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Chapter 13 - A surprising life and a very surprising party.
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The queen had been living in her new home with Clear Spark for almost a full week, Rarity had offered to help her the following week to decorate and AppleJack brought her a box full of fruit, curiously they were all apples, she also gave her a couple of tools to start her home farm along with a few packets of seeds which curiously were also apples, The queen was grateful for the gesture but she couldn't wait years for her first crop, so she needed seeds of other plants, Pinkie Pie also did her part giving the queen a couple of pots and a recipe book, other ponies also offered their help to the new member of the village and her little companion.
Chrysalis was a little surprised with the kindness shown by everyone, everyone had their own life but they were always willing to give a hoof if someone needed it, a light green unicorn, somewhat clueless and a little obsessed with some mythological bipedal creatures offered to give music lessons to Clear Spark when she had free time and she had also heard from a zebra that she would be glad to share her fondness for herbs with the little colt.
A report brought in by a changeling showed that the hives were running smoothly and the numbers were all in the green, the love reserves were slowly going up and the money spent on new hive activities was slowly picking up as well, everything was running smoothly in the world around the queen.
But the queen had other problems to attend to where her subjects could not help, she needed to get special school supplies for Clear Spark, and for that, she had to talk to Cheerilee first to know exactly what to buy, today being the weekend the teacher was not teaching and the queen could get up later if she wanted, but little Spark wanted to attend the camp to get his Cutie Mark and the queen promised to take him.
So after getting up, preparing breakfast, and combing little Spark's mane and tail, the queen adjusted her bag to her body and they both went out into the world, Chrysalis didn't like to comb her hair too much, she had caught the taste of only using her hooves in the mornings, she liked the more wild or natural style as she said, they both went chatting about what little Spark wanted to try until they arrived at AppleJack's farm which was where they would meet today.
"Hi Clear Spark, glad you came." Greeted almost shouting Sweetie Belle, running up to the colt and the queen.
"Hi... ummm..." Concentrated the colt for a second. "Sweetie Belle." He ended up saying louder than he meant to.
"Took you a while to remember my name, didn't it." The little unicorn asked with a giggle. "We'd better hurry, we're going to start by taming a lion."
"A lion?" Asked the queen in surprise and a little frightened.
"We couldn't get a real lion, the law doesn't allow selling them to minors, but we made a mane out of newspaper scraps and put it on Winona, Apple Bloom's dog." Replied the unicorn pointing to a brown bitch disguised as a lion chasing a large number of foals laughing and running in all directions.
"Ohh... so I guess that's okay then." Chrysalis crouched down a bit allowing Clear Spark to get off her back. "I hope you have a good day."
"Bye Ms, Ivy." Said the colt hugging the disguised queen.
"Come on Clear Spark." Said Sweetie Belle putting her tail in front of the foal for him to bite so she could lead him to where the rest of the group was playing with Winona.
The queen watched her little one greet her new group of friends before starting her way in the direction of Cheerilee's house, the teacher lived in a small one-story house with many flowers in her entrance, all radiating many colors and life, Chrysalis approached, and knocked on the door, seconds later the teacher opened showing her characteristic smile.
"Hello Cheerilee, do you have some free time?". The queen asked.
"Hi Crystal, of course, do you need help with anything?." Replied the teacher.
"I want to buy the special school supplies for Clear Spark, but I need you to make me a list."
Unknown to the queen across the street was a pink pony making funny gestures at the teacher.
"Ummmm... You know, I have the day off today, if you want I can come with you and help you pick out the items, then we can grab a bite to eat at Sugarcube Corner."
"I'd love to, your experience would do me a lot of good and I'm in the mood for something a little sweet."
"Perfect, then give me a minute and I'll be ready."
The teacher left her door open for the queen to come in and settle on a sofa, Cheerilee took a plate with some leftover food on it and left it in the kitchen before she hung a small bag on her body and left the house with the queen.
The shopping went much better than the queen would have expected, the pony at the bookstore had offered her flashy and well-priced products, but the teacher's expertise came through showing her products of a much higher quality and almost at the same price, and the food at Sugarcube Corner was very good but it was served by Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen, the queen assumed that because of the time she was on her break or making some delivery.
As they left the cake shop they both could see almost all the foals in town pushing a large cart with some tarps, lots of ribbons of all colors, some boards, and balloons, Clear Spark was with them.
"Why do you allow them to do so many crazy things?."
"Working together for a common good fosters teamwork and a sense of belonging, they form stronger bonds, it also increases their confidence and trust in others, plus if you didn't notice many of them already got their Cutie Mark and just help others."
"It's a little more complex than I thought."
"Also think they are foals, they would do those same things even if you tell them not to." Cheerilee said with a laugh.
"That's true." replied the queen in kind.
After an afternoon chatting in Sugarcube Corner, the queen had to return home to wait for Clear Spark to return, and Cheerilee accompanied her all the way, the queen found far fewer ponies than she expected in town.
"Funny, I see almost no one, even the vegetable stands are closed."
"It's been a slow day for everyone today, surely that's what it is."
All the way Cheerilee kept chuckling without telling the queen why she was doing it until she reached the house.
"Thank you for joining me today, but I have to get dinner ready for when Clear Spark returns and gets his things for school, see you Monday Cheerilee." Said the queen as she opened the door to the house with her hoof.
"See ya." Cheerilee replied without moving an inch intriguing the queen.
"SURPRISE!" Shouted in unison a huge group of ponies from inside the house, turning on the lights, and the music and releasing lots of balloons.
Chrysalis was really surprised, showing it by jumping backward and dropping her costume without thinking, she was very lucky that the balloons gave Cheerilee enough time to push the queen to the side, getting her out of the line of sight of the ponies before the balloons disappeared into the sky.
"Why are there so many ponies inside my house." Whispered the queen loudly.
"Because it's Pinkie Pie's welcome home party." Cheerilee whispered back in the same way.
"And why didn't anyone tell me about the party."
"Because it's a surprise party and surprise parties are supposed to be... surprising."
"And what am I supposed to do."
"First change back to the white unicorn, get into that party and enjoy it for your sake and Clear Spark's."
The queen looked at her body and realized she was dark in color, with some holes in her legs, insect wings, and a crooked horn.
"Ohhh... ummm... Thank you."
Said the queen before transforming back into the unicorn known as Crystal Ivy, just as a pink head peeked through the door to see what was going on outside.
"Girls are you coming to the party?, it's supposed to be a welcoming party and we can't start it if the two most important guests aren't here."
Chrysalis took a deep breath and looked at Cheerilee, they both nodded their heads and entered the party.
Everyone was enjoying the party, dancing, food, laughter, and smiling ponies everywhere, Clear Spark was laughing nonstop while playing with his friends to levitate some plastic cups and form towers with them.
The queen was very nervous, she and Clear Spark were the centers of attention at the party, but the little colt had no secret to hiding behind a disguise, she had to avoid being startled every time they spoke to her by surprise, she couldn't get nervous when talking to the brand new princess of friendship and the rest of the incarnations of the elements, she could get a little nervous when dancing with a dark gray pegasus causing Rainbow Dash to get very jealous, but she definitely couldn't get nervous with who was slowly approaching from behind her back.
"You must be the new unicorn that my student has written me about but I hadn't been able to meet yet."
Chrysalis turned to find herself face to face with a white figure of great stature, a four-colored mane waving in a nonexistent wind, a pair of wings, a horn, a golden crown, a Cutie Mark of a sun, and a smile.
"Prin-princess Celestia?" Shouted Chrysalis very surprised taking a few steps back and bumping the table.
"Relax, tonight I'm Celestia, Crystal Ivy." Said the princess with a smile.
"What-what are you doing here and how do you know my name?".
"I came to visit my dear student, and I couldn't miss one of Pinkie Pie's famous parties, I've been told a lot about you tonight, it's a pleasure to know that there are mares in my kingdom with that willingness to help a little one in their most difficult moments."
"Emmm...thank you...?"
"Please don't be nervous, I'm just a mare who cares about her subjects, but I'm intrigued to know why you decided to live in a small town like Ponyville and not in some bigger city, surely it would be much easier for you to take care of Clear Spark in such a place, with more resources and access to public buildings." Celestia asked slowly approaching Crystal Ivy, her great height imposing her presence more and more.
"Emmm... I... it's just..."
The queen was too nervous, stopping thinking and getting to the point of running out of that place, she looked around looking for escape routes, but she had none nearby, the door and windows were closed, and the whole place was full of ponies so she had nowhere to run, she felt her heart rate, temperature and adrenaline rising, her disguise wouldn't last any longer, she didn't know what to say or what to think, she had to act, she had to attack Celestia and take her down fast before taking Clear Spark and tearing through the chimney or some hole in the ground towards the forest.
"I've known Crystal Ivy for some time and when she told me about Clear Spark and her mother's problems, I told her it would be better if they came to live somewhere more... quiet and not so noisy." Cheerilee replied coming over and standing next to the queen. "You can imagine, princess, that a pony like Clear Spark depends entirely on his hearing and memory to find his way around, a noisy and busy city is not the best place for him, and besides, my friend Ivy here is a bit... shy, if you haven't noticed."
Cheerilee chuckled, flashing a smile, and putting one of her hooves on Chrysalis's back.
"Don't worry, I've got your back." Cheerilee said whispering in the queen's ear.
"Why are you doing all this." Whispered the queen back.
"Because everyone needs a friend now and then." Winked the teacher.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it."
"And have you two known each other long?" Celestia asked with a smile sitting down on the floor across from Cheerilee and Chrysalis.
"I've known her for years." Cheerilee sat down as well and gently pushed the queen on her back to sit down as well. "I remember when I was in my senior year to receive my teaching degree, I invited Crystal, to a party at the university, so she could let loose a little and meet some handsome stallion, she was by the drinks and a pegasus came up behind her tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention and talk to her." Cheerilee saw the queen and laughed for a second. "My friend Crystal, from the fright, jumped up and dropped her punch, slipped and fell to the ground hitting her head, knocking herself unconscious and bleeding a lot."
"Oh for Faust's sake, and nothing happened to her?" Celestia asked in surprise.
"Nothing happened, when we arrived with her at the hospital the doctor told us that the blood stain was just punch, we all laughed and almost all the ponies left but the pegasus and I stayed all night accompanying her in the recovery room, and the next day..."
Without asking anyone the queen was saved by Cheerilee, who slowly took control of the conversation with her made-up story and pulled Chrysalis out of Celestia's spotlight, in another situation the queen would have acted differently and would have attacked Celestia because of the nervousness she felt at that moment, Her new friend had saved her when she needed it the most simply because she wanted to help her, the queen stayed a long time looking around, she realized that everyone was enjoying the party, Clear Spark looked happier than ever and all the ponies were in that place to tell her in one way or another `Welcome to Ponyville`.
Truly Pinkie Pie's welcome party was an event she could not miss.