Chapter 4
June 29, 2013
I was not surprised to wake up still feeling tired. Chrysalis was unaware of human bedroom customs and courtesies. She had apparently just been following the love when she barged in on Maria and I. Even after getting her to go to sleep it hadn’t been easy to get any shuteye of my own.
I awoke with alarm clock assistance at seven. I hadn’t reset it to let myself get a little more sleep on the weekend. I suspected Maria might also have been awake but refusing to get out of bed. This assumption was based on the fact that she moaned loudly enough to indicate her opinion that the alarm clock should take its business elsewhere. I couldn’t blame her. The sudden arrival of a changeling in our midst would cause anyone to want to sleep in.
Somebody had to deal with our guest, however. Even if that somebody was me, I still felt justified in dragging my feet a little. I knew that when I emerged from the bathroom I would have to deal with Chrysalis, so I resolved to take as long as possible.
I pulled my straight razor out of the drawer. I didn't usually shave with it because it took so much longer than a standard safety razor. There was also the additional risk of cutting myself. Still, it felt like a cold steel kind of day.
Shave soap works better than shaving cream. Not only is is slicker for the razor to slide on, but unlike more robust creams it leaves a thin mild film that you can see through. When you're using a straight razor, any bumps on your skin hidden under shaving cream will be painfully removed if you don't see them coming.
The soft scraping sound let me know the blade was working. I shaved downwards, reapplied soap, and then shaved a second time against the grain. The whole process was the closest shave a man could get, but took about half an hour from start to finish. Done right, it was therapeutic in a way.
I straightened my mohawk out, needing just a few quick swipes with the comb. I didn’t usually use gel. My hair is wavy enough to hold together reasonably well.
I finally emerged from the bathroom after finishing my other regularly scheduled morning activities. I picked up my glasses from the dresser and put them on. Maria was still in bed and I let her sleep. I guess that meant I was dealing with Chrysalis through the morning.
The changeling was resting on her makeshift bed when I stepped into the living room. I decided that if I had been taking time on my shave then I might as well spend a while to go all out for breakfast with bacon, eggs, and pancakes.
Chrysalis awoke just as I was putting the bacon on. She dragged herself with a hobbling three-legged gait but managed to make it to the breakfast bar in the kitchen. There was no way she could get her butt on a stool but she shifted slightly to lean against the wall for support.
I glanced at her as I tended the bacon. “Good morning.”
She nodded and yawned. Her teeth and tongue looked as scary as ever. She sniffed the air a little. “Is that...flesh?”
“Pig,” I replied.
She licked her lips and smiled. I turned away and focused on the cooking. She still creeped me out, and somehow that made even bacon seem less friendly.
Maria stumbled out of the bedroom just as I was finishing breakfast prep. I got out three plates and filled them with tasty things from the stove before serving them up on the breakfast bar. Chrysalis was tall enough to eat directly from the plate, her neck bent only slightly.
She ate with her face in the food, not using magic to lift bites into her mouth. Maybe she was still too weak for that, yet she had somehow unlocked the bedroom door the previous night. I was still somewhat wary that she was feigning being weaker than she really was.
Chrysalis seemed to enjoy the meal, judging by the bacon grease and pancake syrup remaining on her lips and the clean plate before her. I held out a napkin. She gave me a look, still balancing awkwardly on three legs.
“Sorry,” I muttered. I wiped her mouth as best I could. I really didn’t want my fingers that close to her teeth. A little dirt and ash came off with the breakfast remnants. I glanced at the temporary bed. Everything was dirty. “We need to get you cleaned up.”
“Perhaps that would be best,” Chrysalis acknowledged.
“I’ll put away the dishes,” Maria volunteered. She gave me a look that said, Good luck figuring out how to give a changeling a bath.
Chrysalis staggered a little as I led her towards the bathroom. Letting her lean against me helped somewhat. This was the closest I’d been to her so far and I made a few observations. Her hide was stiff and tough, but somewhat flexible. I couldn’t tell if it was the same chitin that composed regular insect exoskeletons or something else. Certain parts of her body had short stiff bristles, like something you might see on the body of a housefly. I wondered if more of them had been burned or sheared off during her accident.
I had to assist Chrysalis in getting over the edge of the bathtub. “How hot do you like your water?”
“Just warm, please.” Her tone was civil and friendly. It helped me forget that I was in the bathroom with a naked, sapient female who wasn’t my wife.
With one bandaged arm, I was only of limited usefulness in trying to scrub her. A sponge or loofah would get caught in the bristles on her body. In addition, I didn’t want to be too rough on the spots where she had been injured.
While her cleaved leg was the major concern, Crysalis’ gossamer wings had also been torn away. There wasn’t much left, not even enough to get a basic idea of how they might have functioned. Based on what I remembered from the show, they had never looked physically capable of supporting her weight. Maybe there was a significant amount of magic involved.
While scrubbing didn’t do much good, the flowing water did wash away plenty of soil and charred ash. I knew we would have to reapply Chrysalis’ bandages, but that was probably a smart idea anyway.
I wrapped her in a towel and and brought her back to the living room. Maria had anticipated the need for new bandages and looked up from her medical bag as we came in. Her mouth quirked, trying not to smile at the sight of Chrysalis swaddled in a fluffy towel.
We got Chrysalis to lie down again and checked her wounds. Even if only a day had passed, they seemed to be healed noticeably. My arm hadn’t, however, and I still felt somewhat cross at her for that. At least my injury hadn’t become any worse.
Still, Chrysalis seemed remarkably good at garnering forgiveness. Even if she was fully healed I wouldn’t call her cute, but lying on her back wearing a faint smile as we tended to her she looked less like a bug and more like a puppy.
“Where’s your leg?” Maria asked.
I looked around. Sure enough, the detached appendage was nowhere to be seen.
“I cleaned it up,” Chrysalis explained, licking her lips for emphasis. “I don’t know if I can find proper vitamins and minerals for healthy growth on this planet, so I shouldn’t waste any. Also, I felt that I should be a good guest and not leave parts of myself lying around.”
That was so...creepy. Practical, perhaps, but creepy. She could give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money in terms of casual cannibalism.
Maria finished up with the bandaging. “I had a few appointments scheduled for later today. I needed to take care of them before going on vacation. Can I leave you two alone together?”
“Yes ma’am,” said Chrysalis, lazily saluting with her good foreleg.
“I did have a few things to do,” I said. I turned to Chrysalis. “Are you well enough to change shape?”
“Let me see.” A ripple of green magic began to lick at her body like fire. Her shape distorted and changed, becoming somewhat smaller and more mammalian. In a few seconds, she had transformed into a large dog.
One foreleg was still missing and the fur was scraggly, but at least she didn’t look like a changeling anymore. Maria nodded and gave her a quick scratch behind the ears. “Good girl.”
Chrysalis stood and practiced walking. With shorter legs, she seemed to have an easier time of it. Maria went to get ready for the day. I went into the bedroom to change. I put on a long sleeved shirt to cover the bandage on my arm. It also did pretty well at concealing the pistol holster I threaded onto my belt. The 1911 dropped into place and I tested to make sure it was secure before covering it with the shirt.
I left the bedroom and headed for the front door. “Coming, Chrissy?”
She panted and wagged her tail, beginning to get in character. I led her outside. Chrysalis paused, looking at the two vehicles in the driveway. “I assume that these are conveyances of some kind?”
It was strange to hear the words come from a dog’s mouth, although whether it would have been more or less strange to get them from a non-disguised changeling was up for debate.
“That’s right. They’re pretty common in this part of the world.” I opened the passenger side door of my car for her and rolled down the window. The morning was already getting warm and I wasn’t planning to drive fast enough to make the breeze uncomfortable.
Chrysalis settled herself awkwardly on the seat. Larger breeds of dogs don’t fit well in cars, and when the dog is actually an alien insectoid pony thing unused to the shape or having a missing leg, it only gets worse.
I went around and got behind the wheel, also rolling my window down. Chrysalis looked around as the engine started, hearing and feeling the rumble. My car is not outrageously powerful, it just has dual glasspacks.
I backed out of the driveway onto the main road. I thought about telling Chrysalis to wear a seatbelt, but that would have looked weird on a dog. Besides, if she could fall from the sky into power lines and only suffer injuries that could be regenerated, I figured a car accident wouldn’t hurt her too much.
We went out to the old radio facility. The front gate was still hanging open and I drove through. The weather was dry with no morning dew, and I found my clipboard just as I had left it. I thought Chrysalis should probably see the place where she had landed. Maybe it would give her some clues as to her situation.
She stepped out of the car and spent a few moments surveying the area. There was a blackened crater decorated with bits of metal and downed electric wires. Chrysalis looked up at the sky, not seeming to find anything of value. She turned around. “I don’t know why I landed here, but I still think that the original plan of visiting the convention would be best. I don’t think the location of my departure point for going back to Equestria matters.”
That was good to hear. We got back in the car and drove to the gate. After shutting it, I spent a moment finishing the paperwork, including a note about the strange site where, oh, maybe a meteor or something had knocked down an electrical transformer. Got to watch out for that space junk.
After that, we headed for town. I had made arrangements to drop my report in the office mail slot so I didn’t have to come in on Monday morning. Chrysalis looked around, sometimes hanging her head out the window to better observe the town. It must have been clear to her that it was a small settlement, but the architecture and other vehicles might have provided some clues about our technology level. She seemed fascinated by the bank’s animated time/temperature display.
I stopped at an intersection. Republic was too small to have stoplights, so I wasn’t delayed long. However, just as I was about to take my foot off the brake a voice called out, “Hey Sandy!”
With a quick prayer, I turned to look out the passenger window. I had been accosted by Taco, a man regarded as the local nut.
He stuck his head in the window. “Oh hey, you got a dog. Where did you come from, girl?”
For a panicked moment, I thought she was going to answer him. Instead, she played it cool and only wagged her tail, accepting a pat on the head from Taco.
“This is Chrissy. She’s a rescue,” I explained.
“Hmm, yeah, she looks like she’s seen a lot.” Taco frowned at her injuries. He was instantly back to smiling, however. “Hey Sandy, I saw an alien the other day!”
I stiffened. “Really?”
“Yeah, he was all tall and green and wanted to see my leaders. I told him to shove off because I don’t believe in government.”
I exhaled. “Good for you, Taco.”
“Thanks Sandy. See you around.”
Chrysalis gave me a look as we drove away. “Are you visited by aliens often?”
“Well, no. Taco claims to meet them all the time but I have yet to see any evidence that he’s telling the truth.” Despite that, I suddenly decided that I would start being a little more tolerant of him from now on. Call it empathy.
We drove on and I stopped outside the office. After dropping off my paperwork I got back in the car. It was still midmorning. I realized I didn’t have very much to do for the rest of the day. There was so much I could teach Chrysalis about Earth, but was that a good idea? For example, what would she do with access to the internet?
There were other things she could learn about, however. Republic was a tiny town. At the very least I could show Chrysalis a larger place so she wouldn’t be completely overwhelmed when confronted with Seattle.
“How about a little jaunt?” I suggested.
Chrysalis seemed to agree with that and wagged her tail. I appreciated her staying in character. Her focus on staying inconspicuous would make things easier when she had to pass for human. If our plan of using the brony convention to draw love was successful, she might have to blend in as part of the crowd.
I pointed the car towards the highway. The city of Marquette was about thirty miles away and the road leading there was scenic. Forests lined the pavement, occasionally giving way to fields and low hills. The elevation changes were small, nothing coming close to mountains. After all, the highest point in Michigan is less than two thousand feet. A glacier passing through several thousand years ago mostly flattened the whole area.
The road was built beside the small Teal Lake. The sun sparkled off the water and a few boats were out taking advantage of the Saturday morning. Chrysalis seemed appreciative of the scenery, from what I could tell of her doggy expressions.
A few more miles passed and Marquette came into view. It was just about that time that my stomach growled. Making breakfast for a guest had stretched everything a little further than I would have liked.
Fortunately, a solution soon presented itself. I turned off the road into the McDonald’s parking lot. Chrysalis sniffed the air, clearly picking up the smells from inside.
Pulling around to the drive through, I ordered a quarter pounder with cheese from the speaker box. I glanced at Chrysalis and amended, “Actually, make it two.”
We collected the burgers and I paid. Chrysalis seemed suitably impressed by the efficiency of human restaurants, and sniffed the bag closely. The disguised changeling paused and rolled her eyes upward to look at me without removing her nose from the bag. It would be an incredibly cute thing for a dog to do. I turned away and kept driving.
The road dead ended at the shores of Lake Superior where there was a small parking lot. Chrysalis and I sat on the hood of the car and ate our cheeseburgers while staring at the crystal blue waters that stretched to the horizon.
I had to hold her sandwich for her while she took bites. Chrysalis was kind enough not to chomp my fingers in the process. She seemed to like McDonald’s food. I guess changelings really will eat anything.
When I noticed Chrysalis sniffing earlier, I wondered about her senses. I figured they were probably better than my own, but were they affected by changing forms? Was her nose better when she was a dog? Actually, that was an interesting line of thought. How much were her powers affected by different forms? Did she need to be au naturale to use magic?
I filed those thoughts away for later. We got back in the car and headed for home. Chrysalis panted happily and seemed to be enjoying herself. I smiled slightly.
I wanted to like her. Other than the biting incident that she had apologized for, and walking in while Maria and I were in bed which she hadn’t realized was a faux pas, she hadn’t been much of an antagonist. No mind control, no evil behavior. She didn’t seem as bad as I had expected.
At the same time, I couldn’t afford to put any blind faith in her. Despite her innocent behavior, the fact remained that I knew next to nothing about her situation. Was that prejudice or just cautious? What would the ponies do?
I used the episode where Discord came back as an example in my mind. Fluttershy helped, but the rest shunned him. Ultimately, the problem was solved with kindness, but what if it had gone the other way? Well, then her friends would have been prepared to kick some tail.
There was a lesson there. Speak softly but carry a big stick. I just hoped I could handle both. Not everyone can be Theodore Roosevelt.
As we drove west again I thought about some priorities. Tomorrow Maria and I would need to pack in preparation for the trip. If possible, maybe we could help Chrysalis get used to being in human form.
I felt conflicted about that. A dog disguise I could live with, but somehow an artificial human rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like the uncertainty. She would walk, talk, and act like a real person but I would know that she wasn’t. Maybe this was why ponies detested changelings.
My mind began to drift to more and more random thoughts that were only vaguely related to the situation. If Chrysalis existed, then clearly the mane six and the rest of the show’s cast must. Was there I chance that I could meet them? Maybe I could even meet...Best Pony? That would be cool. I would gladly put up with a changeling in exchange for that opportunity.
The only way it could be better was if Teddy Roosevelt was also there.
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Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president as well
Damn, reading this makes me miss Redmond... The weather was turning so nice when my friends and I left for Singapore...
2660889
It's still beautiful btw.
Chrysalis is so nice and polite
2660894
I should hope so. Also, I got to see snow in March, which was awesome.
well that was an interesting story
-indubitably
Alright another great chapter. Teddy Roosevelt wish we could have him running for president again. Stay safe out there.
2660934
You should come back for Everfree, tnab as well as 10+ other fan fiction guests will be speaking and many will be attending the chillout at the end of Friday and Saturday. It's basically a giant fanfiction meetup.
Dammit. It still sucks for me to go to cons, because I'd have to have my ma bring me there. And by the time I hit 16, I'm sure the cons won't exist.
2660908 Yes, she is. This particular behavior is called Affably Evil.
Very well written chapter. I wonder what Chrysalis would look like in human form? Maybe a punk - tattered black dress, old leather jacket and green hair. And maybe disguise herself as a Cadance cosplayer at the com.
Teddy Roosevelt is best U.S. president.
2661107
NNNNOOOOOOOOO YOU LINKED TO THAT SITE!
And I was intending on doing productive stuff today
2661056
I wish I could afford the ticket and time since I have summer classes and July is basically one of my busiest months of the semester. =/
2661211 See, I'm not a bad guy, I'm just an agent of TvTropes...
2661107
WARNING: TV TROPES LINK WARNING! DON'T GO IF YOU HAVE OTHER STUFF TO DO TODAY!
2661426 YOU ARE TOO LATE!!! PEOPLE ARE ALREADY CLICKING IT!!! YOUR FATES ARE SEALED NOW!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here's a funny video about Teddy! Not exactly relevant, but I watch this for laughs.
2661076 We bronies are at ZE millions I'm pretty sure they would still exist trust me
2661214
Well, let me know if you can in the future. There are ways to volunteer for passes and some people share rooms for those less fortunate.
Another good chapter, very interesting to read.
On an unrelated note, I read somewhere that the original quote was 'walk softly and carry a big stick', and that it was misattributed to teddy- he (likely)never said it. Not to say he couldn't have, but if he did, he was likely quoting the original source.
Everypony in a fluffy towel!
24.media.tumblr.com/ee45b8305cbb521bbc0068d32ba9def0/tumblr_mk1869TFec1s0sz7go2_500.png
Well, sort of...
>TR
Awwwwww yeaaahhhhhhhhh!
landartheconqueror.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-brony-full-of-chaos.jpg?w=640
Really? I know that McDonalds isn't exactly good but still...
Also, it would be amazing if she could receive indirect love over long distances... Like the E-net
I just thought of something... When she has to disguise as a human, her leg will be gone, but when she gets enough love it will grow back...
How can she play it off when somebody notices part of her knee is back?
2662192 I have a plan. Also, it's her foreleg that is missing, so it would more likely be her arm.
I read that as: I beat the shit out of my alarm clock at seven.
A meteor impact you say? Probably just a punch from this guy.
1.bp.blogspot.com/-2hS_qGJCDUQ/T4Jw0B540GI/AAAAAAAAN1c/V1TfWGeoAEA/s1600/fourze%2Bart21.jpg
And Chrysalis could go to the convention as herself.
th09.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/220/7/7/queen_chrysalis_by_nueteki-d5ab7ib.jpg
2662572 Oops. But that's even more noticeable!
2661616
Next year hopefully, when I have the money for plane and venue tickets and the time. =x
And thanks, I'll keep that in mind.
Teddy Roosevelt is best pony.
Isn't ash already charred?
Nice chapter.
Filly please!:
images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101117005712/animorphs/images/thumb/8/8c/Taxxon_43.png/250px-Taxxon_43.png
Taxxon(s):
2662787 Well... uhm... that actually WAS Chrysalis.
This story is based on a true story...
PS: Her eating meat means.... CHANGELINGS ALSO EAT PONIES!!! KILLITKILLITKILLITKILLITKILLITKILLITKILLIT!!!
2663847 Don't try to kill them up close, or anywhere within their sight. If they know you're there, they'll find a way to change form and escape. Snipers are excellent at getting around that.
derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTIvMDkvMzAvMjNfMzFfMjFfMjgzXzExMDc5OV9fVU5PUFRfX3NhZmVfcmFyaXR5X2d1bl9zbmlwZXJfYXJ0aXN0X3ZvbWJhdnIiXV0/110799__safe_rarity_gun_weapon_rifle_artist-vombavr_ar15_510443b67f123be5e70000f6.jpg
And according to your logic, the fact that humans eat meat means that we also eat ponies. This is clearly not the case (in most cultures), so your logic is flawed.
2661107
victorsvillage.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/tv-tropes.png
I miss good ol' Michigan.
The last time I was there I made a stop in Marquette.
2664684
We do eat ponies, mate! What do you think happens to riding ponies once the child grows out of them?
s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/imagebuzz/web04/2010/6/2/16/my-little-pony-meat-18480-1275512376-4.jpg
Plus they are pretty tasty! And before you ask, yes both dogs and cats are excellent in their own way when properly prepared. I'm on a quest to eat the meat of every animal I can......Anyone up for a long stroll through a secluded forest with me?
2667791 Dude, not cool.
2667874 Tis fact. Sad fact, but a fact none the less. Though, I'll admit, the picture was a bit too dark. Editing!
2664684 *points to that show where the one dude was eating Rainbow Dash* HE ADMITTED IT!!!
*kills the all humans*
And universe was saved!
2667791 SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
*blows up the Earth to save the animals!
Success! Now the animals are... *blinks at the floating fragments of planet* ... oh... uhm... some sacrifices had to be made for the greater good...
2668392 You think that killing off a single species localized to one planet is going to save the universe? What about those that are already spacefaring? Wouldn't they be a bigger threat to the universe than us humans?
2668421 Nah! They're all perfectly nice and benevolent races!
Like these guys!
startrek.com/uploads/assets/db_articles/dfd93493a4424a16681982aafa879dcedffe472b.jpg
And these happy little fellows!
3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWNhyMUpjSE/Sp_GuBIBP_I/AAAAAAAAEf8/kUfW58IS8Ns/s400/daleks.jpg
And of course these pleasant galactic neighbors!
gap.netcore.fi/b5/pics/41_2.jpg
So, yup! Humans were the worstest and had ta get blowed up!
2668464 It sounds more like they're trying to take preventative measures than anything. Besides, their efforts would be better spent on things that are an actual threat at the moment than a species so caught up in politics, nobody can really understand what's going on or why. Heck, they might have sent a group of spies down long ago that invented live broadcasts of sports games. Lots of people seem to be rather addicted to that, seeing as (and this is just in my area) a good rock music station became a sports station, and a talk station, where the talk is mostly about the politics that run our nation, will cut off the talk shows for baseball mid-sentence. There's also the many TV channels dedicated solely to individual sports. We humans are not going to be posing a galactic threat anytime soon, especially with one of the superpowers of the world not sending people up anymore.
I'm not falling for Chrysalis' ruse at all, how can she be so calm at a time like this? She's not really calm, inside she's going crazy, and when she gets to full power, she'll turn on them and wipe them all out.
I love this fic. In fact, I love it too much that it glitched on me. =/
My favorites lists is showing that I have 2 new chapters of your story to read, but I already read them all (up to this chapter)!
I tried to unfavorite your story, and the glitch was gone. I tried to favorite it again, and it displayed 2 again. -,-
I tried reading all the available chapters again, but the number 2 is still not disappearing! D:
What did Chrysalis do to my favorites list!? :3
2668403 *crosses arms* Oh that's just great! Now we have to eat creatures from Earth 2. Have you been there!? it sucks!
2668569 But blowing up planets is more fun...
That's why we have this thing, ya know?
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