Chapter 1

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The soft kiss of the cool silk sheets gently woke me from my slumber, the early red light of dawn filtering into the room dragging me away from unconsciousness. I lazily lifted my head from the pillow, feeling static electricity pulling my black mane back onto the pillow. With a few blinks and a small groan, I lifted the blankets and slipped out of the warm bed. Planting my four hooves firmly onto the wooden floor, I smacked my lips and winced at the familiar taste that greeted me every morning.

Shaking my head, I exited the bedroom and walked down the hall a few feet before stepping into the bathroom. My eyes slammed shut as I turned on the bright lights, continuing to carefully approach where the sink was. I stopped when I felt my chest bump into the cool surface of the sink. After allowing my eyes to adjust to the light, I pulled open a drawer and grabbed my toothbrush and the paste that went with it. I expertly held back my earth pony strength and squeezed a generous amount of the minty paste onto the bristles of the brush before beginning to brush my teeth vigorously.

I finished quickly and turned on the faucet as I began to gargle water from a clean cup. Placing the utensils away, I reached over and ran the hot water in the shower, testing it with my hoof until it was to my satisfaction. I jumped in and hung my head low, letting the pressurized water massage my sleeping muscles. Methodically, I flexed and stretched, assisting my body in getting my blood flowing. I finished off with a loud pop of my neck, feeling completely awake. I paused to enjoy the hot water flowing through my dark brown fur for a little while longer before reaching for the shampoo and getting to work.

After finishing rinsing all the soap from my body, I turned off the water and hopped out onto the tile floor. I grabbed a nearby towel and rubbed myself down swiftly with the drying cloth. Lifting it up, I used it to wipe away some of the condensation on the mirror before pausing. I looked into the mirror and stared at my reflection in utter horror. My damp mane looked as if a mop had been given life, ordered to hold my head from the enemy at all costs, before finally being struck by lightning, the strands of hair spiking up in numerous directions. Letting out an annoyed groan, I grabbed a comb and began the wild and deadly dance of taming my unruly mane.

If anypony had been relatively new in the building, they would have surely called the Guard as the shrieks and loud banging emanating from the bathroom pointed all hooves towards a violent domestic assault. However, the neighboring residents had long since learned the truth of the situation and actually looked forward to the comedic morning struggles of the unfortunate soul.

Finishing my morning bathroom rituals, I turned the light off and headed into the kitchen. I thought about what I wanted for breakfast shortly before settling on having something relatively simple. I opened the pantry and picked out a few packets of instant oatmeal. I then collected the utensils necessary and proceeded to make breakfast. I stepped away from the humming pinnacle of unicorn magic and earth pony ingenuity, the microwave, and moved back into my room.

The room was a comfortable size, spacious enough to fit a large bed, a dresser, a large artist’s desk and easel, and it even sported a small closet. The eggshell blue paint on the wall clashed interestingly with the now orange sunlight glaring through a crack in the window curtains. The light was thrown across the room when I pulled back the curtains, the warm sunshine eliciting a sigh of appreciation from me. I then made my bed neatly and fixed the pillows, hearing the hum of the microwave stop before it emanated a short series of loud beeps. I ignored it as it would still need time to cool down.

I opened the closet door and procured a smooth black dress coat, a white undershirt, and a royal purple bowtie. I slipped them on carefully, shuffling around the suit until it settled on me comfortably. Looking over to the nightstand, I spotted a golden nametag that read,

Gallery Curator
Marking Canvas

I grabbed the tag and pinned it to the suit, expertly operating the safety pin with my hooves after having plenty of practice. Checking myself in the bedroom mirror, I smoothed out a few wrinkles before making my way back towards the kitchen. I opened the microwave and carefully grabbed the bowl, ensuring that it wasn’t too hot to touch. After grabbing a spoon and placing it in the bowl, I hobbled on three legs and sat down on a stool at the island counter and ate my breakfast, quieting my hunger.

When finished, I placed the bowl into the sink and grabbed a cooled apple out of the fridge before walking down the hallway towards the entryway. Finding the keys in the clear glass dish by the door, I secured them in my pocket before opening the door and stepping through. After having made sure everything was locked up, I made my way down four flights of stairs and out onto the streets of Manehatten.

My ears flicked in the direction of a cart as it was noisily pulled down the street. The city’s inhabitants were beginning to wake up and start the day ahead of them, ponies of all shapes, sizes, and types exiting their homes. An icy breeze swept through the space between the tall buildings, ruffling all of my exposed fur and stinging my ears, reminding me that I had to pick up new head apparel. All in all though, if it hadn’t been for the warmth of Celestia’s sun shining brilliantly from the east it would have been an especially chilly day. The streets were clear thankfully, the heat of the city staving off most of the heavier snowfall. My muzzle wrinkled slightly as it brought with it the scent of the city pollution and the sharp salt swept off of the nearby ocean.

'I hope the weather holds,’ I thought before taking a bite out of my apple. Stepping out onto the warming cobblestone street, I began to make my way towards my place of employment, the Manehatten Art Museum. I breathed in the cool air and hustled my step a bit faster, eager to beat the city crowds. Luckily, I didn’t have to go too far as the museum was only about 12 blocks away.

Falling into the stream of morning traffic, I was able to keep up my pace as there was still room to maneuver, even with the ponies clustering onto the sidewalks due to more and more carriages and wagons pulling out onto the streets. I stopped at an intersection as I waited for our turn to cross, the nearby ponies exhaling white puffs while shifting impatiently. Some had foals standing close beside them as they were being escorted to school. My proximity to my fellow Manehattaner's also exposed me to the strong perfumes and colognes they wore. Luckily, the chilly air stifled the tickling effect it had in my nose before we finally started shuffling across the street.

The cobblestone street ended abruptly and split into two different directions as I finally reached a large plaza. I quickly glanced up and down the road before crossing, entering the gated pedestrian zone under the watchful gaze of a pair of gargoyles perched on the stone arch above me. The massive expanse of Broken Trinket Plaza was quite the sight to see. There were numerous food stands and tables scattered around, the space interrupted only by the presence of a large fountain. The museum owned the entire property, having built the plaza after they found that moving items from its warehouse across the old street to the exhibits was problematic as the city rapidly expanded. It proved to be a good investment as well as many food wagons rented out the large space to sell their wares, bringing in more visitors to the museum.

I crossed the worn yet still beautifully bricked ground to the main entrance of the museum. The two dozen or so marble steps in front of me were of no consequence as I had long since gotten used to traversing up them. The doors were unlocked for the public and a good number of ponies were milling about the exhibits in the large building. The main foyer stretched away into the sky, the intricately carved stone supporting the domed ceiling. A very large mural of Equestria's history was captured in the vibrant hues of paint on the ceiling.

I heard a very low whistle of awe from one of the entering visitors behind me, causing me to smile at their appreciation for the priceless works. Ignoring the hallways that led to more of the buildings treasures, I waved at the guest's service desk and walked through a staff only door. The air smelled of ink and parchment, dust being added to the mix as a cart filled with paper and packages passed me by. I made my way to one of the busy offices and entered the one labeled as mine. I sat down on a slightly worn chair and turned on a lamp, staring at the previous night's paperwork. There were a few hundred pieces of paper detailing the different works prepared for today's auction, one that I had been asked to host.

Letting out a small sigh, I gathered it up and placed it in a folder. I then found the art lineup and looked it over, checking for any discrepancies in the information I was to speak of. It took almost twenty minutes, but once I was satisfied, I turned off the lamp and stood up, grabbing the folder and placing it in a small sling hung across my withers. With confidence in my step, I exited the office and headed towards the showcase room. I had an auction to oversee.

Gasping in the cool air, I stumbled through the crowd, pushing my way through the locals. My lungs burned as I pumped my legs, fatigue being driven off by the sheer amount of adrenaline rushing through my veins. I violently bumped into a crossing unicorn, throwing them to the street. The mare yelled at me, as did many of the others I smashed into in my desperate bid to run.

“Halt!”

‘No! Must. Go. Faster!’ They were gaining on me, the loud clanking of their armor growing ever closer. I poured more into my muscles as I struggled to evade my pursuers. Thank Celestia they didn’t have any pegasi, but even though they lacked air guards, flying was not an option. The team’s unicorn would easily drag me out of the sky. The pony meatshields between myself and them were the only reason they hadn’t used their magic yet.

‘There!’

I pulled a sharp right turn into a dark alley, sprinting towards the other side. The sooty brick walls lit up an eery green as I pushed magic into my horn, an emerald blaze washing over my body. My previous guise washed away in the unholy fire and was replaced by that of an orange pegasus, an unassuming lipstick cutie mark adorning my flanks. My now light brown mane billowed behind me as I spilled into the street on the other side, stopping in the middle of the shuffling traffic. I looked up and down the street, hearing the sharp clicks of the guards entering the alley behind me. My eyes zeroed in on a large museum looking building nestled inside of a fenced plaza.

I moved with a slower pace than earlier, but I still moved with a noticeable clip to my step as I made my way under the stone archway above the entrance, immediately beginning to weave my way through the dozens of packed tables. I moved up the museum steps and entered the building, avoiding the gaze of the smiling security pony. A strand of my mane dropped across my muzzle, causing me to quickly tidy up my long hair as quickly as possible. I glanced around the large room before making my way towards one of the exhibits, eyeing it with disinterest.

I mixed in with the crowd as hooves met the white marble floor, echoing within the interior. Exploring further, I was met with the sight of rows upon rows of organized antiques and priceless artwork which looked to have been preserved for countless years, yet have seen much better days. I was not one to care for the culture of the ponies, but nevertheless, they had gained a modicum of respect as I learned to blend in to survive. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed two guards enter the building, instantly conversing with the security pony. Attempting to move as naturally as possible, I moved towards one of the hallways, disappearing down its length.

I didn’t get far before I saw guards heading down the hall towards me, their eyes scanning the crowd. Fearing discovery, I ducked into a closed curtain, finding myself in another large room. This one however had a large stage set up with more than a hundred occupied chairs placed in front of it. A brown earth pony wearing a dress suit was addressing the crowd while gesturing to a piece of art next to him. ‘An auction,’ I thought, smiling slightly as I figured that this would be the perfect place to hide.

“Miss?” I looked to my right, noticing a stallion standing behind a small booth next to me. “Have you registered?” He spoke in a quiet tone as to not interrupt the pony on stage or, Celestia forbid, disrupt the Manehatten nobles currently bidding.

I shook my head, “I’m just here to watch.” He nodded, apparently satisfied with my answer. He gestured towards an open seat on the edge of the middle rows by the closest wall. Getting to it would be relatively easy and less distracting to the audience. I walked along the wall, pausing briefly to excuse myself as the noble mare sitting behind my seat moved to set down her purse in my path. She thankfully allowed me to pass with little incident. Sitting down, I turned my gaze towards the brown earth pony standing on stage.

He had just finished selling an item and was currently waiting for his assistant to pull a cloth off of a new piece. He was a rather handsome stallion. His eyes matched my own yellow irises, although his were much more striking due to his dark coat and mane color. Dragging my gaze away, I looked over the gathered nobles, grimacing in distaste.

‘Relax, I only have to be here for a little while longer,’ I thought to myself. My attention was brought back to the stallion as he began speaking about the new painted canvas in front of him.

“And here we have a lovely creation by Smooth Stroke, a well renowned artist of the 14th Celestial Interim.” There were some positive murmurs among the crowd regarding their interest. “Stroke, after having served in the Second Frontier War, settled down in what is now known as Old Trottingham. He would become famous for the many paintings he made of the wild and stunning frontier. This one in particular is said to…” I tuned out the rest of his sales pitch, instead attempting to find something else of interest.

The stage had a few other covered works hidden from view, waiting for their turn to be showcased and possibly sold to a new owner. The stage hand and the curator’s assistant were carefully shuffling along the merchandise, double checking their numbers and ensuring that they were mounted properly in their stands. They then stood patiently as the curator began the bidding. I ignored the rapidly rising bidding numbers as the nobles competed for the purchase, the mare behind me particularly insistent judging by the small huffs of irritation and whines of annoyance.

It didn’t take much longer before the bidding trickled to a stop, the insanely high prices having shaken off all but the determined and prodigious. The curator asked for any more bidders and, after having received no response, sold the painting. His stage hand put a cloth over the work before carefully wheeling it offstage, returning to prepare the next one while his coworker quickly finalized the paperwork.

The auction continued on as the brown stallion slowly conquered the attention of most of the crowd, his exuberant tone and factual presentations keeping the atmosphere alive. Even I found myself paying more attention as he was certainly more interesting than staring at the walls. I could see why he was the lead for this event and if the situation had been different, I might have even considered buying one of the more tasteful images that caught my eye.

He had just finished another successful sale when his assistant pulled up the next exhibit. I was expecting it to be another random fancy yet boring painting, but when the cloth was pulled away my eyes widened in surprise. It was nothing at all what I had expected it to be; a portrait of the Changeling Queen herself. The portrait was dark and grim, depicting Chrysalis and her swarm of changelings during their invasion of Canterlot. I quietly snorted at the grotesque image, the painter having distorted her image and turning her into a mindless slavering monster. The crowd reacted in tones of disgust, and yet the curator was not deterred. He launched straight into his spiel with all of his previous confidence intact.

“Now, I know what you’re all thinking, ‘Who in their right mind would buy a portrait of the evil insect queen?’ Well, this image is one of very few in existence. Not many ponies have had the courage nor desire to capture this important event in our history. Many are still pained by this event, having been only three years since the invasion. However, the owner of this painting will be in possession of one of the first portrayals of Queen Chrysalis. In twenty years this will be worth three times it’s current sale price.”

The stallion was able to stir up a handful of nobles, but it was still a depressingly low number. He gave his preliminary bid price, pausing when nopony offered anything higher. He dropped the number… again, and again, and again. My ears rotated in agitation before somepony finally accepted his ludicrously low number. Only a few ponies bid slightly higher amounts, resulting in it being sold soon after for a steal.

‘This is ridiculous!’ I sneered, my eyes narrowing in anger and offense. Surely the portrait, even with its terrible inaccuracies such as the glowing red eyes, was worth more than the measly amount paid! Whoever painted that abomination would be getting a very unpleasant visit from me.

I almost got up and left right then and there were it not for the next revelation. The stagehand pulled the cloth off of the next image, leaving me with a turbulent mixture of emotions. Chrysalis, staring right back into the eyes of the crowd, was depicted as a being of grace, power, and mystery. Her burning green eyes caged an iron will and her expression was hard like steel. A burning battlefield was lost in the shadows behind her, casting a strange glow to the scene. I stared at it in utter shock, awed by the sight before me. Many of the nobles as well were entranced by the influence it held.

I turned my sharp gaze to the curator as he cleared his throat. “I think we can all agree that this piece is a bit more enrapturing than the previous one?” He received a chorus of affirmations from the crowd, the nobles eager to hear his presentation on the exceptionally well done artwork. “This was created to show an entirely different aspect of the Queen. Instead of showing the terrible destruction she wrought upon Canterlot, we are given a glimpse into what she may actually be. Here we are shown strength, a cold tactician mindset, and a ruthless determination to succeed and conquer. All who oppose her fall to her might and seductive power. Her name strikes fear into her enemies!”

I stared at the stallion intently, floored by the amount of passion and truth emanating from him, its taste pure. The way in which he spoke of the portrait evoked a sense of excitement in both myself and the crowd. Nopony, or buggy for that matter, had ever described myself in such a manner. I certainly felt basked with affection at the attention the nobles and curator were giving the image. A very dim hunger gnawed inside of me, forcing me to push away the arousing words of the stallion.

“Shall we start the bid at three-hundred thousand?” Almost every hoof raised into the air. The curator smiled before beginning to take offers, driving the price higher and higher. I could only look around, dumbfounded by the excitement of the nobles surrounding me. I faced forward with a thoughtful look on my face, a small grin slowly working its way across my muzzle. ‘Yes… Quite impressive.’

I turned my attention to the entrance when I heard a few sharp clicks. I quickly ducked down when I spotted the two royal guards from before. I discreetly watched them from afar, noticing them slowly scanning the crowd. I had no choice now; I had to stay and prevent my disguise from being exposed to the authorities. I was still a wanted fugitive in the eyes of Celestia and Luna, along with any surviving changelings out there; if any. I kept my cool but couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous as there was always the chance I could be found and taken into custody, or worse, turned to stone on the spot. I turned my attention back to the bidding in an effort to look involved. I couldn’t afford being discovered here and now, especially since I was so close to freedom!

[Marking’s P.O.V.]

I looked amongst the crowd as I took in their reactions. I couldn’t help but let out a satisfied smile. My eyes continued searching intently for the tells of bidders, some more subtle than others. My eyes briefly locked with the similarly yellow eyes of an orange pegasus mare. I had seen her enter earlier, but had thought nothing of it. The showing was open to the public after all. Strangely enough, I found it a bit difficult to pull my gaze from hers. She stared at me with such intensity. Blinking, I snapped out of my thoughts as a few of the bidders called impatiently for my attention.

From the back of the room, I spotted two unicorn royal guards enter. ‘That’s unusual,’ I thought. Now normally, I would speak with them as was expected from someone of my station, but they stayed in the back of the room, simply scanning the crowd. They weren’t causing any trouble nor did they motion for my attention, so I dismissed them of any concern and continued the bidding.

I had just sold the painting for a very good price when the two guards began speaking to each other in a connivance manner, subtly pointing to somepony in the crowd. I followed their gaze as the stage hand prepared the next showpiece. That’s when I noticed the same mare that had entered earlier acting rather strangely. She looked eager to see the next artwork, even though throughout the entire time she was here she had seemed bored, disconnected even. All that I knew is that, more than likely, I was going to be needed.

The royal guards were making their way down the one side of the room and were almost on the mare when one of them seemed to have tripped on a noble’s ‘precious belongings’ in the walkway, evoking a very hostile reaction from said pony.

“Excuse me!” she all but screamed, the entire crowd turning their attention towards the scene. The guards ignored her and moved up onto the orange pegasus. The mare attempted to ignore them, only adding further to their suspicion. They stepped into her line of site, forcing her to look at them.

“Ma’am, you’re to come with us.”

Closing my eyes and cursing to myself, I began to make my way off the stage, looking towards my assistant “Stencil, could you take over?” I saw him nod before stepping off of the platform.

The orange mare shied away from the guards. “What’s wrong?”

“We’ll inform you when we get back to the station,” they replied.

The mare shook her head, “Surely we can talk about this later? Can I stop by after my visit here?”

The guards moved towards her, “I’m afraid you’re coming with us, now.”

Before the guards could touch her, a gray pony moved between them, getting right into the faces of the guards. “And just wait a minute!” the noble from before snapped. She thrusted her purse out at them, wiggling it right under their muzzles, “But who is going to pay for the damage you’ve done!?”

The guards looked at each other irritably, “Send in a damage reprisal to the local Guard office. Now if you’ll excuse us, we-”

“Oh, but while I normally would,” the mare said in a particularly sarcastic voice, her tone getting angrier as she jabbed the guardspony in the chest, “it would only just get ignored! As all of my requests do!”

The guards pushed past the mare, “I apologize, ma’am. We’ll pass along your message.”

The noble sputtered incoherently at the guards seemingly complete lack of professionalism. “You dare tell me what to do, guard?” the noble snarled, becoming more hostile. The armored ponies ignored her and instead one of them reached out for the pegasus.

“Don’t touch me!” she yelled, worming away.

Before the situation could develop any further, I finally reached them. I cleared my throat quite loudly, catching their attention. “Gentleponies, I trust that you have good reason for interrupting this very important event?”

One of the guardsponies pointed at the orange pegasus, “She is to be brought in for investigation for… suspicious activity.” He eyed her with poorly disguised distrust.

I nodded slowly, “Well, she hasn’t been a problem so far, at least, not until you two came here. Can this be taken care of discreetly afterwards? My boss will not be happy with this interruption.”

“Sir, we are doing as ordered and we have been ordered to take her with us. Please, return to your auction and we’ll be out of your mane.”

I looked at the mare, noticing her eyes were again locked with mine. She stood in a defensive stance and she had an air of strength around her… and yet her eyes betrayed her. I peered deeper into her facade and could see the fear she held against these two intruders. A sudden rush hit me, my body feeling as if I was momentarily falling towards her. The feeling passed quickly and my heart twinged in sympathy. I blinked as the emotion filled me. I didn’t know this mare, but the second I pitied her something else took over, almost as if I was under direct control. Feeling compelled, I sighed internally. ‘I’m going to regret this aren’t I?’

“I’m afraid that is unnecessary.”

The two guards paused and looked at one another in confusion. “What do you mean?”

I wielded my most diplomatic tone and attempted to appeal to their good graces. “Look, I know you’re just trying to do your job, but look at her. She clearly doesn’t want to go with you and she has been of no trouble here.” I watched them carefully, keeping my voice strong. “She looks like she’d fight you the whole way there, and we do not need a scene like that here. I’m also authorized by those who own this property to make do what’s needed to maintain the fine upstanding of this establishment, meaning I can ask you to leave under that authority.”

The guards looked at me in disbelief, glancing back to the mare, who held a stare of distrust. They turned their gaze back to me and set their jaws, their stance stiffening. “While you are within your legal bounds to do that, you are also putting yourself at risk for sheltering what could possibly be a very dangerous criminal, to which the crown won’t be responsible for any damage or injuries resulting in your decision.”

I nodded, “I am well aware and I still stand by my request. I wish you a good day sirs.”

After shaking their heads in frustration, the two ponies turned to leave. They hadn’t even taken one step before they fell to the noble’s assault, halting as she stood in their way. After hearing the mare begin her rant again, I felt a migraine coming on. The two guards again used their trained stoicism to ignore the pony. However, it was when the noble jabbed one of them with her hoof again that the two, having been frustrated and denied their mission objective on several occasions today, snapped and quickly arrested the mare on sketchy legal gray matter.

It only took the noble a few seconds for her brain to register what had just happened before she began struggling against the ponies dragging her away. “Unhoof me at once, you ruffian!” She began to yell and resist her captives, her voice becoming more faint as she was led outside.

I turned towards the pegasus, glancing up and down her body quickly, ensuring she was not harmed. ‘Celestia knows how my boss would react to a lawsuit.’ “Are you okay, ma’am?” I asked concernedly. The mare jumped in surprise.

She recovered before eyeing me up herself, making no attempt at hiding her own distrust of me. “I’m okay, thank you for your concern.” After a brief moment of her thinking, she followed with, “I’m not going to be kicked out, am I?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. You haven’t done anything wrong while here. You’re more than welcome to stay for the duration if you wish,” I offered. The mare did not smile but instead nodded in appreciation.

“Thank you.” The mare sat back down in her seat. I sighed again in relief, having defused the situation. I looked over to my assistant, realizing that he had not moved from where I had left him. Taking in my surroundings, I saw that I was the center of everypony's attention, Stencil having failed to garner their attention away from what was sure to have been an interesting event in their day. Clearing my throat, I quickly trotted back to the podium, thanking Stencil, before slipping back into my duties as smoothly as possible.

“The auction bids for the next pieces shall resume. Who’s first?” I announced. Many hoofs were in the air before I could finish.

[Chrysalis’ P.O.V.]

‘That was too close’. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, relieved to have avoided being taken into custody.

“The auction bids for the next pieces shall resume. Who’s first?” the curator announced. Many hoofs were in the air before he could finish his sentence. ‘If it weren’t for him…’ I trailed in my thoughts. True, I might have used a bit of changeling magic to play on his emotions, but there still had to be some sort of base emotion to work with, which meant he had seen something during his little staring match. I shook my head and got up from my seat, composing myself. I nodded goodbye to the greeter, whom had a small frown when I passed him, and entered into the marble hallways. I chose to linger around for some time as I paced down row after row, examining the ancient artifacts that were up on display. Some of them weren’t worth much in my eyes, but a few did catch my attention which earned a little bit of admiration for the creator that made it. ‘Not bad, for a pony.’

Eventually, I got bored and, after having deduced that more than 20 minutes had been enough time for the guards to have moved on, I decided to leave. It didn’t take me long to reach the entrance to the museum, but after having stepped outside, I noticed the royal guards from earlier, standing outside of the fenced plaza. Their eyes were locked onto me.

Audibly gulping and with my ears pressed flat against my head, I began to feel nervous as I knew that if I left, I would be running the risk of being pursued and prosecuted. At my own risk, I decided to take a chance and attempt to walk away unscathed. I sighed and inhaled some fresh air, holding my breath as I began to walk forward. After making it to the bottom of the stairs, I headed in the opposite direction of the guards, sensing their eyes train on me. ‘That’s right. Just keep walking,’ I reminded myself. I was nearly lost among the bustling crowd near one of the smaller exits until I felt somepony collide into me, sending me stumbling forward down to the ground.

“Oh my, I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there. My apologies,” said a familiar voice. Dazed, I looked up and saw that it was the curator who drove away the guards. He held out his hoof which I looked at before reluctantly taking it as he pulled me up.

“It’s okay,” I muttered.

“Oh, it’s you again. Listen, I would like to apologize for earlier,” he began, gesturing to the rather obvious guardsponies. The guards, professional as they were, kept their stoic expressions and stood still as a statue. “I’m going out for lunch and I could use some company. Would you like to join me? My treat as compensation for the trouble. What say you?” he offered. I stood there, gazing at him hesitantly. ‘Just what is he playing at?’

“I don’t want to impose.” The curator let out a chuckle, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

“No, you won’t be imposing. I insist.” I gazed at him some more, my eyes locking with his yellow ringed eyes. My magic must have influenced him a bit more than I intended, especially given that I wasn’t at full strength, not like during the attack three years ago. However, I did not feel a predatory presence within him. Plus, the little nourishment I could get from food would be welcome. I sighed and nodded my head reluctantly.

“Alright,” I said. The curator smiled.

“Pardon my manners, but I never caught your name,” he asked.

“Oh. My name is…” I trailed. I didn’t have a snappy alias ready, seeing as I had changed appearance in the middle of my escape. But, I was experienced in my own right. Quickly, an idea came to me.

“My name is Cosmetic Beauty,” I answered. The curator nodded in understanding.

“That’s a pretty name. I’m Marking. Marking Canvas. A pleasure to meet you, Cosmetic,” he said, gesturing to his badge with his hoof as he held his other out. I gazed at his hoof and reluctantly shook it with my own.

“So, would you still like to go with me for lunch?” he asked again. From the corner of my eyes, I could see the guards. I glanced at them, their watchful gaze stuck on me in return. I frowned and looked back to the curator. ‘I guess I have no choice.’

I sighed and nodded my head. “Alright. I’ll join you for lunch. I don’t have any bits though,” I warned.

“I’ll pay for it. I did say it’ll be my act of compensation for the trouble, didn’t I?” he reminded, chuckling.

“Alright, let’s go.” I followed Marking away from the art museum as we walked off into the plaza, looking for someplace to eat. I looked back behind me to see the guards leave their posts as they made their way somewhere beyond the outskirts of the plaza. ‘Probably to set up a stakeout.’

“Here we are.” I stopped and stood by Marking’s side and surveyed my surroundings. We had stopped in a particular area of the plaza that was filled with a variety of businesses. There were a few outdoor restaurants, food stands, and high street shops with ponies here and there going about their daily lives. Marking looked over to a particular restaurant and approached it as I followed closely.

“Hello, good sir and ma’am. What can I get you?” the vendor spoke in a Prench accent.

“Hello there. I’d like a cup of coffee and the variety salad, please.”

“And what about you, ma’am?” the vendor asked me.

‘I’d like some love if you could give me some’ I thought hungrily. I stood there, gazing at the food in front of me. “I don’t know,” I trailed, scanning the menu tacked on to the side of the wagon.

“Pick anything you want.” I sighed. ‘I need to pick something or I’ll seem suspicious’.

“I’ll have… this.” I pointed a hoof at a random menu item.

“The Istalian pasta? Is that all?” Marking asked. I nodded my head.

“That’ll be thirteen bits please.” Marking grabbed some bits out of his pocket and handed them to the vendor and thanked him.

“Your waitress will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you,” we both said. Marking and I walked over to a table and sat down.

“So, what was with the guards back there in the museum?” Marking asked. I suddenly grew alert as I tried to think of an excuse to his rather blunt question.

“I… don’t know to be honest. I was just minding my own business at the event, you know?” I explained. Marking hummed in thought as he gazed at me.

“Hmmm. Surely, the guards must have a good reason for their actions?” I shook my head.

“As I said, I don’t know. I’ve done nothing wrong,” I asserted. Marking continued to gaze at me and nodded his head, accepting my excuse. I mentally sighed in relief, only needing to expend a tiny bit of my drastically depleted and dangerously low energy on him.

“Anyway, enough about that. Where do you come from?”

‘The Hive.’

“I’m from Las Pegasus,” I replied. After my defeat during the invasion of Canterlot, I’ve been running and hiding from the authorities. It had taken me months to recover enough to even move without sign of injury, desperately feeding off of random ponies passing by my selected hidden locations. After which, everypony was on high alert, forcing me to move slowly and not seem like I was on the run. Having slowly worked my way through Equestria for three years, earning bits wherever I could find work to pay for my transportation, if I was lucky enough to pass the now mandatory screenings, I had worked my way towards the sea; my best chance of escape is by leaving the nation entirely. I don’t know how many other changelings are out there, but I could care less. I have to look out for my own survival, feeding off unsuspecting victims as well as trying to leave as small of a trace as possible.

“Oh? You’re from Las Pegasus? I lived in a smaller town about a hundred or so miles south. I could see the lights from their fancy casinos at night sometimes. I myself have only lived here for a few years.” I nodded, waiting as he went on. “So, what brings you to Manehatten then?”

“I’m… looking for store property.”

Marking winced a bit. “Ah, I see. Well, if you’re looking for a good building with plenty of hoof traffic, you’ll have to pay a lot. Space is hard to come by in the city. What do you do for a living?”

‘I feed off the love of ponies, command armies of drones, and infiltrate the lives of you soft ponies, taking whatever I desire!’

“Oh, well…” ‘In the name of… buck!’ I cursed to myself. I was way off my game today! I could hear Marking talking, but his words were blurred out as I was too focused, attempting to think of something that matched my cutie mark. My eyes caught sight of a mare inside a cosmetic shop who was busy trying out beauty products and making herself look ‘pretty’. That’s when an idea clicked into place.

“I… work as a cosmetician!” I exclaimed.

“I see. Now that’s saying something. I should have guessed, since it’s your talent. Silly me.” Marking heartily chuckled, pointing at the purple lipstick on my flank. I faked a chuckle to avoid suspicion.

“What about you?” I asked.

“Oh, I work as a curator at the art museum as you witnessed earlier.”

“I see.” The air around us quickly became silent as neither of us responded any further. Fidgeting slightly in my seat, I remembered the earlier painting of me that had caught my attention. Finding it to be the best course of action, I spoke. “Soooo, what do you think of the art piece about… Chrysalis?” I inquired, cautiously choosing my words.

“Which one? There were two.”

“The one depicting Chrysalis as majestic, yada yada yada,” I clarified.

“Oh, that one? I made that art piece myself.” I raised an eyebrow. Noticing my look, he matched my actions. “What?” After not having received a timely response he continued, “Is it because I was selling my own work? I assure you that it’s perfectly acceptable. I sold it for a fair price and pretty much all of it goes to the museum anyway.”

I slowly shook my head, “No, no that’s not the, well, anomaly as it were.”

“It’s because it was Chrysalis then right?” Marking deduced quickly.

“Yes, yes that’s it.” I blinked and and my gaze dropped slightly, but only for a moment. “The way in which you spoke of it. Most ponies only see her as a dirty insect.”

“Well, in my opinion,” he began “I believe everypony has a beauty to them, even the villains.”

“Oh? So, you were only after looks then?”

Marking scoffed, “You wound me.” After shaking his head, he continued. “While I do appreciate the outside ‘canvas’ as it were, that is more for show. It’s what drives the individual that captures my attention. What fuels their internal fire and gives them the passion in which they conquer their world. If you can capture that you give true life to the painting. Some even think that a painting gives more emotion than writing does.”

Marking stopped in his explanation, shaking his head. “Forgive me, I can sometimes get a little carried away.”

I dismissed his words absentmindedly, thinking over what he had said. My internal antenna picked up only honesty from him. ‘This stallion is just proving to be stranger and stranger… in a good way.’

We were interrupted as a waitress approached us with a food tray on her back. The blue unicorn had a chipper smile on her face as she levitated the food items. “Here you are! One variety salad with tea and an istalian pasta!” She finished placing it all down in front of us before placing the tray back on her withers. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

[Marking’s P.O.V.]

The waitress stood at the ready, waiting for further orders. I gave the waitress a smile and shook my head. “No, that’ll be all, thank you.” The waitress smiled in return and walked off to conduct her other duties.

“This is where I normally go for lunch, so I can only hope you’ll also like the food,” I chuckled nervously. Cosmetic nodded her head as I moved in to consume my own food. ‘I’m famished,’ I thought, licking my lips. I took a bite out of my salad and hummed in appreciation, marvelling the flavour.

“This is good,” I said to nopony in particular. I noticed Cosmetic sitting still, eyeballing her food. “Aren’t you going to eat? Do you not like it?” Cosmetic jumped in surprise as if she was deep in thought.

“Oh, sorry, what was that again?” she asked.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” I repeated.

“Of course.” She leaned forward and began eating at her istalian pasta. I was about to take another bite of my salad when I saw Cosmetic’s eyes grow wide. I blinked, pausing to rub my eyes. For a brief moment, I thought I had seen something there. I looked at her eyes for a bit longer before I shook my head wildly and gazed back to my companion. ‘I must be seeing things’.

She started spluttering and coughing widely. “Whoa there! Are you okay?” I asked concernedly. Cosmetic was still choking and coughing which prompted me to stand up and go over to pat her on the back. She began to calm down after recovering from her food. I ran towards the vendor and quickly asked for a glass of water. I thanked him and ran back, careful not to spill the liquid with my three legged gate as I handed it to her.

“Here, drink this,” I offered. Cosmetic grabbed the glass from my hooves and took deep gulps of her water, slamming it down after emptying its contents.

“Are you okay? I repeated. Cosmetic nodded rapidly, still spluttering here and there.

“That’s spicy,” she pointed out. I stood there, taking in her words before looking at her oddly. Cosmetic gave me a confused expression, “What?”

“Uh, I’m just surprised. Surely you’ve had worse before right? There’s very little spice to that at all,” I replied. Cosmetic sat there as she continued to gaze at me.

“I’m really sensitive to taste.” There was an awkward silence between us.

I cleared my throat to shake it off. “Would you still like to eat your food?” Cosmetic nodded her head slowly.

“Yes. I was just taken by surprise of its piquant taste.”

I nodded my head and returned to my seat as I began to eat my own food. I was focused on quenching my own hunger, failing to notice time passing by or anything else around me. I raised my head and covered my mouth as I belched inwardly. “Pardon me,” I excused. Cosmetic nodded in acknowledgement as she finished her food as well.

“Goodness, I feel much better,” I muttered to myself, sighing in relief. I looked over to my companion who was staring at her plate. “Are you still hungry?”

Cosmetic gave a small shake of her head. She glanced around the table before meeting my eyes. “Thank you, for lunch that is. Not many stallions offer to take me out anywhere.”

My eyebrow lifted in surprise. “Surely that’s not true?”

“But it is. Don’t sweat it though,” Cosmetic shook her hoof at me. “I don’t have a lot of time to go out anyway with work and all keeping me pretty busy.”

“Ah, you have my sympathies.” I gestured towards the museum. “I work almost every day, all day. I still have two hours left until I get off. My boss always lets me off early on auction days.”

Again, the orange mare nodded. I sat still, thoughts tumbling through my mind as we sat in the peaceful, yet steadily growing awkward silence of our table. Cosmetic’s eyes were going everywhere but mine while her muzzle held a slightly strained smile. Knowing that my lunch break was soon coming to an end, an idea popped into my head.

I sat up straighter and leaned forward a bit. “Listen, I don’t know if you’re busy for the rest of the day, but would you like a personal tour of the museum? Think of it as a final act for making up the earlier incident.”

Cosmetic blinked and held a small frown, her mouth opening in what I expected to be a declination, until she paused. Her mouth clicked shut as her eyes flickered back and forth briefly while she thought. I waited patiently as she checked a final time towards the outskirts of the plaza before nodding. “You know what, I think I’ll take you up on that.”

I smiled pleasantly, “Sounds good! Do you need anything else before we head back inside?”

“I should be fine.”

With that, the two of us stood up and made our way back across the plaza and up the steps, entering the old building. Seeing as it was midday, there were less ponies in the building due to the lunch rush. I stopped and looked to Cosmetic. “So, what have you already seen?”

“The main foyer and the displays along the main hallways. I didn’t enter any of the other rooms or go too far down the corridors.” She flicked a stray strand of her mane out of her face.

I nodded and began walking down one of the hallways. “Have you ever been here before?” Noticing her shake her head, I smiled. “Excellent! You shouldn’t get too bored then!”

Cosmetic gave a small smile before glancing at me. “Well, by the way you talked earlier during the auction, I would be surprised if anypony so much as yawned.”

I grinned, “I had to learn really quick how to keep an audience’s attention. After a few months, I pretty much mastered it.”

Cosmetic hummed. “I can tell. I have a lot of my own experience with… crowds.”

Wanting to start off with a bit of a bang, we turned into an exhibit. Cosmetic’s eyes wandered around the bright golden walls, the exquisite carvings showing off the many creatures of the world. I watched as she wandered around the room. Her head struggled to crane all the way around as she attempted to take it all in. “Is this real gold?”

“And amber, yes.” I smiled at Cosmetic’s look of disbelief. “The Saddle Union gifted the museum their Amber Room, which weighs over 990 pounds, before Germaney invaded. They did this to protect it from the anticipated invasion.”

Cosmetic nodded, “Yes, who knows what would have happened if the invaders got their hooves on this. It could have been lost to time for all we know!”

I smiled, “I see you know your history as well too.” We moved along, exiting the room.

“Well, if you walked a mile in my horseshoes, you would see quite a lot,” Cosmetic remarked offhoofedly.

“Mhm,” I hummed. “I can understand. A lifetime is filled with many experiences, all equally harsh and benevolent. Were you a part of some big event?”

Cosmetic looked away as we continued moving through the exhibits. “Well, uhm, you could say that…”

The air became very awkward suddenly, and I quickly jumped to break it. “I’m sorry if I asked something personal. I didn’t mean to be nosey or bring back any bad memories.” I frowned.

“It’s… alright. I made a few mistakes that I’d rather just forget about.” Cosmetic looked at me and gave me a weak smile.

A herd of screaming school foals suddenly careened around the corner of the hallway, running us over as they thundered past. “What the hay is going on!?” I exclaimed, pulling Cosmetic back up onto her hooves before dusting myself off. “Where is their guide?”

My question was answered as a gray pegasus stumbled from the direction the foals had come from, a large clay pot stuck on her head. The vase was turning in every direction as the mare struggled to get her bearings. She sat down and attempted to use all four of her hooves to remove the vase from her head, pulling with all her might.

“Oh! Hang on!” I began running over to her, concerned over the safety of both her and the very, very ancient vase stuck on her head. I had almost reached her before, with a final hard grunt of exertion, the vase came off with a loud pop, streaking straight up and arching over me. Attempting to stop my forward momentum, my hooves slipped on the smooth stone, causing me to crash into a faceplant before my body flopped like a fish behind me. Coming to a stop, I groaned in pain, struggling to lift my head.

I heard a sharp gasp before a set of hooves helped pick me up. “Are you ok?” a feminine voice asked.

I blinked the stars in my vision away and winced as I flexed one of my hooves, feeling as though I had rolled it slightly. “I’m fine.” I looked up and almost started at the cross eyed gaze a mere five inches from me. Getting my bearings back, I took a small step backward to give myself a bit more personal space. “What about you? Are you alright?”

She gave me a small nod, relief flooding my system. A second hadn’t even passed before my eyes widened, my blood pressure rising. “The vase!” I whipped around, expecting to see a billion little pieces of the valuable vase scattered across the floor. What I did not expect was the vase sitting on the floor, intact! I looked up at Cosmetic, surprise and confusion in my eyes.

“Did, did you catch that?” I asked in disbelief.

Cosmetic blinked before replying, “Yes, yes I caught it. With these two hooves see?” She crouched backwards and wiggled her forehooves at me.

It took me a few seconds to register exactly what she had claimed to have done before nodding appreciatively. “Thanks for the save! My flank would have been toast if that had broken.”

Cosmetic smiled, “No problem. I owed you after all.”

Shaking my coat, I turned to look at the gray mare, said mare was looking at the ground nervously, a hoof trailing circles on the ground in anxiety. “Hey, you sure you’re alright?” The pegasus nodded quietly. I turned to look back down the hallway, noticing a few young eyes peeking around the corner. I glanced back, “Are they yours?”

She looked up at me and nodded again, her sun yellow eyes drifting. “Yeah, I’m their chaperone.”

“What happened?” I asked as I motioned for a unicorn employee to take the vase.

She frowned in embarrassment before scratching her head in thought. Eventually she just shrugged. “I just don’t know what went wrong.”

Sighing, I waved it off, figuring that since nopony was hurt and nothing had been damaged, that everypony could just go on about their day. “You have a good day miss. Oh, and maybe steer clear of… breakable things?”

The mare’s gaze hardened in determination, her hoof saluting me smartly before she galloped off towards the group of foals. I turned towards Cosmetic and stretched my sore hoof. The orange pegasus strolled over to me and placed a hoof on me, “You took quite the tumble there. How’s your hoof?”

I cracked the hurting area with a satisfying pop, “I’ll live.”

“Pfft,” Cosmetic rolled her eyes, “Stallions.” We chuckled before she continued, “Seriously though, that was nice of you, how you treated her. I think most others in your position would be a lot more... unforgiving.”

“Nah,” I brush it off. “I just did what I thought was right is all.”

“Hmmm,” Cosmetic hummed. “So far, you seem to be doing a lot of things right.” She looked at me in mock suspicion.

I smiled cheekily before giving a small bow. “Shall we continue milady?” Cosmetic curtsied exaggeratedly in return before moving on. I watched her for a brief moment before glancing at the employee as they put the heavy vase back on its pedestal, watching as the pony let out a relieved sigh and wipe some sweat off their brow before moving on. I gave Cosmetic one last appraising stare before shaking my head and moving on.

Around two hours later, Cosmetic and I had just finished looking through the museum in it’s entirety, including the sublevel where I showed her some of the work not currently on display. The both of us had a good time and we almost constantly had smiles on our faces. She stuck with me as I briefly turned in some paperwork I had finished earlier.

“Thanks for showing me around Marking. I would have never guessed that I out of all ch-,” she coughed, hitting her own chest. “Excuse me, must have been some dust or something.”

“Oh,” I sheepishly rubbed my forelegs together. “Sorry about that. Sometimes a lot of dust accumulates in storage.”

Cosmetic shook her head. “It’s no problem. I was just saying that I never really had much interest in art, but this experience certainly has changed some things.”

I smiled proudly. “I’m glad to hear that.” I hurriedly punched my card in the outgoing box, now officially off of work. I tucked it away before both Cosmetic and I exited the building. My body visibly relaxed as I stepped out into the afternoon light.

Cosmetic noticed this while she walked beside me. “Tired?” she remarked.

“No,” I answered. “Just glad to be off is all. Everypony looks forward to getting off work after a long day.” Given the chance, I would have caught my words and crammed them back down my gullet before they reached Cosmetic, but unfortunately, Celestia never blessed mortals with that ability.

Cosmetic smiled evilly, “Oh I see, showing around a pretty mare is just too much a burden for you to shoulder eh?” Seeing the mortified look on my face, she winked. “Relax, I’m just messing with you.”

I metaphorically wiped the nonexistent sweat on my brow and instead smiled with her. The day hadn’t turned out too bad so far. I had successfully taken her mind off of the earlier incident and whatever else had been bothering her. Plus, she wasn’t lying when she said I got to show around a pretty mare. That was always a bonus.

In the end however, all good things must come to an end. We had just reached the gate exiting the plaza before we both stopped. My eyes drifted across the crowd of the city while my smile slowly shrank along with some of my earlier happiness. A quick peek at Cosmetic also showed the same reaction while she looked at the ground.

I struggled to come up with anything to say, anything that might break the awkward tension that flowed between us. My brain catching some semblance of intelligence, I asked what I thought to be a fairly appropriate question given the circumstances. “How long are you staying in town?”

“Not long,” she responded. “I… am expected back home.”

“Oh.” My hopes plummeted, but they weren’t too high to begin with. “Well, have you found what you were looking for yet?”

She shook her head. “No, and by what you told me earlier, it will be pretty hard to appropriate what I need. I don’t have too much in bits to back me up.”

I stood there in silence, frowning. “I’m sorry to hear that it may not work out for you.”

“Yeah, well it’s not like I had much hope to begin with.”

I winced slightly at the grim tone in her voice. This was not turning out like I had hoped for at all.

She lifted her head and looked into the crowd. “Well, I had better be going. I’ve taken up enough of your time.” She looked at me. “Thanks though. I had fun, I mean it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that.”

Hearing her words, a new determination arose within me. Whether it was my moral compass demanding that I not leave her on a rather low note or something more… well, more, I do not know. Before she could take a further step I took the chance.

“Wait!” I half shouted rather abruptly, causing her to recoil slightly. I cleared my throat, feeling a sudden wash of nervousness. “Uh, I mean, before you go, would you like to…” ‘Come on you coward! Just ask her already!’ “Go for a walk with me?”

The incredulous look on her face almost caused me to slap myself in stupidity right then and there.

“A walk?” she finally said, her tone half condescending.

“Yes, well, er, I mean, maybe I could help you.” I stuck to my guns; so my mind, while wildly burning cabinets filled with actual intelligent responses, and chugging down metaphysical alcohol in self despair, all caused by the idiocy of this meatbag it was cursed to inhabit; was nice enough to push out a half decent excuse.

She raised an eyebrow, “You want to go shopping for store space… really?”

A slightly crooked smile graced my face as I tried to rectify my offer further. “Well, we could go check out some of the more well known tourist spots in the town if you’d prefer? I’d be more than happy to show you around, seeing as I am rather good at doing so. And as an added benefit, I have a distinct advantage as I know a lot of the more special places.”

Cosmetic visibly hesitated before her eyes bored into mine. She seemed to be looking for something, maybe for any hint of misdirection or malicious intents. I kept my thoughts true and my gaze never wavered. After a few more moments, when I began thinking that she would not accept, she surprised me with a slow nod. “Alright.”

I almost cheered in joy before she held up a hoof. “On one condition.” I nodded intently, waiting for her request. She smirked, “We don’t shop for store space. At all. Not one stop. Capiche?” At my eager nod she took in a deep breath. “Lead the way.”

I gave her a beaming smile. “Great! Shall we?” Cosmetic answered with a nod. Falling in step with me, we both journeyed into the crowd ahead of us.

Chapter 2

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[Chrysalis’ P.O.V.]

We hadn’t been walking for long before the masses of ponies began to thin slightly, the later lunch breaks coming to an end. This was a welcomed reprieve and I felt slightly better. Marking and I hadn’t said too much yet, too focused on navigating the concrete jungle with thousands of other ponies moving every which way imaginable. Looking at a nearby clock of a store we were passing, I couldn’t help but question what exactly I was doing. I did not have the time to be going for a stroll, yet, I had to admit, the company was pleasant.

As a queen, I rarely, if ever, went out on my own expeditions to collect love. The infiltrators were designed specifically for that. So, while I did have intimate knowledge of the world via my connection to the hive mind, I had little to no actual experience and contact with other free willed beings. It was a breath of fresh air and, while I was in disguise and not in immediate threat of discovery, I did not have to manipulate this stallion any further. He was untouched and sound of mind.

Best of all, he did not have an annoying snitch for a sibling.

Not wanting to remember my past mistakes and failures, I spoke to Marking. “You know, I was thinking over some things and I realized I had completely forgotten to ask about something.”

Marking looked at me curiously, “And what was that?”

“Earlier, you had sort of asked whether or not I had any suitors…”

“Suitors? That’s a… lofty word.”

I glared at him for being so picky about my-, well, he was right. My language was odd at times. I shrugged internally. Nobuggy to blame but myself and the royal customs I enforced.

“You know what I mean.”

Marking nodded, “Right, right. And? What about my question?”

Stepping around an elderly pony, I maintained the small space we had between one another. “I figured that before we spend any further time together and you take me along half of Manehatten with you, I’d ask if you had a mare of your own waiting for you somewhere.”

A small strained smile sat on Marking’s muzzle as he thought over his answer. “Not currently.”

I could taste the bit of sadness he visibly tried to keep under wraps. “Oh. Any particular reason as to why? You’re nice enough.” I grimaced slightly at my rather low encouragement. Marking didn’t seem to mind though, his worries focused elsewhere.

“Normally I would blame work or that I didn’t have enough time in the day, but in all honesty? I’ve always had rotten luck with mares.” He sighed. “I still don’t understand why. Is it because I’m too nice? Is my profession something not interesting in a relationship? I really don’t know. I must be doing something wrong though.” He shook his coat briefly, adjusting the dress jacket he still had on after. “The best I’ve ever done is a few good friendships and one… well, it didn’t work out.”

I eyed him intently. “I see. Well, their loss. You seem like a good stallion to me. Better than that actually.” I blinked as the words just spilled out of my mouth.

Marking smiled, gratitude in his eyes. “I’m glad you think so. But, even if I was grade A material it still doesn’t seem to help. I’ve often wondered if it’s just the environment I’m in. Manehatten isn’t exactly known for it’s pleasantries.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I know full well. Speaking of which, why do you stay here then? Surely there are better positions in more desirable places. Warmer too.”

“The work here is good. My college recommended me to the museum and they were impressed by my qualifications and the work I had done previously while shadowing.” He glanced around. “Plus you can’t beat the shopping.” We both laughed aloud, continuing our trek along the city streets. “The cold is something I treasure having grown up in a desert most of my life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t snow too often here due to the urban heat and the city's proximity to the ocean. Plus when it does snow it’s really not all that good to look at.”

I nodded knowingly. “Yeah, it’s not really all that clean is it?”

“You got that right. Nonetheless, my work is good and the city is fine. I’d love to live in the country, but so do most ponies who want to get out, so there’s not a lot of availability. Plus getting to work would be a hassle.” Marking stopped and pointed his hoof at a nearby shop. “I have to make a quick stop.”

We both entered the small yet rather charming store. Warm wood paneling coated the room with many seasonal themed paintings and developed images hanging on the walls to give it more life. The smooth and worn floor oddly consisted of a darker wood which was rather strange to see as most places in a city were built with more modern and less flammable materials. The small space had a few aisles occupying almost all of the room with a small counter near the door. The salespony was currently busy with a customer and only took the time to give the newcomers a quick cheerful hello before continuing the transaction.

Marking moved into one of the aisles and began quickly perusing through them. I noticed that most of the items were winter clothing, very, very high quality clothing at that. I followed after him and watched as he inspected a dark brown beanie. The stallion looked at me and held out the hat for me to check out. “What do you think?”

I reached out and touched it, admiring the work somepony had put into it as it was clearly homemade. “It’s really nice. The color matches you really well too.”

Marking smiled before taking it back. “All of the stuff here is made by the family who owns the place. I found this place my first month here and it’s quite famous around these parts. Can’t find anything better.” He pointed further on down the small row. “It’s going to get colder later today. You should pick something out.”

I shook my head. “I can’t ask you to do that. I’ll be fine and you’ve done more than enough for me.”

“I insist!” Marking moved on without me, gesturing for me to join him. I reluctantly followed, wishing that the stallion would stop being so generous. It was only making my black heart harder to find a reason to dislike him. However, when he waved at some scarves, my eyes almost bulged out of my head.

“Marking, I cannot accept one of these. I don’t even have half of the bits necessary to buy one of these!” The clothing was expensive but fairly priced for it’s quality. It was still too much to accept, especially since I saw Marking eyeing some more feminine hats. “This is too much to ask for.”

“Nonsense!” Marking looked full on into my eyes. “Listen, it really is going to get cold later on and I would like to give you something to remember your time here. This stuff will last for years. Besides, I want to do this. Money is not a major issue in my life. I don’t spend frivolously often.”

I chewed on my lip, thankful that I wasn’t in my original form as I’d have to be more careful with my fangs. Seeing the same look I had seen on Marking earlier during the confrontation with the guards, without the influence of my magic, I realized he would not give up easily. I sighed. “Alright,” I agreed defeatedly.

Marking gave me an encouraging smile before helping me choose both a scarve and a hat, the latter which I only put up a brief resistance against. We approached the stallion manning the cashier and Marking signed out a check, not having carried the tiny fortune necessary to fulfill a cash purchase with him. The stallion graciously thanked us and wished us a good day.

I won’t lie, after having stepped out of the heated building I was thankful for the new clothing. The little bit went a long way. I faced Marking as he continued to lead the way. “Thanks, Marking. This... it means a lot to me.” Before he could respond, I added, “And please don’t say it was nothing. I really do appreciate it.”

Marking closed his eyes and half smiled. “You took the words right out of my mouth.” He opened his eyes. “You’re welcome Cosmetic. Take good care of those and they’ll do the same for you.”

Nodding, I asked, “So, where are you taking me then?”

“Oh, here and there and everywhere in between.” At my suspicious gaze he chuckled. “Alright, alright. I figured we’d go visit a few monuments, check out some of the more famous stores, stop at the park, go to Times Square, and finish off at the bay.”

“The bay?” I asked.

“Trust me, it’s a sight worth seeing.”

I was a bit doubtful, but so far he had proven to be trustworthy and a level headed individual. “Alright.”

The two of us set off and began our tour of the city, now protected against the elements. True to his word, we passed by some monuments that were of various shapes and sizes, all of them possessing their own stories and legends. Marking shared their histories while keeping us at a decent pace. There was a lot to show and most of the day had already passed. At one point we had to start competing for space as ponies began getting off of work. Sure enough, the streets began flooding with massive amounts of shoppers, cutting our visit of some of the more popular shopping centers short. There was no disappointment as we were only window shopping to begin with and I had no desire for most of the merchandise to begin with.

The food was a whole new level though. While consuming it provided very little nutrition, my taste buds still praised Celestia as I experienced many different snacks, Marking insisting that I wouldn’t get the proper picture of Manehatten without trying some of its more famous delicacies. With that said, there was a lot on the downside. Both sugar and spices proved to be a very overpowering item to me. Marking had found that rather odd, stating that “mares love chocolate!” After a quick playful jab that I must have been the gray duckling, said ‘playful jab’ having quite the opposite effect on me as I stressed over my disguise, he didn’t pressure me any further after that.

As the sun dropped ever lower, Marking decided that it was about time we high tailed it over to the park before it got colder. I was rather happy with his decision, the park proving to be much less hectic than the city streets. The two of us had found a more secluded bench to sit on, cradling steaming cups of coffee in our hooves to ward off the chill of the snow that was able to survive here away from the streets. The sounds of the city were muffled by the sheltered snow in the park, allowing the sounds of winter birds and the excited yelling of a few foals making the best of the sticky snow to be heard.

We sat for a few minutes, simply enjoying the moment with one another. I took this time to carefully reflect the events of the day. A lot of rather unexpected things had happened throughout my life, but this was by far one of the more stranger ones. Who knew that after a small slip up in my identification and a mad city dash away from the authorities would result in this moment with a generous and well mannered stallion in a massive brick and concrete jungle filled with plenty of your stereotypical city dwellers? I couldn’t complain. A quick glance at Marking showed that he too was lost in thought, a content smile on his face as he shifted to take a small drink of his coffee. I copied his actions as I too enjoyed my new favorite drink. A warmth flowed through me and, after noticing Marking glance at me, I couldn’t tell if it was the coffee or not.

It had to be the coffee, right?

“I hope you’re enjoying the tour so far?”

I turned my head and smiled genuinely at Marking. “Yes.” I looked up into the bare tree branches arching above us at the slowly darkening sky. “It’s beautiful here. I can’t imagine what this place would look like with a proper snowfall.”

Marking sighed nostalgically. “That is one of my more cherished experiences in this place. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does…” I did not need him to finish the sentence as I could feel the emotion behind his unsaid words. I closed my eyes and let my imagination paint the image. I could feel the cold bite of a winter night and the cool crunch of snow beneath me. The sounds of the city nightlife buzzed pleasantly in the background. Looking up, I could only see the strongest of the night stars twinkle while the rest were beaten out by the massive amounts of artificial light emanating into the atmosphere. It took my breath away in a strange sort of way and yet I let myself be taken with it. I drank in the surreal sensations, feeling elated and free. The emotion and love made me happy and full as I continued to… drink… in…

My eyes popped open, causing me to flinch at the bright light. This broke my connection and both Marking and I gasped a bit. I stared at the stallion and held my breath as he shook his head and blinked rapidly. ‘I… I was feeding on him! Oh you- stupid, stupid, stupid!’ I mentally yelled at myself, knowing for certain that my cover was blown. I hadn’t bothered to make a secure connection to Marking and moderate my feed rate as I hadn’t planned on taking any love from him. The rapid break in connection would have been like a slap to the face to him.

“Oh, wow!” He shook his coat. “I must have really been caught up in the moment there. That was an intense rush.” My jaw dropped in disbelief. How could he dismiss that as ‘being caught up in the moment’? There was no way! I knew for a fact that Equestrians had also been warned of the signs a changeling presence left behind, said warnings including rapid loss of energy and drive, confusion, and time displacement. Feeling very full, I knew I had taken a lot from the stallion really fast. He had to know that something was up now. Nonetheless, I fumbled quickly to a response.

“Y-yeah, you kind of zoned out there for a bit.” It was a bit shaky, but it would have to do.

Marking took a big gulp of his coffee, almost finishing it off. He let out a satisfied sigh, eyeing his drink. “Wow, I need more coffee. I’m feeling a bit tired. Mind if we stop by the barista on our way out?”

“Uh, no?” ‘How in the world could he think that was a rush!? The speed I was feeding at couldn’t have even moderately felt comfortable.’

Marking tilted his head at me. “You sound unsure.”

‘Snap out of it!’ I shook my head. “It’s fine. You look like you could use it.”

“Alright, cool.” The curator cracked his neck and stretched a bit. “Set to go?”

I started to nod before stopping to chug down the rest of my coffee quickly, enjoying the bitter liquid. I slammed my cup down on the bench and let out a small burp, excusing myself quickly. Marking only stared at me in surprise before blinking. My eyes darted around briefly before I pouted slightly. “What?”

The stallion shook his head, “That, that was impressive. Not many ponies can chug down hot coffee like that. I myself can barely do it.”

Caught in the moment, I giggled a bit. “What can I say? I’m one of a kind.” Oh, I could almost taste the irony in that statement. “Shall we get a move on?” I glanced at the rapidly darkening sky.

“Yeah! We should get going. I don’t want to keep you out too late,” Marking winked before getting off of the bench. I was stupefied to see that he was able to move around normally after a feeding like that, but I kept moving with the flow.

“What’s that I hear? You don’t want to keep me overnight? Why, that’s heresy!” I got up as well and trotted to catch up to him. “Don’t you know that it’s only proper for you to invite a mare that you’ve been hanging out with all day back to your place to prevent her from walking home alone and in the dark?” I too gave him a teasing wink. Both Marking and I laughed jovially as we continued on. I let out an internal breath as well, seeing that he had no suspicions and had simply slipped back into our new found camaraderie.

“Careful there Cosmie. I may just take you up on that offer.”

“Cosmie?” I questioned the new nickname he had given me.

The stallion didn’t waver an ounce, continuing to walk towards the park’s exit. “Yeah, it just came to me off the top of my head. Would you rather not have me call you that?”

“Cosmie…” ‘Huh. Well, it is shorter…’ I nodded my approval. “It will suffice. But nopony else is allowed to call me that but you!” I quickly rectified.

“Psh, like I would do that to you.” The curator winked at me again, a playful glint in his eyes. I rolled mine in return and we both chuckled as we finally exited the large park. Marking and I quickly went over to the coffee shop, the mare barista greeting us for the second time in an hour, a knowing look in her eye. Armed with fresh coffee, we hurried along to our final two destinations.

We were only a few blocks out from some really flashy lights in the distance when Marking suddenly pointed to our right. “One last thing to see before we reach the square. That is the Manehatten University of Cultural Sciences.” I looked to where he pointed and my eyebrows lifted in awe. The college was built out of carved white marble and had many other more modern buildings surrounding it, each housing different areas of study. Everything was built in almost alien designs to improve efficiency and appeal to the eye. It was easy to see that they had sunk a lot of money into the place. A few students were hustling between the buildings with their classroom materials, not wanting to stay out in the cooling dusk.

“Wow,” was all I had to say. I valued education and if things had been different, who knows? I may have even attended. That is, if I was really up to dealing with tuition in the first place. I suppressed a shiver, one that was not caused by the cold. ‘Loans.’

“Mhm. So, where did you go to school?” Marking asked, leading the way down the sidewalk.

After a very short deliberation, I decided that telling the truth would be better here. “I didn’t.”

He paused briefly. “You didn’t?”

“Nah, never had the time or money.”

“You’re an entrepreneur then? Or did you go to a trade school?”

“I haven’t had any formal education in cosmetology. Everything I know I’ve picked up on the fly.” I continued to play it cool. “All on the job experience really.”

“Wow. That must have been quite the challenge,” Marking stated, mulling over the information. “You must have worked pretty hard to get this far then, coming all the way to Manehatten to expand. I wish you the best of luck.”

I thanked him, internally cheering at having executed a textbook cover story on the fly. If there was ever any suspicion about who you were, the best cover story is the one that is most easy to tell, or something unexpected. A professional cosmetician looking for more store space in a big city like Manehatten with no education whatsoever? Very shady, but an easy deterrent for most ponies. Kept them thinking about how said things might have happened and not what was currently going on in front of them.

“And what about you?”

“I went to the Canterlot Art Institute. I was lucky to attend there in the first place.” My muzzle wrinkled as an irked expression painted itself on me. The stallion felt my change of mood and looked at me questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

“Canterlot.” The word left a bad taste in my mouth from simply uttering it. “I’ve had some bad times there. It’s not exactly what it’s made out to be.”

Marking agreed, “Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from. But I can’t fault them too much. I did land a pretty good job from my education there after all.” Marking checked to see how much further they had left to go before adding, “Manehatten is better in my opinion. More ponies of a more balanced class.”

“Fair enough,” I stated. Our conversation turned to better things during the past few blocks it took to reach the square. Now I had seen the lights during our approach, but I was not expecting the intensity and color to be this shocking. I could almost feel the heat emanating from the fixtures. I looked around in awe as many flashy signs and advertisements clamoured for my attention. It was simply an amazing thing to experience after having lived most of my life in the darkness.

“Welcome to Times Square,” Marking proudly said as he waved a hoof in front of him, showing off the popular tourist site. “It’s the greatest light show on Equis, no matter what others say. Nothing as extensive as this can brag to be on all hours of the day, every day of the year.” I only nodded dumbly in agreement as the lights mesmerized me, almost compelling me to move towards them against my will. “So, what do you think?”

I shook my head of the strange force. “Wow.” That’s it, that’s all I could utter. Though it was short there was plenty of feeling behind it.

Marking smiled, knowing full well that I appreciated it. “This is probably one of the more crowded areas of the city where life bustles about daily. As I’m sure you can tell, the lights bring a lot of shoppers to the numerous businesses here.” He wasn’t lying. I had to keep myself walking along as a particularly tempting distraction was making itself known at the nearby restaurant. There was a small crowd of cheering ponies surrounding what was revealed to be a couple proposing. The stallion that accompanied me gave a quick ‘daw’ before we moved on.

“We only have one more stop for the night,” Marking said. I nodded in agreement as night had finally taken over, taking away the radiating heat of the sun, weak as it was. Marking led the way onto quieter streets, a small offshoot of the main drag really. The well maintained apartments lining the street was a good sign of the safety in the area. We stepped around a final corner and stopped at a black iron fence, the dark bay spreading before us. Although, it wasn’t a pit of blackness like I expected. It was instead a field of what almost looked like fireflies bouncing around in the water.

“I know it doesn’t seem like much, but-”

“No. No, I can see it.” I didn’t let Marking defend his reasoning for bringing me here. The reflected lights only reminded me of the quieter nights at home, in the hive. Whenever I found the time to get away from my work, I would go to one of the underground palaces’ balconies and stare upwards. The top of the cavern had never been fully visible as the weak bioluminescent lights scattered across the hive were consumed by the dark. The only way one was able to tell it was even there was by the presence of glow worms illuminating a gentle blue. If I used my imagination, I could picture the night sky and it’s infinite stars spanning above me.

It was the one thing I held dear to myself before the drought arrived.

The distant call of a fog horn caught my attention and I scanned the darkness until I saw the shipyards. Giant steel vessels belching smoke from their coal boilers moved in and out of the trading port 24/7. My mind clicked and I smiled, relief and anticipation working its way through my system. I had found my ticket out of Equestria at last.

“Hey, are you okay?”

My planning on how I would get aboard a ship undetected was interrupted by the curator. “W-what?” I stammered.

“Are you okay? You seemed to have zoned out there for a minute,” he said with concern. I shook myself fully back to reality.

“I’m fine. I was just thinking, that’s all,” I responded. I completely forgot about Marking during my thoughts.

“I see. Good things I hope?” he smiled at me cheerfully.

“Yeah,” I replied, a slight note of hesitancy in my voice.

“Good! I wouldn’t want to leave this night on a bad note.” He moved over to a nearby bench. “Today was a lot of fun and I’m glad I got to spend it with you. Finding time for friends is hard when everypony is busy in a city like this.” He sat down and patted next to him. “Here, we can sit for a little while longer and think some more,” he laughed. “I like to think too.”

I gave a false smile before shuffling over to him. True to his word, he let me be in silence after I sat down, his eyes closed as he listened to the breaking water. I watched him for a few seconds before turning away. As I stared at the boats in the distance and my thoughts of escape returned, a new pain made itself known within me.

‘Could… Could we really be friends?’ I struggled with the concept, mulling it over in my mind. The feeling was made worse when I saw Marking gently blowing at a small snowflake falling from the sky, cheesy as I found it. I didn’t like this new and foreign part of me, one I had forgotten long, long ago. I didn’t want to feel anything for this stallion and yet I couldn’t help it. Everytime he did or said something only drew my attention more and more. And, while I had tried my best to ignore it throughout the day, I had tasted a very slow increase of love from the stallion. It wasn’t much and it wasn’t any deeper than friendship, yet the sincerity and cleanliness of it was very surprising. There was nothing polluted about it.

‘And its taste…’ I had to stop myself from divulging in my hunger. He didn’t deserve to be taken advantage of from an insect like me.

“You know Cosmie, I really do appreciate the time you’ve spent with me.” Marking began to pour his feelings out into the open, causing me to almost flinch. “I meant what I said about being friends. I have a few here and there, but we’re always so busy for the most part.”

“Yeah,” I said simply, not really knowing how to handle the situation. I personally have never had a heart to heart with somepony I even remotely considered a friend.

The stallion continued to stare out across the water, a stiffening wind beginning to blow in from the bay, biting the skin on our muzzles. His gaze became a bit more solemn as he continued to think aloud. “I was concerned at first that you might have thought I had other reasons for taking you around today, like maybe I was hoping you’d ‘owe’ me in a way.” He looked at me, “I never expected nor do I desire anything like that, you know that right? There are enough ponies who are like that out there. I don’t need to be another one.”

I knew he spoke the truth as I would have picked up on any negative emotions or other hints long ago. I nodded, “I know. You had nothing but good intentions throughout the day. I’ve enjoyed my day, not to mention how much more than it would have had you not saved me earlier.”

He frowned slightly. “About that…” My guard flew into place as his tone changed further. “I’ve never seen guards confront somepony like that. They almost always either give a pony summons or they wait for a more convenient time to take somepony away. It’s different if the crime is more severe of course.” I expected him to look at me imploringly, but instead he just sighed. “I don’t know what compulsed me to stop them. Sure, the reasons I gave earlier about wanting to preserve my job had something to do with it, but that doesn’t warrant a complete resistance against ponies like the Guard.” I had to lean closer to hear as he whispered. “I hope I didn’t make a mistake.”

I looked at him sadly, not realizing just how much I may have worried him. I attempted to rectify the situation, again choosing to use only half truths to keep him off track. I had to preserve my cover, no matter the cost. “Listen, Marking, I-”

“No. No, I don’t want to hear it,” he interrupted, catching me by surprise. “Whatever you did, I don’t need to know. It’s probably better that way.” He took a deep breath, “You may have been honest about why you’re here, or you may not have. In the end you’ll most likely be gone soon. I’ve thought about it for a bit now. But there is one thing,” he paused, studying the bay. “No matter what happened, or happens, I can tell you’re a good pony.” He gave a weak smile. “Try to stay that way, okay?”

My jaw stayed tight, having nothing to say. It was hard to tell how I felt. There was some anger, both directed towards him and myself. I was angry that he was claiming he knew the nature of what I was or what I have done, only to talk about his assumptions and offer words of comfort. This feeling was only enhanced by the fact that a small part of me found him to be right. Maybe I HAD been getting too close to him. He was nothing in the grand scheme of things, possessing little value and influence to my goals and needs. But was this true? If he was nothing more than another pony to use as leverage, why did I listen to him? My anger lessened and confusion took its place. The things he had said, what exactly made them truthful? What did he see in me? Was it just the disguise he was seeing, or could he see deeper than that?

The dropping temperature around us was ignored as we both struggled with our own thoughts and feelings. Nopony was there to bother us, having been driven indoors by the cold. The sloshing water was the only noise to fill the background. My face contorted every now and again, showing the different moods I suffered through. I closed my eyes against a strong breeze and was able to come to at least one conclusion out of this mess. Marking was an honest and kind pony, something not easily found in the big city, but not anything especially unique or rare. He was different, but not an outlier. He acted with strong personal responsibility yet cared enough to risk breaking it based on what his gut told him. Whether he knew it or not, he had saved me. And after all of that he had even offered to make up for something he was not responsible for. He had somehow managed to worm his way into my emotions, yet it didn’t feel like he forced himself in.

The stallion… this stallion, was a friend. I couldn’t think of any other reason why I felt as conflicted as I was, nor why we were able to relax so well around each other. I knew that if I really wanted to I could still take what I wanted and leave, disappearing into the night, but something inside of me recoiled at the thought alone. That couldn’t be the way, and it wouldn’t. I looked at the ships again, knowing that if I delayed any further, I would be risking my entire world. A brief battle was waged inside of me, both sides viciously ripping into each other, struggling to gain control of my next actions.

A sharp breeze hit me, blasting icy air over my false coat. I only shivered slightly though as the warmth on my head and neck, having been provided by my friend as a pure gift out of concern for my comfort and nothing more, was more than enough to help me tolerate the worsening weather. That thought alone pushed one side of the dueling factions over the other, smothering them in a triumphant victory. Taking a deep breath of the salty air, I spoke.

“I can’t promise you that I’m a good pony, nor that I can continue to be a good pony. I’ve done a lot of bad in my life. I had my reasons, and while you may think that I have enough good in me to outweigh the bad…” I paused, taking in a shaky breath, finding it difficult to express myself to him, “that is far, far from the truth.” I saw Marking look at me in dismay, yet he held his tongue. “I’ve never been treated with kindness, at least nothing on the level that you have gone through. I was raised on what I am now. I didn’t have a lot of options.”

I turned towards Marking and hesitantly, yet carefully grabbed one of his hooves. “You have shown me something else, something that I cannot freely give back. Believe me, I wish I could. I simply lack the ability to do so.” I squeezed his hoof. “But I’ve learned a lot today, and maybe I can go home with something new to work on and teach. Maybe I can change and thus stay as you see me now. I have you to thank for all of this. Thank you, Marking, for showing me what a friend is like.”

The stallion moved his other hoof over mine and squeezed equally as hard. The two of us sat in silence, neither finding any more appropriate words. Instead, our emotions spoke for us as we both hurt in new ways for one another, Marking depressing over my words while I regretted allowing myself to get close enough to cause this hurt. We ignored the wind and the sound of the bay while maintaining our silent revere under the choked twinkling of the night’s winking stars. The quiet night promised only more cold.

Chapter 3

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[Marking’s P.O.V.]

Cosmetic and I had sat on the bench for quite a while, silently gazing out across the bay. Time passed us by quickly, allowing us to find reprieve from our conversation. I thought a lot about what Cosmetic had said, bouncing back and forth between worry and anxiety to distrust and even slight betrayal. This mare and I just seemed to… click, yet she definitely had something to hide. Maybe I had moved far too fast, even just between new friends, but I still found myself caring quite deeply. The way she spoke about herself only caused me to become disheartened, hearing the internal pain she struggled with. I found myself desiring to fix it, wanting to comfort my fellow pony and newfound friend, but it was very clear that this was not something that could just be wished away in a mere day.

Regardless… I felt as if I may have impacted her life in some way, as she stated before, and that perhaps life would finally give her a break. She would leave, and I would stay. I would rue every moment afterwhich, knowing I would never see her again, and perhaps she would too. Whether this was comforting or not I could not puzzle out, seeing as in one way it meant she cared just as much for me, while on the other hoof she too would be lamenting and in discomfort herself, something I did not wish upon her.

I give a small sigh. Life just does not play fair does it?

“It’s getting late. I should get going,” Cosmetic said suddenly, breaking the silence between us.

“I’ll walk you home,” I offered.

“No, it’s okay. I can take care of myself. Besides, you’re probably needed at the museum.” I dug for my pocket watch in my sleeve to check the time. It was 9 o’clock. The museum would have been closed for almost two hours now. I had nothing left to do. ‘Or I could walk her home.’

“The museum’s already closed, plus I had the rest of the day off remember?” I look at her. “Listen, I’ve said this before, but this has been one of my best days spent ever since moving here. And, maybe I have been too presumptuous about our relationship, but I can’t stress how happy I am to have met you. I know you’re going to leave back to Las Pegasus or wherever your heart’s content lies, so, at the risk of sounding cheesy and cliched, would you do me the honor of spending a little bit more of the night in your company walking you to where you currently reside?”

Cosmetic looked at me for a long while, a multitude of emotions racing across her face, before she finally raised an eyebrow. “You’re quite wordy, has anypony told you that?”

I cracked a wry grin. “I wouldn’t be as good at my job if I wasn’t.”

Cosmetic’s nostrils flared before she let out a little snort, smiling. “Alright, you got me.” Her smile flattened a bit and her eyes fell. “Ok.” Glancing up and noticing my confusion, she clarified. “Yes, you can walk me home.”

I gave an honest yet subdued smile. “Awesome. So where are you staying at?”

Cosmetic rolled her eyes. “A hotel, doofus. Where else would I be?”

‘She has a point there ol’ chap.’ Mentally shaking my hoof at my innerself, a stray thought caught my attention. Acting on it, I spoke. “Well, you could always come back to my place.” ‘Aaaaand that came out wrong. Good job brain, you dun goofed.’

“Oh-ho! What’s this?” She dramatically placed a hoof to her chest. “You dare suggest such an uncouth activity between strangers?” She narrowed her eyes at me playfully, slipping back into her earlier and better mood.

‘That’s not what I intended,’ I groaned mentally, facepalming. “No, no. I’m just taking you up on our friendly conversation earlier. Renting a hotel can be quite… expensive, especially considering we are in one of the biggest tourist traps in the nation. I’d just like to help ease any financial burden.” I explained defensively. Cosmetic rubbed her chin, looking more than a bit apprehensive when she realised I was being serious. “Plus, there’s free food.”

She gave a breathy chuckle before nodding. “Alright, fine. But,” she poked my chest. “No funny business. I’m watching you.” She proceeded to give me a single stink eye.

“I promise. You can trust my word,” I reassured. Cosmetic nodded again as we got up off of the cold wooden bench and began to walk away from the bay. I led the way to my house as my companion followed, navigating the numerous blocks. Manehattan, even at night was still bustling with activity which made it all the more lively. After some time walking down the crowded streets, we finally made it back to my apartment. I reached for my keys in my breast pocket and unlocked the door and opened it, holding it open for my guest.

“After you,” I gestured.

“Thank you.” Cosmetic walked inside as I followed, closing the door behind me and locking it. The apartment was dark, but warm. I quickly turned on the light for her before taking off my new beanie and hanging it on a nearby hook, taking Cosmetic’s winter wear and hanging it for her as well. We both knocked off our hooves on the entryway rug before I gestured with a hoof, “Right this way.” She followed me into the living room and I turned on a lamp while she looked around with an appreciative eye. “Please, have a seat.” Cosmetic moved over to the couch and sat down, still looking around while she got comfortable. She remained silent, which unnerved me a bit. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have invited her over. Maybe I overstepped boundaries here and she doesn’t feel comfortable.’ I blinked. ‘Well, what’s done is done. You wanted the extra time, and now you’ve got it. Make the best of it.’

Nodding to myself with newfound conviction, I smiled as Cosmetic turned towards me. “Make yourself at home. I’ll go make some dinner,” I said. I left the living room and made my way to the kitchen to prepare a late dinner, leaving my guest alone to her own devices. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Today had been amazing, and now I only prayed that it stayed that way. Pulling myself together, I entered the kitchen and started to get to work.

[Chrysalis’ P.O.V.]

Marking walked off to his kitchen which left me alone in his living room. I sat there, gazing around the place that was slightly disorganized in some parts, but in a good way. The room was decorated with various art pieces and other types of work that were hanging on the walls in a professional manner. ‘I assume he spends his spare time drawing’. Another thought had crossed my mind just now but I shook it off in the hopes of asking him later.

After sometime, during which I had gotten up and explored a bit more, finding the few other rooms, I heard footsteps approaching which I guessed was Marking. With him, I could smell the aroma of his ‘dinner’. Marking popped his head through the door. “Hey, sorry to keep you waiting. If you please follow me, dinner is ready.” He turned around and made his way back while I stood up on my hooves and followed. I followed the scent and found Marking standing by the table, setting two plate sets and silverware. The table held a small variety of simple looking food, yet it did look quite tempting, even for one who had rare need for it. Marking gestured me over to a seat which I took with little hesitation. “Bon appetit,” Marking said. I cocked an eyebrow at him before giving a small amused smile.

Picking up the silverware with one of my wings, something I had practiced many, many times to fit non unicorn disguises, I began eating. Once again, I was taken by surprise of the food’s taste. It was spicy, but probably not all that much, considering my sensitivity. I continued to eat the spiced salad, causing my eyes to water a bit and my mouth to dry up a bit. ‘He has a taste for spice, I’ll give him that’.

“How is it?”

I looked up at the stallion, finishing my mouthful before answering. “It’s good, I’m just uh, still sensitive to spice.” I smiled at him. “I still like it though. What is it?”

“It’s simply called southwestern salad. I know,” he preempted, “not very creative. But, I’ll be sure to make it a bit more tame for you next time.” The last part of his sentence held a pang of sadness in it, I could feel it. I didn’t let my own sadness at seeing his offput moment show and instead continued to eat, trying to enjoy the fallen silence.

I pushed away my plate after I finished eating what was on my plate. Marking sighed loudly in relief. “That hit the spot. I hope you enjoyed it,” he mumbled in content. I nodded, before sitting in silence. Suddenly, my mind crossed back to my thoughts from earlier. ‘I should ask him now.’

“Can I ask you something?” I began. Marking gazed over to me.

“Go ahead.” Marking sat in silence, ready to answer my question.

“Why… why are going through all this effort?” I frowned before looking upwards with a twirling hoof to emphasize as I continued. “Even if I was able to stay in Manehatten, why bother making friends with somepony who clearly has problems, problems that would only cause you trouble?” Marking furrowed his eyebrows, causing me to groan on the inside. “Why invite me to your house and give me dinner?” I further interrogated, distrust rolling forth from the hurt I felt, caused by allowing our friendship to tighten, only to know that it would all be for naught. I can’t lie to myself as I feel my confusion roiling inside me, conflicting emotions and thoughts mucking up my sense of judgement and loosening my self control as I continued to work myself up. Sensing his own distress hit me harder than it rightfully should have.

Marking looked at me in pain, indecision etched on his muzzle. The concern and worry emanating from him was genuine, and so honestly pure. He really did care. It had been a very, very long time since I last felt the tickling heat traveling down my muzzle, the sensation almost alien in its unfamiliarity. I instantly turned my head away in shame, tucking my muzzle down into my hooves as I shook, trying to hide the painful shivers wracking throughout my body.

Before I could recuperate and make good on my escape, a pair of forelegs wrapped around me, my head bumping up against smooth yet warm silk as I was gently yet firmly held. “Hey, hey it’s alright. It’s ok.” A gentle squeeze accompanied the words.

I wanted to lash out, to push back against the comfort and love. This horrible, dreadful thing was the bringer of my pain and anguish. It brought me to my knees in one fell swoop and converted me to this mass of quivering, broken weakness. I was stronger than this, yet here I was, a now crying disappointment. My muscles flexed and my own forelegs moved, ready to push him away on an adrenaline and anger fueled rage.

Instead, they ended up wrapping around and squeezing onto the stallion in front of me, pressing the side of my muzzle into his chest harder, clinging to him. Soft sobs occasionally pushed past my trapped jaw, escaping my internal prison. All thought was out the door as I fell into the tumultuous depths of my own emotions, many of them having been locked away for years. His grip suddenly started to tighten and my face slipped up his chest and passed over his shoulder, our heads side by side as we hugged one another.

A slight and brief buzzing sound came from behind me, my crying eyes opening just enough to stare in utter horror. Two black and hole filled limbs clung to the back of Marking, leaving no question about my current form. I started to shiver again, only much more violently. It was over. All this care and love. This newfound friendship. The comfort I was currently getting. It was all for naught. It’s done. Trembling in fear and pain, I grabbed on harder, desperate to get any last little bit out of my crumbling friendship.

No surprised shouts or frantic death threats ensued. His grip didn’t loosen and his own turning emotions did not change to anything negative. Instead, almost a feeling of finality came over him, as if many of his worries were answered or sated. He knew what I was, my transformation caused by my broken spirit was not discreet in anyway. Yet… he stayed. It had been so very, very long since I had somepony not react in disgust or fear of me… and the change of compassion hit me harder than I could have ever prepared for.

My sobs broke free and my head pressed into his. He responded by pushing back gently, starting to rub my back soothingly, his hooves sliding over my chitin. Gentle shushing sounds tickled my ear as his warm embrace soothed me. We stayed trapped in each other’s embrace for an unknown amount of time, clinging to one another. I soon quieted down and a stillness fell over us, the night not daring to interrupt us.

My eyes slowly cracked open, pressure pushing behind them as I sniffled a bit. I took in a deep and shuddery breath before letting it out smoothly. With a painful swallow, I finally pulled back, slipping free of his limbs. Even while he was standing, my sitting position on the chair gave me an inch or two on him in height, forcing me to look down just a bit to look him in the eyes. I searched his yellow and black depths, seeing my changeling state mirrored in the low light casted in them. He did not recoil, he did not start, and he did not break. He gazed right back, undeterred.

With another small sigh, I closed my eyes briefly before slowly climbing out of the chair, my long legs easily touching down on the floor. I broke his gaze and looked down at the floor, moving slowly around him before dragging myself towards the door.

“Wait.”

I almost missed it. It was quiet, soft. I almost passed it off as something my dreadful and long since buried hopes drug up in a final effort at grasping straws. But… the silence of the room left no room for doubt. I stopped. My body position remained the same, head down, ears flat, and body sagging. I closed my eyes and stayed still for a few seconds before I was able to work out a single word.

“Why?”

There was a moment of silence before he responded. “You didn’t let me answer your question.” My muzzle crinkled in confusion until he continued, “Why would I go through the trouble of spending time with somepony who I met under trying circumstances? Why would I try to be a good friend to them and offer a day free of worries?” My head still down, I could hear him taking a few steps towards me, but staying just out of my personal space. “Why would I care?”

He took a breath. “It’s because, while you may have some faults and some troubles, everypony deserves a second chance.”

My jaw tightened as shook my head. “No, no not everypony does.” My voice, my real voice, cracked a bit, hoarse from my emotions. “There is never going to be a chance at redemption for me or my kind.”

“Why not?”

A snarl broke out across my muzzle before I whip my head towards him, “Look at what I did to you ponies! I ordered an unprovoked attack against your seat of government out of selfish needs, pushing it further by striking down your monarch! But not only did I invoke the wrath and hatred of your kind, but my own race is paying the price for my mistakes! I have condemned us all and there is no forgiveness to be had!” Losing steam, my fang filled maw closed and my head dropped once again. I took a breath. “That’s why there’s no point. I don’t expect anything but the continued ire of the world for the Changelings. Nothing will change it.”

The room fell into that familiar silence that had followed the pair around all day, continuously striking at inopportune moments for the two. I allowed it to linger for a little while longer before shaking my head. “It’s over.”

The stallion snorted behind me. “It’s not over unless you give in.” He started to pace a little bit behind me. “What you did in Canterlot… that hurt many ponies. I can’t deny that. Most will forever curse you for what you did and call for your imprisonment, some may even wish for worse. But all of this can be changed!” He stopped moving. “Look at Nightmare Moon! Her conflict resulted in deaths! Neither you or your drones killed anypony. That’s a fair bit better I’d say, and Princess Luna was forgiven for her damage. What makes you any different?”

I turned around, looking straight at him as my wings buzzed in irritation. “That was a different time in a different place! Things were different then and she had a thousand years for her actions to fade from time! What I did should have no different impact in today’s world! I’m at a loss, so you tell me, what does make me different!?”

Marking closed his eyes before looking me in the eyes. “Today was an amazing day and I saw and felt so much good in you. I felt comfortable and like I was in the presence of a true friend. Even with the rough start, you still proved to be kind and funny.” Giving a small, sad smile, he continued. “Whether you want to accept it or not, you showed me so much and gave away plenty about yourself… unless you’re good enough at infiltration to fool me into thinking that the happiness and the sadness you went through was genuine.” He took a brave step towards me. “Is the pain and brokenness I tried to comfort all a part of your plan to get close to me?” He took a final step near me. “Are the tear stains on your muzzle fake?”

“Stop!” I yelled, taking a step away from him, tears starting to well out of my eyes again. “Just… stop.”

“When are you going to allow yourself to look for forgiveness in those you’ve wronged? When do you free yourself from this constant pain and regret and allow happiness to come back in? When will the running end… Chrysalis?”

With a small sob, I sit down and bow my head, squeezing my eyes shut. Marking stayed silent, allowing me to think over what had been said. I struggled to keep my cries in check, working through the pain I had unknowingly bottled up throughout the past three years, pain that this chance encounter with this stallion had caused it to make itself known. It was like a wound that had festered for far too long and was only now being purged and cleansed of its vile sickness, restoring the mind and body of its purity.

Through the tumultuous emotions, a moment of clarity touched my mind. Marking was the only one I had ever encountered who viewed me as a friend, and not only that, but I had never felt this vulnerable yet safe at the same time. Marking had not once done anything to make me question his friendliness and his intentions at all throughout the time I had known him, and had only proven to be a solid and reliable source of comfort and happiness… the little that I had experienced in my life.

Knowing this, I gritted my teeth as a new guilt washed over me. I had deceived him, and no matter what consequences would come my way from revealing this, he deserved the truth. He deserved far more for what he had done for me. “Marking... I, I wronged you.”

He shook his head. “No, I can forgive you for a little smoke and mirrors. I can understand why you would need to hide, and-”

I raised a hoof to stop him. “You deserve better, you need to know the truth before you can even consider forgiving me.” I took a deep breath and calmed down, knowing that this would either break the chance he would give me, or he would show just how far he was willing to be there for somepony. “I didn’t just trick you, but I also used you.”

He looked on in confusion before realization slowly started to dawn on his features. “The guards…”

I nodded. “When they confronted me in the museum, I influenced you with a bit of mental magic to make them leave.”

Marking himself sat down, his features starting to become blank. “Has… has this whole day consisted of this? Was I under your influence the whole time?”

I could feel the hurt and confusion starting to drive into me from him, tasting the sour fear he was emanating that he had been wrong about everything. I contemplated in allowing him to think this, into letting his pain turn into anger towards me. It was a reaction I was far more used to and I knew how it would end. I would have my golden opportunity to leave, having him as my usher, moving me along faster as he would no doubt be yelling for the guards.
But… even in the uncertainty of the unknown, I heard his words of finding forgiveness and stopping my indefinite marathon. With his words bringing hope, I decided to speak. “Marking, I promise you that I only used my magic on you then and to stop you from asking further about the guards at lunch. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I swear to you the rest of the day was all you and that I played no part in your choices or feelings.”

His features slowly relaxed into something more lifelike, something that I never really thought I’d find so relieving. He didn’t say anything in response and the two of us sat still in one another's presence, calming down after everything that had just happened.

Finally, with a weak chuckle, he spoke. “Heh, that would explain why I had the cojones to kick the guards out of there. Not sure I would have risked any kind of legal lash back from that.”

I smiled weakly back. “Well, you still had to have something to work with for me to do that, so you still held some sort of anchor either towards me or against the guards. So… thank you… for getting me out of there.”

He waved a foreleg at me. “Anytime.” He rubbed his muzzle. “Is there anything else I should know about?”

I frowned. “I did accidentally feed on you when we were in the park. I lost self control and started to unknowingly drain you.”

“That would explain the weird fatigue I had, although it wasn’t as bad as the warnings made it out to be.”

I shook my head. “That reminds me, did you not have any suspicions of me? You know the warning signs.”

The brown stallion shrugged. “The vase thing confused me a bit. It’s pretty heavy, and catching it with your bare hooves seemed a bit far fetched to me.”

I simply tapped my twisted horn at that one. “It drained me a bit, but I didn’t want that thing falling on me either. Being knocked unconscious without setting up a more permanent disguise would have been bad news for me.”

“Ah. Thanks for catching it then, not only because it would have prevented harm to you, but it would have gotten me in a lot of trouble.” He smiled at my small nod. “Other than that, there was one other small discrepancy that I noticed. I thought I saw your eyes change color briefly when you were eating. I take it that was due to your surprise though.”

Knowing that I was just burning time with small talk now and that we were ignoring the elephant in the room in an effort to retain any kind of normalcy we had before, I decided to move things along. “So… what now?”

The earth pony stallion blinked before getting back up on his hooves. “I don’t know, that really is up to you isn’t it? You could keep doing whatever you had planned to do… or you could try to come up with a new plan. Maybe something a friend can help you out with.”

He smiled a bit when I gave him a straight deadpan, before I sighed in defeat. “I have been on the run for three years. Manehatten was to be my final destination before I boarded a ship and leave the country entirely.” I frowned. “I wouldn’t ever return. I’d more than likely disappear off of the face of the planet all together if your princesses chose not to pursue me across continents.”

Marking nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. But is it what you want?”

I looked up at him, “It doesn’t really matter what I want. You spoke of forgiveness and that I should stop running, but what other options do I have? If I stay, I’ll eventually be found out. They’ll arrest me and then I’ll become another exhibit in Canterlot’s gardens, or worse yet, sent to Tartarus.”

Marking frowned. “Well, I’d like to say that I find the idea of you being turned to stone rather silly, but I can’t really discount it given all the jazz that’s happened with Discord’s breakout, his second imprisonment, followed again by his eventual freedom.” He sighed. “If you want to stop running, the only option you really have is to turn yourself in.”

“What!?” I hissed, baring my fangs. “Are you crazy? How would that help me in the slightest?”

“You surrender peacefully as an act of goodwill, then you must play to the cards that will grant you forgiveness. If you truly mean what you say, I’m certain that you’ll get the second chance you need.”

He spoke sincerely, yet I couldn’t help but feel like he was giving his government more credit than they were due. Although, given how soft ponies were…. I tilted my head slightly, keeping my eyes on him. I took a moment before responding, “I’ll consider it. It’s… a chance I’m not entirely sure I’m willing to take yet.”

Marking nodded. “I’m glad that you’re willing to think on it.” He glanced at the table, before turning back to me. “Well, that was quite enough excitement for one night,” he smiled weakly at me, causing me to give a strained one back. “Would you like to go clean up in the bathroom? I’ll wrap the dishes up quickly and meet you back in the living room?”

“Alright,” I replied quietly. He stayed sitting for a moment before giving me a nod. He stood up and moved over to the table, starting to clean up the dishes we used. Taking a breath, I got up on my own hooves, having a good foot or two in height over Marking. Having already explored, I turned away from the brown earth pony and made my way down the hall and into the bathroom, turning on the light switch with a small flick of my magic.

Staring into the mirror, I saw myself looking back with bloodshot and weary eyes. I inspected every inch of my face, starting from the tips of my fangs poking out from beneath my top lip, to the spiraled and gnarled horn stretching above my head. The visage was something that few had seen with their own eyes, and those that did had never reacted to it with anything other than fear, revulsion, and anger. Ponies prided themselves with being creatures of friendship and acceptance, but underlying their sugar coated lie was a sea of cynicism and judgement. They were no better than the other species they shared the planet with. All of them, when faced with the unknown and potentially dangerous, would lash out and push away the offenders. The memory of my past selves had seen this many times, and there had never been a different outcome, even in the times of great bounty.

This one being I had sought refuge in however, had given me a chance, even when he had found out about the danger present. Now wasn’t a time to throw caution to the wind, but I had already taken a risk and I had not received the expected outcome. Taking a breath, I decided I would push the envelope a bit further along. I trusted Marking and his words, but I did not trust those who he claimed I should seek forgiveness from. Blinking, I began to second guess the trust I had in myself.

‘What am I doing?’

Sighing, my magic reached out and turned on the water, running it at a lukewarm temperature. I then grabbed a hanging face towel and soaked it under the water, pressing it to my face after a few seconds. I had a brief moment of thankfulness that I lacked fur in this form, allowing me to clean up my hard chitin quickly with a few good scrubs.

I squeezed the water out of the towel before, lacking an obvious place to put it, I draped it over the hoofhold inside the shower door. Turning the light off and leaving the bathroom, I instead went to the kitchen, peeking around the corner to catch Marking just as he placed the last dirty dish into the sink. He turned around and spotted me watching him. To his credit, he didn’t jump.

“Hey, feeling a bit better?”

I hesitated before nodding. “Yes.”

He wiped his forehooves off on a kitchen towel before taking a few steps toward me, having to move his head up slightly to look up at me. “Would you like to sit down for a while? If you want to talk or anything we can.”

Closing my eyes, I took a few breaths before the weight of the evening settled on me, making me feel like I weighed a few dozen pounds heavier. “I don’t think I have the energy to.” I opened my green eyes, looking into his yellow ones. “I think I really need to rest for now.”

Marking nodded. “Alright. I have a guest bedroom you can use. It’s just down the hall here.” I stepped aside and followed after Marking as he lead me into the hallway, the brown stallion then stepping into one of the few darkened doorways to turn on the light. “Here we are.” Moving into the room, I quickly took in the comfy space, noting the clean bed, small dresser, recliner, and pleasant yet weak fragrance. The curtains blocked the city light from the window very well. “Is there anything you need? There are extra blankets in the small closet if you get cold.”

I stepped closer to the bed before turning around. “No, this is fine.”

Marking nodded before looking around. Popping his lips, he backed out into the hallway. “My room is right across the hall if you need anything. I’ll leave you be then, Chrysalis.” He then closed the door and I could hear his hoofsteps walking away. I stared at the door for a solid minute, my mind blank and empty, before I walked over to the window, pulling the curtains aside. All that greeted me was the lit up brick wall of the building across the alley. Sighing, I closed it and pulled back the covers of the bed with my magic. After settling in, I covered myself and flicked the lights off with nary a thought.

Laying my head on the cool soft pillow, I looked deep into the darkness on the ceiling, theories of what would happen now racing around my cranium. I didn’t know what I was doing, and while Marking’s suggestions were ludicrous and that of a fool, it still didn’t explain what the buck I was doing sleeping in a guest bed undisguised after having slipped up in my cover. His reasoning was that of a hope filled optimist, clutching to the useless beams of light as if they actually held value. The only reason I had for still being here was… trust.

I closed my eyes and shifted a bit, slowly starting to sink into slumber. Trust was something I sorely lacked and it felt surprisingly good to have it again. The thought that he would betray the trust I put in him and wake up to chains and guards was pushed aside, useless in that it would only serve to keep me from falling asleep. Knowing there was little I could do to help myself if I were to fall asleep, I decided to let go for once.

The bed was better than cold stone or metal anyways.

[Marking’s P.O.V.]

The warm water in the sink was one of the few things keeping me relatively calm and relaxed, my fur dragging through it as I slowly scrubbed the few dishes. The mindless work allowed me to think on more important things, like the fact that the queen of the Changelings herself was staying in my guest room on my behest. When her disguise had fallen, I instantly realized that any suspicions I had were confirmed and that I should have pushed away from her and ran as fast and as far as I could.

Needless to say, that wasn’t what ended up happening. During that brief moment between thought and action, all I felt was pain, sadness, and even the love of friendship. She was dangerous, yes, but she was also in distress and seeking comfort. When she had gripped me harder, it didn’t feel malicious. My only response was not the logical one my brain had started screaming at me. Instead action took over and I did my best to help soothe my friend. She wasn’t Chrysalis, Destroyer of Canterlot and Eater of Love, but instead was still Cosmie. Sure, her outward appearance was bigger, light consuming black, and a lot harder and insectoid in appearance and texture, but the inside and emotions she was going through was her true self, which she had reassured me was exactly what I had experienced throughout the time I had spent with her.

I had been thinking for about ten minutes before I pulled the plug in the sink and allowed to drain, turning the valve for the cold water as I began to rinse the suds away. I placed the clean dishes on a drying rack before drying my own hooves. Finished, the light was turned off and I headed for my bedroom. As I stepped into my room, I noticed the light was also off in the guest room, no doubt signalling that Chrysalis had gone to sleep herself. I blinked before shutting my door most of the way, leaving an inch or two gap. The dress shirt came off easily enough and I turned off my own light before climbing into bed, feeling the fatigue of the day.

The room still had a faint presence of light as the curtains were partially open, letting me take in the detail of the kerneled ceiling above me. Closing my eyes, my mind still insisted on discussing Chrysalis and what exactly I was doing. The fact that she had manipulated me with magic at a point or two throughout the day was scary and I would be lying if I didn’t feel small spikes of anger, mistrust, and fear over that. But, knowing she had openly admitted to it when I was willing to forgive her so quickly gave me the reasoning that she wasn’t a monster, certainly not the merciless monster Equestrian’s made her out to be at the very least. Ponies weren’t necessarily the most reliable of sources anyway, if you looked at how we would react in situations. Given, we are prey animals guided by herd-think and tend to startle easily, choosing one leader to follow aimlessly.

Realizing my thoughts were going a bit off topic, I settled on what I knew. Chrysalis had been honest with me, from what I could tell, and was nothing at all like I would have expected. She was smart, funny, and humble. These were things that she didn’t have to implement in her disguise, as that alone would fool most ponies. Nopony would suspect that a mean, cruel, and cynical mare was a changeling, they’d simply think that there must have been a donkey along the family tree somewhere. Instead, she had shown to be an interesting and friendly… well, friend. She had the same ability to hurt and cry as any other pony did, and I was no biologist, but I’m pretty certain that also meant she was capable of loving and caring for others. These thoughts are what allowed me to feel trust for her and stayed any fear of her being just right across the hall.

Finally satisfied with my sated thoughts, I imagined what tomorrow would bring and what it be like with my new guest and friend. I meant every word I said to her and hoped she would take my advice. That way, I wouldn’t have to go through the process of passing by a good pony and leaving them to the dark while they themselves could find their own peace and meaning in the future. A win-win in my book.

I had just felt the clutches of sleep gripping me when I heard a muffled knock. I opened my eyes and looked towards my door, waiting to see if the sound was Chrysalis at my door. When nothing was forthcoming, I blinked and laid my head back down. Not a second later I heard another muted knock. Looking at the door again, I spoke softly.

“Chrysalis? Are you alright?” When my words were answered only with silence, I peeled away the blanket before getting to my hooves, shuffling over to the door. Opening it, I was greeted only with the shadows of the hallway. I stood there for a few moments before the knock sounded again, only this time I identified the source coming from behind the door of the guestroom. Moving over to it, I placed my ear up against the cool wood, straining to hear. I didn’t hear anything at first until I slowly started picking up on what sounded like pieces of fabric being shifted against one another. The knock sounded twice in a row before the room went quiet again.

Intrigued, and a bit worried, I tapped lightly against the door. “Chrysalis?” Receiving no response, I cracked open the door and peeked inside. My eyes adjusted quickly to the darker room and I spotted Chrysalis still in the bed. The bed covers already looked ruffled and it became apparent as to why when I witnessed Chrysalis move in discomfort, her horn knocking slightly against the headboard as she moved her head. Her eyes were locked closed and she was asleep. Seeing she was not sleeping well, I stepped out, leaving the door open as I went to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. Making my way back, I noticed she had moved yet again. Slowly, I walked into the room, trying to keep my hoofsteps as quiet as possible. I set the glass down on the small bedside table before my gaze fell on the Changeling queen herself.

Her face was tight as if in discomfort and a small grimace crawled across her muzzle. I frowned, but knowing there wasn’t anything more I could do, I made to step back before her lips parted slightly, whispered words slipping through. My ears perked, but I wasn’t able to make out what she said. I took a step closer, almost pressing against the bed as I dropped my head closer to hers, curious about what she might be in so much distress about.

That was my mistake. Or that was the beginning of something special. It depends on who you ask.

Dropping my head had caused me to lean far enough that my chest bumped the bed. With a flash of green, my world went dizzy briefly before I was firmly pressed onto the bed beside Chrysalis. I blinked my eyes to help clear my focus before I realized Chrysalis’ own striking green iris’ were staring right back into mine. I smiled a bit meakly. She didn’t seem amused.

“What are you doing in here?”

I could practically hear the suspicion in her voice, and by the way her figure seemed tense, she wasn’t exactly relaxed. Clearing my throat, I gestured over to the water by the bed with my head. “You uh, you sounded like you were having a nightmare almost. I could hear you moving from across the hall. I brought you a glass of water.”

Chrysalis glanced at the water before looking back at me. Her withers visibly relaxed and she nodded. “Thank you.” Her horn becoming surrounded in a green aura, she levitated the glass over to her and took a few swallows before putting it back, leaving me to stay put and watch her the whole time. After she looked back at me, she blinked.

Feeling like I should say something, I went for an apology. “Sorry for disturbing you.”

“No worries, I’m sorry for marehandling you a bit.”

I smiled cheekily. “It’s nothing I’m not used to.” She proceeded to roll her eyes. I admittedly felt better, and the atmosphere between us was alright. Maybe not without some imperfect feelings of tension or awkwardness, but it was alright. Realizing I was still staring at her a bit, I coughed. “I’ll uh, leave now. Try to get some sleep alright?”

I moved my forehooves under my barrel and started to push against the effect of gravity before a chitinous hoof layed on my back. “Wait.” I paused, looking at the Changeling in confusion. She looked like she was debating something internally before she locked gazes with me. “Will you stay?”

I looked at her incredulously. “What?”

She blew air through her nose. “Will you stay with me? I think I’d sleep a bit better if… if a friend was nearby.”

Relaxing, I studied her, trying to discern if she had any unseen motives. Seeing nothing of the sort, I asked, “Are you sure?” When she nodded, I smiled softly. “Alright, but you better not hog all the blankets.”

“Shush you.” She smiled gratefully. “Truly though, thank you Marking.”

I slipped under the covers, but kept my hooves to myself, leaving space between the two of us. The two of us faced towards one another, allowing me to get a really good look at her. My eyes traced the contours of her horn, moving on to her strangely shaped ears. The glint of her two pointy fangs was a bit disconcerting, but I was pretty confident she wouldn’t use them to hurt me, and they were rather interesting to look at up close when not threatened by a predator. Realizing I was staring at her, her eyes drug mine into them, and I blushed as I saw her looking right back at me with the same intensity, her eyebrow raised slightly.

“Paint a picture, it’ll last longer.” Aaaaaand that is where I died internally. The small smile on her face was worth it though, and I chuckled to her joke good naturedly. We quieted down and eventually the dark pools in the sea of green caused me to get drowsy. She blinked slowly before whispering. “You’re a good friend Marking.” She closed her eyes. “I’ll see you in the morning.” I too closed my eyes, feeling at peace. Soon enough, I began drifting away into unconsciousness, the warmth of her, the bed, and the friendship I felt I had with her gently escorting me into the dream realm. Whatever may come tomorrow, would be and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Together though, we would overcome, and it promised to be something to look forward to.

The first thing I registered was warmth, a deep heat everywhere underneath the covers. Getting a feel for what was going on, I slowly opened my eyes, low levels of light struggling to penetrate through the heavy curtain. After the initial confusion passed after waking up in the guest bedroom and the memories of last night came rushing in, I blushed heavily. The reason for all the warmth became immediately apparent. Another body was pressed up against mine. I could feel her gentle breaths pushing back and forth against me as her back was pressed up against my chest. She was still asleep and I eventually overcame my embarrassment as I realized she had just shuffled closer throughout the night. I sighed quietly and remained lying where I was, taking a few minutes to appreciate what had transpired yesterday and how it lead to this. I closed my eyes and listened to her gentle breathing, perfectly content with just how wrong everypony’s thoughts on this particular Changeling was.

Eventually, the heat started becoming uncomfortable, and the call of nature making itself known was more like a foghorn on a Seaddle morning. Carefully extracting myself from the slumbering queen, I slipped out from underneath the covers and gave my pelt a quick shake. Giving a quick stretch, a spontaneous idea bloomed in my mind and I quietly exited the room. Moving into the bathroom, I washed up before making my way into the kitchen, thinking over a few good breakfast ideas. Deciding that I wanted to do something rather nice, I grabbed a few eggs, some bread, and veggie bacon.

Don’t ask who’s smart idea it was to try and substitute bacon for a vegetarian species, much less how they know what bacon tasted like.

Moving with an odd morning grace, I went about cooking while setting up a food tray and any other things I found essential for my creation. I was only occupied for about 15 minutes before everything was complete. Satisfied with the looks of the spread, I placed the tray on my back and made my way back to the guest room. Pushing the door open wider, I looked inside and noticed that Chrysalis was already awake, her head looking over her back at me as I walked in. She zeroed in on the tray on my back instantly.

“Good morning!” I greeted cheerfully, although ensuring I wasn’t too loud for newly wakened ears.

“Morning, did you make that for me?” She started to push herself up against the headboard, almost sitting upright. “You didn’t have to.”

I shook my head, walking further into the room until I was right next to her. “No, I insist. I hope you like it, I went easy on any seasonings.” I waited until she was situated before I picked up the tray in my teeth. I hadn’t moved an inch before I felt the strange tingly sensation of magic in my mouth. The tray was gently pulled from me as Chrysalis levitated it onto her lower belly for me. Her eyes looked on it appreciatively.

“It looks really good.” She browsed through the contents before raising an eyebrow. “Veggie bacon?” I shrugged before she just blinked. She picked up a piece of jammed toast before taking a bite. She gave a brief hum of approval before looking at me.

“Not too sweet is it?” I asked, recalling her reactions to the different kinds of foods I made her try yesterday.

She shook her head no. “Someone was paying attention I see.” She smiled before tilting her head. “Did you make any for yourself?”

“Not yet, but I just wanted to make sure you like it first.” I rubbed the back of my head. “I have to keep up my manners after all.”

Chrysalis gave me a squinty smile before gesturing away with her hoof. “Go, you need to eat just as much as I do, and something that’s actually completely nourishing for you.”

I nodded in compliance before leaving her be, walking back into the kitchen. It didn’t take long to get everything cooking before something she had said stuck into the forefront of my brain. She stated that I needed something that was “nourishing” for me. My eyes widened a bit in realization. She was a Changeling.

Well, duh, but that’s not what I was getting at. She was a creature that fed on emotions, or at least that was a bit of the little we knew about Changelings. I frowned as I thought about it. ‘Does she require actual food though? Does it do anything for her? Or… is she just feeding on any emotion I’ve been providing for her?’

I hadn’t felt any weird feelings like I had in the park when she admitted to me that she had fed on me. But, maybe that could be explained away by her only feeding on small amounts instead? This was something that, while I did trust the good I’d seen in Chrysalis, I’d need to make a point of talking to her about, and soon.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

I jumped a bit when a quick, solid, trio of knocks emanated throughout the apartment. I looked over my shoulder, turning down the heat on the cooking food. I kept an ear perked before moving quickly yet quietly through the kitchen and living room. I was just about to step into the hallway to check on Chrysalis before she almost ran into me herself. Her eyes were wide in concern and, when I looked closer, fear.

“Who’s that!?” she asked quickly, using her superior height to look past me.

“Shh!” I placed a hoof on her chest. “I’ll go see who it is, you just go back into the bedroom alright? I’ll take care of it.”

The Changeling queen looked down at me with eyes narrowed in worry. “Alright.” She took a few small steps backwards before she turned and headed back into the room, closing the door behind her.

I took a few breaths before another series of knocks echoed throughout the apartment. Running a hoof in an effort to flatten my morning mane quickly, I turned around and headed towards the small entryway. “Coming!” Reaching the door, I cracked my neck briefly before putting on a smile and opening the door. “Hello, how can I-” I didn’t finish my sentence as my eyes widened and my gut dropped like a stone.

“Greetings, my faithful subject.”

[Princess Luna’s P.O.V.]

Walking briskly through the cold morning streets, I made my way to the target building, two escorts tailing along behind me. We were to link up with a small contingent of advanced guards who had already set up a discreet perimeter. Normally, situations involving the bugs did not require my direct intervention, but the priority messages I had been receiving were severe enough for me to secure immediate transportation to the sprawling coastal metropolis.

The aftermath of the Canterlot Invasion had consisted of many lessons learned and many precautions to be made. New strategies had been made to counter the abilities of the Changelings which the majority had been attributed to the Unicorn Guard branch. Citizens were advised to report any suspicious activity in order to effectively deal with the bug threat. I was doubtful of the report given to me by the Manehattan garrison but it’s best not to overlook it. You never know what could be hiding beneath appearances.

“Follow me.” The sergeant nodded as he motioned the group of guards to fall in behind while I led the way. I open the doors with my magic and entered the building as discreetly as possible. A few early morning ponies gasped at my sudden and unannounced appearance, but a guard would quickly intercept to give them a few simple instructions to help prevent their arrival from being blown. I scaled the staircases quickly and arrived on the floor of the pony harboring the changeling, whether knowingly or not was yet to be determined.

While I walked past and scanned the numbered doors, I took the last few moments I had to think about what I knew. Marking Canvas, the earth pony who had been in the changeling’s company since the bug’s failed capture, was a renowned curator for the local museum. His hobbies and lifestyle were very simple and utilitarian in nature, a textbook minimalist in some cases. He came from a small village in the deserts south of Las Pegasus and had very family oriented ideals. He sported no record and was an upstanding citizen of Equestria. He was clean… unless this incident proved otherwise.

Arriving at the door to his apartment, the line of guards behind me took up positions alongside the walls on both sides of the door. There would be pegasi ready to intercept any sort of aerial escape while the ponies on the ground had the building surrounded. All of this was backed by the power of the princess of the night herself. There would be no escape this time.

I only hoped that the changeling implied in the urgent reports wasn’t really who it was, and that if she was indeed here that it wasn’t too late to save Marking. Having digested all my thoughts and signalling to the Guard to standby in case things became violent, I let out a breath and reached out with my hoof.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The sharp rapping quickly faded away and I stood still for a moment in wait, hoping somepony would answer. The silence was oppressive and the tension was heavy. Hearing no movement on the other side a sense of worry began to grow inside me. Drawing the magic within me in preparation of a conflict, I tried knocking one last time. It would be the last time.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

There was only a moment of silence before I heard a quick “Coming!”. The voice was male and nothing about it sounded abnormal, which was a good sign. There was only a few quick seconds that passed before the door finally clicked open, just wide enough to fit a pony through, which was currently occupied by the brown earth pony.

“Hello, how can I--” he greeted but stopped mid sentence. The moment his eyes laid upon me, his voice died out. He stood still with wide eyes and mouth slightly open, having been interrupted mid speech. This wasn’t an uncommon reaction to having a princess show up on your doorstep unannounced.

“Greetings, my faithful subject,” I addressed formally. I waited for a response from him, but when none seemed forthcoming, I began to pay close attention to him. In a mere moment I had read everything about him, from his body language, to his unkempt mane, and finally his eyes, of which I was paying particularly close attention for any signs of magic tampering or mind control.

“O-oh! H-hello your highness!” He starts briefly before dipping into a low bow. He cleared his throat before standing back up, my sharp and investigative gaze noting that he wasn’t in a challenging posture, but nor was he relaxed any. “Welcome to my humble abode. How may I help you your Majesty?” He had started out stammering, but had finished off with a smoother greeting.

“There are some things we must talk about.” I looked past him, catching only a small view of his apartment. “There have been some rumors that I must address.”

His posture sagged. “O-oh? What about your Highness?”

Taking a gamble, and wanting to see how he’d react, I became blunt in my intentions. “Something tells me you know full well what I wish to discuss, Mr. Canvas.” To his credit, while I could see right through him, having the experience of lifetimes when it came to reading others, he only put up a token resistance when his eyes hardened, before another side of him decided it would be smart to avoid being deceitful, his eyes breaking contact as he looked towards the floor. He hesitated only momentarily before responding.

“Yes… I know what… who you’re here for.” His gaze moved back up to mine, bravely looking me in the eye.

‘Searching my own intentions perhaps?’ There was no evidence of mind control at play, so I did not take action… yet. He wasn’t in fear and he did not have any sign of injury. Judging by the lack of pleas or hints for help, and his honest yet reluctant response, he wasn’t in a particular hurry to turn her over…. What this could mean could be a bit disturbing, but that didn’t match the records of the stallion. ‘How curious….’ I decided to play the game a bit longer, intrigued by his actions thus far.

“I see. And I believe I might just know where this changeling is hiding,” I stated, keeping a stoic expression. “You’re harboring who we’ve been looking for.” I leaned closer to him, his stance wavering slightly as I purposefully became a bit more intimidating. “We’ve been monitoring her movement the moment we had a cause for suspicion, meaning we’ve been watching you as well.”

The stallion didn’t seem too surprised, although he chose to remain quiet and he had yet to move aside… not that I had asked. I stared at him for a while longer, his own eyes staring right back, a rush of emotions racing through his dark depths. He was conflicted… but for what reason?

I pulled my head away in a more relaxed position, which had the added benefit of being a foot or two taller than the earth pony. I observed Marking for awhile more before continuing. “Are you aware of the identity of the changeling in your home?” He nodded, but that wasn’t good enough for me. I needed him to say it, to perhaps have him hear his own words and the weight her name carried.

“I want to hear you say her name.”

He blinked and his jaw tightened before he obeyed. “... Chrysalis.”

I closed my eyes and nodded slowly before opening them. “Yes… Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. The one responsible for the assault on the Crown and innocent civilians, along with a laundry list of federal crimes, among them infiltrating government property, spying, mind control, terrorizing, and impersonating a government official.” I paused, “The list goes on and on. And yet… you haven’t reported her.” My piercing gaze narrowed further. “You’re the only reason she hasn’t already been apprehended right now and dragged away to face her judgement. Tell me, why have you chosen not to follow your civic duty and to instead become a cohort?”

He frowned before shaking his head. “I’m not her cohort, your Majesty.”

I raised a brow. “If you’re not with her, then what are you? Why have you chosen to allow her to stay with you?”

Without missing a beat, he responded straight and with truth. “She’s a friend, your Highness.”

I could hear the breathing of the guards in the hallway stop as they heard his statement. I will readily admit that I shared their sentiment. ‘Friend? What manner of magic is this?’

“Forgive me, Mr. Canvas, but you just claimed that Chrysalis was indeed your friend, am I mistaken?” I watched him like a hawk. His response had caught me off guard and I did not have a plan in store for something such as this. Whatever was happening, it was important that I remain in control of this game.

He nodded again before speaking. “Yes, I consider her a friend.”

Again, sensing no deceit or magic use, I could really only stare. ‘Interesting…’ “She has been deemed a danger to society and a threat to the well being of Equestria’s citizens. She is wanted for her crimes and shall face judgement for what she has done.” I stepped closer, almost pushing aside the stallion. “But I am curious… For what reasons do you consider her your friend? What values do you see in her that you have forgiven her of her tresspasses? Take heed, do not be deceived by the outside she armors herself with. Her intentions within are well hidden; do not dismiss that.” My horn glowed an ethereal blue as I began to actively scan for any magic or threats from both him and the apartment behind him. I could indeed feel the presence of the queen… and the changeling knew it. Staring down at Marking, my eyes glowed with power. “Do not lie little pony, I will see through it.”

The brown earth pony shied away for a few seconds, staring wide eyed at my undoubtedly terrifying visage. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, all the while I could see the gears in his mind turning. With a final exhale, he opened his eyes… and they were far softer than they had previously been.

“The pony I met yesterday… she was something special. The pony I met introduced herself as Cosmetic Beauty. She was an orange pegasus with yellow eyes like mine and she stumbled into my museum. She could have gone anywhere else, she could have been somepony else, but instead she ended up bumping into me.” He took a breath. “She was shy and reclusive; she didn’t really want anything to do with me from the way she spoke, in both body and voice. But, seeing as I felt like I owed her, I showed her around.... And then I really got to show her around.”

He took a single step forward. “I shared my knowledge of art while she shared her knowledge of history. I introduced her to the many spectrums of the city’s cuisine while she reminded me that even the tame had its place. I revealed my secret and special spots while learning that some went without places of solace. I gave her double your stars while she gave me pause, that what currently is will not always be. At the end, I endured when a hard truth was revealed... and in return was able to help fix some of the brokenness found within.”

Marking closed his eyes. “There’s still a lot broken, but there’s still so much potential.” He looked back up at me. “That’s what friends do…. They share experiences and build strength and courage off of the other. They help each other in times of need and are weaker when apart. She helped me realize just how isolated I was while I encouraged her that not all was lost. The little hope she may have was a result of her time spent with me, somepony who actually cared. I may have only known her for a day, but that has been more than enough to show me that she has the ability to be a true friend.”

Seeing that he may have gotten a bit too close and in a challenging stance, he backed off, but still maintained his eye contact as his voice subdued a bit. “You can put on a show of kindness, of caring, and of friendship on the outside, but when you can feel the changes being done within yourself as a result of your companionship with them, then you know exactly who they are and what they’re capable of. What they do on the outside can’t connect with you on the inside, where it matters most.” His eyes drifted past her, as if looking at a whole different plane of existence where he could see his very own thoughts. “That is why I consider her my friend.”

Silence was our only companion after that long yet heartfelt defense. He seemed to have used all the wind in his sails and waited for me, the dreaded doldrums, to come up with my verdict. Would I allow the passage of the wayward traveler? Or would he instead burn and wither away under the unforgiving nature of the beast?

Having my own judgement come under questioning, I wasn’t quite entirely sure of myself as I was previously. It had been a long, long time since somepony had given such a strong argument with the conviction of a pony deadset in their ways. No matter… his defense still wouldn’t be enough… but he had made his point, and a powerful one at that.

“You do know you could be held in court for high treason?” I broke the silence, reminding him just how dire his defense could prove to be, the magic dying from my horn and eyes.

Marking nodded, his head bowed slightly. “Yes, your Highness. If it comes to that, I will accept my punishment willingly.” He wasn’t defeated, but he certainly wasn’t enthusiastic.

Looking at the slightly forlorn creature in front of me, I felt pity… as well as a slight guilt for being the one to blow out his courageous flame. Taking a moment, I felt as if something more might be at play here, something neither party member truly noticed, nor would they as they had not the experience I had with it. Going with my newfound gut instinct, I chose to ask one more question.

“Marking, look at me please.” When I had his attention I asked, “Do you, perhaps, harbor a bit more for the changeling?” At his look of confusion, I pressed onwards. “Is friendship the only thing you are experiencing, or is there more to it?”

The stallion’s eyes registered her meaning, and while there was the initial surprise, doubt soon followed afterward. He stood still for a few moments, pondering her question. He seemed very unsure and was unprepared for such an assumption. Eventually, he came up with an answer.

“I… I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m anywhere near that bridge, but… is it really so wrong to love your enemy?”

I allowed his words to sink in as I processed them, a bit taken aback by the bit more wind he apparently had left in his sail. It was only rightful to bring righteous judgement on an enemy that’ll save many ponies and prevent further chaos, but would it be right to take away somepony’s desire for love? I suffered my own love for an enemy, an enemy that promised me so much power and recognition for what I could truly be! It lead me on a path of destruction and hate… but this may not necessarily suffer the same fate. I was cured and eventually found forgiveness. Why should Chrysalis not deserve the same?

So many questions and possibilities! Not enough resolutions or guarantees. At the very least, I could understand the simplicity of the question, but the ramifications and justifications were too rampant and unknown to know for certain. My eyes shifted back and forth as I faced this situation, one that did not reveal an easy judgement. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, pushing magic into my horn as I sought the answers I desired.

[Marking’s P.O.V.]

The encounter was proving to be one of the most challenging things I had ever undergone, but if there was a chance I could buy Chrysalis her shot at a future worth living, I’d take it. Everything I had to say was honest and spoken from the heart. Some of it had hurt, but it was a small price to pay. I could only hope the night princess would show compassion and help prove to the changeling that there was indeed always a second chance to do right.

… Although, she didn’t look too good at the moment. Her eyes were shut tight while magic coalesced on her horn. She looked to be in deep thought and the small spark of hope inside myself grew just a tiny bit. After a minute or two, the magic disappeared and her eyes opened. I studied her carefully, both anticipating and dreading what she’d have to say. After a few moments of her studying me carefully, she turned her head to the side, looking into the hallway.

“Sergeant, we’re leaving, without the changeling.” My eyes widened a bit as I heard quite a number of hidden guards murmuring, before a gruff bark caused them to start leaving, my eyes tracking at least a dozen armed guards walking past the doorway behind the princess, of which she looked back at me.

“Marking Canvas, it has been decided that the queen will get her second chance…. The counsel of my sister and I have decided that if she was able to make a true friend, then perhaps not all is lost.”

I started to thank the princess profusely before she took a step forward and leaned down, getting very close to my muzzle. “However,” her narrowed eyes caused me to gulp, “she will be expected to come see us, and soon. She has much to answer for yet, and while she will be shown mercy, we will have atonement.”

I bowed my head in submission, watching carefully as she pulled away. “You will bring her to Canterlot, and soon.” She started stepping clear of the door before speaking a little louder. “Do not waste this chance given. There will not be another one.” She looked down at me. “You are brave, my little pony. There will be much to discuss later.”

“Do not keep us waiting for long.” And with that, she closed the door behind herself and left me alone in the entryway to my apartment.

I stared at the wooden door for almost a solid minute, my adrenaline, breathing, and inner turmoil of emotions slowly coming back under control. I had not expected an encounter with the night princess, nor for said encounter to go, admittedly, as well as it did. I had staved off the vengeful crusade of a society and government from crushing the already broken soul in my care. Internally ensuring that I would keep my promises to the princess, I closed my eyes and took one final breath.

Having taken my moment, I turned around and started to make my way back inside to check up on how Chrysalis was doing. I had only turned the corner of the hallway before a sudden weight crashed into me, a pair of long and strong forelegs wrapping around me tightly as I was pressed into warm yet hard chitin. Reacting to the now hitching changeling hugging me, I returned the gesture, squeezing equally hard onto her.

We stayed that way for a minute, my hooves carefully rubbing along her back, finding myself in almost the exact same situation as I had last night as she slowly calmed down. Eventually, I spoke. “Hey, are you okay?” I asked.

“Did you really mean that?” she asked, ignoring my question.

“Mean what?” I asked, puzzled.

“I overheard your discussion with the princess,” she elaborated. She pulled away from me so that she could look me in the eye. Hers were a bit puffy and tear slicked. The emotion she held in them caused my heart to ache slightly. “Marking, did you truly mean everything you said? You consider me that much of a friend?”

I nodded fiercely, “Of course! I meant every word I said.” Feeling a bit brave, I initiated a hug with her. “You have shown me everything a true friend would. There is no hesitation when I say that you truly are a great friend.” I held her for a little while longer before backing off, standing up to match her head height while she remained sitting on the floor. “I assume you heard everything then? We will have to go to Canterlot soon.”

She nodded, and while she looked hesitant, she did not show any signs of indecision. We remained quiet, just recovering from the very tense start to the morning.

That was, before I smelled something burning.

My eyes widened before I gasped. “The food!” Getting up, I quickly raced into the kitchen, finding that my breakfast was ruined. Nothing but the blackest of charcoal occupied the frying pan. Hell, I would probably only have to compress it at this point to get a diamond out of it. Needless to say, I quickly turned off the stove, sighing slightly. ‘Well, at least a wasted breakfast was well worth the price of earlier’s outcome.’

Chrysalis walked up behind me, looking at the disaster in front of me. “Well, that’s no good.” She looked at me, unsure of what to do now that all of the morning’s distractions seemed to be through with.

Looking up at her, I decided on my next course of action. “Want to go out for breakfast? I kind of don’t feel like cooking now.”

Chrysalis nodded before she became engulfed in green fire, causing me to step back in surprise. Soon the familiar sight of Cosmie greeted my vision. She looked herself over before glancing at me with a slightly coy look. “Well? How do I look?”

Sensing a potential trap, as mares were tricky creatures, I nodded. “You look good. Although, maybe one day you won’t need the disguise?”

Chrysalis had a doubtful expression, before something playful took its place. “Oh, you would like that wouldn’t you?” she says, pressing a bit closer to me. Seeing my look of confusion, she continued. “I saw your artwork of me…. Let’s just say some of the proportions, especially around my flanks, were relatively… generous, or exaggerated if you will.”

I felt my cheeks heating up. “W-whatever! I didn’t know so I just had to make something up, okay?”

Chrysalis merely giggled. “Sure, I’m positive you had a hard time coming up with it.”

She did not know when to stop… not that I was complaining.

Clearing my throat as I started walking for the entryway, I attempted to sound dignified. “My art speaks for itself. You’re just gorgeous and majestic in your own way which maybe not everypony can see. There’s more than just the appearance too. You heard all the things I had to say about what’s within you.” Grabbing my winter wear while Chrysalis did the same, I blushed harder as I decided to be honest… and perhaps a bit too forward. “Plus, you’re kind of hot.”

The changeling coughed, caught a bit off guard from the tables being turned. What made it worse, however, was that she could probably sense the honesty in that.

Which made it a bit awkward. But in a good way I hoped.

She did smile at me nonetheless, nodding gratefully. “Whatever you say, Marking. But be careful what you say little pony… sweet talking a mare who lives off of love will get you everywhere.”

We both looked at one another before bursting out into laughter. Calming down, I opened the door and gestured. “Shall we?”

She smiled before nodding, “Yes, let’s go get something for you. You are a terrible cook after all!” The teasing tone in her voice told me everything, and there was a rush of happiness coursing through me.

“Yeah? You seemed to enjoy it just fine.” I shut the door behind us and locked up, joining her down the hallway.

“Sure. However, if you keep up the performance you did for your own, I’ll have to switch diets.”

I looked at her, “What do you mean?”

She smirked, the kind of smirk that sent dreadful shivers down my spine. “I’ll eat you instead.”

Her simple statement caused me to trip, but I quickly caught myself. “W-what!?” Chrysalis looked over to me and simply gave me an all star wink. I blushed as Chrysalis tugged at me with a wing to get me moving.

All in all, the morning hadn’t turned out that badly. I had secured what seemed to be the beginnings of a great friendship, and perhaps something even more. I guess we’d have to see how this turned out. A broken and on the run soul had been given a good chance at redemption, allowing for atonement and true forgiveness to be found and given. It was odd really, life always seemed to have a funny yet frustrating way of dealing with things, and the power of friendship was clearly something more powerful than any one pony could understand.

Regardless, I looked forward to what the future had in store, and judging by the happy look on Chrysalis’ face as we entered the wind blown streets of Manehatten, she did too.

‘This should prove to be interesting.’

Love's Anathema

by EagleOfDeath15

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3