Crystal Heart: After the Swarm

by Betty_Starlight

Chapter 4: You See, the Thing About Me Is...

I smile at the orange pony across the room from me, “Of course! I love Starlight Glimmer now and I live with her!”

Starlight smiles at Applejack from her hooves in the center of the room, just to my left, “Yeah! I love Crystal Heart!”

She responds to me, “So, your name is Crystal Heart, now?”

I smile wider and nod, “Yes! Of course!”

Starlight adds, “Right!”

She adjusts her gaze to Starlight, “Well, I guess this is okay, but uh, I can’t shake this feeling that there’s more you’re not telling me?”

At this point, I snap at the earth pony, “Applejack! You say honesty is the best policy, yes? Well, lets put that theory to the test then, shall we? Tell me, what would you say if I told you my original name was Chrysalis?”

Applejack stares at me wide-eyed, “W-what? That just can’t be so! I mean, you’re sweet and nice and Chrysalis was, well, she was…”

I smile at the cowpony, “Mean and nasty?”

“Well uh, well yeah! She was mean and you’re…”

“Not!” I cut off the orange pony and raise my right forehoof, “But you also say that people can change for the better, yes?” and lower it again while staring directly at her…

She frowns… “I uh, I did, yes… I did say that… So you say you are Chrysalis?”

I smile and giggle, “Used to be, dear sweet Applejack! I’m being honest and up front with you, here, but now, I’ve decided to assume the role of Crystal Heart the earth mare and to live with my love here…”

“Aren’t ya kinda pretendin’ to be somethin’ yer not?”

“Well, I never said that I wasn’t a changeling, now did I?”

She nods, “Well, yeah that’s true, but I mean, why do you think you gotta be an earth mare, now?”

I frown at her, “The truth is, I didn’t know things like happiness and friendship until I took the form of a pony… Now, I like this shape… Honestly, being Crystal Heart makes me happy… Happier than I’ve ever been…” I smile at her. “I’m a changeling and can take any form I wish… I choose to take the form of a pony…”

The earth mare sits dumbfounded, “Wow!”

I giggle while leaning forward slightly and widen my eyes, “A lot to take in, yes?”

Her view widens as she glances to the right, “Yer not kiddin! Uh,” she looks back at me.”so yer Crystal Heart now? Not Chrysalis?”

I giggle, “Oh, it finally sinks in, I see! Yes, dear sweet Applejack! This is the identity I’m choosing for myself, at this point…”

She frowns, “Well uh, alright then! I reckon it’s good enough? Yer name is Crystal Heart, now!” and nods…

I turn my head left towards my love, still on her hooves and facing the orange earth mare, “See? That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

Starlight turns her head towards me and I see her wide azure eyes are shaky with paranoia, “Uh, of course not, dear! Piece of cake! Yeah!” and she smiles nervously…

I get off the red chair and face her on my hooves as I smile, “You always were a terrible liar, you know that dear?”

She frowns, “I’ll have you know that I’m the best liar!”

I giggle as I trot towards her and embrace her in a tight warm hug, “It’s okay, sweetie… We’re in this together…”

Applejack stares at this and comments, “Now, I don’t know about all that identity stuff yer goin’ on about, but I can plainly see that you do care for Starlight here…” she nods. “I reckon that uh, one way or the other, this is a good thing…”

I look over at Applejack while continuing to keep Starlight in my grasp, “Thank you for your understanding!” before turning my head back towards Starlight’s shoulder as I affectionately hang onto her and whisper. “Idiot!”

She whispers back, “Dumbass!”

Applejack giggles, and only then, do I begin to become annoyed… She looks at me and asks, “So, what are you gonna do, now?”

I disengage my love and we both stare at the apple horse as I explain, “Well, since we got you now, I guess Rainbow Dash or Rarity is the next step?”

She frowns, “You know, I could just convene a meetin’ at the Castle of Friendship, like old times? I mean, if we all just met there, you could explain it to us all at once!”

I nod, “This is true, but do you believe such an act is wise?”

Her eyes widen, “What?”

I smile, “Think about how your friends will react, Applejack. Do you believe it’s better if they’re all together or one at a time, as we’ve done with you?”

“You don’t have a lot of faith in ponies, do you Crystal Heart?”

I frown and widen my gaze, “Should I?”

Applejack begins to smile and shake her head, “Yeah, we’re gonna need ta work on that!”

I grimace, “What?” as Starlight turns her neck right towards me and snickers…

<*****>

“Yes! So I was Chrysalis, but I like being an earth pony now and that’s what I’m choosing to be… Well,” I blink.”most of the time! I mean, I might need to change shape at some point?” I raise my eyes skyward. “Literally just thought about that!”

The other ponies at the sky-blue Cutie Map all stare at me while the blue one on the slight right with the multi-colored mane says, “Wait! So you don’t wanna be Chrysalis anymore?”

I sigh, “Well uh, no! Not really! You see uh, well,” I smile nervously. “I wasn’t really happy being Chrysalis…”

The purple one, just to the left of the blue pegasus says, “So uh, you want to be Crystal Heart now, and not Chrysalis?”

“Well, essentially, yes!” I nod…

She replies, “Uh, wow! You just don’t see this one coming!”

The orange one on the other side of the blue one looks at her and says, “Right?”

I giggle nervously, “Yeah uh, Starlight told me the same thing!”

Twilight gazes at me, “Well, right! But uh, you’re choosing the name Crystal Heart for yourself now?”

My eyes widen and I nod, “Well, right!”

Twilight gazes at me carefully before finally replying, “Well, as long as you’re not hurting anypony or breaking any laws, I guess it’s fine?” she smiles at me. “Then you shall be Crystal Heart now, pony or no!”

I reply, “Applejack said the same thing!”

Applejack looks at Twilight from across the table, “Well, she’s right! I did!”

Twilight shakes her head, “Well, right! So uh, what was that about Starlight reforming you?”

My eyes widen in shock again, “Oh, she mentioned that, did she?” my eyes move up again, “Probably a good idea, when I dwell on it?” they move back to the purple alicorn, “You see, I haven’t really needed to feed on any love for the past three weeks, or so! Starlight’s love has indeed reformed me! Yes!” and nod.

Applejack’s eyes widen, “Wow! I would’ve understood a lot faster if y’all just mentioned that!”

I grimace when I realize that she’s probably right?

Twilight giggles, “So, apparently, the reformed version of Chrysalis just wants to be an earth mare now and is named Crystal Heart!”

My eyes widen and mouth narrows before I repeat myself, “Well, essentially, yes!”

Twilight widens her eyes at me, “Well, welcome to the crew, Crystal Heart!”

I frown, “What?”

<*****>

“Yes! Coffee is good! I like coffee!” I emphatically say before taking a swig of the much needed triple amaretto cappuccino they served me at the cafe that afternoon on the patio…

The magenta pony I love giggles at me from the other side of the table, while the street to her left stays desolate in the midday sun, and we both sit there shielded underneath the wooden awning, “You needed more caffeine, didn’t you Chryssi?”

I set it down and reply, “Um, it’s a strong possibility?” as she giggles more…

“Well, I’ll take a coffee junkie over evil queen Tartarus-bent on ruling Equestria, anyway!”

I raise my cup and gulp down some more strong beverage before saying, “I’m not addicted! I can quit anytime! I just uh, choose not to! Yes! You insolent twit!”

She snickers at me, “Whatever!”

I narrow my eyes, “You don’t know me!” and take another swig of the lovely warm caffeinated beverage…

She giggles and shakes her head, “I just can’t believe you used to be Chrysalis!”

I frown at her, “What? Why?”

She eyes me and says, “You’re just so cute! Especially when you’re in denial!”

My eyes widen, “I’m not in denial! I’m completely serious, you sniveling worm!”

She shakes her head again, “Honestly, I’m not even perturbed by the sudden royal insults, because you’re just so funny!”

“Shut up!” I reply in indignation before taking another drink from my beloved coffee…

She sighs and takes a drink from her single latte… She always did like those weaker coffees… She smiles at me, “So, now they all know about you!”

My eyes widen, “I am just a simple earth mare named Crystal Heart! And nothing else!”*

“I already told you that you’re mare enough for me, Crystal, so you’re good! Don’t worry about it!”

My shoulders relax and I take another sip from my coffee and slowly swallow as I form the words in my mind, “I’m just worried, okay? I mean, what if Applejack is right? What if I’m just pretending?”

Starlight frowns, “Crystal, I want to tell you a story! It’s about a unicorn mare who became upset at cutie marks! She became so enraged that she founded a village far to the west, in Equestria! In this village, she removed all of their cutie marks and got rid of their special talents in the process… They later rebelled against her when a particular group of six ponies intervened… I later came back for revenge on the purple one, and she convinced me that what I was doing wasn’t right… “she blinks. “I came to realize that I needed to change for the better, and I believe that in a way, that’s exactly what you’re doing…”

I take another drink of my lovely warm coffee before gazing at her again and raising my right eyebrow, “Do tell?”

She sighs and gives her pitch, “Crystal Heart, I don’t think you could really be better as Chrysalis… I think you need a new identity for that…”

“And the fact that it was an earth mare named Crystal Heart?”

She smiles, “A happy accident! I like you as Crystal Heart!”

I frown and eye her carefully, “What do you like about me?”

“I just love how goofy and silly you are, especially when you get flustered!”

At this point, I can feel my cheeks rising as the heat from them begins to increase and I say to her, “I DO NOT get flustered!”

She giggles silently, “Oh, sure!”

“Shut up!” I snap back at the unicorn!

She just chuckles softly while keeping her mouth closed and I can only grow more annoyed with this mare…

Until she said the one thing that made everything ten times worse! “I love you so much, Crystal Heart!”

(To be continued...)

Author's Note:

*I am Thrackerzod! A perfectly ordinary unicorn filly! And nothing else!

Comments

[Starlight Fan]

This should be cute but Chrysalis had sex with Starlight when she didn’t know her identity so isn’t that sexual assault by deception?

[Betty_Starlight]

11491433
You know, I never really thought about it? I mean, it kinda is, but unless Starlight is mad about it, I wouldn't see any faults? The truth is however, Crystal Heart really did love Starlight by that point, even if she was pretending to be something else... However, the question becomes, which is really the mask? Crystal Heart or Chrysalis?