t going to be bothering you ever again!”

“You don’t have to do that, Lyra. I’m sure she’s learned her lesson.”

>”Yeah, well, just making sure!” She grins.

>You look down at her, a little paranoid. Lyra has always been a little eccentric...

>”How come you’re holding your hand? Did something happen?”

“Lyra, can you go away?”

>The pony stops her tracks, giving you an almost heartbroken look. “W-Wha...?”

“I just want to do something by myself. We can... something, later.”

>Lyra nods, sadly, slowly meandering away. A little melodramatic, you think.

>Finally free from the mare, you head over to Sugarcube Corner, deciding you’ll just hang out here for awhile. It’s not like—

>Oh come on! Why is Roid Rage here? Honestly...

>”Mr. Snowflake, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, we’re are NOT closing down just because you think our goods are unhealthy!”

>Mr. Cake nods, agreeing with his wife.

>Snowflake glares at them. “I’ll be back!” He turns, and at this point you realize you’re right between him and the door.

>You quickly step aside, watching the ripped stallion walk out. “Make sure to do your push-ups, Anon.”

“Uh, okay?”

>He pushes past, still scowling. With him gone, you approach the cakes, silently noting the lack of customers.

“Uh, hey there. Slow day, huh?”

 

>Mrs. Cake groans. “Tuesdays are always slow! That oaf comes by every time, demanding we shut down! The NERVE of that stallion!”

>She snorts angrily. Mr. Cake nods at you, apologetically.

“Well, uh, now that he’s gone, I’m sure customers will uh, come by.”

>The mare of the house isn’t so sure. ”Well I’d hope so. Anyway, I’m guessing you’re here to pick up your changeling?”

“Ditto? Oh no, I’m here to uh, well, chill I guess. But no one is—“

>Right before you’re able to finish that sentence, the door bursts open, with numerous ponies all trotting in.

>Notably, they are all young ponies. Fillies, colts, ect. The Cakes blink, not expecting this at all.

>Mr. Cake whispers something into his wife’s ear, and she rushes off upstairs, probably get Pinkie and her sisters to get back to work.

“Uh... well then. You’re welcome?”

>Mr. Cake shrugs. “I really don’t think it had to do with you, Anon.”

“I don’t know, Carrot. You know the effect I have on ponies...”

>He frowns. “Don’t remind me...”

>You let the stallion get back to his job, instead taking up a random booth to chill in for awhile, while your marefriend got pampered.

>Not that you’re really expecting peace and quiet. The place is full of kids.

>Kids like Pipsqueak, who insist on showing up at your booth to bother you.

>Strange, though, was the fact that Dinky was with him, as well as some pinkish filly.

>”Hi, Anon!” the little unicorn said, waving from across the table.

“Uh, hi?”

 

>”Hi, Mr. Anonymous!” says the British colt. You sigh inwardly. This’ll be good.

“Hi, Pipsqueak. Dinky. Who’s your friend?”

>You point toward the reddish pink filly. “Oh! I’m Ruby! Hi!”

>Dinky smiles. “Yeah, she’s my new friend!”

“And Pipsqueak too? ‘Cause I’ve never seen you two together before.”

>Dinky blinks, blushing slightly. “Oh, no! We’ve been friends for ages! Right Pip?”

>He smiles obliviously. ”Right!”

>The wannabe pirate turns to you. “I got a letter from Luna yesterday! She says hi!”

“Uh, alright? Tell her uh... hello?”

>”Okay!”

>The trio finally give you a break, instead chatting more with each other, sharing the sweets their pooled funds were able to get them and otherwise being kids.

>Still though, you don’t remember Dinky ever being friends with Pipsqueak.

>You wonder if Derpy knows about this. She’s usually quite nosy when it comes to her daughter’s activities. Hrm.

>Time went by, and with a little good timing, you were able to slip away from the trio of children.

>They probably wouldn’t even realize you were gone, unless maybe Pipsqueak wanted to ask you about Luna or something.

>Why he thought you knew so much about her you’d never know. The two of you were just friends.

>Strained friends, but friends nonetheless.

>You roll up your sleeve, checking your watch. Oh wow. You’ve been off doing stuff for almost an hour and a half?

>Where does the time go? Oh well.

>Chrysalis is surely done with her spa by now. Those ponies worked fast as hell sometimes.

 

>But when you got to the Spa, things were not quite as planned.

>Aloe and Lotus were both up top, talking about something. The pink mare smiles when she sees you.

“Oh, hey Aloe, Lotus.”

>You reach into your pocket, pulling out your wallet.

“Is Chrys still downstairs, then? How much do I owe you?”

>”Her majesty has already payed us in full, Anon. She has also departed, I’m afraid.”

>She paid... in full? With her black coins that she probably had personally minted? Hm.

“She’s gone? ...Where’d she go, though?”

>You hear hoofsteps of an approaching pony, and turn to the entrance downstairs to see the third Spa mare, Vera. “Oh! Anon!”

>She trots over to you. [spoiler][/spoiler]”Hey there. What’s up?”

>”Chrysalis asked me to tell you that she was going to ‘your lake.’ I’m sure you know where that is?”

“My... lake? Uh... Oh!”

>The lake? Why would she want you to go over to the lake? Hm...

“Thanks for the heads up. Have a good night.”

>”See you,” the blue one says, before you make your way out. By now, the sun has begun to set.

>Chrysalis HAD apparently want to do something special or romantic. But every time you went to that damn lake, someone came to interrupt.

>First it was Cadance, and then Blinky. Who would it be this time? Applejack the Ripper?

>Well, probably not. You couldn’t grow apples on the moon, and Applejack definitely knew that as well.

 >You remained sceptical about the whole thing as you passed your manor, breaking off from the main road on your way to the lake.

 

>And there, on a quite large checkered blanket, sat the changeling queen.

>She had a basket with her, as well as her bag from before.

>In the air beside her floated what you could guess was a pocket watch. She wasn’t looking towards you, instead gazing out at the water.

>She sighed audibly, not noticing your approach.

>Until of course, you stepped on a twig, snapping it in half. She blinked, before turning to see you.

“Chrysalis, hey. What’s going on?”

>She smiles at you. “Oh, you know... Things.”

“I’m certain.”

>You take a seat on the blanket, the basket, a typical picnic one, between the two of you.

“What’s in the basket?”

>”Some  dinner. Hungry?”

“...Did you make it?”

>She frowns at you. “No. Did you think I would?”

>You chuckle. [spoiler][/spoiler]”No, no, I was just curious. That’s all. You’re an alright cook, Chrys.”

>She blushes ever so slightly, looking back out at the water.

>You open up the basket, seeing a pan of sorts. There’s... broccoli inside?

>Uh... Oh! Hey, there’s... cheese on it. Ha. Oh haha. That’s good.

>It seems Chrysalis has finally taken your advice. Good on her!

>”Anon?”

“Chrysalis?”

>”You know, I’ve... been thinking. About this... for quite some time.”

>She slowly turns her gaze to you, her face as serious as you’ve ever seen it.

>”We’ve had so many crazy adventures, so many... tender moments. I know at first I was... well, a bitch, but I think I’ve moved past that. At least a little.”

 

>You smile, nodding. There was no denying that she had changed. Sure, she regressed, but everyone did occasionally.

>She smiles back, closing her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath.  “And well, you’ve always been... unique, Anon. Special, I should say?”

“Special?”

>She looks back out at the water. “Yes. Special. You became MY friend, Anon. That doesn’t really happen, Anon. I don’t have friends.

“What about Ditto? Or Swiss? Hell, what about that Eliphas guy?”

>She shakes her head. “There’s a difference between loyalty and friendship, Anon.” She continues to gaze out at the large pool of water.

>”I’m just... I don’t know. I’ve spent my entire reign well... knowing changelings, sure, but never really befriending them. Yet you’ve managed to do so with what I’d argue are the least sociable of the bunch. That’s... something.”

>You nod, placing a hand on her shoulder, caressing it softly. She turns back, smiling.

>”I guess I’m just curious... to see where it’ll take you.”

>You raise an eyebrow at this. She notices, smiling at your ignorance. What is she doing?

>”Well... I suppose I’ll give you this...”

>Her horn glows dimly, reaching into the bag from before. From within it, she pulls out a small black box, hovering it over to you.

>You notice how Chrysalis is trembling slightly as you remove it from your magical grip. You look down at it, then back up at her green eyes.

>”So, Anon, what do you say?” She forces a smile, but you can tell the anxiety is taking it’s toll.

 

>”Will you join me? As my... king?” Her magic opens the box.

>And inside is a ring, similar to the kind that Ditto once wore. Encrusted into its form were a trio of gems, one blue, one red, and the largest one green.

>There were all sorts of insignias, symbols and what you believed were phrases in a foreign tongue carved into it.

>It was definitely the most magnificent wedding bracelet you’ve ever seen. You look up from it, at Chrysalis.

>Her smile is so wide. You can see all of those sparkling whites. You smile back.

“You know... I always figured I’d be the one to propose to you...”

>Her smiles falters just slightly. “Well, I... uh—“

“Shh... It’s fine. Yes, Chrysalis, I’ll be your king.”

>The mare squeals in joy, magically pulling you into an embrace, your lips locking.

>You close your eyes, enjoying the moment, the taste, the smell... It lasts for far longer than you expected, and you soon felt the need to breathe.

>Chrysalis realized this, and reluctantly broke the kiss, still smiling joyously.

“So... what do we do now?”

>She grins seductively, “Well... there was this one thing I wanted to try...”

“Oh?”

>The mare stands up, prompting you to do the same. Her horn glows, and in a quick movement all the various things around are gathered onto her back.

>”Let’s go home, Anon. I’ll show you when we get there.”

>You shrug, smiling the entire way back home. Chrysalis hums some tune the entire time. Hm... what song is that?

 

>The sun has retired for the night when you get home. The entire house is quiet. Almost eerily so.

>Still, you won’t let that get to you. You’re officially engaged.

>Sure, you got proposed too by your marefriend, and sure, she’s not exactly human.

>But love is a weird thing. Not something so easily restricted by race or species.

>Chrysalis makes you happy. You make Chrysalis happy. There’s no reason for either of you to deny your feelings.

>It only makes sense that you cement them like so.

>Your hand drifts, eventually getting caught up in Chrysalis’ mane. She grins at you, leading you up the tall spiral staircase back to your bedroom after dropping off the other things.

>Knowing you’re right behind her, she swishes her tail over to the side, giving you a rather good view of the crown jewels. Or well, crown oyster.

>That phrase really doesn’t work for girls. Hrm. You take a note to come up with a better term to refer to Chrysalis’ junk.

>You resist the urge to mess with said parts, more out of courtesy to the others living here. You doubt they’d appreciate stepping into any... leaks.

>Oh god, what have you become?

>A man marrying a horse, Anon. And don’t you forget it.

>I know, brain. No one asked you.

>You look over at Chrysalis to see you’re now at the top of the building. She giggles at you.

>”What? Am I too sexy for you?”

“What are you...?”

>She points down to your pants. Oh. That.

>You take a few steps toward the door, Chrysalis right beside you.

 

“So, what exactly did you want to try out?”

>You place a hand on the door’s knob, turning it.

>”Oh, well, remember that book Nympha gave me?” You nod, eyes focused on the Queen as you walk into the now open room.

>”Well, I found a few interesting poses that I’m sure a stal...er, man like you would appreciate?”

“Does this mean I’ll be on top for once?”

>She frowns, placing a hoof to her chin, thinking. “I’ll consider it. Perhaps an ea—“

>”You know, you really shouldn’t talk about such things in the company of others.”

>You both freeze in place, eyes going wide. Slowly, you turn to the bed, to see...

>Cocoona. The previous queen, and Chrysalis’ bitter and most definitely evil mother. She’s sitting right in the middle of the fluffy contraption as though it’s her property.

>Chrysalis gawks. “M-Mother! I didn’t see you... there. Wait... why are you even here?”

>She rolls her eyes. “Why are you even surprised? Mansions aren’t cheap, you know, and in case you’ve forgotten, I do your books. Tell me, Chrysalis, why exactly did you make this little place?”

>The current queen chokes, trying to think of an excuse, probably not wanting to incriminate you.

>Too bad. [spoiler][/spoiler]”She made it for me. It’s my house.”

>Cocoona glances to you, before glaring at her daughter. “Is that true, Chrysalis?”

>”Y-Yes. But I had... caused damage to his old place. He has to live somewhere...”

>Her mother shakes her head. “Oh yes, Chrysalis. Because the ape matters so much...”

 

>Chrysalis glares at her. “He is NOT an ape, mother. He is very important to me!”

>”Oh yes, I’ve heard.” Cocoona looks away, gritting her teeth. “Honestly, I am disappointed.”

>Chrysalis pauses. “...You’ve... heard? From who?”

>The fairly beefy changeling snorts. “A number of sources, really. Swiss being the most recent. Apparently you’ve chosen this creature to be your consort? Really?”

>The queen opens her mouth to protest, but no words come out. It’s true, really. You’re going to be king.

>Chrysalis’ mother steps off your bed, a rather large indentation left in the otherwise unrippled sheets.

>She trots over to her daughter, standing just tall enough to look down at her. “Mother, will you let me explain?”

>”No, Chrysalis, I think I’ll—Hrm?”

>She looks right at the black box that you’re holding, eyes going wide. You flinch away from her gaze as her green magic rips it away from you.

>The mare gives Chrysalis probably the cruellest, most disgusted look known to changeling kind. It’s no surprise your queen flinches back from it.

>Cocoona sputters out some nonsense, unable to turn her fury into proper words.

>”...How could you?” is what she manages after a few minutes. Chrysalis just stares at her.

>”Mother... I didn’t want to explain it like this. Please, just g—“

>”Chrysalis, you gave MY HUSBAND’s ring to him. MY HUSBAND!”

 

>”Y-You gave it to me years ago! To give to the stallion I love!”

>She points to you. “And this is your choice? He’s no stallion. Just a strange, bipedal THING that you seem to enjoy riding on. He’s no king.”

>Chrysalis ‘Ha’s in her face. “Like you would know! You’ve never bothered to get to know him!”

>”And why would I? He’s no changeling. What good will he be?”

>Chrysalis glares at her, disgusted by her poor attitude. Standing a few steps back, you cross your arms, not appreciating her racist attitude.

>”What do you mean by that, mother? He will be plenty good for me!”

>She rolls her eyes. “Can he produce an heir? No. Will he fit into our nobility? No. The only thing he’s going to do is rot and die off in forty years or so. I’m old enough to know it’s true.”

>Chrysalis gawks, horrified. “That’s... But he makes me happy, mother!”

>”Happiness? That’s what you’re concerned about?” The old mare shakes her head.

>Chrysalis frowns, looking away from her mother. Cocoona sighs angrily. “Chrysalis, when I formed this little kingdom, I had a mission. A mission to unite the fragment changeling hives together again!”

>Chrysalis glances to you, while her mother begins a slow walk around her daughter.

>”And, during my reign, just under half of the hives were brought under my rule. Ten of Twenty Four. Tell me, Chrysalis, how many have you brought into the fold?”

>”Mother, look, I know that I haven’t been... expanding. But sti—“

 

>Her mother completes her lap, cutting her off. ”And do you know why you aren’t expanding, Chrysalis? Because you’ve been spending your time here, with HIM.” She points to you again.

>You glare at the old hag, but it has no effect.

>”Well, maybe if I marry him, he’ll live with me in Alpha Hive, and then I can do things?”

>”Perhaps. But unlikely. And as such, I refuse to let you marry him.”

>Chrysalis’ eyes go wide. ”Mother! You can’t do that?”

>Cocoona shrugs. “I just did. Now enjoy your little sex game. I’m leaving, with MY ring. Good night.”

>Chrysalis’ entire being seems to just... deflate. Like everything she’s ever loved has been taken away. And really, it has. ”N-No! Mother, please, don’t do this! Please!”

>How can that mare be so cruel to her daughter? It irks you, how state-minded she is. Did Chrysalis mean nothing to her?”

“Cocoona.”

>She ignores you, continuing on her way out.

“Cocoona!”

>She pauses slightly. “Yes, homewrecker?”

“You say I’m useless. That I can’t do anything for your kingdom. Are you so sure about that?”

>She doesn’t even look back. “Positive.”

“Then allow me to prove you wrong?”

>She laughs, turning to look at you. “Nothing you do will ever change my mind, creature. Give up, and leave my family alone.”

>She leaves you, door slamming shut.

>You look over to Chrysalis, who looked like she could cry. That’s... not right.

 

>Frowning, you quickly rush over to her side, pulling her into an embrace.

“Come on, Chrysalis, forget about her. We can just get married som—“

>”No! I... want it to be... our way. The changeling way...”

>You sigh, rubbing a hand across her cheek, the mare looking up at you. She seems so tired...

“Then I’ll convince her. I’ll show her what happens to those who make my changeling queen cry.”

>She narrows her eyes. “I’m not crying, Anon. I never cry.”

>You wipe under her eyes, gathering just the smallest bit of moisture. Her eyes drift away.

>”Y-You know... I really thought today would... have gone better. This day was going to be perfect...”

>She breaks away, slowly trotting over to the balcony, looking down at the small town of Ponyville.

>”I just don’t understand... Why doesn’t she want me to be happy?”

“I don’t know, Chrysalis. Come on, we can... Is there anything I can do for you?”

>Chrysalis gazes up at the sky. You step over, standing beside her. You rub a hand down her back.

>She turns to you, burrowing her face into your chest.

>”Anon? Please don’t leave me?”

“Of course not. I would never.”

>You gaze up at the stars, wondering.

>What would happen now?