Strategic Retreat
“There is no revenge you could ever conceive of that will come close to what I will exact upon you one day, Starlight Glimmer!”
Queen Chrysalis backed away, a snarl on her face as she leapt backward off the edge of the rubble. Starlight rushed forward, catching sight of the ex-monarch as she soared over the barren, gray landscape.
So that’s it then, Starlight thought to herself. Her stomach tightened at the thought of what Chrysalis might have in mind should they ever see her again. A pit of anxiety boiled inside her, one that she was going to carry with her for a long time, possibly even years, as Chrysalis bided her time with plotting and scheming.
Is this what I made Twilight feel when I ran off? She wondered to herself. I can’t believe—
Suddenly the speck that was Chrysalis jerked to a stop against the horizon. Even at the distance Starlight was at, she winced. It honestly looked like the ex-queen had run into a brick wall at full speed.
Chrysalis was ripped back over to them in a heartbeat and a half, dangling in the air by one of her hind legs, hissing and screaming up a storm.
“Let me go!” Chrysalis seethed, her sickly green eyes bearing down on her. No, not her. They were looking right past Starlight.
“Uh…”
“Not likely.” Discord floated into view, his claw raised high to signify his hold on Chrysalis’ leg and his paw still wrapped around Fluttershy in their reunion hug. “You think you can just kidnap my friend like that and expect me to let you go?” He giggled with barely a hint of glee. “Oh, Chrysalis, you aren’t too smart, are you?”
“Discord?” Starlight exclaimed. The surprise in her voice must’ve been palpable, because his head rotated around to look at her, eyebrow arching off of his face.
“Yes?” he asked. Eyes darting between her and Chrysalis, Discord nodded with understanding. “Oh, I see. You wanted to be the one to catch her. Sorry, you were just taking so long that I—”
“Uh, no.” Starlight narrowed her eyes with confusion. “I wasn’t planning on catching her at all! The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
“Really? But she was flying away so slowly.” Discord melted a little to exemplify the boredom he’d experienced. Turning, he glanced at everyone else. “What about all of you? Surely one of you thought to stop her from flying off like that.”
Looks were exchanged between the crowd. Discord narrowed his eyes, before popping them back up again with a realization. “Oh wait, was the plan to let her go? Sorry.”
He let his arm drop, Chrysalis falling face first into a pile of rubble. With a grunt she picked herself up and shot Discord a venomous glance.
“Well, go on then.” He gestured with his claw. “Shoo.”
Fluttershy offered a weak smile from her place in Discord's hug. "Goodbye."
Chrysalis hissed angrily and turned, wings spreading as she prepared a take off. She leapt into the air, slamming her face against the side of a blue force field that rapidly surrounded her.
“Uh, now that you mentioned it, I think you’re right, Discord,” Starlight said, sealing off the bubble that now surrounded Chrysalis. “Maybe letting her go is a bad idea.”
“Are you serious? I will not be toyed with!” Two black hooves slammed against the interior of the barrier, doing about as much good as a fly would to a window. “Release me at once!”
“Wait, so I was ahead of the curve on this one?” Discord turned around to the group behind him. “We have half a dozen ponies here with magic unparalleled and nopony thought to do anything aside from me?”
Among them, miniature debates had sprung out of the silence.
“I thought King Thorax was going to handle it,” one of the newly transformed changelings suggested, with nods of approval from his peers.
“K-King?” Thorax flinched and looked around. “I don’t— When did that happen?”
“You usurped the old ruler,” one of them replied, very matter of factly. “Also, you’re really big now, so…”
“I have not been usurped!” Chrysalis screeched. “And don’t talk about me like I’m not even here!” Sadly, very few changelings turned to acknowledge her here-ness.
“Weren’t you going to stop her?” Luna asked her sister.
Celestia merely offered a shake of her head. “I was sort of… napping in my cocoon. Hadn’t fully woken up yet to be honest. Besides, I just expected Twilight to handle it.” Both elder princesses turned to the mare in question, curious about her own thoughts on the matter.
“I hadn’t even realized we could use our magic again,” Twilight explained with a sheepish smile.
“I was holding Flurry Heart,” Cadance said.
“I was… uh…” Shining Armor blinked and looked down, trying to think of an excuse.
Flurry Heart just burped.
“Amazing,” Discord said wistfully. “Well Celly, Lulu, Twily, uh...fourth one, you can bet your bottom dollar I won’t be letting you live this down anytime soon.”
Celestia could only muster a heavy sigh in response.
Starlight looked back at her newest mortal enemy before turning back to Twilight. “Uh, so what should I do?”
“Die,” Chrysalis spat. Starlight narrowed her eyes at her.
Twilight glanced around to gauge everypony's thoughts before coming to a conclusion. “Well, since we caught her—”
“You’re welcome,” Discord interjected.
“—I guess we should at least make an effort to reform her.”
Chrysalis growled at the mere mention of the word.
"I think it's worth a try," Thorax said. His new followers immediately began murmuring their agreement, already kowtowing to their new ruler.
All the princesses nodded in agreement at the idea, save Flurry Heart, who was just giggling to herself. Starlight looked over to her friends, from Trixie, who was trying to wipe the remnants of the changeling goo from her cape, to Spike, who gave her a thumbs up.
“Hey, do you think she’s got a long lost best friend who left her behind too?” Rainbow Dash called out.
Starlight glared a few daggers her way.
“What?” Rainbow asked. “It wouldn’t hurt for it to be easy again.”
“Easy? How was reforming me easy?” Starlight exclaimed. “I turned back time and messed with history so bad that Equestria was nearly destroyed! Multiple times!”
“That’s nothing compared to my—” Chrysalis froze. “Wait, you did what?”
Starlight just winced. “None of your business.”
Chrysalis snorted. “Whatever. I bet my feats are way eviller than yours are, anyway!”
“More evil,” Twilight muttered in defense of grammar.
“You wouldn’t be able to reform me, even if you tried!” Chrysalis sneered. She cackled from inside the bubble, as if she'd somehow won something with that statement.
“Well, if that’s the case...” Twilight hooked a hoof around Starlight. “Then I think we’ve just found your next friendship lesson!”
Starlight froze, pupils shrinking. Her magic cut out, dropping Chrysalis onto the ground as the shield popped.
She struggled to get her bearings, shooting a confused glance at Starlight, who responded by shoving all of the panic and fear she could into the next word she spoke.
“Run!”
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@Fire Gazer the Alchemist...
Amusing HISHE (How It Should Have Ended) read, have a few well-earned chuckles and a Like.
Governments in and around Equestria do seem to be based on a height-based caste, like Invader Zim.
7664796
I noticed that too
Oh Celestia forbid another friendship lesson-related redemption.
However, it does make me curious as to what Chrysalis' butterfly/moth changling form would look like.
Speaking of, only suggestion I would make for this story would be for Discord using a fishing rod to reel Chrysalis back in instead of just pure magic. Discord is a showy creature, if nothing else.
7664783 Thanks, I aim to produce chuckles
7664796
7664821
I kinda want to write a whole fanfic on why that is since it's so prevalent in the show. Just need a good punchline at this point.
7664877
Well now I'm curious too. But, considering the show, we'll probably see it sooner or later.
...Probably later.
7664903
I'd have to agree with you there. I always feel like I'm not creative enough when I'm writing for Discord and either possibilities would've been funny.
7664796 The biggest d**k gets to be in charge. That's how it works here in Britain.
7664877 I think there's artwork showing that actually.
Lovely.
A nice little friendship lesson will do well eh?
Sequel?
7664963 As well as that shot of "Duchess Chrysalis" from the good king Sombra arc in the comics...
7665046 The ONLY time I ever liked Chrysalis.
Wouldve been hilarious if Discord had done a Crocodile Dundee. Tossed a chunk of rock at her so when it hit, not only did it stun her, but turned her into a large Fluffle Cupcake as well.
Of course, he would be wearing the full costume, then Pinkie couldve replied. holding another rock, thats not a cupcake, pointing at Fluffle Chrysalis, now Thats a cupcake.
7664959
I personally interpreted Discord not being showy there as him showing restraint. As in, "if Fluttershy hadn't been watching, I'd have left you a smear on the wasteland" restraint.
However, I'm a bit confused. Why did Twilight's suggestion of 'Friendship Lesson' lead to Starlight being scared and telling Chrysalis to run?
7665287 Yes. It's a nod to how nervous/scared she can get when it comes to doing friendship lessons
7665322
Ah.
Well to be fair, reformation in Equestria isn't really voluntary. I think people forget that Twilight was planning on using a Reformation spell to forcefully reform Discord (before he ate the pages). It's not like they lack episodes showing full mind control magic not only being possible but easy (Want-It-Need-It, Love Potion, Starlight's spell in Every Little Thing She Does, ect...). MLP is a scary scary show when you think about it.
I'm just going to go ahead and say that this could very easily be canon, and it wouldn't change anything.
So, yeah. Headcanon readily accepted, and fic bookmarked as forum weapon.
I wonder why no one did anything...
I can see this one happening.
I liked parallels with Starlight's introduction episodes too.
7665079 Chrysalis was supposed to be unlikeable, Hasbro designed her to be unlikeable, but she on her debut admitted to having a fairly good reason despite how misguided her attempts were...
Did you really thing her rejecting Starlights offer of friendship was a dick move? I have news for you morons...
CONGRATULATIONS HASBRO YOU MADE THE CONVERSION BUREAU FUCKING CANNON!!!!
Ah, someone thinking what I was thinking about Chrissy running away while swearing vengeance. Although mine involved more mental Samuel Jackson...
"“There is no revenge you could ever conceive of that will come close to-"
"NO!"
*Chrysalis gets cut off mid declaration.*
"I've had it with these motherbucking villains! Swearing motherbucking revenge. ENOUGH! IS ENOUGH!"
I think thorax should be called prince thorax. It makes sense with the theme of rulers.
7665778
With the exception of King Guto and King Sombra, but they're both dead, so...
I like the explanation for Celestia not stopping her due to being weak from her cocoon-state, as well as Twilight not realising they could use magic again now the throne was gone. Wish they'd put something like that in the show to explain it, followed by them planning to search for and capture her. Nice writing too!
7665566 I actually expected Chrysalis not to accept friendship. I also know Thorax will have an episode in season 7, and that the singer Sia (see video included with this comment) will have her own pony character named Songbird Serenade (see below music video provided) in the My Little Pony movie coming in 2017, along with making an official song just for the movie itself.
derpicdn.net/img/2016/7/22/1206837/large.png
There's a bit about season 7 and other MLP stuff I know of. I also know someone who's getting a Follow just for replying to me. Hint hint, it's you.
7665397 Because she had nothing left. She wasn't a threat. She's lost her entire hive to friendship, with only the possible few changelings that were pretending to be the captured ponies still on her side.
7665804 Just for replying to you? But a lot of people reply to you...
7665848 And I appreciate every comment. Even the ones who are cruel to me.
Besides, I like to make new friends who might talk to me in the future. Hint hint? XD :)
7665875 I'll keep that comment in mind when looking for editing advice...since that seems to be a problem for all the fics I end up writing...
HOW DOES HIS NOT HAVE MORE UPVOTES!
7665793
If you look closely shortly after Chrysalis emerges from the rubble, you'll see that every unicorn and alicorn, except for Shining Armor, has her horn charged up and ready to fire.
For the first time ever, I agree with Chrysalis.
7665566 No no no, I'll be the one doing that with the genetically-engineered technorganic ponifying nanoprobes I bought from Borg Bioproducts, Inc.!
7666135 Shining Armor hesitating? Could it be?...The reason the Captain of the Royal Guard didn't notice until it was too late was the fact he actually liked it when Chryssie was fucking him!!??
7665356
To be fair, the reforming spell was only their third resort (first resort was Fluttershy reforming him, and second resort was turning him back to stone with the elements), so it's not like it's the first thing they went for. It's not like it's any more harmful to the identity than just killing them, which we do in real life all the time (as both a punishment and as a way to remove a threat).
7665287 Post Traumatic Lession Disorder.
RUN STARLIGHT AND CHRYSALIS! RUN FOR GODS SAKE!!!
Run!!! Chrysalis!!! Run as fast and as far as you can!!! Don't let them reform you to become that colorful thing! You are only true black Changeling we have now!!!!
I don't get the end.
7667130
Starlight glimmer has shown a tendency to experience severe bouts of social anxiety whenever she has to learn a friendship lesson. The more important the lesson seams to be, the worse her anxiety attack is.
And now she's been asked to reform a villain who, if not worse than, is at least on par with her old self.
Although honestly, if it weren't for the whole "nearly destroying Equestria via a Time spell" thing that Starlight did, Chrysalis would have the lead on being more "eviler." However, I still think Starlight is the better planner of the two, even if her little village was doomed to fail if the resident had never gotten their cutie marks back...
I mean, come on! Sure, Queen Chrysalis had all five princesses, Shining Armor, and the Exalts of Harmony replaced, but with the way her infiltrators were behaving the "Generations of love" that everypony felt for them would have dried up within half a year at most.
7667004
I'm pretty sure she can lay more eggs and spawn a new generation of evil minions. She might have to weed out any outliers that want to experience friendship instead of feeding on it though...
7666135 Oh yeah good point! Ah that's a shame :( Wonder why they decided to let her go.
7664796
7664821
That must be why Celestia and Luna had such a hard time ending Discord's rule. And why Sombra always stands on a crystal spire (when he isn't a big fwuffy cloud of evil).
Also, obviously that means the real secret of the Elements Of Harmony's power is that they make you float up until you're higher up than your enemy.
(And I just realized, it always explains why Spike is the doormat in most episodes.)
7664959
A punchline could be Iron Will as mayor of Manehattan.
Indeed, so much magic in one place and they just let the queen get away.
Oh well, Discord kinda-sorta saved the day.
But that last part...
7667004 I think you forgot all the infiltrator changelings that where still in Equestria at the time.
This is amazing
Typo:
past
Ahhh, that really hit the spot for me. Thank you. I needed this. It's well-written, wonderfully in-character, and it's genuinely funny. Instant favorite and thumbs-up, well done.