//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: For the Mare Who Has Everything // by Justice3442 //------------------------------// For the Mare Who has Everything Chapter 2 -~~ooooooo~~- “Hah!” The orange filly cried proudly. “I told her first!” “So?!” The purple filly responded indignantly. “You only remembered ‘cause I told you!” The orange filly’s cheeks flushed for a split second. “That’s not true!”  “Yes it is!” “Is not!” “Is too!” “Is not!” “Is too!” The pillow next to Celestia moved revealing a slightly haggard looking gray unicorn stallion with a slightly disheveled slicked black mane. He looked up at Celestia with a pleading look. “There’s still time to ask for silence, you know...” “Is not times infinity!” “Is too times infinity plus one!” Celestia chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t worry dear Somra, I got this.” “That’s still just ‘infinity’ you, know!” “Is not!” “Is too!” Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle as the ‘is not’s and ‘is too’s suddenly switched between fillies. She cleared her throat loud enough that the fillies heard. The two went quiet but quickly stuck their tongues out at each other before turning forward. “Sunrise Shine? Eventide? Mommy could use some help getting daddy out of bed.” The orange fillies face lit up with the brilliance of the sun. “I’ll do it!” “Awww…” The purple filly said in a disappointed tone. The stallion’s green eyes shot open wide as he looked up at Celestia. “You-You’re a monster!” Celestia responded by sticking her own tongue out at the stallion in bed next to her. “It’s my birthday! You can sleep in on your birthday.” The curtains glowed turquoise briefly before being parted in an instant. The room was flooded with sunlight. The gray stallion slammed his eyes shut and hissed in response as a golden glow surrounded all the pillows on the bed. They were quickly levitated to assemble a small fort around the stallions head. “Nice work, Sunrise,” Celestia said warmly. She faked a concern look. “But I think your father has turned into a vampony and is hiding in his pillow tomb.” Eventide giggled to herself. “Snitch!” came the muffled response from the pillows. “Oh no!” Sunrise cried as she leapt onto the bed at her father’s feet. “Don’t worry mom! I’ll change dad back, or he’ll die trying!” “I don’t like this plan!” another muffled exclamation came from the pillows. Celestia rolled out of bed and onto her hooves. She stretched to her full height and smiled as she lolled her head to the left and right and stretched her wings out a bit. “Sorry dear, but we can’t have the undead prowling about in our midst.” Celestia looked over to Sunrise whose horn began to glow turquoise once again. “Right, Sunrise?” A mad glint could be seen in Sunrise’s eyes as she smiled wickedly. “Right!” she answered. Small points around the pony shaped lump began to glow turquoise. The points began to shift up and down the pony shaped lump erratically. The pillow fort collapsed as the stallion suddenly jolted upright, erupting into a fit of laughter. “HeheheHahahaha! Sunrise, no!” “Sunrise, yes!” Sunrise’s smile only widened as the points of lights followed the stallion continuing their mad dance across his body. “Hahahaha! Stop! Hahaha! You know daddy is ticklish!” “Oh, I knoooow…” the orange filly cooed as the glow of her horn intensified and more points of light appeared around the stallion and the shifting lumps under the covers. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Celestia trotted up to Eventide, the fully grown alicorn mare towering over the small purple filly. “Well Eventide, while your sister returns your father to normal, looks like you get to help mommy with breakfast.” “Yay!” Eventide cried as she smiled up at her mother and gave her a hopeful look. “Since it’s your birthday, can we have cake for breakfast!?” Celestia’s eyes opened wide and stared off into space as a smile slowly spread across her face like chocolate frosting being spread across three layers of perfectly stacked, fluffy cakes. “HAHAHAHA! TIA! Do not—HehehehHAHAHA— just give the children cake for—hehehehe— for breakfast!” “Awwww,” Eventide uttered as she hung her head. “Don’t listen to him!” Sunrise cried as she trotted on to the lap of her squirming victim. “He’s still suffering from the vampony curse!” Eventide looked up at her mother and grinned wide. “Yeah, mommy! Daddy’s still under a curse! He doesn’t know what he’s saying!” “Yes I— Hahahaha —Yes I do!” Celestia chuckled. “Maybe we could settle for pancakes this morning, we’ll have plenty of cake later.” “Hurray! Pancakes!” Eventide exclaimed. Her face lit up again. “Can we have them with whipped cream, and sprinkles, and chocolate chips even?!” Celestia grinned. “I don’t see why not.” “Haha! WHAT!?” Sombra cried. “Tia! HAHAHAHA! Those are not healthy breakfast options for—Hahahaha—growing foals!” “I suppose not,” Celestia responded, she suddenly grinned wide and wicked to match the smile on her older daughter’s face. “But they’re in a stack…” “NO! Hahahaha! Don’t say it! None of your sisters puns!” Celestia continued. “… so I guess you can say they’re part of a balanced breakfast!” Eventide joined her mother in round of happy laughter as Sunrise rolled her eyes and continued her magic ‘assault’. “Hahahahaha! For the—Hehehaha— For the record, I’m not laughing at that— Hahaha— horrible joke!” Celestia looked down at Eventide and smiled warmly once more. “Well, shall we get started before your auntie Luna arrives?” Eventide nodded. “Mmmhmm!” Celestia and Eventide began trotting towards the door. “Tia! Wait! HAHAHAHAHA! Don’t leave me alone with Sunrise! HeheheHAHAHAHAHA! I love her, but I think she’s—HAHAHAHAHA!—I think she’s half demon!” Sunrise responded with the most wicked laughter the little filly could manage. “HeheheheHahahahaaaa!” Celestia responded by simply closing the door behind her.  “HAHAHAHAHA! Celestiaaaaaaahahahahaaaaaaaaa!” -~~~~- “Chrysalis…” Cadance said in a harsh whimper as she glared at the new arrival. While her eyes attempted to force internal combustion on Twilight’s attacker, her horn glowed sky blue as a similar glow surrounded a smoldering patch of hair and feathers on Twilight herself. The faux Celestia’s horn glowed emerald and her eyes shimmered as green flames suddenly encircled the mare. The flames shoot up high, licking the room’s ceiling as sparks shot across feathered white wings and turned them a green tinted gossamer. The flames suddenly tightened inward, seemingly burning away the white coat and turning it ebony black, leaving legs full of holes, a tall twisted horn, and a dark green mane and tail where bright, but gentle colors once flowed. Her transformation complete, Chrysalis took this time to laugh before addressing her accuser. “Hehehehahahaha! My, my. Well at least one of you has half a brain.” “How could I possibly forget you?!” Cadance demanded. “You imprisoned me before my wedding and almost married my Shining Armor!” Chrysalis grinned wickedly. “Let’s not forget the time we spent together while you laid alone in a dark, empty crystal cavern.” She pursed her lips and flashed Cadence a pair of half closed, alluring eyes. “To bad you couldn’t be there. It was truly magical!” One of Cadance’s eyes twitched involuntarily and she let out an angry growl as the glow around Twilight ceased and the sky blue aura around Cadance’s horn turned white. “Stop!” Luna cried as she leapt between Cadance and Chrysalis. “As much as would enjoy watching you dispatch this ruffian. We simply cannot blast her.” Cadance let out a heavy sigh. “Right… we need figure out how to remove the pouch and jewel from around Celestia.” Twilight groaned as she raised up to her hooves. Though some of her feathers were ruffled and a patch of her lavender coat was still smudged with black, she had ceased smoldering. “Boy, do I feel stupid.” Cadance shook her head. “It’s not your fault… Given your size you’re probably the most affected by the pollen in the air.” Twilight frowned. “I thought you said it was only dangerous in great amounts?” “Actually, I said it was ‘incredibly dangerous’ in great amount. Constant exposure to even small amounts can affect a pony’s judgement and start to make them a bit… overly optimistic.” “Oh…” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Well that explains why I think I should just go over there and kick her butt!” Luna glanced at Twilight briefly. “Well all—Ahem—‘kick her butt’ if she doesn’t cooperate.” Luna nodded solemnly as she glared at Chrysalis. “Talk or we will make you talk…” She said in a threatening tone as her horn began to glow brighter and brighter. Chrysalis widened her eyes and puffed out her lips in a look of mock concern. “Oh my, well now that my evil plan has failed, I guess I have no choice. Simply remove that field from around Celestia and all your problems will be over.” Cadance narrowed her eyes. “That would release the pollen into the air!” “Oh my! Yes, tragic,” Chrysalis said as she punctuated her sentence with a chuckle. “All those poor ponies out there experiencing their greatest fantasies. Each one overflowing with love.” Cadance frowned as she trotted over to Celestia. “She’s not helping at all!” she said to Luna. “She’s also lying,” Twilight added as she also trotted over to Celestia and peered at the item around her neck intently. “Whatever is around Celestia is magically affixed to her.” “I did not lie!” Chrysalis insisted. “Under the effects of Heart’s Desire pollen, all of you would cease to care about Princess Celestia, Equestria, or anything else for that matter.” “Stop wasting our time!” Luna growled. “What is your game here!? If it was to replace my sister than it has already failed.” Chrysalis shook her head. “That was a temporary solution at best.” Chrysalis looked at Cadance and grinned. “While taking the place of dear, sweet Cadance was child’s play,” Chrysalis’s smile dropped, “I’m afraid taking the place of Celestia would fall apart as soon as somepony needed me to move the sun.” “Okay,” Twilight said, “well what then?” Chrysalis grinned. “I suppose I might as well tell you. The information will only hurt you more… The magical gift Celestia is wearing did create its own temporary field, but this was just to ensure the princess took a few nice, deep breaths before the field dissipated and allowed the rest of the castle to—hehehe— share the love… But your princess somehow put up her own shield as my gift’s waned.” Chrysalis shot Celestia a longing glance. “Your princess selfishly wants to keep all that joy for herself. But really, who could blame her?” A long, forked tongue flicked out from Chrysalis’s mouth. “I considered attempting to break Celestia’s shield myself, but the love that’s pouring from her is sooooo delicious!” Twilight’s eyes widened. “You wanted the pollen to spread?! But… you’d be affected by its effects too!” Chrysalis put on a look of artificial fright and raised her hooves to her mouth as she gasped. “Oh dear! You’re right! In all the time my subjects and I collected flowers to gather enough pollen to flood the largest castle in all of Equestria, I never once thought of that! No wonder they made you a princess!” Cadance leaned down and whispered into Twilight’s ears, “Heart’s Desire flowers only affect ponies and other equine species as far as we know.” Twilight giggled nervously as she felt her face go hot for what seemed like the dozenth time that day. “Hehe… right. I’ll just shut up forever, now.” Chrysalis smiled at Celestia once more. “Don’t worry, she’s quite happy where she’s at. Perfectly so in fact.” She shook her head. “You three don’t know what you're missing.” Chrysalis’s horn glowed green as her eyes focused on the orb around Celestia. “Maybe I should let all of you find out.” With a purple glow of Twilight’s horn, a shield large enough to cover her, Cadence, and Celestia appeared. Luna narrowed her eyes at Chrysalis. “And let you take over Canterlot? Never!” “You silly fools… All of Equestria is ripe with the love you ponies spread so freely. Once I’m done with you, I’m going to burn this miserable city in every pony in it.” Chrysalis flashed a lustful gaze at Celestia as the alabaster alicorn continued to stand at attention. “And your dear ruler is going to help me.” “Help you?!” Luna cried. “Do not be absurd! Though my sister is incapacitated, she’d never assist you!” Chrysalis shook her head from side to side slowly. “You really don’t get it, do you? Being under the effects of Heart’s Desire pollen is like being wrapped in love itself. Celestia had plenty of love to give already for her subjects and those closest to her, but now—” Chrysalis inhaled deeply, momentarily causing a shimmering pink stream which flowed from Celestia into the Changeling’s mouth and nostrils to appear.  “—now her love is overflowing and everlasting. I’ve never tasted something so pure… I’m more powerful than I’ve ever—” A brilliant beam suddenly shot out from Luna’s horn and slammed into Chrysalis. ‘PHHOOOOOMMM!’ “Ahh!” Chrysalis cried in surprise as the blast fired her back into the welcoming room with a loud ‘Crash!’ “Princess Luna!” Twilight exclaimed. “Nice thinking! You got her!” Luna shook her head. “I do not think so, Twilight Sparkle. At best I merely startled her.” Twilight’s smile dropped. “You sure?” Her smile quickly returned as if it had never left. “I think that stopped her for sure!” “Wow!” Chrysalis cried out from the welcoming room. “Rude!”          “Oooor maybe not…” Twilight added as her ears flopped down around her head and her cheeks flushed once again. “Twilight,” Cadance began, “I need your help removing the thing around Celestia’s neck without releasing the pollen.” “Yes, good!” Luna said as she galloped up to the open doorway, she frowned as she peered into the welcoming room. Aside from an overturned chair and coffee table, there was no sign of Chrysalis. Another door had been opened, but the main entrance remained closed. Luna glanced back into the Celestia’s study. “You two free my sister while I track down Chrysalis.” Luna’s horn glowed a dark shade of blue as chairs and furniture floated into the air and were stacked against the main entrance’s door. “We cannot allow the changeling ruler to leave nor can we risk spreading the heart’s desire pollen all over the castle. Until we can ensure everypony’s safety, this door is to remain closed.” With that, Luna galloped into the waiting room and through the open door. Twilight removed her shield and turned to Cadance with a frown. “Are you sure I shouldn’t get help? I can easily teleport out of here and teleport in with somepony that might be able to get this off Celestia.” Cadance cocked an eyebrow. “Do you know any pony who knows more about magic than you who's also close enough you could simply teleport to?!” “I… Okay, good point…” Twilight sighed and raised a forehoof to the side of her head. “I’m sorry… I’m not thinking straight!” Cadance nodded. “It’s okay… For now just trust my judgement. Right now I need you to examine this item and see if there’s a way it can be removed.” Twilight nodded and closed her eyes. “Okay… Let me just concentrate…” Her horn began to glow dimly, then bright, and brighter still until the entire room was cast in a purple light. With a brilliant flash the glow was gone and Twilight opened eyes which glowed pure white before fading back to their normal hue. “The item around Celestia’s neck… it has a locking enchantment I’ve encountered before.” Cadance nodded. “Alright, how do we unlock it?” Deep creases appeared on Twilight’s forehead. “We can’t, it’s an enchantment that makes it so only the wearer could take it off themselves.” Cadance’s eyes widened as her pupils began to drown in an amethyst colored sea. “You mean…” Twilight nodded. “Celestia has to take off the pendant around her neck under her own volition.” As if it was feeling left out, Twilight’s muzzle wrinkled much like her forehead had. “Once it’s unattached from a pony, the pendant is designed to seek a new wearer immediately and recast its own containment field.”  Cadance sighed heavily. “Guess it was a little much to hope that Queen of the changelings herself would make this easy for us.” -ooooo- Luna gritted her teeth in irritation as she looked down yet another empty, dimly lit corridor. Her journey had taken her through well furnished rooms into empty, brick hallways, and then down stairs into ancient areas created by carving rooms out of solid rock. The castle above was massive, but the catacombs and structures under the castle possible even dwarfed it in terms of sheer space. “Hahahaha…” Luna furrowed her brow and broke into a gallop as she heard Chrysalis’s laughter echo off rock walls ahead. The changeling queen clearly wanted to be followed as she continued to laugh and light torches creating an easy to follow trail, however Luna found herself getting increasingly agitated the longer the chase was drawn out. She soon found herself passing under a massive entryway that opened into a giant stone cavern full of… Luna squinted her eyes. Though a few errant lamps about provided light ample enough to see the entirety of the massive space she found herself in, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Is that… Is that an ancient massive penny? … Is it… Would it be worth more than an ordinary penny? … …I suppose that would make cents. Luna fought the urge to giggle to herself. No focus! She examined the cavern. The penny stood on a natural stone platform over a small shallow pool of some sort. In front of her where several flights of steps carved out of the stone that lead down to what looked like a giant study complete with a library's worth of books, an ancient globe, giant telescope, ancient flags from Equestria’s history, and a large stone statue of Starswirl the Bearded. Hmmm… the ancient laboratory of Starswirl the bearded. Queen Chrysalis couldn’t have gone much farther…  Luna began trotting down the steps to the massive study. She took a deep breath. “SHOW YOURSELF HEATHEN THAT JUSTICE MAY BE DONE UPON THEE!” “Hahahahahaha!” Chrysalis’s sinister laugh echoed off the tone walls and ceiling. “My, my… you are a dramatic one! All because I made your poor, overworked sister the happiest pony in all of Equestria.” “You words are hollow!” Luna cried. “Cease your hiding! Let us end this!” Luna watched as Chrysalis stepped out from behind the giant statue of Starswirl. The midnight blue mare leapt into the air and spread her wings before hitting the ground hard enough cause a heavy, echoing ‘Thud!’, causing the books in the bookcases around her to shake. Chrysalis grinned at Luna. “Hiding? I was merely going somewhere more private so we could talk.” Chrysalis puffed out her lips in mock display of disappointment. “Speaking of hiding, you know Shining Armor and I missed you at the wedding?” Chrysalis’s lips shot out to the far sides of her face in an icepick smile. “What’s the matter? Too busy napping to wish us well?” Luna narrowed her eyes as her horn began to glow an intense blue. “You know I too was disappointed that I missed your appearance at Princess Cadance and Shining Armor’s wedding.” She lowered her horn and pointed it at Chrysalis, it began to shimmer with a dark blue radiance. “It will be nice to finally fight you as my sister did.” Chrysalis’s smile held as she lowered her own horn. “Well go on then.” With that, a brilliant blue blast of energy burned through the air. ‘PHHOOOOOMMM!’ Chrysalis grinned malevolently as her own twisted horn glowed a bright green and she fired off her own fiery blast not a split second later. ‘SCHOOOORRCHCH!’ The blasts met between the two combatants as the smell of burning ozone flooded Luna’s nostrils. Both blue and green energy swirled and crackled as the resulting ball of energy shifted back and forth ever so slightly. Luna gritted her teeth and leaned forward, the blue energy increased in both size and intensity, the energy began to slowly move closer to Chrysalis. Chrysalis’s lips opened wider as she too leaned forward, and unleashed a torrent of her own energy. A flaming green wave overpowered Luna’s blue energy and surged into her, slamming into the lunar princess and sending her limp body far across the cavern into a wall of books contained inside a massive bookcase. The heavy wood gave a loud ‘CRACK!’ as an ancient shelf gave way under the impact from the alicorn. Luna’s smoldering body fell to the hard stone ground, followed by a number of large and heavy books. Luna moaned as her limbs twitched slightly and small wafts of smoke drifted up from her singed mane. Chrysalis chuckled darkly as she fluttered up into the air. “You’ll be happy to know you did just as well as your sister.” Luna’s eyelids shot open and she slowly rose to her hooves, books sliding off of her as her legs trembled under her own weight. Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed and her smile fell as Luna’s horn began to glow electric green once more. “Well then,” Luna said as she pointed her horn upwards, “I suppose I will just have to do better than my sister…”