//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Roadtrip // by totallynotabrony //------------------------------// June 30, 2013 For various reasons, we didn’t go to church on Sunday morning. Partly the fact that we had just moved and didn’t know our options, but also taking Chrysalis along seemed like a bad idea. Leaving her home by herself was probably even worse. As she seemed to get more comfortable around us, her curiosity picked up and she investigated everything. I didn’t have kids of my own, but corralling her made me think of herding children. I almost forgot that she was a queen of a legion of love-sucking bugs. I didn’t see any harm in letting her look at an atlas. We would be driving across the country anyway. Similar to her as-yet unexplained ability to speak English, she seemed to be able to read the language very well. Maps were fine, but other reading material I was more hesitant on. I had picked up a twenty-year-old set of encyclopedias from a library book sale for five bucks, intending to use the books as a slow, offline search engine if the need should ever arise. Luckily, before Chrysalis could go asking about them, Maria came to the rescue with a pile of harlequin romance novels that kept Chrysalis busy for most of the morning. She was happy with all kinds of love, it seemed, even if it was fake and text-based. If it ever became necessary to tell her about fanfiction, it was good to know I could pacify her with clop. At some point, however, the topic of human transformation came up. I was still feeling weirded out by it, but knew that it was probably our best bet for getting Chrysalis into the convention without raising suspicion. The hotel probably didn’t allow pets. Maybe easing into it by quenching some curiosity of my own would help. Plus, if I was careful I could learn more about her ability. I still felt conflicted about trusting Chrysalis. I hadn’t witnessed with my own eyes anything to indicate that she was a threat. There was still so much we didn’t know, however. For that reason, I agreed to help Chrysalis transform into a species she’d never tried before. Maria and I had moved in enough furniture to have seats for us. Chrysalis lounged on the couch, but her face was alert and inquisitive. “Explain to me about the clothing,” she requested. “It’s socially required,” I said. “Also, people don’t have a thick covering of hair.” “That complicates things.” Chrysalis reached a hoof up to rub her chin thoughtfully but with her other leg missing she fell over on the couch. I restricted myself from chuckling. “Forming clothing might be difficult, but I think I could manage.” Chrysalis sat back and repositioned her hind legs to hang over the edge of the couch in a Lyra-like posture. Then, the green flame-like sparkles of her magic began to wash over her body. The tip of her horn went first, the green fire washing down over her head and continuing across her torso. Her missing front leg translated into a missing arm. The change kept going all the way down across her lower body. I leaned forward in my chair, stabbing a finger towards the near-clone of Maria that had appeared on the couch. “No, absolutely not that!” Chrysalis blinked, looking between me and the woman she’d used as a model. She might have been confused, but my outburst was enough motivation for her to try something else. Slowly, her hair color began to change and the structure of her face shifted somewhat. Her body changed slightly, stretching a little in a couple of directions. She still resembled Maria enough to be related, but now there was something else recognizable blended in. At first I couldn’t figure out what it could be. The realization of what it was hit me so hard that I sat back in my chair in astonishment. I was looking at what could have been our adult daughter. Her appearance was parts of both Maria and I, and looked twice as unsettling as it sounds. I sat frozen, staring at her. I expected that this would be weird, but I had no idea exactly how much. The implication, that she could literally be anyone, was frightening. This was reinforced by the almost perfect imitation of my wife she had pulled off. Chrysalis’ face contorted, her mouth dropping open to gasp for air in sudden exhaustion. Her skin began to turn grey as if attempting to shift back to her natural shade. Lumps and wrinkles appeared, and her hair visibly degraded right before my eyes. Maria and I were both out of our chairs and by Chrysalis’ side in an instant. The changeling gasped, “Too much too soon.” She hadn’t gone back to her usual form completely, but at the moment resembled some sort of twisted chimera. Taking deep breathes, Chrysalis managed to get herself under control. Slowly, she began to shift back towards the more human end of the appearance scale. Unfortunately, Chrysalis’ efforts only succeeded in her resembling a burn victim. She was more like a human-shaped mass of scar tissue. “I’ll get better at it,” she said, catching her breath. “It may take a while.” I relaxed. While I might be skeptical about her, I still cared for Chrysalis’ wellbeing. Regardless that she was the possibly evil queen of the changelings, I really didn’t enjoy seeing her suffer. Well, I supposed we could lend her some clothing so she didn’t have to generate it herself. Also, we could potentially spin her marred appearance in our favor. If something so obvious was wrong with her, maybe people would overlook something else that wasn’t quite right about Chrysalis. Despite her unhealthy look, Chrysalis seemed to be fine after taking a moment to recover. I cringed slightly as she put her disfigured arm around my shoulders but I helped her to stand anyway. She wobbled slightly on two legs. Her irregular shape and one missing limb probably didn’t help. “Why don’t people have tails for balance?” she muttered. “Dragons are stupid, but at least they know how biology works.” “People don’t have claws, scales, or large teeth, either. Our big advantage is being smarter than anything that wanted to take us down,” provided Maria. While that might not have fit with our campaign to keep Chrysalis as in the dark about people as possible, I decided that it served as a fine demonstration of humanity’s capabilities. Hopefully that would prove a deterrent against aggression if it came down to it. Chrysalis grew a little more confident and tried standing on her own. She was not very stable, but managed to walk a few steps without falling. Apparently picking up on my thoughts from earlier, Maria suggested, “Why don’t you come with me? I’ll get you something to wear so you don’t have to imitate it yourself.” She took Crysalis’ hand and led her into the bedroom. I turned and sat down at my laptop. There was an itemized checklist I had been typing up that theoretically contained everything Maria and I need for our trip. Now that we had another guest coming along, I would have to edit it. That could wait a little bit. I pointed my mouse to the favorites and selected the ponyfiction website of which I was a member. This was the place where I had spend more time than any other website over the last two years of my life. Even if it wasn’t about ponies, I liked the atmosphere and constructive criticism. Sometimes I read stories. Usually I wrote them. Some other people on the site liked what I wrote. It was a good arrangement. I pulled up the messages page and found a particular user. He had been the one to invite me to Everfree Northwest. He’d told me that his name was Mr. Tristan. Regardless of whether that was true or a pseudonym, I trusted him enough to ask a few questions. While the ‘con did sell tickets on site, I knew Tristan was some kind of organizer and would know more. I typed, I have another guest joining my wife and I. What do you require for buying a ticket at the door? Picture ID, or just cash in hand? Tristan must have been online because he responded in minutes. Being three time zones behind my own Eastern, I wondered what he was doing up so early on Sunday morning. Maybe with the convention coming up, he had stopped sleeping. The reply from Tristan was long. Just add the extra badge to your Everfree account and pick them all up when you get there. The account holder would need ID but I don’t know why the guest would. I think last year they would have taken cash or credit/debit at the door but they were sold out. Some people never made it in after flying across the country, or so I heard. This year we should have space though. Email registration@everfreenw.com about the ID. I’m just helping with panels this year but if they allow parents to pick up badges for kids without ID then I don’t see why picking up adult badges that you paid for as a set would be any different. It’s not like you need security clearance or something. What’s the problem with ID? Did Twilight walk through your mirror or something? ;D I had a bit of a reputation for human fics. Well, actually I had a reputation for warfics, but in figuring how to fit weapons into ponyfiction, introducing people seemed like the ideal way most of the time. I can't help writing about war; I just want to be Tom Clancy when I grow up. I might have replied to Tristan's message, but the wall of text I had received from asking just one question was a deterrence. Instead, I did as he suggested and went over to the Everfree Northwest website to modify my account. As I was finishing that up, the bedroom door opened and I turned. It looked like Maria had given Chrysalis some pointers on proper body shape. Even if her skin was still crude, she looked a little more like a human female rather than a bad copy that incorporated equal parts woman and man. She wore a pair of jeans sized to fit Maria, and a sweatshirt too large for her that I recognized as my own University of Michigan hoodie. Not that I was complaining. Anything of Maria’s that fit better would have had objectionable logos on it. Maria went to Michigan State, you see. One sleeve of the sweatshirt was tucked into the front pocket. It was a reasonable way to conceal her missing arm. With the hood up, most of her face was hidden and she only had to work on making a small part of her skin presentable. “I guess we have to go out in public sometime,” I suggested. “We might as well go to lunch.” Maria mentioned that she needed to stop by a local horse farm and drop off a few supplies in preparation for some foals to be born, so she drove. Her grey Dodge Ram was a decade old but she kept it neat as a pin. There were magnetic signs on the doors that listed her business and phone number. Getting into the truck, Chrysalis seemed to appreciate having a body appropriate for the seats. Maria was already behind the wheel so I had to get in the back seat. We drove into town. Taco was in his usual place and flagged us down. “Hey guys! Who’s your friend?” “This is Chrissy,” said Maria. Taco frowned in confusion. I quickly blurted out, “She’s named after the dog.” That was the opposite of what I meant to say, but it seemed like enough explanation for Taco. He smiled and nodded. “Nice to meet you, Chrissy. See you all around.” As we drove away, Chrysalis asked, “How does he know you so well? I thought you just moved to this town.” I shrugged. “I guess Taco’s friendly to everybody. Maria and I haven’t had time to get acquainted with a lot of people around town yet.” We stopped at a local restaurant and went inside. Maria and I instinctively moved close to Chrysalis to hide her from view. Or was it for her protection? Chrysalis huddled under her hood, seemed to sense our feelings about remaining incognito. Thankfully, the waitress didn’t seem to be paying much attention. She dealt out menus and left. Chrysalis studied hers, occasionally asking for clarification about something. The corners of her mouth turned up. “So much meat.” I suddenly felt really guilty about being an omnivore. I don’t think Chrysalis meant to, but she kept finding new ways to creep me out. Worse, I couldn’t blame her for it. Not only didn’t she know better, but she kept finding entertaining ways to make up for it. Like when the waitress came back to take our orders. Chrysalis looked up and smiled. “I would like a ground beef hamburger, please.” “How would you like that cooked?” “They come cooked?” We passed it off as a joke and the waitress laughed. As Chrysalis, Maria, and I were left alone to wait for our food, she took a few contemplative looks around the restaurant. Some customers had come with their families, others were in pairs or all alone. Observing this, she asked, “Are humans social creatures?” “We are, although not to the extent of some species,” Maria explained. “Independence and adaptability is something we do well.” A great quote from Heinlein came to mind, but I didn’t mention it. Chrysalis considered what Maria had said. “So how is the government structured?” “How do you know we have a government?” I asked. She smirked. “The restaurant’s license to operate that I saw hanging on the wall had to come from somewhere.” Once again, I reminded myself that this was a possibly immortal being who had held the title of queen. She was not an idiot, and I would have to be careful of everything I said to her. Answering the question, I said, “Almost all government officials are elected. Furthermore, many of them can be removed from power if the people aren’t happy with their performance. Around the world things are a little different. Some places still have royalty, but the elections are still common.” Chrysalis frowned. “But then how does anything get done? It seems inefficient.” I could have explained how US government function trickled down through congress and the functions of everything in the system. Like any responsible individual, I knew the structure of my own government. To avoid spending too much time on the subject and also perhaps deny Chrysalis the knowledge of how to eliminate the senior leadership, I simply said, “It just works. Somehow. Sort of.” That didn’t let me off easy on the questions, though. Even as our food arrived, Chrysalis continued to ask various things, mostly stuff she just happened to think of at the time. “How do the sesame seeds stay so perfectly on the hamburger bun? I understand the salt shaker, but why pepper? When did your culture evolve to using paper napkins?” I answered most of them without much thought. As I was pulling out a few bills to pay, however, Chrysalis glanced at the money and asked, “Who is God?” “Huh?” “‘In God we trust.’ God must be important to you.” I put my answer together as the waitress left to make change. “God is a deity. A really popular one.” “Well, why didn’t you tell me that before?” “What do you mean?” I frowned. “God never really came up in conversation.” “Not even when we were discussing how to send me home?” she asked. “God doesn’t really do that,” Maria answered. I saw her hand dip into her purse. “Then what does he or she do?” Chrysalis looked at the two of us. “Can you go and meet this god?” “Not exactly.” Her eyes narrowed. In a different tone, Chrysalis asked, “Does God actually exist?” Wow, I don’t think I’d ever seen such a quick jump from ignorance to agnosticism. I said, “Yes,” although immediately afterwards I myself wondered if it was true. Having my universe so thoroughly twisted by the arrival of an evil cartoon character was the obvious cause. Immediately after that, I felt bad for having such flimsy principles. I had always liked to consider myself as someone who stood for things. “God exists. Regardless of whether that’s true literally or figuratively, we all need something to believe in.” As Maria spoke, I saw a few beads of her rosary emerge from her purse wrapped around her hand. Her tone held a little more conviction than mine had. Don’t get between Catholic girls and their religion. Chrysalis seemed about to say something else, but reconsidered as if thinking that it would be impolite to argue. She mercifully let the subject go. I didn’t know whether the concept of actual deities existed in her world. The Equestrian alicorns might be considered that by some, but since Chrysalis defeated Princess Celestia, clearly she was unimpressed. We left the restaurant and headed to the horse farm. Maria said that her business there would only take a few minutes and left Chrysalis and I in the truck. A curious horse wandered over and stood by the fence, staring at us. Chrysalis stared back for a few moments and shook her head. “It’s always so dull to see a species without anything to go on emotionally.” While I was no vet like Maria, I thought horses had fairly well defined emotions. It was mostly in the ears, but body language also played a part. To be fair, I only knew that because I had spent a while studying horses. My first girlfriend left me for a guy with a horse, and it took me some time to get over it. But back to my point, maybe Chrysalis wasn’t very good at reading expressions visually since she was so experienced with love and other intangible emotions. It was an interesting thought that I filed away for later. Maria came back and we went home. Packing for the trip probably should have happened earlier than the night before we left, but obviously there had been mitigating circumstances. Chrysalis sat there watching as I filled my suitcase. She had shifted back to her usual form, expressing a sigh of relief as if shedding uncomfortable clothes. Her mane and tail had started to grow back. I only use those words for convenience because the delicate green membranous material didn’t really look like hair. I paused in my packing and glanced at her. “What happened to your crown?” “My what?” “Exactly what I said.” I gestured. “That pointy thing that’s supposed to go on your head.” “You must mean my crest,” she corrected. “Yes, I suppose it does look a bit like a crown; fitting for a queen, yes? It is a biologic adaptation that denotes leadership among changelings. I seem to have lost mine when I was injured.” “Well, you seem to be doing a good job of growing everything else back,” I noted. She smiled. “Thank you. I think I can attribute most of it to your hospitality.” With a compliment like that, I didn’t even mind when she went off to bed still wearing my sweatshirt. Source