//------------------------------// // A Day at the Cinema // Story: They're Not Bugs, They're Features // by RunicTreetops //------------------------------// “Take heed, Gena the Brilliant! Today, your empire falls!” “Dark Knight Canthus, how lovely of you to join me this evening. Unfortunately, that sunset shall be the last you ever see!” Canthus and Gena throw themselves at each other, their hooves making contact with obviously restrained force. Both grin ear to ear as their eyes sparkle with excitement. They hold the pose for several quiet seconds before a groan takes them out of the moment. “Settle down. You’re causing a scene.” Their ears pull back as their cheeks start to darken. They back away from each other before quickly turning to face their mother, their heads drooped down. “Sorry, Mom.” Chrysalis rolls her eyes before looking around. The three of them stand in a long line outside of Ponyville Cinema, which opened a few weeks ago. A number of ponies stand in front of and behind them, most of which are young adults. Those that are unfortunate enough to make eye contact with her quickly look away in fear, causing her to chuckle to herself. “And you’re sure this is what you want?” “Absolutely,” they respond in unison. “Seta wanted me to buy her a new dress, something that she’ll probably use for at least a few months. This is going to last all of, what, an hour?” “Probably two.” “Yeah, two is the norm.” They look up at her with big, excited eyes. She has to give them credit for their unwavering conviction if nothing else. “Very well. It’s your choice.” Last week, the School of Friendship report cards went out. As is tradition for their family, anyone who does well in school gets a reward. While Chrysalis wanted to use this system to promote excellence, Anon is extremely lenient with what “doing well” means. Passing grades, signs of improvement, or even just not getting in trouble are good enough for him. “Everyone has their own strengths,” he says. In her opinion, it completely ruins the point of a reward. But, she has no intention of arguing about it. Seta asked for a new dress to show off at school. Knowing her, she’s probably hoping to either outdo one of her classmates or attract the attention of whichever guy captured her heart this month. While Chrysalis isn’t looking forward to going shopping for that, she’ll at least have Anon’s help.  Meanwhile, Tarsus and Terga are not getting a reward. Tarsus is failing half of his classes and has been getting detention after detention for attempts at cheating. Terga’s grades are doing okay, but she got a temporary suspension for getting into a fight. While both Chrysalis and Anon suspect that there’s more to that story, she refuses to talk about it. In fact, she herself said to not give her a reward. Anon was concerned, but Chrysalis didn’t press any further. That just leaves Canthus and Gena, who were very adamant about coming to the cinema. Today, specifically. “What’s so special about this movie?” “It’s a spinoff of Legend of the Intergalactic Champions! It explains what happened to Captain Stargate when he was separated from the rest of the crew during their journey to Hoxxes IV!” Canthus is practically shaking with excitement as he enthusiastically explains the premise of the film. “And it wasn’t in the books!” Gena is just as excited as her older brother. “The advertisements kept saying that they’re including a super-secret new villain, too! Ahh, it’s gonna be so cool!” The siblings can hardly sit still as the line slowly creeps forward. Chrysalis looks on, completely unimpressed. “I still don’t see the appeal of these ‘films.’” “Don’t worry, Mom. You’ll totally get it once we’re inside!” “Why did I have to come with you, again?” “Because minors need to have a guardian with them.” Canthus clicks his tongue. “Apparently space swords are ‘too violent’ for children.” “And Dad has the flu,” Gena adds. “But they’re only showing the movie today, so it had to be you.” After remaining silent for a moment, Chrysalis sighs. “Let’s just get this over with.” Finally, the three of them are able to enter the building. It’s a small cinema, and with movies of this caliber still being a fairly new technology in Equestria, there’s only ever one movie playing at a time. Still, thanks to how new the building is, it’s very clean. Even the concession stand looks pristine, much to Chrysalis’s dismay as her two children practically drag her into the line for popcorn. The smell is almost overwhelming for her sensitive nose, but she does her best to not show her disdain. Eventually, they’re able to make it to their seats near the back of the room. They got their tickets later than most, so while said seats aren’t particularly desirable, they’ll do the job just fine. Chrysalis nearly trips over herself in the darkness, but she’s able to play it cool along the way. “Oh boy, the advertisements are starting!” “Advertisements?” “Yeah, they like to show off upcoming movies before starting the one we’re here to watch.” “What? That’s ridiculous. We already bought our tickets. Why should we be advertised to if they already have our money?” “Uhh… I dunno.” Chrysalis sighs once again as the advertisements roll. She’s completely uninterested in the showings. There’s some sort of detective movie, a shitty documentary about the Flim Flam brothers (made by Flim Flam Pictures, of course), and even a theatrical adaptation of the Power Ponies. The PCU, they’re calling it. Finally, the lights in the room dim. Canthus and Gena excitedly lean forward while munching on their popcorn. Chrysalis leans back and watches on with a bored expression. Resting her head on one hoof, she prepares herself for what is sure to be a complete waste of time. “So, it was you the whole time.” “Hah hah hah! That’s right, Stargate! There never was a Princess Skyla! From the very beginning, it was ME!” Canthus and Gena watch with bated breath, their eyes glued to the screen. There’s a flash of green light as Princess Skyla of Compuscant slowly begins to shapeshift, her beautiful, graceful form slowly becoming dark and disfigured. Her lovely blue eyes turn sickly green, and she begins to cackle as her true form is revealed. “Space Empress Chrysalis!” Canthus and Gena freeze, their eyes as wide as can be. They both feel their hooves run cold. Slowly, they turn to look at their mother. To their surprise, there isn't a hint of anger on her face. She isn’t wearing her iconic nonplussed expression, nor does she look bored. Instead, she, too, has her eyes glued to the screen, her back arched as she is subconsciously leaning forward. The two siblings share a glance, shrug, and turn back to the screen, now taken out of the experience a little as they watch an actor (who isn’t even a real changeling) impersonate their mother. Is that even legal? “You knew?” “Of course I did. And though it was brief, I shall never forget the time we spent together, Chryssi.” “Oh, Stargate!” Canthus and Gena cringe as the two characters on screen passionately lock lips. Once again, they slowly turn to look at their mother. Immediately, their jaws drop. Chrysalis is still leaning forward. She holds a hoof over her mouth, but she seems practically frozen in place. Thanks to the light of the movie, they can see the glimmer of tears running down her cheeks as her eyes remain locked onto the screen. Yet again, they share a confused glance. Meanwhile, the two characters in the movie share dramatic parting words as Stargate closes the airlock, flinging himself into the depths of space to save Space Empress Chrysalis’s life. The Empress watches tearfully as her lover disappears into the dark expanse, never to be seen again. The lights in the theater slowly turn back on as the dramatic music swells, indicating the movie’s end. The credits start to roll, and the audience cheers and applauds. After wiping the tears from her cheeks, Chrysalis claps right along with them. Canthus and Gena remain perfectly still. “So, was it everything you expected?” Now outside the cinema, Chrysalis has returned to her usual, stoic self.  “Well…” “Kinda?” “Hm. Perhaps you’ll pick something else the next time your report cards come in, then.” The two children slowly walk behind their mother. The sun is setting below the horizon, and Ponyville has gotten much quieter than when they entered the cinema. Once more, they share a glance before Canthus clears his throat. “S-so, Mom. What, uh, what did you think of the movie?” “Ugh. It was a complete waste of time, if you ask me.” “W-well, I guess it was… unexpected.” “And putting the twist that Stargate survived after the credits had already rolled was an awful decision. I sure hope someone got fired for that blunder.” “Um…” Gena’s voice is quiet and shaky. “Wh-what did you think of the villain?” “Terrible. If they wanted me in the movie, they could have just asked. She didn’t even get my cackle right.” Chrysalis turns back to her children, a sneer on her face. “Do you have any idea how important it is for a queen to have a satisfyingly intimidating cackle? Some actress that mare was.” “So… you didn’t like the movie?” “I’d sooner read a book. It takes a lot more than that to get a response out of me.” One last time, Canthus and Gena share a glance that says more than words ever could. “Well, thanks for taking us, Mom.” “Y-yeah. Thank you.” “Hmph. Thank your father for being sick.” “You did still agree to come. We really didn’t think you would. I-it was nice to spend the afternoon with you.” Gena says nothing, but she nods at Canthus’s words. “...Well.” Chrysalis clears her throat. “We should get home. With your father out of commission, I suppose I will have to make dinner.” Although she says nothing more, Canthus and Gena swear that their mother walks the rest of the way home with a bit more energy than usual. What an… interesting day at the cinema.