Chapter 2
 
Christie, this is a bad idea.
>”Shut up, I’m telling you, this will work.”
You know every time I say something will turn out bad?
>The girl turns to you, annoyed.
>Her green hair flicks with her head, swinging in the air.
>She was Chrysalis, a changeling.
>Lately, she insisted to stay as a human, just to make you comfortable.
>Comfortable.
>Right.
>A human girl staying in a same house with a maturing young man?
>Right- perfectly logical.
>She snaps her fingers at your face, bringing your attention to her.
>Her annoyed stare is enough to make you focus.
I need to get back to Mom, she needs help today.
>”Anon, look, it is right there! We just need to take it!”
>You clench your teeth, and think for a second.
>The ‘hospital’ home isn’t exactly working out well.
>The Green Plague wasn’t helping either.
>More and more ponies flocked to your cramped home every day.
>Your mother was just too kind to let them away.
>This disease rampant in the closely packed, dirty lower levels of the capital.
>Speak of the devil, you start coughing again.
>You then spit out the sickly green mucus, which nearly glowed with the presence of the Green Plague.
>You take your canteen and take a quick chug.
>The mixture is bitter and about as lovely as tits on a dragon.
>You tried adding sugar to the mixture.
>That made you really nauseous.
>As the liquid travels down your throat, and it burns each inch it touches.
>It was like drinking alcohol, but to save your life.
>The after taste was the worst, however.
>This stinging bitterness stayed for a while, enough to destroy any good taste.
>You still cough, as you force the mixture down.
>Chrysalis looks to you in worry and disgust.
>”Do you have to drink at ALL the time?” She asks.
>You shrug and give her a stare.
>’NO WAY, REALLY?’
>She shrugs as well.
>”Good thing Changelings don’t get the Plague.”
Yeah, fuck you too.
>”Now, now Anon, manners, that’s no way to treat a lady.”
>You grunt and roll your eyes.
>Chrysalis looks over the stone wall, and ushers you to it.
>You follow silently, looking over as well.
>You can spot about five ponies, all stallions.
>As usual, they are unclothed.
>Chrysalis points at the tan pony leading the conversation down below.
>”There, that’s the one with the bits, see him?”
>Your eyes dance over his body, trying to locate the purse.
>You eventually spot it over his cutie mark, which was, to your un-surprise, a coin purse.
>Chrysalis flashes a pocket knife.
>”Shall we get to work?”
>You smile, putting a bandana over your nose and mouth.
>You take her knife, and slowly climb down.
>You first perch yourself over the wall, right above the ponies.
>Those poor, poor ponies.
Christie.
>You say, stopping the eager girl with your hand.
We don’t kill, okay?
>”I know that, I just want a taste of their emotions.”
>Your lips straighten and you raise a brow.
You sure? Just a taste?
>She looks up in annoyance and grunts.
>”Fine, no tasting- besides-“
>She punches you on the arm.
>”I got you anyway.”
>You smile, and can’t help to blush.
>”Come on, let’s go.”
>The two of you jump forward, grappling to the building right in front of you.
>You hoist yourself up, and creep up through the flat roof of the building.
>You reach the end, and slide.
>There is a small opening between the building and the one behind it, and you and Chrysalis take it.
>You immediately kick your legs forward, slowing your descent with the friction.
>Once you have lost your momentum, you plop to the ground, landing on the wet floor.
>Why must it always be wet.
>You put your arms upward, catching Chrysalis, who fell into your arms.
>Normal stuff, really.
>You let her down, and stick to the wall.
>Two corners.
>You slowly come out, Chrysalis right behind you.
>Not much activity here.
>You stick to the wall again, slowly tracing your way to the very corner which led to the merchants.
>You motion Chrysalis to go, and she does not miss a beat.
>She lurches out, running through the ponies.
>They jump in surprise, and Chrysalis runs- pushing her way through.
>She finally props a smoke spell at the target, and takes the closest corner.
>Now, it’s your turn.
>You run out, passing through the stunned ponies.
>You see a puddle under the target and take the chance.
>You slide, shooting into the smoke.
>You quickly spot the stallion, coughing the smoke away.
>As you lurched forward, you quickly grabbed the purse.
>With your other hand, you cut its bindings, loosening the purse.
>You scramble to your feet and follow Chrysalis’ corner.
>Chrysalis pops another smoke spell, covering your escape.
 
>The two of you laugh heartily, as you clink the bottle.
>You found around twenty bits.
>Enough for two bottles of alcohol and some bread.
>You can easily spot the flush on her face, Chrysalis was no alcoholic.
>Neither were you.
>Your visions blurred, and you felt the lack of balance on your part.
I think that’s enough for tonight.
>You mutter, collecting the bottles.
>You drop it into the corner and go over to help Chrysalis up.
>She clearly can’t handle it.
Dammit Christie, why do we drink?
>You hold her up, trying to balance out her shaky movements.
>She hiccups, and collapses into your arms.
>You were used to it.
>”I-I don’t know.” She then starts giggling.
>You put your right leg a bit backwards, and bend it absorb her weight.
>”Maybe I just like to forget.”
Forget what?
>You slowly limp your way home, towards mother.
>Shit, she is going to kill you.
>”Forget that we live in a dump…”
>She almost falls to the ground, and you place her arm over your shoulders, and do the same to her.
>”Forget that we have a house full of sick ponies…”
>You notice the sign on your house.
>Yep, that’s the place.
>”Forget that the entire Equestria DON’T CARE!”
>She shouts to the night sky, probably waking some poor ponies.
>You finally reach the door, and fish your pocket for the keys.
>Chrysalis ducks away from your arm, and lunges forward.
>She pins you to the door, with a loud thud.
>You can already make out her drunken expression.
>She reverts back to her original form, a changeling.
 
>She was about your chest height, with her extra crooked horn.
>Her mane is about half-way grown to her neck, almost long, but not quite there.
>She has knobby knees, sharply pointing out.
>She said she would grow into it.
>You can notice the holes on her legs, still fresh from her filly-hood.
>The shine on her carapace is still there, but slowly fading.
>The green ring around her abdomen looks stretched, and was too thin to cover anything.
>Her wings were at least fully developed.
>She never bothered to fly much through, she preferred to run around with you.
>The canines are poking out of her lips, and the one on the right is longer than the left.
>You can notice the pink stands of metal holding her teeth in place.
>Her eyes are always the deep green, enough for anyone to lose themselves in.
>That is, if they haven’t seen her entire body.
>Chrysalis says she’s in a phase, but you have to say,
>She looks pretty much the same.
>A bit taller, through.
 
>”And forget that…”
>She trails off, looking away.
>You try to squirm to freedom; you know her drunken nonsense more than anyone.
>She’s always complaining about the house, the city and-
>”You’re sick.”
>You freeze.
>”I’m just afraid that…”
>You stay there, like an idiot.
>”You’ll turn into those –husks- in there.”
>She buries her head in your chest, cuddling up to the warmth of your body.
>”Promise me, Anon, Promise me.”
>Your limbs finally move, and it slowly encases the changeling.
>It feels so mechanical.
Sure thing, Christie, what?
>”Don’t ever go sick like that, okay?”
>You nod and shoot her a confident smile.
Come on, me? Nah.
>She smiles too, before reverting back to her human form.
>Huh, revert.
>Looks like you’ve gotten used to her looks.
>”And Anon?”
>Your eyes perk up, and go over Chrysalis.
>”You are the best friend I’ve ever had.”
>You smile again.
This isn’t the Chrysalis I know! Who are you and what have you done to my friend?
>She smiles widely, showing you the full blown view of her teeth and its restraints.
>Yeah, how can the stallions resist that?
>But you had to admit, it was a bit cute.
>She grins, before punching you square in the arm.
There we go! No more alcohol for the two of us now.
>She shifts nervously, as you turn and reach for the door.
>You hear the click of the door, and you slowly enter.
>The door, the goddamn door rats you out.
>As it opens, it lets out a loud screech, and the noise echoes through the house.
>You turn to Chrysalis, whose face turned quite grey.
You don’t think-
>”She heard you?”
>Shit.
>Mom.
>Your mother stands by the stairs, looking tired as ever.
>She coughs, and then stares at the two of you.
>”Anon, you promised you would be home by ten.”
>Mom glances over to the clock.
>”It’s midnight.”
WELL-
>You step inside, looking around, trying to distract your mother’s freezing stare.
I do not recall such deal.
>”Anonymous, and do I smell-“
>She leans in closer and sniffs the stain on your shirt.
>Damn her chemist nose.
>”Alcohol?”
 
>Chrysalis stares to you.
>She can taste the ice-cold fear oozing from you, and from your mother-
>Stale worry, that spicy anger and-
>Fear?
 
>”ANONYMOUS, HOW MANY TIMES DO I-“
>Mother breaks into a flurry of coughs, spitting out the green saliva everywhere.
>She falls to her knees.
>You immediately rush over to her, helping her up.
>No, she had her medicine this morning.
>Did she?
>You give her your own canteen, which she pushes away.
>You can’t make out anything from her coughs.
Dammit mom, take the drink!
>She refuses your last sip- this was yours for the rest of the week.
>She continues to cough, before stopping.
>The floor is littered with the green slime, which Chrysalis promptly cleans up.
>She looks to you with worry, and you return it.
>Then your mother coughs one more time, letting out another liquid.
>She examines it, and gasps.
>She hides it from your sight.
 
>Chrysalis can taste the intensified fear.
>The cold was almost… burning.
 
You alright, mom?
>You say helping the old woman to her feet.
>She staggers a little.
>”Yes, yes, I need to- Go rest.”
>She wipes the hand on a napkin, and throws it away.
>She groans, and goes up the stairs, to her room.
>You turn to Chrysalis, who was still absorbed in the cleaning.
>She finally locks eyes with you, and you can see the worry in her eyes.
>You can only assume you are doing the same.
>You bend over and pick up the napkin.
>This wasn’t mucus.
>It was much lighter, less base and-
>Red.
>It was blood.
 
>You silently drop the napkin into the trash bin, still silent.
>”What’s wrong, Anon?”
Second stage.
>You whisper, letting the shock sink.
The Second stage.
>Chrysalis inches closer.
>”Second stage?”
Rust lung.
>”I’m sorry, what?”
>You shoot up, and slowly turn to Chrysalis, who flinched at the sight.
>You gasp once and start trembling.
Rust Lung, the second stage.