//------------------------------// // ... If You Go Down To The Woods Today // Story: I was just lonely ... // by Rune Caster the First //------------------------------// “Ugggh …” Chrysalis groaned as she slowly woke up. “My head hurts …” she muttered as she opened one eye. A brown rabbit’s inquisitive face suddenly filled her vision, and she sat up in a hurry. Chrysalis blinked for a moment, and then scowled at the rabbit which promptly turned and fled from the intimidating set of fangs. For a moment, she wondered why she wasn’t in the hive … then the events of the previous day came back to her in a chilling revelation. Her failed takeover … that insufferable traitor, Thorax … the hive disintegrating around her, along with her throne … Starlight Glimmer offering her friendship. For a moment, the boiling anger and hatred that had plagued her thoughts yesterday threatened to resurface. I could take vengeance on those pesky ponies … She shook her head vigorously to clear her thoughts. Not now. She then went back to the planning that she started yesterday. First things first, Chrysalis. Number one: find out exactly where I am. Number Two: find some food. I’ll decide on the rest later. She looked around. Hmmmmm, a grassy grove near some thickets and ringed with trees … obviously a forest, wait … it’s not the Everfree Forest, is it? A shiver ran through the tall changeling. Normally Chrysalis wasn’t afraid of most things that others would be scared of … but the Everfree Forest was just creepy, unnerving, and unpleasant to any who entered. Its inhabitants were similarly unnatural to unwary travellers. Even Chrysalis wasn’t that reckless to enter without a companion or two, or more. I know what I’ll do. I’ll cast a ‘Finder Spark’ spell. It would tell her which way to go to get to a settlement. It’s helped me in the past, and I’m sure that it won’t let me down now. Feeling optimistic for once in a long time, Chrysalis cast the spell. “North-East. Right, let’s get on with it.” Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten love since noon yesterday. Come on Chrysalis, you’ve been without food for some time before. The changeling flickered briefly with green light as she changed into the form of a light brown unicorn with a chocolate brown mane, tail, and eyes. Chrysalis then set off into the forest in a northern-easterly direction, keeping a careful eye on her surroundings in case of sudden attacks. ~~~ After a while, the number of trees started to decrease, and more bushes started to spring up out of the ground. There were more animals too: bunnies running in and out of holes, squirrels dashing up trees, and birds flying around her. The big changeling smiled a little bit; despite her disgust of those creature, who she’d termed ‘pests’. It felt nice to see peaceful bits of nature again. Almost like … She suddenly blinked and shook her head, her usual smirk returning to her face. What am I, a soppy pony? Suddenly, Chrysalis heard a voice that she recognised. “Come on, little squirrels. Let’s find you a new home.” It’s that yellow pegasus: the bearer of the element of kindness, the one that the rest of the ponies call Fluttershy. Desperate thoughts ran through Chrysalis’s head. Options, Chrysalis. One: ambush her and force her to give me information. It might work, but her animals might tell on me to her friends, and they would come running. The last thing that I need is the Elements of Harmony coming at me after my latest defeat. So, the second option. Hide myself until she’s gone. That could work. After thinking very hard for a couple of seconds, she transformed herself into a tree in a flash of green light. Changelings generally weren’t known for transforming into inanimate things, mainly because it was so much easier to interact with other beings when you’re moving. And also, being in the same position for so long, itched terribly. There was a gasp a couple of seconds later. There was silence for quite a while … then it was broken by the yellow pegasus’s voice. “Um, hello?” The disguised changeling remained silent, and watched as Fluttershy walked cautiously into view and looked around, looking understandably nervous. She was joined almost immediately by a white rabbit and a brown bear. “Is there anyone there?” The bearer of Kindness asked, and the white rabbit and brown bear started to search the area. Chrysalis prayed that they’d not find her. Oh Mother Faust, please don’t let them find me. She was not in the habit of praying usually but this was a desperate situation. The bear and the rabbit came closer to the Chrysalis-tree and, although the bear stopped for a few seconds longer at the tree then the rabbit, they eventually withdrew and communicated with Fluttershy. “Oh, thank goodness. I thought it might have been a bad changeling, and I don’t want to remember what happened on yesterday morning any time soon.” Chrysalis chuckled inwardly as she remembered her children telling her how they’d surprised the yellow pegasus, disguised as that bear and white rabbit. They told me that she’d squeaked like a little mouse when they’d pounced. “Now then, come on little squirrels. I think that … this tree would be a good home for you.” The changeling was broken from her thoughts by the odd feeling of little claws along and down her branches. What? No, no, no, no, no. The little creatures scampered along her pseudo-branches. I don’t even like squirrels. Besides I’m … I’m … Chrysalis clenched her teeth in order to hold back giggles as the squirrels’ bushy tails swept across her bark exterior. Ticklish ... she concluded, rather lamely. “There, now you cute little squirrels can live happily ever after in your nice, new tree.” Let’s see you live happily ever after with singed tails, thought Chrysalis, venomously. One of the squirrels ran along a branch towards Fluttershy and stopped near to the end of it. Ironically, that very place was exactly where Chrysalis’s nose would be in her natural form. Oi, get off, thought Chrysalis, trying to will the squirrel away. Fluttershy was quite oblivious at the moment but she would notice any odd magic for sure. Chrysalis came to the conclusion that she would have to wait … even though the tickly sensation was becoming INCREASINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE. The white rabbit suddenly made a grimace and beat the ground hard with a hind leg. “Oh, my goodness! I’m having breakfast with the rest of my friends at Sugarcube Corner … if I don’t go now, I’ll be late!” Oh, goody! Chrysalis perked right back up. “I’ll be back later with some yummy, crunchy nuts for you”, Fluttershy said, stroking one of the squirrels. The squirrel, in question, chittered and nuzzled her hoof. The yellow pegasus then fluttered up and flew away in the direction of Ponyville, her animal friends following behind her. When Fluttershy was completely out of hearing range, there was suddenly a huge … ACHOO! Birds took quick flights out of that area. Dragonflies zipped for cover. The two squirrels themselves jumped from their new home, which had suddenly burst into flames. Green flames. The fire eventually died down to reveal Chrysalis, in her true form, looking EXTREMELY CROSS. The squirrels took one look at the irate changeling and ran for their lives, disappearing into the undergrowth. The next squirrel that I see … will wish that it had never, in its life, encountered me, thought the alicorn-like changeling venomously. I’ve never tried squirrel stew before. Chrysalis then shook her head again. Wait, stop that! She sighed. I’ve really got to watch my anger: it distracts me too much sometimes. Right, okay … She was in a forest that was inhabited by the Element of Kindness’s (Fluttershy’s) woodland critter friends. So, she had to stay in her present pony form for now. Chrysalis had two options at the moment, in her opinion. 1. Follow the yellow pegasus directly. 2. Stay a safe distance from that pegasus, and walk parallel to her. The changeling thought about it. Well, normally I’d take the direct approach, but like I thought before, that draws a lot of attention to me … that is not advisable in my situation. The other is much better: if I walk a safe distance behind and to the side of Fluttershy … I could get out of the forest without further bother, I hope. Chrysalis decided to take the second option. Before she went, however, she flexed her limbs and wings to make sure that they weren’t stiff. It happened every now and then, turning into inanimate objects always made her have pins and needles in her joints when she turned back. She then set off in almost the same direction as Fluttershy: just a bit more to the right. ~~~ The big changeling was going along at a steady pace, when she suddenly felt queer. Her whole body suddenly tingled, making her shiver slightly … and her head began to throb. Huh? Then … was it her or had the temperature just changed from warm to cold? Or cold to warm? Then as a slow dizziness overcame her, Chrysalis suddenly knew what was happening. I’m … sick?! It was shock, not illness that made her legs wobble. I can’t be sick! I haven’t been sick in … oh, it was so long ago. Sitting down now seemed to be a good idea, so Chrysalis sat down. Then it changed to lying down. Oh no, thought the obviously sick changeling, now lying among the leaves in a grassy ditch. The darkness of unconsciousness then took her, but just before it did … she felt her magic suddenly fail and her pony shape burned away in green flames to reveal her real one. Oh, horseapples …