Bittersweet
“Come on, come on. Pick up.” Queen Nymph paced back and forth in the room, staring intensely into her compact mirror. “Don’t do this to me today of all days. What are you even doing right now?” No matter how much she waited, the pitch black image did not change. Without any patience left, the royal changeling returned the image to being her reflection and chose to use the mirror to adjust her mane, sighing. With every hair of her very long, jade mane in place, she closed the compact before stuffing it into a pocket under her majestic green cloak, crafted by her own hoof and lined with gold stitching. As much as she admired her work, it could not compare with the majestic nature of the black crown on her head. Despite it looking rather small and simple, it was heavy with responsibilities and burdens, which only she was strong enough to carry. With nothing else left for her to do, she opened the door and stepped outside. Her green metal shoes clanged against the crystal floor of the palace, slow in pace.
Nymph traveled down several halls and stairways, trying to look as calm as possible, before she at last reached the entrance of the Crystal Palace. Along with some of the guards, both pony and changeling, Luna stood by the doors and when she saw her, the princess approached her. Nymph still remembered the days when the alicorn held nothing but strong contempt for her, watching her from a distance and constantly threatening to expose her nonexistent evil scheme. Luna’s intimidation tactics were enough for Nymph to stick to Celestia’s side, terrified of what the pony once named Nightmare Moon would do if given the chance. In the end, Luna’s fears were unfounded and she turned out to be a fun and loving princess that was always a pleasure to be with. “I was worried you got lost again,” Luna jested before noticing how worrisome the queen looked. “What’s wrong, Nymph?”
“I can’t get ahold of Chrysalis,” Nymph whispered. “Something has to be wrong for her not to answer me.”
“Do not overreact. I told you that your sister is fine.” Luna paused as she turned towards the guards standing far behind her, all carrying stoic expressions on their faces. “We can see her after we’re done here, so just be calm. I personally checked up on her before coming here and she’s just taking it easy today. Try to at least look relaxed for everypony else.”
“I don’t see how that is possible. I can’t even decide if this is a good day or a bad one.”
Luna gently patted her on the back. “Nymph, you really need to do this. I know it’s hard, but today is important for a lot of reasons. You must put on a brave face for them.” With struggling effort, Nymph produced a warming smile. Another mask for the public eye. “That’s perfect. Just keep it up and we will see her in no time.” The princess nodded to the guards and they opened the double doors.
The queen held her head high as she stepped outside, trying her best to not look at the enormous crowd gathered outside. The streets were filled with so many different colors of citizens, but it was easy for her to spot her own subjects amongst the crowd from how their colors contrasted the ponies. Some changelings now gave themselves manes and tails of many colors and lengths, not only to enhance their own looks, but even to distinguish themselves from other changelings. Nymph had heard a very speciesist claim that a lot of ponies believed that essentially every changeling looked exactly the same, which was certainly not true in the slightest.
Already present outside were the beloved rulers themselves: Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. As with Luna, Nymph and Cadance had a rocky start with their relationship, which was a surprise to nopony. What reason would she have to trust the sister of the changeling who almost destroyed her wedding? Cadance avoided her as much as she could, but even with her personal grudge against changelings, she made sure they were well fed, truly making her name as the Princess of Love. In recent months, they had grown to be quite the bosom buddies and talked with one another on a regular basis.
Then there was the glorious, handsome, heroic, charming, and kind prince himself. Simply looking at him made Nymph feel light on her hooves. When she spoke his name, there was always a sweet, tingling sensation on her tongue. The Changeling Queen could barely remember what she was so worried about, only thinking about how magnificent he looked, his coat looking pure as snow and his hair shining in the sunlight. He too was wary of the new queen when they first met, but that was because he was a protective husband. He tried to act as tough as Luna, but Nymph accidently penetrated his defenses, revealing the cute stallion who could not stand the pressure of her flirting. Best of all, his love was absolutely delicious. Cadance would sometimes send her a crystal filled with his feelings of amore and Nymph savored every little drop. However, it would never sate her thirst for the source.
“There you are,” said Cadance. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Nymph sighed, still holding her expression of joy. “Let us begin.”
The alicorn and her husband walked out to a podium placed under the palace and in front of a large object kept hidden under some cloth. When they were closer to the crowd, all the people cheered as the royal couple smiled and waved in return. “Thank you so much for your warm welcome,” Cadance spoke into the microphone. “Each of you have made this day so special. It’s hard to believe so many wonderful things can happen to a pony in such a short amount of time. I gained a whole new empire with all its lovely citizens, my sister-in-law became an alicorn, and one year ago today, I married the pony of my dreams.” Cadance gave Shining Armor a peck on the lips, causing many citizens to snap photos.
“While the both of us have enjoyed our anniversary together, we have not forgotten that this day is not entirely a good one for others,” Shining Armor continued. “One year ago today, desperation drove the changelings into invading us and desperation drove my wife and I into defending our home by any means necessary. We do not hold any ill will towards the changelings for what they did because their situation was dire. It is hard to say how any of us would act if we were presented with such a difficult life, going through every day with uncertainty and fear. Thankfully, our new neighbors no longer have to struggle with finding adequate love to sustain themselves and can look forward to a bright future together with us ponies.”
Both ponies looked at Nymph and she could feel her muscles become incredibly tense. And yet, she stepped forward. “What happened last year does not represent who we are as changelings. Times were hard for us and still are for others, but we are changelings. We adapt. I know many of you still feel strongly about my sister’s actions, especially since many of you still face discrimination in your lives because of how she presented our kind to the world, but I beg of you to understand her. While her actions were wrong, she did it out of the powerful love she held for her people, wanting nothing more than to ensure that those she cared about could achieve a better life. Although she is not here, I know she sends her best wishes to Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance on their anniversary.”
The queen took pause and saw how the citizens looked at her, most of them uncomfortable. Noticing the delay, Cadance stepped in front of her. “And we have forgiven her for her actions and wish her the best. And thanks to Queen Nymph, our people have been united under peace. Rather than stay in the past and remember the worst, we have chosen to look towards the future and make a better tomorrow. That is why I have commissioned this monument to symbolize our unity.”
Cadance and Shining Armor magically removed the cloth, bringing awes out from the crowd. The pedestal under the palace used to house the Crystal Heart was replaced with a crystal statue of an earth pony mare and a changeling mare, each standing on opposite ends of the heart and reaching a hoof to hold it. The crowd then applauded as many more cameras flashed. “Remember, ponies of Equestria, the changelings are here to stay, so I hope you will show them as much love as I show them. Thank you, everypony, and have a marvelous day.” The three rulers bowed their heads and made their exit as the people continued to applaud for them.
“How is Chrysalis, by the way?” Cadance asked once they were inside, sounding a little uneasy.
“I don’t know. Luna says she’s fine, but I need to be sure. She hasn’t answered any of my calls.”
“Maybe she went to clear her head,” suggested Shining Armor, although he didn’t sound entirely sure of that. “I can’t imagine that she’d want to just sit at home all day. And besides, she and Luna are very close, so if she didn’t really believe Chrysalis was fine, do you think she would just be sitting here?”
This time, Nymph actually smiled. “You make an excellent point. I guess I’m just worrying too much about my big sister.”
“It only means that you care about her so much,” said Cadance. “It’s part of being a good sister, which you are, Nymph.”
The changeling nodded, although she did not entirely agree with Cadance’s statement. It was only a moment before her gloom came rushing back, only imagining the worst happening to Chrysalis while she was all the way in the Crystal Empire, unable to run over and ensure she was okay. However, she chose to remain silent on the matter. It was the couple’s special day and after what they had been through last year, they deserved to be happy.
They arrived in the large dining hall of the Crystal Palace, where her friends were already seated around a large, circular crystal table. Nymph’s eyes were immediately upon Twilight Sparkle, still trying to get used to her as an alicorn, although she still felt proud of her. Twilight had accomplished so much and deserved her wings more than any other pony. Even with the pony’s history with Chrysalis, she still found it in her heart to forgive the former queen for her actions and the two of them had been getting along well in Ponyville. However, Twilight could not have achieved most of her feats were it not for the help of her friends. There was Spike, her lifelong companion, Pinkie, the sugar crazed pony who somehow managed to reach out to Chrysalis, Fluttershy, the kindhearted marefriend of Pinkie and keeper of the adorable and delicious animals, Rarity, the beautiful seamstress, Rainbow Dash, the talented yet boastful flier, and Applejack, the...farmer.
Pony and changeling servants were busy placing food in front of the guests while she took the empty seat between Princess Luna and Fluttershy. “The speech was very lovely,” spoke Celestia. Divine was not enough to describe how Nymph viewed the mighty princess. It was only because of her pure heart and brilliance that Nymph had any chance to have her people allowed into Equestria. Nothing the changeling could ever do would be enough to repay Celestia for the amount of kindness she had shown her.
“Thank you, Auntie,” Cadance replied happily. “I think the statue will inspire many across Equestria to treat the changelings with some more kindness, which I think is the perfect anniversary gift for us.”
“Don’t forget the other five elements!” chimed Pinkie, a pony Nymph could never understand, but held great respect toward nonetheless. “They’re important, too!”
Spike scratched his head. “I get what you mean, but how do you treat someone with magic?”
“Like this!” Pinkie leaned over the table and took a bite out of the cake slice Twilight held with her magic. “See? It’s a treat in her magic!” The table broke into laughter save for the queen, who only smirked, and Twilight, who gave her friend a deathly glare.
“You know, I think we should get a cool statue of us under Twilight’s new castle,” proposed Dash as she leaned back in her chair, disregarding etiquette as usual. “I mean, Spike has his big statue out there, even though Twilight did most of the work. We totally kicked some butt before, so I think it’s only fair we get one of us. On top of that, let’s make it out of gold! And fifty feet tall!”
“We already have several stained glass windows of us back in Canterlot,” said Applejack, snickering. “I think such a thing would be a tad excessive and rather egotistical.”
“Those windows are all the way in Canterlot, though,” addressed Rarity, sitting elegantly. “We need to have something like that in our own home town. Sometimes newcomers don’t even know who we are and I feel offended that they don’t recognize us for my hard work.”
“I should remind you all that construction of such statues do not come cheap,” said Celestia, sipping her tea. “Would it be alright with you if Princess Twilight raised taxes until it was complete? Given the price of such a thing, a small tax increase would have to continue for a long time, most likely several years.”
Pinkie leapt from her seat and clung to the young alicorn’s leg. “Twilight, no! The sugar tax is already making life horrible! Don’t do it!”
Twilight gave a chuckle as she gently pushed her away. “Relax, Pinkie. I wouldn’t want to upset people just for something so unnecessary. Besides, the mayor is the one who handles that kind of stuff and I wouldn’t dream of talking her into something like that.”
Nymph glanced up. “Mayor? You still have one there after being crowned?”
“Well, towns do have mayors, Nymph. Your kingdom has them, too.”
“But you’re the Princess of Ponyville with a castle and everything! Why does Ponyville have both a mayor and a princess? Isn’t Ponyville technically your kingdom? Do you even have a kingdom? Are you more of a backup princess since Celestia and Luna still do most of the ruling while you go out and have fun with your friends? Is it your job to go out through Equestria and preach to the people the magic of friendship? How has the dynamic of your magical friendship changed now that two of the elements are more than just friends with each other?”
“My head’s starting to hurt,” moaned Spike as Nymph’s questions continued pouring out. “Can’t we talk about something less complicated?”
“Oh, I know!” spoke Cadance, all of a sudden excited. “Did I ever tell you all of how Shiny and I met and fell in love? I think that’s such a good story to tell, especially today!”
Luna leaned towards her sister. “Doesn’t she realize love is technically even more complicated?” she whispered, causing Celestia to giggle.
The princess started her story from when she got her first job as a foalsitter, hired by Shining Armor’s family to watch over little Twilight. It was actually Celestia’s suggestion for them to hire the young princess, no doubt wishing to start a bond between her niece and her personal student. Servants from the palace gradually gathered around her to hear the heartwarming tale. Nymph enjoyed herself at first, always a fan of romantic stories, but her mind kept lingering on what would happen to the couple later on, when their wedding would have an uninvited third party. Slowly, she stood up and quietly stepped out as Cadance continued talking.
Nymph went all the way back to the room she was given to prepare herself earlier. She didn’t mean to look rude in front of her hosts by walking out, but she was unable to wait any longer. With the door closed, Nymph immediately reached for her compact. Channeling her magic, she found herself frustrated when she was once again only met with darkness. “Darn it, Chrysalis, pick up! Don’t you do this to me!” Her only wish at the moment was that Chrysalis didn’t have her mirrors enchanted to block Nymph from seeing through them as she wasn’t even sure if Chrysalis was home. Chrysalis assumed Nymph would make contact with her about every day and desired privacy, especially when Luna was there, which was why she did the enchantments.
With a defeated sigh, the queen sat on the edge of her bed. It appeared she would have to wait until they left the empire before getting her answer. Her ear then picked up some music coming from outside her window, so she walked over to take a look. Other than her earlier speech, she wasn’t too knowledgeable of what the citizens were doing to celebrate this day in the empire and her curiosity was getting the better of her. She still had plenty of time to herself and she didn’t want to spend it sitting around and worrying if Chrysalis wasn’t going to answer anyway. Perhaps today would provide her with enough distraction to help her relax.
She thought about flying down there, but she didn’t want to be bothered by the people who would no doubt swarm her, asking her questions about the royal couple or even her sister. All she wanted was some peace and quiet while she tried not to think about her current problem. As an alternative, she chose her favorite method of travel: teleportation. She took her out her bag of bits and summoned a circle of green fire around her. When it parted, she was in an alleyway between two buildings near the palace. With the ease of her magic, Nymph’s form became one of a green unicorn mare with short blonde hair and a flower pot with a sunflower inside as her cutie mark. Her cloak, shoes, and crown were designed to disappear whenever she underwent a transformation, so she never needed to remove them if she wished to go in disguise. Stepping out of the alleyway, she took in a deep breath of fresh air before walking.
She couldn’t accurately determine if all the happiness she felt was coming from the Crystal Heart or the people around her, but the aura soothed her. Ponies and changelings covered the streets, carrying smiles, heart-shaped balloons, roses, candy, and other goods. It was almost like a second Hearts and Hooves Day, which suddenly caused her to laugh. Looking around, Nymph saw store windows filled with all sorts of special offerings that would only last for the day, sparking some curiosity. The first store she entered was a small gift shop that was already crowded with ponies and changelings. Scanning the shelves, she didn’t see many trinkets that interested her before spotting a large snow globe. On closer inspection, she could see it had a small Crystal Heart made out of actual crystal that spun on its own inside. Looking on the bottom, she found a little switch that when used, caused the heart to faintly glow. Figuring her sister would appreciate a souvenir, she brought it to the register and purchased it, leaving the store with a gift bag floating by her head and a skip in her step.
After making a turn on the street corner, she could see many little foals accompanied by their parents entering and exiting a toy store in great volume. In front of the store was a banner that advertised that they were selling special Royal Wedding Anniversary dolls, claiming to have discounts, but no doubt they inflated the price before adding said discount. Nymph peered inside to see a lot more children inside, who mostly consisted of little pony and changeling fillies. In the center of the store, she could see three tables set up with special offerings. The first one carried Cadance dolls dressed in her bride’s outfit, which the employees inside were rushing to keep stocked as girls kept screaming for one and grabbing any their little hooves could reach first. The one next to it carried dolls of Shining Armor in his suit, which were selling almost as fast. Nymph thought that the two of them should have been sold together as a bride without her groom was cruel, especially when the point of these dolls was to celebrate their anniversary.
The last table caught her by surprise, nearly making her drop her bag. For whatever reason, the store was also selling dolls of Chrysalis in a tattered bride’s outfit. Why would they be selling dolls of her when they wanted a happy little scene for the children to enjoy on a joyous day? Unlike the other two, the Chrysalis dolls were largely left alone with only a few customers giving them a glance. No doubt they would be piling in the dumpster at the end of the day. Not wishing to step inside and risk tripping over the flood of children, she continued on her way.
To her left, she could see a little photo stand with many couples lined around the block. She stepped onto the street to get a better look at the display the ponies were getting behind. It was a wooden wall with Cadance and Shining Armor painted on with them in their wedding outfits and standing in Canterlot palace’s chapel, only with holes where their faces should be, allowing ponies to put their heads through. Nymph chuckled slightly at the idea, but choked when she was close enough to see the rest. The image of the couple was them actually posing triumphantly with each having a hoof pressed down on Chrysalis, who was lying on the floor with her eyes crossed out and her tongue sticking out. The royal changeling gritted her fangs and took an aggressive step forward, wanting to set it ablaze, but she paused. Such primal acts were beneath her and it would be best to move on.
The next couple in line consisted of a petite yellow pegasus stallion with his heavy orange pegasus wife. “Check it out!” The stallion stuck his head through the wall. “I’m the prince of the Crystal Empire!”
The mare struggled to get her head through the hole and yet somehow managed to fit without breaking anything. “And I’m Princess Cadance. Let’s use our hot, passionate love to beat that dirty, ugly Chrysalis!”
One individual on the street remained frozen as many walked by her. Slowly turning her head, Nymph stared with disgust at the ponies posing for their picture. In times such as this, where Nymph questioned her capabilities as the Changeling Queen, she asked herself what the late Queen Rhopa Locera, her wise and noble mother, would do in a situation such as this.
She would punish those who disrespected her family.
Right before the photographer snapped the photo, Nymph used her magic to tilt the wooden wall forward, stirring panic to all nearby. The disgraceful stallion managed to slip out, but his low class wife was not so lucky as her blubber filled head did not allow her escape in time. Her face crashed against the street along with the the wall, making a magnificent thud that boomed across the streets. “Somepony do something!” As many scrambled to assist the victim, Nymph casually strolled away.
“You’d think I wouldn’t need to put peasants in their place within the Crystal Empire, the most loving kingdom in the land.” She couldn’t help but smile, thinking about how Chrysalis would have laughed if she had witnessed her deed. Nymph never considered herself to be a bad changeling, rarely ever partaking in such mean acts, but when she did, she had a good reason to do so.
It continued to surprise her how much material relating to Chrysalis was displayed around her, most of them used in an insulting way. She should have known it would be impossible to find anything related to the wedding without there being some mention of the invasion as both events were tied together. However, to avoid offending the changeling citizens, Chrysalis was used as a negative representation of the invaders, pinning all of the blame on her. It had been one whole year and nothing had changed. Even after the recent events with Tirek’s attack and Discord’s betrayal, the former queen was still just as despised as ever. Paintings, toys, nearby conversations, banners, and even a reenactment of the wedding on the street were only some of the things that Nymph came across, all confirming the ponies’ belief that Chrysalis was some horrible, unfeeling demon. As much as she cared for Shining Armor and Cadance, she could not fathom how they could possibly allow so many insulting depictions of the former queen.
Nymph had hoped her words from today’s speech would have discouraged using such displays, but the people seemed indifferent. It was rather disgusting in her opinion given that the ponies loved eating her slime from her famous jelly doughnuts, although unaware it was specifically hers, and practically worshiped the great matchmaker Cherub, hoping one day to rub it in their faces how wrong they were about Chrysalis. Unable to stand anymore, Nymph entered a coffee shop close to her and headed straight to the bathroom in the back. When she knew she was alone, she teleported back into the palace.
Inside her room, she reverted to her true form and flopped onto the bed with her face in the pillow. If she felt this bad, there was no telling how Chrysalis was handling the mockery Ponyville no doubt displayed. Right as she reached for her compact mirror, she was startled by a knock on her door. “Y-yes?”
“Princess Celestia says that it is almost time to leave,” a female voice answered from the other side of the door.
“I see. Thank you for informing me.” She felt some relief and got on her hooves. Before leaving, she took some deep breaths to ensure nopony caught the Changeling Queen in a bad mood. Making her way to the entrance, she ran into Rarity, who seemed to have been waiting for her. The sight of one of her closest friends made her feel a bit better and she could easily read the look on her face. “Enjoy their little story?” the queen teased.
“Oh, yes! It was so passionate! So romantic! So dramatic! It was a story that every girl dreams about.” Rarity let out a happy sigh. “One day, I wish to experience something similar and to pass on the tale to future generations.”
“A little too late now that you and Spike are rather close.”
“W-well, what happened with us was great, too! He comforted me when I was crying my eyes out after being dumped by a pony who I thought loved me, he comforted me when I was crying my eyes out when I thought I was going to be alone forever…” Rarity trailed off, blushing as Nymph snickered. “Is it possible to get a romantic do-over?”
“Just make something up to tell people. I’m sure you can be as creative with stories as you are with dresses.”
“Hmm. That might be a good idea. I need something that makes me a lot less…dramatic.” The unicorn made quick glances around before leaning in closer. “By the way,” she whispered, “Cadance has given me ‘the goods.’”
Nymph also took a look around before focusing on the mare. “Where are they?”
“I’m hiding them in my tail.” Using magic, Rarity pulled out a small stack of papers, which she discretely moved under herself. Nymph quickly snatched them and stuffed them under her cloak before taking a step back. “I already looked over it. I think she’s got great ideas!”
“I’m so glad to have friends like you two. You both have such wonderful ideas and rather…exquisite tastes.” Both mares loudly giggled before resuming their walk. “I’ll get straight to work when I have time and get back to you when I have something ready.”
They made it outside the palace where everypony else was already waiting beside two yellow carriages that had Celestia’s cutie mark painted on the doors. “It was so nice to see you all!” exclaimed Cadance as she hugged both her aunts. “I’d love it if you visited more often. I really don’t see you two enough.”
“That would be nice, but you know how it is. Equestria always has something going on,” said Celestia. “You two should consider yourselves very lucky to only rule a much smaller kingdom.”
“I already feel lucky just by being by Cady’s side,” said Shining Armor as he pulled in his wife. “And I hope Cherub feels better, Luna. She must be really disappointed to have missed out on all of this because of the flu.”
“I’m sure she will need plenty of consoling. Maybe next year will be better or she will just drag herself here no matter how sick she is.”
“She will be very happy just having you there at her side,” spoke Cadance. “I shouldn’t keep you all any longer. Goodbye, everypony! Have a safe trip!”
They said their goodbyes and the visitors entered the carriages with one carrying those of royal status while the other carried Twilight’s friends. After the doors closed and the pegasi took off, they were airborne, destined to arrive in Ponyville shortly. Nymph knew exactly what to do with this time. “Celestia, Luna, I think we need to have a talk about Chrysalis.”
“A talk? Is something wrong?” asked Luna with worry.
“Oh, there is so much wrong,” the queen answered calmly, which contrasted with the scowl she wore. “It should come as no surprise that the people’s dislike of her, which is a nice way of putting it, has not changed in the slightest. She is still looked at as the vilest thing that has ever lived and everyone is so happy with the idea of her being locked away for who knows how long, never giving her another thought. Waiting around has brought us nothing, Celestia!”
Luna and Twilight looked over at Celestia, who maintained her composure. “It is unfortunate that our people’s perspective of Chrysalis refuses to change, but this is what we expected from the start. The point wasn’t for the people to start loving her, but to love her persona as Cherub.”
“And they love her already! She’s a beloved celebrity to both ponies and changelings and the lover of your sister! How can they possibly love her any more!? Should she be made into a princess? End world hunger? Cure all disease? I think we’ve already gone as far as we can go with her reputation and I fail to see what else waiting will bring.”
“Perhaps, but to suddenly tell the people that their idol is Chrysalis could be very dangerous for her. I care about her safety, so we need to handle this very carefully.”
“And by safely, you mean doing nothing.” The queen slouched in her seat, tapping a hoof against her own temple. It was rare for her to act this way to Celestia, a pony she highly admired, but sometimes her passive nature was too much. “This is just wrong. How is it Chrysalis still has to hide from everybody after doing something a year ago and yet recently, Discord stabs everyone in the back and still can walk around like it never happened?”
“For one, Discord is a powerful deity that cannot be easily harmed, so it would be hard for the people to retaliate against him,” Celestia answered. “Along with this, he’s…well…”
“A little child in an adult’s body,” finished Twilight.
“That’s one way to put it. Most of his schemes, besides with Tirek, are just silly pranks or weirdness made to humor himself while Chrysalis presented herself in a much more malicious manner. People may hate him, but they can’t really do anything about him and most of the time see him as an annoyance. Not to mention his book has been very popular and has readers eating up his words, so it’s not hard to believe the people don’t hold much against him now. He had damage control done a lot sooner than Chrysalis could have.”
Nymph tilted her head, giving the princess a funny look. “Book? What book?”
“You haven’t heard of it?” asked Twilight in surprise. “It was an autobiography called ‘Tirek is a Terrible, Awful Backstabber Who Made Me Betray My Friends.’ It details his history with Tirek from back then and what lead up to their revived partnership before going into his thoughts about the whole event now that he learned his lesson.”
“It’s a fascinating read,” commented Luna. “I strongly recommend reading it for yourself when you get the chance. Who knew Discord was so deep?”
“As for Chrysalis,” Celestia continued, “it’s a little more complicated. Aside from the fact that she can easily be harmed, her act of invading and kidnapping a princess to steal her groom is seen as far more evil, even if she believed it was for the greater good for her own kingdom. There’s also her status of authority that could be returned to her if she goes back to her kingdom and her power to control minds. It’s easy to understand why ponies would fear her when most are certain she’s out for revenge. The way she fooled Luna and I so long for a second time would also be very unsettling for the people to hear, no doubt drumming up rumors that would complicate things. Do you understand why we are taking the long approach?”
Nymph gritted her teeth, but ended up sighing in resignation. “Yes, Celestia. I’m sorry for getting upset. You are far more skilled in this sort of thing and I envy you for that. You should have seen the displays they had of her. Just thinking about those makes me want to hit somepony.”
“It will calm down before you know it,” said Luna. “Give it about a week and the people will just forget about her while moving on to other topics of interest.”
Nymph felt Twilight reach a foreleg around her, which provided some comfort. “I’d call Chrysalis really lucky under the circumstances. At least she can just become Cherub and still live a normal life. Sunset Shimmer still has to go to school where everybody knows who she is and can never hide from them, which I think is easily a lot worse.”
“Now which one is she?” asked Nymph, feeling guilty for forgetting. Twilight had told her many stories about the adventures she and her friends had gone through, which she enjoyed listening to, but given that there were so many, she sometimes couldn’t recall certain details.
“The unicorn in the other world I told you about. I can only imagine how hard she is having it right now and as much as I’d love to help her, the portal is closed for now.” Twilight crossed her forelegs, deep in thought. “I’ve taken the mirror to study, but there’s not too much for me to look at without the portal being opened. I would love to go see her and my other friends again, but I doubt I can force it to activate. I just wish there was something I could do for her.”
Nymph could only imagine what Sunset had to endure on a daily basis, but that was difficult considering she couldn’t even picture what this other world even looked like with those weird bipedal creatures Twilight had described. She leaned against the side of the carriage, looking out the window as Twilight kept speaking about the other world as it seemed both princesses still had a lot of questions regarding this bizarre dimension. All Nymph could do was wait and she was so sick of it after being forced to do this for over a year, worrying that there would be many more to come.
It wasn’t long before the carriages arrived in Ponyville, taking only about an hour of flight. Nymph was ready to jump out and make her own way to Cupid’s Arrow, but Celestia and Luna convinced her to wait by holding her down. They landed outside Twilight’s castle, which Chrysalis had once described as “something misplaced from the Crystal Empire or a little filly’s toy set”. Nymph, to some degree, agreed, but was happy that Twilight finally had her own castle like a proper princess should have, despite costing her and Spike the home they treasured. Everypony said their goodbyes as Celestia stayed in her carriage to return home while Luna and Nymph remained behind. As Twilight and her friends went their own way, Luna wasted no time and teleported Nymph with her.
They appeared within Cupid’s Arrow, standing right by the front door. The closed window shades only allowed tiny beams of light through, providing some light into the house. The darkness really killed the romantic mood Chrysalis’s main room was going for, feeling creepier than cute. Chrysalis’s red couches sat in the middle of the room with a wooden table in between them, which was mostly used as seating for anypony awaiting service. In the corner of the large room on the left were an assortment of small tables covered in pink cloth and with chairs on opposite sides for the speed dating. Across from them was the stairs and just to the left of it was the door to Chrysalis’s office, with the secretary desk just to the left of that.
Although it was likely nopony was home, Nymph still took caution. “Cherub? Are you home?” They were given no response in return. “I figured she didn’t have anypony visiting, but is she even home?”
“I can’t imagine where else she would be right now. She should have been expecting us.” They walked up the stairs together and entered the open bedroom, finding a lump under the pink bed sheets. Chrysalis used to dislike the color, finding it to be rather girly for a changeling of her status, but it seemed her matchmaking days had given her a different opinion. To the right was a large dresser with a mirror on top and on the other side of the room against the closed window was a telescope with several star charts strung up against the wall. Nymph walked to the side of the bed and lifted the pillow, finding her sister gently snoring underneath with Prince Handsome, her changeling doll, in her forelegs.
There lay the queen who caused so many ponies and even changelings misery. Once the iron hoofed ruler of the Changeling Kingdom, Chrysalis had been dethroned and banished by her sister, which was an act meant to keep her safe and hidden from Celestia’s retribution. In a strange twist of fate, the evil, vengeful Chrysalis came up with a scheme of running a dating service, which, in all honesty, sounded completely ridiculous for a changeling as cunning as her and over time, she turned away from her evil desires, finding new friends and even love. It was a shame that people did not know of her struggles.
Since Hearts and Hooves Day, Nymph had been trying to reignite the bond between them. Chrysalis was more than willing to make up for the past, but it didn’t come easy. Each still felt the pain brought upon them by their sister, with Nymph betraying Chrysalis to make herself the queen and Chrysalis unleashing her wrath upon her once she reclaimed what was rightfully hers. For over ten years, Chrysalis made it a priority to torment her, forcing her to do humiliating deeds such as cleaning the palace and even had her barred from certain special events. The wicked queen took excellent delight in watching the sister she once loved weep, unable to stand up against Chrysalis. Nymph no longer had nightmares of those dreadful years thanks to Luna, but the memories would perhaps haunt her until the end of her days.
Gently, Nymph stroked Chrysalis’s mane, relieved to see Chrysalis fine and well. However, she didn’t look entirely peaceful, occasionally murmuring in her sleep. On closer inspection, she could see beads of sweat on her face. It was most likely she was in the middle of a nightmare. Nymph turned to Luna, who seemed to have caught on as well. Expecting her to use some dream magic, the princess instead knelt down by the bed, lightly shaking her. “Chrysalis, wake up.”
Chrysalis slowly opened her eyes, taking a moment to see who was there. “Hey, Luna,” she replied softly. “Welcome back. Where’s Nymph?”
“I’m right here.” Nymph sat by Luna. “Have you been sleeping this whole time? I’ve been trying to call you all day.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Chrysalis sat up, yawning as she rubbed her eye. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Nymph watched as her sister was covered in a blue aura, lifting her into the air. “I’ll get some coffee ready,” Luna said as she carried Chrysalis with her out of the room. “Would you like some, Nymph?”
“No thanks.” She followed them down the stairs as Chrysalis was placed on the couch and sat on the one across from her. Luna stepped into the kitchen, leaving them alone. Seeing her sister look groggy and out of energy made it hard for her to recall how she looked when she was filled with fury and spite. She couldn’t think of entirely what to say, certain that the day was already wearing the outcast down, so Nymph smiled as she held out her gift bag. “Here. I got you a little something from the Empire to help make you feel better.”
Chrysalis reached in the bag and pulled out the snow globe. She smiled as she looked it over, finding some delight in making the heart inside glow. “Thank you, Nymph. I love it.” She set it on the table before looking at her sister. “So how was the anniversary? Did it go over well?”
“It did. The citizens of the Crystal Empire were satisfied with the new statue. It should inspire a sense of unity across Equestria. Well, at least some better unity than what we have now.”
“I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t if both Shining Armor and Cadance were the ones who commissioned it in the first place,” Luna called from the other room before letting out a grunt. Nymph looked over to see Luna scowl and glare at the coffee maker, making Nymph expect a sudden explosion if the princess did not get what she desired.
“That’s good.” Chrysalis rolled herself so she faced the ceiling as more silence filled the room. “And Luna, you pour the water in and hit the big button.”
Slowly looking around the room, Nymph kept expecting her to follow up with something, but time came to a crawl as Chrysalis remained silent. “Is that all you wanted to ask?”
“How are Cadance and Shining Armor?” Chrysalis replied, sounding as if she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.
“They are doing well,” Luna answered as she returned with a hot mug, looking rather triumphant from conquering the coffee maker. She handed it to her marefriend and the changeling was quick to drink from it. “I think they enjoyed this day very much and I’m sure next year will be even better, once certain matters settle down.” She looked at Chrysalis and a frown formed on her lips when she saw the changeling’s neutral expression. “You can always visit them. It’s just a quick train ride to go there.”
“I guess I could.”
Nymph continued to anxiously look around the room, occasionally glancing at her sister. She couldn’t remember how much time had passed in silence and the tension was getting the better of her. “Chrysalis, I think you need to talk to us. We know this day has not been easy for you and we just want to do something to help.”
The elder changeling placed her drink on the table. “Today, I couldn’t help but go outside just to keep myself from going stir crazy in here. I saw what I had expected as I strolled through Ponyville, everyone happily celebrating today, until I reached the park. There was a large group of ponies and changelings celebrating the unification of species.”
Nymph gulped. “And?”
“They celebrated by watching the children smash open a ponyata of me, laughing and cheering as they beat me to pieces.” Luna wrapped Chrysalis in a tender embrace, nuzzling her cheek. “I know something so trivial shouldn’t bother me, but it was all I could stand before I made myself warp home. After that, I just kinda laid in bed until I drifted off.” She reached for her drink, taking another sip. “Truthfully, I thought I would be numb to this kind of thing by now, but just seeing that…it hurts.”
“It’s just for today,” Luna said comfortingly. “The people will move on to something else before you know it. ”
“I wish. The fact is that the people’s hate for me is kind of what unites them, so I don’t think that they will easily let go.”
“Sorry, Chrysalis,” said Nymph, ears pinned against her head. She couldn’t bear to look at her and chose to stare at the floor instead. “It was a very different time back then. I did what I had to do to get as much support as I could get for our kind back then. Had I known things would be like this, I would have tried different methods and maybe this would have never happened.”
“I know, Nymph. I know. Don’t blame yourself. You did a good job regardless, so at least be proud of that.” Chrysalis rolled up to face the alicorn, suddenly with a tiny smirk growing on her lips. “Besides, maybe things would have been better if a certain princess allowed us to put on the performance of a lifetime.”
Luna rolled her eyes. “For the last time, randomly blasting you with the Elements of Harmony would have been dangerous. Their powers are still a mystery to this day and even if we somehow convinced the people that you were cleansed of evil intent, it would be only days, no, only hours until they noticed your less-than-perfect personality.”
“Hey, I’m royalty. I was raised to be perfect.” Chrysalis lifted her head and ran her hoof through her mane. “I am a kind, polite, and sociable changeling that everypony can grow to like. It’s part of being a model royal changeling.”
“Does that involve terrorizing children?” retorted the princess. Nymph looked up and could see the way they were smiling at each other. She was glad that they could find humor with each other, no matter how dire things seemed to be. It made her slightly envious that Chrysalis had such a partner in her life, but it also brought her relief.
“Well how else are the little scamps going to learn that you don’t write a bad article about me? You ponies are too soft. Your citizens mostly consist of pansies and I fear that the changelings are going to end up the same way by living with them.”
“Back to the point at hoof,” Luna continued as Nymph giggled lightly, “I promise things will settle down back to normal in no time. Besides, you will always have us.” She lowered her head to rub her muzzle against Chrysalis before giving her a kiss. “How about you stay at the palace with us tonight? I’m sure Nymph is eager to catch up on things with you.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Luna,” said Nymph. “Some quality time with her sister with surely lift her spirits.”
“How can I say no?” Chrysalis slowly got up, groaning as she fought against her stiff muscles. On her hooves, she took on her favorite disguise as the unicorn matchmaker Cherub. She didn’t even need to look over herself to ensure that her disguise was correct in every detail. “So what did you say to explain my absence?”
“That you came down with a sudden case of the flu and could not make the event in your condition,” Luna answered.
“So I suppose I will have to pretend to be bedridden and fairly ill.” Chrysalis shivered and hunched over, coughing intensely into her hoof.
“You will only need to act that way a few times. I think it would be best if you just stayed in my room with us for the rest of the day.”
“Sounds good to me.” In a flash of light, they now stood in Luna’s bedroom. The princess’s room had undergone a redesign several months back, looking nothing like before. The most notable change was her bed, which had gone from a simple large bed to one shaped like a crescent moon with a lamp hanging from the top and a curtain that prevented any sunlight from disturbing her rest and allowed her and Chrysalis to cuddle, kiss, and other things she’d rather not think about in complete privacy when that time came. The carpet was a dark shade of blue with some dark violet swirls and the room also had lamps that carried bulbs on the end of each branch. Nymph couldn’t help but feel that Luna was a little too into her lunar theme as both her bedroom and bathroom resembled nighttime.
“Chrysalis, have you been eating well, by any chance?” Luna asked. “You still seem to be rather sluggish.”
Chrysalis climbed into the bed, making herself comfortable immediately. “Just the breakfast I had this morning, I think.”
Luna’s reaction was instant, leaning over her bed and holding her face mere inches from Chrysalis’s. “Breakfast!? We are well into the afternoon right now! You need to eat and get your strength back!”
“But-”
“No buts! I’ll head into the kitchen and prepare you some chicken soup. It will help make you feel better both physically and mentally. That’s an order from your princess.”
“Yes, Nurse Luna,” Chrysalis answered, causing the princess to chuckle in return before exiting.
Nymph sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s nice to see you still have your sense of humor.”
“I’ve learned a lot from my time here in Equestria and one important lesson is that it never helps to just sit around and mope about your problems.” Chrysalis stretched her limbs, loudly groaning. “Unfortunately, I’m still just a changeling and there’s only so much I can take. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this low and I certainly did not miss the feeling.”
“Oh, Chrysie.” She gently wrapped her forelegs around Chrysalis’s neck to nuzzle her and Nymph noticed that she was slightly resistant to it, no doubt embarrassed by her display of affection despite it only be the two of them. “Don’t worry about today. Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal, we promise.”
“And what exactly is normal for me?” Nymph paused as Chrysalis turned to her. “Another day living as a pony who doesn’t exist among people who despise me? Living in worry of being caught and dragging those I care about down with me? Watching my true self being used to express their anger and frustration? That doesn’t exactly feel like a normal life.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” the queen said softly. “Normal” had not been a word in her own vocabulary in many years as she had completely forgotten the meaning. “You need to stay strong, Chrysie. I wish I could stay here longer with you, but the Changeling Kingdom needs me. You at least have all your friends to give you company and support. It’s not all that bad when you really think about it, but since I’m here, how about we do something fun together?”
“How about you tell me about home.”
“Of course.” Nymph spoke of whatever interesting recent events she could think of in the Changeling Kingdom, mostly within their home city of Bugartha, soothing Chrysalis’s woes. There wasn’t too much to talk about as the kingdom had been rather calm since the food crisis ended for good, so she really had to think about anything remotely interesting that happened. Luna soon returned with the soup and Chrysalis ate as Nymph kept talking. As the queen spoke, she saw how tightly the two mares held each other’s hooves, their true love as Luna and Chrysalis, not Cherub, forbidden in the eyes of the masses, no matter how real it was.
Just how much longer was Chrysalis supposed to live like this?