//------------------------------// // Chapter 20: Mixing a Cure // Story: Relationships are Evil // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// The crystal walls of the castle gleamed against the morning sun, ushering an end to the previous night. It was another night that Twilight and Starlight had worked through, determined to find a way to break the changelings’ curse. Potion stands, alchemic apparatuses, and large quantities of books piled around their workstation – which was just three tables pushed together. It was also another morning that Discord had appeared to greet them, offering coffee and breakfast to keep them going. For the draconequus to bring them food and beverages was a rare sight, but not unwelcome. Twilight assumed it was his way of keeping an eye on the changeling queen that patiently slumbered on cushions in the corner, happily dreaming as the two ponies toiled. When they finally found the cure, she wanted to be the first to learn of their success, but she did not expect them to use her as a test subject as well. Twilight raised a tube of red, bubbling juices to her eye, making sure it was the proper amount before pouring it into a second mixture of green liquid. She quickly corked the top and swirled it around with her magic. The formula transformed into a yellow coloring as she placed it back atop the burner. Carefully, the cork was popped off. When the liquid failed to explode, the two mares happily clapped their hooves together. “You two seem cheery,” Discord said, placing a tray of food on the table behind them. The alicorn gave a wink to the draconequus, bringing attention to the bags that sat underneath her eyes. “I think we’ve done it this time,” replied Twilight, yawning half way through. She levitated the test tube back onto a rack with other empty tubes. She motioned for Starlight to wake the sleeping queen, excited to finally be done with the research. Starlight rushed – which was about as fast as a turtle going uphill – and woke the snoozing changeling. A yawn and a stretch was all she needed before rising to drink the potion the two had made. They had already made others, all failed of course, but they did discover the recipe for turning changelings white. Chrysalis was a little weary of the potion’s smell, but she hoped this one would be the last. Discord watched in the background as Chrysalis levitated the tube up to her lips and sent the yellow liquid down her gullet. The fizziness of the drink tingled in the back of her throat, though she felt it too sweet for her liking. As they waited patiently for something to happen, she shrugged and said, “I don’t feel any different. I still hunger for love.” As she finished her sentence she could feel her belly rumble, and then her whole body became clammy. Both the mares watched in horror as the changeling shrunk. No longer did she tower over the two ponies, but instead looked up at them from her new height – barely taller than a normal filly or colt. She let out a groan as Discord began to give a hearty laugh. Everything was small, except for her hair, which clouded her vision. Her tail dragged across the floor as she walked back over to the bed. “Well, maybe potions aren’t going to work,” Twilight pathetically said, her voice barely loud enough to be heard. “You think?” Chrysalis murmured out of earshot, blowing the hair out of her face. Starlight gave a sigh as she began cleaning up the tools, giving Twilight a chance to wander over and grab them both the coffee Discord had prepared. He stood leaning against the table, silently watching until she smiled up at him. “You two sure have been busy. I could give you two a hand, y’know,” he said as he took off his lion’s paw and waved it at her. She gave a tired eye to the horrible pun, smiling all the while, and then said, “No, no. We don’t want any chaos magic – but thank you though, I appreciate the offer.” Before he could speak up to retaliate the remark, she shot him a question, “You’ve been in here every day. Trying to win me over by bringing me coffee? It’s working. That or I’m sleep deprived.” “You two should take a breather, it’s not healthy to be working on something so important while you’re tired. You never know when something chaotic could happen!” he said, attempting to spook the alicorn into some rest. “Soon,” she replied as she brought the extra coffee over to Starlight. After setting it down, she then helped the unicorn clear the table. He continued to watch for a moment as the braniacs attempted to solve the great conundrum, eventually taking his leave as they worked. When the draconequus finally returned in the evening, he found the two mares slumped over the table, cuddling close to each other, papers sat underneath their tired heads. The changeling had already fallen asleep on the cushions, no longer the size of a foal and was the appropriate color. With a light snap of his fingers, another set of cushions appeared behind the two mares. He slowly lifted Twilight from the table and laid her carefully against the pillows, covering her with a blanket. When he looked back at Starlight, he rolled his eyes and let out a small sigh, then did the same for her as he had done for Twilight. After blowing the candles out and exiting the room, he trotted down the hall and into the parlor. Before he could take his seat, the door latch closing echoed and forced him to turn around. The changeling queen had awoken and was waltzing towards him, sleepy eyed and messy mane. She slowly passed him and stepped into the parlor, sitting down on the comfy couch as he sat opposite in a chair, a coffee table between the two. It was a moment of silence before the queen finally spoke, “You’ve been awfully nice. To me, to Twilight. Are you dying?” He gave a soft chuckle as he replied, “No, thankfully. When I start eating vegetables, then you should worry.” “Then – why?” Discord sat for a moment and then reached down to pick up a book that had been sitting on the coffee table. “I could say it’s for the bet, though it’s not.” He opened the pages and licked a finger, turning to the page he wanted. “I could say it’s because I feel pity for you changelings, though that’s not it either.” “Could it be a special alicorn he’s fallen for, perhaps?” “Nothing is more chaotic than love, I suppose. It’s natural I’d be drawn to it. But that’s only part of it.” She scoffed, “Only part of it? What else could it be?” “It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I’m enjoying the company,” he replied. “Even mine?” “Yes. Even Snorelight Dimmer in there – which pains me to say. It’s nice to be amongst those who like you, and who you like.” “I have to agree, though I can’t believe I’m actually starting to miss the bug puns. Come on, aren’t you going to make fun of the holes in me? Call them swiss cheese? Anything?” He let out another chuckle, placing a hand atop his muzzle. “Trust me, I don’t want anything to do with your holes. I also don’t make fun of others’ appearances, that’s beneath me. Now, what you are or where you come from, that’s a different story all together, waspy.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes and gave a smirk, hardly believing his words to ring true. She slumped her head against the arm of the couch and gave a yawn. “You know, Discord. I’ve learned of what happens if you lose this little bet of yours – unlike me and the other villains, we don’t have any faults if we lose, only if we fail to reform.” “Your point?” he indifferently said, refusing to take his eyes off the book. “Wouldn’t it be easier just to remove the competition? If I was in your position, I’d ache to get rid of me as quickly as possible. Yet, there you are and here I am. Twilight is working awfully hard to help me and my kind – don’t you think it’s a little odd that she’s doing that, straight from the kindness of her own heart? And that you’re allowing it to be done?” His eyes shifted towards the stoic changeling, a grin on his lips as he lowered the book. “Well, you’re right about one thing. Eliminating the competition would be beneficial – but this is a game, and I am most certainly willing to play fair. Well, until I start to lose, then all bets are off.” She let out a hearty chuckle, barely able to control her laughter. “We’ve got that in common, we both hate to lose. Though, neither of us have resorted to cheating, so it seems we both think we’re winning.” “You?” he said as he let out a guffaw louder than hers. “I’m more worried about Tirek swooning Twilight, or maybe that dark unicorn. You? No, not even worried.” “Oh? And why is that?” “Well, I’m friends with her friends – except that awful Starlight – and you’ve got to get her friends to like you if you want to win her. Right now you really don’t have anyone. Even Sombra is making friends. I haven’t seen him once sit around here all day, unlike you – he’s usually out with Rarity or Applejack.” Her position changed, stiffened, and she sat forward with an intent. “You mean, I have to be friends with her friends to win her?” “Absolutely. If her friends don’t like you, then she’ll hear about it and start thinking the same things.” He flipped a page and then said, “You’re welcome by the way. I don’t usually give advice away for free.” Chrysalis laid her head against the arm of the couch once more, groaning in discontent. “Be friends with her friends, huh? Maybe I should start with that one, the yellow pegasus. She seems-“ “Fluttershy is already helping me win,” he interrupted. “Honestly, at this point you’d have a better chance taking on Twilight than winning her.” He then rose to his feet and said, “That’s all the free advice I’m willing to give for tonight. I’d say I hope it helps, but come on, it’s a race.” He then walked out of the parlor with his book nestled under his arm. Chrysalis sat huddled on the couch for a moment after he left, her face tucked between the arm and the back of the couch. Her face was grinning with excitement. Trust me Discord, I’ll be taking you both on soon enough, she thought. ~*~*~*~*~*~ When the morning after rolled around, Discord once again arrived with coffee for the two mares. He placed it on the table like usual and waited to see what experiment they were trying today. Unlike the previous attempts, Twilight and Starlight’s hope had seem to vanish, their eyes droopy and their energy strained. As the alicorn grabbed the coffee and thanked the draconequus she didn’t smile like normal, just kept her nose to the floor. “Are you sure you two don’t want any help?” Discord asked, concerned about their wellbeing – though mostly Twilight’s. “No, Discord. We’ll be fine,” Twilight replied with the most monotone of voices. He gave a shrug and watched as the two connected their magic, trying to form a spell to fix the changeling curse. For an hour he stayed to watch their practices and experiments, until a knock on the door came. Applejack had come to bring some ingredients, not knowing they had already given up on potions. “Well shoot, it sounds like this cure is slippery than a fish in a barrel of butter. Not to mention it’s makin’ you two look more ragged than the Apple family durin’ harvest season,” the earth pony said, tipping her stetson back. “We’ve been trying all we can, but nothing seems to be working,” Starlight replied. “Even creating a spell for something like this is near impossible,” added Twilight as she levitated a book from the table. “Well, why don’t they just make more changelings?” Twilight and Starlight looked at each other, surprised neither had thought to ask that question previously. They then turned their focus to the changeling queen, everyone in the room staring at her as they waited to see what she had to say in response. “As if the bird could bring me more of my species. That’s just ridiculous,” she swatted the question away. As the three ponies stared cluelessly at each other, Discord spoke up, “Bird? What bird?” “What do you mean what bird? The baby bringing bird, of course. A… stork, I believe?” Twilight scratched her head, surprised by the changeling’s genuine reaction. “Chrysalis, do you even know how ponies make more foals?” The queen rolled her eyes at the question. “Of course I do, I had a book on the thing,” she replied. She then cleared her throat and recounted the lines, “When a mare and stallion love each other very much, they request a baby. After months of waiting, a stork will bring the baby wrapped in cloth to their doorstep.” All four stood silent, staring at the proud changeling who believed in what she recited. It was only a moment of silence before Discord burst into laughter, holding his gut as he bellowed. “Th-that’s hilarious!” he yelled, clapping his hands out of amusement. “You actually believe that…” he trailed off into more laughter. “Uhm, Chrysalis. That’s not how babies are made,” Starlight said through Discord’s laughing. “Then… How are they made?” asked the changeling. Applejack rubbed her face with a cloth and replied, “Hoohee, it’s gettin’ a little hot in here. I’ll see you all later.” She was gone in an instant, rushing out of the room and refusing to look back. Discord had fallen to the floor from his laughter, finally standing back up and saying, “I’ve got to tell everybody!” And just like Applejack, he was gone in an instant. “Listen, Chrysalis. That’s not how we ponies make foals. The process is a bit more sensual, seductive. It’s – well… Maybe I have a book around here to explain it,” Twilight stammered in her description, a blush drawing across her face. The changeling queen stood dumbfounded, trying to figure out how ponies had babies. When Discord finally returned, he returned still laughing like a lunatic, causing the changeling to feel a bit embarrassed – something she rarely felt. “Alright Discord, that’s enough,” Twilight said as she motioned him out. “I’ll get you a book on pony anatomy Chrysalis, and then we’ll get back to work.” As she forced the draconequus out into the hall, she shut the door behind her. A grimace on her face only complimented the angry tone she had as she spoke, “Discord! How dare you laugh at her, it’s not her fault she doesn’t know! You can’t just laugh at others like that, it’ll hurt their feelings!” His laughter had finally subsided into a smile, a mere chuckle left his lips as he said, “I’m not laughing at Chrysalis because it’s her, I would laugh just as hard if it were you or Fluttershy. Because, honestly, that’s just hilarious.” She let out a groan and shooed him away, then returned to the room to begin researching once more. Discord did not return until the next morning, he was far too busy gossiping to the locals and the other Elements of Chrysalis’s lack of baby knowledge. When the next morning rolled around, he did not bring coffee or beverages, instead, he walked in with Fluttershy. “Oh I’m sure they’re all still asleep,” he said, pushing the door open to reveal the light show of magic being casted. A giant ball of energy was being formed between Starlight and Twilight, Chrysalis in the middle of it all. The force of the magic was blowing a mighty gust that ruffled papers and scientific instruments. They finally stopped, allowing themselves a moment to breathe and to see if anything had changed within the queen. “I don’t feel any different, I’m still hungry for love and you’re looking like a delicious meal, Twilight,” jested the changeling. Twilight stamped her hoof against her face, groaning from frustration. “I just don’t understand what went wrong! Potions, magic… Neither seems to be helping!” she vented to the room. Discord and Fluttershy calmly stepped in and caught the attention of the three. “Are you sure you don’t want my help?” Discord asked, seeing if her feelings had changed on the matter. “For the last time, no!” shouted Twilight as she began picking up the papers around the room. He frowned and then leaned to Fluttershy, whispering, “See? She doesn’t want my help.” Fluttershy gave him a nod and stepped toward the alicorn, a scowl upon her face like nopony had seen before. “Twilight!” she yelled, getting the attention of her close friend. “Discord has offered his help to you, yet you refuse to accept it. I feel as though I must remind you that when you are struggling, accepting help from your friends is something you yourself recommended,” she stared down the alicorn as she spoke. “O-Oh, I… Uh, well,” Twilight stuttered, she had seen Fluttershy be harsh with the others but had never experienced it herself. If Fluttershy was yelling at her, then she knew she was clearly doing something wrong. “S-Sorry, Fluttershy. You’re right.” Chrysalis leaned to Starlight and whispered, “Are you sure she’s not the leader of the six?” “I’ve never seen Fluttershy upset at Twilight, I’ve never seen her upset at anyone,” she responded with a low-toned voice. The pegasus gave a smile and turned her head back to the draconequus, who calmly approached the two mares. “I’m sorry for being cross,” Fluttershy said, returning to her usual timid self. “But it needed to be said. We’ve all been worried about you and Starlight, and there’s no sense in turning down help from someone who knows a great deal about magic.” “No, no. You were right to do so, I was being incredibly stubborn,” replied Twilight. Then, after a pause, “Discord, do you think you can forgive me and help us solve this?” He crossed his arms, placing his hands against his elbows. “Oh, I don’t know…” he replied with a condescending voice. Twilight’s face went through several emotions, but before she could unleash any of them, he added, “Help you solve it? No. But I can fix their love consuming problem all together with a snap of my fingers.” The jaws of the mares dropped – all except for Fluttershy’s. “You can just do that?” Starlight asked. “Of course, I’m the Lord of Chaos. Nothing’s more chaotic than breaking a curse – or is it the other way around?” He tapped his chin for a moment, contemplating. “Nevertheless, my fix will not completely change them. Instead, it will remove the love requirement for consumption. They can still consume love, but it will not feed them, only add to their magical power. They’ll still have to eat food,” he explained. Chrysalis rushed to Discord and slammed her head to the floor, pleading to the draconequus, “Please, Discord, please! Fix me, fix my kind!” He had never seen her grovel, to him it was hilarious – but not as hilarious as the baby thing, of course. His focus turned to Twilight. “It’s your decision on if I do it or not. They’ll be able to consume love to grow strong, and at a much quicker rate. If I do this, I cannot undo it. They could become crazed with power, and I won’t be able to force them to hunger anymore. To do that I’d have to be a god of destruction, and I am certainly no purple bunny.” “Everything they’ve done was to save their race. The pros outweigh the cons here.” Twilight stared at him with an intent, almost affectionate gaze. “Discord, please, fix them. For me.” Fluttershy and Discord traded looks, the pegasus knew what he was about to say and gave him a reassuring smile. He turned his focus back to the alicorn, a devious grin across his face. “Unfortunately, for this, it’s going to cost you.” “Cost? What would it cost?” she asked, knowing it couldn’t be good. The room stood silent, waiting for his reply. His body slithered across the floor and wrapped her in a hold. “It’s very simple, Twilight Sparkle,” he replied as his head halted face to face with hers. “Go out on a date with me and I’ll fix them.” Her expression of shock was there for a moment, only to fade to a placid smirk. “I was expecting you to say marriage – but I guess you know I wouldn’t have accepted.” She placed a hoof on his cheek, gently rubbing his face before shoving it away. “A date it is, you big lug.”