//------------------------------// // Ch.40 "Do you want to build a Scheme-man?" // Story: Chrysalis Wins // by Arkolo //------------------------------// Chrysalis Wins Ch.40 “Do You Wanna Build a Scheme-Man?” “Calm down!” Crone tolerated several minutes of Chrysalis freaking out, but she had had enough and shouted her disapproval. This did little to persuade the queen out of her ridiculous and hysteric state. “But the crown! I’ve don’t even remember when I dropped it! Every changeling saw me without! Now I have nothing to distract from my deformed horn!” “Did they even comment?” “They wouldn’t dare! I’ve been blind and humiliated myself! And it took you to point it out…” “I have an idea then.” The calmer clone idly ran a hoof over head and through her mane, the feeling that a crown may have been there was a ghostly sensation. Though her head hadn’t worn a crown, and the lack of contact didn’t bother her physically. It was a pity though, she still understood the fond feelings for it, and the memories attached. After a short space of time, Chrysalis was able to pull herself out of her panic for a moment. She realized Crone had offered something, and she seized her clone’s face between her front hooves. “What? What is it?” It was easy for Crone to push the queen off and away, she rubbed a cheek and rolled her jaw before she continued her idea. “You do have a kingdom of ponies under you.” “Yes…” “That would include Celestia’s jewelers and smiths.” “Yes…” “…” “What? Have them make a new one?” “They could make me one too, it would be nice to have something that is… mine.” “Ofcourse, that’s a good idea me.” Crone narrowed her brows and picked up an irritated scowl. As Chrysalis knocked her front hooves together, and picked up a devious grin. Before the queen could go further into a strange form of self compliment, the clone voiced her complaint. “Oh, and let’s not do that.” “Do what?” “Say me, when you actually mean me…” One large hoof was pointed at Chrysalis for the first me, then returned to a self indicated gesture for the second me. The lesser royal cleared her throat noisily and continued a little further. “If you want another royal, then treat me like another royal. No more of this I’m you, you’re me nonsense. It’s doing bad things for my self-perception… and I rather like my image. Did you not think that I may inherit some of your vanity?” “I’m not vain…” “Ofcourse not. Anyway, how do you even want to explain this to the swarm, or the ponies? Or are you just going to stuff me in the closet? Have enough skeletons in there already, don’t we?” Literally… the Badland’s closet atleast… “No, you’re right. You need to be treated as your own royal, and respectfully.” “So, explanations?” “Perhaps your earlier description would be accurate.” “You want me to be your sister?” “It seems fitting.” “Technically you’re more like my mother by process… but.” “Sister will do, it fits the maturity better.” “So how do you want that back story to go over? Twins separated at birth? –snort- You’re the sister that sucked up all the magical potential in the womb? And left none for her poor sister.” “Psh, then you’re then one who took all the physical nutrients…” “I suppose, I guess I can accept I’m the better looking one… such a burden to bear. Wo is me.” “Oh shut it Crone, perhaps I meant ugly hag when I came up with your name.” “Hey! Don’t make me dig for scraps more than I already have to.” “I’ve had to dig for literal scraps most of my life. You on the other hoof… You get to walk into kingdom of wealth and prosperity with no effort of your own. You get to walk into a life with more resources within easy grasp than I ever had. You know the top changeling very well, and have better connections than any common changeling ever will. Don’t make me start on how you are actually spoiled by this situation. The last thing I need is another big brat.” “I… huh.” Crone let her mouth hang open, in the middle of saying something, but her response fizzled out and died before it ever made it to the air. If Chrysalis allowed her a modicum of freedom, there were lot’s of things she could do. And she didn’t have to do any of the work Chrysalis had done to enjoy most of the privileges. She did like privileges, atleast she thought she did, another inherited quality? The look of realization, and expression of silent comprehension of the indications that bedecked Crone’s face, caused Chrysalis to wear a smug smirk. “Before you get ahead of yourself, there is work I want you to do as well.” “Aw… here you just got me thinking. I could just laze about, eat everything, and get every changeling to love me, because I’ll be the cool queen that you can’t. Hehehe, I mean I don’t have to be the hard flank and dish out discipline. You’d be better at that anyway, sister… Such is the burden of holding onto the greater power, wo is you. HAHAHA!” “I said don’t get ahead of yourself!” Chrysalis angrily stomped the ground, and Crone put a hoof to her mouth to stifle her irreverent laughter. The high queen’s angry glare didn’t cause the giggles to slow down fast enough, and her horn ignited. The flash of magic caused Crone to gasp, and her laughter stopped immediately. The sudden agitation that came over the lesser royal caused a pleased expression to come over the true queen. The glow of Chrysalis’s horn stayed present, and from the bed many pillows were pulled. Something like two dozen pillows were pulled up and floated in green aura, each of the fluffy objects was rotated until they pointed length-wise at Crone. Hundreds of fluffy missiles were armed and ready. Chrysalis finally knew how many pillows Celestia had managed to pile onto the obnoxiously large bed, and it caused her to nod appreciatively. She could concede the alicorn’s taste for comfort was impressive, probably another thing built up over the centuries. Wishdom? Psh, vices were for every equine. Meanwhile, as the arsenal of plush doom built up in the air, Crone backed away with nervous eyes. The aura around the objects made her more worried than the fact they were being aimed at her. “If you really know me Crone, then you know that dishing out discipline is fun!” Pomf! A single pillow had been tossed out of the array, and smacked Crone in the face before it dropped to the floor. The clone flinched from the impact, and the object, though plush, was not tossed gently. When Crone saw she had sustained nothing noticeable, she ran a hoof through her mane to fix it, and gave Chrysalis a questionable glare. “Really?” Pomf! “Ok, you’ve made your point.” Pomf! Pomf! Pomf! “Stop, stop it!” Pomf, pomf, pomf, pomf, pomf, pomf! “No! Mercy! Please!” “Hahaha! Beg more…” POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF “Alright I won’t do it ever again! You’re the best! I’m the worst!” POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF “Sorry I didn’t hear you. I still have so much ammunition!” POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF POMF And something like two dozen pillows were used. Or more… Some of it might have been reused. The end result was a massive pile of multicolored feather stuffed linen cases. Crone was no longer visible and her cries of submission had stopped about a quarter of the way into it. Chrysalis had stopped paying attention when she laughed maniacally, half way into it. And the whole room had become something reminiscent of an over-sized drying machine. Eventually the manic laughter calmed down, and the whirlwind died. “Crone?” The was a stir in the mound, and a horn poked out of the sea of plush. The horn proceeded to slither back and forth, as if it were a shark fin that cut through the waves of the ocean. Chrysalis just rolled her eyes. “Crone…” There was a sudden explosion of pillows near Chrysalis, and a tall, vindictive royal burst out of the feathery wading pool. With one oversized pillow in hoof, Crone smacked down on the queen and laid her out flat on the floor. “You cheat! Smothering your advantage all over my everything! GAW! Give me a victim so I can do the same thing!” She jumped on top of Chrysalis to keep her pinned down, and repeatedly brutalized her… with a pillow. When she finished venting her frustration, she capped it off with a downward shove. The pillow was impaled on chrysalis’s jagged horn, and shoved down further so that it blocked her vision. Feathers bled out of the ruptured fabric and further compounded the messy state of the room. The clone stepped away from her handiwork and fell back on her haunches. Several of the pillows in the room had split during Chrysalis’s mad storm, and feathers rained down like snowflakes. “What a way to ruin the bed…” Chrysalis tore the pillow away from her horn, and absentmindedly tossed it aside. She spit out a few feathers before she replied to Crone’s depreciative tone. “Oh psh, Plain Thatch will clean it up.” “You ask too much of that pony.” “She’s a servant, it’s her job.” That made Crone hum with troubled thought. “So… what’s my job going to be? Since, you’ve decided you’re not going to blow me up.” “Hmm.” “well?” “I have two ideas in mind, and neither of them requires a smidgen of magic.” “What are they?” “Well it depends what you would like to do more. Are you more interested in perusing through history? Or would you like to help me in a scheme? A scheme that has just come to mind.” “I like schemes…” “Then let’s get plotting.”