Cryo-7

by Metal Pony Fan

Fight Fire on Fire

There was a bright flash as Twilight teleported into Celestia's office. After all the sleep she had gotten, her magic was pretty well recovered. It would still be another day or two before she was back at one hundred percent, but at least she could use most of her spells without passing out.

Twilight's mentor was at her desk, like always, and was facing away from the purple mare. She didn't seem to notice her student's abrupt entrance, so Twilight trotted around in front of her.

"Hey, guess what?" Twilight asked happily. She didn't mention the cloth wrap she was wearing, wanting to see if Celestia would comment on it. Despite being improvised from cleaning cloths, it looked like a legitimate piece of summer-wear. "Astral agreed to help us search for Cryo-Seven's missing ponies."

"Oh, really?" Celestia responded flatly without looking up from the magazine she was reading. She slowly turned one page, then another. "How did you manage that?"

Twilight tilted her head to the side. Celestia was usually more... upbeat than this. "Well, it wasn't easy. And it took a bit of persuasion."

Celestia scoffed and looked up at Twilight. "Oh, I bet it did."

"Huh?" Twilight shook her head. She had never heard the princess use that tone of voice before. The only word she could think of to describe it was...snarky. "Princess, is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Celestia all but shouted. "Is something-" She stopped and pointed at Twilight. "I'll tell you what's wrong, Missy. Where's Astral Plane? I want him here, right now!" The solar princess slammed her hooves on the desk and stood up. Then, she muttered under her breath, "if he's lucky, I'll only burn his fur off."

Twilight didn't hear that last part. "He's outside, waiting at the base of the tower. Did you just call me, ‘Missy?’"

Celestia leaned over the desk. "Bring him up," she commanded, "now."

Twilight took a step back. The last time she had seen Celestia this angry was while Equestria was under direct attack. "Um, ok." She sought out Astral with her magic. It wasn't hard, he was almost exactly where she had left him. It seemed he had wandered a bit, but she was able to teleport him up without any problems. At the same time, she teleported Midnight to Mac's quarters. There was no need for the prill to be up here.

Astral appeared facing a nearby wall. As soon as he realized what had happened, he turned around. Then, he opened his mouth to speak.

Celestia shouted him down. "The only thing I want to hear from you is an explanation for your actions! And you better make it good, because I can be very creative when it comes to devising punishments."

Astral blinked. As far as he knew, Celestia was one of four supernaturally powerful beings that secretly ruled the galaxy, or something like that. It was more than a bit worrying to hear her suddenly talking about punishments. "I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

Celestia sat down at her desk and tossed her magazine to the ground at Astral's hooves. "Perhaps this will jog your memory."

Astral picked it up. It was an issue of the Canterlot Chronicle, the most widely spread magazine in the pony territories, and one of the few that still printed on paper. Incidentally, that paper was made from the pulp produced at the farm he and Twilighted had been forced to visit. This issues headline was, "Tryst in the Tubes." The subtitle mentioned something about a couple being unable to wait before sharing a steamy moment. And, as his eyes drifted down to picture, Astral's mouth fell open in shock.

"What is it?" The magazine was yanked away by purple magic, and Twilight looked the magazine over. "Oh, sweet cider." The cover picture was of her, laying on top of Astral, with his jacket covering their hindquarters in a way that suggested that the particular activity mentioned by the headline could actually be occurring. The wide-eyed look on Astral's face as he faced the camera, and her own goofy smile and half-lidded eyes only added to the picture's effect. She looked over at Celestia. "This is not what it looks like."

The princess folded her hooves over each other atop her desk. "Really? Then what is it? Because, in the last twenty-four hours since that was published, you've managed to inspire forty-seven recorded copycat acts, numerous pieces of graffiti memorializing your 'pure and uncontainable love,' and a new line of clothing."

Twilight wanted to scream. "But, we were just-"

Celestia raised her hoof to stop her. "I should also mention that the entire planet's police force is after the two of you as we speak. There are warrants out for your arrest. Charges include public indecency, inciting public indecency, and for some reason, counterfeiting."

Twilight ran a shaky hoof through her mane. She was about ten seconds away from from pulling her mane out. Three years of hiding, ruined, right along with her reputation. "It's not fair," she whined, "the counterfeiting is the only thing we actually did." She buried her face as far in her hooves as she could. "I should have taken my chances with the harvester."

A soft laugh and a clincking sound came from above them. Chrysalis was in her hammock, and she was twirling some coins around in her hooves. "She's just upset that she lost the bet."

"That has nothing to do with this!" Celestia snapped at the changeling. She looked back down at her student with a quiet sigh. "I was so happy these last three years, because you hadn't changed. You were still the same, innocent, bright-eyed filly I remembered from all those millennia ago. Either my memory has been clouded by nostalgia, or the stallion coerced you in some way. Did he threaten you at all? Or did he make that a condition for receiving his help in the search?"

"Hey!" Astral stepped forward despite the white alicorn's glare. "I didn't do any of that!" He pointed at the magazine laying on the floor. "And we didn't do any of that." After a short pause, he added, "except for the counterfeiting part. It's a long story, but we needed bus fare."

Chrysalis let out a whine. "If the two of you weren't doing the rumpy bumpy, do I have to give fifty bits back?"

Twilight looked up slowly. Fire burned in her eyes as she demanded of her mentor, "What bet?"

Celestia shook her head. "I don't care about the bits, Twilight. I-"

The purple alicorn shouted her elder down with a voice too loud to not be magically enhanced. "Well I do!" At the same time, the fire spread from her eyes to the rest of her body, bright and violent, emanating a purifying heat as her very coat became flame. She advanced on the larger alicorn with appearance of a flaming angel, ready to incinerate all in its path. "Thanks to Luna's little team-building experiment, I had to put up with with magical exhaustion, being dragged around half the planet, being made a fool of in front of the entire population, and worst of all, kissing that useless excuse for a stallion. And, after all that, you have the gall to place a bet on my virginity, and play the part of the scandalized victim? And how the hell is my chastity only worth fifty bits?"

Celestia backed up until she hit a wall, and Twilight continued her advance until she was right on top her. The flames surrounding her died away, leaving the smaller alicorn her usual, purple self. She looked up at Celestia with tears in her eyes. "I was the one who was wrong. I thought I still knew you, even after five thousand years. But, I guess I was wrong, the princess, no, the Celestia I knew would have trusted me. Or at least listened to what I had to say before judging me." She backed away and turned her back on the white alicorn. "I'm headed off planet. We needed a pilot, and whatever the circumstances, we got one. So I'm going to start looking for my friends."

"Twilight, wait..." Celestia reached a hoof towards open air as the flash of her student's teleport faded.

Chrysalis clicked her tongue and rolled over in her cot. "Touchy, ain't she."

"Yes," Celestia replied sadly. She walked over and picked up the slightly charred magazine. "But, she is absolutely right." With a soft sigh, she tore the thing in two. "No matter how damning this picture may be, I should listen to her first." She continued tearing it into smaller pieces until she could no longer grasp the shredded paper in her hooves. "I have to find a way to make it up to her."

The changeling scoffed at the notion. "Good luck, she seemed pretty pissed."

Celestia walked over to her desk and sat down behind it. "Even so, she is important to me. I'll do whatever it takes."

Chrysalis perked her ears up. "Really?" She rolled out of her cot and fluttered to the floor with a buzz of translucent wings. "It's been a while since you've said something with that level of conviction."

"Is that so unusual?" Celestia asked. "I care about her."

The changeling shook her head. "You haven't shown it. In the three years since her pod was found, you haven't exactly been the most accessible pony around."

"We've been busy." Celestia opened a drawer and pulled out a stack of papers. "I shouldn't have to remind you of that." She looked down at the pile of forms and printouts with a sigh. She then offered them to Chrysalis. "These need to be incinerated."

The changeling shook her head again. "Do it yourself. I'm enjoying my days off."

With a groan, Celestia bit down on the stack of paper and carried it to a disposal station hidden in the wall near the elevator. As she fed the papers into the waiting plasma field, a few sheets at a time, Chrysalis walked up behind her and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"You said you were happy that Twilight hadn't changed, " the changeling said softly. "You've been avoiding her because you're afraid she'll see how much you've changed."

Celestia remained silent as she fed the last bit of paper into the unit, watching the papers disappear with a rust-colored glow. "My fondest memories come from those last few years on Equestria. I just wanted things to stay the same between us."

Chrysalis patted Celestia's fur softly. "That's not possible, and you know it. She has to find out sooner or later. And if you keep hiding it, if you keep lying to her, things aren't going to be pretty."

Celestia looked over at the changeling. "How am I supposed to tell her? Our relationship has always been one of mentor and student. How do I end that? How do I tell Twilight that my magic is gone? That I can no longer teach her anything?"

“Be honest, she’s more like the daughter you never had.” The changeling offered a warm smile. "You and I have seen eras come and go, don’t delude yourself into thinking Magic is the only thing you have to teach. Besides, you know as well as I do that she doesn't need a teacher anymore. She is well on her way to claiming her birthright." She walked away from the alicorn and got ready to fly back up to her cot. "She could probably use a friend though, both of you could."

Comments

[Moongaze14]

Man, Celestia really had it bad. On the other hand, it was funny to see Twilight and Astral being caught in a scandal magazine.

[KarmaDash]

I love the way you write Cryssi, she's still got her "Bad" persona, but she's so likable

[Lovecraftia]

if i were mortal i would be complaining about not letting me sleep since it is 1:00 in the morning, but i dont need sleep so BAHH!!!

[Timuri]

Scandalous what these young ponies get up to! Pff

Also, Chrysalis fits quite well as the 'token evil teammate', and seems to rather enjoy it.

[Ytak]

I like this Chrysalis. She still seems like the changeling we knew but far more mellow and relaxed. But I suspect she is hiding steel there.

[Charles Farrow]

Did Astral just kinda... stand awkwardly while they had that last bit of conversation? Cause I don't remember it mentioning him leaving.

[Metal Pony Fan]

9217916
Oops. That would be funny, but Twilight teleported him out with her. I need to fix that.

[katarjin]

Your Cheese Queen is great, still got her edge but can be friendly...ish.