Know your enemy

by Znegil

12 Hello again

The next day Chrysalis had her first "changeling information" meeting with Twilight. Of course the princesses had informed Twilight about everything that happened, but still Chryssi asked me to join her on the visit. The first reason was she would go out without any disguise today and was very nervous about it. The second was "to have a witness if Twilight tries to kill me", how she put it. I decided we could use this opportunity to spend the rest of the day in Ponyville as well since I only saw Rarity's boutique before. So right now I tried to push her out of my room, while her instincts resisted leaving without disguise.

"Maybe we could wait a few more minutes to prepare myself.", she shouted while she pushed against the doorway.

"We already waited half an hour. We will miss the train if we wait much longer.", I answered while pushing.

"Maybe we could postpone it."

I stopped pushing her and looked directly into her eyes.
"I know you are scared to do this, but your not alone... and you would force me to use my fingers to tickle you." I held up my hands and wiggled my fingers.

"Don't you dare... you... you are not allowed to touch me."

"I already did as I pushed you, and by the way, I got an 'okay' to handle you in none intimate ways from Luna this morning, I had a hunch it would be necessary."

"Fine... I go. It is just so hard when all you ever been told is 'don't ever, ever drop your disguise, for your own sake and the sake of the hive'.", she released her grip on the doorway and straightened her posture. "But stay close to me."

"Of course."

...

Things went pretty good as long as we moved inside the palace, sure she was sweating, breathing heavily and glancing around all the time, but I had imagined it worse...
That changed when we left the building through one of its side entrances. We stepped onto the street with hundreds of ponies, she panicked and used her disguise, but I touched her back and it disappeared. I pulled her back inside the building.

"Come on, relax.", I told her. "What can happen? The guards and other ponies know you are here, friendly and under the princesses protection. They can be frightened, angry or curious but they will not hurt you, NOTHING will happen. Where is the mighty warrior in you?"

"The warrior in me doesn't like to be outnumbered 3000 to 1."

I tipped against her forehead.
"That's your problem. Your math is wrong... it is 3001 to 0. They are not your enemies. And now we get out there and go on a nice train ride together."

She took a deep breath and kissed me on the lips.
"Sorry.", she said. "That's what calms me down best."

"Naughty mare.", I replied and slapped her butt while pushing her out again. To my surprise she reacted with a very sexy humming sound.

At least it took her mind from the situation, and she was much calmer as we slowly walk through the street towards the train station. A lot of ponies stopped and stared. It was the mix I had predicted, fear, anger, and curiosity. She walked right next to me and tried to focus her attention on the street right before her.

Suddenly a young filly stood in her way.
"Do the holes hurt?", she asked.

Chrysalis looked surprised and confused. "No... I got them a long time ago."

"How?", the filly asked and tilted its head.

Chryssi seemed unsure how she should answer and looked at me.

"Give her a short version, we don't want to miss the train.", I told her.

"Well, a long time ago I was in a fight and someone used powerful magic against me, that where I got them from."

A mare showed up and got to the young filly.
"Here you are Yellow Star...", she noticed who she was talking to and shrink back a bit. "I'm sorry if she has bothered you."

"Not at all, she was just curious.", Chrysalis said with a soft voice.

"We should get going now. We have to catch a train.", I excused us.

"But I wanted to hear the whole story how it happened...", the filly complaint.

"Maybe the next time we meet and I'm not in a hurry.", Chrysalis replied.

"How about tomorrow, can we meet tomorrow?", the filly jumped up and down.

"We shouldn't bother her, Yellow Star.", her mother said with an apologizing smile.

"It's ok.", Chryssi replied. "If you want and your mother is okay with it I can tell you some stories tomorrow."

"Mommy pleeeeease."

Her mother looked unsure how to react to all this.
"I... well... okay, but I will come with you... so you won't get lost on your way home."

The filly jumped in joy.
"Yessss... can I bring my friends too?"

"Sure why not. Tomorrow we meet at this place at 2 o'clock?", Chrysalis asked. Her mother nodded and we turned to head to the train station. After two more steps Chryssi turned toward the filly again.
"Are you not scared of me?", she asked.

Yellow Star shook her head.
"Mommy read to me from the paper this morning. The princesses say you are nice."

"But I look scary...", Chryssi stated in a lower voice.

"Nooooo... you look cool, I wished I had such cool fangs."

Chrysalis had a huge grin on her face and showed them off while doing it.
"Your right, they are pretty cool."

"We really should be going now if we don't want to miss the train.", I reminded and pulled her along.

"Bye."

While we moved along I could hear one last thing.
"Can we buy some fangs for me mommy..."

...

We rushed to the train station and entered the train just in time before it started moving.

We found a pretty empty part of the train, so we would not be stared at the whole time.

"Now that wasn't so bad.", I said to her. "You already have fans."

She chuckled.
"Well I always liked the young ones, they are much more open minded than adults."

"Maybe that's something you could do in the future, work as a teacher again or even just tell stories."

"If they trust me enough, I would like to do something like that."

...

After a very scenic train ride, we arrived in Ponyville.

The ponies we saw on our way to the library seemed to be much less surprised to see Chrysalis, and there was much more curiosity than fear. Suddenly we got double tackled by a pink blur.

"Uuuuuhhh, I hoped you would show up soon as I read the announcement Queen Meanie became good and cuddly.", Pinkie said while she hugged her so hard Chryssi gasped for air. Twilight and Luna both had warned me about her greetings.

"Please, don't break her.", I said to Pinkie. She looked at Chrysalis who started to turn blue and jumped back a bit.

"Oops, sorry about that. I'm just so excited to throw a you-have-been-evil-now-your-good party again, it's been weeks since I did one for Luna. And a cuddly hello to you too Alex.", she said and gave me a nice warm hug without crushing me.

Chryssi still gasped, I helped her to stand up again.
"How can a pony be this strong?", she finally managed to ask.

"I have been told growing up on a rock farm may be the reason for that.", I replied to her.

"What is your favorite cake and ice cream flavor?", Pinkie asked face to face with Chryssi again, only inches between them.

"If I answer would you please give me some personal space?"

"Oops, I'm doing it again.", Pinkie said and jumped back a bit with an apologetic smile. "My friend Rarity already told me I should stop doing that."

"Strawberry with chocolate for cake as well as ice cream.", Chrysalis answered her question.

"Oh yes, I can make an ice cream cake."

"I'm sorry Pinkie.", I said. "But we have a meeting with Twilight, so we have to move on now."

She stopped bouncing and looked confused.
"That strange... she hasn't told me you would visit."

"Maybe she forgot.", I tried to explain but knew that couldn't be the reason with all the lists she used.

Pinkie got her bounciness back anyway.
"I have to talk to Ms. Cake about the ice cream cake, bye.", she said and hopped away.

"Well that was... something.", Chrysalis mumbled.

I just gave her a smile and we walked towards the library.

...

"It's inside a tree?", Chryssi asked as we stood before the library. I was surprised as well, Twilight had always talked about 'the library' but had not mentioned it was inside a tree.

"How can it be a living tree with leafs and everything while there are rooms inside it?", I asked.

We approached the door and knocked.

"It's open, come in!", I heard Twilight shout from within the tree.

We entered and saw how Twilight rearranged some books on one of the many shelves covering the walls.

As she noticed us, she interrupted her work and approached us.

"Hi Alex, good to see you again, it has been some time.", she said while hugging me.

"Nice to see you too, Twilight.", I replied.

"Hello Twilight...", Chrysalis said quietly.

Twilight didn't look towards her, nor did she acknowledge Chrysalis was there at all.

"How is your painting progressing?", she asked me.

"Fine, thanks for asking, but that is not the reason we are here, is about her meeting with you."

"Who? Are you expecting someone to arrive later?", she asked, her eyes glued to me.

"Come on Twilight.", I said. "It is the princesses wish for you to do this."

"Well, maybe they should have selected someone else for this project.", she replied with clenched teeth.

"Twilight, I'm really sorry for how...", Chrysalis started.

Twilight's horn lid up very bright and she shot a beam towards Chrysalis who dropped to the ground and avoided being hit by just an inch. Twilight horn glowed up again, but I could touch her neck just in time to break her magic. She tried to brush off my hand to fire again, but I put her in a headlock instead. I looked to the wall where her beam had hit and saw a burning spot of about a foot diameter.

"Twilight calm down!", I shouted while she was struggling to break free. "How many ponies have died or even had been seriously injured during the attack on Canterlot? Not a single one."

Twilight was still in fury mode.

"Maybe if I try to...", Chryssi said.

"Please, I don't think anything you would do would calm her.", I interrupted while I did my best not to lose my grip. "Twilight, what would Celestia think if she saw you like this?"

She noticeably calmed down but still tried to get out if my grip.

"She mind controlled my brother and who knows what she would have done to him if I hadn't stopped her."

"I only fed on his love which doesn't hurt anyone.", Chrysalis replied. "Only when you gave him reason to doubt me I had to add mind control."

"So I am to blame?!", Twilight shouted angrily.

"Enough!", I screamed at the top of my lungs. Both froze in their movement. I released her from the headlock and looked straight in her face.
"She had the wrong motives, but she isn't a bad character. And you are better than hurting someone because you are angry, so please calm down."
All her anger slowly left her body and she laid down on the ground.

"I'm sorry for what I tried to do, please don't tell the princesses.", she said.

"Of course not, I understand why you reacted like this, but please believe me she can be good. You don't have to be friends, but think of all the knowledge you can gain from her, knowledge that has never been accessible to anypony."

"You're right. I will learn all there is about her kind, so they never can do something like the attack on Canterlot again.", Twilight answered.

"Glad you came to your senses, but there is one more thing.", I said to her.

"What is it?"

"Your wall is burning."

"Oh %$Ï€#&*!"

Comments

[Royal Brisk]

You live in a TREE Twilight! Why are you using incendiary spells IN A TREE!?!

[gamer91]

I probably would have reported Twilight to Celestia. Such hatred can be bad for the health

[Znegil]

Fun fact:
this chapters name was "starting a herd" and should be about the proposal in the restaurant.
It had just the chapter name and the first sentence: "The next day Chrysalis had her first "changeling information" meeting with Twilight."
I tought it would go on like this: After she came back, she told me how... (3 or 4 sentenses what happened at the meeting with twilight) then on to the next day and restaurant.

But then Chrysalis demanded Alex should come with her and things developed...
so the whole chapter nearly did not happen ;-)

[Znegil]

7349148 so I guess it was good for her to let it out

[Znegil]

Any suggestions which mane or background characters they should meet while they are in Ponyville? I can't promise they will.

[Alphanez]

7351659 Keep up the good work! I Liked the prequel to this story so I hope this sequel is completed, also to have english as a second language you're not that bad of a writer.

[Znegil]

7359226 thanks a lot for your kind words. I will finish this story for sure, but I am not sure how many chapters it will take. I expect it will take between two to four weeks.