//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - An awkward meeting. // Story: Chrysalis' unexpected child // by coto616 //------------------------------// --------------------------------- Chapter 4 - An awkward meeting. --------------------------------- The queen was about to leave the forest when she remembered that she was still in her true form and with what happened just recently it wasn't the best idea to present herself in front of a guard like that. "Can you get off my back for a moment, I need to stretch a bit." Asked the queen to her companion who complied without a problem. Chrysalis stretched her body a bit and using a quick spell transformed into a white-colored earth mare with a navy blue mane and tail, and a Cutie Mark of two tree leaves made of crystal. "Okay, now get on." Chrysalis said as she helped Clear Spark onto her back with her hoof. "Hmmm... Ms. Chrysalis, your back is softer than I remember." Commented the foal as he settled on the queen's back and affirmed himself on her neck. "Surely you're imagining things, or didn't realize it before, but we'd better get into the city and find your mother." Chrysalis walked out of the forest and headed towards the city, she approached one of the guards standing at the gate. "Good day." Said the queen to which a guard returned her greeting. "My name is Crystal Ivy and yesterday I found this little one alone in the forest, who should I speak with to advise that he was found and call off your search?". The guards looked at each other and said something to each other in mumbles. "I'm sorry Miss Ivy, but we have no search warrants on a recently lost foal in the woods, but we are never told anything, if you wish you can go in and ask at the station, it's that big building at the bottom of the street." Replied one of the guards pointing to a large light blue building." "Thank you... I guess." Replied the queen somewhat confused by the guard's response. "That was strange." Said the queen to her companion. "Is something wrong?" Clear Spark asked. "It really strikes me that the guard didn't know anything about you, but it may be like he said and he was never given the order to look for you, we'd better find out at the station." Replied the queen to her little friend as she approached the station and opened the door with her hoof. They were both sitting on a couch in front of the reception desk, Chrysalis looked around while Clear Spark drank some juice from a glass he was given, seconds later a guard approached them with a smile. "I'm sorry Miss Ivy, but we have no record about a missing foal these days, but with Chrysalis' attack on the city our guards are working extra shifts and we haven't had time to do a lot of written records, I recommend you find this little one's mother yourself." Said the guard stroking the little unicorn's head. "I'm sorry I can't help you more, but I thank you for finding him, surely his mother at this moment is very distressed." "I understand, I thank you for your help anyway." Replied the queen getting off the couch. "Hop in little one, let's go find your mother." They both left the guard station and Chrysalis looked around, she knew the city very well, but she didn't know which sector her little friend lived in. "And do you know where your house is?." "Hmmm... no, my mommy always takes me everywhere." Answered the foal somewhat frustrated. "I understand, don't worry, but do you remember anything near your house, any particular building, or anything flashy?." "Sometimes my mommy takes me to the market and it's not too far from my house and it has a fountain in the middle with a statue of an old bearded unicorn, Starlord I think he is called." "A market that has a fountain with a statue of Star Swirl?". The queen asked. "Yes, that's the one." Replied the colt raising his voice a little. "I know the place, we'll be there in minutes, then we can ask one of the merchants if they know where your house is." Chrysalis walked through the streets heading north of the city, it was a very humble neighborhood for Canterlot's housing standard, but it was enough for a mother and her little foal, when they arrived at the market the queen noticed that most of the stalls were closed or were closing, so she approached a stallion who had already put away almost all his merchandise. "Excuse me, sir." Said the queen. "My name is Crystal Ivy and I'm looking for the house where this little guy lives, do you know where it is?". "Ohh... good evening." Replied the stallion. "Petal Dance's house?, of course, I know it, if you want to wait a few minutes and I'll take you there myself, I was going to visit her right now to help her... relax." Replied the stallion grimacing at the end. "I thank you for your help and I wish you wouldn't make those comments in front of the foal, I'll wait for you at the fountain." With that, the queen turned her back on the trader and walked over to the fountain to sit and wait. "Did you hear little one, you will be back with your mother very soon." Said the queen to her little friend." "Thank you Ms. Chrysalis, really thank you." Replied the unicorn as he hugged his caretaker tightly. A couple of minutes later the stallion signaled the queen and Clear Spark that he was ready and to follow him to Petal Dance's house to which Chrysalis put her little friend back on her back and followed the stallion. After walking a couple of streets where no one said a word, they stopped in front of a small white house with some wilted flowers at the entrance, the stallion approached the door and knocked on it a couple of times before stepping back, moments later someone opened the door. She was a slightly young mare for a mother, dark brown in color with a long golden mane and tail, her Cutie Mark was two roses forming a heart. "Strong Ocean, glad you came." Said the mare coming out to greet the stallion with a hug, not noticing the mare behind him, let alone the little one on her back. "I've been waiting for you, I have something special prepared for-." "Mommy!" Shouted the little unicorn jumping off the queen's back and running in the direction of his mother, bumping his head and hugging her. The mare looked at her son in surprise. "b-b-but how?" She asked with wide eyes. "Ohh mommy I missed you so much." Said the little unicorn through tears. "I was so scared." "Hmmm, it's ok sweetie, now go to your room." Seriously replied the mare as she stroked the unicorn's head. "I'll be right in and get you something to eat." Clear Spark nodded his head and happily went inside his house, the mare sighed approaching the queen. "I guess I have you to thank for finding my son." "Yes." Replied the queen with a smile. "My name is Crystal Ivy and I found yo-." "Well, thank you for bringing my son back." Said the mare interrupting the queen before turning her back on her and approaching the stallion. "I'm sorry Ocean, but I think we're going to have to meet another day, I wasn't expecting this." "Then I guess we'll see you another day." Replied the stallion disappointed. "Good that your son didn't leave, he's a good boy and would have been missed by all of us, have a good night." "Yeah, I guess you're right, see ya." Replied the somewhat annoyed mare entering the house and closing the door with her magic, the stallion approached the queen and stood at her side. "That mare is not a good mother." Commented the stallion. "What do you mean?" The queen asked intrigued. "I have known Petal Dance for years and what we saw is the most concern she has given to little Clear Spark, he is a good boy and very cheerful despite his problem, but I have already forgotten the times I or someone from the market has found the little colt wandering alone in the area looking for his home, in fact, that is how I met his mother." "Really?" Asked the queen raising an eyebrow. "Yes, she has several times come with her son to shop at the market and I will not deny that she is a very attractive mare, but one day a few years ago I found the little Spark lying under a tree, she said his mother did not go looking for him and as I knew where she lived I accompanied him to her house, I must say that she was not very happy to see her son, in fact, I do not remember ever seeing her happy next to the little colt, but that day when she saw me she invited me to her house for a drink as thanks, and naturally we ended up spending the night together." "And she's always been like that?" "It's no secret to anyone in this area that Petal Dance is an easily accessible mare if you know what I mean, and many have tried to have a more serious relationship with her, and even some stallions and mares that dated Petal Dance have taken care of little Spark much better than his own mother." The stallion chuckled. "Even I learned a little braille to help the little guy with his school work, seriously he's a good boy and needs help that his mother doesn't care to provide." "Hmmm." Said the queen. "Many times we told Petal that if she didn't want to take care of her son, she might as well send him to his father so he could take care of him, she told us he was an important stallion with a lot of money, power and influence, all that kind of stuff, but I don't believe her much, we managed to convince her to send him to his father and a few days ago she told us she arranged things to send him by train, frankly I think that little boy would be better-taken care of by anyone else than by his mother." "I didn't know anything about that." Said the queen. "Clear Spark told me that his mother loved him very much and was always looking after him." "I don't know if little Spark is very innocent or can't think badly of others." The stallion turned a little and looked the queen up and down a couple of times, something that upset Chrysalis a little. " Hey Miss Ivy, since my night is ruined what do you say we go for a drink, I know a good bar nearby and a very cheap motel, my treat." "No thanks, I prefer my dates to have a little more... class." Replied the queen to the repulsive idea. "As you wish, anyway I should get back to my place, surely my wife will be furious if she finds out I stop by Petal Dance's place, have a good night." With that, the stallion walked and whistled off through the streets until he disappeared around a corner. The queen also set off on her way to leave the city, she had already accomplished her goal, she had managed to reunite the little foal with his mother and now knew where they both lived, The situation was perfect, a negligent mother in charge of a blind foal, a couple of easy prey for her and a couple of changelings, now the queen just needed to return to one of the nearby hives and create a plan to return to Canterlot and capture the two unicorns. Chrysalis as she left the city gates turned her head to see Canterlot once again, while it is true that she could not complete her invasion on a large scale, she could well capture some ponies that few would miss before leaving that place, after advancing far enough into the forest the queen dropped her disguise to return to her original form and flew in the direction of the nearest hive.