//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: New Standards // Story: Souls Apart: The Apprentice // by GnollReader //------------------------------// "Chrysalis..." Aergard mumbled as he furiously rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and fingers. "Yes? Aergard, dearest?" Chrysalis replied, her tone cheerful and innocent. "What is that?" He pointed at the body prepared on the large steel table without looking. "Why, my dear... That, is a medial ring." She replied in a tone feigning simple facts. The room dead silent as even the imps had paused their work if only to listen to what was being discussed. The entire project had been under way for weeks. In between his new charity work, as he called it, teaching Pipsqueak and running the tower the necromancer had put every second of his free time into what was now laying on the table before them. A human body. Or at least something that looked akin to one. It was shaped flesh. He had taken flesh from dead changelings provided by Chrysalis, and he had altered and joined it with blood from unicorns that had visited his tower. He did not favor discussing his methods with anyone, but upon being questioned on it by Chrysalis had revealed that Tobi had been formed from his own flesh in similar fashion. Only this was much more complicated. It had taken days for the combination to bear a clump of flesh, a live one at that; and it had taken weeks to make it grow into the proper form, to make the limbs take the right proportions, to make the muscles and bones grow and connect. It had been grueling work and it would not have been done as fast if not for the help of Chrysalis herself. He had his suspicions of her reasons for this, and now that the facts layed befored them he was sure of it. "Why does it have that shape?" Aergard asked somewhat flustered for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "Was there something wrong with the old one? I mean I -know- you know what it looked like." "Oh, no! Not at all!" She did her best to not hurt his ego, males being fragile she was all too aware of on that certain part. Shining Armor had been too. "I mean... look at it, it's way too big!" He couldn't help but point at it, or at least try to. His pointing hand shakily travelled back and forth along the length of it in an effort to purvey the issue he was having. "Nonsense, dear!" She smiled sweetly "It is... adequate, trust me. As for the details, oh think of them as... as upgrades! It is simply a different standard to measure by!" She tried to change the subject "Have you figured out what to do about the skin tone yet, dear?" The one thing that stood out about this body not really being human, was the skin tone. It was a greyish, faded blue which was much darker on the many lines that connected the intersections almost like the exterior of a beetles skin. Aergard rubbed his face "No, sadly not. I've tried several things but I do not want to risk damaging the body at this stage." He motioned to the head. "It's the first one that actually looks like me!" He sighed, distracted if only for a moment "I'll live with it gladly, a simple glamour will be able to take care of it once the split works." He paused and looked down, much to his regret. "At least get rid of the studs." "Oh fine, you!" She huffed. "But at least consider getting a replacement made for boring days." He deadpanned at her "You could just get a dildo." She chuckled "And why would I want that if I can have the real thing or it's bodyless clone?" She gave him a smirk. "Yeah, yeah... I'll prepare it once this is done." He groaned. "Dont tell the alicorns or-" He was interrupted as the runes on one of the walls came to life with a spout of blue flame, the portal opening inside their mass to let the paladin step through and closing just as fast behind her again. "Aergard, Princess Chrysalis!" She grinned and started walking towards them, only to be halted in her tracks at the sight of what was laying on the table. "Holy mother of-it actually looks like you!" She paused, her expression falling flat "...And it has a horse cock." She turned her head to give Aergard an accusing stare. "Don't you give me that look!" He glared. "Chrysalis took over shaping that part... and at least stop staring at it if you're so disappointed!" Calindria had meanwhile tilted her head to give the thing a measuring look before glancing at Chrysalis "Not disappointed. Just was always kinda expecting it to happen from you, not her." She looked back at him. "So you're really going to try this?" "Well it's her that has to deal with it going into places, primarily..." Aergard started to answer, earning him a short jab in the side by Chrysalis. "I mean the whole.. splitting yourself up and trying to slip into that body you built." She motioned "You never even told us what risks there are!" "Ahh well, about that..." Argeard gave her a sheepish grin. "I have no idea." Calindria blinked at him "What do you mean you got no ide-" she paused. "You've never done this before, have you?" "Hey, I have done it in theory many times!" He added. "And in my defense Tobi always turned out splendidly... and he's like a introductary version of this here!" Chrysalis took a sip from her personal emotion-flask. "Not to seem cruel; but if you turn out like that thing you call Tobi I will deny having had a part in it or knowing anything about it." "If I turn out like Tobi I'm so going on a magical journey to find my true purpose!" Aergard grinned. "It will be like one of those god-awful advent-" He was interrupted by yet another flash of magic, followed by a bright light entering existence inside the room; Princess Celestia had arived via her own magic. Whatever speech or greeting she had prepared for the three awaiting her however was forgotten the moment she opened her eyes. She had teleported in right at the foot end of the large table, Calindria to her left, Aergard opposite of her, and Chrysalis to the right. And in front of her... She closed her eyes again. "Uhm... Celesti-" She stopped him from saying more by holding up a hoof, motioning them to be silent for a moment; the only thing visibly moving being her flowing mane, silent itself as well. Princess Celestia opened her eyes again, and took a long hard look at what lay in front of her... before silently covering it with a blanket using her magic, doing the best she could do to not stare. She started "Even I... understand that there is a certain obsession that males carry for these... these things." She tried her best not to sound shocked. "But you cannot seriously be planning to-" she fumbled with the words in her mouth. "I mean, Aergard... Lulu has no experience in these things!" "Again!" He exclaimed while pointing at Chrysalis. "Her doing! Not mine!" Chrysalis just smirked "I'll have you know Princess Cadence deals with this every night and I don't hear her complaining." "Oh, for fucks sake now I might as well have glowing arrows on it too!" Aergard shouted in dismay, unaware of the totally dumbfounded expression princess Celesita was giving Chrysalis. "No. Way." Calindria looked like she wasn't sure whether to cuss or to grin at Chrysalis. "You actually did that? I mean I heard the story of it some time ago but never any juicy details!" "What?" Chrysalis simply shrugged, cleaning a speck of dirt from her hoof. "I had to keep the illusion back then somehow, did I not?" She passed Aergard a wink. "Just don't tell Twilight or she'll never let Shiny or me hear the end of it." "I'm... just going to act like I haven't heard any of all that." Celestia simply replied more to herself than to the others. "Now please... let us start with this meeting?" She gave Calindra a hopeful look. "If time allows, I also wish to hear what good news the paladin brings to us fro-" she blinked. "Please put that blanket down again. We all saw it in far too much detail already." "I'm just checking if it's still there!" Calindria quickly let it fall down again as she was caught peeking. "Yup! Still is!"