//------------------------------// // Things Start Sinking In // Story: Desperate Devotion // by Leafdoggy //------------------------------// Chrysalis coughed awkwardly as she stood outside Twilight’s castle. It was a brisk fall afternoon, just windy enough to be comfortably cool. Ponies walking by watched her suspiciously and gave her a wide berth. At one point she shot one a contemptuous glare and they took off running, much to her amusement. After what seemed like an endless wait, the door finally opened as Twilight stepped outside. She was dressed up, wearing a light scarf with tall boots, and she had a toothy grin on her face.  “Wow,” Twilight said, “you’re actually on time.” “Yes, I thought I’d give it a try,” Chrysalis replied. “I can’t say I care for the waiting.” “Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting you so soon, so I kind of had to scramble to get ready.” Twilight turned to the side and posed for Chrysalis. “Like it?” Chrysalis looked her over carefully, taking in the little cyan scarf and sturdy boots that rose nearly to her knees. Together they gave Twilight a much more confident look than she normally had. Then she noticed a quaint little hairpin situated right before Twilight’s ear, adorned with a little green beetle that accentuated her mane nicely. The mane itself was flowing nicely in the breeze, waving in just the right way to draw the eyes back to Twilight’s cheery smile. Chrysalis realized she had been looking for too long. “Well,” she said, “I can’t say I understand fashion much, but I suppose the colors are pleasant enough.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “We need to work on your flirting. You don’t need to know fashion to tell me I’m cute.” “I don’t find things cute,” Chrysalis told her. She paused for a moment. “I am tempted, though.” “I’ll take it.” Twilight chuckled and skipped down to the street. “Let’s go, I want to see what you’ve got planned. You do have a plan this time, right? Chrysalis began to lead her through Ponyville. “I do, actually. Hopefully an impressive one.” “It better be,” Twilight told her. "You seem awfully excited," Chrysalis remarked as they began their walk. Twilight thought about that. "I guess I am," she decided. "Weird. Who would've thought I'd be excited for a date with you?" "Gee, thanks." "Well, we're enemies!" Twilight said. "I don't exactly take time out of my day to think about how my biggest foes would be as a partner." "Really?" Chrysalis asked. "Not a single daydream?" "What, like you spent all your time ogling ponies?" "I'm always on the lookout for potential underlings," Chrysalis said, "and I've always known you were too strong to ever be an underling." "Wow." Twilight looked up at Chrysalis in shock. "That's a big compliment." "I guess I'm not so bad at flirting after all." Chrysalis shot her a devilish grin. The afternoon was just turning to evening around them. Ponyville seemed to glow with warmth, radiating it out and into the jovial ponies bounding through the streets. The sight of Chrysalis still agitated them, of course, but seeing Twilight, so casual and so close, put them somewhat at ease. One pony even made a move to come talk to them, but a sidelong glance from Chrysalis was enough to make him reconsider. “I wasn’t aware we were supposed to dress up,” Chrysalis said as they walked. “Oh, no, you’re fine,” Twilight said. “This is for me. It’s fun! You should try it.” Chrysalis scowled at the idea. “I don’t see the appeal.” “Aw, c’mon,” Twilight teased, “you have to be willing to try new things. I’ll take you to Rarity’s on my next date. If anypony can get you to have fun with fashion, it’s her.” “Rarity,” Chrysalis thought aloud. “She’s the one with the nice mane, correct?” “I mean, I guess,” Twilight said. “I don’t know what you think looks nice. Other than me, of course. At least, I hope I’m on the list.” “Yes,” Chrysalis said, “I have you scribbled into the margins. You’ve just barely managed to outrank rocks.” “Hey, I’ve seen some pretty cute rocks. Do I outrank Rarity?” “No,” Chrysalis said bluntly. Twilight laughed. “Fair enough. I bet the boots pushed me up a bit, though.” She grinned at Chrysalis. “Well,” Chrysalis responded, “rocks can’t wear boots.” Twilight chuckled and nuzzled up against Chrysalis. She was so busy being affectionate, in fact, that she didn’t even notice as Chrysalis led her out of Ponyville and towards the Everfree Forest. “As much as I enjoy an afternoon hike,” Twilight grunted as she yanked her leg free from a tangle of vines, “I’m starting to wonder if you actually have a destination in mind.” The two had been walking for an hour or so through the Everfree Forest, following winding trails that were barely discernible past the wild underbrush. Twilight’s scarf had a new hole in one end, handed out by one particularly generous branch, and her boots had a shallow layer of mud caking them. Chrysalis, on the other hand, looked like she had barely taken a step through the treacherous terrain. “Oh, Twilight. You really must have faith in me.” Dramatically, Chrysalis stepped forward and pushed aside a bushy tree branch to reveal a wide open clearing. It was easily a mile wide, and not a single living thing occupied it. No animals, no trees, not even grass dared to grow here. It was a vast sea of loose, sandy dirt, the mass of brown only broken by a towering gray spire on the far side of the clearing. “Woah.” Twilight pushed through the foliage and into the clearing, leaving deep hoofprints in the soft ground. Chrysalis followed closely along as she walked slowly towards the center. “What is it?” “That’s a good question,” Chrysalis told her. “I got a report from a scout a few days ago saying something powerful was meant to be here, and I thought I’d bring you along.” “Hey!” Twilight wheeled around and stared daggers at her. “No scheming, remember? I’m not helping you dig up some magical artifact.” Chrysalis held up her hoof to show Twilight the glowing bracelet. “No schemes. I don’t even know what’s here.” Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow, then a moment later sighed and relaxed. “Yeah, okay. The whole point of the bracelet is to get out minds off that stuff, so… I guess I’ll trust you.” Twilight turned back and started walking forward again. As she got closer to the center, her hooves slowly began to sink more and more into the ground, barely perceptible at first but undeniable before long. “So,” Chrysalis said as she followed along, “what do you think?” “Well, it’s certainly not like anything I’ve ever seen before.” There was a quiet pop as Twilight pulled a boot free from a particularly deep stride. “It’s not mud, but it’s not quite sand either. It could be that it’s being made by whatever we came here to find.” “As captivating as your scientific ramblings are,” Chrysalis said, “I was more interested in what you thought of my date.” “Well it’s a bit early to be asking that.” Twilight stumbled as the ground beneath one foot gave out and sank a few inches, but she was able to right herself fairly easily. “However, I do enjoy a nice, casual deathtrap.” “Well, who doesn’t?” Chrysalis laughed. Then she sighed contentedly. "You know, I'm actually having fun." "Right?" Twilight grunted as she put more and more effort into walking. "Honestly, I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to do this kind of thing if I wasn't off saving the world, but I think I'd enjoy just exploring with you." "Well, my scouts aren't up to much since our deal," Chrysalis said. "I'll try to find another for next time." Twilight nearly flew into the air as she yanked a hoof out from the dirt. She was only tethered by the other three legs, still buried deep below. “How reliable is this scout of yours?” “Completely,” Chrysalis said. “Although I will note that they did not say this place was safe.” “I gathered that,” Twilight grumbled as she fought to pull herself free from the earthen trap. “We’re past the center now and it’s still getting deeper.” Chrysalis was still having little trouble, her long slender legs sliding easily through the muck. “Can’t you fly?” “Well, yes, but this is—” Twilight struggled to lift a leg that was buried in past the boot, and after a moment her leg flew up as the boot slipped off. She sighed and wiped sweat off her forehead. “This is a valuable experience.”  She looked down to retrieve her lost shoe, but it was already gone, swallowed by the depths below them. “Aww, I liked these boots.” They were mere feet from the obelisk now. It was massive, wide enough to hide Celestia and tall enough to pierce the clouds. Intricate details were carved all along its surface, from top to bottom, and no two spots were the same, yet they all served to draw a viewer’s eye down, down to the muck, down to where the spire was slowly sinking into the ground. Twilight felt her stomach hit the ground below her. She’d given up on stepping out and over, now just pushing her way through with all her might. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and took in the monument before her. “Incredible,” she said. “Although it looks like we’re too late. From the look of things, whatever powerful thing was here is far deeper than we are.” Chrysalis hummed in thought. “I don’t suppose you enjoy diving?” “What?” Twilight tried to look back at her in surprise, but she couldn’t turn enough to do so, so she just huffed in her general direction. “First off, no, I don’t enjoy diving. More importantly, though, letting myself get sucked down there is a horrible idea!” Chrysalis chuckled and moved forward to meet Twilight’s eyes. “To be frank, it doesn’t look like you’re in a situation that gives you much choice.” “Wh—” Twilight looked down and groaned in frustration. The ground level was already halfway up her chest and showing no signs of slowing. She tried to wiggle herself free, but it was no use. She was completely stuck. She was so distracted by the spire she hadn't even noticed when her wings hit the ground, so now they were trapped too. “Do you need some help, Princess?”  “Clearly!” Twilight shot her a malicious look.  Chrysalis dug one leg under Twilight and, in one swift motion, pulled her up out of the ground. She was a mess, her entire body caked in dirt, her mane and tail matted and stuck to her. Her wings were so weighed down with grime it would take a week of washing for them to be of any use again. She was down to a single boot, and her scarf would never be the same color again. Twilight started sinking again the moment Chrysalis set her down. She scrambled to try to stay above ground, but the frantic stamping just made her sink faster. “Uh, Chrysalis, I don’t really think I’m going to make it back to the forest at this rate.” “Well, aren’t you lucky you have me then,” Chrysalis teased as she held out a hoof for Twilight. She helped Twilight climb up onto her back and, when everything seemed settled, stretched out her wings. “Wait,” Twilight said, “you’re going to fly?” “Well, I can’t very well make it out with the weight of two ponies.” Before Twilight could protest further, Chrysalis shot into the sky. Twilight was barely able to hold on in time, and struggled to find a comfortable position to sit in. When she was finally situated, Twilight looked past Chrysalis and stared in amazement.  She had never flown this fast before, and especially not over the Everfree. The wind whipped around her as Chrysalis darted to and fro, dodging hostile clouds and towering trees. Above them, stars were starting to twinkle into view, and every so often they would duck under a cloud and come back only for Twilight to spot a new constellation in the sky. Chrysalis made a show of it, skimming perilously close to the canopy below, doing rolls through dense layers of cloud cover, and it made Twilight’s heart race.  Twilight sighed as they crossed the border back into Ponyville, partially from her nerves calming, but also from disappointment at having the night come to a close. She found herself clinging tightly to Chrysalis even as they slowed to a stop in front of the castle. Chrysalis coughed after she had been still for a moment. “Um, Twilight? I didn’t think you were that afraid.” “Huh?” Twilight jolted to attention. “Oh, uh, heh. Sorry, just…” She wrapped her legs around Chrysalis. “You’re softer than I thought you’d be.” “Don’t expect this to become a thing,” Chrysalis warned. “I’ll only do this if you’re in mortal danger.” Twilight made a show of yawning and laid her head down. “That’s okay,” she said. “I’m good at getting into mortal danger.” Chrysalis sighed and decided to just walk into the castle if Twilight wasn’t going to get off of her. Her heavy steps echoed throughout the large, empty halls, giving the whole place a somber atmosphere. “Today was fun,” Twilight said dreamily, “even if I almost died.” “I’m glad it didn’t disappoint. I didn’t think it would, you don’t seem like the type of pony who’s able to contain her curiosity.” Twilight giggled. “You’re so bad at flirting.” “Mm-hm,” Chrysalis hummed as she turned a corner into another identical hallway. “Twilight,” she said, “as fun as it is to wander aimlessly around your home, I don’t actually know where anything is in here.” “I bet it’s easier to navigate than your house,” Twilight said. “Hey, where is your house, anyway?” “Twilight, I’m a fugitive. I don’t get to have a house.” “Aww.” Twilight gave her a tight squeeze. “Wanna stay here?” Chrysalis stopped in her tracks. “With you?” “Well, not in the same room of course,” Twilight explained. “Have you seen how big this place is? It gets lonely, even with Spike and Starlight both living here.” Chrysalis grimaced. “Starlight…” “Yeah, yeah,” Twilight said. “Look, I’m not kicking my friend out just because you have a grudge.” With a sigh, Chrysalis started walking again. “I guess it was inevitable. I might as well get it over with.” “Yay!” Twilight clapped excitedly. “Trust me, it’ll be fine, and you can do whatever you want with your own room! There’s plenty of space to make it your own.” “Hmm…” Chrysalis walked in silence for a minute before responding. “Thank you, Twilight.” “Of course, Chrissy.” “So, are you going to tell me where to go, or are you just going to ride on my back until I collapse from exhaustion?” “I don't know yet. Give me a few minutes to decide.”