//------------------------------// // Chapter 20 // Story: The Equestrian Chronicle // by Souldrainr //------------------------------// "At least ask her one more time for me," Twilight pleaded. Andrew sighed as he put on his sweater. "I really doubt Chrysalis would have changed her mind. Besides, the reason I haven't seen her since Saturday was because she told me not to, I'm not going to just go to the hospital only to ask her that of all things." "That was nearly a week ago!" Twilight protested. "In all that time she could have easily decided on staying here after she gets checked out!" Andrew huffed and rolled his eyes, "Ok, fine, I'll give it a shot, but trust me, she hates you guys." Twilight flinched at that, her ears splaying against her head. "I... I know, but where else is she going to go?" "I'm sure she'll figure something out," Andrew said. "I hope your right... Do you know the way to Rarity's?" "Yeah," Andrew answered as he pocketed his coin pouch, now noticeably smaller than when Celestia had first given it to him. He had spent the better part of this week walking through Ponyville in search of things to do, and in doing so had acquainted himself with the town's streets. Today was the day he was supposed to pick up his new clothes from the Carousel Boutique. He exchanged goodbyes with Twilight before exiting the library and making his way through Ponyville. He still couldn't get used to how friendly the town's residents were, and even now found it difficult to return the random greetings he received while walking, often times from ponies he didn't even know. It wasn't long before he found himself in front of the extravagant, out of place building that doubled both as a home and a clothing store. He walked up to the front door and gave it a few good knocks. "Come iiin," Rarity answered in a sing song voice. He opened the door and entered the boutique, immediately seeing Rarity examining a black piece of clothing on the stage area to his right. The folded garment was floating above the elevated stage, reflected by the three mirrors that surrounded the platform. Before he could get a better look, Rarity began to fold it further with her magic and turned around to greet him. Her eyes lit up when she recognized him. "Andrew! Hello! Just the pony I wanted to see!" She said in a lively tone. She immediately levitated several dozen folded clothes from the racks on the left side of the room and set them down onto the stage. "Alright, I've made nine pairs of socks and undergarments, six pants, four shorts—" "Whoa, slow down," Andrew interrupted, "how did you even make so many clothes? Doesn't it take a long time just to make a single piece of clothing by hand?" He eyed the rather large pile and wondered how on Earth the mare managed to get all of this done manually. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate that you went through so much trouble to make all this, thanks. It's just... don't you think you overworked yourself?" "Nonsense darling," Rarity dismissed with a wave of her hoof, "Spike helped me plenty, and I always enjoy a good challenge. I made sure to take into account that you will be traveling a lot, so I didn't make more than what could be carried in a single large luggage bag. Besides, it isn't every day I'm tasked with making such exotic clothing. If anything, I should be thanking you." She looked into space as if daydreaming before saying, “I'll be the only seamstress in all of Equestria to have made clothing for our resident human, and if that isn't something that will get me attention, I don't know what will." Andrew furrowed his brows in thought. "But enough of that," Rarity said, "go ahead and have a look, tell me what you think!" Andrew relented, grabbing the first piece of clothing his hands came upon. He examined it for only a moment before realizing what it was and quickly folding it back up and putting it to the side. "Oh dear, did you not like it? Did I do something wrong? I can fix it right away if you want!" Rarity said in a rushed, worried tone. "No, it's fine," Andrew reassured the mare, "It's just underwear, it's going to be covered all the time anyways. I guess it doesn't look bad, but it also wouldn't have mattered if it was the most plain thing in the world." His embarrassment ebbed away once he realized he was alone in seeing the awkwardness of the situation. "Oh, I suppose you're right," Rarity agreed. "Then what about the rest of the clothing?" They spent the next ten minutes going through the variety of clothing Rarity had made for him. All in all, there wasn't anything too extraordinary, seeing as Andrew only asked for plain clothes. "It all looks great Rarity," Andrew said with a nod as he folded the last pair of jean pants, or rather, the closest thing to jeans Rarity was able to produce. The stitching wasn't quite as tight as regular jeans, but he didn't exactly see that as an issue. "Now," Rarity started, "for the cloak I promised you, I'm sure you've been curious about why I had to send Spike with that crystal last week.” "Uh huh?" Andrew answered, eyes narrowing as his curiosity peaked. "Well, I've been thinking about what you've said. Normally, you would never find me recommending a cloak of all things to somepony, but you are no pony, and I feel it would only add to the enigmatic aura that surrounds you. Personally, I think that a nice air of mystery would suit you quite well. With that in mind, I made you this beauty." Her horn shone, and the garment she had been inspecting when he had first walked in floated into the air and unfolded itself. "Oh, wow." "You like it?" Andrew nodded. "I mean... yeah," he answered. The dark gray apparel was something between a sweater and a cloak. It was definitely long and large enough to be considered a cloak, but it also had a hidden zipper in the front that seemed to go just below the groin area, while there was still enough free fabric to likely reach his knees. He reached out and grabbed the garment, Rarity's magic fizzing out as she relinquished her hold. "Is it just me, or is it lighter than it looks?" He asked skeptically, the low weight being the first thing he noticed. "I'll get to that in a moment darling, first, why not try it on?" Andrew nodded and put it on in a quick, practiced fashion, his typical morning routine making the action completely effortless. The first thought that came to his mind was just how comfortable it was, then there was how cold it was. Well, it wasn't exactly cold, but pleasantly cool. But then, something else caught his attention. "Is... Is there smoke coming out of this thing?" Rarity leaned in to get a better look. Sure enough, there was a faint amount of smoke coming out of the cloak from seemingly random spots. The smoke dissipated rather quickly, but even still, it would be very noticeable even if one wasn't looking for it due to the contrast in color between the clear, whitish mist and the dark cloth. Andrew caught Rarity's smile as she examined the cloak. "Wait, is it supposed to be smoking?" "Does it bother you?" Rarity asked. "I... no, I guess not, but—" "What about the sound?" Rarity continued. "I don't hear anything from here, but what about you?" The human stayed silent, trying to listen for the signature sound of magic coming into contact with him. He could hear a silent sizzle, but it was something that would easily be masked outside of a quiet room. "I hear it when we're quiet but... no, that doesn't really bother me either." He raised an arm, and a very visible plume of smoke escaped from the sleeve before fading into the air. "Umm, Rarity... what exactly did you do to this?" "Well," Rarity began, the smile never leaving her face, "I wanted to place enchanted Onyx gems inside of the fabric, but in order to do that, I needed to make sure you wouldn't cancel out the spell through physical contact. That was where Spike came in, after making sure the crystal he brought back was still enchanted, I went straight to work. There are various onyx crystals and gems throughout the cloak, some of the enchantments include keeping the cloak warm in cold temperatures, such as when you're flying at high altitudes, and keeping you cool when in the sun. I assumed you were planning on visiting places all over Equestria, so I wanted to make sure changes in climate wouldn't be too much of an issue. Andrew raised a brow at the explanation. "That's... impressive," he stated. "It also sounds expensive, I don't know if I have enough to—" "Perish the thought," Rarity said before he could finish. "Princess Celestia herself commissioned me to make sure you have suitable clothing for the future. Of course, I tried to inform her that I was already in the process of making your apparel, but she insisted anyways. She even went so far as to provide me with the resources that went into making that cloak." "Oh..." Andrew replied simply. That's... awfully nice of her, he thought idly. He would have to thank her for that next time he saw the alicorn. "Are you certain the steam doesn't bother you?" Rarity asked. "It's fine," Andrew answered. "Wonderful, I quite like the mist myself," the mare admitted. "In that case, let me show you the best way to stow this all away into the luggage bag." Roughly half an hour later, Andrew found himself back in front of the library that had become his new home, luggage in tow. He opened the door and entered just in time to see Spike jumping up and down in excitement in front of a mildly amused Twilight. "Thank you thank you thank you!" Spike exclaimed. "I promise not to let you down!" The purple dragon gave a firm military salute before noticing Andrew. "Oh, hey Andrew! How did you like the cloak!?" "It's awesome," Andrew replied honestly. "What about you, what are you so excited about?" "Me and the others are supposed to go to the crystal empire in a few days," Twilight began to explain, "and Spike here just offered to take care of Everypony's pets. He still has to ask everypony else, but I'm sure they'll be ok with it." The human raised a brow, "How long will you be gone for?" "Not long," she answered, "three days, maybe four." She looked at his luggage inquisitively. "Do you mind if I have a look at that cloak Rarity made you? I'd like to look at some of the enchantments Spike told me about." "Oh, sure." Andrew replied, reaching down and unzipping the luggage, taking out the cloak. Almost as soon as he lifted the garment, it was wreathed in a magenta aura, and sizzling smoke where he was grabbing it. He let go as he felt the cloak move away from him, shaking his hand a bit to clear away the mist. Her eyes went wide, "Oh, wow... I would have never expected her to make something so..." Spike cleared his throat, "Unfashionable", he said in a mock imitation of the fashionista's voice. Twilight shot him a glaring look. "What? We were all thinking it," the dragon stated. "Besides, she thought Andrew might be able to make it work." Twilight seemed to ignore Spike as she scanned the cloak with her magic. "Temperature, weight control, are those sound dampeners? And... are those..." "What?" Andrew asked. "Some of these crystals are..." Andrew raised a brow, silently asking for further clarification. "The enchantments on some of these crystals," She explained, her horn glowing just a bit brighter before she continued, "They're just enchanted to absorb and leak magic faster." She paused for a moment, eyes focused on the crystals hidden from the eyes of everyone but her. "They're enchanted to leak magic at a rate that's only slightly slower than they can absorb." "What's the point of that?" Andrew questioned. Being able to heat and cool itself made sense, but what was the point of a cloak that leaked magic? "Wait a minute!" The young dragon yelled he grabbed the cloak, the magical aura clearing as he took the cloth in his claws and ran over to Andrew. "Quick put it on!" Andrew reached down and plucked it from Spike's claws, putting an arm through one sleeve while throwing it over his shoulder so his other arm would go through the other. When he finished, wisps of smoke began to seep through the stitching and neckline just as before. "I suppose some smoke is unavoidable, considering all the magic running through that thing." Twilight mused aloud. "But that doesn’t explain what the point of—" "I think I might have an idea," Andrew said, "Though Spike was ahead of me on that." Andrew levitated himself only slightly off the floor, just enough so his toes barely left the ground. The reaction was immediate. shearing smoke erupting from almost the entire cloak. The smoke itself didn't move far before disappearing, but there was enough of it that the sweater itself was partially hidden behind a veil of misty white, giving the vague appearance that he was wearing a cloak made of literal mist. Surprisingly, the sound wasn't too much louder than before. He lowered himself back to a standing position and the cloud of smoke cleared shortly after. By the end of it, Andrew felt he was probably just as giddy as Spike was when he came in. He coughed in effort to reset his expression, but only managed to get himself down to a pleasant smile. Even Twilight was gaping at the display. "Okay," Andrew started, "that was awesome." "Yeah, I guess that explains the, uh, plain—BURP!" Spike was interrupted by loud belch, a small burst of flame accompanying the action. The green fire was quick to coalesce into a ball before flashing into a scroll. Spike snatched it out of the air on instinct, head lowered as he coughed out an "excuse me." Andrew took off the cloak and folded it over the couch for the time being. He definitely had to thank Rarity again. "It says to give it to you Andrew," Spike said when the human turned back around. Andrew took the letter and gave it a quick read. "It basically just says I should head to Canterlot whenever I can," Andrew stated. "With Chrysalis if possible, so I guess there's no rush since she's still in the hospital. I guess I could go there the same day you all head to the Crystal Empire." "But then I'll be left all alone!" Spike protested. Twilight raised a brow. "Oh? Were you planning on relying on Andrew's help?" "N-no!" Spike exclaimed. "I can handle it all by myself!" "I'm sure you can," she replied before looking back to Andrew. "Regardless, you should still at least go see Chrysalis and let her know." "Yeah, I know," Andrew agreed, "I'll go see what she thinks about it now." "Alright then." Twilight said. "Me and the girls plan on leaving in three days, just so you know." "Got it." Andrew replied as he exchanged quick farewells once again and headed back out. Andrew walked through the hallway toward Chrysalis's room, still surprised by what he had been told at the front desk. Apparently, Chrysalis had recovered far faster than they had predicted, enough to completely mystify the staff. Even though the changeling herself had told him about her above average healing, he didn't expect that to mean that broken bones would be close to healing after only a week. As he turned the corner and Chrysalis's room was in sight, he noticed that this particular section of the hospital had far more patients than the week before. He went to knock on the door, but Chrysalis yelled from inside before he had the chance. "Come in, Andrew." Chrysalis said through an audible yawn. He complied, closing the door behind himself as he approached the changeling, who was lying down on all fours on the bed. Compared to the week before, he would guess that she had lost half a dozen pounds in bandages. Even her dark carapace seemed to have regained much of its former sheen, though having never seen her in a healthy state, he couldn't be sure. As was becoming too common with the changeling, she replied to his unspoken question. "I could taste your apprehension a mile away." That answered that... He frowned and asked, "Are... are you exaggerating?" She snorted. "Sure." He still couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. "Anyways, I suppose you didn't stop by simply to say hello?" "Uh, no, sorry," He admitted, feeling like he had done something wrong. "I got a message from Celestia about going to Canterlot for all the paperwork about us, something about notarization. I'm going to be heading over in three days and just wanted to let you know since it involves you too." "Going back to Canterlot is the last thing I want to do," the changeling seethed. "And that's without taking into account the reception I would receive if word got out that the leader of the army that invaded them was there." "I'm not expecting you to go or anything, God no," Andrew said defensively. Fast or healing or not, he didn't expect her to be well enough to the trip for awhile. Chrysalis rolled her eyes, "As much as I appreciate the concern, I should be the judge of what I'm capable of, don't you think?" Andrew stayed silent, choosing not to answer the obviously rhetorical question. "I thought so," she continued, "and I don't see why I wouldn't be able to go to Canterlot. I asked for nearly all the patients to be moved to this wing so I can have more access to the ambient love of visiting friends and relatives, and it seems to have worked out rather well thus far." "That's an understatement," Andrew commented. "Last time I saw you, I could barely even see your skin." She was a veritable mummy last week, and now it was only her midsection and foreleg that were covered. "Like I said, Changelings heal quickly." Chrysalis Affirmed. "And what about the doctors? Do you think they'll let you leave." Chrysalis didn't answer him, instead she turned towards the opposite side of the bed and removed the covers before gingerly stepping onto the tiled ground below. She grinded her teeth as she slowly trotted around the foot of the bed to stand in front of the human. He had to look up at her from his seated position. "As far as the staff is concerned, my recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. They're probably more interested in how I can heal so quickly than anything else," Chrysalis stated with confidence. "So you used up all the love Cadance gave you?" Andrew asked. "Yes, I expended it all to repair my body. At the moment, I'm only barely sustaining myself with ambient love, but that's only really viable during visiting hours." Andrew caught sight of a ring at the base of her horn, only just noticing now due to it being just as dark as her horn. "It's a magic dampener." Chrysalis clarified, catching his gaze. "For what?" He asked. "According to them," Chrysalis started, "it's for my own protection, but I'm free to remove it at any time. It's probably meant to stop unicorns from using their magic in their addled state of mind. For changelings, love doubles as both our food and our source of magic. I wouldn't want to be expending my already meager rations of love, so that makes the ring even more useful." Andrew continued to examine the black ring for a few moments. If he had to guess, he would say it was was two pieces of onyx that clipped together. A flutter of movement caught his eye, and he moved his head slightly to follow it. On Chrysalis's back were two vestiges of membranous wings, each about the size of his open hand. He was going to speak, but felt a lump in his throat. "They will heal," Chrysalis said with a sigh, turning away from the human and trotting a few steps forward. "Three days, then?" "Yeah." Chrysalis nodded and asked, "Have you been to Canterlot before?" "No, why?" "Why not just go today?" The changeling suggested, ignoring his question. Andrew raised a brow and asked, "Why today?" "Because why not?" Chrysalis answered. "I don't know how well you're adjusting to Equestria, but I'm getting sick and tired of this room." She glanced back at him and asked, "How do you feel about Equestria? Don't you miss your old world?" Andrew suppressed the the inkling of rage that flickered in the back of his mind, though judging by Chrysalis's grin, he may as well have gotten red faced with anger. "There's nothing to miss," he stated flatly. "Earth is dead to me, and as far as anyone there is concerned, so am I." Chrysalis continued her grin, "You're lying." Andrew felt another flame of anger at that. "What? No I'm not!" He exclaimed. The changeling's grin faltered for a moment before growing wider. "You actually believe that. Adorable. Fine, I won't press any further." She got back onto the bed and laid down on all fours. "What about Equestria, then?" Andrew didn't exactly know how to take the accusation. He certainly didn't feel like he missed Earth, but Chrysalis wasn't exactly wrong in her assumptions about him up until now... He abandoned that train of thought and answered her question, "It's pretty nice, I guess. I like that I don't have to hide my powers here, but..." "But?" Chrysalis echoed. He shook his head, "I don't know, it's just... I've been reading about that predator sight thing..." "Hmm, seems I was right, then," Chrysalis began, "at the summit, I didn't feel any indication of your emotions changing negatively when you looked at Keth, so I assumed something was off." "Eeyup," Andrew confirmed, "but it looks like it's only one sided. I don't have it, but it seems to work when I'm the one being looked at." "When did you come to learn about it?" She asked. "Something must have reacted to you strangely, otherwise you still wouldn't even know such a thing existed." "That would probably have to be when this griffon chef was serving my food. He took one look at me and practically pissed himself." Chrysalis raised a brow. "A griffon chef?" She took a moment to chuckle softly before continuing, "Figures, no doubt a griffon that found their calling in cooking wouldn't exactly be very confident in their fighting ability, which only served to exaggerate your threat in his eyes." "Is it really that bad?" Andrew asked. "What exactly is it that everything sees when they look at me? As far as I've read, predators are only supposed to be able to gauge strength." "Strength does play a large role in it," Chrysalis started, "but it's much more than just physical strength. For example, you're not exactly very threatening at first glance." Andrew rolled his eyes and grumbled, "So I keep hearing..." "Right, but when I look at you," she looked into his eyes, the various green hues that made up her irises becoming more pronounced as her pupils contracted into vertical slits, "my baser instincts scream at me to get as far away from you as I possibly can." Andrew crossed his arms in thought. "What do you think Keth saw?" "The dragon?" Chrysalis mused. "Not much, I'd say. If anything, you are in his eyes what a particularly aggressive chinchilla is to us." "A chinchilla!?" Andrew exclaimed. "Are you serious!?" "I am," Chrysalis assured with a nod. "I'm uncertain what makes you so threatening besides your telekinesis, but even that doesn't compare to that overgrown lizard." There was a long moment of silence as Andrew mulled over this new information, broken when Chrysalis cleared her throat. "So," she began, "would you like to take care of this today?" "Y-yeah, sure," Andrew nodded. It was definitely a spur of the moment decision, but he didn't exactly have anything better to do. "I just need to stop by the library to let Twilight know." Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Also, speaking of Twilight..." Andrew started tentatively. "I told her it was pointless, but she insisted I ask one last time." "And you believe you already know the answer I'll give?" The Changeling grinned, not waiting for Andrew to reply before saying, "Well you're right, the answer remains the same." "Thought so." Andrew stated. "Train station is right across from the library, anyways." Chrysalis shrugged, getting off the bed as they both exited the room. They walked through the hallways of the hospital in relative silence, the moment they entered the Lobby, however— "Hey, what are you doing here!?" One of the doctors called out when he caught sight of the changeling. "What does it look like?" Chrysalis asked, "I'm leaving." "I've told you before, Ms. Chrysalis, despite your rapid recovery, we should—" "Thank you for the treatment, but consider this my self checkout, doctor Stable." The Changeling stated as the duo walked towards the double door exit. Andrew was taken aback by the staff's reaction, but he didn't exactly know what to do, so he just carried on alongside Chrysalis towards the exit. Said double doors then began to glow white, and both human and changeling looked to the side see a white, gray maned unicorn. The stallion looked at them, then to Doctor Stable. "Andrew, do you mind?" Chrysalis asked. Crap, Andrew thought. He was put in the spotlight. At this point, it would be awkward if he did nothing and simply let Chrysalis get dragged back to her room... As if wiped away with a rag, the magic covering the exit dispersed in a large swathe of mist. TIt opened right after, the duo not wasting any time before going outside, the doors closing itself behind them. "T-the princess will hear of this!" Doctor Stable called out behind them before the door closed, in a tone that was more annoyed than angry. "Oh, of that I'm certain," Chrysalis replied, though only Andrew could hear her now. "I thought you said they wouldn't mind if you left?" He asked after putting some distance between themselves and the hospital. "I said no such thing," Chrysalis stated, "I intentionally avoided answering that question. You're the one that should have paid more attention if you wanted straight answers. Besides, it's not like you suddenly became opposed to my leaving upon seeing their reaction." In his silence, she continued with, "In fact, I do believe you enjoyed that little exchange." He looked away. Chrysalis chuckled. "What is there to be embarrassed about?" She asked. "You enjoy using your powers, there isn't anything wrong with that." Andrew shrugged before trying to change the subject. "Anyways, how long do you think the love you have will last?" "Long enough that I shouldn't have to worry about it for a week at least, unless you're ok with me doing something I've just thought up." Andrew turned to look at her with a raised brow. "What do you have in mind?" Andrew stood with his back to the wall of the Ponyville train station, now wearing the cloak Rarity had made for him, as well as the luggage resting beside him. It was incredibly comfortable, as well as noticeable cool on the inside, thanks to the enchantments. He had just come from the library—barely a thirty second walk from his position—where he had just informed Twilight about his and Chrysalis's trip to Canterlot. She could scarcely believe that the Changeling was ready for the journey, even with the astonishing recovery Chrysalis had made thus far. Although she was against the idea, the decision wasn't exactly hers to make, so she relented and gave him the time for the next train and the standard fare. He looked to the right and behind the corner of the building, catching sight of what looked to be Shining Armor quickly approaching. "How did it go?" Andrew asked when 'Shining' rounded the corner. Green flames engulfed the stallion's form, dispersing an instant later. In place of the stallion was a white, green maned pegasus mare, although instead of wings, two feathered asymmetric stumps jutted out of her back. "Better than I thought it would, to be perfectly honest," Chrysalis replied. "All I did was make up some arbitrary excuse for why I came back to Ponyville, and seeing as how Twilight and her brother have such vastly differing opinions of me, it was safe to assume that they got into some sort of argument last week. I began with apologizing for whatever it is that Shining said." Chrysalis proceeded to clear her throat, a dull green glow barely visible from her open mouth. Then, in a pitch-perfect imitation of Shining's voice, Chrysalis said mockingly, "Oh, I'm so sorry Twilight, I don't know what came over me." She even sniffled perfectly, wiping away tears with her hooves. "I'm so sorry for upsetting you Twily, could you please find it in your heart to forgive me?" "No way..." Andrew said, dumbstruck. Chrysalis cackled, "Thanks to that sentimental little pony, I won't have to worry about my love reserves for weeks!" "Seriously?" Andrew questioned. "Will it really last so long?" Chrysalis nodded and said, "Love is an incredibly potent source of magic. You didn't think my hive had to invade the nearby pony villages on a daily basis for sustenance, did you?" Andrew shrugged, "I guess not. Still though, ya know it's only a matter of time until she finds out that wasn't her brother, right?" Chrysalis, finally composed, rubbed the final tears of laughter from her eyes and shrugged, "That doesn't exactly sound like my problem, now does it." Andrew sighed, "Well, I guess not, still kind of a dick move though." "I'm a changeling, Andrew," Chrysalis said, as if stating the obvious. "I have to do things like this every now and then. How else am I going to feed myself if not through some form of deceit?" Before Andrew could answer, a telltale chugging sound brought their attention to the quickly approaching train. Neither they nor the train wasted any time as it came to a quick stop, and they stood to the side as a small handful of ponies exited. He received a few curious glances, but otherwise went mostly ignored. In fact, it was Chrysalis that garnered several sympathetic stares due to her wings. As the last passenger exited, they stepped up and he purchased their tickets before entering the now empty train. The interior was filled with rows of rectangular beige seats along the sides, no doubt the long, soft seats were ideal for equine passengers, who were more likely to lie down instead of sit on their rump like a human. Along the walls were large vertical pieces of green glass that flowed downward in the shape of a cloud. It was on either side of these glass clouds that the cushioned seats were attached. "Have you never been on a train before?" Chrysalis asked as she trotted over and lied down on the nearest seat. "It's not that," Andrew replied as he followed behind the changeling and took a seat on the other side of the glass. "I just haven't been on one so empty before. The trains back home are packed pretty much all the time." "All the better for us, I say." Chrysalis commented. Andrew reached into one of the inner pockets of his cloak, removing the onyx ring that was on Chrysalis's horn. "Do you think they'll miss this?" He asked, raising the ring against the light that poured through the window. The disguised changeling turned to see what he was holding, eyebrow raised at the steaming item. "Probably," she answered, "if you really care that much, just keep it on you in case they ask for it back." Andrew shrugged mentally before pocketing the ring and looking outside just as the train finally began to move. The trip was supposed to take quite a few hours due to the journey not being a straight shot towards Canterlot, as well as even having to make several loops around the mountain itself before reaching the city. No doubt they could get there in a fraction of the time if they manually flew, but that was currently out of the question for Chrysalis. He leaned against the window, looking towards the now receding town. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't actually seen any other town in Equestria besides Ponyville, let alone a city like Canterlot, that looked extravagant even from half a day's distance away. A sudden jolt from the train startled Andrew awake, he didn't even realize he had fallen asleep. He rubbed his eyes to clear them, then glanced towards Chrysalis on the other side of the glass. She was looking outside, though at what he couldn't tell, as her face was hidden behind her mane. She was still wearing her disguise. "Andrew." She said in a calm voice, bereft of her usually serious tone. "Yeah?" Andrew replied through a yawn, wondering how long he had been asleep. "What does it feel like to die?" She asked. That question brought him to full lucidity. His mind instantly went back to the moments after he was skewered, to what little he could remember before he... A sudden intake of breath from Chrysalis caught his attention, she shivered. "I see..." She said quietly. "I still want to hear you describe it..." Her face still hidden, Andrew gave up on trying to guess what was going through her head, and simply answered her question as best he could. "It was..." he struggled for a moment, trying to find the words. "Dark... I couldn't see anything... I couldn't feel anything either. It was just me and my thoughts up until the end." "And... and what of the end?" Chrysalis inquired. "I..." Andrew began, "I remember being scared..." He chuckled superficially. "Who wouldn't be, right? I mean, there must be something wrong with me if I wasn't. Nobody wants to die..." He couldn't see her face, but he saw her gulp before she said, "O-of course... no one wants to die... But... what about after?" "After?" Andrew echoed skeptically. "Yes. What happened after you... lost yourself... after you... slipped away...?" Despite the self regulating cloak, Andrew felt himself suddenly grow colder. He clutched at the garment, holding it closer to himself. The fabric sizzled in protest, though it went ignored by both parties. "Nothing." Andrew stated simply. "Like the time after you fall asleep, but before you start dreaming... nothing. One moment I... I don't know... one moment I'm just... not, and then I wake up in the hospital." The changeling lowered her head from the window, resting it on top of her crossed fore hooves. "Sorry..." Andrew apologized, feeling like he didn't give her the answers she wanted to hear. "No, I should be apologizing," she replied, "I shouldn't have made you recall such a harrowing experience." Andrew frowned, replaying the experience again in his head. A grunt from Chrysalis derailed his train of thought when he saw her shiver again, her eyes were still covered, but her grimace was clearly visible through the thin veil of her dark mane. He wanted to ask if something was wrong, but he second guessed himself. He felt like he would get a response that went something like what do you think? In the end, he chose to stay silent, yet even then, he wasn't at all surprised when Chrysalis commented on feelings he couldn't bring himself to express. "As I've said before," she started, "your emotions are incredibly... bright, potent, whatever. The point is, your emotions are only exagger—" She paused, as if reconsidering her words. "They cause me... discomfort..." It was the droplets of water falling from behind her mane that finally clued him into how exactly he was affecting her. It all made sense now. Why she was so curious about what his death was like, her physical reactions to his negative emotions. It wasn't just a matter of being annoying, the grief he felt for his mother's death, for Steve's, all the negative emotions swirling around his head, be they conscious or not... They were both trying their best to hide their grief from each other, but in Chrysalis's case, It was bad enough that she had lost her entire hive, here he was multiplying her grief even more. She must have sensed his epiphany, as she turned away from him to hide her shame. "I'm going to use the restroom," Andrew lied before getting up. Chrysalis only grumbled an "mhm" before he exited through the back of the coach and into the next one, finding himself a new seat for the rest of the journey.