• Chapter Ten: Information Received •
…
"I'm so nervous!" Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, and leaned against Cheese Sandwich anxiously.
"I know," he whispered back, as they watched the door, waiting for Chrysalis to return from her visit to her daughter. After she came, changelings would be streaming in. Fighting for just a glimpse of their queen's birthday. The combined shivering of Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich made an increased shuddering, making even the chandeliers above even shake slightly. Finally, the doors swayed open, and Chrysalis stepped into the room, her eyes bright, as she trotted up to them. Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich relaxed at her bliss, and they both grinned up at the changeling queen. She was much taller than Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie- she practically towered over them, but the two ponies didn't seem at all threatened.
"Thank you, so much for planning my party!" Chrysalis purred, giving both Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie both an acknowledging nod.
"All in a day's work! Me and Pinkie a Pie better be off now... we would hate for the changelings to feel a bit threatened by having two ponies amongst them," Cheese Sandwich confessed, and was about to trot passed the changeling queen, when she stopped them, her gaze darkening.
"You want us to stay?" Pinkie Pie squawked hesitantly, her voice slightly duller at Chrysalis's sudden change of attitude.
Chrysalis advanced forward, making the two ponies back into a wall.
"Haha! Wow- I can't believe I almost forgot the reason I actually let you into my castle!" Chrysalis leered, and her horn powered up.
"Um... because you wanted a party?" Pinkie Pie choked, shivering against the wall, clinging onto Cheese Sandwich who shuddered besides her. He held onto her tightly, making Pinkie Pie feel more secure, but she was still frightened.
"Pinkie Pie, your life has been loved notwithstanding.
But in the future, you dare threaten Queen Chrysalis- me!
Your name is now Pinkariel, your life is parallel
You will not see light again; I'm changing your destiny!"
"You say what now?" Pinkie Pie gasped, clinging tighter to Cheese Sandwich, as he protectively stood in front of her, a growl gurgling though his throat, standing before Chrysalis as good as any guard dog.
Queen Chrysalis menaced forward. "Don't act so innocent, I have all the proof it's you! Pinkie Pie- you've proven yourself, every single clue! You had to be as funny as a flawed clumsy clown! Well check, that is one clue down. My mirror told me you had to be pink! Well look at yourself- you're pink all over, what do you think?"
"Queen Chrysalis! I didn't plan any of it! I swear!" Pinkie Pie sobbed.
"Of course you didn't! None of them did!" Chrysalis spat. Her horn powered up a green aura, and shot it at Pinkie Pie, opening a portal in front of it. Cheese Sandwich protectiveness was now useless. She backed away, but it was no use as she was forced forwards, and went tumbling into the portal.
"Pinkie Pie! No!" Cheese Sandwich leapt forward after her. Pinkie Pie stared around the swirling void, and saw the orange colt tumbling around after her.
"Bye!" She cried, reaching out her hoof. His green eyes met her blue ones.
"Bye," he choked back. He lifted his hoof forward too. For a split second, the pink hoof and the orange one pet, then nothing.
…
Water. Water. Water. Oh no! Pinkie Pie kicked upwards, but her back legs didn't respond... it was almost like they were completely numb. Well if my back legs aren't working, my front legs should. Pinkie Pie swirled them around in the water, holding her breathe as she flipped upwards. She was immensely deep underwater, and she knew she wouldn't make it to the surface quick enough. She was surprised that he pressure of the water hadn't crushed her yet.
"Pinkariel? Why are you pouting?" Pinkie Pie spun around, to see a familiar face. It was a grey-blue pony, with a short purple mane with a fringe.
"Maud? What are you doing here? We need to get to the surface quick, before we drown!" Pinkie Pie cried, "wait- how am I talking underwater?"
Maud just glanced at her, before rolling her eyes. "Pinkariel being Pinkariel. You're not meant to be so comical you know? We're meant to farm rocks- remember?"
"Farm rocks? Talking underwater? Holy Chrysalis! You have a tail- I mean a scaled tail... a fin! How did this happen?" Pinkie Pie screamed, backing away from her sister. It had been obvious by now that she could breathe underwater.
"We're merponies Pinkariel! We live underwater! Maybe we should get you seen by a doctor..?" Maud gulped, taking a rock out of a scaled pocket of hers. "You're scaring Boulder."
"Merponies? Oh, that makes no sense at all!" Pinkie Pie screamed. "And why are you calling me Pinkariel?"
Maud Pie backed away, before swishing her tail in a delicate rhythm. "I'm going to get Ma and Pa."
Now alone, Pinkie Pie sunk to the bottom of the water, trying to take it all in.
"I see you may be wondering what has happened to you now. Just sit back Pinkariel and let me tell you how," a voice snickered in a sweet-teasing voice. Pinkie Pie looked up, to see Chrysalis in the form of a merpony, a slender tail flicking behind her.
"I'm listening," Pinkie Pie hissed, getting into a comfortable position as Chrysalis settled in front of her.
"For one, you are a merpony you live here in the ocean. You must stay underwater, don't go on land to avoid commotion. Your name is Pinkariel, you live with your parents on the rock farm. Follow their rules and live their life do not cause any harm!" Chrysalis smirked, as Pinkariel peered over at her rump. Sure enough, there was a sleek tail with blue and yellow scales, which matched her Cutie Mark. Her Cutie Mark, which was once on her flank was now in her hair as a clip. Everything else about her was the same. She had the same face, and the same rest of the body.
"What about Cheese Sandwich? What have you done to him?" Pinkariel growled through clenched teeth.
"Oh, him?" Chrysalis gave a fake surprised expression. Furiously, Pinkariel tried lunging forward to the queen, but with no back legs, she was unable to propel herself. Chrysalis giggled evilly, before her horn began to light up, and she teleported away. A swarm of bubbles in her place.
"Pinkariel- there you are! Are you ok?" A voice tumbled through Pinkariel's ears, interrupting the dirty thoughts which were resonating through her mind. Pinkariel turned to see her mum and dad floating in the water before her. Their expressions were concerned.
"I'm fine... let's just go farm some... rocks," Pinkariel muttered, swimming after her parents, still wondering about Cheese Sandwich.
…
"A merpony? Really?" Cheese Sandwich raised an eyebrow, as Chrysalis showed him Pinkariel farming the rocks, her hair deflated. They were watching the footage through Chrysalis's mirror.
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. "Don't think I have nothing planned for you!"
"Uh huh. Sure. Can you put on an interesting film now?" Cheese Sandwich questioned, taking a box of popcorn out of his mane and crunching onto a few pieces which he tossed into his mouth.
"Wow. You don't care about Pinkariel at all, do you?" Chrysalis turned around, a smug expression enfolding her face while her back was turned.
Cheese Sandwich stopped what he was doing at this. "You think I don't care about her? You really think that? I have been worrying sick about that filly this whole time, and you think I don't care? I love her for crying out loud!" Cheese Sandwich stopped, covering his mouth in shock.
Chrysalis felt a huge wave of love coming off Cheese Sandwich at this, and she hungrily sipped it up.
"You love her?" Chrysalis snorted.
"I guess I do... I've loved her since I first saw her throw that party when she was only a foal," Cheese Sandwich sighed, glimpsing up at the sky in wonder.
"Aww! How touching! Too bad you'll never see her again!" Chrysalis laughed wickedly, before teleporting Cheese Sandwich before her. He snarled, ready to pounce, but having learnt from former times, Chrysalis out a stiffening spell around him so he couldn't move. He clamped his teeth together in hostility, as he tried squirming around, but it was useless. His green eyes glowered piercingly at Chrysalis.
"Poor Cheese Sandwich, poor new prince.
I'm making you a dwarf.
Your personality is now happy.
You must be feeling awf'.
You will never hear Pinkariel's voice again.
There'll be five others just like you.
Silence isn't even what you'll hear.
You're life is now askew!"
Chrysalis's magic whipped around him, carving his appearance into something hideous. Cheese Sandwich gasped in pain, gritting his teeth as if his heart was being torn out. Chrysalis then used her magic to minimise his size. The orange colt with the dark brown mane lay on the ground, panting as he had been terribly winded. Chrysalis opened up a portal behind him, and the lanky colt was lifted up into the air, before zipping into the void.
Chrysalis sighed, trotting up to her mirror, which was now showing four images. One of a cyan pegasi, with a mane which used to be every colour of the rainbow, but was now grey as ashes. She was miserably cleaning the chimney again for the cinders which had gathered. The second image was an orange earth pony with a yellow mane tied up, and a red hood spread across her back. She was sitting at the fence, peering into the Everfree Forest, wonder clouding her dejected eyes. The third was of a white unicorn, with a curly purple mane. She was pacing from side to side of a room, trying to clear up her boredom, and continuously peering out of the window and crying for help in heartache. The newest asset to the group was a pink merpony, who was following the destiny of her parents and siblings, which was unfortunately not her destiny like theirs. She was inattentively trying to make friends with the passing marine life, before being told off by her peers, and she continued farming rocks with a crestfallen expression on her face.
"Only two more to go! Excited Chrysy?" The all too familiar voice sounded behind her, and Chrysalis turned around to see the draconequus. He had the head of a pony, the front legs of a lion and an eagle, the wings of a pegasi and bat and a dragon-like tail of a snake. He grinned, and his mismatched red and yellow eyes glimmered playfully. Chrysalis nodded.
"One is as competitive as a race with not one lack."
"Two is as determined as a needle in a haystack."
"Three is as beautiful as a top model created gown."
"Four is as hilarious as a flawed, clumsy clown."
"Five is as intelligent as one hundred percent."
"One hundred percent, it's a test I must seek! A test I will throw for the smart and unique! Whoever passes is of course number five! Then, once again my changelings and Kingdom can survive." Chrysalis's narrowed her green eyes, giving a studious look up at the sky. "This pony is most likely a unicorn, so the test should have a theme. Something which is still clever, but nothing too extreme. That's it! A test on magic, for unicorns are known for it. Something which will test the pony's knowledge and their wit!" Chrysalis gave a gratified nod, quite pleased with her ideas. The draconequus only nodded.
Chrysalis glared at him. "Now go away."
"Fine, fine," he muttered before teleporting away, having a feeling of uselessness in this visit.
Chrysalis beamed, "oh that would have been a disaster. I'm glad I didn't slip the part out, that I now have a party. Speaking of the party, it's now time to go." She gave one look in the mirror, and quickly asked, "mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?" Again, it came with the same answer, much to Chrysalis's satisfaction, and she left to go to the party.
…
The next few days for the Cutie Mark Crusaders was a breeze. They thrived on the well, and they hadn't went to sleep with an empty belly in ages. They were still attempting to find out the meaning of what the two former princesses Celestia and Luna had told them. Figuring that out, had interfered with their crusading, but it seemed as if Celestia and Luna were depending on them, and the foals knew that they couldn't let them down.
"Hmm..." Apple Bloom mumbled, and Babs Seed looked up from what she was doing.
"Can you keep your thinking to yourself?" Scootaloo questioned.
"Shush you two!" Sweetie Belle hissed.
"Like ya aren't bein' any louder than us!" Apple Bloom spat.
"Well at least I'm actually trying, unlike you two," Sweetie Belle huffed.
"I am trying! It's Apple Bloom who is trying the least!" Scootaloo hollered.
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Shut up!"
"Not until you do!"
"Oh for crying out loud!"
Babs Seed peered around in horror, as the three foals continued to mock each other. Her head was ringing, and she couldn't take it anymore. "Quiet!"
All three of them halted, and peered at the brown-orange foal in guilt.
"Sorry... I didn't mean anything I said," Sweetie Belle looked down at the ground sorrowfully.
"Aww, it's ok Sweetie Belle! I'm sorry too," Scootaloo sighed. Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.
Babs Seed sighed in affection at the final remarks, and decided to suggest something to tie away their boredom. "Hey- I think I saw some nice looking berries deeper in the Everfree Forest. Maybe we should explore it, considering there is no more timberwolves to worry about."
The other three seemed a bit hesitant. Scratch the a bit, they seemed very hesitant.
"What about cockatrice?" Apple Bloom shivered.
"Or a manticore?" Scootaloo trembled.
"Or a chimera?" Sweetie Belle quivered.
"Oh guys! Please! What's the worst that could happen?" Babs Seed questioned, putting up a brave expression.
"All the things we just listed?" Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow, and Babs Seed face-hooved.
"I was just trying to find something interesting to do, because we all seem slightly tense," Babs Seed sighed, and other three gave each other regretful glances.
"Actually, ah could do with a bit of leg-stretch after sittin' down, attemptin' to crack a code for forty-eight hours, if ya two ain't mind?" Apple Bloom smiled at Babs Seed, and the two earth ponies gave Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle pleading glances.
"Aww, why not?" Scootaloo sighed, and trotted up to Babs Seed and Apple Bloom, hoof-bumping them.
"Only one more vote." All three peered down at Sweetie Belle with puppy-dog eyes.
"Well what are we waiting for?" Sweetie Belle cried, without a delay. Letting out a few triumphant cheers, the four crusaders set out towards the ghostly trees, awaiting a hectic adventure.
…
Throughout the Everfree Forest, danger was just awaiting the four ecstatic foals. They didn't care the least though, as they trudged through the woods, leaves crunching under their hooves. They were going deeper into the forest than they had ever gone before. It was nerve racking, and at the same time, titillating, the four foals flowing with zest. Unusual fauna and flora grew and lurked through the forest. Some of it was beautiful, some of it was shocking, in a bad way. The foals didn't care though- in fact, they didn't have one care in the world, as they skipped through the undergrowth.
"Look over there!" Apple Bloom piped all of a sudden, making the other three jump. The cream-yellow foal raced up to an unusual-looking tree. It sprouted out of the earth, it's branches flowing out. At the end of the branches, it grew grey-dull apples. Babs Seed figured this was because the apples had grown old, and dust had gathered on them.
"It's just an apple tree, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo grunted, hopping up to her buddy in confusion.
Apple Bloom gasped as if Scootaloo had just told her that the sky was falling down. "Just an apple tree? You think this is just an apple tree? No, this is not just any Apple tree! This is a zap apple tree!" Apple Bloom stroked the tree's bark possessively.
"Zap apple tree? Aren't they like... meant to be rainbow coloured?" Sweetie Belle cheeped. Babs Seed eyed the grey apples curiously.
"Of course they are! But right now, it isn't the harvest day," Apple Bloom elucidated.
"That would explain why they are only available for a small portion of the year," Babs Seed snorted, blowing a bit of her red-pink mane, which was covering her eyes.
"Hey! You hungry animals stay away from mah zap apples! They're mine! Now back away!" A voice suddenly cawed behind the four. It sounded croaky, obviously being spoken by an elderly mare. Babs Seed spun around, to see a tea-green mare, with a white mane tied into a messy bun. Her skin was incredibly wrinkled, and her legs shook with age. She was swaying a walking stick above her head, to shoo off whatever predator she saw the crusaders as. Babe Seed, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle backed away in terror, but Apple Bloom stood stiff, and shocked, as she stood dangerously close to the elderly mare's walking stick.
"Apple Bloom! Quick!" Sweetie Belle cried, cringing slightly as the stick whizzed passed Apple Bloom's snout.
"Guys! This is mah Granny Smith! Granny! It's meh!" Apple Bloom stepped forward, and the elderly mare stopped, the walking stick now stiff in the air.
"Apple Bloom! Is that ya?" Granny Smith squinted down at the foal, and gasped. "Well ah never!"
Apple Bloom squealed in delight, before hopping into her granny's hooves, in thrill.
Babs Seed, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle gasped, and ran up, introducing themselves to Apple Bloom's relative, which was also Babs Seed's.
"So what happened? Why are ya in the Everfree Forest?" Apple Bloom asked Granny Smith after the final plays of endearment.
"Well ah could ask the same about ya. Hehe, all ah can say is, Chrysalis sent me here, right 'ere in the Everfree Forest, and supplied meh with a house too. The next few days, ah have been survivin' of some edible plants, and water, and just waitin' for it to be zap apple day, so ah can get these apples. Now ya'll tell me how ya got 'ere!" Granny Smith creaked, and Apple Bloom explained what had happened. Once the story was over, Granny Smith took them to her house. It was quite a small little hut- too small to fit more than one pony in. The three fillies knew that they wouldn't be able to stay with the elderly pony- they could only visit.
After the visit, they said their goodbyes, before heading back into the Everfree Forest on the way home.
"Well that was nice, seeing your grandma," Scootaloo intoned.
"Yeah! Ah am glad to know that she is alright, and is surviving fine, since what Chrysalis did to us!" Apple Bloom replied, as they went further back to the brick house. Seeing Granny Smith had sent a new spasm of hope through the foals. It meant that they weren't the only ones who Chrysalis had sent through the portal to survive. It meant their other relatives could possibly still be around. The rustling of the trees, was going far too creepy now, however, and darkness was shrouding. The four crusaders instinctively huddled close together, in fear of the darkness enveloping it's way around them.
"I don't like this," Sweetie Belle choked, as the grass began to cling to her hooves when she stepped.
"Not far now," Babs Seed gulped, but with each second, it was taking them further away from their true destination. They should have been back at the house half an hour ago, but they could only see trees and trees and trees, endlessly sprayed across their pathway.
"I think we're los-"
"Don't say the 'l' word, Sweetie Belle! We're almost there," Scootaloo hissed.
"Ah remember Babs Seed sayin' something like that twenty minutes ago," Apple Bloom howled.
"Come on guys... let's just stay incredibly close to one another," Babs Seed stifled. If the crusaders weren't close before, they were now basically stuck to each other like glue. They seemed to scream at every little vine that brushed passed their hooves, and the growing tension was unbearable. They were just about to reach a bed of bright blue flowers, with petals peeling out like banana peels, when a voice resonating through the air.
"Stop young ones, I would not go there. Imagine what the flowers can do to four foals, if they can conquer a mare." The voice sent a tremor through each of their spines.
"What? Who goes there?" Babs Seed cried, positioning herself, if anything pounced.
Some bushes nearby rustled, and some bright yellow eyes glistened through the branches, until finally, a figure stepped out of the leaves. It was a pony which Babs Seed would have never imagined seeing before- she was white, with dark grey stripes littered across her body. Her hair was done up like a mohawk, and she had golden rings and neckpieces over her body. Her eyes were aqua, and had a calm expression.
"What are you? Who are you? We know how to fight," Apple Bloom called, but the creature only laughed.
"I am a zebra, my name is Zecora and sorry, to frighten you little folk. I was just worried that you would be infected by the poison joke." The zebra dipped her head apologetically.
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Care explain this- poison joke?"
Zecora sat down. "For one, poison joke is the blue flowers. Well you see, if one touches it, it affects them in a few hours. The plant will change something about the pony as a joke. All you need to do is give the plant a small stroke."
Babs Seed nodded, "well thank you for helping us."
"Wait," Apple Bloom stopped the zebra before she could walk away. "Is it true ya know a lot about things?" Zecora nodded. "Well meh and mah friends received a message from Celestia and Luna. Could ya try and help us crack it?"
Zecora's eyes widened, before she smiled to the foals. "Well of course I will help you solve this riddle! Just tell me what it is, and I can help you get to the middle."
"Well Celestia and Luna gave us three wishes to grant... but they have to be for a certain cause," Sweetie Belle explained.
"She said: There is a balance between night and day which is called twilight. You must grant the balance your wishes for it to keep the sun to shine and the moon to glow," Scootaloo added.
Zecora hesitated, looking up at the sky as she was deep in thought, before turning to the foals. "What have you thought of so far?"
"Well... we tried waiting for it to turn to the exact time of twilight and grant our wishes, but nothing happened," Babs Seed sighed.
Zecora narrowed her eyes, "maybe you are taking the term 'twilight' too literal."
"Yeah- maybe it's not meant to be the time! Twilight can also mean uncertainty, or success," Apple Bloom cried, but Zecora still looked at the foals doubtfully.
"Or a name," the zebra murmured, so quietly, that the foals could barely hear it. "Well I have got to go. Fair well foals, like you said- the moon will glow."
"Wait! We don't get it!" Scootaloo cried, but Zecora had already disappeared, which was confusing, considering she wasn't a unicorn- unable to teleport, and she wasn't an earth pony but a zebra.
"But we don't know our way home!" Sweetie Belle cried.
"Actually... Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo butted her friend, before pointing her hoof right next to them, and there was the brick house.
Sweetie Belle looked like she was ready to kick one of them, as her face turned red as a chilly, and steam puffed from her ears.