After the surprise attack from a mind-controlled Circlet, and the subsequent funeral pyre two nights later, Rarity and her friends saw very little of Chrysalis outside the arranged meetings with royal representatives and whenever she was being used as Rarity’s sewing model. What they did hear from her outside these times was when she had cleaned the Boutique from top to bottom; even the attic storage had no signs of cobwebs or dust. After completing this feat, she had asked Rarity if some more woollen thread could be possible. Readily Rarity agreed.
After cleaning so much of the Boutique, shining even the doorknobs to the nth degree without being seen by any of the others, Rarity had shifted some things around and replaced the fabrics in Chrysalis’ room with nothing but woollen thread.
Her room; that was another thing that had changed over the weeks that Chrysalis had stayed at the Boutique. Apart from gaining its goldmine of woollen thread and the pony that was using it, it had also gained some other bits and pieces. Small knitted stuffed toys were slowly but surely adding up wherever a spot was available. She’d been freed of needing her leg splinted and she had relished the feeling of walking normally once more; she’d walked laps around her room just to get used to the motions once more.
Chrysalis had been hiding her latest work at every opportunity, burying it behind the wool in the shelves or trying to cover it with her own form and blanket whenever someone entered the room like a foal caught doing something they weren’t supposed to do. Rarity, ever the nosy big sister, had been trying to peer around Chrysalis on the time she had been protectively hiding her work to see what it was. Of course, Chrysalis would have none of this and ensure that Rarity saw as little as possible.
Sweetie Belle had been asking questions about the attack in the street for the first week since it had occurred, as well as about the funeral pyre that she had been present for but not quite understood the purpose of. Her questions had been silenced the Wednesday after they began before Rarity and Fluttershy met up at the Day Spa when Chrysalis had been in the room when she was asking Rarity. Despite saying that she had put it into her past, that she had buried it with everything else she had parted ways with in the past, Chrysalis had removed the dress that Rarity was working on at the time and simply walked out of the room. It was clear that she had been struck harder than she cared to admit.
On each report that Rarity sent each week, she pointed out her worry over the changeling’s clearly low morale and deteriorated eagerness to be amongst others, her reluctance to connect. She’d all but bottled herself up and this was worrying the alabaster unicorn to no end.
It wasn’t until Princess Luna had arrived almost a month after her initial discovery beneath the Ponyville Park Bridge that she had actually opened up in any sense. Chrysalis knew of Luna’s less than pristine past, oh yes; what being in Equestria didn’t know about Nightmare Moon in even the smallest way?
Chrysalis had talked with her like she was a kindred spirit, no tactical information or anything of that nature was shared; they just talked. Talk of times long past and of the changes in the world; talk of family and of the homes they had once held, now long out of reach. Luna had admitted that she had nopony to blame but herself that her home had been all but demolished; it was her blind jealousy and hatred that had destroyed her ancestral home after all.
After the awkward silence that fell during a lull in conversation, caused by each royal lost in thought over their own pasts, Princess Luna broke the silence asking if Chrysalis was aware of the upcoming holiday.
Chrysalis had only chuckled. “Of course, Princess; one does not spy on another nation without learning of their holidays.”
“Dost thou plan to do anything with the others? We are sure that thy friends would appreciate it immensely. We hear that Miss Pinkie Pie holds grand banquets in honour of the season and her friends.”
Chrysalis sighed. “Knowing Miss Pinkie, the gathering would likely have no less than two hundred ponies in attendance; I loathe being amongst that many of Ponyville’s citizens. Every day somepony catches me within the boutique while Rarity works on some dress or other…” She sighed. “Always the same questions; ‘Did you know that thing?’ ‘Was it your friend?’ ‘How did you kill it like that?’” She grumbled and shifted in her basket uncomfortably. “Nopony ever seems to find it unkind or uncouth; never does it seem to occur to them how much it did, and still continues to even now tear at my heart.” She huffed in a poor attempt to quell the tears from her eyes. “It is as if they think I enjoyed watching Circlet…”
“We understand.” Luna hastily cut in, holding a hoof up to halt her words. “And thine fears for Pinkie’s gathering are, while usually quite appropriate, lost in this case. She invites only her closest friends and their families. Twilight Sparkle, her young ward Spike, Applejack and her family, Rarity and Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash are usually those in attendance if the missives from Twilight are any indication. If I’m correct, the friend of Applejack and Rarity’s sisters, Scootaloo, is usually brought along so as to let her not feel left out.”
“If you say so, Princess.” Chrysalis mumbled. Her horn had been glittering the whole time they were sitting in the room, and a faint click-clicking of needles could be heard from behind a bundle of wool.
“Cadance has been wondering if thou hast been interested in finding a special somepony.” Luna said bluntly.
The sudden comment and its sheer left-field nature made Chrysalis jolt her head up sharply. A knitting needle shot across the room from within the storage cubbyholes and bounced against the far wall, narrowly missing the changeling’s head. She stared at Luna as if she had grown a second head before glaring irritated when the alicorn dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“We thought that would get thy attention.” She said mirthfully, smiling down at her less than pleased face. “Ah, don’t be so uptight, Chrysalis; we merely jest.”
“Everypony is toying with me these days.” Chrysalis grumbled in reply as her magic collected the knitting needle and she returned to her work. Her horn flared a little brighter and her figure was engulfed in heatless emerald flames, replaced by the form of a young-looking Nightmare Moon. “Some forget that we, also, can play.”
Luna blanched and reeled her head back for a moment before giving Chrysalis a dry glare. “How do thou even know what that… witch looks like?”
Chrysalis chuckled, her voice distorted to sound like Princess Luna probably had when she was about the same age as Sweetie Belle. “Ah, one finds all kinds of images in old newspapers.” She said listlessly. “Not to mention that there is a statue of her just within the forest.” Her eyes went wide and she gave Luna a cheeky grin. “Hay, do you think we should stop by Miss Twilight’s library and claim that I’m your daughter? The look on her face would be priceless!”
Luna chuckled at the thought. “We believe that our sister’s protégée would see through such a ruse; she is smarter than she looks.”
“Since she looks like a scholar, she must be sharp as a spear.” Chrysalis commented before fire flared around her once more and she returned to her usual appearance. “Her usual routine of writing down anything I say when meeting with other representatives would only reinforce that methinks.”
“Miss Sparkle does have an oddity with fastidiousness in her education and gathering information, we must admit. She spent several weeks obsessing over getting us to speak as modern Equestrians do.”
“I take it that didn’t go well. Your speech isn’t exactly up to date.” Chrysalis commented.
“After the third day she had resolved to hide in her suite and deny entrance to all but Celestia;” Luna said with a calm tone, “our sister mentioned later something about the Want-it-need-it spell and that Twilight had been a hairs’ breadth from breaking down mentally.” She gave Chrysalis a cheeky grin. “To this day Miss Sparkle’s eye twitches irritably at our speech; ‘tis most amusing.”
The sound of Chrysalis’ hidden knitting halted and she gave Luna a wary eye. “You can speak as well as any of us can, can’t you?”
Luna appeared to avoid the question for a short moment, struggling to keep her face straight before she gave a hearty chuckle. “Oh yes, but it was quite amusing.”
“I’m sure that your sister wouldn’t see it that way; she’d argue for hours that you were attempting to break one of the Elements of Harmony, and then proceed to lecture you on how much of a danger to Equestria that would be.”
Luna gave an amused sigh. “Ah yes, our sister can be quite the ‘stick in the mud’ as we believe ponies say these days.”
“Tormenting her prized pupil until she refuses to leave her room is hardly the way to change that; if anything she’ll only become even more of a fuddy-duddy.” She grinned conspiratorially to her conversation partner. “However, that being said; if you ever want somepony to… accomplice or brainstorm pranks for your sister, I would be quite willing to offer my services.”
“We will consider thy proposal.” Luna said warmly. “Provided, of course, that thou consider going to Miss Pinkie Pie’s Hearth Warming feast.”
Chrysalis huffed, “I… suppose I can fit it into my schedule.”
Luna gave a smile as she stood to leave. “We thought that thou would see it our way.” She hummed. A bag of Bits popped into the air between the two after a brief burst of the Princess’s magic and she slid it closer to Chrysalis. “Should thou wish to purchase anything to gift others;” she said calmly, “thou should find three hundred Bits within. Take it merely as a gesture of good will for the season; it is unlikely the Royal Vault will miss them. Well, while this has been an enjoyable meeting, there are matters to which we must attend in Canterlot. We shall see thee again in time, Chrysalis; have a pleasant week.”
Chrysalis dipped her head respectfully. “Of course, Princess; thank you for keeping me company for the last few hours, I… guess I needed it.”
Luna smiled. “Anything to get us out of the reach of our niece’s antics; she replaced our sister’s bathing soaps for frothing dyes. Celestia was a rather fetching shade of blue for hours.”
‘At least I know what gaining her ire will be like.’ Chrysalis mused internally.
“Be sure to check your bed for creepy-crawlies, Princess; Mi Amore sounds the vindictive sort.”
Luna chuckled. “Thou wouldst know, we suppose.” She said, before stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind her.
Chrysalis gave an amused sigh before floating her knitted work out from its hiding place and giving a disgruntled huff and starting to rescue the several stitches she had dropped.
*&*&*&*
A few more days passed, and the town had only become more festive with each passing hour. Streamers and lights decorated streets and houses –in some cases not doing what they were expected to do- and evergreen birch trees had been erected all throughout the quaint little town covered in the customary decorations of the season.
Snow, long the plaything of foals in winter, was sculpted into rough snow ponies or other things. The snow out front Ponyville’s library had been roughly shaped into a dragon, complete with coal eyes and rock spines, by Spike, and the snow out front of the boutique had a pair of sculptures, one by each Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Sweetie’s was simplistic and clearly of foal’s skill; a modest snow pony the likes of which was occupying home front yards the world over. Rarity’s, by comparison, was an ice sculpture. She’d used her magic to compress the snow into crystal clear ice when she had it in the formation she wanted, and the front of the Boutique now had a large rose sculpted from ice adding to its decorations.
Chrysalis had declined adding her own to the yard; much as she was sure they would like her to add to the building’s decoration she was sure they didn’t want her outdoing them with her fifteen-hundred years of experience.
She’d finished what she had been crafting in secret, with each of them hidden away where she was confident that Sweetie Belle would not look or at least could not reach. For now, anyway; she was waiting calmly at the bottom of the stairs, beyond the doors of the Boutique’s showroom, for Rarity’s latest client to return to their day with her scarf around her neck, a woollen saddle around her middle, and a set of boots that Rarity had made for her to go outside in. Black, of course; like most everything else she wore. She could have taken the appearance of anypony else to keep warm, but that felt… dishonest. Currently she also had a pair of saddlebags –hoof-stitched by Rarity- with the bag of Bits that Princess Luna had given her within the left one.
Rarity’s client paid for the jacket they had purchased and left with a polite ‘thank you’. The bell over the front door signalled their leaving, and cued Chrysalis to approach. With reluctance she nuzzled the door into the showroom open and stepped in, the attention of the fashionista upon her almost the moment she stepped into the room.
“Good afternoon Chrysalis, was there something you needed?”
“I was about to go into town to get some things.” She replied, her tone more of that used for asking permission than stating intentions. “Thought that you might want to know where I would be going should you want me for anything is all.”
Rarity nodded. “Of course; it’s nice to see you out and about at last. Staying within that little room won’t have done your complexion any-“
“Rarity, my complexion can’t change unless I’m ill.” Chrysalis chided.
Rarity gave a nervous chuckle. “Of course, I’ll see you when you return.”
Chrysalis nodded and, with a flick of her magic to open the door, strolled out into the street. The first thing she was assailed by was the cold; she’d all but sequestered herself away into the Boutique and her room, and as such she gave a heavy shudder as the cold reminded her of the season. After tugging her scarf closer to herself, she strode off up the street, first in search of a place that sold boxes.
She espied a Pegasus with grey fur, blonde mane and tail, and skewed eyes meandering down the street in her general direction with several such boxes on her back. Warily she approached this pony, who she had been informed was named Ditzy Doo but that everyone affectionately called her Derpy for her… less than fantastic spatial awareness. This was unfortunately displayed when she walked past a lamppost and turned sharply, managing to hit her head against it and earn herself a nice coating of snow.
“Excuse me, Ms Doo?”
The wall-eyed mare’s face turned towards the changeling with a casual and easy going smile, ignoring the snow that capped her nose like a little party hat.
“Yeah?”
“I was wondering if you could tell me where you got the boxes that you’re carrying. I don’t exactly know the town very well…”
To her credit, the mare continued to ignore the snow that was surely making her colder and pointed down the street. “Keep walkin’ down the street until you come to Crate’s Packaging store; usually they only do transportation of goods, but at Hearth’s Warming they sell decorated boxes for a good price.” She looked down at her hooves and slowly twirled one in a circle, the snow on her face mostly falling to the ground and leaving but a powdering upon her nose. “I’m not really that good at wrapping presents so I just buy boxes; my girls don’t seem to mind.”
Chrysalis smiled and nodded, this was what she loved about the season. It wasn’t how it was wrapped, or even if the gift was something that was wanted, it was the thought behind it that mattered most. Even her changelings, who had difficulty making ends meet, had celebrated Hearth’s Warming in their own way. For them, it had been a time to get together with friends and family and remember those that they had once met up with at the same time of year; it wasn’t about food or gifts, but family and friends and the bonds that they shared.
With a sigh her smile faded as she wondered what the Hive would be doing this year; cowering in fear of the sudden culling that her sister was bringing upon them was what she hoped. That thought at least let her think that they knew where their end would be, who it was caused by. It was unlikely, not to mention a pitiable and terrible little thought, but it was all the hope she had.
“Here, let me assist you with that;” she mumbled, her magic sparking to life and lifting the snow from Ditzy Doo’s form before depositing it upon the street. She gave a weak smile to the mare before moving to walk off. “Thank you for your help, Miss Doo; have a good day.”
Ditzy watched her walk off with a perplexed look, waving a hoof half-heartedly to her retreating form. “Yeah, you too…”
Nopony noticed the spot of ice where Chrysalis had stood, resting sourly amongst thousands of its brethren on the snow-covered streets.
*
Chrysalis looked into the building she had been given directions to, the storefront painted green with the words ‘Crate’s Shipping Co’ written neatly upon its face announcing what the building was for. She had expected a queue of ponies waiting to purchase boxes or arrange shipping of one thing or another. Instead she found the building empty besides the festive decorations and example packaging on display.
After a moment’s trepidation, she stepped across the threshold and began looking about. Her eyes examined display after display, looking at the patterns and sizes before she walked over to the counter and reared up to ring the bell. After a few moments a female Pegasus appeared from one of the back rooms and peered over the counter at her.
“Can I help you?”
Chrysalis nodded. “I’d like three medium boxes of your green and white assortment, and one of the tall and thin boxes of the same sort please?”
The mare nodded. “That’ll be fourteen Bits; take a moment while I fetch them from the storeroom to sort your Bits.”
Chrysalis nodded and opened her saddlebag, reaching into the purse of Bits within and fetching out the required amount. They landed upon the counter with a healthy clink and the mare returned with the requested boxes, placing them upon the counter where Chrysalis could see them. A swift hoof claimed the Bits and swept them into the till, almost as if they had never been there in the first place. With a flick of her magic the set of boxes levitated down and onto Chrysalis’ back where she held her wings up to hold them steady. She gave the mare one final thanks before leaving the store and heading towards the familiar scent from her welcome party.
It wasn’t long before she came upon the store, and she looked about the entrance before nudging the door open and strolling in. Again she looked at the wares on display, gauging her available Bits and the probable tastes of Rarity and her friends before stepping over to the counter and ringing the bell.
A pink earth pony mare with an off-pink mane and a cutie mark of a bunch of purple grapes and a strawberry appeared over the counter, looking about the room confusedly before her gaze turned down to the changeling who only looked back.
“Can I… help you?”
Chrysalis nodded. “I was wondering if I could purchase-“
“Whoa, whoa, you’re a little young to be buying alcohol aren’t you? I can’t sell you anything; I’d lose my liquor license.” She cut in, holding a hoof up.
Chrysalis huffed. “How old do you think I am?” She asked irritably.
The pony waved a hoof. “You look to be about, what, five? Yeah, you look about the same age as those girls that my little Pinchy goes to school with, the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
With a grumble Chrysalis nodded. “Multiply your guess by three hundred,” she said, “that’s my age. I don’t grow up without masses of magic; I could literally be this size until I die; whenever that will be.”
The mare shrugged. “Whatever your story is, I can’t sell you anything without identification; I mean no offense, but I don’t want to lose my livelihood.”
Chrysalis sighed. “I understand, sorry for the inconvenience.”
And with that she turned and strolled out, leaving the confused mare behind.
*
While she had been somewhat let down by the liquor store and being reminded that her appearance was that of a foal, Chrysalis was still determined to accomplish what she had headed out for, it would just be a little different.
She headed for the building which she had been informed by Twilight was her home and the town library, the largest tree within the town. She’d found it peculiar that the library was a tree, of all things, but supposedly it had been created by an earth pony back when the town was still young. His aim was to see how much of the tree he could convert to a building without killing it, and the tree had, under his earth pony hooves and magic, allowed him to create a particularly spacious library which had stood in place since.
It took a lot of care to ensure that it didn’t outgrow the building within, but the townsponies managed quite well. It had even survived the residence of Twilight Sparkle; at least, so far.
She knocked on the door to the building… tree… house..? It didn’t take long for somepony to open the door, in this instance being the young dragon companion of Twilight’s, Spike. She’d met him once or twice in the past month when he would come over to Rarity’s boutique and assist her in odd ways. A mobile pincushion, somepony to hold things up for her… He’d been taken out by her a couple of times to the local quarry to dig up gems, the dragon having claws well suited for digging up the valuables and, of course, being all too willing to go if only to be around Rarity.
It didn’t take fifteen hundred years of experience to notice that he had a heavy crush on the ivory unicorn. Still, it wasn’t her place to do anything about it; Rarity would most likely not approve.
Spike had been complaining to himself before he opened the door.
“I don’t understand why ponies keep knocking on the door of a public library; it’s like they’ve forgotten they can just walk right in.” he looked out at the visitor and gave a start of alarm.
Chrysalis’ eyes half lidded at him irritably. “Good afternoon to you too, dragon.”
She stepped in past him, over to a writing desk where some paper, a quill and some ink lay in wait; probably for Twilight to write out some notes or something of the sort. After she struggled to sit up into the chair, she gazed almost disinterestedly at the parchment as her magic gripped the quill and began to write in a fine, spidery print.
“Princess Celestia has informed me that you are capable of sending mail to her magically,” she said to the room in general; since there were no other ponies (or beings) available in the room besides herself and Spike, the dragon gave a grunt of affirmation, “Are you capable of transporting parcels in the same manner?”
Spike nodded reluctantly. “I’m… willing to send some stuff to her if you need me to. Usually I only send Twilight’s reports, or I guess now Rarity’s as well. Sometimes some… luggage is added. The only thing I can’t really do is send lots of stuff in quick succession unless I have the hiccups… though I remember coughing up a lot of letters from the Princess when Discord first returned.” He groaned audibly. “That hurt my tummy…”
Chrysalis gave a faint chuckle, trying to imagine Spike being practically bound to his bed as the Princess used him to deliver scroll after scroll. After a flourish of the quill to sign her name, she rolled the scroll up and levitated the tall slender box from her back and the Bits from her saddlebags. She stuffed the purse into the box and then placed the scroll carefully into the box before closing it and holding it out to Spike.
“If you could?”
Spike stepped closer and, after giving Chrysalis a cautious glance, breathed a green flame onto the package. As the fire swallowed the box and its contents, its ashes swirled away out of the window in a purple and green cloud of magic and ash.
“When, or if, you get a response Spike, could you please deliver it to me at the Carousel Boutique? It’ll give you an excuse to visit Rarity.” She grinned at him coyly. “Like you needed one in the first place, hmm?”
Spike crossed his arms and huffed, earning a chuckle from Chrysalis.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” She said as she began to walk out of the room, passing him. “Til later, Firebomb.”
Spike turned to protest, raising a fist irritably. “I’m not a-” he was cut off as the door slammed shut behind Chrysalis, cutting him off, “… firebomb.” He finished lamely.
“Is she still using derogatory terms for you, Spike?” Twilight asked from the stairs as she walked down with a stack of books balanced on her back. She dawdled over to the table that Chrysalis had just been sitting at and grumbled herself. “What happened to the paper I had here for my assignment?”
*&*&*&*
Chrysalis strolled alongside Rarity as she knitted relentlessly. She’d been informed that a fourth foal would be attending the festivities, a new member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders with a penchant for reading almost as relentlessly as Twilight. According to Sweetie Belle, who walked alongside her, this new member didn’t go out crusading as much as she, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo did, content to stay home with a book and find what she may be good at within.
Chrysalis suspected that they were probably also sane enough to know that going with the other Crusaders on their silly little quests was a death sentence waiting to happen, though she didn’t voice this out loud and risk crushing Sweetie Belle’s feelings.
She had caught the trio trying to get cutie marks as play stuntsponies by launching themselves from the Boutique roof onto a single pillow. It had been all she could do to not use rather more colourful language than she was sure their families would want them learning, though when she’d told Rarity during the next fitting session she’d been impressed when Rarity used the same colourful language herself in response.
As Sweetie Belle went off on another long, rambling and tooth-achingly squeaky tangent over something or other, Chrysalis tuned her out and focused more on her knitting. She’d been working on this scarf since she’d found out that another foal was going to be at the party, and even with only a few small hints she’d wanted to have it finished as soon as possible. Of course, she’d sent Sweetie out to get another box exactly like those that Chrysalis had already bought so that she could work the first few hours in peace. Currently three sealed boxes and a fourth open one were being balanced on her back and held in place by her wings.
With a final addition of a few smaller details, she finished her project and whisked it away into the remaining open box. Her magic folded it neatly before affixing the lid and fastening it all down with the red and gold ribbons that had been held down by the weight of the box itself.
With a calm smile, she followed Rarity and Sweetie Belle into Sugar Cube Corner, pausing a moment to shake the snow from the holes in her hooves and wipe them on the door mat politely before joining them in the party hall. A table spread out in the middle of the room complete with white table cloth, platters of food, and an enormous bowl of punch, plates and cups for everypony. Chrysalis was impressed at the array and spread on the table at least. A few balloons hung from the ceiling or were being held down by colourful streamers, a large decorated tree sat in a far corner and the fireplace roared with a pink flame being produced by enchanted logs.
She knew about these logs, made by unicorns Equestria wide for the season. She had once had to bludgeon a pony unconscious with one after some… less than wanted advances. She wondered, briefly, if the so-called prince had recovered from his trip to the world of nod or if she’d broken something in his admittedly sturdy noggin.
She then recalled how much of pig he’d been acting like and stopped caring. If she’d knocked some sense into him, it would be for his own good.
She watched as Sweetie Belle ran over to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, the trio bursting into greetings and a tirade of suggestions for what they could do to get their cutie marks this eve. Their suggestions were eventually crushed by Rarity and Applejack giving them the evil eye and made them promise to not do any ‘crusading’ for the night.
Of course, Applejack and her family were here early. They had arrived to cook for the banquet and, if the smells were anything to judge, they had gone all out. She’d heard that Applejack’s grandmother, Granny Smith, was apparently a somewhat legendary cook in her own right and she hoped to get a taste of whatever she had cooked to judge for herself.
A slightly unexpected pair of ponies were also in the room, one of whom Chrysalis had been told about. The eldest of the pair dawdled over and gave Chrysalis an appraising look. Chrysalis smiled warmly.
“Thank you for your directions earlier Ms Doo,” she said, “You were most helpful. Anypony else would probably have turned me down.”
Ditzy gave an appreciative smile in return. “It’s Mrs, and you asked for help,” She said plainly, “and I assume that they would have turned you down simply because of how you look; who am I to do the same?” She gave Chrysalis a playful grin, pointing to her wandering eyes. “Go on, ask; everypony else does.”
Chrysalis shook her head. “It does not do to pry; you are who you are and it’s not like it’s down to me or anypony else to change you.” Ditzy turned a faint pink at this and gave an appreciative smile. “Now;” Chrysalis began with her voice louder and easily audible to the other ponies in the room, “I was under the impression that there would be several foals here.” She wandered over to where the Crusaders were huddled around a board game, apparently chutes and ladders.
A fourth filly, a unicorn with a pale violet coat, blonde hair and yellow eyes, sat alongside them taking her turns. If the groans that the Crusaders were giving were any indication every time she took her turn and managed to roll a high number, she was winning.
Applejack, who was seated nearby, eyed the boxes she had on her back. “Y’all didn’t have ta’-”
Chrysalis held up a hoof with a cheeky smile. “Though he has long since passed, I was a grandmother.” She said. “And I’m pretty sure part of the definition is that we spoil kids rotten.”
“Darn tootin’!” Granny Smith cheered from her seat at the table, though she was almost ignored as she had been asleep at the time.
“Now, let’s see…” Chrysalis mumbled as she levitated the boxes from her back. “One for the Apple,” she deposited the box in front of Apple Bloom, who only looked back at her confusedly. “One for the Nut,” This one she put down in front of Scootaloo, who glared up at her accusingly. “Don’t give me that look, I’ve seen you riding your scooter.” Chrysalis hissed good-naturedly. “I’m amazed you’ve not hurt yourself. In any case, this next one’s for the flower.” She placed the third before Sweetie Belle.
“Why didn’t you give this to me at home?” She squeaked.
“And leave myself open to awkward questions from your friends?” Chrysalis replied with a grin, before turning to the last foal. “Now, I’m afraid I don’t know your name; care to enlighten me?”
The filly only cowered down a little, possibly spooked by Chrysalis’ appearance, and Scootaloo sat up.
“She’s my little sister, Dinky Doo; she’s only just turned old enough to join our crusades.”
Chrysalis connected the dots in her head. “’My girls don’t seem to mind’,” she mumbled to no-one in particular. “You’re Mrs Doo’s daughters.”
The two fillies nodded in reply.
“I guess that explains a few things I was told, as well as that Mrs Doo is here,” Chrysalis mumbled, “anyway, I suppose the last one goes to the muffin.” The final, and only recently wrapped, box was placed neatly at Dinky’s hooves. She smiled and dipped her head to them. “You may open them when you wish.”
The fillies wasted little time in opening their gifts, each one opening the box provided and levitating a knitted scarf matching their own colours. While Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo’s scarves had their Crusader emblem knitted into them, Dinky’s did not. The young filly sniffled a little at this, evidently disheartened at being left out when Chrysalis nudged her with a hoof and levitated her scarf out of the box, stretching it wide. On either end, much like the other girls, there were images though in this case they were muffins and the words ‘the littlest crusader’ were knitted throughout.
“I was told that you might feel a little left out, since your friends go out and play all day with their capes; I ran out of the wool I used to do their emblems, but I thought that this might suffice?” She offered a cheeky smile. “Besides, I was told that you, like your mother, had a taste for muffins.”
The only response that Chrysalis got was a tackle-hug that nearly drove her to the ground, and she carefully wrapped her hooves around Dinky. “You’re welcome, Dinky.”
*
As the group sat about the table, Chrysalis smiled across at Dinky who was wearing her scarf, a muffin displayed for all to see hanging down and covering her chest. She’d shown it proudly to her mother, who had reminded her to thank Chrysalis for the gift.
Down at the end of the table, Spike hopped up from the table and hurried out of the room. A rather uninhibited burp could be heard echoing from the front room of the store, and he returned soon with the box that Chrysalis had asked him to send. Attached was a small note which, when Spike gave it to her, she read.
To Chrysalis
My sister and I thank you for your warm greetings for the season; even though we receive many such letters, cards and well-wishes from our subjects, yours is one that we feel comes from a pained heart and as such is greatly respected.
As for your request pertaining the… package that arrived with your letter; I feel that I would be perfectly within our laws to deny your wish. However, as it is the season for such things, I believe that we can overlook the legal issues that may be brought up.
Besides, there’s always the loophole of you being old enough.
Within you’ll find one requested drink; you’ll have to apologise for any dust you may find on the bottle, our wine cellar has not seen much use in the older selections in centuries.
Consider it our Hearths Warming gift to you.
Sincerely,
Princesses Celestia and Luna.
Chrysalis lowered the tag, removing it quickly before stepping up into her chair to hold the box out to Twilight. Without a word, Twilight took the box and began to open it.
“I’d like if we adults could share it.” Chrysalis said. “In a… toast? Is that the right word?”
Twilight nodded as she opened the box and lifted out the bottle within. Chrysalis took one look at the bottle and froze with her jaw dropping.
“Where’d you manage to get this?” Twilight asked.
“I… I asked Celestia; I’m unable to purchase my own from the store in town.” Chrysalis mumbled. “I sent her over three hundred Bits, but I never imagined…”
Twilight opened the bottle and carefully poured the elders glasses of the sparkling drink, including one for Chrysalis and herself, before closing the bottle of Crystal rose Champagne and returning it to its box, which was placed on the table.
Chrysalis lifted her glass with a smile.
“To new friends,” she said, ignoring the tears running across her cheeks.