My Little Chryssie

by Scarheart

Part VII

There is a photograph I took some years ago. It was Chryssie's first time seeing the ocean. It was the rocky shores of the Oregon coast, the summer sky gray with patches of sunshine. The waves crashed against the pebble beach in between great columns of rocky outcroppings where the erosion had yet to topple them. Seagulls called out mournfully overhead. My daughter is wading up into the water, halfway up her legs and turning to grin at me with this look of absolute wonder and joy. Her mane is being lifted by a breeze from the ocean, partially concealing her eyes and face, her ears are perked forward. Its a remote part of the shore, so there isn't anyone around. I still remember what she said to me on that day when she could feel the ocean around her for the first time in her life.

"Daddy, this is a dream come true!"

Pumpkin, my life has been a wonderful dream since you became a part of it.

The photo is one of my most treasured possessions because that was the last summer of innocence I can remember Chrysalis having before she began to transition from a filly into a magnificent mare. Her skin reminds me of that of a seal's every time I gaze upon it in that photo. She's developed spots along her neck that weren't there before. Must be a part of her maturation.

There comes a time in a man's life when he realizes his little girl isn't a little girl anymore. I won't claim to be the brightest crayon in the box, as Chryssie stopped molting and started becoming more and more like the dark and beautiful monarch I remembered from the show did not convince me she was growing up into an adult. It was not the fact she could almost look me in the eye now. I'm thirty-seven now and I don't think she's going to get much bigger than the beautiful statue of magnificence she has become. I'm so proud of her, I'm blind to the fact she has become aware of certain needs she has kept from me. I've always seen her as my little girl, but our trips across the country has dropped obvious hints of her changing the past five years. Ever since she hit the changeling version of puberty, my little girl has slowly transformed into something predatory.

It's not because she's evil. No, nothing like that. A tiger raised in captivity is going to have the same instincts as a tiger raised in the wild. However, in the wild those instincts are honed properly as a matter of survival. A domesticated changeling is like a tiger raised in captivity; she still has the same instincts, but she's had no means to effectively work on them all.

Chrysalis wants to rule. She's a queen. She was born to do so. She wants her own hive or swarm or whatever you call a bunch of changelings. I keep thinking she is what you would get if you mixed Aliens and Species together along with Disney's The Little Mermaid. My daughter doesn't have to tell me. I can feel it in her thoughts when ever she has time for herself.

Where am I getting these weird movie combinations, anyways?

Maybe I should have named her Kerrigan or Ripley.

Nah.

We have had arguments since she started growing into adulthood. Surprisingly, there were few times we would raise our voices, considering we are both quick tempered once our patience runs thin. Considering one of us has enough magic to blow up the house at any given moment (hint: it's not me), we both realize its probably not a good idea to let our emotions run wild. That's one of the purposes of our link, I think. We get a bit of a heads-up for each other's feelings and we love each other too much to resort to petty bickering. Oh, we do yell at each other. I've even grounded her in the past. But she has accepted her punishments before, but has started to become more and more independent minded the older she's gotten. Her intelligence far outstrips mine and I'll admit and she has a cunning that makes me feel like an infant.

Yay me.

Now, the predatory thing I mentioned is not just restricted to hunting down small, furry animals and eating them. There are very few rabbits left in the backyard anymore as it is. The problem I'm beginning to experience is her interest in the opposite sex. The problem is, there is no opposite sex for her on Earth. She's unique, one of a kind. She knows this, yet I've found Chryssie at sunset buzz her wings together in a loud, pulsing song, her eyes locked on the skies with lost hope in her eyes. Those harlequin eyes stare off and I can see the tears form as she tries and tries to call out for one of her own. It's instinct, I know. So does she. The futility of her actions does not prevent her from calling for one of her own.

Chrysalis is lonely.

How does a father deal with this? It's not like she asked a guy out and was rejected. It's more as if the world rejected her for wanting to find true love. The worst part is feeling her heartbreak, fighting her urges that grow with desperation every time she finds herself calling out to one of her non existent own. As her daddy, I can't help her. How can I?

I do the best I can, though it kills me to see her like this. Leaving her be, I even watch television, not paying attention to it until I hear the door open and close, the clatter of hoof steps on the tiled kitchen floor dejectedly. She crawls on the couch, stretching across it and puts her head on my lap, her face wet with tears and frustration. I can feel her sense of confusion, her unmet needs. Doing my best in the role of Daddy, enfold her neck in my arms and whisper to her how everything is going to be all right and how something will happen for her.

I feel like a complete tool.

The only thing I can think of is the only hope for her is to go back to Equestria. For the first time, I'm beginning to want Celestia to come and take my daughter. I don't want her to be without her own family, however that works.

After she's cried herself out, she goes to her room, flying up the stairs instead of walking. I hear her door close, her melancholy echoing as it shuts close. I contemplate her dilemma, staring at a program on the boob tube I'm not really paying attention to. That strange sensation I've been feeling in the past that I'm being watched returns. I don't realize what's going around me until I hear a voice I should know. I've heard it on the show.

I've heard it in the gas station.

There's a flash of bright white. "My, my, my." I look up and see that skinny guy with the red and yellow eyes staring down at me, wearing the same outfit he wore thirteen years ago. He hasn't changed at all.

"You're Discord, aren't you?" I ask after taking a moment to absorb the scene before me. The room has gone oddly gray, though the ceiling seems to have an unusual rosy hue to it.

"So nice to be recognized, Michael." The Lord of Chaos straightens up proudly before offering me a sweeping bow. "At your service."

The first thing popping to my mind is the lottery ticket. "Thanks."

"For what?" he asks, offering an innocent grin as he looks up from his frozen bow. "Giving you a means by which you can have the time to raise a changeling from filly to mare?"

"Well, yeah."

"What was it like?" he asks, straightening himself. His hat is placed firmly on his head and his grin is expectant as he rubs his hands together. I notice one is black and the other is white.

"It was like raising any kid, I guess." I make an inviting gesture for Discord to sit down.

He nods graciously and does so on the floor, sitting cross legged. "Do tell, do tell. I am to assume my little reclamation project went well then?" With a snap of his fingers, he's got a tea set sitting on the coffee table and we're sitting in the middle of a gazebo on top of grassy hill in a place definitely not on Earth.

I jump from the lawn chair I was suddenly sitting in, spinning on my heels as my mind can't really register what just happened. My eyes must have been bulging as Discord is laughing so hard, his mouth falls off his face.

"Oh, sorry," the mouth apologizes from the ground. Discord bends over and scoops it up, slapping it back on his face. "I'll try to keep this as 'normal' for you as possible. As you know, I am the Spirit of Disharmony, which means I'm all about chaos. Are you following so far, Mr. Spriggs?"

Mutely I nod, still staring, wanting to scream and run away. But I can't move. Oh, great, I've finally snapped. I always knew I was crazy and this just confirms everything. I slump into my seat and just stare at Discord, waiting for my straight jacket. I never knew insanity could be so oddly funny. I begin to giggle. "I've gone nuts, haven't I?"

"No, Mr. Spriggs. I assure you sanity is quite firmly settled within you. I've actually toned down a bit so I don't have to watch you slither too far into the depths of my domain. No, you are very much needed by a certain young changeling." Discord pours a cup of tea and offers it to me. I accept and find I have a living goldfish in my cup.

I point it out to my host, but find he has disappeared.

"Now," says his voice from my teacup. I look down and it's him as the goldfish leaning on the rim and buffing a fin against his chest. "We've got a little bit of time for me to explain a few things to you as well as some things I'm expecting to happen in the near future. Are you paying attention?"

"You're a goldfish."

"Good! It's nice to see that you are!" My host grins through his fish lips. "Are you familiar with the events leading up to the wedding?"

"Wedding?"

"You know, Chrysalis taking Cadence's place, changelings trying to take over Canterlot, reasons unexplained and lots of plot holes and whatnot."

"Yes. I know it."

Discord frowns suddenly, blinking from my teacup. Startled, I look around and see he's dressed all in black like an undertaker from the nineteenth century, complete with stove pipe hat. He's got his thumbs hooked in his gray vest beneath his heavy black suit jacket. "She's the only one to survive the whole debacle. All of her changelings in her hive died that day, save her."

"What do you mean? Her whole race is dead?"

"Not her race, my good man." Discord digs up a monocle and grins down at me as he puts it over his left eye. "Just her hive. Well, changelings call their societies hives, but it's far more complicated than that." He scrunches his face, discerning my disposition. "Are you all right, old man?"

I'll admit, I'm fighting to urge to hyperventilate. I want to scream. I want to flail my arms and run around in a circle like Beaker from the Muppet Show. I could probably sound like him if I really wanted to and it would be so appropriate. I'm in a pocket universe with the Spirit of Chaos, who's not supposed to exist and all sorts of 'toned down' weird things are happening. "I might be freaking out," I manage to blurt out as calmly as possible. It doesn't sound very calm to me. "You were saying something about my daughter's hive being wiped out?"

"What a brave fellow," Discord murmurs to himself in amusement. To me he grins and replies, "Why, yes. I found her wandering the wilderness, her mind gone due to her link to the hive shattered thanks to so many dead changelings all at once. Her defeat was complete. Worse of all, she could not share the fate of those she led to their deaths. So, she did the only sensible thing she could do."

I interrupt his monologue. "She went mad, didn't she?" I'm still holding my teacup. I don't know why. Setting it on the table, I fold my hands on my lap and sit up straight. "Let me guess. You reversed her aging and sent her to Earth so I could raise her and give her a second chance."

"Actually," he says, doffing his hat and scratching an itchy scalp, "you weren't supposed to receive her. She was supposed to go to a couple without children of their own and she was supposed to be still in the egg and it sure as heck wasn't my idea to bring her to this perfectly chaotic and barbaric world."

I'm crestfallen. "Oh. You mean that storm she arrived on was a mistake? I don't understand."

Discord wags a finger at me with a tsk. "Of course you don't understand! You're mind is too simple to comprehend such things as pink party ponies hitting the wrong button at the absolute wrong time. 'Don't touch it' I say and she's asking me 'What, you mean don't touch this?' while she hits the button. I was rather put out with Pinkie Pie, but I quickly got over it since she's so random and this bit of chaos happened. I love it when a plan goes haywire!" He's smug as he speaks, as if what he just described tickled him pink. Reliving the moment has put a hitch in his step as he skips around in a circle telling his story. "Absolutely marvelous how this all turned out! Chaos at its finest!"

"Huh?" I'm completely confused and baffled.

"Exactly." He grins, the monocle dropping from his eye, twirling in his finger by its length of chain.

"Are you here to take her?" My voice feels hollow as I force the words out.

"Moi? Split up such a lovely family?" Discord is aghast at such a notion, placing a hand over his heart. "What do you think I am, some heartless monster? For you to even suggest such a thing! I've spent years watching you. I even flubbed some numbers and dabbled with the odds so you could raise her in comfort!" He's actually becoming livid now. "The insult! The nerve! The cake!"

As if on cue, there's the sound of a ding in his vest. He opens it and pulls out a freshly baked chocolate cake, already frosted and adorned and bearing 'Congratulations on Your Little Bundle of Joy!' upon it in very neat pink cursive script.

"Care for a slice?" he asks, setting it on the table as his vest slams shut with a flick of his wrist. When I shake my head, he serves himself up a slice. "No, no, my little human. I'll let nasty old Tia come and tear you both apart. But not to worry, not to worry!" He leaves the slice and eats the rest of the cake in one gulp. "I have a plan. Purely chaotic and purely in favor of keeping you and your adopted daughter together."

"Hold on a sec. Mind if I try to put logic to all this?" He nods, sitting down and resting his chin on his knuckles of both hands, elbows on the table. I'm still not comprehending. This is too much for me to digest in such a short amount of time. "So you're trying to keep us together?"

"Yes."

"You rigged the lottery so I'd win?"

"Yes."

"Why? I mean, Chryssie's one of the greatest blessings I've ever had in my life and I'll always be thankful for her."

"Why you?" Discord asks. "So you don't buy the little story of Chryssie going somewhere else for a normal family and all that?"

"No, I don't."

He does not move, his eyes locked on my, half open as his ever present grin alone seems to be enough for him to measure my worth. "Why not?"

"Why not?" I echo.

"Why not?" Discord agrees. He steeples his fingers together as he lifts his head up and drums the tips together. "I spun the chaotic wheel and your name came up. Why not indeed! I could have chosen anyone anywhere on any world, but instead, I let random chance decide who would be the lucky recipient of one changeling filly." Both pointer fingers level at me from the steepled position. "You won. Or lost. However you wish to view it."

I open my mouth, another question on my lips. It dies as Discord's face is suddenly inches from my own, his Cheshire cat grin curling upon on itself.

"Why, you wonder? Why am I doing this? Why would I remove a creature from one world, regress her age to that of a toddler and then deposit her in the middle of a storm near the house of a then drunkard?" He covers his mouth as though the secret is so good and so juicy he wants to keep it for himself. Naturally, he can't, wanting to share with someone his little achievement he is clearly proud of.

Discord grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me with surprising strength.

"Chaos! Chaos in the face of order!" I'm released and he's standing tall again, prim and proper as he stares down his nose at me. "Well, that and I made a bit of a promise I would use my magic for good, for whatever good that is." Instead of the monocle, the end of the chain bears a mini donut he places over his eye.

"How does this apply to Chrysalis, my daughter?" I'm suddenly worried about her. "Is she all right? Does she know I'm gone?" Struggling to get to my feet, Discord places a hand on my chest and gives a simple, effortless push. I slump back into my seat.

"This is my little slice of heaven. Time has no meaning here. Have chaos, will travel! Sit, relax, take a load off! I'll set you home safe and sound when our business is concluded. Your little Chryssie will be none the wiser."

"With all due respect Discord, you scare the shit out of me."

He's taken aback by my blunt statement. "I? Scare you? A war veteran? Perfectly understandable. I get that a lot with the ponies and what have you still. At least you've got the intestinal fortitude to admit it. I think I like you, Mike. You and I are going to get along splendidly." Discord pats me on the shoulder. "But please don't soil yourself. That would be a bit awkward on your part, don't you think?"

A sudden thought occurred to me. "How come I didn't recognize you at the gas station? I mean, I know who you are now, but I couldn't recognize you at all other than a vague feeling I've seen you before."

"It's simple, really," Discord explains with a shrug, shaking his head slightly. "The fact of the matter is I didn't want you to recognize me. A little magic for a little fuzz in the memory, just enough to leave you wondering. Besides, what would you have done if you knew who I was then?

I stare at him, not really sure what I would have done those years ago. Maybe go crazy? As I wonder this, he reaches into one of my ears and yanks out a very large cotton ball. He eats it after a moment of pondering its perfect roundness.

"Yes, you would have," he says with a smirk and rolling of those weird eyes. "Not that I'm reading your thoughts, but you're an easy man to read when you reflect on your past."

Again, I open my mouth to speak, but a long finger is pressed against my lips.

"Shh! Don't question. Just accept it! Go with the flow, my little hairless ape. The ride's not over yet. We've still got the last big drop on this roller coaster ride. Then you'll get off the ride, brush off the vomit from your shirt, and go about your humdrum boring little human life." He turns to walk away, coattails flaring out dramatically as he spins on a heel. A finger stabs upward in the air from his right fist. "Or!" He freezes.

I venture at his offering. "Or?"

He half turns, his grin reminding me of a shark's. "Or, there may be another way to resolve this eventual end to this little slice of life."

"How?"

"Secret! Not telling!" He literally zips his mouth shut as he whirls to face me, spreading his arms wide. The zipper is turned up like some metallic smile, abnormally large on his narrow face. "I'll just say when the time comes, you will be given choices."

How is he doing that without a mouth? Oh, the zipper was flapping like lips now. "What sort of choices?" I ask, mesmerized.

"Oh, I don't know. I'll think of something between now and that day not too far down this little highway of life." Discord rubs his chin, contemplating me with a superiority he knows he has over me. "Until then, Mike! Take care and figure out something about that daughter of yours. Might I suggest ice packets for the heat?" He grins, snaps his fingers. Yet again, there is a flash of white and I suddenly find myself on my couch.

I sit there in mute shock, the whole conversation with basically the God of Chaos still sorting itself in my brain. What I register was Discord had sent Chrysalis to Earth after finding her wandering the wilderness, mad with grief from losing her whole hive from a decision she had made. The guilt must have been enormous. Her burden must have been a weight crushing her sanity. A mental image of her dark form stumbling through a wild forest, nothing more than an animal glaring out from beneath a tattered mane flickered with stark clarity into my thoughts.

Was she really reduced to a raving lunatic? Had the attack on Canterlot reduced her to nothing more than a crazed beast? Was Discord telling me the truth? What was the truth?

I go upstairs, knock on Chryssie's door. "Are you decent?"

No answer.

I swear to God I hope she didn't read a certain fanfic and get any ideas.

I knock again and test the door knob. It's unlocked. "Chryssie? I'm coming in."

I guess I was expecting her gone, the window open, or something dramatic. I find her asleep on her bed, a queen barely large enough for her long legs for when she wants to stretch out. She's curled up in a ball, reminding me of the first night she was in my home, curled up in the blanket and wet. So long ago. So many precious years. I can see her sides rise and fall slowly, her face calm and gentle. Her mane is splayed about her neck and face, falling over her shoulders and spreading over her blankets. Her nose is curled up into her tail. Quietly I sit next to her neck and place a hand on her withers.

Her eyes open, flutter, seek me out immediately. "Daddy?" Chryssie flings her hooves around me, wanting comfort.

She's too big to hold like when she was little, but I do my best, letting her crawl into my lap. Picture a man trying to hold a Shetland pony on his lap. Chryslis is too big for father - daughter cuddles, but I'll do anything for my little girl to make her smile again.

Pretty ridiculous, isn't it?

The summer fades to fall, giving up its heat grudgingly. Chrysalis finally finishes my grandpa's Mustang. I hear it fire up from the house as I'm doing the dishes. I peer outside and see an unpainted muscle car from the last century roll out smoothly with an engine purring like a purring kitten. The bare metal gleams in the sunlight of the late afternoon. The grin on my daughter's face is full of triumph and accomplishment. After five years, she's finished her big project. There's just one thing I find disturbingly odd.

She's hovering over the roof of the car and driving it with her magic.

I go outside, my hands on my hips as I'm grinning at her while she lands, turns the car off and struts around the hood.

"That's not how you drive a car, young lady," I say to her.

She blows a raspberry at me. "I built it. I can drive how I want to." I've never given her a lesson.

Chryssie then spends the next hour showing me everything she did to the car, bubbling over with excitement as she lets me sit behind the wheel and fire the beast up. It sounds amazing and I find myself feeling like a kid again.

"What color do you want to make it?" I ask her as I turn the engine off.

"Black," she replies with a grin. "I want to see her in black."

I raise my brows. "Her?"

"I've got a name for her." She suddenly becomes shy. "It's Twilight."

"You still have that stuffed toy I got you for your first Christmas, don't you?" I'd almost forgotten about that thing. Come to think of it, Twilight Sparkle has a permanent place of honor at the head of my daughter's bed on top of her pillows.

"I identify with her, Daddy. We're both eggheads."

I lean over and give her a peck on the cheek. "You're smarter than me, pumpkin. I want you to be happy. You've made your old man happy by being a wonderful daughter. I want you to always remember that."

Chryssie gives me a weird look. "Why so sentimental?" she asks me, tilting her head to one side. I can sense she's got something else on her mind she's carefully concealing from me.

"Can't a father tell his daughter he loves her?" I grin, not wanting her to sense the growing fear within me. "I've never been so proud as to have you be a part of my life."

"Daddy, you're weirding me out." She puts a hoof to my forehead. "Are you feeling all right?" The smile through her fangs is always warming to me, even if its a bit frightening. I'm used to them. Her smile fades. "It's coming soon, isn't it?"

"I don't know. Soon, I think."

What's sadder? Knowing one day your daughter will be taken away from you or having it happen to you suddenly and out of the blue? I think it's more terrifying knowing one day a goddess will come before you and take your child away and there's nothing you can do about it. If I could I would fight her. Would Discord help me? Probably not. I get the feeling that's the last thing he wants to do. He's up to something, but even though he's supposed to be the Lord of Chaos, I really don't think facing her is something in his best interests. There's a certain friend of his I would imagine would not be too thrilled to see him go back on his word.

I watched all five seasons with my daughter in a marathon session on a whim when she announced she was doing that in her room. I invited her downstairs so we could watch it together. She was surprised to hear me suggest the idea as she thought I was adamantly against the show. It was her private little paradise and it gave her a chance to learn a bit about the world she was from. I suspect she was also studying Twilight Sparkle and her friends for reasons I would classify as belonging under the category of survival needs. Season five exhibited yet another changeling attack by a different changeling kingdom, resulting in a four episode arch surprisingly mature for a children's show. This changeling queen was different, her name different. The details escaped me as I simply watched my princess - a teenager - gobble up the show with the enthusiasm of filly seeing it for the first time.

I don't know what makes less sense; Discord having a hand in Chryssie coming to this world or her having My Little Pony as her most favorite animated show ever.

Yes, she is clutching her Twilight Sparkle doll as we're watching. This was going to take a few days. As long as I get to watch my football games, I really don't care. The Bears are looking good this year, having made the Super Bowl last year, but falling in overtime.

"Daddy, I'll be right back," she says suddenly, getting up and darting upstairs. "I've got a surprise for you!" Her voice sounds from the top of the stairs. Chrysalis can move fast when she chooses to and only when she's excited about something. I wonder what it is.

I can hear her thumping around in her room, drawers opening and closing. Did she get me a present? Shopping online is the only real way she can get the things she wants. I've even let her have her own computer in her room. Being a changeling, she's naturally discreet in her actions. The instinct to go unnoticed and remain hidden seems to be bred into her. I really don't mind it. The strangest and most profound aspect of our relationship has always been the bond of our mind links. We never established anything past an empathic symbiosis, but the trust we have in each other has been almost as strong as the love we have for each other. I really don't think changelings can get past feeling empathy for each other. Does she think of me as a changeling?

I think I did right by her. I also think I did right for myself.

Chrysalis comes down the stairs while I'm watching Pinkie Pie sing a song about how to make a sad filly happy. It's sort of catchy and I'm not paying attention to the figure appearing from the hallway where the stairs are.

"Daddy?" It's my daughter's voice, but there's something odd about it. It's a single voice, not a disjointed one.

My head turns and I see a pale, slender form standing at the opposite end of the couch, harlequin eyes glowing softly with apprehensive shyness. Chrysalis has a button nose, turned upwards slightly and not too small, not too big. Her pink lips are pursed in a small bow, parted slightly as she breathes with worry of how she appears. She's halfway between five and six feet. A simple pale green dress hangs loosely about her body and she's unsteady on her feet. She has to use the armrest to keep steady. Walking on human legs is a new thing to her and the embarrassed smile she carries tells me she won't be making this a frequent event. Her hair is still the same lovely shade of teal, long and straight and hanging down to her waist.

Chrysalis makes a beautiful human girl.

Inconceivable!

She thinks she's done something wrong. "I'm sorry," she says, misreading my gaping and not sensing the sudden welling of pride I'm feeling.

I stand up awkwardly, looking at my humanized daughter. How long did she practice in order to get everything down so perfectly? Why are my eyes wet? I've got my pumpkin in my arms, enfolding her in a hug. Arms she doesn't know how to use somehow find their way around me. It's a precious gift.

"Thank you," I whisper into her ear. "You know how to surprise your old man, you know that?"

She smiles. "Don't get used to this, Daddy." Chryssie sniffs in mock bravado. "Human bodies are still soft and weak and not very sturdy." A giggle escapes as she plops unceremoniously on the couch, nearly taking me with her as she loses her balance. The camera phone is lifted with her magic, her eyes glowing. I wondered if she didn't need the horn to focus her magic. Instead, she's using her eyes. She picks up the camera phone and leans into me. She snaps a couple of photos of us on the couch, giggling and happy, living in the moment.

"I don't think I could, take it," I reply with a grin. "I'd have to beat the boys off you with a very large bat."

My daughter's expression becomes devious. "Maybe I should stick to this form and find me a nice boy. You'd like me with a boyfriend, wouldn't you, Daddy?" I'm reading between the lines at her innocent little smile she's taking this into serious consideration. She sees buttons and she's pushing them to get a reaction from me. Predictably, I growl like a grumpy grizzly bear and make the proper threats and innuendos in regards to lusty males prowling after my baby. I bring up baseball bats, crowbars, battery cables, and other assorted torture devices I can think of on the spot. I do my best to sound convincing.

Remember when I mentioned I might have to protect the world from Chrysalis? This was what I was talking about.

She reads not only my face, but my concern and quickly backpedals verbally. "I'm kidding! Jeez, you'd think I was going to suck the love from a poor guy and leaving him twitching in my wake." Her following laughter suggests otherwise.

"Chryssie, the way you look right now," I tell her dryly, "you don't have to suck the love from a boy to leave him twitching in your wake. You are breathtakingly beautiful as a human. Supermodels would kill to look as good as you."

"Do you really think so?" There's a catch in her voice as she tilts her head just so, letting her hair spill over her shoulder and batting her eyes at me. Helen of Troy comes to mind. I don't mean to brag, but my daughter had the face Homer wrote about in the Iliad.

The rest of the evening she remains in her human form, then quietly goes upstairs to change back at the end of a the last disk of season three. Without a word she returns down the stairs on wing, her experience as a human a soft smile on her changeling face. Using her magic, she puts in the first disc of the next season while at the same time getting herself comfortable next to me. The smile becomes a little sad, but only briefly when she catches me studying her.

One late fall afternoon, there is a knock at the front door. Chrysalis felt it first. It wasn't the door she felt, but the presence of something powerful, ancient, and full of magic. Whoever it is makes not effort to conceal herself. She's deliberate in filling the vicinity with her presence. the fear my daughter has is like nothing I've felt before. She's suddenly afraid for her life, the being approaching practically a goddess. I see her eyes as she turns to me instinctively for protection, seeking out her father.

"Be brave," my voice carries to her ears, being forced out as I try to take solace in them for myself. "We'll at least be gracious hosts."

She nods quietly. I can feel the dread coming from her. We both know what's coming.

I go to the door and open it. The alabaster goddess of the sun is there, her magenta eyes kindly, yet cautious as she has to tilt her head up slightly. The light of morning fills her ethereal mane. She is regal, an eternal mother, ever loving and ever understanding. I can see the centuries in her ageless eyes, forever youthful on the outside, yet probably at least as old as the Great Pyramids. She is the oldest living thing I have ever seen and she is also the most beautiful.

"Are you Michael Spriggs?" she asks in a melodic voice, soft yet strong.

"I am. You must be Princess Celestia," I smile and pull the door wide. "I've been waiting for you a long time. Won't you come in?"

She hesitates, taking a moment to study me for deceptions. Her smile never wavers. "I am not alone, Mr. Spriggs."

I can see behind her six familiar figures. "The Harmonies, I presume?"

Again, she's taken aback at what I know. "How?"

"Discord," I say with a shrug, as if the name could answer all the questions on her mind with a simple word.

That gets a reaction from her. "Oh dear," she whispers, rolling her eyes. With a gentle toss of her head, she tells the six behind her, "Come, my little ponies. Let us not let the cold air into this man's house."

I step aside as she enters into my home, her beloved ponies close behind her. I can feel her aura, the warmth, and the love she has. In comes Twilight Sparkle, a princess and unchanged since ascending to an alicorn, the lavender mare who is most beloved by my daughter, who even now clutches her childhood toy like a frightened child. After her comes Applejack, then Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and the always shy Fluttershy who cannot bear to look up at me. I lead her to the living room and turn as the Main Six enter. I get various looks, mostly curious as they exchange pleasantries with me. They haven't seen my daughter, who awaits in mute silence, her eyes darting to each of the ponies entering the room. She notes they are all wearing their necklaces.

Her fear goes up even more, hugging her Twilight Sparkle doll closer to her chest as though it was a talisman to ward off evil. Her mane conceals most of her eyes, but she blinks and holds her ground bravely. They stare at Chrysalis once they can't help but notice her. The silence is deafening.

"Chryssie, don't be rude. Offer our guests drinks." I give her a nudge and smile at our guests. "Please ladies, have a seat."

"Yes, Daddy," she replies, then smiles shyly. "Does anyone want something to drink?"

She's greeted with wide-eyed stares and a hanging jaw or two. I imagine if I had wanted to, I could have invented the game of pony tipping right then and there. Celestia loses her composure for a brief moment. She either wants to laugh or cry, I can't tell, but her eyes widen for a brief moment.

"Why don't you ladies go in the kitchen and see if there's anything you like to drink in there. Chryssie can give you all a tour of the property."

I now have eight pair of eyes on me. Seven are wide while Celestia considers me carefully, almost as if reassessing me. Was she judging me? Had she already judged my daughter?

"Daddy?" snorts Rainbow Dash, the first to speak. "Why is the Queen of the Changelings calling you daddy?" She's suspicious, going into a defensive position and flaring her wings out aggressively.

"There's apple juice," I offer, ignoring her rudeness and smiling to all of them. "Orange juice, purple stuff. I think there's also some soda."

"Go ahead, my little ones," Celestia says warmly. "No harm will come to any of you under this roof. I wish to speak to Mr. Spriggs for the moment. Apparently Discord spoke truth in this matter after all."

The file into the kitchen, my daughter leading the way. They again look at me, save for Fluttershy, each one with their own thoughts of me hidden behind the expressions. Only Applejack could be taken at face value from what I could remember, being the representation of honesty. She eyed me suspiciously at first, but then tossed me an open wink.

"Thirteen years," I say to Celestia. "I've had her for thirteen years and I've raised her as a daughter. Are you here to take my only child away from me? I've already seen one pass before her time. Are you going to break a father's heart for a second time?"

Unruffled, she nodded. "I am. I am sorry, but she cannot remain on this world."

I sit down in my favorite spot on the couch, regarding her with a sense of calm surprising even myself. There's a pause as we listen to the girls talk to each other. Chrysalis' voice mingles as they seem to be warming up to each other. I think they realize she is not full grown, that there's something different about her. My daughter is not as large as Celestia. She's perhaps as large as Luna, whom I'm surprised has not come. Even as I think of her, two glasses of juice float from the kitchen to me and my immortal guest.

"I see." I wait until she takes her glass before sipping mine.

Celestia tries to read my actions, my face. She sips delicately at her drink. As a diplomat, she's probably an expert at reading faces. "You sound rather serene even though I've just confirmed what I assume are your fears."

"I've had thirteen years to prepare for this. I just have one question for you in regards to your plans for my child." I fully intend to verbally bludgeon the fact Chrysalis is my daughter over the Sun Goddess' head the entire time she is under my roof.

She considers this. "I assume you received her as a filly?"

"Yes. Courtesy of our mutual chaotic friend." I smirk, remembering both times we met. "He told me he met Chrysalis as a wandering lunatic." The girls had already gone outside, taking their drinks with them. There was still tension, but even the suspicious Rainbow Dash and Applejack were realizing they were dealing with a mare slightly younger than them.

Celestia stares at her glass sadly. "It's true."

"She's lonely here," I say after a moment. "I want my daughter happy. As much as I would love to see grandkids, it's not going to happen here."

"You're ready for this," she observes.

"I've dreaded this, Princess." I tilt my head towards the direction of the back door. We can both hear hoofsteps heading towards the barn. "I thought she'd want to show off her Mustang."

"Mustang? You have a wandering pony here, too?" Celestia is giving me a slightly worried expression.

"No, it's a machine humans use to move from one place to another quickly," I explain. "What will you do with Chrysalis when you return to Equestria? How do I know she won't spend the rest of her life in some dungeon, in chains, and forever a prisoner?"

She frowns, seeing I am serious. "I cannot stand trial one who no longer has the memories of a different adult. I am also aware changelings have different needs from regular ponies, so I am willing to take that under consideration."

"So you still intend to punish her?" I tense as I pose the question. A quick drink from my glass to steady myself. It does little to relax me.

"No. It is not necessary. You are linked to her, are you not?" She poses her query, then sips from her drink with delicate ease.

We settle down and have a rather pleasant conversation. She knows I don't want to let Chrysalis go, but I have to if she's going to really be happy. As we go into the details, I discover I won't be allowed to even visit my little girl. Knowing it as a possibility over the years always had a spot for maybe to wedge itself in there in the form of some wild hope. That hope is dashed by the firm tone and my heart slowly crumbles as we speak. Celestia asks me about my daughter no longer with us. I show her the locket I've worn around my neck. I tell her about the accident and how I wasn't the only parent to lose a child that day.

There's a catch in Celestia's throat as she gently tells me she is fully aware to see someone dear to her pass before she felt was their time. I can imagine a lot of somebodies, considering how long she has lived. "I understand your loss," she tells me simply. "I can also see you carry other burdens on your shoulders."

"Don't we all?" I can feel a tear rolling down my cheek. I'm thinking soon my pumpkin will be gone and I'll be alone. Do I have the strength to pick myself up in the aftermath of another severing of a father from his child?

The girls return, each having seemed to have warmed up to Chrysalis a little better. She's chatty, glad to have someone other than her daddy to talk to for a change. I'm not at all surprised she's taken a shine to Twilight Sparkle as the two enter into the house discussing magic. Chrysalis is already pining for lessons from her favorite pony. There's one thing I won't be able to help her with. I want her to reach her full potential.

It's for the best, I tell myself. Chryssie sees my face. She knows it's time.

"Can we have a minute?" I ask Celestia. She nods and I lead my daughter into the kitchen.

"Daddy," she begins, "I don't want to go."

I've got my arms around her, embracing her fiercely. "You have to. You'll never be happy here. I want you to have kids of your own one day and that won't happen here. You'll make a good mom one day. You'll be a queen, too."

"I don't want to be a queen," she sobs into my shoulder, exploding at last.

"You're already my princess." I'm trying to be strong for her, but the dam bursts.

For a long time, we just hold each other, not talking. We let our emotions mingle. Our bond was probably the strongest I've ever felt in that moment. I'll be damned if I let Celestia take that away from my girl.

"Go get your things," I tell her as I hold her at arm's length. "I need to ask Celestia something."

She nods and goes to do that, her head hanging a little as she drags her hooves a bit. As she starts upstairs, I note Twilight Sparkle offer to help. Chryssie brightens a bit.

None of the other ponies have spoken to me, I realize. Under normal circumstances, I would not have minded speaking to them to sate my curiosities, but my focus was on their matriarch, the Sun Goddess, or whatever Celestia was to them.

"Don't take her memories," I say to her. "She can't remember what it was like for her before she came."

"I am aware of her past after the failed invasion," Celestia assures me with a nod. "Discord was kind enough to inform me. What he did not bother to tell me was how she wound up here on your world until after the fact. With the time differential between our worlds, well. I think you get the idea. We have not changed much while you raised a daughter. I must say you did a remarkable job, given the circumstances. No," she adds with a smile, "she should treasure what you gave her. As you should treasure what she gave you."

"We'll take care of Chryssie!" chirps the pink pony known as Pinkie Pie. "I'll throw her a welcome party and make sure she makes lots and lots of friends! Don't you worry about a thing, Mr. Strange Pale Hairless Monkey!"

"Pinkie Pie Promise?" I offer skeptically.

She does the whole thing with the chant and the motions with her hooves, culminating with her sticking a hoof in one of her eyes. It makes me smile despite the gloomy mood. "And I never break one of my own promises!" This is true. I've never seen her break one.

"Can you all be her friends? Look after her? Help her grow and discover herself?" I glower down at them like a drill sergeant seeing fresh recruits for the first time. Even Rainbow Dash drops her tough attitude and nods meekly. "She's my princess. She's my daughter. I've raised her to value what she has and to earn what she does not. If she's wrong on something, tell her. Show her. Teach her. I've done everything I can. I don't think I could count on any other force in the universe than the bearers of Harmony themselves to show my Chrysalis what it means to have love and friendship. Can I count on you all?"

I make them all agree to my terms.

Pinkie again speaks. "You don't have a thing to worry about! She's in good hooves!" She's so bubbly, she brightens the room with her positive attitude and infectious smile.

Chrysalis flutters down the stairs with a few things. I can hear her hooves touch the hardwood floor. Twilight's voice is reassuring, my daughter's pensive. I don't know what they're talking about. I find I've picked up her plush doll. I'm not one for goodbyes. I feel I've already said mine. I can feel nothing but love and the pangs of loss already from Chryssie. She remains strong for me, for herself, and in front of the ponies. I think she especially did not want to let Celestia see her cry. The fear she held in the presence of the alicorn ruler was still there, but she would not let it conquer her. I hand her the plushie and give her one last hug.

"I love you, my little Chryssie," I say in her ear.

"I love you too, daddy."

I step back, hands jammed in my pockets as Celestia and the six gather around my daughter.

"Fare you well, Michael Spriggs," Celestia says to me. "I wish you peace and happiness."

I nod, there's a flash of light, and they're gone.

There's a moment of silence. It's as if the world died and I'm the last human left standing. I scream in pain at the loss, it suddenly looming before me how profound not having my daughter with me, exposing my broken heart to the uncaring room. Everything comes out, my second child is gone, and I did nothing to stop it. I'm on my knees, wanting to deny my loss, but there it is. Worst of all, I can no longer feel her. There's a void there where her connection to me once was. I feel naked, exposed. I feel alone.

So very alone.

I feel as though I have failed another daughter.

What good am I?

After a while, I find myself going through the photo album I've collected over the years. It's been sitting on the coffee table, its centerpiece. Maybe I should have shown Celestia how Chryssie had grown. Somehow, it would have just made things harder. I was allowed to keep everything to remind me of her. What was the point of taking them? Celestia knew I would always have my memories. She was not going to erase the years from my life and leave me with a void to fill. That would have been crueler than what had just happened. I suppose I could have asked to go, but the expression on her face suggested such a thing could not happen. With a sad, heavy heart, I remember Chryssie growing, going from filly to mare in the progression of photos in an album we spent over a week putting together. I go to the bookshelf where her baby book is kept and pull it out, slowly running my eyes over the pages. Within them, I find a teal lock of her hair, pressed flat as a sort of book mark. I touch it lovingly, an echo of a smile tugging at my lips at the fond memory. At least I have that.

"I thought you would remember the 'or', my little human," chuckles a familiar voice of superiority dryly. I turn, surprised, having forgotten about Discord as the moment was the only thing on my mind. He's at my kitchen table, apparently having just gone through the refrigerator. An enormous sandwich grows before my eyes as he haphazardly throws anything he can get his hands upon it.

"Discord!" I hiss, staggering to my feet, my hands balled into fists. "All of this is your fault!"

He stares at me, his face a mask reminding me of the Guy Fox mask from the movie V for Vendetta. "Yes. Yes, it is my fault, isn't it? You probably would not be taking this so hard right now, having spent almost your entire time with your little changeling preparing for this moment." Discord assumes an air of sympathy. I can't tell if it's genuine or mocking. He continues, "You see, as a father you hate seeing your little girl go like this, especially when you know for the moment you can't ever hope to see her again. It's even worse if you're part of the hive."

"Part of the hive?" I echo dumbly. "What the hell does that mean?" Why am I still trying to desperately reconnect with my daughter?

"It means exactly what I said it means. The moment Chrysalis connected with your mind and impressed herself upon you, you became a sort of royalty in changeling society. Usually it's the oldest queen who assumes the role. New queens can come from any family and are quite rare in their own right. Once they are born, the current queen takes her under her wing and becomes her mentor. A hive can have many junior queens. You were, in her mind, not only her father, but her queen - or in this case - king." Discord eyeballs his steadily growing snack eagerly, shifting to scrutiny as he tops it all off with a green olive.

He's got everything in that thing: bread, lettuce, roast beef, sliced turkey, tomato, pickles, crackers, fish (fish?), guacamole, spicy mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, a copy of People magazine (seriously?), and lots of other things I can't quite figure out.

"Are you saying I've been turned into a changeling?" I suggest in disbelief.

He pauses, almost ready to bite into his strange stack he assumes looks delicious. "In a way, you have."

"How?"

The Lord of Chaos holds up a finger and shoves the whole massive sandwich into his throat in one go with the other hand. His mouth opens impossibly wide and ever past that as he simply hooks the pile of food and hauls it towards his awaiting maw. After a long moment of chewing, rolling his eyes from the pleasure he was getting from his meal, Discord swallows. It's like watching Shaggy eat. It's morbidly fascinating to watch when it's not a cartoon doing it on television. I shudder, making a face.

"A changeling princess instinctively latches on to whomever she views as her parent. She can establish such a link with any creature for that role. You're the obvious factor proving this. Over the years, the bond between you has grown to the point where you two almost knew exactly what the other was thinking. But it's an emotional bond, one few changelings share even within the hive. It's very special and very rare. I argued with good old Tia after I told her about what I did you were going to need to come to Equestria or else the same thing is going to happen. Her stance is creatures from their relative universes need to stay in the dimension they were born in, as was agreed long ago by beings much higher on the pay scale than us lowly immortals. It's that age-old argument of maintaining balance across space-time and all that stuff. Not really all that relevant anymore, if you ask me," he snorts, belches, and grins.

A sense of dread begins to grow within me. "What do you mean by 'same thing'?" I also blatantly ignore the implications behind his mentioning of other beings more powerful than him or Celestia, for that matter.

"Without her connection to you, Chrysalis will eventually revert to what she was like before, having lost the love you were giving her. In time, she'll be like a starving animal and will turn on her new found friends and be right back in the same position that lead her to her debacle at Canterlot."

I have a mental image of my daughter going savage. "Are you suggesting I go to Equestria?"

"The choice is completely yours, Mike. Celestia won't be pleased at all seeing you in her realm and will no doubt try to send you back. I may have a way around that, but it will require making certain changes." He's looking me up and down as he says this. Discord seems eager to please. Too eager.

"Why should I trust you?"

"I'm not suggesting you do. I'm merely offering you a second door as opposed to Option 'A'." Discord licks his fingers, one by one. "Of course, you could be absolutely boring and just stay here and wallow in this misery without the crutch of your daughter stemming the madness she's kept at bay for all these years. It would amuse me to see you in nothing but your combat boots and underwear beneath a helmet chasing butterflies in your yard during the summer. There would really be a lack of constructive character building there. Wouldn't you agree?"

I blink, shaking my head. "Discord, is this something like a second chance you're suggesting?"

"Do you have anything pressing here in this world? The only thing your family is interested in this world is your money."

No, I don't really. I've even prepared for this, having one night long ago thought of the impossible possibility. I never did tell her about it. The wild hope grows within me as the emptiness in my mind yearns for that connection again. My God, it feels like an addiction! "All right, Discord, you magnificent son of a bitch. Tell me what I need to do."

The grin on his face is absolutely frightening. Rubbing his hands together, he cackles merrily like some mad scientist, "Oh, we'll do this my way, Mr. Spriggs. I'll go more into detail as we go along. You are going to absolutely feel young by the time I'm done with you!" And suddenly I'm feeling as though I've just made a deal with the Devil.

Yay me.

Author's Note:

I'm much happier with this ending. It's a sad story. Needs to end with a bit of hope on the horizon.

Comments

[Perteks]

In half of that chapter, i just waited to post this
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/12/20/188040.png

But you throw sooo much more story progress uhhh damn you!

But complete? What about Discord and this choices ? I though there will some plot twist.

[Tazmaniac]

my feelings right now

[DominiusTWD]

hey thats not fair, discord said "or"!

[Sonik]

I just want to start by saying this was a very good story. It's one of my favorites, and it comes up to par with stories like Living in Equestria and the "New Home" series. It had a very good, fleshed out plot and I really enjoyed the character development of Michael, Chrysalis, and the two together. It had that charm that so many fanfictions lack these days, and I can truly appreciate the writing of this story.

I think a sequel would be very cool, where Chrysalis grows further with the Mane Six and the rest of the Equestrian world. Is this a thing that you would consider doing?

[derpinator360]

input epic sequel here plz

[Illiberal]

Damnit, I wasn't intent on crying today!

Excellently executed story. You manufactured a prime example of a MLD spinoff without pulling all of the clichés most writers tend to. I will say that the ending was too... quick. There should've been more inner-monologue from Micheal. Perhaps him looking through the pictures he'd taken of Chryssie? What about Discords other choice? My complaints aside, you did a superb job with this story, and I hope to see more from you.

[Scarheart]

3209217 ever heard of sequels?

[Scarheart]

3209424yes. I'll let the first story sit for a bit, then work on the sequel.

[Scarheart]

3209826 I'll admit it did feel rushed. I'll go over it later.

[Sonik]

3209839
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

[Darkness Shade]

Well damn...that hit right in the ol' feels that's fer sure.

Very well written, capturing the emotions nicely. If a sequel is on the docket, I'm curious to see what this "or" Disky spoke of is.

[DarthMalentai]

3210035
probably getting sent to Equestria for something.

[Darkness Shade]

3210683
Well, that was mah first assumption, and it seems a logical one, but this is Discord we're talking about...all logic flies out the window when he's involved.

[Scarheart]

3210683>>3210751 Well my friends...you shall both find out! After I fix the ending of part seven..I'm now convinced it's not only not my best effort, but a steaming pile and a bit of a letdown on my part, I'll get started.

Keep in mind I make this stuff up as I go...hence writer's block for the ending. Not an excuse, but that's what happened. As I tend to want to just rush and finish, I got lazy on this one. My apologies.

[Darkness Shade]

3214161
Naw man, yer doing fine. Sometimes the best stuff comes off-the-cuff when writing (I can definitely vouch fer that with mah own stuff XD) so no worries. Writer's block can indeed be a harsh mistress when it rears it's ugly head, so don't sweat it.

[adros1TheArachnaPony]

[454CASULL23]

As always another great story Thank you for putting the time and effort into making this

[LordDio]

Loved this so much. Even if th end gave me a class A case of the feels. Can't wait for your next piece of work.

[Darkness Shade]

Ah yes, that ending feels much better; still give ya the feels, but then it's just crazy seeing Disky of all people giving someone hope. Hahaha, though I imagine it's going to indeed be one hell of a ride for Michael....one I cannot wait to read about.

[Scarheart]

3218351 I can't imagine Discord helping anyone out of the goodness of his heart...

[Darkness Shade]

3219046
Oh I never said the hope didn't have some ulterior motive behind it....this is Discord after all and nobody and nopony can ever hope to understand what goes on in that mind of his.

If there's an angle he's gunning for, he'll get to it...but most likely with the party he's manipulating completely unaware of that fact.

[ExcitedReader]

Loved this story, can't wait to see if there'll be a sequel.

[evan555alpha]

that redone ending is definitely demanding a sequel.
and so am I.

[Scarheart]

3243974 Its not so much as a sequel as a continuation. Stay tuned!

[Sneaky Breeze]

this story, no words can describe. my heart has grown three sizes thanks to you.

[nioniosbbbb]

SEQUEL YOU SAY??? OH MY GOD PLEASE PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE I WANT TO SEE THIS!!!

[Delta Asada]

What does the scout say about the Daww level

IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!!!!!!!

[Sanguine Moon]

I caught the sunny D reference.

yay me

[Kusac]

I know this story is just following the form of the other my little ... but man do I hate Xenolestia. We are the sum of our experiences and removing those memories is murder of personality. Thank you for not going that route. Still have some trepidation of what Discord is going to do.

The only thing I would disagree with is that Chrysalis would suffer from love starvation. If you had changelings able to feed on Storge (Family) love, I see no reason that she could not feed on Philia (Friends) love. But this is Discord, I will chalk it up to him lying to get the main character to Equestria.

[Im Iteration]

"I feel like I made a deal with the devil" who gives a shit?!? You're going to equestria you lucky son of a bitch!

[Razzy]

Damn you, Sunbutt!

[WeepingDiscord]

7162606
TAKE ME WITH YOU

[Flame Heart]

"Why not?"

"Why not?" I echo.

"Why not?" Discord agrees.

Why did that make me laugh

[Skyblazer9]

I got teary eyed reading this chapter.

[JayBlade752]

There is a photograph I took some years ago. It was Chryssie's first time seeing the ocean. It was the rocky shores of the Oregon coast, the summer sky gray with patches of sunshine. The waves crashed against the pebble beach in between great columns of rocky outcroppings where the erosion had yet to topple them. Seagulls called out mournfully overhead. My daughter is wading up into the water, halfway up her legs and turning to grin at me with this look of absolute wonder and joy. Her mane is being lifted by a breeze from the ocean, partially concealing her eyes and face, her ears are perked forward. Its a remote part of the shore, so there isn't anyone around. I still remember what she said to me on that day when she could feel the ocean around her for the first time in her life.

He'll yeah The Oregon Coast! I'm from Oregon so I know what your talking about and it's amazing. I'm a full blooded Oregonian and I'm proud of it!!!