//------------------------------// // Reunion // Story: Antecedent // by Anonymous Pegasus //------------------------------// “Grandmother?” Raindrop asked weakly, staring up at Chrysalis. The unicorn nodded gently. “‘Course it’s me,” she replied with a wave of a hoof, before taking another hearty swig from her bottle of alcohol and slamming it back down on the table. She reached down, picked up her stick of charcoal, and continued to scrawl on the paper in front of her. “B-but... how?” Raindrop murmured, looking left and right, as though the answer might be written down somewhere. “I... Just...” “Celestia was... hasty, when she built the memorial,” Luna said, as she descended the stairs and stepped to the side, bowing her head in shame. “We merely reversed what our sister did, and used some of our magic to strengthen her. She is still very weak though. The alcohol doesn’t help.” Luna’s tone turned accusing on the last sentence. Chrysalis snorted, taking another long swig from the bottle. “Yer’re the one who brought me back and didn’t bring back Evergreen. Yer don’t get a say in this.” Luna’s ears splayed backwards, and she said quietly, “The male was too far gone...” Raindrop rubbed a hoof against her temple in disbelief. “I don’t get it...” “Your grandmother. She never actually died. Not before Celestia turned her to marble. Therefore, we could bring her back without too much trouble,” Luna explained, lowering her head again. “We did not wish to cause pain... but this is the only way we have of finding a solution to the threat.” “Why now?” Raindrop asked, turning an accusing glare on the dark princess. “Why now?!” “Because we have greater need of her,” Luna said, opening her mouth to continue, when Chrysalis cut across her. “Why don’t yer tell her the truth?” Chrysalis asked quietly. “The truth?” Luna asked blankly. Chrysalis turned to look back over her shoulder her eyes flashing green a moment. “That ah was never in that cottage to begin with,” she said flatly, eyes narrowing. “That the body in the cottage wasn’t even mine.” Raindrop stared at her grandmother for several long seconds, blinking slowly. “...r-really?” Chrysalis gave a long laugh at that, slapping the table with a hoof. “Goodness no child!” she chuckled, and then clucked her tongue. “Ah had no idea my grandchildren would be so... gullible.” “This is hardly a joking matter!” Raindrop scowled, her own eyes flashing green. “Luna told me. Changelings ah back. They’re wrecking stuff. Yer got the name of their new leader, right?” Chrysalis asked brusquely. “Chitin,” Raindrop responded automatically. “Ahhh, Chitin... She was a very loyal changeling, that one. Ah kept her close just for that. It’s nice ter know yer’ll not get stabbed in the back by yer underlings. She was also very much against killin’,” Chrysalis said, rubbing a hoof thoughtfully against her chin. “She weren’t exactly the ambitious type, either. Not a leader... More of a follower. Probably doesn’t bode well that she’s the new queen... She wasn’t the type ter be ambitious. She wanted the changelings ter be happy as a race, and she kept trying to convince me that taking over Canterlot wasn’t the answer...” Raindrop could stare as her own grandmother recounted her plans for taking over the capital city of Equestria in the same tone as she might discuss her apple pie recipe. “She’s gotta have an agenda. She can’t just be takin’ the elements because. There’d have to be a bigger plan behind it. Very methodic, she was.” Chrysalis hummed to herself thoughtfully, and then went back to her scrawling. “Chitin has taken over the Royal Palace,” Luna declared into the temporary lull in the conversation. Sentinel stiffened, eyes widening. A gasp behind her told Raindrop that Remedy had joined them, and she looked back over her shoulder to see Wisp lookin confused, and Firebrand looking rather flippant about the whole issue. Personally, Raindrop wasn’t sure how to feel about it. It was getting to be a bit much to take in all at once. “That’s... definitely not like Chitin,” Chrysalis said, frowning deeply and slipping off the seat, beginning to pace slowly back and forth. “She’s not the type ter launch a full-out offensive. Though she mighta changed a bit since I last knew her.” “We need the elements,” Luna stated. “Yer elements, they’re just the solution to all yer problems, aren’t they?” Chrysalis accused. Luna snorted once at the changeling. “They tend to be the most effective means of defusing a situation.” “Raindrop, yer one of the bearers, right?” Chrysalis asked, perking an ear at her granddaughter Raindrop recoiled slightly at that, and then she shook her head. “No, grandmother... I’m just... helping them.” Chrysalis frowned deeply at that, stalked over to the pegasus and staring into her eyes. Raindrop withered under the stern glare. She felt that Cee--Chrysalis--, could always tell when she was lying. “Yer lyin. Yer got a vested interest in the elements,” Chrysalis stated flatly. “Your blood is starting to resurface!” Raindrop accused, lifting a hoof and poking Chrysalis on the nose. “It already cost me my coltfriend, and I want it gone!” Chrysalis paused at that, raising a brow slowly, and then looking from Raindrop, to Sentinel. “And yet... Yer got that one’s scent on yer,” Chrysalis said bluntly. Raindrop flushed. Chrysalis gave a soft laugh at that. “Already moved on, huh? And yer are just chasing the elements like ah did, hoping they’ll magically fix yer so yer don’t suck him dry?” “I am immune to your kind,” Sentinel stated, stepping forwards, narrowing his eyes at the changeling. “Whatever Chitin did to the elements removed the block on my magic,” Chrysalis said, giving Sentinel a bat of her eyelids. “So don’t go makin’ such bold claims ‘less yer willing to test em.” “He’s a Royal Guard,” Raindrop stated flatly.,“Raised since birth to hunt down changelings.” “Ah heard of your kind.” Chrysalis gave a faint chuckle. “Ah find it amusing that yer running with someone who was trained ter hunt us.” “There is no us,” Raindrop said coldly, taking a step away from her grandmother. “So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?” Chrysalis asked, brows raising, her head tilting to the side slightly. “Yes,” Raindrop stated flatly, sidestepped to stand next to Sentinel, weaving her pinions with his own. “Yer can’t choose yer family,” Chrysalis said with a shake of her head. “But ah’m glad yer found someone, Raindrop. Now tell me, how many of the bearers have yer got?” “We have three,” Raindrop said, motioning behind her. “The fourth is proving to be... difficult.” “Well, yer’ll have ter go find him if yer expect them elements to do much good. Yer got leads on the other two, princess?” Chrysalis asked of Luna. Luna nodded once. “Celestia was quite certain on who the Element of Magic bearer is, but we don’t have the actual Element of Magic in our possession.” “Yer had all the others though, right?” Chrysalis countered, an ear perking. “Indeed.” “Then that’d be why Chitin attacked the palace. She done something with the elements to make its’ powers wear off on me and my kin, so she must be using em for something,” Chrysalis stated, lifting a hoof to rub at her chin again. “She wouldn’t attack the palace without having a plan. Too methodical fer that.” “We need the Elements of Harmony,” Luna stated. “If Chitin is indeed planning something that needs the elements, then we need to take them away from her. Even if it’s just the one.” “And the other bearers?” Chrysalis asked, raising a brow. “What yer gonna do about them?” “I shall retrieve the magic bearer, while Raindrop and the rest infiltrate the castle and take the elements,” Luna stated firmly. “We’ll focus on the other two bearers once we have the elements safely in hoof.” “Seems like a good plan,” Chrysalis said calmly, slipping to her hooves, stretching them out slowly in front of herself, and then tipping out the rest of her drink over the dirt floor. “Ah’m going with.” “You’re old and weak,” Luna said with a shake of her head. “You’ll slow them down.” Chrysalis snorted at that, and then stretched again, closing her eyes. Her entire form seemed to glow, and she stumbled a moment, before straightening up, standing just as tall as Luna now, in her ‘true’ form. Black form, sparkling, translucent wings, fangs. The Dark Queen once more. “We’re not going in there to fight.” Chrysalis smiled, revealing her pointed fangs. “And I already know the way.”