Chapter 17 - A Decision Made
"Um, Candy, are you really sure you want to go there?"
I swallowed hard. "Y-yes, Spike, I am. Please, take me to the meeting hall."
"Well, okay," Spike said as he walked on ahead. "I hope you know what you're doing."
I trotted an unsteady path, as if my hooves were as ungainly as they had been that first day. I took several deep breaths to steady myself. Spike gave me a concerned look over his shoulder. Was he just worried over my well-being, or did he think I was flat-out crazy?
We turned down a corridor, and my breath caught. Ahead were two tall doors, standing open, a guard on either side. I flinched when I heard Chrysalis' silky voice from the hall beyond, "Oh, but we were having such an interesting conversation, dear Twilight."
"Candy?" Spike said in a soft voice. "You okay?"
Only then did I realize I had stopped.
"That discussion is over!" Twilight snapped.
I stared through the open doors. The diarchs and Twilight stood to the right, while Chrysalis stood to the left. My heart leapt into my throat.
"Over?" said Chrysalis with a chuckle. "Just when it was getting interesting? When you obviously have so much more you wanted to say about it?"
I squeezed my eyes shut. Chrysalis' enticing words from our meeting pounded against the inside of my skull: just give up the pendant, and all the pain will be gone. An ache flooded my head again as the raging waters gathered behind the dam, just as they had while I read about the Elements of Harmony.
Spike laid a claw gently against my fore-leg. "Are you sure you--"
"Spike, you can leave now," I said. "I have to take it from here."
"How can I make this any more clear?" Twilight cried. "The wedding is in the past! I don't want or need to talk about it anymore!"
Spike glanced towards the doors and sighed. "All right. I'll be in the dining hall if you need me."
I nodded without tearing my gaze from the scene ahead.
"Oh, but you're the Princess of Friendship," said Chrysalis in a mocking voice. "Do you not always want to talk out these sort of things? Am I not worthy of that consideration?"
I flinched as I heard Applejack's voice. "Personally, I think yer jus' tryin' to get a rise outta her."
I remembered how I believed she could read my intentions even before I knew the Element she represented. She knew I was hiding something. And now ... did she think Chrysalis was hiding something as well? I clung to that thought to bolster my courage.
"Applejack!" Twilight hissed. "I thought I had told you all that I would do the talking?"
Why was Twilight angry with her? I thought they were all friends, that they were on the same side. Had Chrysalis been right after all about ...
No. Fluttershy had said it didn't work that way. They were not perfect. I could not expect them to be perfect.
Princess Celestia stepped forward. "With all due respect, Queen Chrysalis, it was you who insisted the summit start early, and now you appear intent on further delay yourself."
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. "Everypony is not yet present."
Celestia stepped back just enough for Luna's gaze to find me. My mouth dropped open when she nodded slightly. Running away ceased forever to be an option. I willed my hooves to pull me forward.
"What are you talking about?" Twilight cried. "All three Princesses are here. You're here. Who else could possibly--?"
Two spears suddenly crossed before me just as I reached the threshold. My chest brushed against the shafts of their weapons before I could stop suddenly, the sharp clop of my hooves announcing my presence scant seconds before a guard shouted, "Halt!"
Twilight turned her head. "Candy? What are you doing here?"
My gaze shifted to the right, and my voice refused to work. The other ponies -- the Element-bearers, the ones who wanted to be my friends -- stood off to the side, their eyes upon me. I wanted to cringe as I met Rarity's gaze, convinced that I would still see the hurt I caused her. Instead, her eyes betrayed both confusion and concern. Fluttershy appeared surprised but even more deeply worried.
"Let her in," demanded Chrysalis.
"What??" said Twilight.
"Admit her! I invited her."
Applejack frowned. "I don't like this."
Twilight glanced at me, wide-eyed, then turned towards Celestia and Luna.
"This is your decision, Twilight," said Celestia. "You are in charge of this summit."
"Indeed," said Luna. "Though it is not at all a mystery as to why Candy has been summoned."
"I will remind you it is within my rights to call upon anypony I wish as an advocate," said Chrysalis. "You cannot refuse me." Her lips curled into a sly smile. "Unless dear Princess Twilight wishes to concede that my earlier allegations concerning her feelings are true."
Advocate? Yes, of course. She was sure I would give up the pendant. Her argument had been very convincing and remained such. Her words still played to all my vulnerabilities and needs, at least what I thought I needed.
Shining Armor stepped forward, and my heart skipped a beat when his gaze met mine with a suspicion that far outweighed anything he had heaped upon me in the library. He marched up to Twilight. "Twiley, you can't let her in, not after what I told you earlier."
"This is non-negotiable!" Chrysalis thundered.
Shining whirled around and faced Chrysalis. "We know all about your meeting with Candy last night!"
I stumbled back as if struck. They knew?
That explained Twilight's attitude towards me that morning. I was stupid to think the guards would not make a full report. Strong Wing had said they couldn't hear us, but why hadn't Twilight said anything? Was she content to string me along and let me fret over this? She couldn't intervene and take the burden of this decision away from me?
Or was it truly as Luna had said, that only I could make this decision?
I risked another glance at the others. Rarity's eyes still shimmered with deep concern and worry, Fluttershy's even more so.
Twilight took a slow breath and said, "Let her in."
Shining sighed. "Very well." He turned towards the entrance. "Guards, admit her."
The spears rose, and I stepped forward, the clopping of my hooves echoing loudly in the sudden absolute silence of the hall, its high, vaulted ceiling almost as imposing as the presence of the diarchs. The gaze of the ponies weighed upon me, making me want to sink into the floor.
"That's far enough," said Chrysalis.
I stopped and raised my gaze to hers, my ears flattening. She wore a sly and almost malevolent smile, and her eyes glittered as they beheld the pendant. Her desire for it was a palpable force wanting to pull me towards her, but I resisted approaching. I stood no closer to the changeling queen than I did the alicorns, but I felt exposed just the same.
Strong Wing stood to her left. He regarded me with stoic indifference, as if we had never enjoyed our conversation earlier. Another guard, a unicorn, stood to her right.
Twilight trotted forward, standing only a few pony-lengths from me. "All right, Chry ... Queen Chrysalis, she's here. What's this all about?"
Chrysalis chuckled. "You'll see soon enough. I believe Candy has something she wishes to give me."
Twilight gasped. "Candy, no! You can't give the pendant to her! We don't know what she'll do with it!"
Hooves clopped softly, and Rarity's voice rose from almost directly behind me, "Please, Candy, reconsider this course of action."
My heart lurched. My vision threatened to blur into a watery mess.
"Candy?" came Fluttershy's whispery voice, rising just above the gentle flap of her wings. "Please don't do this."
I sniffled once and wiped my eyes. I took a deep breath and willed the tears away. No more crying. No more hysterics. I had to face this head-on. I had to think.
Fluttershy didn't understand. None of them did. I would have better luck holding a soap bubble than carrying this pendant. But I did have the strength to stop being stupid. I knew exactly who did have the fortitude to bear this burden.
A rush of wind ruffled my mane, blowing a few strands of hair before my eyes. I brushed them aside and flinched when I saw Rainbow Dash hovering before me.
"You can't do this!" she cried. "Come on, Candy, what gives?! You gonna trust her over us?!"
I stumbled back a step. "Rainbow, you don't understand, I--!"
"You cannot make the decision for her!" Chrysalis yelled.
Rainbow whirled around to face her. "I can sure as hay stop her from doing this!"
"No, you can't," said Twilight.
"What?! Come on, Twilight!"
"No. The binding magic on the pendant is too powerful. It will remain with whomever she chooses to give it to." After a pause, she added in a low voice, "If she gives it up."
"Rainbow Dash," said Luna. "Let Candy make her decision. I am sure she will make the right one."
Rainbow sighed and flew back to the others.
No, I couldn't make the right one. I could make a decision, but not the right decision. The right decision was to keep the pendant and remain loyal to Michelle, to reject the idea that the pendant endangered me. But I was no Element of Loyalty.
I forced my head up and leveled my gaze at Chrysalis. It would be easier if I didn't look at her, but I had to face her. I had to stop being a coward. Her words still pounded against my brain, and her promises still tugged at my heart. I looked her in the eye anyway. "I don't think you understand what--"
"Enough delay!" Chrysalis shouted. "Give me the pendant now!"
I trembled like I had under her bombast the night before, but I refused to cringe. I gave up trying to announce my intentions and instead focused my waning strength into my thoughts instead. I sat down on my haunches and dipped my head. I reached for my pendant with hooves far steadier than I ever thought I could accomplish. The others gasped softly.
"Candy ... no ..." Fluttershy's quavering voice floated to me.
I did not dare pause to answer her. My courage still hung by a thread. The clasp came free, and the pendant tumbled into my hooves. Only then did I turn my head to speak--
A green glow suddenly suffused the pendant. My heart wrenched as it flew from my grasp. My widening eyes rose to the glow of Chrysalis' horn. Pain burst through my head again, and the dam strained.
"At last!" Chrysalis cried as she levitated the pendant before her. "After pursuing it for years across two worlds, the artifact is finally mine!"
My heart thundered. I quelled my panic though a sheer application of will but trembled with the effort.
"I told you we should've tried to stop her!" Rainbow cried just before she rocketed forward in a multicolored blur.
"Wait, Rainbow, no!" Twilight cried.
I saw it as well: a faint, shimmering, green cocoon of energy had risen around Chrysalis, and Rainbow smacked head-on into it. My stomach flipped as I heard the sickening thud when the dazed pegasus fell to the floor in a heap.
Celestia's eyes narrowed, and her horn blazed. Luna's and Twilight's lighted as well, all three alicorns taking a combative stance before the changeling queen as the other ponies rushed forward towards the downed Rainbow Dash. "You can't take on all of us, Chrysalis!" Twilight shouted. "That force field of yours won't last long!"
Chrysalis laughed, and all I wanted to do was stuff my hooves in my ears. "It will last long enough for me to do this!"
Chrysalis' horn glowed brighter. Bolts from all three alicorns' horns sizzled through the air, exploding against Chrysalis' shield in a spray of burning sparks that skittered across the floor. Her shield flickered but held. The pendant itself started to glow.
Applejack looked up and cried, "Twi, what's goin' on?! What's she doin'?!"
"She's casting some sort of spell on it!" Twilight cried as she fired another bolt from her horn. "She's trying to use the artifact as some sort of energy trap! I can't stop her until we get through her shield!"
"Twilight!" Celestia cried as she let off another golden bolt. "You and your friends may need to call on their Rainbow Power!"
"You will deny myself and my changelings nourishment no more!" Chrysalis said. "If you will not give it, I will take it! Today, from all of Ponyville, and then Canterlot, and, soon, from all of Eque -- what?!"
The pendant had vanished ...
... and I felt a weight in my mane.
I let out a quavering sigh as Chrysalis' remaining influence over me shattered. The three Princesses paused in their attacks.
"What happened?!" Chrysalis cried, her eyes wide. "Where is the artifact?!"
Pinkie Pie bounced around me. "Oo! I know this one! I know this one! Can I answer? Huh? CanIcanIcanIcanI?" She dug her hoof into my mane and lifted the pendant out. "Yay! I was right! What do I win?"
"Huh?" Applejack cried. "What in tarnation jus' happened?!"
"What is the meaning of this?!" Chrysalis thundered. "You were going to give up the pendant to me!"
I cast a burning gaze at her. "I didn't say I was going to give it up to you!" I snatched the pendant from Pinkie's hoof. "Twilight, could you please come over here?"
Twilight exchanged a look with the others before trotting over to me, a bemused expression on her face. She gasped when I turned to her and fit the pendant around her neck. "Candy, what are you--??"
"What I should have done days ago," I said in a choked voice.
Yet as I brought the ends together under Twilight's mane, the clasp would not close.
"I'm not giving you up forever," I whispered as I gazed down at the pendant. "I'm just not strong enough emotionally to handle you right now. Let me give you to Twilight. I ... I trust her."
The clasp clicked closed. Twilight slowly smiled.
"You little traitor," Chrysalis snarled. "You little worthless--"
"SHUT UP!" I bellowed as I whirled around, taking a few steps towards her. My head still hurt, but I didn't care; it was nothing compared to my rage. "You lied to me! You told me the magic of that pendant was irrelevant! And you tried to control me!"
"Wait, she did what?!" Shining Armor cried.
"You heard me! She affected my mind somehow. I mean, yeah, I was really emotionally screwed up at the time, so she didn't have to do much, but she did something!"
"But that's impossible. The guards would have detected it thanks to Twilight's spell."
Chrysalis laughed as her shield flickered out. "Oh, nice try, little not-pony. Nice try."
"Huh?" came Rainbow's bemused voice as she rubbed her head. "Not-pony? What the hay is she talking about?"
My blood ran cold.
"A fine attempt to implicate me as the villain in something you were so eager to participate in yourself," said Chrysalis in a silky voice.
"You mean you browbeat me into it!" I cried.
"And how did I do this when we had nothing more than a calm, rational discussion?"
"There was nothing calm or rational about it!"
Shining Armor stepped towards me. "That's not what I was told."
I blinked. "Wait, what?"
"It's true," Twilight said. "Shining said the report he received was that you and her had a casual discussion on the balcony."
"But--!"
"Candy, it doesn't matter, you did the right thing in the end. You--"
"But that's a lie!" I cried. "I did not collaborate willingly with her! All right, th-that's not the whole story. Yes, I listened to her. I almost gave her the pendant." I sighed and ran a hoof through my mane. "Look, I admit, maybe I did want to give it to her, just to take an easy way out. Part of this was my fault, but she took advantage of me when I was vulnerable. She pushed me into doing it. I've had to fight her influence all this time!"
Rarity stepped beside me. "Twilight, I believe her."
My eyes widened.
Fluttershy landed next to me. "I believe her, too."
"If they believe her, that's good enough fer me!" said Applejack.
"Well, I'm not gonna believe this flying bag of ugly over her!" Rainbow said.
"Oo, can I believe her, too?" Pinkie said. She leaned over to me and whispered, "Actually, I believed you all along."
My eyes teared again, and this time I let them.
"You are all fools!" Chrysalis shouted. "You believe this little not-pony over one of your own trusted guards?!"
"What is it with her and this 'not-pony' stuff?" Rainbow said.
I tried not to cringe when Rainbow looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Um, Prince Shining Armor?" said Chrysalis' unicorn guard in an uneasy voice. "Miss Swirl's account is correct."
"It is?" Shining and Twilight said in unison.
Queen Chrysalis bared her teeth. Her gaze shifted down and flicked between the unicorn guard and Strong Wing before narrowing on the latter.
"Yes," said the guard. "Miss Swirl looked quite distressed. She even stomped her hooves at least once, and it was clear Queen Chrysalis was shouting at her at one point."
Shining frowned. "Strong Wing!"
The pegasus guard continued to look forward, holding his spear rigidly at his side. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"Why was your account of the meeting between Miss Swirl and Queen Chrysalis so different than your fellow guards?"
Strong Wing paused. "I am at a loss, Your Highness."
I stared at Strong Wing. My head throbbed. The dam strained further.
"At a loss? What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'll tell ya what it means!" Applejack declared. "It means somepony ain't tellin' the truth!"
"With all due respect to Captain Strong Wing," said the unicorn guard. "Miss Swirl's guards on duty that evening will corroborate my story. We specifically voiced our concerns to the Captain, and he promised he would bring it to your attention, Your Highness."
Shining narrowed his eyes on Strong Wing. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Perhaps ... perhaps I was mistaken," said Strong Wing.
"That was a pretty big 'mistake!' Twiley, tell me something. Did Strong Wing ever take an unescorted trip outside the castle without being scanned upon his return?"
"No, not that I'm aware of," said Twilight. She paused. "But ... wait ... when he chased the changeling, he briefly entered the forest. He was out of view for just a ..." She trailed off. Her eyes narrowed. She stepped up to Strong Wing, her horn glowing. "Stand still."
"Princess, wait!" Strong Wing cried. "Is this really--?"
A black stripe rose from the pegasus' hooves, and I recognized the spell at once: the same one she had cast on me to check if I were a changeling. It had resulted in lots of purple dots with a scattering of red for me. But for Strong Wing, the black bands were splattered with bright green.
Twilight aborted her spell only seconds in and recoiled. "This guard is a changeling!"
Chrysalis' unicorn guard whipped his spear around and trained it on Strong Wing. Half a dozen other guards rushed over and leveled their spears at him as well.
My head was spinning. The memory of Strong Wing's visit whirled in my head, tinged green. My head would not stop hurting.
Fluttershy lay a hoof on my shoulder. "Candy, are you okay?"
Words would not come to me. All I could do was give her a helpless look.
Shining Armor loomed over Strong Wing. "Drop the disguise."
"Your Highness--"
"Now!"
Strong Wing looked at me, and my heart turned to ice. "Very well," he said in a low voice as he let the spear clatter to the floor.
In a flash, the pegasus was no more. I recoiled as a black, insectile creature hovered before me, its glowing green eyes staring ...
... a scar across its left eye ...
... like in Michelle's ...
...
The dam burst.
~~~
I pound on the door, but Michelle does not hear me. She wails out her distress one more time: "Why are you doing this to me?! I thought you were my friend!"
I have no time to summon help. It is me or no one. I kick the door once, twice, and on the third try, the lock splinters from the frame. The door flies open, and I burst inside, about to shout my friend's name. The cry dies before it even reaches my lips. My eyes widen, my heart leaping into my throat, sanity threatening to fall off the edge of the Earth as I see myself standing over my fallen friend.
"Who are you?!" I demand. "Why do you look ..."
And then the doppleganger transforms.
An insectile horror hovers on buzzing wings, its glowing green eyes fix upon me, a scar slashes across its left eye. I stumble back in horror, but somehow, the door is closed, and my back slams against it.
The creature flies towards me, and I have no breath with which to scream. The horn jutting from the head of this horrid monster erupts in sickly green light which strikes my eyes. My already tortured mind offers little resistance, almost welcoming the merciful stupor into which it falls, my eyes wide, staring, and glazed.
A siren wails outside. The creature utters a guttural sound in a language I do not recognize before turning to me again. "You did not see me."
I simply nod, slack-jawed.
"You saw an empty apartment, save for your friend."
I know of no other truth, so I again nod.
"All you know is, you never got to her in time. That is all you will ever think whenever you try to recall this moment."
A tear trickles down my face, but I simply nod again.
"You will awaken in ten seconds." The creature flies over to the window, its horn glowing. The window glows as well and slides open. It slips into the night, the window glowing and closing in its wake ...
~~~
The pain in my head vanished.
Everything else faded into the background, as if we coexisted in an isolated pocket of reality. All my pain and rage suddenly had what it had lacked for so long: a focus other than myself. The strength I had found to stand up to Chrysalis now waned like the dying wind after a storm, but I clung to it long enough to reject the taunts from the darker recesses of my mind to pin all the blame for this on Equestria.
No. The one to blame was right in front of me.
"Candy, what are you ...?" I heard Twilight say as I marched up to it.
"Why did you do it?" I demanded. I knew the logical answer: it wanted the pendant. That's not what I was looking for.
The changeling simply hovered and stared at me.
"Why did you kill my friend?!"
The other ponies fell utterly silent.
The changeling narrowed its eyes, but otherwise did not react.
I stomped my fore-hooves and screamed, "ANSWER ME!"
The changeling finally spoke, its voice raspy and slightly out-of-sync, and, strangely enough, female. "I don't have to answer for my actions to an insignificant not-pony."
I wanted something from it. Anything from begging for forgiveness to malevolent gloating would have sufficed. It would have satisfied me in some way. But not this. Not cold indifference.
How could I lash out at it? Words had failed. I had no magic. I doubted I could coordinate my hooves enough to throttle it or strike it. My body ached as badly as my heart, so bucking it would be just as ineffective. All I could do was hate.
My rage burned out, and I turned away. I clenched my teeth against tears I didn't want to shed, but I had little strength left. A pony drew me into a tight hug, my vision too blurred with tears to see who it was. I simply hugged her back as tight as I could.
"It w-won't even admit it," I moaned. "It killed my friend and just doesn't care ... I th-thought her death was my fault all this time. But it wasn't! It wasn't my fault!"
"Shhh," I heard a gentle whisper in my ear, a hoof stroking my mane gently.
"What is this madness?!" Chrysalis roared.
"Sh-she just said this ... this changeling k-killed her friend ... oh, g-goodness ..."
That ... that was Fluttershy's voice. I thought she was hugging me. Only then did I blink my eyes free enough of tears to see the fall of purple hair. "R-Rarity ...?" I croaked.
"Shh, Candy, it's okay," she said in a soothing, if slightly quavering voice.
My heart melted, and I let myself weep softly into her fur.
"I'm confused," said Twilight. "What friend is this?"
"What difference does it make?!" Rainbow said. "This changeling killed somepony!"
"LIES!" Chrysalis bellowed. "Changelings do not drain to the point of death!"
"I beg to differ," came Luna's icy voice.
"And what proof do you have for this ludicrous accusation?" Chrysalis growled as I lifted my head towards them, wiping my eyes.
"Perhaps you forget that I can see into dreams. I have seen her struggle against this suppressed memory."
My jaw fell. "I ... y-you ... you knew it was me?!"
Luna smiled. "Not until that night at the castle, when you came to the window while my visage was still in the moon."
"But why didn't you say anything?"
"It is as I had said," said Luna. "Some things the dreamer needs to work out for herself. I knew the first time I saw your friend that she had been drained by a changeling, but you would never have believed me, and I feared that revealing it might trigger some other part of the spell and prevent you from ever retrieving your memory."
"Luna confided this to me, Candy Swirl," said Celestia softly. "I agreed with her reasons for not pushing the matter with you."
"I wish somepony had told me," Twilight muttered.
"That's not what I meant!" I cried. "Why didn't you say anything about ... um ..."
My heart thumped. Luna -- and Celestia! -- knew I was an alien, ironically, as far back as when Chrysalis sent me the letter.
"Changelings do not kill!" Chrysalis cried.
"Then maybe you should do exactly what you claimed you would do with the changeling who tried to trick me out of my pendant!" I shouted in a choked voice. "Discipline it severely!"
"I will not take advice on dealing with my hive from a worthless little not-pony," Chrysalis growled.
I recoiled when she took a step towards me. Both Rarity and Fluttershy leapt in front of me.
"Don't. Even. Think it," said Rarity.
Twilight marched up to Chrysalis. "This summit is over. You've quite proven that you came here for no other reason than to secure this pendant."
"I agree with Princess Twilight," said Celestia. "This supposed offer of peace was no more than a sham."
"And a very thinly disguised one at that," said Luna. "We suspected from the start, but we needed to know exactly what you really wanted."
Rainbow turned to Twilight. "Now can I kick some flank?"
"You won't need to," said Twilight. "Chrysalis will be leaving."
"The sooner the better," Applejack declared.
"Yes, please leave," said Rarity. "Before you upset Candy further."
Chrysalis laughed. "Oh, how touching. How wonderfully touching. So much love for this little not-pony that I can almost feed on it alone. So much sentiment, so much blind acceptance and friendship."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Ugh, does she ever shut up?"
Chrysalis chuckled. "But I will now tell you who ... or what ... you are dealing with."
I took a deep breath and said, "No. You won't."
"And how do you intend to stop me?"
"Because I'm going to tell them myself." I turned to face the others. Everypony stared at me, some almost strangely expectant. I looked at Luna, and she gave me an encouraging smile. "I'm ... I-I'm not quite what I seem. Chrysalis called me a not-pony for a reason ... I mean, I am a pony, this is not a disguise or something, but ..." I sighed, lowering my gaze. "I'm sorry for not making sense, this is hard."
Rarity draped a foreleg around me. "Remember what I told you: whatever happened in your past will not affect how we feel about you now."
I took a deep breath and lifted my head. "I said I'm a pony, but I wasn't one until I appeared in Sweet Apple Acres a few days ago. I-I'm an alien."
Pinkie gasped. The other ponies looked surprised as well, but their demeanor otherwise remained no more than expectant.
"I'm from another world," I said in a strained voice. "I was brought here by Discord."
"I knew he was up to somethin'!" Applejack said. "I just knew it!"
"No, wait!" Fluttershy cried. "He wouldn't do that! Candy, a-are you sure--?"
"Fluttershy, please, it's okay!" I said. "As much as maybe I hated him at first for doing this to me, he ... he saved my life. I'd be dead if he hadn't intervened."
Fluttershy gasped, her pupils shrinking slightly.
"Uh, this is Discord we're talkin' about, right?" Applejack said.
"Yes," I said. "He really did save my life. I don't know, maybe he could've done it some other way, maybe he has some other agenda, but that's beside the point." I sighed. "I am so very sorry for lying to you all. I was scared. I was in a body I didn't understand in a world that didn't make sense. I mean, I've started to get used to it, even ... e-even enjoy some of my time here, but I didn't know who to trust, and, well ... I've kinda got other issues, too."
Pinkie suddenly marched up to me with an unusually serious expression on her face. "Well, I have only one thing to say to you about all this, little alien missy!"
I blinked and stared. "Huh?"
She burst out into a smile. "This means we have to have three parties for you! A welcome to Ponyville party, a welcome to Equestria party, aaaand a welcome to being-a-pony party!"
I couldn't help it. I giggled.
"Did you not hear her?!" Chrysalis thundered. "She's an alien! She's not one of you!"
Celestia strode forward. "It does not matter what form she has now, or that she ever had, or that she will have. We do not allow such trivial things to affect our friendships. I consider her as much one of us as anypony else in this room."
"She lied to you!" Chrysalis cried.
"So what?" Applejack said. "She told the truth in the end. We don't go holdin' no grudges against somepony 'cuz they made a mistake. She owned up to it." She narrowed her gaze at Michelle's murderer. "Lot more than I can say for you."
I teared up again. Fluttershy gave me a brief hug, smiling softly. When Rarity pulled me close again, I swallowed hard and said, "R-Rarity, please, I didn't lie about everything. I really had a mother in the fashion industry, and I really did live in a big city, and I really did like it when we ..."
I trailed off when she gently placed a hoof to my muzzle. "Let's settle things here first," she said in a soft voice. "We'll talk later."
I nodded, smiling. "Thank you."
"Yes, let's settle this now," Twilight declared. She stepped up to Chrysalis. "The summit is over. Your presence is no longer wanted here."
"And you still will not admit it," Chrysalis snarled. "Applejack talks about owning up to the truth. Own up to your own feelings! Own up to your hatred for me!"
Twilight paused. Her eyes slid towards her friends, who gave her a questioning look. She uttered a soft sigh and hung her head. "Fine. I will. But not here. And not in front of you. I won't give you the satisfaction." She looked up. "Get out of my castle."
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at Twilight. "So much for the touted Princess of Friendship."
Twilight's eyes glistened for a moment, and she uttered another sigh.
"Whoa! Wait!" Rainbow said, thrusting a hoof at the changeling. "You gonna just let this piece of trash go?!"
"We don't have a choice," said Twilight.
"But this thing killed Candy's friend!"
"I don't like it either! But I don't have control over the changelings, and I don't fully understand what's going on yet."
Rainbow fumed. "Fine." She erupted into a spectral streak aimed right at the changeling.
"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted, but by the time the warning had left her lips, the pegasus' fore-hoof had smashed into the changeling's jaw, sending it tumbling to the floor. I wished I could have done that.
Chrysalis cast an icy gaze at Rainbow, and her horn started to glow.
Celestia, Luna, and Twilight stepped forward, their own horns glowing. "Don't even think you have a chance of winning against all of us," said Celestia in a voice of deadly calm.
Chrysalis clenched her teeth and let the glow in her horn fade. She nudged the changeling to its hooves and slowly turned away.
Shining Armor stepped forward. "Guards! See that they leave the castle. Rainbow Dash, would be so kind as to contact the Wonderbolts contingent in Ponyville and have them ensure these two leave Equestria?"
"You got it!" Rainbow said before rocketing out of the room.
Shining marched over to me. "It would seem I owe you another apology." He gave me an awkward smile and rubbed his mane. "I'm trying not to make a habit of this, really."
I managed a tiny smile. "Thank you, it's fine."
"I suggest we retire to someplace more comfortable," said Celestia. "I'm sure there is still much to discuss."
And for once, such an announcement did not fill me with a sense of dread.
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Holy throne, that was intense! And now we know why Chrysalis wanted that pendant... And how Candy's friend was actually killed...
...you devious tease you.
6996795 I had a feeling a changeling was the cause of death from the beginning. I'm glad Candy has finally come out with the truth of not always having been a four legged colorful equine.
6996814 I actually see that as a good thing, it means that he'll be writing more.
yay Candy boooooo chrysi being a bad bug pony
Yes! I thought that this would be the end of the story, but you have more!
I'm so excited!
Not bad, not bad all. Some part felt a bit rushed, but overall the chapter was quite enjoyable and very coherent.
And even if many of us saw the revealation of the scarred changelling comming, it was still very well played!
Good job author!
Pretty obvious conclusion, but you did a good job of modeling the mane 6's reaction based off of the show so congrats. It's just cheezy enough that it passes.
Best chapter so far in my opinion. There was a lot of development here!
NOW WE WAIT.
Good lord, finally. It was like trying to pass a kidney stone shaped like a cactus.
Once again, we see that evil cannot comprehend good.
6996829 Did I, at any point, say it was a bad thing?
6996949 I am sorry
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw7706-13444524922312.png
Woo way to go Candy. You really had me worried she was going to screw up for the last few chapters. I'm glad she figured things out.
6996966 Muffins for sad horse!
"Chrysalis," Twilight deadpanned. "You REAAAAAAALLY might want to learn some of the finer points of espionage one day. Dash here was friends with a griffon, we've had popular, well-received seminars from Iron Will the minotaur, and Spike (since you clearly haven't noticed) is a dragon none of us are afraid of despite his growing into a giant raging adult and destroying half of Ponyville."
"Ponyville gets destroyed on a regular basis," quipped Pinkie. "We're used to it. We're like the South Park of Equestria that way."
"AND," continued Twilight. "We're actually trying to be good friends with Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony himself. If we don't care about any of that stuff, why would an alien phase us?"
Chrysalis blinked, "Wow... I really didn't think this through, did I?" She rubbed her right hoof sheepishly. "Heh, it's kinda like the whole wedding fiasco all over again."
So let me guess a changeling can kill a human by draining them. So why does she think that she would get anything out of us?
6996895 Those are called 'staghorn calculi'. They're quite horrid.
nejm.org/na101/home/literatum/publisher/mms/journals/content/nejm/2009/nejm_2009.361.issue-15/nejmicm0805190/production/images/large/nejmicm0805190_f1.jpeg
Glad to hear you're gonna keep it going! I've really been enjoying this story. Though, it did seem a bit abrupt for Chrysalis to just reveal her plan like that. Buuut I guess she kinda does that in the show too
Fantastic chapter! One of the best so far! My emotions were all over the the place.
6997105 Ow. Ow.
My name is Rachel acreams Animorphs. I am going to give this one a shot.
I'm glad this is getting taken care of during the first act of the story rather than dragged out. And it was a thankfully fresh take on the "liar revealed" trope. Kudos to you and can't wait for more.
6997192 Yes. Very much ow.
My mother had one. She was lucky in that it was mainly uric acid and could be dissolved by raising pH. Though she still had to have treatment via extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy to shatter it first. And then pieces came out for weeks.
Basically, don't let yourself get dehydrated. Pee lots! If the pee is clear, you're in the clear!
I'm liking this story better and better
Well that just blowup in Buggy's face.
I've got to say that was worked very well, and can't wait to see more.
6996814
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I can't agree with these sentiments more!
Yes finally a story where the human just fesses up , so fucking good!
Hmm... I like the story, but this chapter just seems.... Wrong to me, somehow. I can't really explain why it rubs me the wrong way.
Mostly, I think it's the fact that nothing happens to Queen Chrysalis. No punishment or anything. While the little changeling killing someone and not being punished for it I can understand as it happened outside of Equestria. But it was proven that Chrysalis was using magic to control Rachel subtly, and a changeling, under her command, kidnapped someone, took their form, and lied to the captain of the guard under orders of his Queen so that she could manipulate things into her favor. Then she declares war on the ponies and threats to kill them all for their love....
And NOTHING happens to her. She probably broke a lot of rules and laws, and no punishment at all? They just... let her go and continue to be a threat who they have proven WILL kill people/ponies to get what they want. Unless they stick Rachel in the Canterlot Castle and have every single pony that would leave and enter checked by Twilight for changelings and assign a few guards to always be at her side, forever, then Rachel is a dead mare.
Because living in a town is too open, and so far it seems only Twilight can cast the spell to check for changelings, not even Celestia and Luna can. There would be no way to keep Rachel safe, and no reason for Chrysalis NOT to kill her, since she can declare war on ponies they just tell her to get out.
--
It just... It just bugs me, and makes this chapter unlikable for me.
6996895
6997693
I like this story but I have to agree. I felt the mind control and broken nature of the main character at least made this more plausible but it was getting close.
In general, stories where the conflict can be resolved by having the protagonist either telling the truth or in having the other characters just believe them (especially in the face of mounting evidence they are telling the truth) really quickly begin to drive me crazy. Any time the main characters abandon reasonable reactions or actions just to drive the plot forward I just want to scream at the screen and the characters and the author....although not necessarily in that order.
Considering how the story started and how it sells itself as this ambiguous thing where nothing is quite what it looks like, I think the ponies are being a bit too unequivocally nice recently. It makes a bit too clear of a "this side is good, this side is bad" portrait.
Nice.
Entrusting the Wonderbolts? The changelings will have an easy time defeating those weaklings.
6997096 I feel bad for her.
Chrysalis. She's kind of like Candy.
Shitload of trust issues.
6998527 Chrysalis is like candy... those nasty black licorice Jujubes that no one likes and throws all over the floor of movie theaters.
6998761 Which are misunderstood and appreciated by a few.
Like me.
Go Mama Bear and Big Sis Fluttershy! I can totally see Rarity using that same flying kick she use don the Manticore in Season 1 to send Chrysalis staggering.
What part of 'Magic of Friendship" do you not get Chrysalis? She was honest with them and trusted them, so they'll trust her. Heck, they were terrified of Zecora at first and accepted her, this is much easier.
Don't worry Rainbow, I'm waiting outside with a magic canceling baseball bat ready to beat her black and blue for all the trouble she's caused in the last few days.
6997096 This is perfectly in character for everyone but Chrysalis, she'd be turning red with rage and unable to form complete sentences.
6999381
Originally it was just a goofy way of saying hug, but snuggle and hug works.
7000042 Glad I could help
7001193 And it gets on my nerves every single time.
Sweet! part one means MORE!!!
6999011
Only pod people aliens like those things!
6996876
And yeah, I went for something that was more reminiscent of the show.
This chapter underwent the heaviest amount of editing and rewrite than any other chapter so I could get the characters' reactions correct, at least in my mind. Glad that came through
6996895
Yes, I'm well aware of the criticism concerning pacing ...
6997729
To be honest, I did think of this when I wrote the chapter, but the only way they could have conceivably subdued Chrysalis was with some sort of firefight in the castle. Yeah, it's her against three alicorns, but Chrysalis is not about to just surrender peacefully, and somepony would likely get hurt. I decided it was better for the story to let her go. Technically, Chrysalis saw the pendant change hooves to Twilight. She's aware of how the binding magic works.
6997738
Thanks for the feedback. There have been a few comments about the pacing, that perhaps it could have been a little faster.
7001193
Yeah, that was probably my thinking at the time as well, but Ryvaken had a valid point, and it was a very easy edit to make, since nothing in the plot hinged on the specific writing material.
6997882
In what way? Do you mean just in general or towards Candy specifically? I was trying to go for a conclusion to the current plot, so I didn't want to drag out the ambiguity too much.