//------------------------------// // Unexcepted visitor // Story: All I really need's a smile, smile, smile! // by Lightening_Zing //------------------------------// Working out convincing story how Charming Stories met Fluttershy went great, especially when Fluttershy convinced Chrysalis that overcomplicated story will be more likely to be exposed as a lie. When Chrysalis tried to create alibi what could cover all possibilities, and it turned out to be almost impossible, Fluttershy proposed the simplest possible explanation: Charming Stories accidentally reached her cottage yesterday and Fluttershy agreed to take her in for a while. Then they talked a bit with each other, and that's how Charming Stories know a bit of her, and Ponyville. Fluttershy version had only one flaw: why such a shy and fearful pony did this? When Chrysalis voiced it aloud, and maybe a bit rudely, Fluttershy looked down at the ground, probably hurt by harsh words of Changeling Queen, and answered her concerns with a bit of malice in her voice: "And do you have better idea, Queen?" Chrysalis felt touched by Fluttershy answer, but not in "What did you say, you puny pony?!" way, more in "I did something wrong" way. And when she realized she felt a bit sorry for her words toward Fluttershy, she was a bit scared. She felt sorry towards pony. It was wrong. Ponies should only be providers of Love, nothing more. ...but doesn't gardener love plants which give them fruits? Doesn't good shepard care for his flock? ...doesn't Pinkie care for ponies of the Ponyville? Chrysalis sighed. She felt conflicted. Few days ago, it was so simple. She hated ponies, and wanted them under her hoof, robbed from their Love, and land. Now, she felt sorry for one of the weakest and most pathetic ponies in the world... ...and this pathetic and weak pony was so brave and devoted to her job so she willingly went through Everfree Forest in the night, then went down into old, narrow dungeons full of Changelings, the same which attacked Canterlot two weeks ago... Because she believed that everyone hurting deserves help, and everyone have some good inside... She wasn't weak idiotic pony, she was more a saint. 'Do I have some good left inside me?' wondered Chrysalis, looking at Fluttershy. She felt her gaze softened, and her heart fluttered a bit. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but it need to be done anyway. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry." Chrysalis felt weird. For first time she said she was sorry to pony... and she really meant it. Fluttershy raised up her head and looked toward Chrysalis. Her eyes were hypnotizing, there was something inside what told 'Go on... if you okay with this...'. And it was enough to break from Chrysalis more words. "I'm sorry for harsh words I used, and I'm thankful for help. What you proposed is better than any of mine concepts." Fluttershy kept her encouraging look. Chrysalis started to feel uncomfortable. What she could say more? She opened her mouth... And then Fluttershy smiled with closing her eyes. "It's okay, Chrysalis. You are not bad person, you just forgets how to be nice. You are scared, too. I understand." "I... thank you." They stared awkwardly for a few seconds at each other. Chrysalis wondered what she should do now. Should she left? And do what? She really didn't want go back to cramped camp... She was happy to see sun again, and feel more optimistic about future outside. When she was in camp, and saw her hungry, mangled, wounded subjects, it was hard too keep her hopes high. And she really wasn't feeling that going back to Ponyville was good idea. She could meet that mint unicorn who recognized her... or something. No, Chrysalis was scared a bit about exposition. But then Fluttershy came with solution. "Would you stay for the tea and cookies?" It was ridiculous idea, tea for changeling was just flavoured water. Cookies were just like sandstone, or mud, or something, but with flavour. No nourishment, only flavour. "What? It is foolish, I can't feed on this..." She began, but then realization hit her. She made same mistake again in few minutes. She looked sheepishly toward Fluttershy. "I'll gladly drink tea with you, even if it isn't feeding me..." Fluttershy again slightly smiled toward Chrysalis. "You are making progress." Chrysalis was wondering why it felt so good to be praised for such nothingness. She was suspecting the answer, but it was too scary for her. But she couldn't ignore proofs. She was trying not to hurt her, she was caring what she was thinking about her... It wasn't like she liked her, right? Proud Changeling Queen don't need pony friends, right? But Chrysalis knew that she already lost it, that it was only matter of time when she start wanting to have good relations with her, or maybe other ponies... Because she made one exception. And this mare was unique. She weren't prejudiced toward her kind, even after Canterlot Invasion. Yes, she was afraid. But she was afraid of most ponies, and most ponies were kind toward her, or good looking... when her changelings attacked her yesterday and looked like army of skeletons, or other zombies, with wretched holes in their bodies. If this pegasi drew hoof toward her and her kind... Shouldn't Chrysalis do the same? Chrysalis turned toward main room of Fluttershy cottage, and laid her eyes on the table. There was already pot full of tea, and two cups. Chrysalis could smell aroma of black tea, and freshly baked cookies. She turned her look toward kitchen and she saw that Fluttershy was trotting with plate of cookies in her mouth. She flapped with her wing, like she was asking Chrysalis to take a seat. All this together was giving such homely atmosphere which would melt heart of most ponies. Chrysalis was about to oblige toward Fluttershy gesture, when she sensed in her horn that huge amounts were building up somewhere near, somewhere in the house. She turned toward Fluttershy, and wanted to warn her. Too late, with big pink blast of magic, on top of the table a unicorn appeared. Chrysalis eyes locked themselves on one of cups, and she saw wonderful spectacle how white, simple cup transformed into white mist and porcelain shards. When every piece stopped moving, then Chrysalis broke her gaze from broken cup, and scanned room. She saw broken plate and scattered cookies on the floor. She saw tea, slowly flowing from remains of pot, and dripping onto wooden floor. She saw toppled chair, where Fluttershy was supposed to sit. She saw Fluttershy, crouching low on her legs, hiding her eyes with her wings, shaking with fear, her back against wooden wall of her home. And then Chrysalis saw who caused all this mess. She was purple. She was unicorn. She had dishevelled dark purple short mane with pink streak. Her eyes were similar in colour to her fur, and they were full of panicked madness. Her horn was glowing with magic, when she tried to force Fluttershy wings from her face. She was yelling something, pledge of help or painful confession, Chrysalis couldn't catch on. Inside Chrysalis mind everything went quiet. Everything become simple and focused. It was this unicorn. This one who failed her plans to conquer Equestria. It was mare who caused her army to hide and hope for salvation, or slowly die from starvation and wounds. It was her who called her evil, even when she couldn't give convincing proof. She was everything what went wrong. She was unaware tormentor of Chrysalis subjects. And now she was unaware that there is Changeling Queen with desire for revenge in room... Chrysalis felt like everything was calming down, when her brain started to analyse how to kill Twilight Sparkle. Blast of magic? Buck in side? In neck? Maybe simple horn pierce through head or neck? Strangling? One was sure - Twilight Sparkle will pay for her... ...her what? She didn't do anything wrong. She protected her country... ...which was what Changelings army did everyday against Gryphons... ...who wanted territory of Swarm for own gain... ...what Chrysalis wanted for her kind... ...what she wanted to achieve with Invasion... ...which was method Gryphons used to deal with Changelings... ...she did similar thing to Equestria, like Gryphons did to Swarm... ...but she did it only because her kind was threatened by extinction... ...and it wasn't changing a bit that what Twilight Sparkle did was admissible thing, from Equestria point of view. Chrysalis lost her certainty. She wasn't sure before that her Invasion had chance of success, but now she wasn't even sure that it was right thing to do. She should try to establish relations with Equestria. She should try to make alliance beetwen Equestria and Swarm. She should make a contact with other countries than Griffin Kingdoms, and Zebra Empire, or Zebra Tribes. She should keep defending borders of her country, and her infiltrators in Griffin Kingdoms and Zebra Empire should spread propaganda, or more so, truth about her kind. But what if it all fail? Would it made her right to invade other country? She knew answer. It was yes. Because it was matter of survival. But she would be only morally allowed to do so after trying other ways to save her species. And then, when she heard panicked squeal of Fluttershy, Chrysalis realized that this mad purple unicorn was still scaring her... ally. She knew now that she wasn't allowed to kill her. Twilight Sparkle was still friend of Fluttershy and Metamorphosis. And killing Celestia's personal student would probably made negotiations harder or rather impossible. But Chrysalis would be damned if she wasn't going to enjoy this. She trotted to side of Twilight Sparkle with evil smile, still disguised as Charming Stories. Purple mare realized someone was standing by her, and her eyes widened with shock, when she turned her head to face unfamiliar unicorn. Chrysalis wasn't wasting time, and when she saw that Twilight horn was glowing up with magic, she did most instinctive thing to her. She attacked Twilight with her head, and when spell of distracted unicorn went fizzle, then she turned herself frontally against her, stand on her back legs, and aimed one powerful front hoof kick straight in her face. Twilight head hit wooden floor first. There was moment when her body stand firmly on the hooves, when her head was lying on the floor, but then her body collapsed on her side. Not so far from her head were fragments of cup that her teleportation threw away from table. Chrysalis observed her for a while. She was breathing, so she was alive. It was all she cared for. Oh, how hot was her desire to be allowed to kill this defenceless unicorn... ...but Chrysalis was sure now, she shouldn't think that way. But when she saw small droplet of blood in unicorn's nose, she gave small smile of joy. It was low and bad, but she enjoyed this. She turned to Fluttershy. She was still trembling and hiding her face away from horrors what happened in her room. "D-d-did you k-ki... killed her?" she asked. Chrysalis turned her head toward Twilight again. "No, I knocked out her. She looks okay." Fluttershy slowly took away wings from her eyes, and when she saw that what Chrysalis said was true she raised herself up. She was visibly shaken be events of few last minutes, but with power of will she trotted to Twilight, and started to checking her head for damages. Chrysalis noticed how Fluttershy stare was similar to this of young changeling soldiers after battle. It was called "Thousands yards stare". "What was that about?" Chrysalis asked Fluttershy after few long seconds. Fluttershy murmured something. Chrysalis wasn't sure what she said. "Fluttershy? What she yelled?" "She..." yellow mare was breaking down again, clearly sobbing "...she said she murdered someone." And then fear stricken Chrysalis heart. Metamorphosis. She was going to get information from Twilight. Did Twilight... Chrysalis couldn't believe it. She didn't want to. She tried to establish mindlink with her sister, time after time, but it was like there was no Metamorphosis. Just emptiness on other side. Like she was... ...dead. Legs under Chrysalis failed, and she was there, lying without care for world. She heard her heart slowly and deeply pounding. She was feeling like her brain was on fire, and her stomach turned into rock. She wanted to destroy something. She wanted to kill somepony. She wanted so many things, but now she felt like she was sinking. She was sinking in sorrow. Her sister, with who she finally regained contact... dead. She was no more. It was such alien concept. It was such impossible concept. Her sister, no more. It was true that Chrysalis lived without thought about her for years, but now, after reunion... She regained her sister for only few days. Her sister who turned out to be wiser, more successful than her, happier... She gave Chrysalis hope and optimism for days to come and... She was dead now. And why?! Because her stupid sister, inept leader, had to meddle in her life with her problems. And then she felt someone poking her in her side. She tried to ignore. But then she heard quiet, soft voice of Fluttershy. "Chrysalis...? Pinkie..." "She's dead." "You can't be sure..." "Her mindlink is dead." Fluttershy was silent for a while, thinking how she could counter it. She was hoping that Pinkie is okay. "She may be wounded and unconscious." And this simple statement was enough to lift hope of Chrysalis again. Fluttershy could be right. Maybe she was so deeply unconscious, that Changeling Queen couldn't sense her. She stand up. "Then we need to hurry!" "U-um... what about Twilight..?" "I don't care!" Well, if she really killed her sister, then Chrysalis would care about Twilight. She would bother about her swift execution. But this statement caused Fluttershy to back off with scared face. Chrysalis looked toward her. She wanted to shout, yell, she wanted to force that stupid pegasi to run with her. But she knew that would be effortless. "She's safe, she's alive. This is what I'm not sure about my sister. So please, could you forget about Twilight, who can possibly be murder of my sister?" Chrysalis explained with not so hidden annoyance in her voice. Fluttershy was torn. She looked toward Chrysalis and Twilight alternately. She should take care about Twilight, she may have some hidden damage. She should run to library and check out if Pinkie is alive. She should do both of this at the same time. Her fear muddied what was more important. She just couldn't decide. "OH, SO BE THAT WAY!" Chrysalis yelled, her anger mixed with disappointment, and shortly after she run out from cottage. It snapped Fluttershy from her dilemma, she realized what she should do. But Chrysalis was already running away and couldn't hear Fluttershy shouting to her to wait.