Chapter 16: Pretty as a Pooch
Even though she’d tried being a city girl for a spell, Applejack never quite got a feel for the hustle and bustle of the streets. She was more accustomed to the pace of the countryside, where you could count the number of ponies that passed by the homestead on one hoof. Keeping up with the flow was fine, but it was a struggle to know how close they were to her destination within the sea of ponies.
Looking over her shoulder, she could see Shutterbug was fitting right in, or rather standing right out. Despite her meek build, everypony on the sidewalk was giving the scowling mare plenty of space. Getting kicked out of Manehattan Escapes must’ve really rubbed the poor girl the wrong way if it was still eating at her. The farmer really hoped their little excursion would calm her down, but she just seemed to be stewing in her own bitterness.
Applejack’s trot was brought to a sudden stop as she collided with a thick stallion’s backside.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” the big business pony yelled.
“Whoops!” Applejack chuckled as she flushed red in embarrassment and picked herself up off the ground. “Mighty sorry about that.”
His ear twitched at her apology. “Figures. You almost made me drop my coffee, you blind country bumpkin!”
“Hey! I said I was sorry! Ain’t no need for that kinda—”
In a flash, Shutterbug rushed up and grabbed the burly stallion by the horn, dispelling his grip on his drink. She yanked his face down into hers, pouring every ounce of fury burning behind her glowing eyes into his. “You have exactly five seconds before I tear your horn off and make you suck that filthy brown swill through it like a straw! Now, get lost!”
His coffee a distant memory, the well-suited stallion screamed like a filly and scampered off. Shutterbug snatched the abandoned beverage from the ground and reared back, ready to throw it after him like a hoofball.
“Woah-woah-woah!” Applejack leapt into action, pulling the wild mare’s hoof down. To her surprise, Chrys was actually putting up a good fight. “Settle down! You could hurt somepony!”
“Good! I hope it’s him!”
Applejack dove for her foreleg and swatted the cup out of her hoof. The coffee crashed on the ground, knocking the lid off, and spilling it harmlessly on the street. “We don’t need to be causing a commotion in the middle of the sidewalk!”
“But that jerk just pushed you down!”
“It was my fault in the first place. I’m the one that bumped into him.”
Shutterbug growled in frustration and trampled the spilled coffee cup. She was about two steps short of sending the nearest pony on a one-way trip to Elysium. Luckily, Applejack could see the store across the street. Ignoring the dripping coffee, she grabbed the former queen by the hoof and led her across the walkway.
“We’re almost there, Chrys. Just keep it together for a bit longer.”
“Why did I ever think conquering Equestria was a good idea?” Shutterbug seethed, her eyes burning with anger. “I’m so sick of this stupid city already! I hate it!”
Applejack gripped tighter, trying to show the changeling that she was still there. “None of that kinda talk now. I hear this store is kinda a specialty place, so it’ll probably be nice and quiet in there.”
Shutterbug said nothing, and focused on the ground while following Applejack’s gait.
Finally reaching their destination, Applejack didn’t even spare a moment before pulling her friend inside. The old greeting bell rang with a welcoming ding, pulling the changeling’s attention to the aged surroundings. All around them were cameras, old and new, as well as everything a photographer could ever want to go along with one. Simple tables and shelves showed the wares and their prices without any cheap gimmicks. Applejack appreciated the straightforward simplicity.
“This was your better idea?” Shutterbug said with a half-lidded glare. “My cutie mark’s fake.”
“And the cameras around here are all real. What’s your point?”
“That there’s no point in coming here.”
“Sure there is. You might take a shine to it for real. ‘Fake it til ya make it,’ you know? Honesty might be my policy, but I’ll try to bend it a bit if it’ll help.”
Shutterbug said nothing, but her small smirk said everything AJ needed to know.
“Wow, two lovely mares in my humble store? It must be my lucky day!”
AJ and Shutterbug both turned their attention to the approaching pegasus. She was an older mare with a coffee cream coat who carried herself with a wispy grace at a proud height fit for the runway. Her butter yellow locks streaked with sporadic grays that she swirled into blended spirals. The photo lens capturing the silhouette of a pony’s face on her flank spoke of her talents behind the camera. Applejack couldn’t even begin to guess how old she was. She wore her silver years and crows feet with the confidence of a mare in her prime. In a word, she was beautiful.
“My name is Graceful Glamour. Welcome to my photabulous photography emporium, Snapshots!” Her brown eyes searched up and down her clients with practiced precision. “From out of town. Are you here to browse or perhaps schedule a shoot?”
“Howdy, Miss Glamour.”
“Please, call me Glamour, hun,” she said quickly. “I don’t feel old enough to be a Miss yet.”
“Glamour it is!” Applejack said with a growing smile at seeing another neighborly mare around these parts. “I’m Applejack, and this here is my friend Shutterbug. We’re in the market for a camera for my talented friend here, and heard this was the place to go.”
“With a name like Shutterbug, I should’ve guessed,” Glamor noted with a sparkle in her eyes. “My, you must feel naked without a camera on hoof.”
“Not really. I haven’t taken any pictures lately,” Shutterbug grumbled.
“I know the feeling, hon. Some days, I struggle to find my inspiration.”
“Yeah, today’s a struggle alright.” The fake photographer looked around at the modest wooden shelves and plaster walls with the occasional patch of exposed bricks. “It doesn’t really feel all that ‘glamorous’ in here.”
“Thanks for noticing. Why would I spruce up the store and risk drawing your eyes away from the wonderful girls on display?” She whisked one of the older cameras into her hoof and held it for her customers to see. It was a simple wooden box that folded out like an accordion. “From the grainy charm of this dark chamber-styled instant camera from Obscuration to the Sapphiria Dynamism’s ultra-modern, crystal imaging—TM—these tools can show others a second of the world through your eyes. The only things more beautiful than the cameras are the subjects you shoot with them.”
“I didn’t understand a lick of that, but I know passion when I see it. No wonder Coco said y’all were the best in town.”
Glamour’s eyes flashed with joy. “Little Coco Pommel sent you? She’s such a wonderful friend. And while it warms my heart to hear you say that, my true passion lies in the world of cosmetics.”
Applejack blinked and looked back at Glamour’s mark. “I thought that was a camera lens.”
Glamour looked at her flank and hummed to herself in thought. “Perhaps it is to most ponies now, but I grew up knowing it as a compact.” The mare pulled out a little mirror from her vest pocket and flashed its reflection at her guests. “I was a makeup magazine model for years, but time has its way of working you out of an industry. I got too old for the game and took over my old photographer’s shop thirty or so years ago.”
Applejack balked. “Thirty?”
“Surprised?” The mare laughed haughtily and turned the mirror on herself with a wide grin. “Good to know I still got it. It takes a professional dedication to be beautiful both inside and out for so long.” She clasped the mirror closed and narrowed her eyes into a daring gaze. “And if you ask my age, I’ll say I’m not a day over twenty-nine. Feel free to figure the numbers out on that one, hon.”
“Good to know our cameramare’s in denial,” Shutterbug said.
Applejack shot a glare at her grump friend.
“Come now, Shutterbug. A healthy amount of well-intentioned vanity never hurt anypony,” Glamour lightly rebuked with a wink. “Now, what can I help you find today?”
Shutterbug scanned over all the cameras around them with the eye of a professional. After a few moments, she grunted and dropped the act. “Good question. I don’t know the first thing about cameras.”
Glamour blinked. “You don’t?”
“I might look like I do, but no. I’m sure somepony like you knows full well that…” Shutterbug’s eyes pulsed bright green. “Appearances can be very deceiving,” She remarked in her normal, dual-toned voice.
“Oh? You must be one of those changelings the fashion world has been abuzz about.”
Seeing her scare tactic had little effect, Chrysalis snorted derisively. “What was your first clue?”
“Judging from your snippy attitude, I guess you were rejected before you could even audition?”
Chrysalis curled her brow. “What are you talking about?”
“You mean you don’t know? There’s a lot of models freaking out because of the threat a shapeshifter poses.”
“Changelings aren’t threatening anypony, Glamour,” Applejack said firmly. “We’re all supposed to be friends now.”
“Oh, I know. Personally, I think they’re worried over nothing. Who cares if Shutterbug here can shapeshift? I’ve been around the block enough to know that illusion magic wasn’t invented yesterday.”
The changeling smirked. “I think you might find there’s more to it than just a little change.”
Shutterbug erupted in a green flashfire, and in her place stood a Celestia-sized Graceful Glamour. Her glorious curls had drilled into thick spirals of shimmering silver and gold that dragged the floor. Gone were the wrinkles and aged fur, replaced by a perfectly creamy roasted brown coat that glistened in the light. Her long legs stood soft and firm, leading to a curvy flank that was thick in all the right places. Even though her wings were tucked, the length of their feathers told of a glorious spread that could blanket ten ponies under their span. To top the look off, her long, slender horn nearly pierced the ceiling tiles. The glamorous goddess stood amid the mortals around her, glistening with an ephemeral, terrifying beauty not meant for this world.
The real Glamour guffawed seeing her extraordinary self standing before her. “See? Don’t know what everypony’s worried about.”
“What?” her deified doppelganger replied in shock, her voice echoing with Elysian holiness.
“Sure, but who would want to put anything on you except a crown and royal peytral? The whole point is being a beautiful canvas for clothes and makeup, not just blindingly gorgeous. Gotta say, it is fun to see what I’d look like as a sexy alicorn.”
“Jealousy is unbecoming of you,” Divine Glamour nickered, her bitter grunt echoing with power. She turned to Applejack with holy fury. “What do you think, AJ?”
Applejack cleared her throat as she averted her eyes. “Well, it’s a little much, right?”
“But this is what you ponies find beautiful! I can practically taste the lust emanating off of you right now!”
The real Glamour’s eyes shot over to Applejack with a growing grin. She stifled her snickering with a hoof.
“Fine! So you’re hot to trot looking like that, alright?” Applejack fired back while fighting her blushing face. “What I think she’s saying is you look too good. It’s honestly a little intimidating. I mean, how’s a pony like me supposed to look anything like that? I’m not even good enough to be a model in the first place. That just ain’t fair.”
“Aww, don’t sell yourself short, hon,” Glamour cooed as she walked up to Applejack. She inspected the farmer’s face and smiled warmly. “You’re a lovely wildflower from the countryside. If you want, I know some rich colors that would really make that orange of yours pop.”
“Thanks, Glamour, but I don’t got the time in the morning to do much of anything. Besides, ain’t like I need to look good for the apple trees.”
“Really?” Glamour spun around and pointed towards the goddess in their midst. “What about looking good for your goddess of a marefriend?”
“M-marefriend?” Applejack exclaimed as her cheeks burned brighter. “Chrys ain’t my marefriend!”
“So it’s Chrys now? Is that Shutterbug’s real name?”
Divine Glamour cackled maniacally, letting her lustrous voice slowly sink back into her natural, distorted tones. “Oh, hon. If only you knew who was under all of this glamour.”
“Well, let’s see the real you then.”
Chrysalis’ laughter died as she looked back down at the pegasus. “What?”
“It’s been a month or two since we made peace and I haven’t seen a single changeling outside of the papers. You could be my first changeling subject!”
“Uh, Glamour. Are you sure about that?” Applejack asked.
“Why not? You’re friends with Coco.”
“It’s more like mutual acquaintance, but she doesn’t know Chrys either.”
“You know what? I’ll play along. I warn you though—” The staggering beauty tossed her impossibly voluminous mane, obscuring half of her face behind her veil of spirals. “—I’ve been known to strike fear into the hearts of everypony who sees my true face.” Her eyes flashed from gold to green with a predatory glare.
“Then it will be a fun challenge.”
Chrysalis chuckled darkly and stepped forward. “Very well. Prepare yourself, little pony.”
At once, the alicorn exploded in green energy. Instead of instantly changing shape, Chrysalis settled for a slower burn. Inch by inch, the elegant brown fur retreated from her limbs, revealing the obsidian chitin beneath, riddled with holes. Her horn grew wider and sharper, writhing into a jagged, uneven shape. The feathers burned away, revealing a bare barrel of black and green with an armored carapace protecting her gossamer wings beneath. Her spiraling hair shot skyward and burst into blue silk before falling straight around her. The unveiled Chrysalis laughed with wild abandon, showing her ferocious maw of sharp teeth.
“Well now, Graceful Glamour, what do you think?” Chrysalis asked, leaning down and sneering a serrated smile at her prey.
Glamour sat down and clapped her hooves together. “Wow! What a wonderful unveiling! Such a flair for the dramatic! I wish I would’ve taken a picture!”
Chrysalis pulled back slightly. “You… you’re not scared?”
“A little, but you spoiled the whole shapeshifting thing. If you want to scare me, you shouldn’t make me laugh first.” Glamour hummed to herself as she took in the unveiled changeling. “Ash black is quite a rare color for ponies, but I’m sure I’ve got some darker colors that would suit a mare like you wonderfully.”
“I’m a changeling. I don’t need to douse myself in your colorful sludge.”
“It’s only sludge if you put on too much,” Glamour corrected. “And it’s not just color. There’s texture, luminescence, volume, fragrance, all sorts of things to make you look gorgeous.”
“But, that’s not what I…” The changeling sat down and her eye began twitching.
“What’s wrong, Chrys?” Glamour asked.
“Nothing! And it’s Chrysalis!” she roared. “You don’t get to call me that!”
Glamour shrank back and laughed nervously. “Okay. Now that’s a little scarier.”
“Cut it out, Chrys!” Applejack cut in-between the two. “Why are you trying to get her spooked now?”
Chrysalis said nothing and turned away. She walked over to a quiet corner of the store and began looking at cameras out of sight of the front door.
Applejack sighed. “Sorry, Glamour. It’s been a day.”
“From the looks of it, it hasn’t been much better for you, hon,” she said as she laid a supportive hoof on AJ’s shoulder.
“It’s had its moments. We’re supposed to be here with our friends for two more days on a vacation of sorts, but the way it's going, we’re gonna need a vacation from the vacation.”
“Lucky for you, you both came to the right place. Every vacation needs a camera to preserve those good moments. How are you supposed to look back on this and laugh with rose-tinted glasses otherwise?”
Applejack chuckled. “You got a point there, Glamour.” She took a moment to look at the mare, who wasn’t even paying any attention to the towering changeling browsing her store. “Honestly, I’m kinda shocked you ain’t freaking out. You know who she is, right?”
Glamour took another look at the villain. “I think I might’ve read about her in the paper once a while back. However, I do know who she isn’t.” Glamour motioned past Chrysalis and towards the far wall. “See how those bricks back there are a little different from the others?”
Following Glamour’s sight, Applejack’s eyes landed on the far corner of the store. It had a few posters and pictures, but it was completely void of anything else. It was actually a bit of a waste of space, considering how closely packed everything else was. As for the bricks, they were far brighter, with less weathering compared to the rest of the walls.
“They look a lot newer, now that you mention it.”
“That’s because they are. It’s where the register used to be and where I was standing the day that giant monster Tirek punched a hole through it. He stole my magic and left me buried alive under a pile of bricks.”
Applejack gasped, her stomach immediately churning from the thought. She could see the evil lord’s fist bursting through like her hoof through a dry, rotted apple barrel.
“It was a rather dramatic bit of renovation,” the older mare added, trying to laugh off the experience, but the spark in her eyes dimmed as her mind went back to that day. “I really thought that was it. My number had come up and I was gonna go buried under a broken wall. But I got lucky. Somepony came to check if anypony got hurt. Coco, actually. The poor girl was caught in the streets when Tirek tore through the city. Even though she was as drained as I was, that little thing did her best to dig me out by hoof, if you can believe it. Even stayed with me until help arrived. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for her.”
That was a day Applejack didn’t care to think much about either. She had also been caught between a rock and a hard place with no magic, being used as a poker chip in a gamble for her life. But at least she still had her friends with her through all of it. She couldn’t even imagine how terrified she would’ve been if she were all alone.
“I’m glad you’re still here, Glamour,” Applejack said with a warm smile.
“Thanks, hon. Me too,” the mare returned with a grin of her own, her confidence rejuvenating her more youthful spryness. “You know, I’m still too scared to go in that corner when I’m alone in the store. At least you two were nice enough to use the front door and introduce yourselves. Now, let’s go help your fiendish friend find the camera that will make her day.”
As the two ponies approached from behind, Chrysalis turned her head and looked at them out of the corner of her eye. She flamed back into Shutterbug and fully turned around while holding a box in her hoof. “Hey AJ. For some reason, something called a ‘fisheye lens’ is triple the cost of most of the cameras here. I think she’s running some sort of scam.”
Glamour giggled to herself. “Actually, it’s because they’re extremely difficult to make, even with magical precision. It’s a specialty lens, so probably not what you’re looking for as a beginner.”
Shutterbug curled an eyebrow. “You say it like I’m actually going to buy one of these things.”
“You’re not?”
The fake mare grumbled and whipped her head around to the insolent shopkeeper. “I thought I made it clear that—” The sudden motion shifted Shutterbug’s errant bang in front of her muzzle once more. With an irritated grunt, she flared a horn onto her disguise and leaned the stubborn strands against it. “I’m not a real photo pony!”
“No, but you’re still on vacation and cameraless. It’s practically a crime not to have photos to remember it.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got that covered up here,” Shutterbug assured while tapping the side of her head.
“But it’s not about the memories, it’s about the art. You can change what you look like whenever you want, so you can appreciate being seen how you want to be perceived.”
“It’s more of a survival tactic than anything.”
“So? Why not have a little fun with it? Here, come with me, Chrysalis.”
Before the changeling could object, the mare snatched Shutterbug by the hoof without a second thought and began dragging her to the back. Seemingly done with arguing, she relented to the camera mare’s command and followed along, all the while giving Applejack an exhausted glare. The farmer smirked and looked away as she followed closely behind the two, wanting to see where Glamour was going with her idea.
Glamour and Shutterbug entered a door labeled “Studio.” The pegasus flipped the lightswitch on with her wing to reveal a modest workspace. Several backdrops were hanging along the walls of all different colors and landscapes. There were boxes of various props and a few fake plants to take anything from a classy family portrait to a goofy beach bum picture.
Glamour led them to another door into a dressing room with a wardrobe and rolling coat rack filled with different outfits and costumes. She pulled a cushion from underneath a fancy light-up mirror and sat the changeling down before going to a nearby cabinet. Upon opening it, Applejack was taken aback by just how much makeup was inside. It was as tall as the full-sized wardrobe and brimming with countless colorful tubes, vials, and boxes.
Chrysalis frowned at her disguise’s reflection. “You’re not seriously suggesting what I think you are, are you?”
“What do you think I’m doing, hon?” Glamour asked innocently as she looked over her overwhelming collection of cosmetics.
“I told you, I can change into anything I want!”
The pegasus shook her head as she pulled out a big box and sat it next to the dressing table. “Maybe you can, but have you ever had a makeover done by a professional like myself?”
Chrysalis growled as she spied a magazine cover hanging on the wall and quickly transformed into the cover model, colors and all.
“Wow! That's pretty good!” Glamour leaned in closer and ran a hoof over Chrysalis’ face, earning a bitter glare from the mare. “Topical makeup doesn’t change the roots of the fur though.”
The model impersonator swatted Glamour’s hoof away. “Don’t touch me!”
“But how am I supposed to put makeup on you if I can’t touch you?”
“I don’t need makeup!”
“C’mon, Chrys. What’s the harm?” Applejack took a seat next to the mirror and checked her mane. “We’re supposed to be trying new things today, remember?”
“But I already told you how pointless all of these suggestions are!”
“Sure, but plenty of fun stuff is pointless in the grand scheme of things. It’s about seeing if you’ll have fun with it. That’s the point.”
“I don’t ever see you messing with this much makeup,” Chrysalis complained while eying the pegasus picking through her overflowing cosmetic collection.
“Oh! Then we should do you as well, Applejack!” Glamour exclaimed.
“Guess that’s only fair. I’ll get gussied up if you’re offering.”
Chrysalis’ mouth fell open. “What? But—but you never put on makeup!”
“That ain’t exactly right. It ain’t my rodeo, but I ain’t wholly against the notion like Rainbow. Just don’t usually have the time or reason to. How about it? I’ll get a makeover if you do, Chrys.”
The model’s eyes bulged slightly as she scanned up and down AJ in disbelief. After a few awkward passes of her eyes, she slumped down and shifted back into Shutterbug. “Fine.”
“Wonderful! Now, please wash your makeup off, Chrysalis.”
“I’m not wearing any.”
“Yes you are. I can see it all over you. I’d offer to help, but I’m not sure how to get it off.”
Shutterbug furrowed her brow as she caught on. “You think you’re being really clever, don’t you?”
Glamour smirked as she lifted a tray with an assortment of darker colored creams, glosses, and balms. With a sigh and another burst of flames, Chrysalis shifted into her queenly form, rising out of the frame of the mirror. Before anypony could ask, she lowered herself to her barrel, laying down and backing away slightly so she could at least see her face in the pony-sized vanity.
“Sorry, hon. I usually don’t get mares taller than me around here.”
“Oh, so you’re saying Celestia doesn’t visit often?”
“I’d love to get a chance to work on her royal highness, but an obsidian beauty like you is a treat too.”
Chrys closed her eyes and straightened up proudly. “Flattery will get you nowhere with me.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t even dare,” she replied while winking to Applejack. “Could you remove the eyeshadow, Chrysalis?”
“I already told you a thousand times that I’m not wearing any makeup!”
“Really? Then what do you call that lovely shade of green over your eyes?”
“I’ve always had it!” Chrysalis argued through her clenched teeth. She closed one eye to look at her olive eyelids to give it a look herself. However, after a few seconds, she softened as her pupils searched her reflection curiously as she traced the green. “At least I think I have…”
The changeling closed her other eye and her face flared green, burning the color away. She reopened the other eye, seeing one of the splotches of discolored chitin where the green over her eyes once was. She leaned closer to the mirror, searching the details of her uncolored lids and brow as a troubled frown crossed her lips.
“Everything alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, leaning over to catch Chrys’ eyes.
“Have I been… ‘wearing eyeshadow’ for centuries and just forgot?”
“Centuries? Talk about long-lasting,” Glamour said with a quick laugh before turning to Applejack. “And hello? ‘Sugarcube’ with that country accent of yours? Bless my heart, that is adorable.”
“Oh, yeah. Guess I picked that one up from…” Applejack trailed and cleared her throat. “While I was growing up.”
“You two keep being this cute and I might let you walk out of here with a camera for free on top of your makeovers.”
Applejack’s ears perked up before they pinned back in concern. “For free? Glamour, we couldn’t do that. We only just met ya.”
Glamour tilted her head. “Why not? You’ve had a rough day, right?”
“We got the bits to pay, and I appreciate honest work.”
“She does. Trust me. She never shuts up about it,” Chrysalis joked with a fiendish laugh at AJ’s expense. “Plus, I’d like to get rid of them so she can’t drag me anywhere else.”
“How about this, then: if you like what I do, I’ll let you buy the makeup I use and then we’ll see about getting you two hooked up with a camera as an added bonus?” Glamour suggested. “And don’t worry. You two won’t be breaking the bank with the high end clients I usually get.”
Applejack swished her tail with a small smile. “I reckon that’s a fair deal. What do you think, Chrys?”
Chrysalis closed her eyes. “Whatever. Just get on with it.”
“Can do, Chrysalis.” The older mare swept her wing over her makeup trap and fanned out a selection colored of vials. “What do you think, Applejack? Do we go with a darker or lighter primer?”
The farmer’s adrenaline spiked at the question. “I dunno. The only primer I know is for painting barns.”
“That’s fine, Applejack. Makeup is my talent, after all. Looks like I get to throw in a free beauty lesson too! So, I was thinking a glistening purple would really make her green eyes pop, but a subtler midnight blue would really compliment her lovely mane.”
“I don’t want anything more to do with purple today,” Chrysalis stated evenly.
“That answers that question,” Glamour replied as she put down the lighter primers. “Midnight blue it is.”
As the artist drew her brush, Applejack held her hoof up. “Hold on a second there, Glamour. That’s pretty close to what she had before, right?”
“Yes. Dark vibrance compliments her natural coat color.”
“What about doing something different? Like going light blue instead of dark.”
“What kind of light blue?”
“Like…” Applejack looked around for an example. She spied a bottle of sunscreen with a picture of a sandy, seaside beach and trotted over to it. “Maybe something like this? The blue and green water kinda looks like Chrys’ back and mane. Would that work?”
Glamour hummed to herself as she compared the two. Her eyes sparkled with Rarity levels of inspiration as she turned to Applejack. “I love it! It’s definitely not an everyday sort of look, but…” The makeup mare paused as she looked over the farmer’s features. “Beautiful! I think I’ve got an idea to make both of you look stunning for a beachside photoshoot!”
“Photoshoot?”
Glamour nodded excitedly.
Chrysalis tilted her head back looking at the two ponies. “Fine. Wonderful. Perfect. Can we just get this over with already?”
“That’s not the right attitude at all,” Glamour admonished as she went back to her cosmetic cabinet. She brandished an array of light blues, greens, and beiges between her feathers and laid them out over the dressing desk. “We’re just getting started! Now, close your eyes, Chrysalis, and don’t open them unless I ask you to.”
Chrysalis said nothing, but complied with the mare and gently shut her eyes. Glamour immediately went to work, applying her talents to Chrys’ face. She started with the eyes, explaining primer and the difference between it and concealer as she applied the beige cream to the changeling’s eyelids. She then moved on to the ridge. Chrys didn’t have eyebrows, only some darker lines that became more apparent when she got upset, so Glamour penciled in aquamarine green around the ridges where her eyeshadow stopped before.
From there, she grabbed three colors of eyeshadow—a light blue, a lighter green, and a silvery white—and began to paint them onto Chry’s eyelids. She carefully blended them together, creating a cascading gradient starting with blue near the nose, flowing into green, and then brightening into a bubbly seafoam silver. She then sharpened the look with a matching sandy white eyeliner around the outside, sharpening the edges like the spikes of a conch shell.
Glamour stepped back and inspected her work, fixing a little bit of the gradient before nodding in approval. “Okay. Open your eyes for a second, I need to put on the mascara.”
As ordered, the changeling opened her eyes, seeing herself in the mirror for the first time. Her pupils narrowed in shock.
“Don’t judge it yet, hon. It’s a work in progress.”
Chrysalis said nothing as Glamour carefully ran the mascara brush up the changelings’ eyelashes, coloring them a sandy white.
“Alright. Beautiful. Now, close them again. Don’t want to spoil any more of the surprise.”
Once Chrys closed her eyes, Glamour moved on to the cheeks. She applied cream she called a black satin bronzer, darkening the changeling’s ash gray chitin around her cheeks before running over it with something that made it shine in the light. She then grabbed a fresh stick of sandy white lipstick, filling out Chrys’ lips first and then spreading a balm that sparkled like grains of sand. Finally, she gave three spritzes of some sort of spray.
“Now that looks absolutely lovely, don’t you think? I call it ‘Charcoal Seabreeze.’”
Applejack didn’t rightly understand half of what Glamour did, but there was no arguing the results. “Ya look like a million bits, Chrys!” Applejack exclaimed, giving the big girl a hug around her neck.
Chrysalis opened her eyes, blinking into focus as she took in her reflection.
“And it works so wonderfully with your eyes! Be sure to check out the eyeshadow too, Chrysalis.” Glamour winked, leaving one eye closed to urge the changeling to do the same. “See? It’s like the aquamarine ocean water on a clear day. You look gorgeous, hon.”
The changeling simply sat dumbfounded in front of the mirror. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips as she took herself in. She looked towards Applejack, with something seemingly dancing across the tip of her tongue. She breathed in and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
“You okay, Chrys?” AJ asked in concern.
“Yeah.” Chrysalis shook it off and stood up from the vanity. “Your turn, Applejack.”
“You sure, sugarcube?”
“I said it’s nothing! Just sit down!”
Chrysalis grabbed AJ’s hoof with hers and yanked her with ease onto the cushion. Applejack couldn’t help but wonder how much the changeling had recovered. She hadn’t given it much thought before, since she’d been disguised all day, but Chrys felt heavy against her back as she was forced to sit down by a single hoof. The former queen walked around to the side where Applejack had been and relaxed.
“Now, do her,” Chrysalis demanded.
Applejack was feeling more than a little antsy after getting her makeover. She knew they were spending way too much time at Snapshots already, and they hadn’t even gotten to the photo part of the whole thing. Still, Chrys seemed to be enjoying it. As for AJ herself, she felt more done up than a tree at Hearth’s Warming.
Glamour had gone the extra mile and then some, to the point AJ didn’t quite recognize herself in the mirror. When Rarity talked her into letting her do her face, she always favored a more sunny disposition, making AJ glow like golden grain in the midday sun. This was way different, with dark, but warm colors, almost like that image of that Sunset Shimmer character from the mirror world. Still, she wasn’t against how it’d all turned out.
Sandy Sunset was what Glamour had settled on. She’d used reds and purples to darken Applejack’s complexion with a dusky eyeshadow that was more subdued than the shimmering silver sands outlining Chrysalis’ features. She’d gone with a scarlet blush on her cheeks with no highlights, letting her orange coat glow like the last light of day. Her lips were also a dark, rich red. Not loud, but soft.
The makeover hadn’t stopped at the face though. Glamour draped a flower lei around Applejack’s neck and tied on a Polymaresian skirt over her backside. It was a rich reddish wine purple dotted with tropical, red and white flowers that showed a hint of her hind leg peeking out from underneath. Finally, the mare had taken the liberty of undoing Applejack’s mane and tail, letting her hair hang loose and wild. She’d carefully threaded several light blue and coral beads through a few strands to finish the look. It’d taken forever, but Applejack had gone from countryside cowgirl to a beachfront flower.
Meanwhile, Chrys was too tall for anything in the studio’s wardrobe, so Glamour had fashioned a jungle leaf backdrop into a bright green skirt to match Applejack’s. She then styled Chrysalis’ mane into waves reminiscent of ocean water and clipped on seashell berets all over it. Finally, she adorned the changeling’s head with a matching flower lei. Once she was gone, the teal changeling shimmered like crystal clear seawater with the grace of a deep ocean mermare.
And for the first time on the trip, Chrysalis looked like she was having fun.
Glamour clopped her hooves in a canter of applause. “You two are absolutely gorgeous!”
“You really went all out with this,” Applejack said as she admired Chrys’ appearance.
“I couldn’t help myself! Your idea was a true inspiration and I just had to capture it. Speaking of, I’ll get the set ready.”
“Thanks, Glamour. Not that I don’t appreciate it, but we should get a move on as soon as we can. I’m pretty sure our friends finished two hours ago.”
Glamour gave a noncommittal nod as she trotted out the door. The mare was lost in her own world as she started picking through set pieces and props for a fun beach scene for the two of them. Applejack shrugged, knowing Rarity was much the same way when she got on one of her dress ideas.
“Oh, who cares, AJ?” Chrysalis dismissed. The changeling ran her hoof once more through her mane, closing her eyes and savored the gentle clacking of the seashells in her ears. “You told that useless teen where your friends could find us, right?”
“Well, ya reckon they would’ve found us by now. I’m a little worried that we’re worrying them by messing around here.”
Chrysalis scoffed. “If they think you’re in danger, they’ll be here soon enough. Your precious princesses would never let me within a hundred miles of you without some sort of safeguard against me.”
Applejack looked down at her hooves and bit her lip. She hated thinking about the dang amulet she had squirreled away. With the moonstone ready to crack open at a moment's notice, she’d been taking extra care to keep her daddy’s hat from falling by the wayside. All it’d take is a single slipup to get Luna warping in for battle like she did with Discord. It wasn’t so much the fact she had it, but rather that she still hadn’t told Chrys about it.
“What’s with biting, AJ? Lip biting is my thing.”
“It’s just… I ain’t supposed to say this, but—” Applejack gasped as she noticed Chrysalis had already swiped her hat from the rack with her magic and was digging through its pockets. “Chrys! What in tarnation are ya doing?”
“What’s it look like? Finding the tracker so you can call your friends over.”
“It ain’t a tracker, Chrys! It’s a—”
“A magical amulet?” Chrysalis held it up to the light and inspected the small, silver coin. For a moment she seemed intrigued with its simple beauty until she noticed an annoying detail carved into its face. “Luna’s cutie mark? That’s less than helpful. Did Twilight give you anyth—wait, no she wouldn’t have if she didn’t bring her little soldier along.” Chrysalis cackled in delight as she placed the amulet back in the hat. “That young princess is far too trusting.”
“She just wanted to give ya a chance, Chrys.”
“Then I trust she can ask Luna for help if she’s lost in Manehattan.” Chrysalis placed the hat back where AJ had left it. “Now let’s take some pictures!”
“Ya really pulled a one-eighty on this whole photography thing. I think you’re looking forward to this more than I am.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You both have been showering me with delectable admiration.” Chrysalis nodded as she turned to her mirror again. She sat down and rested her head on her fetlocks and smirked with self-satisfaction at her astounding beauty.
“Changelings can eat admiration too?”
“Admiration, adoration, infatuation, lust, they’re all fleeting kinds of love. I can fool a creature and tap into it to tear it from their hearts or catch it out of the air like raindrops if it’s bouncing off of somepony else.” Chrysalis paused as she looked at the mirror head-on, her eyes drifting to the orange mare in the reflection. “I’ve never had it directed at me when I’m… me.”
Chrysalis continued to look at herself in the mirror, her expression becoming flat and unreadable. She simply sat there in silence. Without a word, Chrysalis pushed herself away from the vanity and walked out the door to the studio. Applejack followed behind, worried what was going on in the girl’s head.
In the studio proper, Glamour was pushing around a few prop palm trees in front of a large beach backdrop at dusk. She’d draped a sand-colored rug over a few cushions for them to sit on.
“Almost ready. Why don’t you two get in front of the camera?” Glamor said.
The photographer flew up and adjusted the lights all around them, bringing them down to a warm glow. Applejack wasn’t sure why she needed so many if she was just gonna turn them down, but she wasn’t the artist here. Chrysalis rested on the pillows to get into frame with Applejack.
“Wonderful! Now, let’s get started! This is when the Sandy Sunset meets the Charcoal Seafoam. I need you two to flow together. The sun makes the sand glow as it meets the water at the horizon and mixes as she dips below her dark waves. You are the sun, Applejack, and Chrysalis is the water!”
The artist’s highfalutin language ran circles around the poor farmer as she tried to figure out what that was supposed to mean. “So, does that mean you want me to stand on top of her?”
“What?” Chrysalis barked bitterly at the idea.
Glamour laughed. “No. That’s just the theme we are going for today. Let’s try a few different shots and poses with you two together and see what magic we can make. So first, let’s have you lie across her back.”
Applejack blinked and looked at Chrysalis and then back at Glamour. “Like, she’s a bed or something?”
Glamour shook her head. “I want you to arch over her withers and drape down while your mane runs across the floor as if your mane was the sand itself.”
“You alright with that, Chrys?”
The changeling shrugged. “Sure.”
“Alrighty then.” Applejack flopped on her side across the back of Chrys’ neck like an oversized harness. “Pretty sure all the blood’s gonna rush to my head at this rate.”
“Applejack!” Glamour cried. “You’re not a dead goldfish! The sea is your support, allowing your glowing rays to come to a complete rest.”
“I think a dead critter is about as rested as you can get.”
Glamour smacked her head with her hoof. “Just follow my lead.”
“We almost done?” Applejack asked as she got into position for yet another picture.
“Almost. Just a couple more poses, and I think we’ll call it a day.”
Applejack heaved a sigh of relief. The last thing she expected was that their little run to find a camera would wind up with her doing an amateur photoshoot. They’d tried so many different poses, but Glamor never seemed satisfied. Applejack would’ve cut the session off a long time ago if Chrys wasn’t enjoying herself so much. The changeling was a natural, easily shifting between sultry smolders and vicious smiles while AJ was getting frustrated trying to keep up.
“Okay, so let’s just try something simple and sweet for this last one,” Glamour said as she adjusted the lighting again.
“Actually simple-like or artsy-simple again?” Applejack asked, dreading the answer.
“This one is actually simple, I promise. I just want you two to hug.”
“Just a hug? No me trying to twist myself into a pretzel or sanding the sunlight of seabreeze or whatever else ya been saying all day?”
“Mhmm! All you have to do is look at the camera and smile.”
Applejack heaved a sigh of relief. “Finally, something normal. Though, sidehugging’s a bit of a struggle even when she’s sitting down.”
“Alright. Then let’s do another cute size difference shot with her holding you from behind. Just don’t cover her up too much, Chrysalis.”
“Okay. What’s the face you want, Glamour?” Chrysalis asked as she got into position.
“Just a heartfelt smile. Whatever comes naturally to you.”
The changeling’s limbs went rigid as her pupils shrank back. “Wait, what?”
“You know, like this!” Glamour offered a pleasant smile of her own.
“Got it.” Chrysalis smiled widely.
“No, that’s my smile. How do you smile?”
Chrysalis turned to Applejack and looked at her with a blank expression. After a moment, her face shifted into a predatory grin.
“No. I want you to be gentle and warm, like you’re hugging a teddy bear.”
Chrysalis looked back to the fussy photographer. “Do… could you give me another example?”
“I could, but I want this to be from you.”
Chrysalis nodded and pulled Applejack in front of her and squeezed the smaller mare into her barrel with her forelegs. The farmer felt a tremble in the changeling’s embrace.
Applejack tilted her head up, looking out and to the side, trying to catch Chrys’ face. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she lied.
“Alrighty.”
Applejack settled into position, sinking into the larger mare’s barrel. Surprisingly, there was a little give to the softer, glowing underside of her belly. It didn’t make a lick of sense that something like love kept the big mare going, but she was glad Chrys had some weight on her again. She was a far cry from the brittle twig AJ had fought in the forest.
“Okay! That smile’s perfect, Applejack. Now we just need to have Chrys look like she didn’t just drink sour milk.”
“I’m trying!” Chrysalis snapped back.
Applejack laughed as she rested back into Chrys’ chitin. It wasn’t plush like fur or fluffy like wool. Instead, it felt like she was leaning into a fancy executive chair, taut and firm with just the right amount of support. It was even heated by the slow drain of love running through her back. The bug was snug and good for a hug, which was something she’d never thought a couple months ago.
“Let's try a different approach. How does Applejack make you feel?” Glamour asked.
Chrysalis said nothing, but Applejack felt Chrysalis hold on her tighten even more.
“She makes you feel nothing?”
“No!” Chrysalis barked back defensively.
“Then what do you feel with Applejack under your chin?”
All went quiet. Deathly silent. Despite her firm grasp on Applejack, Chrys seemed to go limp. Applejack tried to ignore it, maintaining the same smile she’d been wearing for a while. She nudged Chrys’ leg with her shoulder to get a reaction outta her, but nothing happened.
Then, Applejack’s back stopped burning.
“Marvelous! That’s exactly what we are looking for!”
Something was wrong. Chrys was still wrapped around her like a corn husk, but the farmer couldn’t feel her love being drained. Applejack didn't know if it was a problem or not that she’d gotten so used to slowly being eaten by the love bug.
Glamour frowned from behind her camera. “Girls? You can’t be trading expressions, otherwise I’m never going to get the shot.”
“What? But Chrys is—” Applejack’s spine surged back to life with the warmth of a steady drain again.
“Stop talking and just smile already!” Chrysalis hissed sharply.
AJ nodded and tried to find her smile again, ignoring the alarm bells in her head. She felt Chrysalis breathe in deeply through her nose on her head as the former queen leaned into AJ’s back as it went cold again. After a few seconds, the camera flashed.
Once.
Twice.
And a third and final time.
“Beautiful! I think we got it, you two.” Glamour fluttered her wings as she carefully skipped with glee. “Those were definitely the best shots of the shoot!”
Applejack sighed in relief. “Great! Alrighty, Chrys. I hope this made up for the rough morning a bit.”
Chrysalis squeezed Applejack with a soft, tender hug. “Thank you, Applejack.”
The farmer’s ear flicked from the gentle whisper of the changeling’s breath. She could feel the depth of her gratitude. The simple words reverberated in her mind with a gentle, dual-toned timbre that she’d never heard from the mare before. It was caring, almost maternally so, with a sweetness richer than a honey-dipped red delicious on the first day of spring. Her three little words had taken Applejack’s breath away.
And then, after the strange moment of eternity, the warm drain on her back returned with a greedy vengeance. Chrysalis’ grip on Applejack weakened, and she withdrew, releasing the smaller mare from her encasing embrace.
“Chrysalis?” Applejack asked as she turned around.
Chrysalis said nothing. A bitter scowl rested firmly on her face. The changeling stared blankly into the camera lens, unblinking and unmoving.
“Chrys?”
Ignoring Applejack’s questions, she shot to her hooves and stormed away, putting distance between them. Her nostrils flared with anger as her fangs dug into her lower lip.
“What’s wrong, sugarcube?”
“Nothing!” she screamed. Her sudden rage fizzled out as quickly as it came. She took one last look at Applejack, her face falling into disappointment that Chrysalis couldn’t bear. “I just… I need to get out of this stupid costume already!”
Her green magic pulsed over the green backdrop over her flank as she tore it from her body like a parasite and threw it to the ground. She then ducked into the dressing room and slammed the door behind her. Applejack almost chased the mare down, but she didn’t even know if she could help.
AJ rubbed the back of her head. “Sorry about that. Chrys is… Things just tend to hit her a little differently than the rest of us.”
“Don’t worry about it, hon. Today has been some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Why don’t you change and get cleaned up while I get started on these pictures?”
“Thank ya kindly, Glamour. I gotta say, this has been an experience.”
“Hopefully a good one, sugarcube.” The older mare pursed her lips in thought and shook her head. “Nah, that doesn’t sound right when I do it.”
Applejack gave a quick smile before stepping back out into the camera store. Her heart dropped seeing it was already nighttime outside. Twi and the others were probably worried sick—
“Oh, darling! You look absolutely radiant!”
Applejack whipped her head around to see Rarity standing up from a seat next to the studio door. Her eyes were sparkling with glee at the sight of AJ’s makeover.
“Come here,” Rarity said as she skipped over to AJ. “Let’s have a look at you!”
“Rarity? When did you get here?”
“A few hours ago, but I’ve been in and out. Did Glamour not tell you? She can get so focused sometimes, though I suppose I’m not one to talk.” The mare giggled to herself as she turned AJ’s head with her hoof to see her face from every angle. She ran a hoof through her sandy mane, letting the beads clack on her hooves. “Goodness, she really is a magician with makeup. You’re like a completely different pony.”
“So y’all know we’ve been here?”
“When that colt said you were going shopping for a camera, I knew exactly where you two were going. What I didn’t expect was Glamour roping you all of this. I wish I could’ve watched, but she prefers to minimize distractions when in the studio.” Rarity stepped back and cleared her throat. “On a more serious note, did Chrysalis enjoy herself? After that escape room debacle, I’ve been so worried about you both.”
“You have?”
“I can only speak for myself, but yes. Fluttershy was so distraught after you two left. At first I thought it was because of—how to put this lightly—the side effects of Chrysalis’ dietary needs, but Fluttershy helped me appreciate what our new friend was trying to do. Also, the way they treated Chrysalis was just plain rude! While I understand their point of doing things properly, those supposed ‘gamemasters’ as they call themselves really let the title go to their heads.”
Applejack smiled seeing another one of her friends giving the changeling a chance. “Well, Chrys was being a dang fussbudget about the whole thing right up until she saw herself after Glamour was done with her. After that, she just popped off with more questions than a filly who just learned the word ‘why.’” Applejack snickered to herself. “It was actually kinda adorable.”
“Adorable?” Rarity pondered the idea for a moment before nodding. “I suppose that Shutterbug disguise of hers bears a certain charm.”
“Here’s the kicker: she wasn’t pretending to be Shutterbug.”
Rarity blinked. “Are you saying Chrysalis did the entire photoshoot as herself?”
Applejack nodded.
“And you’re saying she was adorable?”
“Eeyup. Chrys can be cute as a bug in her own way when she wants to.”
Rarity looked up and away as she considered the idea. “If you say so, Applejack.”
Applejack gave Rarity a stern frown. “You saying she can’t be?”
“N-no! That’s not it at all,” Rarity quickly denied. “It’s more that the word is one I wouldn’t readily associate with a mare of her natural refinement. I can see how one would say she’s regal, statuesque, or even a cold beauty. But adorable? Don’t take this the wrong way, but let’s just say if I had a list of adjectives, ‘adorable’ wouldn’t be one that jumped out at me. I’m not even sure Chrysalis would appreciate the sentiment.”
Knowing how proud the changeling was, Applejack reckoned her friend was right about that one. “Guess we’ll just have to see once the photos are done.”
“Which shouldn’t take too long for the camera to touch them up,” Glamour chimed in as she stepped out into the store with her camera glowing something fierce. “I hope you don’t mind me letting the Sapphiria spellwork do its thing. Never was good at editing pictures, so I just choose which photos were the best and let the camera do the rest—Also TM.” She stopped upon seeing Applejack. “Still in costume, hon?”
“Sorry. Kinda got distracted by my friend here.”
“Oh, Rarity! I thought you left.”
“I came back to retrieve my friends from the clutches of your studio,” Rarity explained.
“More like fetch, I think, given the present company.”
Glamour held the door open and stepped aside, letting Classy out of the studio. She trudged out wearing AJ’s hat with her head hanging low. Applejack knelt down and took her hat back. She tried catching Classy’s eyes, but the dog kept turning her head away.
“Chrys?”
“I usually don’t allow dogs in the store, but I’ll make an exception for this cutie.” Glamour gave Classy a few pats on the back, but the changeling barely reacted to it. Seeing how she got no reaction, even the pegasus seemed worried. “I’ll go find a good vacation camera for you while the photos finish up.”
“Thanks, Glamour. I really appreciate showing us a good time today.” Applejack turned back to the dog, giving her trusty companion a few strokes along the back. She slipped out of the skirt and went back into the studio. “Lemme just hang the outfit up real quick and wash my face—”
Classy barked defiantly with a trailing of a whine.
“Chrys…” Applejack tilted her head and sighed. If she’d turned into a dog again, she wasn’t much in the mood for using her words. “What’s wrong, girl?”
The fake canine pawed at her muzzle and then shook her head.
“You want me to keep the makeup on?”
Classy nodded.
Applejack slumped her shoulders and groaned. She caught her reflection in a nearby mirror, her over-the-top makeup crossed with her daddy’s down-to-earth hat. It certainly was something, not that AJ knew what that something was. It didn’t look bad at least, and if it made Chrys happy, it’d be worth it.
“Alright. Just make sure to have something ready to go if Dash says anything about it. Gonna hang this up and fix my hair.”
Classy barked again.
“I ain’t stealing the skirt, Chrys.”
The changeling dog shook her head no and flared a full head of hair on top of her head.
AJ chuckled to herself. “Fine. I’ll leave the beads in too. Happy?”
Classy opened her mouth to bark, but she stopped and looked away with a sad snort. She dispelled the flowing hairstyle and walked out the door.
“Didn’t think it was gonna be that easy anyway.”
Applejack was plain tuckered out after their first day. They’d met up with the girls after leaving Snapshots for a quick bite to eat and then headed back to their hotel. To her mild surprise, Dash hadn’t made a single joke at the farmer’s expense, though Rarity pulling her aside for a stern talking-to probably had something to do with it. That, or the depressed dog at AJ’s side was bringing down the mood for everypony. Even after getting back to the hotel, Classy had maintained her disguise, only swapping briefly back into Shutterbug to get through the front door. Applejack hoped Chrysalis would feel better in the morning.
AJ rolled over in the bed, careful to not jostle the covers too much for the sleeping dog curled up at the other end. She reached over to the lamp to shut it off, but stopped short seeing the folder of photos sitting under it. She’d already been through it twice before, but maybe she’d find something she’d missed that had set Chrys off on the third go.
Shuffling through the pictures, It was plain to see that Chrys was having fun. One in particular had her seated tall, spiraling up like a tower, and smugly looking down at the little sandy mare at her side. She was an elegant shark ready to devour a delicious minnow. But that wasn’t the picture that stood out among the set.
Applejack skipped to the last photo they’d taken, the best of the bunch according to Graceful Glamour, and the one that stuck out in AJ’s mind the most. Setting the rest of the pictures down with the folder, Applejack turned to catch the picture in the lamplight. It was a simple photo, all things considered. There was no weird story going with suns and oceans swirling around. Glamour just wanted them to smile for the camera. And that’s what they did. They smiled.
Chry’s smile wasn’t big, just the corners of her mouth turned up tenderly. The content critter had wrapped her forelegs around her little friend in a gentle hug and was resting her head on her friend’s soft mane. However, there was one little detail that stuck out that made this simple picture better than all the rest.
Chrys’ smile was genuine. No faking, no copying, no lying, it was the real deal.
Applejack had caught a glimpse of something like it before, when Chrys woke up for the first time on the farm. That fleeting flicker of happiness didn’t hold a candle to the glow she was radiating in the picture. For just one heartfelt moment, Chrysalis was at peace and filled with… love.
“Thank you, Applejack.”
Somehow, Chrys had gone from a sweetheart to enraged in a heartbeat. Applejack thought that she was getting used to the mare’s mood swings, but the sheer strength of her emotional whiplash cracked AJ’s head in two. She couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but the whole thing was enough to spiral the changeling into a silent depression.
AJ set the picture back down and stared up at the dreamcatcher hanging above her bed. She was half-tempted to crack open her amulet to just talk to Luna about what was going on, but she was probably the last pony Chrys wanted to see in the flesh. Maybe if Applejack could give herself a nightmare somehow, Luna would have to come around to fix it. Either way, she desperately wanted another therapy session. This was gonna drive her up the wall with worry at this rate.
As she reached for the lamp, Applejack took one last look down the bed at Classy. She wondered if Chrys would wake up with that fleeting smile again in the morning. Even if it was only a second of relief, Applejack hoped to see it again tomorrow, the next day, and the next. Maybe it’d come easier for her and last longer the more Chrys did it. Maybe there’d be a day that she’d be able to smile like that whenever she wanted for as long as she wanted.
Applejack would give anything to see that.
If you find a simple mistake in the GSP (Grammar, Spelling, or Punctuation), please let me know through a private message rather than leaving it in the comment section. Thank you for reading!
Graceful Glamour was inspired by an old fic called A Change in Fashion. It's a solid 7/10 from me if you've never read it, but a bit difficult to go back to. Still, it was one of my early inspirations, so give it a go if you have the time.
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Before I read, is this a Chryssy x AJ romance? If so, I will read immediately. If not, I will read at some later time.
11540139
It's trying to be. We'll see if the couple gets there or not.
The whole thing with Glamor was just so much fun, it's a shame Chrysalis is still suffering so much but those brief moments of happiness are good to see.
And thus do we see what brought out the happiness in Chrysalis. Applejack helped, sure, but what really did it was the makeup and the costume; what did it was that, however brief a time is was, Chrysalis was able to be someone else. Any other time is just Chrysalis pretending to be someone else, but this time? She was actually able to be someone else - she was Charcoal Seabreeze - and Charcoal Seabreeze is allowed to think and feel all of those things that Chrysalis isn't.
That's what I think, at least.
HSHSVDVANBDJSJSJ
IT'S HAPPENING!!
After millennia if living many lives and wearing countless faces, just how much of her is still herself? I wonder what other little changes she forgot, incorporating then into her own self as if they were always there?
Hmm... I wonder if the drain stopped because of her feelings or if she could feel them because she forced herself to stop feeding.
I've read that fic ages ago, I liked it. Ah, the good ol' changeling times.
11540222
Glamour was very fun to write. Glad you enjoyed her.
11540304 11540763
Exploring Chrysalis is interesting to say the least. She is so difficult to write too since I have to fight many of my natural inclinations. Curse you [REDACTED STUFF]!
11540353
Side effects of reading Rego's horse words now include seizures.
This story has perhaps one of the most realistic depictions of Chrysalis I've read. Really great work. And I'm loving the fleeting moments of cuteness that we get from her. Looking forward to how she'll react when she starts realizing that her feelings for AJ are the real deal.
11542003
Thanks for your kind words. One of my goals with this fic was to keep her in line with canon Chrysalis as much as possible and so far it's been a challenge, but an enjoyable one. Glad you like it!
I wonder whether Chrysalis used to feel this way back when she still had her hive and her feeling like that with Applejack reminded her of what she had lost and that is why she switched to anger and then depression?
Oh, Chryssy, you got it bad.
Still loving this story. Each chapter is such a delight to read.
11542089
Interesting theory.
11543658
Very interesting theory.
I'm glad you're still enjoying the fic. Thanks for reading!
11543825
Damned by Faint Praise 😂
11543840
Eh... more like I couldn't think of a response that wouldn't be problematic later. The curse of being the guy who knows where the story is going.
11543849
Ah, that makes sense. :)
“I think a dead critter is about as rested as you can get.”
And this snark gives me final rest.
