//------------------------------// // Epilogue: Repentance // Story: The Retribution of Chrysalis // by Fallen Prime //------------------------------// “Well, would ya look at that!” Applejack remarked as the carriage Celestia sent them off on touched down in front of the library. “Ah almost forgot about all th’ apples Ah brought over t’help cheer up Chrysalis! And it looks like nopony’s gone through ‘em, either!” Twilight observed the moderately large cart resting just shy of where their carriage landed. It really did look like there wasn’t an apple out of place, which was rather impressive, given the famous quality of Sweet Apple Acres’ star product. It was surprising that nopony had tried to take advantage of the unguarded stockpile of free apples, or at least that so few ponies did that it didn’t even show with a cursory glance. “That just makes setting up the party that much easier!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, and before anypony else could ask what party she was talking about, she shot off in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. “I was not aware of any party,” Rarity stated. “Though given how momentous an occasion this is for Chrysalis, I do agree that some sort of celebration is in order.” “You’re still doing alright, right, Chrysalis?” Fluttershy asked as the carriage departed behind them. “I’m so glad there’s still some hope, but not being able to hear their thoughts like you should... that can’t be easy for you to just come back from.” “I’ve never been better,” Chrysalis assured her, “and this party should only further that positivity. I’m curious, however, as the last one was disrupted... how long would one of these normally last?” “Considering the fact that you’re basically moving in and getting your subjects back into shape?” Spike replied. “Chryssy, you’re in for a long night.” “You’ll be alright out there, won’t you, darling?” Cadance asked the next morning as Shining Armor and his troops were preparing to depart from Canterlot. “What, you don’t think I can take care of myself?” Shining quipped. “I was the one who had to bail you out at the wedding, remember?” Cadance countered. Just as she expected, Shining was left without a good argument for that. “Well, I guess I should probably head out,” Shining said, rubbing his neck. “Wait,” Cadance insisted. “There’s something else. Something Twilight told me to give to you.” She reached into her saddlebags with her magic and pulled out a neatly-folded sheet of paper. Shining took the sheet, opened it, and looked over its contents. “What is this? A spell?” “The communication spell she used yesterday,” Cadance confirmed. “She wrote up two copies, and the other one went to me. She did suggest you use yours to reach Princess Celestia once you found a live one so she could expand it again and take them off your hooves personally, but more importantly, we’ll still be able to see each other, even while you’re gone!” Oddly, Shining frowned and sighed. “I’m grateful for that, and I’ll probably be using it often, but it still just won’t be the same as having you next to me. There’s plenty of things I’ll miss being able to do.” “Like wha—” Cadance attempted to ask, but was cut off by a surprise kiss from Shining, which she all too gladly returned. After a few moments, Shining broke the kiss. “Like that,” he answered with a smirk. “Bet you’re gonna miss that too, huh?” “I suppose,” Cadance teased, blushing lightly. She did have to admit, though, that Shining had a point. She would sorely miss the contact, the feeling of closeness... but she figured that something was still better than nothing. She’d still be able to see him, even if she couldn’t be right there with him. Speaking of ponies who were supposed to be right there with him, Cadance finally took notice of the fact that she was the only one seeing him and his men off. “Uh... Shining, wasn’t Twilight supposed to come by to say goodbye?” “She said she couldn’t,” Shining informed her. “Something about helping Chrysalis get settled in. Don’t worry about it.” Cadance couldn’t help but notice how disappointed Shining looked despite his claims. It must have been hurting him to not have his sister there to support him as he was getting ready to leave for a months-long trip outside of Equestria. And no sooner than the thought had entered her head did they hear a bizarre noise coming from right beside Cadance. When she turned to look at the source, she saw a green-edged spatial window looking out at Ponyville, with Twilight and Chrysalis on the other side. “Twily!” Shining shouted excitedly. “You managed to see me off after all!” “I couldn’t let my BBBFF leave without getting in a goodbye,” Twilight remarked. “Chrysalis insisted on opening it up this time, but we both wanted to catch you before you left.” “That was exhausting,” Chrysalis complained. “Either I’m going to need to find energy soon, or your capacity for magic is a thing to be revered.” “Knowing Twilight, and having seen you beat my aunt in a magic beam war, I think it’s a bit of both,” Cadance replied, eliciting a chuckle from Shining. “Well, I don’t think I can stall this for much longer,” Shining admitted. “I really don’t like cutting it so short already, but if I don’t get moving soon, Princess Celestia’s probably going to make me.” “Alright then. Good luck, Shining!” Twilight cheered. “Come back safely!” “I wish you luck as well,” Chrysalis stated. “But you must promise me that you will find my subjects, wherever they may be scattered, and bring them back to me.” “They’ll probably be carted to a hospital once I get them over there,” Shining replied. “If you want to see them before they wake up, it’d probably be a good idea to look up the Canterlot medical center’s visiting hours.” “Then you will inform me of your findings as soon as you make them?” Chrysalis inquired. “Once they’re in safe hooves, absolutely,” Shining promised. Cadance grabbed Shining for one last hug. “Please, Shining Armor, be safe. I love you.” “Love you too, Cadance,” Shining returned. “I’ll try to keep contact every night.” “If you don’t, I will,” Cadance vowed, releasing herself from his embrace. With those parting words, Shining and his troops finally set off for parts unknown, and all Cadance could do was smile tearfully and wave. These next few months were going to be rough on her. She missed him already. “Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow awoke from her nap at the sound of her name. She recognized the voice as belonging to Twilight, and she immediately fluffed up her cloud and made herself comfortable again. “Come on, Rainbow,” Twilight insisted. “I need to talk to you.” “If this is about that fight,” Rainbow replied, keeping her back turned to her friend, “you might as well save it. I’m gonna work through it at my own speed.” “That’s not good enough. I want to earn your trust back. It won’t feel right unless I work for it.” Rainbow couldn’t help but be a little impressed. Twilight was really serious about setting this straight. She almost felt bad for blowing her off all this time. And she’d already forgiven her the moment she apologized, sore as she still was about the whole thing. Still, she supposed she had to keep up appearances. What Twilight said had hit pretty hard, and she still intended to linger on it. To pace herself in the coping process. “What did you have in mind?” Rainbow asked, reluctantly turning to face Twilight. “Well...” Twilight answered. “I managed to save up enough bits for a pair of tickets to the Wonderbolts’ next show in Fillydelphia.” Rainbow scoffed, wondering if she’d been wrong about Twilight’s seriousness. “Are you really trying to buy me back? I’m not that shallow.” “I never thought you were,” Twilight explained, “and I’m not treating you as if you are. It’s just something to do. I figured a good start to fixing all of this would be... just spending some time with you. Maybe getting out of town for the day so we could enjoy each other’s company.” That sold it for Rainbow. She was serious. She was seriously serious. She was already making plans for a day out, to just spend some quality time with her as they watched Rainbow’s idols soar acrobatically through the sky. Just an all-around awesome day with one of her best friends. It was enough to make Rainbow remember that pacing herself was never her style. “I guess it’s a start. The show’s on Thursday, right?” “It doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?” Twilight asked as she finished removing the gauze from Chrysalis’ chest. “Nothing more than a dull throb,” Chrysalis replied, despite her wincing at what pain was left. “If I were concerned about it reopening, I would not have requested for it to be unwrapped.” “I still think you should take it easy for a little while,” Twilight advised, “at least until it heals up a bit more.” “I only promise to try,” Chrysalis stated. Her gaze drifted over to the nearest clock, which read half past—oh no. “Twilight...” she commented. “Your princess-appointed psychologist is in Manehattan, correct?” “He’s supposed to be,” Twilight confirmed. “Why?” “How long would it take for you to get there?” Chrysalis inquired. “Oh... maybe an hour, give or take,” Twilight responded, puzzled. “Why are you asking?” “Because at this point, you would have to teleport to arrive on time,” Chrysalis informed her. Twilight looked to the clock herself for confirmation, and instantly started to panic. “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed, strands of her mane already popping out of place. “My first session, and I’m already running late! I’m not sure how accurate my teleportation spell will be over this great a distance, but I really hope I can get close enough to his office to not be tardy! You can manage the library while I’m gone, right?” Odd, how different the request felt this time around. The first time Chrysalis was asked to take care of the place, she’d seen it as a sign of trust slipping through weakening defenses. Now, with her friendship with Twilight cemented, it felt much more trivial, more like a favor than a test. “Twilight Sparkle,” she answered, “it would be my genuine pleasure.” “Good! You’re starting right now!” Twilight declared, and unceremoniously teleported out of the library. Once again more or less alone, Chrysalis noted that her journey seemed to end similarly to how it began, with the owner of the residence rushing out the door to make it to some prior engagement. Fortunately, this instance would not see her suspended from the ceiling by a psychotic rodent. That had only been three days ago. And to think that so much had happened in that time... Her attention was suddenly drawn to a stack of papers on the desk at the center of the room. She walked over to it and examined the top sheet. The first thing that caught her eye was the fact that it was written by Twilight herself; the penmanship was relatively familiar to her. There was enough stationery here for a full-sized book, which led her to believe that Twilight may be looking to get this published. The next thing she noticed was that it was about changeling physiology. She flipped through its contents, and she saw a plethora of scribbled notes and theories about all sorts of things, from the workings of the hive mind to the conversion of love into usable energy. She also realized that the pages were blank partway through, which told her that Twilight had every intention to learn more. How quaint. Ironic, even. The mare who was so opposed to learning anything about her race mere days ago was now writing an extensive research novel on changelings. It was touching in its own little way. Chrysalis took a seat at that desk and fondly recalled the events of the last few days. It was shocking to think of how depressingly it all started, with her lying in a crater at the foot of her own doorstep with the bodies of her subjects lying around her. Yet, now... at the very least, she had made seven close friends, three casual acquaintances, and one powerful ally. And most importantly, she had a strong conviction that it was not too late for her race, that Shining Armor would salvage the survivors and ensure their continued survival. Even with all the panic and hardship, she could say with little fear of contradiction that these days had been just perfect. And so, Queen Chrysalis smilingly donned her Twilight disguise and patiently awaited the arrival of a potential borrower. END