Pinkie blinked. "Wha...?"
Normally, Pinkie would be ecstatic to serve somepony a delicious treat or twelve. Normally, she'd also be celebrating the arrival of a new face in Ponyville.
But this situation was anything but normal.
"I'd like a dozen honey cupcakes, please," Chrysalis repeated.
Pinkie simply stood there for a moment, unsure of how to react. Not only had Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings and enemy of Equestria, suddenly walked into Sugarcube Corner only three weeks after the Wedding, and not only was she completely undisguised, but she was apparently here... to buy cupcakes?! The situation sounded absolutely ridiculous, and yet here she was, living it.
The Changeling's expression dropped a little at the pink mare's continued silence. "If you're worried about the cost, I assure you I have enough," she levitated a small, weathered stack of bits from the hoof-crafted saddlebags she wore.
That snapped Pinkie out of her frozen state. "You really just want cupcakes?"
"Yes, please," she nodded.
What was Pinkie supposed to do? Her thoughts jerked left and right as she fought an inner struggle between her feelings and her morals. Chrysalis was the enemy; she attacked Canterlot, and was an overall meanie pants! But when she began working here at Sugarcube corner, she'd made a vow to serve anypony, and Chrysalis fit under that description — if only vaguely.
Finally, she made her decision. "Th-that'll be 15 bits..."
The Changeling Queen smiled thankfully, levitating the amount out of her bag and onto the counter. Pinkie, without breaking eye contact, reached into her Pinkie Space and procured a box of the treats. "Thank you, Miss," Chrysalis nodded, using her mouth to grab the box by its string, then turned and walked out.
Everypony else in the room turned to look at Pinkie, their faces just as shocked and confused as the party planner's.
"I'll be back in a bit..." Without waiting for a response, the pink mare zipped off to find her friends, leaving behind a cloud of dust in her shape.
ACT 1: Somewhere In The Woods...
Chrysalis silently walked down the street, carrying her box of baked goods. She was clearly aware of the incredulous stares of the ponies around her, as well as those running out of fear, but that didn't seem to be her main focus at the moment.
What she WAS unaware of, however, was the group of six ponies and a dragon following her from a good distance away.
"I think we oughta just squash her right now!" Rainbow Dash was grousing in a hushed tone.
Twilight shook her head. "We can't just go up and assault her for no good reason; as much as I hate to admit it, she doesn't seem to be doing anything wrong."
Rarity piped up, "What if she's just playing innocent, like a Shadow Spade villain — waiting until we lower our guards before striking with whatever evil plot she's come up with?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the mare. "While that is a possibility, what kind of evil plot involves honey-flavored cupcakes?"
Pinkie gasped, "The most evilest kind of all!"
AJ huffed. "Pinkie, that was a rhetorical question. But Rarity does bring up a good point; why would she waltz inta Ponyville while undisguised if'n she weren't up ta somethin'?"
Fluttershy whispered, "Um, I think I might—"
"Argh, how much longer are we gonna follow her?!" Rainbow blurted out.
"As long as it takes," Twilight replied. "And I don't know, Applejack. But we can't just attack unprovoked; what kind of example would that be setting?"
"Girls, I think she's—"
"Twilight, what are you saying!?" Spike cried out incredulously. "This is the pony that attacked you, Shining Armor, Cadence, Canterlot, and even Celestia herself! We can't just let her wander freely!"
"Hence why we're trailing her," Twilight stated as if it were obvious.
Finally, Rainbow Dash snapped. "That's it, no more waiting!" she cried out as she began to—
"GIRLS!"
Everypony stopped and turned to face Fluttershy, who was now blushing at her own outburst. "What is it, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.
She pawed he ground abashedly as she replied, "I, uh, couldn't help but notice the bump on the side of her head."
The group turned to look back at Chrysalis; indeed, there was a lump on the back side of her head, just barely visible under her ratty mane.
Twilight absorbed this new information. "That could point to several things, assuming it's genuine and not part of a ruse. She might simply be hurt and desperate, but that doesn't match up with her behavior..."
Then she gasped. "You don't think—?"
Fluttershy nodded, and Twilight looked back towards the Changeling in a new light.
Rainbow Dash, however, was still in the dark. "Think what?"
Twilight's voice replied, barely above a strained whisper, "I think she's experienced Traumatic Brain Injury of some kind."
Applejack raised an eyebrow in concern. "Really?"
"I don't know if it's delusions, amnesia, or what," Twilight was now talking more to herself than anypony else, "but I think getting blasted out of Canterlot really messed with her head."
Rainbow zipped over and grabbed Twilight by the shoulders. "Twilight, don't tell me you're actually falling for this! This is just like in Daring Do and the Stallion With No Past, where Caballeron faked amnesia in order to ambush Daring Do!"
"I admit that it is rather clichéd, but these things become clichés for a reason," Twilight pointed out.
Rainbow blinked, before she shook her head. "Well, whatever you just said, I'm not buying it! Where exactly did she get those bits, huh? Could somepony with amnesia manage to get bits without being seen, much less her?"
She had to admit that the Pegasus had a point. Where exactly did those bits come from?
But then Twilight shook her head. "Well, whatever the case is, we're not going to approach until we have our answer one way or the other."
"Excuse me, girls?" Rarity suddenly piped up, grabbing their attention. The fashionista pointed forward, making them aware that Chrysalis was headed into the Everfree Forest.
Fluttershy was now quaking with fear. "Wh-why's she going in there?"
"Probably headed back to her hideout to continue scheming," Rainbow speculated.
That earned a glare from the book-smart unicorn. "Rainbow Dash, quit it! She probably just landed in the Everfree, and made a base there."
"Seriously, Twilight," Spike piped up, "why aren't you mad at her?"
The unicorn faltered. "Of course I'm mad at her, Spike! But if she's really been injured so severely by her defeat, then I'd say that's more than enough karma."
"But you didn't know she was injured until Fluttershy pointed it out," Rarity piped up.
Twilight flustered for a bit, then sighed. "I wanted to study her at first, alright? Besides, I don't like how cold you girls are being; we're the Elements of Harmony, for pony's sake, not the Elements of Holding a Grudge!"
Everypony else faltered at that. Finally, Rainbow Dash huffed. "Fine, we'll try it your way. But if she tries anything, I'm clobbering her into the ground!"
Twilight frowned, but didn't object. With a building sense of trepidation, the group began to follow Chrysalis into the forest.