31. - The New Normal
Thorax walked softly and with some trepidation towards the containment chamber that held his Queen and her current victim, and his magic shifted slightly under the weight of the tray of food. Fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor to put him in such a position, but there was little he could do about it. Queen Chrysalis had called for an emergency hive-wide reorganization after Phil had somehow tripped and fallen out of the hamster wheel, thus allowing the illusion spell to falter slightly last night, and in the ensuing madness of department upheavals, Thorax had found himself ‘promoted’ to Chrysalis’ personal assistant. It was a demanding job that was fraught with peril unimaginable, but it was better than where Phil would end up.
Anything was better than that.
Thorax nodded to Mandible and Dave when he came to their position just outside of the chamber. Both had a thick red wire clamped to their horns, but Dave simply whimpered and twitched while Mandible casually flipped a page in his magazine.
“Hey Thorax, be careful,” Mandible offered. “Our Queen is still most displeased from last night. Did you bring her crossword?”
“Right here.” Thorax nodded to the paper next to the domed trays.
“Good. That’ll help her mood.”
“Is that even comfortable?” Thorax asked with a nod to the attachment, and Mandible shrugged.
“Not particularly, but you get used to it.”
“I feel like I’m licking a battery,” Dave whispered with a spasm.
“You are a battery. Be grateful our beloved Queen, who we would never criticize even in the slightest no matter how unlikely it is she’s listening to us from the other side of that door, did not decide to throw an illusion over the whole hive. Now that would hurt.”
Dave didn’t say anything, but his eyes went wide while he seemed to contemplate this news.
Thorax shook his head, and he moved to the entrance before Mandible could reveal where the negative terminal was located. He took a moment to make sure there were no gaps in his pony disguise, and then, with a deep breath, he tapped on the door and pushed it open with the tray of food in his magic.
The sight that then greeted him was one that he was never going to forget. His Queen was laying on the bed of cushions - still appearing to be Celestia - but she had somehow gotten entangled and entrapped in Bean’s legs, almost like when a jellyfish caught a meal. She shot him a seething death glare as he silently trotted in, and once he had put the tray of food down on the nearby table, he wisely decided to say nothing, look like nothing and not even breathe like anything.
“Thorax,” she hissed quietly. “If you ever say a word about this, I will extract your tail out of your nostrils. Now find a leg or something and unwrap me before he wakes up.”
“Too late,” murmured Bean in a dreamy tone, and he gently began to nibble up Chrysalis’ disguised neck with tiny little nips that made very little progress.
Well, progress in a direction. The young stallion’s attention made wonderful progress in keeping the queen of the changelings from speaking anything other than a tiny squeaking noise, much like a toy.
Thorax crept quietly backwards out of the Royal Bedchambers and closed the door.
After about a half-hour of panicked breathing, Thorax built up enough nerve to reenter the Royal Bedchambers. When he did, his Queen glared daggers at him but said nothing, and he found that she and Bean were enjoying the meal he had left behind. Thorax took the fact that he was still breathing as a good omen, and he dipped his head respectfully before addressing them both.
“Forgive my intrusion, Your Highnesses, but are you ready for me to clear away that tray?”
“Mmph,” Bean grunted, swallowed hard, and gasped a bit. “Ooph. What is your name, sir?”
Thorax froze. Name! He hadn’t thought of a pony name for this form! His Queen looked like she was ready to reduce him to a smear on the wall with a soon-to-be conjured fly swatter, but Thorax managed to swallow hard and think quick.
“I am Underhoof, Your Highness.”
Bean chuckled a bit. “Underhoof? I hope your name isn’t your talent.”
Thorax shook his head and said nothing. Maybe he could reduce the severity of the disciplinary counselling session on the Flensing Hooks of Extreme Discomfort later this way.
“Are you new here, Underhoof? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”
“I am new, yes. I was hired last week, Your Highness.”
“Ah, well! Welcome aboard. You’ll forgive me for not shaking your hoof, but I’m on doctor’s orders to remain put.”
“I understand, Your Highness. I wouldn’t want you to injure yourself on my account.”
Bean smiled. “Will you please pass along my thanks to Chef Beet? I know she tries so hard to cook a good meal for us, but I think she was a bit overwhelmed this morning. Usually her cooking is a bit better than this. Oh! But please don’t tell her that!”
“I won’t, Your Highness,” Thorax replied while his magic gathered up the dirty dishes. “Is there anything else you needed?”
“Please have some tea sent up for us, Underhoof,” his Queen ordered in a tone that he’d never heard from her before. It almost sounded nice, and he rather liked it, or at least until he thought about it some more. “Also, please inform Doctor Horsenpfeffer that Bean is unchanged this morning.”
“I will do so immediately, My Qu- er,” Thorax wilted a bit under his Queen’s furious stare. “I mean, Your Highness. If you’ll excuse me.”
“Underhoof?” Bean called out before Thorax could make it out the door. “Could I trouble you to bring my notebook down from the Drawing Room?”
“Your notebook?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind. I’m pretty sure I left it up there. Since I can’t really move, I figure I can look over my notes and start to plot out the next chapter of my book.”
“I’ll see what I can do, Your Highness.”
“Oh, but my dear, sweet Bean,” Chrysalis cooed while her magic began to radiate from her ivory horn. “I don’t know that you’re feeling up to that right now.”
Bean shook his head, but the magics worked their way in, and his eyes took on a sickly greenish hue for a moment before he blinked rapidly. “Y’know, I think you’re right? I’m not feeling so good all of a sudden.”
“Here, just relax. We’ll work on your little story later.”
“I think I’ll just relax, instead,” Bean echoed in a flat voice. “Never mind, Underhoof.”
“Not a problem, Your Highness. Just let me know if you need anything else.”
“Maybe one other thing,” Bean said with a yawn. “Could you just call me sir? I don’t like that ‘Your Highness’ stuff all that much.”
Thorax glanced over to Chrysalis, and she nodded once. “I believe I can do that, sir. Good day.”
Bean’s eyes then fluttered shut, and Chrysalis groaned. One hoof began to rub her temple in what appeared to be an effort to stymie a headache. “Underhoof, Thorax? That’s the best you can do?”
“My apologies, my Queen, but he did put me on the spot.”
“Whatever. Just … get that blasted tea up here, now. If this what I have to deal with, I’m going to need a lot of it.”
Princess Celestia did not gallop in the palace.
Most ponies, in fact, would say that Princess Celestia did not gallop at all. No matter where she was, or how urgently she was needed, it was believed that the Daytime Diarch never moved at a pace faster than a trot, at best.
That belief was shattered forever when the general populace that inhabited the centerpoint of government that morning saw their Princess barrel down a hallway at full speed and effortlessly slide around a corner.
“MAKE ROOM!” she bellowed, and a gaggle of ponies narrowly missed becoming the pins of a living bowling lane. Her breaths came and left in ragged snorts, and anypony who could not dodge the white missile that was shrieking down the hallway found themselves suddenly teleported away to Parts Unknown.*
*Fortunately, it was later discovered that Parts Unknown was actually a large fountain in the gardens that Celestia liked to visit. Some ponies ended up beside it; some ponies ended up in it.
Another slide around a corner, and Celestia’s horn began to charge a beam of energy that she aimed at a door before her. The ensuing shot took the offensive obstacle clean off the hinges and sent it rattling into the interior of the room, allowing Celestia to slide to a stop through the dust and smoke her spell had created.
“Is he all right?! Is he alive?! Please tell me he’s alive. I haven’t slept at all. I’ve been so worried about him. Is it as bad as it looked last night? How serious are his injuries? He will be able to pull through, right? Is he going to need a brace, or a wheelchair? Do you have him in traction? Did you have to shave his coat off? I will still love him, of course, but I fear he will look like a naked mole rat, and perhaps I can use a hair growing spell I know to help his coat to grow back. He is still alive, right?! Please tell me he’s alive! SAY SOMETHING!”
“You know, most ponies knock on the door before they enter my office,” Horsenpfeffer said with a cough, while she waved at the smoke filling her office. “You’re the first one to shoot it at me.”
Celestia forced herself to take a deep breath. “I offer my deepest apologies, Doctor, but I am greatly concerned for the well-being of my Bean. I need to know how he is doing.”
“He’s alive, and he’s doing fine for now,” Horsenpfeffer replied. “He’s not in traction, I did not have to shave his coat off, he does not look like a naked mole rat, and he may need a wheelchair for a time, yes. But only temporarily.”
Celestia let out a shuddering gasp of delight, and Horsenpfeffer suddenly found herself wrapped up in a Celestial Hug. “Thank you, Doctor. Thank you, thank you. May I be permitted to see him?”
“I think I can arrange that, Your Highness,” the good doctor managed to squeak through the pressure, and Celestia released her with a smile. “But first, could I trouble you to help me clean up a little?”
~*~
“You know, Prince Bean is actually in pretty good condition, all things considered,” Horsenpfeffer offered while she and the Princess walked to Bean’s room. “He has a collapsed lung, a couple of broken ribs, and some minor fractures in his right foreleg, along with some lacerations along his barrel. He’s also dehydrated and malnourished slightly, but he should recover from both quickly.”
“How long will he need to remain in intensive care?”
“Well, that depends mostly on how you treat him.”
Celestia gave the Doctor a curious look. “Me? I would treat him with the utmost care, of course.”
“That’s what worries me. I believe you would do anything to tend to the Prince, but I worry you will go overboard in your efforts. I know it’ll be difficult, but you’ll have to take it easy with him. If you can do that, I believe I can have him moved up to your personal chambers this evening, and we both can keep an eye on him there.”
“Doctor, I will follow whatever instructions you give me. All I want is for him to be healed.”
“As do we all, Princess,” Horsenpfeffer replied. “Now, one last thing. In situations like this, it’s very easy to let your emotions overwhelm you, and you’re going to feel an intense urge to rush to Bean’s side and to cuddle and hold him. I need you to refrain from doing that, otherwise you’ll just end up squashing him like a grape. It will be the greatest test of self-restraint you’ve ever experienced.”
Celestia nodded, but she had a smile of determination. “I will refrain from doing anything that will harm my Beloved, but I will not leave his side until he is well and whole again.” She snickered a bit. “I may not leave his side even then.”
“I wouldn’t imagine so,” the Doctor replied with a bit of a laugh.
Celestia moved to open the door that stood between her and her Prince, but she hesitated and looked back to her physician. “Doctor, do you have any openings in the near future for an exam?”
“You just had your physical a few months ago,” Horsenpfeffer replied thoughtfully. “Were you injured in the attack?”
“No, I was not. I may have another condition that needs to be examined by a competent medical professional.”
Doctor Horsenpfeffer thought for a moment but then her eyes went wide just as Celestia put a gentle hoof across her lips.
“Possibly. We would like to be certain before any announcements or celebrations take place.”
The doctor took a quick breath once Celestia removed her hoof. “So, no Pinkie Pie?”
“No Pinkie Pie.” Now it was Celestia’s turn to fight down an exuberant grin. “I received the impression that I was expecting while we were returning from the Crystal Empire. Do you think the news will help my Bean heal?”
“You tell him he’s going to be a father, and he’ll probably leap out his bed in joy. Oh! I’ve got so much research to do now! Once we know for certain, of course. I’ll need to talk to Luna and try to get some benchmarks to measure from. Do you know if there were any medical records kept from her time? Oh, but I bet they’d just tell me to attach a bunch of leeches to you. I don’t know how we ever survived.”
“I’ll have Wysteria and Miss Lulamoon pull what information they can from the archives for you.”
“But this is wonderful news!” Horsenpfeffer exclaimed, moving into full physician mode. “Let me get the door for my office fixed, and then we’ll run the usual array of non-invasive tests. I want you to get on a prenatal vitamin right away, though. Can you imagine it, little Beans running around the castle?”
“I can’t wait,” Celestia giggled, and she felt another source of warmth spread through her in happiness. “The poor guards will have to help me catch them; I imagine they will run all over like bean vines while exploring the grounds, if their father’s curiosity is any indication.”
“Well, this is wonderful news.” Horsenpfeffer paused for a moment in thought again. “Even once you know, it’s probably a good idea not to tell Prince Bean the news right away.”
“Why is that?”
“It you tell him now, he may try to rush his healing. Let’s hold off just for a few days, and then you can share.”
Celestia nodded in agreement before pushing the door to Bean’s room open, but then her heart sank into her shoes, and she couldn’t hold back the gasp of concern that came as she took in the full weight of Bean’s injuries.
She reminded herself that it looked worse that what it was. One arm was up in a sling and the other had an I.V. protruding from it, thick bandages were wrapped around his barrel, and an ice pack was resting on top of his head. A heart monitor in the corner showed a steady beat, and Celestia took some comfort in the rhythmic sound. He appeared to still be asleep, with a half-eaten meal on the table next to him and a few water cups scattered on the remaining space.
She quietly walked in, took a deep breath, and then gently rubbed her nose on his. She smiled when he stirred with the touch, and she fought back her tears as those beautiful sea-green eyes fluttered open, then locked on to her.
“Celly?” he whispered hoarsely. “Is that … is it really you?”
“Oh, Bean!” Celestia sobbed, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep from sweeping him up and into her embrace. “I was so worried about you, but here you are! Alive, and well, and back with me again!”
“I’m sorry, my love,” he weakly offered. “I’m sorry for what happened.”
“No, no,” she shushed him with a deep and passionate kiss. “What has happened is my fault, entirely. You bear no blame for what has happened.”
“But I disobeyed you.”
“And I will be forever grateful that you did. If you are worried that I am upset with you, please believe me when I tell you I am not. My orders were rash and given out of a desire to protect you, and that was wrong. Your place is here, beside me, no matter what evil or crisis we may face. I promise you will never be apart from me again.”
“I could not ask for anything greater, my love.”
“Say that again, please,” Celestia softly asked.
“My love?”
“Again.”
“My love,” he repeated, and a soft smile came while he kissed his Celestia. “My love, my love, my love.”
~*~
“Thank you, my love.” Bean said once he had swallowed. “This is delicious. Chef Beet has outdone herself.”
“I will be sure to send your compliments along,” Celestia replied with a quick cut of the roasted carrot on Bean’s plate.
“Oh, no more please,” Bean said with a small shake of his head. “I’m feeling pretty full already.”
“You are?” Celestia asked, and she glanced down at the remaining food. “You’ve hardly touched your carrot.”
“I know, and I am sorry,” he said. “It must be something to do with my injuries.”
“I’ll keep the leftovers here for now,” Celestia offered. “Perhaps it would be best for you to just snack here and there for now.”
“That may work better.” He shifted slightly while Celestia fluffed his pillows, and he smiled when she pecked his cheek.
“What else can I do for you?” Celestia asked. “Do you need more water, or another blanket, or perhaps I need to build the fire up more?”
“No, I’m fine this way. Maybe you could bring me my notebook? If I’m going to be stuck in bed, I might as well work on my story.”
Celestia smiled, and with a flash of magic, his notebook appeared with a fresh pencil and a large eraser. Bean took the items with a smile and a thank you, but he grew confused when Celestia oh-so carefully moved onto the bed and laid down beside him. She positioned herself so she was as close as possible without actually touching him, and with another flash of magic, a large pile of paperwork appeared on a nearby table with a quill and inkwell.
“What are you doing?” Bean asked.
“I can take care of the backlog of paperwork from here just as well as I can from anywhere else. Your recovery is my main concern, my love, and I will stay as close as I can so that I may provide you with anything you need.”
“Oh. Well, I’d like that, thank you.”
Celestia gave him a quick kiss, and the first paper floated over for her to review. Bean then slowly inhaled as he opened the notebook, and though his composure remained even on the outside, a massive panic attack began to brew within him.
She’s on to me. I know she knows. She’s acting too calm about all this, she has to know I’m not the Prince. She’s just biding her time, waiting for me to screw up so she can mount my carapace on a pike as a warning to the rest of the hive. And then the Queen! Oh, when she finds out that I’ve failed so soon …
Bob the Bean forced himself to breathe in an inconspicuous manner. All right, don’t get your metasoma in a twist. If she thought you were an imposter, she would have blasted you already. Just play it cool and follow the plan. Your Queen did say that you would be able to overpower her after a couple of days of absorbing her love, so you just need to fool her for a short time. Queen Chrysalis will soon have the Prince wrapped around her hoof, and once she’s completed that phase she’ll come for you. Just think of the rewards! There will be a top crevice reserved just for you, and all the sugar blocks you can stand. She did say she would pay the back overtime that you’re owed, and she’ll even ensure your pension plan is fully funded! Just think of the nice little burrow you’ll be able to build! It’s all there for the taking, Bob. Just a few days, that’s all. Be Prince Bean, and you’ll walk away from this a veritable King.
A sudden surge of incoming love nearly overwhelmed Bob and his disguise. He tried to casually look up from the notebook, and when he did, he found Celestia idly twirling Bean’s Celestial Crystal in her magic.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked while he tried to figure out what to do about the sudden influx of love, other than have it dribble out of his nose.
“Hmm? Oh, I have a few thoughts,” Celestia replied while she conjured a tissue and gently dabbed his nose clean. “I was thinking about how grateful I am that Sergeant Pokey disobeyed my orders. I do not want to think about what would be if he had not gone back out one more time.
“I was also thinking about how fortunate it was that Luna was with me when you were found. She kept me from tearing down the walls of Ponyville’s hospital to get to you, and it was her calm reassurances that helped me to endure the night while Doctor Horsenpfeffer treated you. I would have made some rather destructive decisions otherwise, and it chills me to think that I may have hurt you more without her presence.”
“Those are some weighty thoughts. I am so sorry I made you endure them.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, my dear Bean. You disobeyed me out of love for our little ponies, and I could never hold that against you.”
Bob gave Celestia a curious glance when she stalled out and averted her gaze to the far side of the room. “Is there something else you want to tell me?”
Celestia’s mouth opened, closed, and then opened again with a complete lack of language proceeding out of it. She then smiled and laughed, and she gave him a quick boop with her nose.
“For now, my love, just worry about healing. Let me take care of everything else.”
A staccato burst of knocks came at the door, and Bob struggled for a moment to place the name of the unicorn who had just walked in. She was new to the staff, and it was clear Celestia did not like her by the way Celestia’s unending stream of sweet love gained a bitter taste of concealed irritation.
“Yes, Miss Lulamoon?” the Princess asked tersely, and she quickly moved to put herself between Bean and the apparent interloper. “What is it?”
“Trixie apologizes for disturbing you, but Miss Inkwell wanted me to inform you that her appointment with Doctor Horsenpfeffer was perfect. She suffered no injuries, and her foal appears to be unharmed as well.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but why did she not tell me herself?”
“Because it seems Junior wished to celebrate the good news by pinching a nerve, and Miss Inkwell cannot feel her rear legs.”
“Oh. I see. Please tell Miss Inkwell that Bean and I wish her well, and that we are overjoyed with the news. Also, make sure she knows that she may take a few days off to recuperate, if needed.”
Trixie nodded. “Anything else?”
Celestia glanced back to Bean, and Bob felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest. She appeared to be looking straight into his soul, and it was like she could tell something was not right. Her overwhelming emotions were far too powerful to pick out the specifics any more than she wanted to tell him something, but was holding back out of concern, or perhaps skepticism.
“No, Miss Lulamoon,” she answered at length. “That was all. Thank you.”
“Very well; I will relay your messages. Good evening, Your Highnesses.”
“Good night, Trixie,” Bob called out.
Celestia then turned her focus back to Bob, and he offered a soft smile to match her own.
“Well! Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, do you have enough room for some ice cream?” she asked.
“How much?” asked Bob.
Celestia smiled. “All of it.”
Bean paused for a moment, and he gnawed on the end of his pencil in thought. “But see, this forces Honeysuckle to double back to the barn with Megan, and then the two of them have to figure out what to do before the villagers find them. Do you think a tunnel would be believable, or would Honeysuckle have enough magic left to teleport them both away?”
The disguised Chrysalis tried to keep her expression neutral, but she had absolutely no idea what he was prattling on about, so she grabbed for the obvious answer. “I think the tunnel would be your best option, love.”
“But why does a barn out in the woods have a random tunnel?” he said mostly to himself. He gave his pencil a furious chewing for a moment, but then he brightened. “I think I’ll have them teleport just a short distance away. Then, they have to outrun the villagers! It’ll give Honeysuckle a chance to show her power range, and her stamina.”
“I’m sure it would.” Chrysalis had to agree, mostly because she didn’t dare say anything else. He’d launched into this story idea of his four hours ago, and he’d been going non-stop since then. There was a distinct risk she’d set him off on a tangent if she offered any sort of suggestion, and it might take another four hours to get him back to simple incoherence.
A knock came at the door, and Chrysalis quite nearly let out a gasp of delight while she quickly moved to it. Once she had opened it and found Underhoof on the other side of it, she stuck a hoof in his face and shook her head.
“Underhoof?” Bean called out. “Is that you?”
“We’ll be right back, my dearest Bean,” Chrysalis quickly answered for him. “I just need to sign off on a few quick resolutions.”
“Oh, okay then. I’ll work on this next bit while you do that. I think I’ll have them try to escape through a swamp. There’s all sorts of fun things to get stuck in that way. Oh! I know! I could add some unusually-sized rodents in there, too! Then, Honeysuckle has to fight them off, and Megan could grab a stick to clobber one over the head, and—”
Chrysalis shoved Thorax back into the hallway and slammed the door shut behind her. Thorax simply sat and said nothing while his Queen dropped her Celestia disguise with a blaze of green fire and groaned loudly. “Thorax, did you put something in that tea you brought us?! He’s been chattering nonstop ever since this morning!”
“It was your usual black tea, My Queen. I added nothing to it.”
“Ugh. Fine, from now on, I want you to bring us something that will put him to sleep. At this rate, I’m gonna strangle him long before I get enough love out of him.”
“Why don’t you just put him in a pod, My Queen?” Thorax asked.
“I’m getting ten times the love out of him this way, but I’m tempted. Didn’t Coxa go over this with you in orientation?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t had a chance to go through orientation yet. At the moment, both Coxa and Trochanter are still working their way through the purchasing department.”
Chrysalis reached up and rubbed both sides of her head in frustration. “Do I have to do everything around here? I wonder why I even bother sometimes, I really do.
“I’ll put it simply, Thorax. I don’t trust Bob to last more than a day under Celestia. There’s too much that he can screw up and get him sent packing to the moon. I need to get as much love out of that Bean as quickly as possible before Celestia kicks the front door in and burns the hive down.”
“Are you trying to match her magic level again?”
Thorax shrunk back while his Queen glared at him. “Don’t insult my intelligence, Thorax. There’s not enough time for me to get that much love. I’m not going to take her on directly again.”
“So, what is your plan?”
“Celly?” Bean called out. “Everything okay?”
“Just fine, my love!” Chrysalis called back in Celestia’s voice.
“Okay. I, um … well, I’m afraid my bedpan needs to be changed.”
“Deal with it, Underhoof.” Chrysalis said with a wicked smile, and she again donned Celestia’s image. “Coxa will go over the details with you later. For now, just follow my instructions and make sure we’re not disturbed. This time, everything will be perfect. Or else.”
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Squee!
How long before we have Daybreaker against Chrysalis?
Do you think Thorax is going to end up making friends with Bean? If so could it accelerate his eventually accension to Royal Changeling?
Also 'Underhoof' as someone who has recently been rewatching the Lord of the Rings films, and is reading the book, I see what you did there. If Thorax is Frodo, then who is Sam, Pippin and Merry?
Poor Bob. He’s going to be the first one to feel Celestia’s wrath.
It's only a matter of time now before Celestia finds out the truth about "Bean", and goes Daybreaker on Chrysalis and her hive.
I am really hopping for Bug Bean in this.
9139588
Celestia: "AAAWAAAAAAUUUUUUUGH!!!!!!!!"
Luna: Oh... right. Nightmare Pony. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
Bean: Oh... yeah. Nightmare Pony. Ah.... Nope, too weak.
Chrysalis: Oh shit.... Nightmare Pony......................................................AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHH!!!!!
i am wondering who is going to slip first, Bean / Bob or Chrysalis?
some how i think it will be Chrysalis?.
and it will be Thorax that helps Bean escape and save the day.
a grate chapter i love it the hole chapter is a cliffhanger.
Oh the tension! It's so palpable! I hope it will last! *munches popcorn* But seriously, this is going to be an epic meltdown! I cannot wait!
Yeah, kinda knew from Chapter 1 that this is where it was going. Not that that mitigates the narrative in any way. I'm glad that the story's usual lightheartedness is making a comeback.
Well, at least until Tia figures out what's going on...
I love that half the Changelings are named after the anatomy while the other half have totally mundane names like Bob, Phil, and Dave. They probably spend their free time gossiping around the water cooler, too.
9139640
Your going to run out of big names at some point.
The real Celestia and real Bean will shrug off ANY of the little details and facts that fake Celestia and fake Bean get wrong, that's all well and good...
...
...but once the real ones realize that the fake ones haven't gone out of there way to boop the others nose... all HELL will break lose
Well, whatever's gonna happen I'm looking forward to it.
Keep up the good work my good man
i don't remember if that was my wish or not, but I remember someone talking about him maybe being slightly immune to that.
I still want them to adopt someone before the first kid is born, then we can even get a curious kid watching her baby sister scene.
I think the idea is good, but the scene was a little bit boring, because it felt as if I had already read it and as if it was the reverse scene from something that happened before for some reason.
Now I'm only waiting for what Bean is going to do here in this chase, I kind of hope for him to figure it our sooner than how it took with Shining and Cadance.
To be honest I would love it if Thorax does his thing and someone else turns into the kind or new king, it would be even better if they all stay black and some of them just turn over tot he good side. I mean it's as possible as all the other ideas/ theories that come out of nowhere.
I personally hope Chrysalis is the first one to be exposed, I liked it that Bean already pulled of something awesome, but that was something I wished for first I believe.
I suddenly remember I also want him to be immortal at least not dying by age to have a longer time with Celestia. Yep I'm going to mention it now and then. If you should not include it, I guess it will be fine, maybe I'm slightly dissapointed if it is noticible in a way (like having an eding with him being an old pony), but I can't do anything to stop you.
I just want to keep remembering you, so that you at least can think about the possibility and aren't going to forget it.
Well good work, I'm starting to like reading bigger chapters again, but it still takes a while to finish it at the moment.
Bob is just a poor, innocent changeling who is the direct line of fire in the most literal of meanings. I pity him with great intensity because since both Bean and he asked for the notebook, I feel that is where he's going to spill the... beans...
I might actually hate myself for that one...
As Chrysalis is now finding out, Bean loves to share his ideas with his beloved, so when Bob decides to take a sudden left turn with it, the gears are going to start turning...
Oh well, begin countdown to tactical nuclear strike...
10...
9...
To Be Continued...
"Sister." Luna heaved a sigh. "Isn't this a little excessive?"
"Not at all." Celestia's tongue poked a little out of the side of her mouth as she raised her 'club' and addressed the 'ball.'
Luna gave the castle tower that Celestia was swinging a very dry look. "We will never get that to fit back where you got it from without all sorts of little cracks that will allow cold breezes in during the winter. I know you promised to send Chrysalis her changeling back, but this way?"
"It beat the alternatives," whimpered Bob from where he was curled up on the castle lawn, sitting on an enormous golf tee.
"FORE!" called out Celestia and took a mighty swing, after which both alicorns judged the trajectory of the projectile in question.
"You still have that nasty slice," murmured Luna. "At least this golf ball can adjust for it."
So this is before Thorax quit the hive and runs to the Chrystal Empire eh? Hmmm I wonder if after the entire ordeal he will tell Cadence that her uncle is actually a changeling? It could make sense that she would be the first target.
Also, tangle like a jellyfish…did Chrysalis did what I think she did? I mean its impossible if he was suppose to be complete immobilised but yeah how do you even end up in that position? And apparently Bean is slowly wowing Chrysalis too, now that is a curious twist of events
Oooooooh I can't wait to see how things go down!!!
I'm guessing most people here haven't heard of USRs (Unusually Sized Rodents). Tis a shame, as it's an amazing movie.
If this counts as Bean and Celestia cheating each other, the Mystical Marriage Bond might activate, and Celestia would start depowering.
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That ended with the marriage.
The anticipation is killing me with the wait for the shite to hit the fan and someone gets curbstomped.
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Well, to be fair, in the movie the name is slightly different: ROUSs (Rodents Of Unusual Size)
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True. Can't really argue with that.
well at least celly won't exspekt bean to be dead. keep the good work upp.
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Did someone say tactical nuke?
Guess Operation: Ain't No Sunshine is a go!
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A very interesting chapter, of course, for some reason after reading it all I can hear is this song:
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I didn't even get to finish the countdown...
...at least we get to look forward to this when our favorite solar princess comes knocking at the hive
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Ah, but you see, it's coming from so far away by the time you're done counting it'll get there! It's a surprise tactical party nuke!
I think we know what Chrysalis did to Phil that has Thorax in such a fret!
edit:
Or it could be a completely different 'ling... unless Chryssie changed his name as a part of his punishent?
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Devious... also Bean when he finds our who he's been sharing a bed with
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Oddly, I used that exact gif with a... slight difference.
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Later that day, undisclosed location in the Badlands
Bean: So then I was thinking-
Bob: distant screaming
Bean:...love? Do you hear that?
Chrysalis:... Uhm... yes, I'll be right back leaves
Bob: crashes into the bedchamber Hello your highness, are you still alive, cause if not your wife is gonna kick my flank!
Bean: Are... you okay?
Bob: Yeah, the princess sort of knocked my nerve system out of whack. Can't really feel the pain.... wait... there it is....owwwwwwww...
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I approve of this
Oh, Chyrssy. You HAD to double dip on the love supply. Bob doesn't deserve what he gets after the jig is up...
Crysalis is going to need a clean bedpan once Celestia learns of this deception.
Chrysalis is going to end up burning in the sky as a second sun when Celestia catches on to this.
""THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR MESSIN' WITH MY HUSBANDO~!!"
The hype is being built for when Celestia goes supernova on Chrysalis.
I had an image in my head of some random pony's rump being the only thing visible as they struggle to extricate themselves from the fountain. It was rather amusing.
Parts Unknown would make a good pony name.
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I'm actually very intrigued by the path you chose to take. This particular move leaves it with a lot of openings to how this goes down. It could be a short game or a long game and I still find myself interesting in the motivations of Chrysalis herself. It's always been a bit of a thing that it's never truly explained what her motivations are in the series. She wanted to take over Equestria, but to what end? In this version of the story, she's having this tendency to bounce back and forth between tyrant and leader and I have to wonder if her endgame is as dark as it first appears...
I have a lot of speculations based around the prologue and how... content she was before she saw the news that Celestia was getting married. There was no grand scheme in the works until that point (or so it seemed.) So she wants power, but to what end? I am left craving more and I love it...
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Woah... Just... wow.
I didn't think I could love this story more. This arc has truly proved me wrong.
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Bean words ahoy!
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I actually didn't think about that. I went with Underhoof just for the plain ol' 'he's in the way'. Always fun when I am unintentionally clever.
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Here's hoping he didn't sign up for the high deductible plan at the last open enrollment.
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Tick tock, tick tock ...
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He needs all the help he can get.
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And there will more than likely be more! :)
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Ooo, popcorn. You are very prepared, and I like it.
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I figured it was time for some more humor. I've been serious for long enough now.
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They totally do. Water cooler is the best place for all the latest gossip.
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"And you … you will be … ah! Too much effort! You get to be Dan. I don't want to look up more anatomy names." :)
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There is a hidden truth in there …
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Me too!
Dear Bob, heard that the Queen sent you on a dangerous mission, when you get back (if you do!) the guys and me ll throw you a little get well party...
In all seriousness, the way Chryssie is being handled here, I think she's aware that when the Jig is Up, the only thing that will stop Celestia from turning everything into molten slag is an immediate sacrifice of fresh produce.
She's already made a point that she doesn't trust Bob to last very long and is trying to get as much Love out of both sides as quickly as possible. She hasn't expressed it in the narrative directly, but it's obvious she's got a contingency for the inevitable breakdown of the situation as it stands. Likely, by way of leveraging bean as: "Oh look, we saved your prince and helped him recover after Tirek sent him for a nasty spill."
Or, if you consider she was infiltrated pretty high up before Tirek showed up, use a double or even triple deception to make her own Station look better. The contingency may be that she's planted Bob, only for her to come in as her maid-disguise when it looks like the deception is going to fall apart, present the real Bean, chase Bob off with a whispered ('Good job, now SCRAM.'), and resume whatever long game she was working.
Because she IS being presented as a having a little more common sense here. The windfall of Bean being all but dropped at her hooves has potential, but she recognizes the danger of setting Celestia off when she doesn't have a way to actually pin the princess in a fight. This shows cunning, rather than a blind, petty 'I'll take whatever avenue to revenge I can get' that so many villains fall into. Her long game is not fully known, but it is clear now she's being written as far more cautious, and dare I say, learning from mistakes.
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“What your name?”
“Dick.”
“Is that short for Richard?”
“No.”
“Ewwww.”
“Shut up, I’m not happy about it either!”
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All aboard the hype train!
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He's gonna need it.
Wait, wait, wait.... I'm lost. Who got replaced? Celestia, or Bean?