Late Sunday afternoon, Rainbow had sent the Awesome Crusaders home. She would stay, as was customary by this point. She would have her flexchange with Twilight and night reading. Before all that though, she went with Chrysalis to her new room at the castle. She wanted to give it a quick inspection. After all, Chrysalis was her charge.
The room had a bed, a dresser, a full length mirror, and an end table.
"Everything looks to be in order," Rainbow announced. "Tomorrow, we are going to conduct a little exercise I'll tell you more about it then."
"Exercise?" Chrysalis asked with intrigue.
"Yes. I want to properly prepare myself since it will be a new thing for me too," Rainbow told her.
Twilight Sparkle stood with a ready smile at the sight of Rainbow Dash arriving to her room. "So...how did it go?"
"The room's good. She had no complaints, and neither do I," Rainbow informed. "I'll be over tomorrow night. I'm going to try out something new with her."
"Oh, what is it?" Twilight asked with interest.
Rainbow's eyes lit up and she leaned in close to explain as quietly as she could.
Twilight gasped. "Rainbow, you've never even done anything like that...I'm not sure even Princess Luna has."
"Well, I'm a master mev and not a princess so yeah. I think it'll be good for her. Call it a hunch. If the magic thinks I'm wrong, it will stop me."
"I suppose so," Twilight admitted. She became more composed with a warm smile. "I hope you're right and know you probably are."
"Now come on, let's get to the fun stuff," Rainbow said with a fanged grin.
"Yes!" Twilight said with equal eagerness.
The pegasus took her temporary alicorn form, then bit in to Twilight's neck.
Twilight grew her own fangs and soon bit back.
The two held each other in an embrace for a moment. When they pulled away, Twilight told Rainbow Dash, "Night reading. I'm sure I can find something to help with your idea."
"That would be great, Rexa. Thanks," Rainbow replied.
Sunday ended. Daytime Monday ran its course for Rainbow Dash with weather work and teaching at the school. Because of her plans with Chrysalis for the night, Rainbow and Sweetie Belle worked on their Tuesday team meeting agenda in the afternoon instead of evening. Sweetie went with Rainbow to Twilight's castle and would wait in the library.
The sun set. Rainbow arrived at Chrysalis' new room.
The tall changeling allowed her in.
"Here's what we're going to do," Rainbow began. "Thanks to Starlight, I have an idea of what both the ruling princesses of Equestria actually do to rule Equestria. While we have determined that I will not help you rule Equestria, we have been following a similar path to it, to teach you. We are going to combine that information with dream magic. You will experience what ruling Equestria would be like for you as an alicorn princess.
"I will be watching and not intervening unless you speak my title because it turns out to be a nightmare—if that happens. Then the dream will cease. Time will blur regardless. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master," Chrysalis confirmed with a respectful nod of her head. Rainbow had already instructed her to prepare as if she were going to sleep for the night.
"Close your eyes," Rainbow commanded.
Chrysalis did as she was told until she felt like she was waking up even though that meant the dream started. She found herself in a spacious white room. She was in a bedroom and staring up at the awning of the bed she laid in. The sheets and awning were golden. She stared at her own body and saw her coat was a light green color to match the unicorn disguise she usually wore. She stepped out of the bed to find a mirror and examine herself.
Her mane did not flow like Celestia's but otherwise looked similar in shape and thickness with the orange hue that again matched her unicorn disguise. She wore the same crown on her head as Celestia and the same jeweled necklace
She wasn't sure about the pony form, but the room and accessories were certainly appreciated.
The dreaming changeling noticed the sun had not yet risen and a to-do list appeared in front of her. It reminded her that it was the ruling alicorn princess' responsibility to raise the sun. She focused her pretend alicorn magic, and the sun rose granting day to her unseen subjects.
The dream shifted her into a carriage being pulled by four armored white pegasi. The magical list reminded her to smile and wave. Chrysalis did and saw ponies stop to look at her with respect or admiration. As an alicorn, she could not feed on their love the way she could as a changeling.
It was time to cut the ribbon for a store opening, which was simple enough with the still plastered on smile.
At a rose garden contest where the ruling princess was deemed a judge, Chrysalis stared at the flowers clueless. She sniffed. A pony attendant indicated she need to examine more. Everyone looked at her expectantly to name the winner. This was definitely something she did not know or understand, so she simply picked the last one. The task was a far cry from a nightmare, but it was mildly annoying. It gave her some insight to ponies' expectations of a leader.
Her face ached from all the continuous smiling, and she noticed that other ponies noticed if her expression faltered.
The dream shifted her to a meeting with delegates concerned about timberwolves. Again, clueless, Chrysalis could only stare blankly at them before asking why timberwolves were a problem.
They looked at each other, startled, and at her, explaining that timberwolves attacked ponies and were dangerous. Could Princess Chrysalis tell them if there really were timberwolves in the Whitetail Woods? Chrysalis looked helplessly around for a nonexistent aide besides the magical to-do list that only said for her to dispel the rumors.
Taking a deep breath, the dreaming changeling asked what events led the delegates to believe the rumors. The delegates told her a few tales about their own citizens. The rumors sounded rather baseless to Chrysalis, but this was a dream. She confidently told the delegates that she would have the matter looked into by an established force and send a guard with them. That left them apprehensive, but they agreed to it.
Town hall. Three hours of other ponies squabbling about inner Canterlot politics. Terribly droll.
Day over. Sun down. Time to raise the moon. Time to sleep. Day begins. Moon down, sun up. More smiles, more waves, more public appearances. Back to the castle. Time to sit on the throne and wait. A letter from Twilight Sparkle that the school was still a success and would Chrysalis like to have dinner on Saturday? She set it aside. Right, of course. The other princesses could request her appearance.
Time to watch the play for Hearth's Warming about how Equestria was founded. Spring was almost here, time to use magic to wrap up winter. Moon down, sun up. Moon down, sun up. On repeat. On and on it went. The days and the ponies blurred together. More smiles, more waves.
Time to raise the sun, but it was not just any day of raising the sun. No, this was the Summer Sun. Ponies stayed up all night. This one was special. She must perform the magic with utmost grace and poise.
Twilight and her friends were here to help. The Rainbow Dash here was not the master watching, just the envisioned dream.
Summer sun up. The ponies were happy. Chrysalis felt happy too. She was proud of herself and to see their adoring gazes upon her.
More blurs.
Time to meet Queen Novo. King Thorax. Prince Rutherford. Dragon Lord Ember.
More days passed. More smiles and pleasantries and waves and concerns and arguments and suns and moons and guards and...friends?
Seven ponies in particular would appear again and again, not always, but enough to become familiar. They could be friends if Chrysalis ever let them.
Discord would appear to tease her and make trouble, which was exasperating.
Finally, a sun set, and Chrysalis awoke from the dream to see Rainbow Dash sitting at attention on a chair near the bed.
"I believe you have experienced enough," Rainbow told her.
Chrysalis blinked, then nodded without a word.
The master mev waited patiently for her client to say anything.
"It was pleasant at times but a little dull too, to be honest," Chrysalis finally said. "Everyone's always watching you, and you can't just leave whenever you want. It's almost like an extremely well furnished prison on a pedestal. That was something new when I lost my hive. I didn't need to be with them or looking for food for them. I was on my own, so I could go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I would have to give up that freedom, wouldn't I?"
Rainbow nodded. "Yes."
Chrysalis was contemplative at this realization. "Is it a dream I can have again?" she asked.
"No, not from me anyway," Rainbow decided. "This was to give you an inkling, a starting point. You'll find a path from here and with what my team will do for you in the days to come."
"Very well," Chrysalis replied. Indeed, she did not want an exact replica of the dream to become her life.
"I do have a request to you myself," Rainbow quietly noted.
Chrysalis glanced her way, curious.
"May I eat your magic tonight?" Rainbow asked gently.
Chrysalis smiled. "I have something the Master Mev desires? Even with what you ate from Thorax yesterday?"
Rainbow blushed and smiled, then shrugged. "Yeah."
Chrysalis grimaced. "I'm not sure it's wise to do that. I think will be disguising myself as a unicorn until I've had more time living in Ponyville and feel more comfortable here. I want to keep my changeling magic for now."
"Understandable," Rainbow agreed with a nod. "It was worth a shot," she added with a smile of her own.
"Rainbow Dash," Chrysalis said suddenly.
"Yes?" Rainbow wondered, intrigued by her client's quickness. There was an underlying sense of urgency in the words.
"I...you...I'll be your friend if you still want to do that," Chrysalis told her.
"I'd like that very much Chrysalis," Rainbow said with a friendly smile. After a a slight pause, she asked, "Can I call you 'Chryssy'?"
Chrysalis blushed and nodded. "Yes. Yes, Master, you may." She added more sternly. "But only you."
"Oh, master privilege. I like," Rainbow declared proudly.
"Might I request a privilege as well?" Chrysalis asked.
"Let's hear it."
"Can I see your dragon form again?" Chrysalis asked, her voice full of hope.
Rainbow transformed instantly and smiled at her. "You like this look on me, huh?"
Chrysalis nodded. "I don't know why." Her gaze fell on the clawed hands.
Rainbow Dash noticed. "Yeah, hands are definitely new. These things are so fun." She wiggled all her fingers for them both to see, then examined the sharp points of her claws. She really liked having claws. They made her feel more threatening as a vampire. "You change into things with hands often?"
Chrysalis shook her head. "I haven't had the need."
"Yeah, but you can shape-shift for fun," Rainbow reminded her.
Chrysalis snickered. "I suppose." She reached out and touched the hand with her hoof. Chills ran through her.
Rainbow noticed how much Chrysalis seemed to like it, so she moved the hand closer to gently linger on Chrysalis' cheek. "Do you like this?"
Chrysalis closed her eyes and smiled. "Yes." She suddenly felt love from Rainbow to her. She opened her eyes, and there was no wispy heart this time. "How…?"
Rainbow smiled warmly. "How what?" She was loving Chrysalis loving this interaction.
"Nothing," Chrysalis said, deciding to keep it to herself. Rainbow was immune to being badly affected by her eating such love.
"Your wings…" Rainbow informed her.
Chrysalis glanced back to see that they were shiny and light blue. No holes poked through them. "I'm changing like the others," she gasped. "Already?" she whispered with a confused look on her face.
"We did just become friends," Rainbow reminded her. "You're not upset, I hope."
Chrysalis glanced at them. They did look and feel better than her old ones. "No," she decided. "They're...acceptable."
Rainbow laughed. "Right. 'Acceptable'. Well, Chryssy, I'll be on my way. If I don't see you during the day tomorrow, I'll see you at the start of the pack meeting. You have yourself a good night."
"Thank you Master. Good night," Chrysalis replied.