Mechaniquus

by DougtheLoremaster

Chapter 34: Image Snapshot-Part Two

The snap was audible and afterward a loud gasp erupted from all present. There before their eyes appeared Queen Chrysalis, herself. But she was smaller, much smaller. The gasps of surprise faded into murmurs of confusion, while Flurry Heart stared at her in surprise. Was she a filly?

Her wings of gossamer were slightly fluttering, though her eyes were the same glowing, envious green as Flurry’s own. And she was standing in front of a throne in the middle of a field. And on that throne, looking rather bored, sat Discord, talking down to her.

“You would side with them, little sister?”

The tiny Changeling scuffed at the ground with her hoof.

“Aren’t you tired of this, Discord? Father was defeated by a simple Unicorn. We both saw it happen. Why should we bother carrying out Grogar’s orders any longer?”

“Hold it!”

Pinkie Pie threw her hooves in the air as she shouted loudly.

“Explain yourself! She’s your sister? Grogar’s your father?”

The image froze as Discord spoke in an almost dismissive tone.

“She and I were molded from the same clay Grogar used to breathe life into us. I am the Lord of Chaos as you well know, and Sower of Disharmony. Chrysalis, however, was the Duchess of Disharmony and Sower of Chaos.”

Discord snapped his fingers, but surprisingly nothing happened. All eyes turned to Pinkie Pie as Discord called her out in annoyance.

“Mrs. Pie, there is much to go over, so if you would please-”

The sentence trailed off as Pinkie spoke suddenly.

“Makes sense to me.”

Instantly, without Discord’s input, the scene continued to play again. Discord glared at the Element of Laughter raising a suspicious eyebrow as he spoke to her, snapping his fingers to stop the scene once more.

“How do you even do that?”

Pinkie giggled and reached for a cupcake. After taking a bite, Pinkie blinked.

“Do what?”

Next to her Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly. Even Fluttershy gave a light titter causing Discord’s anger to vanish instantly at the sight. Rolling her eyes, though with a smile on her face, Twilight spoke up.

“Pinkie, this is a serious matter. There is a time and place for such antics, this isn’t it.”

Looking slightly abashed, Pinkie swallowed her bite of cupcake and said.

“Sorry, Twilight.”

Turning back to Discord, Twilight gestured with the sweep of her wing.

“Ignore the interruption. Please, continue.”

All eyes fell upon the image of Chrysalis as Discord snapped his fingers, and the scene between the Chrysalis of the past, and Discord the Chaos Ruler, continued once more.

The self-proclaimed ruler was silent for a moment before clapping his mismatched hands, causing rubber duckies to rain from the ground upward into the sky.

“Chaos, dear sister. It’s what we are, it’s what we do.”

With those words, the sky and ground flipped into reverse, causing Chrysalis to start falling down to the sky. Instantly, Chrysalis’s horn glowed a bright, shining green causing her to flip around and lift up to the ground. Gingerly her hooves touched the ground. Flipping her mane of gossamer around in a flourish, Chrysalis proclaimed in a sassy, sarcastic manner.

“Cute trick, brother. You’ll have to do better than that. Anyway, can't you listen to me seriously, just once?”

Stepping off his now upside down throne to land down on the sky, Discord laughed as the sky changed to a large slice of gouda cheese, which he began to ice skate upon.

“Serious? Why should I be serious, Little Chrysi? After all, what could you possibly do that wouldn’t involve inflicting chaos?”

Stamping her hoof and pouting, Chrysalis’s tiny wings fluttered as she shouted.

“I mean it, be serious won’t you?”

The sound of a snap was heard, and the ground was once more the ground and all chaotic elements vanished, leaving a very stern-looking Discord. His normal carefree demeanor was gone, his voice simple, yet forceful.

“Chaos and Harmony are two-sides of the same coin, Chrysalis. Without one, the other ceases to exist. Without the other the first could not exist to begin with. We are the bringers of Chaos and Disharmony. The sisters are the bearers of Harmony and Order. All have a role to play, and that is why we do this, my dear sister.”

Chrysalis was at a loss of words for a moment, before giving a large sigh.

“Fine. Whatever. In any case, I’ve taken care of the Crystal Empire as you requested.”

Discord, back to his usual self, began washing himself with white wine, using a living racoon as a washcloth; much to the creature’s apparent protesting dismay.

“Oh? And how did that go, all to plan I suppose?”

Chrysalis grinned, her tiny little fangs twinkling in the sudden moonlight.

“As if there was any doubt. The Demon I summoned easily slaughtered the ruling class and took over the Empire; enslaving the helpless fools who stood against us.”

Discord thought for a moment as he stepped out of the conjured bathtub and used a piece of stale bread to comb his Zebra-like mane.

“And where is this, Sombra, I believe you called him, now?”

Chrysalis laughed wickedly.

“Dead, slain by little Luna herself, all according to plan. Her scythe took his head, and in return, the poor Alicorn has been infected by a spark of madness. It’s only a matter of time before she is plagued by thoughts that aren’t her own and turns against her beloved sister.”

Discord conjured up a reflective glass pane and gargled with some toothpaste, before spitting it out and laughed.

“Oh how delightful, you really outdid yourself this time. And the empire?”

“Gone. The curse I placed on the unsuspecting fool activated upon his demise. And with the Empire banished, you won’t have to worry about Celestia or Luna gaining power from its divine influences.”

Chrysalis stopped her gloating to look Discord in the eyes accusingly.

“Why did you request only a thousand years?”

Discord grinned and did a one handed handstand.

“Who knows what the future may hold.”

Suddenly, he was standing upright and looking grimly at the sky. The sun was beginning to rise, and not by his design. Glancing at Chrysalis, he shouted at her.

“Go! They are coming.”

Chrysalis looked fearful for a split moment before saying.

“Is this really goodbye? Are you really intending to lose this fight?”

Discord seemed to have trouble forcing a grin on his face. His voice was whimsical, yet she could hear how troubled he really was.

“It’s all according to plan, remember?”

Chrysalis stared at him for a split-second before turning and running as fast as she could for the trees. The image faded revealing a stunned-looking Princess Luna, who opened her mouth, seemingly to yell obscenities at Discord, judging from the outrage on her face, when suddenly she was stopped as another image appeared.

It was Crysalis, but she seemed older, more mature. She stood the size of a full-grown Unicorn, and the look in her eyes was hollow, as though she had witnessed many horrors. Using her magic, she assumed the body of an unassuming mare before approaching the Canterlot Castle Garden, and the statue within. A statue of a Draconequus.

She sighed as she approached it, her head hung in melancholy as she slumped next to it. She lamented softly.

“I’m done. It worked. All of it. My hive was built. My army razed the entirety of Equestria for decades. The griffons and the dragons teamed up to attack the ponies, incited by my deceit and treachery. It worked. And yet, none of it mattered, Discord.”

The statue slowly bent down to pat Chrysalis’s head as it replied.

“Didn’t matter? The Chaos we spread was legendary and-”

Chrysalis wasn’t having it as she shouted in anger.

“And what? It’s been nearly 800 years Discord, and nopony even remembers. They scrubbed our efforts from their populace’s mind. Nopony recalls the name Discord, or the name of Chrysalis. We slaughtered thousands, we brought Equestria to the brink of complete collapse and they don’t even teach about us in their schools!”

She threw her hooves up in frustration, as she declared.

“Even Luna, Miss Nightmare Moon became at least a mare’s tale; a legend passed down to frighten the fillies and colts, but you and me? Not even a footnote! It was all for nothing.”

Discord was silent for a moment, before attempting to sound whimsical.

“Perhaps you just need to remind them of who-”

Chrysalis rose to her hooves and interrupted him mid-sentence.

“No. I’m done. Since chaos has no lasting impact, I’m done with scheming and wickedness. From now on I’m living my immortality for me. Grogar’s will be damned.”

Discord called out to his sister as she walked away.

“And what do you plan to do?”

Chrysalis paused and laughed.

“ Who knows, immortality is a long time, perhaps I can make up for what I did and assist the ponies. I heard Celestia’s having trouble with the Yaks of Yakyakistan, maybe I can enlist. Maybe I’ll find somepony to settle down with and rule my hive side-by-side with.”

The image faded as Discord chuckled.

“I’d love to see that.”

Before any of the onlookers around the table could comment, another scene began to play, and all were paying rapt attention.

Many years had passed and now Chrysalis stood as tall as the sisters, themselves, her wings fully developed, with a flowing mane and tail of sparkling teal.

The Changeling Queen stood next to the castle walls, before transforming her body to resemble that of a castle guard. Where once stood a majestic Queen, now stood a stallion with golden armor, the typical garb of Celestia’s royal guard.

Slowly the guard, in a deliberate and well-practiced motion, approached a large serpentine-styled statue in the middle of the palace grounds. The statue was remarkably life-like in how intrinsic the various details of it were. The guard smiled and addressed the statue.

“Hello, dear brother.”

The eyes of the statue blinked as the chiseled concrete Draconequus spoke.

“Chrysalis, how have you been?”

“I finally met somepony.”

For anypony watching this interaction, they might have sworn the Draconequus’s chiseled lips formed into a smile. They might also almost believe the statue was actually speaking to the strange Royal guard soldier.

“Is that so?”

“She’s amazing!”

The stallion lost its disciplined posture, suddenly jumping around in excitement, while his voice became completely feminine and silken with excitement.

“I met her in the marketplace just yesterday. We spent hours shopping and talking with each other. She has amazingly pink fur, her mane has such an amazing stylish stripe of three colors. And you won’t believe this, she’s an Alicorn, and her wings are just gorgeous!”

For several minutes, Chrysalis gushed over her new friend, seemingly forgetting where she was in the process as her voice became more and more evident. But it wasn’t just her voice, her transformation seemed affected by her lack of concentration, as well; her Changeling Queen body now fully visible for any onlookers.

“Changeling in the garden!”

The shout was sudden, and the effect was immediate. From everywhere, Royal Soldiers of the Canterlot Guard came running, armed to the teeth with spears. Before Chrysalis could so much as blink, she was surrounded, the jagged spears at her throat as a massive flash of magic signaled the coming of her imminent doom.

Celestia stood before Chrysalis, glaring at the Changeling Queen, her wings flared to their full length. Her eyes were hardened, and without an ounce of mercy within the amethyst irises. She snarled at Chrysalis.

“You! Your crimes against Ponykind will never be forgiven!”

As Chrysalis watched Celestia power up her horn, and with nowhere to run, closed her eyes to prepare for the end. But everycreature present was so preoccupied with the spectacle, that no one noticed the Draconequus statue’s griffon claw slide slowly behind its back, or the sound of a single audible snap that it made as the griffon talons slowly came together.

There was a flash of magic blinding all present and when it cleared, Chrysalis was no longer in sight, and the statue was back in perfect formation once more. Celestia’s eyes frantically searched all around before stamping her hoof in frustration.

“I want her found and brought before me!”

Turning in rage, Celestia shouted out.

“Twilight!”

A gray-furred mare with a purple and white striped mane, and tail, suddenly appeared in a somewhat-powerful burst of purple magic. She had with her a bunch of books and scrolls. Somewhat out of breath, she called out.

“Yes, Princess?”

Celestia did not mince words, her anger dripping off every syllable.

“I am declaring a new mandate. Changelings. Must. Be. Exterminated. Twilight, write this down. All creatures within my kingdom are hereby ordered to kill any Changeling on sight. All creatures caught associating with them shall be put to death, as well. I hereby issue this mandate in the name of the magic of the sun and the moon I wield.”

The image faded once more, only to be replaced by yet another one, this one appearing faster than the others, as though a movie reel were coming to an end on a projector.

Surprisingly, Chrysalis wasn’t visible. Instead, the scene displayed Princess Cadence walking beside Twilight Sparkle’s brother, Shining Armor. He was dressed fully in his armored guard attire, with the blue Captain star insignia emblazoned on the front. On his back was a picnic basket, from which a wine bottle could be seen peeking out from beneath a checkered cloth.

In the sky, the full moon could be seen, along with the legendary formation of ‘the Mare in the Moon’. The garden of Canterlot Castle’s grounds were quiet as the two slowly made their way towards the large Draconequus statue, talking in low voices.

“Were you really able to fight alongside Aunt Celestia?”

“Yeah, and let me tell you, she really hides her true strength.”

“Hey! You there, the grounds are closed during the night.”

A night guard who had been on patrol ran towards the two, halting suddenly as Shining Armor turned towards the approaching stallion. The guard began to stammer, while throwing up a clumsy salute.

“Oh! Captain- it’s you I-I-”

Shining laughed.

“At ease, I just decided to take my marefriend here on a date. Why don’t you go and patrol elsewhere for a while. I’ll triple your shift pay if you keep this quiet.”

The guard brightened up immediately, his eyes seeing only bits.

“You got it, Captain!”

As soon as he had gone around the corner, Cadence whispered.

“You are so horrible, you know that money will be coming out of the actual Shining’s pockets, right?”

Shining armor grinned and a much more feminine voice whispered back.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it. Alright, here we are.”

Cadence blinked.

“A statue? You want me to meet a statue?”

The imposter Shining Armor laughed and walked up to the statue and smacked it heavily on the backside with his hoof.

“This is no statue. Discord, wake your lazy flank up.”

Cadence glanced curiously at Shining Armor and then turned to stare at the statue.

“Discord?”

The audible sound of a snapping claw was heard, and Cadence watched as a bat in mid-swoop suddenly froze in the air. Glancing all around her, she noticed everything had froze in place; everything but Shining Armor and her. She watched in awe as Shining Armor began to glow and soon Chrysalis was standing before her.

Her wonderment turned into surprise and shock as the statue of the Draconequus yawned, stretching it's chiseled limbs as though having just woken up. Cadence watched in stunned silence as it hopped down from its pedestal let out a sudden howl in the moonlight as it threw its stone head back and mused aloud.

“Chrysalis, little sister, how have you been?”

Chrysalis just laughed at Cadence's expression of surprise and gestured at the statue.

“Cadence, I present Discord, Lord of Chaos and my brother. Discord, this is my special somepony, Cadence, Princess of Love.”

Cadence watched, at a complete loss for words, as the statue before her bent down in a perfect flourishing bow.

“Charmed.”

He reached out a hand, the stone slowly dissolving off of him as he did so, revealing the mismatched parts of the Lord of Chaos. Cadence gasped.

“But, Aunt Tia said you were trapped in there for eternity!”

Discord scoffed.

“Oh please, if the world could get rid of chaos by turning it to stone, everypony would do it, wouldn’t they?”

Chrysalis chuckled.

“The Elements of Harmony don’t really affect us, Cadence. We are literal embodiments of Chaos and Disharmony. Harmony cannot exist without us, or we without it. Discord could easily become a statue anytime the mood strikes him.”

Discord nodded.

“So true.”

Cadence looked confused.

“But why would you choose to be a statue in a flower garden for so long then?”

Chrysalis placed a black hoof to her muzzle and gave a groan.

“Because my idiot brother only does anything when the mood hits him. He refuses to be chaotic unless, as he says, the time is right. There is no rhyme or reason to his madness.”

Discord chuckled darkly.

“If one could predict chaos, how chaotic could that chaos truly claim to be, after all?”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and reached into a saddlebag that seemed to appear on her back, amidst a glow of green magic, pulling out a book.

“Oh yes, such an intellectual, anyway, shut up and take a look at this.”

Cadence was mortified, but Discord seemed to take it in stride glancing at the cover of the book.

“Oh, Tale of the Two Sisters. Quite the title you’ve picked.”

Almost slithering through the air to land beside her, he ran a claw down Chrysalis’s mane teasingly.

“I take it, this means you plan to go ahead with Little Miss Element of Magic’s lesson, then?”

Chrysalis nodded.

“I spent so long writing this. I’m sure she’ll find this particular book helpful for the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration.”

The image faded once more, leaving a stunned and speechless audience around the table. Luna stared at Discord in disbelief, while Celestia seemed apprehensive. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

“While it appears that she wished to turn over a new leaf, I feel we are severely missing context as to what actually happened.”

Shining Armor cleared his throat.

“Then I guess, it’s my turn to share.”

Comments

[Cyana Flame]

[Starlight Nova]

So is this story a major deconstruction of something or not?

[DougtheLoremaster]

11827893
This story is told through three perspectives.
Chrysalis is the first part, the context through which is explained throughout the other two.
Flurry is the second part, the context through which is explained through the other two.
And finally What actually happened, which tells how Chrysalis ended up that way, how Flurry Heart feels about both her moms, and the Events that took place to bring us to the current scenario.

This is a Psychological Thriller. Put simply, you need the complete story to understand the individual chapters. If you pay attention while reading, you will notice certain characteristics of the characters. Chrysalis was driven to insanity. Flurry Heart is looking for clues about her REAL father. And the current chapters featuring a flashback, indicated by italic font, is the reality of how Chrysalis was wiped from every creature's memory, received a chance to start over from Twilight and the girls, and finally, why she will be allowed to re-enter society if she overcomes her own insanity.

As for the flashback you can expect Shining Armor, Thorax, Cadence and finally Twilight to reveal Chrysalis's major plan.

in conclusion: Yes. Hope you keep reading, and that I was able to make this more sane for you to follow. <3