Chrysalis: Saviour of Time Chapter 3

In which I discuss the next chapter of Chrysalis: Saviour of Time after the page break. Spoilers will be discussed.

Well, here's the third chapter, 'Friendship is Hard', and it's a long one at 10 500 words or so. I had to watch and rewatch segments of the first episode of the series to try and get things right on this, and it was quite the hassle. Given that Chrysalis has just entered the scene, the differences between her and Twilight haven't had much time to change how things go and so the introductions of most of the characters are inevitably quite similar, at least at the start. The easier and more enjoyable parts to write were the parts where I deviated from the episode.I look forward to after the Friendship is Magic two parter so that I can split off more from what exactly happens in the show itself.

I establish a lot of things in this chapter. Chrysalis has a major soft spot for children of all types, though is in serious denial over her affection (gotta have some redeeming qualities for the protagonist, right?). Love can be gathered reasonably well through physical displays of love (hugging, kissing, and sex for example) as well as through a more direct approach that involves using magic to draw the love out of a pony. It can also be gathered, though in much lesser quantities, from the general atmosphere of a loving area. Children also aren't very efficient sources of love. Chrysalis is bisexual with a heavy leaning towards heterosexuality. Ponies don't notice a change in magical auras when a changeling imitates a pony due to a passive magical effect, but it seems that it doesn't work on non-ponies (or at least not on dragons). There's probably other things, too, but I can't recall off the top of my head.

This may come as a shock to my readers, but Chrysalis isn't very good at friendship, even worse than Twilight was at the start of the show. She doesn't really understand it, or perhaps simply has little interest in establishing true friendships with the element bearers.

Applejack doesn't really trust or like her all that much thanks to lying in order to make out (actually harvest love) from Big Mac. Rainbow Dash turned out okay and doesn't seem to have any issues with her. Rarity has given conditional forgiveness/friendship based a little on guilting her over ruining some of her clothing. Fluttershy was straight up manipulated into being friends through the misuse of Spike. Pinkie Pie is friends with everybody, so it really doesn't make sense to think Chrysalis'd have a hard time 'befriending' her. I think it's safe to say that regardless of how the bearers actually feel about her, Chrysalis doesn't truly see a single one of them as friends. Makes one wonder how the elements of harmony are supposed to work when all the friendships are completely one sided at best and there's really no chance at all of Chrysalis' attitude/feelings towards them changing before she needs to use the elements. Whatever is going to happen?

That's enough for now. I'll see you guys later.