When Lyra finds her old pet fish in the back of the freezer, she sees an opportunity to recapture the glories of her youth.

Lyra and Flipper are back together after ten years. After all, a bit of ice never got in the way of true friendship.

This story is a sequel to Ye Cannot Get Ye Flask

After visiting Minuette and Moondancer in Canterlot, Twilight still had one friend left to catch up with. But she never realized just how odd Lyra Heartstrings was. Not until the conversation had begun, anyway.

"Hey, Twilight, wanna feel my hands? They're so soft!"

Written in honor of the Soft Hands Inaugural Fanfiction Contest. Reading the previous story is not necessary to understand this one. Reading the previous story may not lead to an understanding of this one.

"...genius in the way Alice in Wonderland is genius." -BlazzingInferno

Life in Equestria is changing, and nopony knows this more than Lyra Heartstrings. While on vacation in Appleloosa to forget her past trauma with changelings, the struggling musician ironically stumbles upon Queen Chrysalis. In her starving death throes, the Matriarch of the Hive latches onto Lyra. When the unicorn awakens, she is no longer her usual self, but rather a super-powered pony with all the gifts and talents of the changeling queen who has merged with her, forming a shared consciousness in Lyra's head.

Together, the two will be forced to work out a symbiotic relationship, performing acts of heroism against a shifting tide of questionable politics, dangerous personalities, unpredictable technologies, and the runaway denizens of Tartarus. Neither Chrysalis nor Lyra exclusively, they must both settle for an identity that sparks fear in the minds of evil... and instills hope in the hearts of the innocent.

This is not the story of Queen Chrysalis. Nor is this the story of Ponyville's silly Lyra Heartstrings. This is the day-to-day saga of the pony known only as the Shell, the heroes and villains attached to her, and the adventurous legacy that she will ultimately leave behind.

Cover Art by Rangelost

Pinkie Pie learns a new word that starts with 'F' and ends with 'K'. No, it's not firetruck.

How will she use this new word? Let's find out.