Chapter 22
Flour was an interesting thing. If one spent enough time with it, it would invade every aspect of one's world. It stayed in one’s mane, it lurked on furniture, it took up residence in one's nostrils, and it even, somehow, crawled in one's leg-holes.
Not for the first time, while she kneaded the dough in a hot room along with other apprentices, covered in flour–her, the apprentices, and the room–Chryssi wondered how ponies who couldn't change shape and exchange their coat for smooth chitinous plates managed to deal with it.
Probably with a lot of time and brushes, at least if her memories of how Donna Copper Horn dealt with whatever had been in Tia's and Lulu's coat after their adventures were halfway accurate.
"Hmmm, almost there." Rock Salt pressed a pale hoof in the mass Chryssi was trying to massage into submission. "Which means it's still a failure. An eighth of a measure more water. Bread is the peak of the art of bakery, Apprentice Surprise. It requires dedication, precision, and a clear mind. I see nothing of the kind here, Apprentice Surprise. I see wasted flour, and utter disrespect of the mother yeast that the guild invested here on your behalf." He frowned. "Be glad that this…well, it isn't bread…be thankful that this stuff will get out to those too hungry to complain. If a pony incautiously paid for it, they would spit in your face the instant they tasted it. Now finish up and then go do something useful."
It was hard to not smile at such a glowing compliment. Chryssi kneaded with renewed vigor while Rock Salt turned around in a cloud of flour and threatened to slap Bluebell with another too-soft ball of dough.
There was also the possibility of never removing the flour at all. At least that seemed to be the choice of the teachers at the guild. Chryssi wasn't sure if it was something they did for show, though. The whole song and dance of apprenticeship was a complicated and bizarre one, fraught with what appeared to be senseless traditions and customs, with teachers alternatively screaming at them or cuddling them, with frantic, hard work followed by lazing around. And yet, in time, some things had started to make sense. The work was frantic and hard because the apprentices hadn't learned to pace themselves and adapt to the slow, steady rhythm of rising dough. Many traditions were there because they worked their magic in subtle ways. And sometimes things were done simply because they had always done it that way.
It was, in a certain way, a microcosm of pony culture. The large reflected in the small, the patterns repeating themselves everywhere.
Maybe she should tell Master Sottile about it. It would show that her studies were bearing fruit, after all. Maybe she could even tell some of the teachers at the guild. Not Rock Salt, though. He would see it as a distraction and as the reason why she still made errors. Too much thinking non-bread-related thoughts, not enough feeling the bakery.
Almost ready. Chryssi divided the mass into five loaves, took a small knife and cut her pattern in the top of each. Two lines, one crossing the other at two-thirds of the length to show that she was an apprentice, and three others to sign it with her guild-assigned name. She admired it briefly. Clean cuts, as always. She just hoped that those assigned to oven duty this time wouldn't burn the loaves.
Well, it was out of her control anyway, no reason to worry about it. That's what Millet always said. It was the smart thing to do.
Chryssi sighed. She had to find something else to do as soon as possible, or thinking about it would drive her crazy.
"Did you clean up properly?"
"Yes."
"Will Rock Salt be satisfied?"
"No."
Master Snow Berry smiled. "I suppose that can't be helped." He turned around. "Will you help with the harvest when you're home?"
"Uhm, no…" Chryssi shuffled her hooves. "I–Master Sottile will have me studying the pre-tribal philosophers."
"Right, right, you are of a noble house. I forgot." He hadn't, of that Chryssi was sure. But there was no malice in his words, so she played along. "Heh, I still think it's strange that the third in line will have been here in the guild and gotten insulted by Rock Salt. Ah, well, I guess the next Guild Master needs to come from somewhere, right? And you, little one, also seem to have a knack for knowing what to say. That's something that goes a very long way."
Chryssi looked away and scratched the stone floor with a hoof. "I don't think I could be a guild master. I just like to bake."
"Hmmm, we will see. Well, I certainly won't, I'm a bit too old for that. The guild will see. Would be nice not having to fight with the Houses over the grain each spring." Master Snow Berry turned back to Chryssi and held out a little jar. "Here, your mother-yeast. It will be good for two weeks, so you can train and make some decent bread. You remember the rules, right?"
Chryssi nodded. "Use half a measure of flour and a quarter of a measure of water every day for a week while chanting stanzas four, five, eleven and thirteen of the Song of Grain. Use a quarter of a measure of flour with half the water for three days while chanting stanzas nine, fifteen, and twenty-one. On the eleventh day sing the Thanks before sunrise, then use all the remaining mother-yeast for bread, leaving no remains. If it can't be done, then I will have to burn the leftovers after sundown while singing the Apologies. And if I don't do that you will know and I will be in great trouble."
"Very well, you know the rules, you can take the jar."
"Thank you, Master Snow Berry." The little jar felt slightly warmer than the dry, cold air in the cellar. Chryssi took it carefully and put it in her saddlebags. "I promise I'm gonna make grea–good bread with it."
"I'm sure you will. Now go and send in the next apprentice. This old pony wants to finish soon and go back to his secrets."
Magic crystals set in the walls lit the way up and to the heavy wooden door of the Master of Yeast's laboratory. Chryssi pushed it open and left the narrow stairway for a larger and definitely warmer room where half a dozen young ponies were chatting. "Cheery Swirl, you're the next."
As a yellow earth-pony filly with a curly purple mane passed her, Chryssi whispered, "He's asking for the rules, again."
The filly groaned and disappeared in the depths of the guild.
While almost no farmers lived in Everfree Haven itself, nonetheless the imminent harvest had the city in upheaval. Apprentices coming from outside were preparing to return to their families to help out. Chryssi didn't envy those returning to the most remote hamlets and farms. It would take them days to get home, and then a week or two of hard work awaited them.
And yet, as Chryssi stepped out from the Guild-House onto the street and took a deep breath, she smelled bread, ponies, burned wood, expectancy, and joy. Excitement as young ponies, barely old enough as to not be foals anymore, chatted and gossiped and thought about little gifts to buy with their hard-earned coin. Underhoof kisses were exchanged in what couples thought was secrecy, while the older ponies around them tried very hard to not smile. Promises to think of one another, assurances of the solidity of friendships, overly dramatic oaths, all done to overcome what was going to be just a month of separation.
Chryssi loved it.
Three years ago, when she first saw the city, she had been overwhelmed by the sheer number of ponies, the size of the buildings, and the explosion of colors and smells. And now that it had become familiar like a soft cape draped over her back, she got all the little hidden details and nuances. It made it all shine even brighter.
"Surprise! Over here!"
Chryssi looked down the road and saw a huge cart pressing through the traffic. Pulling it was a big, green stallion with a straw hat and a big smile on his face. Mint had never been small, but it seemed he had decided his last growth spurt didn't have to stop. He was already bigger than Millet, and Chryssi had to crane her neck up to look him in the eyes. Chanterelle waved from atop one of the sacks piled on the cart.
"Chanterelle, Mint, hello."
The cart stopped a few steps away, groaning under the weight loaded on it. Mint didn't even seem to feel it. Chanterelle hopped down and hugged Chryssi. "Told the big doofus we could catch you. And I was right. Like always."
It was a nice hug, and Chryssi responded in kind. "You were lucky, I was about to fly away. What are you doing here? Where's your sister?"
"Yellowhoof is home, has to count stuff and help to prepare for the harvest and stay with Clay to supervise everything. It's the first year they got half-a-score of fields assigned. I came to keep an eye on the doofus here." Chanterelle pointed at a smiling Mint, and Chryssi could taste amusement and care coming from him. "Had to be sure the sneaky city-folks didn’t try to take advantage of him. We can't all be fancy guildies like you, we have to watch out for each other."
"Chanterelle, I'm a baker. Not even that. I don't think that's fancy." Chryssi stepped back from the hug, then bumped Mint's hoof. "And Meadowsweet says farmers are too smart to get conned by some greedy merchant."
Chanterelle looked around, then whispered, "Well, yes, but we don't want them to know it." She opened one of Chryssi's saddlebags and looked inside. "Say, wanna come home with us? 's gonna be fun and we can chat and then when we leave you at the farm we can say hi to your sisters and then tell Clay all about it and then he'll be all mopey about not having seen Celestia and we can make fun of him."
A half-hearted swat on the nuzzle dissuaded Chanterelle from further inquiries into bags that didn't belong to her. Chryssi closed the buckle. "You shouldn't make fun of him. It's not nice."
"Pffft, everypony sees how silly that is. It's his fault for being dumb. Must be a colt thing."
Chryssi snickered. "Tia and Lulu are gonna agree with that. But sorry, no, I can't come with you. I have to go to the messenger hall to get the messages for the farm, then I have to pick something up for Willowbark and then I have to see another couple of ponies. I’ll fly home on my own."
"Aw, that's a shame, right, Mint?"
The nod Mint graced them with was slow, ponderous, and probably could pulverize stones. "It's a shame."
"Yeah, sorry, but maybe we can get together after the Harvest. Maybe at the creek."
Chanterelle scrambled up the side of the cart, resumed her perch on the upper sack and smiled down. "Yeah, gonna do that. 's a good, big harvest, but I bet we're gonna finish soon. Clay's dumb in many ways, but he knows how to organize ponies. And can't miss seeing him become a stuttering moron when Celestia's around. Come on, Mint, move your lazy flanks. Can't stay in this nest of thieves too long."
It was with a smile that Chryssi waved the pair goodbye as the cart returned to its rattling journey and disappeared among the crowd. That was another thing to look forward to.
But that was for later. Now, there were things to do. Chryssi found an empty corner and stretched her wings. Then, with a jump, she left the ground and joined the low flow of pegasi moving back and forth above the jammed streets.
The main villa of House Sapphire somehow resembled a daffodil, at least if Chryssi squinted and then turned away to keep it just in the corner of her eyes. Five broad and thick towers with balconies at their sides rose from around the central complex. From the center, two thin spires reached for the skies, a shining sphere on the top. A large garden surrounded the building, and a wall encircled the garden, making the whole complex something like a green eye in the middle of the city.
One thing Chryssi had learned at the end, after years of frustrating bafflement, was that most ponies ran on tradition, and the older and less reasonable it was, the stronger their attachment to it. House Sapphire had a very long tradition of reading the stars from atop towers. And they would continue to do exactly that, despite having lost any chance of getting anything sensible out from it. At least that was what Sapphire Gleam said.
The guard at the gate looked over Chryssi as she landed, then nodded and waved her through.
That nopony was allowed to simply fly over the wall to go where they needed to be was another strange tradition, although one even Messengers and Head of Houses seemed to follow. She would have to ask him about it once she got home.
In the gardens, the sound of the city disappeared and was replaced by the chirping of birds and the humming of bees. Flowers bloomed in a riot of colors and trees cast inviting shadows. It was peaceful, beautiful, and empty. Why ponies kept such places and then didn't pass the day napping or playing or reading there was one of the things she was sure she would never understand. Tia and Lulu didn't, so what hope could she have?
The air inside the building was cool and still. Occasionally, silent servants hurried along the corridors, carrying scrolls and boxes.
An old stallion sat on a bench on the side of the arch leading to one of the broad towers. His coat was gray, his mane white, and he squinted at the little blade held in his magic as it carved something in a small piece of wood.
Chryssi walked up to him, then bowed and said, "I'm here to see Lady Sapphire Gleam of the Ancient House Sapphire."
The old stallion glanced down at her and smiled. "Ah, yes, I was expecting you. She was quite eager to see you." He stood up. "I'll go get some refreshments, you hurry up. Oh, and she decided to add Eternal Maiden to her list of titles once again, see you use it. It'll brighten her day."
"Oh, did she have a bad day? Should I use all of the titles?" Chryssi glanced sideways to the stone stairs behind the arch. The apartments were a bit too far away to get an exact taste, but she didn't think there was sadness there.
"Oh, nothing really bad. She's just a bit bored, I think." The blade and the piece of wood floated into a small bag on the side of the bench. "It's always the same during the Harvest. All the apprentices go home, and those remaining have to take up the slack. Everypony becomes busy, and the Lady gets bored. It will be alright, don't worry. Now hurry up, she's waiting."
The first couple of turns of the stairs climbing the tower were lit up by white crystals, soon replaced by small windows letting in the sun. Tapestries depicting the story of the House decorated the walls, interspersed with mosaics of the night skies. Chryssi finally reached the landing and the door, then looked over herself and frowned. A brief taste of the air told her that aside from Sapphire Gleam in her apartment nopony was around. She still glanced over her shoulder and down the stairs to be sure, then stepped in a corner hidden from the window and concentrated.
Thin rings of black, boiling substance appeared around the tips of her hooves and rose along her legs. Where they passed, her dusty coat full of flour became clean and shining. The rings reached her shoulders and ran around her chest, joining together and then dividing again, one crawling up her neck, the other down her back. A couple of heartbeats later they reached the tip of her nose and the tip of her tail, where they disappeared and left behind two clumps of matter that fell with a clunk. Chryssi pushed them in the corner and checked herself again. Coat clean and brushed, mane probably in order, and–after a sniff to be sure–no offensive smells.
She knocked on the door. A scratchy voice answered, "Come in."
The door swung open at a slight pressure, no sound coming from the well-oiled hinges. The room behind it was, in a word, luxurious.
High windows of many colors let in a chromatic riot of light to paint the wide, open room. A giant bed was the centerpiece, filled up with pillows, blankets, and liberally garnished with scrolls. All around it the stone floor was covered in carpets, each a different pattern, and low tables were laden with quills and sheets of paper. The walls were filled with shelves holding more written texts, while star maps filled the few free spaces. On one side stood a frame from which hung crystal bells. And amidst it all, on a low divan, lay Lady Sapphire Gleam.
Lady Sapphire Gleam was many things. She was smart, well-groomed, quite knowledgeable. Also, old. Very old. Her coat, once an almost shining blue, according to herself, had acquired a patina. Her mane was the color of an angry thundercloud and woven in a braid that fell on her back. Time had thinned out her legs, making one fear that the golden bracelets she still wore could fall off at any moment. The only part of her time seemed to not have touched were the eyes, which gleamed with the same amusement Chryssi could taste in the air.
Chryssi bowed and said, "Lady Sapphire Gleam of the Noble and Ancient House Sapphire, third sister and advisor to Noble Head of The House Sapphire Heart, Second Stargazer and guardian of the Heaven Lore, Honored Scholar of Law, Eldest of House Sapphire–" The rising delight was like a honeyed sage infusion from the cellar on a hot summer day, and it let her know that it was time to finish it. "–Eternal Maiden, Brightest–"
"Oh, no need to be so formal. Let us dispose of the formalities, from one improbable scion to the other." Lady Sapphire Gleam's voice was rough, weary, like an old mirror where time had left scratches and cracks. It made her giggling weird. "Thank you for being here."
"Thank you for inviting me." Chryssi stood up. She liked Lady Sapphire Gleam, but this, like so many other things in the city, was a dance and there were certain steps to make. At least she could choose the opening. "How may I serve you?"
Lady Sapphire Gleam straightened up and glared at her. "You can't serve me, Damsel Subtle Surprise of House Sottile. You are a scion of a House, albeit one far down the inheritance list. And so was I." She shook her head. "It is because of that guild where you are learning, right? No proper respect for blood there. Why you decided to do that instead of learning under Master Sottile like your sisters I shall never understand. Well, it's clear it falls on me to correct the situation. We can't have you not understand your role when Master Sottile finally solves the riddle of my heart, can we? That wouldn't be proper."
"No, it wouldn't, Lady Sapphire Gleam." Dancing was easy once you knew a couple of steps and could taste your companion. Expectation and hope– "You are right and I long to improve. Maybe you could help me with it." –became delight and joy.
"Yes, that can be done." Her horn lit up, and a small bell floated and rang with crystalline laughter.
The door opened and the gray stallion entered carrying a tablet with a crystal ewer and two glass cups on it. The ewer was filled with a green-tinged liquid and a smell of peppermint and elderberries overtook the room. He walked to one of the low tables, cleared it with his magic, the scrolls lying on it rolling up and floating to a tidy pile on the side, and put the tablet down.
Lady Sapphire Gleam nodded. "Thank you, Golden Hoof. Now, Damsel Subtle Surprise, let us rectify all the bad habits you picked up in the guild. Let's start with your name. I guess they all call you simply Surprise, right? But your House name is important. Now, Sottile is a very old name, so as long as it's not in some official ceremony I think you can go with Subtle, that's what Sottile means in modern Ponish…"
Rectifying bad habits was one of the things Chryssi liked quite a lot. It involved cold mint infusion with elderberry flowers, honey-buns, a whole lot of gossip, some interesting–and probably salacious, she would have to check that later with Millet–stories of family, and a view of politics that made it almost fun, if containing a little more drunkenness, pettiness, and silly endeavors than what she remembered from her tangential dealings with it.
Chryssi hadn't much to reciprocate with, but for some reason the story of how she, Tia, and Lulu had been judges once seemed to delight Lady Sapphire Gleam to no end, no matter how many times she told it.
The sun had just passed the peak of its path when Chryssi felt it was time to go. At least if she wanted to keep up appearances and not get scolded by Donna Copper Horn or Meadowsweet.
"–and so the only thing Rare Scroll could do was accuse me of openly leading them all on. I could almost see my sister's horn sparking and her glare, by the stars, her glare… Anyway, Rare Scroll made a face like he had really bad constipation, I mean, worse than the usual sort, ground his teeth, and backed down. I will be his death. I hope at least. Oh, Damsel Subtle Surprise, thank Master Sottile for that little bit of law lore about the traditional Unicorn Riddle challenges. It really wouldn't do if I married somepony unable to best me in those."
"I will, Lady Sapphire Gleam. Thank you for your help, but I fear I must go if I want to reach home before the fall of night."
"Oh dear, is it already that late?" Lady Sapphire Gleam looked at the window. "Are you certain you will make it? Having you as a guest of House Sapphire wouldn't be a problem."
Chryssi stood up and shook her head. "I thank you for your generous offer, but I'm–I am still in time."
"If you say so. By the Stars, you should have become a messenger if you can fly that fast and far." Lady Sapphire Gleam tapped her chin. "On the other hoof, that would mean no politics for you. Hmmm, maybe climbing the Baker's Guild isn't such a bad idea. A bit unusual for the third in line, even more so considering it's not one of the prestigious ones, but that could make it quite brilliant. Well, I shouldn't be too surprised, I suppose. Master Sottile has quite an eye for that kind of mischief."
"Lady Sapphire Gleam, I…uhm…I like working at the guild."
"I believe that and am very happy for you, but that doesn't make that choice any less interesting." Her horn lit up and she brandished two scrolls. "I would love having you here, but I can't, in all honesty, bear the responsibility of you flying in the darkness. I would never forgive myself if my old-lady chattering put you in danger. Here, bring these to Master Sottile, one is the answer to his last riddle, and the other is my little challenge for him."
Chryssi took the scrolls and nodded. She pulled her saddlebags close, opened them, and looked for a place among the paper, little sweets, a jar containing some treasured mother-yeast, a satchel with crystallized honey, some candied orange peels, a silver brooch, two bells, and a mechanical toy-pony. A challenge, but not one she would back off from.
Some creative rearrangements later–and some murmured swears, those were important and the secret to all tricky work–the scrolls had been safely stored. Chryssi closed her bags, put them on, and smiled at Lady Sapphire Gleam. "Master Sottile will be delighted at the challenge and shall soon send an answer."
"You are a good filly. Now go, I cannot bear the idea of keeping you from your family any longer. Oh, send my best regards to the damsels your sisters. I would greatly enjoy if they could come to visit."
"I will. Thank you again for the invitation, Lady Sapphire Gleam. See you after the Harvest.”
The walls of the city passed under her as she climbed up in the air and the sound and taste faded, as did the smell of so many ponies living close together. Each flap of her wings put a bit more distance between herself and Everfree Haven, her home away from home, and made her feel a bit more lonely.
It was weird. The first time she had done that she had been a bit scared. As far as she could remember she had never really been alone in any meaningful sense, always surrounded by family or by the guild. She had almost turned around and looked for some group traveling in the same direction to join.
Now she enjoyed it, at least in small amounts. When the air was pure and the emotions were just some faint idea, Chryssi could think more clearly about herself. It had worried her for a time, at least until Master Sottile had assured her that it was quite normal, and something that everyone did. At least everyone who cared about understanding themselves. It was why the adults were alone sometimes, why Master Sottile closed himself in his study, or why Fidelis put so much effort into having a lazy afternoon where he simply laid under a tree and gazed at the sky every once in a while.
Chryssi banked and caught the wind, gliding over the fields of barley.
Another two years and she would become a journeymare. She would be allowed to work in a bakery, own one, or she could stay with her House. She was already pretty sure about what she wanted to do, but she had promised to think about it anyway. At least she would until Tia's plan to put together a pirate crew came to fruition. It was the one she was most convinced would be a great idea, even after all these years, so it had to be a good plan. Chryssi wasn't sure what a pirate baker would exactly do–her subtle inquiries in the guild had been fruitless for now–but they would figure out something, somehow. They always did.
For a brief moment, she tasted a whiff of hunger, anger, and determination. Then it passed.
Unusual. Chryssi looked around but could just see a couple of pegasi in the distance. The first trees of the forest raced away under her.
There were so many plans, many of them discussed just before she and her sisters fell asleep, or while taking strolls through the woods around the farm. So much uncertainty, it made the future seem full of possibilities, without structure, devoid of a specific form. And she was comfortable with the idea.
Another look around. She seemed to be truly alone now. Good.
Chryssi folded her wings and fell towards a small clearing in the forest below. She opened her wings again once below the crowns of the trees and dashed between the trunks of the trees in the shade of the leaves.
The unfixed form was a concept she had come to love. Her smile grew and grew. Her wings changed shape, her feathers trembled and melted together. Her coat became a single, black mass. Her bones stopped constraining her, and she became faster and faster.
The world changed around her. She could see more than before, in every direction. She stopped darting and began to flow, a black shape bowing and turning and churning, fast like the wind. Hungry.
An old rabbit raised his head. He had sired many a fluffle of bunnies, escaped countless foxes, kicked a lot of young upstarts. And then stopped being when a black tendril snatched him.
Garvino had explained what some griffins considered good prey, righteous prey. It had helped in dealing a bit with the guilt she had come to feel. After all, she had to eat. It helped that it was tasty.
Chryssi made a turn that would have broken her wings if she still had them and would keep her between the trees for a while longer.
Tia and Lulu had been more understanding than Chryssi herself. They seemed to consider hunger the worst thing ever and fighting it was a duty. It sounded right. It probably was.
The end of her trip was coming closer. Time to slow down, get dressed once more.
When she left the forest with a giggle Chryssi was again Surprise, and the farm was just a few flaps away.
She had come to enjoy brief moments of solitude, but only as long as they would end. It was nice to think about oneself, but now a couple of weeks with her family, with her sisters, waited for her, and those were even better.
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Oh god, she's learned tact!
Tremble, Lords of Ponydom. Tremble...
I am both amused and horrified at the idea of Turboshoggoth.
Also hilarious to consider the parallels with the Pink Menace. What is it about baking and eldritch secrets?
I still can't help but emit a small happy gasp when I see this story update.
She is an adorable Eldritch Horror! Such a cutie cosmic monster!!
"tables were laden quills and sheets"
"tables were laden with quills and sheets"?
"low divan, laid Lady Sapphire"
"low divan, lay Lady Sapphire"?
"eyes, who gleamed with"
"eyes, which gleamed with"?
"the scrolls laying on it rolling"
"the scrolls lying on it rolling"?
Nice. :)
"For a brief moment, she tasted a whiff of hunger, anger, and determination."
Though that worries me a little...
What an interesting pile of developments you've given us. Where will this go next? Will Chrysalis rise to become a master baker? What would a baker's master piece look like?
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It is truly the most vicious of the weapons available to ponykind.
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I absolutely adore the term Turboshoggoth.
As for baking, it's the kind of thing that requires careful treatment of things that become kind of squishy and then blob-y and then go through extreme environmental conditions and it only makes them stronger. Or tastier, same difference. Long story short, they feel a certain affinity.
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Thank you!
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She works very hard on it.
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Fixed, thank you. Sooner or later I shall get a grip on the proper conjugation of "to lie". It's borderline vexing.
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A baker's master-piece will move those who taste it to tears, first of joy, and then of regret as they know that, realistically, they shall never taste something like that again. And yet the ephemeral experience is a treasured one.
Masters also know how to properly run a Guild without going mad. Or they did go mad and then got the title, opinions differ and it really depends on whom you ask.
Let me guess, someone will attack her home this night and she will have to defend it, but maybe her real form would leak out and then you'll throw her into troubles to drive her into adventure bla-bla-bla.
What a lovely time skip. I wouldn't have pegged her for a baker, but it works. I cannot wait to see her go questing with the sisters!
Having a white coat probably helps a bit... which is convenient for you, I guess?
The Outside Context Problem in a nutshell, folks.
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Oh yes, the original definition of the term. I actually have a line in mind to describe the Temmie Armor: "No, a masterpiece exists to prove to a master that you're worth teaching. This would prove that you've already surpassed them."
The interesting part is we got a small timeskip. Plus, who could imagine Chrysallis the Baker?
I wonder if in the modern era she actual is still a member of good standing? Be funny if that was how she stays in contact with Celestia. During negotiations as head of the guild she bakes cakes for Celestia to get better terms for her guild.
Yes political Crissiy is best. Also becoming a mass of stuff like when she was "Born" is really cool.
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You're welcome. :)
And aye, that's a common issue. That one of its conjugations looks and sounds just like a different but related in meaning verb doesn't really help. :)
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Agreed, but there is one thing I like to add:
Cooking, and baking especially, is one part absolute rigour (temperatures, moisture levels, ingredient proportions), one part transformation, and one part whimsical, mad experimentation.
For myself, I most enjoy cooking when I either: A) follow a recipe for something I've never made before or B) Toss together ingredients and styles that Should Not Be Combined. Like Chili Pizza. It's the sort of thing you occasionally see Pinkie do and I always love the faces that come up when weird flavor combinations are mentioned (Cupcakes with hot sauce?)
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Funny thing about that. No turbo required. Those critters are canonically stupidly fast. Like train speeds fast.
The most important revelation in this chapter is that Celestia is still set on being a pirate.
I found this story a few hours ago and found it delightful; the fact that I almost passed it over is somewhat frightful. This site isn’t as active as it used to be, yet you still manage to fill new readers with glee. Thank you for the world you’ve shared and the tales it’s bared.
This is a very, very, VERY good story. I was sat to hit the end of what you have up so far!
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Well, just so long as she doesn’t spend all her time master baking, I suppose that’s be fine.
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Well, she was quite good at baking cookies.
9786380
And it raises even more questions about Pinkie.
9786445
The guild system didn't officially survive to modern days.
9786591
"Your talent in navigating the corridors of power is impressive. You will soon rise in the guild--"
"I make bread, for Celestia's sake!"
"Did somepony call me?"
"Her, take her! she's good with power and politics and stuff."
9786989
I tend to look at recipes more for inspiration than for instructions as long as I have at least a bit of familiarity with the ingredients. I generally hate to cook just for myself, so I tend to not find an audience for more outlandish experiments.
9789512
It is a noble goal. As we know, fate has other plans, but maybe she can keep her dream alive.
9787318
But they didn't fly, IIRC. Not that it made a lot of difference.
9790026
9790101
I'll try to keep up with the updates
9791214
She will still be Master of Sandcake a couple of millennia later.
9791512
A shame. It would be hilarious to see Chrysalis dealing with the humdrum activitys of running her hive, the guild, and possibly dealing with the Cakes and Pinkie Pie! I mean seriously, could you imagine the wedding and Chrysalis giving orders to her drones to be careful with the pretty pink pony because she bakes amazing cupcakes?
9791524
"Princess, there have been reports of naval vessels being attacked off the Eastern Coast."
"Oh, ignore those reports. Nothing to see, there."
"Ignore them?"
"Ignore them."
9786249 It can only be... EVIL PSYCHO CARNIVORE DISCORD!! He's here to EAT PONIES!!
Either that or it's a cat who's owners forgot to feed it. The feelings are very similar.
9792038
I'm sure that somewhere in the Royal Archives is a Letter of Marque that she "jokingly" drafted for herself...
Oooh, a time-skip! I expect this will lead to highly amusing teenage pony shenanigans.
Also, Chryssi as a baker is unexpected but delightful!
9786143
According to Estee, probably a souffle.
As above, so below. It's turtles all the way down.
Oh! Time skip!
The perfect spot for a timeskip, all things considered. I look forward for more Chrysalis self-discovery. And more of her being herself. That is always a blast to see.
I wonder when she'll start to figure who she is and where she came from...
9792188
I'm pretty sure the cat being fed or not has next to nothing to do with the feeling itself.
9792733
That would make her a corsair, and hence a sell-out.
9792967
A souffle is more of a personal nemesis than a masterpiece.
9798195 I would make a comment about how my cats love me and respect me... but that's only because I AM ONE OF THEM.
9750813
Her famous last words before declaring war on her sister were recorded as "Tia, did you eat my fish taco?"
Ooooh, a time skip.
Hmm, a Shoggoth Baker, I approve.
The unfixed form makes me think of that thing Alucard from Hellsing could do.
Still the little sludge we know and love
I don't like time jumps.
9905591
I understand.
Still, I think it was needed for the arc I intend for the story. I hope you'll like where it goes anyway.
Well, I fell way behind there for a while, but at least this short hiatus the story seems to be on gave me time to catch up. Silver linings, I guess. I've really enjoyed all the developments since the chapter I've left off on. Chrysalis has come a long way already, and we've learned a lot about the world around her along the way. I'm interested to see what comes next. Hopefully something with more Star Swirl, because he was great.
9922429
I'm sincerely sorry about the unforeseen delay in delivering the next chapter. But I'm working on it, I swear
I managed to lose track of this a few years back, catching up on it now. Definitely as entertaining as I recalled, I missed this unique take on Chrysalis.