//------------------------------// // Grub! // Story: Changeling's Best Friend // by 23 KM To Nerdiness //------------------------------// Morning arrives, shining a moderately warm light upon the dreary Everfree. The crows awaken to gloom up the forest, the owls return to their rotting hollow trees after a night of rodent ravaging and the unidentified crowd of glowing evil eyes looming about fade out and await for night to fall again. In her mildly comfortable hay bed, Chrysalis twists and turns around, stretching her limbs. As she awakens from her sound slumber, her canine companion wiggles up atop her chest, lightly licking her chin. "Mmm, morning, Grub." she yawns, nuzzling her head against his soft brown fur and earning another warm love lick on the cheek. The queen's eyes shoot open. "GRUB!" Chrysalis sits up and drops the silly pooch at the edge of the bed, frowning down at him. "I said stay on the towel, you ignorant creature!" she huffs with a hateful glare. "COCK-A-DOODLE DOO!" a rooster squawks nearby. "COCK-A-DOODLE DOO! COCK-A-DOO- OWW!!!" Red feathers rain and flutter down from the trees, Chrysalis' horn is smoking at the tip. "What is a rooster even doing this far in the Everfree?" "Ruff!" Grub yips gleefully. "Go. AWAY. GRUB! Go jump in a ditch, or something!" "Ruff!" Grub dashes off and disappears in the trees, the rustling plants slowly resting in silence. "Huh," Chrysalis ponders. "That was simple. A little too simple but, nevertheless, I'll never forget you, Grub. But I'll try!" Chrysalis grabs a burlap sack beside the bed and searches through its contents. Inside was a putrid assortment of half eaten produce, stale desserts, unidentified crumbs and expired jars of food. To her chagrin, however, there wasn't much to salvage, save for a slightly stale slice of toast and a jar of jelly that expired a week ago. "Oh, joy..." she groans, having to settle with jelly toast. Chrysalis takes the two items aside and opens the jar. Just then, a stick pops into view, offering itself to the queen. "Ah, thank you there." she sighs, taking the piece of wood in her magic and uses it to spread the jelly thoroughly on the slice. Then, it finally clicks. "Ughhh, you just don't know when to stop, do you?" "Rrruff!" Grub nods. "I said ditch, not fetch!" she growls, throwing the stick away. "How could you possibly mix that up?!" The queen rolls her eyes and goes to sit by a wide stump to eat while the playful pup chases after the stick once more. Soon, Grub hops on his hind legs leaning against her makeshift dining room table, drool dripping from his tiny tongue. "Lick and smack all you wish, you're not getting a crumb of my not so toasty toast." she says, barely making eye contact as she greedily devours her breakfast. Grub's li'l tummy rumbles, forcing a sad whimper from him. "Don't look at me, you decided to follow me out here. Don't you have an owner out there looking for something?" The confused pup tilts his head. "Assuming no. What do all you pets even have to offer? You make......tofu, or something?" Grub twists his body and nibbles his bottom. "Noted. But still, why me? Don't you know who I AM?" "Mmm?" "I'm Queen Chrysalis. You know, big scary devourer of love? Queen of Carnage? Hmm, I can do this." The changeling morphs her tongue into a spiky tentacle, roaring over the curious critter and stomping her spider-like legs. "Nothing?" Grub brushes up against her legs affectionately and rolls over on his back awaiting rubbies. Chrysalis slides away from the silly thing, sulking over to her bed. "I am not rubbing you." she shakes her head coldly. Peeking under her pillow, she pulls out a pony's fashion magazine filled to the brim with flashy, yet impractical, outfits and hairstyles. "Okay, mix and match time." she whispers to herself. Closing her eyes, Chrysalis flips through the pages, pausing on one featuring a pale lime green-coated unicorn mare. "One down..." she utters, viewing the page and blindly flipping further as her intimidating physique morphs into a smaller, gentler appearance. There, she stops and spots another pony model with a long, wavy tan-brown mane. "And there's that. Now, what criminally cutesy cutie mark should go with it?" After a good amount of time pondering, a proud grin forms on the changed changeling's face as an image of a lovely ladybug appears on her flank. "Ruff!" Grub yips, wagging his tail. "I have achieved perfection!" Vile, yet full of style, the sneaky queen makes her diabolical quest for sustenance through the overly glamorous areas of Canterlot's food district. While strolling past all the three-hoof rated restaurants, Grub pokes his sniffing nose out from the changeling's hoofbag. "Nope, remember the deal," Chrysalis whispers, squeezing him back into the bag. "I get you dog food, you stay in the purse!" "Hmmmmm..." Grub whines. "Quit your whining, I know my ways around this town. I'll just duck through those atrocious alleyways, in and out, nothing to it." Chrysalis stumbles upon a large grocery shop and wanders inside. Her breath is suddenly taken away from the sight of the store's massive, various assortment of fresh goods. "Have you ever seen anything more amazing in your life?" she says short of breath. "O-Other than yours truly, of course. "Mmmm." Grub sighs. "Okay, let's see," she mutters to herself, grabbing a cart and examining the aisles. "Oatmeal raisin, guilty pleasure. Spinich, does not make you instantly powerful, so pass. Jam, thank you. White chocolate Twix-y, nah. Apples......buck no." "Rrrrr..." "Oh, dog food. Of course." Chrysalis takes a detour through the stuffed animals aisle for the pet care section, the thumping of a wagging tail inside her purse said it all. She tops her mountain of savory snacks and treats with a bulky bag of dog food, to Grub's puppy pleasure. "We did good, Grub, haven't we?" Chryssy nods. "Ruff!" Grub chimes. Sneaking past the oblivious cashiers, the two thieves slink through the gardening section with their loot toward the other exit undetected. Outside, the changed changeling heads for the nearest alley when- "You there!" Chrysalis freezes as a tall stallion guard approaches from behind her, staring her down. "G-Good morning to you, sir." she gulps, beads of sweat sliding down her cheek. "May I assist you with anything?" "Who are you?" he asks with a suspicious frown. "I'm, uh...Chrys...tal? Wisp?" "Well then, 'Crystal Wisp', you do realize you have to pay for all that, right?" "I-I was going to, I just forgot my...my..." "Ruff! Grrrrrrr..." Grub barks angrily, popping his head back out her purse, baring his nubby teeth. "Awwww, look at you," the guard cooed, rubbing the pup's tender head as Grub furiously nibbles on his hoof. "Aren't you just the most precious thi-" Caught redhoofed, "Chrystal" panics and bashes the stallion down on the noggin with a bag of frozen hay bacon. Kneeling down, a sinister green aura swirls from her horn and around the pony's bruised head. "Forget..." she whispers, wiping the knocked out guard's memory. "Pffffft!" Grub sticks his tongue out. "Nopony saw nothing." "Ruff?" "Nopony saw nothing!" Grub hops into the mountain of food as Chrysalis quickly takes off down the nearest alleyway with the heavy grocery cart.