//------------------------------// // Anniversary Special (Non-canon) // Story: Chrysalis Wins // by Arkolo //------------------------------// Chrysalis Wins Anniversay special (non-canon) "This spoon?" Chrysalis held aloft a golden spoon in her magic... then the world froze, and the changeling felt a strange tugging sensation over her whole body. Before she knew it, gone was the Crystal Empire, Shellish, Crone, and Specter. Everything she recognized faded away, and even her hooves no longer touched the ground. A peculiar feeling of floating through space came upon her. It was dark and she could see nothing. "Wha- what! What's going on? Gaw I knew I shouldn't have taken that spoon! But Shellish why?" Slowly light came into her view, stars started to sparkled above and below her. With no real ground to land her hooves on she continued to float along through the immense space around her. Frustrated by the lack of contact, she tried to take a step, but all that did was send her into a slow somersault. The stars began to look like comets in her rotisserie view. "Shellish! SHELLISH!" Fear had begun to etch itself into her voice, she had no idea how she got here, or how she could get out. It was rather surreal. She tried to activate her magic, and create a portal out. She successfully made the portal, but all it did was place her somewhere else in the endless starry sky... At least she stopped her somersaults. Panic started to over take her at this point, her hope started to sink faster than a stone in quicksand. "Help! HELP!" She started to scream. A faint chuckle came from some distance away, and some words were exchanged between two relatively deep voices. "How much longer til she starts to cry? hehehe." "Please, there is teasing and there is taking it too far." "Oh fine, but it's not like we're in a rush for time." There was a click, and a dusty old ceiling lamp lit up, and illuminated the silhouette of two previously concealed figures. Chrysalis's eyes were naturally drawn to this new source of light, and she ceased her terrified shrieks immediately. She felt a sudden backlash of embarrassment and indignation. When she saw the two figures under the light she quickly grew angry. Her voice was full off demand rather than curiosity. "What's the meaning of this!" "Meaning? Does there have to be meaning?" One large figure turned to the other with an amused chortle. The second figure answered in matter of fact tone. "Generally yes, or meaning can be made afterward." Chrysalis didn't recognize either voice, or either figure by their silhouette. All she could distinguish was that both of them were very large, and that she didn't like being the subject of some other creatures' amusement. She had just gone through plenty of that... "Get to your point! Who are you two! Why have you brought me here!" The dusty old ceiling lamp disappeared, and in its place the ambient light increased. The stars were no longer contrasted by a stark blackness, but a misty cloudy blue. The details of the two figures were finally distinguishable, and caused Chrysalis's demanding persona to falter a little. One of them was a pony she had just seen. A giant alicorn with crystal blue mane and tail, the other was a fat blonde draconequus. "SUPRISE!" The corpulent chimera threw his top limbs into the air, and caused the stars to explode like a cascade of fireworks. Each of the sparks then turned into giggling butterflies that swarmed around them for a while longer until they fizzled out. "Welcome to... well, what do you call this place Harmony?" He idly scratched at one of his jowls with a panda paw. "It's my-" "The Harmony Hub! Let's call it that Harmony Hub, center of all things destiny and fate. We've brought you here for a short playdate." "Home..." Harmony finished, though she didn't appear at all offended that she had been interrupted by the boisterous buffoon next to her. Rather she appeared use to these kinds of antics. Chrysalis held a slightly open mouth, and her head constantly swiveled to look from one ridiculous figure to the next. She was quite bewildered, and at a total loss for words. This made the giant draconequus smile broadly, which caused his jowls to jiggle. "I don't think she's confused enough just yet, let's show her something that will really throw her mind for a loop." He slapped together his manatee flipper and panda paw, and rubbed them mischeviously. Harmony rolled her eyes and rustled her wings, before she sighed. "Very well, but we're keeping it tempered. I'll start things out." As the alicorn's horn ignited with a rainbow of magic, a sudden recognition burst into Chrysalis's eyes. "Shellish was you! She was disguised as you and it scared off Discord!" A river of magic flooded underneath them while they floated above. The changeling's outburst brought a smile to Harmony's lips. "She did, didn't she. A spot on job if I may say so." The blonde draconequus laughed at the exchange. "Poor wittle Discord, stuck in stone for over a thousand years, the threat of it happening again seemed to spook him for some odd reason. AHHAHAHA! Oh, but let's get to the fun part with our current guest." With a clap of magic a large golden spoon appeared in the chimera's paw, and he reached it down to the river below, where he began to stir. Strange images started to ripple out from where the utensil contacted magic. "So Chryssie, can I call you Chryssie? What have you heard about alternate dimensions?" Enamored with the visuals in the river, Chrysalis answered distractedly. "Queen Chrysalis, and what do you mean alternate dimensions?" "Other worlds, other possibilities, other timelines. All of which are like their own little bubbles, their own little universes. Some almost mirror each other exactly, but many are radically different." The changeling let out a gasp when she saw the various images in the river come into focus. All of them appeared to be different reflections of her in one way or another. The golden instrument was withdraw from the river and the ripples ceased so the various scenes below could be seen with crystal clarity. The draconequus shook the spoon a bit to get off the last bits of magic. Harmony pointed towards one of the reflections, and it magnified until it was easily seen. "For example, your battle at Canterlot turned out in many different ways in these different timelines." Below in the river Chrysalis saw herself wear a smug grin while she lounged at a window sill. A short distance away Cadance and Shining Armor put their horns together, and cast a spell. The smug grin on the reflection's face disappeared when an explosive wave of magic blew her away. Harmony's hoof touched the river again and that image shrank away, she tapped another one that enlarged itself accordingly. "Some are not just alternate timelines, but completely different versions of what you could be." The next enlarged image was of different looking Canterlot. It was a good deal more grey, and the skies were beautiful shades of violet. What caught Chrysalis's eye was another changeling down in the city. This changeling roamed around the city, all the while laughing and talking animatedly with with the ponies and changelings around her. She had luscious curly locks of teal mane, and emblems of hearts were on her wings, necklace and hoofware. All of the nearby ponies and changelings gazed at her adoringly. They all positively beamed with joy. For a few moments Chrysalis just watched, she couldn't quite decide if she was disgusted, or perhaps, just the smallest bit jealous of this reflection. She couldn't remember the last time anypony or changeling ever gave her a look like that. A look, like they actually... unreservedly...loved her. "C'mon Harmony, you're going way too vanilla, let's show her some of the weirder ones!" The blonde draconequus brushed his manatee flipper against the river, and a cycle of different images popped up in rapid succession. There was a tree, and the tree cracked open to release dozens of changelings, last of which emerged another Chrysalis, all full of holes. A little sign was posted near the tree. "1000 years ago" The manatee flipper flipped again. A strange ape creature with Chrysalis's colors stood on top of a podium, and was worshiped by other strange ape creatures The manatee flipper flipped again. A large monster that resembled a termite queen gurgled as it spit out an endless stream of eggs. A swarm of insects that barely resembled her changelings buzzed about and hissed like feral beasts. The manatee flipper flipped again. Baby Chrysalis', older Chrysalis', decrepit Chrysalis', beautified Chrysalis', god-like Chrysalis', ungodly Chrysalis', and an endless variety more appeared. Different choices, different designs, many of them quite unique, were all paraded infront of her. With the blur of visions going on she had no idea what to think, other than feeling smaller, and less significant. For one moment there was a vision of unbelievable grandeur and power that took her breath away, then next was a sight so pitiable and pathetic it drew tears from her eyes. Then everything went dark... Harmony's soothing voice could be heard. "And then, there's you." The river calmed and the various visions of Chrysalis ceased as it dissolved into an ethereal stream again. It was as if a storm had passed and the calm settled in once more. Harmony slowly glided over to one side of changeling queen, and the blobbish chimera got on the other. They both pressed against her gently, and she felt like a little filly benched between two adults. "Of all the lives to live, you have yours." a large alabaster hoof, and a panda paw waved at the stream of magic below, and another set of scenes flowed before her. Chrysalis, before she had a name and was just a little broodling, was fawned over by a changeling drone and sentinel. A younger Shellish lingered behind them with adoring eyes. Chrysalis, as a little filly pranced through the grass as she was watched over, and taught things by her mentor. Chrysalis, in the beginning of her adolescence began lessons of rule. She learned just how difficult Shellish job really was, but already started to develop her own ideas. Chrysalis, after Shellish was gone, and the responsibility of the swarm on her back. All the pressure, the anxieties, and the desperation just to survive. Chrysalis, and her encounter with Boggy. Chrysalis and her search through the world for other changelings. Chrysalis at Canterlot... Then the whirlwind of events that followed after. "Interesting how the future so quickly becomes the past... I wonder how you keep your head on straight sometimes Harmony. All of this is so much more complicated than simply enjoying the present for what it is." "Don't pretend you aren't a planner Goldie." The alicorn chided, the draconequus just shrugged. "Fine, you have me there. I certainly am most interested how little Chryssie here will play the game." "Queen Chrysalis..." The changeling grunted. Something about the large fat creature really got on her nerves. The oaf blundered on anyway. "Chryssie here has a starring role after all." "So it has been orchestrated, Goldie. Mmm, I'm feeling a shift in the tides." The river of magic below disappeared, and the curtain of darkness began to pass over the starry view. "OOooo, I do too. Well, I suppose our time has come to an end. It's been fun Chryssie! Time to rewind!" After a final pat on the head the corpulent Chimera pulled out a remote, and hit the rewind button. A high pitched whiz followed everyone going back the way they came, through the order of events that brought them there. --- -Crystal Empire "This spoon?" Chrysalis held aloft a golden spoon in her magic. She shook her head and had a very odd feeling of whiplash, but couldn't quite remember why...