The train ride from Canterlot to Ponyville proved largely uneventful, if lengthy. Chrysalis retained her Cadance form and refrained from speaking for the most part so as to avoid startling other ponies. Chrysalis had made the mistake of addressing the pony operating the snack cart, who merely looked at Cadance as if she had two heads, and promptly received the explanation that the Princess was merely sick. The snackmare gave her another funny look before passing the three ponies their orders and hurrying off.
“Chrysalis… you need to more careful. Your real voice is so beautiful, especially when you laugh… but… after the whole invasion at the wedding…” Shining Armor said, “We need to be careful, and very, very particular about who we tell – meaning nopony but this Zecora we’re going to meet, and maybe my parents.”
“You… you think my voice is pretty?”
This time it was Twilight Sparkle who replied. “Oh, yes! Your voice is wonderful, Chrysalis. It sounds so… organic! Oh, that’s not the right word… I can’t put my hoof on it, but your voice is really pretty.”
“Thank you, Twilight… that… that really means a lot to me. Thank you so much,” Chrysalis said, tears beginning to well in her eyes.
Shining Armor put a hoof around her shoulder. “Come on, love, don’t get choked up. Twiley and I love you for who you are, not for being Cadance. How many times am I going to have to tell you that? Look, we’re almost at the station. We can go talk to the zebra and get you that potion. Then, everything can just go on as it is, and we can tell the public when they’re ready.” The train began to decelerate, before coming to a screechy stop at the Ponyville station. Twilight stepped out of the compartment first, just in time to hear the conductor yell to whoever may have been listening:
“Fillies and Gentlecolts! The honorable Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her husband Shining Armor!” Oh, ponyfeathers, Twilight cursed to herself.
“Shining? We have a slight problem. The conductor just announced your arrival in Ponyville – as well as Cadance’s. The whole town will be out here to see you! You can’t say a word, Chrysalis!” Twilight’s voice was stern, but there was a hint of fear behind it. “Shining accepts you, I accept you, the Princesses accept you – but the general public almost certainly won’t. Please, for everypony’s sake, stay silent, Chr- Cadance,” Twilight corrected herself as some other passengers moved past her in the narrow aisle. “Especially considering a quite a few of the wedding guests live here in Ponyville – namely my five closest friends, the Elements of Harmony. Oh, Celestia help us if Pinkie finds out you’re actually-”
“She’s actually what?” Twilight whirled around in terror, to find a horrifyingly familiar pink earth pony standing behind her.
“PINKIE? How did you-”
“The wall, silly,” Pinkie said, gesturing to a perfectly Pinkie-shaped hole in the wall, fluffy mane and tail included.
Twilight opened her mouth to ask another question, and closed it again before she drover herself to madness. “You know what? Forget it. Shining, Cadance, if you would step back into the compartment for a moment.”
The other two ponies obeyed, and Twilight stepped in after then, magically closing the door. Pinkie remained outside, seated on her haunches, patiently awaiting their exit. Much to her disappointment, the three ponies were encircled in a light purple aura and disappeared.
---
Twilight, Shining Armor, and Chrysalis reappeared inside the library a moment later.
“Twiley… did you plan on us coming back?”
“What, why?”
Shining Armor raised a hoof and pointed it at the banner that hung from two of the upper shelves.
Welcome to Ponyville, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance! It proudly declared. Pinkie sat in a corner, inflating balloons and tossing hooffuls of confetti into the air.
“Twilight, how did she do that?” Chrysalis asked, shock that an earth pony had not only managed to arrive at the library faster than a teleporting unicorn and had half set up a party overriding her mental inhibitions against speaking. A hoof shot to her mouth, and the last thing Chrysalis saw before pink filled her vision was Twilight casting her a pained glare.
“Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked, utterly violating ‘Cadance’s’ personal space. “I don’t think this is Princess Cadance. She sounds funny. She… smells funny.”
“I do not smell funny!” Indignant fury rose in Chrysalis voice, before once again realizing her mistake. Fear crept into her eyes and the apparent pink Alicorn shrunk back, Shining Armor rushing forward and putting himself bodily between his wife and Pinkie Pie.
“Twilight… I think… I think it’s the changeling queen!” Pinkie hissed, her attempt to make a whisper carry across the room resulting in everypony – and the now present dragon – hearing it.
Shining Armor shot his sister a concerned look, wordlessly asking if it was worth trying to conceal it anymore.
“Shining… it’s useless. I’m honestly surprised Pinkie didn’t know immediately. Chrysalis, you can tell her. Pinkie… don’t freak out. I really, really need you not to freak out.”
Chrysalis sighed and let her disguise evaporate. Pinkie gasped and tried to escape from the library through a window. Twilight and Shining Armor both grabbed her tail, their combined magical might proving too much for Pinkie to escape from. They dragged the pink earth mare, kicking and screaming, across the floor, back to the feet of Chrysalis.
“You… I remember you,” Chrysalis began, “You were so nice, so cheerful, always laughing. You taught me that fun little dance, and recommended your DJ friend for the reception. Pinkie Pie… thank you for contributing as you did to my wedding. You truly helped make my wedding the perfect day.”
Pinkie Pie stopped talking and looked to Twilight for validation, who nodded. “That’s right Pinkie. This is Princess Cadance. The Princess Cadance we all know, anyway.”
Pinkie Pie looked about ready to explode, as her emotions waged a violent and brutal war across her face – anger, fear, confusion, acceptance, elation, surprise, understanding. She opened her mouth, and Twilight promptly muted her with a hoof.
“Pinkie Pie. Remember what you told me? Losing a friend’s trust is the fastest way to lose a friend. You don’t want to lose Chrysalis as a friend, do you?” Pinkie thought about it for a second, and shook her head, giving her best smile despite having a hoof in her mouth. “Good. Now, I need you to Pinkie Promise me you won’t tell anypony, or anything, ok?” Pinkie nodded. “Will you be quiet if I take my hoof away?” Pinkie hesitated then nodded. Twilight withdrew her hoof, ready to cover her friend’s mouth again at a moment’s notice. Pinkie Pie worked her jaw before standing up.
“So the Princess Cadance you knew and loved was actually Queen Chrysalis the whole time? Shining Armor knows and is ok with this?” Pinkie Pie worked the thoughts aloud, Twilight shocked at how calm she was. “That’s wonderful! I should throw you guys a party! A Happy ‘You Found Out Your Wife Was Actually A Changeling All Along And That’s Awesome’ party! It would be the greatest! Oh, but we could be the only guests… Twilight, can I tell Applejack and Rarity and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy please please please?”
“I’m sorry Pinkie, not now. Not yet. Maybe soon, but not yet,” Shining Armor interjected. “I would love to let you throw us a party, especially given how awesome that one you threw on our wedding night was. However, given the events of our wedding day? Chrysalis can’t very well reveal herself to the public. The backlash would be horrific. We’ll think of something, though. When we do? I would be honored if you would throw a party for us.”
“Indeed we would be, Pinkie Pie. Your parties are wonderful,” Chrysalis added. Pinkie visibly tensed up at the sound of the changeling’s voice, but proudly strode over and gave the queen a hug.
“I’m sure there’s an explanation for everything that happened at the wedding, and I’ll be perfectly willing to sit and hear it from you, miss Chrysalis. I hope we can have a wonderful friendship,” the pink earth mare said. Twilight Sparkle was shocked at her maturity, but chose not to ruin the moment. Chrysalis visibly perked up at the love coming from Pinkie Pie. The changeling smiled, gladly retuning the hug.
“Thank you so much, Pinkie Pie.”
“You’re welcome, Chrissy-wissy,” Pinkie responded. “Why didn’t you change your voice, though? It’s almost like you wanted to be found out.”
“Actually Pinkie, that’s why we’re here,” Twilight began, “Chrysalis seems to have lost the ability to change her voice. We were going to see Zecora about that.”
“Oh! That sounds bad! If she can’t change her voice then she can’t talk in public!”
“Exactly the problem, Pinkie. Now, if you don’t mind, we’re going to go visit our mutual zebra friend.”
“Okie dokie lokie! Can I come along?”
“Umm… Pinkie, if you wouldn’t mind,” Twilight started, bringing one hoof behind her head and rubbing the back of her neck nervously, “We’d like to draw as little attention as possible, and, well… ‘subtle’ isn’t your strong suit. You understand, right, Pinkie?” The party pony deflated a little but nodded.
“I understand Twilight. I hope everything works out for you, Chrysalis. It was nice to see you again, Shining Armor!” Pinkie proceeded to trot happily out the door of the library, humming a tune to herself.
It was then a young dragon finally managed to form a word.
“Ch-ch-chrysalis?” He stammered.
“Oh, Spike! Spike? Spike!” Twilight rushed to her assistant’s side. Spike was visibly trembling with fright, but a look of determination burned in his eyes.
“Twilight… get back… I apologize for anything that happens to your books…” Spike inhaled deeply, and leapt through the air towards Chrysalis. The changeling did little more than raise a hoof in protest as green flames were cast around her, not hot enough to burn her carapace. Moments later, small, sharp claws skittered off her lower legs, the baby dragon desperate to cause some form of physical harm to the changeling. Realizing the futility of his efforts, Spike fell over, sobbing.
“Why… why don’t you just leave my family alone…”
“Spike, Chrysalis is our family,” Twilight said, levitating the crying dragon from Chrysalis’ feet to her own back. “It’s kind of odd, actually. We never knew Princess Cadance. The pony who we always knew? It was Queen Chrysalis here, in disguise. Spike – Spike. SPIKE!” Twilight yelled, the baby dragon’s eyes showing a clear failure and lack of willingness to accept this as the truth. “Spike… just… watch. Shining, would you mind…?” Twilight magically passed the baby dragon to her older brother, before gesturing for Chrysalis to join her in the middle of the floor. Twilight leaned over and whispered in her ear, the black mare giggling and nodding. Without a further word, both ponies leaned over towards each other.
“Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They sang in perfect unison, not placing a single step out of sync with each other. Shining Armor laughed at the display and Twilight blushed a little, Spike’s mind uncertain of what his eyes just saw. Shining Armor set him down gently.
“I… I think… Twi?”
“Yes Spike?”
“I don’t feel so good. I’m going to bed,” he said flatly, eyes glazed over. He moved up the stairs again almost mechanically, closing the door behind him.
“Well… that went… interestingly,” Chrysalis said, trying in vain to suppress a giggle.
“Twiley… is he going to be ok?” Shining Armor asked.
“He’ll be fine. I just think… I think it would have been much better if we’d actually planned out how we were going to tell him,” Twilight responded. “He’ll come around, though. Don’t worry. He’s a wonderful dragon deep down, he’s just… young,” Twilight said, with a light smile. She glanced up at the windows, and noticed the setting sun.
“Oh, darn. I always forget how long the train ride from Canterlot takes. It’s getting late, too late to go into the Everfree. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to visit Zecora. I trust that won’t be too much of a problem? I’ve got a spare bedroom on the ground floor. Just please…” Twilight knew what she wanted to say, but couldn’t bring herself to. Not in front of, much less about, her brother.
“Thank you Twilight. Don’t worry, we won’t do anything,” Chrysalis added with a wink. “Say, do you have that cloud battle game? You said it’s too late to go into the Everfree, but it’s hardly early enough to go to sleep. Perhaps a film?”
“Oh yes! I’ve got plenty of board games, and I have a projector and some movies in the basement! Oh, it’ll be just like a sleepover! Only… when two of the participants are a newlywed couple still… technically… on their honeymoon…” Twilight’s enthusiasm drained as her mind went places she didn’t think existed. “On second thought!” Twilight cast a spell faster than she ever had before.
Shining Armor yawned, abruptly feeling utterly exhausted. “Hey, Twiley… do you think you could show Chrysalis and me to the spare bedroom? I’m feeling,” he yawned again, “really sleepy. She looks like she is, too…” he trailed off, gesturing to his wife with his head. The changeling queen was nodding off, obviously struggling to keep her eyes open.
Oh thank Celestia that worked. I’ll have to use that memory-erasing spell on myself later… but for now, these two being asleep is the best option. “Right this way, you two, it’s just in there…” Twilight ushered the sleepy ponies to their bed, the couple not even bothering with blankets and instead just collapsing on the mattress in each other’s embrace. They really do make a cute couple. I think they even look better than Shining and ‘Cadance’ did. Heh, that’s kinda funny. Twilight left the bedroom, chose a random book from her shelves, and headed upstairs to read herself to sleep.