• Published 26th Oct 2019
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 10 - twilightsparkle3562



Welcome to Season 10 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!

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Episode 19: "Cuckoo for Chrysalis"

Author's Note:

Episode Summary: While on a mission to retrieve a valuable item for Grogar, Tirek and Chrysalis begin to develop mutual feelings for one another.
Cast:
Mark Acheson as Lord Tirek
Kathleen Barr as Queen Chrysalis
Doc Harris as Grogar
Alvin Sanders as King Sombra
Sunni Westbrook as Cozy Glow
Liev Schreiber as the Storm King
Jim Cummings as Lavan
Martin Short as Lieutenant Bray
Scott Underwood as Rusty Bucket


"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" Season 10, Episode 19
"Cuckoo for Chrysalis"
By Jeff Snyder (TwilightSparkle3562)
Edited By SuperPinkBrony12

All his life, Tirek had always been the misunderstood centaur who'd been told he would never amount to anything in life. His parents made it clear that his brother Scorpan would be first in line for the throne, and had disowned him on the spot after learning of his secret meetings with the sorcerer who taught him how to steal the magic of other living creatures.

Now under the service of the real Emperor Grogar, Tirek felt that he'd finally get the chance to prove to his family that he was better than them. Prove that he was worthy and prove how wrong they were to have shunned him. But one night as he lay in bed, Tirek couldn't help but feel oddly sentimental for a fellow villain in his ranks.

"Left two three four! Right two three four!" Chrysalis shouted as she drilled a platoon of donkey soldiers. Looking down the line, she noticed a donkey soldier struggling to walk in tune with the others. "Why do you slouch with the others?! Is it true they took away your ability to produce offspring?" The evil queen of the changelings snarled at the donkey soldier, who cowered at the snarling bug's rage.

"Company halt!" Chrysalis screamed, stopping the platoon in uts track. "You are all disgusting, lazy and insubordinate. No wonder your emperor was banished to the moon. If he had his way, Scarface would have a field day with the likes of you all! Never forget that."

The former queen then noticed a donkey soldier in her ranks wearing a pair of glasses. "Well, look at this, Bonnie Prince. Are you a stallion? Are you a member of Canterlot's elite? Or are you the bloody prince of Equestria?"

The donkey looked at Chrysalis only for her to force him to look straight ahead. "Well, don't look at me! Look straight ahead! I'll eat your rear ends up!"


The next day, from inside the confines of the moon castle, Tirek was training a group of donkey soldiers on how to drain magic from living creatures with help from Cozy Glow. "Bring in the next subject!" He shouted and Cozy Glow used her alicorn magic to bring in a donkey who was near death. "All right, you cretins, you need to learn how to take magic fast and I mean very fast! Grogar wants you all trained on how to drain magic if our quest to retake Equestria is to succeed!"

"And don't forget," Cozy Glow added with a sadistic smirk. "I can take away those horns I just gave to you all. So I'd listen to what Tirek has to say if I were you."

Heeding the evil filly's warning, the donkeys did as they were told attempting to channel their newly acquired magical abilities on their comrade. Naturally, none of the donkeys were even remotely successful in their task.

"This is hopeless," Tirek muttered, throwing a hand into his face. "You're all on borrowed time here. Grogar demands that you master your new abilities pronto, or else!"

The donkeys tried again but to no avail. They still needed time to carry out their training.

"Unbelievable," Tirek remarked. "You're all useless! You're not fit to serve anyone, least of all your emperor."

Just then, Tirek heard a series of yells from down in the courtyard coming from Chrysalis.

"Get up, you worthless pile of nothing!" Chrysalis screamed at a donkey soldier who had collapsed. "You are not dismissed, you will not be dismissed until I say so! Now get up! Get on your feet!"

Captivated by the screams of the angry changeling, Tirek turned his attention away from his training and looked down on the drill sergeant Chrysalis had become. He couldn't help but feel a smile foming on his face. Whether he realized it or not, he'd begun to develop feelings for the former queen.


Once the training had come to an end for the day, the villains were all summoned to a large conference room where Grogar and Sombra were waiting to begin a daily meeting. As they all gathered, Tirek continued to focus all of his attention on Chrysalis, much to Cozy Glow's confusion.

"Sit," Grogar commanded as he petted his pet grizzly's head while the villains obeyed his command, not wanting to anger him.

Sitting next to Chrysalis, Tirek kept his eyes on her developing the sudden urge to touch her. "Lord Tirek! Pay attention!" Grogar roared at the top of his lungs.

Stammering, Tirek gave the demonic ram his full attention. However, Cozy Glow began to realize that there was something that even Grogar didn't appear be aware of just yet.

"Now then," Grogar spoke up while he cleared his throat. "Before you all fill your bellies, I want a full report on how the training of my soldiers is progressing. The more we prepare, the more we'll be ready when we invade Equestria. Who wishes to go first?"

"Um, can't we just play rock, paper…" The Storm King suggested, only for Grogar to throw a silencing spell on his mouth.

"He always suggests that, it's a miracle anyone ever obeyed him," Lavan grumbled. "Anyways, your fire brigade is learning the basics on how to spread fire, my emperor. Progress is actually coming along very nicely. But I can't help but wonder…"

"About your friend?" Grogar guessed with a glint in his eyes. "Remember that his fate lies in your hands, Lavan. Serve me and his chances of survival will remain high. Disobey or fail me, and not only will I not bring him back but you will meet a fate similar to his. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my emperor." Lavan bowed and said no more.

Grogar then turned to Chrysalis, determined to get information on the training of the Donkey Soldiers. "Queen Chrysalis, how's the training for my soldiers coming along?"

"They're a bunch of misfits who need direction, my emperor," Chrysalis remarked while rolling her eyes. "Many of them would seem to much rather cease to exist than listen to me. They're nothing like my hive or even those backstabbing clones I created."

"I recruited for a very good reason, Chrysalis," Grogar bitterly replied. "Because I felt that you are the only one who could bring my army back its to proper form. You know that any insubordinates are food for my pet."

Scarface rose to his feet upon hearing those words.

"I need more time to properly mold them into shape, my emperor," Chrysalis pleaded. "Let me assure you that I will terminate those who are weaklings. An army like this has no place for dead weight."

"Be forewarned that only I can decide who lives or dies, Chrysalis!" Grogar warned before using his magic to lift Chrysalis into the air and close to him. "Time is something that none of us have! The more time we waste, the more that Twilight Sparkle and the other princesses will have an advantage over us. However, it seems to me that there is an object very close to me that is still in Equestria. An object that could prove highly advantgeous if I were able to get my hooves on it."

Right then and there, Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow immediately began to think back to the mission that had almost made them change their ways. They had a sneaking suspicion they knew where they were going.

"Do you mean, atop Mount Everhoof?" Cozy Glow questioned.

"Yes, young filly," Grogar replied to Cozy. "The bell that Gusty the Great stole from me long ago resides on Mount Everhoof once again. The fool Discord left it there when even he could not destroy it, thinking that I was sealed inside it. It cannot be permitted to remain there, least some foolish pony or other creature find a way up to to the summit and take what is rightfully mine! So," He gestured to Tirek and Chyrsalis. "I want you two to retrieve it for me."

"Just us?" Tirek remarked as the felt feeling from earlier start to return. The feeling he felt only for Chrysalis.

"Why only them?" The Storm King questioned, feeling left out as he removed the cover on his mouth. "It's not fair! You never let me go anywhere! If there is anypony who can travel across Equestria, it's me! I could easily scale that mountain!"

"Silence!" Grogar snarled, once again covering the Storm King's mouth before turning his attention back over to Chrysalis and Tirek. "I ask you both to undertake this task because I sense that there is a lot of potential amongst you both. The both of you launched plans to bring Equestria to its knees multiple times, plans that nearly succeeded. Your combined powers are greater than any others among my legion."

"But what about those pathetic soldiers of yours?" Chrysalis wondered. "Who's going to train them while I'm gone?"

"I shall cover your duties," Sombra declared while rising from his seat. "Don't forget that I used to train an army during my rule over the Crystal Empire. If there are any weaklings, I will deal with them in my own ways. I think they'll find that I can guarantee results that you can't."

"And who is going train the forces you want to absorb magic?" Tirek pondered. "Only I have that ability right now."

"Cozy Glow shall it do," Grogar answered, smiling at the filly. "After all, Tirek, you have been teaching her how to take magic as you do, correct?"

Cozy couldn't help but feel slightly nervous at being placed on the spot.

"Er… that is true," Tirek stammered for a few moments before clearing his throat. "If that is what you want we will get you your bell, my emperor."

"See that you both do, because with this object…Twilight Sparkle and the Ponies of Equestria will be powerless to stop us when we strike!" Grogar declared. "And do not think of hiidng it from me like you did when Discord was pretending to be me. I will know in an instant. So either come back with the bell or not at all, do you understand?" Chuckling evilly, Grogar kept his eyes on Tirek and Chrysalis, expecting great things from them.


Once the meeting had been adjourned, Tirek and Cozy Glow returned to their quarters to rest. However, Cozy suddenly noticed Tirek pick a flower up out of a vase and begin to pluck at it.

"She loves me," Tirek muttered to himself as he plucked the flower. "She loves me not. She loves me."

"Um, Tirek, forgive me for noticing," Cozy Glow not so secretly apologized. "But that's the third flower you've plucked this week. Why do you keep doing it?"

"Isn't obvious to you, Cozy Glow?" Tirek remarked with a smile on his face. "I have a crush on Chrysalis!"

"That seems a little…awkward," Cozy Glow commented. "Why in the world do you have a crush on her? What do you even see in her? She's super scary."

"I don't know, it's just that she seems like my type," Tirek commented. "We both have a hatred for the ponies of Equestria, we both drain magic…"

"Um, correction," Cozy Glow interrupted, flying in front of Tirek's face. "Chrysalis drains love, you drain magic."

"Same thing, young filly," Tirek sighed as he began to lift weights. "The fact is that she must see something in me, something that even I don't know. I've felt it in the way she's looked at me lately, but only now have I bothered enough to notice."

Trying to make sense of Tirek's feelings, Cozy used her alicorn powers to go inside of Tirek's mind. She looked and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"What are you doing?" Tirek asked while looking up at Cozy as she stood there, hovering over him like a shoulder angel.

"I'm just trying to get a better understanding of what you're thinking of when it comes to you and Chrysalis." Cozy answered as she looked at Tirek and Chrysalis in wedding attire, standing at an altar with Grogar officiating their marriage: "I now pronounce you husband and fright. You may kiss the bride."

Once Cozy had seen what she needed to see, she cut the spell off. The young pegasus turned alicorn was stunned and near speechless! "You must really love her, don't you, Tirek? You're already planning to get married even. And before you've even found out if she feels the same way."

"Of course, my child," Tirek replied in an unconcerned tone. "I know that she must see something in me. I just know it! When someday you reach my age, you'll understand."

"Well, I hate to burst your little love bubble, Tirek," Cozy remarked in a taunting tone of voice. "But in order for you to truly love Chrysalis, she needs to love you in return."

"Of course she'll love me in return, how could she not?" Tirek interjected, returning to focus on lifting weights. "And this assignment Grogar gave us is the perfect opportunity for me to confess my feelings to her, Cozy Glow. Just you wait and see! You'll be sorry you ever doubted me."

But Cozy had her reservations, even if she wouldn't bring them up outright.


When the rest period ended, Chrysalis and Tirek were summoned to the throne room by Grogar who gave them their final instructions. "You know what needs to be done," He told the two villains. "Scale Mount Everhoof and bring my bewitching bell back to me. Otherwise, don't bother coming back at all unless you want to be Scarface's next meal."

"Fear not, it shall be done, my emperor," Chrysalis replied bowing to him. Tirek, taken by Chrysalis' presence did not bow. "Bow, you cretin! Have you no respect for your master?!"

Instead of being insulted, Tirek could only smile in amusement of what he had just heard as he bowed to Grogar.

"Remember that if you both fail me," Grogar ominously warned them. "Scarface will have plenty to eat for dinner tonight. And the same fate shall await you if you think to betray me. One way or another, I will benefit. Now go! I shall be watching you very carefully." Activating his magic, Grogar dispatched Tirek and Chrysalis to Equestria.

Once they were gone, Grogar was approached by Lieutenant Bray. "Sir!" He spoke up, bowing to Grogar. "Grimlord wishes to transfer the prisoners back to us again. Shall I grant his request?"

"Yes, please do so at once. We must continue swapping the prisoners before Equestria picks up on the fact that their former rulers are still alive," Grogar instructed. "Take the prisoners back to the dungeon as soon as they are sent here. And tell Grimlord that I wish to speak with him at his convenience."

"Yes sir, as you wish!" Lieutenant Bray saluted.

Meanwhile, Tirek and Chrysalis found themselves in a very familiar location. They were back in Equestria at the base of Mount Everhoof.

"So I'm guessing we scale the mountain." Tirek began.

"-And bring back Grogar's bell, probably in the same resting place it was before," Chrysalis finished and then comemented. "If we could survive climbing up the mountain once, we can do it again," Then she scoffed. "It's too bad we don't have that annoying Cozy Glow to help us this time, she may drive me nuts but she served her purpose well. I'd take her over that double crossing Thorax any day!"

But Tirek remembered frim the last time that he hadn't even tried to climb the mountain on his own.

"Um, we?" He asked. "Perhaps you remember that…"

"Of course, we!" Chrysalis snarled, looking Tirek square in the face. "I'm not going up there alone! You know as well as I do that I can't make it! Grogar wants us to get the bell and we are going to get it done together, understood?! Don't think of draining my magic and running off by yourself, you'll only ensure we're both destroyed!"

Starting at the base of the mountain, Chrysalis and Tirek began to make their way up to the summit. However, as they climbed, they both began to suddenly feel weak. It felt as though something or someone was draining their energy and sapping their strength.

"What's happening?!" Chrysalis cried as she suddenly collapsing onto the ground. "This didn't happen last time!"

Tirek began to lose his strength even as he caught Chrysalis. "The magic protection must have been enhanced since we were last here," He panted. "Most likely as an added security measure. Discord was no fool, he must've suspected someone would come looking for the bell eventually. The longer we stay here, the weaker we become. At this rate we may lose all our strength."

"Then we retrieve Grogar's bell as fast as we can and get out of this forsaken place!" Chrysalis insisted, slowly getting back onto her feet. "The quicker we get the bell, the quicker we can keep our strength! I'm not going to die here!"

Changing herself into a rok, Chrysalis attempted to take to the air with Tirek grabbing onto one of her legs. But no sooner did he grab Chrysalis' leg than did he suddenly turn back into his first form. Still, his determination to confess his love for Chrysalis grew higher than ever before.

Battling fierce winds, the two of them fought their way up to the top of the mountain. But, the more they tried, the more Chrysalis grew weak. Soon, she fell down onto the ground below along with Tirek.

When Chrysalis returned to her former self, she found a shocking twist: her sickly green royal accessories were gone along with her matching colored eyes, and Tirek found himself back in his weakest form.

"I…I can't move," Chrysalis moaned. "Where…are we?"

Tirek didn't answer, but he realized he needed to get himself and Chrysalis to safety before it was too late! He didn't want to die trying to retrieve Grogar's bell, not before he had a chance to confess to Chrysalis.


Trying to get himself and Chrysalis to safety, Tirek bent down and pulled the former queen onto his back. The winds continued to howl fiercely, blowing blinding snow all around! But Tirek had to go on.

Suddenly, it was the good fortune of the crafty centaur to come across a rather large house. He then remembered that a pony lived in said house. And he realized that if he drained the pony's energy, he could at least provide shelter for himself and Chrysalis for the night.

"This is my chance to prove myself to her." Tirek thought and reaching down he grabbed some rocks and began throwing them at the windows. A few moments later, a rusty colored pony came out of the house. "Who goes there?!" He cried, holding a shovel in his hooves. "Who's throwing rocks at my house?!"

Acting fast, Tirek jumped in front of the pony and opened his mouth! He began to drain the pony of his energy, regaining some of his lost strength in the process.

With the pony's magic drained, Tirek tossed him aside and then grabbed the weakened Chrysalis and made his way into the house.

Opening her eyes a short time later, Chrysalis found herself lying on a couch with a blanket draped over her. On a nearby table was a cupcake and a glass of water. "Where…where?" She whispered, only for Tirek to lie her back down.

"Rest now, Chrysalis," Tirek said quietly. "We'll stay here for the night."

"You…" Chrysalis began, only to shift her train of thought to more urgent concerns. "How did we get in here?"

"I drained the pony occupant of his magic and took his home," Tirek explained, throwing some firewood into the fireplace. "I couldn't risk us being out there in the cold. With our strength being drained, we couldn't chance it. Most importantly, I had to protect you."

Chrysalis was shocked by what she just heard. "Protect me?" She whispered. "Why?"

"Well…how do I put this in a way you'll understand?" Tirek wondered as he sat down next to Chrysalis. "Ever since Discord brought us together, and especially since we came to work for the real Grogar I…I couldn't help but wonder…"

"Ugh, I know what you're trying to do," Chrysalis groaned. "You have feelings for me, don't you?"

"How did you know?" Tirek wondered, slightly surprised at this confession.

"I'm a Changeling. I sense love, you know. So of course I could sense your not so secret feelings for me," Chrysalis whispered, resting her head on the pillow. "You may find it silly to believe this, Tirek, but…"

Tirek felt something inside him begin to stir. Could it be?

"…Even if I refused to believe it for so long," Chrysalis continued. "I've been… longing for somecreature to love me…for what I am, for who I am."

"Really?" Tirek pondered.

"Yes, a queen needs a king by her side. Working together to defeat Twilight Sparkle and her friends, it's brought us…together, somehow." Chrysalis realized.

Tirek could only sigh at what he had just heard. His feelings were finally being acknowledged at very long last.

"I get the feeling that…" Chrysalis started to say. "I…I love you, Tirek. The maker forgive me, but I do!"

"Then may the maker forgive us both, Chrysalis," Tirek replied. "Because I can't help but be in love with you too." Then he laid down next to Chrysalis. Soon the two enemies of Equestria fell asleep while the whipping, howling winds of Mount Everhoof continued to blow fiercely.

The next morning, Tirek and Chrysalis rose from their sleep and kicking open the door, left the house. THey proceeded to make their way back up the mountain, now fueled by the newfound love that they had for each other.

"Can you try and get across to the other side?" Tirek called to Chrysalis as they neared a pair of ledges. Fueled by his love for her, Chrysalis transformed into a large python and attempted to stretch herself long enough for Tirek to shimmy across to the other side.

Concerned for Chrysalis' safety, Tirek grabbed hold and shimmied across. "Hang on!" Grabbing Chrysalis by the throat, Tirek and his newfound love found themselves right at the cave where Grogar's bell had been brought back.

Tirek then realized that there was only one way to try and touch the bell. "I need…" He stumbled and stammered, not wanting to harm Chrysalis so soon after the declaration of love. "I need your…"

But Tirek felt Chrysalis touch his mouth. "Take it," She told him. "You're going to need it if we're ever to get out of here. Take it or Grogar will feed us to that bear!" She pleaded.

With very little choice, Tirek opened his mouth and drained Chrysalis of whatever magic she had, returning to his second strongest form. With a loud yell, Tirek used his powers to force open the shield protecting the bell. But he also began to realize that it would be impossible to go in and get the bell himself. And this time Cozy Glow wasn't there to be a sacrifice.
"Chrysalis!" He cried out, turning around to the weakened Changeling queen. "I need you to get the bell! Transform into something that can squeeze through the opening, quickly!"

But Chrysalis was too weak to move. "I can't. You have all the power. You must be the one to take the bell!" She pleaded to him. But it was apparent to Tirek that there was very little he could do.

"Well you don't need to!" Called a voice and both centaur and changeling looked up to see Cozy Glow flying towards them at high speed (though strangely without her alicorn wings and horn). Flying through the hole Tirek had created, Cozy Glow grabbed the bell and took it out of the cave once again. "Ta Da! And you thought you could manage without me. Ha, fat chance! You need me as much as I need the both of you!"

With his young protégé holding onto the bell, Tirek raced over to Chrysalis' side and acting fast gave the former queen's magic back to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked as Chrysalis weakly rose her head up to look back at him. Realizing that they couldn't stay here, Tirek scooped up Chrysalis into his arms. Then, he turned back to Cozy Glow. "What are you doing here? I thought Grogar just wanted this assignment to be between the two of us."

"Isn't it obvious? Grogar figured that you wouldn't actually be able to do it by yourselves," Cozy Glow said with a smile. "So after a lot of pleading on my part, he agreed to send me to help you retrieve the bell. Besides, it beats hanging around the likes of Sombra and the Storm King, they don't listen to me at all. They just think I'm a stupid child who knows nothing and can do whatever they want with me. You're the only ones who understand me for who I am."

"Well that's good but we need to get out of here, now!" Tirek cried out. "Can you get us back to the moon, Cozy?"

"Don't look at me!" Cozy Glow yelled back. "Grogar sent me here, and only he can bring us back!"

As if on cue a large beam came out of the sky, pulling the three villains up into the sky. Soon they found themselves back on the moon with their enhanced powers restored to them.

"Rise," He commanded. "Do you have it?"

"Right here, my emperor," Tirek declared, handing the bell to Grogar, much to the ram's delight and excitement. "We've brought it back to you just as you requested."

But Grogar was too fixated on the bell to even notice Tirek and his companions.

"Yes, yes," Grogar laughed, as he looked at his bewitching bell. "After all these years, you are now back in my grasp again! This time you will not leave my side, ever!" Taking the bell, Grogar placed the bell around his neck and with a loud yell, he felt a surge of power flow through his veins.

His loud yells caught the attention of King Sombra and the other villains, all racing into the throne room.

"My emperor!" Sombra cried before noticing what hung around Grogar's neck. "The bell! Y-you have it back?!"

A sinister smile came onto Grogar's face, a smile of pure evil.

"Okay, that look is creeping me out," The Storm King remarked. "Even I don't make that look when I…"

"Silence, you worthless weakling!" Grogar interrupted in a loud and commanding voice. "My power has returned to me and very soon, Equestria will be ours for the taking! So I suggest you don't get on my bad side if you wish to be part of the coming conquest! Understood?!"

With the rest of the villains surrounding him, Grogar continued to revel in his delight for the rest of the day.

Later that day, Chrysalis returned to her duties while Tirek watched from the window inside his quarters.

"So you did it?" Cozy Glow remarked, watching Tirek from behind.

"I did what?" Tirek questioned.

"Confessed your love to Chrysalis? It seemed like there was something different between you two." Cozy commented with a snicker.

Tirek turned his attention away from the window. "Who told you that?!" He asked in a shocked tone of voice.

"Oh, let's just say a little birdie told me!" Cozy chuckled. "It was pretty obvious from the way you've been acting in front of Chrysalis lately. Something tells me we might actually have a wedding in our future."

At that moment, Tirek bent down to Cozy's level and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to make a request of you," He whispered. "You are to not tell anyone else that I am in love with Chrysalis. From what I see with Grogar, he will not tolerate our relationship. If he ever finds out that we're in love…"

"Your secret is safe with me, Tirek" Cozy Glow whispered with a wink. "I promise. Now, don't you have magic draining training to oversee in a little while?"

With those words, Tirek looked back out the window and once again saw Chrysalis demanding the best out of her platoon of donkey soldiers. As long as their romance was kept from Grogar, Tirek and Chrysalis were safe from harm.

Little did they know that Grogar was somewhat aware of their romance. "Are you certain that they are in love with one another?" He asked Sombra while sitting on his throne.

"I am certain, I can see it in the way they look at each other. I learned long ago how to detect love, for it is the one thing I hate more than anything else," Sombra replied. "What shall we do with them, my lord? Shall we have Scarface feast?"

"No, we shall let them be spared…for now," Grogar said, stomping three times to summon Scarface into the throne room.

"Because if their romance gets in the way of my plans, my pet will know what to do." Smiling sinisterly once more, Grogar could only look nowhere but up as his plans would continue to move forward now that his bell was back where it belonged…around his neck.