"...and that's how I met your mother!"
Chrysalis, who'd been enraptured by the story so far, did a double-take. "I'm sorry, what?"
Pinkie didn't seem to notice what she'd said. "Now, let's continue this party! And maybe later, I can tell you the story of how Twilight learned to believe in my Pinkie Sense; it's a gem!" With that, she pronked away as if nothing were wrong.
Chrysalis, absolutely stumped, turned to Twilight, who simply shrugged. "That pink one concerns me," the Changeling admitted.
That earned a chuckle from the unicorn. "I know the feeling, but she means well. Now, come on; this party won't attend itself."
With that, Twilight trotted to join her pink friend. Chrysalis managed a light chuckle, then set her clutch of eggs onto her back and made to join the festivities.
"I can't believe it," Rainbow Dash groused as they made their way back to town. "Twilight, wanting to help an enemy of Equestria?"
Fluttershy pointed out, "Chrysalis has no memory of what she's done, Rainbow; you saw the conversation they had."
The prismatic pegasus threw her forehooves in the air. "That has nothing to do with it! She still attacked Equestria, and she still needs to pay for her crimes! How can you even defend her, Flutters?!"
"Princess Luna tried to bring about eternal night, and we forgave her," Fluttershy pointed out.
"That's completely different; she's Princess Celestia's sister. Besides, you were still afraid of her afterward, right?"
"And I was wrong to be afraid of her!" Fluttershy defended.
"But what if—"
"Rainbow Dash, that's enough!" Applejack spoke for the first time since they left the ruins. "Arguin' won't get us nowhere. Ah don't trust 'er more'n Ah can throw 'er, neither, but she's got a family ta protect, an' Ah respect that. Besides, what's that sayin' 'bout the friends an' the anenomes?"
"I believe you're thinking of the phrase 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'," Rarity supplied helpfully.
AJ tipped her hat in thanks, "Exactly! It's better ta have yer enemies where ya can keep track of 'em, rather than have 'em out there doin' Celestia-knows-what!"
Rainbow grumbled, "Still, this just doesn't feel right!"
"I know!" Spike piped up. "Has Twilight completely forgotten what Chrysalis did to Canterlot? To our brother?! To Celestia!?"
Fluttershy shook her head, "I'm sure that Twilight hasn't forgotten all of that, but I think that Chrysalis has been through enough. I can't even imagine having to take refuge in the Everfree Forest, much less with a head injury and a family to protect."
"Seriously, girls," AJ admonished, "we can deal with all o' this when we git back ta town."
The group nodded (Rainbow and Spike much more reluctantly than the others), and they continued to trudge through the forest.
But then, Rainbow Dash had an idea. A wonderful idea. Rainbow Dash had a wonderfully Awesome™ idea.
She innocuously drifted to the back of the group, where Spike was silently fuming, and whispered, "Do you have any parchment and ink?"
The baby dragon blinked, then reached into his... wherever he kept things, and pulled out those items. "I live with Twilight; of course I have extra parchment."
Rainbow couldn't help but snicker at that comment. "Well, I think it's about time we send Princess Celestia another letter."
Spike blinked, then allowed a devilish smirk to cross his face. "I agree completely."
Twilight could hardly believe her eyes. Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings and attempted conqueror of Equestria...
...was playing pin-the-tail-on-the-pony. And she was rather good at it.
The Changeling lifted the blindfold after her third round. The tail she'd just placed had missed the mark by a mere two centimeters — a personal best. "Well, that was certainly amusing," she began, "but I'd like to partake in something that requires a bit more intellect."
"How about chess?" Twilight suggested.
To the unicorn's surprise, the Changeling nearly jumped for joy at the mention. NEARLY. "I'd love to," she stated after a moment of composure.
Twilight giggled a little, then used her magic to bring out a chess set. Setting it up on a nearby table, the two made to sit on opposite sides of the board — Twilight on black, Chrysalis on white.
"Your move first," Twilight offered.
Chrysalis nodded, looking over the board for a moment. Then, with her magic, she moved one of her knights to f3.
Twilight was next to move, bringing her own knight to f6. "I'd like to get started on those questions right now, if you don't mind."
"Ask away." Pawn to c4.
"Where are you from?" Pawn to g6.
Chrysalis blew a stray lock of hair out of her face as she moved a knight to c3. "The Badlands."
"Born and raised?" Bishop to g7.
"Indeed." Pawn to d4.
Twilight took the opportunity to castle with her kingside rook. "Parents?"
Chrysalis frowned. "I don't like to talk about them," she mumbled as she moved a bishop to f4.
"Fair enough," Twilight nodded as she moved a pawn to d5. "What was your childhood like?"
Queen to b3. "Same as most other drones; I ate, patrolled, slept, ate, patrolled, slept, etc."
Twilight used a pawn to capture the pawn on c4, intentionally putting it in direct line of sight from Chrysalis's queen. "How'd you become Queen, then?"
To Twilight's surprise, Chrysalis blinked. "What gave you that impression?"
The unicorn balked, game temporarily forgotten. "Uh, the fact that you look so different from every other drone?"
Chrysalis shook her head. "I'm not a Queen; I'm just a Princess."
The lavender mare processed this. 'She forgot she became a Queen? According to Ribot's Law, that suggests it was a more recent event,' she reasoned to herself. "Oh, well, nevermind, then."
Chrysalis eyed Twilight suspiciously, but didn't comment. Her queen piece captured the pawn on c4.
Twilight responded by moving a pawn to c6. "So, how'd you become a Princess, then?"
Pawn to e4. "Same as my sister; when the heir becomes unavailable, the next in line becomes the heir."
The knight from column b moved to d7. "You have sisters?"
Rook to d1. "I was the third of four. Mothra, Rhizophage, and Strigae. Mothra is the current Queen, and Strigae mostly keeps to herself."
'So something happened to Mothra,' Twilight deduced as she moved her other knight to b6. "How about Rhizophage?"
Chrysalis's expression turned forlorn. "She was slaughtered by a Dread Maulwurf some time ago."
Twilight's expression turned somber, too. "I'm sorry to hear that... I've got a brother — two if you count Spike — and I can't imagine how I'd feel if I lost either of them."
Internally, a thought occured to her: 'Wait, if she was willing to talk so openly about her sister, then whatever happened to her parents...'
After a moment of silent contemplation, Chrysalis straightened herself and moved her Queen to c5. "That was the last day we allowed any sort of vegetation near the Hive."
Twilight nodded slowly, moving a bishop to g4. "Huh. What's your greatest strength?"
Chrysalis paused. "Come again?"
"What do you believe is your greatest strength?" Twilight asked simply.
Chrysalis allowed herself a small smile as she moved a Bishop to g5. "Well, not to blow my own horn, but I'd like to think my planning skills are gormless."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"
Chrysalis nodded, her smile growing slightly cocky.
"Then plan around this." Knight to a4.
Chrysalis's eyes widened. Twilight just moved her knight into the line of fire, but in such a way to where, if Chrysalis were to take it with her own knight (the only piece that could at the moment), she'd be left in a disadvantaged state no matter what she did afterward. She sweated a bit as she went over all her options, cursing herself that she hadn't moved the proper bishop to allow her to castle.
"Oh DAANG, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie spoke up for the first time in a while, reminding them both that she was still there. "That's gotta be one of the most powerful moves of all time!"
Twilight allowed herself a small blush. "Aw gee, Pinkie, it's not that— wait, what makes you say that?"
"Jonathan Rowson," Pinkie replied simply.
Both players blinked. "Who?"
"Oh, nothing," the pink mare trailed off cryptically, before bouncing happily towards the confectionary table, disappearing under the tablecloth.
Chrysalis turned to look at Twilight, who simply shrugged. "Eh, whatever; it's just Pinkie being Pinkie."
Chrysalis nodded, unsure, before resuming the game.
A mountain of pastries sat on an eloquent, golden plate. Sunlight glinted off the frosting in an incandescent manner, shimmering beautifully as the Monarch of the Sun licked her lips.
"Tia," Luna cautioned, "you know what the Royal Dietician said..."
"I know," Celestia replied, still staring longingly at the plate of baked goods, "but one or two won't hurt."
"You always say that," the Monarch of the Moon stated, "and yet, every single time, we find all the locks in the Royal Pantry busted open, and chocolate frosting all over your bedsheets."
"I can quit at any time," Celestia reasoned.
"Then quit now, before it's too late!"
Celestia opened her mouth to reply, but a wisp of magic interrupted her. In a flash of light, a scroll appeared right next to her head. "A letter from... Spike and Rainbow Dash?" she unfurled the parchment and began reading.
"What does it say, Sister?"
Celestia's eyes widened as she scanned the page. "I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short, Luna; Chrysalis is in Ponyville!"
Stats
Page generated in 0.027 seconds
Total duration
1,082 users online
1,587,318 hits today, 1,960,719 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I remember that phrase back in that show called Spider-Man the Animated Series and it is true
Of course Spike prepared when it comes to Twilight lol
So apparently Chrysalis is starting to get a hang of the so far despite how Pinkie Pie can be overwhelming but meanwhile back in the everfree forest rainbow and the others are heading back to Ponyville and they still complain about helping chrysalis which I understand they don't like her what she did back at the Canterlot wedding but she has amnesia so she doesn't really remember anything but the other still remembers what she done but anyway it looks like rainbow and Spike well a letter to Princess Celestia to give them a heads up about chrysalis meanwhile it looks like Twilight and Chrysalis are playing chess board which I was never good at that game but she's been asking a lot of question about her past and it looks like she has a family I mean in her generation at least and I wonder what happened to them so anyway they look like they're enjoying themselves meanwhile back in Canterlot Princess Celestia and Luna are having a little dessert apparently mostly Celestia but it looks like they got the mail from rainbow and Spike and now she's heading for Ponyville ho boy I wonder how this will go down I guess we'll find out next time
now we know that Chrysalis had 2 older sisters (who are probably dead) and one younger (who should become queen because most likely the hive will think that Chrysalis is also dead)
it seems to me that the title of this story should be changed since "honey cupcakes" is relevant only for the first chapter. 🤔
I understand that Rainbow is a bit right, but that she and Spike don't trust Twilight and act behind her back, isn't that a form of betrayal? The actions and decisions you make will determine your future. Their actions may affect many lives.
I think Luna, as a former villain, will listen to Twilight, and maybe, just maybe he's on her side.
Even if Chrysalis's memory does or does not return, I believe that she and Twilight could develop feelings for each other or at least a strong friendship. I also think that if things get worse to the point that Twilight could be hurt, Chrysalis will act like a villain and say that it was all a lie or something, to blame herself, and others forgive Twilight.
Nuuuuu, you can take her in chess, Chryssie!
'bavk' - back
10694336
But the honey cupcakes are part of the inciting incident, and half of the inspiration for this story. Besides, we simply haven't gotten to a part where it can become relevant again.
10695482
She doesn't see it as betrayal; she sees it as loyalty to her nation and the Princesses.
10697963
I don’t think that’s such a great excuse; most traitors in both history and fiction, I’m sure, considered their decisions and resulting actions entirely justified as well, and yet we don’t seem to generally consider that reason enough to just go “well, okay then” either.
That said, merely informing Celestia that Chrysalis is now in Ponyville absolutely can be considered simply due diligence; even if she’s currently honestly amnesiac (and that is in fact what it looks like to me), there’s no way of telling if or when she’ll recover her memories again or that she won’t just revert to her old ways once she does, and the Princesses will simply want to know in any event. Unless perhaps it turns out that they’ve deliberately painted the situation as worse than it actually looks at the moment, I can’t in good conscience blame Rainbow Dash and Spike for that -- Twilight would likely have gotten around to doing the same herself, anyway, just not quite this soon.
10699697
That's all part of the backbone of this story: the strain that this development puts on their relationships and elements. Twilight's putting friendship over her own biases, Dash is having to choose between her loyalties, Applejack can hardly face the truth of the situation, Fluttershy's struggling to keep everyone acting kind, Pinkie's acceptance towards the situation is putting the sceptics on edge, and Rarity... Is there, too.
10696379
Fixed!
Whatever fits our narratives eh? little hypocritical dashie :)
Nice story m8 i enjoy it very much. Love the interactions.
I guess it's true what they say - the least competent tend to think themselves the most.
(And I'm not sure if Fluttershy was nesscesarily wrong to be scared of Luna, but I do see why she would think so.)
Incoming chaoa