>You wake up.
>You slept properly this time.
>You feel around yourself, grabbing at the unfamiliar (but not uncomfortable) mattress.
>It only takes a moment for the memories to come flooding back.
>You’re not home.
>Not among humanity or ponykind.
>You’re with Chrysalis and her changelings.
>Involuntarily, of course.
>You open your eyes and roll around, the metallic leash jingling lightly.
>You already know the room.
>At least, as well as you can from your corner.
>It’s illuminated now, though.
>Huh.
>You were left to finish your meal in darkness last night.
>Fucking Chrysalis apparently decided it was a good idea to make you sleep after you’d gotten a single banana.
>Inconsiderate bitch.
>At least the food was simple. You managed.
>You look around.
>Sure enough, it’s the same room.
>The light that was magically attached to the ceiling is the same too.
>Soooo…
>Yep, Chrysalis is there with you.
>Sitting on her bed while some old-looking open book hovers in front of her.
>You look at her uneasily.
>The fact that you’re her prisoner still unsettles you.
>And you still feel that she’s unpredictable now.
>Dealing with her was much more comfortable when she was behind bars.
>But now, rested and fed, you feel a little more…
>Well, calm.
>Yes, you actually feel a bit calmer now.
>Less likely to freak out, at least.
>Goody. You’ll probably need to be as level-headed as can be, anyway.
>You still know jackshit about whatever Chrysalis wants with you.
>Or maybe she’s just keeping you here for fun?
>… God, that would be horrifying.
>It takes a moment for Chrysalis to notice you staring.
>She slowly looks away from her book and over at you, a satisfied grin immediately forming on her face when she sees you.
>”Ah. Finally.”
>The book closes itself and moves towards a bookshelf with more books and tomes.
>She actually has a pretty extensive collection, you notice.
>”So, did you sleep well? You didn’t seem easily disturbed.”
>She gives you an almost eager smile.
>You really don’t like it.
”I’m… fine.”
>Simple answers for the time being.
>She called you her ‘pet’ earlier.
>And you wouldn’t be surprised if ‘pet’ equals ‘toy’.
>You’d have to try to not piss her off.
>Her head tilts as she looks at you.
>”… Fine.”
>She gives you a suspicious look.
>Damn it.
>”I suppose that’ll do.”
>Her voice is rather nonchalant, and she gets out of her bed and walks over to you.
>Sitting on your mattress, you look up at your arguably monstrous captor.
>Even if you feel better than yesterday, she still gives you plenty of dread.
>”I have been wondering what to do with you.”
>She smirks while looking down at you.
>”You’ll be staying here for a while, after all.”
>Yeah, you saw that coming.
>You only hope it’s not forever.
>”Or for good. Who knows.”
>She gives you a malicious grin.
>Ugh.
>Right, well, of course she wouldn’t just let you go.
>Ever.
>Want to leave? Figure it out on your own!
>Too bad you have no idea where you are.
>And that’s only the first problem.
>Oh boy…
>No, stop that shit.
>You’re being too glum about it.
>Looking up at Chrysalis, you make no response.
>Although, after those somewhat depressing thoughts, you can’t resist a sigh.
>Not a very deep or dramatic one, but Chrysalis notices.
>Because she smiles at you.
>Sadistically.
>She then turns around and walks over to the bookshelf, giving her book collection a once-over.
>”I did some quick studying while you slept.”
>Right. You did notice her reading.
>”Turns out your supposed unique-ness isn’t just some silly thing those princesses invented and used for bragging.”
>’Bragging’ might be a bit much.
>You were exotic, obviously, and not only because the princesses had found you interesting.
>Fucking EVERYONE had found you interesting.
>”You’re certainly an ape, but it seems you’re a very unusual one.”
>Not this shit again.
>”In other words…”
>Her head turns back in your direction.
>Flashing those horrific fangs in another scary grin.
>”… you’re quite a prize!”
>How reassuring.
>She walks back to you.
>Narrows her eyes at you while you sit quietly on your mattress.
>Oh no, what now?
>”You’re awfully quiet.”
>Her voice is surprisingly serious.
>Unhappy.
>Crap.
”So?”
>”It’s not much fun to talk with someone who hardly talks back.”
”Maybe we could go back to where we used to talk?”
>That felt pretty daring, but the words came out before you could think twice.
>Chrysalis only snickers.
>”I’m sure you would like that. But I like it here more.”
>Not a very dangerous reaction.
>Hm…
”I might like it here too if I wasn’t chained to the wall.”
>She gives you a cruel smirk.
>”A pity. Oh well, certain sacrifices are always needed.”
>She turns around and walks back to her bed.
>Of course she’d be like that about it.
>At least you tried.
”Well, then there’s another thing.”
>Honestly, there actually IS another thing.
>She looks back at you, just before having reached her bed.
>She looks surprised more than anything else.
>Not annoyed, at least.
”I’m pretty thirsty.”
>She didn’t bring you water last time.
>Admittedly, you only noticed it now because it’s starting to seriously nag.
>Before that you had, well, other things to worry about.
>She seems to think.
>”… Oh.”
>Good, she remembers too.
”Can’t let your prize die of thirst, right?”
>That gets you an amused look.
>”Maybe not.”
>Not that there was much doubt, since she had already fed you once.
>Still, the confirmation wasn’t unpleasant.
>She trots out the door, shutting it behind her.
>Only a few seconds later she re-enters the room, and closes the door behind her again.
>She climbs into her bed and lies down while facing you.
>You look at her.
“So… My drink…?”
>”It’s on its way.”
>She smirks.
>You guess she had a minion go fetch it.
>You seem to be in the heart of her domain, anyway.
>She probably has a billion changelings crawling around right outside.
>”So, how do you like it here?”
>You frown.
>Not like you’ve had much of an introduction to this place.
>Also, she wants to chat now?
”I guess it’s been kind of… uh…”
>You look down at your mattress.
>Fiddle idly with your collar.
>Try to get a point across.
>”So it’s been good enough?”
>She gives you a knowing smile.
>You sigh.
>Loudly and obviously.
>She grins.
”I already said I might like it if I wasn’t chained to the wall.”
>”A necessary sacrifice.”
”Says the queen who can make me black out.”
>”A useful trick, but I’d rather not have to do it every time you run rampant.”
“You have, like, a billion retainers.”
>”No, not quite that many.”
“A million, then. You have a lot, don’t try to deny that.”
>She gives you a pleased smirk.
>“Very well. Although I’m sure a wild ape like you can still cause plenty of trouble.”
>You can’t resist a perplexed frown.
”I call bullshit.”
>That makes her look confused.
>”… Bovine excrement?”
>Now it’s your turn to look confused.
>Then you laugh hysterically.
>Internally.
>Although on the outside a small grin still manages to creep onto your face.
>You still sometimes forget how Equestrian vocabularies vary from humanity’s.
>It’s hard to get used to when so much else is exactly the same.
”No… No, that’s REALLY not what it means…”
>There’s a knock on the door.
>Chrysalis opens it with magic, and levitates a large wooden, handle-less cup into the room.
>And closes the door.
>The minion never had to actually enter.
>The cup lands in front of you.
>”We have plenty of time. Is it a special term among your own kind?”
>You let Chrysalis wait, and take the cup with both hands and immediately gulp down the majority of the water in it.
>Water’s fucking tasty when you have a good thirst.
>You set it down again and wipe your mouth with the back of your hand.
“Sure, it’s from back there.”
>”And what does it mean if not what it implies?”
>She looks strangely curious.
>Well, might as well enlighten her.
”Lies.”
>Once again her predatory fangs are revealed in one of her delighted grins.
>She looks more amused than you’d have expected.
>”I see.”