Jumper

by lollipopchica

Chapter 25

“Good Afternoon and this is Equestria Daily, I’m your host Summer Storms and todays breaking story goes as follows: Changeling and Pony relations continue to deteriorate as changeling activist call for a revision of Equestria’s newest stipulation to the proposed Order 786.”

“Changelings are not cattle, and to suggest marking us as such is beyond disgusting. Equestria calls itself a leader of light and justice and yet the only thing this bill brings to the table is bigotry and scorn.” Alicorn Royalty and changeling activist, Justinian Libertram, was quoted as saying, “Equestria is better than this and changelings deserve the right to live in a country that doesn’t discriminate based on origi-”

Cadence looked to her father who abruptly snapped off the television.

“Dad?” She questioned as she stopped swiping on her phone. “That was a really nice clip.”

Justinian groaned as he tossed the remote on the couch and moved into the kitchen. “That’s not the point, Cadenza. My father is probably rolling in his grave right now.”

“Uncle Cosmos wouldn’t sign something like that.”

“He might not have the choice.”

“What does that mean for us...” she asked quietly.

“It means that you’d have to get branded too.”

“Branded?!”

“It’s a magical branding, but still.”

“That’s awful!” She breathed. “But this isn’t going anywhere… is it?”

“It’s hard to say… Relations aren’t the best, and it doesn’t help that the news is so skewed nowadays.” He paused and looked in on his youngest daughter. “When your sister gets in, we’re going out for dinner.”

“Can I pick?” Cadence’s eyes lit up.

“Sure,” Justinian conceded eyeing the sparsely stocked fridge. “Where is she anyway?”

*-*-*-*-*

Second-Hand Class was a local thrift shop Rarity liked to frequent for vintage pieces and whatever else she didn’t feel like paying full price for. While there was a lot of junk to sort through, if she was patient enough, gems could often times be salvaged.

She waited patiently outside her favorite store for Chrysalis to appear.

With only a few minutes left to spare, she made out the older girl coming up the street.

Chrysalis greeted her with a half smile. “Shining Armor will meet us at the beach,” she said in response to the confused look on the fashionista’s face. “He trusts your taste, he said.”

Rarity nodded and the two headed inside to browse for an island inspired getup that a Grecian goddess might fancy.

“I never got to thank you,” The fashion forward teen lead as they searched through a rack of dresses.

“Shouldn’t I be thanking you?” Chrysalis looked up from an interesting leather jacket. While she had her own style, it certainly wasn’t what Shining Armor had in mind for his project.

Rarity smiled. “For helping Twilight,” she clarified.

Chrysalis’ expression darkened. “No one deserves that. I hope she understands that now. That guy was a coward.”

Rarity agreed. “Inserting yourself like that was very brave.”

Chrysalis scoffed waving away the praise. She wasn’t brave at all. She hurt Curly because she could, not because she needed to. “It was something anyone would’ve done.”

“As much as I’d like to believe that, I don’t think it’s as true as you think.” She held up a piece to inspect, before quickly dismissing it and placing it back in its place. “I’m happy someone like you was there to help her.”

“I just beat him up, Twilight stopped him from being able to get away with it. She spoke up.”

Rarity was thoughtful. “Would you blame her if she hadn’t?”

“Would you? Choosing to do nothing is just as bad don’t you think?”

“I don’t think it’s quite that simple.”

“No?” Teal eyes furrowed.

“I think her making an effort to continue her life and hobbies is still just as brave. You never know what a person had to suffer through. If she couldn’t at the time, I would hope that one day she’d be able to find her voice again. Besides, it’s not Twilight who’s to blame.” Rarity’s eyes flashed with displeasure. “Curly did an awful, awful thing. He should be the one to feel guilty, not the girl he violated and disregarded. He knocked her down, but she got back up. And that takes courage and strength. Seeing you act gave her the strength to act, and nothing you say will change my mind.” Her eyes lit up as her hands quickly went for a piece on the rack. “Eureka! I think this is it!”

Rarity held up the flowing white garment with its airy Grecian style.

She held it out to Chrysalis who ran her fingers along it. “What do you think?”

“It is nice,” she agreed mulling over the fashionista’s spirited words.

After they’d paid for the dress, the duo hopped on Rarity’s powder blue moped and rode down to the beach. The halfing changed into the dress despite the nipping cold in the air, drawing looks from casual passerbys.

Shining Armor was there with a camera he borrowed from his mom. Any comments he had about her appearance were swallowed as he maintained an air of professionalism.

The trio prepared to step into the ocean shedding shoes and socks and anything important in from their pockets. A duffle lay beside them with warm clothes to change into.

“Goodness, this is cold!” Rarity squeaked as the surf kissed her bare feet. Shaking her head, she mentioned cocoa and took off to a kiosk some ways down the beach.

Shining Armor smiled wryly as he shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll walk out with you,” he offered setting his camera down on a towel with their other things.

Chrysalis frowned not looking forward to wading out to waist deep water.

Shining Armor was poised behind her pushing her hips forward, urging her to continue through the cold and discomfort. Tensing and moaning with every step into the water, Chrysalis chanted as her teeth chattered. “You owe me, you owe me, you owe me…”

His grip tightened on her hips as they continued, “I know… I know.” He’d better win first place for all this trouble. Annoyed girlfriend and possible pneumonia.

Once they’d made it waist deep, she turned in his grasp and whimpered.

“You have to go under,” he chuckled even as he shivered.

The look on her face was priceless.

She shook her head, to which he nodded.

“Shining Armor…” Chrysalis pleaded, shaking with cold.

“I’m sorry, but you gotta. It was your idea,” he reminded with a grin. “We’ll do it together.” Before she could protest, he took her in his arms and sank down into the bay’s water, weighing her down. He could feel her struggle before resigning herself to the cold, the damage already done anyway.

A few seconds later, and the two popped back up cursing and sputtering.

“Son of a bitch!” Chrysalis gasped.

“Y-yeah…” He concurred pulling her flush without even thinking about it. The two clung to each other shivering and miserable, knees bumping beneath the waves as he pushed her even farther out.

“Let’s hurry this up,” she stuttered with a laugh once they’d stopped moving.

Nodding with a soft smile he studied her, noting the flush in her cheeks and the water clinging to her skin. Gentler than anyone had been in a long time, Chrysalis froze as he smoothed her hair away from her face, and moved her body how he wanted it. The water was freezing, but his touch was molten hot.

She looked into his face, wondering if he felt it too. He quickly let go, retreating to grab his camera back in the sand before venturing back knee deep to snap pictures of her.

Shivering and posing as best she could, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable as she realized people were staring.

“Look at me,” he murmured, commanding her attention. Click. “It’s just us…” Click.

“But they’re gawking-”

“So let them… You’re a titan of night and ocean.” Click. “Strong, ethereal, beautiful.” Click. “Your will cannot be denied as you are a creator in your own right. A titan of inky skies.”

He began to speak of the cosmos and the reverent Nyx as he continued to snap photos. Unspoken, was the fact that this was the same goddess who had left him alone on this very beach.

Chrysalis felt the urge to confide all of her secrets in this boy. The way his eyes saw her, the way he talked about and touched her… She would allow him the honor of being his Nyx if it meant he kept looking at her like that.

Her eyes softened as her lips parted and delicate puffs of air left her throat. He snapped one last picture.

Slinking back beneath the waves one last time, she counted in her head as she thought of his words.

Strong, not trapped.

Ethereal, not broken.

Beautiful, not discarded.

Rarity even called her brave.

Just when the need to breath became a necessity, she felt strong hands hauling her back up.

He stood a breath away eyeing her as if she were mad. She laughed, relieved and happy to have him.

Rarity called from the shore. Alerting them to cocoa and fun facts about pneumonia.

Later that evening, after he’d gone home and took a hot shower, he scrolled through the pictures he’d taken.

Shining Armor stared at one particular picture, eyes tracing the soaked feminine form standing in the bay’s waters. The gown had stuck to her, becoming somewhat translucent showing off every supple bend of her lean body.

Her eyes said a lot of things and the teen boy wondered what his had said in return.

There was no way he was going to let anyone see this picture.

It felt private and Shining Armor wanted to keep it that way.

Author's Note:

A/N: I love how supportive SA is of QC in this! It's so sweet! He recognizes that she's capable but yet he's always there and ready. Imma cry when they get together!

Also Baker Beach was super kool and you should check it out if you ever go to San Fran. The GGB in the background is beautiful! I'm pretty sure I already mentioned this, but one of the reasons this story is modern is because I wanted a piece of San Fran in here. So I mention some of the places I went to.

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Comments

[forbloodysummer]

This was a really good scene!

So, if I'm understanding this right, Cadence's cunning plan was to make sure Rarity was there for the event, so nothing could go on unobserved?

[herp]

chrysalis isn't caddies sister because she's black.

[forbloodysummer]

10449379 Twilight and Shining, Pinkie and Maud, Apple Bloom and Big Mac, Fluttershy and Zephyr...

In fact the only siblings I can think of who are the same colour are Rarity and Sweetie Belle, and Flim and Flam?

[Janyo]

Awwwwwwwww, what an awesome chapter! I love it, definitely my favorite so far, even if there aren't explicit signs of affection between the two, it still feels the love, but more important in the context of this story, the support and the right feelings Chrysalis should have had.

The Politics about changelings is pretty insane too, that branded stuff really is horrible. I understand they should exist a control for a species with that reputation, but a visible branded also can work as a double-edged weapon, this could rise even more the discrimination, especially for hybrids as Cadance and Chrysalis.

Also loved Rarity's words here, even if Chrysalis doesn't consider a heroine herself, I'm glad Rara Rara still considers her a strong and brave woman and encouraged her unintentionally (although I wanna think she is very perceptive and can understand Chrysalis' motives to act that way). This and the actions of Shining Armor are the kind of stuff she really needs to overcome her situation. And in the end, I love those little bits of love between the two.

P. S. Pervert (and the same time, a gentleman) Shining Armor for having that intimate photo of Chrysalis! Hehe. Better hide it well for everybody, especially Cadance.