//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: The Equestrian Chronicle // by Souldrainr //------------------------------// "Andrew." "Hello?" "Andrew, wake up!" Andrew woke to the sight of Chrysalis standing in front of him. "We're here," she stated, gesturing behind him with her chin. He looked out the window behind him, rubbing his sore neck as he took in the sight of Canterlot. The train had stopped about a hundred yards from the city, and with the morning light he could easily make out the towering spires and buildings that lay beyond the white walls. He got up just as the doors opened, still rubbing his stiff neck. "Rough nap?" The changeling inquired. "You could say that..." Andrew mumbled. "My neck is killing me." "Why didn't you just lie down instead of lean against the window?" She asked as he took hold of his luggage. "I don't know," he admitted. "It didn't even cross my mind, I'm used to just going to sleep sitting on trains." Chrysalis stayed silent as they exited the train, Andrew taking a moment to crack his aching neck before taking in the scenery as they walked. The edge of the mountain was on the left of the road they were following, while on their right was a relatively flat grassland, at the end of which the rest of the wide mountain continued to rise far into the sky. There was a waterfall cutting through the side of the mountain, which created a small lake that then flowed over the left side, splitting around the building that marked the city entrance. A wooden drawbridge is what closed the watery gap. As they approached the bridge, the two guards standing at its sides halted their hushed whispers. The one on the left cleared his throat and asked, "Detmer, correct?" Andrew nodded. "We weren't expecting you so soon... Ah, no matter." He looked to the disguised Chrysalis "And you are...?" "She's with me," Andrew said. The stallion frowned, then glanced at Chrysalis's back. He quickly looked away and said, "Very well, enjoy your stay." "I understand this will be your first time in the city, would you like a guide?" The other guard asked. Andrew shook his head, "No thanks." The stallion nodded. "If you insist, but don't be afraid to ask for directions, you won't find nicer ponies in all of Equestria than in our city." With that, they crossed the bridge and walked through the porcelain white halls of the building before exiting on the other side. This time, a downward-winding stretch of suspended road was all that separated them from Canterlot proper. Andrew groaned. "Who the hell decided to build a city on the side of a mountain, and why did they think that would be a good idea?" "Who knows," Chrysalis replied, "maybe you'll get to ask her yourself. On the topic of questions, though, It feels like there's something you want to ask me." She turned her head to the left to look at him, waiting for a response. "Yeah," Andrew confirmed, "about that disguise, are you sure you wouldn't rather be in your own skin?" He let go of his luggage's handle and it rolled up alongside him, keeping pace with the duo. He gestured to the suitcase, "I mean, look at me. A few weeks ago, I couldn't use my powers in public because then the entire world would probably be after me." He then gestured to the sky around them, "Here though, I'm free to use it all the time, and nobody cares. These powers are a part of me, and I like not having to hide them." Finally, he gestured to her, "What's the point of finally being free from that desert if you're still going to walk around looking like someone else?" The changeling stood still, halting their progress. She eyed him wearily, "You realize that the locals won't receive me very well right?" "Who cares!?" Andrew scoffed, raising his voice. He could feel the anger beginning to bubble up inside him. "It's not like the guards are going to do anything. I mean.... You're not just going to let them..." He trailed off. "...You seem to be taking this rather personally, aren't you?" She guessed, eyes narrowing. She said it more like a statement than a question. He looked away, remembering how often he had been picked on at school, mostly at the hands of Dwayne. His anger cleared somewhat when he reminisced on how he had called to the bully in the hallway not too long ago, the moment he had turned around, Andrew had deftly 'lassoed' the bullies two front teeth right out of his mouth. Well, perhaps not too cleanly, as only one of the teeth was pulled completely, while only the top half of the other was taken. He couldn't help but smile softly at the memory, Dwayne had gotten was coming to him. He swallowed, clearing away his smile as he turned back to Chrysalis. She was looking at him with a soft grin. Chrysalis was engulfed in a swathe of green flames, the fire disappearing as quickly as it came, leaving behind the changeling in her original form. "Alright then," she said, raising a foreleg and eyeing the various holes. "We can try it your way." They resumed along the path, and less than a minute later they crossed the gates, the final threshold into the city. The intersection they had stumbled into was bustling with activity, ponies walking to and fro, this way and that. The building was a bright pearly white with purple and gold designs of various shapes and sizes. And then everything stopped. They hadn't gotten more than a few steps into the city before all eyes were trained on them. The dozens of ponies stared blankly at the human and changeling, though which surprised them more, they couldn't tell. They never stopped moving, and as they walked further into the street, several ponies stepped aside to make way for them. The moment the crowd was behind them, the silence was broken as dozens of hushed whispers broke out. "How could the princess possibly let such a vile creature back here?" A mare asked in a pompous tone, clearly not caring who heard her. "And that new human pony is with her too, what do you think that's about?" A stallion questioned. "My cousin is a royal guard." Another stallion chimed in. "He heard from his squad mate who heard from his captain who was at the summit that the changeling she-devil-" Whatever the stallion said, they were too far away now to hear it. Making use of their regained privacy, Andrew spoke. "So, what did you get from them?" He asked curiously. "Nothing I wasn't already expecting," She replied. "Hate, confusion, disgust, a bit of which was aimed at you, I might add." Andrew gave the changeling a quizzical look, "Really? Just from being with you?" "Yes," she answered, "Just for being with me, welcome to the Equestria, the land of love and tolerance," she said in a mocking tone. "Well, it's not like we have to be here for that long anyway," Andrew said with a shrug. Given that there was little doubt they would have to stay in the city for a day or so, a little animosity from the residents wasn't that big of a deal. They rounded a corner and were now approaching a large, open area bustling with activity. It looked to be some sort of market square, and it was filled to the brim with commerce, be it inside the many stores, or the numerous stands outside. Andrew lagged a step behind the changeling, in part because he assumed she knew the way to the castle, and in part to avoid drawing most of the attention. His efforts didn't seem to amount to anything once they entered the square, however, as they once again almost immediately earned the undivided attention of every last soul in view. Regardless, Chrysalis led them forward all the same, getting to the center of the square before stopping and glancing around at the ponies looking back at them. It took Andrew a moment to realize that their way forward was blocked by a large group ponies, though it didn't seem intentional. He opened his mouth to speak, but one of the stallions in front of him spoke first. "Aren't you that alien thing that cropped up in Ponyville not too long ago?" He asked. "Yeah!" Another stallion answered from somewhere behind them. "He's the thing that caused that storm!" "I heard he was the one that stopped it, though." Before anyone else could respond, an older stallion in a suit pushed his way through the crowd to enter the large open space in the center and pointed a hoof at Chrysalis and yelled, "I remember you! You were the monster that hurt the princess during Cadence's wedding!" Chrysalis gave Andrew a look that said, "I told you so". She then replied with, "Yes, and so what if I am?" The older stallion snarled in disgust, "You would dare to show that grotesque visage of yours in our fair city again, after what you did to us!?" "After what I did to you?" Chrysalis snarled right back. "Please, do tell." "You ruined my house's chimney!" Someone in the crowd exclaimed. "You broke my shop's windows!" Another shouted. Andrew didn't have to be a changeling to know that Chrysalis was doing her all to suppress her rage. "You think you had it bad, I had to spend the next week stuck on the ground with a broken wing!" "Jesus Christ..." Andrew muttered low enough so only Chrysalis could hear. Although she wouldn't recognize the human idiom, she could probably figure it out by sensing his emotions. He stopped paying attention to the complaints the crowd was spewing in their direction, and that's all they really were, complaints. They kept going on about how the changeling invasion had inconvenienced them in some way. Chrysalis was practically growling at this point, her rows of sharp teeth on display to any who happened to look. She began to take a step toward the ponies only to stop when she felt Andrew place his hand on her back. She glanced back at the human, only to see him shake his head. "Don't," he began, "they're more trouble than they're worth. Let's just get out of here." Although the changeling didn't take another step, she still couldn't pry herself from the commotion. Then it all stopped. Rather, stopped wasn't the right word, as the crowd was getting rowdier by the moment, though their yelling was now directed among themselves more so than Chrysalis. However, while visually the crowd was a sea of grimaces and angry faces, no sound reached them. Chrysalis gave the muted crowd a quizzical look before turning it towards the human. "I- I thought you only had telekinesis, how are you doing this?" "It's a lot easier than it looks," Andrew assured. "Let's just slip by while they're busy with... whatever it is that they're doing." Without another word, they continued to make their way towards one of the streets exiting the square, now bereft of ponies as they had all huddled closer together behind them to better dispute. They exited the square without issue, taking the first left, but stopping a few moments later when a shadow caught Andrew's eye. He stopped and turned to see a beige coated unicorn colt on the floor rubbing his forehead. He also appeared to be muttering something at them, and Andrew wasted no more time before collapsing his bubble. A gentle breeze ran through him and the now turned changeling as the air rushed to fill the empty space. Noticing that he had their attention, the colt stood up with an annoyed expression. "Hey! I was calling you guys!" He exclaimed. "Uh... sorry," Andrew apologized, "we couldn't hear you." It wasn't technically a lie, right? He thought to himself. Seemingly oblivious to Andrew's apology, the colt's expression changed to one of awe as he looked up at them. He looked from one to the other and said, "You guys don't have any fur!" Before either of them could reply, the colt gasped loudly, then ran up and shoved one of his legs straight through one of the holes on Chrysalis's foreleg. The changeling stood stiff and wide-eyed at the brazen action. She had to crane her neck back and head down to properly look down at the rude colt. "Woow, that's so cool, how do I get holes in my legs?" The unruly child asked a bemused Chrysalis. Chrysalis gave the colt a forced, toothy smile, gritting her teeth as she answered with, "I'll be more than happy to show you, just as soon as you—" Andrew interrupted the changeling when he bent over grabbed the colt on his sides, then slid him away from the changeling. "Hey!" He protested. "Thank you," Chrysalis said as she eyed her leg with a frown. Andrew was now holding the colt at arm's length under the armpits. He was looking down at Andrew's hands with a mixture of curiosity and displeasure. "So," Chrysalis began, "does our intrusive little pony have a name?" "Yeah! Blink Bright!" He replied enthusiastically, seemingly no longer concerned about his current position. "Seriously? Blink Bright?" Andrew questioned as he glanced at the colt's cutie mark which was nothing more than a large spark. "So like, what are you supposed to do, be a strobe light?" He heard a snicker from Chrysalis. "Hey!" Blink cried. "I'm not a strobe light, I'm a super skilled unicorn!" "Uh huh," Andrew agreed, "and I can make a storm appear out of nowhere." "You can?" Blink asked, not a hint of skepticism in his eyes. "Put the colt down so we can get something to eat," Chrysalis said. "I'm tired of hospital food, and I can't remember the last time I've eaten fresh meat. "Right around this corner!" A distant voice called out. Andrew and Chrysalis looked ahead to see a unicorn royal guard and the elder stallion from before rounding the corner, Blink having to turn his head around to see. The moment both groups saw each other, the elder stallion pointed and screamed, "They have a child! Stop them." The guard's vision turned red with bloodlust and he wasted no time in charging the two like any rational character of authority. The guard instantly readied his spear, but upon noticing the colt's smile, he gave an inaudible groan before saying something to the stallion. The stallion snarled in frustration, before turning and leaving the way they came. Andrew set Blink on the ground as the guard approached them, the spear now lowered. "Thanks for not instantly trying to murder us," Andrew said. The guard snorted, "What, did you expect me to see the kid, then try and take you down without so much as trying to get a word of explanation from you? Anypony that does that clearly doesn't belong in the royal guard." He looked down to catch Blink trying to squeeze his head through a particularly large hole in Chrysalis's hind leg. She, in turn, kept trying to push him away. "Anyways, just to be sure, you two aren't the ones disturbing the peace?" The guard asked. "You came here from the same direction we did, you tell us," Chrysalis said as she lit her horn and formed a mouse wheel around Blink, who saw it not as a mobile prison but as his next toy. "Hmm, right, I figured as much," the guard nodded. "And what about him?" He indicated towards the colt. "And him?" "He isn't with us," Chrysalis answered. "In fact, it would be a huge help if you were to take him with you." "I can do that, know where you're going?" "Could you point us to a decent restaurant that serves meat?" Andrew asked. The guard took a moment to think before answering. "Well, if you're heading to the castle, I'm sure the chefs there will be more than happy to cater to your needs, and the quality will beat even the finest of restaurants you'll find in the city." "Oh, well I guess that works too." Andrew agreed. "Just keep in mind that day court started not too long ago, so it might be awhile until you get to speak with her. What's the young one's name?" Andrew rolled his eyes, "Blink Bright..." "And he already has his cutie mark too," The guard mused with a smile. "Blink Bright!" He called out to the colt, who was currently running circles around the changeling. His ears perked up at the sound of his name and he turned to look at the guard. "Why don't you come with me so we can see about getting you home." Blink's horn shone a coffee colored hue as, in an almost blinding flash of light, he popped into existence on the back of the guard's neck. "Already teleporting at that age?!" The guard said incredulously. "Ain't that something." "Before you go, are you new to Canterlot?" Chrysalis asked. "Eeyup," the guard answered, "still in training, though. I managed to get myself a day of unsupervised patrol today." He turned to leave while saying, "I should really be heading back now, somepony needs to keep that crowd calm." She nodded thoughtfully and muttered, "Well that explains that." After the guard left, they continued their walk towards the castle. The grand building was on the other side of the city resting against the mountain overlooking the whole of Canterlot. "So, how hard is teleporting?" Andrew asked, breaking the silence. "He seemed pretty impressed when that kid did it, but it can't be that hard if some random kid can learn it, right?" The changeling shook her head. "No, it actually is rather difficult," she replied. "But a pony's cutie mark has a marked effect on their aptitude in whatever it relates to, and in that colt's case, it must have been teleportation magic. That simply makes him an exception." Andrew didn't reply. As they approached a busy street, the ponies gave them a wide berth. There were quite a few hushed whispers surrounding them, as well as scornful looks directed at the changeling, and even him as if by association. Other than that, however, the rest of the walk to the castle was rather uneventful, and they soon found themselves at the entrance to the grand building. The guard didn't bother to hide his disgust towards Chrysalis, and refrained from speaking so much as a word to her. He allowed them passage into the castle almost immediately, after insisting that Andrew give advanced notice 'next time'. They turned a corner and had to stop abruptly, lest they bump into the back of the stallion at the back of a long line of nobles, at the end of which was a tall double door that could only be the throne room. "Andrew!?" They both turned around to face none other than Luna. Much to the human's surprise, the smiling alicorn wrapped a foreleg around him and pressed the side of her face against his chest in a hug. Ever since his arrival in Equestria, the physical contact he's had with others had been minimal at best, the majority of it coming from situations where it couldn't be helped, like sitting in a crowded table. Too stunned to return the gesture, Chrysalis spoke on his behalf. "You're making him uncomfortable," She stated. Luna pulled back in surprise, now noticing how stiff Andrew had become. "Oh dear," she said with a frown, "my apologies Andrew, that was never my intent." "No, it's fine," Andrew assured. "I just wasn't expecting it is all." Luna nodded and turned towards the changeling. "Hello Chrysalis, I believe this is our first informal meeting." "Luna," the changeling said, "the mare in the moon herself. I've only ever heard stories of nightmare moon, not so much the mare that would later become 'darkness incarnate'." Luna chuckled. "Well, I'll be happy to tell you over some breakfast, you two look famished. Come, follow me." The alicorn turned and began leading them through the castle halls. "So, I take it you are recovering well?" Luna asked, gesturing her head to the left, indicating she was speaking to the changeling behind her. "Well enough, I suppose," Chrysalis answered. "The sooner I can leave that town, the better." "About that," Luna started, "Andrew, have you been thinking of where you want to go? Personally, I would recommend Manehattan as your first stop, as that will probably be most familiar to your world. "Would that not defeat the purpose?" Chrysalis asked "Hmm, I suppose so," Luna replied, "but is it not better to take things slow at first?" "Well I've been 'taking it slow' since I got here," Andrew said as they came to a door labeled 'kitchen'. "I don't just want more of the same, I want to see more animals like griffons and dragons, not more talking ponies.. Uhh, no offense.” Luna rolled her eyes. "It's fine, your thirst for adventure is justified, considering where you are now versus before." With that, she opened the door, and the various chefs inside turned to look at their princess. "Greetings," Luna began as all the chefs gave her curt bows. "Y-your highness." One of the chefs said. "I presume today's breakfast will include your guests as well?" He gave Andrew and Chrysalis a curious glance. Luna nodded, then turned to look at the pair and said, "Feel free to order whatever you like, our pantry can cater to any diet." Luna sat at the end of the dining table, with Andrew to her right and Chrysalis next to him. "Won't you be bothered by our food?" Andrew asked the alicorn. Due to the paltry snacks provided on the train, he and Chrysalis both decided to skip what would be considered a conventional breakfast, and instead ordered steak and mashed potatoes for him, while the changeling preferred a combination of various meats and fish he had never heard of. "I'll be fine," she replied, opening her mouth and showing off two small fangs. "Remnants of my transformation a thousand years ago. Since then, I've even developed an appetite for meat, one that I have no qualms indulging in every now and then. Speaking of food, however, how exactly do you two plan on feeding yourselves during your travels? Andrew's stipend should suffice when staying in a town, but depending on where exactly you are headed, and the paths you take, you could very well be alone for days or weeks at a time." The human shrugged, "Well, I know how to cook, enough to not undercook anything at least, and catching food shouldn't be an issue with my powers." "Is there a problem with eating meat raw?" Chrysalis inquired. "For us yes," Andrew replied. "There are enough diseases you can get by eating raw meat back home, not about to risk it with chickens that can turn people into stone." "Understandable," Luna said with a nod. "And what of you, Chrysalis. Solids are one thing, but how will you satiate your other dietary need?" "I'll manage," the changeling answered. "In other words, you have no idea," Luna accused. "What does it matter to you?" Chrysalis asked. "You weren't even aware of my existence a few months ago, and the only thing you can attribute to me is the failed invasion of your city that you casually slept through." The alicorn shook her head in disappointment, "Were it not for my sister's lax treatment of this era's army, I have no doubt we would have been able to resolve it with minimal casualties." "Well, it's a little late for 'would haves'," Chrysalis commented. "So it is," Luna agreed, "the Changeling War came after my banishment, so I only have my sister's account of the events that transpired. I'm not exactly capable of forming an unbiased opinion on the matter. From what my sister recounted, it was a silent war full of widespread disappearances and spies, our subjects tortured for information before being disposed of and impersonated." "Get to the point." Chrysalis seethed. "I want your side of the story," the alicorn clarified. "That will be rather difficult," Chrysalis began, "considering I have no such information to give. My queen was more worried about keeping us fed than holding history lessons." "Oh... I see." Luna said with a frown before looking at the human. "Andrew, is there something wrong?" "Huh? No, why?" He answered. "You haven't been talking," Luna commented. "Kind of hard to considering I have almost no clue what you're talking about." "Then I suppose a change of topic is in order then," Luna suggested. "Have there been any new developments with your powers? I've been reading all the letters Twilight has sent us, but has there been anything more recent of note?" Andrew shook his head. "Not really, no." "Then what was that sound barrier you created earlier?" Chrysalis questioned. "Sound barrier?" Luna said skeptically. "Yes," the changeling continued, "whatever he did, it was a perfect copy of a sound barrier spell." "Your applications of telekinesis continue to astound me, Andrew," Luna said. He stayed silent at that. It wasn't long before their food was served and they spent the next half hour partaking in relative silence. Luna had tried to strike up a conversation several times, but Andrew and Chrysalis's primary focus was being directed at wolfing down their food. By the time Celestia had a break from her day court activities, neither party had the strength for extended conversation, one too stuffed with food and the other from dealing with countless stubborn nobles. The elder alicorn sighed as she summarized the next document that needed to be signed. She sat in her office room, with Andrew and Chrysalis seated across from her. "This," she began in a bored tone, "is what will give you discounted lodgings at any hotels or, if you're in a less developed area, inns. You can also be fed for free at most establishments, but that is only to be used if you are genuinely starving, abusing this will incur a harsh punishment." Andrew signed the paper without fuss, then slid it over to the changeling to do the same. Chrysalis snorted. "How much more of this is there?" "Not much more," Celestia assured, grabbing yet another paper from the stack at her side. She abbreviated its contents, then they signed it. The process repeated itself several more times before the last document was placed into a folder with the rest. "Well, that just about covers it," the alicorn stated. She looked outside the window to her sun and said, "It's only just past five, I can lead you to your rooms now so you know where they are, and can have two copies of everything ready for you come morning." Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, so what's next?" "Nothing," Celestia stated. "As of this moment, you are legally your own, err, persons. So long as you stay within the law, you may go where you wish and do as you please. Celestia got up from her desk and opened a drawer, levitating a leather pouch from within. She floated it over to Andrew, the human cupping his hands to catch the falling purse. "What is that for?" Chrysalis asked, eyeing the empty bag. "Andrew's bi-monthly stipend will be delivered directly to that coin purse," Celestia answered. Andrew frowned and asked, "Is it safe for me to hold onto it?" "Not to worry," Celestia said. "The spell is imbued within a piece of onyx at the bottom of the pouch. Did Rarity explain how onyx works?" "She did," Andrew replied. "And I take it cloak is her hoofwork?" She asked with a smile. "Yeah," Andrew said, earning Chrysalis's interest as she no doubt felt his excitement rising. Fizzling mist surrounded the entirety of the cloak, the changeling took a step away from the human while Celestia's eyes widened at the sight. Just as quickly as it appeared, the mist faded away, leaving no trace that it was ever there. "Well then," Celestia began with a chuckle, "I know Rarity can be a bit eccentric, but to turn your powers into a fashion statement only you could pull off... I do believe our fashionista has outdone herself, I ought to commission something for Chrysalis as well." "I'm just fine as I am," the changeling stated. "If you insist," Celestia relented. "With all that out of the way, let me show you to your rooms, then you can go about your day as you see fit, but try to come back before eight if you'd like to order something from the kitchens." As they were led through the white marble halls of the castle, Andrew couldn't help but notice how Chrysalis was eyeing each and every guard they walked past, suspicion etched on her face the entire time. "Here we are," Celestia said once they had arrived. She gestured to the two doors next to each other and said, "both rooms are mirrored in appearance and share the same balcony. If there is anything at all you need just pass on the message to a maid and they'll see what can be done. Now, as much as I would like to stay and chat, my break will be over soon and I need to get back to my duties." With a final "thanks" from Andrew, the alicorn left them to their own devices.