//------------------------------// // Ch 5: What Is and What Should Never Be // Story: Equal Measures // by Coyotek4 //------------------------------// As Starlight’s eyes adjust to the faint, eerie glow emanating from Chrysalis’s horn, the shock of seeing her nemesis up close in the cramped environment soon gives way to a fiery anger. She screams as she fires off one energy burst after another; each one barely leaves her horn before dissipating into nothingness. She then squeezes her eyes shut as she attempts to teleport out of the cave, but fails in multiple attempts to budge. “Save your energy,” Chrysalis calmly informs her unicorn enemy. Starlight opens her eyes again and takes another look at Chrysalis, noticing for the first time a crudely crafted, obsidian necklace hanging around the changeling’s neck. “Is that …” “Remnants of my throne,” Chrysalis states as she completes Starlight’s thought. “A far cry from the power it once wielded, but enough to keep you from doing me any harm … or from you escaping your tomb.” Starlight sighs and bows her head in despair. “So that’s what all this was all about, wasn’t it? This was never about me or my past deeds, never about desire for power and control … it was only about revenge.” “Not entirely.” Chrysalis’s words cause Starlight to look up once again. “And it still doesn’t have to end this way … for either of us.” “What are you getting at?” Starlight asks icily. A sly grin forms on Chrysalis’s weathered countenance. “I did little more than entice the ‘old’ Starlight to return. And I still think that Starlight has the potential for great things.” The comment takes Starlight aback. “Wait … you know about the old me?” “Enough to know about that village that you once ruled over. Don’t look so surprised, Starlight; I told you I didn’t think you important enough to be replaced by a changeling, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep tabs on you.” “Fine; you know about my previous place of residence. So what?” “After our last, unfortunate encounter, I decided to pay a visit to that village. From the look of it, I must have gotten there shortly after some sort of festival; then again, that’s all ponies do, isn’t it? Throw parties and celebrate anything and everything?” Chrysalis spits at the ground in disgust before continuing. “The ponies there certainly forgave, but they did not forget. And it’s simply amazing how much information those townsfolk are willing to share with an inquisitive outsider pony who’s … what was that excuse? Oh yes, ‘doing a bio on Twilight Sparkle’s hero protégé’. Yes, Starlight, I know all about who you were. And I won’t lie; I’m very impressed.” Confusion creeps into Starlight’s mind, as she takes in Chrysalis’s calm demeanor. “Impressed?” “Absolutely,” Chrysalis states with a big smile. “And that’s why I want you on my side. Join me, and together we can rule Equestria.” “Chrysalis? What does she got to do with anything, Rare?” “She has everything to do with this,” Rarity replies to Applejack and the others. “I think she’s been impersonating Starlight and staging all these performances at her expense, getting her to doubt her inner self … and I daresay, she’s succeeding.” “Waitaminute,” Rainbow Dash interjects. “What would Chrysalis be doing in Ponyville anyway? She’s a queen, for crying out loud.” “Former queen,” Rarity corrects. “And what does she have now? She’s an outsider to her own kind now, with no place to call home. What could be on her mind other than getting back at Starlight for causing the changeling revolution? And besides … unlike her fellow changelings, she probably still feeds off emotions; there’s no shortage of love around this town. At the least, I can think of two ponies who likely were targets.” “Who d’ya got in mind?” Applejack asks. “Why, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, of course. Those two were in the peak of health not two days ago, and then they’re suddenly sapped of their strength? We thought it was a cold of some sort, but it makes sense to presume that Chrysalis feasted on their love for each other and their foals.” Fluttershy joins her friend’s unconvinced state. “If Chrysalis really is behind this, that would be terrible … but that is something of a leap of faith, isn’t it? Are you sure there’s no other explanation?” Rarity turns to Trixie as she addresses the others. “We know that someone attacked Trixie just as she was getting through to Starlight. That ‘someone’ looked like Starlight Glimmer. Starlight has never spoken of having a twin sister in her family, and even if she did, I highly doubt a sibling would engage in such psychological warfare. So what other explanation is there?” The others ponder Rarity’s question. “What about the mirror pond?” Pinkie suggests. “That pond is capable of making hundreds of Starlights.” “That is true,” Rarity counters, “but the clones you created were one-dimensional versions of yourself. The plans being enacted here are the work of a complex mind, and I don’t think shallow clones could be capable of that.” Applejack steps ahead of her doubting friends. “OK, Rarity. Let’s assume you’re right and Chrysalis is behind all this. Why resort to painted-on equal signs and messing up the castle? Surely she has more powerful magic than that to work with.” “From what we know, Chrysalis got most of her strength from her subjects. Now she’s working alone, foraging for herself. Even with the occasional pony to feed off of, she’s probably quite weak in this state, unable to cast more than basic stun spells. And besides,” Rarity continues as she turns again to Trixie, “any professional magician can tell you that the appearance of powerful magic can work better than the real thing.” “Well Chrysalis or not, we still gotta get to Starlight before anything terrible happens. I think we need to call for Twilight; we’ll need all the magic we can get.” “There’s no time, Applejack.” “And I don’t think her magic would help anyway,” Trixie adds to Rarity’s comment. “Chrysalis’s throne contained a powerful anti-magic aura; if she’s got even a fragment of that throne, she’s probably blocking Starlight’s magical defenses.” “Then we gotta head off the road and search the fields and forests for her,” Rainbow Dash insists. “I can fly around and look for her.” Fluttershy shakes her head. “I dunno. The forested area is really thick; it’s hard to see the ground from the sky with all the foliage. And then there are the small mountains with caves all over; if she’s in a cave, you won’t see her.” “Hmmm,” Pinkie muses. “We need to think outside the box on this one. Too bad there’s no chimney around. HEY, WAIT!!!” she suddenly exclaims. “I got a crazy idea.” She then lowers her voice and ‘whispers’ to the group: “I gotta warn you, though, this could be a little bit crazy.” ‘Join me.’ Starlight struggles to process Chrysalis’s request. After a pause, she responds defiantly: “I asked you to join us. Why would I ever want to join you?” “For one,” Chrysalis calmly notes, “it’s either that or remain in this cave for the rest of what will be a very short life.” “I think you know the answer to that—“ “And two,” Chrysalis continues, ignoring Starlight’s retort, “I still believe there’s a part of you that wants to join me. She may be struggling against some goody-horseshoes hero-wannabe, but she’s still there. And whether you want to believe that or not, you know that to be true.” “That’s …” Starlight pauses, attempting to hide feelings of self-doubt from Chrysalis. “That’s not true.” “Isn’t it? A couple cans of paint, a simple stunning spell on select ponies … you were easy to fool. Too easy, if you really have no sense of conflict within you. No, you didn’t see through those deceptions because you want to believe that you did all that. You fight your true feelings … you’ve been misled by Twilight and her notions of ‘friendship’ … but you know where you really stand. And your power … our power … combined, we could rule all of Equestria.” Chrysalis leans her head close to Starlight and speaks in a soft, sinister voice. “So I ask you again, Starlight Glimmer. Join me, and let us rule this world together. I ask this of you … I beg of you …” Starlight catches a tear forming in Chrysalis’s eye as she pleads her case. She responds in a calm, understanding voice, as if talking to a foal. “Perhaps you know some of my history … but I don’t think you know all of it. You probably don’t know that I committed a far-worse atrocity: I found a way to travel back in time, in an effort to break apart the binds of Twilight’s friendships. You wouldn’t know about that … apart from myself, Twilight, and Spike, no one would. But I saw first-hoof what that led to.” “Then you prove my point,” Chrysalis declares. “You do have incredible power within. Surely, you can—“ “Please, let me finish,” Starlight quietly asks. Chrysalis obeys, and Starlight continues her story. “Later, after Twilight took me under her wing, she described some of the futures that came from my actions … and in one of them, you did succeed in overrunning Equestria. All that remained of the ponies in this world were small bands, surviving off the land while attempting to resist your reign. But it was not a reign of peaceful rule, Chrysalis. You, and your changeling horde, were locked in everlasting struggle with the rebel bands. Even in triumph, your life was filled with strife and pain. Is that the kind of life you really want to live?” “Pah! You speak of a reality that never was! One that you never even experienced. Who are you to say how terrible such a world would be?” “And what about the love?” Starlight continues. “You still feed off of emotions like love, do you not? Tell me, Chrysalis, where that love would come from in a world run by your twisted whims? It’s a rule that, by its very nature, would be unsustainable. You yourself would succumb to starvation in a matter of moons. And deep down, you know that to be true.” Silence pervades for many seconds, before Starlight continues. “Perhaps there will always be a part of me with selfish pursuits and a yearning for power … but for the good of Equestria, for the good of Twilight and the rest of my friends, for the good of my own soul and peace of mind, I will never allow that part of me to again dictate how I live my life.” Starlight sighs before continuing: “And if that means that my time here is coming to an end, so be it … but I cannot join you. Rather, I ask you again: join us. Past deeds can always be forgiven of those willing to make a positive change. It’s not too late, Chrysalis … it’s never too late. Please … it doesn’t have to end this way.” Starlight again holds out her hoof in friendship. Chrysalis stares at her hoof for many seconds … and then spits on the ground in disgust. “Have it your way,” Chrysalis states. “Then we can both die here … together.” “Pinkie Pie, darling, wearing a green dress with purple shoes is ‘crazy’ … this is insanity.” “Trust me, Rare, this will work … as long as Fluttershy can actually call him here.” “Gee Pinkie, I don’t know if I can. I mean, it’s not as simple as saying ‘I need you, Discord’—” With a loud *BANG*, Discord immediately appears in front of Fluttershy; he quickly gives the pegasus a big hug. “Oh, it’s so good to hear from you again, Fluttershy. I mean, it’s been what, a whole week since the last time we met.” Upon realizing he’s not in Fluttershy’s cottage, he releases her and looks around. “Well, this is unexpected.” “Yer tellin’ me,” Applejack says to nopony in particular. Trixie steps in front of the others and addresses the draconequus directly. “Discord, we need your help.” “Now if this is about your upcoming performance in Canterlot, I simply do not do ‘parlor tricks’ for the masses. I thought I made that perfectly clear—“ “Not me, you mare-on!” “ ‘Mare-on’?” Discord rolls his eyes. “Wow, we’re really stretching for equine puns now, aren’t we.” “Ooo, ooo, Discord,” Pinkie Pie frantically shouts out. “I got a favor to ask that only you can do.” Discord turns to Pinkie Pie and smiles. “Well it’s hard to say ‘no’ to somepony so eager for my services … but I’ve been training. Well, go on.” Pinkie points to the rolling hills and forests that spread far along the path out of town. “Can you turn all this into Candy World?” “CANDY WORLD???” everypony exclaims in unison. “Candy World?” Discord repeats. “Yeah … make the grass cotton candy, and turn the trees into large candy canes, with rivers of sweet, sweet chocolate and mountains made out of gumdrops!” Pinkie bounces with excitement at the thought. Discord smiles at the idea and raises his hand. “Pinkie Pie, have you plum lost your—“ Before Applejack can finish, Discord snaps his fingers. From their spot on the road, spreading as far as the eye can see, the fields turn bright pink and fluffy while the trees in the distance transform into large stalks of peppermint-striped candy canes. “Now Discord,” Rarity explains, “Pinkie Pie here does not reflect the preferences of our group with her request, so if you could be a dear and—“ “No, this is perfect,” Pinkie interrupts. “Rainbow Dash, NOW fly around and look for Starlight.” “What, now? What am I supposed to look for in … this?” “Look for anything natural … trees, rocks, rivers. Anything that Discord didn’t change to sweet sweet candy … because Chrysalis’s anti-magic ability blocked him.” Pinkie’s reasoning begins to dawn on Rainbow Dash. “ooOOOooh. Got it.” she quickly takes to the air and flies off. “You know Pinkie,” Rarity notes, “you could have asked Discord to just turn everything a shade of blue, or something else a little more … sedate?” “Hey, my idea so my fantasyland.” Pinkie then walks over to the field to graze on cotton candy. This is just too weird, Rainbow Dash thinks to herself as she soars over the affected countryside. I feel like I’m flying through Pinkie’s dreams. I wonder if this is what Princess Luna has to go through on a nightly basis. Hey, waitaminute … what’s this? Passing over a thicket of candy cane trees, she comes to a massive gumdrop; near the base of one side of the gumdrop lie a pile of boulders. She also discerns a patch of green grass near the rocks. Well I’ll be … I gotta get the others. Starlight had hoped to convince Chrysalis to change her ways, but was not overly surprised to be rebuffed again. Hearing the word ‘together’, though, struck a dissonant chord with her … “What do you mean ‘together’? I’m sure your magic still works.” “To what end, Starlight Glimmer?” Anger forms in Chrysalis’s voice as she continues. “What kind of life do I have now? I have no kingdom left. No followers. No home. You and your friends have cost me everything! I have nothing left in this world … except vengeance. Vengeance on you, you horrible little nag!” “Then why fight me now???” Starlight again pleads her case to the former changeling queen. “It’s not too late to make a fresh start with your life … with our lives!” “Don’t patronize me, pony!” Chrysalis turns away from Starlight and towards the blocked cave entrance, quieting her tone. “I’ve ruled the changelings since before your very existence. Hundreds of moons.” She turns to face Starlight again. “And you expect me to change my ways just like that? You expect me to just ‘make a fresh start’?” Starlight opens her mouth to speak, but Chrysalis continues as her voice again increases in volume and anger. “Well I can’t do that! I need that power and control. I need to feast off the emotions of others. I can’t change my ways. I’m …” Chrysalis’s tone of anger suddenly gives way to one of regret, and she bows her head. “I’m … beyond redemption.” “No one is beyond redemption, Chrysalis. For all I did, all the misdeeds I’ve committed … I was not beyond redemption. Twilight saw the good in me … just as I can hear the good in you, yearning to escape. Chrysalis, please …” “Starlight, you in there? Can you hear us?” Chrysalis quickly turns back to the entrance, perceiving the sound of scraping at boulders and murmurs of agitated ponies. “So it seems I can’t even have this.” She turns one last time to Starlight, her eyes locking with the unicorn’s. “Just know that this is not over … we will meet again.” With a loud *BANG*, Chrysalis suddenly disappears and leaves Starlight alone in total darkness. Starlight casts an illumination spell, which now works for her and allows her to verify that she is alone in the cave. “Outta my way, I got this!” Nervous, Starlight steps back from the cave entrance and looks away while keeping her eyes tightly closed. Seconds later, an explosion sends rocks and pebbles flying over and around her, with several small pieces striking her body. She feels a breeze as a blue blur flashes past her, crashing into the back of the shallow cave. Starlight reopens her eyes, which quickly adjust to the remnants of sunlight entering the cave, and re-illuminates her horn for better visibility. She turns around to find a woozy Rainbow Dash lying on the ground on her side, rubbing her head with her right forehoof.