Chrome Hearts

by Vis-a-Viscera

Initial Engagement

Glittering lights pricked at her eyes. The curls of magical lattices softly gripped her tan barrel, just as mechanically symmetrical as the world she was being pulled into. And then, with a sapphire flash, Sunset Shimmer was back in Equestria.

Welcome / Sunset Shimmer / Central Canterlot blared out of the gaps of a rust-red sign above, pips, and steam-valves connecting it to the arch of the Royal Canterlot Library’s entrance. Even now, Sunset looked at the recent mechanical add-on with wonder.

Just what made that starry gate shine so high?

“Like a diamond in the sky, isn’t it?” And back down to earth Sunset Shimmer came, with the Twilight Sparkle's’ cheery introduction. Small golden gears decorated Twilight’s horseshoes, shoulder - and outlined the edges of the magenta cloak she wore. Even Sunset had to think that the steam-fogged gateway that she trotted through was a bit much. Then again, most of this - what was the word, Great Innovation? Sunset thought - rubbed her the wrong way. Mainly it was because of how contrastingly cold its leaders had become, as compared to the warm jets of steam powering their city.

“Can we get to business, please?” she quietly asked Twilight. “I still can’t believe what was in the notice that got me here - how did we lose eight ponies in an hour?”

“I don’t know! I-” Twilight’s ears drooped. “S-sure, then. Let’s get to business.“

Sunset scolded herself for that kicked-dog look in Twilight’s eyes. She wasn’t responsible for Sunset’s suspension from this town; quite the opposite. “Twilight, look, I’m-”

“It’s fine,” Twilight said. “As long as we can find those missing ponies.” She fought down a gulp of saliva, cloying and thick in her throat. “I mean, better us than Blueblood.”

Now it was Sunset's stomach doing flips. General Blueblood. As subtle as a hoof grenade, and just as classy, despite the posh jackets he wore. And if she didn’t fish out the location of eight kidnapped ponies, the stallion who’d be allowed to wreak marital law to find them out.

“Gonna guess Celestia didn’t want to stop him?”

“That’s not fair Sunset, Cele-”

“Right. My apologies.” Sunset took several calming breaths. “Missing ponies are still the same ones, right? No one of them escaped? Reported back to you?... got discovered?”

“No, thankfully.” Twilight rattled off the names. “Still the original eight. Canterlot Times reporter Moondancer. Former head of Medics In A Minute, Minuette. Voting Block Whip Fancy Pants. Minister of Financial Divisions, Fleur De Lis. Manager of Cosmetics, Hoity Toity. Manager of Agriculture, Whoa Nelly. Co-Director Luna. And…” Twilight’s voice hitched. “Head of the Great Innovation Relocation Committee… my dad, Night Light.”

Sunset was silent as she went in step behind Twilight. “Any connections between them and Chrysalis?”

“Actually… all except Dad,” Twilight said. “Each of them had incidents involving her in the past - finding out the depths of those disputes is your first goal.”

“On that subject; how did the last round of talks go, before I got called in?”

“The usual: Celestia wants to do one thing, Blueblood wants the other, I won the tiebreaker.” Both ponies paced out to the sky canopy leading to the interrogation room. “So, enjoy the sight Sunset, before war chariots fill it in six hours.”

Despite the immediacy of the situation, Sunset still marveled at the beautiful sight. The bleached marble and bronze of the city that afternoon sun shone over provided a wonderful panorama. Every now and again, a pegasus shot across the orange canvas, one of the new metal wagons being pulled in tow. Thanks to the metallic struts and supports latched to their pumping wings, the tasks were completed with amazing ease.

Yet this queen had a resounding impact on this steam-run capital in the last few hours, and the results showed below the skyline. Several places were closed off with cocoons of yellow and black tape, like band-aids over the facades’ wounds. Piles of scrap littered the streets; drones that couldn't get away from the stampedes of fleeing or furious Canterlotians. Even Sapphire Shores’ studio - a popular hotspot in this town, famous for its impeccability in the worst of the storms and protests following the Innovation - was missing its sign and windows.

“Thank you again for answering my call, Sunset.” Twilight whistled as both mares turned back into the winding chambers of bronze. “I don’t know who could be so opposed to… all of this… that they’d take my sister-in-law’s face… my freedom then… my dad’s freedom now…”

“I’m... sure I can find out.” Sunset replied, wracked with guilt herself, still unsure if it was the queen or herself she was talking about. Holding Twilight close to her as she let out a few rare sobs, Sunset waited for the ambassador to calm down before continuing. “Which room is Chrysalis in now?”

“That… cyberling…” The word fell from Twilight's lips much like the word tapeworm would have. “Is in room 277. We only need the location of the ponies from her.”

“And no one else could get the… cyberling to crack?” Even the newfound word for this new species - cyberling - felt weird on Sunset’s tongue. At one end advanced and dangerous, at the other, present and inviting. How do they eat? Change their forms? Communicate en masse, considering the mass air attack they’d unleashed here?

“We’re throwing everything at the wall at this point,” Twilight nodded. “Mainly to stop Co-Director Celestia from climbing them. Or Blueblood from storming them.”

Sunset shuddered. “Right.” They continued their slow march. “I’m curious why Shining isn’t doing this. Luna knows-'' At Twilight’s wincing at the Co-Director’s namedrop, Sunset switched gears. “Sorry - Faust knows your brother'd like a piece of Chrysalis, if not two dozen.”

“Which is why he’s not.” Twilight pointed out. Her eyes traveled to the same spot Sunset’s did, a twinkling patch of gold proudly stamped on the front of her robe. That star-shaped badge had Sunset Shimmer / Junior Investigator, CCPD imprinted on it. “Besides, you’re a fresh face in this. It could easily throw the queen off.”

Sunset couldn’t help the sigh that spilled from her lips. “Does help that the city’s spent the last two months hyping me up as the ‘Savager of Canterlot HIgh’.”

“I had nothing to do with that-”

“Or with stopping that sham trial that booted me over the mirror in the first place.” Sunset said. “Look, Twilight, I’m happy to be back, the Innovation looks great and I’ll happily get those ponies back, but let’s not pretend that-”

Twilight swiftly cut Sunset off. “Alright. Fine. I’m doing this to make up for a mistake, okay?! But... I never meant for this breakdown to happen.”

“And that’s exactly it, Twilight! I can’t be mad at you! I shouldn’t even want to be - you’re the one who saved me from wrecking Canterlot High over my gripes!” Sunset said, her voice thankfully not going past the soundproofed door between them. “But I… god, Twilight, I’d never been so scared in my life, being ripped from all this! I just…” Then her voice started cracking. “I just wanted to be like the Co-Directors. Was that so bad?”

“... No. No it wasn’t,” Twilight admitted. “And I know what you wanted to say before; that Co-Director Luna did far worse and still became Co-Director when she recovered. I’ve… come to my own opinions on that.”

Sunset didn’t move.

“But taking an Element - my Element - wasn’t the way.”

“Well, it seems ‘the way’ is stepping on more hooves than mine.” Sunset’s hoof aimed at a broken section of wall in the castle hall. Water from a busted pipe still guttered over the warped metal. “Really, I don’t know if I’m gonna be enough - and not just during this case, either.”

“I know, Sunset.” Twilight’s head shook as she turned to the busted wall and stopped the waterflow at last with her horn. “I can get over the hurdles - Canterlot’s and yours. I just need time to make the most of my options. Like you’ve gotta.”

Sunset turned to the clock over the circular door before her. It read It read 4:01 - just under six hours before Blueblood’s marital law went into effect. Her fur bristled at the thought. “Yeah. Don’t worry, ‘Suspect Shimmer’s’ got this.”

Twilight laughed at the name with Sunset - then paled as her eyes locked on the poster that’d likely reminded the inspector unicorn of it. It was nailed to the right of the door and hidden in shadow. “I thought I told everypony to take those down,“ Twilight hissed, the offending picture soon lost in a flurry of red flames.

“Can’t be helped.” Sunset threw back her mane, then tapped at the combination lock wrapped around the door like a giant silver earring. “I’m going in.”

Just as she was about to tap out the last number, Twilight patted her on the back. “Don’t worry. I’ve linked your horn to my phone; call me if things get too hot. I’ll be back the second I make sure that the pots in my observatory are properly arranged.”

“Wait. Pots.”

“Yes.”

Sunset’s eyebrows rose. “Pots.” she pronounced.

“I swear it’s important to the case.” Twilight's voice was so steely on this that Sunset nodded, despite herself. “I had to dig through three Old Ponish books to find what I needed when the first ways of finding the ponies failed. So yes. Pots.”

“I’ll hold you to that, then.”

“Same. And Sunset…” Twilight’s eyes shot to the floor. “I didn’t want to see you go. Especially seeing what your time in Canterlot High made you. I’m… sorry.”

Sunset slowly nodded. “I know, Twilight.” Yet she stiffly pushed past the hug Twilight offered to her, consigning herself to the interrogation room’s lobby. Sunset didn’t let anypony close to her often. Probably why she’d been called in for this. “Clock me in.”

Sunset couldn’t help but show one last watery smile to the grateful Twilight. Canterlot City itself felt a mile away from her as the door was sealed shut with a resounding WHAM. Now was just her… and the Queen of the Cyberlings.

Sunset’s jaw worked. Nope, the word was still uncomfortable in her head. And as she moved inside to grill her new ‘best friend’ for the next six hours, that trepidation grew.

Even on the other side of this interrogation room, Sunset was constantly surprised by it. Looming bronze walls thrummed with white steam pipes, keeping it just the slightest bit uncomfortable. Of course, the being staring at Sunset was facing more discomfort than just the hot air.

Sleek black metal sloped out into four spindly limbs, each lassoed to metal rings in the floor by crisscrossed chains and horseshoe clamps. Two fork-like extensions jutted form the walls to this creature’s head, their buzzling blue a contrast to her sickly green eyes. Even her serrated wings are roped to her sides by strong metal bands, the jewels at its top pulsing at the same temp as the flicker in Chrysalis's eyes.

“Looks uncomfortable, Queen.”

“Understatement.” Chrysalis’s head moved up, Sunset suddenly bathed in lime-like light. Two metal mandibles clicked, one nearly dangling off its hinge. “Speaking from experience, Sunset?”

Sunset bristled, but only for a second. Her exile from Canterlot City was the worst kept secret, after all. Moreso here, where she needed to present as an outsider to an outsider. But back in the grind as a Canterlot City P.I. Sunset was realizing again what really upset her the most. It wasn’t the machine in front of her. It was the impersonality this gleaming city so quickly reverted to at the first sign of trouble.

Sunset cleared her through, the cough racing around the room like quicksilver. Showtime. “Please state your name for this interview,” she demanded.

A raspy chuckle greeted her, echoing and derisive. “I’m afraid I don’t know what clutch of numbers your dear Co-Directors gave me.” Chrysalis strained feebly in her bonds. “Or do you mean the one your vanished ponies mewl out in their sleep?”

“I mean your actual name.” Sunset leaned back in her unforgiving seat. “And I’ll thank the cyberling one speaker-call away from being slag to keep her answers on topic.”

“Ah.” The queen shifted uncomfortably. “For some reason, that slipped my servos. My name is Queen Chrysalis.”

Sunset’s eyes went to the badge showing her name on her chest, to keep Chrysalis from noticing the tremble in her hooves.

“And you know why you’re here, correct, Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis’s green lamplight eyes narrowed in spite. “Because your wretched dire-”

“On. Topic.”

“... Committing abduction. Impersonation of Vice Director Cadance. An illegal attempt to expel Ponyville Ambassador Twilight Sparkle. Conspiracy to overthrow Equestrian leadership.” Chrysalis’s jaw curled wickedly. “And the unprecedented one: battery of a co-Director.”

Sunset sucked in a breath. “I’m pretty sure it’s not unprecedented-”

“It’s a charge not accompanied by the term ‘attempted’ since Solar Year 1.” Chrysalis leaned forward further, the clanking of her steel bonds sending daggers into Sunset’s ears. “When Co-Director Luna was banished afterward.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. That was Chrysalis; truthful to a fault. In all areas but one, it seemed. “I know the history of the Nightmare Moon, yes.”

“Oh. My apologies.” Chrysalis said. “I figured you’d be receptive to hearing about the pony who booted you to another dimension being... fallible.”

“Who says I didn’t know that, Chrysalis?”

“Now there’s the impudent little firebrand I’ve heard about.” Chrysalis’s steel-laced smile grew. “It must hurt to see your reason for living go up in smoke because of that Ambassador. How many times you thought you’d win, only to find yourself burning in that goody-four-hooves’ purple light.”

On the inside, Sunset was smiling. Already Chrysalis’s pose was relaxed, her tinny words as free-flowing as a leaky faucet. Setting the mood was always the first step to placating a suspect. “Difference is, Chrysalis.... ” she continued. “My issues with Twilight stayed with Twilight; not her sister-to-be.”

“Oh yes, the wonderful tales I’ve heard of that Vice Director of Morale and Goodwill.” The sarcasm pouring off Chrysalis’s words could have flooded the room in seconds. “She even kept gaping when I showed my true form to her. No pitterings about Shining, or how a cyberling could reek of him.”

Sunset tented her for hooves on the table. Cadance and Shining’s openness in their marriage: the second worst kept secret in Canterlot City. Even Sunset knew it was because of how much faith they held in their bonds.

And a week ago, they were about to commit to one another and prove it..

“Just ‘Oh, what big teeth you have,’ from her. Like it’s a fairytale.” Chrysalis spat.

“Don’t recall Night Light, Moon Dancer and Fleur de Lis being part of that fairytale, Chrysalis.” Sunset pointed out. “Yet they got taken all the same.”

“Because unlike them, I think of others beyond myself.” Chrysalis said. “Specifically those that their mistakes created. Spurned. Neglected.” Chrysalis’ head swayed like a snake, the rivets in her neck and cheeks fluttering as she grinned. “Until I set in.”

Sunset’s sight fog fogged the glass wall between them. “Look, Chrysalis. I’d rather not see your story end before anypony even figured out what happened to you-”

“Humor now, Inspector Sunset? Goodness, that boarding school did you no favors.” Chrysalis tittered. “At least, not while your coat was yellow instead of red.”

“Because I saw the error of my ways.” Sunset shot back. “Like you still can, Chrysalis. If you tell us where those missing ponies are.”

“For that to happen there'd have to be an error and- <OPERATING SYSTEMS OFFLINE.>” The cyberling suddenly stiffened up. Sunset stood up from her seat, her glowing horn for an attack - just in case Chrysalis found a way past that magical glass.

But apparently it was less aggressive than it looked, as number strings soon swam over Chrysalis’s blank eyes. “<SYSTEM SCANNING. SCANNING.100% COMPLETION. NO VIRUSES DETECTED> -” Then the blocky green irises set over Chrysalis' eyes once more. “See? Nothing bad on my end.”

Sunset slumped back in her seat as she relaxed a fraction. “Cute party trick, Chrysalis. You do know we’ve got eight pony teams combing the city for them, right?”

“And the second they get within thirty meters, as I recall yelling out to the guards who stuffed me here… then everything goes dark for those eight. Both teams and hostages.” Chrysalis’s eye-glow became even harsher. “You can ask your Director of Morale and her new husband how well I follow through on threats.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I’ll take your word for it.” And not mention how you didn’t dispute or laugh at the location I mentioned. That’s progress. “It almost sounds like you’re trying to demand something.”

“Even if I wanted it from the Directors - which I don’t - I guarantee you they won’t deliver, child.”

“Yes, you still want something from Canterlot City.”

A tinny chuckle answered Sunset’s words. “It’s delivered me plenty. Frankly we should be asking what it is you want from this city.”

“I’m asking the questions here,” snarled Sunset.

“Yes, and quite poorly.” Chrysalis snapped. “Because that leverage you pretend to? Your offerings? Your knowledge of what it is I labored under for several years before I even graced this chrome-plated cesspit with my presence? Well; <FOOTAGE NOT FOUND.>”

As Chrysalis's droning - and taunting - alert rang in her ears, Sunset found that Chrysalis wasn’t entirely untruthful. ‘No negotiation with ‘nappers’ - the first of the signs that’d bracket the back end of the door she’d come through - left scarce few avenues for goading a secret out of her.

What the cyberling didn’t know, though, would hurt her. Sunset had fully prepared for this, and was smiling on the inside as she spoke. “You know, I never could stand how stupid those rules were for talks like this, myself.”

Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed. “Oh?”

“Absolutely! I haven’t even been given a psych profile on you since I stepped hoof here.” Sunset half-lied. After all, she didn’t say where she’d gotten the profile from. And Canterlot High’s computer banks had given her several helpful pointers to Chrysalis's affliction from them. Three particular letters stood out to the unicorn - N.P.D., narcissistic personality disorder- and Sunset was counting on that to get her first clues. “Hardly a surprise that you could slip past them.”

And as Chrysalis’s swooped up in triumph, so did Sunset’s inner pony. “Really - it’s amazing what one brat visiting a sister in Ponyville can let me accomplish.”

Settling back in her chair, Sunset let Chrysalis dig her hole with her tongue.

---

Five Days Ago

“Goodness, Commander Shining! If you don’t focus, you’ll look like a foal at the wedding.”

‘Shining Armor’ nodded, focusing on the coordinator’s face again. Luckily, that same coordinator had accredited every tell he’d given to wedding jitters - and the gritting of his teeth during the vow recitals to fear instead of overwhelming anger.

“I thought we were talking about venues, Miss Inkwell?” ‘Shining’ asked.

“Oh, that too!” Raven Inkwell summoned up a notepad. “Good news though. You asked me to check on them; so far, nopony‘s breached us. Cadance should be fine: I’ll make sure to give you the next before we break for today.”

“Good.” Exactly what he was here for - he just had to power through the rest of this session.

“We also decided that it’d have to be somewhere in the city, anyway. All the better to shield from those cyberling sightings as of late.”

“Right. And you said that Spike would deliver the ring?”

“Yeah. I tried to bring this up with Twilight, though, but she won't hear a word against it.” Inkwell chewed her lip. “Seriously, I like Spike too, but that’s a whole new series of DNA inserts we had to fo for him! It was already a nightmare for the shield!”

“Indeed. Who knows what scoundrels could get in...” ‘Shining’ added.

Inkwell passed her pad to ‘Shining’. hoof “Right, you get it!” Her brow creased. “But since you’re here to stay... I could get Cadance and sign off on a location right now.”

‘Shining’s’ eyes shot open. “No, that won’t be-”

“Least I can do, Shining. I’m sure she’d love to floss this out with you - she was worried to death that something happened to you when you visited Twilight.”

‘Shining’ couldn’t help but grimace as his horn lit up. Written words twisted and twirled into a new shape, as he handed the pad to Inkwell again. “Or you can show this to Cadance and tell me how fast it’d blow her mane back.”

As Inkwell stopped to look over the shown picture, her eyes widened. “Oh, wow! The Sapphire Shores Studio! Ingenious plan, Shining! It’s already covered with detection charms, and they'd love the opportunity to officiate!” Raven’s eyebrows raised. ”Though…”

At least she isn’t talking about bringing Cadance here, thought ‘Shining’. “Yes?”

“Well…. It’s about one of the new buildings we had to make after the Great Innovation.“ Inkwell noted. “Is that right to remember how much refuse we had to ship out of the city to get it this steam-powered? Was controversial and all.”

“... controversial?” The effort ‘Shining’ exerted to not scream a ‘JUST?!’ before that was Ironhoofian.

“Yeah.” Raven’s grin was back. “But I’ve gotta admit, Commander. Anything that culminates in ponies as lucky as you two coming together? It’s pushing me toward the ‘worth it’ column.”

~~~

Inspector Sunset pondered the latest scene that had (literally) played out in Chrysalis’s eyes. Blinking to clear out the spots in her own eyes, the inspector thought of the castle itself as a possible hiding spot. Chrysalis did know the ways around, it was emptier with the City Guard on the streets looking elsewhere, and it would fit with the haughty nature of Chrysalis’s schemes.

“And no, dearie; they’re not inside this palace.” Sunset barely kept her eyes from bugging out. Anger at having entertained a thought so trite that Chrysalis could call it out ran through her like lava. “Much as I’d love the thought of being ‘right under their snouts’, remarkably little stays secret here long. As I’m sure Twilight could tell you.”

“Yeah, from her finding you out the fastest.” Which means it’d never be anywhere a magical detector spell could touch, either - otherwise Twilight would have them by now. Unless….

Sunset shook her head again. The thought was impossible. Twilight was ingenious, but her fixation with the pots was clearly a stress-relief exercise. Nothing around that could break a fissure in this case.

“By the by, Inspector; can you please trouble me with another sero-drip?”

Sunset’s ears quipped up that. ”A sero-drip? To get you your freedom?” she drawled.

“From the ravages of hunger, yes.” Chrysalis maw hung open slightly, allowing Sunset to see the strings of green coolant leaking from her metal maw. “Much as I loved my midnight trips to the morgue, I’m not too picky of where I get serotonin now.”

Sunset nodded, finally understanding. Apparently, a cyberling drew sustenance from serotonin - in the horns of unicorns, considering Chrysalis’s trip to the - wait, the morgue?!

That thought made Sunset shiver in her seat. Of course that place would be a unicorn horn treasure trove. And all because of one stupid, draconian law.

“My thanks, by the way. For remaining the only city in Equestria-One to rip the horns convicted unicorns.” Chrysalis chuckled. "It seems it's Canterlot City's habit to make trash of treasure."

Sunset pursed her lips as another thought crossed her mind. Maybe this was another way in. Another crack in Chrysalis's sleek black armor. “Tell me about me about how you even got close enough to Luna to subdue her, and I’ll consider it.” Maybe that method could be a clue to look for in the search. She’d have to speak to Twilight about it later.

Slowly, her horn blinked out the symbol she knew Twilight would see at her house. Three blinks, for thirty minutes. Sunset felt she’d have another story time to labor through before the break.

How this one started, though, would send an icy spike through Sunset’s burning heart. “Oh, Inspector…” Chrysalis laughed, just before her projector-eyes lit up. “What makes you think I subdued Luna?”

Comments

[nioniosbbbb]

I feel like I'm thrust way too fast into this universe without knowing much. Is there any material you've done in similar universes?

[Vis-a-Viscera]

10470205

Well I wanted a fast start, yes, but I'm gonna flesh it out more in the upcoming chapters. Felt explaining the central conflict took precedence.

[Shimmeringsun]

This seems interesting. I wonder if Chrysalis knows stuff about Sunset?

[Jest]

Ever since I saw that picture I had hoped someone would make a story with a cyborg chrysalis at its center. The description of canterlot and everything was a bit threadbare for my liking, but not a bad start so far.

[nioniosbbbb]

10470211
Dunno man I'm honestly just confused. I feel like I went in midway through the story. I don't mean the background details either. It's a thousand word start that's not enough. Might be interested but I dunno at this point. I'll fav it just in case? How frequently do you update?

[fanreader999999]

Not gonna lie, I only read this because of the cover page.

[Vis-a-Viscera]

10474798

Was the read worth the hook?

[Vis-a-Viscera]

10472053

Every Tuesday and Thursday. Shooting for two chapters a day from hereon in.

[Razzy]

Since the sequel's coming out, decided to read and finally comment on this.

Well, this universe sounds interesting.

Nothing like good ol' pony xenophobia, they really make it work.

Chryssie should totally do the Hannibal Lecter mouth thing.

'Blueblood’s marital law went into effect' - I know it should be martial, but, for Blueblood, this somehow fits too

'Sunset’s sight fog fogged the glass wall between them' - not sure what happened here